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Menachem Creditor

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To the Left and to the Right: Two Truths for Jews

Jan 14, 2019, 11:47 PM

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Contamination of the Left by extremists (ab)using the term ‘intersectionality’ to estrange and attack Jews under cover of political Anti-Zionism. Contamination of the Right by extremists using the term “globalists” to isolate and attack Jews under cover of economic conservativism.

To the Right and to the Left, we say ‘feh!’

To those in the Jewish community who see wrongness in one camp and run for the other, I offer these two truths, one more inspiring and practical than the other.

A hurtful truth: What political slice of any nation hasn’t historically included antisemitism? The alt-right (white supremacists) and the anti-Israel left (Anti-Semites) are tinged/pervaded by lasting and latent Jew hatred that knows no political ideology, that transcends time and model of soceital leadership.

A helpful truth: To reject a political posture because of the germs of hatred in humanity is short sighted. Fighting pernicious Jew-hatred within your political tribe is a better approach, and challenges all the various tribes to be their best selves.

My two cents.

About the Author

Rabbi Menachem Creditor serves as the Pearl and Ira Meyer Scholar in Residence at UJA Federation of New York and as Senior Lecturer at the Academy for Jewish Religion. An acclaimed author, educator, musician, and activist, he was named by Newsweek as one of the fifty most influential rabbis in America. With millions of views of his videos and essays, his leadership has helped shape national conversations on gun violence prevention, Zionism, interfaith organizing, LGBTQ inclusion, and Jewish diversity. Rabbi Creditor has published more than forty books and six albums of original music, including the widely sung anthem Olam Chesed Yibaneh. He is the founder of Rabbis Against Gun Violence and serves as a clergy coach with Atra: Center for Rabbinic Innovation, supporting rabbis as they navigate their careers and develop their voices. He inspires audiences internationally through presentations that unite Jewish tradition, spiritual imagination, and moral leadership. Rabbi Creditor lives in New York with his wife, singer Neshama Carlebach, and their family.

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