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Chana Pinto
ביחד ננצח

Top Influential Jews of the Year? I don’t think so.

An Israeli flag flies outside a house in Israel, October 2024. (the writer)
An Israeli flag flies outside a house in Israel, October 2024. (the writer)

Does anyone else feel that The Jerusalem Post’s top two choices for “Most Influential Jew of the Year” were way off mark? The top four are Americans, for one thing, which is surprising given that for Jews, this year has undeniably been focused on the State of Israel. That being said, I was most baffled by the picks for first and second place:

Let’s start with #2, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro: When I first heard that Shapiro was shortlisted for Kamala Harris’ running mate, I was pleasantly surprised — he is an affiliated, practicing Jew (he even attended the local Jewish high school a few blocks from where I grew up in suburban Philadelphia), outwardly pro-Israel, and I thought that he was just what the White House would need to offset Harris’ less-than-stellar track record on Israel. But regrettably, as soon as Shapiro’s name became public and his track record scrutinized, he started flip-flopping on his supposed staunch support for Israel, stating his concern for the “death and destruction in Gaza.” He even went so far as to retract statements he made as a college student 30 years ago, where he wrote in an op-ed that the Palestinians would never be able to establish a homeland for themselves and were incapable of making peace with Israel.

Last year, two months into the Hamas-Israel war, Shapiro had the nerve to call our Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu one of “the worst leaders of all time,” as if he felt that he himself could do a better job of ridding the world of evil. Since then, he has continued to give mixed signals as to whether he is on Israel’s side or against us, because as we Jews know, there is no in-between.  Shapiro has used the oft-repeated “Israel’s right to defend itself” statement (which, in my opinion, is so vague and overused that it has become meaningless) and has added in, for good measure, Israel’s “…responsibility to rid the Middle East of Hamas” (you’re welcome!), but in the same sentence expresses support for the antisemitic campus protesters who apparently “have a right to express themselves.” Really? There is no equivalence there. Israel and Jews worldwide are fighting for our very survival, against savagery that our nation hasn’t experienced in 75 years, and antisemitism that has never before been seen in the United States, yet Mr. Shapiro, like so many before him, has succeeded in yielding to the masses, even if it means betraying his own people.

Why, I ask you, was this man chosen as one of the most influential Jews of the year? If by “influential,” the Jerusalem Post was referring to influencing the Democratic Party to be two-faced in their support of Israel, then yes, he is definitely “influential.” Otherwise, no thank you! He should never have been on the list at all, and I for one am happy that he wasn’t chosen as Harris’ running mate.

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And now for The Jerusalem Post’s #1 choice for most influential Jew of the Year — and the award goes to … Doug Emhoff! (Doug WHO?)Yes, America’s Second Gentleman. (Gotta love that ridiculous title!) Well, he IS Jewish. So there’s that. He apparently practices Jewish customs and traditions and is proud of his heritage. So far, so good. But what has he done to actually earn this honorary title? Can someone help me here, please? Here in Israel, many non-American Anglos have never even heard of him. I read the two-page spread about him in the Jerusalem Post magazine over Rosh Hashanah, and I’m still wondering what it is he has done that is so influential that they even dared to suggest that he is a modern-day Queen Esther? In fact, it seems that he has many more critics than he does supporters. The article itself implies that he is more talk than action, and hasn’t actually done enough to combat antisemitism in the US, though he has spoken out publicly against it on various occasions. There’s also something else: Emhoff’s daughter Ella has been an outspoken advocate for the Palestinians, raising money last year for “Gaza’s children,” who, according to her, are victims of Israeli aggression, and UNRWA, which we all know by now is run by Hamas terrorists. We can’t ignore this. She is, after all, his daughter, and he claims to be working to fight antisemitism.

If you ask me, something is fishy there. Doug Emhoff may consider himself a proud Jew, but when it comes to defending his people, he has proven to be passively supportive at best. How does he really feel inside? We probably will never know. But to be chosen as the most influential Jew is an insult to Jews everywhere, especially this past year. Israel is strong, thank G-d, but we need support from our allies, real support, not fluff. Was this the best the Jerusalem Post could do? What a lost opportunity. Here in Israel we have many true Jewish heroes who have been far more influential than anyone in The Jerusalem Post’s top five. Let’s hope the truly influential Jews both in Israel and around the world continue to fight for us. Even if they didn’t make the JPost’s list.

About the Author
Chana Resnick Pinto made aliya in 2005 and lives in the Sharon area of Central Israel. She has a BA in English from Yeshiva University and an MSEd from Bank Street College of Education in New York City. Chana works at Eric Cohen Books in Ra'anana and loves living in Israel. She encourages everyone to stop and smell the flowers and always appreciate the small things.
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