Trump and the Jewish Vote

At the age of 14, my mother and her parents fled their home in Berlin, Germany, made their way to England and left Europe on April 15^th, 1939, sailing to America and freedom aboard the Queen Mary.

While not an observant family, I grew up observing the High Holy Days such as fasting for Yom Kippur to atone for my sins, long before I fully understood why. My mother’s experience fleeing persecution for her Jewish identity led her to keep our heritage to ourselves – whenever asked if she was Jewish, she would answer; “I’m an American.”

I didn’t study the Torah, but I did learn from my mother much of what I believe is consequential about being a Jew. My mother taught me the “Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  She told me of the discrimination she experienced wearing the required Jewish yellow star on her sleeve. She witnessed the destruction on Kristallnacht, when Nazi marauders ransacked stores and homes owned by Jews.  Years later, my mother was clear about the Jewish credo “Never Again” when she told me; “and that applies not only for the Jews.”  Quiet as I was about being a Jew, I have always been proud of that heritage.

In recent years, the political landscape has been marked by deep divisions, but few issues resonate more profoundly with American Jews than the specter of antisemitism. As Jewish Americans head to the ballot box in just a few weeks, the stakes are higher than just partisan politics. Donald Trump has casually aligned himself with the most extreme, antisemitic groups and their tropes.  Recently, he has said that if he loses this election, it is the fault of the Jews.  Nothing good can come out of a statement like that.

Look, I don’t hate Donald Trump, nor do I wish him harm or ill. I even understand why many Americans are drawn to him.  For too many, “the American Dream” is just a pipe dream, too many feel forgotten and left behind in a country that has promised much, but for them delivered far too little. So, now they’re looking for something else – anything else – and along comes Donald Trump who says he speaks for them and will fix their ills by blaming all their troubles on immigrants, upending a system that they no longer value.

But what I don’t get is the support Trump receives from those in the Jewish community.  As we celebrate the Jewish New Year and look forward to the day that Jews around the world fast to atone for their sins, I think serious reflection is called for by those planning to vote for Donald Trump.  Jewish values—rooted in justice, compassion, and community—demand a rejection of hate in all its forms. To support someone who normalizes intolerance is to undermine the very principles we practice.

My mother fled a country in the late 1930s whose leader said that Jews were “poisoning the blood” of Germany.  He said that Jews were “not human” and that we were “the root of all of . . . troubles.”  Trump says that migrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.”  Sound familiar?  Referring to immigrants Trump stated at a rally in Ohio: “I don’t know if you call them people . . . In some cases, they’re not people, in my opinion.”  And that’s just one example.  I remember asking my mother why the Jews didn’t leave Germany right away and she told me that nobody believed that Hitler would actually DO what he said he would. This is not just inflammatory rhetoric; it is a troubling echo of a dark history.  We cannot afford to make the same mistake again.

While many friends point to Trump’s support for Israel as a reason for their Jewish backing, this is an oversimplification.  Democrats have always fully supported Israel.  Israel has fended off two massive missile attacks by Iran due to U.S. support and has never been denied weapons to defend itself.  The Biden-Harris Administration just secured $14 billion in military aid and committed over 43,000 U.S. troops and two Aircraft Carrier battle groups to augment Israel’s defense.  It was Joe Biden who was the first president ever to fly into an active war zone when Air Force One flew him to Israel right after October 7^th to show American support.  Claims that Democrats are not good enough on Israel defy the facts.

My mother was right. “Never Again” is not just about the Jews.  We’re not a selfish lot and the whole concept of “Tzedakah” speaks to that. We look out for others as we wish they would have looked out for us.  As we approach this year’s Day of Atonement, those who vote for Trump and ignore the clear words and signs of something very ugly, next year may have to atone by fasting for quite a few more days than just one.