Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner is the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism:
Despite the several thousand cheering in the arena, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Jews across America reject the divisive and hurtful messages that have been central to Mr. Trump’s campaign. As a community, we know what it is to be targeted because of our faith and to be treated unfairly. We know what it is to experience a dearth of compassion.
As this presidential campaign continues, people of good will have a responsibility to resoundingly reject disrespect and xenophobia coming from any candidate. We must lift our voices in support of inclusion, equality and the dignity present within every individual.
When a candidate abandons our shared commitment to the spirit of pluralism that underpins our democracy and engages in hateful rhetoric, we must speak out. Though I am appalled by what I saw and heard at AIPAC, I have the utmost faith in our community’s ability to respond to the moral imperatives our tradition sets out, even in this fraught election season.
Has the rabbi ever read the Torah? It is filled with divisive, hurtful and xenophobic messages. One essential part of Jewish law is separating Jews from gentiles. Is that not divisive and hurtful and xenophobic? The Torah does not know of such moral categories as racist, bigoted, hurtful (when gentiles say things about other gentiles), and xenophobic.
