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18 June 20 • 2019
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Zioness Movement

Amanda Berman asks progressive Jews
to challenge anti-Semitism of the left.

T

he vast majority of American 
Jews have their home on the 
political left, according to 
Amanda Berman, executive director 
and co-founder of the New York 
City-based Zioness Movement. She 
says American Jews generally believe 
in human rights, want to see wide-
spread health insurance and laws 
to protect workers, to limit global 
warming and to protect minorities 
against discrimination. 
However, according to Berman, 
though most want to take part in 
events in support of progressive caus-
es, these events have often become 
unwelcoming as organizers more 
and more often include anti-Zionism 
among the causes. 
During the 10th annual Nelson 
Legacy program at Congregation 
Beth Shalom (in conjunction with 
the Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic 
Studies at Wayne State University), 
Berman spoke June 5 on “Defending 
Israel against Its Demonizers.” On 
June 6, she explored “
Advancing 
Progressive Values — Remaining 
Committed Zionists. Can We Do 
Both?” 
Berman answered her own ques-
tion: “Of course, we can. Zionism is 
the national liberation movement of 
an oppressed minority, Jews. As pro-
gressives, we should stand for Israel. 
Asking us to decide between progres-
sive values and Zionism presents us 
with a false choice.” 
But organizers do present that 
false choice. Organizers of the June 
7 Washington, D.C., Dyke March 
banned the Jewish Pride flag, with 
a Star of David in rainbow colors. 
Yael Horowitz, a march organizer, 
explained on Facebook that the event 
would ban that flag along with all 
“nationalist symbols,” including those 
representing “nations that have spe-
cific oppressive tendencies.” 
However, according to many sourc-
es, organizers would permit marchers 
to display the Palestinian flag. A 
march for lesbian rights in Chicago 
in 2017 made similar decisions, 
expelling three women for display-
ing the Star of David but permitting 

Palestinian symbols. 
Berman considered how pro-
gressive Jews can respond to feeling 
unwelcome. In the easiest response, 
Jews just decide not to attend. 
Berman maintains this path of least 
resistance fails for several reasons: “If 
we stay away, we fail to express our 
commitments to people who deserve 
our support. Also, if we do not stand 
up for other marginalized communi-
ties, they will not know to stand up 
for us.” 
Furthermore, she said that “wea-
ponizing anti-Zionism on the left 
amounts to a gift to the political 
right. It expels allies from progres-
sive efforts, and it makes progressive 
causes safe for anti-Semitism.”
Instead, according to Berman, 
“
American Jews must stand for mar-
ginalized groups, but we must not 
forget to stand up for ourselves.” 
When Berman decided to take part 
in the Women’
s March on the day 
after the presidential inauguration of 
Donald Trump, she found that the 
organizers welcomed a wide swath 

“We need to 
reclaim Zionism as 
a progressive value.” 
 

— AMANDA BERMAN 

LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Amanda 
Berman

COURTESY AMANDA BERMAN

continued on page 20

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