20 | JULY 16 • 2020 

continued from page 18

For a while, it seemed like philanthropists 
in the Metro Detroit Jewish community 
might champion a challenger 
to Tlaib this year. At a Jewish 
Federation roundtable in 
August 2019, Lisa Lis, a frequent 
Democratic donor, was quoted 
as saying, “We in this communi-
ty will go against Rashida Tlaib.
” 
But the Lises have since decided not to get 
involved in this race, in part because they 
don’
t live in the district. 
“
At this point, I think it is not our place 
— my place — to get involved in that cam-
paign,
” Hannan Lis, Lisa’
s husband, told the 
Jewish News. 
Hannan Lis grew up in Israel and has 
repeatedly voiced his disproval of Tlaib’
s 
stance on the state. In September, he told 
the Detroit Free Press that her comments in 
support of BDS were “an affront and very 
offensive to Jews.
” 
Despite their differences on Israel, 
though, Hannan Lis said he thinks Tlaib 
is a “hard-working, smart” legislator. “She 
really worked hard to get it, so she definitely 
deserved to win at the time,
” he said. 
While he wishes Tlaib would 
change her stance on Israel — or 
at least do more to understand 
where Jewish people are coming 
from on the issue — he recog-
nizes that it’
s not the biggest 
problem facing the 13th district. 
The district’
s residents deserve a devoted 
advocate for their own challenges, he said. 
“She’
s not there to represent the Palestinian 
people or to advocate for Israel,
” he said. 
“She’
s there to represent the people she’
s rep-
resenting.
” 
The Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus 
has also decided not to get involved in the 
13th district’
s Democratic primary. 
“While MDJC has endorsed and sup-
ported five of Michigan’
s seven incumbent 
Democratic members of Congress for the 
2020 cycle, no plans exist for an endorse-
ment in the 13th District,
” a statement from 
MDJC Chair Noah Arbit reads. 
From the right, the Michigan Jewish 
Action Council is not getting involved in 
this election, either. In a statement sent to 
the JN, the conservative advocacy group said 
they have concerns with both candidates 
— Tlaib because of her views on Israel and 
Jones because of her ties to Nation of Islam 

leader Louis Farrakhan, who has a history of 
anti-Semitism. 
“While we at MJAC think that Rashida 
Tlaib is a poor choice for Jews and for our 
country, Brenda Jones needs to clarify some 
of her positions,
” reads the statement, signed 
by MJAC member Harry Onickel. 
Jones welcomed Farrakhan to Detroit this 
year for the group’
s annual “Saviour’
s Day” 
convention in February. At the convention, 
Jones’
 chief of staff Steven Grady told the 
crowd that she had sponsored a resolution 
to honor the 40th anniversary of the NOI’
s 
newspaper, The Final Call, for its “truth-
ful articles” and “courageous journalists” 
(the paper has a long history of publishing 
anti-Semitic content). Jones had previously 
shared a stage with Farrakhan in 2018. 
Jones’
 campaign has not returned multiple 
requests for comment for this article. 

THE JEWS IN RASHIDA’
S CORNER 
On the other hand, IfNotNow Detroit, the 
local branch of an American Jewish organi-
zation that advocates for the end of Israel’
s 
occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza 
Strip, has used this primary to make their 
first-ever endorsement. They’
ve backed 
Tlaib. 
“We’
re a group of young progressive 
Detroit Jews who we believe represents the 
majority of the Jewish generation we’
re part 
of, and we’
re committed to strong progres-
sive values, grounded in our Jewish tradition 
and our Jewish faith. It’
s a beautiful irony 
that our strongest supporter of those values 

happens to be a Palestinian congresswoman,
” 
said Jesse Einhorn, a lead organizer with 
INN Detroit. 
Einhorn lives in Southwest Detroit, though 
he’
s just outside the bounds of the 13th dis-
trict. But many INN Detroit members are 
represented by Tlaib, he said, and the group 
will be phone banking and canvassing for 
Tlaib in the lead up to the Aug. 4 primary. 
“We will be out in the community, and 

in the Jewish community especially, talking 
to our friends and our neighbors and our 
parents and telling them why Rashida is the 
choice if you are a progressive Jew,
” he said. 
Other progressive Jews living in the city 
support Tlaib as well. Rabbi Alana Alpert, 
who leads Congregation 
T’
chiyah and is a community 
organizer with Detroit Jews for 
Justice, has been an outspoken 
defender of Tlaib. Tlaib worked 
with DJJ on the organization’
s 
focus issues for years before 
running for Congress, Alpert 
wrote in an email to JN. 
“I haven’
t met a single resident of Rashida’
s 
(my!) district who doesn’
t appreciate 
her leadership. There’
s been a deliberate 
attempt to manufacture division between 
a Palestinian member of Congress and her 
Jewish constituents, and some folks outside 
the district have fallen prey to that,
” Alpert 
wrote. “But the truth is that the things Jewish 
voters tend to care about are exactly the 
kinds of things Rashida has championed.
” 
Whether or not they support her as a 
candidate — and regardless of whether they 
live in her district — many Jewish commu-
nity members will be watching the primary 
closely. There are Republican candidates 
running for the seat, but the district has been 
a Democratic stronghold for decades, so it’
s 
likely that whoever wins the Democratic 
primary will go on to represent the area in 
Congress. 
Hannan Lis said he ultimately hopes to see 

strong leadership in the 13th district, regard-
less of who it comes from. 
“Personally, I’
d rather see the area rep-
resented by an effective legislator who will 
work hard to really improve the lives of the 
people there,
” he said. “Is it something that a 
challenger [to Tlaib] could do if there was an 
effective challenger? I hope so. Do I see one 
that would be able to do this right now and 
also win an election? I’
m not convinced.
” 

Lisa Lis

Hannan Lis

Rabbi Alana 
Alpert

“The things Jewish voters tend to
care about are exactly the kinds of things 
Rashida has championed.” 

— RABBI ALANA ALPERT

Cover Story

