6 | AUGUST 6 • 2020 

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essay
Beating Each Other Up
I 

think it’
s safe to say that 
we Jews are, well, maybe 
just a tad bit opinionat-
ed. We’
re quick to speak our 
minds and certainly not shy 
to offer our criticism — of just 
about everything. But there is 
one area where our criticisms 
have been especially harsh: 
ourselves.
We are brutal 
on ourselves. 
We debate, 
judge and criti-
cize everything 
about fellow 
Jews — are 
they too pious, 
or not pious 
enough, too vocal, or not 
vocal enough, or too pro-Isra-
el or not pro-Israel, etc. 
In the wake of the murder 
of George Floyd and the ensu-
ing national discussion about 
racial injustice, Jews are tak-
ing a closer look in the mirror. 
Once again, we are beating 
each other up. Fellow Jews, 
it has been suggested, are 
either oblivious or insensitive 
to racial injustice or, worse, 
are outright racists. The far 
left, pro-BDS Jewish group, 
Jewish Voice for Peace, and 
others advanced the position 
that American police receive 
training from the Israeli 
police and, hence, Israel is 
partially to blame here (a 
claim that was debunked and 
yet the PLO and Palestinian 
Authority quickly jumped on 
it). So, the narrative that Israel 
(Jews) lurks behind this whole 
issue, not surprisingly, has 
surfaced.
Excuse me, but I’
m not 
jumping on any part of this 
bandwagon. Of course, there 
are some Jews who are racial-
ly insensitive, and of course 

white Jews enjoy a certain 
degree of privilege because of 
their whiteness. I accept that 
Jews cannot fully grasp what 
it is to be Black in America, 
just as no ethnic group can 
fully grasp what it means to 
walk in the shoes of another 
ethnic group. We each have 
our own visceral and exclusive 
connection to our ancestors.
But let’
s not lose perspec-
tive. There are 6 million Jews 
in America. Some of them are 
insensitive or worse. When 
it comes to the issue of racial 
justice, however, I believe 
the vast number of Jews are 
extraordinarily empathetic 
and supportive. That’
s been 
the case for years, as there is 
a long history of Jewish sup-
port for civil rights and racial 
equality. We know all too well 
the pain of injustice, and our 
commitment to justice is, I 
would argue, a fundamental 
Jewish principle. 
Following the George Floyd 
killing, the Jewish response 
was swift and unequivocal. 
Major Jewish organizations 
immediately issued state-
ments of condemnation. This 
spanned the full spectrum 
from liberal to conservative 
groups, and included all forms 
of Judaism, from Humanist 
to Orthodox. Diverse 
groups like the Federation 
of Metropolitan Detroit, 
the JCRC/AJC, the ADL, 
the Zionist Organization of 
America, Hadassah, Stand 
With Us, AIPAC, Zioness and 
many others were — and con-
tinue to be — vociferous on the 
issue of racial injustice. 
Our rabbis give sermons on 
racial justice and write, teach 
and attend protest marches. 
There’
s a torrent of Jewish-

sponsored webinars, classes, 
op-ed pieces. The Jewish News, 
our community’
s central news 
source, has been all over this 
issue, many times practically 
devoting entire issues to racial 
healing and education. So, I 
have no doubt that our com-
munity is deeply moved and 
committed to racial justice 
and demonstrating it with 
words and deeds.
A local group I’
m with, the 
Coalition for Black and Jewish 
Unity, has been relentless in 
organizing virtual events, 
writing articles, presenting 
seminars, pushing for anti-
hate legislation, voter registra-
tion, criminal justice reform, 
and a host of other activities 
— and each time Jews gain 
more cultural knowledge and 
empathy toward the black 
community. Our commitment 
preceded the George Floyd 
case, just as with other Jewish 
groups.
Yes, there’
s more work to be 
done. There is always more 
work to be done. There are 
ignorant Jews that need to 
be educated, and I have no 
doubt fellow Jews will contin-
ue to do so. We are far from 
perfect, but when it comes to 
our community’
s support and 
actions for racial justice, we 
can hold our heads high. That 
struggle is deep within our 
Jewish DNA. 
No need to beat ourselves 
up over this one. But as to 
other issues … 

Mark Jacobs is the AIPAC Michigan 
chair for African American Outreach, 
a co-director of the Coalition for 
Black and Jewish Unity, a board 
member of the Jewish Community 
Relations Council-AJC and the direc-
tor of Jewish Family Service’
s Legal 
Referral Committee.

Mark Jacobs

running in separate directions. When 
experts studied the data as measured 
by the legislation actually passed, they 
found that both parties are moving to 
the right, but one on a slow drift and 
the other at breakneck speed. 
Grossbard says he’
s a policy guy. If 
so, he’
s in the wrong party. Republicans 
campaigned on “repeal and replace” 
for the ACA, but after seven years, 
they have been unable to propose any 
plan of their own other than defaulting 
back to the corporate feudalism of 
employer-provided insurance and only 
unaffordable options. After making 
replacement one of his key platform 
issues, an empty-handed Trump 
lamented, “Who knew it was so com-
plicated?” Every Democrat knew. A 
few Republicans tried and failed after 
defecating on their best ideas, and they 
hid in shame and fear of the unac-
countable king they anointed. 
Frankly, I can’
t fathom why anyone 
would vote for someone who can’
t give 
a definitive answer regarding voting 
against their party if they went against 
the interests of his constituents. The 
job is to represent his district, not 
surrender their proxy to the national 
party. And with reference to my charge 
above of the media’
s aversion to taking 
sides in even the obvious issues, the 
Jewish News gave us an interview with 
marshmallow, not even softball, ques-
tions. 
I’
m left with no idea what he defines 
as the political center, just his feelings 
about his position, and I thought being 
ruled by feelings was the liberal’
s thing. 
The party of Trump is all or nothing 
with no survivable center. I’
m sure 
many voters would like to know where 
this policy guy stands on separating 
families at the border, green cards or 
citizenship for the so-called Dreamers 
or immigration in general, a national 
response to COVID-19, taxes and 
progressive taxes, American leadership 
in the world and the various treaties 
Trump has abandoned, support of the 
WHO, women’
s rights and many more 
critical issues of our time.

— Dennis L. Green

Farmington Hills

LETTERS from page 5

