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