12 | OCTOBER 29 • 2020 

VIEWS

essay
Are Jews Being Left ‘Alone’?

essay
Democracy Includes All

I 

remember a lot about when my dad 
died. It was painful and scary and 
lasted nearly a decade. But I also 
remember the love, 
care and guidance 
I received from 
the Jewish Hospice 
and Chaplaincy 
Network (JHCN). 
It’
s impossible for 
me to untangle the 
cold memories of 
my dad’
s last breaths from 
the warmth of the unend-
ing support of the organi-
zation. Their mission: “No 
Jew is ever alone,
” and in 
those moments, they truly 
exemplified it.
“No Jew is ever alone” 
is quite the sentiment. It 
asks us to grapple with 
what it means to live in 
an interconnected soci-
ety, one where we are not 
just responsible for, but also have the 

means to ensure nobody is left behind.
So what would it look like to leave 
our fellow Jews “alone,
” to turn our 
backs or stand idly by?
I happen to think it might look 
like a recent post on social media 
from Republican Senate candidate 
John James, showing him and the 
leaders of JHCN proudly smiling 
in a Zoom meeting. Yes, the same 
John James who, after losing his 
2018 Senate race, has doubled 
down on his “2,000%” support for 
Donald Trump.
When I saw James’
 post, after a 
quick double-take, I was left nearly 
speechless. I couldn’
t believe an orga-
nization with unimpeachable values 
could truly be supporting a man who 
promises to follow in the footsteps of 
an impeached president. I continued to 
search for an answer. It turns out it was 
hiding in plain sight.
A few months ago, John James 
promised to donate 5% of his cam-
paign funds to charities. To me, his gift 

feels like a last-ditch effort to pander 
for the Jewish vote.
Did JHCN allow themselves to 
be used as a platform for the James 
campaign? That is why I am feeling so 
much hurt and confusion right now. 
The organization has every right and, 
quite frankly, probably a responsibility, 
to deposit a check they receive. But I 
also believe JHCN has a responsibility 
to the community to either accept 
the money privately or refuse if it will 
knowingly cause harm.
John James is a man who supports 
taking away my current access to 
health care, the very access that gave 
my dad some measure of dignity in an 
otherwise wholly undignified death 
— and has not offered any coherent 
replacement. A man who believes 
insurance companies can charge you 
more or outright deny you coverage 
altogether if you have pre-existing con-
ditions such as being born a woman, 
acne or are a person who requires 
mental health services. A man who 

Annie
Jacobson

continued on page 14

M

ost of us believe that 
for democracy to 
work, it must include 
us all. But Trump is trying to 
divide us by spreading blatant 
misinformation 
in the midst of 
an election. We 
all should be 
alarmed that 
on Trump’
s live 
town hall on 
NBC in Miami, 
he repeatedly 
refused to publicly condemn 
QAnon, a bunk conspiracy the-
ory that is rife with antisemitic 
undertones. This trend should 
alarm everyone, particularly 

Jews across the country. 
We have seen this before: 
QAnon’
s main set of beliefs 
borrows from some of the 
most pervasive stereotypes 
about Jewish people and 
other groups. Enticed by the 
very real concerns of child 
abduction and trafficking, 
where QAnon crosses the line 
is how its central belief is a 
modern-day blood libel. It is 
then shocking and disturb-
ing that the president would 
stoke the flames by giving 
these conspiracies a platform 
on his personal social media 
accounts as he has done more 
than 200 times.

Moreover, the number of 
Republicans running for office 
who hold QAnon close to 
their hearts demonstrates the 
depth of their influence in 
Republican Party. 
The list includes a right-
wing activist being scheduled 
to speak at the Republican 
National Convention this 
summer until she was pulled 
last-minute because she pro-
moted a Nazi-associated docu-
ment, 17 Republican members 
of Congress voting against a 
House resolution condemning 
QAnon, and a Republican can-
didate for Congress in Georgia 
who is open about her support 

for QAnon and has received 
plaudits from top Congressional 
Republicans and Trump. 
It’
s more important now 
than ever to work together in 
order to fight back. With what 
the stakes are this November 
and what’
s on the line for our 
communities, we need to unite 
across our differences this 
election season. Whether we 
are Black or white, Native or 
newcomer, Jewish or Muslim, 
we know that for democracy 
to work for all of us, it must 
include us all. 

Levi Teitel is the rural communications 

coordinator for Progress Michigan.

Levi Teitel
Contributing 
Writer

Editor’
s note: Rabbi 
Joseph Krakoff, senior 
director of the JHCN, 
told the JN the group 
appreciated John 
James’
 unsolicited 
donation to assist 
during COVID and 
had a brief call to 
thank him, “but we 
do not make political 
enorsements” and “we 
did not authorize any 
social media posting, 
and as a policy we 
never authorize 
anyone to make any 
political statements on 
our behalf.
”

