DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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MARCH 21 • 2024 | 7
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Jewish institutions and fur-
thering Jewish learning, we 
must unabashedly support 
politicians who recognize 
Israel’s right to defend 
itself against terrorism and 
who condemn antisemi-
tism in the U.S. 
With Michigan as a bat-
tle-ground state, we would 
do well to make regular 
phone calls to our elected 
officials and to donate to 
their campaigns with the 
explicit condition that our 
financial support is tied up 
with furthering our com-
munal interests. For exam-
ple, a donation though the 
AIPAC PAC sends money 
to our desired campaigns 
and simultaneously lets the 
politician know that sup-
port of Israel is among our 
top priorities. 
Furthermore, we need to 
organize as a community 
to share with news outlets 
and with neighbors about 
our right to live safely 
and freely. Jewish voices 
are being shouted down, 
but we cannot give up our 
pursuit of justice, our right 
to security and our hope of 
peace. 
This Purim, the masks 
are off. On one hand, 
hatred and discrimination 
against Jews are once 
again tolerated beliefs 
in American life. On the 
other hand, like Queen 
Esther and Mordecai, we 
Jews are empowered to 
act. Let us, like them, act 
wisely, responsibly and 
powerfully. 

Rabbi Aaron Starr is a spiritual 
leader at Congregation Shaarey 
Zedek in Southfield, and he is 
a senior rabbinic fellow of the 
Shalom Hartman Institute.