A letter to our fellow Jews on equality and liberal values

 A list of signatories are displayed below the letter.

The American Jewish community is facing a challenge to the liberal principles that have long defined Jewish civic life and America’s democratic tradition.

Among our country’s blessings is an unparalleled protection of freedom of expression. This freedom is among the essential tools by which American minorities––including Jews––have made progress in advancing the causes of equality and justice.

Today this freedom is being threatened. An ideology is taking hold across the country that insists there is only one way to look at the problems we face, and those who disagree must be silenced.

This suppression of dissent violates the core Jewish value of open discourse. Jewish tradition cherishes debate, respects disagreement, and values questions as well as answers. In ancient times, the Beit Midrash––the House of Study––encouraged passionate argument “for the sake of heaven.”

Jewish tradition has also long insisted that we only judge and be judged by our own deeds. “A son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, and a father shall not bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (Ezekiel 18:20). The dominant social justice ideology, however, holds that individuals bear collective moral guilt or innocence based on the current conception of group identity.

Because this dominant narrative creates a worldview in which groups are only oppressors or oppressed, it encourages pernicious notions of “Jewish privilege,” even implicating Jews in “white supremacy.” This presents many Jews with an impossible set of political choices.

On issues of racial justice, powerful groups in the Jewish world have foreclosed the usual deliberative process. Rarely do Jewish organizations encourage discussions that include differing perspectives, even from within the Black community. In some cases, Jewish leaders have even denounced Jews for expressing unpopular opinions.

America was born with what Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. termed a “birth defect,” continuing the institution of slavery decades after the nation’s founding. Through Reconstruction and Jim Crow, America continually failed to live up to its ideals, engaging in rampant discrimination and the disenfranchisement of Black Americans. Despite substantial progress since the civil rights movement of the 1960s, much remains to be done to right the profound injustices of America’s legacy of racism.

In the wake of George Floyd’s killing, many Americans, including American Jews, redoubled efforts to create a more just society. But the way to fight racism is not to do away with essential tools. The way to fight racism isn’t to cease discussion and debate.

To do so is antithetical to American ideals and antithetical to Judaism. The way to fight racism is to insist on our common humanity––and to engage in dialogue, including with those who dissent. That is what Judaism demands.

We members of the Jewish community add our voices to the growing chorus supporting our liberal principles, opposing the imposition of ideology, encouraging open discussions of challenging topics, and committing to achieving a more just America.

Original Signatories

Bion Bartning | Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR)
Emily Barton | Des Moines
David L. Bernstein | Founder, Jewish Institute for Liberal Values
David E. Bernstein | University Professor, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University
Daniel Bouskila | Rabbi, Sephardic Educational Center
D. Malcolm Carson | Pacifica, California
Mona Charen | Policy Editor, The Bulwark
Eliot Cohen | Dean, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
(for identification purposes only)
Mark Dratch | Executive Vice President, Rabbinical Council of America, New York, NY
Joel Director Network Contagion Research Institute
Blake Flayton | Co-founder, New Zionist Congress
Daniel Gordis | Shalem College; Jerusalem, Israel
Jonathan Greenberg | Jack Miller Family Foundation
Jonathan Haidt | New York University - Stern School of Business
Samantha Harris | Samantha K. Harris, Esq., Philadelphia, Pa.
Moshe Hauer | Executive Vice President, Orthodox Union
David Ingber | Founder and Senior Rabbi, Romemu
Lee Jussim | Distinguished Professor of Psychology
David Kaufman | Rabbi, Des Moines, Iowa
James Kirchick | Writer
Ben Kramer | Rabbi, Moriah Congregation, Deerfield, Illinois
Josh Kraushaar | Annandale, VA
Liel Leibovitz | Editor at Large, Tablet Magazine, New York, NY
Yuval Levin | American Enterprise Institute
Holli Levitsky | Los Angeles, CA

Nicole Levitt | Domestic Violence Attorney Philadelphia, PA
Bethany Mandel | Editor, Ricochet and Columnist, Forward; Silver Spring, MD
Seth Mandel | Executive Editor, Washington Examiner magazine
Daniel Newman | Jewish Institute for Liberal Values, Columbus, OH
Monica Osborne | Writer and Scholar of Jewish Studies
Pamela Paresky | Psychologist
Steven Pinker | Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Scott Roland | Rabbi, Scott B. Roland, Beachwood, Ohio
Thane Rosenbaum | Distinguished University Professor, Touro College, New York, NY
Dave Rubin | The Rubin Report
Jeffrey Salkin | Rabbi, Temple Israel, West Palm Beach, FL
Hal Schevitz | Rabbi, Congregation Or Atid, Henrico, VA
Ira Sheskin | Hollywood, FL
Maxim D. Shrayer | Brookline & South Chatham, MA
Abigail Shrier | Independent Journalist
Joshua Snitzer | Student Leader
Christina Hoff Sommers | Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute
Bret Stephens | Op-ed columnist, The New York Times
Nadine Strossen | John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law Emerita, New York Law School - New York, NY
Izabella Tabarovsky | Scholar, writer/journalist
Gil Troy | Distinguished Scholar of North American History, McGill University
Aaron Weil | Executive director and CEO Central Florida Hillel, Orlando Fla
Eric Weinstein Ph.D. | Host of The Portal Podcast / Managing Director, Thiel Capital
Bari Weiss | Los Angeles
David Wolpe | Sinai Temple, Los Angeles
Cathy Young | Arc Digital

Concerned Friends of The American Jewish Community (Signatories)

Adv. Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Former Member of Knesset
Michael Oren | Former ambassador, MK, Deputy Minister, Jewish Journalist/Writer
Natan Sharansky | Former Head of the Jewish Agency

Institutions are listed for identification purposes only.

Signatories

Latest Signatures
1,031 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Avi marcovitz Great neck, NY Nov 06, 2021
1,030 Jewish Organization Professional Belle Jarniewski Winnipeg, MB Nov 05, 2021
1,029 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Rabbi Jay Heyman Boise, ID Reform, retired Nov 05, 2021
1,028 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Kerry Hurwitz Newtonville, MA Parents for Excellence in Newton Schools Nov 03, 2021
1,027 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Deborah Kallick McKinleyville, CA Nov 03, 2021
1,026 Member of the American Jewish co Lawrence Weissman Morganville, NJ Nov 02, 2021
1,025 Jewish Academic or Scholar or Ed J. Joel Farber Chapel Hill, NC Franklin & Marshall College Nov 02, 2021
1,024 Member of the American Jewish co Craig James Westwood, MA Oct 30, 2021
1,023 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Robert Hirsch Grand Island, NY Light Research Oct 30, 2021
1,022 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Julie Morin Bothell, Washington Oct 22, 2021
1,021 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Ellen Exelbert Rockville, MD Oct 22, 2021
1,020 Member of the American Jewish co Nevet Basker Bellevue, WA Broader View :: Israel Resource Center Oct 19, 2021
1,019 Jewish Academic or Scholar or Ed Richard Prystowsky Granville, Ohio Oct 16, 2021
1,018 Member of the American Jewish co Roger Green Woodstock, NY Oct 06, 2021
1,017 Jewish Academic or Scholar or Ed Juliana Geran Pilon Bethesda, MD Alexander Hamilton Institute for the Study of Western Civilization Sep 26, 2021
1,016 Mr. Stephen Nagy California , California Sep 17, 2021
1,015 Mr. Howard Bokser Montreal , Quebec Sep 17, 2021
1,014 Ms. Eric Migicovsky Los angeles, CA Sep 16, 2021
1,013 Mr. Todd Appelbaum Columbus, OH Israel Leadership Institute North America Sep 13, 2021
1,012 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Shloime Perel Côte Saint-Luc, Quebec, Canada Sep 04, 2021
1,011 Jewish Academic or Scholar or Ed Sylvia Fishman Newton, MA Brandeis University Aug 30, 2021
1,010 Member of the American Jewish co Liz Wagner South Pasadena, FL Aug 30, 2021
1,009 Member of the American Jewish co Harold Federow Seattle, WA Aug 20, 2021
1,008 Concerned friends of American Je Pazit Cahlon Toronto, Ontario Aug 12, 2021
1,007 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Diana Blum Menlo Park, CA Aug 12, 2021
1,006 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Jonathan Simons Richmond, Virginia Aug 11, 2021
1,005 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Terri Murray London, UK Fine Arts College, Hampstead Aug 11, 2021
1,004 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Nicole Lance Menlo park, Ca Aug 10, 2021
1,003 Jewish Academic or Scholar or Ed Amy Leserman Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles Unified School district Aug 07, 2021
1,002 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Abraham Yurkofsky New York, NY Aug 04, 2021
1,001 Jewish Academic or Scholar or Ed Lawrence Grossman New York, NY Aug 02, 2021
1,000 Mr. Howard Simon Fayetteville, NY Jul 27, 2021
999 Jewish Philanthropist or Lay lea Barbara Windham Atherton, United States (1) Jul 12, 2021
998 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof glenda Kresh Commack, NY Temple Beth David Commack, NY Jul 12, 2021
997 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Bill Lauderback Austin, Texas Jul 11, 2021
996 Non-Jewish Ally James Killion Bedford, TX Jul 11, 2021
995 Jewish Journalist or Writer Vesper Stamper New York , NY vesperillustration.com Jul 11, 2021
994 Member of the American Jewish co Ashley Wright Princeton, New Jersey Jul 10, 2021
993 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Andrew Pessin Providence, RI Jul 10, 2021
992 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Andrew Green Overland Park, KS Jul 08, 2021
991 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Sydney Greene Tucson, Arizona Jul 07, 2021
990 Member of the American Jewish co Jeff Kichaven Los Angeles, CA Jul 07, 2021
989 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Hugh Lefcort Spokane , Wa Jul 07, 2021
988 Member of the American Jewish co David Golub Mineola, NY Jul 07, 2021
987 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Doree Kovalio Ottawa, ON Jul 07, 2021
986 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Jason Blank Vancovuer, Bc Jul 07, 2021
985 Member of the American Jewish co Eric Lubliner Brooklyn, NY Jul 07, 2021
984 Non-Jewish Ally Jenna Fisher London , England Jul 07, 2021
983 Member of the American Jewish co Sarah Jay Jerusalem, Israel Jul 07, 2021
982 Jewish Foundation Leader or Prof Sarit Mashal Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Jul 07, 2021