A call for Jewish unity

Dear Editor:

As a People, we Jews are not unified. Politically we are divided into two camps, with roughly 70 percent Liberal and 30 percent Conservative. In general, Liberals detest President Trump and Conservatives admire him. These differences broadly follow along the lines of religious observance, with Reform or Secular Jews more liberal and Orthodox Jews more conservative. Both sides have lost respect for each other and rarely engage in meaningful dialogue. This has led to a fractured Jewish community in which we are more like rivals than brothers and sisters.

According to Torah we are all one family, descendants of our forefather Jacob. We are to love and care for one another regardless of our differences. We know from history that HaShem will leave our midst if we dismiss His Commandments and show animosity toward our fellow Jews. This occurred prior to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago.

Because of the recent election to the U.S. Congress of radical Muslim women and left-wing activists, we can no longer rely on the Democrat Party for its unconditional support for Israel and Jewish causes. Anti-Semitism is brazenly demonstrated by groups such as the BDS Movement, Black Lives Matter, J Street and If Not Now. College campus groups like Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Muslim Student Association instigate and promote violence toward Jewish students and pro-Israel speakers across the country. Our apathy and indifference toward these groups will only fan the flames of Jew-hatred.

As HaShem’s Chosen People we must set aside our differences, engage in civil discourse and demonstrate goodwill toward each other. The adage “united we stand, divided we fall” is as true today as ever before. Our love and respect for one another will usher in a time of blessing for all Jews and make us far less vulnerable to outside threats and intimidation.

To quote Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, “...remember God chose us as a people and it is as a people that we come before God and before the world. The Sages said... ‘Great is peace, because even if Israel is worshipping idols and there is peace among them, God will never allow harm to happen to them.’ Go think about that.” The time for Jewish unity is now!

Michael S. Ginsburg, Southfield, Michigan

michaelg312@aol.com