ACJ Annual Letter 2022

Dear Friends of the Council: December 13, 2022

The recent Israeli election and the movement of its government even farther right than many of us could have imagined is now the subject for broad review. This is an important development because it brings to the forefront the warning of the founders of Reform Judaism in the Pittsburgh Platform of 1885, “5. … We consider ourselves no longer a nation, but a religious community, and therefore expect neither a return to Palestine, … nor the restoration of any of the laws concerning the Jewish state.” And the Digest of Principles of the American Council for Judaism as published in 1943, “We Believe That: 1. The basis of unity among Jews is religion. 2. Jews consider themselves nationals of those countries in which they live and those lands their homelands. We Oppose: 7. The effort to establish a Jewish National State in Palestine…as a project that has been and will be deleterious to the welfare of Jews … throughout the world.” Some years back Jonathan D. Sarna, the noted Brandeis University historian and author of the seminal book American Judaism, said in an interview about the ACJ “Everything they prophesied dual loyalty, nationalism being evil has come to pass.”

Some excerpts from a November 20, 2022 article in the NY Times by Liam Stack, Netanyahu’s Comeback Widens Divide Over Israel Among American Jews are of interest and potential significance: Rabbi Rachel Timoner of Congregation Beth Elohim, one of the largest Reform synagogues in Brooklyn, “The Israeli elections have brought in the most racist and farthest-right leadership Israel has ever seen,”. Rabbi Rolando Matalon at B’nai Jeshurun on the Upper West Side told worshipers “My most dominant emotion is fear, I’m afraid about the erosion of what was a liberal democracy, democratic values, of the judicial system.” The Union for Reform Judaism said in a statement that including Mr. Ben-Gvir and Mr. Smotrich in the government would “be painful for Jews worldwide who will not see the Israel they love and believe in reflected in these leaders, nor in the policies they pursue.” The Anti-Defamation League said it was “greatly concerned” about the results and warned that Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition partners “have a long history of engaging in racist, anti-Arab, homophobic and other hateful behavior.”

Abe Foxman, the former leader of the Anti-Defamation League said in an interview in The Jerusalem Post, “I never thought that I would reach that point where I would say that my support of Israel is conditional, but it’s conditional.” …“If Israel ceases to be an open democracy, I won’t be able to support it,” he said. These developments and the actions, if any, of mainstream Jewish organizations and their pulpit rabbis, as well as U.S. and world leaders, bear watching. Will the toxicity of this far right Zionist, ultra-nationalist movement prevail over the moral and ethical values of the Jewish religion, or will faith overcome idolatry?

If you have already made a 2022 contribution to the Council, thank you, we are grateful for your support. If you have not yet contributed this year and choose to do so, contributions can be made by using the enclosed envelope or by credit card using the secure PayPal link on the Donations page of our website, www.ACJNA.org. You do not have to have a PayPal account to use this link, all major credit cards are accepted. Whatever your decision we thank each of you for your continued interest in the Council.

The Board and Allan Brownfeld join me in sending our best wishes for a Healthy New Year.

Sincerely,

Stephen L. (Steve) Naman, President American Council for Judaism, Inc. ACJSLN@aol.com