Sen. Joe McCarthy Courtesy of the Library of CongressDick Levinson knows the tumultuous political climate of the past five years didn’t appear out of thin air.
When he heard political pundits claim President Donald Trump was unlike any leader who came before, he was troubled that they didn’t seem to be aware of Trump’s connections to another prominent Republican: Sen. Joe McCarthy, who spearheaded the Red Scare of the 1950s.
Levinson, who works as librarian II at the Free Library of Philadelphia, and his colleagues are hosting “Trust No One: Joe McCarthy and the Politics of Fear.” The lecture series about the legacy of McCarthy is designed to put current events into perspective.
“One of the reasons we’re doing this program is that Joe McCarthy is really the guy who wrote the political playbook that was used throughout the Trump presidency and is now used by politicians in both political parties,” said Levinson, who is Jewish.
McCarthy was the namesake of McCarthyism, the practice of lobbying sensational accusations of treason, subversion and communist activity at political opponents. The right-wing politician from Wisconsin warned the American public that communists had infiltrated American society and sought world domination. He gave a speech claiming to know the number of card-carrying communists in the State Department.
“That number was constantly fluctuating, and every time people in the media attempted to pin McCarthy down about what he was doing or why the figures were always changing, he always had some lie and he always had some excuse,” Levinson said.
With the help of aide Roy Cohn, who went on to mentor Trump; FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover; and other Republicans in Congress, McCarthy launched a series of probes into largely baseless allegations of communist activity in the State Department, the White House, the Treasury Department and the Army.
Politicians, government officials and other federal employees whose political views were deemed suspicious were interrogated and jailed, despite the fact that they had committed no crimes, or fired and barred from future employment, a process known as blacklisting. Congress subpoenaed hundreds of people to testify before investigative bodies like the House Un-American Activities Committee under threat of jail or blacklisting.
As the anti-communist campaign gained traction, schools, film studios, manufacturers and other employers began using the same scrutiny McCarthy and his allies directed at civil servants toward their own employees. College professors, school teachers, writers, labor organizers and anyone with left-of-center political views were targeted for blacklists.
Peter Siskind, associate provost and professor of history at Arcadia University, said that while McCarthy did not engage in overt anti-Semitism, many of his actions covertly targeted Jews, who were already easy to scapegoat. Many of the workers he went after during his investigation of the Signal Corps complex in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, were disproportionately Jews who had lived and studied in New York.
“There’s no question that anti-Semitic innuendo and actual focus on Jewish figures and Jewish activists was a part of Joe McCarthy’s arsenal, if you will,” Siskind said.
Levinson said one Jewish Philadelphia resident reached out to tell him that her parents were among the accused during the Red Scare and that investigators followed their movements and interviewed their coworkers about their behavior.
McCarthy eventually met his downfall during the Army-McCarthy Hearings. Siskind, who is Jewish, said that when attorney Joseph Welch rebuked McCarthy for his lack of decency during the televised hearings, about 400 people in the hearing room applauded. Soon after, politicians who had been afraid to speak out were able to censure him.
David Nasaw, professor emeritus of history at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a lecturer in the series, said the effects of McCarthy’s witchhunt lasted long after he lost power. He succeeded in emptying the State Department of experts on China and Vietnam, leaving government leaders devoid of knowledge of East Asia during the Vietnam War, Nasaw said. Nasaw, who is Jewish, said McCarthy also used investigations as political weapons to portray Democrats as soft on communism. He attacked the social welfare programs of the New Deal for being communist, generating an overall distrust of government intervention among the public.
“Why are we the only country in the world without any national health program? Because McCarthy successfully lambasted those who supported such programs as doing so because they were communist or communist-adjacent,” Nasaw said. Siskind added that segregationists tried to discredit civil rights activists with accusations of communist activity.
Siskind will present his lecture, “Death by A Thousand Cuts: How A Broken Promise Destroyed Joe McCarthy,” on April 28 at 7:30 p.m. The last installment in the series, “The Strange Afterlife of Roy Cohn,” will take place on May 10 and be presented by Marie Brenner, writer-at-large for Vanity Fair. Registration is available at freelibrary.org/blog/post/4494.
In the May 18 primary election, Pennsylvania’s voters will select candidates from their party to run in the November general election. In the state court system, there will be openings on benches at every level, from the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to the magisterial courts.
Seven Jewish candidates responded to our request to complete questionnaires. Their responses are listed in alphabetical order.
Wendi Barish
Running for: Judge, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, 1st Judicial District
Wendi Barish Photo by Laura Eaton
Why are you running?: I was born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia in the home of my grandparents, Muriel and Jerry Snyder. I received social services as a child and want to give back to the Philadelphia community, which I attribute to helping raise me. We are in the midst of a new type of civil rights movement. I have been working as a lawyer for nearly 25 years to protect the rights afforded under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and I now want to serve as a judge and ensure people’s inalienable rights are protected. No matter what you look like, where you were born, where you do or do not worship, or who you love, all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
How does being Jewish influence your judicial philosophy/professional ethics?: There is a portion of the Torah, Deuteronomy 16:19, which addresses this very issue: “You shall not judge unfairly; you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just.” Being Jewish has instilled a sense of community and justice within me that I will carry to the bench.
Jill Beck
Jill Beck Photo by Brandy Ringer
Running for: Judge, Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Why are you running?: I am running for Superior Court to fulfill my goal and passion of ensuring a fair and equitable court system in Pennsylvania. I have spent my legal career helping people and entities achieve substantial justice on both sides of the Superior Court bench — as a law clerk and as an attorney — working to ensure that all Pennsylvanians, particularly the most disadvantaged among us, have equal access to justice. I now hope to take that dedication, experience and integrity to one of Pennsylvania’s top appellate courts.
How does being Jewish influence your judicial philosophy/professional ethics?: My Jewish upbringing stressed service to others, equity, and equal treatment of all people. I have always been an active volunteer, and from the time I began working at 16, I worked to help those in need. I can put a name and a face to nearly every kind of case that the Superior Court reviews. I will never cast a case aside as unimportant because I know each case is unquestionably the most important case to the litigants involved. Every decision is driven by the law as written by the General Assembly, but interpreted by the court, and the precise facts of the case. I will ensure the record is reviewed completely, the law is thoroughly reviewed, and the decision is written in a manner that everyone — from the most seasoned lawyer to the pro se litigant — can understand.
Craig Levin
Craig Levin Courtesy of Craig Levin for Judge
Running for: Judge, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, 1st Judicial District
Why are you running?: I have always wanted to be a judge. I recognize the immense opportunity that I will have every day to make a difference in people’s lives. As a lawyer, my job has been to seek justice for my clients, to right wrongs, whether it’s a business dispute, an injury or a criminal matter where just consequences have to be determined. As a judge, I will have the privilege and great responsibility to administer justice.
I have been a trial lawyer in Philadelphia for 31 years. I have personally handled over 2,000 cases and tried over 500 cases. I am running now because I know I can make a difference and we need people who care in positions of high responsibility. I have seen and experienced all kinds of judges and judging styles, from good to bad and everything in between. I know that I will be one of the good ones because I really care. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be able to take an active role in our democracy.
How does being Jewish influence your judicial philosophy/professional ethics?: Some fundamental aspects of Judaism have and will continue to serve as a philosophical and ethical framework, not only professionally but personally as well. First, the concept of tikkun olam, to repair the world, to make the world a better place and more just. This, coupled with the fundamental Jewish tradition of questioning everything, studying and learning, will inform my approach and guide me as I decide, “what is just?”
What is justice?: It depends. In whose eyes? From what perspective? The victim, the accused? Justice cannot be served if we do not recognize that all people, especially in the criminal justice system, are deserving of dignity and respect, no matter the alleged offense. This does not mean the consequences will not be severe where warranted. However, it is a baseline from which to start that will permit understanding what is just with regard to that particular individual.
Maria McLaughlin
Maria McLaughlin Photo by R.D. Gallego
Running for: Judge, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Why are you running?: I am running to be a justice on our Supreme Court of Pennsylvania because there is no greater honor than to serve. I am a lifelong Pennsylvanian and giving back was instilled in me at a very young age. It’s what I’ve done my entire life and what I’ve brought my children up to do as well. I took an oath as a young assistant district attorney to serve, because I knew the importance of doing for the greater good. I had the privilege of taking another oath as a Court of Common Pleas judge because I knew I could make an even bigger impact on the bench. When I was sworn in as a judge on our Superior Court of Pennsylvania, I had the honor of taking that oath once again. I promise that if I have the privilege of serving as a justice on our state’s highest court I will make Pennsylvania proud.
How does being Jewish influence your judicial philosophy/professional ethics?: There are codes of conduct within Jewish law that help guide me every day. To judge people fairly, to balance humility and self-esteem and to value the truth are just some examples of how being Jewish has informed the manner in which I conduct myself as a judge and human being. To me, leading an ethical and moral life rooted in my Jewish faith is something I bring with me when ruling on decisions that affect the lives of so many.
Bryan Neft
Courtesy of Vote Neft
Running for: Judge, Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Why are you running?: A judge is above all a public servant. I have worked to improve the profession of law, the judiciary and access to justice. I served for many years as a leader and president of the Allegheny County Bar Association, where I championed issues for women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals. I continue to serve on the Gender Bias Subcommittee, which resolves claims of gender bias in the bench and bar. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court appointed me to its charitable arm that oversees funding for legal services to the indigent in order to maximize access to justice. I served as a clerk for a judge of the Superior Court where I worked on the variety of cases that come before the Court, and I have practiced before all of the Pennsylvania appellate courts. I want to continue promoting access to justice and fairness on the Superior Court.
How does being Jewish influence your judicial philosophy/professional ethics?: I have lived my life according to the tenet of Tikkun Olam and have raised my children to do the same. Through my charitable service in the Pittsburgh Jewish community, as Chair of the Jewish Federation’s Young Adult Division, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Community Center, and of my synagogue, Congregation Beth El, I understand that people come from all walks of life and that everyone is entitled to justice, full access to the Courts, and a full and fair opportunity to be heard. Through service in the Jewish community and through my charitable work on behalf of the local Attorneys Against Hunger campaign, which has raised over $2 million for hunger relief in Allegheny County, I have heightened my sense of empathy for all who seek the help of the courts, and will work for a fair system for everyone.
Amir Stark
Amir Stark Photo by Gabriela Barrantes
Running for: Judge, The Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, 7th Judicial District
Why are you running?: My decision to run for judge arises from my unwavering belief in the importance of conservative values on the bench and my steadfast desire to preserve the legacy of the retiring Hon. Alan M. Rubenstein, whose soon-to-be vacant seat on the bench I seek to fill. A judge must never legislate from the bench. Rather, a judge must apply the existing law to the particular circumstances of each case, utilize insight and experience to weigh the facts, have the courage to be decisive, and the integrity to articulate the court’s ruling. Justice also demands that all citizens are entitled to fairness, dignity and impartiality that is free from prejudice. These are the principles that define a sound judicial philosophy. If elected, these are the principles that will define me as a judge.
How does being Jewish influence your judicial philosophy/professional ethics?: Justice is an integral concept in Jewish teachings which have been a part of my education since starting first grade at a yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York. The Torah emphasizes the moral and ethical imperatives of justice and this, in turn, informs our secular concepts of justice. Particularly, the concept of compassion in justice transcends the religious and secular divide. A conservative judicial philosophy ensures the greatest and most equal justice and is, therefore, a vehicle of compassion, which is tikkun olam.
Daniel Sulman
Daniel Sulman Photo by Kevin Geary
Running for: Judge, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, 1st Judicial District
Why are you running?: I seek to maintain my seat on the bench because the public is entitled to a qualified and experienced judiciary consisting of committed public servants with integrity, independence and compassion. For nearly two decades, I have dedicated my legal career to public service and to the protection of Philadelphia’s children, families and victims of domestic violence. Of all the candidates seeking election to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, I have the most judicial experience, with nearly three years of service as a Family Court judge. Now more than ever, it is vital that our courts render fair and compassionate decisions which respect the rights and dignity of all who enter the courthouse, regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or socioeconomic background.
How does being Jewish influence your judicial philosophy/professional ethics?: As a child, I attended Hebrew school at Oxford Circle Jewish Community Center and later attended Jewish Community High School in the summer and on Sundays. My Jewish upbringing and education has instilled in me the belief that all human beings should be treated with fairness, dignity and respect. As a person who believes strongly in the importance of tikkun olam, I have dedicated my professional life and legal career to the service of some of the most vulnerable people in the city of Philadelphia, including children and victims of domestic violence. I am proud of my long career in public service and I strongly believe that my religious education and life experience as a husband and father of two children has prepared me to exercise the important duties of a judge with humility and compassion.
Betsy Wahl
Betsy Wahl Courtesy of Betsy Wahl for Judge
Running for: Judge, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, 1st Judicial District
Why are you running?: I started my legal career 35 years ago at the Defender Association of Philadelphia. I’ve tried thousands of cases, including representing high-profile juvenile offenders. I’m also a trained mediator and have taught criminal law. For the last 20 years I’ve run a courtroom in Juvenile Delinquency Court, determining outcomes for thousands of the city’s most vulnerable youth. My work is my passion. Every day I do what I can to get these youth on the right track. That means making sure that when these young people are finished with court supervision, they are high school graduates, crime free, drug free and work-ready. If I were a judge, I would be able to have an even greater impact. Our youth deserve a chance to succeed, and Juvenile Court can play a tremendous role.
How does being Jewish influence your judicial philosophy/professional ethics?: I have always believed that my public service, and specifically my work in Juvenile Court, is my version of tikkun olam. We can only repair the world if we fight for one person at a time, and that starts with young people. I fight for social justice every day, one youth at a time. I sent my son to pre-school at the Germantown Jewish Centre where he also learned the importance of justice and fairness. “Tzedek tzedek tirdof,” justice, justice thou shalt pursue. I pursue justice every day for all, that they may have the same opportunities for success, regardless of income, race, gender or disability. It is my wish that every child I see in Juvenile Court will come away with the same lessons that formed my son at GJC.
Dr. Rachel Levine gives a press conference. Photo by governortomwolf licensed under Creative Commons License CC BY 2.0.
Dr. Rachel Levine made history on March 24 when she became the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate.
After a 52-48 vote, the former Pennsylvania health secretary will serve as assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services.
“When I assume this position, I will stand on the shoulders of those who came before — people we know throughout history and those whose names we will never know because they were forced to live and work in the shadows,” Levine, 63, told The New York Times.
Levine gained public attention as the leader of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 response and became the face of the health campaign by regularly holding press briefings. As assistant secretary for health, she will help lead the federal response to the crisis.
When the Harvard College and Tulane University School of Medicine graduate became Pennsylvania’s physician general in 2015, she spoke to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle about her Jewish identity. She grew up in Massachusetts, where she attended a Conservative shul and had a bar mitzvah, and said she has seen acceptance of LGBTQ individuals improve in the Jewish community since she was young.
Levine’s confirmation represents a significant milestone for trans representation in government and medicine, particularly for the trans Jewish community.
Hannah Simpson, a trans Jewish activist based in New York, said seeing Levine take on the role was meaningful after her own experiences leaving medical school due to discrimination from administrators.
In an email, Simpson wrote that in addition to Levine being qualified for the role, she benefits “from the lived experience of facing the very barriers she aims to break down through improving legislation, training and aggressively combating misinformation.”
Jess Harper Meyers, director of candidate relations for We Can Run, was impressed with Levine’s handling of the pandemic and is happy she will have such a prominent position, but also feels sad she will no longer work for the commonwealth.
“I hadn’t followed her career much before the coronavirus, but I was very impressed with how she was handling everything, and then I found out that she was … one of the highest level openly transgender people in the country, even before she was appointed,” said Meyers, who lives on the Main Line.
Meyers also referenced Tyra Hunter, a Black trans woman who died 20 years ago after she was in a car crash and denied care by first responders who cut off her pants, as an example of the dangers trans people face when they need access to health care.
“It’s extremely important to have trans people in charge of health care, people from diverse populations in charge of health care, to make sure that the marginalized populations they represent are represented, so that we can see ourselves in doctors, in politicians, in secretaries of health, and also so that they can make policies that protect people who most need to be protected,” they said.
Dr. Aimee Ando, a Jewish family medicine physician and director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Penn Medicine, treats trans patients and sees Levine’s appointment as cause for celebration.
“She really was such an amazing guide, particularly during the COVID pandemic and then a lot of her important work around the opioid crisis that we’re facing here in the state,” Ando said. “I’m just really thrilled that a highly skilled, led-by-the-science clinician that I trust deeply as a colleague and as a leader is now in the position for assistant secretary of health for the U.S.”
Ando and Meyers said Levine’s leadership is especially important in the face of the recent spate of anti-trans legislation, several of which target trans people’s access to health care. In Arkansas, the state Senate passed a bill that would prohibit doctors from providing trans youth under 18 with hormone blockers.
“I just have such concern and empathy for the trans youth, particularly in the Midwest or the South who feel, as we all do as teenagers, like it’s really hard to see beyond the teenage years. It’s really, really tough,” Ando said.
Other states, including Alabama and Florida, are introducing bills that would prohibit trans youth from competing on sports teams that do not match the gender they were assigned at birth.
“There’s no federal protection for people in states like Arkansas, in states like Alabama, and states like Idaho, where the legislators have been trying to legislate trans people out of existence for a long time,” Meyers said.
Ando hopes Levine will use her new position to advocate for health equity, and has no doubt that she will “continue to chip away at health care disparities, whether or not they exist on the axis of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.”
Prince Philip, center, enjoys a lighthearted moment with the Commanding Officer of the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment in Toronto, Canada on April 27, 2013. (Jamie McCaffrey via JTA.org)
By Cnann Liphshiz and Ron Kampeas
Prince Philip, perhaps the closest member of the British royal family to Jews and Jewish causes, has died at 99.
Buckingham Palace announced his death on Friday. Philip, who had been married to Queen Elizabeth II for 74 years, since five years before she ascended to the throne, had been in declining health for some time.
Also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip’s support for Jewish and pro-Israel causes ran deep. His mother, Princess Alice of Greece, sheltered a Jewish family during the Holocaust and is recognized as one of fewer than 30,000 “righteous among the nations” by Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum.
Philip’s four sisters each married German nobles, at least three of whom became Nazis. But Philip, educated in Britain, joined the allied war effort. As an adult, he showed little patience for Nazi collaborators; he was instrumental in making a pariah of his wife’s uncle Edward, who after abdicating the throne dallied with Nazi Germany.
Philip over the years spoke multiple times at Jewish and pro-Israel events.
Philip, who had a passion for environmental preservation, spoke multiple times at Jewish National Fund events and lent his royal sponsorship to other Jewish events. He came under attack in the 1960s for speaking to pro-Israel groups, and, famously impervious to criticism, ignored the attacks.
In 1994, Philip was the first British royal to visit Israel, when he accepted Yad Vashem’s recognition of his mother and visited her burial site at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
At Yad Vashem, Philip planted a maple tree in memory of his mother, who was married to Prince Andrew of Greece and helped shelter three members of the family of a late Greek-Jewish politician in her palace in Athens. The Gestapo was suspicious of Alice, even questioning her, but the princess, who was deaf, pretended not to understand their questions. Alice later became a nun.
“The Holocaust was the most horrific event in all Jewish history, and it will remain in the memory of all future generations,” Philip said at the time. “It is, therefore, a very generous gesture that also remembered here are the many millions of non-Jews, like my mother, who shared in your pain and anguish and did what they could in small ways to alleviate the horror.”
The 1994 visit broke with what was then an unofficial but nonetheless binding ban on royals traveling to Israel, which had been enforced following violence by Zionist fighters against British targets in the years that predated the establishment of the State of Israel in what had been before 1948 the British Mandate over Palestine.
For all its trappings, Philip’s 1994 visit was in a personal capacity. The Royal House ended its policy on official visits to Israel in 2018, when Prince William, Prince Philip’s grandson, visited Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan.
Philip’s retirement from public life in 2017 triggered an outpouring of plaudits for a life well-lived from Jewish groups and leaders.
Those groups expressed grief upon his death Friday. Philip’s life “was spent in public service, from his active duty in the Navy during World War II to the tens of thousands of engagements which he carried out over six and a half decades of royal duties,” the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Marie van der Zyl, wrote in a statement.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin joined dozens of other heads of state who expressed their sympathies with the Royal House. Rivlin used the traditional Jewish phrase when speaking about a deceased person, ending his tweet about Philip with “May his memory be a blessing.”
Meyers Leonard, center, distributes Passover dinners to Holocaust survivors and Jewish seniors in the Miami area with the help of Rabbi Pinny Andrusier, second from right. (Chabad of Southwest Broward via JTA.org)
By Caleb A. Guedes-Green
MIAMI — A recent Shabbat dinner at Rabbi Pinny Andrusier’s home in Hallandale, Florida, was memorable for many reasons.
One was that the featured guest was 7 feet tall, towering over the dozens of kids in attendance — the adults, too. Another was that he was a player for South Florida’s favorite NBA team, the Miami Heat.
The guest was Meyers Leonard, who only a few days prior to the Friday-night meal on March 12 had sparked controversy for using an anti-Semitic slur while livestreaming a video game on Twitch.
Leonard, a center who was traded to the Heat in 2019 following seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, was playing the first-person shooter “Call of Duty: Warzone” on March 8 in front of an audience of thousands when he said “F***ing cowards. Don’t f**king snipe at me. You kike bitch.”
It was time to repair the damage. After posting a public apology on Instagram, Leonard and his representatives contacted multiple Jewish organizations to begin his healing process.
Two days after using the slur, Leonard met with Andrusier, the rabbi at the Chabad of Southwest Broward in Hallandale, 18 miles from American Airlines Arena where the Heat play. Andrusier was an obvious first stop on Leonard’s rehabilitation efforts due to his long involvement with the Heat. His connections to the team date back to 1987, when he lit a Hanukkah candle at a game.
“The Heat and the Jewish community have a very strong bond,” Andrusier said.
Each Chanukah, together with Rabbi Chaim Lipskar, the director of Miami’s downtown Chabad house, he organizes the Miami Heat Jewish Heritage Night. Micky Arison, the owner of the Miami Heat, is Jewish.
Leonard, at one end of the table, meets with Rabbi Andrusier at his home with his wife, Elle, and brother Bailey. (Chabad of Southwest Broward via JTA.org)
After hours of speaking with Leonard on the phone and meeting at his Chabad, Andrusier had an idea — he would invite him to Shabbat.
“My thinking was that it would be a good idea for him to come and eat and meet Holocaust survivors and to meet children who idolize him,” the rabbi said.
That Friday night, Leonard found himself seated with 30 people from the surrounding Jewish community. Leonard listened to people’s stories, spoke about the incident and took pictures with dozens of kids.
Andrusier was excited for Leonard to meet Michael Kaufman, who was born in a German displaced persons camp after both his parents managed to survive Auschwitz.
“As he told his story, the place was so quiet you could hear a pin drop,” Andrusier said. “Everyone, including Leonard, was crying.”
Beyond the Chabad of Southwest Broward, Leonard met on a Zoom call with representatives of the Anti-Defamation League and the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, which had made a statement condemning his slur.
Josh Sayles, the federation’s director of Jewish Community and Government Relations, said the goal was to connect Leonard with members of the local Jewish community as an opportunity for education.
“Meyers is really interested in putting in the hard work and learning about the Jewish community,” Sayles said.
Though Sayles and his team received many calls in the days immediately following the incident, he said the calls have started to taper off.
“People aren’t talking about it as much anymore,” Sayles said.
Now the federation is in the process of scheduling a tour for Leonard of the Holocaust memorial on Miami Beach and getting him an audience with Jewish students. Next week, Leonard will participate in a Zoom discussion organized by the University of Miami Hillel titled “From Heat to Healing” with Matthew Hiltzik, a producer of the Holocaust documentary film “Paper Clips.”
“We are encouraged by his efforts to educate himself about the Jewish community, antisemitism, and the impact of his words, and that he has matched his apology with concrete actions,” ADL Florida wrote in a statement. “We do not view this as a one-time effort but an ongoing learning process, and urge Leonard to continue this process after his departure from the Miami Heat.”
ADL Florida also called on the video game industry to “improve their content moderation tools and create robust and inclusive policies to address hate on their platforms.”
Even after Leonard was traded, two pro-Israel groups took the opportunity to express support for his apology and the Heat in Miami. StandWithUs, a pro-Israel advocacy group, contracted with its partner organization Artists4Israel to create a local mural with the Heat’s logo on it. The 28- by 20-foot mural reads “We Love The Heat: United Against Antisemitism, Racism & All Hate” underneath the groups’ names.
“Local teens and college students contacted us saying they wanted to do something,” said Roz Rothstein, co-founder and CEO of StandWithUs. “They were asking what they could do to show that they still love the Miami Heat and that they love Meyers Leonard for his apology. They wanted to give him that opportunity to do teshuvah.”
Leonard listens to Holocaust survivor Rose Marmor. (Chabad of Southwest Broward via JTA.org)
Leonard is among a number of public figures to use anti-Semitic language recently and, like the NBA player, they have undertaken rehabilitation efforts with the Jewish community. Ice Cube and Nick Cannon followed their anti-Semitic statements by meeting with members of Jewish organizations; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene visited Orthodox communities in Brooklyn after public fallout stemming from her embrace of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
For Deborah Lipstadt, the author of “Antisemitism: Here and Now,” the solutions vary for the different instances of anti-Semitism. What distinguishes the best approach, she said, is the repetition of offenses and the nature of the incident.
“I think the fact that he reached out to a rabbi, went to Shabbat dinner and didn’t immediately alert the press says a lot,” said Lipstadt, an eminent professor of Jewish history and a Holocaust scholar at Emory University. “If he is really trying to figure out what he did wrong, then that is commendable.”
Like Andrusier and Sayles, Lipstadt views Leonard’s openness and dedication as an opportunity.
“I would rather see instances, such as these, result in someone learning about why what they did is so hurtful and offensive and disturbing than just saying ‘OK, he’s gone,’” she said.
In the weeks following Leonard’s video game slur, he has spent over 30 hours learning with Andrusier and working with organizations in the community.
During Passover, Leonard teamed with Andrusier to deliver over 500 packages of matzah, wine and food to Holocaust survivors, older adults and families quarantined at home.
One woman was thrilled when Leonard delivered the package to her door. She’s a huge Heat fan.
“He realizes that he offended and he really wants to show the Jewish community that he never meant them harm and that he’s in solidarity with us, in support and apologetic,” Andrusier said.
“I told Meyers that one beautiful thing about the Jewish people is that we suffered so much, but if someone is truly sincere, we are very forgiving.”
Elliot Resnick, the editor-in-chief of the Jewish Press, was among the Capitol rioters on Jan. 6. (Screenshot from YouTube via JTA.org)
By Shira Hanau
The editor-in-chief of the Jewish Press, a politically conservative Jewish newspaper based in Brooklyn that serves a primarily Orthodox audience, was identified as one of the rioters who breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Resnick later wrote about the Jan. 6 riot, which left five dead and injured well over 100 police officers, without disclosing that he participated.
“Democrats keep on declaring that never again can this country see its Capitol overtaken by a mob,” he wrote in a post from March 17 on the website American Thinker. “Well, there’s an easy solution for that. Don’t steal elections in plain sight, and maybe ordinarily law-abiding citizens won’t snap.”
Resnick was a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, who claimed without evidence that he lost to Joe Biden in November because the voting was rigged.
In the video, Resnick can be seen stumbling as he enters the Capitol building through a doorway while a Capitol police officer tries to keep out the intruders. He reappears a few minutes later, his face clearly visible, standing nearby as another rioter shouts at a Capitol police officer.
Resnick declined to answer Politico’s requests for comment. But the publisher of the Jewish Press, Naomi Mauer, sent a statement to the publication Monday.
“As we understand the facts, we believe that Mr. Resnick acted within the law,” Mauer said in an email, declining to respond to follow-up questions.
“If blacks resent America’s [sic] so much, let them discard Christianity (which the ‘white man’ gave them) and re-embrace the primitive religions they practiced in Africa,” Resnick wrote in a tweet in 2019.
Marilyn and Mel Claver of Wynnewood announce the birth of their great-grandson Chase Ethan Claver on Dec. 9. Alyssa and Joshua Claver of Chicago are the parents.
Sharing in the happiness are Chase’s grandparents Alan and Maurine Claver, Don Antram, Jamie Antram and David Evans; great-grandparents Fred and Sue Weller and John and Carol Evans; and aunt Melissa Claver.
While the world tries to quickly and safely vaccinate as many people as possible against COVID-19, I’ve watched a particularly inane legal debate with horror and frustration.
Some defenders of Israel seem to be looking for any technicality in international law that would relieve Israel of its obligation to vaccinate Palestinians. The international legal consensus is that Israel, as an occupying power, is obligated to vaccinate the Palestinians per the Geneva Convention; Israel maintains that the Oslo Accords place the responsibility with the Palestinian Authority.
When Jewish Israelis and supporters of the state lose ourselves in such petty debates, we reduce ourselves to a nation of callous people. No provision in any treaty can obviate the moral reality that if we can help vaccinate others, then we should.
Vaccinating the entire Palestinian population “is an important objective, from a public health point of view, and of course also from a humanitarian point of view,” Itamar Grotto, the former deputy director general of Israel’s Health Ministry, told NPR. As an Israeli American raised with pride in Israel’s resilience and its medical and scientific prowess, I believe we also have the means of doing so.
Israel grabbed headlines around the world for a highly effective campaign to rapidly vaccinate Israelis, half of whom have been fully vaccinated. In contrast, the vast majority of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip remain unvaccinated. Israel has begun to vaccinate the 133,000 Palestinians who work as day laborers in Israel and Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, and has donated 5,000 additional doses to Palestinian areas following public pressure, but it has no plan to vaccinate the millions of other Palestinians.
Some have claimed that the Palestinian Authority did not request assistance from Israel early in the vaccination campaign. However, since December, the Palestinian Authority has been requesting vaccine doses from Israel. In January, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that Israel has an obligation to provide the vaccine to all Palestinians. Even if the Palestinian leadership were not vocal in asking Israel for assistance, Israel could work with the PA to provide these vaccines as a goodwill gesture, building trust in the crucial months just ahead of rare Palestinian elections.
World Health Organization data show that Palestinians in the West Bank have received 20% of its vaccine needs from the international COVAX consortium, backed by the WHO, including 10,000 doses of a Russian-made vaccine. The World Bank has urged Israel to consider donating doses it has ordered but does not need to the Palestinians, beyond the 5,000 doses Israel says it has already delivered to the West Bank.
Even with a patchwork of vaccines donated by the United Arab Emirates and other nations, most Palestinians will remain unvaccinated for the foreseeable future without significant additional donations.
Since February, according to the BBC, there has been a sharp increase in both COVID-19 infections and deaths in the West Bank and Gaza. On one side of the Green Line, restaurants and businesses are filling up with vaccinated Israelis; on the other side, Palestinian hospitals are filling up with COVID-19 patients.
In many global humanitarian crises, Israel rightfully takes pride in being the first boots on the ground to help clean up the resulting mess. Why is mobilizing on the COVID-19 crisis any different from deploying medical volunteers to far-flung disaster zones?
It is fundamentally true that Israel is a country with the resources and ingenuity to vaccinate not only its own citizens, but Palestinians living under its occupation in the West Bank and Gaza. The Israeli government and nonprofits should begin prioritizing vaccination of Palestinians close to home.
Foregoing vaccinations for Palestinians does not help Israelis. If anything, ensuring Palestinians can be vaccinated would make us safer and help speed up the country’s economic recovery. As we’ve learned, COVID-19 pays no regard to nationality. The virus will continue to mutate until we vaccinate a critical mass.
I grew up believing that Israel is a nation that seeks to do right, that has a generosity of means and a generosity of spirit that is rooted in Jewish values like tikkun olam. I grew up believing that to save a life is to save the entire world. If Israel is that nation, I can’t think of a better way of showing it than by vaccinating all Palestinians — and doing so in a spirit not of obligation, but of shared humanity.
Matan Arad-Neeman is an Israeli-American student at Haverford College. He previously served as president of J Street U’s National Board.
In recent years, Philadelphia has witnessed its share of alarming incidents of hate targeting Jews. A man etched Nazi symbols into pillars at the Philadelphia Holocaust Memorial Plaza. A vandal splashed blood red paint on an Israeli flag waving above Benjamin Franklin Parkway. High-profile figures circulated anti-Semitic memes on Twitter and Facebook.
So, when the U.S. Conference of Mayors and American Jewish Committee recently called on municipal leaders across the country to condemn anti-Semitism, Philadelphia was one of the first to join the Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism movement. Since then, more than 525 mayors from 43 states and the District of Columbia have joined. As Republicans, Democrats and Independents, these mayors stand united against hate targeting Jews in all its forms and declare unequivocally that anti-Semitism is incompatible with American values.
Anti-Semitism is not only a problem that threatens the lives of Jews, it is a societal problem that jeopardizes democracy. Just as America cannot model democracy if it does not combat anti-Semitism, Philadelphia cannot model brotherly love and sisterly affection if it does not fight the world’s oldest and most pernicious hatred.
AJC’s 2020 State of Antisemitism in America survey found that while 88 percent of American Jews believe anti-Semitism is a growing problem, nearly half of U.S. adults do not even know what the term means. That is why social studies and history teachers in Philadelphia’s public schools have been working closely with the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation to draw a connection between the sins of Nazi Germany and the prejudice that faces all minority groups. Lesson plans include the remarkable story of the late Benjamin Franklin High School principal Leon Bass, whose service in an all-Black unit of the Army and role in liberating the Buchenwald concentration camp taught him that hate comes in many forms.
The present danger to Jews on American soil was clear in 2017 when white supremacists in Charlottesville chanted, “Jews will not replace us.” A year later, 11 worshipers inside Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue were tragically killed in the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history. Since then, Jews have been murdered in Poway, California; Jersey City, New Jersey; and Monsey, New York simply for being Jews. The perpetrators of these violent attacks, as well as other incidents of anti-Semitic threats and assaults, have a range of political affiliations, bound by a shared hatred of Jews.
Moreover, the internet and social media are often exploited to promote anti-Semitism and other hatreds by spreading malicious memes and disinformation. Calling out and correcting bigotry online and offline when we see it is imperative.
As our country continues to grapple with racial justice, a global pandemic and reconciliation after a divisive election, we need antidotes that provide healing and unity. Philadelphia took an important step in signing on to the national mayors’ statement, which condemns all forms of anti-Semitism, including prejudice, stereotypes, conspiracy theories about Jews, Holocaust denial or distortion, and denying the Jewish state’s right to exist.
But in addition to proclamations, municipal leaders must have the tools and resources to protect all residents from acts of hate and bigotry. Passage of the National Opposition to Hate, Assaults, and Threats to Equality (NO HATE) Act must be a priority for Congress and the Biden administration.
The bipartisan bill would improve hate crime reporting with grants to empower state and local governments to train law enforcement, create reporting hotlines, direct resources to minority communities and conduct public educational forums. In exchange for federal funds, agencies would be required to submit hate crimes data to the FBI.
Those who target Jews never stop with Jews. When we protect one of us, then we have protected us all. Understanding and embracing this truth is part of the cure for America’s ills.
Jim Kenney is the mayor of Philadelphia and Marcia Bronstein is the regional director of American Jewish Committee Philadelphia.
Over the past few years, I have been honored and blessed to experience — with good friends — some Jewish traditions and holidays. Passover has always been one of the traditions I’ve most enjoyed. Yes, the good food we are blessed to receive plays a role — a true rarity in prison — but most important is the opportunity to experience some of my friends’ culture and their family traditions in celebrating them. To me, there is no higher honor to be shared with another — family, tradition, food and culture.
Last year during Passover, the virus was raging across the world. Stay-at-home orders were given across the United States and countries were going on complete lockdown — better resembling ghost towns than the lush and beautiful countries they were only months before, bursting with life.
The experience within the prison was no different — we were sitting in a tinderbox as we waited for it to catch fire. Which it eventually did. The news painted grim pictures of overcrowded environments, like prisons and nursing homes, exploding with excessive amounts of positive cases of COVID-19.
The unstable state of the world forced us to spend the 2020 Passover locked in our cells, alone and isolated. Our meals were supplemented to match the traditional holiday, but the time for stories and friendship was nowhere to be had — nothing like the incredible experiences I had in previous years.
As our prison continues to remain on an extremely restricted movement structure, still recovering from an outbreak that infected over 90% of my living unit, many of us figured Passover 2021 would resemble Passover 2020.
However, as Passover approached this year, the prisoners at the Monroe Correctional Complex were told we could come together and have a small service in the Religious Activities Center here. It was a blessing many of us thought wouldn’t be possible, but one we welcomed quickly, eager to spend time with each other.
In the midst of a pandemic, Passover behind these prison walls would again become a festive time due to the kinship formed among prisoners of all races and religions being able to unite in celebration.
Gathered in the RAC, we were able to share in ancient stories that connect to a modern message. A tale of unity, faith, overcoming adversity, racism, slavery and oppression. It’s a story that many from all walks of life can share in for the evening, on that first night of Passover, we celebrated as one.
The guest list was more diverse than a New York City subway: Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druids, atheists, Buddhists, Asians, Blacks and whites. Human beings who had a tough year shared in ancient tradition, a good meal, laughs and storytelling. Everyone was welcoming, open and caring — no judgment to be had.
When I got back to my cell that night, laying on my thin plastic mattress, I felt a sense of real happiness. I couldn’t help but think how much better life would be if we could all just take a moment to understand each other. It was a moment that was truly needed after the year we’ve been forced to endure.
“This year’s Passover seder brought multiple cultures together in celebrating a Jewish tradition,” said Ezra, a prisoner who attended. “As someone who is Asian, and living in a time when violence against Asian Americans has severely increased, it was refreshing to be in the company of people who look past each other’s differences.”
He went on to say, “If we have individuals in prison who have made terrible mistakes that can overlook cultural and religious differences and come together as one, there is no reason people on the outside of prison can’t do the same.”
Ezra is right. We should be able to look past the things that make us different because in the end, we are not really all that different. We have cultures and experiences that may be different and unfamiliar to one another, but if we all took the time to learn about each other, it would allow us to see what we have to offer is beautiful and unique. I have found it’s a blessing to participate in another’s cultural practices, not a burden or a threat to my way of life, but a way to grow.
The Passover meal was kindly provided by Jewish Prisoner Services International. It consisted of everything needed to conduct a proper Orthodox seder, including a guided story booklet that was read by Bryan Glant, a Jewish community liaison within the prison. He led the group through the history of Passover while explaining the details and importance of sacrifice and the ritualistic food we partook in. He explained how bitter herbs were to remind us of the bitterness of slavery and oppression of the Jewish people, and he continued winding us down a path of stories and traditions, even educating us on the 10 plagues it took to change Pharaoh’s mind into having compassion for the Jewish people — signifying how difficult it can be to bring change to those who carry such a hard heart.
As men who are not free ourselves, the irony of the story and the whole seder experience, was not lost on us, as we ourselves are hiding from plagues in isolation and wanting to be redeemed. After a long year of struggles, exile and solitary, the night was a good reminder that all storms shall pass — no matter how mighty they may seem — and like the hardships of the past, we too will move forward into brighter times.
Please take a moment to share who you are with someone and to learn about others. Many blessings.
Christopher Blackwell is 39 and is incarcerated at the Washington State Reformatory in Monroe, Washington. He is working toward publishing a book on solitary confinement. His writing has been published by The Washington Post, HuffPost, BuzzFeed, Jewish Currents and other publications. He is serving a 45-year sentence for murder and robbery.
