Dear Richard,
Firstly, I want to say thank you. As a volunteer and contributor to my local federation I am both aware and so thoroughly appreciative of the time and financial contribution that you have committed to the well being of the Jewish people. I also want to apologize, because I was one of the folks responsible for faxing thousands of petitions to the offices of JFNA and your firm just before Thanksgiving asking you not stand idly by while the President-elect appoints an individual who has empowered white nationalists as White House chief strategist and senior counselor.
We are not alone. One-third of the membership of the Conference of Presidents of Jewish Organizations, along with local Jewish Federations and JCRCs representing a wide spectrum of sizes and geographic diversity, have come out forcefully to say that this is not ok. Thursday you finally responded, reminding us to “not lose our focus,” and that “it is possible to be at odds on some matters yet still work together on others.”
To be fair, this approach has been embraced previously by the “organized Jewish Community.” The Zionist Federation engaged in this behavior in 1933 when they penned the Havaara Deal with the Nazis, essentially paying them ransom to save 60,000 German Jews in order to strengthen the development of the Yishuv. It was on display by the Federation System in the ’70’s when they preferred to arrest students advocating for the freeing of Soviet Jewry, in the hope that the quiet diplomacy of shtadlanus would give them more influence and access to power in the U.S. and Soviet Governments to care for Jews in need.
But the truth is, history has judged these and similar deals with the devil quite poorly.
Richard, I have no doubt that your silence on this issue is done with the best of intentions. Perhaps you and the rest of the JFNA leadership are concerned that speaking out too loudly could shut us out of the decision making process for the next four years, leaving our kehillah and those we care for in worse shape. But Richard, if you really want people (especially millennials like myself) to give to Federation out of enthusiasm, and not obligation as you say you do, and if JFNA’s primary mission really is “to care for the most vulnerable around us and perpetuate a value system that has sustained us and greatly contributed to the world at large for more than 3,000 years” then now is the time to prove it.
And Richard, the truth is, we need your help. Without the Federation’s eventual about-face on the importance of activism to help Soviet Jews, 250,000 people would have never made it to Freedom Sunday in 1987. Without the support of the organized Jewish world and the free busses that departed from Federations around the country, 100,000 Jews would never have made it to DC to support Israel at the national rally in 2002. And without the Federation’s support, a man who has proudly proclaimed that the website he ran was “the platform” for white nationalists and actual Nazis will be a senior advisor to the President.
Your letter cites the platitudes of tikkun olam and Kol Yisrael arevim zeh ba’zeh in justifying your view. I’d like to end with a more esoteric concept from the Gemara in Yevamos 87b. The Talmud, in an extended conversation about determining culpability ends by saying: Silence is consent.
Richard, what you refuse to say speaks just as loudly as what you give voice to. I will not remain silent. I only hope that you and the rest of the JFNA board can find your way forward as well.
Chazak v’Amatz,
Russel Neiss
St. Louis
Russel Neiss is a Jewish educator, technologist, activist, and the coding monkey behind PocketTorah, and a myriad of other Jewish educational technology initiatives.
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It’s very difficult to openly disagree with the leaders of our national movement publicly, however, Russell, you have said in the most eloquent way, something I know that a lot of us are feeling.
The line SILENCE IS CONSENT says every!
It’s how we got here in the first place. Our young adults should know this, our daughters, and all women for that matter should know this, those who just thought their vote didn’t matter should know this– SILENCE IS CONSENT! — and guess what it applies to everything!
Your concern about Bannon is, of course, spot-on; the man is dangerous.
But your tactics against Jewish organizations are practically Trumpian in their mendacity. At NeverShtandlanus.com, over 300 organizations that haven’t issued a statement against Bannon are listed under “It’s okay!” But how do you know what’s been going on in those organizations? How do you know what conversations they’ve had? How do you know what interests they are trying to balance and missions they are trying to serve? To assertively declare that they are all “okay!” with Bannon is deceptive at best, and downright dishonest at worst.
Are you so self-righteous that you can’t withhold judgement of others in the absence of evidence about them and their motives? Are you so convinced of your tactical rectitude that you can publicly condemn others without knowing important information about them? How exactly are those Jewish values?
I know that the politics of sensitive issues in non-profits are exhausting and difficult to maneuver. However, there are times when we have to put politics aside and stand up as a community for what is right.
Richard Sandler & Jerry Silverman proudly put their names at the bottom of a statement that addressed the importance of “opening our doors to varying perspectives and having difficult conversations.” My question is, whose voices do we include in that discussion? Are we to believe that JFNA is encouraging us to offer white supremacists a seat at the table for that discussion? And where do Steve Bannon, Richard Spencer, and David Duke fit into that formula? Are their perspectives to be included, or valued? Are there really two sides to the issue of hate speech?
Until JFNA publicly addresses these issues we are left to guess their motives – or assume they are complicit. If they don’t want us guessing – they should speak up and be specific.
Elazar,
1. I don’t claim to speak for everyone who runs every site or engages in every anti-bannon action, nor do I appreciate you accusing me of doing so (particularly under what appears to be a nom de plume).
2. That said — it seems like the organizations listed at NeverShtadlanus represent local Federations, JCRCs and members of the Conference of Presidents of Jewish Organizations, i.e. groups that explicitly state that they speak for the Jewish people. If the man is indeed dangerous, I don’t think it’s inappropriate to demand that organizations that claim to represent us speak out.
3. I do not wish to demean any individual working at any of these organizations, nor judge them. I don’t believe that I did that here. The truth is I have great rachmanis for the position that they are in right now, and hope that they can manage to find the strength and courage to help lead the entire kehillah forward at this moment of strife.
Happy to continue this publicly or privately if you’d prefer. My email is very easy to find via google.
Best,
Russel
Does author – or those who have made comments – personally know Bannon? Or are their beliefs about him based on reporting by the MSM.
Bernie Marcus, founder of Home Depot, and many others who personally know Bannon have a different opinion. I trust good Jews who know him personally.
Hi Paul,
I take Bannon at his words when he says that he was proud that the website he was in charge of was “the platform for the alt-right,” whose founder just happened to be leading his followers only a couple days of days ago in literally nazi salutes in the atrium of the Ronald Regan Building.
I hold Bannon responsible for the pieces his website published, with headlines like: “Hoist [the Confederate flag] high and fly it with pride” only two weeks after the Charleston church massacre, or “Would you Rather Your Child Have Feminism or Cancer” or the entire section of their website devoted explicitly to “black crime.”
I believe the sworn legal statements by his wife in divorce documents that he allegedly said he didn’t want his kids to go to school with “whiny Jews,” or asked why there were so many chanukah books in a school library.
I believe the experience of Ben Shapiro and others who used to work at Breitbart and have spoken out about their experiences with him as a manager and a person (http://www.dailywire.com/news/8441/i-know-trumps-new-campaign-chairman-steve-bannon-ben-shapiro)
I believe David Duke, Richard Spencer, the KKK, the American Nazi Party when they loudly cheer the man’s selection and believe that they have a friend in the West Wing.
And I believe that Bernie Marcus legitimately thinks that Bannon is a Zionist and a supporter of Israel.
Fwiw — it’s not mutually exclusive that one can be both Zionistic and at the same time empower folks who believe that America should only be for white-ethno-european american christians.
Personally, I welcome the support of anyone who wants to help protect and ensure the safety of the Jewish state, but I don’t believe that one’s pro-Israel bonafides give them a pass at endangering our kehillah or those we care about in galus.
Above all, the most important thing is SILENCE is CONSENT.
I find it baffling that there is hesitation in openly denouncing the current state of affairs. The warning signs are loud and clear. As a daughter of a German Jew, who fled Nazi Germany, I have heard many stories of citizens’ ‘disbelief’,’it can’t happen here’ and SILENCE as society fractured. That history cannot be ignored.
Mr. Bannon is unlike any nominee we’ve seen in decades. Whether his views or those of the people/organization he’s worked for, the white supremacists have a friend in Bannon. On that basis alone he should not be appointed.
It’s never easy for organizations to have to weigh in on difficult political issues. But if not now, when? If not us, who?
Let me simply reaffirm the letter and powerful comments of my friends and colleagues. It’s crucial now to do the right thing.
Bannon is proud of the work on Breitbart, so whether or not he personally likes Jews, women, etc. (despite his own public statements to the contrary), is irrelevant. That such a person should be advising the President should be an affront to anyone who cares about equality in this country. As Jews, we have long memories, and 1933 is not so long ago that we should need reminders of what happens when any group is targeted.
This is the time for Jewish organizations to jump in–especially those that say they speak for the Jewish community. So many have already. But we need a united front to withstand what might be coming. As someone recently said to me, this administration bears all the marks of fascism in the making and we must be prepared. If we’re overreacting–great. But we must be ready.
The the national organization of Federations is sitting on the sidelines takes away from the work that they do for the Jewish community. We need to know our spokespeople will speak up loud and clear.
Russel
What a well thought out article. In times such as these, we need to stand up and speak out. We count on our national organizations and their leaders to take action. Failure to speak out is not acceptable and we must advocate so that our continental movement, JFNA, will do so. Their voice is loud and powerful and must be heard.
Kol Hakavod for standing up and speaking out. I hope Richard Sandler, a truly wonderful man and leader, will heed your call and ensure that JFNA makes their voice heard.
That’s great. So when our Federations lose millions of dollars because we lose our government contracts to feed Holocaust survivors and help rescue people, and after we alienate a quarter of our population who don’t share the same opinion as you do, because a bunch of unrepresentative armchair activists — who didn’t believe in Federations’ mission anyway — demand lame and unhelpful ‘statements of outrage’ … who will pick up the slack? You? I doubt it.
A goodly number of those unrepresentative armchair activists might believe in Federation’s mission if 1) federation – at the national level – had an actual mission; 2) but more important, if federation leadership, lay and professional – at the national level – actually led!
Dan — you confuse leadership with statements. And useless, self-serving ones at that. You know well enough what the Federations do. Do they do it well enough? Definitely not. But don’t confuse the lack of a national voice with the important work done by the individual Federations.
And be honest. “A godly number of these unrepresentative armchair activists might believe in Federation’s mission if ….” No they wouldn’t. They’re busy doing their thing. Nothing Federations could do would convince them. They’re trapped in their echo chambers of privileged and arrogant youth. Or whatever you want to call it. But let’s be honest about their expectations.
Hi Avud,
1. Perhaps you missed the part where I mentioned that I’m an active donor/volunteer at my local fed. They even thought it was a decent idea to put me on an allocations subcommittee (http://www.jfedstl.org/allocations/), and to boot, I even managed to snag a spot to speak at the GA before. Suffice to say I beleive in the Federation’s mission — and that my critique comes from a place of love and concern for the organization and for our entire kehillah.
2. If I’m not mistaken, since the Money for Secure Communities has basically dried up I believe that the only grant JFNA has managed to secure/manage one grant from the Federal Gov’t for almost $2.5-million from HHS for Support for Aging for Holocaust Survivors. To the best of my knowledge JFNA does not have any Gov’t Contracts (although it’s local affiliates may). Please correct me if I’m wrong….
Nothing to sneeze at, but given they have ~$180-million in the bank and fundraise about that much every year I think it’s worth the risk in giving voice to the idea that “Never Again” is more than just a bumper sticker.
Best,
Russel
Avud, I don’t agree with your 2nd para. Certainly not all are in an echo chamber. And all aren’t youth.
I’m happy to continue the conversation, but only if you self-identify. For all I know, you’re Jerry Silverman in disguise.
Asking me to self-identify means that you’re not serious about your commitment to free dialogue on this blog. I’m not being disrespectful to you or to your writer. I’m anonymous but I believe that my comments have merit in this conversation and can add something. I’m sure that you could respect that.
I did not state that *all* are in an echo chamber or all are youth. I was actually continuing the sentence that you wrote about a “go[o]dly number.” Many of those who are calling on federations to act on this issue are indeed trapped in their echo chambers of privileged and arrogant youth. Some are not. But if we rush to ignore the quarter of our community who are very comfortable with the President-elect, who applaud his appointments, who see him as a friend, do we have the right to be shocked and surprised when the community looks at us as broken and meaningless?
And even many of those who did not vote for the President-elect would feel it to be a bit much to say that the Second Holocaust and “Never Again” are now on our agenda.
We’re very serious about our commitment to free dialogue – that’s why we welcome all respectful, and on-topic comments – whether anonymous or not. It’s for the reason you state: they have merit to the conversation.
That’s also why we’ve published submissions we do not agree with, and from organizations whose mission we don’t agree with – including ones that take issue with something we’ve published previously. And, that’s why we have, at times, agreed to publish an anonymous op-ed.
However, as an individual, I choose not to engage with anonymous commenters.