Thread by @jschwabish

THREAD. I shy away from posting overtly political or religious messages on my Twitter feed. This week, however, is leading me to rethink that approach, and I want to share some of my feelings and thoughts about the actions of some our elected officials. Excuse me if I ramble.

For those who don't know, I am a Jewish American. I would not say I am an overly religious person, but my Judaism has helped shaped the person I am today, both with respect to my faith, and also politically and culturally.

It would likely not surprise you that the rise of overt anti-Semitism in the United States (and elsewhere) over the last 2-3 years has been deeply troubling and distressing for me and for the Jewish community of which I am a part.

I have experienced my own form of anti-Semitism--direct and indirect verbal slurs, pennies tossed directly at me, etc.--but the current national wave of anti-Semitism is at least implicitly (but also in my view, explicitly) supported by @realDonaldTrump.

@realDonaldTrump Most recently, the controversy surrounding comments made by @RashidaTlaib and @IlhanMN, Israel's decisions to block their entrance to the country, and comments by @realDonaldTrump about where Jews' "loyalties" lie are all troubling in their own ways.

@realDonaldTrump @RashidaTlaib @IlhanMN And let me be clear, here: My views on the various issues affecting the Jewish community and Israel are likely not shared by other Jews. Because, as with any community, Jews are not monolithic in their political, economic, or social beliefs.

@realDonaldTrump @RashidaTlaib @IlhanMN I, for one, do not agree with Israel's position on the Congresswomen's entrance to the country. I believe that participating in debate and discussion is the way we can solve problems--banning those we don't agree with is not a solution.

@realDonaldTrump @RashidaTlaib @IlhanMN And, obviously, I am not the only one who feels this way:

https://twitter.com/URJPresident/status/1162061240543469568

@realDonaldTrump @RashidaTlaib @IlhanMN But the President's comments are even more troubling. To suggest that he has been a great friend to Israel and it is therefore disloyal for American Jews to not support him is terrifying.

@realDonaldTrump @RashidaTlaib @IlhanMN Others may have a single issue that drives them to support the president or other politicians or parties, but that is not my experience (this article from @washingtonpost is a great example: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…).

@realDonaldTrump @RashidaTlaib @IlhanMN @washingtonpost Demanding *allegiance* in any way--especially as it relates to religion--strikes me as un-American as it is, in this case, anti-Semitic.

@realDonaldTrump @RashidaTlaib @IlhanMN @washingtonpost To suggest that Jews--or any group for that matter--should support a single political party, stance, or perspective because of a single action or stance is as naive as it is condescending (and in many cases, anti-Semitic, racist, xenophobic, or misogynistic).

@realDonaldTrump @RashidaTlaib @IlhanMN @washingtonpost My religion helps ground me, ethically and morally. It provides a community of shared faith, traditions, language, and social action. My temple's long-range goals that frame our Board meetings demonstrates some of this.

@realDonaldTrump @RashidaTlaib @IlhanMN @washingtonpost So where do we go from here? Even though I work at an organization whose mission is to help elevate the debate around public and social policy, it often feels disheartening to see where our country is and where we are headed.

@realDonaldTrump @RashidaTlaib @IlhanMN @washingtonpost For me, this is a first step. I don't know how much more open I'll be about my faith or my politics, but as this week comes to a close, I felt a need to share my perspectives and feelings.

/END