Lawsuit op-ed hit home
Thanks so much for including Laura Einhorn’s op-ed “Antisemitism lawsuits against school districts do more harm than good” (May 18 online). We need more of this. As a mom of three in public schools, one heading to Cal for college, I feel this so strongly.
Sheila Goodman
Mountain View
School lawsuits are necessary
If the advice given by Laura Einhorn were to be followed, Jewish students would not feel safe in several California school districts. Contrary to Einhorn’s claims, most of the school districts in California are not being sued over antisemitism and the lawsuits are not part of a MAGA-aligned Project Esther conspiracy. They are lawsuits backed by parents of students who have experienced antisemitism.
Einhorn tries to flip this with a strawman argument, accusing the fight against antisemitism of positioning Jews against shared liberation, teachers, teacher unions, First Amendment rights, and Muslims and Arabs. Contrary to what Einhorn wrote, fighting antisemitism does not exceptionalize antisemitism above all other forms of bigotry, just as fighting prejudice against Blacks does not elevate that above all other forms of bigotry.
These lawsuits were filed only after the school districts ignored complaints over antisemitism. Indeed, the California Department of Education is suing the Oakland Unified School District after the district ignored a deadline to present a plan to address antisemitism.
The sad fact is that the school districts being sued are so hostile to Jews that lawsuits became necessary.
Robert Edelman
Oakland
Disappointed over placement of op-ed
I was exceedingly disappointed and frustrated to open J.’s email newsletter on May 19 to find that the lead piece was not news, but an opinion (“Antisemitism lawsuits in schools do more harm than good”). While everyone is entitled to their opinion, this particular topic is an exceedingly complicated and controversial one. That J. allowed this particular opinion piece to be the first item in the email does not reflect a desire to promote excellent journalism; it signals to me that it revels in inflaming the community.
It is truly an opinion piece and should not be at the top of the page of a paper that claims to offer news. And as if that wasn’t enough, the title of the next piece (“Local hospice learns to bring ‘Jewish values’ to its care”) has the phrase “Jewish values” in quotes, as though Jewish values are somehow not a real thing. If J. wants to be the source of local Jewish news, I hope it will rethink how and what it is communicating when it sends out these emails.
Deborah Sosebee
Oakland
Hillel isn’t a political organization
The op-ed “The profound internal contradiction that could spell doom for Hillel” (May 18 online) by Joel Swanson overcomplicates and overthinks the situation.
Our passion at SF Hillel is to connect with Jewish students — to understand where they are in their Jewish journey and where they want to go; to help them establish a Jewish community of their own; to develop skills as Jewish leaders so that they will go out into the world confident in their Jewish identity and stay connected to Jewish community.
We’re not a political organization. There’s nothing in our mission remotely political. However, we support Israel’s right to exist. And it’s true we won’t do programming that goes against that support. At the same time, we don’t program politically around Israel’s right to exist either.
For those students for whom Israel is core to their identity or just curious to learn more, our Israel educator and staff create many opportunities to learn about the country, its culture and its people.
Just last semester we offered a Jewish Learning Fellowship called Ethnic Diversity in Israel. In that class, one student who deeply struggles with what’s going on with Israel asked how some groups in Israel could be so loyal to the state. It spurred a powerful discussion about how one can love a country and be furious with its government, just like in the United States. It is OK to be critical of the government. This nuance was illuminating for the student.
At Hillel we welcome all beliefs and would gladly discuss and debate with great civility. It’s what we do as a people. So let’s settle down and not get too wrapped around politics in Hillel since that’s not what we’re about.
Roger Feigelson
SF Hillel executive director
Solidarity with Ethiopian Israelis
I am appalled and ashamed to learn of the gross neglect of justice and lack of general appreciation for the service of Israel’s Ethiopian community. And I thank you, Beza Abebe, for your opinion piece “As an Ethiopian Israeli, I wonder if my homeland really has my back” (May 5 online).
Nowhere in the article is racism mentioned. But this, my friends, is racism or colorism as it applies to Israel — and something that needs to be called out strongly by advocates of social justice. It parallels too closely with the U.S. experience. If truth be told, it is probably a world problem or, maybe as I think of it, more a problem of European or more of the light-skinned nations, the former bodies of power and wealth historically.
This makes me think of Rabbi Angela Buchdahl’s reminder in her book “Heart of a Stranger,” in which she references herself as a Korean American Jew. Her reminder is that we are all of mixed blood. Certainly ancient Jewish history provides us with intertribal and international mixing of the races, and our beloved Torah enjoins us to welcome the stranger in our midst.
I stand in solidarity with Ethiopian and other Black Jews in Israel to demand accountability from the justice system in Israel. It is all too familiar a fight and one, quite truthfully, I never thought would exist in the promised land of Israel. But now we see, sadly, we’re no different.
My heart is heavy for the injustices we perpetuate. What must we do?
Laurie B. Lippin
Guerneville
Condemning Don Grundmann
As Socialist Workers Party candidate for governor, I condemn the antisemitic statement of Don Grundmann (“Antisemitic screed in state voter guide spurs Jewish lawmakers to act,” May 4 online). My statement in the California Voters Guide condemns Jew hatred and defends Israel’s right to exist.
Democratic and Republican politicians call for censoring Grundmann. I oppose censorship, a weapon that will be used against the labor movement and any who disagree with the capitalist rulers.
The main antisemitic danger comes from the Democratic Party, whose candidates falsely accuse Israel of genocide. The Jew hatred of rightist Tucker Carlson and leftist Hassan Piker is tolerated by Democratic and Republican politicians.
There are two wars in the Mideast: Washington’s war of plunder and domination and Israel’s defensive war to defeat the pro-Holocaust capitalist regime in Tehran. Tehran’s goal to exterminate the Jews was demonstrated Oct. 7, 2023, when it helped Hamas conduct a pogrom of mass rape and murder.
The Socialist Workers Party calls for the U.S. to get out of the Mideast and defends Israel’s fight to defend the only refuge for Jews.
The fight against Jew hatred is a life-and-death question for all working people. When the capitalist rulers’ crisis deepens, they always turn to fascist groups that blame the Jews for war and depression.
My party’s proud continuity fighting Jew hatred started with Lenin and the Bolsheviks battling tsarist pogroms in the Russian Revolution and the fight against the rise of the Nazis in Germany (which Stalinist rulers in Moscow refused to organize workers to prevent). My party demanded the U.S. open its doors to Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust.
The only force that can prevent another world war and Holocaust is the working class fighting to replace capitalism with socialism — the coming American Revolution.
The oil workers’ strike against Marathon in Martinez, the fight for amnesty for undocumented immigrants, opposition to Washington’s wars and the fight against Jew hatred are the same battle.
Margaret Trowe
Oakland