Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on June 15, 2024

Over 30 rabbis have signed a Northeast Ohio rabbinic statement opposing boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel as of June 11.

The statement is in response to a resolution referred to Cuyahoga County Councils committee of the whole at its June 4 meeting, Rabbi Scott Roland of Congregation Shaarey Tikvah in Beachwood told the Cleveland Jewish News.

R2024-0208 urges Cuyahoga County to end its investment in bonds and other foreign sovereign debt issued by the nation of Israel, and seeks to prohibit future investments in foreign securities.

The resolution was sponsored by council vice president Cheryl L. Stephens, representative for District 10 which includes Cleveland Heights and University Heights, and councilman Patrick Kelly, representative for District 1 which includes Rocky River and Bay Village.

I drafted this statement for two reasons, Roland said in a June 10 email to the CJN from Israel. First, in response to the introduction of a BDS resolution by two members of our Cuyahoga County Council. Second, in response to organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace and Cleveland Jewish Collective who attended the county council meeting to support this resolution.

Myself and my colleagues who signed felt it was important to make sure that county council, and members of our Jewish community, know that the mainstream rabbinate is still very much supportive of the Jewish state.

The statement was sent to Cuyahoga County Council on June 7 to inform it on where mainstream Jews stand and to send a message to those claiming to speak on behalf of the Jewish people, he said.

The rabbinic statement urges community members and elected officials to stand against BDS and join in solidarity with the state of Israel and the Jewish people.

It reads: Nearly 2,000 years ago, our sage, Rabbi Hillel, taught us, Do not separate from the community. (Mishnah Avot 2:4) Later, the Babylonian Talmud reminded us that All Jews are responsible for one another. (Shevuot 39a) As rabbis living and working in Northeast Ohio, we firmly believe that it is impossible to detach ourselves from the over 7 million of our brethren who live in Israel. While we may differ in our social and political views, we collectively represent the overwhelming majority of American Jews who support the State of Israel.

Regrettably, there are a minority of Jews among us who do not embrace this core Jewish tenet. You may find them within college campus encampments or at local government meetings, claiming to speak on behalf of the Jewish People. Jewish Voices for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine use words like peace and justice while advocating for resolutions that are neither peaceful nor just. We reject the tokenization of these Jews for the purpose of justifying anti-Zionist and antisemitic government resolutions.

Among the abhorrent policies for which these groups advocate are those that seek to boycott, divest and sanction the Jewish state. The boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement is wrong and antisemitic in that it seeks to delegitimize Israel and deny Jews the right to self-determination. The movement uses divisive language, ignores Palestinian responsibility in the conflict and fosters an environment that emboldens antisemitism. BDS does not support constructive peace efforts and instead promotes a one-sided, biased narrative that harms Israeli-Palestinian relations and isolates Jewish communities globally. We reject any movement that holds Israel to a higher standard than every other nation in the world. Not only does BDS apply a double standard to the State of Israel, but it also seeks to delegitimize and demonize the only Jewish state.

We call upon our friends, neighbors and elected officials to firmly stand against harmful ideologies like BDS. We strongly urge you to join us in solidarity with the State of Israel and the Jewish people, advocating for true peace and justice. Let the teachings of our sages regarding communal responsibility guide us to uphold our values and ensure strength and safety for all of us here in Northeast Ohio and in Israel. Together, we can counteract the divisive efforts of those who seek to undermine our unity and our support for the Jewish state.

Jewish community members in favor of divesting from Israel bonds and all other foreign investments, and instead in favor of local investments, began attending Cuyahoga County Council meetings on April 9, Robin Beth Schaer, a representative from Jewish Voice for Peace Cleveland, told the CJN in a June 11 email.

No, the resolution is neither antisemitic nor anti-Zionist, she said. None of us advocating for divestment from Israel do so out of self-interest or self-protection, to the contrary, we do so because we wholly believe ones safety should not come at the expense of anyone elses.

Rabbi Miriam Geronimus, founding rabbi of Cleveland Jewish Collective, posted a statement to Facebook on June 9 in response to the rabbinic statement in which she said she never claimed to speak for the whole Jewish community and wished she could say the same was true of all rabbis and all Jewish institutions.

Statement from Rabbi Miriam Geronimus, founding rabbi at Cleveland Jewish Collective, in response to the Northeast Ohio Anti-BDS Rabbinic Statement posted on June 9 to Facebook.

Disagreeing with fellow Jews does not set us apart from our fellow Jews, it roots us deeply in our ancient lineage and traditions, her statement reads. Saying we must all be unified is a disservice to the Jewish people and an attempt to silence any critique of the State of Israel. Every person and every nation state must be held accountable for their actions, and Israel is no exception to that.

In a June 11 email to the CJN, Geronimus said the rabbis who signed the rabbinic statement represent only a portion of the Jewish community.

I want to note that 30 is just a fraction of the rabbis in Northeast Ohio, she said in her email. The rabbis who signed it do not represent the entire Jewish community, but only a portion of the community.

Roland told the CJN that rabbis who signed the rabbinic statement could exist anywhere on the Zionist spectrum.

I reject the notion that one has to be either pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian, he said. In fact, I encourage us to be careful with our language in that regard. I only wish Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, etc., were as pro-Palestinian as your average American rabbi. It is the anti-Zionist supporters of BDS who we seek to alienate with this statement.

If those who read this do not see their rabbis signature on the letter, I urge you to encourage them to sign, Rabbi Scott Roland told the Cleveland Jewish News. To read the full statement, visit bit.ly/4aVNCIJ.

Rabbi Scott B. Roland, Congregation Shaarey Tikvah, Beachwood

Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk, Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple, Beachwood

Rabbi Binyamin Blau, Green Road Synagogue, Beachwood

Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria, Bnai Jeshurun Congregation, Pepper Pike

Rabbi Elyssa Austerklein, Akron

Rabbi Edward J. Sukol, The Shul, Pepper Pike

Rabbi Emeritus Alan Lettofsky, Beth Israel-The West Temple, Cleveland

Rabbi Rosette Haim, Celebrating Jewish Life, Beachwood

Rabbi David Komerofsky, Temple Israel, Canton

Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose, Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland, Beachwood

Rabbi Lauren Werber, Orange

Rabbi Courtney Berman, Congregation Ohev Beth Shalom, Youngstown

Rabbi Seth J. Sternstein, Temple El Emeth, Youngstown

Rabbi Akiva Feinstein, King David Synagogue, Beachwood

Rabbi Shalom Plotkin, Right at Home and chaplain at Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, Beachwood

Rabbi Steven L. Denker, Beachwood

Rabbi Noah Leavitt, Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai Synagogue, Lyndhurst

Rabbi Joan S. Friedman, College of Wooster

Rabba Amalia Haas, Oberlin Hillel, Beachwood

Rabbi Richard A. Block, The Temple-Tifereth Israel, Beachwood

Rabbi Stephen Grundfast, Beth El Congregation, Akron

Rabbi Josh Foster, Bnai Jeshurun Congregation, Pepper Pike

Rabbi Melinda Mersack, Solon

Rabbi Enid Lader, Beth Israel-The West Temple, Cleveland

Rabbi Ari Spiegler, Beachwood Kehilla

Rabbi Susan Stone, South Euclid

Rabbi Stacey Schlein, Shaker Heights

Rabbi Sharon Y. Marcus, Park Synagogue, Pepper Pike

Rabbi Matt Cohen, Temple Emanu El, Orange

Rabbi Chase Foster, Solon

Rabbi Joshua Jacobs, Bnai Jeshurun Congregation, Pepper Pike

* As of June 12

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Rabbis opposed to Cuyahoga County Council resolution issue statement - Cleveland Jewish News

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