- Wednesday, June 24, 2020

It is inarguable that the Black community has suffered. What happened to George Floyd was horrific and cannot be justified. There have been all too many instances of awful aggression against the Black community.

Jewish organizations who had been stalwarts of service to the Jewish community have now tilted markedly to the left and have taken up the mantle of spearheading intersectional political causes. They have joined a broad coalition with far-left, radical Jewish groups and media. Even our federations, which once were the bedrock of Jewish communal service, also seem to have succumbed to the lure of the left.

Now, anti-Semitism has been exploding around the world and Jews in Jersey City, New York, Pittsburgh, Poway, Europe and Israel have been massacred on a frighteningly regular basis — yet our federations issued no calls for rallies and demonstrations. The George Floyd killing, on the other hand, got an immediate open and public response that called for federation members to express their sorrow, anger and frustration at an open meeting.

It is completely inappropriate to lend credence to a group that seeks to defund the police and partners with groups such as Antifa and Free Palestine. One needs only to look at what is taking place in Seattle to understand what happens when police enforcement is removed. The movement has gone much further than a reaction to yet another horrendous murder of an innocent Black person.

We live in difficult times that tax the souls of all of us. The forces of evil are gaining ground, and more than ever we need to confront these injustices forcefully. All Jewish communities in the United States condemn all forms of hatred, racism and discrimination, and we pledge to stand together with our brethren in the Black community to eradicate these plagues that have proliferated in our society.

But Jewish federations should be out in the forefront of Jewish causes first and foremost. Nobody else will do it. High-sounding slogans and advocacy programs will not stop the slaughter.

BRIAN J. GOLDENFELD

Oak Park, Calif.

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