By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – In an OpEd that was released over Cable News Service, U.S. President Joe Biden described the Passover seder as a “cautionary tale of the present and our future as a democracy.” He said that the Haggadah tells of “how evil in every generation has tried to destroy” Jews and warned that antisemitism is “rising to record levels today.”
Citing Anti-Defamation League statistics about antisemitic incidents, he commented “these acts are unconscionable and despicable. They carry in them terrifying echoes of the worst chapters in human history. And they’re not only a strike against Jews, they’re also a threat to other minority communities and a stain on the soul of our nation.”
The President directly addressed the Jewish community saying, “I want you to know that I see your fear, your hurt and your concern that this venom is being normalized. … Rest assured that I am committed to the safety of the Jewish people. I stand with you. America stands with you. Under my presidency, we continue to condemn antisemitism at every turn. Failure to call out hate is complicity. Silence is complicity. And we will not be silent.”
He said that he has spoken out by appointing Deborah Lipstadt as an ambassador-level special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism around the world. He also cited the work of Douglas Emhoff, the Jewish husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, to counter antisemitism.
“But,” he said, “government alone cannot root out antisemitism and hate. All Americans, including businesses and community leaders, educators, students, athletes, entertainers, influencers must help confront bigotry in all its forms. We must each do our part to create a culture of respect in our workplace, in our schools, and our social media and in our homes.”
Passover
Pesach in Hebrew, Passover in English, begins tonight. A free Haggadah prepared by StandWithUs, the pro-Israel advocacy organization, may be downloaded from the web by clicking here.
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The Kindness Initiative in San Diego has distributed Passover supplies to needy families in time for tonight’s seder. “The idea behind the package is to provide those in need with the means to celebrate the holiday and to remind everyone of the importance of empathy and generosity,” a spokesperson said. “By providing families with the necessary supplies to celebrate Passover, the Kindness Initiative is helping to ensure that everyone in the San Diego community can participate in the holiday and feel connected to their Jewish heritage.”
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Some Jewish families are setting an empty place at their seder tables tonight for Evan Gershkovich, The Wall Street Journal reporter that Russia has jailed on charges of spying for the United States — a charge denied by both the U.S. government and The Wall Street Journal. The symbolic campaign is reminiscent of one that was popular in the 1970s and 1980s to publicize the plight of Soviet Jewry. Gershkovich is the child of Soviet Jews who immigrated to the United States following that successful campaign.
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Thanks to Ed Cherlin for the Nina Paley video on YouTube reminding us that Jesus celebrated Passover, and that Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong sang one of the best renditions of “Go Down Moses/ Let My People Go.”
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Jewish Political Scene
NATIONAL
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried was arrested while protesting Monday, April 3, at the state Capitol in Tallahassee against a proposed ban on abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy. The measure has passed the Florida Senate and awaits action in the lower house. After being freed, Fried tweeted “I’m out. And not ever backing down.”
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U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada) launched her reelection campaign with an appeal to online readers to send $2.50 to her and $2.50 to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) to “help fuel our grassroots movement to victory.” She said races in Nevada are won or lost by razor-thin margins. “The last Senate race here came down to just 7,928 voters – making it the closest in the entire country,” she said. “With the GOP setting its sights on Nevada, we need to fight back as early as possible to win.”
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) has joined a bipartisan coalition to promote a proposed Military Food Security Act, building on an idea that had been promoted by now retired Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego). For a military family to be eligible for food stamps under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), their income must be below a certain level. Unfortunately for them, the allowance they receive for housing counts toward the calculation of their incomes. Thus, even though they have little spending money left over, they are deemed too wealthy for food stamps.
Under the proposed legislation, the allowance for military housing would not be included in such calculations, thereby enabling many families of enlisted personnel to obtain the food stamps.
Jacobs joins members of Congress from California, Nebraska, Utah, and Washington in promoting this legislation. Democratic Rep. Mike Levin, whose district includes portions of San Diego and Orange Counties, is one of those co-sponsors.
Abby J. Leibman, President & CEO of Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger, lauded the legislation, saying that “active-duty service members and their families should not have to overcome policy barriers, unnecessary red-tape, and bureaucratic systems simply to put food on the table.”
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Donald H. Harrison is editor emeritus of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com