Over 550 rabbis and cantors, mostly from the non-Orthodox movements, criticized the Trump administration for what they describe as “abusing the issue” of antisemitism for political purposes. The criticism comes amid increased tensions following anti-Semitic “pro-Palestine” campus protests.
Two Significant Letters
The most recent letter, titled “A Call to Moral Clarity: Rejecting Antisemitism as a Political Wedge,” was published Monday and organized by two anti-Israel left-wing Jewish groups, J Street and T’ruah. This follows an earlier letter published by the Jewish refugee aid group HIAS, which gathered signatures from more than 560 Jewish religious leaders condemning what they called the “immoral use of the law” by the administration.
Last month, 27 Jewish groups filed legal support for Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national student from Tufts University in Massachusetts, who the U.S. Department of Homeland Security detained after federal investigations found that she “engaged in activities in support of Hamas.”
Content of the Letters
The J Street-T’ruah letter acknowledges the serious threat of antisemitism while arguing against its political exploitation: “The resurgence of this age-old hatred is alarming, and we unequivocally stand against it in all its forms. We must also be clear: the way in which the Trump administration claims it is combating antisemitism is not about protecting Jews—it is instead overtly abusing the issue to divide Americans, undermine democracy, and harm other vulnerable communities.”
The letter hints that the Trump administration is following the example of the Nazi government.
“It is alarming that some of the same political actors who now claim to champion Jewish safety have also defended Nazi sympathizers, promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories, and sought to dismantle civil rights protections.”
Specific Actions Criticized
The letters highlight several actions by the Trump administration that have raised concerns:
- Freezing university funding: Five Jewish senators, including New York Senator Chuck Schumer, signed a letter criticizing the administration’s crackdown on Harvard University, which has seen $2.2 billion in federal funding frozen over its response to campus antisemitism.
- Student visa revocations: The administration has revoked over 1,200 student visas, including those of pro-Hamas activists.
- Detainment of student activists: The letters mention specific cases of detained students, including Mahmoud Khalil of Columbia University and Rumeysa Ozturk of Tufts University.
The J Street-T’ruah letter argues: “Defunding universities, threatening to deport student protesters, and using Jews as a justification for authoritarian tactics does not make us safer; it makes us more vulnerable. We reject these cynical attacks on higher education—institutions that have long been strongholds of Jewish academic and cultural life—under the pretense of protecting Jewish students.”
Notable Signatories
The J Street-T’ruah letter was signed by clergy from across the country, primarily from Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist movements. Prominent signatories include:
- Sally Priesand and Amy Eilberg, the first women to be ordained as rabbis in the Reform and Conservative movements, respectively
- Deborah Waxman, president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
- Sharon Kleinbaum, David Teutsch, Gordon Tucker, Arthur Waskow, Susan Talve, David Rosenn, and Julie Schonfeld
Broader Context
While acknowledging the increase in antisemitic incidents, the “Jewish” groups do not mention Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent seven-front attack Israel is currently facing.
T’ruah CEO Rabbi Jill Jacobs summarized this position: “Our community has endured a very real spike in antisemitism in recent years. We’ve seen bomb threats, vandalism and attacks on our schools and synagogues. It’s precisely because tackling this issue is so important that we can’t allow it to be hijacked by this administration to pursue an authoritarian agenda that puts us all at risk.”
