Left-wing Jewish organizations are once again demonstrating how far they’ve strayed from both Jewish and American values. In their recent open letter to President Trump urging him to “change your stated plans for widespread persecution of immigrants” and opposing the deportation of illegal immigrants, 88 progressive organizations including J Street, HIAS and the Union for Reform Judaism (for the full list, see here) reveal the same weakness and self-delusion that has characterized Jewish institutional leadership for far too long.
As the grandson of Jewish immigrants to America, I believe we need bold new voices to clarify where many of us in the Jewish community truly stand on immigration. The establishment’s reflexive progressive stance ignores fundamental truths about both America’s promise and the rule of law that makes that promise possible.
My own family’s story illuminates the stark difference between legal immigration that strengthens America and the chaos our current leadership seems to embrace. When my grandparents arrived on American shores after losing everything in the Holocaust, they came legally, through established ports of entry with proper documentation. My grandfather, George Weisz, spoke no English and started with factory jobs before building his own business. He didn’t seek government handouts – he sought opportunity through honest work. By embracing America’s system rather than circumventing it, he helped build this nation’s economy.
The Torah commands us, “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:20). But today’s Jewish establishment cynically weaponizes this teaching to advocate for policies that ultimately harm both America and legitimate immigrants. True Jewish leadership requires the courage to distinguish between compassion and chaos.
Our Jewish tradition teaches both kindness and respect for law – these are not contradictory values but complementary ones. When Jewish organizations conflate enforcing immigration laws with persecution, they reveal their own moral confusion. This muddled thinking does a disservice to both legal immigrants who respect American laws and citizens who expect their government to maintain order.
We need a new generation of Jewish leaders who aren’t afraid to speak clearly: Supporting legal immigration while opposing illegal entry isn’t just compatible with Jewish values – it’s required by them. The generations before us proved that immigrants can enrich America’s fabric while respecting its laws. That’s the profound difference between immigration that strengthens a nation and the disorder that weakens it.
The Jewish establishment’s kneejerk opposition to immigration enforcement isn’t just wrong – it’s dangerous. It’s part of the same failed mindset that has created a generation of young Jews more aligned with progressive ideology than their own heritage and interests. Just as we need clear thinking about Israel’s biblical homeland and sovereignty, we need clarity about America’s right to secure borders and regulated immigration. This is why Israel365 Action has organized a party in the World Zionist Congress and is running for election in March, so we can bring new leadership to the Jewish community.
It’s time for Jewish leadership that doesn’t apologize for supporting the rule of law. Far from being anti-immigrant, this position honors both our Jewish values and the American dream that drew our families here. But achieving that dream requires the very thing our current establishment lacks: the courage to stand for principle over popularity.
