Don’t Be a Lemming!
From Rabbi Amy Weiss, the founder and executive director of The Initiative for Jewish Women, via Houston Chronicle:
We Jews like the rest of the world to think we get along with each other, never embarrass ourselves as a people and generally behave like upstanding citizens. Jews are great at rallying together for a cause. Which is why when we are targeted by political groups, whether it is about policy on Israel or opinions about public vs. private schools, I get nervous that our reactions as individuals quickly translates into mass overreaction that quickly slides into the “hysteria” from which we suffer, so poignantly pointed in the 1927 Jewish Encyclopedia’s article entitled “Nervous Disorders”.
When the political campaigns of Barack Obama’s opponents started disseminating “information” about Obama’s positions on the Middle East, the emails started to fly. Retired Jewish men and women who love to hit the “forward” button on jokes, tributes, cute pictures and assorted warnings sprang into action, as did the bar/bat mitzvah moms who send around “how hard it is to be a mom” missives (as if we needed reminding).Only after the cyber onslaught did a few people start to ask questions and come to find out that our folks had been had as part of a plan to gain support for other candidates.
I hate when we look silly. Because any of the opponent’s stances on Israel are fine—it’s not like any of the three of them will sell Israel down the river—even if they don’t like Jews (no indication of that so far) because it has nothing to do with what Jews believe. Israel is the most democratic ally to the US in the Middle East neighborhood, essential to the interests of the US. Participating in a plan to create the demise of Israel spells doom for any US president.
This past week Thomas Friedman had a column about Israel and his perspective of what happened in the Bush administration’s policy and activity with the Israelis and Palestinians, you should read it.A friend of mine was dating Florida congressman Robert Wexler while we were in college. I got to know Robert (they eventually married) and admired his ethics and honesty then and now. Before the Texas primary he did a conference call for Jewish leaders regarding Obama’s positions on Israel. I took copious notes and was impressed by the senator’s support for the Jewish state. Now the campaign to scare the Jews into voting for people other than Obama has taken a marked upswing and I am tired of us looking ridiculous.
We are not lemmings following each other off of the cliff and I resent campaign strategists plotting their successes based on our tightly knit community, standing at the edge of the cliff, watching us follow the one in front into the abyss.In the most recent Houston Jewish Federation survey, almost half of Jews in Houston get their information about our community by word of mouth. That is a powerful statement and we are fortunate to be a part of such a community.
But whether we are talking about Obama’s position on Israel and the Middle East or a local issue in the Jewish community, I implore you to make informed decisions. Just because someone sends you hysterical emails about any candidate don’t mean it is the truth. Do your homework this election. Know the facts. We don’t want to fall for political shenanigans hook line and sinker.