Summary of Remarks on Shabbat Dec 21, 2019
Just 10 days ago, at the White House Hanukkah party, the President signed an executive order to combat anti-Semitism. Because the President connected this order with Hanukkah it's appropriate to understand the nuance and details in light of the holiday.
The Maccabees 2,100 years were a small band of Israelite fighters who miraculously defeated the more numerous and mighty Greek army. They not only restored Israelite autonomy to the land of Israel but they also restored Israelite worship to the Temple in Jerusalem. That small jar of pure olive oil they found was only supposed to last 1 day, but miraculously it lasted 8 days. The history of Hanukkah then portrays two distinct elements in defining who we are as a people - a nation and a religion.
Judaism can be defined in many ways. Just look at the results of the Pew survey of the Jewish community done in 2013 and we'll find that Jews feel a connection to the Holocaust, they feel spiritual, they observe Passover and Hanukkah and some have a connection to Israel too. Some Jews even define themselves based on the food they eat other cultural distinctions. Judaism then is multifaceted and clearly can be defined in many ways.
In the executive order, the President connected the protection of Jews to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI states that federal funds will be withheld from entities that discriminate on the basis of race [color and national origin]. By connecting anti-Semitism to Title VI, the President seems to narrowly define Judaism as a race. This isn't a criticism - I as a Jew like to be protected and as we see with the rise of anti-Semitic acts of graffiti and violence in America and around the world, we Jews need as much protection as possible. However, it is appropriate to raise the question - is Judaism just a race?
In fact the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), an inter-governmental agency in 1998 developed this working definition of anti-Semitism: "Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities."
Was it appropriate for the President to add Jews to those protected by Title VI? Could the President have just reinforced other statutes, like existing hate crime legislation, or could he have signed on to the working definition of the IHRA? Many entities in the Jewish community reacted to the executive order both positively and negatively. My question which I am left with is not about the politics behind the order, but rather the idea that the order limits a definition of Judaism to nationality. We need to remember that we are more than just a nation - we are a religion, a culture and ethnicity as well. As such we need protection from discrimination and I thank the President for this order.
May the day come soon when no one will need protection, when we all can live freely and safely in peace and harmony.
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