Rabbi Henry Jay Karp
A letter sent by Rabbi Henry Jay Karp, of Temple Emanuel of Davenport Iowa, to his colleagues:
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to you because I am increasingly disturbed by what appears to be a concerted campaign to discredit Barack Obama within the American Jewish community. Whether or not you choose to support Obama’s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, as rabbinic colleagues I feel a need to share with you what I have learned about the man - and it is quite different from the rumors that refuse to die in our Jewish community.
When it comes to presidential politics, I am truly privileged to be a rabbi in Iowa. There is no question or doubt but that we Iowans enjoy extensive exposure to the presidential candidates with ample opportunity to delve deeply into their positions on many a subject. As an Iowan, and a Democrat, I truly struggled to arrive at my decision as to which of the Democratic candidates would earn my support. Indeed, throughout most of the Iowa caucus campaigning, I remained undecided, weighing the pros and cons of what I felt was an excellent field of choice candidates.
In the end, I decided to support Barack Obama (though Joe Biden was a close second). There were several reasons why I arrived at this decision, many of them related to Jewish issues. Let me share with you my thought processes.
For quite a while, I was one of those who had serious questions about Obama’s lack of experience. It seemed but yesterday that he was an Illinois state legislator (with Illinois just across the Mississippi from Davenport). What chutzpah for someone who has spent less than one term in the US Senate to assume that he was capable of serving as President! Yet, my reservations were continually eroded as I experienced the superlative campaign organization which he had put together, and as I had the opportunity to listen to him speak publicly. In dealing with his campaign staff (and they were continually seeking me out), I found these people to be intelligent, well versed on the issues, and remarkably capable of getting their jobs done. If only our government could operate as effectively, efficiently, and intelligently as Obama’s campaign organization. I soon came to the realization that if Obama could do this for his campaign, then, as President, he most certainly would have the insight to at least attempt to do this for our country. As far as the person himself, he is most definitely charismatic. To be in his presence is to fall under his spell. But he stands not on charisma alone. What he says makes a lot of sense, and it comes from the heart. He can truly be an engine for serious, positive change in our country, and God knows, we need it.
One of his characteristics which captured me was his consistency. He does not play the politicians’ game of saying one thing to one group and another to another. He fearlessly states what he believes, regardless of what opinions may be held by the group he is talking to at the moment. As a rabbi and as a Jew I found this to be an especially appealing quality in terms of his positions on the Arab-Israeli conflict and US-Israel relations. He is one of Israel’s staunchest friends. During the 2006 Lebanon War, while other of his Democratic congressional colleagues were waffling (at best) on their support of Israel, and it seemed that the only true friends Israel had were the conservative Republicans, Barack Obama was outspoken in his support of Israel’s actions and of Israel’s fundamental right to take all measures necessary to protect her citizens. He has said time and again, to Muslim groups as well as Jewish groups, that he is unashamedly a supporter of Israel, for Israel is one of the US’s surest allies and the only democracy in the Middle East. On “Meet the Press,” when Tim Russert challenged his support of Israel, he reiterated that position without apology, for he feels that one need not apologize for supporting Israel. As he has consistently presented his message of support for Israel, he has equally consistently presented his strong belief that if the Palestinians are ever going to be able to establish a state of their own, they must first renounce the violence of terrorism and embrace the right of Israel to exist in safety and security.
Along the same lines of consistency, I have to tell you how he has addressed one of my hot button issues - negative political campaigning. For several years, I have been involved in a local clergy effort to get political figures to renounce negative campaigning and the use of attack ads. Needless to say, we took advantage of the Iowa caucuses to try to corner the various candidates to commit to refrain from negative campaign tactics. By and large, each campaign cordially received our overtures and then ignored them. Only the Obama campaign committed to refuse to engage in negative campaigning. As has been evidenced by the campaign so far, Obama was as good as his word. Even while being the target of smear tactics, he has chosen not to respond in kind. He has chosen not to sink to the level of his detractors but to keep his focus on the positive; on what good things he has to offer the country rather than engage in the art of demonizing his opponents.
As you are probably aware, on Martin Luther King Day, he made a major address at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. In that address, he made a point of denouncing antisemitism, and particularly the antisemitism which has manifest itself in the African American community. This deeply impressed me. It was Martin Luther King Day, and he could have given quite a fine and well received speech without ever touching on the issue of antisemitism. By doing so, he placed the reception of his speech in question. Yet he did this, not to gain points with the crowd but because he believed that it was something that needed to be said. For my money, that is truly presidential.
I know that there have been questions about his pastor’s association with Louis Farrakhan. But I also know that Obama has, on more than one occasion, denounced the bigotry of Farrakhan. As far as his pastor is concerned, as rabbis we know what it is to have congregants who vehemently disagree with us on one issue or another, yet who feel a kinship to us for our having been there for them in their moments of joy and of sorrow. All these questions about the influence Obama’s pastor would have over him in terms of his relationship with the Jewish community simply reminds me too much of all the barbs that were directed against John Kennedy concerning whether or not if he were elected President, how much influence the Pope would have on formulating US policies. Such thinking was wrong then and it is wrong now. Let the man stand on his own merits.
Yet another aspect of the Obama campaign which impressed me was the people who are high up in the campaign. While there are those questioning Obama’s feelings toward the Jews and his commitment to Israel, it is interesting to note that at the top of his campaign you will find such Jews as Chicago’s David Axelrod and Congressman Robert Wexler (of Broward County, FL - with more Jewish voters than any other congressional district in the country). Their support alone speaks volumes concerning Obama and the Jews. I had the privilege of receiving a phone call from Congressman Wexler. We spoke at great length; a conversation which removed any shadow of doubt I might have possessed about Obama’s sincerity concerning Israel and Jewish issues.
One other point I wish to make in this quite lengthy letter. Of all the presidential campaigns which we experienced in Iowa this past year, only one made a concerted effort to reach out to my Jewish community (I cannot speak for my other Iowa colleagues) - the Obama campaign. Only the Obama campaign actively sought counsel on Jewish issues and demonstrated themselves eager to share the Senator’s record on these issues. Think about it! In Iowa, they cared about the Jewish vote. Now if they cared about the Jews of Iowa, how much more so do you think they care about the Jews in places such as New York and California - where the Jewish vote really matters.
Thank you for your patience in reading this tome. Note that I have sent it to you under my personal email address (and not from the Temple). In returning to my original statement, I have written this to you because, regardless of whatever candidate you support, as rabbis and as Jews, you need to know that contrary to the rumors that are spreading throughout the American Jewish community, Barack Obama is indeed a friend of the Jews, a friend of Israel, and a man of true integrity.
Thank you & Shabbat Shalom,
Henry Jay Karp