JCPA says "Shush" in fear of Big Donors

The Forward yesterday reported that the Jewish  Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), an umbrella group that is supposed to carry Jewish concerns on public policy into the public arena, had urged Jewish organizations not to demand that the White House fire Steve Bannon and other white supremacist officials.

The JCPA ‘s memo said that making this demand might alienate major donors.

The memo was sent by, and explained by, David Bernstein, president of JCPA.

The Shalom Center demands the immediate resignation of David Bernstein and immediate steps by JCPA to cleanse itself of toadying to Jewish billionaires instead of serving the interests and values of American Jews.

We invite and urge all members, friends, and readers of The Shalom Center to join in a petition to the JCPA to clean its house, beginning at the top.  

Although donations to support serious Jewish work may be useful, JCPA’s decision kowtows to donors who think it is “good for the Jews” to have anti-Semites and white supremacists in positions of great power.  Their loyalty is clearly not to the Jewish people, Jewish values,  or the Jewish future  — which should be JCPA’s central concern.

Our petition ends, “In the spirit of the approaching High Holy Days, we urge immediate action by the JCPA to do tshuvah, repenting from this perversion of Jewish values, needs, and interests , and turning toward a renewed commitment to  the freedom of American Jews in the midst of a renewed American democracy. “

You can sign by clicking here:

https://theshalomcenter.org/civicrm/petition/sign?sid=22&reset=1

Please forward this letter to your friends and colleagues by clicking here:

Background information:

The  memo went out across the country a few days after the Charlottesville explosion of anti-Semitic, racist violence  -- when the Swastika and the Confederate Battle Flag of Slavery flew side by side  and a White Supremacist murdered a nonviolent peaceful pro-democracy protester.  And after Mr. Trump had put a White House "kosher" stamp on the neo-fascist mob as including many “fine people.”

In other words, to keep Jewish multimillionaire and billionaire donors on board, the JCPA thinks the Jewish community should tolerate ultra-right-wing racists and anti-Semites in the highest ranks of power in the United States.

There could be no more disgusting dereliction from the protection not only of Jewish freedom and Jewish lives, but from the defense and  revitalization of democracy in America -- which is now under attack from the White House.

To read more: http://forward.com/news/national/380857/exclusive-jewish-groups-did-not-call-for-bannons-firing-for-fear-of-losing/

This episode speaks beyond itself, to the need for z top-to-bottom rethinking of the way in which the American Jewish community operates, and how some of its major institutions depend on Big Money, not on real people  -- their members.

Meanwhile, I am proud to report that several large organizations of American rabbis made clear what true Jewish values are by announcing they would not take part in a traditional annual pre-Rosh Hashanah telephone conversation between hundreds of rabbis and the President.

Not this President! --  they said.

You can sign the petition  for a JCPA housecleaning by clicking here:

https://theshalomcenter.org/civicrm/petition/sign?sid=22&reset=1

Please forward this letter to your friends and colleagues by clicking here: