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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Leads Push in Congress to Block Arms Sale Aren’T Saying Much About to Israel / Page 3 Jews Or Israel THEJEWISHWEEK.COM MAY 21, 2021 end YOUR DOWNLOADABLE, PRINTER-READY SHABBAT READ FROM THE NEW YORK JEWISH WEEK Residents examine the damage at their home after it was hit the day before by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod, May 18, 2021. (Avi Roccah/Flash90) NEWS Must read NYC’s mayoral candidates Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez leads push in Congress to block arms sale aren’t saying much about to Israel / Page 3 Jews or Israel. The Pew study New York sees anti-Israel protests as war on Hamas escalates / Page 3 suggests why. ‘I Don’t Believe in God, but I Am The decline of non-Orthodox ethnic clout reflects a Jewish’ / Page 4 generational shift. Analysis / Page 7 By Andrew Silow-Carroll Opinion / Page 9 Sabbath Week / Page 12 The Pew Research Center’s latest study of American Jews came out last week, with few bombshells. That’s probably because the study confirms what any- Musings, David Wolpe / Page 13 one paying close attention has probably already suspected. Arts and Culture / Page 14 For example, the study felt right to me in its description of the most rapidly Events / Page 15 growing cohorts of young Jews: the Orthodox and what Pew describes as Jews who do not identify with Judaism as a religion. THE NEW YORK JEWISH WEEK MAY 21, 2021 Not only are the ranks of these divergent cohorts grow- and make them vote any differently than similarly situ- ing but, says Pew, the Jews of no religion “feel they have ated gentiles – and candidates know this. The younger not much or nothing at all in common” with Orthodox “nones” will take an interest in either progressive issues Jews. Pew noted this in 2013, “[b]ut it is especially evi- or the quality of life concerns that have been a big part dent in the 2020 survey, conducted during a polarizing of the mayoral forums, and will not vote according to election campaign.” any distinct Jewish interest. The “middle” voters – old- er, centrist, Jewishly affiliated — probably are thinking Between the frum and the “nones” is a shrinking middle mainly about crime and economic recovery, the two big – that is, Reform and Conservative Jews who identify as issues in the race. When two big nonprofits – UJA-Fed- Jews by religion, but whose politics and religious obser- eration of NY and Met Council – held mayoral forums vance tend to skew centrist or liberal. “Roughly four-in- this year, the focus was largely on their sponsors’ sec- ten Jewish adults under 30 identify with either Reform ular concerns: social service delivery, COVID relief and (29%) or Conservative Judaism (8%), compared with sev- assistance to nonprofits. en-in-ten Jews ages 65 and older,” according to Pew. The conflict between Israel and Gaza would normally be In most things, New York offers a new spin on the old the kind of issue that a candidate would use to estab- joke: We’re just like the Jews, only more so. That the Or- lish his or her pro-Jewish bona fides across the Jewish thodox community is larger here than anywhere else is spectrum. But only four of the eight candidates issued self-evident, and an important study of New York Jews statements of the “we stand with Israel” variety. (Only in 2011 showed a growing secular, marginally affiliated progressive candidate Dianne Morales appeared to crit- community. “In the past, [synagogue] membership was icize Israel, condemning “state violence.”) more of a given,” Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of Central Syn- agogue told Pew this year. “People felt they had to join a “Only the Orthodox, with their closely aligned self-in- synagogue in order to belong and affiliate. Now I would terests, crowded precincts and bloc-voting, arouse say, there’s a lot more ‘do-it-yourself Judaism’ and inter- much attention from candidates seeking specifically net Judaism and virtual Judaism.” Jewish votes.” The current mayoral race is a reflection of this soften- Andrew Yang even had to walk back a one-sided state- ing middle. To the degree that candidates have explicitly ment of support for Israel, after criticism from Rep. Al- courted the “Jewish vote,” it has mostly been a bid for the exandria Ocasio-Cortez and, he said, members of his haredi Orthodox blocs. Frontrunners Andrew Yang and own staff. Although a centrist, Yang heard the concerns Eric Adams have been the most assertive in appealing to of progressives, and didn’t feel it would cost him many the concerns of haredi voters, especially their fears that Jewish votes to acknowledge “the pain and suffering on the state and city will demand more rigorous standards both sides.” for secular education at yeshivas. Contrast that with what is happening in Congress: While City Comptroller Scott Stringer, currently trying to fend the mayoral candidates were quiet on the Israel-Hamas off a #MeToo accusation, is the only Jewish candidate in conflict, Democrats were growing increasingly impatient the race, but he hasn’t really hit that very hard. with the violence and more willing to criticize Israel. Unless asked, no one is talking about antisemitism, a And its not just the far-left: Pro-Israel stalwart Rep. Jerry topic that only last year galvanized some 25,000 most- Nadler, whose Upper West Side district is considered the ly non-Orthodox Jews to march across the Brooklyn most Jewish in the country, joined 11 Jewish colleagues Bridge. No candidate headed to Riverdale after a vandal in the House on a letter urging an “immediate ceasefire.” smashed windows at four synagogues, including a Con- Sen. Jon Ossoff, the Jewish freshman from Georgia, led a servative one. call by 28 Democrats in the Senate for a ceasefire. Greg- ory Meeks, the Queens congressman who chairs the I’d suggest that outside the Orthodox community, there House Foreign Affairs Committee, came close to asking is no real “tribal” issue that would inspire Jewish voters for a delay in an arms deal between the U.S. and Israel. thejewishweek.com 2 THE NEW YORK JEWISH WEEK MAY 21, 2021 Perhaps the candidates are wary of alienating Jewish and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, all Democrats. voters on either side of the Israel divide, especially this The arms deal has made headlines as Israel and Hamas close to the primary. But in an increasingly diverse city, exchange fire in a round of fighting that started 10 days the decline of non-Orthodox Jewish ethnic clout is un- ago and has left hundreds dead, mostly Palestinians liv- doubtedly a factor: In a 2012 article noting that there ing in Gaza. were no Jews running for mayor that year, the New York Times reported that the Jewish proportion of the “At a time when so many, including our president, sup- citywide primary electorate had declined to 20 percent port a ceasefire, we should not be sending ‘direct attack’ from twice that in the 1950s and 1960s. That’s why only weaponry to prime minister Netanyahu to prolong this the Orthodox, with their closely aligned self-interests, violence,” says an email obtained by Jewish Currents crowded precincts and bloc-voting, arouse much atten- that was sent out by Ocasio-Cortez’s office to ask other tion from candidates seeking specifically Jewish votes. lawmakers for support. “It is long past time to end the US policy of unconditional military arms sales, particu- (Why, you may ask, are Orthodox voters significant in a larly to governments that have violated human rights.” Democratic primary when, according to Pew, some 75% of the community votes Republican? Because the next The progressive lawmakers appear to be picking up mayor of New York is almost guaranteed to be a Demo- where the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Com- crat, and the community wants to be heard in City Hall.) mittee, Rep. Gregory Meeks, a fellow Democrat, left off. Pew says “these generational shifts toward both Ortho- Meeks had considered sending a letter to the White doxy and secular Jewishness have the potential, in time, to House asking for a delay in the transfer of the arms reshape American Jewry.” I’d say the time is already here. shipment in light of the hostilities, but ultimately de- cided against it. His momentary consideration marked Andrew Silow-Carroll (@SilowCarroll) is the editor in chief a shift in how congressional leaders have traditionally of The Jewish Week. Subscribe to his Sunday newsletter at related to Israeli security matters. jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/signup. NEWS NEWS New York sees anti- Alexandria Ocasio- Israel protests as war Cortez leads push in on Hamas escalates Congress to block By Jewish Week Staff arms sale to Israel Bella Hadid, the well-known Palestinian-American mod- el, took part in an anti-Israel protest in Bay Ridge on By Asaf Shalev Saturday afternoon, Pix11 reported. A trio of progressive Congress members is about to pro- The Brooklyn neighborhood has a large Arabic-speak- pose a resolution to block a $735 million weapons sale ing community. Social media showed people climbing to Israel over concerns about its actions in Gaza, Jewish street lights to wave Palestinian flags and others setting Currents reported, citing an early draft of the resolution. off fireworks, Pix11 reported. Protesters shut down traf- fic on Interstate 278 in at least on direction, according to The sponsors of the legislation targeting the transfer of video posted online. precision-guided missiles to Israel are Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin Separately, hundreds of members of the anti-Zionist thejewishweek.com 3 THE NEW YORK JEWISH WEEK MAY 21, 2021 group Jewish Voice for Peace – NYC marched in Brooklyn identity.
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