340 Rabbis Urge Congress to Support Nuclear Deal with Iran Call for International Partners to Strengthen Efforts to Confront Iranian Support for Terrorism and other Threats For Immediate Release New York, NY, August 17, 2015 For More Information, or to Connect with the Rabbis Organizing this Campaign, Please Contact: Gideon Aronoff; 212 366­1194; [email protected] ​ Today, 340 rabbis from all streams of Judaism sent a letter to all Members of Congress urging ​ ​ that they support the agreement between the international community and Iran on the Iranian nuclear program. “We commend the U.S. and the other negotiating teams for their dedication to reaching an agreement to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. This deal is good for the United States and our allies in the region, and is the best arrangement possible given current international realities,” declared Rabbi Steven Bob of Glen Ellyn, IL. Rabbi Rachel Mikva of Chicago added, “A wide array of views about the nuclear deal exist among American Jews, as demonstrated in the recent Jewish Journal poll that showed 49% approving of the agreement (31% opposed) and 53% wanting Congress to approve it (35% opposed). However many Jewish Federations, AIPAC and other leading national Jewish organizations are campaigning in opposition, which is being interpreted to mean that American Jews want to see the deal scrapped. This is a false and dangerous message that we as rabbis hope to counter with our letter to Congress.” “If Congress ultimately rejects the deal, the consequences for the United States, Israel, the Jewish community and the world will be significant. We fear that the outcome will be the collapse of the international sanctions regime, an Iranian race for nuclear weapons and an associated arms race in the Middle East and isolation of Israel and the United States from international partners,” said Rabbi Samuel Gordon of Wilmette, IL. Rabbi Burton Visotzky of New York City concluded, “While we believe the deal is a positive approach to the Iranian nuclear issue, we remain gravely concerned about Iranian support for terrorist groups and other destabilizing actions in the region. These threats must be countered aggressively by the international community. The misguided campaign to scuttle the nuclear deal harms the ability of Israel to join with the United States and regional allies to create a powerful coalition against Iran.” The letter to Congress with signatures is included below. August 17, 2015 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Members of the U.S. Senate As rabbis, we support the agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Russia and Iran– The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. We encourage the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to endorse this agreement. The Obama administration has successfully brought together the major international powers to confront Iran over its nuclear ambitions. The broad international sanctions moved Iran to enter this historic agreement. Should this agreement be rejected by the U.S. congress, those sanctions will end. There will be no new negotiations, as the other member countries are fully in favor of this agreement and have no desire to re­negotiate. We understand that while this agreement blocks Iran’s path to a nuclear bomb, we recognize it does not deal with Iran’s support for terror, but that was never the purpose of these talks. Now that a nuclear agreement has been reached, we call on the United States and its international partners to strengthen their resolve and dedicate additional resources to confront Iranian threats to Israel and other states. Most especially, we are deeply concerned with the impression that the leadership of the American Jewish community is united in opposition to the agreement. We, along with many other Jewish leaders, fully support this historic nuclear accord. Lynne Goldsmith Dothan Alabama Elliot Stevens Montgomery Alabama Elana Kanter Scottsdale Arizona John Linder Paradise Valley Arizona Thomas Louchheim Tucson Arizona Michael Wasserman Scottsdale Arizona Ruth Adar Oakland California Melanie Aron Los Gatos California Raphael Asher Walnut Creek California Anne Brener Los Angeles, California Samuel Broude Oakland California Sharon Brous Los Angeles California Meredith Cahn Petaluma California Carol Caine Albany California Steven Chester Oakland California Aryeh Cohen Los Angeles California Hillel Cohn San Bernardino California Neil Comess-Daniels Santa Monica California Elliot Dorff Beverly Hills California David J. Cooper Berkeley California William Cutter Los Angeles California Lisa Edwards Los Angeles California Diane Elliot Richmond California Anthony Elman Los Angeles California Gordon Freeman Walnut Creek California Pamela Frydman Daly City California Laura Geller Los Angeles California Miriyam Glazer Los Angeles California Dan Goldblatt Larkspur California Jerrold Goldstein Los Angeles California Sara Goodman Santa Monica California Donald Goor Los Angeles California Daniel Gottlieb San Francisco California Mel Gottlieb Los Angleles California Roberto Graetz Lafayette California Nicki Greninger Lafayette California Moshe Halfon Long Beach California Lisa Hochberg-Miller Ventura California Jocee Hudson Los Angeles California Me'irah Iliinsky San Francisco California Daniel Isaacson Berkeley California Steven Jacobs Alameda California Burt Jacobson El Sobrante California Josh Jacobs-Velde Sebastopol California Yoel Kahn Berkeley California Patricia Karlin-Neumann Palo Alto California Jim Kaufman Los Angeles California Stuart Kelman Berkeley California Lawrence Kushner San Francisco California Susan Laemmle Los Angeles California Jason Van Leeuwen Los Angeles California Michael Lerner Berkeley California Richard Levy Encinco California Joshua Levine Grater Pasadena California Sheldon Lewis Palo Alto California Michael Mayersohn Garden Grove California Laurence Milder Pleasanton California Michelle Missaghieh Los Angeles California Dev Noily Oakland California Janet Offel Calabasas California Philip M Posner Santa Cruz California Arnold Rachlis Irvine California Sanford Ragins Los Angeles California Steven Reuben Pacific Palisades California John Rosove Los Angeles California Neal Scheindlin Los Angeles California Howie Schneider Aptos California Avi Schulman Fremont California Judith Seid Dublin California Chaim Seidler-Feller Los Angeles California Daniel Shevitz Venice California Suzanne Singer Riverside California David Stein Culver City California Martin Weiner San Francisco California Dvora Weisberg Los Angeles California Sarah Weissman Redwood City California Greg Wolfe Davis California Deborah Bronstein Boulder Colorado Brian Field Denver Colorado Hanoch Fields Denver Colorado Rachel Goldenberg Deep River Connecticut David Leipziger Teva Middletown Connecticut Stacy Offner Guilford Connecticut Jeremy Schwartz Willimantic Connecticut Jeffery Silberman Westport Connecticut Rabbi Michael L. Kramer Hockessin Delaware Douglas Krantz Townsend Delaware Mark Goldman Sarasota Florida Frederick Greenspahn Boca Raton Florida Geoff Huntting Sarasota Florida Sheldon Isenberg Gainesville Florida Peter Kasdan Longboat Key Florida Ralph Kingsley Miami Florida Ronald Kronish Miami Florida Lewis C. Littman Ft. Lauderdale Florida Susan Marks Sarasota Florida Paul Menitoff Palm Beach Florida Stephen Pinsky Wellington Florida Howard Shapiro Palm Beach Gardens Florida Kurt Stone Fort Lauderdale Florida Mike Trout Boca Raton Florida Cheryl Weiner Hollywood Florida Steve Westman W.Palm Beach Florida Ronald Bluming Grayson Georgia Philip N. Kranz Atlanta Georgia Beth Schwartz Columbus Georgia Alison Abrams Chicago Illinois Marc Belgrad Buffalo Grove Illinois Jordan Bendat-Appell Highland Park Illinois Kenneth Berger Deerfield Illinois Steven Bob Glen Ellyn Illinois Herbert Bronstein Evanston Illinois Paul Cohen Winnetka Illinois Alan Cook Champaign Illinois Laurence Edwards Chicago Illinois Bruce Elder Highland Park Illinois Hillel Gamoran Evanston Illinois Gary Gerson River Forest Illinois Maralee Gordon Woodstock Illinois Sam Gordon Wilmette Illinois Suzanne Griffel Chicago Illinois Peter Knobel Evanston Illinois Charles Levi Deerfield Illinois Rebecca Lillian Chicago Illinois Seth Limmer Chicago Illinois Andrea London Evanston Illinois Rachel Mikva Chicago Illinois Nina Mizrahi Northbrook Illinois Frederick Reeves Chicago Illinois Robert Schreibman Lincolnshire Illinois Michael Weinberg Evanston Illinois Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus Homewood Illinois Max Weiss Oak Park Illinois Shlomo Wing Rockford Illinois Leo Wolkow Glenwood Illinois Michael Zedek Chicago Illinois Gary Mazo Newburgh Indiana Marla Spanjer Fort Wayne Indiana Paula Winnig Indianapolis Indiana Erin Hirsh Pratt Kansas Daniel Kirzane Overland Park Kansas Mark Levin Prairie Village Kansas Arthur Nemitoff Leawood Kansas Moti Rieber Overland Park Kansas Michael Rosenberg Lawrence Kansas Alexandria Shuval Weiner Leawood Kansas Edward Paul Cohn Metairie Louisiana Leila Gal Berner Rockville Maryland Binyamin Biber Silver Spring Maryland Reeve Brenner Rockville Maryland Nina Beth Cardin Pikesville Maryland George Driesen Bethesda Maryland Samuel Fishman Bethesda Maryland John Franken Baltimore Maryland Donald Gluckman Pikesville Maryland Emanuel S. Goldsmith Rockville Maryland Susan Grossman Columbia Maryland Jerry Seidler Baltimore Maryland Ariel Walsh Baltimore Maryland Thomas Alpert Franklin Massachusetts Donald Berlin Adams Massachusetts Herman Blumberg Waban Massachusetts Caryn Broitman