BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair Bradley Abelow Vice Chairs Sharon Leslie Eric Sahn Treasurer James Koshland Secretary Carol Yanowitz Miller President and CEO Robert Bank The Honorable Michael R. Pompeo Marion Bergman Secretary of State Jay Cohan U.S. Department of State Monte Dube* Tom Dubin 2201 C Street NW Eileen Epstein Washington, D.C. 20250 Marty Friedman* Rabbi Elyse Frishman March 26, 2020 Marc Greenwald Michael Hirschhorn Carol Joseph Dear Mr. Secretary, Paul Lehman Howard Mandel As 302 rabbis and cantors from across 35 states and the District of Columbia Jill Minneman representing all major Jewish denominations, we write today to express our deep Rabbi Suzanne Offit Bill Resnick concerns about the State Department’s Commission on Unalienable Rights. Bruce E. Rosenblum Touted by you as a body that will explore the principles and foundations of Nathalie Rubens Suzanne Schecter human rights in U.S. foreign policy, the Commission’s work has become a thinly Elizabeth Galatin Seth veiled effort to apply dangerous religious ideology to curtail the human rights of Judith C. Stern Scott Waxman people across the globe. As Jews, our tradition teaches us that all human beings Past Chairs* are created b’tzelem Elohim, in the divine image. As a result, we stand in …………………………………….. opposition to any attempt to deny rights to the most vulnerable people, which, as is now apparent, is the Commission’s true aim. NEW YORK 45 West 36th Street New York, NY 10018 As clergy, we denounce efforts to propose that there is a crisis or a “proliferation” T 212.792.2900 of human rights today. To be clear, this is not the case. Rather, human rights movements around the world – including those for women, girls, and the lesbian, CHICAGO 4700 N. Ravenswood Avenue gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) community – benefit all Suite B Chicago, IL 60640 people. We stand in support of their resounding calls for justice. We know from T 312.579.3630 our own history that vulnerable people face stigma, violence, and discrimination LOS ANGELES simply because of their very identities. Our scriptures teach that we must love our 1 10495 Santa Monica Blvd. neighbors as we love ourselves – that we must stand up to injustice everywhere. Suite 110 Los Angeles, CA 90025 The divine is served only when all people have the opportunity to exercise their T 310.834.9588 rights and live a life of dignity. SAN FRANCISCO Unfortunately, the public views and records of individual Commissioners, and the 131 Steuart Street Suite 200 open meetings of the Commission itself, reject this divine mandate by asserting San Francisco, CA 94105 T 415.593.3280 that there is a hierarchy of rights, with purported freedom of religion and conscience at the top. As religious leaders, we firmly oppose this distinction. We WASHINGTON, D.C. object when supposed religious values are used to promote hate and 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW Suite 1200 Washington, D.C. 20036 1 Leviticus 19:18, Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 54b T 202.379.4300 [email protected] www.ajws.org discrimination against those in vulnerable communities, including denying access to reproductive rights and criminalizing people because of who they are or whom they love. As 302 Jewish leaders from across this nation, we call on you, Mr. Secretary, to immediately disband the Commission on Unalienable Rights. We urge the State Department to uphold and promote the dignity of vulnerable people around the world. We further demand that the Department cease undermining the ability of women, girls, and LGBTQI people to access their sexual and reproductive health and rights, including abortion services, through this Commission or any other avenue. As faith leaders, we denounce the Commission’s efforts to allow hate and discrimination to masquerade as moral and religious beliefs. Rather, it is our moral obligation to uphold human rights and speak out against injustice and oppression. Sincerely, The undersigned 302 Rabbis and Cantors Organizations listed for affiliation purposes only Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder Rabbi Matia Angelou Atlanta, Georgia B'nai Or of Boston Boston, Massachusetts Rabbi Rachel Ackerman Temple Shalom Rabbi Melanie Aron Washington, District of Columbia Los Gatos, California Rabbi Ruthie Adar Rabbi Guy Austrian San Leandro, California New York, New York Rabbi David Adelson Cantor Elise Barber Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Temple Beth El Religion Springfield, Massachusetts Brooklyn, New York Rabbi George Barnard Rabbi Rachel Adler Cincinnati, Ohio Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Rabbi David Basior Los Angeles, California Kadima Reconstructionist Community Seattle, Washington Rabbi Sara Adler Ann Arbor, Michigan Rabbi Eliot Baskin Temple Emanuel Rabbi Daniel Alexander Denver, Colorado Congregation Beth Israel Charlottesville, Virginia Rabbi RBO Bat-Or Los Angeles, California Rabbi Mona Alfi Congregation B’nai Israel Rabbi David Dunn Bauer Sacramento, California Elkins Park, Pennsylvania Rabbi Katy Allen Cantor Chanin Becker Ma'yan Tikvah Tarrytown, New York Wayland, Massachusetts Cantor Marilyn Becker Cantor Sheri Allen Life Cycle Outreach Fort Worth, Texas Newton Centre, Massachusetts Cantor Irena Altshul Rabbi Shelley Kovar Becker Temple Israel of the City of NY New York, New York New York, New York Rabbi Martin Beifield Rabbi Camille Shira Angel Richmond, Virginia University of San Francisco San Francisco, California Rabbi Alfred Benjamin Milton, Massachusetts Rabbi Allen Bennett Rabbi Erin Boxt San Francisco, California Temple Beth El Knoxville, Tennessee Rabbi Marc Berkson Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun Rabbi Deborah Bravo River Hills, Wisconsin MakomNY Woodbury, New York Cantor Julie Berlin Temple Beth-El Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor San Antonio, Texas Congregation Shirat HaYam of Nantucket Brooklyn, New York Rabbi Joel Berman Temple Beth Emet Cantor Vera Broekhuysen Anaheim, California Temple Emanu-El Haverhill, Massachusetts Rabbi Marjorie Berman Temple Israel of Lehighton Rabbi Deborah Bronstein Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania Har HaShem Boulder, Colorado Rabbi Phyllis Berman Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Cantor Shoshana Brown Temple Beth El Rabbi Binyamin Biber Fall River, Massachusetts Humanist Chaplaincy at American University - Washington, DC Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik Silver Spring, Maryland Los Angeles, California Rabbi Barry Block Cantor Scott Buckner Congregation B'nai Israel Israel Congregation of Manchester Little Rock, Arkansas Manchester Center, Vermont Rabbi Rena Blumenthal Rabbi Daniel Burg New Paltz, New York Beth Am Synagogue Baltimore, Maryland Rabbi Lisa Bock Westlake Village, California Rabbi Melissa Buyer-Witman Temple Israel of the City of New York Rabbi Stephen Booth-Nadav New York, New York Multifaith Leadership Forum Denver, Colorado Rabbi Meredith Cahn Petaluma, California Rabbi Jill Borodin Congregation Beth Shalom Rabbi Debra Cantor Seattle, Washington B'nai Tikvoh-Sholom Bloomfield, Connecticut Rabbi Dr. Analia Bortz Atlanta, Georgia Rabbi Nina Cardin Rabbi Geoffrey Dennis Baltimore, Maryland Flower Mound, Texas Rabbi Emeritus Steven Chester Rabbi Barry Diamond Temple Sinai Temple Adat Elohim Oakland, California Thousand Oaks, California Rabbi Amy Cohen Rabbi Ellen Dreyfus Temple Beth Shalom Shir Tikvah Austin, Texas Homewood, Illinois Rabbi Michael Tevya Cohen Rabbi Aderet Drucker Dallas, Texas The Den Collective Bethesda, Maryland Rabbi Hillel Cohn San Bernadino, California Rabbi Matthew Durbin Temple Beit HaYam Rabbi Karen Companez Palm City, Florida South Bend, Indiana Rabbi David Eber Rabbi David J. Cooper Jewish Reconstructionist Congegregation Kehilla Community Synagogue Evanston, Illinois Berkeley, California Rabbi Judith Edelstein Rabbi Mychal Copeland New York, New York Sha'ar Zahav San Francisco, California Rabbi Amy Eilberg Los Altos, California Rabbi Heidi Coretz Shir Tikvah Rabbi Emeritus Stephen J. Einstein Frisco, Texas Congregation B’nai Tzedek Fountain Valley, California Cantor Don Croll Beth El Binah Rabbi Diane Elliot Dallas, Texas Wholly Present El Sobrante, California Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz B'nai Abraham Rabbi Barat Ellman Livingston, New Jersey Brooklyn, New York Rabbi Benjamin David Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell Adath Emanu-El Congregation Rodeph Shalom Mount Laurel, New Jersey Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Rabbi Joshua Davidson Rabbi David Englander New York, New York Boca Raton, Florida Rabbi Lewis Eron Rabbi Adam Fisher Cherry Hill, New Jersey Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Isaiah, Stony Brook, NY Rabbi Rachel Esserman Port Jefferson Station, New York Endwell, New York Rabbi Nancy Flam Rabbi Richard Ettelson Northampton, Massachusetts Murrieta, California Rabbi Karen Fox Rabbi Andrew Ettin Wilshire Boulevard Temple Temple Israel Los Angeles, California Salisbury, North Carolina Rabbi Scott Fox Rabbi Andrew Feig Indianapolis, Indiana Los Angeles, California Rabbi Allen I. Freehling Rabbi Michael Feinberg New Orleans, Louisiana Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition New York, New York Rabbi John Friedman Judea Reform Congregation Rabbi Samuel Feinsmith Durham, North Carolina Evanston, Illinois Rabbi Lev Friedman Rabbi Marla Feldman Azamra Minyan and Clergy team, Mishkan Women of Reform Judaism Tefila, Brookline, MA New York, New York Waban, Massachusetts Rabbi Avi Fine Rabbi Elyse Frishman Temple De Hirsch Sinai The Barnert Temple Bellevue, Washington Franklin Lakes, New Jersey Rabbi Jeremy Fineberg Rabbi Pam Frydman Closter, New Jersey Congregation B'nai Emunah San Francisco, California Rabbi Steven Fineblum Temple Sinai of Cinnaminson Rabbi Gordon Fuller