editorials
Engage With Israel’s New Government
n Dec. 21, shortly before the expiration of
Court, when the court rules that a Knesset
the midnight deadline to do so, Benjamin
law is unconstitutional.

Netanyahu informed Israeli President Isaac
Each of these concerns is legitimate. We
Herzog that he had the support of 64 of
share them. And we encourage forceful
the Knesset’s 120 members to form a new
engagement with Netanyahu and govern-
government. ment leadership to explain the depth of
Expected to be the most right-wing gov-
concern in the Diaspora on each of the
ernment in Israel’s 75-year history, the
issues. Israeli leaders need to understand
incoming coalition has generated apprehen-
the importance of avoiding a serious rupture
sion, consternation and opposition among a
in the relationship between the government
signifi cant sector of Diaspora Jewry. Very
of Israel and its Jewish brothers and sisters
little of that concern relates to historical
around the world.

two-state solution or regional peace issues.

We believe in dialogue. We believe in the
Israeli President Isaac Herzog (right) assigned the task of forming
Instead, the focus has been on possible new
thoughtful exchange of ideas. We believe in
a new government to Likud party head Benjamin Netanyahu on
policies of the government, many of which
the value of working through diff erences. And
Nov. 13, 2022.

could have signifi cant impact on Diaspora
just as we oppose Israel’s adoption of policies
Jewry. that will negatively impact our community,
Half of the new coalition members (32) come the clause that extends the right to make aliyah we cannot support a unilateral severance of dia-
from Netanyahu’s Likud party. Eighteen come to any person with at least one Jewish grandpar- logue with Israeli government offi cials by our com-
from the haredi Orthodox Shas and United Torah ent. Second, the haredi eff ort to impose more munity just because we disagree with their public
Judaism parties. The remaining 14 coalition seats restrictive policies on religious life in Israel, positions. We support comprehensive, bilateral
are held by three far-right factions that joined including more limiting standards for conversion engagement.

together for the November election and have now and prohibiting pluralistic prayer at the Kotel,
It is for that reason that we question the wisdom
separated to their original party status. They are along with new rules barring public transporta- of the reported declaration of hundreds of American
Religious Zionism, led by Bezalel Smotrich; Otzma tion on Shabbat and the imposition of restrictive rabbis who last week promised to block Israeli govern-
Yehudit, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir; and Noam, led by kashrut certifi cation standards. Third, the devel- ment offi cials with whom they disagree from speak-
Avi Maoz. As news emerged that the three leaders opment of policies that will negatively impact the ing in their communities. Our tradition embraces
had negotiated signifi cant ministerial positions in LGBTQ community, infringe on women’s rights the concept of comprehensive debate even in the
the new government, concern within Israel and in and further hamper Palestinian residents in the face of deep disagreement. Our tradition embraces
the Diaspora has intensifi ed.

West Bank. And fourth, a change to Israel’s judi- engagement, forceful argument and persuasion.

Concern has focused on four areas: First, threat- cial system to allow a majority of the Knesset We encourage the threatening rabbis to reconsider
ened change to the Law of Return — to remove to override a decision by the Israel Supreme their approach. JE
George Santos Should Resign
B efore and during his recent campaign for offi ce,
incoming Republican Rep. George Santos of
Long Island, N.Y., claimed to be “half-Jewish.” He
also claimed to be a “Latino Jew.” He said that his
maternal grandfather was originally from Ukraine and
fl ed to Brazil to escape the Nazis. He also said that
his grandparents converted to Catholicism during
the rise of Nazism in Belgium after fl eeing Joseph
Stalin and the Soviet Union. “It’s a story of survival, of
tenacity, of grit, as we like to call it,” he said, and he
told prospective voters how proud he was of it.

On Monday, as Santos backtracked on numerous
other claims he has made regarding his educational
background, employment history and involvement
in charitable work, he clarifi ed his connection to
Judaism: He now says that he is Jew-ish. And he says,“
I never claimed to be Jewish. I am Catholic.” But since
he believed that his maternal family had some kind
of a Jewish connection, he felt that he was entitled
to say he is ”Jew-ish.” And he can’t understand
12 DECEMBER 29, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
why anyone would think such a claim is worthy
of criticism.

Monday’s concessions by Santos were prompted
by numerous reports — bolstered by detailed
analyses from several genealogists and historians
— that Santos’ campaign claims of Jewish lineage
were not true. They also say he fabricated his
family’s history with the Nazis. He now admits
that he lied about several aspects of his own
history. In Santos’ fabricated resume, he graduated
Baruch College in New York City, he was a “sea-
soned Wall Street fi nancier and investor” (having
worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs) and
achieved success in his family-owned real estate
business and leadership in a successful animal-res-
cue charity. None of that was true. And to make
matters worse, other records indicate that during
the time Santos claimed to have attended Baruch
College, he was with his mother in Brazil, where
he confessed to involvement in fi nancial fraud and
was later charged in a case that prosecutors say is
unresolved. Santos is a colorful fi gure. He says of himself:
“I’m a free thinker. I’m Latino. I’m gay. I’m Jewish.

I do what I want. I don’t fi t in the boxes that they
want me to fi t in.” But when voters went to the
polls in November to elect a representative in New
York’s redrawn 3rd Congressional District, which is
home to a sizeable Jewish population, they elected
a man who is clearly not the person he repeatedly
claimed to be.

Santos’ victory helped deliver a narrow
Republican majority in the House, and his success
was celebrated as “the full embodiment of the
American dream.” Santos now admits to being a
fraud. His American dream has become an expand-
ing nightmare. He will do himself and the voters in
New York’s 3rd Congressional District a service by
resigning from offi ce. JE
wikicommons / Kobi Gideon
O



opinions & letters
‘Do You Want an Answer,
or Do You Want a Hug?’
Rabbi Gershon Schusterman | Special to WJW
I was visiting one of my sons, Eliyahu, who was
working as a rabbi in Atlanta. We were walking
together one evening when he started venting to
me about what was happening to his cousin — my
nephew, also a rabbi — who had been diagnosed
with lung cancer and was losing the battle. My son
spoke to me about how good a human being my
nephew was, that he had a young and growing
family, and how difficult and unfair the situation
was for everyone. I listened patiently as he poured
his heart out.

As he was speaking, I began formulating my
rabbinic response; after all, I had done this count-
less times before. Then I realized that he is a
rabbi, too. He’s been confronted with these very
same issues, and has the wisdom of life and the
should know, because I had faced my own tragedy
in life.

One sunny Sunday morning 36 years ago, my
wife, Rochel Leah, suddenly passed away. She was
at home, taking care of our 11 children, and called
me while I was driving back home from work to
tell me she wasn’t feeling well. I could tell from
the tone of her voice that this was serious.

We rushed to the hospital and she was admitted
into the ER immediately. Within one hour, the doc-
tor came out to tell me the horrible news.

“She didn’t make it,” he said. “We tried everything
we could.”
Suddenly, my world was turned upside down.

My wife, whom I loved so much, was gone. She
was a wonderful mother, as well as a cherished
teacher and mentor in our community.

One of the practical fundamental things which
helped me get through the hardest time in my life
A person in pain is a person
who really wants the
pain to go away.

wisdom of the sages to offer just as I do. What
purpose is there in telling him that which he
already knows?
When I had an opportunity to respond, I looked
into his eyes and said: “Eliyahu, do you want an
answer, or do you want a hug?” I caught him off-
guard, and he took a few moments to respond. His
eyes filled with tears, and finally, he said: “I want
a hug.” I gave him a long hug. We didn’t need to
exchange any words at that moment. I could feel
his pain.

A person in pain is a person who really wants
the pain to go away. Sometimes, a hug serves
that need much better than any verbal answer
could. Most adults don’t know how to ask for a
hug, so they camouflage their needs under the
guise of wanting an answer. But there’s a time
to philosophize and a time to embrace, and the
trick is knowing which one you need at any given
time. The wrong response, whether it’s from the
head or the heart, can often make things worse. I
was the support from my family, my friends, and
my community. The meals people brought to me
and my children. Those who offered to babysit
or run errands for us. There was a woman who
I barely knew who came in every morning at 6
a.m. for a few weeks running and took care of my
16-month-old twins. These people gave me a hug
literally and figuratively.

As a rabbi, my immediate impulse after Rochel
Leah’s death was to try to understand on an
intellectual level what had happened. And some
people around me did too, saying things like “It’s
all for the good” or “It’s part of God’s plan.” These
statements are true, but they were not what I
needed to hear at that point in time. I just needed
people to support me.

I once received a phone call at 5 a.m. from a
rabbi I knew. He was frantic. “Rabbi Schusterman,”
he said, breathless, “a man in my community just
committed suicide. His wife and children are dev-
astated. How do I explain this to them?”
I paused for a second and collected my thoughts.

“You don’t,” I said. “There is nothing to explain
right now. Maybe one day, when they’re ready
to hear it, you can tell them Jewish teachings
on death. But right now, just be there for them.

Be there for them for the next several months.

Whatever they need, make sure they have it. Give
them support. That’s it.”
As human beings, we don’t have all the answers.

But what we do have is the ability to empathize,
to make a heart-to-heart connection and help one
another in the darkest days of our lives.

In those moments, a hug is the only answer we
need. JE
Rabbi Gershon Schusterman is the author of “Why
God Why? How to Believe in Heaven When it Hurts
Like Hell,” which is out now. For 18 years, he led the
Hebrew Academy in Orange County, Calif.

letters Dangerous Views on Christian Zionism
I was appalled at the naivety and sheer ignorance
of Irit Tratt’s contention that Israel should cozy
up to and has a greater ally in fundamentalist
Christians in the United States than we American
Jews (Opinions, “Why Christian Zionism Is More
Important Than We Think,” Dec. 22).

Does she have any notion as to why such conser-
vative Christians back Israel? It certainly is not out
of fondness for the Jewish people, as here oblique
reference to “some troubling trends among their
youth” seemingly acknowledges. Her views are
dangerous and encourage a rift between Israeli
and Diaspora Jews which in the long run will bear
poisonous fruit that both will rue.

Israel is not above reproach or questioning, and
those who cotton favor from its fanboys with agen-
das all their own for its future are very misguided
at best. JE
Lawrence A. Serlin/Havertown
Letters should be related to articles that have
run in the print or online editions of the JE,
and may be edited for space and clarity prior
to publication. Please include your first and
last name, as well your town/neighborhood
of residence. Send letters to letters@
jewishexponent.com. JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
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