O pinion
Helfand Continued from Page 18
concluded that “the Governor
of New York made remark-
ably clear that this Order was
intended to target a different set
of religious institutions,” refer-
encing Cuomo’s CNN interview
where he stated “the cluster is
a predominantly ultra-Or-
thodox [Chasidic] community.

... the issue is with that ultra
Orthodox community.” By
contrast, Judge Matsumoto
concluded that Cuomo’s state-
ments were “taken selectively
out of context,” and did not
evidence any form of prohib-
ited discrimination against the
Jewish community.

Parsing out Cuomo’s
intent may be an impossible
task, although his continuing
call-outs of religious Jews
specifically certainly provides
fodder for trying. One can
certainly imagine, given the
public health stakes, granting
him the benefit of the doubt.

But maybe more curious than
his word choice is the relative
Lobell Continued from Page 19
stories online and with my
family, because the only way
non-Jews can slightly under-
stand what is going on is if we
tell our stories and show them
our lived reality.

It took me a while to get to
this place, though. I didn’t want
to comment on anti-Semitism
because I didn’t want to seem
like I was being dramatic. One
thing that anti-Semites say
online is that anti-Semitism
doesn’t actually exist, and Jews
make it up or are exaggerating it.

I gave into that for a little
bit, sadly because I didn’t want
to face harassment online. But
we must speak up.

This summer, I witnessed
#JewishPrivilege shift from an
anti-Semitic hashtag on Twitter to
one where Jews were sharing their
anti-Semitic trauma. I shared the
20 OCTOBER 22, 2020
opacity of the actual new
restrictions — an opacity runs
counter to the state’s commit-
ment to making decisions
based upon public health
metrics. Cuomo’s executive order is
quite clear that “red zones,”
“orange zones” and “yellow
zones” will be subject to
heightened restrictions,
including significant limita-
tions on houses of worship. But
the executive order is silent on
how the state identifies which
neighborhoods fall into these
color-coded categories.

Early last week, it sounded
like Cuomo planned to
impose the new restrictions
on zip codes with the highest
positivity rates. But as the week
progressed, Cuomo made it
clear that clusters would be
drawn “not by zip code, not by
census tract ... it’s only by the
numbers.” The problem is that the state
has not made clear exactly what
that means. What benchmark
metrics — that is, what numbers
— over what geographic area
constitutes a cluster subject to
the new regulations?
Consider, as a contrast,
California’s current regula-
tions. In California, counties are
placed in a color-coded tier based
upon an adjusted case rate and
positivity rate. The state is quite
clear what benchmarks a county
needs to hit before the state will
loosen COVID-19 health restric-
tions. New York, however, has
not provided analogous rules in
its official documents or state-
ments; they do not appear in
Cuomo’s executive order, nor
in the state’s briefing in federal
court. This failure certainly
makes it hard to determine
whether the state is applying the
same restrictions to other neigh-
borhoods that it is applying to
predominantly ultra-Orthodox
Jewish neighborhoods.

Failure to apply these
same restrictions to all neigh-
borhoods with comparable
positivity rates — to engage
in something akin to religious
gerrymandering — would raise
serious concerns as to whether
the state is singling out
particular Jewish communities
for discriminatory treatment.

The state’s lack of clear metrics
is not evidence that the state
has targeted Jewish commu-
nities. But if the state is going
to be successful in its attempt
to convince the impacted
Jewish communities that they
are getting a fair shake — that
decisions are being made based
on numbers and not politics —
then it has to do a better job
explaining what those numbers
are and how its “science-based”
decision-making works.

Ultimately, these new
restrictions do not exist in a
vacuum. They come on the
heels of a summer where de
Blasio unnecessarily politi-
cized COVID-19 restrictions.

As I’ve expressed previously, in
choosing to justify the dispa-
rate treatment of racial justice
protests and houses of worship
on political grounds — and
not on far more reasonable
public health grounds — De
Blasio cemented in the minds
of many faith communi-
ties that ongoing COVID-19
regulations were not just
about health and safety. Those
missteps have already served
as grounds for a federal court
to strike down some of New
York’s public health guidelines
— a consequence that puts all
New Yorkers at risk.

Undoing the damage of these
early missteps will require the
state to go above and beyond
when it formulates new restric-
tions, especially those that
disparately disadvantage
religious communities. There is
no room any more for ambiguity.

Ambiguity only feeds into a
festering narrative of distrust.

Indeed, if the state is unable to
convince faith communities that
its restrictions are intended to
protect them instead of punish
them, it is hard to see how it
will be successful in securing
compliance. l
landlord and Uber stories, and
also posted, “#JewishPrivilege is
when a Hollywood agent yelled
at my husband, a comedian,
for taking off Jewish holidays
because ‘You can’t do that in this
business!’” and “#JewishPrivilege
is having to hire an armed guard
for our synagogue because Jews
were massacred in Pittsburgh
and Poway.”
I received more engagement
than I’ve ever achieved on the
platform. One person told me
“F— Israel” and another called
me a “heathen” for converting.

But overall, I found massive
support from non-Jews and Jews
alike, with many retweeting me
and agreeing with what I had
said. It empowered me to keep
tweeting about anti-Semitism.

We must continue to speak
up, show our vulnerability
and humanity and help the
non-Jewish community under-
stand. Black Lives Matter is
very effective at showing people
outside of the Black community
their pain and trauma and has
gained a huge following, with
people of all different races and
backgrounds supporting them.

There’s no reason that
anti-Semitism and its effects
shouldn’t be understood and
rejected just as firmly as racism.

Unfortunately, a lot of
non-Jews think that anti-Sem-
itism is a thing of the past
that died with the Holocaust
and society has advanced since
then. I certainly did before I
converted. But when talking
about anti-Semitism in the
classroom, it has to go way
beyond the Holocaust so
people can very much realize
it’s alive and well today.

Recently, a teenager asked my
husband to take off his hat so he
could see if he had horns. Maybe
if that teen had gotten a better
education on anti-Semitism, he
would have thought twice before
saying that.

When I talk to my family
about how America is quickly
becoming like Europe before
the Holocaust and how I want
to move to Israel one day, they
say “Really?” and find it hard
to believe.

“Why would you move so
far away?” they ask. I tell them
I want to survive. I send them
news articles to back up my
claims. I hope they’re beginning
to understand. I hope they see
that Pittsburgh and Poway were
not isolated incidents but indic-
ative of a bigger issue going on.

It may seem dramatic, but
I’m OK with being dramatic
now. I’m not going to apolo-
gize for bringing up the trauma
I’ve experienced. That’s not
my job. I’m done with feeling
powerless. If our collective chorus gets
louder and louder, and we tell
our non-Jewish friends and
family about anti-Semitism,
they may just start to under-
stand — and become valuable
allies in the process. l
JEWISH EXPONENT
Michael A. Helfand is professor of
law and vice dean at Pepperdine
Caruso School of Law, visiting
professor at Yale Law School, and
fellow at the Shalom Hartman
Institute. Kylie Ora Lobell is a copywriter,
editor, marketer and publicist who
has written for New York magazine,
The Washington Post, The LA
Times, The Jewish Journal of Los
Angeles, Aish, Chabad and Tablet
magazine. Join the conversation!
Tell us what you’re thinking and interact with the community
at jewishexponent.com
Connect with us on
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



L ifestyles /C ulture
Yankee Pot Roast Welcomes Fall
Roast for about 4 hours
until the meat is falling apart.

Remove the bay leaf. Sprinkle
parsley over the pot roast just
before serving.

BOSTON LETTUCE WITH
LEMON DRESSING
Serves 6
like apple pie or brownies, or
go with something light and
KIDS LOVE IT because the contrasting like sorbet, sliced
meat is tender, adults love the melon or mango, or a spiced
complexity of the flavors and, fruit compote.

most importantly, the cook
loves it because you just throw YANKEE POT ROAST
everything in the pot and leave Serves 6
it alone for 4 hours. This can
also be done in a slow cooker, “Why is it called Yankee?” I
but the instructions below are wondered. Some research
for an old-school oven braise.

revealed that the cooking
Topping the finished pot technique was brought to New
roast with chopped parsley England by French immigrants
gives a burst of freshness to in the form of étouffée and was
this hearty dish and adds a adapted to local ingredients.

nice visual dash of bright green
The name may be a nod to
when you serve it.

the stereotypical frugality and
Since the vegetables are all ingenuity of New Englanders:
contained in the pot, you don’t The recipe takes an inexpen-
need much in the way of sides sive cut of meat and patiently
— a loaf of crusty bread and a braises it to tender delicious-
bottle of dry red wine complete ness. The long winters of the
this meal beautifully.

region necessitated warming
If you wish for something comfort foods, and cooking the
else on the table, the simplest dish slowly over several hours
green salad does the trick. The served the additional purpose
version below, which features of heating up the kitchen.

a make-in-the-bowl lemony
The inclusion of vegetables
dressing, delivers a refresh- is also said to be a tradition of
ingly welcome contrast to the the New England, or Yankee,
version — perhaps as a clever
richness of the pot roast.

As for dessert, you can way to stretch the meat and
go one of two ways — stick cook the meal with maximum
with the theme of homey- efficiency and minimum
cozy and serve something effort.

ehrlif / iStock / Getty Images Plus
KERI WHITE | JE FOOD COLUMNIST
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 2 tablespoons cooking oil
4- to 5-pound chuck roast
Salt and pepper to season
meat 4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large onion, sliced
4 carrots cut in large
chunks 3 parsnips cut in large
chunks 1 small turnip, cut in large
chunks 4 stalks celery cut in large
chunks 3 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon fresh or 1
teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh or 1
teaspoon dried thyme
1 whole bay leaf
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Heat your oven to 275 F.

Generously sprinkle the roast
with salt and pepper.

In a large Dutch oven, heat
the oil, and sear the beef on all
sides. Remove it from the pan,
and add the garlic and onions,
scraping up any browned bits.

When the onions and garlic
are fragrant, place the beef,
along with any drippings, back
in the pan. Add the vegetables,
broth, wine, thyme, rosemary
and bay leaf. Cover and place it
in the oven.

JEWISH EXPONENT
2 heads Boston or bibb
lettuce, rinsed, spun and
torn into bite-sized pieces
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup best-quality extra-
virgin olive oil
A couple of pinches of
kosher salt
Generous grinding of fresh
cracked pepper
Place the lettuce in a salad
bowl. Spritz it with lemon juice,
sprinkle with salt and pepper,
and drizzle with olive oil. Toss
and serve immediately. l
³R ¨ ÁR0
R ȳ0 I« x
ç È« R x0ِ
Name: House of Kosher Supermarket
Width: 3.625 in
Depth: 5.5 in
Color: Black plus one
Comment: JE-FF Program
Ad Number: 00091922
7KDW
VZKDWZHFDOOKRXVHWRKRXVHVHUYLFH F O OD
Since we are serving a Yankee
pot roast with roots in New
England, Boston lettuce seems
to be the right choice for the
salad. This simple salad is all about
showcasing the ingredients. Buy
the crispest lettuce you can find
and use top-quality olive oil.

If you can’t find Boston
or bibb, any varietal (except
iceberg) is fine here —
romaine, red leaf, oak leaf,
arugula, etc. There is so much
going on in the main course,
this simple citrusy salad is the
ideal complement.

I prefer this just as it is, but
you can add some tomatoes,
cucumbers, sprouts or fresh
herbs if you wish.

The other benefit of this
salad is the lack of fuss. You
can assemble it right in the
salad bowl, dressing and all.

'RQ
WOHDYH\RXU KRXVHZH
OOVKRS\RXU
JURFHULHVPHDWILVK DQGWDNHRXWIRU\RX
DQGGHOLYHULWWR\RXU GRRU
6KRSRQOLQHDW +RXVHRINRVKHUFRP
RUGRZQORDGRXU )5((+286(2)
.26+(5$33 :$17725(&(Ζ9(
28563(&Ζ$/6" (PDLO6XEVFULEHWR
VKDQL#KRXVHRINRVKHUFRP RU7(;7VLJQPHXSWR
³Á «0R È«³ ³ɖȇƳƏɵٮáƺƳȇƺɀƳƏɵيזxٮז¨x
ÁǝɖȸɀƳƏɵيזxٮ׏׎¨x IȸǣƳƏɵيזxٮד¨x
א׏דِהווِז׏׎׎ىחז׎ה ȳÁn0Á zà0ِ
¨RXn(0n¨RXً¨׏ח׏׏דىR ȳ0 Ik ³R0«ِ! x OCTOBER 22, 2020
21