Dear President Trump and Senator Vance,
As rabbis and cantors, we are outraged by your comments at the presidential debate, in press interviews, at rallies, and on social media spreading a widely-debunked conspiracy theory about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. We stand with our Haitian neighbors — both in Ohio and across the country — and believe that such racist lies have no place in our country.
As Jews, we know that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21) Hateful and inciting words have real-world impacts. Your irresponsible and vicious rhetoric further stokes fear, xenophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiment, which has at times led to violence. Haitians in Ohio have expressed concern for their safety, schools have been evacuated due to bomb threats, and leaders of the Haitian community center in Springfield report receiving threatening phone calls. Your words have consequences far beyond Springfield; by intentionally repeating these lies, you have heightened tensions and encouraged hostility towards an already targeted and marginalized group.
Haitian immigrants are particularly vulnerable to hate speech, as they are targeted by both racism and anti-immigrant bigotry. Anti-Black sentiment has long-shaped prevailing sentiments toward different groups of immigrants. In fact, at various times, U.S. immigration policies have been changed in reaction to influxes of Haitian immigrants and designed to keep Black immigrants out, while preserving more lenient policies towards white immigrant and refugee populations. It should go without saying that all immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers deserve respect and dignity, regardless of where they come from or the color of their skin.
We see parallels to the preposterous accusations against Haitians today and the blood libel used to justify attacking European Jews for centuries. From the targeting of Jewish activists during the McCarthy era to the Great Replacement Theory peddled by today’s white nationalist movement, Jews have been accused of secretly conspiring to unravel the social fabric and undermine the status quo. Black and brown Jews and other Jews of Color have experienced not only antisemitism but also racism, yet another example of how different forms of hate and xenophobia are deeply connected.New Americans come seeking safety, freedom, and a better life, just as many of us and our families did. Jewish texts, history, traditions, and our values as Jews and Americans compel us to welcome them with dignity and compassion. We stand in solidarity with Haitians in our communities and hometowns — and with all immigrants seeking dignified futures for themselves and their families.
Signed,
Cantor Nancy Abramson – New York, NY
Rabbi David Adelson – Brooklyn, NY
Cantor Sheri Allen – Fort Worth, TX
Rabbi Doug Alpert – Kansas City, MO
Cantor Dana Anesi – White Plains, NY
Rabbi Victor Appell – Metuchen, NJ
Rabbi Charles Arian – Montgomery Village, MD
Rabbi Susan Averbach – San Francisco, CA
Rabbi Ilana Axel – Buffalo Grove, IL
Rabbi Rachel Barenblat – Williamstown, MA
Rabbi Benjamin Barnett – Portland, OR
Rabbi Eliot Baskin – Greenwood Village, CO
Rabbi Sarah Bassin – Washington, DC
Cantor Chanin Becker – Tarrytown, NY
Rabbi Leslie Bergson – Tinton Falls, NJ
Rabbi Allan Berkowitz – Kensington, CA
Rabbi Leah Berkowitz – Elkins Park, PA
Rabbi Marjorie Berman – Clarks Summit, PA
Rabbi Phyllis Berman – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Leila Gal Berner – Frederick, MD
Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein – Chicago, IL
Rabbi Linda Bertenthal – Bettendorf, IA
Rabbi Jonathan Biatch – Tempe, AZ
Rabbi Binyamin Biber – Silver Spring, MD
Rabbi Barbara Block – St. Paul, MN
Rabbi Barry Block – Little Rock, AR
Rabbi Sam Blumberg – Waltham, MA
Rabbi Rena Blumenthal – New Paltz, NY
Rabbi Daniel Bogard – St. Lotus, MO
Rabbi Karen Bogard – Saint Louis, MO
Cantor Josh Breitzer – Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Herbert Brockman – Hamden, CT
Cantor Vera Broekhuysen – North Andover, MA
Rabbi Caleb Brommer – Ithaca, NY
Rabbi Nadav Caine – Ann Arbor, MI
Rabbi Nachshon David Carmi – Boca Raton, FL
Rabbi Geoffrey Claussen – Greensboro, NC
Rabbi Eva Cohen – Minneapolis, MN
Rabbi Paul Cohen – Winnetka, IL
Rabbi Howard Cohen – Bennington, VT
Rabbi Aryeh Cohen – Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Gabrielle Cohn – Corpus Christi, TX
Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels – Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi David Cooper – Berkeley, CA
Rabbi Mychal Copeland – Mountain View, CA
Rabbi Meryl Crean – Upper Gwynedd, PA
Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz – Cupertino, CA
Rabbi Lavey Derby – Millbrae, CA
Rabbi Chuck Diamond – Smallwood, NY
Cantor Lisa Doob – Lexington, MA
Rabbi Matthew Dreffin – Mountain Brk, AL
Rabbi Billy Dreskin – Ardsley, NY
Cantor Ellen Dreskin – Ardsley, NY
Rabbi Shoshana Dworsky – Saint Paul, MN
Rabbi Doris Dyen – Pittsburgh, PA
Rabbi Renee Edelman – Short Hills, NJ
Rabbi Judith Edelstein – New York, NY
Rabbi Max Edwards – South Orange, NJ
Rabbi Amy Eilberg – Los Altos, CA
Rabbi Jeffrey Eisenstat – Lenox, MA
Rabbi Marc Ekstrand – New London, CT
Rabbi Daniel Epstein – Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Rachel Esserman – Endicott, NY
Rabbi Andrew Ettin – Pfafftown, NC
Rabbi Susan Falk – Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Charles Feinberg – Washington, DC
Rabbi Dena Feingold – Kenosha, WI
Cantor Devorah Felder-Levy – Los Gatos, CA
Rabbi Jen Feldman – Chapel Hill, NC
Rabbi Michael Fessler – Poughkeepsie, NY
Rabbi Zev-Hayyim Feyer – Stone Mountain, GA
Rabbi Brian Field – Boulder, CO
Rabbi Reuven Firestone – Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Nicole Fix – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Alan Flam – Barrington, RI
Rabbi Chase Foster – Marietta, GA
Rabbi Jeff Foust – Newton Center, MA
Rabbi Margaret Frisch Klein – Elgin, IL
Rabbi Gordon Fuller – Columbia, MD
Rabbi Ruth Gais – Summit, NJ
Rabbi Miriam Geronimus – Cleveland Heights, OH
Rabbi Grace Gleason – Greensboro, NC
Rabbi Bob Gluck – Mount Kisco, NY
Rabbi Laura Gold – New York, NY
Rabbi Elisa Goldberg – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Susan Goldberg – Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Ilanit Goldberg-Gradess – White Plains, NY
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg – Jackson Heights, NY
Rabbi Barbara Goldman-Wartell – Miami, FL
Cantor Elizabeth Goldmann – Nanuet, NY
Rabbi Megan GoldMarche – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Seth Goldstein – Olympia, WA
Rabbi Lisa Goldstein – San Antonio, TX
Rabbi Andrea Goldstein – Saint Louis, MO
Rabbi Paul Golomb – New York, NY
Rabbi Maralee Gordon – Woodstock, IL
Rabbi Mel Gottlieb – Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Lisa Grant – Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Robert Green – Basking Ridge, NJ
Rabbi Laurie Green – Baltimore, MD
Cantor Tanya Greenblatt – Tampa, FL
Rabbi James Greene – Stafford Springs, CT
Rabbi Rachel Greengrass – Pinecrest, FL
Rabbi David Greenstein – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Miriam Grossman – Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Marc Gruber – Bethesda, MD
Rabbi Laurie Hahn Tapper – Redwood City, CA
Rabbi Moshe Halfon – Cheyenne, WY
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman – Madison, CT
Rabbi Joseph Hample – Morgantown, WV
Rabbi Shoshana Hantman – Katonah, NY
Rabbi Alicia Harris – Troy, MI
Rabbi Cantor Rhoda Harrison – Marlton, NJ
Cantor Deborah Hartman – Atlanta, GA
Rabbi Rebecca Hecht – San Mateo, CA
Rabbi Sharyn Henry – Pittsburgh, PA
Rabbi Miriam Herscher – New York, NY
Rabbi Rachel Hertzman – New York, NY
Rabbi Erin Hirsh – Glenside, PA
Rabbi Cyn Hoffman – Davis, CA
Rabbi Solomon Hoffman – Chapel Hill, NC
Rabbi Linda Holtzman – Philadelphia, PA
Cantor Terry Horowit – Albany, NY
Rabbi Jocee Hudson – Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz – Coralville, IA
Rabbi Margo Hughes-Robinson – Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Lisa Izes – Irvington, NY
Rabbi Josh Jacobs-velde – Silver Spring, MD
Rabbi Devorah Jacobson – Hadley, MA
Rabbi Cantor Ellen Jaffe-Gill – Virginia Beach, VA
Rabbi Marisa James – New York, NY
Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster – Teaneck, NJ
Rabbi Beth Kalisch – Gladwyne, PA
Rabbi Emily Kapor-Mater – Portland, OR
Rabbi Nancy Kasten – Dallas, TX
Rabbi Justin Kerber – Carmel, IN
Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg – Olympia, WA
Rabbi Ralph Kingsley – Aventura, FL
Rabbi Emma Kippley-Ogman – Saint Paul, MN
Rabbi Daniel Kirzane – Chicago, IL
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum – New York, NY
Rabbi Marc Kline – Harrisburg, PA
Rabbi Michael Knopf – Stamford, CT
Rabbi Debra Kolodny – Amherst, MA
Rabbi Michael Kramer – Hockessin, DE
Rabbi Douglas Krantz – Townsend, DE
Rabbi J. Kummer – Roslindale, MA
Rabbi Ben Lanckton – Brookline, MA
Rabbi Hannah Laner – Boulder, CO
Rabbi Gilah Langner – Washington, DC
Rabbi Adam Lautman – Cherry Hill, NJ
Rabbi David Lazar – Palm Springs, CA
Rabbi Jim Lebeau – Jerusalem, MA
Rabbi Esther Lederman – Arlington, VA
Rabbi Susan Leider – Sacramento, CA
Rabbi Shoshana Leis – Dobbs Ferry, NY
Rabbi Arielle Lekach-Rosenberg – Minneapolis, MN
Rabbi Michele Lenke – Sherman Oaks, CA
Cantor Janet Leuchter – New York, NY
Rabbi Yael Levy – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Chai Levy – Albany, CA
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling – Philadelphia, PA
Cantor Erica Lippitz – Evanston, IL
Rabbi Ellen Lippmann – Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Akiba Lubow – Springfield, NJ
Rabbi Sam Luckey – Oakland, CA
Rabbi Paula Marcus – Aptos, CA
Rabbi Shana Margolin – Montpelier, VT
Rabbi Marc Margolius – New York, NY
Rabbi Bonnie Margulis – Milwaukee, WI
Rabbi Richard Marker – Bethesda, MD
Rabbi Sharon Mars – Columbus, OH
Rabbi Emily Mathis – Wayland, MA
Rabbi Gabe Miner – Champaign, IL
Rabbi Michelle Missaghieh – Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi David Mivasair – State College, PA
Rabbi Lon Moskowitz – Los Osos, CA
Rabbi Mike Moskowitz – New York, NY
Cantor Shira Nafshi – Concord, NH
Rabbi Robin Nafshi – Concord, NH
Rabbi Ariel Naveh – Wantagh, NY
Rabbi Dev Noily – Piedmont, CA
Rabbi Shaul Osadchey – Houston, TX
Cantor Barbara Ostfeld – E. Amherst, NY
Rabbi Nina Perlmutter – Prescott, AZ
Rabbi Steven Peskind – Streamwood, IL
Rabbi Julie Pfau – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi William Plevan – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Linda Potemken – Penn Valley, PA
Rabbi Charles P Rabinowitz – Larchmont, NY
Rabbi Victor Reinstein – Jamaica Plain, MA
Rabbi Max Reynolds – Sunnyside, NY
Rabbi Mira Rivera – New York, NY
Rabbi Stephen Robbins – Los Angeles, CA
Cantor Jeri Robins – Newton Center, MA
Rabbi John Rosove – Sherman Oaks, CA
Rabbi Michael Rothbaum – Atlanta, GA
Rabbi Sandy Rubenstein – Silver Spring, MD
Rabbi Richard Rudnick – Worcester, MA
Rabbi Elissa Sachs-Kohen – Baltimore, MD
Rabbi Ma’ayan Sands – Chestnut Hill, MA
Rabbi Marna Sapsowitz – Olympia, WA
Rabbi Eva Sax-Bolder – Boulder, CO
Rabbi Simone Schicker – Kalamazoo, MI
Cantor Benjie Schiller – White Plains, NY
Rabbi Rebecca Einstein Schorr – Emmaus, PA
Rabbi Ismar Schorsch – New York, NY
Cantor Eric Schulmiller – Port Washington, NY
Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz – Willimantic, CT
Rabbi Judith Seid – Pleasanton, CA
Rabbi Gerald Serotta – Chevy Chase, MD
Rabbi Judy Shanks – Oakland, CA
Rabbi Jenna Shaw – Washington, DC
Rabbi Jeremy Sher – Oakland, CA
Rabbi Jack Silver – Tempe, AZ
Rabbi Becky Silverstein – Jamaica Plain, MA
Rabbi Suzanne Singer – Riverside, CA
Rabbi Alanna Sklover – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Amy Small – Morristown, NJ
Rabbi Eric Solomon – Raleigh, NC
Cantor Robbie Solomon – Hull, MA
Rabbi Marc Soloway – Boulder, CO
Rabbi Scott Sperling – Decatur, GA
Rabbi Hannah Spiro – Washington, DC
Rabbi Toba Spitzer – Newton Center, MA
Rabbi Talia Stein – Brighton, MA
Rabbi David Stern – Dallas, TX
Rabbi Jamie Stolper – Auburndale, MA
Rabbi Yvonne Strassmann – Delaware, OH
Rabbi Andrew Straus – Oakland, CA
Rabbi Robert Tabak – Elkins Park, PA
Cantor Ramon Tasat – Silver Spring, MD
Rabbi Elliott Tepperman – Montclair, NJ
Rabbi David Teutsch – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Shoshanah Tornberg – Allentown, PA
Rabbi Michael Torop – Largo, FL
Rabbi Ariel Tovlev – Adelphi, MD
Rabbi Beryl Trauth-Jurman – Christiansburg, VA
Rabbi Yisraela Tubman – Eugene, OR
Rabbi Lauren Tuchman – Bethesda, MD
Cantor Victor Urecki – Charleston, WV
Rabbi Jason van Leeuwen – Sherman Oaks, CA
Rabbi Andrew Vogel – Brookline, MA
Cantor Risa Wallach – Somerville, NJ
Rabbi Arthur Waskow – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Mira Wasserman – Penn Valley, PA
Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Samuel Weintraub – Bethesda, MD
Rabbi Stephen Weisman – Bowie, MD
Rabbi Josh Weisman – San Leandro, CA
Rabbi Rachel Weiss – Evanston, IL
Rabbi Ora Weiss – Newton Center, MA
Rabbi Sarah Weissman – Redwood City, CA
Rabbi Nancy Wiener – New York, NY
Rabbi David Wirtschafter – Lexington, KY
Cantor Shulamit Wise Fairman – Berkeley, CA
Rabbi Amelia Wolf – Arlington, VA
Cantor Josee Wolff – New York, NY
Rabbi Michal Woll – Milwaukee, WI
Rabbi Sandra Wortzel – Albion, CA
Rabbi Naomi Zaslow – Pikesville, MD
Rabbi Daniel Zemel – Washington, DC
Rabbi Lina Zerbarini – Huntington Station, NY
Rabbi Shawn Zevit – Philadelphia, PA
Rabbi Brian Zimmerman – Fort Worth, TX
Rabbi Benjamin Zober – Reno, NV
Rabbi Rain Zohav – Rockville, MD