JALSA in Shalom Magazine on the Jewish Responsibility to Defend Democracy

Full article in Shalom Magazine at this link.

The Jewish Responsibility to Defend Democracy
By Cindy Rowe

The Jewish people have always thrived where there is a stable, healthy democracy. Democracies respect their constituents, maintain checks and balances, uphold the rule of law, and guarantee that every vote counts. Democracies are at their best when they are based on respect and dignity for all of their people, assuring that all have basic human rights, fundamental necessities are met, civil rights and due process are ensured, and, once again, every vote counts.

These values are connected to our Jewish values -- recognizing that every human being has worth. Democracy is, in effect, the governmental realization of Kavod HaBriyot.

So, if Jewish values are reflected in democratic values, then we, as Jewish Americans and as people of conscience, have a responsibility to defend democracy. And, right now, democracy is in trouble.

We are in a time when the extreme policy agenda known as Project 2025 has moved from being academic theory to becoming the blueprint for a broad swath of cruel new laws. This has resulted in the concentration of unchecked power in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Immigrants, women, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, senior citizens, poor people, and ethnic, racial, and religious minorities are being denigrated and disempowered.

These days, so much of what we have come to take for granted in our country is no longer the case. Due process rights can no longer be assumed. The separation of powers that is necessary to prevent too much power being concentrated in too few hands is disintegrating. Reproductive rights are under direct assault, jeopardizing people’s health, safety, and fundamental bodily autonomy. Book bans around the country continue to restrict access to knowledge and diminish our ability to develop empathy with people who have different experiences from us.

We see further harm in the chaos and panic that is being created in immigrant communities across our country. Instead of celebrating the accomplishments of immigrants and all that they bring to our society, we now live in a country that has essentially closed our borders. The administration is seeking to punish the very people who are our friends and neighbors, and are the workers on whom our economy depends. As a Jewish community that brings with us generations of immigrant stories, we must recognize this as a moral outrage. Indeed, the Torah instructs us to “welcome the stranger” at least thirty-six times.

A culture that derives power from dividing people, that encourages us to treat people as “the other,” and then turns them into scapegoats, is in the end very bad for us all and for the Jewish people especially. It doesn’t take long from the time a government gives “permission” for hatred of anyone to become hatred directed at us all.

But there is something we can do about it. It is our duty as Jewish Americans and as people of conscience to speak up, call out these harms, and do all we can to defend democracy.

Whether as individuals, as members of your community or congregations, or through involvement with organizations like the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (JALSA), there are opportunities for you to take action and help advance the work of defending democracy.

If you would like to join in this work with JALSA, you are encouraged to visit www.JALSA.org to reach out to us. Your voice is needed right now. Nobody can stand on the sidelines anymore.

It is critically important that the Jewish community is visibly protecting democracy and standing on the right side of history. The Pirkei Avot guides us that, while we are not obligated to complete the work, we are also not free to abandon the work. So let’s get to work together in support of a democracy that respects us all.