An Open Letter to the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
December 9, 2016
Last Wednesday, a group of young Jews from the Los Angeles community visited your office on behalf of IfNotNow regarding the recent appointment of Steve Bannon as White House Chief Strategist. We invited you to join us in denouncing this appointment by signing onto our statement or by issuing your own.
We were disappointed and confused that our Jewish Federation had not condemned Bannon and the alt-right’s transparent anti-semitism. The Anti-Defamation League, the Conservative and Reform Movements, and eleven other Federations in cities from San Francisco to St. Louis, all stood up against Bannon’s hate. But when we invited you to do the same, your staff said the Federation would not accept our statement, but would instead “tear it up and throw it away.” We simply want you to stand up for our community and all communities threatened by hate.
This past Sunday, more than 400 Jewish Angelenos and allies gathered at the Breitbart headquarters, just a block from your office, to demand that Bannon be fired. Jews young and old came together to show that we will not be silent as Trump stacks his administration with those who promise violence to Jews, Muslims, immigrants, women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. We were joined by prominent community figures, rabbis, and emerging leaders, but still you remained silent.
According to your mission statement, your role is to “convene and lead the community,” “care for Jews in need here and abroad,” and “mobilize on issues of concern to the local community.” It should go without saying that anti-semitism and hate in all its forms is a grave concern to the Jewish people. Now is the time to act on your guiding values and join us in our message of freedom and dignity for all. We are asking you to join the #JewishResistance, for:
If we are not for ourselves, who will be for us?
If we are only for ourselves, what are we?
If not now, when?
With great hope,
IfNotNow LA
