We are American Jews. We enthusiastically support Barack Obama.

Please join us by signing this letter. Click Here

We have decided to issue this statement because, increasingly, we are seeing inaccurate and often scurrilous attacks on his positions circulating on the internet. We are not interested in stimulating an endorsement war with any other candidate. We are interested in setting the record straight.

We represent the breadth of the American Jewish community. Some of us are observant, some are not. We are old and young, male and female, and we represent a wide range of professions. A few of us are sabras; a few are converts. A few come from families that sought refuge in the United States from the Holocaust. Some of us have known Barack Obama personally for many years. Others were drawn to his stirring call for change.

Why do we support Senator Obama?

Our reasons are as diverse as our own community. Some of us support his history of enacting ethics reform legislation. Others admire that he opposed the Iraq war, even as many politicians supported it, against their own better judgment but because they feared the political consequences. Still others believe he will be the best on environmental issues and climate change, and that he will address Darfur with a sense of urgency. And others think he is best positioned to lead us toward health care reform and to tackle the considerable problems of the economy.

Whatever our personal reasons, we all believe that Senator Obama is one of those unusual visionary leaders who comes once in a generation to inspire us to overcome what has, especially for the past seven years, divided and polarized us.

Despite this, we are increasingly seeing vicious and often nameless attacks on Senator Obama. Some of these are downright silly: that the Senator is Muslim (“proven” by his middle name, which he received, along with his other two names, from his father); that he refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance; or that he would use a Koran instead of a Bible in his swearing-in ceremony.

Religious leaders of our own community have called for a halt in the “particularly abhorrent … hateful emails that use falsehood and innuendo to mischaracterize Senator Barack Obama’s religious beliefs and who he is as a person.” The “Open Letter to the Jewish Community” was signed by Rabbis who lead Reform and Orthodox parts of Judaism, and officials from the American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Anti-Defamation League.

More disturbing are the charges that electing Senator Obama would be “bad” for Israel.

The best answer to the last point comes from Senator Obama, himself. “I start with the premise that Israel is a stalwart ally of ours and their security cannot be compromised” Senator Obama pledged last year to an AIPAC audience. “Our job is to never forget that the threat of violence is real.”

Other leaders and opinion makers confirm Senator Obama’s strong support of Israel.

Alon Pinkas, a columnist for the Jerusalem Post, wrote that “Obama’s voting record on issues pertaining to Israelis [is] impeccable. …He has never outlined a policy that Israelis … find incompatible with what they believe a pro-Israeli Mid-East policy should be.”

Shmuel Rosner, Chief U.S. correspondent for Haaretz, concluded that “Obama supports Israel. Period.” Mel Levine, former Congressman and AIPAC Board Member, whose standing and respect in the Jewish-American community is unquestioned, wrote recently that

“More than most, Jewish Americans have benefited from progressive ideas and inclusive politics, and no candidate better represents that tradition than Barack Obama. In fact, there is something essentially Jewish about Obama’s political philosophy. “One” is the golden thread that runs throughout Jewish thought and belief . . . Oneness is a Jewish frame of mind. In his speeches and public statements, his legislation and his voting record, he has proven himself to be a stalwart friend of Israel, committed to helping Israel in its search for peace with its neighbors, while standing strong with Israel against those who do not share this vision.”

As for the charges made regarding Louis Farrakhan, a notorious anti-Semite who has said intemperate, distasteful, and inaccurate things about Jews and the Holocaust, we want to set the record straight.  Senator Obama quickly denounced any statement of approval of Louis Farrakhan, saying “I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan.”  About his own church, which publishes Trumpet Newsmagazine, Senator Obama said, “I assume that Trumpet Magazine made its own decision to honor Farrakhan based on his efforts to rehabilitate ex-offenders, but it is not a decision with which I agree.”

Upon careful examination of Barack Obama’s record, we believe he has the policy instincts, judgment, wisdom, and passion that we need in our next President of the United States. We hope that American Jews everywhere will join in our support for Senator Obama.

This is the initial list of signatures. To add your name, scroll to the bottom of this list for instructions or Click Here.

Ruth Greenspan Bell
Climate Policy Expert
Washington, D.C.

Tara Sonenshine
Chevy Chase, Maryland

Linda S. Goodman
Los Angeles, California

Anne Hessing Cahn
Seattle,Washington

Laurie Wohl
Artist
New York, New York

Jonathan T. Stoel
Washington, DC

Miriam Sapiro
Washington, D.C.

Abner Mikva
Zoe Mikva
Chicago, IL

Mel Levine
Former U.S. Congressman (1983-1993)
Los Angeles, CA

Robin Leeds
Washington, DC

Charles Gati
Holocaust survivor
Washington, DC

Toby Gati
Washington, DC

Judith Rauh Falk
Nobleboro, Maine

David Broida
Haverford, PA

Henri Barkey
Professor, Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA

Barbara B. Franklin
Washington, D.C.

Lewis I Cohen
International Trade Consultant
Washington DC

Julius Genachowski
Washington DC

Laurence H. Tribe
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Martha Minow
Cambridge, MA

Alice Sklar
Waxahachie, Texas

Helaine L. Schweitzer
Oakland, California

Natalie H. Klein
South Bend, IN

Neil Olken
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Perry Apelbaum
Chevy Chase, MD

Mike Shor
Washington, D.C.

David Falk
Maryland School of Public Policy
College Park, Maryland

Mary E. Baim
Chicago, Illinois

Jonathan H. Greenspan
Westlake Village, California

Armin Rosencranz
Public Policy Professor
Washington D.C.

Sylvia Rosencranz
New York, N.Y.

Kimberley Morris
Attorney
Washington, D.C

Daniel M. Singer
Washington, D.C

David E. Birenbaum
former US Ambassador to the UN for UN Management and Reform
Washington, DC

Aviva Sagalovitch Meyer
Washington, D.C.

Carlos Stern
Alexandria, Virginia

Gideon Maltz
Washington, DC

Joan Goodman
Philadelphia, PA

Robert H. Kapp
Chevy Chase, Maryland

Jean Kapp
Chevy Chase, Maryland

Hon. Arline Pacht (ret).
Chevy Chase, Maryland

Rabbi Bruce M. Freyer
Scarsdale, New York

Alan Wurtzel
Education Policy
Delaplane, Virginia

Joseph H. Guttentag
Washington, D.C.

Elaine Boxer and
Baruch Boxer
Palo Alto, California

Barbara Fischlowitz-Leong
Hawaii

Lynn Haar Reichgott
Larchmont, New York

Elizabeth M. Buchanek
Bethesda, Maryland

Judy Gordon
Pleasantville, NY

Ruth Uhlmann
Washington, D.C.

Charles R Gallistel
Professor
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rochel Gallistel
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Jane and Harvey L. Rich
Washington, D.C.
Paris, France

Dr. Margorie Oderberg
Dr. Phillip Oderberg
Los Angeles, California

Lawrence S. Lewin
Health Policy Consultant
Chevy Chase, MD

Rena Wertzer
Scarsdale, New York

Ethel Lieberthal
Milwaukee, WI

Alan Dowty
Israel Studies Scholar
South Bend, Indiana

Lynn Brice Rosen
Santa Fe NM

Robert Pitofsky and Sally Pitofsky
Chevy Chase, Maryland

Elinor Waters
Chevy Chase, Maryland

Naomi and Jaime Oderberg Moss
Seattle, Washington

Celeste and William Behrend
Pittsburgh, PA

Jack Levy
Wilmington, NC

Barbara Green
Isaac Green
Washington, D.C.

Roberta Greenfield
Chevy Chase, MD

Nancy K Schlossberg
Sarasota, Florida

Lisbeth B. Schorr
Washington D.C.

Susan Willens
Washington, D.C.

Patricia Willson
Albuquerque, NM

Louise DeCosta Wides
Washington, DC

Claire Schwab Frankel,
Washington, D.C.

Henry W. Polmer
Barbara (Bunny) Polmer
Washington, DC

Lois Schiffer
Washington, D. C.

Frank K. Bamberger
Brooklyn, NY

Nancy Greenfield
Silver Spring, Maryland

Cathy Becker
Aurora, Ohio

Franklin D. Nash, M.D.
Professor of Medicine (Ret.)
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Ben Wides
Teacher, UFT Chapter Leader
Brooklyn, NY

Michael Raysson
Cambridge, MA

Ellen Stutman
Artist
Cambridge, MA

Elaine Fantle Shimberg
Tampa, FL 33606

Saone Baron Crocker
Washington, DC

Wendy Marcus Raymont
Washington DC

Gordon Fellman
Brandeis University
Cambridge, MA.

Sarah Raymont
New York, NY

Francine Foster
Santa Fe, NM

Peter Gray
Silver Spring, MD

Shirley Fishbach
Stamford, CT

Myra S. Perel
Baltimore, MD

Kenneth J. Krupsky
Attorney
Washington, DC

Lenore Chaice Mintz
Norwalk, Connecticut

Aviva Kempner
Washington, D.C.

Marjorie Goldman
Stamford ,CT

Jeffrey Schwartz
Sarasota, Florida

Sandra Berler
Chevy Chase, Maryland

Lillian Fisher
Judge, Superior Court (ret)
Tucson AZ

Hank Levine
Attorney
Washington, DC

Beryl Radin
Washington, DC

Johanna R. Bell
Menlo Park, California

Stephen W. Arent
Denver, Colorado

Donna Grossman
Reston, VA

Aviva Futorian
Attorney
Chicago, IL

Howell Baum
Baltimore, MD

Michael Sonenshine
US Citizen
Prague, Czech Republic

William Rosenberg
Physician
Wilmette, IL

Michelle Goldberg
Journalist and Author
New York

Carinne Luck
New York, NY

Elana Davidian
New York, NY

Mark A.R. Kleiman
Professor of Public Policy
Los Angeles, CA

Ilan Goldenberg
Washington, DC

Tammy Shapiro
New York, NY

David Greenwald, PhD
Clinical Psychologist
Philadelphia,PA

Phillip Carter
Former Army officer; Iraq Veteran; Attorney
Brooklyn, NY

Jonathan Haddad
Athens, GA

Gabriel Roth
Brooklyn, NY

Eric Fisher
Attorney
White Plains, NY

David Orlin
Bethesda, MD

Stephen Vogel
Attorney
New York, NY

David B. Schwartz
Stanford Law School, 2009
Stanford, CA

Jacob Klein
New York City

Greta Kirschenbaum
Environmental Consultant
Berkeley, CA

Claude S. Fischer
Professor
Berkeley, CA

Scott Siegal
Altadena, CA

Jason Brzoska
Albany, NY

Emily Greenberg
Washington, D.C.

Eldon Greenberg
Washington, D.C.

Brandon Liebowitz
New York, NY

Mayer Freed
Professor of Law
Chicago IL

David Lee
Student
Chicago, IL

Michael Nierenberg
San Francisco, CA

Arno Rotbart
Chicago, Illinois

Malkahannah Mintz
Physican
Chicago, Illinois

Jacob Kramer-Duffield
Chapel Hill, NC

Keith Shapiro
Los Angeles, CA

Matthew Goodman
Brooklyn, NY

David Morrill Schlitt
Ann Arbor, MI

Dan Goldman
New York, NY

Jordan Grossman
Potomac, MD

Josh Frank
Falls Church, Virginia

Jonathan Jacobs
Commack, NY

Peter Levin
Professor of Sociology
Barnard College
New York City

Matt Weiner
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Burlington, Vermont

Janet and Gerald Eber
New York City

Robert M. Howard
Associate Professor of Political Science Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA

Doug Weinfield
Washington, DC

Frederick R. Gerson
Richmond, VA

Alexandra Kendall
New York, New York

Brian Schatz
Honolulu, Hawaii

Mindy Kittay
Boulder, Colorado

158 people signed the letter above. Scroll to the bottom to see the count of additional signatures (or look just under the blue text below).

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