June 12, 2020
Mort Klein
President
Zionist Organization of America
Dear Mr. Klein,
We, the undersigned members of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, condemn the tweets regarding Black Lives Matter that you sent out last weekend.
The specific tweets to which we are referring are: “BlackLivesMatter is an antisemitic, Israel hating Soros funded racist extremist Israelophobic hate group.” And “BLM is a Jew hating, White hating, Israel hating, conservative Black hating, violence promoting, dangerous Soros funded extremist group of haters.”
We hope that you agree that the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Aubrey have ignited a much needed and long-overdue push to address institutionalized racism, police violence and white supremacy that plague the United States.
At this delicate and critical juncture in American history, Jews of all colors must stand up for black lives and against senseless hatred and divisive bigotry. It is time to find our common humanity, not to search for ways to keep us apart. There is no room for hate in organized Jewish life.
Respectfully,
Kenneth Bob, President, Ameinu
Hadar Susskind, President and CEO, Americans for Peace Now
Rabbi Bennett Miller, National Chair, ARZA
Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive, Central Conference of American Rabbis –
Robert Aronson, Chair, HIAS
Stuart Applebaum, President, Jewish Labor Committee
Meredith Jacobs, CEO, Jewish Women International
Janet Gurvitch, President, Na’amat USA
Marilyn Wind, President, MERCAZ USA
Sheila Katz, CEO, National Council of Jewish Women
Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal, Chief Executive, Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President , Union of Reform Judaism
Ann Toback, CEO, The Workers Circle
Leslie Lichter, Interim CEO, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Rabbi Marla Feldman, Executive Director, Women of Reform Judaism
Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, Executive Director, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism
