Hundreds of Jews from across the country have signed a declaration of support for Elizabeth Warren in the latest effort to influence Jewish voters in the Democratic primaries.
Among the some 850 signatories to the #JewsforWarren declaration are Joshua Malina, the “Scandal” actor who starred in a Hillel get-out-the-vote campaign video in 2018; Rep. Andy Levin, the Michigan congressman who this week denounced criticism of Mike Bloomberg as antisemitic; and more than 40 rabbis.
From their letter:
Inspired by the words of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Ancestors), “You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it,” we shall continue working to make our nation live up to the progressive values that we hold dear, and we call upon our Jewish family to join us in doing so and in support Elizabeth Warren for President.
The Warren campaign was not involved in the letter, according to Hadar Susskind, one of the progressive activists who organized the effort this week. Instead, he said, the idea emerged from conversations among supporters about how to make their support more visible.
“As someone who is in this space, I get asked often about what I think — about their views on Israel and other issues,” Susskind said. “I’m always happy to talk to people I know about that, but we wanted to do that on a broader scale.”
The signatories live in 43 states, plus Washington, D.C., and abroad. Susskind said the letter would be a “living document” that others could sign and could serve as a tool for organizing.
Among other prominent signatories are Sharon Kleinbaum, the rabbi at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York City; Nicole Berner, general counsel for the SEIU labor union; and Hasia Diner, a historian of American Jewry.
In an exclusive Jewish Telegraphic Agency opinion piece this week, Warren outlined her approach to issues of Jewish significance.