Rabbi Rosenberg asserts that many rabbis who support Trump have been bullied and even fired. Since he did not furnish any details, it is not clear what this bullying consists of. Short of physical attacks, I wonder how one rabbi can bully another. Also, he does not give examples of rabbis being fired for support of Trump.
Does he really believe that Trump in any way embodies Jewish values? Trump’s anti-environmental policies, his racism, his withholding funds from an ally for his own political gain, his openly stated desire to rig the election by sabotaging the Post Office — all of these run counter to the values I have been taught throughout my lifetime. His re-election could also result in a Supreme Court that would allow the states to restrict abortion to the point where it would conflict with the more nuanced approach of even the most traditional Jewish sources.
There might be counter-arguments that could be made against all of the above. However, there is one way in which Trump’s approach to political arguments definitely violates Jewish norms: his constant use of insults and name-calling in place of reasoned argument. Judaism has a tradition dating back to the Talmud of respectful argument. Calling one’s opponents “Little Mario,” “Low-energy Jeb,” “Sleepy Joe,” and “Pocahontas” is behavior for which one would reprimand an 8-year-old child.
Rabbi Rosenberg has the right to support the candidate of his choice. But using the title of “rabbi” to imply that Trump’s behavior is consistent with Jewish values is a disgrace.
Stu Lewis
Prairie Village, Kansas
