JTA: Legacy institutions don’t get to dictate how Jews use the lessons of the Holocaust

July 11, 2019

By Elad Nehorai

At the annual Christians United for Israel conference, Vice President Mike Pence  lambasted  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for comparing U.S. migrant detention centers to  concentration camps.

“This slander was an insult to the 6 million killed in the Holocaust, and it should be condemned by every American in every political party,” Pence told the crowd.

Many American Jewish institutions  strongly condemned  Ocasio-Cortez’s use of Holocaust terminology. But there seems to be relatively little outrage over Pence’s decision to appoint himself gatekeeper of the Holocaust’s legacy.

Indeed, many of the same institutions that objected to Ocasio-Cortez using Holocaust terminology, from the Republican Jewish Coalition to the Anti-Defamation League, also told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that they are “ horrified and angry ” at the “inhumane” conditions and “humanitarian crisis” in the detention facilities.

They may think it’s possible to have it both ways. But for an increasing number of Jews, that is not at all the case.

While there should be space for us to disagree, many of the same institutions and leaders claiming ownership over the Holocaust narrative also have, by extension, stated that Jews who dare not follow their lead are rebelling not just against the institutions but against the Jewish people.

I cannot speak for Ocasio-Cortez. But I want to assure all Jews who disagree with her position that those of us Jews who do compare the detention facilities to concentration camps honor your pain and trauma. We  share  your pain and trauma. We hold the same stories, the same histories and the same knowledge of the Holocaust.

The reason we use Holocaust analogies is precisely the same reason that many Jewish organizations encourage us not to: The Holocaust spurs us to act because it defines so much of how we have lived and what we value in the world of justice, and because we care deeply about cherishing its memory.

In other words, it is precisely the term “concentration camp” that has moved us. It is precisely the call of “Never again” that has  mobilized  many American Jews to fight the government’s horrific policies.

This is not just a “semantic debate.” It is about how we use our Jewish history to move us. Are lessons of the Holocaust only about Jews? Or is it about justice for all? 

Rather than an exclusively historic Jewish tragedy, many American Jews see the Holocaust as a shared lesson for humanity – and Judaism a vehicle meant to spread justice. In Pew Research’s seminal  Portrait of Jewish Americans , more than half of the Jews surveyed (56 percent) reported that “working for justice and equality is essential to what being Jewish means to them.” Tellingly, over 73 percent said “remembering the Holocaust” is an essential part of what being Jewish means to them. 

For most American Jews, tribal fears over intermarriage and assimilation are of secondary (if any) concern. What matters instead is leading an ethical/moral life (69 percent) and keeping Judaism’s social justice legacy alive, with memory of the Holocaust high among their priorities.

As we millennial American Jews became adults, legacy institutions and policies were openly challenged. The problem is, the old guard has become so used to being in control of American Judaism that it hasn’t seen the changes happening right in front of its eyes.

According to a May survey conducted by the Jewish Electorate Institute,  78 percent of Jews disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling family separation  — more than they disapprove of his handling of any other issue, including anti-Semitism (71 percent). 

But it is not just numbers. It is energy.

While legacy institutions spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year trying to increase “engagement” among young Jews, young Jews themselves were able to launch an organization virtually from scratch. Literally overnight, Never Again Action  mobilized hundreds, and then thousands, to take to the streets and protest ICE directly.

The people who have taken to the streets are not just motivated by their Judaism in abstract terms. They are motivated because of the comparisons to “concentration camps” and because they see the cry of “Never again” as a warning to call out injustices committed against a minority as soon as it begins.

I appreciate that the arguments of those who say that  the Holocaust is a “historically and phenomenologically unique” event  are almost always made in good faith. But that is not the only narrative and never has been. Mainstream institutions have said for decades that the point of teaching about the Holocaust is to help young people “ explore the dangers of remaining silent, apathetic, and indifferent to the oppression of others ” and “ reflect on the choices they confront today and consider how they can make a difference.”

The energy is with the people for whom the Holocaust is a call to broad values.

Most American Jewish organizations wouldn’t dare work with an organization that is managed by Jews they largely consider beyond the pale because some are associated with organizations, like IfNotNow, that can be highly critical of Israel. But these Jews demand attention and respect. And if you ignore them, you do so at your own peril. 

And if you cannot even respect them, you must at least recognize their very diversity of values as part of the Jewish narrative. Perhaps the most important finding in the 2013 Pew survey? Ninety-four percent of Jews are proud to be Jewish.

If we cannot learn to respect one another and the diversity of lessons we draw from Jewish history, then people like Pence will continue to use our divisions as political leverage to silence others. They will continue to speak for Jews and use a one-sided view of Jewish history against the defenseless.

Meanwhile, they will continue to invite  anti-Semitic cartoonists  to the White House with hardly any repercussions. They will continue to see Jews as one-dimensional cartoons that they can use for their own benefit.

All because we cannot imagine that a multi-dimensional Jewish world exists.

Antisemitism is a warning sign. Are we listening?

By Eileen Filler-Corn • July 3, 2025
In the nearly two years since Hamas’s brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israel, American Jews have watched a disturbing rise in antisemitism take place across America — and crucially, among some of our longtime allies. For decades, Jewish Americans stood at the forefront of progressive causes, marching for civil rights, fighting for reproductive freedom and advocating for immigrants and the marginalized. My Jewish faith is what first drove me to public service. The Jewish concept of tikkun olam — our responsibility to repair the world — is not just a religious tenet but a moral call to action. It’s why we’ve always shown up to defend others. Yet now, as antisemitism surges to record levels, many progressive organizations and leaders who once stood with us have gone quiet; or worse, turned their backs entirely. It’s no longer just about Israeli policy. The line between anti-Zionism and antisemitism has been crossed so many times it’s barely a line at all. “Zionist” has become a stand-in for “Jew,” and the message is clear: Unless you disavow the world’s only Jewish state, your place in many progressive spaces is no longer welcome. The picture is sobering. There have been calls to ban “Zionists” from Pride events. Many women’s groups have shrugged at Hamas’ rape of Israeli women. And the Democratic nominee for mayor of America’s most populous city has a pattern of antisemitic rhetoric and has refused to condemn the hurtful call to “globalize the intifada,” a rallying cry that has been used to incite violence against Jews. This didn’t happen overnight, but the silence from many who claim to fight for justice has been deafening and deeply painful. I know what it feels like to be targeted for who you are. In January 2020, shortly after I became the first woman and the first Jewish Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, the FBI uncovered a plot to assassinate me. Two members of a neo-Nazi domestic terrorist group had targeted me. It was the most serious of many threats I received during my time as Speaker. Thankfully, law enforcement intervened in time. But the threat was real, and it reminded me that hatred knows no single party or ideology. We’ve long seen this kind of extremist hate on the right, but today that same danger is rising on both extremes of the ideological spectrum. Antisemitism spreads under different names but with the same devastating consequences. Now, with the recent war between Israel and Iran, we’re likely to see a fresh wave of anti-Zionism and antisemitism. It is already giving rise to a new round of dangerous conspiracy theories laced with antisemitic tropes: accusing American Jews of dual loyalty; suggesting we control foreign policy; and portraying Jewish political engagement as part of a shadowy cabal influencing Washington. This is a moment of moral testing. Will our leaders speak clearly and forcefully against antisemitism, even when it’s politically inconvenient? Will those who champion diversity and inclusion apply those values to Jews as well? And will we be honest about how bad actors have exploited division, stoked extremism and enabled those who traffic in hate? Just as many Americans oppose President Donald Trump’s leadership while still loving this country and believing in its promise, the same is true for Israel. You can criticize or reject Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government and still support Israel’s right to exist, to defend itself and to thrive as a Jewish and democratic state. That distinction matters. Criticizing a government is not the same as condemning a people; but when it comes to Israel, that line is too often deliberately blurred. We must be able to hold leaders accountable without fueling hatred or questioning a nation’s fundamental legitimacy. Antisemitism is not merely a problem faced by Jews — it is a bellwether for the health of our democracy. When a society tolerates hatred against one group, it gives license to hate others. When threats against public servants go unchallenged, violence becomes normalized. I was reminded of that tragic reality when my friend and former counterpart, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, was executed in her home along with her husband, Mark. Authorities say her killer was a politically motivated extremist who had compiled a list of Democratic lawmakers. Melissa was a principled leader and a friend. Her death was a heartbreaking loss and a flashing red warning sign for the tolerance of hate in our democracy. We cannot afford to treat this moment as normal. It is time for our allies to rejoin us. To speak up when we are threatened. To see antisemitism for what it is: a growing, dangerous force that must be confronted head-on. Because if we wait until it affects everyone, it will already be too late. Eileen Filler Corn is a JEI Board Member and Former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, and the only ever Jewish speaker in VA
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Letter to House Judiciary Committee on Anti-Semitism

July 1, 2025
July 1, 2025 U.S. House Committee On The Judiciary 2142 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Now in our ninth year, the nationally and internationally recognized Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI), an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization, continues to serve as the barometer for the Jewish electorate. We are therefore honored to submit the following Comments for the Record to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee in support of its June 24, 2025, hearing on antisemitism - Rising Threat: America’s Battle Against Antisemitic Terror. This hearing, punctuated by the moving testimony of Matt Nosanchuk, reminded us that Jewish safety in America is not a political football - it is a national imperative. Nosanchuk, a former senior official in both the Obama and Biden Administrations and a lifelong advocate against antisemitism, laid bare the stark realities we face. The murder of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were attending a Jewish community event just blocks from his home, brought the crisis home - literally and painfully. It also underscored a chilling truth: this could have been any one of us. Antisemitism today does not discriminate based on geography, profession, or even political identity. Nosanchuk rightly challenged both ends of the political spectrum. From the right, we've seen rising indulgence of white nationalist rhetoric, normalization of Nazi imagery, and an embrace of conspiracy theorists. When antisemitism is tolerated—or worse, weaponized—by public officials and influential institutions, it emboldens violence and undermines the rule of law. The example of the pardoning of the person wearing a “Camp Auschwitz” shirt at the riot on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was not just shocking to the Jewish community – it was symptomatic of a deeper, corrosive tolerance for hate. From the left, antisemitism also too often masquerades as political critique. When Jews are asked to renounce their ties to Israel to participate in coalitions, or when pro-Palestinian activism turns violent against Jews, with intimidating targeted rhetoric and violence, that’s not solidarity – it’s exclusion and scapegoating. Our Jewish identity should never be a precondition for political participation. What we need is not partisan grandstanding, but comprehensive action. That includes implementing the Biden Administration’s well-thought-out National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, restoring funding for civil rights enforcement at the Justice Department, and condemning hate, regardless of its ideological source. Nosanchuk’s call for education, prevention, and cross-community solidarity is exactly right. In closing, it’s our view at JEI that using antisemitism as cover for draconian immigration or university policies erodes the democratic institutions that have allowed Jewish life to flourish. Fighting hate must not become an excuse to violate civil liberties - ours or anyone else’s. Our safety as Jews has always been linked to the safety of others. In this perilous moment, we must demand more than soundbites. We must demand seriousness, solidarity, and above all, solutions. We are grateful to the Committee for having held this vital hearing at a perilous moment for American Jews. Sincerely, Barbara Goldberg Goldman Chairperson The Jewish Electorate Institute

JEI Statement on escalation and Support on Israel Security

June 18, 2025
Washington, DC — As hostilities between Israel and Iran intensify, the Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI), a nonpartisan political nonprofit, is calling on Congress to take all necessary measures to support Israel’s security, halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and help bring the hostages home.