I was deeply dismayed to see an article on VIN titled “Is It Proper for a Frum Jew to Support Joe Biden.” The ill trend in the orthodox community towards full acceptance of far-right Evangelical politics and questioning the religious and Jewish commitment of those who disagree with right-wing “talk-radio” style politics is costing orthodoxy our best and brightest. The conclusion of the writer was, “I cannot fathom how any frum Jew who cares about Torah values, and worries about the safety and prosperity of Jewish children, could possibly support the Democrat party in 2022.” The idea that somehow this is a matter of religion and not politics is damaging, and I will not stand by while it happens. So here is my response:
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If you are reading this, you are most likely a fellow Jew living either in a blue district of a blue state, a red district in a blue state, or a blue district in a red state. None of you are living in a red district in a red state. Why? Because likely like Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro, and yes, also Donald Trump, you would never go live in a bright red area. Not even if you live depends on it. But why not? Why not live up to those great ideas you might have heard of on your recent favorite radio show, frum weekly, or Tikva fellowship, and live the dream in Kentucky or Louisiana free from Democrat oppression and the immoral values you keep speaking out against?
Why not? Probably because you are still smart enough to know that you want to live within a driving distance of a good hospital, accessible healthcare, working highways, and clean water. Maybe you know that the difference in life expectancy between New York and Louisiana is a whole six years, and you don’t want to die young. This might just have to do with that those blue states fund public universities, don’t hold book burnings with claims those books contain CRT and attract the brightest minds who, for some reason which is beyond me, tend to abhor the kind of talk radio politics the writer espoused.
You may also live in a blue area because you know about our great Chesed organizations like RCCS, which will make sure a loved one gets their cancer treatment thanks to blue state-socialist laws that don’t let people die on the street. It may be because you know someone who has a special needs child who would be thrown to the wolves in a red area, yet now, with the help of HASC, OHEL, or other organizations benefiting from liberal policies, you don’t need to have the parents go bankrupt.
It could also be because you are a parent and know that the NUMBER ONE cause of death among American children is guns. So yes, it is great to sympathize with Fox news pro-second-amendment talk, but you really would not want your child to be shut up in their school by some mentally ill teenager allowed to buy assault rifles thanks to the NRA.
Oh, and the claim that this is about Israel’s security “By supporting Biden, you may be responsible for killing innocent Charedim and other frum and secular Jews.” I must have missed the VIN article thanking President Obama for Israel’s statistically safest and least deadly eight years. If you didn’t write that it is probably because you believed there were other factors in play. Once we are on the topic, we must also acknowledge the deadliest years for Israeli civilians–the bloodbath of the 2nd Intifada, the Expulsion from Gush Katif–all under Rav Hameratzchim George W. Bush.
To the issue very unnecessarily occupying the minds of too many frum people on gender-related politics: I will never understand how what happens in women’s sports in Iowa or in Ivy League schools matters to you more than the economy, healthcare, the survival of democracy, or raising life expectancy. My simple response is to quote what I heard from a senior figure in the frum community a few years ago: “if your positions on these issues line up with those of angry old Italian men, your positions are probably not stemming from the Torah.”
Writing for this family-friendly publication, I am afraid to even begin referencing the moral failures and immorality within the GOP or to even write the names of those implicated. So no, there is no religious imperative in supporting the GOP, and the danger of their immorality infecting their own community should not be underestimated.
Economically, all you need are the facts to know that President Biden’s economy is one of the greatest on record, unemployment one of the lowest on record, child tax credit, and policies of focusing on financial relief for families rather than billionaires, yachts, and corporations most definitely help most from people. Not to mention the GOP SALT tax code of 2018 inflicting much financial pain on blue states where frum Jews live.
Yet more than any of the above, we have an obligation to this country. There is a reason we live in the USA and are not in Russia or China. Democracy offered us a safe haven to conduct our lives as we wished to. After January 6th and the emergence of the GOP as an authoritarian party aspiring to overthrow democracy and continue to threaten it with every day that goes by, this is no longer about politics; it is about authoritarianism vs. democracy. We cannot betray the very system that gave us religious freedom and so many other freedoms in favor of a violent personality cult that would do anything for power–including storming the United States Capitol to overturn an election and attempting to assassinate the Vice President of the United States.
If, for some reason, all this does not convince you, that is fine. But please do not ostracize those of us who are Makir Tov, know what is good, do not buy into anti-science QAnnon worshiping shaman, and still believe in democracy over authoritarianism.
Rabbi Elchanan Pouko is a writer, speaker, and teacher. He has written hundreds of articles and essays, published in seven languages around the world. He has advised several congressional campaigns.
I find this op-ed piece insulting. I live in a red district in a red state (Ft. Worth, Texas). I live within a driving distance of excellent hospitals, accessible healthcare, working highways, and clean water. I’m also a licensed, responsible gun owner.
A news story that came out today revealing that the largest number of anti-semetic incidents occurred in blue districts in blue states. Adjusted for population size, New Jersey led the country with 3.98 antisemitic incidents per 100,000 population. New York came in with the third most incident adjusted for population, with 2.06 incidents per 100,000. These are also democratic led states.
So try looking a little more objectively at the facts, please. Not all frum Jews live in the Five Towns, Brooklyn, Monsey, or Lakewood.
What a dumb article. Firstly many Jews do live in a red state because florida these days is as red as they come. The fact that they may live in “blue districts” in those states has nothing to do with any democratic policy’s, as far as I’m aware there aren’t any differences in quality of life between blue districts in a state as opposed to red ones. Secondly the reason is Jews live in blue states is cause that’s just where most of our grandparents settled when they came in from Europe many years ago and there is already preexisting “Jewish infrastructure” that would take years to build up elsewhere. Democrat run states’s advantage for Jewish peoples has nothing to do with democratic policy and it’s absolutely ludicrous to claim so.
Name a single Torah value the democratic party supports.
This is so wrong and misguided I don’t even know where to start.
At the very least it should be noted that Ben Shapiro *was* living in a bright blue area and actually did move to a bright red area because LA was so unbearable. Additionally, Jews are moving out of New York (which lost more people than any other city in America last year) in drove for, guess where…Florida, once again.
I pray for this man’s soul.
75% of this op-Ed is based on one point that simply isn’t true. The author suggests Jews don’t live in red states (or red areas of blue states) because we are drawn to and prefer the policies of the blue. If the author was honest he would recognize that while this may be true for many of the goyim living in these areas, for frum Jews the top reasons we choose our place of residence is proximity to family and Jewish resources. Not because of government policies. Once living in these locations, frum organizations do a wonderful job of leveraging local policies. But it is a lie that frum Jews choose locations based on this.
Why did early frum immigrants choose these locations? Is a good question for the historians. Maybe because that’s where the shmatteh business was strong…but I would venture to say many of these policies you suggest the impetus to choosing these locations weren’t even in place back then.
We won’t even go in to many of the authors other claims like Gush Katif being Bush’s fault.
I wish the author would recognize there are extremists on both sides. Pointing to the alt right who have zero representation in congress (even Marjorie Taylor Green) and saying stay away from the right, isn’t even as strong as an argument as me suggesting far left people in the Democrat party that do actually have representation (even strong representation) should lead you to stay away from that party. You cannot deny that were it up to the squad and progressives on the left they would undermine Israel and the safety of our brothers and sisters there if given the chance.
It seems the author has made up his mind to be on the left and then found half baked arguments to justify it.
Oh!, Reb Avidor Miller, Z”L was a real visionary, he said on numerous occasions, that one may never vote for the Democrats, Libera;s as they are Apikurim (Heretics), and anyone that does vote for the Democrat, Liberals is also an Apikores, (Heretic).
Oh was he proven right so any times over.
Black is white and white is black.
Example: “Economically, all you need are the facts to know that President Biden’s economy is one of the greatest on record”. The writer obviously hasn’t personally entered a supermarket lately or put gas into his car. While wages are up, the rate of inflation exceeds the hike in wages meaning real wages are down.
He may write about chesed organizations that benefit from liberal policies, but leaves out the level of crime that permeates those places.
He conveniently leaves out that the reason these organizations exist is not because the are blue states, but because that’s where you have large concentrations of Orthodox Jews.
etc. etc.
Rav Avigdor Miller was not an Italian old man.
In addition The Democrats have become very anti semetic, anti Israel, immoral, lax on violent crime, and very incompetent in governing as well as rude.
Ummm let’s start with the basic freedom to teach our kids what we want, that is now in real jeopardy from our socialist bestie’s.
Just wondering how much he charges the dnc for this
Rabbi Avigdor miller said we have to choose the candidate that are closest to torah values, even if the other candidate gives you money to your organizations, he said many times that this means we should vote for republicans and not democrats, so where exactly does this guy’s daas come in ???? Rabbi miller was a gadol and Joe Shmoe’s opinion can’t stand ground next to Rabbi miller
Interesting timing to post this, on a day with even more proof against this opinion, as the Democrats and those on the left are screaming and crying about the possibility of no longer able to kill babies. Well Done
Wow. I didn’t realize people can be so blind to reality
“Economically, all you need are the facts to know that President Biden’s economy is one of the greatest on record, unemployment one of the lowest on record” What world are you living in Rabbi?
I have given plenty to rccs. And I put my legit email address below. This idiot should be ashamed of himself bringing in organizations like rccs. They save lives. Democrats have 1 stated philosophy. To destroy lives. Pro abortion and everything else they can use to destroy humanity and America.
Do you really want to be taken seriously as a writer with such drivel?
Let’s begin with your premise that since Jews establish communities in and around large cities and since large cities overwhelmingly vote democrat therefore Jews choose to live in blue districts and not in red areas. Did it occur to you that cities are attractive because of commercial opportunities, accessibility, public transportation and housing density? We don’t live in cities to escape the KKK. I would bet that Jews in less urban settings often feel safer than those in metropolitan areas. Read the news.
I almost choked from laughter when you brought up morality.
Not one word about the Torah, just follow the money.
Your headline says it all. You had to throw the word “far” into far right. You take the few examples of some far-right crazies and make it out like most all right wing values and it’s supporters are one and the same. If you don’t see the major difference in regards to the continuously steady decline of Torah values between the Democrat/left wing party of today and lehavdil, the conservative, right wing Republican party over at least the past 5 decades, you seriously need a mental health check. And I say that with all due respect. You might want to also check out today’s breaking news about the leaked SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v Wade. Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden and A great deal of other prominent Democrats all going crazy and threatening to fight it all the way. You sound like a total phony Jew.
What makes this idiot a rabbi?
All you need to know as a Jew is that democrats love to abort babies. This is key to the leftist religion of worshipping the self, which is antithetical to Judaism. Anybody that supports such a monstrous party and ideology deserves nothing but scorn and condemnation. They deserve to be chased out and to never see mashiach.
I do not listen to any right wing shows etc. I am going with the directive of Harav Avigdor Miller that its forbidden to vote fir liberals
The anti-Semites in government, especially in Congress and state legislatures, are Democrats – Tlaib, Omar etc. And the Democrats give these haters of Yidden more and more power. So all the rest is shtusim.
Obama gave Iran money and power, as well as supporting haters of Yidden in the Black community in NY, Chicago and LA among other areas. The release of criminals by politicians comes from Democrats like DeBlasio, and others in big cities.
Am sure others can speak more about this.
Another insane leftist repeating and regurgitating the phony narratives that one hears on CNN and MSLSD. Why don’t you try better off being a Jew, a frum yid, then to be the leftist that you are .
There is a reason that there is such a thing as a liberal Jew and a Jewish conservative. As Rush Limbaugh, the Great Rush Limbaugh taught us, a liberal Jew is someone who is liberal first and then maybe Jewish. A Jewish conservative is someone who is Jewish first and then politically conservative.
We know where this guy stands. He went to the Uber leftist alleged Jewish school and picked up all the insanity from that place in Washington Heights.
The writer;s nonsense about the intidfada under Bush is yet another blatant lie
This man is sick in the head
Actually Rabbi Miller Zatzal and many other Torah Greats said not to allign with the democratic party.
A rabbi with integrity and knowledge would not discredit the Republican Party. Republicans are good for America, Israel, and the Jewish people. Democrats are just a bunch of corrupt liars.
Hakaras Hatov ought be directed to our MOST supportive friend since King Koresh: President Donald Trump. NOT to vicious anti Israel anti Semites Biden and Obama. This man sounds fairly foolish.
Modern Orthodox isn’t Orthodox, that is why they are on teh same side as conservative and reform, what an idiotic article, strawmen arguments and lies, the bottom line is the Democrats you seem to worship have already said multiple times that anyone who doesnt support their agenda ie abortion on demand and gay marriage is not welcome in the party so by supporting the party you are supporting that and worse, the biden admin is now suing Alabama because they have banned performing irreversible medical procedures on confused children, the party base openly supports terrorists and hate Jews, it was the democratic party protesters who tried to breach teh white house and instead set a church across the street on fire, it was the Democrats who spent 4 years trying to overthrow the president based on lies created by Clinton hires using foreigners to get Russian disinformation, or is the democarts who want to ban religious freedom and force everyone to support their radical agenda and it is teh democarts who are the authoritarians with biden admin opening a truth ministry to go after anyone who doesnt agree with their diktats. There is not a single Jewish value that Democrats are for, there are plenty they are against,
Can you please convince the president to forgive $50,000 if my mortgage on my primary residence instead of student loans for people earning more than me who went to college and are now professionals.
While he is in the forgiving mood it won’t hurt if he takes a stab on my credit card debt from the ugly banks charging 25% interest.
Rabbi Elchanan TALK, IS LIBERAL NONSENSE. good hospital Has nothing with liberals, RCCS has nothing with liberals, all you get for liberals, is more crime, more drugs, and private school to look like tolowlifes who came out of the public schools.
I don’t know who Rabbi Elchanan Pouko is, but this Op ed is filled with Misinformation and Mainstream media fake talking points….
i do disagree with the other op ed questioning Jews frumness based on political thought. that’s just dumb. however, this one is just as bad honestly. and not only is it just as bad, this author is buying into all the fake media outlets and all the tumah of the radical leftwing, also claiming that red states are horrible (they aren’t.) even going so far as using made up terms to smear republicans such as Qannon. there is no such thing as qannon its a made up term and even if you where to use the correct term Q. the vast majority of Republicans don’t believe in that anyways in the area of 98% don’t subscribe to that.
while all democrats nowadays besides for a few believe in radical ideas such as there are 69 genders, and LGBTQIAPAHEOUTHOUEOHTHTOHWER)T#)(*%#)(%U %
I live in Miami and carry a 45 auto everywhere I go to defend myself and my family from idiots iike this. And u have never felt freeer.
Yeah and he’ll continue saying that as the socialist Democratic Party puts us into containment camps just like the German Socialist party did in the late 1930’s. And yes there. We’re germs. Jews defending hitler
Refuah Shlaimah
The writers point re Bush and the initfada is just another blatant lie. We all know its started under Clinton when Arafat YMS walked out and said be ready for war. It was Clinton and his naive OSLO accord that emboldened Arafat YMS and gave them so much validity get the intifada started. Yes its spilled over into Bush but its was so clealry Clintons doing. Yes Obama was good to Israel but Trump gave them total free hands and established a status quo of putting those arabs in place
Re gender related politics, here is how it affects us. Its two fold.
Firtsly, we don;t want to be forced to bake cakes for a gay wedding. Our schools don;t want to be forced to teach LGBT circulums. This is both true for our yeshivas and our jewish brothers in public school. There was a famous teacher in a very popular bais yakoov in flatbush/ kensington. We want the rights to be able to fire those teachers.
Secondly, The culture seeps into our society. If LGBT is accepted outside, it becomes more culturally accepted inside.
Mr. Pupko,
It seems that your ideas are alligned with the left of the modern orthodox movement.
The mainstream charedi orthodox communities are all pro conservative republicans.
What was considered freedom seekers became progressive leftists with socialist ideas along with big government agendas which are the opossite of freedom and the reason why my grandparents came to america.
All the comments on here hit the target
I agree what a silly article but typical from a left-wing Democrat who apparently happens to be a orthodox Jew unfortunately. Making the red State look like redneck racist Die Hard gun lover maniacs who want to shoot up high school. And throw special needs kids under the bus. Pathetic.. we all know why the majority of the Frum Community votes Democrat, benefits,benefits, benefits, did I say benefits. enough time here. The Democratic party has become radicalized beyond belief immoral to the core, true Sodom and Gomorrah values . When it comes to Torah values and Democrat values there couldn’t be more opposite now… maybe there were together once but not now…
I would have thought this article was written by Ezra Friedlander.
I find it hard to believe this venerable website would publish such a piece of rubbish, lies, misrepresentations and utter vile nonsense from a foolish ignorant individual who has the ga’avah to publicly post such trash! Every word he writes there is the total opposite of common sense and fact ! Vos I z Neis – please, have mercy on your loyal readers!!
Re the economy. Yeah there are jobs but pay hasn;t caught up with cost of loving. Regulations and other policies in place limit this.
Not even worth commenting.
It is not even handed. It is so slighted by an obvious liberal leaning person. That is fine this is America and we all are entitled to opinions.
However as a religious person, supporting a party that promotes sexual education including indoctrination of gay and transgender life style as acceptable , late term abortion as acceptable, eliminating religion as a long term goal – these are some items that should give cause not to support a legistlative candidate from that party
How much did they pay this dingbat to write this rubbish, and how can I get in on the action?
So I did a Google search for this so called Rabbi I cut and pasted one paragraph from his lengthy article so you can see where he is coming from This is what he writes- With more than 100,000 Jewish yeshiva students in NYC alone and a governor who allocated more funding for Jewish institutions than any governor before him, one would think that the bull in the china shop would be slightly less aggressive. The Agudath Israel of America decided to sue the Governor, something I cannot imagine he appreciated. This clown is upset that Agudah sued Cuomo? In a nut shell he’s saying, since most jews live in blue states like New York and the President is Democrat we orthodox jews should just our mouths and let the DemocRats do what they want. This is one of the most ridiculous articles I ever read.
I am marveling at how each “point” in this article is even more nuts than the previous one. This guy is a buffoon. I am having serious doubts as to whether or not this is a fake article meant to troll everyone, because real people can’t actually believe these things.
But then again, today’s progressives have a list of mitzvos far more extensive than the 613 we have.
#1 Everything democrats do is good and wise and moral
#2 Everything Republicans do is bad and stupid and evil
Etc etc
We should take notes on their level emuna in the face of all facts sense and logic that contradicts everything they believe and use it as an example of how we have to believe in and follow the Torah.
Did not know such dumb people exist on this planet.
Re GOP SALT tax code this is actually fake news and mathamtically incorrect.
With SALT Tax limit your income tax was lowered by about 3%. Now if your SALT tax is much greater than 10K you must be earning 150K-200K. So yeah say your SALT is 20K , and tax bracket 25%. You’ll lose $2,500 in a tax deduction. But you’ll pay 3% less taxes. 3% of 150K is $4,500. The math is just flawed bec it ignores big picture.
The above writer is just wrong. He insists if you care about ” the economy, healthcare, the survival of democracy, or raising life expectancy.” You should not agree with the Republicans and no jew would live in a Republican state or area. Aren’t most Jews moving to FL aren’t we ‘stuck’ with location that have yeshuvot and shulls.
Yes politics do have to do with religious values normalizing the ways of anti religious society is anti Torah. And no the economy is not better under the Democrats.
Is the above author serious did he but food for pesach did he look at his bill.
And if “Jan 6” participants where dems he would probably call it a political site in.
What a vile man. He wants subsidy and cash and therefore we must support democrat ideas? Kill babies, transgender everything etc etc. But this self proclaimed rabbi decides that we must vote Democrat to get money. How about this. You and all other self proclaimed rabbis get a real job and forget about poison money from these killers