I have been discharging for the last few days about Bernie Sanders and his prominent public role while seeking the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. He is an unassimilated Jew, and it seems to me that his policies and perspectives are in part the result of his Jewish values and his having a parent who was an immigrant to the United States. Millions of viewers recently watched the Democratic debate as Bernie stated publicly that he is proud to be Jewish. This was a huge contradiction [to distress] for me, and I felt many feelings. The next evening, I led an RC class. A huge amount of fear came up about leading. I took time in front of the mixed group and worked openly about genocide. Those feelings are usually much more buried. It was good to have them so accessible and to seize the opportunity to discharge them.


My teenage son has seen an African American serve two terms as U.S. president, a female win the popular vote for president, and now Bernie Sanders and Mike Bloomberg, both Jews, run for the Democratic nomination. It’s making a big difference for him as a Jewish boy, as it did for many African American young people when Barack Obama ran and won, and as it did for many girls when Hillary Clinton ran for president. 


This is happening at the same time that anti-Semitism is increasing. My son has been grappling with his fears about being visible as a Jew while simultaneously loving Judaism and Jewish values. As a family we have had many opportunities to talk openly about anti-Semitism. We’ve talked about how to recognize the sometimes-subtle tropes, and the importance of reaching for community and connection both with our Jewish community and with our allies in the wider community.


With love, and pride in being Jewish,