Rabbi Cooper's Letters

September 30, 2020 / 12 Tishre 5781

Dear Friends,

On Monday evening, at the end of Yom Kippur, families gathered outside our synagogue to recite prayers of contrition and confession. The Ne’ila Service of Yom Kippur is a final opportunity for us to offer our prayers, to commit to change and to savor the beautiful purity of the day and to begin a New Year cleansed of those things which have spiritually weighed us down. 24 hours later, I felt that sense of purity evaporate as I watched the “debate” between our Presidential Candidates.

The “Debate” was hardly a debate. It was more a verbal boxing match, an opportunity for our current President and our former Vice-President to go at each other, non-stop, for an hour and a half. Initially, I expected some unfiltered barbs and interruptions. I did not expect what was to follow. My expectations and hopes for civil discourse were replaced by a sense of embarrassment and deep disappointment. The tone of the forum was that of a bully trying to beat down his chosen victim.

It was difficult to assign clear messages to either candidate, given the decibel level of two men arguing loudly, trying to make their points above the raised voice of the other. The few instances in which the moderator, Chris Wallace, could ask a direct question and receive a succinct answer, stood out in bold relief. Specifically, when the moderator asked the President a question about the riots several years ago in Charlottesville, there was a moment of quiet for the President to speak and for the audience to listen.

You will recall that, in August of 2017, a well-publicized demonstration had been organized to protest the plan of the Charlottesville, VA City Council to remove statues of Confederate War heroes. The African American residents of the city, and their supporters, wanted those statues removed. And, to oppose that effort, a host of White Supremacist groups, under the banner of “Unite the Right”, had gathered in Charlottesville.

For two tense days, August 11 and 12, each group held its demonstrations and counter-demonstrations. And while this was going on, the President was asked about the racial tension which had been building up in Charlottesville. Was there something he might be able to do to help defuse the situation and stop the intimidation by “Unite the Right” of the African American protesters? At that time, the president was asked to denounce the violence perpetrated by the White Supremacists. In his response he shared his view of “Unite the Right”. The President said: “You know there are some very fine people on both sides”. Please recall that “Unite the Right” is a conglomerate of groups such as “Proud Boys”, the KKK, Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists.

At the debate, the moderator recalled this comment and asked the President to categorically condemn these White Supremacist activists: Would the President use this moment, before a national audience to denounce neo-Nazis and White Supremacist groups? And the President answered: I will tell them to “stand back and to stand by”. We must be deeply concerned about this response.

Those White Supremacist groups are not just racist. They are deeply, proudly, and passionately antiSemitic. They are filled with hate and represent the worst of humanity. Of all the groups for the President to denounce, would this not be the easiest and the most obvious? And yet, his answer was ambiguous, if not threatening: “I will ask them to stand back and stand by”. It is hard to imagine how African Americans might feel as they heard that response.

I have neither desire nor inclination to become embroiled in debates about candidates or partisan politics. But when a person proclaims his appreciation for some Neo-Nazis, some racists and/or some anti-Semites, some of us must take him to task. When any leader is sympathetic to such causes, there is reason to worry. When that leader is our President, however, the person occupying the position of the most powerful man in the world, we must let him and others know that that his words are hurtful, his words are offensive, his words are inflammatory and dangerous. In one of the few moments of quiet within a ninety-minute presentation, hateful groups and nefarious individuals, racists and anti-Semites have been emboldened, strengthened, and legitimized.

I write today, as your rabbi, not as a person involved in partisan politics. I write to let you know that racism and anti-Semitism, about which I spoke on the Second Day of Rosh Hashana, are not things of the past. Anti-Semitism and racism are deeply engrained parts of this society. And, although we have been through periods of anti-Semitism and racial discrimination in the past, it is the fact that we watched and heard our President emboldening, not condemning, racists and anti-Semites that has shaken me.

Last evening, we witnessed a yelling match, initiated by our President. The concept of civil discourse was quickly and forcefully rejected from the outset. The evening was memorable for its lack of content and abundance of vitriol.

Our Constitution gives our president some important guidance and strength to lead our nation. At the same time, this country, and the leaders we have chosen, are ultimately beholden to us, the people.

This land, this country in which we live, is ours to build, grow and develop

This land, without a doubt, is big enough for all, for people of all races, creeds, and colors.

This land is ours, to create within it a society based on equity and compassion, kindness and democracy, human rights, and human dignity.

The debate last night revealed a great deal. None of the revelations, however, exceed the importance of words of hate, anger, and prejudice. Our society cannot become stronger or better if hate prevails. A comfortable and complimentary relationship with forces of hatred and prejudice is incompatible with a society which values equality, compassion and respect and human dignity.

In response to last night’s rumble, we must reiterate our denunciation of all forms of hatred and bigotry. We must make our homes places in which hate has no place. We must raise our children to reject rage and perpetual anger as the mantles we wear.

And, to the candidate you have chosen to support in the upcoming elections, be confident in your trust and in their embrace. Be certain of their concern for others. But be watchful for the hate and the hurt that enters our lives undetected. And remember, the largest, most lethal, and most dangerous hatred begins very small.

B’Shalom,

Rabbi Neil Cooper