An Open Letter to the Rabbis and Board of the Westchester Reform Temple (WRT)
We are Jews in the US with a range of experiences and perspectives on Israel and Palestine who are writing now with great concern about the firing of Jessie Sander solely because of the critical views about Israel she expressed in a blog post before she began her employment as a secular teacher in your religious school.
Earlier last year, you hired Ms. Sander to teach and tutor the Hebrew language and to assist and support the development of social, cultural and community service programs for WRT teens. Nothing in the job or the job description required any adherence to any particular political point of view about Israel or its policies toward the Palestinians.
Nevertheless, you fired Ms. Sander after less than three weeks on the job, not for any teaching deficiencies or criticisms she received, but solely because of a blog post she and a friend had written months before her WRT employment began that severely criticized the State of Israel for its May 2021 bombardment of Gaza. In that post, Ms. Sander affirmed her passion for Judaism, her investment in building Jewish community, and her commitment to fight for justice for all Jews, and identified herself as an anti-Zionist opposed to what she believed to be a legalized apartheid regime in Israel at odds with Judaism or any other religion.
After reading the blog post, the Rabbi who had hired her and who directs WRT’s religious school told Ms. Sander that he and WRT’s school embraced a “wrestling with Israel” position and welcomed diverse thinkers and that she should never work at a place that would fire her for her beliefs. Immediately after that meeting, the Rabbi wrote an email to the Senior Rabbi and to the WRT president– which he shared with Ms. Sander -- summarizing the meeting, expressing complete confidence in Jessie as an educator, and stating that she would be a good “role model” for WRT’s students.
One week later, Ms. Sander was invited to a Zoom meeting with that same Rabbi and the Temple’s executive director, when the Rabbi informed her that she was terminated effective immediately. When she asked the reason, she was told by the executive director that “it’s just not a good fit.”
If, as appears to be the case, Ms. Sander was fired because someone objected to her blog post, we urge you to reconsider your decision. You are surely aware that Ms. Sander’s views are shared by a growing segment of the Jewish community, who understand or are grappling with the role of Zionism in the dispossession of the Palestinian people from their homes and land. Their commitment to Palestinian justice is fully consistent with the Jewish values of, and commitment to, pursuing justice that they learned in Hebrew school and from their families. We are certain that there are many educators within the Reform movement with views similar to those expressed by Ms. Sander.
The Reform Jewish community – and all Jewish communities – need educators with the passion and moral compass of people such as Jessie Sander. You surely understood that when you hired her. We urge you to reinstate her.
Signatories (list in formation):
Earlier last year, you hired Ms. Sander to teach and tutor the Hebrew language and to assist and support the development of social, cultural and community service programs for WRT teens. Nothing in the job or the job description required any adherence to any particular political point of view about Israel or its policies toward the Palestinians.
Nevertheless, you fired Ms. Sander after less than three weeks on the job, not for any teaching deficiencies or criticisms she received, but solely because of a blog post she and a friend had written months before her WRT employment began that severely criticized the State of Israel for its May 2021 bombardment of Gaza. In that post, Ms. Sander affirmed her passion for Judaism, her investment in building Jewish community, and her commitment to fight for justice for all Jews, and identified herself as an anti-Zionist opposed to what she believed to be a legalized apartheid regime in Israel at odds with Judaism or any other religion.
After reading the blog post, the Rabbi who had hired her and who directs WRT’s religious school told Ms. Sander that he and WRT’s school embraced a “wrestling with Israel” position and welcomed diverse thinkers and that she should never work at a place that would fire her for her beliefs. Immediately after that meeting, the Rabbi wrote an email to the Senior Rabbi and to the WRT president– which he shared with Ms. Sander -- summarizing the meeting, expressing complete confidence in Jessie as an educator, and stating that she would be a good “role model” for WRT’s students.
One week later, Ms. Sander was invited to a Zoom meeting with that same Rabbi and the Temple’s executive director, when the Rabbi informed her that she was terminated effective immediately. When she asked the reason, she was told by the executive director that “it’s just not a good fit.”
If, as appears to be the case, Ms. Sander was fired because someone objected to her blog post, we urge you to reconsider your decision. You are surely aware that Ms. Sander’s views are shared by a growing segment of the Jewish community, who understand or are grappling with the role of Zionism in the dispossession of the Palestinian people from their homes and land. Their commitment to Palestinian justice is fully consistent with the Jewish values of, and commitment to, pursuing justice that they learned in Hebrew school and from their families. We are certain that there are many educators within the Reform movement with views similar to those expressed by Ms. Sander.
The Reform Jewish community – and all Jewish communities – need educators with the passion and moral compass of people such as Jessie Sander. You surely understood that when you hired her. We urge you to reinstate her.
Signatories (list in formation):
- Eva Ackerman, Educator; former staff, Open Hillel, and former NFTY member
- Anita Altman, Board President, YAFFED, Youth for a Fair Education; former long-time Jewish communal professional
- Benjamin Balthaser, Associate Professor of English, Indiana University, South Bend
- Peter Beinart, City University of New York
- Nathaniel Berman, Rahel Varnhagen Professor, Dept. of Religious Studies, Brown University
- Ken Boas, member of the Board of the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions - USA, on behalf of the Board
- Daniel Boyarin, Taubman Professor of Talmudic Culture (emeritus), UC Berkeley, and Caroline Zelaznik Gruss and Joseph S. Gruss Visiting Professor in Talmudic Civil Law, Harvard Law School
- Judith Butler, Maxine Elliot Professor Emeritus in Comparative Literature and Critical Theory, UC Berkeley
- Aryeh Cohen, Rabbi and Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, American Jewish University, Los Angeles
- Hasia R. Diner, Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History and Director, Goldstein-Goren Center for American Jewish History, New York University
- Barbara Dobkin, Dobkin Family Foundation
- Marjorie N. Feld, Professor of History, Babson College
- Marjorie Fine, long-time Jewish activist
- Ira Glasser, Former executive director, American Civil Liberties Union
- Aaron J. Hahn Tapper, Mae and Benjamin Swig Professor of Jewish Studies, University of San Francisco
- Jane Hirschmann, Author and psychotherapist; Co-chair Freedom2Boycott NYS Coalition
- Gil Z. Hochberg, Ransford Professor of Hebrew and Visual Studies, Comparative Literature, and Middle East Studies, Chair, MESAAS, Columbia University, NYC
- Howard Horowitz, Member Temple Israel of New Rochelle and its Israel Action and Advocacy Committees
- Gil Kulick, Board Member, Partners for Progressive Israel and Executive Committee, J Street, New York chapter
- Laura S. Levitt, Professor of Religion, Jewish Studies and Gender, Temple University
- Nina Mehta, Community researcher, educator, and artist
- Shaul Magid, Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College and rabbi of the Fire Island Synagogue in Seaview NY
- Charles Manekin, Professor of Philosophy and former Director, Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Center of Jewish Studies, University of Maryland
- Marilyn Kleinberg Neimark, Professor Emerita The City University of New York; co–founder, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ)
- Donna Nevel, Community psychologist and educator; co-founder, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ)
- Atalia Omer, Professor of Religion, Conflict and Peace Studies, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, The University of Notre Dame
- Kathleen Peratis, Co-chair, Jewish Currents
- Rosalind Petchesky, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Political Science at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center
- Rabbi Brant Rosen, Rabbi, Tzedek Chicago
- Deborah Sagner, President, Sagner Family Foundation
- Abby Saul, Early childhood educator
- James Schamus, producer, director, screenwriter; School of the Arts, Columbia University
- Martha Schoolman, Associate Professor of English, Florida International University
- Joshua Shanes, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Director, Arnold Center for Israel Studies, College of Charleston
- Alisa Solomon, Professor, Columbia University
- Barry Trachtenberg, Rubin Presidential Chair of Jewish History, Wake Forest University
- Rebecca Vilkomerson, Former executive director, Jewish Voice for Peace
- Rabbi Brian Walt, Founding executive director of Rabbis for Human Rights- North America and Rabbi Emeritus Congregation Mishkan Shalom, Philadelphia, PA
- Alisse Waterston, Presidential Scholar and Professor of Anthropology, City University of New York, John Jay College
- Lesley Williams, Educator; co-founder, Tzedek Chicago
- Rabbi Alissa Wise, Co-founder, JVP Rabbinical Council
- Dorothy M. Zellner, Long-time civil rights activist
- Simone Zimmerman, Co-founder, IfNotNow
- Lex Rofeberg, Senior Jewish Educator, Judaism Unbound
- Elana Lipkin, Co-founder, Making Mensches
- Samuel Friedman, Research Professor, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Lori Rudolph, New Mexico Highland University
- Julie Weiner, Attended Sunday School and was confirmed at Westchester Reform Temple about sixty years ago
- Seth Morrison, Retired
- Eve Hershcopf, New York University School of Law alumna
- Rick Chertoff, JVP-LA
- David Mandel, Human rights attorney; elected member, California Democratic Party Central Committee; chapter leader, Sacramento Jewish Voice for Peace
- Nathan Sander, Music Producer/Mixer
- Cheryl Qamar, Social Worker & member of Jewish Voice for Peace, Hudson Valley
- Benjamin Ben-Baruch, Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation, Jewish Voice for Peace
- Deirdre Silverman, Ithaca Jewish Voice for Peace
- Lillian Rosengarten, German Jewish Refugee and Palestinian freedom fighter
- Solomon Hoffman, Rabbinical Student, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
- Zach Bronstein, Non Profit Professional, former NFTY North American Board Member
- Estee Chandler, JVP Board of Directors
- Rabbi Joel Shaiman, Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation
- Judith Kaufman, Professor, Hofstra University
- Aryeh Bernstein, Avodah, National Jewish Educator
- Andrew Basta, Co-chair Lower Hudson Valley DSA, former congregation member of Larchmont Temple
- Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman, Congregation Shaarei Shamayim
- Julie Carran, Member, Congregation Kol Ami, White Plains, NY
- Bobbi Siegelbaum, Walkabout Clearwater Chorus, JVP
- Andrew Courtney, WESPAC Foundation
- Shelli Katz, Member of Woodlands Community Temple
- Rebecca Ennen, Jewish nonprofit senior leader
- Gayle Dunkelberger, Board Member of WESPAC
- Arthur Alfreds, Retired
- Beth Bruch, Educator; Member, JVP NC Triangle Chapter
- David Elitzer, Rabbinical Student, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
- Alan Levin, Sacred River Healing
- Alan Horowitz, Active member of Standing Together (Israel social justice NGO); Veteran of Palestinian olive harvests; IDF veteran with 2.5 years active service and 20 years reserve duty
- Anne Schechner, Former member of Westchester Reform Temple
- Benjamin Kersten, University of California, Los Angeles and Jewish Voice for Peace at UCLA
- Liz Blum, JVP
- Rabbi Eliana Kayelle, NY Jewish educator and organizer
- Rabbi Miriam Grossman, Kolot Chayeinu
- Sheldon Ranz, Director of Special Projects, Social Democrats USA
- Willemina Davidson, Rabbinical Student, Hebrew College
- May Ye, Rabbinical Student
- Julie Kosowski, Former Reform Movement Camper, Camp Counselor, NFTY regional president and Hebrew Teacher, Daughter of a Child Survivor of the Holocaust and granddaughter of murdered prisoners of Auschwitz
- Mick Brewer, Rabbinical Student at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
- Liana Wertman, Founder of The Torah Studio
- Les Field, University of New Mexico
- Stephen K. Levine, Professor Emeritus, York University; Founding Dean, European Graduate School
- Rabbi Linda Holtzman, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
- Rebecca Alpert, Professor of Religion, Temple University
- Jonathan Danforth-Appell, Board member Silver Lake Independent Jewish Community Center
- Mitchell Gittin, American Jew, Suburban Temple, Wantagh, N.Y. bar mitzvah class of 1966
- Steven Skulnik, Lawyer
- Cary Appenzeller, Secular
- Deborah Goldgaber, Associate Professor, Philosophy; Louisiana State University
- Andrue Kahn, Reform Rabbi
- Ted Friedman, Georgia State University
- Arielle Stein, Student-Hebrew Union College
- Josie Grossi, Canadian
- Ilana Cruger-Zaken, Independent signatory
- Rabbi Emily Aronson, NYU Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life
- Diane Wolf, Professor of Sociology, U.C. Davis
- Rabbi Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus, Professor of Religion and Coordinator of Jewish Studies, Wheaton College, Norton MA
- Zev-Hayyim Feyer, Retired Hospital and Hospice Chaplain
- Jack Snyder, Teacher, Rodeph Sholom School, New York
- Rebecca Hornstein, Rabbi
- Peter Dreier, E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics, Occidental College
- Ellen Jaffe-Gill, Rabbi, Tidewater Chavurah, Virginia Beach
- Rabbi Nora Woods, Reconstructionist Rabbi
- Peter Auster, Biologist
- Joel Doerfler, JVP
- Phyllis Berman, Rabbi, Mashpia Ruchanit
- Rebecca Subar, Author and Activist, JVP
- Carole Edelsky, Professor Emerita, Arizona State University
- Larry Moss, Indiana University Bloomington
- Jonas Rabin, Computer Scientist
- Ranen Omer-Sherman, Endowed Chair of Jewish Studies, University of Louisville
- Jeffrey Leib, Non-profit consultant
- Michael Staub, Baruch College CUNY
- Michael Kramer, Chapter President, Veterans For Peace/Chapter 021 (Northern New Jersey), IDF veteran
- Miryam Coppersmith, Jewish educator and performing artist
- Erica Moroz, Brooklyn Public Library
- Samuel Tarlow
- Leigh Hurwitz
- Amy Charles, Agudas Achim, Iowa City
- Mei Mei Miriyam Sanford, Professor, William & Mary
- Eliana Sisman, Orthodox Jew, graduate of two Jewish schools, writer of articles published in Jewish publications, active member of UCLA’s Jewish community
- Jonathan Weinstein, Clinical Psychologist, Empowerforwards.com, Asst Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, New York Medical College
- Ethan Wellerstein, Jewish Voice for Peace, If Not Now, URJ
- Julia Horel, Member of Independent Jewish Voices Canada
- Josh Teitelbaum, JVP Member
