September 9, 2026
How to speak about the importance of democracy as you’re gathering with family and friends for the High Holidays.
Democracy Isn't a Trade-Off for Jewish Safety. It's the Foundation
Amid rising divisions and antisemitism, what’s the best way to organize? Lisa Tencer, the Executive Director of our partner organization, Detroit Jews for Justice, explores this in a recent piece in the Detroit Free Press.
Last month, Attorney General Dana Nessel told a roomful of Jewish Democrats that we have a moral obligation “to place the needs of the world above even our own self-interest.” Nessel went on to suggest that it was now time for Michigan Jews to follow in the path of Queen Esther and “sacrifice the comfort, safety and security” of Jews for the greater good.
Although AG Nessel did not specifically mention the candidates running for U.S. Senate in Michigan, her remarks were seemingly intended to reference the ongoing Senate race between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. While I will not comment on the candidates or the election itself, I do believe it is important to address the broader questions her remarks raised about the safety, security and future of Jewish life in Michigan and across the country.
I agree with our attorney general that Jewish tradition demands we treat others with compassion. She’s right that the current administration has, by and large, abandoned the pretense of governance for the common good, and that antisemitism is an acute danger that feels particularly resonant in Michigan right now. Our community has been directly targeted.
But Nessel has the story wrong. Queen Esther did not at any point risk the lives of Jews for the greater good. The story of the book of Esther is the story of a government convinced to fund the destruction of a people, and the protective power of relationship and faith in the love of people who are different from us.
Read the article here.
October 19, 2026
Here are opportunities to make a difference through Election Day.
Democracy Isn't a Trade-Off for Jewish Safety. It's the Foundation
Amid rising divisions and antisemitism, what’s the best way to organize? Lisa Tencer, the Executive Director of our partner organization, Detroit Jews for Justice, explores this in a recent piece in the Detroit Free Press.
Last month, Attorney General Dana Nessel told a roomful of Jewish Democrats that we have a moral obligation “to place the needs of the world above even our own self-interest.” Nessel went on to suggest that it was now time for Michigan Jews to follow in the path of Queen Esther and “sacrifice the comfort, safety and security” of Jews for the greater good.
Although AG Nessel did not specifically mention the candidates running for U.S. Senate in Michigan, her remarks were seemingly intended to reference the ongoing Senate race between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. While I will not comment on the candidates or the election itself, I do believe it is important to address the broader questions her remarks raised about the safety, security and future of Jewish life in Michigan and across the country.
I agree with our attorney general that Jewish tradition demands we treat others with compassion. She’s right that the current administration has, by and large, abandoned the pretense of governance for the common good, and that antisemitism is an acute danger that feels particularly resonant in Michigan right now. Our community has been directly targeted.
But Nessel has the story wrong. Queen Esther did not at any point risk the lives of Jews for the greater good. The story of the book of Esther is the story of a government convinced to fund the destruction of a people, and the protective power of relationship and faith in the love of people who are different from us.
Read the article here.