Jewish Support Letter for Barack Obama

As Jewish Americans, we are asking you to join us in an effort to make for ourselves, our children and grandchildren a better America and a safer world for years to come. We strongly believe that Barack Obama is the Democrat who will lead us to victory in November and heal our great, yet divided, Nation. We are voting for a candidate, not against one.

Rabbi Hillel, the great Jewish scholar, asked "If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?" In making the decision as to who will be the 44th President of the United States of America in 2008, we believe his questions are as relevant today as they were when first asked many centuries ago.

Barack Obama’s rich and varied life experiences have helped enable him to understand the needs of all Americans, young and old, black, brown and white, men and women, alike. He has inspired millions of people to think deeply about what they, too, can do to help repair the damage done during the past eight years—damage that has eroded America’s respect we American Jews fought so hard to earn.

In eight short years, we have spent billions of dollars and lost thousands of lives on a war we never should have started. Our economy has declined to the point that we are the brink of a recession. Our country has grown so polarized that our core values of character, spiritual virtue and kinship are threatened.

The time for change, the time for a leader who will heal, unify and make the world a better, kinder and safer place for our children, grandchildren is NOW. We believe that Barack Obama is such a leader. He is the only candidate who truly represents and embodies real and positive change. He is the only one who has the moral fiber that we need in order to bring back respectability, trust and inspiration to the nation’s highest office.

Barack Obama’s friendship with Israel is clear and unwavering despite the vicious and fallacious emails circulating the internet. In his own words, he is committed to Israel as a Jewish state, "I start with the premise that Israel is a stalwart ally of ours and their security cannot be compromised… the Palestinians would have to reinterpret the notion of right of return in a way that would preserve Israel as a Jewish state.”

When questioned about Iran’s Ahmadinejad’s sick claim that the Holocaust is a myth, Obama responded eloquently and firmly, “…we know the Holocaust was as real as the 6 million who died in mass graves at Buchenwald, or the cattle cars to Dachau or whose ashes clouded the sky at Auschwitz. After 60 years, it is time to deny the deniers."

And, he has strongly expressed his commitment to Israel, including, “our total commitment to [America’s] unique defense relationship with Israel by fully funding military assistance and continuing work on the Arrow and related missile defense programs. This would help Israel maintain its military edge and deter and repel attacks from as far as Tehran and as close as Gaza.

Lester Crown, a foremost Jewish leader in Chicago, who for many years has known Barack Obama and his close relationship with the Jewish community, is confident that Barack Obama will continue his loyal friendship with Israel in the White House. A recent New York Sun editorial emphasizes that “anyone who questions Barack Obama on Israel policy has not checked their facts” (Jan. 9, 2008).

These are just a few of the many reasons we strongly support Barack Obama to be our Democratic Presidential nominee. We encourage you to join us in voting for him in our Maryland primary election on Tuesday, February 12, 2008, and to visit his website at www.barackobama.com, to learn about his policies, and to financially support his candidacy to be our 44th President. Our future depends upon it.

Sincerely,

The Honorable Doug Gansler
The Honorable Brian Frosh
The Honorable Jamie Raskin
The Honorable Brian Feldman
The Honorable Kirill Reznik
The Honorable William Bronrott
The Honorable Roger Berliner
The Honorable Marc Elrich
Cathy Bernard
Gary Bortnick
Debby Bortnick
Fran Brenneman
Robin Coleman
T. Michael Coleman
Barbara Goldberg Goldman
Michael F. Goldman
Rosalyn Levy Jonas
Gary F. Jonas
Donald Kane
David Litwack
Jules Polonetsky
Sandy Rovner
Josh Rales
Debby Rales
Robert Silverberg
Chong Stavins
Ralph Stavins
Sue Tabach
Gary Tabach