YNET NEWS: Obama has potential of being known as president who betrayed Jews
It's true that I've left the American Jewish community and immigrated to Israel, but Jewish life in America provided me with countless opportunities to realize my dream of becoming a more informed, involved Jew. This community laid the foundation for a Jewish identity that now serves as my 'rock' - the one piece of myself to which I will always remain true. That is precisely why I write this letter in both desperation and disbelief.
I was admittedly frustrated by Jewish support for soon-to-be President Obama during election time in 2008, but ultimately, I understood. I understand that American Jewry is true to the term itself; we are Jews who are American. We are American in the sense that we are patriots, and we identify with America's noble pursuit of freedom, liberty, and justice. We're only a generation or two removed from one of history's darkest examples of oppression and complete absence of justice, and thus we identify with the oppressed among us.
We want healthcare and equality for all. We want a system of education that does not discriminate and that cultivates a productive, thoughtful, forward-thinking generation of young people. No argument here. I sincerely hope that in the near future, American Jewry will only have to concern itself with these issues; I sincerely hope that we will live in a world marked by peace, in which domestic affairs in our respective countries are legitimate, primary concerns.
The issue at hand, however, is that we do not live in that world. We live in a world at war, and though your average American does not 'feel it' - the American Jew should feel it. Currently, the fundamentalist Iranian regime is building a nuclear arsenal and has simultaneously called for the complete obliteration of the State of Israel. >>> Cori Chascione | Saturday, April 17, 2010
