Leaders from across the political aisle found common ground last Sunday as they showed solidarity with the Jewish community, reeling after the Amsterdam riot.
The Jewish Federations of North America, representing over 350 Jewish communities, organized the event, kicking off this year’s general assembly.
Roughly two thousand rallygoers filled Nationals Park despite dreary skies and intermittent rain.
Programming kicked off with host Tiffany Haddish presenting videos from key congressional leaders. Messages from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reaffirmed their support for the Jewish community and how congressional leadership would be unified for Israel.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s video received heavy boos in the largest outcry of the afternoon. The New York Senator’s approval rating from Jews has plummeted in recent years and his stance that Columbia University’s antisemitism was not an issue for Democrats, according to the House Education and Workforce Committee, has only furthered that decline.
Rep. Virginia Foxx, the Education and Workforce Committee chairwoman, began the in-person speeches of bipartisan support. The North Carolina Republican expanded on the importance of her investigation into antisemitism on college campuses.
“Radical anti-Israel, anti-western and anti-American beliefs have taken root and spread across the university system like a virus…Universities let antisemites off the hook and kowtowed to their demands. That’s when the committee stepped forward. We mobilized resources and staff to support Jewish students and to push back against dangerous ideologies infiltrating our academic institutions,” she said.
The year-long probe into colleges, such as Harvard and Northwestern, exposed numerous cases of school leadership engaging in discriminatory practices and fostering unsafe environments for Jewish students. With the investigation now behind her, Foxx shifted to thoughts on her legacy as a representative.
“Standing up for the rights of Jewish students has been one of the proudest moments of my tenure as chairwoman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. But as my final year in this role comes to a close, I leave knowing that this cause remains in strong and capable hands. I am certain that the next Congress and the next administration’s Department of Education will pick up where I left off,” Foxx said.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Dan Shapiro spoke on behalf of President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. His defense of the Biden administration received mixed reactions amid a general lack of enthusiasm.
Shapiro’s reference to President Biden’s infamous “Don’t” doctrine silenced the stadium.
Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer followed Shapiro and rebounded for Democrats. Michigan’s governor focused on unity and separating partisanship from defending Israel.
“I want to acknowledge all of the elected officials from both sides of the aisle for being here today. This bipartisan presence here is a testament to some fundamental truths. We stand with the people of Israel. We share their pain…We stand against the scourge of antisemitism and we will fight back against this ancient force wherever it rears its ugly head,” Whitmer said.
An enthusiastic Michigan chapter of the Jewish Federations traveled well for their governor, cheering repeatedly for her support of Israel. Whitmer pivoted to the fallout from last week’s election and her plans for the next four years.
“With yet another national election in the rearview mirror, we must move forward and focus on solving problems. My career has taught me that compromise is not weak but vital…[The Talmud says] you are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. The only way things get better is if you roll up your sleeves and do the work,” Whitmer said.
