Profiles in Courage: 340 Rabbis Petition Congress to Pass Historic Nuclear Arms Pact

340 Rabbis from all denominations of Judaism, from every corner or the United States, sent a letter to all Members of Congress urging that they support the agreement between the international community and Iran on the Iranian nuclear program.

This action, taken in the face of a multi-million dollar ad campaign by AIPAC and opponents of the Nuclear Arms Agreement, is a profile in courage and international leadership and deserves to be applauded by Jews and non-Jews alike.

As a Jew by choice, who converted to Judaism 35 years ago, I am proud to turn over my blog “Radical Correspondence” to reprint the letter in its entirety, along with the locations of the congregations of all 340 Rabbis. A press release accompanying the letter appears first:

“We commend the U.S. and the other negotiating teams for their dedication to reaching an agreement to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.  This deal is good for the United States and our allies in the region, and is the best arrangement possible given current international realities,” declared Rabbi Steven Bob of Glen Ellyn, IL.

Rabbi Rachel Mikva of Chicago added, “A wide array of views about the nuclear deal exist among American Jews, as demonstrated in the recent Jewish Journal poll that showed 49% approving of the agreement (31% opposed) and 53% wanting Congress to approve it (35% opposed). However many Jewish Federations, AIPAC and other leading national Jewish organizations are campaigning in opposition, which is being interpreted to mean that American Jews want to see the deal scrapped.  This is a false and dangerous message that we as rabbis hope to counter with our letter to Congress.”

“If Congress ultimately rejects the deal, the consequences for the United States, Israel, the Jewish community and the world will be significant.  We fear that the outcome will be the collapse of the international sanctions regime, an Iranian race for nuclear weapons and an associated arms race in the Middle East and isolation of Israel and the United States from international partners,” said Rabbi Samuel Gordon of Wilmette, IL.

Rabbi Burton Visotzky of New York City concluded, “While we believe the deal is a positive approach to the Iranian nuclear issue, we remain gravely concerned about Iranian support for terrorist groups and other destabilizing actions in the region.  These threats must be countered aggressively by the international community.  The misguided campaign to scuttle the nuclear deal harms the ability of Israel to join with the United States and regional allies to create a powerful coalition against Iran.”

The letter to Congress with signatures is included below. 

August 17, 2015

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Members of the U.S. Senate

As rabbis, we support the agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Russia and Iran– The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. We encourage the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to endorse this agreement.

The Obama administration has successfully brought together the major international powers to confront Iran over its nuclear ambitions. The broad international sanctions moved Iran to enter this historic agreement. Should this agreement be rejected by the U.S. Congress, those sanctions will end. There will be no new negotiations, as the other member countries are fully in favor of this agreement and have no desire to re-negotiate.

We understand that while this agreement blocks Iran’s path to a nuclear bomb, we recognize it does not deal with Iran’s support for terror, but that was never the purpose of these talks. Now that a nuclear agreement has been reached, we call on the United States and its international partners to strengthen their resolve and dedicate additional resources to confront Iranian threats to Israel and other states.

Most especially, we are deeply concerned with the impression that the leadership of the American Jewish community is united in opposition to the agreement. We, along with many other Jewish leaders, fully support this historic nuclear accord.

 

Name City State
Lynne Goldsmith Dothan Alabama
Elliot Stevens Montgomery Alabama
Elana Kanter Scottsdale Arizona
John Linder Paradise Valley Arizona
Thomas Louchheim Tucson Arizona
Michael Wasserman Scottsdale Arizona
Ruth Adar Oakland California
Melanie Aron Los Gatos California
Raphael Asher Walnut Creek California
Anne Brener Los Angeles California
Samuel Broude Oakland California
Sharon Brous Los Angeles California
Meredith Cahn Petaluma California
Carol Caine Albany California
Steven Chester Oakland California
Aryeh Cohen Los Angeles California
Hillel Cohn San Bernardino California
Neil Comess-Daniels Santa Monica California
Elliot Dorff Beverly Hills California
David J. Cooper Berkeley California
William Cutter Los Angeles California
Lisa Edwards Los Angeles California
Diane Elliot Richmond California
Anthony Elman Los Angeles California
Gordon Freeman Walnut Creek California
Pamela Frydman Daly City California
Laura Geller Los Angeles California
Miriyam Glazer Los Angeles California
Dan Goldblatt Larkspur California
Jerrold Goldstein Los Angeles California
Sara Goodman Santa Monica California
Donald Goor Los Angeles California
Daniel Gottlieb San Francisco California
Mel Gottlieb Los Angleles California
Roberto Graetz Lafayette California
Nicki Greninger Lafayette California
Moshe Halfon Long Beach California
Lisa Hochberg-Miller Ventura California
Jocee Hudson Los Angeles California
Me’irah Iliinsky San Francisco California
Daniel Isaacson Berkeley California
Steven Jacobs Alameda California
Burt Jacobson El Sobrante California
Josh Jacobs-Velde Sebastopol California
Yoel Kahn Berkeley California
Patricia Karlin-Neumann Palo Alto California
Jim Kaufman Los Angeles California
Stuart Kelman Berkeley California
Lawrence Kushner San Francisco California
Susan Laemmle Los Angeles California
Jason Van Leeuwen Los Angeles California
Michael Lerner Berkeley California
Richard Levy Encinco California
Joshua Levine Grater Pasadena California
Sheldon Lewis Palo Alto California
Michael Mayersohn Garden Grove California
Laurence Milder Pleasanton California
Michelle Missaghieh Los Angeles California
Dev Noily Oakland California
Janet Offel Calabasas California
Philip M Posner Santa Cruz California
Arnold Rachlis Irvine California
Sanford Ragins Los Angeles California
Steven Reuben Pacific Palisades California
John Rosove Los Angeles California
Neal Scheindlin Los Angeles California
Howie Schneider Aptos California
Avi Schulman Fremont California
Judith Seid Dublin California
Chaim Seidler-Feller Los Angeles California
Daniel Shevitz Venice California
Suzanne Singer Riverside California
David Stein Culver City California
Martin Weiner San Francisco California
Dvora Weisberg Los Angeles California
Sarah Weissman Redwood City California
Greg Wolfe Davis California
Deborah Bronstein Boulder Colorado
Brian Field Denver Colorado
Hanoch Fields Denver Colorado
Rachel Goldenberg Deep River Connecticut
David Leipziger Teva Middletown Connecticut
Stacy Offner Guilford Connecticut
Jeremy Schwartz Willimantic Connecticut
Jeffery Silberman Westport Connecticut
Michael L. Kramer Hockessin Delaware
Douglas Krantz Townsend Delaware
Mark Goldman Sarasota Florida
Frederick Greenspahn Boca Raton Florida
Geoff Huntting Sarasota Florida
Sheldon Isenberg Gainesville Florida
Peter Kasdan Longboat Key Florida
Ralph Kingsley Miami Florida
Ronald Kronish Miami Florida
Lewis C. Littman Ft. Lauderdale Florida
Susan Marks Sarasota Florida
Paul Menitoff Palm Beach Florida
Stephen Pinsky Wellington Florida
Howard Shapiro Palm Beach Gardens Florida
Kurt Stone Fort Lauderdale Florida
Mike Trout Boca Raton Florida
Cheryl Weiner Hollywood Florida
Steve Westman W.Palm Beach Florida
Ronald Bluming Grayson Georgia
Philip N. Kranz Atlanta Georgia
Beth Schwartz Columbus Georgia
Alison Abrams Chicago Illinois
Marc Belgrad Buffalo Grove Illinois
Jordan Bendat-Appell Highland Park Illinois
Kenneth Berger Deerfield Illinois
Steven Bob Glen Ellyn Illinois
Herbert Bronstein Evanston Illinois
Paul Cohen Winnetka Illinois
Alan Cook Champaign Illinois
Laurence Edwards Chicago Illinois
Bruce Elder Highland Park Illinois
Hillel Gamoran Evanston Illinois
Gary Gerson River Forest Illinois
Maralee Gordon Woodstock Illinois
Sam Gordon Wilmette Illinois
Suzanne Griffel Chicago Illinois
Peter Knobel Evanston Illinois
Charles Levi Deerfield Illinois
Rebecca Lillian Chicago Illinois
Seth Limmer Chicago Illinois
Andrea London Evanston Illinois
Rachel Mikva Chicago Illinois
Nina Mizrahi Northbrook Illinois
Frederick Reeves Chicago Illinois
Robert Schreibman Lincolnshire Illinois
Michael Weinberg Evanston Illinois
Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus Homewood Illinois
Max Weiss Oak Park Illinois
Shlomo Wing Rockford Illinois
Leo Wolkow Glenwood Illinois
Michael Zedek Chicago Illinois
Gary Mazo Newburgh Indiana
Marla Spanjer Fort Wayne Indiana
Paula Winnig Indianapolis Indiana
Erin Hirsh Pratt Kansas
Daniel Kirzane Overland Park Kansas
Mark Levin Prairie Village Kansas
Arthur Nemitoff Leawood Kansas
Moti Rieber Overland Park Kansas
Michael Rosenberg Lawrence Kansas
Alexandria Shuval Weiner Leawood Kansas
Edward Paul Cohn Metairie Louisiana
Leila Gal Berner Rockville Maryland
Binyamin Biber Silver Spring Maryland
Reeve Brenner Rockville Maryland
Nina Beth Cardin Pikesville Maryland
George Driesen Bethesda Maryland
Samuel Fishman Bethesda Maryland
John Franken Baltimore Maryland
Donald Gluckman Pikesville Maryland
Emanuel S. Goldsmith Rockville Maryland
Susan Grossman Columbia Maryland
Floyd Herman Pikesville Maryland
Jerry Seidler Baltimore Maryland
Ariel Walsh Baltimore Maryland
Thomas Alpert Franklin Massachusetts
Donald Berlin St. Michaels Maryland
Herman Blumberg Waban Massachusetts
Caryn Broitman Vineyard Haven Massachusetts
Sharon Clevenger Newton Centre Massachusetts
Edward Feld Northampton Massachusetts
Jeff Foust Newton Centre Massachusetts
David Freelund Centerville Massachusetts
Serena Fujita Jamaica Plain Massachusetts
Myron S. Geller Gloucester Massachusetts
Everett Gendler Great Barrington Massachusetts
Robert Goldstein Andover Massachusetts
Jane Kanarek Newton Centre Massachusetts
Ira Korinow Haverhill Massachusetts
Jonathan Kraus Belmont Massachusetts
Rifat Sonsino Ashland Massachusetts
Elias Lieberman East Falmouth Massachusetts
Janet Liss Becket Massachusetts
Barbara Penzner West Roxbury Massachusetts
Victor Reinstein Jamaica Plain Massachusetts
Mark Shapiro Springfield Massachusetts
Robin Sparr Natick Massachusetts
Elyse Wechterman Attleboro Massachusetts
Henry Zoob Westwood Massachusetts
Jeffrey Falick Royal Oak Michigan
Joseph Klein Rochester Michigan
Michael Zimmerman Williamston Michigan
Joseph A Edelheit St. Cloud Minnesota
Amy Eilberg Mendota Heights Minnesota
Michael Adam Latz Minneapolis Minnesota
James Bennett Saint Louis Missouri
Alan Londy Kansas City Missouri
Allen Secher Whitefish Montana
Ed Stafman Bozeman Montana
Aryeh Azriel Omaha Nebraska
Josh Brown Omaha Nebraska
Craig Rosenstein Las Vegas Nevada
Myra Soifer Reno Nevada
Phyllis Bernstein Westfield New Jersey
Renee Edelman South Orange New Jersey
Kenneth Emert Franklin Lakes New Jersey
Elyse Frishman Franklin Lakes New Jersey
Ruth Gais Summit New Jersey
Kim Geringer Short Hills New Jersey
Charles A. Kroloff Westfield New Jersey
Dennis Math Jersey City New Jersey
Brooks Susman Freehold New Jersey
Jonathan Woll Glen Rock New Jersey
Malka Drucker Santa Fe New Mexico
Arthur Flicker Albuquerque New Mexico
Joel Alter New York New York
Renni Altman Great Neck New York
Guy Austrian New York New York
David Bauer New York New York
Daniel Bar-Nahum Mineola New York
Eliav Bock Vestal New York
Gill Brociner New York New York
Ayelet Cohen New York New York
Jerome Davidson New York New York
William Dreskin Ardsley New York
Andy Dubin New York New York
Rachel Esserman Endicott New York
Brian Fink New York New York
Adam Fisher Stony Brook New York
Leora Frankel Rye New York
Stephen Garfinkel New York New York
Jonah Geffen New York New York
Irwin Goldenberg Forest Hills New York
A. Bruce Goldman New York New York
Stephen Goodman Garden City New York
Shoshana Hantman Katonah New York
Mark Hurvitz New York New York
Jill Jacobs New York New York
Cassi Kail Utica New York
Jeremy Kalmanofsky New York New York
Sharon Kleinbaum New York New York
Jacqueline Koch Ellenson New York New York
Jim Lebeau New York New York
Ellen Lippmann Brooklyn New York
Garry Loeb Monroe New York
Jonathan Malamy White Plains New York
Jeffrey Marker Brooklyn New York
David Nelson Tivoli New York
Daniel Polish Poughkeepsie New York
Jonah Rank New York New York
Stephen Roberts Kerhonkson New York
Elliott Rosen Scarsdale New York
David Rosenn New York New York
Shmuel Sandberg New York New York
Leonard Schoolman New York New York
Joel Shaiman New York New York
Charles Simon Chatham New York
Jonathan Slater Hastings-on-Hudson New York
Joshua Strom New York New York
Harvey Tattelbaum New York New York
Daniel Victor Poughkeepsie New York
Burton Visotzky New York New York
Gerald I. Weider Brooklyn New York
Simkha Y. Weintraub New York New York
Lina Zerbarini Lynbrook New York
Philip Bentley Hendersonville North Carolina
Susan Cowchock Bahama North Carolina
Ariel Edery Raleigh North Carolina
John Friedman Durham North Carolina
Floyd Herman Pikesville Maryland
Eric Solomon Raleigh North Carolina
Howard Apothaker New Albany Ohio
Joan Friedman Akron Ohio
Abie Ingber Loveland Ohio
Margaret Meyer Cincinnati Ohio
Saul Oresky Youngstown Ohio
Jonathan Perlman Cincinnati Ohio
Vered Harris Edmond Oklahoma
Maurice Harris Eugene Oregon
Johanna Hershenson Bend Oregon
Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin Eugene Oregon
Ariel Stone Portland Oregon
Daniel Isaak Portland Oregon
Joseph Wolf Portland Oregon
Rebecca Alpert Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Tsurah August Elkins Park Pennsylvania
Marjorie Berman Clarks Summit Pennsylvania
Malkah Binah Klein Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Meryl Crean Lansdale Pennsylvania
Isabel De Koninck Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Art Donsky Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
SueLevi Elwell Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Dayle Friedman Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Paula Goldberg Newtown Pennsylvania
Susan Kanoff Wynnewood Pennsylvania
Jonathan Kendall Elkins Park Pennsylvania
Alan LaPayover Philadelphia Pennsylvania
David Levin Carroll Park Pennsylvania
Mordechai Liebling Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Aaron Mackler Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Nina Mandel Sunbury Pennsylvania
Nathan Martin Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Michael Michlin Hazleton Pennsylvania
Amber Powers Abington Pennsylvania
Michael Ramberg Elkins Park Pennsylvania
Seymour Rosenbloom Elkins Park Pennsylvania
Mayer Selekman Bala Cynwyd Pennsylvania
Jacob Singer-Beilin Abington Pennsylvania
Reena Spicehandler Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Elliot Strom Morrisville Pennsylvania
Lance Sussman Elkins Park Pennsylvania
Robert Tabak Elkins Park Pennsylvania
David Teutsch Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Arthur Waskow Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Deborah Waxman Wyncote Pennsylvania
Sheila Weinberg Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Shawn Zevit Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus Providence Rhode Island
Alan Flam Barrington Rhode Island
James Rosenberg Providence Rhode Island
Julie Kozlow Greenville South Carolina
Arthur Segal Hilton Head Island South Carolina
Heidi Coretz Dallas Texas
Sue Levy Houston Texas
Andrew Paley Dallas Texas
Samuel M. Stahl San Antonio Texas
Joshua Taub Beaumont Texas
Howard Cohen Bennington Vermont
Dov Taylor Woodstock Vermont
Rosalind Gold Reston Virginia
Michael Knopf Richmond Virginia
Lynne Landsberg Staunton Virginia
Ben Romer Midlothian Virginia
Jeffrey Saxe Falls Church Virginia
Daniel Bridge Seattle Washington
Ted Falcon Seattle Washington
David Fine Bellevue Washington
Jay Heyman Seattle Washington
Jonathan Biatch Madison Wisconsin
David Brusin Milwaukee Wisconsin
Charles Feinberg Washington District of Columbia
Krayna Feinberg Washington District of Columbia
Derek Rosenbaum Washington District of Columbia
Gerald Serotta Washington District of Columbia
Daniel Zemel Washington District of Columbia

 

 

 

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