Over 100 Prominent Jewish Georgians Voice Support for Ossoff/Warnock Vote Against Arms Sales for Israel

Jewish Georgians and other minorities aren't a monolith -- and the press should stop treating them as one.

Photo by Sunguk Kim on Unsplash

Over 100 prominent Jewish Georgians — including members of major Jewish cultural and civil rights organizations in the area — have penned an open letter praising Georgia’s Democratic Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock for their votes in support of a series of resolutions disapproving of the sales of some arms systems to the Israeli government.

The letter, which I have posted in full below, is signed by people involved in Jewish community life across the Metro Atlanta area — from synagogues and Jewish day schools to the Anti-Defamation League. It thanks the senators for their “courage” in voting the way they did, concluding that their votes help promote regional stability and peace.

It comes days after around 50 local Jewish organizations signed a letter organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and backed by the powerful American Isreal Affairs Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) criticizing the senators’ votes.

The dueling letters demonstrate an important debate within the local Jewish community that reflects broader national trends. For decades, the image of Jewish America was one of a monolith — politicians treated the Jewish community as if it was united in support of unconditional military aid and diplomatic support for the Israeli government, no matter who was running it and no matter what policies it pursued.

But in recent years, it has become clear that the Jewish community is no more a monolith than any other one. While there are plenty of prominent Jewish Americans who believe that military aid to Israel should continue to be unconditional, there are many others who believe that this aid should be leveraged to promote peace. I spoke to some of those Jewish Georgians for this piece.

“Ossoff is a principled Jew”

Rabbi Mike Rothbaum with Israeli Moaz Inon, whose parents were killed during the October 7th attack. Photo credit: Rabbi Mike Rothbaum.

The signatories of this week’s letter and other Jewish Georgians opposed to the Federation letter made clear to me in interviews that they see no contradiction between supporting Israel and limiting the flow of some offensive weapons to its government to help bring about an end to the conflict.

Rabbi Mike Rothbaum, one of the signatories who serves as a Rabbi at the Temple Beth David in Roswell, Georgia, told me that he has visited the Holy Land more than half a dozen times in his life.

Most recently, he traveled to Israel earlier this year. He toured the sites of the Hamas attacks that took place in Southern Israel.

“It was gut-wrenching,” he told me. “We went to a kibbutz. We went to the Nova Festival field. It was absolutely gut-wrenching to see the mass slaughter of Jews that occurred that day.”

But when he was touring the Kibbutz that had come under attack on October 7th, 2023, he heard a massive explosion in the distance. He could see a pillar of smoke coming from Gaza.

The explosion reminded him of the massive death toll that had occurred since the war began, with tens of thousands of civilians killed across the border.

As a rabbi, he’s long been familiar with Jewish teachings about war and peace.

“Judaism is not a purely pacifist tradition. If someone is coming to kill you, you rise up early and attack them first. And I think if you look at October 8th, we could argue about that — what was the appropriate response?” he said. “But, self-defense on October 8th when there are still Hamas attackers in those towns in the Gaza envelope? Self-defense means you gotta do what you gotta do.”

But as the war dragged on and Gaza was, in his words, “reduced to rubble,” the justification for continued conflict began to fall apart in his eyes.

He pointed to the recorded deaths of thousands of children in the Gaza Strip.

“Are those children rising up to come kill us, like the Talmud says? Or are we taking part in a gross example of collective punishment — which is a betrayal of all of our Jewish values, which put a primacy on the value of each individual human life?” he asked.

Referring to the Federation letter that was sent last week, Rothbaum questioned how representative it was of the actual Jewish community in Atlanta.

“For these organizations, I know there’s a knee jerk reaction to support Israel in a world where admittedly there is a double standard for the state of Israel, that other human rights violators get less attention than Israel, I think that’s clear,” he said. “But look at who your constituents are. Unless your constituents are just your donors. In which case, are you really fulfilling your mission?”

Rothbaum argued that many American Jews are willing to use leverage to help bring the war to an end, pointing to a recent poll showing that 62% of Jewish voters would support the U.S. withholding at least weapons to Israel until Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to a ceasefire.

While he was disturbed that many Jewish organizations were quick to condemn the Ossoff/Warnock votes without getting a true gauge of Jewish public opinion, he was livid about some of the invective he saw all over the Internet aimed at Ossoff in particular, who is himself Jewish.

“Ossoff is a principled Jew, a member of the Jewish community for a very long time. And the smears against him are unconscionable. All of the things calling him kapo, and self-hating Jew, and all that nonsense,” he said. “If you’re going to say the person who brings up the topic of Jewish values and Jewish ethics is betraying his Jewishness, what exactly is your Jewishness and how do you define it?”

A “principled and honorable vote.”

Ossoff speaking before the U.S. Senate about his votes. Photo credit: C-Span 2.

Jerry Tolochko, a practicing Jewish millennial living in the Atlanta area, was disturbed when his dad forwarded him an email from the Federation attacking Ossoff and Warnock for their vote.

The email used caustic language mirrored in the AIPAC-backed letter posted above, accusing the two senators of doing “nothing to return Israel's displaced persons from the north and the south, secure the release of the hostages, nor protect innocent Israeli or Palestinian lives.”

Instead, it wrote that their votes provided “cover for those who seek to harm the Jews around the world and further fuels the increase in antisemitism that has been surging in our communities and on college campuses.”

“I was appalled by the image it was projecting which was like the unanimity of Atlanta Jewish opinion behind the sentiments being described in that letter and email, which I strongly disagreed with,” he said in an interview.

He had watched Ossoff’s Senate floor speech defending the vote against two arms deals for Israel, and he found himself agreeing with much of what the senator argued.

“I agreed with the primary lens and perspective he was using which was one of American interests and American values and that votes and what they were calling for wasn’t an end of U.S. arms sales to Israel…it was really like a symbolic way of trying to use the considerable leverage that the U.S. should have over how Israel is waging this war to promote U.S. interests,” he explained.

So Tolochko decided to use the Federations email and attach his own message to send to his senators’ offices instead.

“I've never written you before, but I thought it vital to add my small voice to try to counterbalance those louder ones,” he wrote. “As a practicing Jew, as an American, as a Georgian born and raised, I disagree vehemently with the sentiments in the letter below. Instead, I thank you for your principled and honorable vote.”

“It has to stop”

Gil Frank. Photo credit: Gil Frank.

Gil Frank, an Atlantan who co-founded the city’s Historic Westside Gardens, has deep ties to Israel. Born and raised in France, he made his way to the Jewish state around the time he turned 18.

He was entranced by the dream of Jewish socialism; he spent two decades living in the country’s network of kibbutzim. He, like many Israelis, also served in the Israeli Defense Forces while living in the country; he was deployed during several wars between Israel and its neighbors.

Like most Jews, he was horrified by the events of October 7th. He believes that Israel had a right to respond.

But he believes that it’s his “moral duty” to call for an end to the war, which would ensure the release of Israeli hostages and a cessation of hostilities for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

After Ossoff and Warnock voted against the weapons deals, he went to his personal Facebook to write them a note of thanks.

“The pain and the destruction we are doing in Gaza is based on the wrong reflex of trauma and revenge, which is a reaction to trauma, but it has to stop,” he told me.

Like the others I interviewed for this piece, he was disappointed by the initial response from major Jewish organizations in the Atlanta area.

“To me the Jewish organizations are disconnected [from] understanding the complexity of what a response should be which necessarily would have to be the right of the state of Israel to defend itself — not by any means,” he said.

Groups are diverse, not monolithic

Photo by Sharon Pittaway on Unsplash

In the course of doing this story, I felt a bit of déjà vu. I myself come from a small ethnic and religious minority group, and one of the most annoying things that I face is when people assume that everyone from my ethnicity or religious group shares the exact same point of view. We’re not the Borg!

The political press in particular has a habit of stereotyping members of minorities. That’s part of why President-elect Donald Trump’s electoral performance with a range of minorities — from Latinos in the Rio Grande Valley to Arab Americans in Dearborn, Michigan, to South Asians in Edison, New Jersey to African Americans in the Bronx — was so surprising.

For years, we’ve been fed an image of these groups that erases the reality that all human beings are individuals first and foremost.

The Jewish community in Georgia, which is concentrated around the capital region of Atlanta, is not defined solely by the political positions of organizations like AIPAC — which has long claimed to speak for American Jews and how they feel about the U.S.-Israel relationship. Instead, the Jewish community here in the Peach State and across the country has been vigorously debating American and Israeli policy for the past year just as much as any other group — maybe even more so.

It’s time to stop treating Jews as a monolith because it’s time to stop treating any ethnic or religious group as a monolith. The beauty of the human condition is that we each individually possess minds that lead us to different places. Denying that condition is denying our dignity.

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Read the full letter below:

We want to sincerely thank Senators Ossoff and Warnock for their continuous unwavering support of a strong US-Israel relationship.

Their vote, on the joint resolutions of disapproval on sales of specific offensive weapons to the Netanyahu government, sent a strong symbolic message representing a growing portion of the American Jewish community that believes that the US-Israel relationship should be grounded in our laws, national security interests and shared values.

The Senators are true friends of Israel that have consistently voted in favor of American security assistance to Israel - playing an instrumental role in delivering over $13 billion this year alone - including critical supplemental assistance after October 7th. They have repeatedly stood by Israel in its right to defend itself against the real security threats that the country continues to face.

This was not a vote to delay or cut aid to Israel and did not pertain to US support for Israel’s defensive capabilities.

We are disappointed by those that seek to cast this vote as anything but a message of concern for the future of Israel, and for regional stability, security and peace.

Their vote of disapproval was one of true allyship and we thank them for their courage.

The current signatories below represent a broad swath of our Metro Atlanta Jewish Community - including clergy, Jewish professionals, board members, and lay leaders in synagogues, camps, nonprofit organizations and beyond.

Robert Abraham, Marietta GA

Elaine B. Alexander, Atlanta GA

Planned Parenthood Southeast

Paige Alexander, Atlanta GA ADL Southeast Board

David Alexander, Atlanta GA Shalom Care, The Temple

Lisa Adler, Atlanta GA

Michal Arbilly, Decatur GA

Larry Auerbach, Atlanta GA

Kathleen Barksdale, Atlanta GA

Mara Block, Decatur GA

Dr. Naomi Bock, Decatur GA

Lily Brent, Atlanta GA

Former Executive Director, Repair the World

Atlanta

Past Board Member, NCJW Atlanta Section

Past Steering Committee Member, AJC

Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition

2019 Atlanta Jewish Times 40 under 40

Clara Camber, Atlanta GA

J Street U Founder, University of Virginia

Writer, Hey Alma

Fellow, Repair the World

Elizabeth Cohen, Decatur GA

Peter Cohen, Atlanta GA

Shira Concool, Smyrna GA

Steve Darnowsky, Lawrenceville GA

Leah Davis, Atlanta GA

Marni Davis, Atlanta GA

Danilelle Dezell, Atlanta GA

Program Chair, Ma’alot

Teacher, APS

Irina Dmitriyev, Atlanta GA

Prof. Rick Doner, Atlanta GA

James Dricker, Smyrna GA

Retired Jewish Educational Director

Jeff Dworetz, Johns Creek GA

Gail Evans, Atlanta GA

Georgia Public Broadcasting

Georgia Women’s Forum

Emory Brain Health Center

Gary Flack, Atlanta GA

Gil Frank, Atlanta GA

Madeleine Frey, Atlanta GA

Board Co-President, Georgia WAND

Co-Owner, Atlanta Soul

Andy Friedberg, Atlanta GA

Beryl Fulmer, Marietta, GA

Dana Goldman, Atlanta GA

Rebekka Goldsmith, Atlanta GA

Director of Music and Spiritual Arts, CBH

Nancy Gorod, Atlanta GA

Jewish Educator

Past Education Director, Congregation

Shearith Israel

Randy Gorod, Atlanta GA

Braden Greenbaum, Atlanta GA

Eli Gruber, Atlanta

Josh Guss, Atlanta GA

John Haines, Athens GA

Lauren Haines, Athens GA

Former National President, J Street U

Midwest VP, J Street U

Robin Harpak, Decatur GA

Rebecca Harvey, Woodstock GA

MH Hillman, Atlanta GA

Atlanta Jewish Women’s Fund

Former Chair & Current Board Member,

Lilith

Lyra Hudson, Atlanta GA

President, CBH Gender Diversity Va’ad

Kiki Jenkins, Atlanta GA

Michelle Jenny, Decatur GA

Tammy Kadish-Harper, Roswell GA

Emily Kaiman, Atlanta GA

Former Board, MACoM

Deputy Director of Jewish Communal

Engagement, J Street

Brian Kaplan, Atlanta GA

Dr. Dolores Katz, Brookhaven GA

Jeanney Kutner, Atlanta GA

Sarah Lashinsky, Atlanta GA

Co-Founder, Moishe House Cabbagetown

Judy Lev Aranson, Atlanta GA

Bertram Levy, Woodstock GA

Bonnie Levine, Atlanta GA

Interim Music Director, AA and CBH

Ritual Chair, CBH

Board Member, Ahava

Executive Secretary, Access and AJMF

David Minkin, Atlanta GA

Glenda Minkin, Atlanta GA

Danya Maloon, Alpharetta GA

Co-Director, In the City Camps

Romy Maloon, Atlanta GA

Elizabeth Marks, Decatur GA

Katrina Mashmurn, Atlanta GA

Denise McLaughlin, Atlanta GA

Past President, Congregation Shearith

Israel

Former Board Member and Officer, Planned

Parenthood of Atlanta

Robbie Medwed, Atlanta GA

Nola Miller, Atlanta GA

Patty Nathan, Atlanta GA

Volunteer, GA Democrats and Fair Fight

Cheryl Rafshoon, Atlanta GA

Prof. Ellen Rafshoon, Brookhaven GA

Joseph Rafshoon, Brookhaven GA

Scott Rafshoon, Brookhaven GA

Natanya Robinowitz, Atlanta GA

Jessica Ronco, Decatur GA

Shelley Rose, Decatur GA

Chaplain Janet Ross, Atlanta Georgia

Rina Rosenberg, Decatur GA

Rabbi Michael Rothbaum, Atlanta GA

Temple Beth David of Gwinnett County

Lindsey Saripkin, Atlanta GA

Prof. Emeritus Jonathan Schneer, Decatur

GA

Barbara Seligman, Atlanta GA

Jake Selwood, Decatur GA

Philip Serebrenick, Atlanta GA

Jaqueline Sherman, Brookhaven GA

Synagogue Treasurer

Diana Silverman, Decatur GA

Zachary Singer, Atlanta GA

Executive Board, Adair Park Today Inc.

Stacy Spector, Atlanta GA

Sarah Stein, Decatur GA

Former Board, Invest Atlanta

Joe Sterling, Marietta GA

J Street Georgia Steering Committee

Beth G. Sugarman, Atlanta GA

Past President, NCJW Atlanta

Founding Board Member, The Breman

Past Board Member NCJW National, JFGA,

Temple Sinai, The Cohen Home

Dr. Edward Sugarman, Atlanta GA

Past President, Temple Sinai

Pam Sugarman, Atlanta GA

Dr. Shannon Sugarman, Atlanta GA

Dr. Cedric Suzman

Judith Taylor, Atlanta GA

Chuck Taylor, Atlanta GA

Elaine Taylor-Klaus, Atlanta GA

Guy Tessler, Atlanta GA

Robin Tolchko, Atlanta GA

Founding Builder, Ma’alot

Prof. Daniel Weissman, Decatur GA

Alice Wertheim, Dunwoody GA

Kara Wexler, Atlanta GA

Martha Whitman, Snellville GA

Dr. Steven Wolf, Atlanta GA

McKenzie Wren, Atlanta GA

Synagogue President, CBH

Dr. Elaine Zitomer, Smyrna GA

Refugee Committee, Ahavath Achim

Member, Cobb County Democrats

Dotan Zebrowitz Harpak, Decatur GA

Past Board Member, AJMF

Past Committee Member, URJ Henry S

Jacobs Camp

Former JFNA Staff

Sarah Zoloth, Tucker GA