Biased Piece by Jewish Men's Club

The FJMC event supposedly focused on family, attracting younger members, fighting antisemitism, supporting Israel, and other non-political topics. However, reporting out of the event was anything but.  An article published in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency newsletter and then shamelessly republished in the Washington Jewish Week highlighted disparaging remarks from FJMC members, use of “Hitler” and “Nazi book burning” references, support for the sexually graphic version “Diary of Anne Frank”, and attacks on all conservatives and Republicans.

As a fellow Jew, and the new MCGOP Jewish Community Liaison, I was stunned and disheartened by the hateful energy expended by FJMC members.  What follows is my letter to the FJMC President regarding the event:

Mr. Alan Budman

Intl. President

Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs

300 E. Lombard Street, Suite 840

Baltimore, MD 21202

Dear Mr. Budman,

I am writing to express my concern with the coverage the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC) received during your June conference in Philadelphia. I’m specifically talking about the July 5, Jewish Telegraphic Agency article, “What Happened When a Jewish Group and Moms for Liberty Shared a Conference Hotel”, which was shamelessly republished in the Washington Jewish Week.

As a fellow Jew, I consider the piece, and the many direct quotes from your members quite disturbing, and yet often comical. First attacking the national group Moms for Liberty (M4L) by calling them “Hitler supporters”.  Really?  I like to reserve my “Hitler” references for the worst of the worst, and M4L ain’t it.   

Then bad-mouthing prominent GOP leaders (Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Donald Trump) attending the conference, all of whom have solid track records on supporting Israel and Jews. Much more supportive in fact then their Democrat counterparts.

Finally, your chatty members disparaged the entire M4L event because your gathering of 400 seemingly intolerant Jews, in Philadelphia to “kibbitz, kvetch and nosh”, does not respect the political affiliation and conservative views of the participants.  Views on national issues such as U.S.-Israel relations, Iran nuclear deal, crime, inflation, critical race theory, and more which directly impact the Jewish community.

Instead, the FJMC membership decided to collectively fall on their swords in defending elementary/middle school student access to the sexually graphic version of “The Diary of Anne Frank”?  Clearly not the version my class had the honor of reading back in the early ‘70s.  Instead, your members stated that banning this sexually graphic version to those below high school level is comparable to Nazi book burnings – and this upsets your Holocaust survivor members.  Do you folks understand what you are saying?  Or were the knishes that good in Philadelphia that it fogged your collective minds?  

This is on top of the flat-out statement that the FJMC does not endorse the M4L, its leadership, or the sentiments that they or their speakers may express during their conference.  Kind of flies in the face of your faux b’tzelem elohim statement – “in God’s image and deserving of loving-kindness, respect and dignity”….unless of course you are conservative or Republican.      

Admittedly, my favorite part of the article was the description of 50 FJMC members, probably with Matzah in hand, off for a “journey” near the hotel. No doubt Moses and the Israelites were safer on their 40-year Sinai journey!  Thankfully the police did escort your members as Democrat run Philadelphia is not safe, and your members would have made easy pickings and the nightly news.  Almost like taking a walking tour near your FJMC headquarters in Democrat run Baltimore, it would not end well.

On a local note, here in Rockville, Maryland there have been growing protests by citizens opposed to the Montgomery County Board of Education’s policy of refusing to honor parent’s religious rights to opt-out their kids from sexualized education in elementary schools. Asians, Africans, Europeans, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and others have come out in force together. M4L members too!  See link to latest rally:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngdCzYe7Ddo

Not one elected Democrat at the federal, state, or local level has supported our fellow citizen protesters.  Instead, a local Democrat official verbally attacked the protesters calling them “White Supremacists” and “Zionist Jews”. The Muslims and Ethiopian Christians were not pleased!  FJMC have anything to add to this issue?

I would suggest that your members keep their powder dry for more pressing issues and players impacting the Jewish community instead of worrying about M4L. How about Biden’s support for a suicidal two-state solution, his continued refusal to meet with Netanyahu, and his support for a nuclear Iran; growing BDS actions against Israel in the U.S. (think college campuses and the American Anthropological Association) and globally (do your members know that Florida Governor DeSantis took action against BDS?); financial institutions targeting Israel (Morgan Stanley, Morningstar); Democrats in Congress opposing Jews and Israel (Tlaib, Omar, Jayapal and other BLM/Antifa supporters; violence targeting Religious Jews in Democrat cities across America, etc.

Be well. Next year in Jerusalem, not Philadelphia or Baltimore.

__________

Brad Botwin is an At Large Member and Jewish Community Liaison of the Montgomery County Republican Party