JPVP Debate | Will America finally confront income inequality?
This summer has placed racial inequality front and center in the American consciousness.
09
Jun
08
Jun
Sandra Lawson (NC): ‘If It Stops Being on the News, People Will Stop Caring’
Rabbi Sandra Lawson serves as Jewish educator and associate chaplain for Jewish life at Elon University near Burlington, North Carolina. Since September, Lawson has been a participant in our Jewish Political Voices Project, where Moment is exploring the views of American Jewish voters in the months leading up to the 2020 presidential election. Moment contributor Dan Freedman spoke with Lawson about the recent events surrounding the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed.
26
Mar
Dan Levin (FL): ‘People Can Die from More than a Virus’
Daniel Levin (50), a Democrat from Boca Raton, FL, is a past president of the southeast region of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and served as a member of the Reform Movement’s Think Tank, a group focused on planning the movement’s future. He has also served on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County.
We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect.
What do you think about the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic?
The federal response has lacked clarity, direction and responsiveness. It is terribly frustrating to know that the administration ignored the early warnings of...
26
Mar
Lou Weiss (PA): ‘Anthony Fauci for President!’
Lou Weiss (63), a Republican from Pittsburgh, PA, grew up a Reform Jew in a “McGovern liberal family” in Pittsburgh. His conservative political views took hold in a college freshman political science class. Today, he belongs to four synagogues. He was president of Congregation Or L’Simcha, the synagogue that merged in 2010 with the Tree of Life congregation. He occasionally writes op-eds for The Wall Street Journal.
We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect.
What do you think about the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic?
Trump steps on the message of any good things that he does. The lack of gloves and masks is a fiasco. It’s...
20
Mar
Michael Ginsburg (VA): ‘We Shouldn’t Pick At Every Little Failure’
Michael Ginsberg (45), a Republican from Centerville, VA is an attorney and aerospace engineer. He is vice president and deputy general counsel for CACI International, an information technology company that contracts with federal defense and intelligence agencies. He is a leader of the Suburban Virginia Coalition, which aims to improve Republican standing in suburban communities that have “taken a hit over the last several cycles.”
We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect.
What do you think about the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic?
I think it got off to a confused and slow start and I think we spent too much time early on downplaying the severity of...
20
Mar
Eliot Strickon (WI): ‘In My Orthodox Community, There Were Still Large Gatherings’
Eliot Strickon (54), a Democrat from Milwaukee, WI, lives in an Orthodox Jewish and African American urban community and serves on his synagogue’s board. He is the child of anthropologists who were students of Margaret Mead, and he describes himself as a Bundist (a secular Jewish socialist movement in the late 1800s and early 1900s). His grandmother joined the hatmakers union in the 1930s. Following in her footsteps, Strickon, his mother and his sister joined teachers’ unions.
We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect.
What do you think about the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic?
I am still amazed, though I should be over it by now, about...
20
Mar
Hannah Rosenthal (WI): ‘This May Well be Trump’s Undoing’
Hannah Rosenthal (68), a Democrat from Madison, WI, originally thought she would follow her father, a 16th-generation rabbi, into the family business. Instead, she became a “professional Jew” and a “professional feminist.” Rosenthal has held a range of political and government roles, including Midwest regional director at the Department of Health and Human Services (Clinton administration) and the U.S. State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism (Obama administration).
We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect.
What do you think about the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic?
I think the federal response has been confusing, late and embarrassing. The president started by calling this pandemic a...
20
Mar
Miriam Laing (FL): ‘We’ve Literally Never Experienced Anything of this Magnitude In Our Lifetimes’
Miriam Laing (50), a Democrat from Lake Worth, FL, has spent most of her career working for nonprofit Jewish organizations. An activist since childhood, she is very involved with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and lives just 32 miles from Parkland, Florida. She believes it is important that her children “understand what it means to be involved in your community and to give back and take responsibility.”
What do you think about the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic?
I think that the federal response has been atrocious. From Trump's denial of a problem, to rejecting testing kits from the World Health Organization, to racist language laying blame for the virus, to Mitch McConnell's long weekend in the midst of a crisis--it’s just shameful.
What do you think about the response in your state/community?
I think the response...
20
Mar
Stephanie Wudarski (PA): ‘I Started to Exhibit Symptoms Myself and Realized How Serious This May Be’
Stephani Wudarski (30), a Democrat from Pittsburgh, PA, does not belong to a synagogue but attends High Holy Day services with her family and went to Israel on Birthright. She works for a managed Medicaid company and has a background treating substance use disorders. She was a passionate supporter of Kamala Harris and volunteered for her campaign until Harris dropped out of the race in December.
We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect.
What do you think about the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic?
The federal response is better late than never. My bar for the Trump administration is pretty low, so on one hand I am...
20
Mar
Janice Weiner (IA): ‘My Community Has Been Working Hard for Weeks to Prepare’
Janice Weiner (61), a Democrat from Iowa City, IA, is president-elect of her synagogue, Agudas Achim, and on its safety committee, an area where she gained expertise while in the Foreign Service. She is very active in the Democratic Party, serving as first vice-chair of the Johnson County Democrats (the “bluest county in Iowa”) and was recently elected to the city council in Iowa City. She also serves on the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council.
We are providing the unfiltered opinions of voters interviewed for this project. Those views are based on their understanding and perception of facts and information from a range of sources. In some cases, that information may be misleading or incorrect.
What do you think about the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic?
I think the federal response is way too little, too late. The lack of...