This interview is part of Moment’s Jewish Political Voices Project. To learn more about the project, click here. To see our other participants, click here. To see all posts from Eva, click here.
Age: 36
Occupation: Rabbinical student and leader of a Humanistic Jewish congregation
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Jewish Denomination: Humanist
2020 Vote: Joe Biden
Current 2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
Family: Married; 4-year-old daughter
News Sources: The New York Times, NPR, Pew Research Center, JTA, Haaretz, Jewish Currents, Autostraddle, The Star Tribune, MinnPost, Sahan Journal, Instagram, Reddit
What is your greatest hope if Harris is elected and greatest fear if Trump wins?
As somebody who identifies as a progressive, I feel like Harris represents the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party. I think she’s a very smart, very competent, and genuinely caring person, a true public servant. And I think she is someone who is committed to a vision of American prosperity and multiculturalism and the kind of positive, forward-looking, amazing things that resonate with people who share my values. My greatest fear about Trump winning is that this country would cease to be a democracy. Basically, we could become like a dictatorship, like a failed democracy, and all of the repressive and terrible stuff that would come with that.
While people can focus too much on a particular candidate’s identity. That can be shallow analytically. Just because someone is a woman or a person of color doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re standing in a meaningful way, or at all, for policies that will be good for women or people of color. But I think the identities she holds—she is a woman of color, a black woman, she’s Indian, she’s South Asian, she’s married to a man who is Jewish—represent a diverse, pluralistic America is a pretty obvious counter to to Trump, to MAGA.
Which candidate do you think would be better for American Jews?
Kamala Harris. Trump and the Republican Party, of which he is the figurehead, are roiling with antisemitic energy. I think the broader Christian nationalist agenda is very much inimical to Jewish-American flourishing. And it’s very troubling to me the way Trump and his close allies are trying to convey that Jewish people should pledge support to the Republican Party and to Trump. And that not doing so is somehow self-hating. The conflation of support for Netanyahu and a particular right-wing agenda in America and Israel is super fraught.
Are you concerned about the future of democracy in the United States and political violence post-election?
I mean, this is a violent country. And looking at our history of violence compared to everywhere else in the world, this is a country where people are always shooting people. And obviously, the recent assassination attempt on Trump is concerning. I do have concerns that there are many MAGA-aligned people, some of whom are in positions of influence, with regard to judging elections and so on, who will not accept the election results.
Are you feeling despondent at times about the election?
Humanistic Judaism places a lot of emphasis on human power and responsibility to make a positive difference in the world. In both my position at the pulpit as a rabbi, where I’m not endorsing any parties or candidates, and speaking as a private citizen, I draw strength and inspiration from this stream of Jewish ideology.