Hillsborough County Democratic Party Jewish Caucus

Author: Pam Fisher

  • Sinai and the Ethics of Liberation

    Sinai and the Ethics of Liberation

    Rabbi Phil Cohen

    Phil Cohen, PhD is Rabbi to Congregation Beth Israel. Sun City Center, Florida. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Dickinson College, a Master’s Degree in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College and was ordained in 1983 from the Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion, in New York. After rabbinical school, he attended Brandeis University in Massachusetts, where he received a Ph.D. in Near Eastern/Judaic studies with a specialty in Jewish thought. 

    Rabbi Cohen has served and taught congregations, churches and other houses of worship across the country to broaden and deepen the interfaith community. He is also an award-winning author. He has authored more than twenty published stories, dozens of articles and papers and of the eBook Lucky 13. He blogs for The Times of Israel, as well as at his website, philmcohen.com. He writes flash fiction, short stories, novels, as well as all things clergy write.

    One of my favorite moments in the book of Exodus is the beginning of the Ten Commandments. Three months after liberation, the Israelites find themselves at the foot of Mount Sinai. This ragtag band of former slaves has been granted freedom, but freedom without form or substance. They need direction, and that is what they are about to receive.

    These are God’s opening words, the preamble to the law that follows:
    “I am the Eternal your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of
    bondage.”

    These words are not yet a commandment; they are the moral foundation for all commandments to come. They define the relationship between God and Israel: I am your Liberator, God says. From that moment on, two truths take root deep within the Jewish soul.

    First, you know that your freedom is not self-made; it is a gift from God. Second, you understand the pain of the lash. Many of you still bear its marks on your backs. Many more carry invisible scars. And because of that centuries-long experience of oppression, you know, instinctively and indelibly, that you must build a world in which the lash is never raised again. Your ethics are born of suffering; your compassion is your inheritance. That moral knowledge, etched into your very DNA, will live within you and your descendants forever.

    Out of that Sinai experience flow the values that form the heart of the Jewish tradition. I offer five for reflection:

    1.Tzedek, tzedek tirdof – “Justice, justice shall you pursue.”
    The repetition of tzedek is intentional. It tells us that justice must be pursued not only as an end but also through just means. Justice is not optional; it is the very engine of covenantal life.

    2.Tzelem Elohim – Every person created in the divine image.
    This is Judaism’s most radical gift to civilization: that every human being carries within them a spark of divinity. To be created in God’s image means no one can be reduced to race, class, or category. All distinctions of power are secondary to the sacred equality of human worth.

    3. Lo ta‘amod al dam re‘echa – “Do not stand idly by while your neighbor
    bleeds.”
    We are forbidden to be bystanders. Moral passivity is not an option. This verse demands civic engagement, the courage to act when others are in danger or distress.

    4. Pikuach nefesh – The saving of life.
    In Jewish law, saving a life transcends all other commandments. Every observance, even Shabbat itself, yields before the imperative to preserve life. This principle has guided Jewish involvement in medicine, rescue, and humanitarian relief across the ages.

    5. Love the stranger, the widow, and the orphan, for you were strangers in
    Egypt.
    This injunction appears thirty-six times in the Torah, more than any other command. It
    reaches back to the moment at Sinai, reminding us that our empathy is born of memory. Because we remember the taste of bondage, we are commanded to use our freedom to defend those who have none.

    These five values translate naturally into the civic and political sphere because they are values of action. They call us to build a society that welcomes the stranger, pursues justice, refuses to stand idly by, and places human life above all else. We do this because we know ourselves as a people once enslaved, now free, and because we believe that within every human being glows the same divine spark.

    Rabbi Phil Cohen

  • Are we there yet?

    Are We There Yet?

    Dr. Fredric K Weiss DDS

    Fredric Weiss, DDS is a retired dentist educated at Penn State University and Temple University School of Dentistry and a 4 th generation Philadelphian. He spent 20 years in the U.S. Army and attained the rank of Major. He has been an active member of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) for over 50 years and served as the Pennsylvania Wing Commander and as National Finance Chair. He remains a member of a Masonic Lodge that both his father and grandfather belonged to. Prior to relocating to Tampa, he was elected Supervisor for Lower Makefield Township in suburban Philadelphia. Service has been in his blood, as he watched his great grandparents establish The Romanian Hebrew Beneficial Society in Philadelphia to help Romanian refugees succeed in American at the beginning of the last century.

    It’s summer 2025. Florida’s weather is hot, humid, and the rain is falling as I write this article.  It’s a good time to sit in my air-conditioned home and think about the coming year.

    On the national front, Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” passed both houses of Congress and he gleefully signed it on the 250th birthday of our great democracy.   How ironic.  The wealthy get “Big Beautiful” tax cuts and more giveaways on the backs of the middle class, working poor, disabled and elderly.  And while the President and the Republican party tout all the benefits for those very constituents, it’s no more than smoke and mirrors. Tips and overtime?  It’s been misrepresented as a tax cut when in fact it is simply a small tax deduction with significant exclusions.  A one-time increase in the standard deduction for the elderly?  That’s not the same as “no tax on Social Security” they promised.  But misinformation has been their game all along and they are masters at it.

    SNAP, used to feed millions of children? Cut.  Medicaid that covers health care for the disabled and those who earn so little in jobs that they qualified for coverage under the program, nursing home care for the elderly?   Cut. The scalpel used in the Medicaid budget is larger than their actual budget today!  The rural hospitals that depend on Medicaid reimbursements?  Closed.  And the national deficit will rise by about $3.7 trillion.  All these so billionaires can buy more yachts, host more million-dollar weddings, or gift their spouse  30-carat diamonds?

    Our “safety nets”, created decades ago by both parties are being decimated and will be gone.   And this bill ensures cuts in Social Security in 7 years. Of course, the bill will permit energy companies to purchase millions of acres of national forest and park land for exploitation.   And the bill gives tax incentives to coal producers while simultaneously cutting off all green energy programs.  You want clean water and air?  The other side calls those “liberal talking points.”  So, thank you, Republicans for once again pledging your allegiance to the wealthy, and certainly not to our flag.

    On the international front, the president still talks of taking Greenland, going to war with Iran, and turning Gaza into the next Trump Golf and Beach resort. He maligns every global pact with our allies: climate accords, NATO, Iran nuclear oversight, Russian sanctions, help for Ukraine, and all past alliances. New tariffs? After 6 months in office, Trump has no agreements in place.  Note that his braggadocious statements about all the tariff revenues are simply revenues from tariffs we’ve had in place already from past administrations.   

    Then there is our new war on “Illegals”.  Alligator Alcatraz was just completed at a taxpayer cost of $450 Million.  Imagine if those funds were used to fix our immigration system, including reasonable wait times for visas (note that the current wait time for a Colombian to come to this country legally is 900 days) and create/implement an amnesty program  for citizenship for those undocumented residents who have NO criminal record and have already contributed to our country by paying taxes and buying our goods? It is difficult to comprehend what these unfortunate detainees are going through right now. I am told that conditions in such facilities are horrendous and violate the 4th amendment.  Latinos in Florida are scared. Underground networks are already being created to protect our hard-working neighbors but there are still hundreds in the El Salvador gulag and many more in the swampland of Florida.    What have we become as a nation when we allow masked men to simply grab people off the street because they “look illegal” and throw them into detention?  It sounds chillingly familiar to a time period almost 100 years ago in a different continent.

    As a Democrat, and as a Jewish American, I am heartbroken. It is impossible to see and hear what is going on and not be, unless you are heartless and have no understanding of human decency or basic economics!  The cost of these raids, the loss of farm and factory workers, the payment to these masked vigilantes stuns me.  Who are we?

    In Judaism, one of our core tenets is Tikkun Olam – healing the world.  How is that possible when we are fighting among ourselves instead of finding solutions to fix what’s broken?  As Jews, we have a long history in this country to stand up for our rights and the rights of all marginalized communities. We fight for all Americans, and those that wish to be part of this great country.  We don’t care about where we come from, or who we love, or what we look like. We believe in equal opportunity. We remove barriers, not create them!

    As we enter our 250th year as a nation, I think it’s time we stop petty squabbles and start working together.  The fires are already burning, and we need to extinguish them before it’s too late.  We can work together. We must work together. It’s time to find those who will step up and support our goals, as the midterms are only a year away.  We are a nation of many, made into one people. Some want us to forget that, to change it by force. It is time to reform our alliances and move forward together. We must succeed.

    Fred Weiss

  • Passover 202

    Passover 2025

    Stephen Shaiken

    Stephen Shaiken is an attorney and author. He has written extensively on Constitutional issues. He has litigated scores of Constitutional questions in federal appellate courts and is a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar

    PASSOVER 2025

    First things first: I wish everyone a “Zissan Pesach.”

    We Jews have been celebrating this holiday of Passover for thousands of years.

    We are well aware that the Passover story is about freedom and a promise kept to us to have Israel forever if we accepted the Torah. We did, and it happened, though it was a rocky road getting there again, and it hasn’t been particularly smooth as of late.

    Our identification with Israel, diverse as it may be is central to our identity. It is also central to many of the sicknesses that plague us. The conflicts over the Gaza War have been felt everywhere, including here in Hillsborough County, where antisemitism has divided and roiled our party, though it doesn’t seem to have slowed the growth of this caucus is any way.

    We end every seder with “Next year in Jerusalem,” which was a prayer and hope for thousands of years, a reality today. We still say it, because the notion of Jerusalem and Israel are more than just a physical locations; they are also an integral part of a history of beliefs, ideals, and teachings.

    While the story of the promise of Israel, and of course, freedom from bondage, are generally well known, what is less recognized is the historic commitment to the rights of immigrants which we learned from the time in Egypt. Indeed, the Torah mentions immigrants 36 times, more than any other topic.

    At our last general meeting, we explained the meaning of Passover to our guests and to non-Jewish members of our caucus. We highlighted the commands to be just and fair to immigrants, to embrace and love them. I’m repeating some of them here.

    (Those of you with eagle eyes and razor-sharp memories may note that the translations here are slightly different than those used at the meeting. That’s because just as Bob Dylan never plays a song the same way, I have to do the same when it comes to Biblical translations. 🙂 )

    So here are four of the 36 references the Torah makes to immigrants, commanding Jews to treat them the way we want to be treated. The way all people are entitled to be treated:

    Exodus 23:9– You shall not oppress the stranger, because you know the heart of a stranger, having been strangers in the land of Egypt.”

    Deuteronomy 10:18- “He (G-d) defends the cause of the orphan and the widow, and loves the foreigner living among you, giving him food and clothing.”

    Deuteronomy 24:17-“Do not deprive the orphan or immigrant of justice, do not allow the widow to be impoverished.”

    Leviticus 24:22- “You shall have one standard of justice for citizen and foreigner alike, for I am the Lord your G-d.”

    Enjoy your seders!

    Am Yisrael Chai

    Stephen Shaiken, President

    Hillsborough County Democratic Party Jewish Caucus

  • Maintaining Your Mental Health in the Time of Trump

    Maintaining Your Mental Health in the Time of Trump

    Marlene R. Bloom, PH. D.

    Marlene Bloom has worked as a licensed psychologist for over 30 years.  She specializes in treating children, working within the foster care system, and working with parents to address family challenges.  Dr. Bloom is also an active Democrat, engaging in advocacy for social justice and for electing Democrats locally.  As the politics of our country have deteriorated, Dr. Bloom has increasingly focused on addressing the mental health needs of our Democratic activists and concerned citizens as we all cope with the stress of the current environment. She recently started an Instagram account where you can check out her feed for daily tips on coping with anxiety, depression, anger, or whatever emotion you are having in reaction to the governmental chaos – it’s called ResistancePsychologist.

    Many of us care deeply about our country and our fellow citizens. Consequently, what is happening in this country is very scary and stressful. The combination of a terrible government and changes to the ways we get our news can cause distress like some of us have never before experienced. We may feel bombarded by scary news in a way that is frequent, chronic, and seemingly never-ending. But, if we are going to survive this AND maintain our capacity to fight back, we have to figure out how to live in a healthy manner despite the nonsense in our government. Here are four tips for managing stress in this time:


    1. Ground yourself in the present. Most of us have not experienced change in our lives. Notice the things around you and remind yourself that they are the same. Literally look at your feet on the floor in your house. It is the same as always. Look around you at your home, the outdoors, your pets – whatever is soothing and normal.


    2.Remember to breathe. When you feel anxious, take a few slow breaths to settle yourself. Physiological breathing is particularly helpful – take a big breath in, pause, take in a little more air, then blow it all out.


    3.Manage your consumption of news. If you expose yourself to news all the time, you will feel anxious all the time. Consider scheduling a time for news each day. The rest of the day, stay off social media or television/computer news sources. Nothing will happen that needs your attention immediately.


    4.Watch your use of social media. It can be insidious in the way it frames things to increase anxiety levels. Treat is like other news – set aside specific time to view social media, and resist the temptation to check in throughout the day.
    There are also a few online resources that can help you cope. Look for apps that help with mindfulness exercises (CALM is one of them). Consider getting the daily email from Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Craven – it is usually filled with GOOD news and ideas for ways to fight back positively. If you’re on Instagram, my own account is called ResistancePsychologist and has a daily tip for coping.

    Marlene R. Bloom, Ph.D.

  • What It Means When We Say the Jewish Caucus Operates on Consensus

    What It Means When We Say the Jewish Caucus Operates on Consensus

    Stephen Shaiken

    Stephen Shaiken is an attorney and author. He has written extensively on Constitutional issues. He has litigated scores of Constitutional questions in federal appellate courts and is a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar

    You’ll sometimes hear me or one of the other officers or board members say that “we operate on consensus.” What exactly does this mean, and why is it good for our caucus?

    Operating on consensus means we don’t simply take a vote and the majority wins. Instead, we seek a path where everyone’s views are respectfully considered, and the final determination reflects this. It is quite common for something one or more members say to cause a change of position of another; it’s happened to me several times, both ways.

    We have a board that is diverse and experienced, within and without the political party process. Every one of us has something to say and all are worth hearing from.

    We currently have twelve board members, and we’ve been carrying at least ten or eleven for quite some time. That allows us to consider a wide range of views, each representing more than the speaker.

    Being a board member is a serious responsibility, requiring considerable time and energy, but it’s well worth it to be able to work with such an outstanding group.

    When we have an issue, and it could be anything from budget to programs and events, or formulating an endorsement process or a membership drive, It goes on the agenda. A board member with knowledge will explain the issues, and we open up the floor for discussion. Every board member gets the chance to weigh in, and miraculously, we always know when it is time to vote on what has clearly won the consensus.

    This method results in deciding something after hearing the best arguments for all sides. Even if someone is the sole advocate for a position, they have the assurance that their idea was considered and discussed fully. (I’ve been there a few times.)

    The majority of the board members have served for over two years, and in our almost three years history, only one board member has ever resigned, so we must be doing something right!

    Our board meets monthly. We maintain minutes, and they will shortly be available for all members to access online. Members are free to reach out to officers and board members when they have questions or suggestions, and indeed, are encouraged to do so.

    Our committees also operate on consensus. The Membership Committee, the ad hoc committees that are formed for special events like the Hanukkah party, incorporate the same principles.

    Reaching consensus means being respectful of all views, being able to understand one can moderate or change their views when it achieves good results, and accepting the notion that unity is preferable to winner-take-all.

    Maybe operating on consensus is why our caucus continues to grow in terms of members, finances, and influence. Everyone feels at home. If our party can do the same, we are going to start winning again.

    Am Yisrael Chai,

    Stephen Shaiken, President

    Hillsborough County Democratic Party Jewish Caucus

  • Greetings from South Africa

    Greetings from South Africa

    Stephen Shaiken

    Stephen Shaiken is an attorney and author. He has written extensively on Constitutional issues. He has litigated scores of Constitutional questions in federal appellate courts and is a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar

    I am writing from Cape Town, South Africa, where I am visiting friends, attending a wedding, and touring. We spent time in Johannesburg and will be off for the Bush in a few days. I’ve been to this beautiful country several times before. Most of the people I know here are Jewish.

    A Jewish population of several hundred thousand has dropped to a disputed figure of between 50,000 and 75,000 in a nation of 65 million. The remaining Jews are those with little intention or ability to immigrate. (Living on the rand affords a rather pleasant existence, but converted into hard currency, not even close.) It’s almost impossible for a Jewish South African to be hired by the national government or most private businesses, so most Jews are either professionals or businesspeople, and live on a scale far above the average South African. (Or most of us, as well!).

    The remaining Jewish community is quite closeknit, and for the most part have been here for a very long time. It seems that whether in Johannesburg or Cape Town, every Jew knows all the others, though I know that can’t be true. I do keep running into the same people wherever I go.

    Most Jews in South Africa, like most Jews in Israel, will tell you they are affiliated with the Orthodox branch of our religion. (The wedding I attended was Reform, it was well attended, and no one seemed to care.) Like our Israeli co-religionists, South African Jews concede they really don’t practice any form of Judaism all that diligently, but the branch they choose to not follow is Orthodox. There is a much higher degree of some adherence to kashrut than among most American Jews, and when it comes to rituals, it is Orthodox all the way. (Don’t plan on being cremated around here, and most Jews celebrate Shabbat in some degree.)

    Despite the vehement government screeds against “Zionists” (read that “Jews”) most South Africans are not antisemites and millions of Black Africans are “Christian Zionists” who regularly demonstrate in support of Israel. The ANC has worked hard to stir up hatred between the local Muslims populations in Joburg, Durban and Cape Twon, but it has not been as long standing and as disruptive as the campus riots and street protests, we saw here in the US. Jews and Muslims interact on a daily basis, and with the government out of the way, it’s not problematic.

    Synagogues, Jewish Community Centers, Day Schools, Yeshivas, kosher restaurants and entire Jewish neighborhoods are flourishing in Cape Town and Joburg. Seeing Orthodox Jews heading off to shul for morning or evening services or Shabbat is a common site in both cities. The ANC are officially communists and atheists who generally ignore all religions.

    I’ve observed differences between Jewish life in Johannesburg (Joburg) versus Cape Town, and it has to do with more than the physical beauty of Cape Town versus the urban decay of Joburg. Crime and violence in Johannesburg are beyond anything we American can imagine, on top of pot holes big enough to swallow a car, no public transit, and a police force that spends more time committing crimes than solving them. No matter how successful or affluent one might be, that danger rules just about every action of every day in Johannesburg.

    Cape Town, on the other hand, is really not much different than any major world class city, there is a functioning and excellent public transit system, a functioning and generally honest police force, and the infrastructure is well-maintained. One can walk around Cape Town all week without fear. (As with any big city, one quickly learns which areas to avoid or be watchful in, and they are exceptionally easy to avoid entirely.)

    The Cape region is unique in that it has never been governed by the communist-leaning, terrorist-supporting African National Congress. Even though Jews were the most outspoken opponents of apartheid, it has not helped them one iota a with the ANC, which has ruled and ruined South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. Fortunately, the Cape has always rejected those fools and elected the Democratic Alliance (DA), a multi-racial coalition that has been in power for over thirty years, and the difference between their governance and the corrupt and incompetent ANC is there for all to see. (South Africans may be wising up, as in last year’s election, for the first time the ANC failed to gain a majority, and formed a Government of National Unity with the DA. Thus far, it’s been a struggle between DA members trying to actually run the country, and ANC members trying to steal as much as they can and punish all enemies, real and perceived.)

    It has been disappointing to hear almost all south African Jews express support for Donald Trump, and general disdain for Presidents Obama and Biden, as well as Vice President Harris. Smart and as generally well-informed as these South African Jews are, they express astonishment when I call up the past on my I-Phone and prove to them it was Barack Obama who first gave Israel Iron Dome, and it was Joe Biden who beefed it up. They truly believe it was given and improved by Trump in his last term, and it is quite a shock to their systems to learn the truth. While the right-wing Jewish Press here trumpets the 19 Democratic Senators who voted to cut off aid to Israel, and regularly denounces miscreants like Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, few South African Jews have an appreciation of the impact of White Christian Nationalism on the GOP. They’d never heard that Trump threatened Jews who voted for Harris with a “talking to.”

    Most pointedly, I’ve often asked these Jews if they would support for President a person who a judge found had been convicted of rape (as occurred with former President Jacob Zuma, whom they despise) or a person who had dinner with Kanye West (they all know of his Jew hatred.) The answer is always “no,” and I ask “So why would you expect me to vote for such a person in my country?” They do understand, but I’m not sure it moves any minds. When I ask how they feel about Trump pardoning thugs who wore Nazi themes shirts and waved swastikas, they sheepishly look down and mutter how terrible it is. “And he thinks Europe needs Nazis in government,” I add, as many squirm.

    I have observed that the younger the South African Jew, the more likely they are to feel as we do. They read more than the right wing local Jewish press and its US counterparts and have traveled to America and gotten to know American Jews. They understand that Trump did not get nearly half the votes of American Jews as falsely reported here, or fully grasp that most of us loathe him, and the GOP has as many antisemites, if not more, than our party. I explain that the difference is that we Dems fight antisemitism wherever we see it, whereas the Republicans see it simply as a tool to get votes by saying things they don’t mean. and sometimes appealing to Jew haters.

    It is understandable why Jews living in a country where the national government supports Hamas, hates Israel, will not allow a Jew to captain a national sports team or hold any sort of important government position, would look towards a person who on the surface opposes all of this. I tell them I can understand this, but Donald Trump is not that person.

    Nevertheless, these political differences have no impact on the warmth, kindness and openness of South African Jews. I’ve found that despite their lip service to Orthodoxy there is virtually no anti-LBGTQ+ sentiment (this nation, despite its many problems, is advanced in that area.) No one cares that Josie, my wife, is a Filipino Jew by choice, converted by a non-Orthodox beit din, and no one seems at all bothered by the fact that one friend’s family member will be married in a Hindu ceremony on Bali. (Though surely followed by a rabbinic marriage upon return.) I never hear racial epithets or disparagement, and no one holds every Black person responsible for the failed ANC rule and are encouraged by the increasing support the DA is gaining from all races.

    When all is said and done, it’s not easy being a Jew in south Africa, and those that have survived and even flourished make us proud.

    So, my friends, on those days when we think we have it tough, give a thought to how lucky we are to be living in this nation, and how hard we must work to keep it that way!

    Stephen Shaiken

  • Neville Chamberlain Lives

    Neville Chamberlain Lives

    Alan Cohn

    Alan M. Cohn is a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist, former Democratic Nominee for Congress in FL-15, and a member of the Hillsborough County Democratic Party Jewish Caucus.

    We live by the motto “Never Again,” a lesson ingrained in our consciousness by the Holocaust. There’s also Winston Churchill’s famous quote, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

    But here we are.

    Neville Chamberlain has gone down in history for his tragic miscalculation that if you appease an aggressor, you can keep the peace. His sin was naivety. Today, the miscalculation and sin are more ominous.

    For 80 years, NATO has saved the world from the Soviets and their successors. It was NATO that came to our defense after 9/11. “An attack on one is an attack on all,” says Article 5 of the NATO Charter.

    But now, we’ve given our allies the shaft and hitched our wagon to Russia. Why Trump is so deferential to Putin remains a mystery, But the implications are clear. We’ve abdicated our role as leaders of the free world. It’s not that Trump and Vance have failed to learn from history; it’s because they mistake authoritarianism for strength.

    Ukraine isn’t part of NATO, and Americans are understandably tired of endless wars over dubious claims like weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

    We don’t have boots on the ground in Ukraine. All Ukraine has ever asked for are the tools it needs to fight for themselves.

    We support Ukraine because it’s the right thing to do and because it’s in our self-interest.

    The character assassination of President Zelensky is grotesque. He’s a Jew. His grandfather fought the Nazis. His relatives died in the Holocaust. He’s trying to save his country, damn it. The fact he’s being impugned by those who’ve never served, fought, or accomplished much of anything is a reflection on them and not him.

    We support Ukraine because Putin has made it clear his goal is to re-assemble the Soviet domination of Europe. So, where do you draw the line? Poland? Which is a member of NATO, and we are bound by treaty to defend it with our boots on the ground and our sons and daughters sacrificing their lives to prevent the march of authoritarianism from reaching our shores.

    Democrats get that. So do Republicans. For 80 years, despite the country’s deep political and partisan divisions, Presidents from both parties have realized this is the existential threat that requires our fidelity to the NATO alliance and, by virtue of it, to our own defense.

    Yet, there are those, including members of Congress, that don’t get that. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) recently posted on X: “Have you ever noticed how for decades now Hollywood always made Russia the bad guy in their movies. It’s like Americans have been programmed to believe Russia must be the enemy at all times.”

    Our relationship with Russia thawed after the end of the Cold War and refroze after Putin invaded Georgia, Chechnya, Moldova, and Ukraine.

    But Marjorie believes Russia got a bad rap.

    The outrage here at home and across the world is lost on many Trump supporters who contend he’s playing four-dimensional chess, and it’s all “art of deal” stuff. I don’t know if they actually believe that, don’t know any better, or are saying that because any divergence from orthodoxy is fatal under current circumstances.

    So, we speak out and stand up because when we stand up for Ukraine and NATO, we stand up for ourselves.

    As the saying goes, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

    Alan Cohn

  • A Jewish Democrat in Ron DeSantis’ Florida

    A Jewish Democrat in Ron DeSantis’ Florida

    Dr. Fredric K Weiss DDS

    Fredric Weiss, DDS is a retired dentist educated at Penn State University and Temple University School of Dentistry and a 4 th generation Philadelphian. He spent 20 years in the U.S. Army and attained the rank of Major. He has been an active member of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) for over 50 years and served as the Pennsylvania Wing Commander and as National Finance Chair. He remains a member of a Masonic Lodge that both his father and grandfather belonged to. Prior to relocating to Tampa, he was elected Supervisor for Lower Makefield Township in suburban Philadelphia. Service has been in his blood, as he watched his great grandparents establish The Romanian Hebrew Beneficial Society in Philadelphia to help Romanian refugees succeed in American at the beginning of the last century.

    Being a member of the Jewish Democratic Caucus in Hillsborough County allows me to feel a sense of warmth and camaraderie with other like-minded, caring individuals. In today’s fractured political landscape, this is now more important than ever. It feels like home and family when I am amongst my fellow Democrats.

    My wife and I moved to Florida five years ago from the (sort of) blue state of Pennsylvania. I took it for granted that finding a community with my belief system would be relatively easy. After all, who doesn’t believe in quality education, universal healthcare, a clean environment, a robust immigration policy and a deep respect for each other, no matter what our beliefs are? I still believe) that these ideals are the right (pardon the pun) way for our state and country to move forward and maintain our democracy. Unfortunately, it seems there are more Floridians (and Americans) that do not share my view.

    Let’s look at what’s happening here…

    Medicaid is being decimated. Healthcare professionals are in short supply. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves. Insurance and housing costs are ridiculous. Food inflation is rising daily (How about those egg prices?) Mortality rates are rising. Diseases we thought were eradicated are now making a comeback. Storm water management is nonexistent. And yet, the Republican majority is gleeful.

    You name it….it’s getting worse, and the hardest hit are ordinary working Americans and the poor. And their voices are drowned out by the uber wealthy who now own our media, and it appears, the White House and the Supreme Court.

    None of this is news to anyone.

    Has our country been here before? We have! And over the last century which party has consistently fixed it all? The Democrats! Which party is trying to take this truth to the public?  Look in the mirror, fellow Dems!  It is because of US that we can continue to fight for a better life for all. “No one left behind” should be shouted from the rooftops. Living wages, strong unions, and a fair tax system should be our rallying cry, consistently and loudly. Voters respond to issues they understand and feel. We cannot help those marginalized communities if we don’t get Democrats elected. So, let’s focus our message! People of all stripes are scared. They don’t know who to listen to. They feel left out and unengaged. Let’s make it our mission to grow the Democratic Party, especially amongst Jews! As Jews, we believe in “repairing the world”. As Democrats, we take that to mean to ensure every person living in this country has a chance to succeed. We assist those in need to give them a helping hand so that they, too can succeed and live “the American dream”. We help to create opportunities to “make it”. We believe in taxing ourselves fairly and ensuring all working Americans can earn a living wage. WE understand it is cheaper to have a well-educated citizen who is productive than to spend our resources to build more prisons. We must continue to advocate for a healthy population instead of letting single payor healthcare option. Would it be perfect? No, but it would be less expensive and less painful than denying basic healthcare like “the other side” wants.

    I see what our President, Governor, and US Senators have done to Florida. I see what a Republican dominated Legislature has done for our state, and I see what a Republican majority Board of County Commissioners is willing to do to us here in Hillsborough County. Their decisions impact everyone. Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow, but ultimately everyone will be impacted by the draconian measures taken by the Republican warlords.

    We do have a better way!  Let’s speak out and be proud. We must stay together and know in our hearts and minds; it does take a village to ensure all of us have a place in this great land of ours.

    Fred Weiss