Protesters march in downtown Los Angeles during an anti-Trump “No Kings Day” on June 14, 2025. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
As the ICE protests and then “No Kings” protests consumed Los Angeles, reducing our community yet again to simplistic partisanship, I felt a profound sense of loneliness. As a rabbi who remains open to all, who believes in purple more than red or blue, who loves that “at our community a man who votes for Trump can hold the chuppah poles for a Kamala-supporting lesbian couple at their wedding,” I find the SILENCE by so many of my colleagues like a frost over a hot desert.
It is time that the Jewish community do what it must do — unequivocally condemn evil … against Jews. There have been too many moments when progressive colleagues equivocate or respond to conflict with shifty eyes, waiting to see what others will say before they respond. The attacks on Israel from IRGC who chant “Death to Israel, Death to America” is not a DaVinci code to be solved; it is quite clear, quite true and, sorrowfully, quite vivid this week.
My prayer is that all of us – those who raise their voices for the most marginalized in our midst – from Home Depot to Dodger Stadium – raise them up for Klal Yisrael. My prayer is that those who gather in creative protests against a “King” who maybe just “took out all of his toys knowing what Iran might do after a direct strike to Israel” understand that there are many different ways of seeing the body politic through this time.
My prayer is that those who stage encampments seeking justice for all on college campuses include Israel in their “all.” Most of all, May All of Us recognize that there is only ONE Israel, love her or hate her, and within her controversial borders dwell 10 million people who are traumatized and doing the dirty work for us (never mind that 55 have yet to be returned home from the underworld of Gaza), IRGC is a modern day Amalek, and the people who also need us to march are the Iranian women who desperately need to let their hair down and demand their freedom.
My prayer is for the United States of America and its Jews: May we never know the kind of terror we see through glass in our hands; may we model a heart of curiosity and compassion for the days ahead; and may we never experience the scope of destruction on our own soil.
Above all, may we have the courage to show up for our people the way we show up for the stranger.
Rabbi Lori Shapiro is the founder and artistic director of The Open Temple in Venice.
The tight relationship between Trump and Netanyahu masks the real debate over Israel churning in the Republican Party, and Israel’s standing among Democrats has never been lower.
Some emphasized the importance of combating antisemitism and protecting Jewish safety, while others called for political engagement and cooperation across party lines.
So here we are, stuck with just a few bad options to consider. And that’s just the political superposition of undetermined future – alongside it there’s also the possible – probable? – war with Iran.
At a time when Jewish education is competing for attention in a world dominated by screens, sports, short-form videos and endless streams of content, these easily collectable cards offer a different kind of engagement.
There is little chance that the combination of a weakened Trump and an emboldened Democratic Congress produces similar levels of support for aggressive action against Iran and its proxies, and other policies that a wide spectrum of Israelis see as crucial to their security.
In the diaspora and in Israel, we cannot turn back the clock and undo the harm that was done to us. But we can shape our own future. Israel is strong and resolute. So must we be.
Democrats who were long considered “moderates” or even pro-Israel have been signaling over the course of the last year that they can no longer be relied upon to back a Jewish state under assault by Iran and its terrorist proxies.
The Torah offers a comforting view of a life beyond this life. We aren’t told what it will be exactly — yes, it’s abstract and vague — but we are told it’s waiting for us as it was for Abraham.
For me, the disaster isn’t that Democrats won or Republicans lost. It’s that politicians who demonize Israel, deny Jewish self-determination and explain away antisemitism are finding an increasingly receptive electorate in the world’s most important democracy.
The central issue is not whether Jewish voters should support Democrats or Republicans. It is whether either party can demonstrate that Jewish security, Jewish identity and Jewish self-determination are compatible with its broader political agenda.
Abdul El-Sayed (D-Michigan) becomes first Muslim elected to U.S. Senate, longtime Republican strongholds turn Democratic, and at least five Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates win U.S. House seats.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.
Where Are My Progressive Brethren?
Rabbi Lori Shapiro
As the ICE protests and then “No Kings” protests consumed Los Angeles, reducing our community yet again to simplistic partisanship, I felt a profound sense of loneliness. As a rabbi who remains open to all, who believes in purple more than red or blue, who loves that “at our community a man who votes for Trump can hold the chuppah poles for a Kamala-supporting lesbian couple at their wedding,” I find the SILENCE by so many of my colleagues like a frost over a hot desert.
It is time that the Jewish community do what it must do — unequivocally condemn evil … against Jews. There have been too many moments when progressive colleagues equivocate or respond to conflict with shifty eyes, waiting to see what others will say before they respond. The attacks on Israel from IRGC who chant “Death to Israel, Death to America” is not a DaVinci code to be solved; it is quite clear, quite true and, sorrowfully, quite vivid this week.
My prayer is that all of us – those who raise their voices for the most marginalized in our midst – from Home Depot to Dodger Stadium – raise them up for Klal Yisrael. My prayer is that those who gather in creative protests against a “King” who maybe just “took out all of his toys knowing what Iran might do after a direct strike to Israel” understand that there are many different ways of seeing the body politic through this time.
My prayer is that those who stage encampments seeking justice for all on college campuses include Israel in their “all.” Most of all, May All of Us recognize that there is only ONE Israel, love her or hate her, and within her controversial borders dwell 10 million people who are traumatized and doing the dirty work for us (never mind that 55 have yet to be returned home from the underworld of Gaza), IRGC is a modern day Amalek, and the people who also need us to march are the Iranian women who desperately need to let their hair down and demand their freedom.
My prayer is for the United States of America and its Jews: May we never know the kind of terror we see through glass in our hands; may we model a heart of curiosity and compassion for the days ahead; and may we never experience the scope of destruction on our own soil.
Above all, may we have the courage to show up for our people the way we show up for the stranger.
Rabbi Lori Shapiro is the founder and artistic director of The Open Temple in Venice.
Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.
Editor's Picks
Israel and the Internet Wars – A Professional Social Media Review
The Invisible Student: A Tale of Homelessness at UCLA and USC
What Ever Happened to the LA Times?
Who Are the Jews On Joe Biden’s Cabinet?
You’re Not a Bad Jewish Mom If Your Kid Wants Santa Claus to Come to Your House
No Labels: The Group Fighting for the Political Center
Latest Articles
Rabbis of LA | The Rembaums’ Happy Life Together
Some LA Business Owners and Residents Taking Safety Into Their Own Hands
‘The Israeli in Me Came Out’: At 81, Howard Rosenman Fought His Attackers
Jewish Activist Says She Won’t Be Silenced After Being Attacked at the University of Michigan
A Popular Skewer Recipe
Table for Five: Chayei Sarah
Settling on the Outskirts – A poem for Parsha Chayei Sara
The life of Sara ends with death.
A Moment in Time: Beyond Politics
A Bisl Torah ~ Love at First Hearing
Is attraction based solely on the physical? Or is chemistry based on something deeper?
Why Moses’ Name Is Changed to Menasseh in Judges
Why Israel’s Messy Election Should Worry Washington
The tight relationship between Trump and Netanyahu masks the real debate over Israel churning in the Republican Party, and Israel’s standing among Democrats has never been lower.
Jewish Community Weighs Implications of Democrats’ Midterm Election Victories
Some emphasized the importance of combating antisemitism and protecting Jewish safety, while others called for political engagement and cooperation across party lines.
Print Issue: Election Fever | November 6, 2026
What comes next?
Rosner’s Domain: Weeks of Known Unknowns
So here we are, stuck with just a few bad options to consider. And that’s just the political superposition of undetermined future – alongside it there’s also the possible – probable? – war with Iran.
The Switched Passport: A Lesson in Seeing the Other
That is my hope: that by finding things we can do together, by recognizing each other’s humanity, we might come to see each other more fully.
After the Last Out, Collect a Different Kind of Card
At a time when Jewish education is competing for attention in a world dominated by screens, sports, short-form videos and endless streams of content, these easily collectable cards offer a different kind of engagement.
6 Jewish Takeaways from the Midterm Elections
There is little chance that the combination of a weakened Trump and an emboldened Democratic Congress produces similar levels of support for aggressive action against Iran and its proxies, and other policies that a wide spectrum of Israelis see as crucial to their security.
Israel Drives Them Crazy
In the diaspora and in Israel, we cannot turn back the clock and undo the harm that was done to us. But we can shape our own future. Israel is strong and resolute. So must we be.
A Democratic-Run Congress Will Target Israel as Well as Trump
Democrats who were long considered “moderates” or even pro-Israel have been signaling over the course of the last year that they can no longer be relied upon to back a Jewish state under assault by Iran and its terrorist proxies.
Why Jewish Unity Is So Difficult
When each dispute seems existential, an error is a catastrophe and disagreement seems like betrayal.
Torah Portion: Chayei Sarah
The Torah offers a comforting view of a life beyond this life. We aren’t told what it will be exactly — yes, it’s abstract and vague — but we are told it’s waiting for us as it was for Abraham.
The NAZA Election — Israel and the Jews were Collateral Damage on Tuesday
History teaches that you can always trust the fanatics to overplay their hand, allowing muscular moderates to reassert power.
Present at the Scene: The 2026 Mid Term Elections and the Jewish Vote
How do voters reconcile longstanding party loyalties with changing views of Israel, communal security and American political leadership?
Hatred Opened the Door. A Missed Victory Held It Open.
For me, the disaster isn’t that Democrats won or Republicans lost. It’s that politicians who demonize Israel, deny Jewish self-determination and explain away antisemitism are finding an increasingly receptive electorate in the world’s most important democracy.
The Jewish Dilemma
The central issue is not whether Jewish voters should support Democrats or Republicans. It is whether either party can demonstrate that Jewish security, Jewish identity and Jewish self-determination are compatible with its broader political agenda.
Democrats Win Control of Congress as Election Produces Historic Firsts
Abdul El-Sayed (D-Michigan) becomes first Muslim elected to U.S. Senate, longtime Republican strongholds turn Democratic, and at least five Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates win U.S. House seats.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.