Hello, Mr. Dinowitz? We are angry

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is crafted as an open letter to Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz

We are your Jewish constituents. We are angry and disappointed at your cynical attempt to use the tragedies starting on Oct. 7 to attack other Jews whose views differ from yours, including Jews For Racial & Economic Justice and its political arm, The Jewish Vote.

Whether you agree with us or not, we are your constituents.

As Jews like you, we are grieving and hurting from the horrific attack on Israelis on Oct. 7, as well as the unimaginable loss of life in Gaza since then. We are not comforted by your divisive and dangerous rhetoric.

We are proud Jewish progressives, and we know that Jewish safety — both in Israel and in the Diaspora — cannot, and will not, occur at the expense of other groups.

We know that it is possible to both condemn Hamas and the deeply unjust policies and practices of the Israeli government.

We can mourn both Israeli and Palestinian lives lost. We are able to hold multiple truths at once. We demand a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.

You, however, took the first opportunity in addressing your entire constituency to smear JFREJ and The Jewish Vote, along with other Jewish and leftist organizations. In a moment when it could not be more important to come together, you chose to focus on divisive and hurtful tactics locally that would serve your political agenda. This is shameful.

This is also not the first time you have employed such divisive and dismissive rhetoric toward us, your constituents. The core of JFREJ’s work is local. In the Bronx, we have organized against Mayor Eric Adams’ austerity budget, fighting to restore funding to libraries and 3K programs.

We organized a counter-protest when Curtis Sliwa and his Guardian Angels came to our community to protest temporary migrant housing. You attacked us then, too, falsely claiming that those on our side were not local community members, when we are in fact all residents of your district

We understand your political jabs as an attempt to use these moments of pain, fear and distress to undermine progressive projects, and polarize our neighborhood.

We believe the best way to address the current rise in antisemitism — like the antisemitic vandalism at the Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center in our district — is through coming together as a community. We believe it is equally incumbent upon us as progressive Jews to stand against rising antisemitism and rising Islamophobia.

We are stronger when we stand with our neighbors, instead of isolating ourselves in fear and anger.

Again, you do not always have to agree with us, but we are your constituents, we are Jewish (with views representative of many American Jews), and we deserve your respect.

Naomi Sharlin & Jordan Moss

The authors represent 37 other Jews For Racial & Economic Justice members who signed on to this letter