Something To Think About Before You Jump On The Jimmy Carter Bandwagon
Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, died last Sunday after a long illness. Immediately upon the news of his death, tributes from both Republicans and Democrats poured in, as did praise from world leaders. Even Donald Trump, who in 2019 called Carter "a good man but a terrible president," offered his praise and condolences. This Shabbat, I would like to dwell on several policies and decisions of the Carter years that directly impacted the Jewish community, and that continue to influence and even haunt us to this day. I have always believed that when talking about controversial political figures, Rabbis and Jewish communal leaders must be scrupulously and unflinchingly fair. So let me begin with some decisions and policies of the Carter administration that would prove to be of tremendous benefit to the Jewish community in the United States and throughout the world. It is important to begin with these significant achievements for two reasons. The first is th...