340 Rabbis Urge Congress to Support Nuclear Deal with Iran

“We commend the U.S. and the other negotiating teams for their dedication to reaching an agreement to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.  This deal is good for the United States and our allies in the region, and is the best arrangement possible given current international realities,” declared Rabbi Steven Bob of Glen Ellyn, IL.

Rabbi Rachel Mikva of Chicago added, “A wide array of views about the nuclear deal exist among American Jews, as demonstrated in the recent Jewish Journal poll that showed 49% approving of the agreement (31% opposed) and 53% wanting Congress to approve it (35% opposed). However many Jewish Federations, AIPAC and other leading national Jewish organizations are campaigning in opposition, which is being interpreted to mean that American Jews want to see the deal scrapped.  This is a false and dangerous message that we as rabbis hope to counter with our letter to Congress.”

“If Congress ultimately rejects the deal, the consequences for the United States, Israel, the Jewish community and the world will be significant.  We fear that the outcome will be the collapse of the international sanctions regime, an Iranian race for nuclear weapons and an associated arms race in the Middle East and isolation of Israel and the United States from international partners,” said Rabbi Samuel Gordon of Wilmette, IL.

Rabbi Burton Visotzky of New York City concluded, “While we believe the deal is a positive approach to the Iranian nuclear issue, we remain gravely concerned about Iranian support for terrorist groups and other destabilizing actions in the region.  These threats must be countered aggressively by the international community.  The misguided campaign to scuttle the nuclear deal harms the ability of Israel to join with the United States and regional allies to create a powerful coalition against Iran.”

The letter to Congress with signatures is included below

August 17, 2015

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Members of the U.S. Senate

As rabbis, we support the agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China, Russia and Iran– The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. We encourage the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives to endorse this agreement.

The Obama administration has successfully brought together the major international powers to confront Iran over its nuclear ambitions. The broad international sanctions moved Iran to enter this historic agreement. Should this agreement be rejected by the U.S. congress, those sanctions will end. There will be no new negotiations, as the other member countries are fully in favor of this agreement and have no desire to re-negotiate.

We understand that while this agreement blocks Iran’s path to a nuclear bomb, we recognize it does not deal with Iran’s support for terror, but that was never the purpose of these talks. Now that a nuclear agreement has been reached, we call on the United States and its international partners to strengthen their resolve and dedicate additional resources to confront Iranian threats to Israel and other states.

Most especially, we are deeply concerned with the impression that the leadership of the American Jewish community is united in opposition to the agreement. We, along with many other Jewish leaders, fully support this historic nuclear accord.

Lynne Goldsmith

Dothan

Alabama

Elliot Stevens

Montgomery

Alabama

Elana Kanter

Scottsdale

Arizona

John Linder

Paradise Valley

Arizona

Thomas Louchheim

Tucson

Arizona

Michael Wasserman

Scottsdale

Arizona

Ruth Adar

Oakland

California

Melanie Aron

Los Gatos

California

Raphael Asher

Walnut Creek

California

Anne Brener

Los Angeles,

California

Samuel Broude

Oakland

California

Sharon Brous

Los Angeles

California

Meredith Cahn

Petaluma

California

Carol Caine

Albany

California

Steven Chester

Oakland

California

Aryeh Cohen

Los Angeles

California

Hillel Cohn

San Bernardino

California

Neil Comess-Daniels

Santa Monica

California

Elliot Dorff

Beverly Hills

California

David J. Cooper

Berkeley

California

William Cutter

Los Angeles

California

Lisa Edwards

Los Angeles

California

Diane Elliot

Richmond

California

Anthony Elman

Los Angeles

California

Gordon Freeman

Walnut Creek

California

Pamela Frydman

Daly City

California

Laura Geller

Los Angeles

California

Miriyam Glazer

Los Angeles

California

Dan Goldblatt

Larkspur

California

Jerrold Goldstein

Los Angeles

California

Sara Goodman

Santa Monica

California

Donald Goor

Los Angeles

California

Daniel Gottlieb

San Francisco

California

Mel Gottlieb

Los Angleles

California

Roberto Graetz

Lafayette

California

Nicki Greninger

Lafayette

California

Moshe Halfon

Long Beach

California

Lisa Hochberg-Miller

Ventura

California

Jocee Hudson

Los Angeles

California

Me’irah Iliinsky

San Francisco

California

Daniel Isaacson

Berkeley

California

Steven Jacobs

Alameda

California

Burt Jacobson

El Sobrante

California

Josh Jacobs-Velde

Sebastopol

California

Yoel Kahn

Berkeley

California

Patricia Karlin-Neumann

Palo Alto

California

Jim Kaufman

Los Angeles

California

Stuart Kelman

Berkeley

California

Lawrence Kushner

San Francisco

California

Susan Laemmle

Los Angeles

California

Jason Van Leeuwen

Los Angeles

California

Michael Lerner

Berkeley

California

Richard Levy

Encinco

California

Joshua Levine Grater

Pasadena

California

Sheldon Lewis

Palo Alto

California

Michael Mayersohn

Garden Grove

California

Laurence Milder

Pleasanton

California

Michelle Missaghieh

Los Angeles

California

Dev Noily

Oakland

California

Janet Offel

Calabasas

California

Philip M Posner

Santa Cruz

California

Arnold Rachlis

Irvine

California

Sanford Ragins

Los Angeles

California

Steven Reuben

Pacific Palisades

California

John Rosove

Los Angeles

California

Neal Scheindlin

Los Angeles

California

Howie Schneider

Aptos

California

Avi Schulman

Fremont

California

Judith Seid

Dublin

California

Chaim Seidler-Feller

Los Angeles

California

Daniel Shevitz

Venice

California

Suzanne Singer

Riverside

California

David Stein

Culver City

California

Martin Weiner

San Francisco

California

Dvora Weisberg

Los Angeles

California

Sarah Weissman

Redwood City

California

Greg Wolfe

Davis

California

Deborah Bronstein

Boulder

Colorado

Brian Field

Denver

Colorado

Hanoch Fields

Denver

Colorado

Rachel Goldenberg

Deep River

Connecticut

David Leipziger Teva

Middletown

Connecticut

Stacy Offner

Guilford

Connecticut

Jeremy Schwartz

Willimantic

Connecticut

Jeffery Silberman

Westport

Connecticut

Michael L. Kramer

Hockessin

Delaware

Douglas Krantz

Townsend

Delaware

Mark Goldman

Sarasota

Florida

Frederick Greenspahn

Boca Raton

Florida

Geoff Huntting

Sarasota

Florida

Sheldon Isenberg

Gainesville

Florida

Peter Kasdan

Longboat Key

Florida

Ralph Kingsley

Miami

Florida

Ronald Kronish

Miami

Florida

Lewis C. Littman

Ft. Lauderdale

Florida

Susan Marks

Sarasota

Florida

Paul Menitoff

Palm Beach

Florida

Stephen Pinsky

Wellington

Florida

Howard Shapiro

Palm Beach Gardens

Florida

Kurt Stone

Fort Lauderdale

Florida

Mike Trout

Boca Raton

Florida

Cheryl Weiner

Hollywood

Florida

Steve Westman

W.Palm Beach

Florida

Ronald Bluming

Grayson

Georgia

Philip N. Kranz

Atlanta

Georgia

Beth Schwartz

Columbus

Georgia

Alison Abrams

Chicago

Illinois

Marc Belgrad

Buffalo Grove

Illinois

Jordan Bendat-Appell

Highland Park

Illinois

Kenneth Berger

Deerfield

Illinois

Steven Bob

Glen Ellyn

Illinois

Herbert Bronstein

Evanston

Illinois

Paul Cohen

Winnetka

Illinois

Alan Cook

Champaign

Illinois

Laurence Edwards

Chicago

Illinois

Bruce Elder

Highland Park

Illinois

Hillel Gamoran

Evanston

Illinois

Gary Gerson

River Forest

Illinois

Maralee Gordon

Woodstock

Illinois

Sam Gordon

Wilmette

Illinois

Suzanne Griffel

Chicago

Illinois

Peter Knobel

Evanston

Illinois

Charles Levi

Deerfield

Illinois

Rebecca Lillian

Chicago

Illinois

Seth Limmer

Chicago

Illinois

Andrea London

Evanston

Illinois

Rachel Mikva

Chicago

Illinois

Nina Mizrahi

Northbrook

Illinois

Frederick Reeves

Chicago

Illinois

Robert Schreibman

Lincolnshire

Illinois

Michael Weinberg

Evanston

Illinois

Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus

Homewood

Illinois

Max Weiss

Oak Park

Illinois

Shlomo Wing

Rockford

Illinois

Leo Wolkow

Glenwood

Illinois

Michael Zedek

Chicago

Illinois

Gary Mazo

Newburgh

Indiana

Marla Spanjer

Fort Wayne

Indiana

Paula Winnig

Indianapolis

Indiana

Erin Hirsh

Pratt

Kansas

Daniel Kirzane

Overland Park

Kansas

Mark Levin

Prairie Village

Kansas

Arthur Nemitoff

Leawood

Kansas

Moti Rieber

Overland Park

Kansas

Michael Rosenberg

Lawrence

Kansas

Alexandria Shuval Weiner

Leawood

Kansas

Edward Paul Cohn

Metairie

Louisiana

Leila Gal Berner

Rockville

Maryland

Binyamin Biber

Silver Spring

Maryland

Reeve Brenner

Rockville

Maryland

Nina Beth Cardin

Pikesville

Maryland

George Driesen

Bethesda

Maryland

Samuel Fishman

Bethesda

Maryland

John Franken

Baltimore

Maryland

Donald Gluckman

Pikesville

Maryland

Emanuel S. Goldsmith

Rockville

Maryland

Susan Grossman

Columbia

Maryland

Jerry Seidler

Baltimore

Maryland

Ariel Walsh

Baltimore

Maryland

Thomas Alpert

Franklin

Massachusetts

Donald Berlin

Adams

Massachusetts

Herman Blumberg

Waban

Massachusetts

Caryn Broitman

Vineyard Haven

Massachusetts

Sharon Clevenger

Newton Centre

Massachusetts

Edward Feld

Northampton

Massachusetts

Jeff Foust

Newton Centre

Massachusetts

David Freelund

Centerville

Massachusetts

Serena Fujita

Jamaica Plain

Massachusetts

Myron S. Geller

Gloucester

Massachusetts

Everett Gendler

Great Barrington

Massachusetts

Robert Goldstein

Andover

Massachusetts

Jane Kanarek

Newton Centre

Massachusetts

Ira Korinow

Haverhill

Massachusetts

Jonathan Kraus

Belmont

Massachusetts

Rifat Sonsino

Ashland

Massachusetts

Elias Lieberman

East Falmouth

Massachusetts

Janet Liss

Becket

Massachusetts

Barbara Penzner

West Roxbury

Massachusetts

Victor Reinstein

Jamaica Plain

Massachusetts

Mark Shapiro

Springfield

Massachusetts

Robin Sparr

Natick

Massachusetts

Elyse Wechterman

Attleboro

Massachusetts

Henry Zoob

Westwood

Massachusetts

Jeffrey Falick

Royal Oak

Michigan

Joseph Klein

Rochester

Michigan

Michael Zimmerman

Williamston

Michigan

Joseph A Edelheit

St. Cloud

Minnesota

Amy Eilberg

Mendota Heights

Minnesota

Michael Adam Latz

Minneapolis

Minnesota

James Bennett

Saint Louis

Missouri

Alan Londy

Kansas City

Missouri

Allen Secher

Whitefish

Montana

Ed Stafman

Bozeman

Montana

Aryeh Azriel

Omaha

Nebraska

Josh Brown

Omaha

Nebraska

Craig Rosenstein

Las Vegas

Nevada

Myra Soifer

Reno

Nevada

Phyllis Bernstein

Westfield

New Jersey

Renee Edelman

South Orange

New Jersey

Kenneth Emert

Franklin Lakes

New Jersey

Elyse Frishman

Franklin Lakes

New Jersey

Ruth Gais

Summit

New Jersey

Kim Geringer

Short Hills

New Jersey

Charles A. Kroloff

Westfield

New Jersey

Dennis Math

Jersey City

New Jersey

Brooks Susman

Freehold

New Jersey

Jonathan Woll

Glen Rock

New Jersey

Malka Drucker

Santa Fe

New Mexico

Arthur Flicker

Albuquerque

New Mexico

Renni Altman

Great Neck

New York

Guy Austrian

New York

New York

David Bauer

New York

New York

Daniel Bar-Nahum

Mineola

New York

Eliav Bock

Vestal

New York

Gill Brociner

New York

New York

Ayelet Cohen

New York

New York

Jerome Davidson

New York

New York

William Dreskin

Ardsley

New York

Andy Dubin

New York

New York

Rachel Esserman

Endicott

New York

Brian Fink

New York

New York

Adam Fisher

Stony Brook

New York

Leora Frankel

Rye

New York

Stephen Garfinkel

New York

New York

Jonah Geffen

New York

New York

Irwin Goldenberg

Forest Hills

New York

A. Bruce Goldman

New York

New York

Stephen Goodman

Garden City

New York

Shoshana Hantman

Katonah

New York

Mark Hurvitz

New York

New York

Jill Jacobs

New York

New York

Cassi Kail

Utica

New York

Jeremy Kalmanofsky

New York

New York

Sharon Kleinbaum

NY

New York

Jacqueline Koch Ellenson

New York

New York

Jim Lebeau

New York

New York

Ellen Lippmann

Brooklyn

New York

Garry Loeb

Monroe

New York

Jonathan Malamy

White Plains

New York

Jeffrey Marker

Brooklyn

New York

David Nelson

Tivoli

New York

Daniel Polish

Poughkeepsie

New York

Jonah Rank

New York

New York

Stephen Roberts

Kerhonkson

New York

Elliott Rosen

Scarsdale

New York

David Rosenn

New York

New York

Shmuel Sandberg

n y

New York

Leonard Schoolman

New York

New York

Joel Shaiman

New York

New York

Charles Simon

Chatham

New York

Jonathan Slater

Hastings-on-Hudson

New York

Joshua Strom

New York

New York

Harvey Tattelbaum

New York

New York

Daniel Victor

Poughkeepsie

New York

Burton Visotzky

New York

New York

Gerald I. Weider

Brooklyn

New York

Simkha Y. Weintraub

New York

New York

Lina Zerbarini

Lynbrook

New York

Philip Bentley

Hendersonville

North Carolina

Susan Cowchock

Bahama

North Carolina

Ariel Edery

Raleigh

North Carolina

John Friedman

Durham

North Carolina

Floyd L. Herman

Pikesville

North Carolina

Eric Solomon

Raleigh

North Carolina

Howard Apothaker

New Albany

Ohio

Joan Friedman

Akron

Ohio

Abie Ingber

Loveland

Ohio

Margaret Meyer

Cincinnati

Ohio

Saul Oresky

Youngstown

Ohio

Jonathan Perlman

Cincinnati

Ohio

Vered Harris

Edmond

Oklahoma

Marcy Baskett

Eugene

Oregon

Maurice Harris

Eugene

Oregon

Johanna Hershenson

Bend

Oregon

Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin

Eugene

Oregon

Ariel Stone

Portland

Oregon

Daniel Isaak

Portland

Oregon

Joseph Wolf

Portland

Oregon

Rebecca Alpert

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Tsurah August

Elkins Park

Pennsylvania

Marjorie Berman

Clarks Summit

Pennsylvania

Malkah Binah Klein

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Meryl Crean

Lansdale

Pennsylvania

Isabel De Koninck

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Art Donsky

Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania

SueLevi Elwell

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Dayle Friedman

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Paula Goldberg

Newtown

Pennsylvania

Linda Holtzman

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Susan Kanoff

Wynnewood

Pennsylvania

Jonathan Kendall

Elkins Park

Pennsylvania

Alan LaPayover

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

David Levin

Carroll Park

Pennsylvania

Mordechai Liebling

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Aaron Mackler

Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania

Nathan Martin

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Michael Michlin

Hazleton

Pennsylvania

Amber Powers

Abington

Pennsylvania

Michael Ramberg

Elkins Park

Pennsylvania

Seymour Rosenbloom

Elkins Park

Pennsylvania

Mayer Selekman

Bala Cynwyd

Pennsylvania

Jacob Singer-Beilin

Abington

Pennsylvania

Reena Spicehandler

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Elliot Strom

Morrisville

Pennsylvania

Lance Sussman

Elkins Park

Pennsylvania

Robert Tabak

Elkins Park

Pennsylvania

David Teutsch

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Arthur Waskow

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Deborah Waxman

Wyncote

Pennsylvania

Sheila Weinberg

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Shawn Zevit

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania

Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus

Providence

Rhode Island

Alan Flam

Barrington

Rhode Island

James Rosenberg

Providence

Rhode Island

Julie Kozlow

Greenville

South Carolina

Arthur Segal

Hilton Head Island

South Carolina

Heidi Coretz

Dallas

Texas

Sue Levy

Houston

Texas

Andrew Paley

Dallas

Texas

Samuel M. Stahl

San Antonio

Texas

Joshua Taub

Beaumont

Texas

Howard Cohen

Bennington

Vermont

Dov Taylor

Woodstock

Vermont

Rosalind Gold

Reston

Virginia

Michael Knopf

Richmond

Virginia

Lynne Landsberg

Staunton

Virginia

Ben Romer

Midlothian

Virginia

Jeffrey Saxe

Falls Church

Virginia

Daniel Bridge

Seattle

Washington

Ted Falcon

Seattle

Washington

David Fine

Bellevue

Washington

Jay Heyman

Seattle

Washington

Jonathan Biatch

Madison

Wisconsin

David Brusin

Milwaukee

Wisconsin

Charles Feinberg

Washington

District of Columbia

Krayna Feinberg

Washington

District of Columbia

Derek Rosenbaum

Washington

District of Columbia

Gerald Serotta

Washington

District of Columbia

Daniel Zemel

Washington

District of Columbia

About Ameinu

Ameinu, the largest grassroots progressive Zionist organization in North America, is dedicated to promoting a just peace between Israel, the Palestinians and the countries of the region.  Ameinu also works for social and economic justice for all in Israel and around the world.  Ameinu reinforces Jewish continuity through support for Habonim Dror, the Labor Zionist youth movement, and the Kibbutz Program Center, which sends 100’s of young adults on unique Kibbutz and other social justice journeys to Israel every year.

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