Jewish Social Justice Roundtable’s (JSJR) self-description as 26 organizations pursuing social justice from a Jewish perspective is not exactly true. It pursues social justice from a progressive point of view because telling half-truths is not a Jewish value.
The group’s big issue is illegal immigration (sorry that term is not PC) criminally trespassing aliens. As the group says on its website:
Fixing our nation’s broken immigration system is an economic and moral imperative, and we have the opportunity to help make it happen. As the House Majority Leader, Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA) has the power to push for the vote that would make comprehensive immigration reform a reality.
Congressman Cantor has spoken eloquently about the American Jewish immigrant experience and the urgent need to reform our broken system. At the same time, he has refused to let comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship come to a vote in the House.
Right now, 11 million undocumented immigrants live, work, and raise families in the United States without basic civil rights or labor protections, without access to many services, and in constant fear of persecution and deportation.
The group told the Jerusalem Post:
The grandmother of Cantor (R-Virginia), the highest ranking Jewish member of Congress, immigrated to the US from Lithuania in 1907, the organization points out, citing publicly available records.
“Ms. Baker lived with her brother, a dry goods merchant, and three of her sisters,” the group’s report asserts. “In 1920, Baker was one of 14 people who lived under one roof in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, before moving to Baltimore.”
On numerous occasions since the summer, Cantor has publicly reasserted that the House will not take up the Senate bill as it was passed, but would address a series of smaller bills “on our terms” – addressing border security, Republican lawmakers’ foremost concern regarding immigration policy.
When they mention that Cantor is descended from immigrants, JSJR is 100% correct. My grandparents also were immigrants. My grandfather escaped from Odessa, Russia, to Galveston, moved to New Orleans, and finally settled in Brooklyn.
The difference is that my grandpa (as well as my other grandparents) as well as Cantor grandmother came here legally.
Cantor doesn’t want to do anything till the borders are sealed, something the Senate bill doesn’t accomplish. Unless that is the first step in the process, there will always be a “criminally trespassing alien” problem in this county.
Shame on the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable. Telling half-truths isn’t and has never been a Jewish social value.
