Pittsburgh rabbis urge Rep. Summer Lee to take stand against Hamas, terrorism

A group of 40 rabbis and cantors from the Pittsburgh region are denouncing recent votes by U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, in connection with the Israel-Hamas war.

Rabbi Dan Fellman of Temple Sinai in Squirrel Hill organized an open letter, released Tuesday, and said its signatories represent a broad swath of Jewish religious leaders of the region. The rabbis and cantors are part of Conservative, Orthodox and Reform synagogues in the area.

A spokesperson for Lee said the congresswoman planned to meet with the rabbis and cantors in response to the letter.

The signers include two survivors of the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting, Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers and Rabbi Jonathan Perlman, as well as Rabbi Doris Dyen, formerly of the Dor Hadash congregation and now of independent havurah Makom HaLev.

The letter says the group is joined in expressing “frustration and anger” over Lee’s ongoing actions. The letter specifically denounces Lee’s Oct. 25 vote against a pro-Israel resolution that was overwhelmingly supported in Congress and Lee’s support for an Oct. 16 resolution calling for a cease-fire in the war.

“We call on Rep. Lee to exercise better leadership and join her colleagues in upholding the moral obligation for Israel to protect its citizens against Hamas, reflecting our nation’s strong and unwavering stance against terrorism,” reads the letter.

My colleagues and I issued this letter today to Rep. Summer Lee.

She needs to be fully accountable for her words, statements, and votes in Congress.

Hamas is responsible for massacring and kidnapping civilians. Israel has an obligation to protect its citizens. /1 pic.twitter.com/bwR8GbTFoJ

— Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman (@RabbiMarkAsherG) October 31, 2023

Fellman said the group of rabbis are united on this issue and have all heard from congregants who are upset with Lee’s recent votes.

“It is very rare to have that whole group united on something. We all believe that Israel was attacked by terrorists, and the world needs to respond to that,” Fellman said.

Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel is Orthodox and leads the Aleph Institute in Squirrel Hill. He kept it simple: “I am pained by her lack of support for Israel,” he said.

A Lee spokesperson said Lee is responding to “heinous and antisemitic” incidents that occurred Tuesday in Squirrel Hill — where “unacceptable” vandalism occurred. The spokesperson said Lee wants to ensure these threats and vandalism do not return so the Jewish community feels safe and protected.

Lee has condemned Hamas in public statements and as part of other resolutions, but the ceasefire resolution she is co-sponsoring does not mention Hamas and the pro-Israel resolution she voted against condemned Hamas.

Lee was part of just 10 lawmakers who voted against the Meeks-McCaul resolution defending Israel. She said at the time it fell short of acknowledging the war’s impact on innocent Palestinians, United Nations humanitarian aid workers, journalists and others.

In a statement announcing her support for the Ceasefire Now Resolution, Lee said thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza can’t be continued to be punished and killed by Israeli airstrikes because of Hamas’ horrific actions. She said retaliation against civilians does nothing to “end this tragic cycle of violence.”

Lee also has sponsored a resolution calling for the release of hostages in the war.

The letter called the ceasefire resolution “grotesque.” It said it denies Israel the right to defend itself because Hamas is still holding hundreds of Israeli hostages.

Fellman said Hamas must be eliminated and the terrorist group is brutalizing people. He said Palestinians need to recognize Hamas is leading them nowhere.

Rabbi Yisroel Altein of Chabad of Squirrel Hill, who is Orthodox, signed the letter denouncing Lee. He said Lee represents the largest Jewish community in Western Pennsylvania and said many in the community don’t feel represented by Lee currently.

“I think the letter speaks for itself, to be honest. … It really expresses the frustration of the Jewish community as a whole,” he said. “This is not just the rabbis feeling this. The Jewish community at large is extremely disappointed.”

Dor Hadash rabbi wants direct dialogue

Rabbi Amy Bardack of Dor Hadash did not sign the letter. Bardack was speaking in the context as an individual, not for the congregation.

“I refused to sign because I believe that a letter is not a way to form an alliance,” said Bardack, in an email to TribLIVE. “In my view, the most effective way to communicate with an elected official is to enter into direct dialogue with them.”

Bardack noted Lee attended a Congregation Beth Shalom vigil and her office has met with Jews “to understand how the war impacts us.”

“Our Pittsburgh rabbinical association can create an opportunity to share our stories and perspectives with her, rather than express ourselves through a rather patronizing letter,” Bardack said. “I have found that people rarely adopt a new perspective or change their behavior without having relationships with those who disagree. I am in favor of building bridges with those with whom we disagree, not walls.”