Groups have been pressuring city councils throughout the Bay Area to pass ceasefire resolutions on the war between Israel and Hamas. Not only do these resolutions tend to be extremely one-sided, the rhetoric that surrounds them often crosses the line into antisemitism.

The following is a letter that I sent to on December 8, 2023 to San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and each of the ten city Councilmembers urging them not to take up a resolution on the war between Israel and Hamas.

December 8, 2023

200 E. Santa Clara St.
San José, CA 95113

Dear Mayor Mahan and San Jose City Councilmember,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you as the Rabbi of Congregation Sinai in San Jose, District 6, a position I have held for the past sixteen and a half years. As we approach the 70th anniversary of Congregation Sinai, I reflect on the active and proud role our congregation has played in the civic life of San Jose and Silicon Valley.

The purpose of this letter is to express my deep concerns about the current atmosphere of fear and uncertainty within our community following the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7. 

I was recently reflecting on the daily experiences of the approximately 40 children in the Sinai Nursery School when they come to school. Before they reach their classrooms to be lovingly greeted by their teachers, they must first pass by an armed security guard and be admitted through three locked doors. I suspect their situation is unique among the children in our city.

As you know, organized pro-Palestinian groups have been pushing local city councils in the Bay Area to pass resolutions calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. At the city council meeting on Tuesday, December 5, you already witnessed a sample of the anger and animosity which has characterized these meetings.

I am not writing to debate the merits of a ceasefire, but rather to share the lived experience of Jewish residents in San Jose. Over the past two months, we have been feeling unmoored in our beloved city. Members of my community are afraid to openly express their Jewish identity, and we have had to intensify the already substantial security measures at our synagogue. This not only incurs significant time and expense, but also exacerbates the feeling that we are under siege.

I respectfully implore you to refrain from introducing any resolutions concerning the Middle East conflict to the San Jose City Council. These resolutions have no impact on decisions made by the Israeli government, Hamas, and other involved parties. However, their local impact is tangible, fanning the flames of antisemitism in our community and increasinganimosity among residents of our shared city. Similar resolutions in Richmond, Oakland, and San Francisco have provided platforms for vitriolic antisemitism and explicit endorsement of terrorism.

My community is scared already. Please do not make it worse.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. We would be happy to have you join us for for Shabbat (Sabbath) services.

L’Shalom,

Rabbi Josh Berkenwald