Dear Readers, These columns began on my area of America Online, called:  Judaism Today:  Where Do I Fit?   People anonymously sent me E-Mail, and I began to choose one for a public response in my Jewish E-Mail of the Week column. The column has become quite popular and is now syndicated internationally in many Jewish papers and websites.  I hope you find they help you as you think about the Ethics, Spirituality and Peoplehood components of the Jewish way of Life.  I welcome your comments... see the end of the column. Gil PS  Teachers and others, feel free to copy my columns and forward them or use them as you see fit.  Please see the friendly copyright notice at the end.

JOE LIEBERMAN THE JEWISH CANDIDATE

Dear Gil:

I am greatly bothered by one thing in the present presidential campaign. We have heard so much about Joe Leiberman's religion and we have never heard mention of the religion of the other three candidates. Isn't this sad?

A loyal reader,

G

Dear G:

I hope you will forgive me for disagreeing with you even if you are a loyal reader. I don't think the hoopla of Joseph Leiberman being Jewish is sad...I think it is natural. He is after all, the first Jewish candidate from a major party to be nominated for such a high office.

I'll say more about this in a second, but first I think in fairness, the religion of the other candidates...certainly Gore and Bush has received some media attention. Gore for example has been reported to be a reborn Christian and Bush too proudly pronounces his Christian faith...so much so, as was widely reported, that he proclaimed an official "Jesus Day" in Texas!

Still, I would agree that Leiberman's religion has received far more media "play." I think there are two reasons. One reason is that Leiberman wears his religion on his sleeve. In other words, he regularly references his religion and his God. I think he must have said God 3-5 times during the debate. I don't recall Cheney saying God once.

Leiberman has even been publicly criticized by the ADL for going too far in his religious pronouncements. So, if even Jewish groups are making a point of Leiberman's Judaism, the press' attention to his Judaism is only natural.

There is a second more obvious and natural reason for the media's attention to Leiberman's Judaism. He's the first. As I said, there has never been a Jewish candidate in his position. Similarly, much was made of JFK Catholicism in the 60's. Today, the fact that the other 3 guys are Christians is simply not that interesting or newsworthy.

On the other hand when Geraldine Ferraro was the Vice Presidential candidate with Mondale, now that was unusual and a "story." Everyone spoke about her being a woman candidate largely because she was the first. No one was going to speak about the other 3 candidates being men -- that was neither unique nor compelling.

Having said all that, rather than use your word "sad" I'd use the word "exciting!" I recently attended a presentation given by former Clinton press secretary Dee Dee Myers. Someone asked her if she felt Leiberman's selection was good or bad for Jews? She responded, anytime a barrier is broken for a minority, she thinks it is good for all minorities...and Joseph Leiberman's nomination is good for Jews.

I'll end using another word: "uplifting." With the current situation in Israel as it is, in my most despondent of moods I have thought, nothing has changed: the whole Arab world attacking Israel, the UN condemning Israel, anti-Semitism rising, Jews physically threatened in Europe and even in the US. And then I think of the nomination of Joseph Leiberman.

Are Jews safe in the world? Absolutely not, but we have never been so accepted in the world and in particular in the United States...Joe Lieberman is the best evidence of this. When Larry King interviewed him a week before the election and asked about anti-Semitism, Leiberman responded that in all of his travels during the entire campaign, there has not been a single incident, sign or "lick." In fact, Leiberman said, when speaking before non-Jews, he has specifically mentioned his nomination breaking the anti-Jewish barrier. The response? Warm ovations!

So especially in this difficult and dark time of threat to Israel and Jews in general, I suggest you view the nomination and acceptance of "Joseph Lieberman the Jewish candidate" -- win or lose -- the way I do, as a source of light and hope for our people and the world.

Gil

A FRIENDLY COPYRIGHT NOTICE © Copyright Gil Mann These columns can be found at www.beingjewish.org.  Not only do I give you permissions to copy these Jewish Email columns...I HOPE YOU WILL and that you share them with others!  All I ask is that you never charge anyone for them and that you also include this little copyright notice.  Thank You!

Thanks,
Gil