In a piece in The Jerusalem Post, Rabbi Steven Burg, CEO of Aish Global, appropriately condemns the pernicious trend of the “As a Jew” – the person who invokes their Jewishness only in the context of bashing Israel or giving cover to antisemites. You know the type: “As a Jew, I condemn Israel’s genocide in Gaza”, “As a Jew, I must stand against the horrific human rights abuses in the West Bank”, and so on. As Rabbi Burg makes so clear, this type of person has zero connection to his or her Jewish identity beyond genetics and a last name. They largely don’t engage with Jewish thought, practice, or beliefs, or with the Jewish community at large – the same community that they claim to speak for “as a Jew.”

Rabbi Steven Burg writes with dignity and magnanimity at the end of his piece, in keeping with his character:  “The ‘As a Jew’ disease weakens us all, and it’s time we embrace those who are lacking in knowledge of their own culture and heritage. Through education and sharing Jewish Wisdom with love, we can strive to reach those who don’t understand Judaism well enough and help them recognize the nuances and deep commitment that Judaism and Israel have to creating a better world.”

Read the whole thing in The Jerusalem Post.