On Tuesday, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove published a letter to 2028 Brad Lander–written the day after DSA anti-semities turn on him, “rip[]” him apart, and vote him out of office–calling on Lander to return to the Jewish fold before it is too late. Cosgrove concludes:
Our rabbinic sages teach that the penitent stand in a place the wholly righteous cannot reach — not despite having strayed, but because of it. Jews don’t turn our backs on other Jews. Despite your miscalculation, despite the term you’ve spent believing the DSA’s love was stronger than your people’s — we will not turn our backs on you.
The door is open, Brad. Welcome back.
On Thursday, Lander responded. He questioned Cosgrove for defining certain people outside of the Jewish community because of their views on Israeli actions (a constant theme of Cosgrove’s work). And for presuming that the greatest danger to the Jewish community arises from Jews leaving Zionism (defined, as Cosgrove seems to, as always defending Israel against all critics), rather than from Jewish leaders and Jewish institutions forcing young Jews to choose between “hypocrisy and excommunication.” (He cites this piece from historian Joel Swanson). Lander concludes:
Our differing points of view represent a longstanding debate amongst our people about the best way to achieve safety and flourishing, for ourselves and our neighbors. There’s room to keep that debate going — through conversation and dialogue, not through exclusion and shaming.
The door is open, rabbi. Welcome forward.