Republican Jews like me are being chased out of synagogues

And it just got worse and worse. Over the last few years, the social-justice movement within the Jewish community and across the nation has dominated conversations. Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) as the major expression of Judaism was now mandated, not a choice. The once-peaceful and spiritual atmosphere at my synagogue disappeared.

And I wasn’t alone in noticing this or mourning it. Many conservative friends were experiencing similar uncomfortable situations. When they complained, they were ignored by the Board of Directors, so they ended their memberships at their synagogues.

But I held on. Then, six months ago, an article appeared in the synagogue newsletter about “Jews of Whiteness and Jews of Color.” The divisive language hit a nerve, since I have an Ethiopian son. Why was this divisive language in our community? What is this self-imposed segregation?

I decided to meet with the Board of Directors of my synagogue. I wanted to know why our synagogue newsletter had become a political vehicle instead of a spiritual resource. I wanted to know what they thought about conservative Jews fleeing their synagogue. The Board listened, but took no action. And when I tried to write my own articles in the newsletter, they never appeared.

For not conforming to a specific political groupthink, I was censored, silenced and squeezed out of a Jewish religious space. This contradicts everything Judaism represents. Midrash teaches us to respect differing viewpoints, the free exchange of ideas, dialogue, debate, inquiry, investigation, and interpretation.