-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email Former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman made history when he agreed to be Vice President Al Gore's running mate in the 2000 election. This made him the first observant Jew to ever appear on a national ticket. As a Jewish American who had experienced antisemitism , I was inspired by Lieberman's nomination and hoped one day a Jew might even rise up to be President of the United States.
At the time that I write this article, another Democratic vice president is seeking the presidency, and two of Kamala Harris' six finalists are Jewish: Governors Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and J. B. Pritzker of Illinois Yet unlike the early '00s, the early '20s are a more complex time when it comes to understanding Jewish identity.
So even though I hope young Jews today can feel a sense of pride and inspiration at the possible candidacies of Shapiro and Pritzker, much as I was moved by Lieberman's 2000 campaign, the tragic truth is that matters are much more complicated now. When Hamas led a massive Palestinian attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, they killed 1,175 Israelis , wounded 3,400 others and took more than 250 as hostages.
The attack was the greatest mass loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, with many victims suffering atrocities that will take years to be fully uncovered to the public. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu retaliated with an ongoing military onslaught against Gaza , one the Gazan Health Ministry says has claim.