Kvelling over Kamala
The Democratic National Convention was filled with a palpable sense of joy and purpose. The energy throughout the week – but especially last night, as Vice President Harris accepted the Democrats’ nomination to serve as the 47th President of the United States – was incredibly powerful and underscored the critical importance of this election.
Last night, Kamala Harris emphasized the importance of defending our democracy, reproductive rights, communities, and country from the multitude of threats posed by Trump and MAGA Republicans. She also reiterated her strong support of Israel, her commitment to releasing the hostages, and support of Israel’s right to self-defense. She said:
“With respect to the war in Gaza, President Biden and I are working around the clock. Because now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done. And let me be clear: I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself, and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself. Because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7, including unspeakable sexual violence at a massacre of young people at a music festival.”
It has never been more clear that Kamala Harris is the best candidate for our country and for Jewish Americans. But as clear as the choice should be, this election will be very close, and we can’t take anything for granted. We must do the work to ensure Democrats win, and we cannot do it without your help.
JDCA was proud to represent and convene Jewish voters all week in Chicago, and we were thrilled to have over 8,000 sign-ups for our 12 events – virtually and in-person – with Second Gentleman Emhoff, members of Congress, the Israeli Ambassador, hostage families, and experts to discuss issues of importance to Jewish voters, especially Israel and antisemitism.
Yesterday, we were honored to welcome Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff to our final event of the DNC: Antisemitism, Extremism, and the 2024 election. It was his only scheduled public appearance of the week besides his convention speech.
He spoke to thousands of Jewish Democrats in-person and online about living openly, publicly, and proudly as a Jew and his efforts to combat antisemitism on behalf of the Biden-Harris White House.
Watch Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff’s address to JDCA here and watch the full “Antisemitism, Extremism, and the 2024 Election” panel here. Thank you to our other participants for such a thoughtful conversation to cap off our DNC events – Congresswoman Kathy Manning, JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnick, Christian nationalism expert Amanda Tyler, and antisemitism experts Sharon Nazarian and Alan Solow.
Also, yesterday, I wrote in the Forward about why Kamala Harris would be the best president for American Jews. I wrote:
For Jewish Americans, Harris’ election to our nation’s highest office would also have a deeper meaning. It’s not just that Doug Emhoff would become the first Jewish spouse of a U.S. president. Harris aligns with our views and values on every issue, including Israel. Her victory would also mean the defeat of former President Donald Trump, who is an antisemite and an aspiringdictator, and has incessantly disparaged millions of American Jews.
The Democratic National Convention was a joyful and uplifting reminder that we have incredible candidates for President and Vice President, the Senate, and the House. JDCA is more committed than ever to ensuring Vice President Harris’s victory, and we hope you join us by supporting our efforts today.
Shabbat Shalom,
Halie Soifer
CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America