JDCA congratulates Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) on retirement

Michael Horowitz, a JDCA board member and Detroit metro native, congratulates Michigan Congressman Sander Levin on his retirement in a statement for JDCA:

On December 2, 2017, Congressman Sander Levin (D-MI) announced that he will not seek reelection in the 2018 midterm elections. Levin, 86 years-old, is the longest-serving Jewish Congressman and has represented the people of Michigan for 18 consecutive terms. Levin will join the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, where he hopes to “help renew public trust in public institutions, which is all the more important given the perils of the Trump presidency.”

During his 35 years in Congress, Levin has been a constant source of energy on the House Committee on Ways and Means. He served as the Democrat’s ranking member from 2011-2016 and played a key role in the passage of the Affordable Care Act. During his decades of leadership, Levin has stood up for both Democratic and Jewish values.

In the face of anti-Semitism, he never wavered. Levin stood his ground when a primary opponent campaigned on the idea that Levin could not represent Macomb County “because I had never owned a Christmas tree.” He co-sponsored legislation protecting Jews around the world, including the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act and the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. An active supporter of Israel, Levin pledged that “Israel’s security has and always will be of critical importance to me and our country.”

The JDCA Board thanks Congressman Levin for his 35 years of service to the people of Michigan, the Jewish people, and to America. We congratulate him on his upcoming retirement, and are confident he will continue to fight for Democratic and Jewish values at the University of Michigan. While he will no longer be in Congress, Sander Levin will continue to be an example for how American Jews can serve their country and repair the world through smart policy and tireless patriotism.