Anne Geggis
A new political committee is forming to unite Florida’s Jewish community — spurred on in part by the rise in high-profile antisemitic displays.
Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger and Converge Public Strategies Chairman Jonathan Kilman are spearheading the Tallahassee-based political committee, 1000 Jews of Florida.
Most of its donors are from South Florida — long considered the most Democratic part of the state — but a news release says the committee is nonpartisan and seeking to address the concerns of Florida’s Jewish community and unite it in action.
“The committee seeks to galvanize Jewish voters and those who support common Jewish issues,” the release said.
Those issues, according to the news release, include:
— Public safety and security in Florida’s communities.
— Protecting free markets to ensure equal access to financial opportunity.
— Support for cultural institutions, such as Holocaust museums, that cultivate mutual understanding among Floridians.
— A positive and fair relationship with the state of Israel.
“We seek to engage the hundreds of thousands of Jews across the state who are politically interested, but not yet politically engaged,” Mayor Danzinger said. “We don’t intend to take on every Jewish issue, but we will start with an agreed-upon foundation of values and will identify appropriate issues as we build our organization.”
Kilman, who leads the governmental relations and communications firm, alluded to endorsements and support for political candidates to come. “We should be out building relationships with aligned candidates and elected officials on an ongoing basis, and 1000 Jews of Florida provides a vehicle for that,” Kilman said.
A spokesman for the group noted the rise in antisemitic incidents in Florida and across the country. Several locations around the state have seen high-profile displays of Nazi swastikas, demonstrators assembling with Nazi regalia and drops of antisemitic fliers in Jewish enclaves, so much that it spurred legislation this Session.
“Even as we began speaking about forming the political committee, video footage was circulating of hate groups harassing Jews in Florida out in the open, with no shame,” Elnatan Rudolph, a partner at Converge Strategies and a committee donor, wrote in an email.
“While Jews are becoming more aware of these issues, we realized politicians at the state and local levels may only become aware in the aftermath of tragic events, when Jews call for help.”
Instead of reacting to a crisis, the group decided to nurture allies before these events occur and identify the issues that unite the Jewish community.
“As we contemplated our mission, we understood our interests extend beyond antisemitism and developed the common set of principles for which we believe many Jews will stand up,” Rudolph said in an email.
A 2021 Pew Research Center survey found that seven in 10 Jewish adults identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party. A 2022 survey from the Washington-based Jewish Electorate Institute found that 66% of Jewish voters identify as Democratic, while 25% identify as Republican.
Each of the donations that the committee has collected so far has the number “18” in it.
Certain numbers have significance in Judaism, and the letters that correspond with 10 and eight spell out the word “Chai,” which is a word and symbol that means “life,” according to an explainer from the Jewish Community Center in Milwaukee.
18 comments
Joe
June 21, 2023 at 2:17 pm
Oh man the Nazis are going to be so mad about this!
Earl Pitts American
June 21, 2023 at 2:39 pm
Good Afternoon America,
Earl Pitts American, needs your help. Please respond if you know the answer to my question below:
Why do American Jews always vote against the best interest and security of The Nation of Isreal by their support of leftist Democrat Isreal back stabbing politicians?
I’m serious if anyone knows please enlighten me.
Everyone knows when (not if…when) Iran lobbs a nuke over to the Nation of Isreal the Isralies would hope and pray a Republican, who will defend them, will be in office. Not a Democrat who will abandon Gods Childern in The Nation of Isreal.
It’s got to be some long standing grudge American Jews have against the Jews in Isreal…well at least that might explain why American Jews hate the Jews in Isreal so badly as to always vote against their national security by always voting Democrat.
I first became aware of the illogical American Jews Hate The Nation of Isreal’s Jews situation when I witnessed American Jews overwhelmingly supporting Obama. I said hey wait now whats up with this?
So again if anyone knows the reason American Jews hate Mid East Jews please advise.
Thank you America,
Earl Pitts “Friend Of All Jews” Ametican
Jay Smif
June 21, 2023 at 3:20 pm
The Jews can smell the nazi stench coming off you MAGA/DeSantis cultists, Earl, you unhinged white trash lunatic.
Earl Pitts American
June 21, 2023 at 3:48 pm
Uhh Earl was asking for an answer and all I got was some idiot 8uttwhole gibrish….DISMISSED.
Joe
June 21, 2023 at 4:50 pm
Educated people are more likely to vote for Democrats, and Jewish Americans are significantly more likely to have graduated college than the average American.
Earl Pitts American
June 21, 2023 at 7:42 pm
Good evening Joe,
Non- Answer to Earl PittsvAmerican’s question. Off topic and annoying leftist double-speak.
DISMISSED
Elliott Offen
June 22, 2023 at 7:34 am
👆 Report this neo nazi troll to Florida Politics for hate speech, false information, and harassment. Needs medication and Rubio canvasser treatment.
Joe
June 23, 2023 at 12:17 pm
What question do you think you asked, Earl Pitts Groomer?
Michael K
June 21, 2023 at 3:36 pm
Jewish people know better than most what fascism looks like – that know all too well what demeaning and demonizing certain groups of people can lead to. Make no mistake: Jews are under attack. LGBTQ people are under attack. Women’s rights are under attack. Teachers are under attack. Books are, in fact, being banned. History is being white washed. Hate is on the rise.
Sound familiar?
Earl Pitts American
June 21, 2023 at 3:57 pm
Better than the previous answer but off topic and not helpfull.
I know its very difficult but again:
Why do American Jews always vote against the National security of The Nation of Isreal by flocking to the polling places in the USA and voting for Nation of Isreal Hateing Democrats…anybody got an answer….or just more double speak non-answers? It would be kind of smart if you are really an American Jew or at $ffin least lie and pretend to be an American Jew…Shlomo Danzinger are you out there?
I’ll wait.
Thank you America,
EPA
Joe
June 21, 2023 at 4:52 pm
Earl Pitts Cockroach, you are a disgusting racist and anti-semite, which is not too surprising given your GQP support.
Michael K
June 21, 2023 at 7:44 pm
I prefer to comment on the column, not feed the trolls that are off topic.
Earl Pitts American
June 21, 2023 at 7:45 pm
Joe,
Typical leftist anger with yet again no mental capacity to even attempt to answer Earl Pitts American’s legitamate question.
AGAIN DISMISSED
Michael K
June 21, 2023 at 7:59 pm
PS: Not you, Joe. Referring to the spell-checked challenged, word salad hurling narcissist above.
Ocean Joe
June 21, 2023 at 5:30 pm
Earl, to your point:
Truman, D, recognized the state of Israel.
LBJ, D, supplied weapons during the ’67 war.
Carter, D, brokered the long standing peace treaty with Egypt, Israel’s most powerful enemy, and Jordan, still in effect.
Democrats have supported the ban on nuclear weapons for Iran.
Meanwhile, the two leading lights of the Republican party can’t bring themselves to condemn nazis here, whether it’s Trump after Charlottesville or Desantis after the group of them showed at Daytona and then Orlando. In fact, the Republican party is an unapologetic haven for white supremacists, a group that aligns with nazi shenanigans.
PeterH
June 21, 2023 at 7:28 pm
America has always had a collection of hate mongering uneducated white nationalists and Neo-Nazi’s…….today’s Republican Party and their leader Donald Trump gave these deplorables a megaphone!
Republicans are America’s biggest problem!
Vote all Republicans out of office!
Earl Pitts American
June 21, 2023 at 8:04 pm
My man OJ,
Best reply ever. You Sir are the most intelegent and true gentelman here at our benelovant host F. P.
EPA
*I, Earl Pitts American remain stalwart in my faith that Shlomo, Jonathan, or maybe Elnatan know the answer to my as yet unanswered question as to why American Jews keep gleefully electing Democrats who hate The Nation of Iseral and all of God’s Childern living there. Why do American Jews hate all the Jews in The Nation of Isreal?*
*Really I dont understand the logic behind American Jews voting for AOC’s, Talibe, and that other Muzzy “B’s” Democratic Party…WHY?*
Elliott Offen
June 22, 2023 at 7:37 am
Intelegent? Earl Pitts has the IQ less than that of an ape… typical Florida Man and grungy criminal deadbeat. Needs jail before he is beaten by a mob.
Comments are closed.