"Jews for Bernie" - really?

Honest, I don’t know if it’s ever been this bad. Every day I read something that makes it seem like American Jews have lost their minds.

Listen to this: 

“What he stands for is what my Judaism has been about my whole life,” Jeff Marker, a Jewish Renewal rabbi from Brooklyn, said in an interview at the brunch.

 “Social justice, and understanding that peace and security for Israel only comes when there is peace and justice for Palestinians.”

That came from a “Jews for Bernie” brunch in Manhattan, covered by JTA, and typifies what was being said at an event that could have been named “Jews for Farrakhan.” Consider me in the dark as to what the heck is going on with my landsmen here in America.

Obviously there is something I’m not getting when I hear “peace and justice for the Palestinians” as if it’s Israel’s fault for every Arab stabbing attack.

What is a “Jewish Renewal rabbi” anyway? What’s there to renew after 3,500 years? Is Bernie coming to renew with his new blood libel?

He told the New York Daily News that he really wasn’t sure what happened in Gaza back in 2014. "Anybody help me out here, because I don't remember the figures, but my recollection is over 10,000 innocent people were killed in Gaza. Does that sound right?"

That remark alone should have cancelled the event on the spot.

But the “Jews for Bernie” showed up and keep showing up as I insist in this thriller that’s begun selling out where it’s not boycotted for being too “anti-Hamas.”

With Jews like that, who needs BDS?

 In fact these so-called Jews are BDS and certainly they are cheerleaders for SJP, Students for Justice in ‘Palestine’…and never mind that it’s these thugs who are tormenting Jewish kids on Campus…obviously with a handshake from “Jews for Bernie” and a pat on the back from Bernie himself.

For my part, I choose to believe that we’re talking about a minority among my landsmen. Most American Jews are not that far gone.

We have hope. 

We have Zionists among us, people who understand that a strong Israel means a strong America.

Let’s recall the high number of Americans who rushed to Israel at the coming of every war. Plenty would do so again.

But so what do I do with this picture? 

About 80 percent voted for Obama twice. Does this mean that 80 percent have fully converted from Judaism to Liberalism?

I refuse to buy this. We, the people of the Book, the people who produce Einsteins, cannot have lost our good senses in a single generation.

Actually, this is not so new after all. Our history is full of rebellious sons. Our Book itself tells about uprisings, yes, even outside of America.

Our Book of Scriptures devotes an entire chapter to Korach and his revolt against Moses.

So we had them right from the start and the Torah does not shy from mentioning them by name.

Korach wasn’t alone. Korach was joined by other malcontents who came as “Jews for Bernie.”

Our sages of 2,000 years ago, the men who during the Age of Rome compiled our liturgies, were so threatened by turncoats that they added the following to our 18 Benedictions: “May there be no hope for informers.” King David suffered greatly from scoffers, including Torah giant Doeg, and his own father-in-law, King Saul.

So it runs in the family, I suppose. But those were exceptions.

According to the rules, the majority of us stayed true to our kinsmen, our faith, our love of Zion.

So I’ll stick to the belief that the “Jews for Bernie” are (allegorically) destined for the same pit that swallowed the “Jews for Korach.”

New York-based bestselling American novelist Jack Engelhard writes a regular column for Arutz Sheva. He is the author of the international classic “Indecent Proposal” now followed by the prophetic newsroom thriller “The Bathsheba Deadline.” Engelhard is the recipient of the Ben Hecht Award for Literary Excellence. Website: www.jackengelhard.com