Bernie Can Fix Our Anti-Semitism Conversation

Writing today in the leftist journal Jewish Currents, Sen. Bernie Sanders offered a manifesto for confronting anti-Semitism in our time. Before grappling with its specific contents, it’s important to note the historical significance of this moment: For the first time, a Jewish candidate for president—the most successful one in American history—has spoken out at length on anti-Semitism to the public. That’s something worthy of celebration, and in Sanders’ case, commendation.

In the past, Sanders has been reluctant, for understandable reasons, to delve too deeply into his Jewish identity or explicitly address anti-Semitic ideas. Here, he has tackled the subject head-on. Precisely because this may be his first foray into a more public stance on these issues, it’s worth examining the substance of Sanders’ piece, and seeing what it does well—and where it falls short.