A letter to the Democratic National Committee

Oh DNC, you have no idea how much I wish I could have watched the courageous speech by Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin without that little voice in my head saying “But what about all of the Palestinians?” Jon and Rachel spoke about their beautiful son Hersh. The moment he was taken, the different planet they have existed on since that moment, and the hope they have for him to remain strong and to come home. Their bravery is profound, their strength is unimaginable, and their suffering is heart-wrenching.

But, DNC, I had trouble focusing on their story because I could not stop thinking about the parents of the over 16,000 children who have been killed in Gaza since October. I could not stop thinking about the stories that you decided should not be shared. I could not stop thinking about the bravery and strength and suffering of Palestinians that you decided to hide from the world in the name of politics. Jon set it straight —this is not about politics, it’s about being human. 

Jon and Rachel deserved the world’s attention and support and compassion when they bravely shared Hersh’s story. But you diminished that possibility by reminding the world that you value certain voices over others. I tell you, we saw that prioritization and it triggered those little voices in our heads. It distracted us from a story no one should ever be distracted from. Do you realize the disservice you did to Jon and Rachel, and all of the other hostages’ families, by distracting us from their story?  

Jon shared that in the Jewish tradition there is a saying that every person is an entire universe.  DNC, why couldn’t you recognize and honor that tradition? Why couldn’t you see that one universe should not be prioritized over another? Why couldn’t you see that it’s possible to love and value multiple universes at the same time?