Writer: Dr. Imam Shamsi Ali, Lc, MA, PhD | Director of Jamaica Muslim Center, Presiden of Nusantara Foundation, New York
RADARINDONESIANEWS.COM, JAKARTA – Yesterday, I received a video link through a WhatsApp group. Usually, I don’t open videos from group chats because they’re often of poor quality and a waste of time. However, when I saw the cover photo, I felt like I recognized the person.
Upon opening the video, I was surprised and delighted to see that it was Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, a prominent Jewish leader and senior rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City.
I’ve known Rabbi Cosgrove since 2007-2008 when he first became the head rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue. He invited me to a “Welcome” event, and I attended.
I was impressed by his intelligence, calm demeanor, and leadership charisma. He was the younger prominent Rabbi in NYC at the time.
We would occasionally meet at events, including one at the Council on Foreign Relations, a prestigious think tank in New York City.
However, in his recent sermon, I was shocked and disappointed to hear him express divisive and hateful views. Rabbi Cosgrove stated that Zohran Mamdani, a candidate for mayor of New York City, poses a danger to the Jewish community.
He emphasized Mamdani’s anti-Zionist stance and his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
As someone who has met and interacted with Rabbi Cosgrove, I expected more wisdom and open-mindedness from him. Instead, his sermon was filled with fear, panic, and division.
I strongly disagree with and reject his views on Mamdani and believe that his concerns about anti-Semitism are unfounded, and even expressing ignorance and hatred.
As Mamdani himself has said many times, his stance on Israel and Gaza is not about being anti-Jewish, but rather about opposing extremist apartheid Zionist policies.
Rabbi Cosgrove should understand the difference between criticizing Israel’s evil actions and being anti-Semitic.
Another argument used by Rabbi Cosgrove to accuse Zohran of being a threat to Jewish citizens is because Zohran’s position refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
This is something we all know because Zohran adheres to the principles of universal justice. A country should belong to all its citizens regardless of religion and race.
In fact, Zohran sees that Israel does not represent the noble Jewish religion and people with its genocidal behavior in Gaza. Israel is an extreme Zionist country that practices apartheid, and it is not the face of Judaism and Jewish people.
Zohran actually wants to save the face of the Jewish community. So instead of being seen as a threat, he should be seen as a savior.
The greatest threat to Jewish people comes not from individuals like Mamdani, but from extremist ideologies that promote racism and apartheid. This includes Zionist and Israel that continues commit genocide in Gaza.
I hope that Rabbi Cosgrove and other Jewish leaders will recognize this and work towards building bridges, rather than walls.
I therefore urge Rabbi Cosgrove to reflect on his views and consider the potential consequences of his words. As a respected leader, he should promote understanding and unity, rather than division and hatred.
One thing I take positively from Rabbi Cosgrove’s video is that we no longer need to be shy or worried about expressing our political stance in houses of worship.
We’ve been misled into thinking that taking a firm and clear political stance in mosques is wrong and negative. Thank you, Rabbi Cosgrove. From now on, I’ll be more open and brave in conveying my political opinions and stance from the mosque pulpits.
Comment