The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Jewish Reconstructionist Communities, along with the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association join in the concern expressed by political leaders across the spectrum about President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of Stephen Bannon to senior advisor and chief strategist to the White House. Mr. Bannon has overseen the primary website of the “alt-right,” a group espousing white nationalist beliefs. The site has often been critiqued for racist, anti-Semitic and other hateful content. Mr. Bannon’s appointment reinforces concerns that expressions of anti-Semitism, misogyny, racism, and Islamophobia—all normalized through the presidential campaign—will be embraced by the highest office in the land. We call for the appointment of a strategist who will work for the inclusion and well-being of all Americans.
