A Call for Peace and Responsible Rhetoric

July 31, 2026

A Call for Peace & Responsible Rhetoric

We call upon Maine’s leaders, and particularly its political leaders, to reject the irresponsible usage of the term “genocide” in describing the Israel-Hamas War. We also call upon Israeli and Palestinian leaders to end the cycle of violence and create a better world for both Palestinian and Israeli children. History teaches us to take our language seriously: when words lose their meaning and are instead repurposed to serve the current political trend, democracy suffers.

We, the undersigned, are Jewish organizations and Jewish community leaders from across the state of Maine. We do not claim to represent Maine’s entire Jewish community, nor every member of the organizations we lead; instead, we write today as Jewish people who have dedicated our lives to cultivating a home for the Jewish community in our state and who are proud of our community’s long history of supporting Mainers of all faiths and backgrounds.

We do not issue this statement because we believe that criticism of Israel, or its war policies, is inherently antisemitic. We issue it because we believe the accusation of “genocide” against Israel—which is becoming a staple of rhetoric in Maine politics—is wrong. And when belief in this accusation is enforced as a test of moral purity or social belonging, it becomes corrosive to the fabric of our community.

The suffering of Palestinians in Gaza is immense. The deaths of civilians, displacement, hunger, and grief absolutely demand compassion, humanitarian action, serious scrutiny, and accountability. As Jewish people, we believe all life is precious, and we mourn for every innocent life lost. While we recognize the existential threats Israel has faced since its founding, we also believe the Israeli government should do everything it can to protect the lives of Palestinian civilians.

But genocide is not a synonym for a terrible war, civilian casualties, or even alleged violations of the laws of war. It is the single gravest accusation that can be leveled against any nation or people. Using genocide as a political slogan does not advance peace in the Middle East. It erases essential moral and legal distinctions, diminishes the meaning of genocide, and inflames hatred for the local Jewish community. One can criticize the actions of the Israeli government without using the word “genocide.”

Words have consequences. Whether intended or not, the false charge of genocide against Israel is being used to justify—and even celebrate—the disturbing rise in violent terrorist attacks against Jewish communities worldwide. It has increasingly isolated many Jewish Mainers from civic spaces that once welcomed them. It has driven hatred and harassment towards Jewish schoolchildren here in Maine. Over the last year, fliers have been placed around the state that say Jewish people are “no longer welcome” in Maine; posters in Portland have called for a “D-Day” against local Jewish organizations; and many synagogues in Maine no longer feel safe gathering without an armed security guard present. While the Jewish community makes up just 2% of the US population, Jews are targeted in nearly 70% of all religiously motivated hate crimes.

The term "genocide” is a legal term created in part to describe the horror of the 1933-1945 Holocaust, when 6 million Jews, representing 67% of the entire European Jewish population, were systematically exterminated by the Nazis. Millions of Soviets, Poles, Romani, people with disabilities, and others were also tragically killed. The worldwide Jewish population still has not recovered to its pre-Holocaust levels; over the last 25 years, the population of Gaza has more than doubled. Every civilian death is a tragedy, and the word genocide should not be used carelessly or as a political bludgeon against the very group that experienced it. The most recent Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, has stated that current evidence does not support filing genocide charges in Gaza, emphasizing that the charge of "genocide" requires strict proof of specific intent rather than public pressure.

When polio appeared in Gaza in 2024, Israel coordinated with the WHO to provide over 1 million vaccination doses to Palestinian children. During the war, Israel set up humanitarian corridors for Gazans to leave combat zones before beginning operations against Hamas—a group whose recognized strategy is to embed within the civilian population to deliberately increase civilian casualties. Israel currently maintains a ceasefire while facilitating food and medicine into Gaza. While many of us feel Israel can and should do even more to protect civilians, these actions are not consistent with a country carrying out genocide.

There is clear evidence that some began framing Israel’s military response to 10/7—the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, which also indiscriminately killed Israeli Arabs, Bedouins, Holocaust survivors, Thai workers, and babies—as a “genocide” within days of the attack. We believe this early weaponization of the word “genocide” was an attempt not to bring peace to the region, but to inflict the deepest wound upon the Jewish community by trivializing and appropriating our historical genocide, the Holocaust, in order to draw an equal sign between Jews and Nazis. History teaches us to take our language seriously: when words lose their meaning and are instead repurposed to serve the current political trend, democracy suffers.

We call upon Maine’s leaders, and particularly its political leaders, to reject the irresponsible usage of the term in describing the Israel-Hamas War. We also call upon Israeli and Palestinian leaders to end the cycle of violence and to create a better world for both Palestinian and Israeli children.

Compassion for Palestinians does not require the adoption of hateful and misleading language. Advocating for peace does not require participation in a “Holocaust inversion” against the Jewish community. And political leadership does not require demonizing one community in the service of another.

This statement has been signed by every congregational rabbi in the state of Maine.

בְּשָׁלוֹם וּבְרָכָה (B'shalom u'vracha) With peace and blessings,

Rabbi Daniel K. Alter

Rabbi Erica Asch

Rabbi Andy Bachman

Rabbi Gary Berenson

Rabbi Sruli Dresdner

Rabbi Rachel Isaacs

Rabbi Jared H. Saks

Rabbi Bill Siemers

Rabbi Rachel Simmons

Rabbi Lorin Troderman

Rabbi Lisa Vinikoor

Rachael Alfond, Interim Co-Executive Director, Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine (JCA)

Stefanie Levenson, Interim Co-Executive Director, Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine (JCA)

Dawn LaRochelle, Executive Director, Maine Jewish Museum

Zach Schwartz, Director, Jewish Community Relations Council (JCA)

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Remembering, Rebuilding, and Resilience: JCRC Hosts Eugene Damlich

July 15, 2026

Last week, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine welcomed Eugene Damlich, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, for a special lunch and community dialogue. Eugene shared the story of losing his family, surviving unimaginable violence, and rebuilding his life in the years that followed. The only surviving child in a family of five children, Eugene later immigrated to the United States, where, as an adult, he found love and belonging with a Jewish-American family. The gathering was not simply a testimony program, but a genuine exchange between communities. Eugene asked participants how the Jewish community has preserved Holocaust memory while helping survivors and their descendants live with hope, dignity, and purpose. He also invited discussion about forgiveness, justice, healing, and the responsibility to transmit memory across generations. Several people at the table were children of Holocaust survivors—one JCRC member, Anna Wrobel, shared that her mother was also the sole survivor of her family—profoundly relating to Eugene in a way that few others can. In preparation for the lunch, the JCRC held its first movie night, where participants watched Sometimes in April, a 2005 historical drama about the Rwandan Genocide. Last week’s lunch also built upon the JCRC’s participation in this year’s Kwibuka, which annually commemorates the Rwandan Genocide; JCRC members walked in the memorial procession, and a post-Kwibuaka gathering for Maine’s Tutsi community was held at the JCA. We are deeply grateful to Eugene for sharing his testimony, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationship between Maine’s Jewish and Tutsi communities.

2026 Shlichim Spotlight

June 29, 2026

Camp is officially in session, and we’re so excited to welcome this year’s Israeli Shlichim to Center Day Camp. Each summer, our Shlichim (Hebrew for “emissaries”) travel from Israel to spend the season at camp—sharing their culture, traditions, language, stories, and everyday life with our campers and community. Through games, conversations, music, special programs, and lots of fun, they help create meaningful connections that bring Israel to life in authentic and personal ways. Wishing all of our campers, staff, and Shlichim an unforgettable summer ahead!

Second Annual Jewish Asian Friendship Dinner

June 5, 2026

The JCA had a wonderful time hosting the Second Annual Jewish-Asian Friendship Dinner! This dinner brought together the Jewish community and nearly all major Asian organizations in Southern Maine. This year, we served Cambodian delicacies, Filipino comfort food, and Israeli falafel, with a special dish made for the event: a red onion curry challah created by Exile Bakery. Highlights of the night included honoring Manli Ho—the daughter of famous Chinese diplomat Dr. Feng-Shan Ho, who saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust—and a Hamotzi blessing & invocation from Rabbi Rachel Isaacs. We also heard a moving story on growing up Asian from former Portland City Councillor Tae Chong, a speech from community leader Marpheen Chann, an introduction from Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and concluding remarks from Tam Huynh, Executive Director of the Holocaust & Human Rights Center of Maine. Our Jewish Community Relations Council also presented an original artwork to the Watt Samaki Buddhist Temple in honor of our past year of friendship. Thank you to more than 150 community members who packed the JCA to celebrate Jewish-Asian unity. These include our friends at Khmer Maine, the Maine Jewish Museum, Azerbaijan Society of Maine, Chinese Gospel Church of Portland, Watt Samaki Buddhist Temple, Filipino-American Samahan of Maine, Chinese-American Friendship Association of Maine, Maine Asian-American Community Center, and The LUNAR Collective.