I have never been a great devotee of the late American novelist Philip Roth’s work, but in recent weeks, I have found myself rereading his 2004 novel “The Plot Against America”—not as the dystopian fiction it was intended to be, but as a work with eerie relevance to our current political situation. Leaving aside the parallels between the imagined presidency of Charles Lindbergh and the nativism, racism and jingoism espoused by President Trump, perhaps more troubling is the Orthodox community’s unwavering support for such a man. Large swaths of our community have assumed the role of the fictional Rabbi Bengelsdorf—intoxicated by their proximity to the halls of power.
During Trump’s campaign, I could, perhaps with a degree of self-deception, convince myself that his policy agenda was merely a “marketing pitch” and that he would not act on half of what he said. This allowed me to avoid impugning those in our community who claimed, “He has some beneficial policies, but I do not support the man or his character.” However, the events of the past two weeks have made it abundantly clear that he attempts to do exactly what he says. In his short time in office, he has incessantly scapegoated immigrants for the nation’s problems, appointed an alcoholic and alleged sexual abuser who glorifies the Crusades to lead the military, and—like Hitler, yms”v, who blamed the Reichstag Fire on Communists—baselessly attributed a tragic plane crash to supposed FAA workers “who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems…[hired] under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative.”
When 87% of Lakewood and large portions of the “enlightened” Modern Orthodox community of Teaneck voted for this man, we must ask ourselves whether the religious values we claim to uphold have had any meaningful impact on how we approach the world and other people. If there is one value our community has hopefully not abandoned, it is that of teshuva. Four years from now, we will return to the ballot box—albeit with Trump no longer on the ticket—but we must not allow ourselves to be swept away by candidates who act on the evil they pronounce. As Rambam teaches, the first step in repentance is a commitment not to repeat the sin. In the meantime, the Orthodox community must intellectually reckon with the decision it overwhelmingly made and, hopefully, regret its role in what has come to pass.
