House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on January 06, 2023. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

By Jacob Kornbluh May 23, 2023

Senior Democrats rallied top Jewish supporters on Tuesday as the presidential campaign kicks into high gear. 

Speaking at a dinner hosted by the Jewish Democratic Council of America’s leadership in Washington, D.C., Douglas Emhoff, the Jewish husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, thanked the group’s board for leading the fight against antisemitism and standing up for America’s democracy.

The group, convening a two-day gathering to discuss strategy and legislative priorities ahead of the 2024 elections, also heard from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was honored with its “defender of democracy” award. 

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Emhoff, who often speaks out against antisemitism on behalf of the Biden administration, described the 2024 election as “the most important election of our lifetime,” and condemned as “foolishness” Republicans’ failure to curtail gun violence and efforts to ban abortion. 

Rep. Kathy Manning of North Carolina, the co-chair of the House bipartisan task force for combating antisemitism, introduced Emhoff, calling him “the Queen Esther of our time.” 

The White House is expected to unveil the first-ever national plan to counter anti-Jewish bigotry later this week. Emhoff in recent months played a key role in formulating the plan. Emhoff told the crowd that President Joe Biden “has been doing a lot of work with us behind the scenes on the plan.” 

At a reception following a board meeting, Jeffries said, “Our pledge as House Democrats is to make sure that we stand up, speak up and show up until we crush antisemitism in the United States,” Jeffries is one of eight co-sponsors of a bipartisan resolution recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month. It highlights “the rich history of Jewish people in the United States” and calls out antisemitism.

The strong words come a month after Jeffries faced backlash for a report that as a college student in the 1990s, he defended Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, known for his antisemitic vitriol, and his uncle, Leonard Jeffries, a professor who had made antisemitic comments. House Democrats and Democratic Jews defended Jeffries, who said he does not share the controversial views espoused by his uncle over 30 years ago.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount