Rabbis and Jewish leaders Call for the Halt of the Death Penalty
We believe that government must protect the dignity and rights of every human being; with the death penalty, our country fails to live up to this basic requirement.
We, the undersigned Jewish leaders across denominations, express our opposition to the use of the death penalty in America.
As Jews and citizens, we believe that governments must protect the dignity and rights of every human being. By using the death penalty, our country fails to live up to this basic requirement.
Too often, the wrong person is convicted for crimes they did not commit. Owing to their socio-economic situation or lack of access to legal resources, wrongly convicted people often have no real opportunity to respond to an overwhelming legal system that, after an initial conviction, makes the proof of innocence very difficult. The consequences of this system are not only fundamentally unjust but also produce racially disparate outcomes. Additionally, tax payers are required to pay exorbitant amounts to maintain death row.
The rabbis taught that a court that often puts others to death is deeply problematic. How often? Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah says, "Every 70 years." Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiva say, "If we were in a court, no person would ever be executed," (Makkot 7a). While not categorically opposed to capital punishment, the rabbis saw the death penalty as so extreme a measure that they all but removed it from their system of justice. In contrast, our American system today lacks the highest safeguards to protect the lives of the innocent and uses capital punishment all too readily.
We do not naively believe that everyone on death row is completely innocent of any crime. Yet, it is time to see the death penalty for what it is: not as justice gone awry, but a symptom of injustice as status quo. "You must rescue those taken off to death!"(Proverbs 24:11)!
As Jewish community leaders, we are calling for an end to a cruel practice, but also for the beginning of a new paradigm of fair, equitable restorative justice.
Rabbi Dr. Yitz Greenberg
Rabbi Dov Linzer
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
Rabbi Ari Hart
Rabbi Dr. Yehudah Mirsky
Rosh Kehillah Dina Najman
Rabbi Dr. Elisha Ancselovits
Rabbi David Jaffe - Kirva Institute
Rabbi Dr. Art Green
Rabbi Sharon Brous
Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block
Rabbi Michael Latz
Rabbi Dr. Sid Schwarz
Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
Rabbi David Teutsch
Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Rabbi Micah Caplan
Rabbi David Bauman
Rabbi David Kalb
Rabbi Barry Dolinger
Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein
Rabbi Dr. Michael Chernick
Rabbi Gabe Greenberg
Rabbi Ariel Evan Mayse
Rabbi David Polsky
Rabbi Jason Herman
Rabbi Jenny Solomon
Rabbi Barat Ellman
Rabbi Tracee Rosen
Rabbi Dean Shapiro
Rabbi David Segal
Rabbi Adina Allen
Rabbi Andy Koren
Rabbi Robin Nafshi
Rabbi Elana Kanter
Rabbi Abby Sosland
Rabbi Jacob Fine
Rabbi Dr. Miriyam Glazer
Rabbi Suzanne Singer
Rabbi Daniel Kirzane
Rabbi Michael Rothbaum
Rabbi Nina H Mandel
Rabbi Marc Soloway
Rabbi Jocee Hudson
Rabbi Jack Silver
Rabbi Sarah Leah Grafstein
Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman
Rabbi Leo Michel Abrami
Rabbi Michael Goldman
Rabbi Jean Eglinton
Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg
Rabbi Evan Schultz
Rabbi Ari Lucas
Rabbi Ahud Sela
Rabbi Dr. Cheryl Weiner
Rabbi Robert Scheinberg
Rabbi David Spinrad
Rabbi Joshua Ratner
Rabbi Aaron Alexander
Rabbi Sam Feinsmith
Rabbi Mel Gottlieb
Rabbi Jonah Geffen
Rabbi Elliott Tepperman
Rabbi Morris Allen
Rabbi Dennis Linson
Rabbi Derek Rosenbaum
Rabbi Devorah Marcus
Rabbi Toba Spitzer
Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels
Rabbi David Lerner
Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb
Rabbi Jonah Pesner
As Jews and citizens, we believe that governments must protect the dignity and rights of every human being. By using the death penalty, our country fails to live up to this basic requirement.
Too often, the wrong person is convicted for crimes they did not commit. Owing to their socio-economic situation or lack of access to legal resources, wrongly convicted people often have no real opportunity to respond to an overwhelming legal system that, after an initial conviction, makes the proof of innocence very difficult. The consequences of this system are not only fundamentally unjust but also produce racially disparate outcomes. Additionally, tax payers are required to pay exorbitant amounts to maintain death row.
The rabbis taught that a court that often puts others to death is deeply problematic. How often? Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah says, "Every 70 years." Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiva say, "If we were in a court, no person would ever be executed," (Makkot 7a). While not categorically opposed to capital punishment, the rabbis saw the death penalty as so extreme a measure that they all but removed it from their system of justice. In contrast, our American system today lacks the highest safeguards to protect the lives of the innocent and uses capital punishment all too readily.
We do not naively believe that everyone on death row is completely innocent of any crime. Yet, it is time to see the death penalty for what it is: not as justice gone awry, but a symptom of injustice as status quo. "You must rescue those taken off to death!"(Proverbs 24:11)!
As Jewish community leaders, we are calling for an end to a cruel practice, but also for the beginning of a new paradigm of fair, equitable restorative justice.
Rabbi Dr. Yitz Greenberg
Rabbi Dov Linzer
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
Rabbi Ari Hart
Rabbi Dr. Yehudah Mirsky
Rosh Kehillah Dina Najman
Rabbi Dr. Elisha Ancselovits
Rabbi David Jaffe - Kirva Institute
Rabbi Dr. Art Green
Rabbi Sharon Brous
Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block
Rabbi Michael Latz
Rabbi Dr. Sid Schwarz
Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
Rabbi David Teutsch
Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Rabbi Micah Caplan
Rabbi David Bauman
Rabbi David Kalb
Rabbi Barry Dolinger
Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein
Rabbi Dr. Michael Chernick
Rabbi Gabe Greenberg
Rabbi Ariel Evan Mayse
Rabbi David Polsky
Rabbi Jason Herman
Rabbi Jenny Solomon
Rabbi Barat Ellman
Rabbi Tracee Rosen
Rabbi Dean Shapiro
Rabbi David Segal
Rabbi Adina Allen
Rabbi Andy Koren
Rabbi Robin Nafshi
Rabbi Elana Kanter
Rabbi Abby Sosland
Rabbi Jacob Fine
Rabbi Dr. Miriyam Glazer
Rabbi Suzanne Singer
Rabbi Daniel Kirzane
Rabbi Michael Rothbaum
Rabbi Nina H Mandel
Rabbi Marc Soloway
Rabbi Jocee Hudson
Rabbi Jack Silver
Rabbi Sarah Leah Grafstein
Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman
Rabbi Leo Michel Abrami
Rabbi Michael Goldman
Rabbi Jean Eglinton
Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg
Rabbi Evan Schultz
Rabbi Ari Lucas
Rabbi Ahud Sela
Rabbi Dr. Cheryl Weiner
Rabbi Robert Scheinberg
Rabbi David Spinrad
Rabbi Joshua Ratner
Rabbi Aaron Alexander
Rabbi Sam Feinsmith
Rabbi Mel Gottlieb
Rabbi Jonah Geffen
Rabbi Elliott Tepperman
Rabbi Morris Allen
Rabbi Dennis Linson
Rabbi Derek Rosenbaum
Rabbi Devorah Marcus
Rabbi Toba Spitzer
Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels
Rabbi David Lerner
Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb
Rabbi Jonah Pesner
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