Over 5,000 Reform Jews call on Trump to 'lead with integrity and compassion' 

More than 5,000 members of the Reform Jewish Movement and its allies penned a letter to President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday urging him to return to the Oval Office with "integrity and compassion, working to heal the division in our nation and uphold the rights and dignity of all Americans."

In a statement, Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said the letter represents a heartfelt call to action rooted in Jewish values and democratic principles.

"As an American and a Reform Jew, I am committed to the protection of the orphan, the widow, and the stranger," the letter said. "I will support any serious effort by your administration to combat antisemitism, and I will champion a strong US-Israel relationship that fosters democracy in and security for the Jewish state and demands the rights, well-being, and national aspirations of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank are upheld."

The letter continued, "I will join in fierce opposition to any further efforts to eviscerate reproductive rights, to target the safety and rights of the LGBTQ+ community, to harm communities of Color, or to undermine the health of our air, water, and land."

Defending the vulnerable

The signees said they will join in defense of the security of immigrants and the right to claim asylum and will "vehemently oppose the weaponization of political power against individuals and institutions that are core to our democracy, including the courts and the press."

And above all, the signees said, they urged an end to the repeated "demeaning of women, the use of hateful language against those who hold different views, and the persistent coarsening of our political culture."

"We are all made more whole when we treat others with the respect every human being deserves," according to the letter. "Please, help heal the wounds our nation bears and govern as a president for all Americans."