An Open Letter to Gal Gadot and David Schwimmer

Dear Gal and David,

Bravo. Bravo. Bravo. It’s about time people of your stature stood up and spoke out about the ferocious levels of antisemitism that have infested campuses and cities everywhere, as you did at the recent ADL dinner.

I want to personally thank you for standing up to hatred and being the voice for every Jew worldwide. It takes tremendous courage to put your names on the line, and I commend you for that.

I know from personal experience that not everyone is willing to do so.

I recently emailed an A-list celebrity with whom I have a connection, asking her and her husband to partner with Aish.com for a worldwide challah bake to pray for the return of the hostages.

They responded directly and politely declined, explaining that they already receive so much hate mail and threats that they could not accept to take such a political stance.

As much as I understood their fears about being vocal, how is praying for a fellow Jew a political stance?

As you, Gal, mentioned in your fiery acceptance speech at the ADL dinner, merely stating that you are a Jew today is somehow considered controversial. Never in your life could you have imagined that mass numbers of people would be cheering Hamas on for their atrocities.

The truth of the matter is we don’t have the luxury of sitting back and remaining politically correct. There is too much at stake for Jews worldwide.

How is it really politically correct to remain silent when women, children and people of all races, religions, young and old are abducted, raped, murdered and tortured like they were in October 7th?

Standing by silently is making a very loud statement.

As the holiday of Purim approaches, we remember that Esther, a Jew, was “randomly” chosen to be the Queen of Persia. As the Jewish people were in imminent danger of being destroyed as a nation, Mordechai asked her to speak up and beg the king to save her nation.

She was terrified. Approaching the king uninvited was equivalent to a death sentence.

Mordechai told her, “Esther perhaps this is why you have been placed in this lofty position. You can choose not to speak up, but then the redemption will come from elsewhere. God has a plan and if it doesn’t come from your voice, it will come from someone else’s. But don’t think you will be saved because you are the Queen.”

Every Jewish celebrity in Hollywood needs to recognize, like you have, that they have a powerful platform which is a gift that can be used to help their fellow Jews worldwide in these desperate times.

Don’t think that just because you are a celebrity you will have a different “Jew” status if and when world opinion turns. None of us can remain silent.

So Ms. Gadot and Mr. Schwimmer, I thank you for your bravery. Thank you for being the modern-day Queen Esther and Mordechai. I hope that your courage to speak out against antisemitism will encourage your fellow Hollywood cognoscenti to get off the fence and do the same.

Where are all your fellow Jewish Hollywood colleagues? Where are the writers, the actors, the producers and the directors? Where were the powerful messages delivered by Jews at the recent Academy Awards? With respect, I ask Adrian Brody, where are you? Did you not play a pivotal role as a Jew in a film about antisemitism after the Holocaust? In your overtime speech at the Oscars you couldn’t find 30 seconds to directly encourage people to speak out against antisemitism, without masking your message behind the cloak of universal bigotry and hate?

No one is asking celebrities to solve the issues in the Middle East. This is about standing alongside your Jewish friends, neighbors, and coworkers who have been witnessing horror after horror on campus after campus. Your friends are worried for their future and their children’s safety. Let them know you stand with them, support them and love them.

Gal’s words ring clear: “We cannot ignore the explosion of Jew hatred around the world. My name is Gal, I am Jewish and we have had enough of Jew hatred. We will confront antisemitsm, we will call it out. But we will never let it defeat us or define us because our love is stronger than their hate.”

Warmly,
Sarah Pachter