A Michigan rabbi says he does not believe a victory by progressive U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed would itself lead to harm against the Jewish community, but worries his rhetoric could influence others and deepen a growing sense of political homelessness among Jewish voters.
Rabbi Josh Whinston, a leading progressive Reform rabbi at Temple Beth Emeth, spoke exclusively with The Center Square.
“Dr. El-Sayed is a leader . . . regardless if he wins this election or not. People are listening to his voice, and you know when you’re a leader, you have a different set of responsibilities,” Whinston said. “So, what do I fear? I fear that radical people might hear some of the things that he’s said, and take that to mean that they can do harm to the Jewish community.”
Whinston recently helped launch Nonnegotiable Michigan, a coalition of Michigan clergy and synagogue lay leaders whose congregations represent about 40,000 Jewish Michiganders.
The initiative has requested five specific commitments from El-Sayed addressing Jewish safety, identity, statehood and political participation. Nonnegotiable Michigan describes the commitments as “not an ultimatum, but an invitation” and is calling on Jews across the state to sign the petition.
Michigan voters have already begun voting in the U.S. Senate race, with Election Day in 36 days. El-Sayed, who is considered a political outsider, is facing Republican nominee Mike Rogers.
The race is considered one of the most competitive U.S. Senate contests in the nation, with millions of dollars pouring into the contest from both parties.
In 2024, Michigan’s U.S. Senate race was decided by less than half a percentage point, with U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin narrowly defeating Rogers. Rogers is running again as the Republican nominee after receiving the party’s backing unopposed.
Rogers has received the endorsement of President Donald Trump, while the average of recent polling shows El-Sayed leading Rogers 47.3% to 44.2%.
While the Democratic Party establishment has stepped up to support El-Sayed, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, he has also faced criticism from Republicans and some Jewish leaders in recent months, particularly over his relationship with political streamer Hasan Piker, who campaigned alongside El-Sayed during the primary.
It was amid criticism of Piker’s comments and concerns raised by Jewish leaders that Nonnegotiable Michigan was launched.
Whinston said the coalition’s five commitments are predominantly focused on Jewish safety, which he described as his top concern. He added that the coalition is not asking El-Sayed to change all of his political views.
“It was a document that had different folks engaged in it with different political leanings, but who all care about the future of Israel and the future of Palestinians too,” Whinston said. “We’re not asking him to abandon his views on Israel or the Middle East.”
Rather, Whinston said the coalition’s concerns center on how he believes some of El-Sayed’s rhetoric could affect Jewish safety.
“I heard Dr. El-Sayed use anti-Semitic language and dog whistles more than I could tolerate,” Whinston explained. “Things that were said during the primary season just went too far, and for the sake of the safety of my own community, I needed to to step up and say something.”
Nonnegotiable Michigan said there have been “crickets” from the El-Sayed campaign since the coalition launched, while his campaign also did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Center Square.
When previously addressing concerns about antisemitism, El-Sayed called it a “scourge.”
“My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own daughters. Antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms,” El-Sayed said in August, “And I stand against any rhetoric that puts the community at risk.”
Whinston said he found the statement “disingenuous,” particularly in light of El-Sayed’s characterization of Israel as “bloodthirsty” and his criticism of AIPAC.
“It was not a full apology. I know there are people that heard it that way. I did not,” he said. “That just feels completely disingenuous . . . it concerns me and makes me feel as though the potential for harm for my community, for the Jewish community of Michigan, is increased.”
Still, Whinston said his criticism of El-Sayed is not rooted in a desire to see him lose the election. Rather, he said, the coalition’s goal is for El-Sayed to address its concerns.
“Success is Dr. El-Sayed moving on these issues, acknowledging the harm of past comments-and winning the election,” he said.
While concerns about El-Sayed’s rhetoric helped prompt the effort, Whinston said his concerns extend beyond the Michigan Senate race.
“Absolutely, I think this is broader,” Whinston said. “We focused on Dr. El-Sayed and some of the language that he used because he’s the candidate in Michigan running for the Senate right now.”
Whinston, a Democrat, said he has increasingly heard from Jewish voters nationwide who feel politically homeless within the Democratic Party.
“I got into this because the Democratic Party is my political home. It is the political home for the vast majority, upwards of 70%, of American Jews,” Whinston said. “They don’t know what they’re going to do in November and they’re concerned about their political future in the United States.”
Whinston said the issue has become increasingly prominent in recent years, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“Those are not things I’ve heard before,” he said.
Whinston said Nonnegotiable Michigan is not looking for a new political home, but commitments from the Democratic Party.
“We are not interested in electing Mike Rogers,” Whinston said. “This is not about defeating Abdul El-Sayed. This is purely about making sure that Jewish voices who support the state of Israel, who care about its future, who care about peace, and want to see an end to this occupation, still have a place at the table.”
Whinston, who has previously spoken one-on-one with El-Sayed, said he remains hopeful that the candidate can address the coalition’s concerns.
“He is an inspirational leader who could be more inspirational. He is an inspirational leader who could widen his tent,” Whinston said. “He’s a brilliant guy and he can figure out how to thread a difficult needle. It’s not easy, but it’s doable . . . I’m hopeful that Dr. El-Sayed will do the right thing.”
