A group of prominent Pennsylvania Jews endorsed U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in advance of the state’s April 22 primary. In a letter to the state’s Jewish community, about 60 Jewish supporters of Obama, including some politicians, rabbis and community leaders, dismissed concerns raised about the candidate’s commitment to Israel, praised his response to the controversial statements of his pastor and urged them to support the Illinois lawmaker in the Democratic primary. Among the signatories were two Jewish Pennsylvania legislators — Reps. Josh Shapiro and Daylin Leach. “Senator Obama has earned our respect and gratitude because of his support for traditional Jewish values and his commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Israel,” the letter said. The letter also lauded Obama’s recent speech in which he repudiated the views of his controversial pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., and compared support for Obama to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s famous description of marching for civil rights in Selma as “praying with his feet.” “We have each chosen to pray with our feet and stand with Barack Obama because he is sensitive to the issues of the Jewish community and a stalwart supporter of Israel,” the letter said.
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