'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jessica Rosenberg, a Reconstructionist rabbi currently based in South Minneapolis, urged President Joe Biden to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict on Wednesday, November 1, during a fundraiser event. A video footage of the incident went viral on social media, where the rabbi could be seen interrupting Biden’s speech by standing up and saying:
“Mr. President, if you care about Jewish people, as a rabbi, I need you to call for a ceasefire right now!”
But as soon as Rosenberg got those words out, a few members of the audience were heard expressing their displeasure with the rabbi’s demand, as she was told to “sit down.” Rosenberg also got yelled at by another person who sternly told her to “get out.”
The rabbi was subsequently escorted out of the venue. While she was leaving the room, Biden responded to her demand by voicing his support for a “pause” or a temporary de-escalation of the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“I think we need a pause,” the President said.
When rabbi Jessica Rosenberg interrupted him again to demand what the President referred to as this ‘pause,’ Biden clarified it as a pause to lend some time to rescue the hostages.
More about Jessica Rosenberg as rabbi receives support from the internet
Originally from Philadelphia, Rosenberg serves as a National Organizer at a progressive Jewish group, Bend the Arc. She graduated in 2018 from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Pennsylvania. Jessica Rosenberg reportedly became a rabbi to learn about the diverse histories of Jewish people and create safe spaces for each individual.
The rabbi is also said to be pro-LGBTQIA as she has learned from and served the young people at the LGBTQ & Ally Teen Shabbaton Retreats, the community of Kehilat HaNahar, and Jewish Voice for Peace.
Jessica Rosenberg’s parents, who were also organizers, influenced her perception of Jewish communities, teaching her that they should be values-aligned and life-giving. Aside from being a spiritual leader for the Jewish community, Rosenberg has also penned Introduction to Trauma, Healing and Resilience.
Although Rosenberg's interruption of the President's speech at the fundraiser was met with immediate negative reactions from the audience, social media users have backed her demand for a ceasefire. Many netizens have urged everyone to call out government officials who are fueling the conflict between Israel and Hamas without taking any effective means to put a stop to it.
Some netizens also condemned the audience members who booed Rosenberg after she demanded a ceasefire. Several other people advocated for peace and endorsed Rosenberg's demand.
The White House is calling for a “pause” to the Israel-Hamas clash spanning an indeterminate duration so that more sustainable aid and other humanitarian essentials can get into Gaza and help the affected people.
