Wednesday, April 16, 2025

The New Antisemitism Czar is a Lubavitcher

New Antisemitism Czar, Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun (on right)
I’m glad to see that Trump has come to his senses regarding his previously misguided tariff policies. He has, for the most part, reversed course. At least for now. The stock market has rebounded somewhat, although it hasn’t yet returned to the levels it reached before it initially reacted to those tariffs. Still, it has at least stopped plummeting and appears to have also reversed direction. For now. Since much of my retirement savings are invested in the market, I’m relieved. For now.

I mention this to highlight that I don’t agree with everything Trump has done since taking office. Least of all his tariff policy. But his reversal shows that he is not unwilling to reconsider a policy that appears to have backfired. His intentions were good, but the tariff strategy he used to realize those intentions was horribly flawed.

Speaking of his intentions, I have long ago concluded that Trump is a full-fledged human being who genuinely cares about people. I realize this flies in the face of the conventional wisdom that paints him as a narcissist of unprecedented proportion.

Thing is, I don’t think those two aspects of his personality are mutually exclusive. One can be highly self-indulgent and still care deeply about others. Enough to go out of their way to help them. Those who know him best have said this about him repeatedly, and I have no reason to doubt them. I’ve noticed it myself in a few reported instances where he showed quiet, personal compassion.

When it comes to his policies - both foreign and domestic - I believe his actions are guided by a mix of narcissism and empathy. I therefore continue to believe that his foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel (Judea and Samaria), Iran, Gaza, the Palestinians, the Jewish people, and his support for religious values, is based on principle. That his personal morals don’t always reflect those values is, frankly, irrelevant. What matters is that he is restoring the moral foundations upon which this country was built, while rejecting the progressive values that run counter to them. One can know the difference between right and wrong and pursue national policies accordingly while having personal failings on them.

Nowhere is Trump more deserving of appreciation by the Jewish people - at least from those of us committed to the values of the Torah - than in his actions regarding Israel and his domestic efforts to combat antisemitism.

Sadly, we often find ourselves to be our own worst enemies when it comes to these policies—particularly among less observant members of the Jewish community. For example, 27 Jewish organizations are currently protesting the detention of a Turkish student at Tufts University in the U.S. on a student visa. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that her detainment stemmed from her support of campus protests that harassed Jewish students. These protests underscore how many non-observant Jews are woke and align themselves with the most extreme elements of the progressive elite.

(And yes, I use the word ‘woke’ to describe them. It has become shorthand for an extreme form of liberalism that borders on anti-Americanism—vilifying the Founding Fathers as little more than racist slaveholders and - when it comes to us - attacking anyone who doesn’t promote so-called ‘justice in Palestine’ in some way shape or form. But I digress.)

There are many indicators of Trump’s empathy with the Jewish people, especially those of us who are observant. But his latest move may be the clearest indicator yet: appointing Yehuda Kaploun, a full-fledged Lubavitch Chassid, as Special Envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism - a position that has now been elevated to ambassador status and requires Senate confirmation. The previous envoy, Deborah Lipstadt, an internationally recognized expert on antisemitism, resigned when Trump took office.

Whether Yehuda Kaploun will be effective in the role remains to be seen. At the same time I’m not even sure how effective Deborah Lipstadt was during her tenure. But one thing is certain: Orthodox Jews will not be shortchanged by his advocacy.

Of course, I realize that Trump critics will find ways to refute everything I’ve said here that casts him in a positive light. Even the appointment of a Shomer Shabbos Jew to fight antisemitism. But as far as I’m concerned, I couldn’t be happier with this selection. And that makes me prouder than ever to be an American (of the politically conservative Orthodox Jewish persuasion).