To my senator - May 2, 2025

My note sent this morning (5/2/2025) - hopefully not words cast to the wind:   

Dear Senator Marshall, 

     I served as Rabbi of Temple Beth Sholom in Topeka in 1984-2006, and served as Kansas Holocaust Commission chair in 1995-2006.  My wife and I moved back to Kansas in 2021 after I served other congregations and retired.

     I am concerned about an apparent stance on your part regarding the Antisemitism Awareness bill, in that you support an exception that refrains from identifying as antisemitism the charge that Jews were responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus.  

     Perhaps you are not aware of the centuries-long history of attacks on Jewish communities, often during Holy Week, because people were stirred up by sermons by clergy on the passion narrative in the New Testament that highlighted the deicide accusation.   

     Perhaps you are not aware that it is possible to read the New Testament passages differently than literally presented, such as:

1) the “crowd” that was gathered may not have been several hundred, but as few as 15, making it hardly representative of the contemporary population. 

2) Pontius Pilate was known in historical memory as a ruthless ruler, not benevolent, but language portraying him in a negative light may have disappeared before the canonization of the New Testament. 

3) The words “his blood be upon us and upon our children” in Matthew 27 likely do not reflect how Jews of the First Century under Roman rule  would talk about a fellow Jew.   I might add that those words were dropped in the subtitles for the film, “The Passion of the Christ,” but that phrase remained in the Aramaic dialogue. 

    All of this means that a conversation with you is not only warranted, but necessary, as your Jewish constituents are concerned that you would enable Kansans and citizens of other states to, once again, engage in unwarranted name-calling of Jews based on an accusation that has caused much grief.   Rather than combating antisemitism, your position might enable it in ways you do not expect.  

Rabbi Lawrence Karol 

Overland Park, KS