Last Sunday, my wife and I attended an inspirational memorial service for the “Four Chaplains” sponsored by the Jewish War Veterans. The service remembers a Methodist reverend, a Dutch Reformed reverend, a Roman Catholic priest, and a rabbi who went down, locked in arms, with the Dorchester in the icy waters of the North Atlantic during WWII, but not until after, together, they saved hundreds of lives.

The lesson of the Four Chaplains—unity without uniformity—should resonate as strongly today as it did in 1943.

In a written endorsement of the Four Chaplains Memorial in 1947, then President Harry S. Truman wrote, “Alas, the world today needs that example of toleration…. It is sad commentary that we as Americans found it easier to die together on the battlefields of the world than to live together in peace and good will here at home.

I would love to end this week’s article here, but I feel compelled to offer a few words on President Trump’s Gaza proposal shared earlier this week.

Let me first say that it is not my intention to play Whac-A-Mole with the president for the next four years. I do not want to issue statements every time he opens his mouth. Taking political positions in no way helps Jewish Federation fulfill our mission of building a Jewish community while supporting our people around the world. If pressured to issue a statement (on nearly any topic), we will offer something along the lines of supporting peace and being against terrorism without being any more specific.

For those who need statements, there is certainly no shortage of them out there because everyone seems to have an opinion.

Left-wing groups, those who have historically supported the two-state solution, are, of course, mortified by the president’s proposal, using buzz phrases like “in violation of international law” and “horrific and cruel”, etc. These groups include J Street, JCPA, and a slew of others.

Those leaning right use arguments like “innovative for the Israeli Palestinian conflict but with historical precedent.” Of course, Bibi, Dershowitz, ZOA, and a host of others are in this camp.

Mainstream, broad-spectrum Jewish groups, like Federations, are mostly keeping quiet or staying neutral.

For my two cents, these issues are incredibly polarizing. My strong preference is, instead, to keep our community focused on the lesson of the Four Chaplains.