An Open Letter to Ivanka Trump from a Concerned Jewish Mother

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Dear Ivanka,

I’m reaching out to you on a rather poignant day. Just yesterday, your father enacted an executive order that restricts entry to 218 million people seeking refuge in our great nation. Meanwhile, your kids are enjoying the playground just as you did in your childhood, a privilege afforded to you by your mother, an immigrant herself.

How can you remain silent? From your luxurious Manhattan penthouse, you can practically see Lady Liberty waving her torch. But what do those famous words mean to you? “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”

As a fellow human being, a mother, and a Jewish woman, I can’t help but recall the heartfelt plea from young Bana al-Abed, the 7-year-old girl from Syria who implored your father to help the children suffering there. “You must do something for the children of Syria because they are like your children and deserve peace like you.”

Today, on the heels of Holocaust Remembrance Day, you’re likely snuggling with your three little ones in your comfortable home, perhaps even preparing to attend temple to practice your faith. What will you tell your children about their grandfather’s role in shutting the door to those yearning for a better life? How will you explain the stories of their great-grandparents who survived the Holocaust? What will you say about great-great-aunt Esther, who lost her life in Novogrudok?

As a Jewish mother and a fellow New Yorker, I feel a sense of powerlessness in this moment. I’m writing to ask if, being so close to the decision-maker, there’s anything you can do to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

Thank you for considering my words,

Sara Goldstein