Ohio Republican Senate hopeful Josh Mandel married into one of Ohio’s most wealthiest and most prominent Jewish families. But they’re also mostly Democrats — and some haven’t been too keen on his Senate candidacy against liberal stalwart Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Now some of Mandel’s cousins-in-law have taken out an ad in the Cleveland Jewish News rebuking him for his opposition to same-sex marriage and to gays serving openly in the military. In their open letter, the cousins note that one of their family members has a same-sex spouse and, like Mandel, has served in the military.
The cousins-in-law conclude:
Josh, as you know, our roots are deep in the Cleveland area and we have friends and family we love throughout Ohio. This family is sprawling and diverse, but it has always believed strongly in the values of equality and inclusiveness. Your discriminatory stance violates these core values of our family. Nevertheless we hope that over time, as you advance in years and wisdom, you will come to embrace the values of inclusiveness and equality as well.
Incidentally, several of the Ratners who signed onto the letter are New Yorkers (including Bruce Ratner, developer of the new Brooklyn Nets arena; Michael Ratner, president emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights; and Elizabeth Ratner, a journalist and critic of Israel).
Amy Schiller on Open Zion rounds up how Ohio Jews are relating to the election. The Forward’s Nathan Guttman visited Ohio and examined the state of the state’s Jewish vote.
