Letters to the Editor: Sherry Frank

Letter to the editor,

Letter of Concern about Georgia State House District 53
As someone who has been deeply involved in Atlanta’s Jewish community for over 50 years, I pride myself on being a bridge-builder who values the importance of maintaining integrity in politics. While I have become accustomed to polarizing and hateful politics on the federal level, I have not found this to be the case in local elections. Sadly, recent inaccurate and inflammatory communication from one of the candidates in the State House District 53 race has deteriorated to a new low. This is a highly competitive race between two talented candidates: Community Activist Susie Greenberg and Representative Deborah Silcox.

I appreciate Representative Silcox‘s support of HB30, (the bill defining antisemitism) and her long-time membership on the board of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust; however, I believe the large campaign postcard that was recently mailed on behalf of Representative Silcox stating “No legislator is more effective than Representative Deborah Silcox for Georgia’s Jewish community” is disingenuous and a step too far in pandering to the Jewish community.

Fortunately, there are many members of the Georgia Legislature who are supportive of Jewish issues. We are most proud of the leadership of Representative Esther Panitch, the lone Jewish representative in the State House. She worked tirelessly to see HB30 to the finish line.

Like Esther, Susie Greenberg has a track record of standing up against antisemitism and injustice. She is a past board member of Temple Sinai, chair of its Civil Rights and Human Rights Committee, legislative advocacy coordinator for the Jewish Democratic Women’s Salon and was honored with the 2023 Sheroes Award by the National Council of Jewish Women for her outstanding service to the Jewish community in Atlanta.

Susie Greenberg is more than just a candidate—she is a leader with a vision for our future. She stands up for policies that reflect Jewish values of justice, fairness, and inclusion, and she will be a steadfast voice for our community. I proudly support Susie Greenberg because she is the right choice for my district and for the future of Georgia. Our state deserves more leaders like her in the legislature, and I look forward to the day when we have more than one Jewish member in our State House.

When this highly charged election is over, I hope we can all support the winning candidate and avoid any antisemitism resulting from this race.

Sherry Frank, Atlanta