Should pulpit rabbis publicly discuss the Iran deal?

As Congress debates whether or not to support the Iran nuclear deal, the same discussion is taking place in Jewish communities around the country, where many will inevitably look to their congregational rabbis for guidance on how they should view an agreement that many are criticizing for endangering the security of their brethren in Israel.

But pulpit rabbis are not members of Congress, and synagogues are not political advocacy organizations. So how and when is it appropriate for them to comment publicly on the Iran issue? JNS.org spoke with rabbis across the denominational spectrum to get a sense of what they consider to be the appropriate balance to strike.

Rabbi Barry Gelman, the leader of United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston (UOS), said it is important that rabbis comment on the Iran deal “in terms of our role as spiritual leaders.” But he said rabbis should be careful when considering wading into sensitive political debates such as this one.

“Rabbis should not shy away from taking unpopular positions, but in a case like this, where experts disagree, rabbis should proceed with caution. Otherwise, our ability to inspire and be viewed as authorities on areas where we do claim expertise can be damaged,” Gelman told JNS.org.

At the same time, the Iran deal has significant ramifications for Israelis and Jews beyond the political fallout in America. Iran is one of the largest state sponsors of terrorism in the Middle East, supporting groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah—who have engaged in several wars with Israel during the past decade. As such, many Israelis fear that Iran will use the $150 billion of sanctions relief it secured in the deal to provide financial and military support to those terror groups.

“Rabbis should use the pulpit to sensitize their congregants to these realities, affirm our support for the State of Israel, and urge our government to be diligent in thwarting terrorists’ threats,” Gelman said.