To the families, neighbors, and community leaders who make Michigan's Jewish community strong:

As the upcoming election approaches, we recognize that more could not be on the line for our friends in the Jewish community. Michigan is at a pivotal moment, where party loyalties seem trivial. Like every Michigander, you deserve a United States Senator who stands alongside you.

You also deserve a leader who will unequivocally condemn hatred and antisemitism.

I am writing to emphasize and recommit that promise to you.

There are moments when you look into your children's eyes, worried that they will face hatred and attacks for who they are. There are moments when you look around at the divisiveness and ugliness, wondering what your children and grandchildren's future will look like. In those moments, politics matter less. Your family and their safety matter more.

That moment — the one that transcends party loyalties — is happening now.

A few months ago, I joined a small group of Jewish students at the University of Michigan. I met a young woman who confided that she had to hide her Star of David as she walked across campus. I talked with another young man who shared he had to wear a baseball cap to cover his yarmulke. All because of the hatred they experienced for practicing their faith. I know they are not the only ones facing this troubling experience.

Unfortunately, the rise in antisemitism these students experience is not limited to college campuses. The hateful and divisive thoughts that threatened these young men and women have been welcomed into this Senate race. That is unacceptable.

We have visited Temple Israel. We have spoken with mothers of the schoolchildren a terrorist tried to kill by driving his vehicle loaded with explosives into the synagogue on March 12th. We have met the security guards who ran into the face of danger to save the innocent lives that terrorist tried to end. No one deserved that. It was an act of pure hatred, and there is no excuse.

However, my opponent in this race reacted to those tragic events with one. He refused to call the attacker a terrorist, even though he attempted to murder 140 schoolchildren in the name of Hezbollah. Instead, he called him an "armed assailant." After three short paragraphs, he spent nine paragraphs and more than 600 words explaining the motivations of the terrorist. Not once did he use the word "hate." Instead, he offered an excuse: "hurt people, hurt people."

It should not be a difficult statement to make. The attacker who attempted this act was a terrorist motivated by hatred for the Jewish people. No one deserved it, and there is no excuse for it.

My opponent has also refused to affirm whether the Jewish people and Israel even have a right to exist. Each time he is asked, he pivots — because he can't say they do. That is dangerous, and it is not the type of leader you deserve representing you.

As your United States Senator, I promise to affirm the Jewish people's right to exist and stand against this blatant antisemitism. We cannot allow these hateful ideologies into our state, especially not onto our college campuses. Michigan should be a safe place for everyone to practice their faith, whatever it may be. I will make sure of that.

I will also make sure that Michigan is a safe place each of our children can call home. That is why I have plans prioritizing:

• Increasing homeownership by expanding 529 savings accounts to help families save for a down payment, recognizing timely rental payments as a way to build credit, incentivizing new home construction, and reducing burdensome regulations.

• Getting kids reading again by ensuring Title I money is used for proven phonics-based reading reclamation and that Michigan re-enacts the crucial "Read by Grade Three" law.

• Fixing our healthcare system by making it more affordable, accessible, and transparent — without abolishing the entire system like my opponent wants to do.

I know that we may not agree on every issue. This race goes beyond Left versus Right. Michigan needs a United States Senator who will fight for every Michigander, and I welcome your questions and input on how I can fight for you. There is a home for you here on this campaign.