Dem megadonor among 400 Jewish Michiganders labeled AIPAC insiders for denouncing El-Sayed's leftist campaign
More than 400 Jewish voters in Michigan have publicly endorsed Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers and warned that the “far‑left” candidate Abdul El‑Sayed threatens their sense of safety and belonging.
The endorsement came in the form of a letter posted on a Michigan‑Jewish voting website in late October. The letter, signed by a mix of local rabbis, community leaders and former donors, says the signatories “have been fiercely supportive of Democratic candidates and principles” but fear that if El Sayed wins, “the far‑left and anti‑Jewish elements in the Democratic Party would become dominant, including in the imminent 2028 presidential race.” The signatories argue that they cannot allow El Sayed to become the Democratic standard‑bearer or Michigan’s senator.
Rob Orley, a senior adviser for O2 Investments who has previously donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic campaigns, is one of the most prominent names in the letter. “Many of us have been fiercely supportive of Democratic candidates and principles,” Orley wrote. “We cannot allow him to become the Democratic standard‑bearer or Michigan’s senator.”
Other signatories include Robert Gordon, former president of Temple Israel, the state’s largest Jewish congregation; Shayna Levine, daughter of Temple Israel’s leading rabbi; David Propis, cantor of Congregation Shaarey Zedek; former University of Michigan regent Laurence Deitch; and Weight Watchers executive Hannan Lis. All say they feel “threatened and alienated by the politics and allies embraced by Abdul El‑Sayed.”
The letter was published on a page that has since attracted attention from both sides of the aisle. Fox News Digital reached out to O2 Investments for comment, but the firm declined to confirm whether the letter reflected the views of all of its employees.
A different perspective comes from former U.S. Representative Andy Levin, also a member of Michigan’s Jewish community. Levin, who lost his 2022 primary to Rep. Haley Stevens after an AIPAC‑funded campaign spent more than $4 million against him, says the letter reflects a minority view within the Jewish Democratic community. “It’s not a surprise to me,” Levin said in an interview. “The people I know associated with it are all long‑time AIPAC insiders and supporters.” He added that AIPAC “represents a distinctly minority position about Israel and Palestine within the Jewish community.”
Levin, who was first elected to Congress in 2018, endorsed El Sayed in the November 2025 election. “I am overwhelmed with the incoming support from Jewish people,” he told Fox News Digital. “We want Abdul El‑Sayed to win the election on November 3rd, keep this U.S. Senate seat Democratic, and expand our democracy.”
Daniel Cherrin, an attorney who signed the letter, said he had not attended an AIPAC event since college more than 30 years ago. He expressed respect for Levin and said he had previously worked with El Sayed in Detroit and Wayne County. “I consider El Sayed a good person,” Cherrin told Fox News Digital. “But I cannot overlook the movement backing him. For the safety of my community, I don’t feel safe in that environment with the people that are standing in support of him.”
Cherrin also highlighted concerns about the broader political environment. “They don’t understand the impact that their words and actions are having on me and my children and my neighbors,” he said. “For that, I am very worried about what it means if he is elected.”
A key point of contention in the debate has been El Sayed’s association with Hasan Piker, a Twitch streamer who has made antisemitic comments and called Orthodox Jews “inbred.” Piker has served as a surrogate for El Sayed’s campaign. In the week before the October 2024 election, El Sayed announced that he would no longer campaign with Piker, saying the public focus on the influencer was “missing the boat.” Levin agreed that too much attention had been given to Piker, but also criticized the Democratic National Committee for allowing Piker to stream during the 2024 Democratic National Convention and for the lack of pushback against the influencer.
El Sayed’s campaign spokesperson said that the candidate has had “good conversations” with Jewish leaders across the state and will continue to engage the community. “He’ll continue to be actively engaged with communities to build the coalition that will defeat Rogers, restore Democratic control of the U.S. Senate, and put a much‑needed check on Trump’s reckless agenda,” the spokesperson said.
Mike Rogers, a former congressman who served Michigan for 15 years, welcomed the letter. In a statement, he said, “As antisemitism rises and Jewish families worry for their safety, it’s critical that we have leaders who will confront hatred – not inflame it.” He added that El Sayed “fans the flames of antisemitism” and that he will “fight to extinguish it.”
The letter’s signatories say the current political climate in Michigan feels “threatening and alienating.” They fear that if El Sayed wins, the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, which they view as “far‑left and anti‑Jewish,” will dominate the state’s politics and the 2028 presidential race.
Levin and Roslyn Schindler, a longtime member of a progressive Reform synagogue and Holocaust studies professor at Wayne State University, offered a different view. Schindler has been a supporter of El Sayed since before his primary victory and says the Democratic Party needs a “major shake‑up.” “I am a committed Jew, a committed Democrat,” she said. “I believe that the Democratic Party should be a large tent that includes all members of that party, no matter what their perspective.” She added that she does not want the party to be “anti‑Muslim, anti‑LGBTQ, or anti‑Semitic,” but she does not see those attitudes as realistic.
The debate illustrates a sharp split among Michigan’s Jewish voters. While a group of former Democratic donors and community leaders feel that El Sayed’s progressive stance threatens their safety and Jewish identity, other Jewish Democrats see him as a necessary counterbalance to Republican influence. Whether the letter’s concerns will influence the November election remains to be seen, but the conversation has brought the issue of Jewish community perspectives into the national spotlight.