David Bernstein: The “Functional Fixedness” of Post–October 7 Jewish Community Relations

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to Tyler Gregory’s article, “Our Coalitions Must Hold Through Crisis,” in the Winter 2025 issue of SAPIR, on Diversity.

Gregory correctly notes that “coalition-building” has long been central to Jewish-American life and institutions, and he warns against abandoning this approach in favor of isolation following the events of October 7. I agree that American Jews cannot afford to go it alone in our society, but Gregory seems to suggest that our only available coalition partners are the political progressives with whom Jewish organizations like his have long allied.

Coalitions are crucial, but why must we continue to rely on the same partners? The more pertinent question is: What interests and values should guide our partnerships, and who shares them?

If there’s one lesson from the response to October 7 in America, it’s that we need to forge new alliances with those who are not ideologically bound by an “oppressed-oppressor” narrative that sees American Jews and Israel as oppressors. By clinging to traditional progressive allies, Jewish community relations organizations risk falling into line on highly ideological frameworks — such as radical ethnic studies curricula in California and elsewhere — that foment antisemitism and run counter to Jewish interests and American ideals.

Why, then, are so many Jewish organizations still tied to groups who are hostile to our interests?

One possible explanation comes from gestalt psychology’s concept of “functional fixedness,” a cognitive bias that limits our thinking. People with functional fixedness see objects in only their expected roles — such as using a hammer solely for pounding nails, rather than as a paperweight. Similarly, the Jewish community seems to be locked into seeing progressives as the only potential allies, even when many of them are antagonistic to our values. This ideological narrowness stifles creativity and limits the scope for potential partnerships.

Another factor may be that most American Jews live in predominantly liberal cities (which I call the “Blue City Problem”) where the political class is progressive. Rethinking alliances could require Jewish organizations to break ties with those in power within their communities, potentially jeopardizing their political capital.

But October 7 demands a bold rethinking of coalition-building. Gregory asserts that “durable alliances emerge from shared underlying values and mutual understanding,” but the values we prioritize should not simply mirror the social justice causes championed by contemporary progressives. Instead, they should reflect the core principles of liberal democracy — such as freedom of expression, equality, merit, and pluralism — values that have long protected Jews and other minorities. The illiberal politics of today’s progressives often clash with these foundational ideals.

The question is not which non-Jewish groups we should engage with — Jewish organizations should be open to dialogue with a broad range of communities — but rather, whom should we prioritize in building coalitions? By removing ideological blinders, Jewish organizations will see a wealth of potential partners in ethnic communities and beyond, all of whom share a commitment to democratic values.

One example is Siva Raj, an Indian immigrant who led the successful recall of three San Francisco school board members in 2022. The recall, which garnered nearly 70 percent of the city’s vote, was fueled by frustrations over the Board’s failure to reopen schools after the Covid lockdown and its focus on renaming schools and ending merit-based admissions at Lowell High School, where Asian students are the majority. Raj’s efforts reflected a commitment to American values, such as opportunity and equality, that we should be aligning with.

October 7 calls for American Jews and Jewish organizations to rethink old allegiances. Instead of clinging to outdated commitments, we must be bold and build new coalitions — ones rooted in shared democratic values and a mutual commitment to safeguarding our future.