Biden’s Jewish liaison: ‘Everyone is in a state of grief’

It’s been a challenging week as the Jewish community — and the world — have tried to make sense of Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel and the devastating violence that has since plagued the region.

For staffers in the White House with ties to the region, there’s been little time to pause and process the events since waking up to the horrific news Saturday. West Wing Playbook caught up with White House Jewish liaison SHELLEY GREENSPAN to hear about the experiences of staffers these past few days. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

How are you doing?

I'm hanging in there. This week has been draining and heartbreaking and challenging on so many levels. Everyone is in a state of grief and shock. 

Do you have any friends or family in Israel right now?

Yes, I have a lot of friends in Israel. They’re scared. There are some staffers here who have family members affected by this — it’s the mixture of the professional and the personal aspect when it comes to a role like this during such a tragic time. 

I’m getting inundated with emails and frantic calls from people who have either lost loved ones or they’re missing or kidnapped. We’re doing whatever we can to bring them home.

What do you say to those people when they reach out?

I take this responsibility serving as a bridge between the American Jewish community and the administration incredibly seriously, but especially at a time like this. They need to know that we have their back, that we have Israel’s back. Getting out there into the community, answering phones and being responsive on a human level is extremely important.

You were in the room Wednesday for a White House meeting with Jewish leaders, when Biden gave an impassioned speech in defense of Israel. What was it like to be there? 

When word got out that we were hosting this roundtable with Jewish community leaders, I was inundated with calls from senior staff and principals wanting to attend — just to sit there and be in solidarity with the Jewish community. 

(Senior White House adviser) Mitch Landrieu ended up coming. He sat in the back. I still haven’t had a chance to thank him, but he sat there listening for two and a half hours. 

Towards the end, one of the stakeholders that joined from the Orthodox Union shared that it was this week 80 years ago that a group of 400 rabbis came to D.C. to meet with President Franklin Roosevelt about Jews being persecuted in Europe. FDR refused to meet with them. Look where we are now — not only are we welcoming Jews during a time of need, but this entire administration is committed to standing with Israel and supporting Jewish Americans.

What else have White House staffers been doing this week to check in on each other?

It’s been from the highest levels in this White House down to junior staffers. (Homeland security adviser) Liz Sherwood-Randall the other day pulled me aside just to see how I was doing. I’ve had friends drop off lunch for me.

When I had this crazy idea of lighting up the White House in blue and white, I didn’t think it would go anywhere. Those things are planned weeks in advance. I was watching the email chain, because you need many layers of support to make anything here happen, and seeing how quickly people responded, ‘Of course, we should do this. We need to show our support for Israel.’ I was so touched. 

College campuses have been a flashpoint of debate since the attack. Some student groups have blamed Israel entirely. Does that concern you? 

This is definitely a concern of mine and a concern throughout the administration. But it’s also not a new concern. In May we launched the first ever National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism. I’m grateful that we have this foundation to lean on when there is an uptick — because we probably will see an uptick — in antisemitic incidents. And it’s a really scary, scary time to be a Jew on a college campus right now, unfortunately.

What’s been the hardest part of your job this week?

Wanting to be there for the entirety of the American Jewish community and wanting them to know all of what President Biden is doing on their behalf while also simultaneously dealing with my own grief and my own sense of mourning and shock.

I’m doing my best to compartmentalize.

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