As Americans prepare for the November 3 elections, the federal investigation into congresswoman Ilhan Omar brings to mind a warning from Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon), “Whoever repays good with evil, evil will never depart from his house” (Proverbs 17:13).
America has offered refuge, freedom and opportunity to generations escaping war, persecution and tyranny.
Yet today, some of the fiercest debates concern political movements seeking to transform the very institutions that made those opportunities possible.
Federal investigators recently searched Omar’s Washington home and seized her phone while examining allegations involving her family’s immigration documents.
Omar arrived as a refugee from Somalia’s civil war. America offered protection, citizenship, and the opportunity to rise to Congress. Today, she is a leading voice of the Squad, whose progressive agenda challenges American economic institutions and whose positions on Israel have generated repeated controversy.
1972: Uganda’s dictator expels Mamdani
Then there is Zohran Mamdani.
His father, Mahmood Mamdani, was expelled from Uganda by dictator Idi Amin in 1972 because of his ethnicity.
He experienced exile before eventually establishing an academic career in America. His son grew up in New York and became mayor of the world’s financial capital.
Today, Mahmood is a prominent critic of American foreign policy, while Zohran advocates democratic socialism and greater government involvement in the economy.
Their political agendas raise questions about economic freedom, entrepreneurship, taxpayers, and the future of America’s institutions.
Now consider how Holocaust survivors responded to American freedom.
All four of my grandparents survived the Holocaust. They knew persecution, brutality, and what it meant to live without freedom.
When America welcomed them, their gratitude was beyond words.
My grandparents wouldn’t even spit on American soil.
They considered it disrespectful to the country that gave them refuge and a second chance at life.
They never forgot what they escaped. Their instinct was to build, contribute, and give back.
I was raised among Holocaust survivors who carried that appreciation throughout their lives. It continues to shape my own commitment to strengthening America.
And perhaps no one demonstrated that gratitude more remarkably than Morris Katz.
A world-famous Holocaust survivor artist known as the “Einstein of Art,” Katz held two Guinness World Records, surpassed Pablo Picasso’s record for artistic productivity, and produced more than 280,000 paintings.
In 1965, the Vatican selected him from 500 renowned artists to paint Pope Paul VI. More than three million reproductions were sold worldwide.
Yet his most meaningful undertaking began when president John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
To Katz, the assassination struck at the heart of the democracy that had offered him freedom.
Within minutes, he painted Kennedy’s portrait.
When offered $50,000, he refused to sell.
The portrait represented something money couldn’t purchase: his freedom and gratitude toward America.
Instead, he undertook an extraordinary mission.
The world’s fastest painter spent six years creating his historic Presidential Collection, devoting an average of 200 hours to each portrait.
Imagine that. A man famous for completing paintings in minutes devoted hundreds of hours to honoring individual American presidents.
He treasured the originals as his private collection, refusing to treat them as commercial merchandise. Millions of postcards reproduced the portraits, carrying his message around the world.
He wanted future generations to understand what America stood for: democracy, religious liberty and freedom.
That message continues through the Morris Katz Legacy Award, whose recipients include US Ambassador Mike Huckabee and President Isaac Herzog.
Huckabee proudly displays his award beside the American flag near his office entrance, reflecting the personal meaning he attaches to it.
These leaders are not simply award recipients. Through their public service, they carry forward the principles the honor represents: patriotism, gratitude, freedom, and responsibility.
Katz’s message continues beyond his lifetime.
Holocaust survivors and their descendants never forget to show gratitude to the US for taking them in
The broader Jewish contribution is equally extraordinary.
Jews represent approximately 0.2% of humanity, yet individuals of Jewish ancestry account for roughly 22% of Nobel laureates.
Jewish immigrants and their descendants have helped advance medicine, science, technology, commerce, and innovation, creating opportunities for generations.
My grandparents expressed gratitude through respect. Katz expressed it through his extraordinary talent. Both understood that freedom carries responsibility.
Consider US President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. Trump warned that without the Israeli partner he trusts, America might have to confront Iran alone.
Think about that: the world’s most powerful nation recognizes the strategic importance of a Jewish state not yet 80 years old.
Israel is not simply a country receiving American support. It is also a country contributing to America’s security.
That partnership reflects the principle Katz understood: gratitude is demonstrated not only through words, but through meaningful contributions that strengthen the country and protect future generations.
Now look at the challenges confronting Western democracies.
France, Italy, Britain and Brussels have experienced violent unrest, while antisemitism and Islamist extremism remain serious security threats. Canada and the United States confront their own challenges involving radicalization and political division.
The causes differ, but the importance of protecting democratic institutions does not.
Compassion cannot excuse extremism. Tolerance cannot require surrendering constitutional principles.
As Americans head to the polls on November 3, we must remember what our great country stands for.
Are our leaders protecting religious freedom, safeguarding taxpayers and strengthening economic opportunity? Are their policies preserving the institutions that make America a refuge, or placing them at risk?
My grandparents understood what happened when freedom disappeared.
Katz understood what it meant to find it again.
My grandparents wouldn’t even spit on American soil. Katz refused $50,000 for a portrait and spent six years honoring America’s presidents.
Shlomo Hamelech warned against repaying good with evil.
They chose to repay good with good.
America gave them a second chance. They made giving back their legacy.
That is a lesson worth remembering as Americans head to the polls.
The writer is the founder and CEO of the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce.