Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is presented with Kippah from Jody Goldsmith, co-founder/president, Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake. (Executive Office of the Governor)
JD “Jody” Goldsmith
My Republican friends think Gov. Wes Moore spends too much and too frivolously. My Democratic friends think he doesn’t spend enough and cuts the budget too dispassionately. But what should count in politics is whether words and deeds align.
When they don’t, trust erodes, and the opposition starts taking aim, often for good reason. In the age of social media, every misstep spreads instantly, and people lose faith in politicians fast. Gov. Moore, in my observation, speaks often and chooses his words with real care, especially on Israel, antisemitism and hate.
Everyone knows that for a desert nation ranked 149th of 195 countries in size, with a population of under 10 million (98th in the world), Israel draws an outsized share of attention. There are two main reasons: the significant financial aid it receives from the United States and the fact that it is the world’s only Jewish state. That there are countless countries where Jews are not welcome is a separate conversation for another day.
In interviews, Gov. Moore is often asked leading questions designed to trap him. He doesn’t take the bait. He affirms plainly that Israel has a right to exist and defend itself. He also notes that there are many actions committed that are outside the norms we expect from a modern democratic country. Like many others, he affirms that Palestinians have a right to live in peace and that a two-state solution should remain the goal. I’d argue that goal may be a bridge too far given the historical record, but it remains worth aspiring to.
At least he hasn’t had to walk the thinner tightrope that state Rep. Sarah Elfreth walked with her disappointing “present” vote on the Massie amendment, however justified some may find her reasoning. What Gov. Moore will not do is call the situation in Gaza a genocide or call the Oct. 7 massacre anything other than what it was. Others, including our senior U.S. senator, Chris Van Hollen, have used the word “genocide” loosely, shaped by biased and financially interested sources. Gov. Moore understands that terrorists make unreliable negotiating partners, and he says so with clarity. Meanwhile, Sen. Van Hollen’s own staff describe his word choices as “deliberate and careful,” which makes his embrace of that particular falsehood all the more disappointing.
If Gov. Moore is careful with his words on the Middle East, he has been anything but quiet about his commitment to fighting hate at home. He has said publicly, on multiple occasions, that he is maintaining the “historic funding of $10 million for hate crime protection grants.” He describes himself as “fully committed to stomping out antisemitism in all its wicked forms” and “equally committed to stomping out anti-Muslim, anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant hatred as well.”
Those words became action: The $10 million security grant became law, as did a separate $3.5 million security grant covering preschool security requirements not addressed by the larger program. All of this came while he wrestled with cutting billions from the state budget, trying to live up to his promise of “leaving no one behind,” a promise that has grown harder to keep as revenues tighten. Still, he has ensured that religious and nonprofit institutions at risk of hate crimes have funding to secure themselves: $13 million in fiscal 2026 and now $13.5 million in fiscal 2027. That is real care and concern for Marylanders, especially as dollars from other sources grow scarcer.
When our community pushed for a supplemental program in Anne Arundel County, similar to those in other counties, the county executive was less receptive, suggesting that whatever the county did “would not make a difference.” The governor clearly believes otherwise: that every dollar helps.
A few of us from the Federation had the opportunity to present the governor with a personal thank-you letter for his security grant support, signed by nearly 2,800 citizens from across the country. Since he and I are both Army veterans, I also presented him with a camouflage yarmulke to wear at Jewish community events. He appreciated both the symbolism and the practicality of having his own kippah, and he was especially moved by the inscription: It was a leftover yarmulke from our son’s bar mitzvah in 1998.
Gov. Moore is a politician with whom reasonable people may disagree. But as a leader of this state and the nation’s governors, as chair of the National Governors Association, he has shown that he can speak from facts and steer clear of the dangerous hyperbole that poisons so much of our public discourse today. In a moment when so many public figures reach for the loudest word available, that restraint, backed by real funding and real follow-through, is worth noticing.
Jody Goldsmith is co-founder/president of the Jewish Federation of Annapolis & the Chesapeake.