Behind the Bima

When Silence Was No Longer an Option: Congressman Randy Fine

Episode Summary

Rabbi Efrem Goldberg speaks with Congressman Randy Fine about standing visibly Jewish in public life, including Fine’s historic decision to wear a kippah on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives amid rising antisemitism. The conversation explores Jewish pride, leadership under pressure, Israel after October 7, and the personal cost of moral clarity in today’s political climate.

Episode Notes

In this episode of Behind the Bima, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg sits down with Congressman Randy Fine, one of the most outspoken defenders of the Jewish people and the State of Israel in American politics today.

This episode is sponsored by Eli & Eva Genauer in observance of the Yahrzeit of his grandfather, Moshe Yehuda ben Binyomin HaLevi Genauer, on the 8th of Kislev.

Congressman Fine shares the powerful story behind his decision to wear a kippah every day on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first member of Congress in history to do so. What began as a conversation with his teenage son became a defining public statement of Jewish pride at a time when many feel pressure to hide.

The conversation explores:

• Standing visibly Jewish in an era of rising antisemitism
• The personal cost—and responsibility—of moral clarity
• Growing up Jewish in Kentucky and confronting hate early in life
• Florida’s role as one of the safest states in America for Jews
• School choice, Jewish day school security, and public policy
• Israel after October 7 and the changing political landscape
• Leadership, courage, and the price of speaking plainly

This is a candid, unscripted discussion about identity, responsibility, and what it means to lead as a Jew in historic times... exactly the kind of conversation Behind the Bima was created to host.