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The Jewish religion stresses the value of individual free will and the choices that come along with it. Just as in libertarianism, Judaism entrusts consequences as our master teacher. In the diaspora, Jews realized that they would have to be constantly on the move as a result of virulent antisemitism that seemed to poison much of Europe and the Middle East for much of history. As a result, Jewish families traveled from country to country seeking freedom to practice their faith. This resulted in a lack of trust of their own governments and tremendous self-sufficiency. This independence kept Jewish communities alive for many centuries. It is no accident that the founders of Western liberties and free market capitalism were generally either Jews or often quoted Jewish scriptures approvingly. The Jewish ideal is capitalism tempered by charity and sympathy. Notable Historical Jewish Libertarians * Alan Bock, ????-2011 (author; editorialist, Orange County Register) * David Brudnoy, 1940-2004 (talk radio host; TV commentator; author) * Frank Chodorov, 1887-1966 (author; journalist; philosopher) * Ralph de Toledano, 1916-2007 (former editor, The New Leader) * Aaron Director, 1901-2004 (former Professor of Economics, University of Chicago) * Lanny Friedlander, 1947-2011 (founder, Reason Magazine) * Milton Friedman, 1912-2006 (author; philosopher; economist) * Irv Homer, 1924-2009 (talk radio host) * Ze'ev Vladimir Jabotinsky, 1880-1940 (founder, Betar Zionist Group) * Robert Nozick, 1938-2002 (author; philosopher; economist) * Dyanne Petersen (former Senior Editor, Laissez Faire Books) * Ayn Rand, 1905-1982 (author; philosopher) * David Ricardo, 1772-1823 (economist) * Irv Rubin, 1945-2002 (Jewish activist; former Chairman, Jewish Defense League) * Aaron Russo, 1943-2007 (2004 Libertarian Presidential contender; Hollywood producer) * Julian Simon, 1932-1998 (economist) * Aaron B. Wildavsky, 1930-1993 (author; professor of Political Science) * Ludwig Von Mises, 1881-1973 (economist; Nobel Prize winner) * Aaron Zelman, 1945-2010 (Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership)  Notable Jewish Libertarians * Dr. Hadassah Aaronson (psychiatrist) * Jason Alexander (actor) * Barbara Amiel (Editor, The Spectator of the UK) * Randy E. Barnett, J.D. (attorney; author; Professor of Law, Georgetown University) * Dr. Gary Becker (Professor of Economics, University of Chicago; Nobel Prize winner) * Marty Beckerman (author, Generation S.L.U.T. and Death to All Cheerleaders) * Jason Bedrick (former New Hampshire State Representative) * Dr. Andrew Bernstein (author; philosopher; objectivist) * B. Daniel Blatt, J.D. (attorney; screenplay writer) * Dr. Walter Block (Professor of Economics, Loyola University-New Orleans) * Barbara Branden (author; philosopher; lecturer) * Dr. Nathaniel Branden (author; psychotherapist; psychologist; philosopher) * Dr. Reuven Brenner (Professor of Economics, McGill University) * Kevin Brook (author) * Dr. Yaron Brook (Executive Director, Ayn Rand Institute; author; philosopher) * Steve Buckstein (President, Cascade Policy Institute) * Bob Burg (author; persuasion expert; public speaker) * Dr. Andrew I. Cohen (Professor of Philosophy, Georgia State University) * Dr. David Deutsch (author; award-winning physicist; quantum computation pioneer) * David Draiman (lead singer, Disturbed) * Dr. Daniel Drezner (Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago) * Dr. Richard A. Epstein (Professor of Law, University of Chicago) * Arthur Finkelstein (political consultant) * Ilana Freedman (national security expert) * Dr. David Friedman (economist; author) * Patri Friedman (blogger; grandson of Milton Friedman) * Judith Simon Garrett, J.D. (Asst. General Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice Prisons Bureau) * Douglas H. Ginsberg, J.D. (U.S. Court of Appeals Judge for Washington, DC) * Dr. Mimi Reisel Gladstein (author, Feminist Interpretations of Ayn Rand) * Dr. Shawn Elke Glazer (physician) * Rich Goldman (Board member, Free State Project) * Sam Goldstein (Chair, Libertarian Party of Indiana) * Larry Ellison (technology guru) * David Gold (talk radio host, KWRD - Dallas, TX) * Doris Gordon (founder, Libertarians for Life) * Alan Gottlieb (founder, Second Amendment Foundation) * Rep. Daniel Greenberg (former Republican State Representative from Arkansas) * Steven Greenhut (columnist, Orange County Register) * Dr. Joel Grus (Professor of Social Science, California Institute of Technology) * Dr. Leon T. Hadar (Professor; columnist; fellow, Cato Institute) * Dr. Abraham Halpern (psychiatrist; former President; American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law) * Dr. Ronald Hamowy (Professor of History, University of Alberta) * David Harsanyi (columnist, Denver Post) * Gitel Sarah Hesselberg (Administrator, Yeshiva Migdal Torah) * Dr. Irving Louis Horowitz (author; sociologist; Professor Emeritus, Rutgers University) * Dr. Steven G. Horwitz (Professor of Economics, St. Lawrence University) * Elias Israel (former Chairman, Libertarian Party of Massachusetts) * Jeff Jacoby (columnist, The Boston Globe) * Myles B. Kantor (columnist; Editor, Pureplay Press) * Chaim Karczag (Policy Analyst, National Council on Teacher Quality) * Jeff Katz (radio host) * Sam Kazman, J.D. (General Counsel, Competitive Enterprise Institute) * Michael Kielsky, J.D. (attorney; Chair, Libertarian Party of Arizona) * Rabbi Israel Kirzner (economist; author) * Manuel S. Klausner, J.D. (attorney; co-founder, The Reason Foundation) * Dr. Peter Klein (Professor of Agribusiness Management, University of Missouri-Columbia) * Dr. Judith S. Kleinfeld (author & Professor of Psychology, University of Alaska-Fairbanks) * Rikki Klieman (Court TV anchor; attorney) * Dr. Arnold Kling (Professor of Economics, George Mason University) * Dr. Alan Charles Kors (Professor of History, Univ. of Pennsylvania; President, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) * Hon. Alex Kozinski, J.D. (U.S. Court of Appeals Judge for the Ninth Circuit) * Edith Kurzweil (Editor, The Partisan Review; Professor of Sociology, Rutgers University) * Ray Kurzweil (technology guru) * Geddy Lee (legendary musician; lead vocalist, Rush) * Frayda Levin (Board of Directors, Club for Growth) * Dr. Michael Levin (Professor of Philosophy, City College of New York) * Andy Levy (comedian; co-host, "Red Eye") * Dr. Jacob T. Levy (Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago) * Dr. Murray Levy (Professor of Business, Glendale Community College) * Dr. Robert A. Levy (Senior Fellow, the Cato Institute; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University) * Daniel Loeb (hedge fund manager; founder, Third Point LLC) * Nancy Lord, J.D. (1992 Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential candidate) * Dr. Zvi Lothane (author; Professor of Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine) * Dr. Eric Mack (Professor of Philosophy, Tulane University) * Eric Margolis (columnist, Toronto Sun) * Andre Marrou (1992 Libertarian Party Presidential candidate; former Alaska State Representative) * Mark Melnick, J.D. (attorney) * Tonie Nathan (1972 Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential candidate; Electoral vote record holder) * Carol Newman, J.D. (attorney) * Michael Ostrolenk (American Association Physicians and Surgeons) * Grace Paley (poet; author; activist) * Samuel Peltzman (Professor of Business, University of Chicago) * Steven Pinker (Psychologist; Professor) * Dr. Richard A. Posner (U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge; Professor of Law, University of Chicago) * Burt Prelutsky (columnist; author; political pundit; humorist) * Hon. Ira J. Raab, J.D., ret. (former New York State Supreme Court Justice) * Jason Reitman (Hollywood film producer) * Howard S. Rich (founder, U.S. Term Limits) * Chris Robinson (musician; founder, Black Crowes) * Arthur Rubin (mathematician) * Dr. Paul H. Rubin (Professor of Law & Economics, Emory University) * Dr. Murray Sabrin (Professor of Finance, Ramapo College; talk radio host, WVNJ - Teaneck, NJ) * Nicholas Sarwark, J.D. (former Chair, Libertarian Party of Maryland) * Dr. Jeffrey Satinover (psychiatrist; author; Professor of Social Science, Princeton University) * Dr. Jeffrey Schaler (author; psychiatrist; Professor of Justice, Law & Society, American University) * Ben Scherrey (former Chair, Libertarian Party of Georgia) * Irwin Schiff (anti-tax activist; author; 1996 Libertarian Presidential contender) * Peter Schiff (financial advisor) * Kay A. Schwarzberg, J.D. (attorney; lecturer; author) * J. Neil Schulman (author; screenwriter; journalist) * Bill Schulz (comedian; co-host, "Red Eye") * Norma Segal (1994 Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate in NY; set a record by receiving over 100,000 votes) * Karen Selick, LL.B. (columnist; attorney) * Ilya Shapiro (Senior Fellow, the Cato Institute) * Donald Silberger (Professor of Mathematics, SUNY-New Paltz) * Gene Simmons (musician) * Dr. Rita J. Simon (Professor, American University; President, Women's Freedom Network) * Dr. Jeffrey A. Singer (Director, Maricopa County Medical Society) * Gregory Siskind (immigration attorney) * Dr. Daniel Shapiro (Professor of Philosophy, West Virginia University) * Dr. Aeon J. Skoble (Professor of Philosophy, Bridgewater State College) * Russell S. Sobel (Professor of Economics, West Virginia University) * Christina Hoff Sommers (author; Senior Fellow, AEI; Adjunct Professor) * Ilya Somin, J.D. (Professor of Law, George Mason University) * Marni Soupcoff, J.D. (columnist; attorney) * Dr. Irwin Savodnik (Professor of Psychiatry, University of Southern California) * Hon. Samuel Steiger, ret. (U.S. Congressman, 1967-1977) * Jeff Steinport (former member, Grand Rapids, Michigan School Board) * Howard Stern (television personality) * Dr. Alan Stockman (Professor of Economics, University of Rochester) * Roger Stone (political consultant) * John Stossel (journalist) * Jacob Sullum (Senior Editor, Reason Magazine) * Vin Suprynowicz (syndicated columnist; author) * Dr. Arnold Trebach (former Professor of Justice, American University) * Eugene Volokh, J.D. (Professor of Law, UCLA; blogger) * Jeff Weinstein ("Good Morning Maine" radio host, WLOB - Portland, ME) * Jarret Wollstein (co-founder, International Society for Individual Liberty) * Dr. Sandor J. Woren (osteopathic physician) Related Articles It's Tea Time for Some Jews (February, 2010) Milton Friedman on Jewish Support for Socialism Anti-Semitism: Thrust and counterthrust (February, 2004) Big, bad Israel? (September, 2003) Blame the Jews (September, 2003) Carrying firearms on Shabbat? (September, 2002) Confront the Axis of Anti-Semitism (June, 2003) Foaming at the mouth over Israel (August, 2003) Federal liberty and the Jewish religious tradition In defense of Irv Rubin (July, 2000) Interview: Ilana Mercer (March, 2002) Is Jim Moran an Amalekite? (March, 2003) Judaism and Religious Liberty (undated) Kosher cops: gov't enforcement of kosher law? (February, 2003) Libertarians remember Sobibor (1999) Libertarians remember Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (April, 2003) Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness: Is it good for the Jews? (April, 2003) Making sense of Jewish stereotypes (April, 2000) Man of Steele: Anti-Semitic Pollution (January, 2004) Nature of the Jewish state (September, 2003) New Exodus (April, 2003) Rabbi ordered to stop home prayer (March, 2002) Self-censoring Jews (February, 2001) Sex, Drugs, Jews, and Rock 'n' Roll (November, 2001) Synagogue and State (August, 2000) Terror & Blasphemy (November, 2003) Why a civil libertarian opposes gun control (July, 1976) Related Links JewishLibertarians Discussion List Israeli Classical Liberals The Jefferson School Jewish World Review Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership League of Jewish Homeschoolers |
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