He has been key in trying to stem the tide of rancor stirred by Omar’s statements, which are seen as playing into anti-Semitic stereotypes. Slevin’s interlocutors and former colleagues describe a youthful, soft-spoken aide whose anti-poverty activism is rooted in his Jewish upbringing. “That’s the nuance and the voice he brings in, getting past the zero-sum game of ‘I’m right and you’re wrong,’ and actually building community and getting people to work together,” Susskind said.
But Susskind knew right away that the tone belonged to Omar’s communications director, Jeremy Slevin. The words - and the voice - were Omar’s, and she seemed sincere, said Susskind, a longtime leader of mainstream and progressive Jewish groups.
