While I serve professionally as executive director of the Maine Jewish Museum, I write here in my personal capacity as a member of Maine’s Jewish community to publicly thank state Sen. Joe Baldacci for his leadership and moral courage over many years of public service. Over the past several months, I — along with many Jewish Mainers — have experienced an atmosphere of growing hostility surrounding conversations about Israel, antisemitism and Jewish identity. Regardless of one’s politics, it should concern all of us when people begin to feel that expressing grief, fear or solidarity may carry social or professional consequences....