Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
Jews around the world will be headed to synagogue this week for the start of the Jewish High Holidays. It is a time of spiritual reflection and contemplation, a time to find ways to better oneself in the year ahead. It is not a time for politicking, yet too many rabbis take advantage of the best attendance they see all year to do exactly that, and often from a left-wing point of view.
As I wrote in the Wall Street Journal on Friday, the Obama administration has sought in recent years to take advantage of this trend, and holds an annual pre-Rosh Hashanah call with rabbis to encourage them to give sermons on issues like health care or Obama’s jobs package. I suppose one can’t blame the Obama administration for making the suggestions, but rabbis should ignore the call and keep their pulpits clear of politics, from the left or from the right. Unfortunately, too many of them find politics too appealing, to the detriment of themselves and their congregants.
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Jun '10
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
Ah! the eternal quest for political power.
May '11
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
It aint' just Rabbis that get political from the pulpit. Don't forget the Black Robe brigade.
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
Tevi, I enjoyed your Friday article.
Humans are fallible creatures. Even with the best of intentions, we are bound to squabble over public policy. I believe our spiritual leaders are most effective when focused on developing our spiritual maturity, pointing us to perfect God-honoring ends, while understanding that we imperfect creatures will often disagree over the means.
Rabbis, priests and ministers should all focus their instruction on eternal truths, not ephemeral politics.
Edited on Sep 26, 2011 at 2:56pmAug '11
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
I read the article as well. I'm actually of mixed opinion on the idea of the intersection of religion and politics. I'm trying to write in a manner that's consistent in its treatment of both the left and the right. And I'm wrestling with this as I write it.
Important qualifier-- For my own taste in religious instruction, I prefer no politics from the pulpit. I'm in agreement with Mr Savage completely. As far as my taste go.
In general, I don't think politics from the pulpit is on its face a bad thing. Some religious attendees may prefer it. Some people can't and don't want to separate politics and religion. And how can you ask someone to separate their religious/moral belief from their vote? Maybe religious leaders know how to split this difference better than politicians. Should they not be able to talk about it? Is church not the appropriate place to talk about how to integrate one's religious beliefs into one's life? Voting, for some is part of life.
Politics from pulpit. Certainly that had an effect of the country's view of slavery?
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
Last year our rabbi took Mr. Obama's call and carried right into his Rosh Hoshana sermon. I love this man as a human being, and a rabbi. But he is truly the misguided liberal...the correct concerns, the wrong answers. I would have walked out, but I'm in the choir right behind him. I had nail marks on my palms from squeezing my fists so tight. All I can ask this year is...never again.
Jun '10
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
Here's a bit of perspective from a Mormon. It's no secret that American Mormons are overwhelmingly conservative and Republican, but that doesn't result from pleas from the pulpit. Church policy is absolutely clear that "partisan political topics" should not be part of Sunday sermons and political meetings are not allowed in Church buildings. Messages on the importance of charity and love are obviously fine, but I've never heard anyone talk about Obamacare one way or the other in church meetings.
This policy is quite simple to enforce because the LDS Church is a highly integrated organization in which policy is made by church leaders and not by individual congregations (we're 180 degrees from the Congregationist tradition). I recognize that this is not an attribute shared by most Jewish synagogues and other less centralized Christian churches.
Here's my question. Are there Jewish and Christian congregations that have adopted a similar policy of political neutrality in official church functions? I'm as conservative as they come, but I would be very uncomfortable sitting in a congregation in which a speaker were either to opening criticize or praise President Obama or, conversely, someone like President Reagan.
Dec '10
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
Very recently our Rabbi naively attended a meet the Vice President session here in South Florida. Biden used the opportunity to pin the blame on BiBi & Israel and then made anti-semitic comments regarding Jonathan Pollard. After this little vicious ambush session my Rabbi was suckered into a photo-op with Biden. The story in the paper the next day made it look like he was endorcing the SOB. Nothing could be further from the truth.
May '10
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
Mr. Gawron, did your Rabbi speak up at all? Did he question Mr. Biden and ask why he spoke that way? Did he correct Mr. Biden and point out the anti-Semitic comment? Did he ask why Pollard is still rotting in prison?
If not, why not? And don't tell me "manners." If Mr. Biden's comments were that out of line, then they should have been publicized that very same day, or the next at a minimum.
Have they been publicized to your knowledge? Do you know what they were? Can you divulge?
Courtesy only goes so far these days, especially with this administration and the rising specter of anti-Semitism throughout the Left.
Jan '11
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
The question is, given that 78% of Jewish voters in 2008 voted for Obama, why is he even making the effort? Jews have voted overwhelmingly Democratic since FDR's days. Perhaps recent WH polls have shown that his unsympathetic position on Israel has indeed resulted in a significant shrinkage in that regard. But that would take a communal epiphany - actually, more like a miracle - and those are rare these days, however much they are needed.
Which leads me to wonder whether something similar has happened in black communities to make Obama direct so much energy in energizing black voters.
Turns out we're the ones living in interesting times.
Dec '10
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
Grantman,
I will take your questions to him. However, I am not impressed by someone who does not give his own name and yet asks for names and details of others.
Mar '11
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
Every year at Passover, my wife and I take our kids to visit my family in the US. My brother's father-in-law and sister-in-law are both Reform rabbis, so naturally we end up doing the Seder with them. While I love them as people and respect them as rabbis, enduring their left-leaning (to put it lightly) sermonizing can at times be trying. I will never forget my sister-in-law's comments two years ago comparing slavery in Egypt to the lack of universal health care in the US. Argh!
Feb '11
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
Last night I attended a panel discussion with Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, Paster Johann Christoph Arnold of the Bruderhof Church Communities, and W. Bradford Wilcox of the University of Virginia on The Ring Makes the Difference, discussing the importance of marriage. Walking out, I saw my new (Catholic) pastor ahead of me, talking with some other people. One of them, quite heatedly, said loudly that priests have the responsibility to tell people how to vote, and that if they had been doing that for the last 30 years we wouldn't be in the mess we are today. Being an inveterate busy-body, I called out, "Don't tell us how to vote, just tell us the Truth!" The priest turned around to agree with me.
Pastors, rabbis, priests, etc. should not shy away from the truth, but should not tell their people how to vote or who to vote for. Certainly they are allowed to hold political views, and it may be clear where their support lies, but the pulpit ought not to be a political podium.
Re: Barack Obama and the Politicization of the Jewish High Holidays
Thanks to all for some thoughtful comments. I felt bad for Denise, who had to endure a propaganda speech from her choir pew, and Heshmom, who had her Seder ruined by her sister in law's severely flawed analogy. I am with tabula rasa, and wish that I could say that the Jewish community shared the no politics from the pulpit rule with the Mormons. This does not mean that rabbis can't be political, but the pulpit should be neutral and not partisan ground.