Posted on 07/15/2016 1:44:15 PM PDT by Kid Shelleen
A prominent New York rabbi who converted Ivanka Trump to Judaism has backed out of delivering the opening prayer at the GOP convention after critics slammed him for appearing to endorse her father.
Haskel Lookstein — former head of the elite Ramaz School and the former rabbi of Kehilath Jeshurun, a tony Modern Orthodox synagogue on the Upper East Side — said he backed out because his planned invocation had become too “political.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
So do they ever back out of invocations at Democrat functions because they are “too political.” Methinks peer pressure makes them hypocrites.
Political? A prayer is now political? Fug ‘em all!
I don’t want nor do I need his stupid “prayer.”
Orthodox Jews are NOT left in anyway, they are VERY conservative!!! I recently left my Catholic parish and found a wonderful Orthodox Catholic parish it is day and night!! I was ready to leave my Catholic faith until I found the Orthodox Church !!!
To clarify, it was so her children will be accepted as Jewish.
Another American given a great chance to inspire us and become a folk hero, and he cowers.
He was getting crap from his congregants
Ivanka should go have a personal talk with the putz.
If the rabbi experienced harassment, I would hold fast against it as a matter of principle and a badge of courage. If there was a matter of misinformation, the information could be set straight. Here is his email of declination:
Friends,
When Ivanka Trump, a member of our congregation, invited me to deliver the opening prayer at the Republican National convention next Monday, I made a personal decision to honor her request out of respect for her and our relationship. Unfortunately, when my name appeared on a list of speakers at the convention, without the context of the invocation I had been invited to present, the whole matter turned from rabbinic to political, something which was never intended. Like my father before me, I have never been involved in politics. Politics divide people. My life has been devoted to uniting a community — Ahavat Yisrael and ahavat ha-adam. In the interest of bringing our community together, I have asked to be relieved of my commitment to deliver the invocation. My request has been honored with the same love and respect in which it was first offered and intended. May God bless us with a Sabbath of rest, harmony and peace. Shabbat Shalom.
Very cordially yours,
Haskel Lookstein
Cowered in the face of blacklivesmatter...
I’ll bet Pamela Geller could deliver a prayer from a Jew’s point of view.
LIBERALISM IS THEIR RELIGION!!!
That other Jew - Jesus did not back down when attacked.
Maybe Ivanka should “unconvert”?
RUN IVANKA RUN AWAY!!!
Oops. There goes some serious synagogue fun bucks.
American Jewish brave heroes are very rare. Most of them are wed to leftism. So sad.
Yo Rabbi who is asking you to be political? Just saw a prayer and speak a blessing over all.
Time to change synagogues.
The head Israel grand poobahs of Rabbi’s issued a fatwa last week against Rabbi Haskel about his conversions but apparantly only the conversion of Ivanka Trump. It humiliated her as well it should...IT ALL SOUNDS totally political.
My suggestion...go across the river to Wayne New Jersey to Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s Messianic Synagogue and really tick off folks...just saying
Shalom Shabbat^5
LEX
Well, I’m not sure Orthodox Christians and Orthodox Jews can be compared based on the name alone. I know that Orthodox Jews in Israel are on the right side of Israeli politics, usually. And Orthodox Christians here in the US are generally conservative. But Orthodox Jews in the US? I don’t have enough information. And it’s possible that Ivanka’s rabbi was being slammed by “Conservative” and Reform Jews too, not only Orthodox Jews.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.