Jerusalem Restricts Emanuel Bar Mitzvah Party

inn ^ | 5/30/10 | Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

[Nachum]

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s son Zach will celebrate his Bar Mitzvah Sunday at the Davidson Center near the Western Wall but without catering or music. Jerusalem officials accepted a complaint from nationalist activist Itamar Ben-Gvir, who pointed out that the law forbids food and music at the Center, adjacent to the Western Wall

[Nachum]

Emanuel’s diverged from traditional Jewish custom during his trip, although he often has been described in the media as “Orthodox.” He ate non-kosher food publicly in Eilat last week and brought his family to an “alternative orthodox” synagogue in the Germany Colony in Jerusalem Friday night.

Foreign and local media have not noted that the Davidson Center where Zach Emanuel's Bar Mitzvah is being held is in an area that the United States does not recognize as being under Israeli sovereignty.

[Nachum]

The list, ping

[FromLori]

They should throw him out!

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

Geeeeeez, he ignores Israeli law like he ignores US law ............

[LukeL]

If Rham is Orthodox then he is breaking many of the 613 laws he is suppose to follow.

[Nachum]

They should throw him out!

They actually did him one better. They let his chief detractors in Israel force him to ruin the Bar Mitzvah party. No music, no food.

They then advertised he ate non-kosher food and wouldn't associate with mainstream orthodox groups in Israel. In short, they advertised that he is just another slimy leftist politician on a photo-op.

Payback for insulting the orthodox groups in America and in Israel.

[Jack Hammer]

Emanuel isn’t exactly Flavor of the Month in Israel these days, and no surprise.

[Libloather]

Uh, oh. Just how many people/nations can he piss off?

[300winmag]

Foreign and local media have not noted that the Davidson Center where Zach Emanuel's Bar Mitzvah is being held is in an area that the United States does not recognize as being under Israeli sovereignty.

Now how many other kids will be able to brag that his dad dissed the state of Israel for his son's Bar Mitzvah?

[Nachum]

Starting him off on the left foot.

[presently no screen name]

Thanks for the good news report on how Israel exposed RE’s hypocrisy.

[Noob1999]

Rahm,

Comm’on, you can’t serve ham sandwiches at Zach’s bar-mitzvah. Nor the salad with bacon bits, certainly not the corn-dogs!

What are you, some kind’a Chicago Schmuck!

[rightwingcrazy]

If his son’s bar mitzvah was this Saturday, I expect that he would have recited Zecharia. Irony is dripping.

2:14. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for, behold! I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord.
15. And many nations shall join the Lord on that day, and they shall be My people; and I will dwell in your midst and you shall know that the Lord of Hosts sent me to you.
16. And the Lord shall inherit Judah as His share on the Holy Land, and He shall again choose Jerusalem.
17. Silence all flesh from before the Lord, for He is aroused out of His holy habitation.
3:1. And He showed me Joshua, the High Priest, standing before the angel of the Lord. And Satan was standing on his right, to accuse him.
2. And the Lord said to Satan: The Lord shall rebuke you, O Satan; and the Lord shall rebuke you, He who chose Jerusalem. Is this one not a brand plucked from fire?
3. Now Joshua was wearing filthy garments and standing before the angel.
4. And he [the angel] raised his voice and said to those standing before him, saying, “Take the filthy garments off him.” And he said to him, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I have clad you with clean garments.”
5. And I said, “Let them put a pure miter on his head,” and they put the pure miter on his head. And they had clothed him with garments while the angel of the Lord was standing.
6. And the angel of the Lord warned Joshua, saying,
7. So said the Lord of Hosts: If you walk in My ways, and if you keep My charge, you, too, shall judge My house, and you, too, shall guard My courtyards, and I will give you free access among these who stand by.
8. Hearken, now, O Joshua the High Priest-you and your companions who sit before you, for they are men worthy of a miracle-for, behold! I bring My servant, the Shoot.
9. For, behold the stone that I have placed before Joshua. Seven eyes are directed to one stone. Behold! I untie its knots, says the Lord of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
10. On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, you shall call-each man to his neighbor-to come under his vine and under his fig tree.
4:1. And the angel who spoke with me returned, and he awakened me as a man who wakes up from his sleep.
2. And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I saw, and behold [there was] a candelabrum all of gold, with its oil-bowl on top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; seven tubes each to the lamps that were on top of it.
3. And [there were] two olive trees near it; one on the right of the bowl, and one on its left.
4. So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”
5. And the angel who spoke with me answered, and he said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”
6. And he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying: ‘Not by military force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit,’ says the Lord of Hosts.
7. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you sink to a plain! He will bring out the stone of the main architect, with shouts of grace, grace to it.”

[Carley]

Forgive me for gloating at his discomfort.

[Liz]

Rahm Emanuel's Judaism Through His Rabbi's Eyes
March 1, 2009 | By Alana B. Elias Kornfeld, Beliefnet
FR Posted Monday, March 02, 2009 By 2ndDivisionVet

EXCERPT White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel isn’t only known for playing hardball (he’s been called a “profane, hyperactive attack dog”). The former Chicago politician and chairman of the House Democratic caucus, is also known for something far more enlightened.......his religious commitment to Judaism.

Beliefnet recently spoke with Rabbi Asher Lopatin of Chicago's Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel Congregation--a modern Orthodox synagogue where Emanuel and his family are members (Rahm's wife is a convert to Judaism).

In Washington, Rahm's family are close to Rabbi Jack Moline's synagogue. The Emanuel children go to a community Jewish day school, the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School.

Rabbi Lopatin, who famously gave Emanuel permission to take a conference call on Rosh Hashanah (prohibited by the religious holiday's laws), offered insight into Rahm, the “model congregant” and how his faith influences his public work.

Q. Would you explain the difference between modern Orthodoxy and ultra-Orthodoxy for our readers?

A. Modern Orthodoxy believes that there are a lot of benefits to engaging the contemporary world outside of Judaism. It encourages engagement--and even struggling--with the parts of the outside world that seem strange. I think I should say that ultra-Orthodoxy has a negative attitude towards the outside world (Christianity) and basically feels that the more you can isolate yourself from the outside world (Christianity), the better.

Q. How would Emanuel classify himself in terms of his religious affiliation? I think you’d have to ask him.

A. Rahm and his family are members of our modern Orthodox synagogue....that doesn’t mean necessarily that they would classify themselves as modern Orthodox. He and the family are close to D.C. Rabbi Jack Moline and Rabbi Moline’s synagogue. The Emanuel children go to a community Jewish day school, the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, which doesn’t classify itself with any movement.

Q. You’ve also been at the forefront of a very big fight along with Rabbi Avi Weiss and Rabbi Marc Angel to gain control of modern Orthodoxy from the right wing. And so it stands to reason that your congregants, Emanuel included, would hold the same views.

A. I do try to speak out as much as possible on issues that I believe passionately about. One of them is the whole problem of the community not responding to people who would like to convert and who are sincere in their conversions. As well as issues of children who should be converted and accepted into the Orthodox halakhic community through conversion. I do find members of my synagogue—----and Rahm and Amy are, again, loyal members of our synagogue—----to be very supportive about my speaking out about these issues.

Q. Do you think Emanuel’s Israeli roots and religious practice will reassure Jews who are skeptical of Barack Obama’s commitment to Israel? (Rahm's father is an Israeli and Rahm was a civilian volunteer in the Israeli Defense Forces c1991).

A. I think they will, and I think that even more significant is his work in the Clinton administration and his reputation as someone who wants to promote successful policies, policies that have broad-based support. I think it'll assure people that the Obama administration, if anything, will have very pleasant surprises and no real nasty surprises.

[muawiyah]

A quick question ~ “way back when” were the priests in the Temple service required to adhere to the rules for “Kosher for Passover” all year long?

[erman]

No music, no partying........ Bwahahahahahaha ,PRICELESS.

I’LL bet his kid is loving this. NOT

[avital2]

his religious practices regarding kashrut are shocking enough in the US - but to flaunt same in Israel should make many ask questions about his commitment to orthodox Judaism, including modern orthodoxy.

[Liz]

Protesters heckle Obama adviser in Israel http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100527/D9FV6FH00.html

JERUSALEM (AP) - Two ultranationalist Israeli activists have been arrested for shouting insults at White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.The two men approached Emanuel Thursday as he was touring Jerusalem's Old City with his family under heavy security. The protesters began shouting insults and slogans from afar, yelling, "Jerusalem is not for sale."

They were referring to the White House pressure for Israel to halt construction in disputed east Jerusalem. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says they were quickly detained and taken for questioning.

Emanuel is in Israel to celebrate his son's bar mitzvah, a coming-of-age ceremony for 13-year-old Jewish boys. Emanuel has also taken time out of his private visit to meet with Israeli leaders.

[grumpygresh]

Emanuel is “educating” his son in Israel:
I’ll have a BLT with extra mayo, make that a double for my son. Then, I will show you how to be a good little Kapo!
First, I’ll tell Bibi that he will have to give up his nukes, stop building in Al Quds (that would be the town formerly known as Jerusalem) and give up the West Bank for a peace treaty with the terrorist group Hamas.
By orders from Herr 0bama. See how it works.