Posted on 01/24/2017 5:51:03 PM PST by SJackson
“Obviously a lot of people who don’t like Jews had a tough time seeing a Jew stand up proudly before the world."
He continued: “Bless all of our allies around the world who share our beliefs, ‘By the rivers of Babylon, we wept as we remember Zion... If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.’” (Psalm 137) His participation in the ceremony was questioned and opposed in a change.org petition posted by a Los Angeles businesswoman, Myra Stark. The petition read: “Hier is the head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, named for the heroic Nazi-hunter, and the Museum of Tolerance – normalizing Trump with his participation will turn these organizations into a mockery and be a shame on the Jewish name forever. Apparently, Hier thinks it is acceptable to legitimize and collaborate with a political figure who the KKK is literally marching in the streets to celebrate.”
Ariane Mandell and JTA contributed to this report.The Anti-Defamation League was “outraged and saddened by the antisemitism leveled at Rabbi Marvin Hier” after the blessing he delivered at the inauguration of US President Donald Trump on Friday.
Rabbi Marvin Hier is the dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism. He was the target of hundreds of antisemitic messages posted on social media during and following his recitation, including antisemitic caricatures of him and hate speech from white supremacists.
“For Jew-haters, it was a perfect storm,” Wiesenthal Center associate dean Rabbi Abraham Cooper told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday, noting that the IT staff working for his center alone had removed hundreds of antisemitic messages.
Trumps inauguration day. U talk alot. Give too much hope in ur speech. Its just too good to be true. But wtf is that jew rabbi there too? — Ö (@hassan_alfaiz) January 20, 2017
“Obviously a lot of people who don’t like Jews had a tough time seeing a Jew stand up proudly before the world,” Cooper said. “To have a Jew wearing a kippa on an international stage and a declared and well-known Zionist – from the far Left to the far Right, a lot of people were very angry.
“It’s the world we live in today in which social media allows anyone to make such verbal attacks... we can expect to see more of this, and not just against Jews,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of Hier, who was on a flight, Cooper highlighted that people of all origins, faiths and backgrounds approached Hier face-to-face to thank him and encourage him.
“There’s the real world and there’s the virtual world and overall it was quite a moment. It was a very special moment, a very proud moment,” he said. “I’m absolutely certain it’s the first time that Pirkei Avot [Ethics of the Fathers] was referred to at an inauguration.”
Hier was the first Orthodox rabbi to give a benediction at an American president’s inauguration and the first rabbi to do so since 1985, when Reform Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin gave a blessing at Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration.
Hier opened his speech by saying, “Eternal God, bless President Donald J. Trump and America, our great nation.
Guide us to remember the words of the Psalmist: ‘Who will dwell on your holy mountain, one who does what is right, and speaks the truth. Who knows that when you eat the labor of your hands you are praiseworthy. That he who sews in tears, shall reap in joy. Because the freedoms we enjoy are not granted in perpetuity, but must be reclaimed by each generation.’”
He continued: “Bless all of our allies around the world who share our beliefs, ‘By the rivers of Babylon, we wept as we remember Zion... If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.’” (Psalm 137) His participation in the ceremony was questioned and opposed in a change.org petition posted by a Los Angeles businesswoman, Myra Stark. The petition read: “Hier is the head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, named for the heroic Nazi-hunter, and the Museum of Tolerance – normalizing Trump with his participation will turn these organizations into a mockery and be a shame on the Jewish name forever. Apparently, Hier thinks it is acceptable to legitimize and collaborate with a political figure who the KKK is literally marching in the streets to celebrate.”
Hier told the Los Angeles radio station KPCC that the Inaugural Committee contacted him about his participation and that he said, “It would be my honor to do so.”
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Didn't realize he was the first Orthodox Rabbi since Reagan, not surprised.
Those who do good take flak and are criticized. Good for Rabbi Hier for doing what is right.
You read wrong.
Reagan’s rabbi was reform not orthodox.
I was surprised and pleased to read lately that the President's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is an orthodox Jew (Ivanka converted to Judaism before their marriage). Clearly the President holds him in high regard since he named Kushner one of his senior aides. You would never have seen a Jew holding any position of importance in the Obama administration.
“‘By the rivers of Babylon, we wept as we remember Zion...”
Interesting! I remember Jimmy Cliff and other Jamaicans singing the same lines. Marley too;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBo1TRjm9gk
All those Jews who are ashamed of being Jewish and all those Jews who have traded Judaism for socialism, marxism, warmism, globalism, social justice, gender rights, etc. absolutely hate Jews who adhere, Jews who believe in the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Jews who believe in the future and the destiny of their own nation. The Left and the Democrats have, since the election. shown their true faces. The rest of us must look back and recognize them for what they are - enemies of everything good and holy and righteous.
This is the behavior of those who are only comfortable with Jews that are either victims or already dead!
Hier was the first Orthodox rabbi to give a benediction at an American president’s inauguration and the first rabbi to do so since 1985, when Reform Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin gave a blessing at Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration.
Presuming the author is correct, the first Rabbi in 22 years. Since Reagan. Not going to take the time to look it up, but wonder how long it was before Reagan.
perfectly fine & legitimate having the rabbi participate and I'm happy that he did
Dear Rabbi, thank you for blessing our new president and our country. Please ignore the idiots
No matter what is said there will always be people who don’t like it. He quoted Psalm 15 , Psalm 126 , Psalm 137 , it was nice . There person with the main complaint probably has no idea what he quoted.
I grew up in the deep south and the KKK were all Democrats.
I thought the rabbi was great! His prayer was wonderful!
I wonder if all those anti-Jew nuts were actually Neo-Nazi, KKK types? Suppose they were actually the Left posing as Jew haters to smear the pro-Trump folks. It is the type of dirty tricks they would play. After the blessing by Rabbi Marvin Hier, the crowd gave a rousing ovation. That seems to be the attitude of those who support President Trump and love the Jews.
Rabbi Hier’s blessing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFVj_o7J8aA
It’s a traditional hymm. Google “babylon don mclean”. He did an impressive version of it a a “round”.
CC
I loved hearing his benedictory speech.
I had the honor of working with the Rabbi back in ‘77 while working at Duographics designing logos, press releases etc.for the Holocaust center when it started. He is a good man.
I read that Rabbi Hier had Jewish Americans urging him not to speak at the inauguration, but he did it anyway. I applaud him for his courage. I thought his prayer was a good one. The more prayers for our country, the better.
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