By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel
CHULA VISTA, California —Last week, I received an email from the Reelect-elect Obama campaign. The President is urging rabbis to help re-elect the President.
The email contained the following information and assertions:
- Obama for America today announced the launch of Rabbis for Obama, a campaign initiative to engage and mobilize grassroots supporters. This group of over 613 rabbis –more than double the number of when Rabbis for Obama launched in 2008 – from across the country and across all Jewish denominations recognize that the President has been and will continue to be an advocate and ally on issues important to the American Jewish community. That is why they are committed to re-electing President Obama and actively doing their part to move our country forward.
- “This list of rabbis represents a broad group of respected Jewish leader from all parts of the country. These rabbis mirror the diversity of American Jewry. Their ringing endorsement of President Obama speaks volumes about the President’s deep commitment to the security of the state of Israel and his dedication to a policy agenda that represents the values of the overwhelming majority of the American Jewish community,” said Ira Forman who is the Jewish Outreach Director for the campaign.
As we approach the High Holidays, I wonder about the appropriateness for the President to enlist rabbis in pushing his political agenda from the pulpit–especially during the High Holiday season. As most of you probably know, a synagogue can theoretically lose its tax exemption by publicly endorsing one candidate over the other from the pulpit. I often like to tell my congregants, rabbis are supposed to be teachers of Jewish tradition, ethics, and spirituality. They are not political pundits, nor do they have right to misuse the pulpit speaking about issues ex cathedra. No rabbi is infallible when it comes to halachic or interpretive aspects of Judaism. By the same token, rabbis are not “experts” with respect to political matters either!
While I am sure that many synagogues and churches ignore this law, it is a matter of caution and the President should not place a stumbling block before the congregation—especially one that could have drastic impact upon the synagogue’s future financial being. I often like to think of the synagogue as a modern day “city of refuge,” where people can find respite from the daily problems and concerns that affect their wakeful lives.
Over the past several years, right before the High Holidays, I have received letters from the President urging me to speak about issues that are important for the country. Frankly, I don’t need advice from Mr. Obama or Axelrod on what to speak about during the Rosh Hashanah season. Synagogues and churches ought to tell the President, the places of worship are off limits for political campaigning.
The topic is certainly a slippery slope—one must proceed with the utmost caution. In any event, rabbis ought to focus on the spiritual themes of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur season that touch upon the need for inner transformation, forgiveness, and renewal. These are timeless themes that transcend the mundane issues of our daily life and routine. Indeed, nothing flattens the experience of God like promoting politics in a church or synagogue—especially during election season!
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Rabbi Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom of Chula Vista. He may be contacted at michael.samuel@sdjewishworld.com