New York – The main Modern Orthodox rabbinical association says a prominent member violated its rules by participating in the National Prayer Service.
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A Rabbinical Council of America official told JTA that Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, the religious leader of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in New York City, broke the organization’s rules by participating in the service Wednesday at the National Cathedral on the morning after Barack Obama’s inauguration.
“The long-standing policy of the Rabbinical Council of America, in accordance with Jewish law, is that participation in a prayer service held in the sanctuary of a church is prohibited,” the RCA said in a statement. “Any member of the RCA who attends such a service does so in contravention of this policy and should not be perceived as representing the organization in any capacity.”
The RCA said that Lookstein’s participation was problematic both because the service was held in the sanctuary of a church, which Orthodox Jews are prohibited from entering, and because it was an interfaith prayer service, which the RCA discourages for fear that such participation could allow missionaries to legitimize their argument that Jews can indeed embrace Jesus.
“To go into a cathedral, in this case an Episcopalian cathedral in the main sanctuary, is certainly by most accounts not appropriate,” the executive director of the RCA, Rabbi Basil Herring, told JTA. “If one wants to visit the Sistine Chapel to view the art of Michelangelo it is problematic. There is no political perspective here that says you should not do it because it is politically sensitive. Of course it is a purely religious question.”
Herring was adamant that the RCA was not taking a political stance, noting that the organization sent a letter to President Obama congratulating him and expressing confidence that “with the help of God, you will build on the respect and good will that you have earned to lead a united country in a successful confrontation with the daunting challenges that we face both within and without.”
The RCA has been in conversation with Lookstein, but at this point is not seeking to sanction him, a source familiar with the situation said. But, the source added, any RCA member can suggest that another member be brought before a disciplinary board for violating rules. It is not clear if any member intends to do so.
Lookstein joined six representatives of various religious communities, including Rabbi Jerome Epstein, the executive vice president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, in reciting portions of a nondenominational responsive prayer.
The other four religious representatives to read part of the prayer were Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America; the Rev. Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners; Uma Mysorekar, president of the Hindu Temple Society of North America; the Rev. Suzan Johnson-Cook, senior pastor of the Bronx Christian Fellowship in New York City; the Rev. Carol Wade of the Washington National Cathedral; and Kirbyjon Caldwell, senior pastor of the Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston.
Earlier in the program Rabbi David Saperstein, the Reform movement’s top representative in Washington, was to recite Psalm 121.
For a change I agree with the RCA.
No Orthodox rabbi should have done that. No Jew may enter any church, nor may we pray with goyim in any “interfaith” fiasco.
This was truly an abomination. It is bad.
Mr. David Saperstein’s attendance was bad enough, but to have a Rabbi there…. awful. Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, you should announce publicly that you were wrong.
Thank you, RCA, for speaking out on this.
Rabbi Herring,
You said: “… is certainly by most accounts not appropriate,” …”
How about being more specific,accurate and succinct (avoid the political correctness) and just say instead: “… is Assur, …”
Doesn’t RCA have anything better to do with themselves than look to start fights with the new Administration. Rav Lookstien is an Ehrleche yid and no one is going to draw any conclusions from his participation that we are all ready to convert or that we are accepting of goiyishe traditions as our own. At a time this country need achdus among all races, religions and political sectors, for RCA to obcess about the fact this was a church is an embarresment to all yidden. Lets not be so small minded and focus on the biger issues we have today in Jewish ethics. Let them worry about Madoff and Rubashkin and waste time on such nareshite.
I cannot fathom why Rabbi Lookstein entered a Cathedral which forbidden by Halacha. I remember years ago Rabbi Arthur Schneir also entered a Cathedral in Russia to celebrate 1000 years of Christianity in Russia. He was taken to task for it, and so should Rabbi Lookstein. I have nothing personally agains him; but Halacha is Halacha. I hope he didn’t know that it was a Cathedral or for some other unknown reason made a mistake.
#11 is right I am so tired of the fighting. At least the Event is going to be heard without the fanatics
Isnt he the rabbi that is converting Ivanka Trump, to marry Jared Kushner?
creepy lookin dude w/satanic goatee
Lookstein is Michael Mukasey’s Rabbi
It’s ironic that this come a day after the Levaya of R’Hollander who was a critic of the RCA as well asR’lookstein for this specific reason.
But what do The Gedolim say about it?
these are hard time for jews we are being seen in the public a lot in the past few weeks. it might have not looked good if you have all faiths show & no jew. maybe the rabbi understood this &yes indeed he did sin but we are all human he didn’t commit a crime that we can judge him for. this is between him & gd .
sometimes you have to use the fifth shulchan aroch,and thats called common sense.
common sense tells us that rabbi lookstein after being invited to participate in the prayers
had no other choice and had to go.
if you think otherwise you are nothing but what chazal called a chusid shoite
it was wrong, OK slap his wrist write him a letter. Or should we all move back to a ghetto???
This was a National prayer service at one of the most hostoric moments in our nations history.
What about madoff?
#7 ! Is that comment really appropriate? Sounds like sinat chinam to me!
Rabbi Lookstein is far from an ehrliche yid. Ethically he may be the epitome of ehrlich but in terms of halacha, he has done many controversial things in his tenure. Presenting prayers which are part of a predominant Christian service, in a Christian cathedral is quite far against the letter of halacha as well as the spirit. But then as a rabbi of a congregation whose members have no problem checking on the stock market on their blackberrys on rosh hashono, that’s not the worst thing in their eyes anyway.
Poor Obama! He just can’t get a break!
First he spends half his campaign convincing everyone he is xtian, not muslim. Then he spends the other half convincing us he was never in his own church during the sermon for the last twenty years. And now he’s in trouble for who he brought with him to church.
Chaim S., because some of his congregants looked (according to you) on their blackberry’s makes him bad, what would that say to all other rabbanim, if you judge them by their mispallem?
Is the ‘hemesheh velt’ so perfect that we have time on our hands to fashmutz the modernesheh? We already know he is not what we look for as a manhig for us. Why do we have to rip him apart like this?
We don’t have unzerer who embarress us?
#1 , talk about achdut! Your post was truly comical and rather ironic. In the same breath as asking for achdut (at the expense of halacha), you feel obliged to throw in Rubashkin (-as though his “crimes” can begin to compare with the dishonesty of Madoff, but that’s another story).
Your attitude is hypocritical: firstly, where’s your achdut when it comes to R’ Rubashkin? Secondly, you are incredibly creative in the way you manage to connect him with every issue, even one such as this which has absolutely no connection to his situation!
Wow. Your Ahavat Yisroel is inspiring. Keep up the great work.
this is the same rabbi who pandered to the feminists and said that aman should make the brocho of “sheloi osani eshah” quietly if a lady is next to him
he makes up his own halachos
hes like rabbi avi weiss they mean well however they dont have a rov or moreh horaah that they ask sheilos to
and thats why they do things against the halacha
It makes no difference that this was a historical event. Lookstein was wrong for participating, and the RCA is not taking a strong enough stance. I don’t want no Orthodox rabbi of mine davening in a church, reciting holy tefilos. That’s just disgracefull. And I don’t care what his ethics are. His judgment is terribly flawed. What’s next, interfaith marriages to dilute the gene pool?
I’m intrigued by how so many of the comments here are based on their own opinion of Rabbi Lookstein’s torah knowledge.
Sorry. Never heard of him as a scholar. Only as a radical for which this episode was predictable
The RCA has a lot of explaining to do. If it is a legitimate body representing orthodox Jewry, an explanation for “Rabbi” Lookstein’s attendance in a church is appropriate. Today’s act by “Rabbi” Lookstein denegraded the Rabbinical Council of AMerica.
One does not know whether the actions taken today by Lookstein may draw some that much closer to identifying with and respecting the other religions. To be more blunt, this act may push someone on the fence to fall off and into another religion r”l. Lookstein’s actions today may have had far reaching consequences and may have led some to consider leaving the fold.
If you think this is a bubba maase, ask anyone in the major kiruv organizations today what the assimilation rate today is among the frum and/or non-frum.
Those who are knocking Rabbi Lookstein should get off his back. I am not commenting on the halacha, but do believe that Jews need to be visible at events such as this, and if we are not, it affirms a lot of negative stereotypes that non-Jews have about Jews, So, in some way, maybe the halacha of not going into a church is superceded by the bigger Mitzvah of protecting Jews by creating goodwill thru events such as this. Imagine what would be now, if word got out that the Rabbis refused to attend after being extended and invitation to participate. Please, give the Rabbi some slack. He did the right thing in my book (er, sefer).
The RCA is being hypocritical. The halocho is a min is worse than oivdei avoidah zoroh. They have no problem joining minim such as reform and conservative rabbits but xtianity is a problem. They should condemn and be condemned. BTW usually goyim are not insulted when jews stand up for their religion only mah yofis jews are bothered.
Some of us are forgetting that we are an “Ahm Kodosh”
What does “Kodosh” mean?
It means SEPERATE …. not like the rest.
Whenever we “join” the rest, we lose our kedusha.
It is okay for the world to see us as different. That is the way it is supposed to be.
I was once with a friend among a group of gentiles. My friend, who happens to be Conservative, said, “We Jews are just like you. We …..”
I interrupted him, and politely, or as politely as possible under the circumstances, and said, “No, we are NOT like you. We are Jews. Jews ARE different. It does not mean we are criticizing you. It does not mean we can’t be good friends, but we ARE different. Jews will NEVER be the same. We are not supposed to be.”
My friend was angry at me for this. He had been, all his life, trying to get gentiles to believe we are just like them.
Isn’t that what the Conservative and Reform movements are REALLY all about, trying to be like the gentiles? Their places of worship copy chuches. They want their gentile friends to be able to come to their bar mitzvahs and “feel at home.”
But, WE ARE NOT THE SAME… and we do not belong alongside preachers, pastors, or priests of other faiths. To do so is not to bring brotherhood, to do so is to belittle Judaism.
SHAME ON “RABBI” Lookstein! He disregarded Hallacha for what reason? What did he think we Jews would gain from his prayers in a church. The RCA must take a stand on this issue.
can someone please cite the basis for the “issur” of entering a church? if we believe a church is a place of idol worship and entering is forbidden, then all the issurim of Masechtas Avodah Zarah should also apply (can’t deal in business near the holidays, can’t give gifts etc.). It sure seems that those rules were ok’d in order to “keep the peace”, so why not this too in such a non-ordinary singular circumstance? lots of people are attacking each other, but i don’t see many straightforward comments with a basis for their halachic viewpoint. Please cite halachic basis, including precedent from Mishnah/Gemara.
You know, Rabbi Lookstein is looking out for all of us, who are either at home now or vacationing somewhere. Don’t you realize that by going today, he allied himself with this new President who is being looked at as G-d himself? Why would Rabbi Lookstein put himself into the position that he’s now in if he didn’t care deeply about Jews in America and Jews in Israel? I think he has alot of courage.
Rabbi Lookstein was absolutely correct in accepting and attending the services. Throughout our history in gullis, the nusi’s of their generation’s were invited to state functions (including coronations) and they gladly attended. it contributed to the safety and stability of the jewish community in the diaspora.
we are still in the diaspora and Lookstein’s participation in this state function was of utmost importance for and will contribute to the continued safety of the Jewish Community here in the states.
If Looksteins attendence made a positive difference upon President Obama when he makes a favorable life and death decision in Israel’s favor, would anybody argue against Lookstein’s attendance? I THINK NOT.
To# 40 ” Pandering to the Feminists” ? is there a Halacha against saying a Tefillah quietly so as not to offend someone? I am writing as a Former Agunah. Instead of making misogynistic comments, why don’t you do something to help Agunot obtain Gittin ? Someday, Chas VeShalom, it could be your sister, your mother, your niece, your daughter who needs a Get.
My apologies for going off-topic to everyone else, but it is precisely the Modern Orthodox Rabbis who will tend to stick their necks out to try to help Agunot. And there are plenty of ways to help Agunot without trying to change Halacha in any way-community pressure, honoring Seruvim, refusing to do business with someone who is Misarev Get. Few want to get involved.please everyone and anyone, do what you can to help raise awareness to the issue of Agunah. thank you.
My recollection is that r.lookstein is the son-in-law of the previous Boyaner Rebbe,zl of new york.
How do you know? Did you hook him up (and others) to a “meter” which measures Gadlus and Chochma?
BTW, just to play “Devil’s advocate”, please recall that Korach was a tremendous almid Chacham and led 250 of his followers to their untimely deaths by being swallowed into the ground and/or being burned when they offered K’tores.
As you can see, scholarship and teaching ability and numbers of students do not guarantee that the person does things L’shem Shamayim and with the proper Kavanah. BTW, Korach was also wealthy beyond belief.