Dean’s Judaism Ties Span Decades

[dajabr]

In the middle of a rowdy rendition of “I Have a Little Dreidel” at the Sobelson family Chanukah party in Concord, N.H., Howard Dean walked in and declared himself the cantor.

The Democratic presidential candidate recited the blessings over the candles in near-perfect Hebrew in a dining room crowded with campaign staffers.

“It’s another Jewish miracle,” Carol Sobelson exclaimed.

After more songs and a reprise of the Chanukah blessings for Israeli television, Dean passed out doughnuts and cake. It was just a regular Chanukah for Dean, the former Vermont governor later said, “except there’s usually only four of us, instead of 54 of us.”

Dean’s most immediate connection to Judaism is his Jewish wife and the couple’s two children, who identify themselves as Jews. But Dean said he has been connected to the religion for decades. Dean never considered converting to Judaism, but he said the family did ponder the prospect of joining the Reform synagogue in Burlington, Vt., though they “never got around to it.”

The candidate’s ties span from a college friendship with a Zionist activist and frequent political appearances at Vermont’s synagogues, to lighting the menorah and participating in other Jewish rituals at home.

More: http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=11599

[auntpattywatty]

1. I hope this will put to rest any doubt Jewish people who had about

our good Governor!

[Jim Sagle]

4. I never had doubts about him to begin with.

[rucky]

2. Ha! He brought Operation for the kids to play

I guess he didn't have his funny bone taken out after all.

[dajabr]

3. I know!

I loved that!

:hi:

[beyurslf]

5. I hope this can put to rest his "religious credentials" now.

Personal note: Why does a candidate need to prove his "religious credentials" anyway? Should it matter?

[truthspeaker]

14. it shouldn't, but it does

and it disgusts me

[CivilRightsNow]

6. Everyone is jewish nowadays

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/tuesday/south_county_f3ccf0a563cd01bf0077.html

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/136/story_13636_4.html

[Hep]

7. I'm not

n/t

[chocolateeater]

8. Clark's and Dean's Jewish connections

are part of who they are as human beings. Important information IMHO.

[CivilRightsNow]

9. I think so too..

But doubtful in the same way as most.

Dean doesnt scare me, he is just pandering.

But Clark, with his affinities and Friend of Israel status..

Well yeah, I think that speaks alot of his future foreign policy decisions and their possible consequences.

[chocolateeater]

11. If Dean is pandering,

he has been doing it for at least 25 years, since he met and married his wife.

[rucky]

12. OK, I see what you're saying...

but it's not about the article.

I wish I did know Dean's true I/P position. That's what troubles me the most about him overall. It's a shame the language police made him retract his "evenhanded" comment. That's the one I liked the best. I didn't know it was a "code word" either, and I doubt it really is one.

[rucky]

13. OK, I see what you're saying...

but it's not about the article.

I wish I did know Dean's true I/P position. That's what troubles me the most about him overall. It's a shame the language police made him retract his "evenhanded" comment. That's the one I liked the best. I didn't know it was a "code word" either, and I doubt it really is one.

[dave29]

16. My I/P position

kick them both out, put up a giant wall, and don't let anyone back in.



Edit to say, I'm kidding, of course.

[dsc]

10. The man has been married to a Jewish woman

since people were wearing bell bottoms to discotechs. That ain't pandering.

[CivilRightsNow]

15. Yeah.. and my dad was married to an irish catholic..

While he smoked, used birth control, swore and drank alcohol. He can tell you all about midnight mass on Christmas Eve, hell, by now he can probably tell it to you in the original latin, after 30 years.


Im not saying Dean is a bad man. Im not saying he doesnt have some jewish affinity.. Im just saying that it is convienent for him to now use those ties without making a commitment to being a part of that religion. He has obviously held himself back from the religion of his wife and family for a reason. I am in no way insulting the man and think that considering this election and what even made the guy have to come out with what his jewish ties are that pandering is a perfect word.

[Jim Sagle]

17. BS.

[CivilRightsNow]

26. Man of many eloquent words, eh?

:roll eyes:

[Jim Sagle]

46. More than you deserve.

[dajabr]

18. From Bill Boyarsky’s column on Jews and civic life ...

--excerpt--

Personally, I think the Jewish community should give Dean a chance.

He can be careless with words. But he doesn’t pose and pander. He doesn’t parade his Jewish physician wife or his Jewish children on the campaign trail. He doesn’t try to make voters feel happy. He’s the doctor who slams you in the face with the unpleasant truth.

And while hearing the truth is uncomfortable, a politician with the guts to tell it should be valued.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=11588

And, from the original article:

“From early on, he was committed to them both to giving them some Jewish education,” Berg said, noting that Dean would take the children to synagogue. Neither child had a bar or bat mitzvah or much formal Jewish education. Dean has said he allowed both children to choose their religion, and both now identify as Jewish.

The family celebrates Passover and the High Holidays at home. Many in Vermont’s Jewish community tell of how Dean skipped an appearance with Vice President Al Gore in the mid-1990s to travel to New York to be at a Passover seder with his family.

“It is a household in which their Jewish heritage was never denied or soft-pedaled,” Berg said. But Berg also acknowledged that the Deans don’t practice Judaism as he would define it.

“Religion was never a central feature of their family life,” he said.


Seems pretty commited to me? And, he's certainly not playing it up or pandering. Did you read the entire article?

[CivilRightsNow]

28. I did read the article..

I obviously see all of these temple speaking engagements and jewish affinity as of late differently then you do, evidently.

[dajabr]

31. If your view of "as of late" is 20 years ago...

Then we obviously DO see things differently.

[CivilRightsNow]

33. That didnt even make any sense

So, Dean was speaking at temples 20 years ago? So was Clark? They were futzing it up with the rabbis back then, eh?

[dajabr]

35. "futzing it up with the rabbis"

No, in Dean's case he was attending these events with his wife and children, friends, etc.

Can't tell you about Clark - sorry.

[CivilRightsNow]

36. He was speaking at synogogues?

About what? What was he fundraising at synogouges for prior to the presidential campaign?

Please, let me know.

And what synogogues was he attending as even your article doesnt say he was a member of any.

[dajabr]

38. Attending and "appearing." Not sure if he was always speaking...

Berg said, noting that Dean would take the children to synagogue.

The family celebrates Passover and the High Holidays at home. Many in Vermont’s Jewish community tell of how Dean skipped an appearance with Vice President Al Gore in the mid-1990s to travel to New York to be at a Passover seder with his family.

Does those seders count as an appearances? :eyes:

Glazier first met Dean briefly when the rabbi was asked to give an invocation in the state Senate, and Dean, then the lieutenant governor, was presiding. Dean was thrust into the governor’s office in 1991 with the sudden death of Gov. Richard Snelling. Glazier’s synagogue invited Dean to speak one Friday night to express its appreciation for the smooth transition.

By that time, Dean had become a full-time politician, forced to give up completely the family medical practice that he had scaled down after being elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1982 and after becoming lieutenant governor in 1986.

When he attended political events at the synagogue, Dean would remark that he felt very comfortable, Glazier said, and once said he would like to join the temple. Dean said he left the decision about joining the temple to his wife, and that the family did not get around to affiliating. Berg suggested that as a mixed-faith family, the Deans were not made to feel particularly welcome at the synagogue.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=11599

Notice that the events cited occur in the time prior to his candidacy and his current observation of Jewish Holidays or visits to temples are not inconsistent with his actions from over a decade ago.

edit to add name of Temple: Burlington’s Reform synagogue, Temple Sinai

[CivilRightsNow]

40. Funny...

The line that pops out to me is

By that time, Dean had become a full-time politician,

[truthspeaker]

19. but they EXPECT pandering

Certain religious communities demand that politicians pander to them. There is no way to tell the difference between a politician expressing sincere beliefs and one who is pandering to a constituency. That's why a politician's religious convictions, if any, should stay private. But vast numbers of Americans don't understand this, and they demand that politicians give lip service to belief in a monostheistic personal God. What this means is they fall for whoever panders the most convincingly.

The constitution forbids laws requiring a religious test to hold office, but it can't keep the voters from requiring one.

[chocolateeater]

20. So this is about Dean

remaining a Christian while being married to a Jew? Please say I'm wrong.:shrug:

[rucky]

21. Unfortunately, this view has been expressed a few times here.

The debate is exhausting. Don't even try.

[chocolateeater]

24. Thank you

It makes me sad though. I thought this was the party of tolerance.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rucky]

34. Different definitions of pandering?

Pandering usually assumes that the panderer is being insincere. Nobody ever says, "that candidate did some great pandering!"

So when the message involves religion, and you question it's sincerity, it's a little more sensitive than eating barbecue in South Carolina, or putting on a silly hat.
...

Or is it? now you got me thinking about the commodotization of it all. crap. stop doing that.

[CivilRightsNow]

37. I dont think so..

I guess I just acknowledge that polititicans must pander, they are the pimps of our democracy, whoring us all out to the highest bidder.

It is only more sensitive because we allow it to be. It is amazing to me, that in this PC culture of DU, where simply saying you have religious beliefs leads to a whole onslaught of ridiculously rude comments that somehow, Im supposed to hold this guy to some different kind of standard, he is somehow golden?

[chocolateeater]

39. Thank you for clarifying that.

I'm sorry I jumped to that conclusion. I thought that's where you were going when you wrote about Dean holding himself back from his wife's religion.
I still don't think Dean's Jewish connection is as sudden as you seem to think.

[CivilRightsNow]

41. I dont think the connection is sudden..

I do think that it is being used oppurtunely.

Does that make better sense?

I have no doubt that Dr. Dean couldnt have recited in near perfect Hebrew just suddenly.. I do not doubt that he participated in Jewish activities, being married to a Jewish woman.

Maybe what I am saying is that everyone uses things to their advantage, even religion and affiliations therein when they become politicians.

Dean doing it doesnt bother me. I mean, hell.. if anything, Dean does feel like a left leaning fella on the I/P issue.. judging from his speeches and choices for his campaign advisors.

Everyone is so quick to defend every aspect of the man, they cant even see Im not attacking him.

[chocolateeater]

43. Yes it does. Thank you.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.O8)

[CivilRightsNow]

44. Awww shucks..

No problem :wink:

[w4rma]

48. blah blah, you have nothing to base any of that on, IMHO. (n/t)

[flpoljunkie]

22. The more interesting connection is former AIPAC head, Steve Grossman...

who is Dean's campaign co-chair.

[dajabr]

25. Yes, very interesting...

Former National Chairman - DNC
Former Chairman - Massachussetts Democratic Party

Progressive Former Chair of AIPAC.

Works for Dean on FUNDRAISING - Not ME Policy, which is handled by Ben Ami - a former Clinton Staffer.

Very interesting indeed!

[revcarol]

29. And how about those trips to Israel paid for by AIPAC?

Seems the memory of "some" is very short.

His I/P platforms seems to be support Israel in everything but talk smoothly and try not to offend voting Islamics in this country!!BODY SLAM!!

Now, what connection this has to having a Jewish wife...anybody's guess. Maybe no connection at all. Many Jews here aren't Israel-is-always right-Zionists.

Let him go ahead and connect with Jews here, if that what he wants to do. But his I/P platform STINKS AND WE SHOULD NOT IGNORE IT.

[dajabr]

30. "...Dean is not an anti-Muslim genocidal maniac "

"or a Zionist zealot dreaming of Eretz Israel. His defining characteristic is that he governs from principle and facts, not ideology (infuriating liberals and conservatives alike). I certainly don't think he can do worse than Bush in the Middle East when it comes to finding a just solution that puts the responsibility for progress on both sides.'

From: Why I'm Supporting Howard Dean (The View of an American Muslim)

http://www.altmuslim.com/opinion_comments.php?id=1060_0_25_0_C

[Jim Sagle]

49. His I/P platform rawwwwwwwksssss!!

:thumbsup:

[CivilRightsNow]

32. What about Jeremy Ben-Ami's ties to the New Israel Fund?

http://www.fordfound.org/news/view_news_detail.cfm?news_index=82

[robbedvoter]

23. Does Zogby know this?

[dsc]

42. How nice

Zogby is Arab so he must hate Jews. Wow.

[revcarol]

45. Not at all.

But several posts have announced that Dean is going after the American Muslim(not all Arab) vote, and so it is appropriate that we--and they--look at foreign policy stances as they affect the differing religions.Dean does have a record, IF WE WILL ONLY LOOK FOR IT, and he has made statements, IF WE WILL ONLY LOOK FOR THEM, that will inform us.

It's not "just" a cultural thing, nor is it "just" a religious thing. THIS MAN MAY BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE HE STANDS.

[Scott Lee]

47. Dean panders to Jews by marrying a Jewish woman!

Sorry, just trying it on.....