Three Jewish rabbis slated for prayer recital at Obama inauguration

Last update - 15:04 19/01/2009

Three Jewish rabbis slated for prayer recital at Obama inauguration

Three rabbis representing the three major branches of American Judaism are slated to recite a prayer at the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday, according to officials familiar with the plans.

The Jewish clergy chosen to speak at the service are Reform Rabbi David Saperstein, Conservative Rabbi Jerome Epstein and Orthodox Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, sources said.

At past inaugurations, ceremonial prayers uttered on behalf of the incoming president drew about as much attention as the flags on the podium. Not this year.

Barack Obama's choice of clergy is under scrutiny like no other president-elect before him, alternately outraging Americans on the left and the right as he navigates the minefield of U.S. religion.

"I can't recall any prayers drawing so much attention," said Charles Haynes, senior scholar at the First Amendment Center who specializes in religion in public life.

Gay advocates assailed Obama, while many conservative Christians were heartened, when he invited the Reverand Rick Warren, a Southern Baptist who opposes gay marriage, to deliver the inaugural invocation on Tuesday.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1056771.html

Don't let the "Conservative" label fool you. Conservative Judaism is quite liberal on social issues.

Whether or not they should be considered Jews has been a matter of controversy, many "Orthodox" authorities saying that they are not. Nonetheless, Karaites have Rabbis."

From your link and thanks for it, "The sense is it's time to balance that out and to have other voices heard. He's supposed to represent change," Haynes said. "There are many people looking for a symbolic change in tone, especially when it comes to issues of religion and public life."

It is redundant.

I saw that was the way the headline was written..it sounded like something you might see in a headline in the deep South or something.

So much for change, Obama.

Hard to tell these days, isn't it?

after seeing the war and GAZA. One Baptist homophobe
that has been exposed for his bigotry are
left to say something appropriate 4for out nation.

The three rabbis say ...........


The Baptist says.....

The moslem says..........

The Buddhist says.......

The Taoist says....

The Agnositic says....

The Atheist says......

I love it!

Since they are representing my religion, even though I'm sorta agnostic about it.

Hawkeye-X

Jewish, but not very religious.