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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Rabbi Levi Shemtov, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at the Congressional Hanukkah reception, December 17, 2024. Photo credit: Kol HaOlam via Twitter.

A Tale of Two Hanukkah Celebrations

Bethany Mandel writes at the New York Post to contrast the Capitol Hill Hanukkah event held by House Speaker Mike Johnson and the White House event hosted by President Joe Biden:

On Capitol Hill this week, where House Speaker Mike Johnson convened a bipartisan pre-Hanukkah celebration, Rabbi Levi Shemtov noted that when the menorah is lit at such an event, it’s purely a symbolic gesture — the actual blessing is reserved for the actual holiday.

 

That prompted a knowing chuckle from a number of us present; at the White House the night before, after all, there was no such concern.

 

Instead, at that celebration, President Biden, his wife Jill and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff lit the menorah and those assembled recited all the traditional blessings, despite the fact that Hanukkah doesn’t even begin until next week.

 

It wasn’t just a misstep but an offense to faithful Jews.

 

... And though a relatively small offense, it’s nonetheless representative of how Democrats have treated the Jewish community: as a mere photo-op prop that is manhandled and cast aside the moment the cameras disappear.

 

... Post-election, the Republican Jewish Coalition reported that Donald Trump’s biggest gains among Jews came from religious voters, and that up to half of New York’s Jewish community voted for the president-elect.

 

The tale of the two Hanukkah parties suggests why: Democrats throw a party featuring token Jews like Emhoff, who seemed totally unfamiliar with the holiday’s melodies and prayers.

 

...His wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, who pretended to be a friend to Israel while campaigning (even as she repeatedly blasted the Jewish state for defending itself) didn’t even bother showing up.

 

...To add more salt to the wound, Emhoff had the chutzpah to praise the Biden administration’s disastrous handling of antisemitism, even as a new House report revealed the White House’s utter failure to crack down on it since Oct. 7.

 

On the other hand, Johnson made sure to bring in a rabbi qualified to oversee the ceremony and handle it with respect and dignity.

We Did It!

The RJC raised and spent over $15 million in support of President Trump, turning out Jewish voters with an unprecedented paid media campaign and grassroots engagement effort, deploying thousands of volunteers on the ground in key Jewish communities.

 

THANKS TO OUR EFFORTS, JEWISH COMMUNITIES ACROSS AMERICA MOVED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE GOP.

 

Read our exclusive report, "2024 Case Study: RJC Delivered"

for details about what we did, how we did it, and the concrete results we delivered.

Click Here for the 2024 Case Study: RJC Delivered

Anti-Israel protest at Ohio State University, January 2024.

Fighting Antisemitism on Campus

In an opinion piece at Fox News, Ilya Shapiro describes six steps incoming President Donald Trump can take to fight antisemitism on campus, including:

  • updating and codifying the executive order on antisemitism that he issued in 2019;

  • revoking visas for students and others engaging in antisemitic agitation; and

  • denying federal funding to universities that allow civil rights violations.

Jewish Insider reported on the recommendations for legislators in the congressional staff report on antisemitism on campus that we highlighted last week:

One of the 11 policy recommendations made to Congress, the White House and the universities themselves in the report, released on Tuesday, states that the House and Senate “should pass legislation removing Title IV eligibility from any university that boycotts or divests from Israel.”

 

Such legislation would ban any university that boycotts Israel from receiving federal funding.

 

Another recommendation calls on universities to “recognize that discrimination against ‘Zionists’ is an unacceptable antisemitic civil rights violation.”

Did you see the TRUMP KIPPAH that Matt held up during his GOP Convention speech?

GET YOURS HERE!

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Short Takes

Inside Mossad’s decade-long deception: The pager mission that crippled Hezbollah

In an extraordinary “60 Minutes” broadcast on Sunday, former Mossad agents pulled back the curtain on one of Israel’s most sophisticated covert operations, targeting Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization.

Two governors join GOP

Governor-elect Pulaalii Nikolao Pula of American Samoa and Governor Arnold Palacios of the Northern Mariana Islands have announced that they plan to join the Republican Party. Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley issued the following statement:

 

"Following President Trump’s landslide victory in November, enthusiasm for the Republican Party is at historic highs and America’s future is bright again. I am proud to welcome Governor Pula and Governor Palacios to the Republican Party as just the latest proof that our common-sense agenda represents victory for all Americans, from the islands to the mainland.”

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The RJC wishes all our members a happy Hanukkah.

 

You have our best wishes for a terrific 2025!

 

28

Dec.

NV: Hanukkah Party

Join us for a special Hanukkah event in Las Vegas.

RSVP

 

 

Contact information for our offices can be found on our website. Please visit us online for the latest RJC news, to see details of upcoming events, and to donate to the RJC. Read past editions of this newsletter here.

Republican Jewish Coalition
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