Michael Savage Slams Chabad Rabbis for Attending Obama’s Chanukah Party
Michael Savage, a conservative talk radio host, had some harsh words for the orthodox Jewish Rabbis that attended the annual Chanukah party at the White House last week together with President Obama.
On his show this past Friday (December 9th), that is syndicated across the U.S. in over 400 markets and heard by 8-10 million listeners a week, Mr. Savage wanted to know what deal these Rabbis received for attending the party with Obama and, “which sect of hasidim went there as quislings, to sell Israel down the river,” singling out Satmar and Lubavitch as the possible culprits.
He started off criticizing the President for celebrating Chanukah two weeks early, saying Obama would never disrespect a Muslim holiday like that. But what really got him going was an off the cuff joke that Obama made at the celebration. Obama joked that he would give a kiss and a hug to everyone in attendance except for the Rabbis with the whiskers.
“Why wouldn’t he ever say that to the guys with whiskers who practice Islam? Anyone have an answer to that? Anything with Muslims and Islam there like grim faced in the White House, they follow it to a tea, like they walk on glass.” He continued, “But with Jews it’s two weeks early, we’ll light all the candles (and) we’ll joke about you guys with beards. Alright come on up, let’s break some Matzoh together. But sir it’s not Passover? Never mind, come on have some Manischewitz, we like a good party over here ha ha ha.”
That’s when he turned his anger away from Obama and redirected it towards the Rabbis that attended.
“What do the Rabbis get for this, the guys with the whiskers, what deal did they get for going there? I don’t get this because most orthodox Jews are pretty conservative. Don’t they understand that Obama is the most anti-Israel President in history? So who are these quisling Rabbis who were there with the black coats? Which sect of Hasidim was there? Is there a Hasidic Jew listening? Which sect of Hasidim went there as quislings to sell Israel down the river? Anyone know? I don’t know who the guys with the whiskers were. Was it the Satmar’s, was it the Lubavitch, was it another group I never heard of?”
Apparently, Mr. Savage didn’t realize that orthodox Jews don’t listen to the radio or make phone calls on Shabbos, which starts at sunset on Friday. Thus, no one called in to respond to these comments that he made during the first hour of his Friday show, which airs from 6-9pm eastern time.
Finally, Savage dared his audience to report him to the ADL for his remarks.
“Go ahead, call up the ADL and see if I care, a lot of good they’ve ever done for me. They’re not there when you need them, and they’re there when you don’t need them. That’s all.”
This is not the first rant against Rabbis by Michael Savage.
In May of this year, Savage called Rabbis “idiots” who told their students not to rejoice over the death of Osama Bin Laden.
no one special
While it would be difficult to change the “minhag” of Chanuka at The white House, what objective gain was there for the Rabbis &/or Klal Yisroel. I have asked the same questions and my answers are cynical.
Yitzchok
He’s right, Chabad is not a political party. We are a religious organization, there is no place for Shluchim at these types of events, it does further our cause in anyway. It only serves to inflate the ego of the Shliach attendee.
Savage is right and wrong
Rabbis are not a political organization and going there is not for political handouts. Jews have always had to play both sides of the fence. That being said, why is there no outcry for that comment he made? and Savage is right on the money when he compares the Muslim treatment to how the Jews are treated there. it’s a sad joke.
right
micheal your the best i here your show evry night you ramazing
and right go .
Andrea Schonberger
I thought the whole thing was lame and done for votes only and I voted for Obama–am very disappointed in this.
Michael savage chai
He is 100% right
1000% RIGHT ON EVERYTHING!
No self-respecting Jew should have set foot in that accursed party.
Because this fool – this ACHASHVEIROSH invites to a “party” YOU must go!? But this IS the eikar! So then they can have their farsholtuner picture, standing together – as one menuvol, with one heart!
YAISH DIN, V’YAISH DAYIN!
Revach v’hatzola ya’amod la’yehudim Mi’MOKOM acher – v’haim, u’bais avihem toveidu!
Fellow shliach
I think it is about time that shluchim do what is right (not just for the Photo ops) Obama hates Israel and the jews (he wont even look at the Rubashkin case) i hope the shluchim will stand up for what right and not only stand up for the camera unfortunately it takes a goy to teach us what is right
Don-t Completely Agree
Hey, the mans got a point.
You know who
Savage got it right. It was a ridiculous show at best. These guys that go there are just phonies, in it for themselves. They would sell their mothers, have sold their children and for sure, have sold their souls. Disgusting people at best.
Eli
He is 100% right. Shame on those who attended this Achashverosh’s party!
Early Chanuka ?
I am just curious, did they get to light the Minora early this year?
CH-er
Savage doesn’t understand that Satmar and Lubavitch viewpoints towards Israel are not quite interchangeable. While Savage may view both types of “Hasidim” as “whiskered” with black coats, ever notice the Satmar advertisements sprayed onto the sidewalks of Williamsburg for demonstrations against the Israeli government? Not exactly the Lubavitch agenda.
anonymous
I was wondering why myself….why did Rabbi Shemtov allow this so early? And to light all the lights? And Obama was totally disrespectful. How did it all come to this? I’m so disappointed.
Milhouse
#2, it’s precisely because Chabad is nonpartisan that they had to attend this party. Had they boycotted Obama that would have been political.
#3, what’s wrong with the comment? Savage is just crazy.
Me
I am not a big fan of Obama however, I have never seen President Obama celebrate a Muslim holiday at the White House so saying that he wouldn’t do this or would do that for a Muslim holiday is fictional and presumptive on the side of ignorance! Do I agree with celebrating Chanukah early… No, not really! Do I agree with a Rabbi being there… Yes I do!! Having a Rabbi there to light the Menorah early is better than no one doing it at all!!
moshe
FYI bush also made his party early
I miss the guidance of the Rebbe
after reading a the article and comments in it’s entirety, at this time to comment # 16.
I remember distinctly at the time of President Carter, there was letters and answers going back and forth from Rabbi A. Shemtov and the Rebbe.
to make it short, President Carter thought it would be a good idea to have all 8 lights lit for formalities and niceness of the event. However Avremel asked the Rebbe about it, the response was….(not quoting exactly the words) with the proper explanation the President will understand the importance of “mosef ve’holech” as that night was the fifth (if I remember correctly…. the outcome was a major kidush Hashem with % lights.
The Rebbe was a major advocate in doing things right, the appropriate way al pe halacha.
Yes to my understanding, making a chanukah party 2 weeks early is inappropriate lame and should of been thought through a second time, however we must consider the time schedule of the President himself. nevertheless thinking of all the past years when things worked out with the proper channels worked on a timely fashion.
taking into consideration the remarks that were said, confusing Chanakah with Kwanza and everthing else, I think a foolish mistake was made and the self respect of halacha respect for Hashem and Chanakah should of been addressed.
I am at a loss as why this was done as such.
A freilichin chanukah to all may the lights shine our path leading us in the right direction enabling us to make the right choices as we walk down the path of uncertainty.
Hatzlacha raba meruba
I miss the guidance of the Rebbe
after reading a the article and comments in it’s entirety, at this time to comment # 16.
I remember distinctly at the time of President Carter, there was letters and answers going back and forth from Rabbi A. Shemtov and the Rebbe.
to make it short, President Carter thought it would be a good idea to have all 8 lights lit for formalities and niceness of the event. However Avremel asked the Rebbe about it, the response was….(not quoting exactly the words) with the proper explanation the President will understand the importance of “mosef ve’holech” as that night was the fifth (if I remember correctly…. the outcome was a major kidush Hashem with % lights.
The Rebbe was a major advocate in doing things right, the appropriate way al pe halacha.
Yes to my understanding, making a chanukah party 2 weeks early is inappropriate lame and should of been thought through a second time, however we must consider the time schedule of the President himself. nevertheless thinking of all the past years when things worked out with the proper channels worked on a timely fashion.
taking into consideration the remarks that were said, confusing Chanakah with Kwanza and everthing else, I think a foolish mistake was made and the self respect of halacha respect for Hashem and Chanakah should of been addressed.
I am at a loss as why this was done as such.
A freilichin chanukah to all may the lights shine our path leading us in the right direction enabling us to make the right choices as we walk down the path of uncertainty.
Hatzlacha raba meruba
Savage for Mayor!
While I generally like Savage’s philosophy, sometimes he’s off.
Not this time! Whoever these sycophants are who attended this “event” need to re-think their priorities & forget about pressing Presidential flesh.
BTW Shliach #8, Michael Savage is Jewish.
anonymous
#20 I heard that his father is Jewish not his mother which would make him, of course, a goy.
Nobama
If there was ONE Jew at that feast of Achashverosh who ate kosher because of Levi Shemtov, then his attendance was worth it. Besides, the way the Republicans are messing up, there is a good chance you (I’m not American) will be saddled with noch fir schvartz’e yorn, and it always pays for shtodlonim to be on good terms with the poritz.
hello
who ever says anyone is right on 100% of everything clearly has rocks for a brain!
Sruly
The Rabbis should have told him to make the Chanuka party in Hawaii while he’s on vacation and I’m sure a few would have bin happy to fly there for the event.
he dos not like jews
obama dos not like jews at all if you heard
Milhouse
#16, if you haven’t seen him celebrate any Moslem holidays at the White House then you haven’t been paying attention. He certainly does (as did his predecessor, Bush).
Could someone explain what exactly is wrong with having a Chanukah party early? Where in Shulchon Oruch does it say that a party must be “bizmanoi”?
#18/19, Was that during Chanukah, or before? If it was during Chanukah then the Rebbe would have wanted to make sure the menorah was lit correctly, because thousands of people would see it on TV and learn from it how to light their own. But a fortnight before Chanukah there are no halochos or minhogim on how to light a menorah! How many lights would *you* want to see? One? Three? Seven? Why is any other number better than eight? (In any case, let Obama be “holchim vekolim keforei hachag”…)
#21, you’ve got it backwards. Savage is not a Jewish name; it’s his mother who’s Jewish.
But the bottom line is that every president makes a Chanukah party, and it’s a kidush Hashem and pirsumei nissa, so it’s appropriate for Lubavitchers to go. And once they go for other presidents they have to go for this rosho too, because the Frierdiker Rebbe established the principle that Lubavitch is non-partisan.
Please go learn you stuff.
Two things, 1. Millhouse Did you hear of Winston Churchhill, he was the one who said listen everybody, Hitler Y.S is bad don’t vote for him, but the people just said Oh, some Churchhill stupid guy, he’s crazy don’t listen to him, and you know what happened, a holocaust came out of Hitler, Michael Savage Is Saying Obama Is bad,and everybody is saying Oh, he’s crazy. but it is not true. I Believe him because I know. I’m with Savage. And, by the way, Michael Savages MOTHER WAS Indeed JEWISH. So please go learn your stuff.
Milhouse 100% right!
That’s right, 23,100%!
If Lubavitchers can participate in dinners and chanuka lighting events with a “tzadik” like former president,
the honorable,“James Earl Carter,” then what’s the big deal about doing the same with Obama?
C.R.
This was certainly a difficult call for the Shluchim. I guess those who attended the “party” viewed it as the Annual White House Chanukah Party rather than as Obama’s Chanukah party.That’s the only possible excuse I can think of for attending this sham. In any case,I don’t think the world notices this “party” as much as we like to convince ourselves they do. P.S. Obama’s remark about the Rabbis’ “whiskers” was totally unacceptable, even as a joke.I’m sure that if a bearded Muslim cleric were to come to an Islamic White House party our ex(?)Muslim president would make sure to treat him with at least as much reverance as he would be treating all others present at the affair. The things the liberal media lets this president get away with are sickening…
Disappointed again
I would like to know why this “party” was so ahead of the actual Chanukah date. I don’t think the White House took it seriously, because if they did, it would have been during one of the EIGHT DAYS they could have planned for. As far as the whiskers comment, I do believe that Mr. Obama would not comment like that if the group were Muslim. The message I get from the whole thing is that he doesn’t take Jews seriously. He doesn’t realize the sacredness inherent in a tradition. He thinks Muslims deserve respectful communication, while Jews are primed for jokes instead of a respectful comment. The whole thing strikes me as if it were an afterthought for a poorly planned, minimally valued occasion. And if you asked Mr. Obama what he thought about these comments, he would probably respond in a politically correct manner; however, I bet that his inner reaction would involve thoughts such as:“The Jews are making a big deal over nothing. We did a party. What do they want? Jews don’t have a real religion, anyway. It’s over. Now let’s get on with the real stuff and plan for a Christmas party. Sorry about the whisker thing. I didn’t know it was so serious. As far as the Muslim thing, no I wouldn’t comment like that, because I thought their whiskers were more serious. I think their religion is more serious.” He doesn’t understand. And he certainly does not understand the ramifications of his views in the middle east. Very naive. Very biased. Seems prejudiced. Sorry I voted for him.
dam avadav
what have become?! we now need some mechalel shabbos to remind us of our standards. we are slipping and sliding towards reform-ism.
Just Me
FYI,Savage’s real name is Michael Weiner & both his parents are Jews.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wik…
as kosher as hebrew national!
This thing was traif from all aspects.
You CANNOT kosher a TRAIFA kitchen by spraying “disinfectant” and covering with foil and plastic wrap!?
This is sham and a farce – just like the idiots who went there to fress and hulyin with this stupid achashveyrosh horosha!
scot miller
You know, I listened to M. Savage when he spoke of this politicized act of interfaith drama, and then, I got quite a laugh. Savage, and he repeated this later, attributed the miracle of the oil lasting over eight days to the event of the fall of the Temple during the Roman siege of 70AD. No mention of the the Macabees, the seven sons, the desecration of the latar and Temple by Epiphanes… He stated clearly that the holiday was centered around the destruction of the Temple by the Romans, and seemed to be unaware of the cleansing of the Temple and the subseuent period of home rule that followed Macabbean success in driving out the occupiers. He simply has no integrity.