One of the lead defense lawyers for Mr. Trump has informed Senate leaders that he is an observant Jew who strictly adheres to the commandment against working on the Sabbath, and thus would be unable to participate in any proceeding that stretched past sundown on Friday or met on Saturday.
In a letter obtained by The New York Times, the lawyer, David Schoen, asked that the trial be suspended if it was not finished by the beginning of the Sabbath at 5:24 p.m. on Friday, and that it not reconvene until Sunday.
“I apologize for the inconvenience my request that impeachment proceedings not be conducted during the Jewish Sabbath undoubtedly will cause other people involved in the proceedings,” Mr. Schoen said in the letter. “The practices and prohibitions are mandatory for me, however; so, respectfully, I have no choice but to make this request.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has reportedly accepted the request and promised to accommodate it.
Read more at New York Times.
{Matzav.com}
Am I the only one that is concerned that Trumps lawyer is an orthodox Jew asking for Shabbos religious accommodations?
While it is a legal right, and a clear case of religious rights, it highlights another close link between the small, but very influential clout of the Jews, and regarding Trump, orthodox Jews in particular, that will be used as the age old stereotype of Jewish control, and all sins of Trump are passed onto his supporters, as guilty by association.
Before this concern is dismissed by saying I am a never Trumper, or pro Biden, let me correct that by informing, that I voted for Trump.
Some will say, the haters will always hate, so just ignore them. This is extremely short sighted.
1. This gives the people that are overtly anti Jewish, and those that are more PC about their distaste for Jewish” issues” ( the NY Times)an easy way to label the “Jewish agendas” as being an extension of Trump, not as anti Jewish.
2.There are tens of millions of voters that absolutely despise Trump, many not being anti Jewish, but they are irrationally convinced that everything Trump did must be uprooted.The more the Jews are closely associated in the media with Trump, the more it will work against us to keep the benefits we got under his presidency( pro Israel policies regarding palestinian issues, the Abraham accords, embassy relocation etc.)
If history is any indication, the Trump presidency may turn into the turning point where the Jewish community became guilty by association with what was perceived by at least half the country as aiding and benefitting, by and from, a criminal.
This isn’t my position that Trump is a criminal, but one would be foolish not to acknowledge that this is the position of at least half the country.
Therefore, as jews who have multiple times watched our security and peaceful lives evaporate with a new movement, we need to tread very carefully in these dangerous times that have large angry populations, whether on the right or the left.
Some will say this is over dramatized scare tactics.But I disagree.Jews should keep a low profile going forward, and not be the ones protecting Trump, and having the trial stop for Shabbos, because then it becomes the Jewish trial, that is “also” a trial about Trump.
We need to all daven that this doesn’t come back to hurt us very badly.
You raise many powerful insights R’ Jacob, but as an attorney I have added, legal concerns. The legal brief relies on the rights of Mr. Trump, under the First Amendment, to express his thoughts freely (I believe they refer to it as “with passion”). This is not a criminal trial and such arguments are irrelevant. As a recent column in Atlantic magazine pointed out, a citizen has a right to walk around with Nazi regalia. However, if a President tried to do that, per his First Amendment rights, he would obviously need to be impeached. By raising such rebuttable and unserious claims, people may wonder why frum Jews feel such a need to defend this man. Why are we prepared to advance vacuous ideas in order to justify his behavior? It make us all look like toadies. That is not a good thing. Finally, why ask for time off from the trial, for Shabbos, and then say “Never mind. There are other attorneys on the team.” Did Mr. Schoen not know that other attorneys were present on his team before he made his request? This is not what our community needs or should embrace.
לכבוד שבת קודש
לכבוד שבת קודש