Clinton To Headline Gala Honoring Prominent Anti-Trump Rabbi

Image by Getty Images

By Josh Nathan-Kazis November 8, 2017

Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to headline a gala dinner honoring Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, a prominent critic of the Trump administration and the spiritual leader of the Manhattan LGBT synagogue Congregation Beit Simchat Torah.

The gala marks Kleinbaum’s 25th anniversary leading Beit Simchat Torah, perhaps the most prominent LGBT synagogue in the world.

Kleinbaum’s partner, American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten, is a longtime friend of Clinton’s.

Kleinbaum has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration, and was arrested for protesting the Trump administration’s travel ban in February.

“Let’s keep what we did in perspective, those of us arrested were white with excellent pro bono lawyers standing ready,” Kleinbaum wrote on Facebook at the time. “Honestly, I can’t take credit for profound courage. I’m not facing daily bombings or fleeing in terror. I don’t face police brutality because I am black or brown. That’s real courage. But I will use whatever voice I DO have to speak in the name of my God and my tradition against the injustices being done.”

Clinton has spoken widely since her defeat in the 2016 presidential election. She appeared last week at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan to discuss her book “What Happened.”

Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at nathankazis@forward.com or on Twitter, @joshnathankazis.

Josh Nathan-Kazis is a staff writer for the Forward. He covers charities and politics, and writes investigations and longform.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO