Last week, I ripped “Bobblehead Rav” Shmuley Boteach for planning to honor Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza at his Ninth Annual Champion of Jewish Values International Awards Gala, in an attempt to “celebrate the solidarity of Black and Jewish Americans” at the Ninth Annual Champion of Jewish Values International Awards Gala. I did so on the basis of her defense of some antisemitic conduct, as well as the antisemitism problem within the BLM organization.
Since then, Boteach has released a bizarre video in which he seems to be trying to stamp his ‘woke’ credentials and, more tellingly, mischaracterizing criticism he has received as opposition to Black-Jewish brotherhood.
https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmuleyBoteach/videos/688385641830298/?__cft__[0]=AZWdEPjE1-EOfh-5aZz10Pi_Zlhbs-viqwULCrio5Kv0PP5oEMShFmbqU8HS1ur0T7e1mtUOJ8CYekyO78Y0i1joh372eshaiGwkyeFnbCgU5GKGUiLuENx6SaPbqhpLIkQ2sQ3-BT9CC7Q1RqoZ7NolSituykeB-EkAhKJJ_q_PAQ&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
Perhaps he did receive such criticism as well, but to ignore valid criticism about plans to honor Alicia Garza – someone responsible for fraying Black-Jewish relations – is disingenuous.
As I’ve made clear, I am very much in support of valid bridging efforts. This, however, seemed to be nothing more than a vanity exercise.
Be that as it may, it seems Boteach won’t be able to avoid the issue now.
And guess who advised her to pull out:
One need not imagine what it was about “what they stand for” that prickled the hairs on Garza’s neck. Clue: What Sarsour finds creepy.
So there you have it: Garza taking advise from an antisemite to rebuff Boteach’s efforts to honor her for…G-d knows what.
At least she has reaffirmed why she was not a worthy honoree to begin with.
