Rabbi Marvin Hier, the founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Museum of Tolerance, is one of six religious leaders who were invited take part in President Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony January 20 (That’s Tevet 22 to you and me).
Which is why Mya Stark, a businesswoman from Los Angeles, is calling on the Hebrews to sign her petition which she titled: “Rabbi Marvin Hier: do not offer a ‘prayer’ at Trump Inauguration.” No idea why she put quotes around the word prayer.
President George W. Bush appointed Hier to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel in May 2008. He is working on a A $100 million Museum of Tolerance and Human Dignity to be built in Jerusalem.
Inaugural Committee Chairman Tom Barrack said that “since the first inaugural ceremony, our leaders have paid tribute to the blessings of liberty that have been bestowed upon our country and its people,” which is why “I am pleased to announce that a diverse set of faith leaders will offer readings and prayers at the swearing-in of President Elect Trump and honor the vital role religious faith plays in our multicultural, vibrant nation.”
“I am shocked and dismayed to see no such protest from Jews over Rabbi Marvin Hier’s agreement to deliver a ‘prayer’ at the Inauguration. Hier is the head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, named for the heroic Nazi-hunter, and the Museum of Tolerance – normalizing Trump with his participation will turn these organizations into a mockery and be a shame on the Jewish name forever.”
To justify her bizarre ire, Stark pulls the tried and true KKK card, writing: “Apparently, Hier thinks it is acceptable to legitimize and collaborate with a political figure who the KKK is literally marching in the streets to celebrate.”
Don’t forget Vladimir Putin and Naftali Bennett…
“Even more shameful and disgusting,” she continues, “it has just been revealed that the Simon Wiesenthal Center under Hier has been the recipient of donations from Jared Kushner (Ivanka Trump’s husband) family foundation.”
Note the absence of an explanation as to why a donation from the Kushner foundation is impure. Stark relied on a hatchet job report by Judy Maltz in Ha’aretz Monday, which revealed to the world the shocking facts about the Kushner donation, and using – for irony – the fact that the Weisenthal Center 2016 list of “Top 10 Worst Global Anti-Semitic Anti-Israel Incidents” had in the No. 5 spot white nationalist leader Richard Spencer, “who celebrated the Trump victory with a Nazi-style salute.”
Looks like guilt by association is back in style big time.
Stark reaches a kid of height of chutzpah when she concludes: “Rabbi Hier, redeem your name and the name of the important organizations you lead by dropping out of the Inauguration proceedings,” and, “Simon Wiesenthal Center, take disciplinary action against Hier if he refuses to desist from this shameful action.”
We’re actually looking forward to hearing the good rabbi. The petition, incidentally, as of Wednesday, is still shy of 1,000 signatures.