The Family Research Council’s scheduling of its annual Values Voters Summit isn’t very friendly to Jewish families — or any Jews celebrating Rosh Hashanah, reports Stephanie Mencimer of Mother Jones:
This weekend, thousands of "values voters" will convene in Washington for their annual summit sponsored by the Family Research Council (motto: "Defending faith, family and freedom"). All of the conservative luminaries will be there: Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and maybe even Sarah Palin. (South Carolina Mark Sanford was, sadly, disinvited over the summer.) One group of voters won’t be too well represented, however. Event organizers have conveniently scheduled their big DC summit for Rosh Hashanah, meaning that most Jews will be elsewhere, celebrating their biggest holiday of the year just as Bill O’Reilly kicks off the summit’s Friday evening plenary session. Not that many Jews were likely to come anyway; the Family Research Council isn’t known for its interfaith outreach. But still, for a religious group, the scheduling seems a little insensitive. Perhaps it was intentional, you know, to keep out the mainstream media.
The conference actually begins Friday morning, which is when the only Jewish Republican in Congress, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor is scheduled to appear.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
