Monica Lewinsky Rabbi to Give Benediction After Bill Clinton Speech at DNC 2012
Monica Lewinsky's rabbi is scheduled to deliver the benediction at the Democratic National Convention 2012 after former President Bill Clinton gives his speech on Wednesday night.
Rabbi David Wolpe has been a very outspoken person in the past on the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal, and many media outlets have suggested he is a strange choice for tonight who may cause an awkward moment for Clinton.
Wolpe is from Los Angeles' Sinai Temple, which is the synagogue where Monica Lewinsky and her family have been members of the congregation for decades. According to ABC News Lewinsky even attended religious school at Sinai Temple.
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Following the Monica Lewinsky scandal in 1998, Wolpe spoke out publicly on the issue, saying to his congregation, according to a 1998 Associated Press account: "He [Clinton] was a brilliant, talented, extraordinary child, and for the leader of the United States we need an adult."
Wolpe also added that Clinton should "cleanse his soul."
The Rabbi was also not impressed by Clinton's admission of his affair, saying the president hid behind a "flinty legalistic apology."
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency has reported: "Wolpe said his prayer on Wednesday evening will focus on the ideals animating the United States. ... This year, Wolpe was named the most influential rabbi in America by Newsweek magazine and one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world by The Jerusalem Post. He is the author of seven books, and is widely known as a newspaper columnist and radio and television commentator."
"During the Lewinsky scandal, it was the lying and smearing of Monica Lewinsky that marked the low point of the event, not the sex, which was primarily an issue for the individuals and families involved," Wolpe has written in The Washington Post.
