Israel owes more to former Vice President Joe Biden than it does to President Donald Trump, argues Conservative Rabbi Michael Beals, the man Biden dubbed “my rabbi”.
Rabbi Beals, who leads Congregation Beth Shalom in Wilmington, Delaware, spoke with Galei Tzahal’s Efi Triger in an interview broadcast Monday morning, discussing how he became ‘Biden’s rabbi’, and why he is more impressed with Biden’s record on Israel than that of President Trump.
Rabbi Beals recalled the first time he met Biden, following the death of a congregant, Sylvia Greenhouse, in 2006. The rabbi was surprised to see then-Senator Biden, who had gained national attention during his abortive 1988 run for the Democratic presidential nomination. The senator noted that Greenhouse had donated to his first senate campaign back in 1972, and had continued to donate to every subsequent campaign he ran.
“I was having a shiva [condolence call] for a very nice woman, and there is Joe Biden. I was so surprised to see him. I knew who he was – he had already run for president once. I said to him very nicely, ‘Why are you here?’”
“He said that the lady had given him $18 for his first campaign.”
“The first time he called me ‘My rabbi’, we were at a Rosh Hashannah party. His eyes locked mine and he said ‘There’s my rabbi.’”
“It was a really nice honor. Whenever he needs something, I’m there. When his son died and there was a funeral, he wanted me to be there to represent the Jewish community, so of course I came.”
While Biden would, if elected, become the oldest president in US history at 78 on inauguration day (compared to 70 for the current record, held by Trump on his inauguration day), Rabbi Beals said the former Vice President is a “youngster” compared to Moses, adding that age was not a vulnerability but an asset.
“In the Jewish tradition, we put a connection between being old and being wise, because it comes with being wise. Moshe Rabbenu was 80 years old when he took our people out from slavery. So compared to Moshe Rabbenu, I said to Biden, ‘You’re a youngster.’”
Turning to the 2020 presidential election, Beals rejected concerns from Israel and its supporters that Biden would be less supportive than Trump.
“When Israel made its request from the US for military defenses in the time of Biden and Obama, it was too much – they didn’t make their request. And Biden convinced Obama. How can Israel not be supportive of Biden?”
“It’s very nice what Trump has done. He moved the embassy, but, thank you very much, it was King David who put the capital in Jerusalem. But it’s symbolic. Symbolism won’t put food on the table of an Israeli.”
“I know that Bibi and Obama didn’t always get along. You know what Biden said? ‘I may not always agree with Bibi, but I love him.”
Congregation Beth Shalom belongs to the Conservative movement. Its website says: "During Rabbi Beals tenure our Hebrew School has grown, we've established a nationally recognized 'Keruv' Initiative - to welcome and support interfaith families." Its services are led by Cantor Elisa Abrams Cohn who is also Educational Director.