Jewish First Gentleman Doug Emhoff botches Hanukkah origin story in social media post with VP Kamala Harris as two pose for menorah lighting
Second Gen. Doug Emhoff is drawing criticism for his post on lighting a menorah for Hanukkah and the history of the holiday, with some saying he neglected the details.
Emhoff, who is Jewish, posted what he considers the holiday's origin story along with himself and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“The story of Hanukkah and the story of the Jewish people has always been one of hope and resilience. In the Hanukkah story, the Jewish people were forced into hiding,” he wrote. “No one thought they would survive or that the few drops of oil they had would last. But they survived and the oil kept burning.”
“During the eight days they were in hiding, they recited their prayers and continued their traditions,” Emhoff added. “That's why Hanukkah means devotion. It was during those dark nights that the Maccabees dedicated themselves to maintaining hope and faith in the oil, each other and their Judaism.”
The post has since been deleted, but not before several people objected to Emhoff's version of the story.
Second Gen. Doug Emhoff is receiving criticism for his post on lighting a menorah for Hanukkah and the history of the holiday, with some claiming he botched the details
The holiday is intended to honor the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the second century, as well as the defeat of their oppressors by the Maccabees.
The oil used in a menorah represents a one-day supply that amazingly lasted eight days in the temple.
“Doug Emhoff removed this because this is not the story of Hanukkah, the Maccabean Revolt, depicted in the Bible,” wrote Jack Posobiec.
“That's…not the Hanukkah story,” Talia Katz added.
“I really hope the Second Gentleman left this to some hapless and uneducated intern who didn't even bother to consult Wikipedia. Hiding for eight days? Yep, man!' added Jason Bedrick of the Heritage Foundation.
Ben Shapiro was more blunt: “Doug Emhoff is the Kamala Harris of Second Gentlemen.”
Emhoff lit the menorah during a Hanukkah reception at the White House on Monday evening along with White House staff members who are descendants of Holocaust survivors.
In all, President and First Lady Jill Biden will host nearly 800 guests to celebrate the fifth night of Hanukkah, the White House said. Guests include Holocaust survivors, members of Congress, state and local officials, entertainers and leaders from all Jewish religious denominations.
The reception comes during a period of the war's most intense fighting, sparked by Hamas' October 7 attack on Israeli border communities. Since the war began, anti-Semitism in America has increased 388 percent, Jonathan Greenblatt, director and CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said earlier this month.
Biden will discuss how Hanukkah is a timeless story of miracles, and that even in dark times we can find the light, a White House official said.
Emhoff has taken the lead for the government by speaking out against the wave of anti-Semitism.
President Joe and Jill Biden will host 800 guests at the White House on Monday evening to celebrate the fifth night of Hanukkah
Speaking at a ceremony to light the National Menorah on Thursday, Emhoff said there was a “crisis of anti-Semitism” that made it difficult for many Jews in America to celebrate Hanukkah.
He also criticized the presidents of three elite universities for their testimony on Capitol Hill about anti-Semitism on campus. He said this was an example of why many Jews felt “uneasy and afraid” over the backlash to Israel's military response in Gaza.
“To see the presidents of some of our most elite universities literally unable to denounce the call for genocide of the Jews as anti-Semitic — that lack of moral clarity is simply unacceptable,” Emhoff said.
'Let me be clear. When Jews are targeted because of their beliefs or identity, and when Israel is singled out because of anti-Jewish hatred, that is anti-Semitism. And it must be condemned unequivocally and without context,” he said.
The presidents of Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania have been criticized for not saying whether students who call for genocide will be punished.
Liz Magill, UPenn's president, has since resigned. The presidents of Harvard and MIT face similar pressure.
Biden has condemned attacks on both Muslims and Jews.
“We reject all forms of hatred, whether it is against Muslims, Jews or anyone else. That's what great nations do, and we are a great nation,” he said in an Oval Office speech in October.