Rabbi Speaks at Glenn Beck Gathering

Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” mega-rally Saturday, billed as a Christian religious revival, drew a crowd of between 50,000 and 600,000 (depending on who is counting). On Friday, however, the Fox News host gathered closer to 5000 of his closest friends at the Kennedy Center for a quieter event, “America’s Divine Destiny,” which featured all-stars like the Rev. John Hagee, Chuck Norris, and … Orthodox Rabbi Daniel Lapin.

Lapin, who has notoriously been tied to Jack Abramoff, echoed the larger themes of the night: “When you sever a flower from its roots, it dies,” he reportedly told the crowd. “I think what is happening in America is we’re being severed from our Biblical roots.” According to one of the event’s hosts, he urged the crowd to “study the Bible, make more money and say extra prayers for America.”

Of course, it was Shabbat, and so a microphone was a no-no. The audience, however, could apparently hear him fine, and even greeted him with a “Shabbat Shalom.”

The rally, Lapin told Tablet Magazine yesterday, demonstrated that “America is a country that is rooted in Christianity, and that this is one of the factors that have made America one of the most tranquil and prosperous homes that Jews have enjoyed for 2000 years.” He added, “I think of the Bible Belt as Judaism’s safety belt.”

At Lincoln Memorial, a Call for Religious Rebirth [NYT]
Glenn Beck Goes Messianic at America’s Divine Destiny Event Before 2500 Screaming Fans [Alternet]
Glenn Beck’s ‘Divine Destiny’ Event Focuses on Faith [Daily Caller]