Daniel Lapin
Encyclopedia
Daniel Lapin is a political commentator and American
Orthodox
rabbi
living on Mercer Island, Washington
. He is the founder of Toward Tradition
, a politically conservative
Jewish-Christian
organization. He once headed the Pacific Jewish Center
in Venice, California. He is also the former head of the Commonwealth Loan Company and the Cascadia Business Institute. Lapin is co-chair of the American Alliance of Jews and Christians
.
, South Africa
to a family of Lithuanian Jewish descent
. His father, Rabbi A. H. Lapin, a nephew of Rabbi Elya Lopian 1872–1970, served as a prominent and outspoken Orthodox
rabbi in Johannesburg and Cape Town
, and eventually established an Orthodox synagogue (Am Echad) in San Jose, California
, United States
, after he left South Africa in the late 1970s. Lapin's two brothers, David and Raphael
, are also Orthodox rabbis and have similar educational backgrounds, having emigrated
from South Africa to California
. His sister is married to an American rabbi.
Lapin studied in yeshiva
s in Gateshead
and Jerusalem, and emigrated to the United States
in 1973, becoming a naturalized
citizen.
, founded the Pacific Jewish Center
, a synagogue
in Venice, California, which viewed itself as functioning as part of the recent Baal teshuva
movement, encouraging Conservative
and Reform Jews
to adopt and return to a more observant, traditional Judaism.
Actors Barbra Streisand
and Richard Dreyfuss
participated in that religious community and synagogue
. Lapin's teachings are also aligned with Modern Orthodox Judaism
, in that while he promotes observant Judaism, he is strongly in favor of observant Jews having interaction with other faith communities (in his view, mostly conservative and observant Christian communities) and broader political action outside of Judaism.
(near Seattle), where he focused on building the organization of Toward Tradition. Starting in 1995, Lapin broadcast a weekly radio talk show
on KVI in Seattle, then moved to KTTH
in 2002. The show ended in January 2006. Currently, he hosts a radio show Sunday afternoons on KSFO-AM
in San Francisco.
's controversial film The Passion of the Christ
, and was a strong supporter of the efforts by Terri Schiavo
's parents to keep their daughter alive. He is also a strong supporter of Pope Pius XII
as a righteous gentile
, a term he believes should be renamed "righteous Christian".
Lapin has called the United States
the most "Jewish-friendly" state in history because of its Christian heritage. He argues that it is better for Jews to promote shared Judeo-Christian
values with the majority than promote solely Jewish values. He has also called secular liberalism
a danger to Judeo-Christian values, and claimed that the Holocaust Memorial Museum presents anti-Christian propaganda
; he says that the museum ignores, for example, the work of Corrie ten Boom
's family in unconditionally saving Jews during World War II
.
and its allies are "dangerous organizations that are driving a wedge between American Jews
and Christians." Referring to ADL national director Abraham Foxman
, Lapin said that by calling The Passion of the Christ anti-Semitic, "what he is saying is that the only way (for Christians) to escape the wrath of Foxman is to repudiate (their own) faith."
Lapin also rejects the idea that the Jewish left
represents Judaism. He has excoriated many Jewish people for their leadership in promotion of ideas he views as contrary to traditional Judaism, such as abortion
, homosexuality
and socialism
. He argues that Jewish-born liberals have redefined "Judaism" to mean "liberalism" – and redefined "anti-liberalism" as "anti-Semitism." Lapin has said: "It is time for us to recognize the charge of anti-Semitism for what it often is: a political weapon intended to silence critics of liberalism."
, saying that "We see obsequious regard for faiths like Judaism and even Islam
, while Christianity is treated with contempt". He is opposed to replacing the "Merry Christmas" greeting with "Happy Holidays", saying instead "Let us all go out of our way to wish our many wonderful Christian friends a very merry Christmas... Nationwide, Christmas Nativity scene
s are banned from city halls and shopping malls but Chanukah menorahs are permitted."
relationship fosters. "Wealth
is a consequence of doing the right thing," he says. He argues that the Torah
supports the free market
and opposes punitive taxation, and wants people to pass on assets to their descendants rather than being taken by the government by inheritance taxes.
Lapin himself has not been successful in his business ventures. While in California, he founded an investment company called Commonwealth Loan Company, which bought and sold investment loans secured by California real estate. The company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy
in April 1992, six months after Lapin moved to Seattle. The company had losses in excess of $3 million dollars, much of which had been personally guaranteed by Lapin. In July 1994, Lapin filed for personal bankruptcy
in a Seattle federal court, with more than $3 million in debts.
In 1996, Barry Abramson, a former congregant, filed suit against Lapin for fraud
, claiming he had abused his position as spiritual advisor to convince him to invest all of his inheritance from his grandmother in the failed investment company. Lapin was exonerated by a federal bankruptcy judge in Seattle, who ruled that Abramson had "failed to state a claim for any kind of fraud."
and considers himself a "close friend" of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
. He also has Zig Ziglar
as a frequent guest in his house, and is friends with Professor Walter Block
of Loyola University of New Orleans.
"When you're talking to a pastor he could be inspired by God, etc., but he may not have the scholarship," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher
of California, one of several Republicans who refer to Lapin affectionately as "my rabbi." But, "when you're talking to Rabbi Lapin you know you're getting an expert, someone who's the equivalent of a PhD at a major university."
"A lot of people are surprised when they leave church and encounter essentially Dershowitz
Judaism, Jews who are liberal, Lapin is the opposite of that," says conservative activist Grover Norquist
, who is also a friend.
Lapin said that "the principles of the Republican Party
and the convictions of our president
more closely parallel the moral vision of the God
of Abraham
than those of anyone else," Lapin said at the dinner with President George W. Bush
, hosted by Ralph Reed
. He said that he is loyal to Judaism
before the GOP, however, and if the GOP deviates, he would cease his support.
Lapin has said that "The 700 Club
is one of my big all-time favorites."
Lapin serves on the board of the Jewish Policy Center
in Washington, DC.
Lapin has also been a frequent guest of Dave Ramsey on The Dave Ramsey Show on radio and television.
served on the board of Toward Tradition
, including a stint as chairman, and donated the $10,000 a year expected from board members. One year Abramoff met that requirement by sending a check from the Capital Athletic Foundation
, an organization Abramoff controlled that has since become a key piece of the Abramoff corruption investigation.
The Washington Post
reported that, on October 16, 2005, that Toward Tradition received a $25,000 donation in 2000 from online gambling company eLottery, a lobbying client of Abramoff and his employer, Preston Gates Ellis, despite Lapin's professed opposition to gambling. Some or all of the money received by Lapin was then transferred to a company run by the wife of Tony Rudy
, an aide to Tom DeLay
who was instrumental in killing an anti-gambling bill that eLottery and Abramoff were lobbying against. In a follow-up article published by The Washington Post on January 9, 2006, it was alleged that Toward Tradition was the "non-profit entity" referred to in Abramoff's plea bargain
in relation to a $25,000 contribution made by Magazine Publishers of America, which had hired Abramoff for a campaign against the postal rate increase. In March 2006, Tony Rudy pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy
relating to the money his wife had received from Lapin.
According to a January 4, 2006 article in Newsweek
, Lapin urged supporters of President George W. Bush
's re-election to give campaign donations through Abramoff, helping Abramoff gain Bush "Pioneer
" status among top presidential fundraisers.
Lapin wrote a response to the Washington Post article where he denies any wrongdoing.
hearings into Abramoff's dealings.
The Senate hearings revealed emails between Lapin and Abramoff, wherein Lapin was asked to create academic awards for Talmud
ic studies – complete with letters and plaques – to help Abramoff gain admittance to the Cosmos Club
, an exclusive Washington, DC organization.
"I hate to ask your help with something so silly, but I have been nominated for membership in the Cosmos Club," Abramoff wrote. He noted that the club has "Nobel Prize
winners, etc. Problem for me is that most prospective members have received awards and I have received none. I was wondering if you thought it possible that I could put that I have received an award from Toward Tradition with a sufficiently academic title, perhaps something like Scholar of Talmudic Studies? …Indeed, it would be even better if it were possible that I received these in years past, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I think you see what I am trying to finagle here!"
Lapin responded via email and the two apparently talked by phone. Finally, Lapin e-mailed, "I just need to know what needs to be produced... letters? plaques? Neither?" Abramoff replied: "Probably just a few clever titles of awards, dates and that's it. As long as you are the person to verify them [or we can have someone else verify one and you the other], we should be set. Do you have any creative titles, or should I dip into my bag of tricks?"
Subsequently, Abramoff listed two 1999 awards from Toward Tradition and the Cascadia Business Institute on his official bio on the Greenberg Traurig website.
When the Abramoff scandal broke in June 2005, Lapin told The Seattle PI "he could not recall the exchange with Abramoff" and had no recollection of the incident. In a formal statement issued in early 2006, Lapin denied having given Abramoff the awards and claimed the emails were a joke:
In October 2006, the House Government Reform Committee released a report which included an October 2000 email from Lapin to Abramoff in which Lapin had listed the details of the three promised awards.
, Commentary
, The American Enterprise
, and the Washington Times, and has taught at the Christian Coalition and the Family Research Council
.
He is the author of:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
living on Mercer Island, Washington
Mercer Island, Washington
Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States and the name of the island in Lake Washington on which the city sits. The population was 22,699 at the 2010 census....
. He is the founder of Toward Tradition
Toward Tradition
Toward Tradition is a politically conservative non-profit organization founded by Rabbi Daniel Lapin based in Mercer Island, Washington, United States...
, a politically conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
Jewish-Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
organization. He once headed the Pacific Jewish Center
Pacific Jewish Center
The Pacific Jewish Center, also known as The Shul on the Beach or PJC, is a synagogue in Venice, California known for its outreach to unaffiliated and disconnected Jews. The Shul remains the last of the synagogues built in Venice during the first part of the 20th century...
in Venice, California. He is also the former head of the Commonwealth Loan Company and the Cascadia Business Institute. Lapin is co-chair of the American Alliance of Jews and Christians
American Alliance of Jews and Christians
The American Alliance of Jews and Christians is a political advocacy group founded in 2002 by Gary Bauer and Rabbi Daniel Lapin of Toward Tradition....
.
Early life
Lapin was born in JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to a family of Lithuanian Jewish descent
Lithuanian Jews
Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks are Jews with roots in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania:...
. His father, Rabbi A. H. Lapin, a nephew of Rabbi Elya Lopian 1872–1970, served as a prominent and outspoken Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
rabbi in Johannesburg and Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, and eventually established an Orthodox synagogue (Am Echad) in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, after he left South Africa in the late 1970s. Lapin's two brothers, David and Raphael
Raphael Lapin
Raphael E. Lapin is a negotiation, mediation and communication expert currently based in Los Angeles, California. He is principal and founder of Conflict Management, Inc...
, are also Orthodox rabbis and have similar educational backgrounds, having emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
from South Africa to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His sister is married to an American rabbi.
Lapin studied in yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s in Gateshead
Gateshead Talmudical College
Gateshead Talmudical College , popularly known as Gateshead Yeshiva, is located in the town of Gateshead in England. It is the largest yeshiva in Europe and considered to be one of the most prestigious advanced yeshivas in the Orthodox world. The student body currently numbers 350...
and Jerusalem, and emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1973, becoming a naturalized
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
citizen.
Pacific Jewish Center
Lapin, together with conservative columnist Michael MedvedMichael Medved
Michael Medved is an American radio host, author, political commentator and film critic. His Seattle, Washington-based nationally syndicated talk show, The Michael Medved Show, airs throughout the U.S...
, founded the Pacific Jewish Center
Pacific Jewish Center
The Pacific Jewish Center, also known as The Shul on the Beach or PJC, is a synagogue in Venice, California known for its outreach to unaffiliated and disconnected Jews. The Shul remains the last of the synagogues built in Venice during the first part of the 20th century...
, a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in Venice, California, which viewed itself as functioning as part of the recent Baal teshuva
Baal teshuva
Baal teshuva or ba'al teshuvah , sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a term referring to a Jew who turns to embrace Orthodox Judaism. Baal teshuva literally means, "repentant", i.e., one who has repented or "returned" to God...
movement, encouraging Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
and Reform Jews
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
to adopt and return to a more observant, traditional Judaism.
Actors Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
and Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss is an American actor best known for starring in a number of film, television, and theater roles since the late 1960s, including the films American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Stakeout, Always, What About...
participated in that religious community and synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
. Lapin's teachings are also aligned with Modern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law, with the secular, modern world....
, in that while he promotes observant Judaism, he is strongly in favor of observant Jews having interaction with other faith communities (in his view, mostly conservative and observant Christian communities) and broader political action outside of Judaism.
Radio show in Seattle
In early 1992, Daniel Lapin and his family relocated to Mercer Island, WashingtonMercer Island, Washington
Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States and the name of the island in Lake Washington on which the city sits. The population was 22,699 at the 2010 census....
(near Seattle), where he focused on building the organization of Toward Tradition. Starting in 1995, Lapin broadcast a weekly radio talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
on KVI in Seattle, then moved to KTTH
KTTH
KTTH is a conservative talk radio station, owned by Bonneville International, broadcasting at 770 kHz in Seattle, Washington.-Programming:...
in 2002. The show ended in January 2006. Currently, he hosts a radio show Sunday afternoons on KSFO-AM
KSFO (AM)
KSFO is a conservative talk radio station in San Francisco, California, USA, broadcasting on 560 kHz AM. It is owned by Cumulus Media.The content of the KSFO's talk programming is solidly conservative, which is in stark contrast to the rather liberal San Francisco area, with show hosts such as Rush...
in San Francisco.
Television program
Rabbi Lapin also appears in the periodic cable television program titled "Rabbi Lapin", produced by his ministry, generally in the format of an extended discussion/interview featuring him and his wife, Susan Lapin.Speaking engagements
As of early 2007, Lapin was spending much of his time delivering lectures at churches, synagogues, businesses and charities around the United States. His speeches generally focus on the relationship between Judeo-Christian traditions and contemporary political issues in the realm of "faith, family and finances". He publishes an extensive list of past and future speaking engagements at his website.Support for conservative Christians
Both Lapin and Medved promote conservative political principles, intermixed with traditional religious observance. Lapin was one of the Jewish voices in support of Mel GibsonMel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
's controversial film The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ
The Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
, and was a strong supporter of the efforts by Terri Schiavo
Terri Schiavo
The Terri Schiavo case was a legal battle in the United States between the legal guardians and the parents of Teresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo that lasted from 1998 to 2005...
's parents to keep their daughter alive. He is also a strong supporter of Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
as a righteous gentile
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....
, a term he believes should be renamed "righteous Christian".
Lapin has called the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
the most "Jewish-friendly" state in history because of its Christian heritage. He argues that it is better for Jews to promote shared Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian
Judeo-Christian is a term used in the United States since the 1940s to refer to standards of ethics said to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, for example the Ten Commandments...
values with the majority than promote solely Jewish values. He has also called secular liberalism
Secular liberalism
Secular liberalism is a form of liberalism that involves liberating our culture from the elements of religious conservatism. Christian ideals are usually to be found on the opposite end of the spectrum from secular liberalism.-General summary:...
a danger to Judeo-Christian values, and claimed that the Holocaust Memorial Museum presents anti-Christian propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
; he says that the museum ignores, for example, the work of Corrie ten Boom
Corrie ten Boom
Cornelia "Corrie" ten Boom was a Dutch Christian, who with her father and other family members helped many Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II. Her family was arrested due to an informant in 1944, and her father died 10 days later at Scheveningen prison where they were first held...
's family in unconditionally saving Jews during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Opposition to Jewish liberalism
Lapin has declared that the Anti-Defamation LeagueAnti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
and its allies are "dangerous organizations that are driving a wedge between American Jews
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
and Christians." Referring to ADL national director Abraham Foxman
Abraham Foxman
Abraham H. Foxman is the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League.-Early life:Foxman, an only son, was born in Baranovichi, just months after the USSR took the town from Poland in the Nazi-Soviet Pact and incorporated it into the BSSR. The town is now in Belarus...
, Lapin said that by calling The Passion of the Christ anti-Semitic, "what he is saying is that the only way (for Christians) to escape the wrath of Foxman is to repudiate (their own) faith."
Lapin also rejects the idea that the Jewish left
Jewish left
The term "Jewish left" describes Jews who identify with or support left wing, occasionally liberal causes, consciously as Jews, either as individuals or through organizations. There is no one organization or movement which constitutes the "Jewish left," however...
represents Judaism. He has excoriated many Jewish people for their leadership in promotion of ideas he views as contrary to traditional Judaism, such as abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
. He argues that Jewish-born liberals have redefined "Judaism" to mean "liberalism" – and redefined "anti-liberalism" as "anti-Semitism." Lapin has said: "It is time for us to recognize the charge of anti-Semitism for what it often is: a political weapon intended to silence critics of liberalism."
Public celebration of Christmas
Lapin has spoken against the secularization of ChristmasSecularization of Christmas
Christmas controversy refers to controversy or disagreement surrounding the celebration or acknowledgment of the Christmas holiday in government, media, advertising and various secular environments...
, saying that "We see obsequious regard for faiths like Judaism and even Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, while Christianity is treated with contempt". He is opposed to replacing the "Merry Christmas" greeting with "Happy Holidays", saying instead "Let us all go out of our way to wish our many wonderful Christian friends a very merry Christmas... Nationwide, Christmas Nativity scene
Nativity scene
A nativity scene, manger scene, krippe, crèche, or crib, is a depiction of the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke...
s are banned from city halls and shopping malls but Chanukah menorahs are permitted."
Opposition to Atheism
While Lapin says he is "friendly" with some atheists, he believes they are all "parasites": "I do believe that atheists are parasites, in the sense they're benefiting from everything that religious culture has built in America but they're doing nothing to add energy into the system."Wealth
Lapin asks: "Does God want people to be rich?" ..."Yes!" he says, because God "wants us to be obsessively preoccupied by one another's needs," a habit that the commerceCommerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
relationship fosters. "Wealth
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
is a consequence of doing the right thing," he says. He argues that the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
supports the free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
and opposes punitive taxation, and wants people to pass on assets to their descendants rather than being taken by the government by inheritance taxes.
Lapin himself has not been successful in his business ventures. While in California, he founded an investment company called Commonwealth Loan Company, which bought and sold investment loans secured by California real estate. The company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
in April 1992, six months after Lapin moved to Seattle. The company had losses in excess of $3 million dollars, much of which had been personally guaranteed by Lapin. In July 1994, Lapin filed for personal bankruptcy
Personal bankruptcy
Personal bankruptcy is a procedure which, in certain jurisdictions, allows an individual to declare bankruptcy. In other jurisdictions, bankruptcies are reserved for corporations.-Canada:...
in a Seattle federal court, with more than $3 million in debts.
In 1996, Barry Abramson, a former congregant, filed suit against Lapin for fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, claiming he had abused his position as spiritual advisor to convince him to invest all of his inheritance from his grandmother in the failed investment company. Lapin was exonerated by a federal bankruptcy judge in Seattle, who ruled that Abramson had "failed to state a claim for any kind of fraud."
Allies
Lapin has had breakfast with Karl RoveKarl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
and considers himself a "close friend" of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
. He also has Zig Ziglar
Zig Ziglar
Hilary Hinton "Zig" Ziglar is an American author, salesman, and motivational speaker.-Biography:Zig Ziglar was born in Coffee County, Alabama, to parents John Silas Ziglar and Viola Ziglar...
as a frequent guest in his house, and is friends with Professor Walter Block
Walter Block
Walter Edward Block is a free market economist and anarcho-capitalist associated with the Austrian School of economics.-Personal history and education:...
of Loyola University of New Orleans.
"When you're talking to a pastor he could be inspired by God, etc., but he may not have the scholarship," said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Rohrabacher
Dana Tyron Rohrabacher is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 45th and 42nd, serving since 1989. He is a member of the Republican Party...
of California, one of several Republicans who refer to Lapin affectionately as "my rabbi." But, "when you're talking to Rabbi Lapin you know you're getting an expert, someone who's the equivalent of a PhD at a major university."
"A lot of people are surprised when they leave church and encounter essentially Dershowitz
Alan Dershowitz
Alan Morton Dershowitz is an American lawyer, jurist, and political commentator. He has spent most of his career at Harvard Law School where in 1967, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor of law in its history...
Judaism, Jews who are liberal, Lapin is the opposite of that," says conservative activist Grover Norquist
Grover Norquist
Grover Glenn Norquist is an American lobbyist, conservative activist, and founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform...
, who is also a friend.
Lapin said that "the principles of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and the convictions of our president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
more closely parallel the moral vision of the God
Names of God in Judaism
In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people and to the world. To demonstrate the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for...
of Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
than those of anyone else," Lapin said at the dinner with President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, hosted by Ralph Reed
Ralph E. Reed, Jr.
Ralph Eugene Reed, Jr., is a conservative American political activist, best known as the first executive director of the Christian Coalition during the early 1990s. He sought the Republican nomination for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Georgia but lost the primary election on July 18, 2006,...
. He said that he is loyal to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
before the GOP, however, and if the GOP deviates, he would cease his support.
Lapin has said that "The 700 Club
The 700 Club
The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing in syndication throughout the United States and Canada. In production since 1966, it is currently hosted by Pat Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, Kristi Watts, and Gordon P. Robertson, two of whom will host on any...
is one of my big all-time favorites."
Lapin serves on the board of the Jewish Policy Center
Jewish Policy Center
The Jewish Policy Center, founded in 1985, is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank tied closely to the Republican Jewish Coalition.According to Matthew Brooks, director of both the Jewish Policy Center and the Republican Jewish Coalition, the Policy Center is nonpartisan and focuses solely on...
in Washington, DC.
Lapin has also been a frequent guest of Dave Ramsey on The Dave Ramsey Show on radio and television.
Relationship with Jack Abramoff
Jack AbramoffJack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...
served on the board of Toward Tradition
Toward Tradition
Toward Tradition is a politically conservative non-profit organization founded by Rabbi Daniel Lapin based in Mercer Island, Washington, United States...
, including a stint as chairman, and donated the $10,000 a year expected from board members. One year Abramoff met that requirement by sending a check from the Capital Athletic Foundation
Capital Athletic Foundation
The Capital Athletic Foundation is a 501 charity organization founded in 2000. The organization's nominal purpose was to provide needy youths with athletic opportunities. The organization has been used by its founder, Jack Abramoff, as a front group for channeling money into his own political...
, an organization Abramoff controlled that has since become a key piece of the Abramoff corruption investigation.
The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
reported that, on October 16, 2005, that Toward Tradition received a $25,000 donation in 2000 from online gambling company eLottery, a lobbying client of Abramoff and his employer, Preston Gates Ellis, despite Lapin's professed opposition to gambling. Some or all of the money received by Lapin was then transferred to a company run by the wife of Tony Rudy
Tony Rudy
Tony Charles Rudy , an American lobbyist and an associate of Jack Abramoff. After serving as a staffer in the office of U. S. Representative Tom DeLay from approximately 1995 to 2001, and rising to deputy chief of staff, Rudy joined "Team Abramoff" at Greenberg Traurig. Rudy was implicated in the...
, an aide to Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
who was instrumental in killing an anti-gambling bill that eLottery and Abramoff were lobbying against. In a follow-up article published by The Washington Post on January 9, 2006, it was alleged that Toward Tradition was the "non-profit entity" referred to in Abramoff's plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
in relation to a $25,000 contribution made by Magazine Publishers of America, which had hired Abramoff for a campaign against the postal rate increase. In March 2006, Tony Rudy pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
relating to the money his wife had received from Lapin.
According to a January 4, 2006 article in Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, Lapin urged supporters of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's re-election to give campaign donations through Abramoff, helping Abramoff gain Bush "Pioneer
Bush Pioneer
Bush Pioneers are people who gathered $100,000 for George W. Bush's 2000 or 2004 presidential campaign. Two new levels, Bush Rangers and Super Rangers, were bestowed upon supporters who gathered $200,000+ or $300,000+, respectively, for the 2004 campaign, after the 2002 McCain–Feingold campaign...
" status among top presidential fundraisers.
Lapin wrote a response to the Washington Post article where he denies any wrongdoing.
Fake awards
Lapin and his organization Toward Tradition became a participant in the Abramoff–Reed Indian Gambling Scandal in 2005 because of information that surfaced during SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
hearings into Abramoff's dealings.
The Senate hearings revealed emails between Lapin and Abramoff, wherein Lapin was asked to create academic awards for Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic studies – complete with letters and plaques – to help Abramoff gain admittance to the Cosmos Club
Cosmos Club
The Cosmos Club is a private social club in Washington, D.C., founded by John Wesley Powell in 1878. In addition to Powell, original members included Clarence Edward Dutton, Henry Smith Pritchett, William Harkness, and John Shaw Billings. Among its stated goals is "The advancement of its members in...
, an exclusive Washington, DC organization.
"I hate to ask your help with something so silly, but I have been nominated for membership in the Cosmos Club," Abramoff wrote. He noted that the club has "Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winners, etc. Problem for me is that most prospective members have received awards and I have received none. I was wondering if you thought it possible that I could put that I have received an award from Toward Tradition with a sufficiently academic title, perhaps something like Scholar of Talmudic Studies? …Indeed, it would be even better if it were possible that I received these in years past, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I think you see what I am trying to finagle here!"
Lapin responded via email and the two apparently talked by phone. Finally, Lapin e-mailed, "I just need to know what needs to be produced... letters? plaques? Neither?" Abramoff replied: "Probably just a few clever titles of awards, dates and that's it. As long as you are the person to verify them [or we can have someone else verify one and you the other], we should be set. Do you have any creative titles, or should I dip into my bag of tricks?"
Subsequently, Abramoff listed two 1999 awards from Toward Tradition and the Cascadia Business Institute on his official bio on the Greenberg Traurig website.
When the Abramoff scandal broke in June 2005, Lapin told The Seattle PI "he could not recall the exchange with Abramoff" and had no recollection of the incident. In a formal statement issued in early 2006, Lapin denied having given Abramoff the awards and claimed the emails were a joke:
Anyone familiar with Abramoff’s jocular and often fatally irreverent email style won’t be surprised that I assumed the question to be a joke. ... I regret the exchange. I should have candidly explained that Toward Tradition is not an academic institution and does not issue the kind of awards he described. ... On no occasion did I, Toward Tradition, or any organization with which I was affiliated ever create an award for, or present one to Jack Abramoff.
In October 2006, the House Government Reform Committee released a report which included an October 2000 email from Lapin to Abramoff in which Lapin had listed the details of the three promised awards.
Writings
Lapin has contributed articles to the Wall Street Journal, National ReviewNational Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
, Commentary
Commentary (magazine)
Commentary is a monthly American magazine on politics, Judaism, social and cultural issues. It was founded by the American Jewish Committee in 1945. By 1960 its editor was Norman Podhoretz, a liberal at the time who moved sharply to the right in the 1970s and 1980s becoming a strong voice for the...
, The American Enterprise
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
, and the Washington Times, and has taught at the Christian Coalition and the Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
.
He is the author of:
- America’s Real War
- Buried Treasure
- Thou Shall Prosper
External links
- Official Rabbi Daniel Lapin site
- Pacific Jewish Center site
- The Republicans' Rabbi-in-Arms (Washington Post June 2005)
- Lapin on the war on Christmas
- Rabbi Daniel Lapin, a Long Look Backward
- Lapin and Toward Tradition Under Scrutiny in Abramoff Probe
- Excerpts from Jack Abramoff's e-mails to Rabbi Daniel Lapin