House Speaker Kevin McCarthy along with Rep. Mike Lawler visited various communities in the area of Rockland County on Sunday, fulfilling a promise made to the Orthodox Jewish community to return to their communities as Speaker.
The trip was McCarthy’s first of the new Congress to benefit a GOP congressman; in this case, to benefit Rep. Mike Lawler, who is up for reelection in 2024.
McCarthy and Lawler first attended an event in Forshay, with Rabbi Rottenberg of Forshay, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel of Agudath Israel, and many other community leaders and askanim in attendance.
At the event, McCarthy and Lawler were shown a short video from Agudath Israel which spelled out the statistics of Jewish education across the country. Rabbi Rottenberg hailed McCarthy and Lawler as brave representatives who are willing to take on difficult challenges that many other politicians avoid at all costs.
McCarthy then spoke at length about freedom of education and school, his work to combat antisemitism, his support for Israel, and announced his plans to visit the Jewish State and address the Knesset in May in celebration of the anniversary of Israel’s founding.
The Speaker also addressed the need for a united front to ensure the reelection of Rep. Lawler, and committed himself to doing all that is within his power to keep Lawler in the House of Representatives beyond 2024.
McCarthy was then presented with a megillah which he deeply appreciated and promised to place in the Speaker’s office.
At the conclusion of the Forshay event, McCarthy and Lawler traveled to New Square, where a massive crowd numbering in the thousands were gathered to greet them. McCarthy addressed the kehilla on a specially built outdoor stage, flanked by leaders from the village and kehillah.
The two congressmen then visited the Skver Rebbe’s home, where they met with the roshei kehilla and then privately with the rebbe, before departing for another fundraiser in Westchester benefitting Rep. Lawler.
Just prior to departing the rebbe’s home, McCarthy was shown a 3-D model of the new grand shul being built by Skver. The Speaker expressed amazement at the beauty of the building and said he would like to return to see it himself once construction is completed, which is expected to conclude in approximately a year.
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4 Responses
In the 3rd video, Republican Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, was about to share a story when the video cuts off. Can you post the rest of what he said?
Why do goyim always put on a yamulka when around frum Yiddin? Which frum Yid told them to do this? I am so confused. We aren’t supposed to wear their clothes. If they appropriate our kippas, then we need to find another kind of hair covering. Really, this is a very serious problem.
Schmendrick, it’s not so serious they didn’t appropriate it for themselves, just when they are among Jews. they do it out of respect. They don’t realize we are fine if they are bareheaded. But, in principle you are correct. Someone should tell then, “no need”.
Oh, shut up, Schmendrick. Covering the head is a sign of respect. That’s why we do it, to respect Hashem. So it’s completely appropriate that when a nochri meets a rov or enters a shul he should also cover his head out of respect.
In Chazal’s time, when ordinary Jews did not cover their heads all day, they would cover up when they passed by a talmid chochom, and failing to do so was considered such chutzpah that there must be something wrong with the person’s yichus. So we see that this is appropriate behavior.