Sacks: 'big, big mistake' for American rabbis to endorse political candidates

The comments were made in response to a question regarding Shmuel Kamenetsky, a strictly-Orthodox rabbi who recently called on Jews to re-elect Donald Trump this November. “He’s done a good job. It’s hakaras hatov [good deed],” the 95-year-old from Philadelphia told Mispacha magazine.

At the Republican National Convention this week, another Orthodox rabbi, Aryeh Spero, blessed Mr Trump and his campaign.

Similarly, at the Democratic National Convention, Rabbi Michael Beals of Delaware appeared in a video talking about his personal experience of presidential candidate Joe Biden. The rabbi referred to Mr Biden as a “mensch”.

“You mix religion and politics, you get terrible politics and even worse religion,” Rabbi Lord Sacks said, adding: “I’m afraid I have absolutely not the slightest shred of sympathy for anyone who, as a rabbi, tells people how to vote.”