What connection between Jews and Christians did John Kasich make while visiting a Chassidic school, shmura matzah factory, and Jewish bookstore in Borough Park, Brooklyn?
John Kasich - Caricature by DonkeyHotey is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
A. Referencing the matzah that he observed being prepared he said, “You know, I was raised Catholic, I’m now Anglican, and so all my life I’ve taken communion. The communion wafers remind me of this matzah, and the matzah reminds me of our current political season. My Jewish friends tell me that they hate the taste of matzah, and they can’t wait for Passover to end so they can go back to eating bread. And to be honest, the communion wafer’s pretty dry and difficult to swallow. What does that have to do with the presidential race? Well, my friends, think of Donald Trump as the matzah and Ted Cruz as the communion wafer. You hate the way they taste and you can’t wait to be done with them. So that is why I am running for President. Think of me as the bread that you are really longing for. Vote for me next Tuesday, while you can still eat bread, and then have a great Passover.”
B. Referencing the matzah that he observed being prepared he said, “At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, which was really unleavened bread, and blessed it, saying to his disciples ‘Take this and eat it, for this is my body.’ And the great link is, it was this unleavened bread which you are baking today, Jesus’s body, which brings together the Jewish people and all Christians. It’s a wonderful, wonderful holiday for our friends in the Jewish community, the Passover.”
C. Referencing the Jewish school he had visited, Kasich said, “When I walked into that school, I felt like I was in the Catholic school I attended as a child. I mean, your rabbis, with their side curls, look nothing like our priests. But they both dress mostly in black, and they both believe that God belongs in that classroom. As your president, I will see to it that your children can continue to study in a school with your God just as I did when I was young.”
D. Referencing the lamb’s blood placed on the doorposts of the Israelites’ houses in Egypt to save them from the plague of the slaying of the firstborn, Kasich said “The great link between the blood that was put above the lamppost, the blood of the lamb, is Jesus Christ is known as the Lamb of God. And the great link is, it was the blood of the lamb that saved the Jewish people, and in Christianity, it was the blood of the Lamb of God that saves all of us. It’s a wonderful, wonderful holiday for our friends in the Jewish community, the Passover.”
E. Addressing a large gathering of Chassidic Jews at the bookstore, Kasich said, “You know, as I stand here I am reminded that there really isn’t much difference between you people and the people of my state of Ohio. Well, not all the people of Ohio–you’d really stand out at a Cleveland Indians game. But we also have Christian people in Ohio that are just like you–the Amish. I mean, not exactly like you, but they have long beards, they don’t use electricity, and they speak a German dialect. So that’s pretty similar. And did I mention their hats? So happy Passover to you all.”