Shmuley Boteach facts for kids
Shmuley Boteach, born on November 19, 1966, is a well-known American rabbi, author, and TV host. He has written many books, including the popular Kosher Jesus. He also hosted a TV show called Shalom in the Home on the TLC channel. Important magazines like Newsweek and The Jerusalem Post have called him one of the most influential rabbis in the world.
Quick facts for kids
Shmuley Boteach
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Boteach in 2010
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| Born |
Jacob Shmuel Boteach
November 19, 1966 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
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Notable work
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| Television | Shalom in the Home (2006–2007) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Debbie
(m. 1988) |
| Children | 9 |
| Relatives | Efraim Diveroli (nephew) |
Contents
Shmuley Boteach's Early Life and Family
Shmuley Boteach was born in Los Angeles, California. He was the youngest of five children. He also spent some of his early years in Miami, Florida. His father was an Iranian Jew who moved to Israel. His mother was an American Jew who met his father in Israel. They later moved to New York and then Los Angeles.
In 1977, when he was young, Shmuley joined the Miami Boys Choir. He had a famous solo in the song 'Boruch Hashem' in 1979.
Becoming a Rabbi
When he was 13, Shmuley joined the Chabad movement, which is a type of Hasidic Judaism. At age 14, he decided he wanted to become a rabbi to help people. He studied at different Jewish schools called yeshivas in Los Angeles, New York, and Jerusalem, Israel.
He was chosen to be one of ten Chabad students sent to Sydney, Australia, to start a yeshiva there. In Sydney, he met his future wife, Debbie. They got married in Sydney in 1988. He then returned to New York and became a rabbi in 1988.
By 2019, Shmuley and Debbie had nine children. Six of their children were born in England. They live in Englewood, New Jersey.
Rabbi Boteach's Career and Work
In 1988, at age 22, Rabbi Boteach was sent to Oxford, England. He served as a rabbi for students at Oxford University for 11 years. During this time, he started the Oxford University L'Chaim Society. The name L'Chaim means "To Life" in Hebrew. This society became very popular, with over 5,000 non-Jewish members.
Famous Speakers and Challenges
The L'Chaim Society invited many famous people to speak. These included leaders like Mikhail Gorbachev and Stephen Hawking, and stars like Boy George and Diego Maradona. Some people worried about how many non-Jewish students were part of the society. Rabbi Boteach refused to remove non-Jewish or gay students, saying his teacher, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, had always welcomed everyone. He then made the L'Chaim Society an independent group.
Later, Rabbi Boteach had disagreements with the Chabad leadership. He was asked to leave the Chabad movement, but he still loves Chabad and teaches his children its traditions.
By 1998, Rabbi Boteach led services at a synagogue in London. More people started coming after he arrived. In 2000, he won the "Preacher of the Year" Award in Britain from The Times newspaper. The Jewish Chronicle called him "the United Kingdom's most high-profile rabbi."
Recognition and Awards
Newsweek magazine often listed him as one of the "Top 50 Rabbis in America." In 2007, they called him "the most famous rabbi in America." The Washington Post also referred to him as "the most famous rabbi in America." The Jerusalem Post named him one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world.
In 2013, he gave a speech at Southern Utah University. The university gave him an honorary degree for his work.
Discussions About Kosher Jesus
Rabbi Boteach's book Kosher Jesus caused a lot of discussion. Some rabbis praised it, saying it helped Christians and Jews understand each other better. They admired his courage to talk about Jesus in a respectful way, which is not common in some Jewish circles. For example, Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel said it was a "meaningful first step for many Jews wishing to promote a more truthful and meaningful dialogue with the Christian community."
However, other rabbis strongly criticized the book. Some even called it heresy, meaning it went against traditional Jewish beliefs. They said people should not read it. Rabbi Boteach responded by saying, "We are the People of the Book. We aren't the people who ban books."
Rabbi Boteach is known for being very open and promoting his ideas. He once joked that there was an "11th commandment" to "do anything for publicity and recognition," but he later said it was a sarcastic remark.
Shmuley Boteach's Media Presence
From 2006 to 2007, Rabbi Boteach hosted a TV show called Shalom in the Home on the TLC network. It was a reality show where he helped families and couples with their relationships and parenting. The show was very popular, with almost 700,000 viewers per episode. In 2007, he wrote a book with the same name. He also received an award for his work on the show.
In 2014, Rabbi Boteach appeared on the Sundance Channel's Dream School. This show helped troubled teenagers who had dropped out of high school by connecting them with mentors.
Television and Radio Appearances
He has also been a guest on many other TV shows. These include The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Dr. Phil Show, Larry King Live, and The Today Show.
On the radio, Rabbi Boteach hosted a weekly show called The Shmuley Show on WABC. He also had a daily talk radio show on the "Oprah and Friends" network.
He writes articles for newspapers like The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, and for online sites like The Huffington Post.
Friendship with Michael Jackson
In the late 1990s, Rabbi Boteach became a close friend and advisor to the singer Michael Jackson. Jackson and his children often joined the Boteach family for dinner on Friday nights.
Rabbi Boteach helped Jackson with his charity called Heal the Kids. This group aimed to encourage parents to spend more time with their children and help children affected by war and disease. Jackson said their goal was "to recreate the parent-child bond."
Later, Rabbi Boteach and Michael Jackson had a disagreement in 2002. After Jackson passed away in 2009, Rabbi Boteach published a book called The Michael Jackson Tapes. The book was based on 30 hours of interviews he had with Jackson. In these interviews, Jackson talked about his childhood, fame, friendships, and spirituality. Rabbi Boteach said he published the book because Michael Jackson wanted it to be shared. He also published another book in 2010 called Honoring the Child Spirit.
The World Values Network and Support for Israel
Rabbi Boteach founded The World Values Network in 2007. This group is a Jewish organization that aims to share "universal Jewish values in politics, culture, and media." They believe that Jewish ideas about improving the world and celebrating life can help solve problems like high divorce rates and depression.
The organization holds an annual event called the Champions of Jewish Values International Awards. This event honors people who have supported Israel and Jewish values in different fields.
Newspaper Ads and Criticism
The World Values Network uses donations to place newspaper advertisements. These ads often speak out against antisemitism (hatred of Jewish people) and anti-Zionism (opposition to Israel's existence). They have criticized celebrities and politicians who have spoken against Israel.
For example, in 2015, the network placed an ad in The New York Times that criticized a US official. The ad caused a lot of discussion and criticism from other Jewish groups. Rabbi Boteach later apologized, saying he did not mean to make a personal attack.
In 2018, when singer Lorde canceled a concert in Israel, the World Values Network placed an ad calling her a "bigot." In 2021, they ran another New York Times ad asking singers Dua Lipa, Gigi Hadid, and Bella Hadid to condemn Hamas, a Palestinian group. Lipa and the Hadids said the claims in the ad were false.
The World Values Network is a well-regarded charity. In 2018, Charity Navigator, which rates charities, gave the World Values Network a perfect score of 100 out of 100 for its good management and transparency.
Rabbi Boteach's Views
COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rabbi Boteach said he did not believe the pandemic was a punishment from God. He also said it was important for religious leaders to close their places of worship to protect people's lives.
Reaching Out to Non-Jews
Rabbi Boteach believes in reaching out to people of all faiths. He has debated with Christian leaders about the true meaning of Abraham's legacy and whether Judaism or Christianity is the religion of peace. He also believes that the Chabad movement should help people become stronger in their own religions, not just Judaism.
Views on Jesus and Christianity
In his book Kosher Jesus, Rabbi Boteach writes that Jesus was a wise and learned Jewish rabbi who followed Jewish laws. He believes Jesus fought against the Romans and that the Romans were responsible for his death, not the Jews. Rabbi Boteach does not believe Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. However, he argues that Jews can learn a lot from Jesus and Christianity without believing in Jesus as divine. He says that Jesus himself connects Jewish and Christian values.
Israeli–Palestinian Conflict
Rabbi Boteach strongly supports Israel. He has criticized past US policies towards Israel, calling them "scandalous." He also supports Israeli settlements, including the one in Hebron, which he describes as a place with friendly people. He believes that Jews living in Hebron are not "newcomers" but are in their ancient capital. He supported former President Trump's policies towards Israel, calling him "the most pro-Israel president in history."
Two of his children have served as soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces.
Fighting Racism
In December 2022, Rabbi Boteach joined with other leaders, including Reverend Al Sharpton and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, to celebrate Hanukkah and Kwanzaa at Carnegie Hall. This event aimed to fight against racism and antisemitism. Rabbi Boteach said, "This is the way it should be. Blacks and Jews united to promote human dignity and fight the haters."
Running for Congress in 2012
In 2012, Rabbi Boteach ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in northern New Jersey. He was the first rabbi to run for Congress as a Republican. If he had won, he would have been the first rabbi in Congress.
His Political Ideas
He supported making marriage and family counseling tax-deductible to help strengthen marriages. He also supported a federal school voucher system, lower taxes, and a smaller government. He was strongly against terrorism and Hamas, and wanted to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. He received support from then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
Rabbi Boteach won the Republican primary election on June 5, 2012, with 57.9% of the vote.
The General Election
In the main election in November, he ran against Bill Pascrell, a Democrat who had been in Congress for a long time. Rabbi Boteach even gave a small donation to his opponent, hoping to arrange a friendly dinner before the election. Pascrell raised much more money for his campaign than Boteach.
Rabbi Boteach lost the election in this area, which usually votes for Democrats. He received 25.4% of the vote, while Pascrell received 73.6%. In his speech after the election, Rabbi Boteach said, "He is now my Congressman. I pledge my complete support to him."
