Why Cory Booker Quoted Torah at His CNN Town Hall
The New Jersey senator has a genuine connection to the Jewish tradition that he often raises even in non-Jewish settings
On Wednesday night, N.J. Senator Cory Booker, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president, held a town hall with voters that was televised on CNN. As is often the case at these events, Booker was asked about the role his religious faith plays in his life and politics. As is not often the case, Booker—a Baptist—responded not simply by referencing his Christian roots, but by quoting Jewish texts. You can watch the exchange here:
Those who are unfamiliar with Booker might be surprised by this unusual Judaic interjection, let alone that Booker knew enough to make it. But those who have followed Booker throughout his career know that this isn’t some affectation or political pander. Judaism has been personal for him, ever since he discovered it at Oxford while studying as a Rhodes Scholar and became the co-president of the campus’s Chabad House.
Back in 2013, I profiled Booker on the eve of him securing the Democratic nomination for Senate in New Jersey. In the piece, I explained where Booker’s adopted Jewish identity comes from, why he often publicly references Jewish tradition—even in entirely non-Jewish settings like his 2013 Yale Commencement speech—and how his relationship to Judaism reflects his unique brand of politics. An excerpt:
A Baptist, Booker became the unlikely co-president of Boteach’s L’Chaim Society in 1992, recruiting students into the organization and delivering the weekly d’var Torah. Booker then co-founded a Jewish society at Yale with another Hasidic rabbi, Shmully Hecht. After moving to Newark and entering politics, Booker kept up regular chavrutot with his rabbinic mentors, expanding his Torah knowledge to the point that he now comfortably drops religious references without notes. As Jeffrey Goldberg recently wrote, “I’ve met most of the Senate’s other Jews, and I can say, with a high degree of certainty, that Booker knows more Torah than they do.”
You can read the whole thing here. It goes a long way toward explaining why Booker has continued to cite Jewish texts and ideas throughout his presidential campaign.
As a bonus, here’s a clip I unearthed of Booker partying on Purim at Oxford in the early 90s, which is even better than it sounds:
Coming up next week: a fun story I’ve been working on featuring baseball, gefilte fish, and a Florida man. You won’t want to miss it.
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