On Monday during Hanukkah, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff tweeted a photo of himself lighting a menorah alongside his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris.
In the caption, Emhoff recounted the origin story of Hannukah.
Or at least, he tried to tell the story.
In the story of Hanukkah, the Maccabees — a group of Jewish rebels — reconquered Jerusalem from the Greeks, and they rededicated the temple in 164 BC. In the temple, the rebels found only enough oil for one day’s worth of lighting, but they burned a lamp for eight days somehow.
The biblical Book of Maccabees recounts this story in greater detail.
But Emhoff told an entirely different story.
“In the Hanukkah story, the Jewish people were forced into hiding,” Emhoff said, incorrectly. “No one thought they would survive or that the few drops of oil they had would last. But they survived and the oil kept burning.”
It gets more bizarre.
“During those eight days in hiding, they recited their prayers and continued their traditions. That’s why Hanukkah means dedication,” Emhoff continued. “It was during those dark nights that the Maccabees dedicated themselves to maintaining hope and faith in the oil, each other, and their Judaism.”
That is not why Hanukkah means dedication.
Emhoff concluded, “In these dark times, I think of that story.”
If only he knew a powerful person who could shine a light!
Emhoff later tried to delete the tweet.
However, Twitter users had already begun circulating screenshots… and mocking Emhoff mercilessly.
Noah Rothman of the National Review tweeted Monday, “How could this have happened?”
One person joked, “Can’t wait for Doug’s Christmas message about the meaning of Santa’s birth under a pine tree with three Magi riding reindeer.”
“There is only one possible explanation here. Doug Emhoff was told the story of Hanukkah by this ‘rabbi,'” one person said, attaching a photo of the anti-Israel activist known for heckling President Joe Biden.
Take a look —
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff deleted his “story of Hanukkah” post criticized for not actually telling the story of Hanukkah. pic.twitter.com/5UrAwp6po3
— Joseph A. Wulfsohn (@JosephWulfsohn) December 12, 2023
There is only one possible explanation here. Doug Emhoff was told the story of Hanukkah by this "rabbi" 👇 pic.twitter.com/tuso2vqYwe
— Adam (@aSeegz) December 12, 2023
Flashback! Joe Biden heckled by bearded woman claiming to be a rabbi
The Horn editorial team