Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, faced criticism for mistakenly using an image of a Hanukah menorah while trying to commemorate the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.
This blunder isn’t the first time Greene has been under fire; she had previously faced backlash for endorsing conspiracy theories with antisemitic undertones.
On the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Greene wished followers a meaningful fast for Yom Kippur and tried to use a traditional greeting, albeit with a typo: “Gamar Chasima Tova!”
This oversight was quickly noticed.
Observers pointed out the inappropriateness of using a menorah, associated with the December festival of Hanukah, in a message about Yom Kippur. Given her previous controversial remarks, many saw this as a further disconnect in her outreach to the Jewish community.
A Democratic congressman from Florida, Jared Moskowitz, highlighted the distinction between the reflective nature of Yom Kippur and the festive Hanukah, remarking on the importance of understanding these differences. Moskowitz also made a quip about the introspective essence of Yom Kippur, suggesting Greene has a lot to reflect on.
In response to the feedback, Greene removed the initial post, excluding the menorah, without formally apologizing.
Media group MeidasTouch, identified as “pro-democracy,” called out the congresswoman for this lapse, terming it “wildly offensive.” They also cheekily referenced a past conspiracy theory Greene had endorsed, coining the nickname “Ms. Jewish Space Lasers” for her.
It should be clarified that the 2018 California wildfires, which the conspiracy theory refers to, were determined by state investigations to result from issues with electrical transmission lines from Pacific Gas and Electricity and not by Jewish Space Lasers.
Past associations, such as Greene’s participation in the America First Political Action Conference, which has links to white nationalist Nick Fuentes, were also brought up in her recent faux pas.
Bill Prady, co-creator of the popular TV series The Big Bang Theory, commented on the situation, explicitly highlighting the miswritten greeting in Greene’s post.
For clarification, the correct Yom Kippur greeting is “g’mar chatima tovah,” meaning “a good final sealing.” This is about the belief in Jewish tradition that one’s fate is written on Rosh Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur.
