Vice President Mike Pence’s appearance on stage Monday with “rabbi” Loren Jacobs, who referred to Jesus as the Messiah during his prayer, provoked widespread backlash from many Jewish communities.
Now, according to a Tuesday NBC report, even members of the “rabbi’s” own community are up in arms about the appearance — given that Jacobs was defrocked from the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations over a decade ago.
“Loren Jacobs was stripped of his rabbinic ordination by the UMJC in 2003, after our judicial board found him guilty of libel,” a Union spokesperson told NBC.
Pence has passed the buck to the candidate he was campaigning for, Lena Epstein, blaming her for the ill-advised invite.
Epstein responded to critics after the rally:
Statement on Jewish Faith and Religious Tolerance: pic.twitter.com/QUxYG3ZIh5
— Lena Epstein (@LenaEpstein) October 30, 2018
