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Jews Debate
Mastriano’s Christian
Nationalist Beliefs
SASHA ROGELBERG | STAFF WRITER
Photo by Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images via JTA
W hen
Pe n n s y l v a n i a
Republican guberna-
torial candidate Doug
Mastriano kicked off his primary cam-
paign on Jan. 8, he donned a tallit and
blew a shofar, despite not being Jewish.

Th e use of Jewish holy objects was
not a one-off aff air: Th e state senator
attended the “Patriots Arise for God and
Country” rally in Gettysburg in May
when nine event leaders blew the shofar
to begin the event.

“We have the power of God with
us,” Mastriano said at the rally, Th e
Philadelphia Inquirer reported. “We have
Jesus Christ that we’re serving here. He’s
guiding and directing our steps.”
In April, Mastriano appeared at a rally
organized by far-right activists Alan and
Francine Fosdick, who have alleged that
Jews have orchestrated recent natural
disasters, including wildfi res, through
the use of space lasers.

In many of his primary campaign
events, Mastriano, an Army veteran,
drew from his evangelical Christian
beliefs, taking a conservative stance on
issues such as abortion access, same-
sex marriage and transgender rights.

He attended President Donald Trump’s
Jan. 6 rally before the storming of the
Capitol Building.

Though he’s rejected the label,
Mastriano embodies the values of
Christian nationalism, which, according
to the Associated Press, is the idea that
God has destined America for greatness
and will give the country a “divine bless-
ing.” It’s the belief that Christian values
should dictate the country’s politics.

Combined with his far-right plat-
form, Mastriano’s use of Jewish symbol-
ism and condemnation of the division
between church and state has alarmed
area Jewish Democrats. Is Christian
nationalism antisemitic? What about
the use of a shofar and tallit in a political
campaign by a gentile?
Mastriano did not respond to repeated
requests for comment.

According to Anti-Defamation
League Philadelphia Regional Director
Andrew Goretsky, Christian national-
ists, though oft en not self-proclaimed,
believe that American values are inex-
tricable from Christian values.

“Christian nationalists assert that
America must remain a ‘Christian nation’
— not merely as an observation about
American history but as a prescriptive
program for what America must con-
tinue to be in the future,” Goretsky said.

He asserts, though not specifi cally
referring to Mastriano, that Christian
nationalism would be antisemitic if it
was dismissive of Judaism or if it specifi -
cally claimed that Jews were responsible
for the death of Jesus, which Mastriano
has not claimed.

Th e use of Jewish objects by a non-Jew
is not inherently antisemitic, Goretsky
said, but a politician’s use of these
objects in a political campaign could be
off ensive.

“ADL believes that using a tallit or
shofar outside of the ways they are
supposed to be used, or in a political
context, cheapens their meaning and
off ends many people who respect their
holiness,” Goretsky said.

Jill Zipin, chair of Democratic Jewish
Outreach Pennsylvania, was quick to
condemn Mastriano’s use of the shofar
and tallit during his campaign.

“It’s very problematic because the
appropriation of Jewish symbols at cam-
paign events, which is how he has used
it, I believe, such as the shofar, the tallit,
is appropriating sacred Jewish items and
symbols for political gain,” she said.

Even more concerning to Zipin were
Mastriano’s principles of Christian
nationalism, which she believed was
anti-democratic, favoring one religious
group over others.

“At the turn of the last century, Jews
came to this country for economic free-
dom, for religious freedom and for polit-
ical freedom,” Zipin said. “And Christian
nationalism goes to both religious free-
dom as well as political freedom because
it’s an anti-democratic
ideology.” But to Richard Tems, a
Doug Mastriano at a rally in Harrisburg on
Doylestown resident and
Dec. 14
member of the Republican
Jewish Coalition, Christian national- nections, Tems does not take issue with
ism is not antisemitic, as Christian and Mastriano’s use of the shofar and tallit,
Jewish values are in line with each other. so long as he does so with intention and
“Roots of Christianity come from respect.

us,” Tems said. “So they (evangelical
“If that’s what he chooses to do, that’s
Christians) believe that the Messiah fi ne. Does he understand why?” Tems
came, and we’re still waiting.”
said. “Does he have a clear understand-
Tems believes that Democrats have ing of the role ... Jews have in America?
manufactured an adversarial relation- How fundamental we are to this nation,
ship between Jews and Christians; to and how this nation was founded on
Tems, “Judeo-Christian values” are con- Judeo-Christian principles?” JE
sistent with Judaism and Christianity.

Because of the religions’ close con- srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com
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