Why I Turned Down a Meeting with Mike Pence (And Why It Still Haunts Me)

Ever faced an invitation you didn't know if you should accept? This week on Torah from Boca, I reveal a decision I've never shared publicly—turning down a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence during the first Trump administration. I had a good reason: it was my son's siddur ceremony (when he received his first prayer book) at his school.

But what if that meeting hadn't conflicted with my son's special day? Honestly, this podcast isn't really about that meeting, but it's about all the meetings we may have with people with whom we disagree with, or that our friends disagree with.

It is about a question I explore the Torah's teachings on how we should treat those we strongly disagree with, discussing whether rabbis—and all of us—should engage privately with controversial and even dangerous individuals. Join me in wrestling with one of Judaism’s toughest ethical questions: Can we truly love our neighbor—even when it's hard?

A special thank you to my friend and colleague Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, who inspired this sermon from his meeting with Itimar Ben Gvir, which can be read in its entirety here - https://rabbiefremgoldberg.org/ben-gvir

Click here to read the text version here