“The public Orthodox/halachic image of Jared and Ivanka…is something created solely by the Jewish community”

The public Orthodox/halachic image of Jared and Ivanka, and the resultant subjecting of their every move to halachic scrutiny, is something created solely by the Jewish community. It is not an image created by Jared and Ivanka, who do not advertise their religion; the image of the “publicly Orthodox/halachic First Family” is a product of the Jewish community, some of whose members are overly ambitious to project themselves onto those in the limelight.

As committed as they may be to traditional Judaism, Jared and Ivanka are not thoroughly observant/Orthodox, and this is public information. Whether it relates to reports of the couple snapping photos on Saturday morning on the White House’s Truman Balcony, news articles about their eating in non-kosher restaurants, Jared not wearing tzitzis, or Ivanka’s very revealing attire – Jared and Ivanka do not make any claims about being completely adherent to Halacha. The vision of Jared and Ivanka being “Shulchan Aruch Jews” (Jews who are totally committed to keeping codified Halacha) is a contrivance of the Jewish community, and is not being promulgated by Jared and Ivanka themselves.

The halachic halo placed over Jared and Ivanka by other Jews is damaging. It is generating confusing messages, it is fomenting useless controversy, and it is causing finger-pointing at rabbis who are accused of permitting that which would appear to be forbidden.

Avrohom Gordimer, “Jared and Ivanka: WE Are the Ones to Blame”, Cross-Currents (25 May 2017) [https://cross-currents.com/2017/05/25/jared-ivanka-ones-blame/]