On the eve of Yom Kippur, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) visited a synagogue in the Chicago area for a worship service. Her visit to the service upset congregants and even caused one many to create a campaign for her Democratic opponent. During the service, Rabbi Michael Siegel greeted Bachmann with a customary greeting, which is part of protocol because she is an elected official. The synagogue was Anshe Emet Synagogue.
It was reported that some of the congregants in attendance walked out of the service. One congregant, Gary Sircus, who has been a member of the synagogue for 25 years, said, “Our congregation values and embodies tolerance, compassion, respect for individual rights, intelligence, science — all of the things that I think Michele Bachmann stands against,” said Sircus, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Bachmann has supported Israel while also opposing gay rights. Bachmann has described homosexuality as ‘bondage,’ ‘child abuse’ and ‘sexual dysfunction.’ Sircus decided to donate to Jim Graves, the Democratic opponent of Bachmann after he stormed out of the service that night. According to the Tribune, the campaign for Graves saw a 400 percent increase in donations from the Chicago area last week.
In the video embedded in this post, another congregant of the synagogue talks with the Huffington Post about Bachmann visiting the synagogue.
