Last Thursday Rabbi Shalom Lewis of Congregation Etz Chaim in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, Georgia gave what can only be understood as a call to genocide in his Rosh Hashanah sermon to welcome in the Jewish new year. The sermon, republished in full below, calls for a war on Islam and Muslims worldwide. Lewis says a “holy crusade” against Islam is needed to “exterminate it utterly and absolutely.”
[…] You can read the whole thing below. It’s as hateful as any you would expect from any fringe religious demagogue. Except Lewis isn’t a fringe figure. As the website Loonwatch points out, Lewis was given commendations by the Georgia legislature and the US House of Representatives. He has been at Etz Chaim for nearly 40 years. In fact when he recently announced his retirement in 2017, congregation President Cheryl Miller said, “Rabbi Lewis will continue to be an active participant in the leadership of our congregation, a wealth of information and resources, a trusted friend, and a role model to our future clergy.” This man who has called for the annihilation of millions of people is apparently a beloved figure. More here.