A Ray of Light at Dem Convention

By COLlive reporter

The Obama campaign is trying to recover from a major debacle at the Democratic National Convention that could cost them the Jewish support.

A public outcry over the omission of G-d and Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in the party platform has led Democratic leaders to return to the language they used in 2008.

“It concerns me. It concerns every Jew,” said Chanina Sperlin, intergovernmental liaison for the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council.

Sperlin, a registered Democrat who also attended last week’s Republican convention in Tampa, told ABC News “It’s a big mistake leaving that out of the party platform.”

The Democrats caved after Obama campaign officials said the President Barack Obama personally intervened to change the two planks on G-d and Jerusalem, ABC reported.

But it came with a heavy price, leaving people on both sides fuming.

As many as 3 separate votes were needed to get the motion for the change passed on the convention floor in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday.

Despite the crowd’s opinion sounding more like it was split 50-50, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the Convention chairman, passed the motion and was booed, CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer said.

ACTION AT AIPAC

A person who was right there at the center point of the discussion over the push back was Rabbi Yosef Plotkin, Director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Greensboro.

Plotkin has been supervising the kosher meals served at the receptions the influential pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC held around the convention.

“I didn’t need to say anything (about the issue) because all the Senators and Congress people who came were very vocal,” Plotkin told COLlive.com.

He said that some have expressed to him personally their dismay over the platform and spoke about their friendship with Chabad and support of Israel.

One of the people he has spoken with is San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, the keynote speaker of the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night.

“He told me he is very close with Rabbi Chaim Block and one of his most memorable experiences was the Friday night meal at the Block’s home,” Plotkin said.

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer commented that it’s not surprising he knows Rabbi Chaim Bruk, Director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Montana in Bozeman.

“There are 3 rabbis in Montana, but only 1 of them has a bushy beard,” the Governor joked.

SHLIACH RUNS OFF

As much as Rabbi Plotkin wished to continue chatting about Israel and Chabad activities, he had an urgent family engagement.

Bochurim Motti Groner of Charlotte and Sholom Rabin of Oak Park, MI were left to oversee the Kashrus operation, which served, among others, the White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew.

On Thursday afternoon, Rabbi Plotkin shared with COLlive the news that his wife Hindy gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

While she won’t be eligible to vote for a while, the Democrats could sure use good news in Charlotte these days.

VIDEO: The Contentious Floor Vote