By COLlive reporter
In Tampa for the Republican National Convention, former White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten make it a point to stop by the home of the religious leader he feels most close to: Rabbi Yossie Dubrowski.
The two men first met in 2000 when George W. Bush was campaigning in Florida for president and quickly hit it off.
When Bush was elected and Bolton was appointed chief of staff, the second Jew to hold that position until then, the director of Chabad Lubavitch of Tampa Bay was invited to visit 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
A low-key operator who shies away from the media, the frank shmooze Bolten had this past week at the Dubrowski residence made it all more interesting.
According to one account, he opened up about his personal faith and how his Jewishness was received by the Bush White House.
A reporter for Tablet Magazine quoted Bolten as saying that both President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush took a keen interest in other faiths, and particularly Judaism.
Bolten credited the Bush White House as being the first to “serving the first truly kosher meal there,” an effort that was spearheaded by Rabbi Levi Shemtov of American Friends of Lubavitch, and continued under President Barack Obama.
Bolten revealed for the first time a great sacrifice made by W for the sake of the Jewish faith: eating matzo, Tablet reported.
“Before Passover, Rabbi Dubrowski would always send me this special shmurah matzo made by his father, and I would always take a piece down to the Oval Office,” he recalled.
“And I can’t say President Bush liked it—he would always say, ‘Gosh, it’s dry!’—but every year he was proud to eat it.”
Dubrowski and his son Rabbi Mendy Dubrowski, both registered Republicans, were in full bloom this past week as Tampa was put into the spotlight of the convention.
They mingled and put on Tefillin on many Jewish officials and attendees. Their kosher catering service worked around the clock to provide packaged meals and sandwiches to participants.
2012 GOP Convention:
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Chabad must remain non-partisan. Was the Rebbe registered to a party? I think we only register to the party of Torah.
I love Dinas kitchen – da best food in town, especially deli roll.
Wheres Sulha??
the REAL shluchim!
keep making the rebbe proud!