MAY 12 • 2022 | 69

O

rrin Hatch died April
30, 2022, at the age of
88 from complications
of a stroke. The longest-serving
Republican in the history of the
Senate was a devout Mormon
from Utah.
But he used his Mormon faith
to style himself as a lifelong
friend of Jews and Israel — and
the most visible way he showed
his adoration was through the
mezuzah he wore around his
neck.
“It is difficult for me to express
the profound reverence I have
for the Jewish people,
” Hatch said
in a May 14, 2018, speech on the
floor of the Senate. “
As a symbol
of my respect, I wear a mezuzah
around my neck. I have done so
every day for the past almost four
decades — actually, more than
four decades.
”
A mezuzah is a small box that
contains a small scroll with Torah
verses — and is normally put on
the doorposts of Jewish homes.
But some Jews have been known
to turn them into necklaces.
“The mezuzah reminds me of
the affinity that I, as a member of
the Mormon faith, hold for the
Jewish people and their history,
”
Hatch continued in his speech.
He drew a link between Israel
and the state of Utah, which was
settled by Mormons in the 19th
century following the murder of
their prophet Joseph Smith, who
had the goal of founding a state
in which to practice the faith —
and polygamy — freely.
“Both Israel and Utah were
founded by religious minorities
seeking refuge from persecution,
”
Hatch said.
Hatch’s professed love of the
Jewish people didn’t end with
his mezuzah. An accomplished
songwriter, he also once wrote
and performed a Chanukah song

at the request of Jewish journal-
ist Jeffrey Goldberg. The song,
“Eight Days of Hanukkah,
” was
later recorded for Tablet maga-
zine and contained the lyrics: “
A
small band of people led the way
/ Through the darkest night they
pray / Seeking religious freedom,
they / Did more than just sur-
vive.
”
When Hatch retired from the
Senate in 2019, after being first
elected in 1976, he had served
seven terms and played a large
role in crafting legislation and
securing Supreme Court justices
that collectively pushed forward a
heavily conservative identity. For
the last four years of his career,
as president pro tempore of the
Senate, Hatch was third in the
line of presidential succession.
He traveled many times to
Israel, where he delighted in tak-
ing part in Shabbat dinners and
referred to the Israel-U.S. bond as
“unbreakable.
”
Hatch’s passing was mourn-
ed by the pro-Israel lobbying
group AIPAC, which tweeted
that he “had a genuine affection
for the Jewish state.
” Nathan
Diament, the executive direc-
tor of the Orthodox Union
Advocacy Center, told the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency that Hatch
was also key to passing religious
freedom laws that benefited the
Orthodox community.

Sen. Orrin Hatch,
Friend of Jews, Israel

ANDREW LAPIN JTA

Sen. Orrin Hatch in his office on
Dec. 11, 2018, as he prepared to
depart the U.S. Senate.

BILL CLARK/CQ ROLL CALL VIA GETTY IMAGES

WORLD ORT & ORT AMERICA

express our heartfelt condolences to the family of

Past President of Men's American ORT (1995-1997)

Howard Lanznar

Chairman of the Board of Directors,

ORT America

Carole BenEzra

President, ORT Michigan
Nicole Miller

Director, ORT Michigan

Barbara Birch

President & CEO, ORT America

Dr. Conrad Giles

President, World ORT
Doreen Hermelin

Lifetime Trustee, ORT America

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