Rabbi Chosen To Give Invocation Before Obama's Acceptance Speech

By Nathan Guttman - Jewish Daily Forward
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - Web Link
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August 18, 2008

A leading Reform rabbi will deliver a prime-time invocation at the Democratic National Convention on the day of Barack Obama’s acceptance speech.

Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Union for Reform Judaism’s Religious Action Center in Washington, will give his invocation in front of an expected crowd of 70,000 at Invesco Field and millions of television viewers.

The choice of Saperstein is part of a broader attempt by organizers of Democratic convention to highlight participation of faith groups at the event and to open the political forum to religious groups. A record number of seven rabbis will take part in events surrounding the convention, representing the entire spectrum of Jewish religious life.

“This shows how critical the party and the campaign believe the Jewish community is in the upcoming elections and in the future,” said Matt Dorf, who coordinates Jewish outreach efforts for the Democratic National Committee.

Saperstein’s invocation will open the last day of the Democratic convention, when Obama will give his main speech and officially kick off the presidential campaign.

After Obama’s speech, Pastor Joel Hunter, an evangelical from Northland, Fla., will deliver the closing benediction. Invocations on other days will come from a Greek Orthodox archbishop, a Catholic nun and a Methodist couple.

Organizers of the convention had decided last month to move the final night’s events from Denver’s convention center to the Invesco Field football stadium in order to reach an even larger crowd.

Saperstein has headed the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism for 34 years. He has led the formation of numerous interfaith coalitions on both domestic and foreign policy issues and has recently played a leading role in the effort to raise interest in the Darfur genocide.