Messianic Rabbi Kirt Schneider

By Sam Kestenbaum April 9, 2017

A popular televangelist who “laid hands” on Donald Trump leading up the election — praying for the candidate’s success and evoking Jesus Christ — will be hosting a “Messianic Seder” on the second night of Passover.

“I’m going to show you the different elements, beloved ones, of the Passover and show you the application for your lives today,” said Kirt Schneider, host of “Discovering The Jewish Jesus,” in a promotional video for the event.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Schneider calls himself a Messianic Rabbi and a “Jewish believer in Jesus.” He joins a number of evangelicals and Messianics who have popularized the Christian celebration of the Passover Seder.

In the Christian or Messianic adaptations of the Passover Seder, Jesus is seen as the sacrificial Passover lamb. “The Bible tells us that Christ has become our Passover,” Schneider said. “Jesus is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”

This Christian embrace of Passover — and Christian interest more broadly in traditionally Jewish holidays or rituals — has bewildered and offended some in the Jewish community.

In 2015, Schnieder led a prayer ceremony in Trump Tower alongside a group of evangelical leaders —including Trump’s “spiritual advisor” Paula White. Schneider placed his hand on Trump’s face and offered a blessing — in both Hebrew and English.

Email Sam Kestenbaum at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount