Televangelist Who ‘Laid Hands’ On Trump Is Hosting A Special Passover Seder

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.

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 kestenbaum@forward.com and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum

Sam Kestenbaum is a contributing editor and former staff writer for the Forward. Before this, he worked for The New York Times and newsrooms in Sana, Ramallah and Beijing. Contact him at kestenbaum@forward.com and follow him on Twitter at @skestenbaum and on Instagram at @skestenbaum.

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