(Jewish Group) Doug Emhoff says being the second gentleman brought him closer to Judaism

Douglas Emhoff told a group that brings Jews and Muslims together that his history-making role as the second gentleman and as the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president has brought him closer to Judaism.

“I didn’t realize what a big deal it would be not only to the Jewish community and to faith communities but to myself,” Emhoff said Thursday at an iftar, or Ramadan break-fast, hosted by the Muslim Jewish Advisory Council. “It’s actually driven me closer to faith. It has opened my eyes to a lot of things.”

Emhoff noted, for instance, the Passover seder he and Vice President Kamala Harris hosted earlier this month, their first in office. But he also said he understood the significance of faith — and how unique it was for people of different faiths to work together — when he began traveling outside his Los Angeles bubble during his wife’s campaign and then as the second gentleman.

“Coming from L.A. and working at an international law firm with Muslim partners and people of all different faiths, it’s something that was very natural to me,” he said.

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