Lewinsky family rabbi urges Clinton to repent

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16 (JTA) – The senior rabbi of the congregation of Monica Lewinsky’s family has urged President Clinton to do sincere teshuvah, or repentance. Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple said that Clinton’s lack of moral courage was the central issue in the Monica Lewinsky affair. “Teshuvah means taking responsibility for one’s mistakes,” he said. Wolpe made his remarks Saturday, while commenting on the week’s Torah portion and the upcoming High Holidays. Monica’s father and stepmother are currently members of the prominent Conservative congregation, and Monica attended the temple’s religious school as a youngster. No member of the Lewinsky family was present at the service and Wolpe made no mention of Monica Lewinsky personally. Reviewing his Saturday comments in a phone interview, Wolpe said true repentance by the president would be a valuable lesson for the country and be good for his and the nation’s soul. At the same time, Wolpe made it clear that he “was not enchanted with Clinton’s pursuers.” The youthful rabbi, widely known as an author and lecturer, cited a personal experience he had last week to illustrate the impact of Clinton’s behavior on the nation’s youth. “I was walking with my 9-year old niece and she asked her father what was Clinton’s religion,” Wolpe recalled. He said he told her the president was a Southern Baptist, and his niece responded, “I never want to be that religion.”