Trump’s Inauguration Preachers Incorporate Jewish Rituals and “Hebrew Roots” Teachings

Donald Trump has enlisted a diverse lineup of six clergy to pray him into office at his upcoming inauguration ceremony. Three of these clergy draw on Jewish ritual objects and ideas in their practices, such as Torah and prayer shawls. However, only one of them is a Jewish rabbi.

The other two, praying alongside Rabbi Marvin Hier, are known for their “prosperity gospel,” which teaches that financial blessing and physical well-being are the will of God. They also affirm the “Hebrew roots” of the New Testament. One of these clergy, Wayne T. Jackson, keeps a private Torah, and many of his congregants wear prayer shawls. Another, Paula White, fasts on Yom Kippur and has a proclivity for Jewish rituals. She once participated in a ceremony where two helpers unfurled a Torah and wrapped her inside.

Jackson explained in a phone interview with the Forward that “Jesus was a Jew, Paul was a Jew. All of the apostles had Jewish backgrounds. And when we look at all of this we see our foundation.” White, a Florida televangelist and personal minister to Trump, stated in a promotional video for her website that “Old Testament stuff is really important to us as New Testament believers.”

White, who did not respond to interview requests, will pray alongside Jackson on Friday. Jackson heads Great Faith Ministries International, and White is the senior pastor at New Destiny Christian Center. Trump’s bond with these two figures extends beyond this one scheduled prayer. Trump counts White as a close spiritual adviser and visited Jackson’s Detroit congregation for a September service, during which Jackson dramatically draped then-candidate Trump in an Israeli prayer shawl.

Trump’s inclusion of these two preachers signals the growing — sometimes controversial — interest in “Hebraic roots” in Christian circles. Both White and Jackson enjoy close relationships with Messianic Jewish-style teachers. Such encounters reflect a broader trend of non-Jews taking on Jewish practices — and the role that Messianic or “Hebrew roots” teachers play in this process.

“We are bridges,” said Mitch Glaser, president of Chosen People Ministries, one of the oldest Messianic groups in the United States. Glaser was also a founder of the organization. The trend highlights the increasing influence of Messianic Jewish congregations and their teachings on broader Christian communities.

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