Maccabees in MAGA Country: Ben Shapiro’s AmFest Moment

Amfest 2024, Turning Point USA’s annual conference in Phoenix, Arizona, isn’t just the largest conservative conference in the country—it’s a battleground of ideas. With nearly 20,000 passionate activists gathered just days before Chanukah and Christmas, the event showcases the boldest voices in American conservatism. On Thursday night, Ben Shapiro, political commentator and founder of the Daily Wire, stepped onto the stage after Charlie Kirk, proudly wearing his yarmulke. With his trademark wit and clarity, Ben electrified the largely non-Jewish crowd.

During the Q&A, Ben was asked, “As a Jew, do you think the Bible should be taught in public schools?” The question alone was telling. Many attendees weren’t sure if Ben Shapiro, the proud Jew, supported teaching biblical values to the broader American public. His response was unequivocal: “I think it’s great—I think they should. The Bible is the seminal document of Western civilization. You literally cannot be literate without knowing the Bible. The fact that everyone is treating the Bible like just another document or just a religious text misses the entire point: all of America is built on biblical values. All of it.” The crowd erupted in applause.

But why was Ben’s fidelity to biblical values questioned? No other Amfest speaker had to clarify their stance on this issue.

The answer lies in another comment Ben made that evening. He spoke of his particular disdain, as a Jew, for Doug Emhoff, the Jewish husband of Kamala Harris, who aspired to become the “First Gentleman” of the United States. With characteristic bite, Ben said, “Doug Emhoff represents Judaism like Osama Bin Laden represents Christianity.”

Ben got a lot of laughs with this line. But the truth is, he was making a critically important point. The prevalence of Jews like Doug Emhoff in America—public figures ignorant of Judaism who espouse secularism and wokeism in the name of Judaism—is a deep embarrassment to the Jewish people. 

Ben’s disdain for Emhoff is instructive. Last year, during Chanukah 2023, Emhoff posted a deeply confused and ignorant summary of the Chanukah story on X:

“The story of Hanukkah and the story of the Jewish people has always been one of hope and resilience. In the Hanukkah story, the Jewish people were forced into hiding. No one thought they would survive or that the few drops of oil they had would last. But they survived and the oil kept burning. During those eight days in hiding, they recited their prayers and continued their traditions. That’s why Hanukkah means dedication. It was during those dark nights that the Maccabees dedicated themselves to maintaining hope and faith in the oil, each other, and their Judaism. In these dark times, I think of that story.”

The only problem? That’s not the “story of Hanukkah.” The post was later deleted with no explanation for the error. But let’s set the record straight. The true story of Chanukah is something that would make Doug Emhoff deeply uncomfortable.

The Greeks didn’t physically threaten the Jewish people; their oppression was spiritual. The Seleucid monarch Antiochus Epiphanes sought to Hellenize the Jewish people in Israel, abolishing Mosaic law and turning the Jerusalem Temple into a center for pagan worship. Sadly, the Greeks were supported by many assimilated Jews in their evil plan. Historian Paul Johnson explains, “The Maccabean revolt was as much a civil war among Jews as a struggle against their foreign rulers. The essence of Judaism was at stake: whether it should remain a revealed religion with a unique relationship to God or become a mere philosophical adjunct to Hellenism.” Chanukah celebrates the victory of pious Jews over their fellow Jews who had abandoned Torah for Greek secularism.

Doug Emhoff’s ignorance of Chanukah’s history is no accident. He embodies a Judaism devoid of Torah and mitzvot, a Judaism that bends over backward to conform to secular, progressive values. Had he lived during the time of Chanukah, Emhoff would have sided with the Greeks and their Hellenized Jewish allies. Ben Shapiro, on the other hand, would have taken up arms with the Maccabees, fighting tooth and nail to preserve the Torah and the soul of the Jewish people.

The Bible teaches:

The Sages (Yoma 86a) define Chillul Hashem, the desecration of God’s name, as any action by a Jew that causes others to view the Torah or God with disdain. When public figures like Emhoff misrepresent biblical values, they commit a profound Chillul Hashem.

Conversely, the Torah speaks of those who sanctify God’s name:

Everyday actions, when aligned with biblical values, can inspire a Kiddush Hashem, a sanctification of God’s name. As Maimonides explains, any action that inspires others to love God and His Torah is a form of Kiddush Hashem (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 5:11). Ben Shapiro is a model of Kiddush Hashem. He proudly wears his yarmulke in public and defends biblical values with clarity and courage. He represents a Judaism rooted in the Bible, not one that panders to secularism. He’s a modern-day Maccabee, standing against the forces of assimilation and spiritual compromise.

It’s true that anyone born of a Jewish mother is technically Jewish, no matter their beliefs or actions. But in the public sphere, representation matters. When figures like Doug Emhoff claim to speak for the Jewish people, they project a distorted image of Judaism. To fulfill our mission as a light unto the nations, we need leaders who embody authentic Jewish values—leaders like Ben Shapiro, former Senator Joe Lieberman, and former ambassador David Friedman. They are the true lights of Chanukah, sanctifying God’s name through their words and deeds.

As Chanukah approaches, Jews and Christians alike must absorb its true message. We must reject secularism and ideologies that pull us away from our beliefs. Like the Maccabees, we must stand fearlessly and publicly for our faith. And to the Doug Emhoffs of the world? There is always a way back. The Maccabees fought not only for their faith but for the return of their misguided brothers and sisters. If they are ready to come home, we will welcome them with open arms.

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