Why Jews Should See Meet the Mormons

In March 2012, Time magazine’s Joe Klein and BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith—two top political journalists who also happen to be Jewish—took part in a panel at the City University of New York about the looming presidential election. Their conversation soon turned to Republican nominee Mitt Romney, and in particular to his membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “I think the fact that he’s a Mormon leads him to be mistrustful of the outside world and what it can handle about him,” said Klein, who then proceeded to prove Romney’s caution right by labeling the church’s practice of posthumous baptism “nonsense” and mocking “the underwear” worn by believing Mormons, to laughs from the crowd. Smith was less amused, however, and pointed out that every religion has practices that appear absurd to outsiders—and that Judaism has a sacred sartorial wardrobe of its own: “This is like making fun of people’s tzitzit or their yarmulkes,” he retorted. “I don’t get it.”