The Unlikely Friendship Between Jamie Raskin and Lauren Boebert

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Conservative Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert is a “good friend” of progressive Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin, rabbi and author Shai Held told a Harvard audience.

Held stopped by Harvard Hillel on Thursday night to discuss his new book, “Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life.” He told the crowd about a book launch event he did with Raskin at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

“Jamie shared something that really, really touched me very deeply and that has been sitting with me ever since,” Rabbi Held said. “When we got to talking about love of enemies, Jamie said, ‘I want to say something here at B’nai Jeshurun in Manhattan. Lauren Boebert is a good friend of mine. And let me tell you why. I disagree with Lauren Boebert about everything, but when I was diagnosed with cancer, more than almost anyone else in Congress, Lauren Boebert was totally there, physically there with me. And I said to her, you know, Lauren, you’re wrong about everything, but it means so much that you’re here.’”

Said Held: “I think that what Jamie’s story points to is that you can disagree with someone about everything and still insistently look for the ways in which they are a human being capable of love.”