'Dumb and dumber': Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff slammed over second gentleman's distorted Hanukkah origin story post

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff are drawing criticism over the second gentleman's distorted version of the origins of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival, reported Daily Mail.

The Jewish husband of the Vice President shared his version of the festival's origin on his X account, accompanied by a photo of him and Harris lighting a menorah.

The post was eventually deleted after the couple faced backlash for sharing the wrong story about the Jewish festivities.

This year, Hanukkah is observed from the evening of December 7 to the evening of December 15.

What was Doug Emhoff's wrong rendition of the Hanukkah origin?

Kamala Harris' husband Doug Emhoff shared the story on December 11 which confused many users on the internet.

"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," Emhoff wrote in the post.

"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," he added.

"During those eight days in hiding, they recited their prayers and continued their traditions," he continued the story, adding, "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."

Emhoff concluded the post by saying he thinks of this story in "these dark times", a reference to the rising antisemitism in the country after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.

What went wrong in Doug Emhoff's version?

According to the History website, Hanukkah or Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is not about Jews hiding with only a little oil; instead, it celebrates the "rededication during the second century BC of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, where according to legend, Jews had risen against their Greek-Syrian oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt."

The Jews could only find a one-day supply of sacred oil that miraculously lasted for eight days.

Hannukah, derived from Hebrew, means "dedication". The festival is celebrated by lighting a candle holder called menorah for eight nights, eating traditional foods, and playing the classic Hanukkah game dreidel.

Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff face backlash for 'wrong' Hanukkah story

Harris and Emhoff were severely criticized on social media for misstating the history of one of the most celebrated Jewish festivals in the country.

Sharing the screenshots of the deleted post, one user wrote, "Dumb & Dumber."

Another user said, "I swear to god the worst thing to happen to Judaism since the new century is the watering down of our biblical stories in general and holidays in particular."

"Birds, and brains, of a feather," remarked a third user.

A fourth user trolled Enhoff, saying, "It’s like explaining the origin of Christmas starting with six terrorists took over Nakatomi Tower."

"Could they not look it up on Wikipedia before posting Really had me thinking what else they don't bother to fact check before putting out," asked one user.

Another stated, "This is beyond embarrassing."

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