For some members of a Conservative Jewish synagogue in Lakeview, this year's overlap of election season with the season of forgiveness presented a challenge.

During a worship service Tuesday on the eve of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, Rabbi Michael Siegel of Anshe Emet Synagogue offered what he called a customary greeting to a public official in the audience — U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R.-Minn. The greeting follows a synagogue policy to acknowledge the office rather than the individual or his or her politics, he said.

But the formality enraged more than a few congregants, prompting some to walk out and one to start a campaign of his own in support of Bachmann's opponent in the race for her congressional seat, Jim Graves.

"The holiness of the room and the holiness of the evening was greatly diminished for me, if not completely destroyed," said Gary Sircus, who stormed out of the synagogue where he has observed the High Holidays for 25 years. "Our congregation values and embodies tolerance, compassion, respect for individual rights, intelligence, science — all of the things that I think Michele Bachmann stands against."

Later that night, he composed an email to Graves' campaign and sent it to others, urging them to donate. His words have since gone viral.

"I felt that the best way to 'honor' Ms. Bachmann's visit was to make a contribution to your campaign," Sircus wrote. "Even though I do not vote in Minnesota, please do everything in your power to take away this evil woman's soapbox."

Siegel said instead of a sermon that night, the service featured a fictional father and son dialogue about Israel, including a piece celebrating Israel's openness to the gay and lesbian community.

Bachmann, an evangelical Christian and former presidential candidate, has been an outspoken supporter of Israel but an opponent of gay rights.

"I am aware of the fact that our congregation's policy in regards to public officials clearly caused pain to some members of our community on the most precious day of reconciliation on the Jewish calendar," Siegel said. "That we regret deeply."

The Graves campaign saw a 400 percent uptick in donations from the Chicago area last week, according to Adam Graves, the candidate's son and campaign manager.

No word on why Bachmann was in Chicago or why she chose to attend the Jewish service. Calls and emails to her campaign and congressional office were not returned.

mbrachear@tribune.com