President Rivlin to US Jews: We are all one family

JERUSALEM POST

President Reuven Rivlin addressed American Jewish community leaders in New York on Friday and called on them to “always listen to one another”.

The event took place at the UJA Federation’s headquarters in the presence of religious leaders from different movements including from the Reform, Orthodox and Conservative movements.

Rivlin was introduced by four different rabbis: President of the Union for Reform Judaism Rick Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Steven Wernick; Executive Vice President Emeritus of the Orthodox Union Tzvi Hersh Weinreb and Executive Vice President of the New York Board of Rabbis Joseph Potasnik. 

Rivlin compared the different American Jewish movements to Hanukka candles saying that they each have “their own special flames and character.”

“It is important for the State of Israel to show full respect and sensitivity to all American Jews,” he stressed. “It is important that we remember, not only on Hanukka that we are all one family.”

“All communities represented here today share the love of Israel and a deep commitment to the future of the Jewish people and to the positive image of the State of Israel.” the president added.

“We must never forget that even the major differences between us are an honest expression of concern shared by all of us, whether we are Orthodox, Reform or Conservative,” he said.

Rivlin added that Jews of the United States and the Jews of Israel, regardless of their political affiliations, also share the same concerns.

“Even though sometimes we cannot agree or we are not ready to agree, we have to listen to one another,” he said.

President Rivlin also expressed his solidarity with the victims of terror attacks and their families “in Israel and all over the world.”

Rivlin is expected to speak at the Haaretz conference in New York on Sunday morning and in the evening is set to attend a special Hanukka candle lighting ceremony at the Pierre hotel in New York in the presence of UN ambassadors including Israeli representative Danny Danon.