Rabbis from around the world came together in Jerusalem to confront the profound challenges currently facing Israel and the Jewish people.
Economy Minister Naftali Bennett addresses gathering. (Photo: Flash90)
Israel and the Jews of the Diaspora face many challenges, anti-Semitism and assimilation among them, and 130 rabbis from around the world came together in Jerusalem to discuss how to surmount these obstacles together.
The extraordinary meeting, which included representatives from 42 countries, including the United States, France, Brazil, Germany, Croatia, Russia, Spain, Argentina, Greece, India, Turkey and Austria, took place on Monday, as part of the World Zionist Organization’s (WZO) annual conference, under the title “Unity of the Jewish People in Times of Crisis.”
The spike in French anti-Semitism was spotlighted, as were the challenges that Jewish communities face in open Western societies.
The conference offered rabbis the opportunity to network with other communal leaders and discuss the issues together.
Minister of Economy Naftali Bennett addressed the assembly, reaffirming Israel’s connection to the entire Land of Israel. “Public opinion isn’t my compass, the Torah is my compass. For 3,000 years the Land of Israel has belonged to the Jewish people,” he stated.
“The unity of the Jewish people in times of crisis is our theme,” Rabbi Yechiel Wasserman, who organized the event, was quoted by Arutz 7 as saying.
He added that “as part of the conference, we will visit with Jewish communities living close to Gaza in a show of solidarity with the residents. We gather in Jerusalem, rabbis from around the world, in order to emphasize the centrality of Israel in the life of Jews in the Diaspora and discuss ways of dealing with the waves of anti-Semitism in the world.”
By: Aryeh Savir, United with Israel Staff