Many organizations and institutions, in a desire to add prestige to their conferences and other special events, invite President Isaac Herzog or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be one of the leading speakers.
Given the number of events that each has to host or attend in addition to affairs of state, there are numerous requests that they decline.
However, when Herzog was invited to attend the 90th anniversary conference of World Emunah, there was no way that he could refuse. His grandmother Sarah Herzog was the first president of World Emunah, and was succeeded by her daughter-in-law Pnina Herzog, who was married to Yaakov Herzog, the younger brother and uncle, respectively, of the two Herzog presidents of the state.
Much more is known of the president’s grandfather who was the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel, and whose name he bears, than is known of Sarah Herzog, who, together with Rachel Yanait Ben-Zvi, the wife of Israel’s second president, led pre-state women’s protest marches against the British White Paper which limited Jewish immigration to the Holy Land.
Equally important, Sarah Herzog worked ardently to found Israel’s first psychiatric hospital, which now bears her name, and which this year celebrates its 130th anniversary. It was originally called Ezrat Nashim, which was the name of a newly founded women’s organization which supported it, and was initially located in Jerusalem’s Old City, then in two buildings on Jaffa Road. But as departments and patients grew in number, new premises had to be found.
Sarah Herzog, who as chairwoman of Ezrat Nashim in the 1940s led a fundraising campaign for new, permanent premises, had to wait for the move till the late 1960s because there had been an extreme economic recession and funds were not available. Eventually, what evolved into the Herzog Medical Center transitioned to Givat Shaul. Sarah Herzog headed the organization for 40 years.
World Emunah was established by her in 1977 when she was the president of Emunah Israel and the chairwoman was Eva Adelman.
Emunah Israel, which was originally the women’s branch of Hapoel HaMizrachi, was founded in 1935 by Tova Sanhadray Goldreich, who remained a member of its leadership for the rest of her life, and also served as a member of Knesset from 1959 to 1974. She was the first woman legislator from the National Religious Party.
International workshop
■ LAST WEEK, Bar-Ilan University’s department of Jewish philosophy, a long-standing advocate for interfaith dialogue, hosted an international workshop aimed at addressing sustainability challenges through the lens of religious teachings.
The event brought together more than two dozen scholars of Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and Baha’i faiths to engage in meaningful discussions on the role of religion in the face of climate change, as well as the fostering of new partnerships for collaborative action. Participants also engaged in a group study of each religion’s sacred texts to uncover ways in which these faiths can work together to tackle global sustainability challenges.
Before they came together, some scholars questioned whether the three monotheistic religions can advocate for policies and practices that promote equity and ensure that vulnerable populations aren’t left behind. How can they come together around a common purpose of environmental care to mobilize their communities to adopt sustainable practices, support green technologies, and advocate for policy changes? How can religious leaders use their platforms to encourage sustainable living and support eco-friendly initiatives?
In the final analysis, it was agreed that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam can play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges posed by sustainability. Each tradition teaches a deep moral obligation to protect and nurture the Earth.
These shared values provide a foundation for encouraging sustainable practices, environmental protection, and policies that prioritize the planet’s well-being. By embracing principles of moderation, simplicity, and waste reduction, these religions promote lifestyles that foster responsible consumption.
Interfaith collaboration and spiritual education are key to uniting these faiths in their collective effort to confront global issues such as climate change, resource scarcity, and social justice.
Scholars from around the world – including Morocco, Turkey, Italy, the US, UK, Scotland, the Netherlands, Uganda, Kosovo, Belgium, UAE and Israel – took part in the workshop.
“Sustainability presents complex challenges across economic, technological, political, social, and environmental dimensions. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach, and overcoming these obstacles demands creativity, equitable solutions, and global cooperation.
“This workshop has served as a unique step in synthesizing ancient and modern to address the challenges and propose creative solutions,” said head of the department Prof. Hanoch Ben Pazi.
“This workshop gave us the chance to feel how much the challenges we live in being responsible men and women within the whole of creation might drive us together. Our interpretations and reading of Scriptures might differ, and often do, but our deep values call us to take responsibility for the environment, to work for sustainability, and thus be faithful to the image of God we bear,” said Elena Dini, senior program manager of the John Paul II Center for Interreligious Dialogue in Rome.
“If religion is part of what shaped the culture that brought us to this environmental crisis, it must also be part of the solution. Natural science can give us the information on where we stand, but this alone cannot change human behavior to get us somewhere else. This is a challenge for religious leaders and educators, working together,” said Rabbi Dr. Aharon Ariel Lavi, managing director of the Ohr Torah Interfaith Center and research fellow at BIU’s Ma’ayan Center for Jewish Philosophy and Sustainability.
“This engagement not only lays a framework but more importantly creates the relationships, mutual respect, and trust from which shared goals and values emerge amidst clear-eyed awareness of differences. The motivation and a path forward for interfaith collaboration in protecting and stewarding the earth presents itself. Indeed, it’s necessity and a confidence in its possibility emerges. Together, we can work towards a more sustainable world; and we must,” said Rabba Amalia Haas, chaplain of the Cleveland Clinic and CEO of Amalia’s Bees.
“For me, participating in a day of interfaith sustainability is a form of religious duty, as it is our responsibility as human beings to preserve the world through education that promotes acceptance of others. This principle is deeply rooted in the diversity of nature. Just as nature flourishes through its diversity, so, too, do we grow stronger when we uphold and respect the diversity of faiths,” said Dr. Kamal Sharaf, from the Religious Druze Council.
“In the Center for Tolerance and Interfaith Dialogue in Morocco, we held a conference on Islamic thought and the environment and issued a call to political leaders to protect the next generations. I hope that this workshop will conclude with a recommendation to all policy-makers in the world about the importance of protecting the environment and ecosystem – for all of us, as residents of this Earth,” said Hajj Mohamed Aabidou, President of the Moroccan Center for Tolerance and Interfaith Dialogue.
“The trust which God entrusted to man is the responsibility for nature and earth even in difficult situations. The Prophet Muhammad said: If the Final Hour comes while you have a shoot of a plant in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it,” said Dr. Khalid Abu Ras, from BIU’s department of Jewish philosophy and the Shalom Hartman Institute.
“The fundamental premise proved by this workshop, I believe, has been that it is possible for people from all backgrounds to fruitfully consult together in a spirit of friendship and respect,” he continued.
“Studying the Scriptures of all Faiths and identifying the point of unity on the nature of the human being and our relation to the world around us points to a collective will to develop that allows the advancement of the goal of sustainability,” said Selam Ahderom, a member of the Baha’i community.
The workshop was held under the auspices of BIU’s newly established Weisfeld Foundation Ma’ayan Center for Jewish Philosophy and Sustainability, which will be formally launched later this year. It was organized in conjunction with the Regional Cooperation Ministry and the Ohr Torah Interfaith Center.
Trump's meeting with Zelensky
■ A CASE of the pot calling the kettle black? It would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious. US President Donald Trump, the master of disrespect, tells Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky that he’s being disrespectful because he’s not wearing a suit. What was Trump when speaking to or about former US president Joe Biden? Hardly polite, let alone respectful. He was also quite brutal when it came to former vice president Kamala Harris.
As for journalist Brian Glenn – who, like Trump, took offense at Zelensky’s choice of attire and asked him: “Why don’t you wear a suit? You’re in the highest level of this country’s office and you refuse to wear a suit. I just want to see, do you own a suit?” – if he were an investigative reporter rather than a commentator, he would know that Zelensky owns more than one suit. In fact, in 2019, the year in which he was elected, he wore suits to all his introductory meetings with heads of state, including Trump. There are enough photographs on the Internet to prove it.
Zelensky stopped wearing suits at the start of the Russian invasion, and will continue to wear combat clothes till the war is over. It’s certain that Trump’s screaming match against Zelensky was actually not meant for the Ukrainian leader. It was more likely a show put on for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.
Although Zelensky does not talk much about his Jewish background, he is fully Jewish, though his children are not. But he occasionally mentions the fact that his Jewish great-grandparents were burned to death when the Nazis set fire to the predominantly Jewish village in which they lived.
His grandfather and his great uncles all fought in the Red Army. Only his grandfather survived. Zelensky is not about to let anyone treat him as the Jew-boy of yesteryear was treated – not even the president of the United States. Call it disrespect? It’s more in the nature of self-respect.
Disappointment in Australia
■ THERE IS a general feeling in Israel that Australia, which was the first United Nations member country that in 1947 voted in favor of the partition of Palestine, is now more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israeli. But not all Australians and not all members of the Labor Party are so inclined.
Australian athlete and former senator in the federal Parliament Nova Peris, who was the first Aboriginal athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, posted on Meta (Facebook), “As an aboriginal Australian, I am deeply disappointed that Australia did not participate in the global tribute to honor the Bibas family. Around the world countries such as Hungary, France, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, the United States, Italy, and Myanmar illuminated their landmarks in orange to acknowledge the profound pain felt by the Jewish community. Yet here in Australia, where we pride ourselves on fairness and solidarity, this simple gesture was ignored.”
This post continued with the tragic tale of Shiri Bibas and her children, followed by the statement: “Imagine if it were your children. Imagine the terror, the fear, the heartbreak.
“Imagine all the people standing together in solidarity. In their absence, I have done it myself.“Today I stand with my Jewish friends in Australia and across the world.
“Shabbat Shalom, haverim Yehudim hayekarim sheli. Ani kol kach mitzta’eret.”
This is not the first time that the Aboriginal sense of fair play with regard to the Jews has come to the fore.On December 6, 1938, William Cooper, an Aboriginal elder, led a delegation of members of the Australian Aboriginal League from his home in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray to the German Consulate in the State of Victoria, to deliver a letter of protest against the violence perpetrated against Germany’s Jewish citizens on Kristallnacht.
The delegation was not permitted to enter the consulate, but the letter was given to a guard to take inside, but no one knows if it was actually delivered.
With the support of Melbourne’s Jewish community, Cooper’s grandson Alf Turner delivered a replica of the letter to the German government almost 80 years later.
Permanent memorial in tribute to Rabbi Haim Drukman
■ THE KNESSET this week approved the creation of a permanent memorial in tribute to Rabbi Haim Drukman, who died in December 2022 at the age of 90. He was the most influential and senior spiritual leader of the religious-Zionist movement and served as head of the Or Etzion Yeshiva and of all the Bnei Akiva Yeshivot.
He was one of the founders of Gush Emunim, and later was a member of Knesset for almost three decades, serving first as a representative of the National Religious Party, then of Morasha, and finally back to his political roots in the NRP. He held several positions on Knesset committees and subcommittees, including the Knesset Subcommittee for the Examination of Draft Exemption for Yeshiva Students.
He is possibly best known in the wider community for his conversion advocacy following the mass aliyah from the former Soviet Union, where religious practice had been discouraged. Not all the immigrants could prove their Jewishness, and Drukman, who was born in Ukraine and understood their problem, set up a rabbinical court on their behalf.
The permanent memorial will include a research institute, an archive, and a museum that will preserve Drukman’s writings, catalogue his papers, and showcase his personal effects.
Following the passing of the bill, which was initiated by MK Moshe Solomon, he and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Missions Minister Orit Strock, who will be responsible for supervising the project, Rabbi Yaniv Sufen of the Hinenu Forum, which has been active in promoting the monument, along with several of the nine offspring that Drukman had with his wife, Sarah, including their son Rami and daughters Bruria Bienenfeld, Yiska Lapid, and Naavah Hacohen, headed for the President’s Residence.
They were all appreciative that President Herzog had helped to move the bill forward, and that he had signed it almost immediately after it was passed.
Herzog himself noted that Drukman had been a spiritual giant whose spirit continues to linger.
Smotrich described Drukman as the “pillar of fire in the religious-Zionist camp;” Strock said that Drukman has educated hundreds of people over the years, and they carry his legacy in their hearts. Solomon said that he was proud to have been the initiator of the project, which he saw as a sacred mission.
Many of the students who attended educational institutions that were under Drukman’s auspices went on to significant achievements. Among them were former prime minister Naftali Bennett, former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, former IDF chief of staff and current political party leader Benny Gantz, and former communications minister Yoaz Hendel.
Awards ceremony
■ AS PART of its degree awards ceremony that was held at the Menorah Mivtachim indoor arena in Tel Aviv, the senior faculty of Afeka Academic College of Engineering decided to award honorary fellow titles to a number of groundbreaking individuals who have now joined the college’s list of fellows. The honorees served in the reserves and regular army in Operation Swords of Iron.
The Honorary Fellow Award was in recognition of the extraordinary dedication and impressive ability to combine academic commitment with service to the country during this challenging period.
The reasoning of the committee in the citations given to students was: “In your actions, you have become an inspiring model that embodies Afeka’s fundamental values – determination, perseverance, and social responsibility. Your contribution to national strength and Israeli society deserves this special recognition.”
In addition, two other individuals joined the distinguished list. The citation for·Yehuda Eder, musician and founder of the Rimon School of Music, stated: “In recognition of your many years of work in shaping Israeli musical culture, for transforming your personal passion for music into an educational vision in an era where music and technology are intertwined, and for being a model for inspiration in nurturing generations of young creators and musicians.”
More in the nature of the Afeka curriculum was the award to Oren Sagi, CEO of Cisco Israel and chairman of the Israel-America Chamber of Commerce, in recognition of his many years of work in promoting the Israeli hi-tech industry and leading technological innovation, for his significant contribution to reducing the gaps in technological knowledge and skills in Israeli society, and for being a model for inspiration in assimilating values of excellence, ethics, and innovation in Israeli industry.
Afeka President Amit Moyal said: “The honorary fellows selected this year represent the special connection between passion for innovation and inspiration for excellence. They are exemplary in their contribution to Israeli culture, society, and industry, and serve as an inspiration to anyone who strives to combine personal vision with a significant impact on society.”
There were more than 700 graduates this year out of a total of 1,400 since the start of the war. Some 44% of Afeka’s student population were called to combat.
Dedication ceremony for MDA
■ MAGEN DAVID Adom has received three bulletproof mobile intensive care units as a gift from the Samaritans’ Purse. At a ceremony at MDA headquarters in Ramle, the MICUs were dedicated to MDA volunteers who also served as soldiers and fell in battle.
The dedication ceremony was attended by MDA Director-General Eli Bin, Samaritan’s Purse representative John Silkman, families of the fallen, as well as MDA staff and volunteers.
The new MICUs were dedicated in memory of the following: MDA volunteer and IDF St.-Sgt. (res.) Nadav Cohen, a resident of Beit Hanan and a combat soldier in the Golani Brigade’s 51st Battalion, who was killed in the Gaza Strip.
IDF combat officer Capt. (res.) Sagi Ya’akov Rubinstein, a resident of Kibbutz Lavi and MDA paramedic, who despite his frequent reserve duty tours from October 7, 2023, as a combat officer in the 9263th Paratroopers Battalion of the 226th Paratroopers Brigade, continued to work shifts in MDA’s MICUs to complete his certification as a team leader. He was killed in battle in southern Lebanon last December.
IDF combat paramedic and MDA volunteer St.-Sgt. Agam Naim, from Kibbutz Mishmarot, who served in the 52nd Battalion. She trained on MDA MICUs as part of the military paramedics course, which she completed with academic distinction about a year ago. Her last shift on an MDA MICU was two days before she fell in battle in Gaza last September.
The newly inaugurated bulletproof mobile intensive care units will be stationed in communities in the Samaria region and near the Gaza border, where they will help save lives.
During the dedication ceremony, Tal Rubinstein, the widow of Sagi Ya’akov Rubinstein, spoke on behalf of the bereaved families, and all present were moved by her words. She expressed her appreciation to Samaritan’s Purse and Magen David Adom and blessed the teams who will be using the new vehicles to save lives.
Bin, in expressing thanks to Samaritans’ Purse, said: “Samaritan’s Purse chose to support MDA, Israel’s national emergency rescue organization, and since the beginning of the war has donated dozens of ambulances and mobile intensive care units, most of which are bulletproof.
These rescue vehicles are dedicated in memory of MDA personnel who fell during Operation Swords of Iron, either while carrying out lifesaving missions or in military operations defending the State of Israel. The contribution strengthens Magen David Adom and helps ensure the health and safety of Israel’s residents.
“I also thank the families who came here today to honor their loved ones. The new bulletproof intensive care units, which bear the names of your loved ones, will save lives and continue their legacy.”
Silkman said: “I am honored to be here today to inaugurate three more bulletproof mobile intensive care units that will help you save lives in Israel.
“Since the start of the war, we have been deeply impressed by the dedication and excellence of Magen David Adom personnel. We chose to assist by strengthening MDA with ambulances and bulletproof mobile intensive care units, enabling you to continue your most important mission: saving lives.
“It is a great honor for us to dedicate these units in memory of the fallen soldiers, MDA volunteers, and staff who gave their lives in defense of the country. They deserve the highest praise and commemoration.”
Most Jews and Israelis are not aware of the extraordinary generosity of Christian organizations during these 17 months of tragedy and heartbreak.
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