At the Chabad House of Mineola, NY, following the daily Siyum for the nine days, all gathered outside to reflect on recent tragic events around the world. The program highlighted a special Moment of Silence, prayers and resolutions to add in mitzvos.
Rabbi Defies London Olympics to Stand for Silence
At the Chabad House of Mineola, NY, following the daily Siyum for the nine days, all gathered outside to reflect on recent tragic events around the world. The program highlighted a special Moment of Silence, prayers and resolutions to add in mitzvos.
Rabbi Anchelle Perl spoke of the connection of three events: the Aurora Colorado movie theater Massacre, the Terrorist attack on Israeli Tourists in Bulgaria, and the murder of 11 Israeli athletes in Munich, Germany 40 years ago, for you can actually connect the dots between them all.
They all have one thing in common, evil. Evil is evil whether perpetrated by a group or an individual, it has one thing in common – the desire to kill innocent human beings, to ultimately deny the Divine image that exists in each human being. Rabbi Perl noted with sadness that the opening London Olympic games this year come with the dark memory of 40 years ago in Munich, when 11 Israeli athletes and a policeman were killed by terrorists at that time.
“The victims’ families for the past 40 years have made one specific request – to hold a moment of silence at the opening ceremonies” proclaimed Rabbi Perl. “So while the International Olympic Committee continues to reject this, we stand here in Mineola, New York in a ‘Moment of Silence,’ to express our dedication to those 11 Israeli athletes, to show the world that the massacre at the Munich Olympics in 1972 was indeed a blight on the world.”
“The purpose is to acknowledge that this horrific slaughter should be grieved, not by Israel alone, but by the entire community of nations. Turning down this request fails to recognize that this is not an internal Israeli matter, about political posturing or revenge,” he said.
Rabbi Feitel Levin, renowned Chazzan, led in special songs of reflection and memorial.
When asked by a local news reporter what is Chabad’s overall view of the Games, Rabbi Perl answered in the negative, reflecting the serious reservations the Lubavitcher Rebbe had voiced over the years concerning the origin of the Olympic games.
Photos by Chaim Perl
Ephraim Grushnit
Well done, rabbi Perl!
I remember staying home from highschool when the Munich massacre was unfolding. Seems the Olympic Comitee is afraid to loose it’s Arab sponsors.
The problem is, I think, that the IC does not think of the murdered sporters as Olympic sporters but as Israeli citizens. And as we know all too well, the lives of Israeli citizens are not really appreciated outside Israel…
chaim den hoed
kaddish for the victims of 1972.its a shame for the whole world.
pro-a
heres your chance to use facebook for what it can do. POST this so many more people will see, and do it in the names of the neshamos of those kedoshim and their families as well. gut shabbes
touched to the core!!!!!
wow!!!!!
what a powerful voice!!!!
so heart-warming!!!!!