Former chief rabbi of Israel urges Jews to unite

Toronto, Canada — Just days before his devastating second stroke in January, then-Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon called Rabbi Israel Meir Lau to discuss a government position he had in mind for him in the Kadimah party, the former Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel told a Toronto audience last week.

Sharon asked for Rabbi Lau’s help addressing two issues: the disconnection between Jews in the Diaspora and Jews in Israel, and the disconnection between Israeli youth and Jewish tradition, said the rabbi, who is now chief rabbi of Tel Aviv. He was speaking to a crowd of almost 1,200 people at the third annual Spirit of Community dinner held by Beth Chabad Israeli Community Centre at Vaughan’s Renaissance Parque Centre.

According to the rabbi, the then prime minister said they would speak again about a title and what his position would be. Sharon, however, has been in a coma since Jan. 5.

That conversation explains why he accepted the invitation to Toronto, extended by Rabbi Yisroel Landa, executive director of the host group, said Rabbi Lau, a child survivor of Buchenwald concentration camp. Beth Chabad Israeli Community Centre addresses exactly those two issues, he explained.

A secular Israeli living in the Diaspora needs a connection to Jewish tradition “more than in Israel,” said Rabbi Lau, who was born in Poland in 1937 and immigrated to Israel in 1945 with his brother on a ship for orphaned children. “He needs to be sure that his continuity is promised, that his grandchildren will be Jewish, as he is.”

He urged his audience “to live in peace and friendship,” united against 21st-century “common enemies” including violence, poverty, cancer, AIDS and “all kinds of weapons.” Jews in particular, “who taught the world monotheism,” must set an example, he said.

“When we are together, we can offer our hands to the rest of mankind – all the religions, all the races, all the nations, all the civilizations – telling them we all belong to the same father in heaven.”

Rabbi Lau made no reference to reports that he is a likely candidate for the next president of Israel. At least one other speaker alluded to them, but did not name the position explicitly.

In a brief, pre-dinner interview, during which he would accept no political questions, the rabbi discussed relationships between Jews and non-Jews, and those of Orthodox Jews with non-observant and non-Orthodox Jews.

Earlier, Rabbi Lau had told the guests at a VIP reception that the precept “Ve’ahavta l’re’acha kamocha” (“You shall love your neighbour as yourself”) is “the most important rule of ethics of Judaism.”

Expanding on that thought, the rabbi – who continues to meet with Muslim leaders – told The CJN that Jews should “respect” non-Jews, but he cautioned against “involvement,” explaining that intermarriages “threaten the very existence of the Jewish future.

“We, the Jewish people, have to follow the footsteps of our ancient fathers, and there is no conflict between us [and] the rest of the people in the world. Just the contrary, we have to find the bridge of moral and ethics which belong to all mankind and not to look for the differences.”

To Jews who are “[still] secular,” he said, “we open our hearts, we offer our hands, and we embrace all of them with the hope that they will come [to understand]… that knowledge of God will make full the world.”

For non-Orthodox Jews – Conservative and Reform, in particular – the answer is “the same,” he said. “We are open to everyone to continue the chain, and we have our laws as they are in Shulchan Aruch, the Jewish code. We are not permitted to change a law which was given by God at Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago.”

Although the rabbi has been lauded for his longtime interfaith efforts with Muslim leaders, he said there has been little progress in building bridges.

“Unfortunately, the moderate leaders are too quiet and the fundamentalist leaders are too noisy, and I’m afraid the moderate, who are the real leaders, are a little bit hesitant – I’m speaking in very strict understatement… because of the noise of some fundamentalist spiritual leaders.”

This year’s dinner honoured businessmen Shlomo (Sam) Cohen and Eli Swirsky, co-founders of the Torgan Group, a commercial real estate company.

Among the politicians and dignitaries at the dinner were Israeli Consul General Ya’acov (Cobie) Brosh and Vaughan Mayor Michael di Biase, who told the crowd a building permit for the Beth Chabad Israeli Community Centre was “on its way.” The community centre currently operates out of rented premises on Centre Street in Thornhill. Rabbi Eliezer Gurkow of London, Ont., was the MC, and Moshe Ronen, vice-president of the World Jewish Congress, introduced Rabbi Lau.