The Great Ambassador, Mr. David Friedman, Yair Netanyahu (son of the Prime Minister of Israel), together with a large delegation of Knesset members such as former IDF pilot and current Knesset Member and Minister Matan Kahana, and many others—including rabbis from Israel, such as myself (Rabbi Yosef Edery) and Rabbi Yehuda Glick—gathered with a delegation from Ukraine, pastors from around the globe, as well as Republicans from New York and across the United States. We all came together with one common goal:
To pray together, to encourage one another for the important work we all share—standing with Israel, praying for Jerusalem, pursuing justice, seeking truth, and defending the innocent in Israel, Ukraine, or anywhere else around the world.
The Emergency Relief Organization ZAKA gave a presentation on their sacred work, which includes gathering the remains of the fallen, in accordance with Jewish law and tradition. They spoke of the horrors Israel has faced recently, the hundreds of bodies they processed, the supplies depleted by the third day of the war, and the trauma their volunteers endured from dealing with the horrific aftermath of the attacks.
As the lead Sanhedrin Initiative Advisor, I did my best to introduce myself to the many dear guests at this special event and to explain the work of re-establishing the Sanhedrin in our day as a necessary, halachically required step and mitzvah, in preparation for Moshiach.
The response was generally well received, although expertise in this field is rare, and even great rabbis often need to return to the books to recheck the details on the topic.
(P. S. And For constructive purposes only.
Due to the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast being geared mostly towards secular Jews and Christians, the food did not meet my halachic standards, so a few guests and I went to "Jerusalem Cafe" and had some amazing kosher pizza, then returned to the event. For a $500 ticket, I was hoping for more than cold water and Coca-Cola, especially since the event lasted two days, with almost eight hours of talks, panels, and speeches.)
All in all, the mission stood: support for Israel was expressed, and everyone who attended can return to their governments, congregations, or communities and confidently say, "The alliance between America and Israel has never been stronger or better understood."
(Although the kosher food could have been handled better, I appreciate the efforts to make the event welcoming for Jews by avoiding any potentially offensive religious elements, such as a call to prayer in the name of another faith. I did not see any symbols of crosses at the event, which would have been problematic for Jews due to the concern of avodah zarah (idolatry). However, some of the pastors’ styles of prayer seemed very similar to those common in Christianity).
To his credit, Mr. Frank discussed with me the option of arranging a proper Jewish davening with a minyan as part of the official program, but due to my inability to coordinate with my yeshiva students a month in advance, it did not come to pass.
Ukraine, having suffered over 100,000 losses since the beginning of the war, being attacked by the Wagner group comprised of radical Muslims, and being hit by the Iranian-made "Shahed" drones, sees itself as a victim of terrorism similar to what Israel faces.
It seems that most Ukrainians now identify with Israel, and they came to pray and show solidarity during these highly political times.
Days after the Great Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast in the heart of New York City, right next to the United Nations building, we saw significant explosions and attacks on Hezbollah. These attacks indicate that the "green light" was given where it needed to be, to put an end to terrorism in the Middle East. Let us continue to pray and thank Hashem for the miracles He shows towards His firstborn, Israel, and those who support and align themselves with it.
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Yosef
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