Dear friends,אחֵינו
כל בית ישראל
Our dear brothers and sisters - around the world.
This past year has been one of highs and lows.
Only nine months ago, around fifty world leaders came together in
Jerusalem to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz-Birkenau, committing to fighting anti-Semitism, and preserving -the
memory of the Holocaust.
Unfortunately, since then, for most of the year, we have all been
dealing with the corona-virus pandemic.
We have lost loved ones; our schools, synagogues, and community
centers have been closed; and we still face great uncertainty about the future.
As the year ends, and the New Year begins, we are all hoping and
praying that the new year will bring a cure for the corona-virus, and that we
will, once again, be able to meet each other in person, and return to our
normal lives.
Reflecting on the past year, I hope that in the next year, we will
be more sensitive to the needs of the elderly, and of the weakest members of
society, especially to those who are alone.
I hope and believe that this period has reminded us that כל
ישראל ערבים זה לזה - that the entire
Jewish people are one family, that we must take responsibility for one another,
and that what unites us is much greater than what divides.
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Dear friends, in the last weeks we are witnessing a historic moment
for Israel and for the Middle East, with the Peace Agreement between Israel and
the Emirates.
I hope that this new spirit of cooperation will help us move
forward with our Palestinian neighbors and with all the countries of the Middle
East as well.
May the coming year
be a year in which the bonds between Israel and the Diaspora, and between
Jewish communities everywhere, grow stronger and stronger.
From Jerusalem, I
would like to wish you all, שנה טובה
וּמתוקה!
May you all be
blessed - with happiness, joy and good health.
I look forward to welcoming you next
year in Jerusalem.
God Bless You all.