Against the backdrop of increasing antisemitic incidents in France and in honor of Diaspora Week, the Straus-Amiel Institute of Ohr Torah Stone held a conference in Paris this week. Among the participants was Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, head of the Har Bracha Yeshiva in Samaria, who left Israel for the first time in his life to attend the gathering.
A Special Prayer Amid the Crisis
During the conference, Rabbi Melamed, led the recitation of Psalms and prayers in response to the situation in Israel, alongside Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander, President and Rosh Yeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone, .
Rabbi Melamed also joined a special prayer service led by Rabbi Moshe Sebbag, chief rabbi of the Grand Synagogue of Paris. The prayer, held at the “La Victoire” Synagogue, was dedicated to the safe return of the hostages and IDF soldiers, in memory of those murdered and fallen, and for the speedy recovery of the wounded. “We must continue to spread divine light and blessing into the world,” Rabbi Melamed stated.
Over 100 Rabbis and Educators from Across Europe
The Straus-Amiel Institute conference, organized in collaboration with the World Mizrachi Shlichut Center and the Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), hosted over 100 rabbis and educators from across Europe. The event aimed to address the pressing challenges facing Jewish communities today.
Participants discussed the difficulties their communities face amid the ongoing conflict in Israel and took part in panels on a range of topics, including the future of European Jewish communities, interfaith dialogue during wartime, faith-based leadership in times of crisis, and the challenges of conversion within Jewish communities.
The conference took place against a backdrop of recent antisemitic attacks in France, including the assault on the Chief Rabbi of Orléans and an arson attempt on the Hyper Cacher supermarket, where four Jews were murdered in a 2015 terror attack.
“Our Cooperation Is Vital and Necessary”
Also attending the event was Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Kalman Ber.
“As the head of the Chief Rabbinate today, I believe that we are all emissaries, and we all share the same goal – to do good for the Jewish people,” Rabbi Ber stated in his address.
“We don’t always have to agree on everything, but our unity and cooperation as the people of Israel are of great importance, now more than ever,” he added.
