From Rabbi Yitzchok Hecht, Director of Chabad of Ulster County in NY:
This past Tuesday I was invited to the Governor’s Birthday party. It was a big event with over 700 people at the Intrepid museum in Manhattan. Followed by a special dinner for less then 200 people. I was honored as the only “yarmulka” in the room to be offered a Kof-K kosher dinner.
Governor Andrew Cuomo was there with his entire family. I took the opportunity to speak to the governor’s father, governor Mario Cuomo, a friend of the late Rabbi JJ Hecht.
I introduced myself as Rabbi JJ Hecht’s grandson. At the mention of this, his eyes lit up and he had the warmest smile.
I shared with him that my grandfather’s office is still up and running, and the picture the governor sent my grandfather is still hanging on the wall. (This is a picture of the Governor and Rabbi Hecht OB”M with a personal handwritten message from the Governor.)
“You know,” he said, “anybody can have faith, anybody can believe. In fact it’s easy to believe! However, your grandfather did it with such fervor, conviction and pure joy! In fact, he showed others the same way.”
“You know,” he continued, “G-d is not mean, and your grandfather showed it!”
He then went on to ask about my grandmother, Rebbetzin Chava Hecht, sending her his very best wishes.
This brought to mind this week’s parsha when Yaakov tells his brother Eisav, “you know I lived with Lavan for 20 years and yet I kept all of the Torah. Our forefather Yaakov saw to it to always walk in the ways of G-d, thus impacting all those all who came in contact with him.”
When one spreads Torah with heart and soul it impacts Jew and Gentile alike! How wonderful!
That is moving and inspiring~
Is that former Gov Cuomo? It looks more like Shimon Peres.