By COLlive reporter
Israel’s Chief Rabbi David Lau is currently on tour in the United States, visiting Jewish communities and meeting key Jewish leaders, but his eyes are on the escalating situation in France.
On Wednesday, he visited the Chabad Center of the Five Towns in Long Island, NY, where he joined congregants for Shachris davening and heard from the Shliach Rabbi Zalman Wolowik about their many activities.
On Thursday he was already on the West Coast, speaking for Chabad in the Conejo Valley in California. As reported on COLlive.com, he spoke to a crowd of 500 people about “Israel and American Jewry.”
In Los Angeles, he stopped by Chabad West Coast Headquarters in Westwood, which is built as a replica of 770 Eastern Parkway and was the first building in the world to be called “Chabad House.”
He met there with the Head Shliach of California Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin and other Shluchim, under a photograph of Rabbi Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg, the Shluchim in Mumbai who were murdered by terrorists in 2008.
Then, news came on Friday about a kosher grocery shop was captured by an Islamic terrorist. Reports later said that 4 of the hostages were murdered, while some of the others freed were in critical condition.
The Chief Rabbi held phone conversations with several rabbis in France to strengthen his colleagues’ spirit at this time.
He told them that the entire Jewish nation is one people. “When part of the nation feels in danger, the entire nation around the world stands in solidarity and mutual responsibility.”
Rabbi Lau added that the people in Israel share the same sentiments. “Let your spirit not fall,” he added. “We pray for your well-being and safety, each of Israel is responsible for one another – from Jerusalem, from France and around the world.”
