Chief Rabbi Responds to Call

By COLlive reporter

Israel’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar has issued a public letter to Jewish people across Israel to bring their children to shul on the holiday of Shavuos.

In the letter, he quotes from the Medrash that hearing the Ten Commandments on Shavuos is considered as if one was standing before G-d on Mount Sinai and receiving the Torah.

The respected rabbi emphasized the need to bring the children as well, pointing out that when only after the Jewish people said “our children will be our guarantors,” did G-d agree to give the Torah to the Jewish nation.

Rabbi Amar’s letter is a result of an impromptu meeting he had with Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar while the two were visiting the Rebbe’s Ohel gravesite in Queens this past month.

As reported on COLlive.com, Rabbi Lazar shared with Rabbi Amar how much the Rebbe cared and campaigned for children to be brought to shul on the holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah.

Many Chabad centers worldwide hold lavish dairy meals and ice cream parties to entice unaffiliated Jews to bring their families and friends to shul in middle of an otherwise regular day at work.

A group of Lubavitch activists in Israel associated with the organization “Yahadut B’mor Panim” have publicizing Rabbi Amar’s letter, in addition to airing commercials on Israeli radio stations calling the wider public to bring their children to hear the Ten Commandments as a segula merit for the success of their children’s education.

They also produced a video promo in a few languages. Here is the one in English: