Hello From Jerusalem - June 9, 2014

Hello From Jerusalem
From Yossi's Desk

June 9, 2014

 If you were to ask what the 10th President elect of the State of Israel, Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin is most identified with there is no doubt that the answer will be JERUSALEM.  Yesterday, Knesset members made it a very happy day for many Jerusalem natives, my Dad included, by electing Ruby Rivlin as our tenth President.
 
Rivlin, 74 years old, married with four children, was born in Jerusalem and has lived in the city all of his life.  The President elect is a “Rivlin” on both sides.  His father, Yoel Yosef and his mother, Rachel are both descendants of the senior Rivlin family which immigrated to Israel over 200 years ago.
 
The elected 10th president was born in the famous Jerusalem neighborhood of Rehavia and was raised in a “Beitar” home as part of the well-respected Rivlin dynasty.  His father, Middle Eastern expert Professor Yoel Yosef Rivlin, who was a candidate to be the third President of the State of Israel, translated the Koran to Hebrew and instilled in his children the love and respect of the language. 
 
Ruby Rivlin, who for over 30 years, lives one floor above Benny Begin (son of the legendary Prime Minister of the State of Israel Menachem Begin), is well known in Jerusalem as a fanatical fan of our famous Beitar Jerusalem  soccer team and served as director and chairman of the Beitar Jerusalem Sports Association for many years.
 

I asked my Dad why, apart from his personal relationship with Ruby since childhood, he believes that Rivlin is right for the highly respectable position of President.  My Dad replied that “as someone that is determined to unify all aspects of our nation, Rivlin possesses many aspects of the Israel consensus.  Though not a religious man in the true sense of the word, he is very close to the religion and to the traditions of Israel.  Rivlin is a descendant of the Genius of Vilna (Vilna Gaon) on his mother’s side, which makes him part of the Haredi movement and is a descendent of the Ba’al Shem Tov who established the Hassidic movement, from his father’s side. Rivlin adheres to both traditions. He does not travel on Shabbat or holidays and he puts on tfellin every morning.  On the other hand he is very modern, pluralistic and accepting.”
 
Rivlin is anticipated to be a very active president; strong, opinionated and not afraid to deal with debatable issues.  On the one hand, he will pray at the Cave of the Patriarchs (Ma’arat HaMachpela) in Hebron and on the other he will participate in the ceremony commemorating the massacre in Kfar Qasim. He will support and bless the settlement movement as well as look after the wellbeing of the Palestinian citizens of East Jerusalem.
 
Just a few moments after his election, while still on the podium, excited and with tears in his eyes he concluded his speech loud and steady with the words: "Long live Israeli democracy! Long live the State of Israel.”
 

Please join me in wishing Jerusalem native Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin, our 10th President, the best of luck as the next President of the State of Israel.  May he go from strength to strength.
  
Yossi Tanuri | Director General | Jewish Federations of Canada - UIA
 (+ 972 2) 620 2778   |(+ 972 2 ) 620 3038 |
 yossi@uiac.org.il | www.JewishCanada.org

 

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