National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel Tel

The two themes we had for this event were support for Israel and support for the war against terrorism. Our next speaker is the living embodiment of the nexus of these two urgent and vital efforts. Mark Sokolow was on the 31^st – 38^th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center on September 11th when the plane struck. His life was spared. And then, together with his wife and two of his three daughters, he traveled to Israel in January of this year to celebrate his daughter Jamie's bat mitzvah. Once again the specter of terrorism touched his life, when all four of his family members suffered injuries in the bombing on Jaffa Road.

Less than a year ago, on May 8th, 2001, two eighth-grade boys were killed outside Gush Etzion community of Tekoa, Yakov Mandel and Yossi Ishran. Kobi Mandel was the oldest son of Rabbi Seth Mandel and his wife, Cherie (sp), a family well-known in this community, where they lived before making aliyah. Kobi Mandel's memory will forever be a blessing for all of us, as will the memories of all of those who perished al tudesh hashem (sp). And we will welcome as well as Rabbi Seth Mandel, Kobi's father.

And the third victim family: In February 2000, a bus driven by a Palestinian terrorist rammed into a group of soldiers and civilians at the Azor Junction, which so many of us have driven by. Eight died and 21 were injured, three of them critically. One of those three was a talented young dancer, 19-year-old Monique Wasserman. She was severely injured. She is the embodiment of all of the innocent people who have been the victims of the hatred and terrorism wrought against Israel, and we welcome her mother, Sharon Evans (sp), who made aliyah from South Africa – (cheers) – to create a better life for her family and who made the journey here to express the human toll that terrorism takes.

In moments of tragedy, Jews increase their learning, increase their tzedakah (sp), and increase their prayer. (Cheers.) We have with us, to lead us in prayer, the executive vice president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Rabbi Paul Menitoff, who will read from Tehilim (sp) 1:22. And we welcome Rabbi Hershel Billet, the rabbi of the Young Israel of Woodmere and president of the Rabbinical Council of America, who will lead the Tabila (sp) for Madid Y'Israel (sp), and Rabbi Perry Rank of the Midway Jewish Center in Syosset, New York, the vice president of the International Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Jewish movement, who will offer the prayer for the state of Israel.

Today we were joined by tens of thousands of students. To represent them – (cheers, applause) – to represent them, we have Ruven Brand – (cheers, applause) – a senior at Yeshiva University, whose president is with us, who this past January participated in the Operation Torah Shield mission to Israel, sponsored by the OU, the Israel government tourist office, and the Conference of Presidents, and he will read from Psalm 130; and Mira Cogan. (Cheers, applause.) "The old shall dream dreams, and the youth shall see visions," our sacred text says, reminding us that the voice of youth is the voice of our future. Please welcome Mira Cogan, a sophomore in the joint program at Columbia University and JTS – (cheers, applause) – who serves as the Israel action coordinator at Hillel at Columbia University and Barnard College.

And I want to call up the world-renowned figure who opened our program and will lead us again in song. As we conclude this program, we ask that you all stay and give the proper respect to this wonderful array of people who have waited all of this time. And we apologize to them, but they know the cause. (Cheers.) They know the reason. They have made the sacrifices for it. And I want to thank all of my colleagues who joined the Conference of Presidents and UJC in making this possible – those who worked day and night for six days, except for Shabbat, who worked around the clock in making a miracle happen that everybody said was impossible – "You can't do it." (Cheers.) Almost 200,000 people proved them wrong. (Cheers.) And we will come back over and over and over, with our Christian friends – Catholics, Protestants, Hindus, Muslims – all of us – to proclaim Israel now and forever. (Cheers.)

I want to call upon Rabbi Menitoff.

RABBI PAUL MENITOFF: (inaudible) – verses from – Psalms 126 and 122. (Speaks in Hebrew.) "When God brought back to those that returned to Zion, we were like unto them that dreamed, when our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with singing. Then said they among the nations, 'God has done great things. God has done great things with us. We are rejoiced.'

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper that love you. Peace be within its walls and prosperity within its palaces. For my companions' sake, I will now say, peace be within you. For the sake of the house of our God, I will seek your good. "

DUDU FISHER: Ladies and gentlemen, my brothers, it's Yom Ha-Zikkaron today in Israel. And it's – (inaudible) – so we can not have an orchestra today. But I'd like you to be my orchestra and sing together with me. And I'd like your song to bounce to the White House, to Europe, to Israel, and let the Israelis, let us know that you are with us. (Cheers.)

(Sings.)

Thank you! (Cheers.)

Mr. Sokolow.

MR. SOKOLOW: I am no stranger to Arab terror. With gratitude to Hashem, I am one of the luckier victims. But I have seen firsthand the evil of Arab terror and its hatred for Israel and Americans. I first saw the hand of Arab terror in my office in the World Trade Center on September 11^th. On that beautiful Tuesday morning, I was sitting in my office on the 38^th floor of the south tower, when I heard a loud noise. At that time, I had no idea what happened. But as we all now know, Arab terrorists crashed a jetliner filled with innocent people and jet fuel into the north tower. Thankfully, someone from my office who saw the north tower ablaze came running down the hall, urging us to evacuate the building. I walked down the 38 flights, and as I reached the lobby, I felt something I will never forget: a violent shaking of the building. At that time, I had no idea what happened. But as we all now know, Arab terrorists crashed a second jetliner filled with innocent people and jet fuel into the south tower.

As a result of the horrific terrorist act of September 11^th, thousands of innocent Americans were murdered. As my family and I sat around our TV in the days following 9/11, with tears streaming down our faces, we were so proud of our president when he said, "In the war against terror, you are either with us or against us." And when he said that any nations that harbors or supports terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime. Mr. President, the Jewish community is solidly behind you in this fight against terror. (Cheers.)

Following the events of 9/11 – (cheers) – following the events of 9/11, my wife and I decided to take our two younger daughters with us to Israel to visit our older daughter, who is studying in a Torah seminary there for the year.

On January 27th, on what was supposed to be the last day of our trip, we walked to town to a popular shoe store on Jaffa Road in the holy city of "Yerushalayim", the eternal capital of Israel. (Cheers, applause.) We bought shoes – we bought shoes, and seconds after we left the store, an Arab terrorist, a homicide bomber, who was smuggled into Jerusalem in a Palestinian ambulance, walked into the same store, looked around, walked outside and blew herself up right near where we were standing.

We were all rushed to different hospitals, and for several agonizing hours I didn't know whether the rest of my family was alive. Thank God we all survived with what the press called "minor injuries." My wife has a severely fractured leg on which she still can't walk. My daughter and I just had surgery to reconstruct our eardrums, and my youngest daughter has lost some vision in one eye. And we all have significant shrapnel injuries and scars, not to mention the mental trauma we have all suffered.

My friends, I can say from my first-hand experience that Israel's enemies are America's enemies, and that Israel's war on terror is America's war on terror! (Cheers, applause.) Any attempt to weaken Israel, to undermine its efforts to eradicate Arab terror will backfire on Israel and the United States and result in more murder of innocent Jews, more death and more suffering.

There can be no double standard in the war against terror. (Cheers.) If the United States is allowed to fight terror across the world, then surely Israel must be allowed to fight terror across the street! (Cheers, applause.) If the United States can fight its battles from the air with massive bombs, then how dare anyone criticize Israel's house-to-house battle to root terrorism from its midst? (Cheers, applause.)

When will the Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, stop subsidizing families of suicide bombers?

We ask President Bush to hold true to his words that there is no such thing as a good terrorist; that every country has a right to defend ourselves. We ask Prime Minister Sharon to remain strong and steadfast and do all that he can to preserve every precious Jewish soul – (cheers, applause) – because a single Jewish life is worth more than a hundred glowing editorials, a single Jewish life is worth more than a thousand flowery eulogies, and a single Jewish life is worth more than a million Nobel Peace Prizes. (Cheers.)

So the war on terror must be fought and must be won. You can't make peace with those who hate life even more than they hate Jews. There are thousands of victims of Arab terror who are not as fortunate as my family and me; they are victims of an evil, failed, foolhardy peace process. They are victims only because they were Jews living in the land of Israel who wanted to get a slice of pizza, ride a bus, have a "Pesakh Seder" with their family, or shop for food for "Shabbat."

Today our message goes out to the president, to the prime minister and to the world: Arab terror endangers all of mankind. Let us stand together and fight together. Let us never falter or fail, and together we will conquer evil. Together we will strengthen Israel, and together we will realize the ancient dreams of the prophets of Israel for peace, unity and the Kingdom of God!

Thank you. (Cheers, applause.)

MC: And while we invite Rabbi Perry Rank to lead us in a prayer for the United States, I want to welcome many New York officials who are here, many state officials here, including the president of the Association of Jewish State Legislators, State Senator Seymour Lachman (sp), Assemblymen Dov Ikin (sp) and Jeb Dinowitz (sp); Councilmen David Webber (sp) and Albert Kopel (sp), Jim Cinaro (s) and many others who have joined us to be with us. And we thank all of the state and local legislators who came from across the country – Jews, non-Jews of every ethnicity. We are grateful for your support and we count on it in the future.

Rabbi Rank.

RABBI RANK: "Havi rye" (ph), my friends. A prayer for our government and for these wonderful United States of America.

"(Begins in Hebrew) – our God, and God of our ancestors. We ask your blessings for our country, for its government, for its leader and advisers, and for all who exercise just and rightful authority. Teach them insights of your Torah that they may administer all affairs of state fairly; that happiness and prosperity, that justice and freedom, that peace and security may forever abide in our midsts.

Creator of all flesh, bless all the inhabitants of our country with your spirit. May citizens of all races and creeds forge a common bond in true harmony to banish all hatred and bigotry and to safeguard the ideals and the free institutions that are the pride and glory of our country. May this land under, your providence, be an influence for good throughout the world, uniting all people in "shalom" – peace – and freedom, and helping them to fulfill the vision of your prophet: (Speaks in Hebrew.) "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they experience war anymore."

And let us all say "amen."

MC: Sharon Evans – (cheers) – and her fan club!

SHARON EVANS: On February the 14^th of last year, my whole life was turned upside down. A Palestinian bus driver deliberately ran down a group of soldiers waiting at a bus stop. Eight young people were killed that day, many injured, many wounded – eight of them were killed, 23 injured.

The most severely injured was a 19-year-old young woman who dreamed of becoming a dancer. She was more dead than alive upon her arrival at Tel Ashmei (ph) Hospital. She was unconscious, barely breathing, her pelvis was crushed, her legs were broken, her intestine perforated, and the main artery to her left leg was severed, which had caused her massive blood loss. Her face was smashed in and her four front teeth knocked out.

The doctors gave her a less than a 1 percent chance of surviving. Her name is Monique (sp), and Monique (sp) is my daughter. After 14 hours of surgery and receiving more than 30 units of blood, Monique (sp) was wheeled into intensive care and hooked up to a respirator. On that day, I made a pact with God; if Monique (sp) lived, I would make sure the world would know what had happened to her and her friends on that terrible day. I vowed that these victims would not be forgotten. And I vowed to be the voice of those victims who can no longer speak. I promised to let the world know – (interrupted by cheers, applause). I promised to let the world know of the suffering pain and despair of the families left behind.

Against all odds, Monique (sp), my miracle child, opened her eyes, recognized me and squeezed my hand. (Cheers; applause.)

Monique spent six weeks in intensive care, underwent seven operations and spent nine months in hospital. And today, 14 months later, Monique's left leg has nerve damage and she needs crutches to get around.

There are hundreds and hundreds of victims like Monique today that have been disfigured and permanently disabled. There are also many families who have suffered the loss of a child, and many children that have been left orphaned. These families need your support. They need lots of support, emotional and financial. They need to know they are not forgotten and they are not alone. These terror victims have paid that ultimate price for being Jews living in the state of Israel. We have a collective responsibility to help these families rebuild their lives. Each and every community throughout America can help, must help. Each and every synagogue and school can adopt a family and assist these families with their emotional and financial needs. The Israel Emergency Solidarity Fund – One Family was created to meet the needs of these families. And they will help to arrange adopt a family.

Eight young people lost their lives on that day that Monique was injured: Juli (sp); Alexander; Corji (ph); David; Rajeli (ph); Orpheal (ph); Yasmin and Simja (ph). Monique and I made a promise that day: We will not let the world forget you. Please help us keep that promise. (Cheers; applause.)

MC: And now one of the people who from the very first minute this decision was made started to mobilize synagogues in his community as did many rabbis throughout this country, Rabbi Hershel Billet. (Cheers; applause.)

RABBI BILLET: (Remarks in Hebrew; not translated.)

MC: Rabbi Mandel. (Cheers; applause.)

RABBI SETH MANDEL: My son, Kobi Mandel, and his friend, Joseph Ishran (ph), were in the 8th grade when Palestinian terrorists murdered them in cold blood. My son, Kobi Mandel, and his friend, Joseph Ishran (ph), were in the 8th grade when Palestinian murderers beat them to death with boulders the size of bowling balls. My son, Kobi Mandel, and his friend, Joseph Ishran (ph), were in the 8th grade when Palestinian terrorists beat them so badly that they had to have dental records to identify them.

These men mutilated my son and his friend after they looked them in the eyes, standing closer to them than you are to anybody but the person you're touching. They looked them in the eyes, and they knew what they were. They were 13-year-old boys out on a hike 200 yards from their house.

Kobi was a boy who grew up 10 miles from here, Silver Spring, Maryland. He had two things on his wall four years later. He had a picture of Cal Ripkin and he had a picture of Michael Jordan. There's only three things he really liked to do in life. He liked to study the Torah and the Talmud, but more than that, he liked to play baseball and he liked to play basketball.

The Talmud says that if you destroy one life, you destroy the entire world. I know because my world was destroyed when they killed my son. I know because my family's world was destroyed when they killed my son. And I know because my community was destroyed when they killed my son. This is true not only for me and my family, this is true for every one of the families of the 460 people who have been killed in the last year and a half. My son Kobi was about number 65. It goes on and on.

The worst moment that I experience is on Friday night. On Friday night I walk into Shul and I see my son's friends. They shake hands with each other and they laugh and they give each other "high fives," and I watch them. And then I look at the seat next to me. That's Kobi's seat. And Kobi's not there. And at that moment, I know more than any other that he's not going to be there, and I know that I'll never see him again and never watch him give another "high five" to a friend in Shul.

With all the pain and the heartache, my wife Sherri and I, through her writing, and through our founding of the Kobi Mandel Foundation, are trying to turn the darkness of Kobi's death into light. With all the pain and the heartache, by standing in front of you symbolizing the thousands of survivors of terror, I'm trying to turn the darkness of Kobi's death into light. And with all the pain and the heartache, we're staying in Israel. We're not leaving. We're living in Israel and we're loving in Israel. (Cheers, applause.)

Through it all, we're trying to turn the darkness into light. In the Sbarro Pizza bombing, there was a family of Dutch people, five of whom were killed. There was a four-year-old boy named Abraham Yitzhak (sp). As he was laying on the ground bleeding, burning and dying, he said to his father, he said, "Abba help me, Abba save me." And his father reached over to him and he said, "Say the Shma." He said together they held hands and they said, "Shma Israel, Adenoi elohenu, Adenoi echad (ph)."

Kobi died alone. I didn't have a chance to say the "Shma" with him, and I want you to help me. I want you to help me and I want you to say the "Shma" with me in the honor of the 460 people killed in the last year and a half; I want you to say the "Shma" with me in the merit of Avraham Yitzhak ben Mordechai, the boy in the Sbarro pizza place; and I want you to say the "Shama" with me now in the merit of my son, Kobi Mandel Yakov Natan ben Shragafivo (ph).

(Speaks in Hebrew.)

Thank you. (Applause.)

MC: Thank you.

And now, to conclude the program, we call Mira Cogen, and then, as is customary, we will end with a "spe law" (ph), led by Mr. Brand.

MIRA COGEN: "Shalom." I am Mira Cogen and I am a student at Colombia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary. I am proud to stand here today to represent Jewish students across the continent, including thousands of Hillel students who have come to this rally from more than 100 campuses across North America. (Cheers, applause.)

When the media cries that our generation is apathetic, when statistics show that most college students are not involved in their Jewish communities, how is it that we all came down here by the bus loads and by the thousands? What about this struggle makes us care? For some it is the family and friends whom we have in Israel, those whom we have lost, and those who have survived; those family and friends who are now serving on the front lines as we speak. And for some it is our own dedication to preserve the Jewish homeland as a place for all of us.

But as college students, we all realize that the most freshly dug graves belong to people our own age in Israel, for when we college students see the faces of soldiers who are protecting the land of Israel, the people of Israel, and Jews worldwide, we see our own faces. At a time when young people are attacked in nightclubs, supermarkets and coffee houses by homicide bombers; when young Israeli soldiers, people our own age, are risking their life for their country, Hillel students are taking action. We are refuting the lie that anti-Israel activists are spouting on our campuses. We are sponsoring rallies, teach-ins and vigils. We are working with organizations like APAC so that we can carry the pro-Israel message to all students. We are bringing Caravan for Democracy to our campuses, celebrating Israel and America's shared democratic values. We are raising money for the united Jewish community special campaign, and we are purchasing an ambulance from Magen David Adom (ph). We are writing articles in our campus newspapers, and we are talking to the press. In six weeks, over 250 students will participate in a special solidarity mission to Israel.

We will not be silenced. Rather, with our most powerful voices, we will rally behind Israel. (Cheers.) You hear one voice of a college student here today, but college students speak with many voices. We come from the New York metropolitan area, New England, the Midwest, the South, the West and across North America. Many of us participated in Birthright Israel, and many more are waiting to take advantage of that gift from our Jewish community. We are liberal and conservative. We are Ashkenazi and Sephardi. We hope for success in many forms. We hope to be doctors, lawyers, scholars, members of Congress, teachers, actors, musicians, business people, rabbis. Regardless of our thousands of different hopes, we all hope for a time when Israel can live in peace with its neighbors as a Jewish state within safe and recognized borders. (Cheers.) And regardless of where we live, regardless of what we believe, wherever we stand, wherever we stand, we stand with Israel. (Cheers.)

REUVEN BRAND: I have the last word, and I have the bottom line. And that is, at the end of the day, while we are so far away, we have the opportunity to help our brothers and sisters in Israel by increasing our dedication and our commitment to learning Torah, to doing acts of chesed and to davening, to praying to God – (speaks in Hebrew) – for the safety of Am Israel and Eretz Israel. (Applause.) I ask everyone to join me, please, and we'll read together Tehilim Perek Koflamid (ph). (Sings in Hebrew, with the crowd joining in.)

Before you leave today, make a commitment, a commitment to chesed, tzadakah (sp), to Torah. Make a commitment to action. Make a commitment that each and every one of us will write every day a letter to our public officials; that each of us every day will let European leaders know that we will not tolerate the resurgence of anti-Semitism – (cheers) – that we will let the United Nations know that we will not tolerate the invective and attacks on Israel; to let our officials know that we support them when they stand with Israel, as they did today; to let our elected officials know how we feel. They can't guess it. They know now from your being here, but they have to know tomorrow and the day after.

Buy Israeli products. Go to stores, look for them. Help the economy at this difficult time. And most of all, all of us have a responsibility to show the people of Israel that they are not alone, not by our presence here only but by our presence in Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv, in Haifa, every day. (Cheers; applause.) Call your friends in Israel. Tell them what happened today, and tell them that we will not be silent. We will carry the message from here forth in the days and months to come. We showed today it can be done. Now it's up to you to show them in the future that it will be done.

Thank you all for coming. Thank you for being here. Thank you for making Jewish history. (Cheers; applause.) And let us hope we can be here in the future to celebrate the victories, to celebrate in joy, to celebrate overcoming the obstacles that have arisen, because indeed, Israel now and forever!

Thank you all for being here.

(Cheers; applause.)

	National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel Tel. (248) 557-4540 · Fax. (248) 557-4527 · E-mail: NCLCI@MSN.COM

National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel Tel. (248) 557-4540 · Fax. (248) 557-4527 · E-mail: NCLCI@MSN.COM

Speeches from the 2002 Pro Israeli Washington Rally

Washington Mall, April 15, 2002

National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel
Tel. (248) 557-4540 · Fax. (248) 557-4527 · E-mail: NCLCI@MSN.COM