On January 8, the Riverdale Jewish Center and Ma’agalim hosted former President of Israel Reuven Rivlin.

Introducing Rivlin, RJC Rabbi Dovid Zirkind expressed, “It is personally gratifying for us that the president of Israel visits our shul, embraced by a friend, Senator Joseph Leiberman, a distinguished member of our shul.” Rabbi Zirkind also acknowledged NYC Councilmember Eric Dinowitz, and special recognition went to Congressman Ritchie Torres. “I don’t believe anyone can articulate how much our community appreciates you and respects your vision. So grateful for your leadership, we cannot be more proud to have you as our Congressman.”

Rabbi Zirkind explained that last fall, RJC studied about the Vilna Gaon. “We know he was a highly private and elusive scholar. But we do know that in early adulthood, he unsuccessfully attempted to make aliyah to Israel, only to return home.

“The Vilna Gaon did not speak a great deal about the trip or explain it to people around him. But it was clear he instilled in his family and students a longing for Israel, a return to our geographic and spiritual home. When the Gaon passed away, dozens of students and extended family members left Vilna for Israel. It was the turn of the 19th century, 80 years before modern Zionism.

“One of those families that bravely journeyed to Israel, arriving in Yerushalayim in 1809, was none other than Mishpachat Rivlin. President Rivlin is an eighth-generation Yerushalmi, whose entire career was in service to the Jewish people and Jewish state.

Rivlin opened: “I would like to remind everyone in America, once a president, always a president. Not in Israel. We have a wonderful President Herzog, I send you his best regards and wishes; a blessing from Jerusalem.” Addressing Senator Lieberman directly: “You are dear friend of Israel, one of the leaders in Israel. You have done what most leaders are trying to do in Israel; you have succeeded.

“I pray for the safe return of our hostages and soldiers,” Rivlin continued. “For three months, I have visited families torn from their homes, the injured in hospitals, parents who lost sons and daughters, and families of those kidnapped by Hamas. People all over the world are defining Hamas as freedom fighters. They are not. Their wish is not to build Palestine; their only wish is to butcher Jews, because they are Jews. We have to bring this story to an end; we are suffering from Hamas for 20 years.”

When Rivlin’s family came to Israel in 1809, Arabs welcomed them. “They thought we can bring blessings to Jerusalem,” he said. Jerusalem at that time was neglected; no one wanted to live there. By 1886, Jerusalem was majority Jewish. “We believed the Arabs understood we are coming back to our homeland. This is our only homeland as a Jew.”

Rivlin has been working in the international arena making sure the truth is being heard. He noted that in a democracy, the majority cares about the minority as much as they care about the majority. One who is elected to run the country has to take care of every citizen. “Across the free world, we find people, in the name of freedom of speech, inciting one against the other, using antisemitism in the name of freedom of speech; we have to fight it. What I did not imagine, after the brutal massacre of October 7th, is the antisemitism all over the world.

“Since 2019 we are 25% Israeli Arabs, 25% Haredi, 38% secularist, and 12% National Religious. We are a democracy; freedom of religion is something we have to keep very tight.

“[Our] soldiers are fighting side by side, from both the left and the right. We also know we are not alone in Israel. As I said before, you [in the audience] are the fifth tribe of Israel.” Rivlin emphasized, “Israel is not compensation from the Holocaust, Israel is the land of the Jewish people, the promised land.”

Rivlin exclaimed: “We believe Ma’agalim is so important. We left people we didn’t pay attention to, who were weak, without education, work, a future, hope, and neglected by the community. “Ma’agalim transforms teenagers into leaders. None is being left aside. Everyone can become someone.”

Ma’agalim is a national educational organization working with at-risk youth. Founded in 1998, Ma’agalim trains counselors and provides students entering grades 11 and 12 with social skills, community awareness, Jewish identity, and the importance of IDF service.