On March 4, marking 150 days since October 7, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) and Israel Government Spokesman Eylon Levy visited SAR Academy, spending time with students and lay leaders.
SAR Principal Rabbi Binyamin Krauss noted: “Two strong voices came together today at SAR. Thank you Eylon Levy. Your voice of reason has resonated far and wide, and the State of Israel is blessed to have you as its spokesman. Congressman Ritchie Torres: You continue to amaze us with your ability to get to the core of an issue and to use your position to speak truth, even when unpopular.
“We gathered today for our daily tefillah ‘on the steps,’ and I hope that the voices of our children brought you confidence and strength as you go about your meaningful work,” Krauss continued. “We are gathering in an unusual time, but as we have done every day, today is Day 150. There are still people who are not home.
“We are in the presence of two great leaders. … Using their voice to defend, to support, to protect Medinat Yisrael, to advocate strongly for the return of everyone home safely. How grateful we are to you for all that you do.
“Eylon has been here for 10 days. … We hope that he will be able to go back with chizuk, with strength from the people that he met, able to share with those back home that school children gather every day, stop what they’re doing, to pray for our chayalim and for Am Yisrael.”
Levy said: “I am so happy to be here at this incredible school in New York, and to see all of your amazing koach and amazing ruach and especially to be here with my good friend Congressman Ritchie Torres, an incredible friend of the Jewish community, an absolute fighter for each and every one of you.
“I’m here after 10 days in New York with one message for all of you from Israel,” Levy continued. “I want to tell you toda rabbah from everyone in Israel. Back home, I heard so much about what you are doing for the people of Israel at this very difficult moment, 150 days into this horrible war without the hostages. I know that you’ve been praying for the soldiers, sending coloring books to displaced children and packing things for people in Israel, and the people appreciate it. They see it and they know that what you do really matters.
“Each of you has a voice, each of you has an ability to make a real difference, step by step, prayer by prayer, coloring book by coloring book, duffel bag by duffel bag, we can all take a little step towards tikkun olam and making our very broken world a better place.”
Torres remarked: “When I found out that Eylon was coming to the Bronx, I said, ‘We have to bring you to SAR because it is a magical place that is cultivating the next generation of leadership.’ These are the students who are going to be the leaders in sustaining and strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship.
“As someone who lived through 9/11, which was the deadliest terrorist attack against the United States, I never forgot that Israel stood with America in its moment of greatest need,” the Bronx representative continued. “I want you to know that the United States stands with Israel in its moment of greatest need. There has been no one who has been a more powerful voice and face for the Jewish community and the Jewish State than Eylon. … Please know that I’m going to be a lifelong friend of both the Jewish people and the Jewish community. You are stuck with me.”
Levy concluded: “If you are not going to make aliyah, there is nothing more Zionist than fighting for your place in American society, because we need you here to make the world safe for Israel, so that Israel can make the world safe for Jews. I am leaving so strengthened and with so much fire in my belly seeing the incredible Diaspora awakening from American Jews.”
