Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter on Friday issued a Rosh Hashanah message reflecting on the Jewish New Year, the painful memories surrounding this year’s holiday and the shared responsibility to defend freedom and work toward a better future.
“We are on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. These are days of reflection and repentance, days when we look back at the year that has passed and look ahead to the year that is beginning. They are also days when, according to Jewish tradition, we stand before God in judgment and are called to account for our actions,” Leiter said.
He noted that this year’s Rosh Hashanah carries particular significance because of its proximity to the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States and the anniversary of the murder of Charlie Kirk.
“This year, Rosh Hashanah comes with a particularly powerful symbolism. It falls in close proximity to September 11th, the day America suffered the most horrific terrorist attack in its history, and to the anniversary of the murder of Charlie Kirk, who meant so much to so many. Two deeply painful events, two events that have left a profound mark on the American people.”
Leiter said the two events serve as reminders of the challenges facing Israel and the United States, as well as the need to protect the freedoms enjoyed by both societies.
“They are reminders of the forces we are up against and of the values we must be prepared to defend. They remind us that the lives and freedoms that we enjoy are not something we can take for granted. As we begin the new year with the special prayers of Rosh Hashanah, we can carry these painful memories with us and determine what we can do better, how we can make our world and the world around us a better place.”
Turning to Israel’s experience of war, Leiter said the country’s population understands the burden of painful memories and the challenges faced by the American people.
“Having experienced war for nearly three years against Iran and its proxy intent on our destruction, the people of Israel have lost many loved ones and understand only too well the big challenges the American people have in dealing with painful memory. So let us pray together for a year of peace, a year of resilience, a year of freedom, and a year of life. Shana Tova,” he concluded.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News’ North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Rosh Hashanah in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
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