Mineola Chabad in Munich Olympic Silent Moment
Rabbi Defies London Olympics in Stand for Silence
At the Chabad House of Mineola NY, following the Siyum, all gathered outside to reflect on recent tragic events around the world. The program highlighted a special Moment of Silence, prayers & resolutions to add in mitzvos.
Rabbi Anchelle Perl spoke of the connection of three events, [last week] the Aurora Colorado Movie Massacre, [a few days before)the Terrorist attack on Israeli Tourists in Bulgaria and the murder of 11 Israeli athletes Munich Germany some [40 years ago,] for you can actually connect the dots between them all.
They all have one thing in common, EVIL. Evil is evil is evil whether perpetrated by a group or an individual, it has one thing in common Evil. The desire to kill innocent human beings, to ultimately deny the Divine image that exists in each human being.
Rabbi Perl noted with sadness that the opening London Olympic games this year comes with the dark memory of 40 years ago in Munich, when 11 Israeli athletes and a policeman were killed by terrorists at that time.
The victims’ families for the past 40 years have made one specific request to hold a moment of silence at the opening ceremonies. So while the International Olympic Committee continues to reject this, we here in Mineola New York, proclaimed Rabbi Perl, to express in a ‘Moment of Silence’ our dedication to those 11 Israeli athletes, to show the world that the massacre at the Munich Olympics in 1972 was indeed a blight on the world.
The purpose is to acknowledge that this horrific slaughter should be grieved not by Israel alone but by the entire community of nations. Turning down this request fails to recognize that this is not an internal Israeli matter, about political posturing or revenge.
Rabbi Feitel Levin, renowned Chazzan, led in special songs of reflection and memorial.
Postscript: When asked by a local news reporter what is Chabad’s overall view of the Games, Rabbi Perl was quick to answer in the negative, reflecting the serious reservations the Lubavitcher Rebbe had voiced over the years concerning the Olympic games.