Herzog visits sukkot of Chief Rabbis ahead of his own sukkah 'open house'

Prior to welcoming the public to his own sukkah on Tuesday at the traditional open house held each Sukkot at the President's Residence, President Isaac Herzog on Sunday visited Chief Rabbis David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef in their respective sukkot in Modi'in and Jerusalem.

Herzog discussed with each rabbi the importance of the sukkah as a place of peace in which people can come together in harmony, mutual respect, and understanding, even when they disagree.

While visiting with Rabbi Lau, the two discussed the warm relationship that has existed for decades between their two families.  They also spoke of the urgency of restoring national unity among all sectors of the population.

Leaders pray for peace, Herzog stresses family connection 

Herzog recalled that it was his grandfather, Israel's first Chief Rabbi, for whom he is named, who wrote the prayer for national unity.

Herzog and Lau concurred that as is written in the prayer, peace within Israel and among her residents must be given top priority. Love for one's fellow must be unconditional.

Herzog expressed the wish that peace should emanate from Lau's sukkah to the whole nation and from there to all of the People of Israel throughout the world.

The president was accompanied to the sukkah of Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef by Religious Services Minister Rabbi Michael Malkieli, and Director General of the President's Office Eyal Shviki.

Herzog voiced his appreciation for the work that Yosef has been doing throughout the years and reminded him of the close relations between his father Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and Herzog's own father, President Chaim Herzog.

Herzog presented both Chief Rabbis with Yoel Rappel's book about the history of prayers for the State.

In Herzog's sukkah, an emphasis on sports

In Herzog's own sukkah, which will be open from 9:30 on Tuesday morning, the emphasis will be on sports, whereas in past years it was on agriculture, industry, and innovation.

It is hard to tell whether this year's choice derived from the successes of Israeli contenders in international sporting events, the wild misbehavior of Israeli sports fans, or the fact that the 2024 Olympic Games are just around the corner.

Whatever the reason, some of Israel’s leading sports stars agreed to appear in a special video that will be screened at the President's Residence on Tuesday. The theme of the video and the day's events is 'Sport: A Game For All'.

Athletes appearing in the video include Bayern Munich’s new Israeli goalkeeper, Daniel Peretz; world number one Judoka Peter Paltchik; Ninja sports star Yogev Malka; world championship gold medalist swimmer Anastasia Gorbenko; and the Israeli World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship winning team.

The video also illustrates the diversity in Israel's sporting talent.

The open house is being held in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Sport.  The goal is to emphasize the power of sports to promote understanding and positive values of tolerance, equal opportunities, fairness, and diversity in Israeli society.

Included in the attractions will be a unique ninja track, paralympic goalball, an acrobatics display, a large graffiti wall, a chance to be photographed with Israeli soccer’s State Cup, and exhibits and films of games exploring the history and the role of past presidents in Israeli sports, along with sessions and a variety of other activities and experiences for the enjoyment of visitors of all ages.

In his youth, President Chaim Herzog was a wrestling champion, and in middle age, he was a keen yachtsman.

The event is free of charge. Those wishing to attend need to bring a valid ID/Passport and are advised to bring a bottle of water to be replenished at available filling stations.

Throughout the course of the day, the President and his wife will greet guests officially, and speak informally with tourists from abroad and visitors from around the country.

Commenting on this annual event, Herzog said: “Beyond this wonderful and long-standing tradition, this is an important educational event celebrating Israeli sporting achievement, and at the same time a chance to stress the importance of eradicating violence and discrimination in sport. I firmly believe in the power of sport in Israel to inspire us to rewrite and reframe the ‘rules of the game’ for our society as a whole, especially in the face of the violence, polarization, and difficult disputes we have endured recently.”