By Galya Tregenza Hall
There are many words I could think of to describe Rabbi David Rosen — learned, influential, dignified, respectful and inspirational would be accurate when describing this remarkable man, but the one word that keeps coming to mind after listening to him speak in September is kind.
We were thrilled to host Rabbi Rosen for a webinar on 15 September and the more than 200 people who registered for the event spoke of the high esteem in which he is held.
Rabbi Rosen spoke with great authority around the theme of The Gulf, Israel and Interreligious Diplomacy. He shared anecdotes and very important insights that he has acquired following years of work in this arena.
Rabbi David Rosen is the Jerusalem-based International Director of Interreligious Affairs for the global Jewish advocacy group, AJC. In addition to interreligious representation and education, his work involves mediation and peace building and he is heavily involved in multi-religious engagement on ecological issues. He is a member of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate’s Commission for Interreligious Dialogue.
He spoke with tremendous knowledge and provided insights and discernments about the changing Gulf, but what really stood out to me was the kindness and the humanity of this esteemed man. The way he spoke of the so-called ‘other’ was a lesson for us all. His words were gentle and filled with everything required to build bridges of hope and mutual respect. His tone was gracious and his ideas seemed to be always shaped by a generous spirit and the determination to truly understand the people around him with humility and thoughtfulness.
We read in the Book of Proverbs that, ‘The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing’ (Proverbs 12:18). Rabbi Rosen is a fine example of someone successfully achieving the latter.
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