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NEWS
White House Opens Doors to Orthodox Jewish Leaders
by Yated Ne'eman Staff
Rabbis and executives of Agudath Israel, the Orthodox Union,
and the Rabbinical Council of America joined other Jewish
religious and communal representatives in a meeting with
President George W. Bush at the White House on Wednesday
afternoon, 6 Teves-December 11.
At the afternoon meeting, which lasted approximately 45
minutes, the President warmly welcomed the Jewish leaders and
addressed a number of issues close to their hearts. He also
allowed ample time for questions and comments from the
assembled rabbis and lay leaders.
The Agudath Israel attendees included the organization's
executive vice president, Rabbi Shmuel Bloom; its executive
vice president for government and public affairs, Chaim Dovid
Zwiebel; and its vice president for finance and
administration, Rabbi Shlomo Gertzulin. Also attending the
meeting were Agudath Israel of America congregational rabbis
Rabbi Asher Eisenberger of Detroit, Michigan and Rabbi
Menachem Greenblatt of St. Louis, Missouri.
That evening, those organizational and religious leaders,
along with three other Agudath Israel congregational rabbis --
Rabbi Pinchas Breuer, of Brooklyn, New York; Rabbi Yaakov
Reisman, of Queens, New York; and Rabbi Avrohom Teichman, of
Los Angeles, California -- as well as Abba Cohen, Agudath
Israel's Washington Office director and counsel, were among
approximately 200 Jewish communal representatives who joined
President and Mrs. Bush for a Chanukah gathering in the White
House.
Mr. Zwiebel noted the steps the White House took to
accommodate the Orthodox visitors. "I found it significant
and impressive that President and Mrs. Bush were aware that
many Orthodox men don't shake hands with women, or Orthodox
women with men, and that they took care to greet their
Orthodox guests accordingly."
"It was an honor to participate in this dialogue with
President Bush," said Rabbi Bloom. "His clear vision, his
firm resolve, his strong leadership, his heartfelt faith --
all of these qualities, and more, shone through the entire
meeting."
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