Rep. Don Bacon: “I Committed to Rabbi Hofstedter That We in Congress Will Do Everything in Our Power to Ensure the Safety of the Jewish People”
By Chaim Gold
Who would have believed that the millions of people watching C-Span would hear words of the deepest praise and value for limud haTorah, from the podium in Congress?!
That is exactly what happened last week when Congressman Don Bacon, a representative of the 2nd District of Nebraska, made an unprecedented speech. Certainly, there has never been a time when the walls of Congress heard such praise for the ideal of limud haTorah and of learning Jewish texts. Indeed, the congressman told the august body that advancing Jewish scholarship and learning is what should be done in the face of evil.
In his speech to congress, after condemning the serious uptick in anti-Semitism and pledging that he, as well as all members of congress would do their utmost to stop it and bring the perpetrators to justice, Rep. Bacon spoke about Dirshu. He said, “Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting one of the prominent members of the Orthodox community, Rabbi Dovid Hofstedter, a son of Holocaust survivors who founded Dirshu, the largest Torah organization in the world.” Bacon went on to say that he had spoken to Rav Hofstedter about the troubling rise in anti-Semitism that perhaps has not been this pronounced since the 1930’s. Mr. Bacon then said something that perhaps attests to the impact that Dirshu has on a global level as well. He said, “Rabbi Hofstedter and Dirshu represent the true antidote to this venomous hatred that has been exhibited toward the community… The Community will never stand down. They will continue to practice their Jewish heritage with their heads held high!”
We live in a time where Torah is being attacked by many, not only in the diaspora but in Eretz Yisrael itself. The fact that in Congress praise was heard for an organization whose entire mission at the behest of Gedolei Yisrael is to encourage Jews of every type and in every country to learn Torah, may serve as an antidote to the attacks on Torah from within and without.