Knesset Member Dan Illouz submitted a bill to establish an annual day to commemorate the memory and work of the Rebbe. He said he had a personal reason to do so.
By Anash.org reporter
Knesset Member Dan Illouz of the Likud party submitted a bill to the Knesset seeking to establish an annual day to commemorate the memory and work of the Rebbe, “whose presence and work in Jewish communities worldwide are felt day by day, hour by hour, in every corner of the globe.”
According to the proposed legislation, this special day would be observed annually on the Hebrew date of Gimmel Tammuz.
According to the bill, this day will be marked in the Knesset, state institutions, the education system, and schools, dedicating time to studying the Rebbe’s spiritual and educational work and vision, whom Illouz described as “the greatest leader the Jewish people witnessed in the 21st century.”
“The Lubavitcher Rebbe tirelessly worked to strengthen Jewish identity throughout the world. He was a man of spirit and action, an educator, and a spiritual leader of global magnitude who greatly influenced the education of ethics and values and is considered one of the greatest Torah scholars of recent generations,” Illouz said.
Illouz, who was born to Moroccan Jewish parents in Montreal, Canada, and served as a member of the Jerusalem City Council before being elected to the Knesset, said he had a personal reason to submit the bill.
“My family was greatly influenced by the Rebbe. They were brought closer to Yiddishkeit through his shluchim in Canada, and began to observe Shabbos and live a religious lifestyle thanks to him. It is reasonable to assume that I would not be here as a Member of the Knesset in Israel without him,” he said.
He pointed to United States as am example, noting that they have had a national day honoring the Rebbe – Education Day U.S.A. – for decades.
“In the United States, such a day is already established, and it is only right and proper that we honor his legacy here in Israel as well,” he said.
The bill will undergo the necessary parliamentary procedures before it can become law, including discussions and votes in the Knesset.
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