South Africa Jews Pray for Nelson Mandela
Image by getty images
South Africa’s chief rabbi, Warren Goldstein, conveyed the Jewish community’s prayers and support to the daughter of ailing former President Nelson Mandela.
Mandela, 94, remains critically ill in a Pretoria hospital.
Dr. Makaziwe Mandela thanked the Jewish community on behalf of the Mandela family for its “love and support at this difficult time” as well as in the past.
“Makaziwe specifically said that I should convey to the Jewish community that her father cherishes the special and warm relationship he has had with South African Jews throughout his life,” the chief rabbi wrote in a message to the community on Friday. “She said her father deeply appreciates that throughout his life he has enjoyed the warmth, kindness and support of our community.”
Goldstein also requested that all congregational rabbis recite special prayers for Mandela during Sabbath services.
“At this time let us continue to pray for the comfort, strength and well-being of President Mandela as he continues to bravely fight for his life,” he wrote.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.
If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.
Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
