Rabbi Lau Urges Rosh Hashanah Prayers for Pollard

Hamodia Staff - September 3, 2013


YERUSHALAYIM - Israeli Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi David Lau has urged Jews the world over to pray for the release of Jonathan Pollard during Rosh Hashanah, Arutz Sheva reported.

Pollard has been imprisoned in the U.S. where he has served over 27 years of a life sentence for spying for Israel, a punishment which many senior U.S. government officials, legislators, communal leaders, organizations have described as grossly disproportionate, unprecedented and unduly harsh. Related

Rabbi Lau, Israel's newly-elected Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi, said that "the time had come for his long awaited release from prison."

"Let us pour out our prayers before Hashem, the freer of prisoners, to release Pollard from his bonds."

Rabbi Lau offered a specially worded prayer for Pollard's release which he suggested for reading before or after reading from the sefer Torah on Rosh Hashanah.

Jonathan Pollard has been imprisoned in the U.S. since 1987 for passing information to Israel. He is the only person in the history of the United States to receive a life sentence for spying for an ally, Israel. The median sentence for this offense is 2 to 4 years.

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  • See also: Doc: [Hebrew] Appeal by Chief Rabbi David Lau for R"H Prayers for Jonathan Pollard (PDF)