Earlier this month Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) met with the revered and world-renowned Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky, Dean of the Talmudical Academy of Philadelphia, member of the Council of Torah Sages, and son of famed Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetsky, of blessed memory.

Senator Santorum was honored to have the opportunity to discuss with Rabbi Kaminetsky issues of mutual interest, among them school choice (including Senator Santorum’s CLASS Act), the sanctity of marriage, religious freedom, the threat of a nuclear Iran, and a safe and secure Israel. 

Senator Santorum was deeply moved by the multitudes of educational and social service organizations Rabbi Kaminetsky supports in addition to his relationship with thousands of students who know him fondly as their revered and beloved “Rosh Yeshiva.”

Following their private meeting, and ahead of one of the most critical elections ever to be held in the Commonwealth, Rabbi Kaminetsky issued an historic Kol Korei (“proclamation”) to all Jews of Pennsylvania.  In the attached proclamation Rabbi Kaminetsky notes that previous sages have ruled that it befits each and every Jew to acknowledge his or her appreciation for the freedoms afforded to citizens of the United States by participating in the elections of “our nation of kindness, the United States.”

Further, Rabbi Kaminetsky dismissed those who doubt the impact of their individual vote, noting that recent elections have been decided by just a few hundred votes.

“Therefore I urge all members of our community to fulfill their obligation to vote for those who strengthen our nation — whether materially or spiritually — and also support our Jewish brethren living in the Land of Israel,” he wrote in the proclamation.

After meeting with Rabbi Kaminetsky, Senator Santorum remarked: “The strength of the Jewish people lies in their quiet faith and their reverence for tradition and heritage.  Rabbi Kaminetsky’s humanity, compassion, and wisdom inspired me.  A community with such leadership is truly blessed.  I look forward to Rabbi Kaminetsky’s guidance and sage advice in the years to come.”