Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, the Novominsker Rebbe and Rosh Agudas Yisroel; and  Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon, Mashgiach, Bais Medrash Govoha, will be the featured speakers at the Thursday night plenary session of Agudath Israel of America’s upcoming 87th national convention. The convention will take place November 26-29 at a new location – the Hilton in East Brunswick, New Jersey.

Both the Thursday night session and the Motzoei Shabbos keynote session, which are open to the public free of charge, traditionally draw thousands of participants from throughout the tri-state area. And given the close proximity of this year’s venue to many Orthodox communities on the East Coast – and the timeliness of the session topics — record-breaking crowds are expected to fill the hotel auditorium on both evenings.

The Thursday night session is entitled, “Yisroel Asher Becho Espo’or: Promoting K’vod Shomayim in Our Business and Interpersonal Dealings.”

“The Gemara teaches us,” says Agudath Israel executive vice president Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, “that the eyes of the world are focused on religious Jews, and that the impressions we convey through our conduct create either kiddush Hashem or cholila its opposite.”

Never has the truth of this ma’amar Chazal been more apparent than in our own times, the Agudah leader observes.

“It seems as if Orthodox Jews are constantly in the headlines, all too often in a negative light. The eyes of the world are indeed upon us, and we have the responsibility of making Hashem’s Holy Name beloved through our actions. Our Thursday night session, at which we will have the special privilege of hearing from two of our most revered leaders, will highlight how we can discharge that awesome responsibility.”

The program will also feature video excerpts from classic drashos of Rav Shimon Schwab and Rav Avrohom Pam zecher tzadikim l’vrocha, whose lives epitomized the ideal of ribuy k’vod Shomayim.

“This promises to be a very important evening,” says Rabbi Zwiebel. “And a session that no one can afford to miss.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)