The White House
Washington
December 1, 2008
Laura and I send our condolences to the Chabad-Lubavitch family and all those honoring the lives lost in this tragedy.
The compassionate individuals of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement dedicate their lives to sharing G-d’s teachings with people throughout the world, offering strength, hope and guidance in the unique spirit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of blessed memory. Through countless acts of love and kindness, the lost members of the Chabad-Lubavitch community in Mumbai represented the best of the human spirit, and their memories will live on in the hearts and souls of those they touched.
It is impossible for us to make sense of the violence of the Mumbai terrorist attack, yet we offer our deepest sympathy to the Chabad-Lubavitch community during this difficult time. We pray that you will be comforted by your fond memories of those lost, encouraged by their noble legacy, sustained by your faith, and lifted by the support of your loved ones.
May G-d bless you and all those affected by these horrific attacks.
George W Bush
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32 Responses
Say what you will about the President’s abilities as a president, but he is a deeply religious man and these are words he could have written himself.
Rav Yosef Ber Soleveitchek zt’l said in a yarzeit shiur for his father that when a person dies, a void is left in the world. I submit that our communual response must be to fill the void left by the absence of the Holtzbergs HY’D, and, in our communities, to extend ourselves one kindness further each day than we might have. Surely these efforts will bring a nechama to our people, and speed the arrival of Mashiach, bimheirah v’yomenu.
Please correct the omission of the President’s last name in your headline. He deserves the proper kovod.
I agree with dov29. Please make the change.
Something tells me the country is going to miss him down the road…in many ways. He had his faults, but he is no doubt a man of honor and principle.
I agree 100% with the above. As a person and a human being, I am honored that he served as our president. He may lack some decision making skills, but his honesty and genuine approach will be sorely missed in the White House. He is not like your typical politician, he actually cares and is honest.
His fault was becoming president almost immediately preceeding 9/11 & being hamstrung by the following
war against terror.A true chasid m’umos haolem and an unprecedented friend to the Jewish people!
I am not sure why we are so thirsty to hear the words of non-Jewish leaders. We should put our energies towards am achod and do what Hashem keep telling to do. Unfortunately, if we don’t make a definite effort in that direction, Hashem will remind us again.
Please be respectful and professional and include the Presidents last name.
is he crying for this or its stam picture
anyone who works in government knows politicians dont actually write these letters. They’re written by lowly staffers and approved by a chief of staff, at best.
As such, this letter does not represent the thoughts of President Bush
Now if only he could pardon Jonathan Pollard!
Chanie1343— Its not a matter of being thirsty to hear words of non-jewish leader….It is showing gratitude for President Bush’s heartfelt words..He is a religious man and a GOOD person and I think he will be remembered by most as a Decent and honest President.
Kol hakovod adunanu Hamelech
To #9,
Even though they don’t write their own stuff they won’t read it unless they agree with it.
BTW, How come the President-elect didn’t do the same thing, esp. since he wouldn’t have to write this himself? We hear him constantly- on almost every other thing.
9, that may be but that this is the image he wants to project is heartening. 6, there is more to this than knowing that, aw, he cares. If you listen to leftist radio, you will hear presumably sane people positing that this was not the work of fanatic Moslems. Sure, they did the dirty work, but who put them up to it, is the question.
Perhaps the president also sent similar letters to the Christian group targeted. But it is heartening to know that the government recognizes that Jews were targeted, and treated far worse than the other victims.
#9: True, and not true. Yes, typically a speech-writer or other staff writes the letter, and yes, typically it is reviewed by a senior staffer and then sent on its way – which is why I noted that “these are words he could have written himself,” because in all likelihood, the President did not write them. Having said that, and having worked in political offices, I can say that the sentiments and tone of these letters are watched very closely and edited to ensure they reflect the pin-point attitude of the office. So, the White House could have issued a letter that said, “We offer our condolences,” and left it at that. Or, they could have issued no formal letter at all to Chabad. But, somewhere, somehow, the President has installed in his staff his sense of Divine providence, and his letters in these matters reflect the President’s abiding beliefs that a Higher Power is directing our mortal affairs, and that kindness undertaken in the Name of G-d is most noble and to be honored.
Respectfully,
John Markstein
You are credit to this letter in the wrong places. It does show that he (or his office, if you prefer) cares, but it does not have anything to do with the job he performed as president. He could have been a good president or a bad president and still written this letter. My opinion is that he is a good person who did a terrible job as president and that he will be remembered as the president who brought America to its knees.
This letter will not be remembered or counted when evaluating Mr. Bush as a president. Which is why it shows that he is a good person at heart.
Aside from his own “emesdig” religious and ethical convictions, President Bush is known as one who fully shows his emotions. The picture may not be current but the sentiment is…no matter who wrote the actual letter. The media and others with “an agenda” pilloried him from day one…even before he took office. History will, no doubt, remember him more favorably than those idiots who are decribed as “pundits”. Whoever wrote the letter, wrote close to the style the President would have said himself if he was “there” in person.
Bill Clinton would have written the exact same thing. Was he sincere? I don’t think so!
Kish Ka
TO ALL YOU BLOGGERS WHO WANT TO SAY THE PRESIDENT DID NOT WRITE THE LETTER OR HE DID WRITE IT.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT HE READ IT BEFORE IT WAS SENT OUT NO MATTER WHAT AND HE HAS GREAT FEELINGS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LOST IN THIS BRUTAL ATTACK AGAINST HUMANITY AND EVEN CLOSER TO HOME, OUR JEWISH BRETHREN
YOU MAY NOT REALIZE IT BUT THE YESHIVA WORLD INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET IS READ BY MANY AND EVEN POSSIBLY BY PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH AS WELL.
NOTHING SHOULD BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED AND A CHILLUL HASHEM SHOULD NOT BE MADE .
A YASHER KOACH SHOULD BE GIVEN TO OUR PRESIDENT FOR THE VERY THOUGHTFUL WORDS SENT TO THE CHABAD –
LUBAVITCH ORGANIZATION WHETHER YOU ARE SATMAR,BOBOV,LITVISH,YEKISH,MISNAGID,SEFARDISH OR ANY OTHER TYPE, SINCE THIS ATTACK WAS ON OUR BROTHERS & SISTERS AND IT HIT VERY CLOSE TO HOME AND THEY ARE ONLY A KORBON TO THE RIBONO SHEL OLOM WHO IS ASKING FOR US TO “CHANGE” AND BE MORE
INVOLVED IN LEARNING AND DAVENING AND GETTING CLOSER TO YIDDISHKEIT. ALL OF US CAN DO SOMETHING IN OUR LIVES TO BRING US A LITTLE CLOSER TO WHAT THE EIBISHTER WANTS FROM US.
THANK YOU – YESHIVA WORLD FOR GIVING US ALL THE UPDATED NEWS AND THANK YOU PRESIDENT BUSH FOR YOUR WONDERFUL LETTER.
PRESIDENT BUSH WILL GO DOWN IN THE HISTORY BOOKS AS ONE OF THE BEST PRESIDENTS KNOWN FOR HIS CARING FOR HUMAN LIVES AND ESPECIALLY FOR HIS FRIENDSHIP TO US JEWS.
PRESIDENT BUSH – IF YOU DO READ THIS BLOG , PLEASE RELEASE “JONATHAN POLLARD” BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE.
THANK YOU
I would hate to think that the president has time to spend here. Does he have people who keep up with all forms of media, blogging, etc? Sure. If YWN is that important to be monitored, kol hakavod, but I can guarantee that anything that he may read from YWN is prescreened, printed off, etc.
#16– It’s a little strange to say that President Bush “brought America to its knees” considering that we haven’t been attacked here since 9/11. How about some hakaras hatov?
#21 – I’m not referring to attacks such as 9/11 but rather to the crippling cost of the wars that led to this economic crisis as well as the poorly thought out attempts to stabilize the economy along the way, going all the way back to the beginning with the tax cuts and child tax credit and all the way up to the stimulus packages. (Nice run on sentence if I say so myself.)
#16 – would you rather we had a self serving president as bill clinton deal with the terrorists? President Bush’s moral clarity and his willingness to put the countrys good ahead of his personal good is outstanding – with a clinton or gore we would still be warning the taliban to hand over bin laden – with this president we actually went down there and killed out the terrorists then we went to iraq to kill some more he wouldve gone to iran if the traitor democrats hadnt undermined him
16, Aside from President Bush being perhaps the best friend Yidden have had in the White House, historians will credit his Presidency as having held terrorists at bay, after a previous administration that was weak if not coddling terrorists. This is a defining attribute that will be recognized above all else.
I am sorry to stop all these conversations short, but my assumption is that this was not put in to allow for a discussion on Bush and how he did as president, but to show you how global the tragic loss was, and how it impacted many people, who are not necessarily Jewish.
Deleted.
Dear Jidden
Living in Europe i just do not understand how can we not be thankfull for President Bush to have saved us from Sadam Hussein mach.?For doing the dirty job instead of Eretz Yisroel.
How can a person only think about his business in such times.
Are you sure that the wars have put down the world economy and what about Japan etc…..?
Are you always busy with finding faults at people who did so many Toiwess for Klall Yisroel?
Halevay we would have such presidents in Europe.
I dont doubt he signed the letter written for him but I am very suspicious about that photo with a very conspicuous, alleged, tear-drop trail. I also am not sure if the White House would allow a genuine picture of a sitting president crying over a tragic event. Either way, Bush is insignificant and had his chance to show that he could be as firm in supporting Israel’s interests as he has stood his ground for the interest other countries, from Iraq to Georgia. He has failed.
And what does Obama say:
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“President-Elect Obama strongly condemns today’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and his thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the people of India. These coordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism. The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks. We stand with the people of India, whose democracy will prove far more resilient than the hateful ideology that led to these attacks,” said Brooke Anderson, Chief National Security Spokesperson
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For being such a “genius”, can’t he say something a bit more original?
#29, Obama is certainly more intelligent than Bush, not sure if he is a genius, though. It seems you have been conditioned to hate a man who has not even entered office but you seem to support Bush, seeming more like the worst president we have ever had, for some superficial reason; like he is white.
Worst aware goes to Carter, hands down.
Bush will be recognized for having defeated terror, after succeeding a terror coddling administration.
This is why I love YW. I am so proud that we (the bloggers of yw) are not caught up by the media’s insistence that we believe President Bush was bad. He may not have been the most effective communicator but I for one will miss him.