In 2019, Israeli President Isaac Herzog did me the honor of reading and endorsing my 2nd book Why Israel and its Future Matter – Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to His Children and the Millennial Generation” (New Jersey – Ben Yehuda Press). He wrote:

“As in his previous book – “Why Judaism Matters, Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to His Children and the Millennial Generation” – in “Why Israel and Its Future Matter, Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to His Children and the Millennial Generation,” Rabbi John L. Rosove shares 11 compelling letters directed at his two sons, but this fascinating work is in fact aimed at an entire generation of perplexed young Jews.

Diaspora Jewry is in a struggle for its collective identity and the millennial generation all the more so. In an era of FAKE, truth becomes a spiritual commodity; a period of ANTI and POST demands value-based motivation, sound reasoning, active listening, and candid conversation. This is what Rabbi Rosove provides this readership. He delineates the just case for Israel with precision and delicacy, sans fluff or pandering. This is a book which strives to combat Israel haters and bashers and gives real tools and answers to those liberal Jews who feel somewhat frustrated and confused about Israel.

Rabbi Rosove’s truths reach minds and open hearts. I urge each and every individual who feels in any way connected to the Jewish People, to ponder this powerful assemblage of candid, insightful messages which address the core issues facing Israel as a nation, and as a notion.

A must-read!”

President Herzog was then Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel. Now, as the President of the State, he represented movingly yesterday before a Joint Session of Congress the best of what Israel is without covering up its flaws. Though he was not as specific about the current radical and extremist Israeli government’s efforts to push through a judicial coup, thereby compromising Israel’s system of checks and balances between the executive/legislative and judicial branches, or call for a two-state solution, as some of us might have liked him to do, he did address the need for the United States and Israel to maintain our special relationship as democracies with shared moral values, and he acknowledged the need for Israel and the Palestinians to achieve peace which countering terrorism.

I was grateful for his endorsement. For those interested, the book is available on Amazon or through the publisher (Ben Yehuda Press).