Natan Sharansky has been appointed the Chair of the Global Advisory Board of The Rabbi Sacks Legacy. The news was announced at a packed event at the Moise Safra Center in New York City to celebrate the publication of the 20th-anniversary edition of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks’ acclaimed book, “A Letter in the Scroll.”
Commenting on his new role, Sharansky said: “Rabbi Sacks was a moral lighthouse, and his light is needed more than ever in these dark times. That’s why I have chosen to accept the chairmanship of the Rabbi Sacks Legacy’s Global Advisory Board to ensure his timeless teachings on Jewish identity, personal responsibility, and the fight against antisemitism reach every corner of the world.”
Sharansky is an internationally renowned leader, human rights activist, and author who played a pivotal role in the Soviet Jewry movement. His close friendship with Rabbi Sacks, rooted in their shared commitment to Jewish identity and freedom, makes him uniquely suited to lead this board.
The Rabbi Sacks Legacy event featured an engaging panel discussion with Natan Sharansky, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Dan Senor, and Rabbi David Ingber. Each panelist brought their unique perspectives to the table, exploring the relevance of Rabbi Sacks’ work in today’s world.
Natan Sharansky, who wrote the foreword for the new edition of the book, said: “We feel Rabbi Sacks’ loss keenly, but are also grateful that he left us his precious words, words that even when we reread them more than 20 years after they were written, carry his gift of opening the fullness of our own existence to us, of inviting us to be everything that we can be.”
Michal Cotler-Wunsch, Israel’s Special Envoy for Combatting Anti-Semitism said: “A Letter in the Scroll has guided, instructed, and inspired me for twenty years. When I try to comprehend how it can be that in response to the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, there isn’t just a rise in antisemitism, there’s a tsunami, I look to Rabbi Sacks. He calls it ‘the mutation of antisemitism’. This enables us to see what is happening today. This new strain of antisemitism is anti-Zionism.”
In his book, Rabbi Sacks wrote, “I am a Jew because only if I remain a Jew will the story of a hundred generations live on in me.” This sentiment resonated deeply throughout the discussion, as the panelists reflected on the importance of Jewish continuity in the face of modern challenges.
The event also highlighted the continued relevance of “A Letter in the Scroll,” which was first published during Rabbi Sacks’ tenure as Chief Rabbi. The book remains a cornerstone in understanding Jewish identity, blending history, philosophy, and personal reflection in a way that speaks to readers of all backgrounds.
Andrew Klaber, Chair of The Rabbi Sacks Legacy’s US Board of Trustees, said: “As the evening drew to a close, attendees left with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper connection to their heritage, inspired by Rabbi Sacks’ timeless words and the panelists’ insightful reflections.”
Rabbi Sacks was a unique leader in the Jewish world, and far beyond. His voice was one of moral clarity and intellectual depth, for religious and secular audiences alike.
