Rabbi Marvin Hier, the first Orthodox clergyman to recite an inaugural benediction, quoted Psalm 137, pledging to remember Zion and Jerusalem.
Rabbi Marvin Hier, 77, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, recited Psalm 137: “By the rivers of Babylon, we wept as we remember Zion…If I forget you O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill” (Psalm 137).”
“Bless all of our allies around the world who share our beliefs,” the rabbi stated.
“The freedoms we enjoy are not granted in perpetuity, but must be reclaimed in each generation. As our ancestors have planted for us so we must plant for others,” he told the crowd.
