International Day of Human Fraternity

Rabbi Lustig: ‘Fraternity an opportunity to heal world with acts of love’

By Francesca Merlo, Vatican News – Dubai, UAE

On the International Day of Human Fraternity, Rabbi M. Bruce Lustig praises the foresightedness of the Document on Human Fraternity as offering an opportunity to heal the world’s many divisions.

The principles in the Document on Human Fraternity, according to Rabbi M. Bruce Lustig, are principles that “we all should adhere to”.

They talk about dignity; they talk about justice; they talk about peace; they talk about love.

Rabbi Lustig is Senior Rabbi at Washington Hebrew Congregation in Washington DC, one of the largest and oldest congregations in North America. As a member of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, he took part in Friday’s celebration of the International Day of Human Fraternity held at Expo 2020 in Dubai.

He sat down on the sidelines of the event with Vatican News to discuss the contribution Judaism can make to the helping the world live in peaceful coexistence.

Common Abrahamic bond

Rabbi Lustig believes that Judaism shares with other Abrahamic faiths “the very common bond in recognising that we are all created in the image of God, and that every human is endowed with inalienable rights”.

And, he adds, this Document is “a call” for us to actualise this recognition of dignity, respect, love and compassion in each person.

The Chief Rabbi of Washington goes on to stress that the Document on Human Fraternity has no geographical bounds, and that the message of Pope Francis and the Grand Imam is a universal one, because when we start to see everybody as our brother and our sister “the world will be changed.”
Pope Francis and by the Grand Imam represent believers of religions that make up 41% of the world’s population, says Rabbi Lustig.

“Nobody else has that type of influence,” he explains. Our world is broken, and this is an opportunity to heal it, he says.

“In Hebrew, we call it ‘Tikkun Olam’, the repairing of the world – acts of loving kindness, acts of social justice, acts of compassion – those are the things that will heal the world, and that is the expectation that has been raised with this Document.”