FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF AMERICA DISAGREES WITH CALL FOR JEWISH BOYCOTT OF OLYMPICS IN CHINA

The following statement was issued today by Mr. Stephen Savitsky, president, and Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, executive vice president, of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (aka: the “Orthodox Union”) – the largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization in the United States – in response to a call by a number of rabbinic and other leaders of the American Jewish community for Jews to refrain from attending the Olympics in Beijing, China:

The Orthodox Union respectfully disagrees with those who have called upon Jews to boycott the Olympics in Beijing, China. While we share deep concern over China’s record of disrespect for human rights, we do not concur with the selection of this tactic to attempt to protest or influence China’s behavior.

Jewish law indeed teaches that the preservation and saving of human lives is of paramount value. But Jewish law cautions that we must act with exceptional care lest we cause more harm than good. The leadership of the Orthodox Union believes such exceptional care is demanded in these circumstances with regard to relations with the Chinese government.

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