President Ford today declared that at this time of testing to put “humanity’s interest above self-interest” America “can be greatly sustained by the traditions of valor and resilience” that marks Jewish history. The full text of his first message as President to American Jewry for the High Holy Days stated:
“On the occasion of the High Holy Days, it is my pleasure to send special greetings to my fellow Americans of the Jewish faith. Your inheritance of accumulated wisdom and moral precepts makes you strong guardians of the ideals of righteousness, justice and human dignity. This has given you a special sensitivity to the social needs of each generation. And this has also been the guiding force behind your impressive contributions to the vitality of our American democracy.
“These solemn days of worship which you celebrate have a message for all Americans. They exhort us to search our soul, to render an inner accounting, and a self-examination of the standards we profess and the actions we perform. They invite us to a return to righteousness and truth and to a rebirth in the spirit of neighborliness and brotherhood. They remind us that we are in God’s hands and that he has given us our lives in trust to use in his service.
“At a time which urgently tests our will as a people to put humanity’s interests above self-interest, we can be greatly sustained and guided by the traditions of valor and resilience that mark the history of the Jewish people.”
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