The president of Israel has selected our book to be a part of the library at the President’s Residence. The Jewish bible is now accessible to Arabic-speaking leaders and rulers.
(Avi Ohayon, Government Press Office Israel)
The president’s letter as translated into English⇓⇓⇓
Dear Project Saadya Gaon
To the esteemed Shneur
I wish to convey my thanks for receiving the new rendition of the Torah into Arabic as translated and decoded by your father, Rabbi Yom Tov Hkohen, from the writings of Rabbi Saadya Gaon.
Download the letter from the President
My father, Yosef Yoel Rivlin ob”m, labored over the translation of the Koran from Arabic to Hebrew. My father’s cultural activities stemmed from his perspective of the Jews and Arabs as two related nations with one father. Due to the common bond between the nations, my father felt it to be the mutual obligation of each nation to familiarize itself with each other’s culture. Acquainting ourselves with each other’s unique heritage, values and culture is our joint responsibility.
Your father, like my father, expended tremendous effort to make the cornerstones of our Jewish religion accessible to all. With his precise translation into Arabic he has made this most constitutive work of Jewish tradition and value accessible to so many others. A look at your father’s illuminating translation shows that he invested much effort and work so as to remain loyal to the preciseness of Rabbi Saadya Gaon’s original language.
Please convey my blessings to your father for this important book. I wish him many more years of continued activity done with good health, happiness, and joy from the extended family.
With blessings for success,
Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin