“The Jewish world is not monochromatic,” said Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum, left, the founding director of OTS’s emissary-training programs Straus-Amiel, for rabbis, and Beren-Amiel, for educators. 

In an interview this week with the online religious news outlet “Kipa TV,”  Birnbaum – who has earned the nickname ‘worldwide rabbi’ in reference to the fact that he has visited nearly every country in the world where Jews live – discussed Diaspora Jewry, as well as the importance of sending Israeli shlichim to our brethren abroad. 

“The fact that a Jew does not observe Torah and mitzvot does not mean that we should not treat him like a brother, for all intents and purposes,” said Birnbaum. “Even if they make statements that are against halakha… we teach our emissaries not to be shocked. This is part of our world reality; we continue to try to reach out to each and every Jew, no matter where he or she is geographically or philosophically. That is the true mission of shlichut.”