By COLlive reporter
John Lewis, an American civil rights leader and politician who died on July 17, 2020, was a regular at functions organized by American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) in Washington, DC.
Donning a blue leather yarmulka, the Democratic Congressman from Georgia’s 5th congressional district would walk in and feel at home at Chabad events.
Lewis would give a hearty hug to Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Head Shliach of Washington, DC, and extend a warm handshake to Rabbi Yossi New, Director of Chabad of Georgia.
Those wondering about the connection between one of the “Big Six” leaders of groups who organized the 1963 March on Washington and the Chassidic movement, would only need to hear him speak to understand.
“The Rebbe, like my mentor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., worked every day of his life, to be what Dr. King used to call ‘the beloved community,’ an all inclusive community, a community at peace with itself, a country and a world in which people were not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” he would say.
“The Rebbe judged people by the content of their character and he worked every day to make this world a better world,” Lewis emphasized, adding “I am sorry to say that I never got to meet the Rebbe. I know I would have liked him. I know Dr. King would have liked him.”
Lewis put his beliefs into action when he was one of the 2 sponsors, along with Newt Gingrich, Republican Speaker of the House, to award the Rebbe posthumously the Congressional Gold Medal, the country’s highest civilian honor, in 1995 (5755).
“The Speaker of the House and I have many disagreements,” Lewis said then. “Some people have said that we agree on almost nothing, nothing at all. But there is one thing on which we do agree, that is the awarding of this medal.”
He added, “This award, this medal for the Rebbe… brought Newt Gingrich and John Lewis together. It brought Democrats and Republicans, liberals, conservatives, Northerners and Southerners, blacks, whites and Hispanic, it brought us all together.”
During that Living Legacy Conference, footage of which is presented on COLlive.com, Lewis said: “We may no longer see the Rebbe with our eyes, but his spirit lives in our hearts, in our souls and in our deeds.”
Rabbi New recalled attending the meeting where he and Rabbi Shemtov discussed the award with Congressman Lewis. “He was very friendly and was immediately receptive to the idea of the Rebbe receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor,” he told COLlive.com. “He was familiar with the Rebbe and expressed great respect for the Rebbe and his influence in society.”
On July 17, 2020, Lewis died at the age of 80 after a six-month battle with pancreatic cancer in Atlanta, Georgia.
Soon after his death, many leaders across the political spectrum paid tribute to Lewis. President Donald Trump said that he was “saddened” to hear about Lewis’s death and ordered all flags to be flown at half-staff.
Former President Barack Obama said in a statement that Lewis had an “enormous impact” on U.S. history. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also admired Lewis, as did several members of Congress, and other political leaders.
“He stared down the worst of humanity, hate and racism, with the best of humanity – love, hope and nonviolence,” said Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Executive Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch.
“At a time when discourse has been replaced by discord, his voice and approach is a vital one, and will be sorely missed,” Rabbi Shemtov told COLlive.com following the death of Lewis.
“He admired the Rebbe greatly, and often spoke of how he regretted never meeting him. His efforts were crucial in ensuring the Rebbe was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal,” he said.
“We last spoke a few weeks ago and after asking us to pray for him, which we obviously did, he told me felt stronger and would persevere.”
VIDEO:
wow amazing that is special thank you for sharing
John Lewis is at 7:12 if you want to scroll