By Veni Markovski

I first heard Rabbi Buchdahl speak at this past Rosh HaShanah at Lincoln Center when she gave her Crowns of Torah: Re-Forming Judaism sermon. To say that I was impressed would be an understatement. I was humbled and touched by her welcoming remarks to non-Jews like me. In that moment, I looked at the thousands of people in that room and felt tears in my eyes.

I was crying tears of joy because, as a non-Jew, I was being warmly invited into this community where my Jewish wife and I have chosen to educate and raise our daughter as a Jew.

I was also crying tears of sorrow, when I thought of the tremendous suffering the Jewish people have had to endure before a gathering such as this could take place. My thoughts jumped from the Holocaust, to the recent attacks against Jews in France, to the desecration of Jewish graves around Europe, to the fact that regardless of all these sufferings, that Jewish people have not only survived, but thrived.

I come from Bulgaria, where I have written and spoken countless times about the horrendous treatment of Jews by the Bulgarian government during World War II. Many are unaware that Bulgaria’s anti-Jewish laws resulted in humiliating economic, political, and civil consequences for Bulgarian Jews. Moreover, many are unaware that 11,343 out of approximately 60,000 Bulgarian Jews were deported to Treblinka where they were murdered. Deportation only stopped after public outrage, expressed mainly by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and by several prominent politicians forced the Bulgarian government to halt its cooperation with the Nazis (sadly, only on this matter). One can only wonder how many great musicians, scientists, writers and poets were lost; how many unique worlds were annihilated; how many wonderful universes disappeared in the dark fire that soaked Europe in its flames. In 2008, Bulgaria finally accepted responsibility for the death of Jews during the Holocaust.

While all these thoughts were running through my mind, I heard Rabbi Buchdahl’s voice and thought about how far we have come – to a time when a non-Jewish Bulgarian man could sit in a room with his Jewish wife and daughter and hear such kind and welcoming words from a prominent rabbi.

I was so touched, and inspired, that I met with Rabbi Buchdahl and offered my help in any way that would be of use to Central Synagogue. I felt then – and still feel now – that I want to be a more substantive part of this community, and support a place that is so open and inviting.

What I felt during my meeting with Rabbi Buchdahl and over the High Holy Days made me truly appreciate the destiny that brought us all to Central – from many paths we join together to form one community. And I am so honored to be a part of it.

Veni Markovski is an Internet pioneer, business entrepreneur, and currently serves as vice-president of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, ICANN, and is responsible for the relations with the United Nations, and the Permanent Missions to the UN.