La Voz de Los Amigos

Palabras a Floyd Mayweather... y a todos los que han alzado la voz

Hace unos días tuve el enorme privilegio de entrevistar a Floyd Mayweather. Sí, el boxeador. Sí, The Best Ever. Sí, yo.

Y no, no soy periodista deportiva y no, no sé nada de box (o poco) pero Mayweather va más allá de ser un boxeador: Ha sido un defensor inequívoco del Estado de Israel desde el 7 de octubre, sin flaquear.

Ha sido una voz clara y fuerte sobre los peligros de Hamas y el virus del antisemitismo.

Extraño que un hombre afroamericano, cristiano, de Grand Rapids, Michigan, famosísimo (léase, se podría ahorrar el odio que implica hoy defender al Estado de Israel) sea contundente en su apoyo al pueblo judío.

Estas palabras se las escribí y dije en el evento organizado por la Kehila Ashkenazí (que agrupa a los judíos mexicanos cuyos abuelos vienen de Europa).

Aplican para él, obviamente… pero, también, son palabras que me gustaría decirles a todas y a cada una de las personas NO JUDÍAS que han sido inequívocas en su apoyo, no menospreciando el horror de la guerra pero entendiendo que es lo correcto.

Sí tú, lectora/lector no judío, eres una de estas personas, el fondo de estas palabras es también para ti.

Welcome Mr. Mayweather. Bienvenido. As we say in Hebrew: Barju ha ba. Blessed is he who visits.

It is a privilege to lead this ceremony in honor of the one and only, the great (in every sense of the word) Mr. Floyd Mayweather.

A man who embodies the words of Dr. Martin Luther King “In the end we remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends”.

During these trying times for Israel and Jews around the world, He never kept silent. The strength of his voice, the example of his conviction, the relevance of his actions will always be remembered by us, by our children and by history.

Some 20 years years ago, my Zeide (grandfather), asked me to watch this fight on TV with him. There is a young boxer who is amazing, he promised.

The truth is I couldn’t have cared less about boxing but, I obliged…

by the end of the first round, I was “hooked” literally.

The fight turned out to be amazing.

My grandfather was thrilled beyond measure. Probably the most excited I had ever seen him in my life.

“Look a that ingale (young boy)-my grandfather said- he has strength and stamina and brains and strategy. He fights with his heart on his fists.”

That amazing fighter, was/is Floyd Mayweather, he was fighting Diego Corrales. Obvious KO. I think there were five.

I know my grandfather would have been just as thrilled here today, seeing that young and amazing boxer, being honored at his synagogue for his commitment not only to the Jewish people, but to righteousness,

Being honored for being a true ally of the state of Israel.

For not keeping silent when most of the world did.

For doing the right thing despite all of the static noise, despite a very complex situation.

For leading by example.

A man who, not one week had passed since October 7, and had already sent his private plane to Israel to deliver tons of aid.

A man whose actions have not been a PR strategy, but a true conviction of what is the right and correct thing to do,

A man who talks the talk and walks the walk.

A man, who has traveled to Israel, despite the war, despite the criticism, to visit soldiers, and first responders, and pray at the Kotel hamaaravi,

A man who has raised millions of dollars to help heal the wounded.

He still fights with his heart on his fists.

A champion in the rink, a champion outside of the rink.

Tikkun olam is a concept in Judaism, which refers to various forms of action intended to repair and improve the world.

The small and big things each an everyone of us can do to make the world a better place.

Not everybody listens to this call. It is sometimes easier to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to mending the world.

But indifference is not what humanity is about. We are all bound, regardless of religion and color and nationality,  by the individual actions that make us ALL one common people.

Jonathan Sacks, the great British Rabi, wrote: “We are here to make a difference, to mend the fractures of the world, a day at a time, an act at a time, for as long as it takes to make the world a place of justice and compassion”

I could not think of better words to describe your actions, Mr. Maywheather. You have done exactly this. You have helped heal a fractured world.

Thank You.