Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of The Conference of European Rabbis, reacted to the passing of Rabbi Yoseph Haim Sistruk by saying, "Rabbi Sitruck, who for 21 years was the chief rabbi of France and for twelve years as president of the CER, generated a spiritual renaissance of France's Jewry, which counterbalanced assimilationist tendencies prevalent in France.
"I still remember my first meeting with him when he was rabbi of Strasbourg and later as rabbi of Marseille. He was a young energetic and charismatic leader with integrity and faith. These strengths led him later to be elected chief rabbi of France and after the death of Harav Lord Jakobovits, he was elected the first non-British president of the CER."