Dear friends,
The past few days have been so painful, watching violence spread through Israel and the Palestinian Territories. We are haunted by images of fire raining down on Israeli population centers, by first-hand accounts from innocent people — including dear friends and relatives — forced to take cover in bomb shelters, and by concerns that this violence could spiral into a civil war within Israel itself.
We are heartbroken and grieve with the families of Israelis and Palestinians who have been killed, and we pray for the full and speedy recovery of all who have been wounded. Our tradition emphasizes the preciousness of all human life; that to destroy one life, any life - Israeli or Palestinian - is to destroy an entire world. We are all created in the image of God. These events are a tragedy.
There is, of course, a broader context for all of this, both in the events of recent weeks, and in the wider history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, all of it important to understand. And the violence of the past few days underscores the importance of working together toward a just and shared future, in which Israelis and Palestinians alike are able to live in dignity and without fear.
But we write today not to rehash history. Rather, we express our fervent prayer that this violence ends quickly, before more lives are lost, and that we move together toward healing and peace speedily and in our time.
For those in our community who are having a difficult time coping with these tragic events, please know that we are here for you. Do not hesitate to reach out if we can support you in any way (reply to this email).
Finally, we share this Prayer of Mothers for Life & Peace, co-written by Rabbi Tamar Elad Appelbaum, founder of ZION in Jerusalem, and Sheikha Ibtisam Maḥameed, which expresses beautifully the heartache, and hope, of this moment. We hope you find it as meaningful as we did. We will include special prayers in our Shabbat services this week; we hope you will join us. Please watch for additional communications about relevant upcoming programming, including a workshop in July on Dual Narratives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, led by Resetting the Table.
Od yavo shalom aleinu v’al kulam, may peace soon come to us all. Please continue to take good care of yourselves and each other.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Michael Rose Knopf
Cantor Dara S. Rosenblatt
Michael J. Doniger, President
