We Pray and Act for the Peace of Israel
A Letter From our Clergy
Dear Friends,
Our hearts break at the escalation of violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories. We affirm our love and support for our colleagues, friends, family and our extended Jewish family under attack at this hour in the State of Israel. We weep at the loss of innocent life and pray for the safety of all inhabitants of the region: Israelis and Palestinians; Jews, Christians and Muslims; all created in God’s image.
In our shared search for comfort and hope, we invite you to join us for worship this Shabbat as we find strength in community and offer special prayers for peace and healing in Israel.
As Shabbat draws near, we bring the words of our teacher Rabbi Michael Marmur of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, shared from his home in Jerusalem earlier this week:
“I don’t pretend that it is easy to navigate the various interests and sensitivities . . . Somehow all Jerusalemites must be protected, and their right to safety and self-expression be upheld. It’s immensely hard to get this right. But I want to suggest that the call of the Psalmist שאלו שלום ירושלים (sha’alu sh’lom Yerushalayim) should not only be translated as ‘pray for the peace of Jerusalem.’ It must also mean in these dark moments, ‘ask what needs to happen for Jerusalem to have a chance of a sustainable and equitable peace.’”
Please join us as we pray and act for the peace of Jerusalem, for the peace of Israel, for the safety and dignity of human life—in these troubled days, and toward a future of light and hope.
In prayer and hope,
Temple Emanu-El Clergy
We offer these resources to our families:
- How to talk to children about the conflict in Israel (ReformJudaism.org)
- Exploring the current Israel-Palestinian crisis (The Jewish Education Project)
- How to talk to your kids about the violence in Israel and Gaza (The Jewish Forward)