A Letter from Jerusalem July 1 2014 Dear members of the Emanu-El community; Last night I was attending a lecture in Jerusalem when cell phones began lighting up throughout the audience and people began whispering to one another in low tones. The speaker, Rabbi Donniel Hartman, then read from a note quietly passed to him, that the three young Jewish men kidnapped two weeks ago had been found, dead, in a field north of Hebron. We then joined in the memorial prayer, El Male Rachamim, and sang Hatikvah together. As we silently walked out into the night, Rabbi Hartman left us with these words; Three souls have been lost, but remember that the Jewish people live. I walked home down Emek Refaim street. At this hour, the cafes would be bustling, but last night they were barely a quarter- filled with patrons. There were fewer cars on the streets. The predominant sound was of the television sets in peoples apartments, as news of the tragic discovery was broadcast during the evening. Israel is a country in mourning today. As noted author Ari Shavit said to us this evening, no other democracy seems comparable to Israel when it comes to joining together in times of tragedy and sorrow. It is as if every family feels the loss. I watched a lot of Israeli TV late last evening. I will end with the words of one older man interviewed by a reporter: We must be strong in the face of this tragedy, but we will continue to pray for peace. May the memories of Naftali Fraenkel, Gilad Shaar, and Eyal Yifrach be for a blessing. Rabbi Doug Sagal Jerusalem
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 20:56:48 +0000
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