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Dear JCOGS community,

Rabbi David is currently away on vacation and not checking email regularly, but he felt it was important to share a few words at this historic moment. He asked that I send this on his behalf. If you would like to respond, please feel free to write to me and I will make sure he receives your message.

Warmly,

Cyndy Wyatt
President



I am writing this on my phone, in the quiet of a vacation morning, watching images of Israelis running at the sound of sirens, parents gathering their children and rushing into bomb shelters. At the same time, we see civilians in Iran fleeing explosions, seeking safe haven. We pray for safety and for the bereaved in their time of mourning. 

We are witnessing a historic moment. The Iranian regime has long been a force of repression, violence, and authoritarianism, both toward its own people and beyond its borders. As Jews, the images stir something deep within us. The story of Purim tells of a threatened people in Persia living under an authoritarian power bent on destruction. There were fears in the streets then too. And while the Megillah recounts deliverance, our tradition tempers celebration with gravity. 

As Purim approaches, beginning Monday night and continuing through Tuesday, and as we gather to celebrate together this Friday, we pray for the safety of Israelis in shelters and for civilians in Iran. We pray that the impulse toward authoritarianism in all its forms be uprooted and that evil vanishes off the face of the earth. 

May the Holy One guard all who are in danger. May shelter hold. May children be safe in their parents’ arms. May we draw closer to each other here at home, even as we hold our Israeli family in love and concern. May fear and enmity give way to a lasting peace, and may the One who makes peace in the heavens help us make lasting peace on earth.

Rabbi David