A People Like No Other

Ironically, it was late Monday night, after our symposium on Israel and the Media, when I got the What's App message from my future son in law, Ariel, about the terrorist attack in Jerusalem. He had lived in Har Nof, and had friends and family there. The reports were ambiguous, but as the details emerged, it became clear that a horrific and barbaric attack had been perpetuated by blood-thirsty terrorists on innocents, this time rabbis and Rosh Yeshivas, in prayer.

This has been a devastating week for the Jewish people. But from this thick fog of darkness, streams of light emerge. Most notably are statements from the families who lost their beloved husbands and fathers. Their rock solid moral strength and Jewish dignity speaks for itself in a statement they released yesterday:

With broken hearts, drenched in tears shed over the spilt blood of holy men - the heads of our families.

We call on our brethren wherever they are - let us come together so that we may merit mercy from Heaven, and let's accept upon ourselves to increase love and comradery, between each individual and each community.

We ask that every person accept upon himself on this Sabbath Eve (Parshat Toldot, November 21-22, 2014), to set aside the day of Shabbat as a day of unconditional love, a day during which we will refrain from words of disagreement and division, from words of gossip and slander.

May this serve to elevate the souls of our husbands and fathers who were slaughtered while sanctifying God's name.

God will look down from the heavens, see our suffering, wipe away our tears and put an end to our tribulations.

May we merit seeing the coming of our Moshiach speedily in our days. Amen.

Signed with a torn heart,

Mrs. Chaya Levin and family

Mrs. Bryna Goldberg and family

Mrs. Yaacova Kupensky and family

Mrs. Bashy Twersky and family

In face of a violence, a call for kindness. In face of evil, a call for goodness. In face of hate, a call for love. In the midst of excruciating pain of the most horrific kind, a moral strength, a Torah derived strength, unmatched by any other people.

In the midst of horrendous darkness, the light of the Jewish people.

"And who is like Your People Israel, a Singular Nation on this earth." (Samuel 1, 7:23)

Monday, 24 November, 2014 - 5:20 pm

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