Response to Terror
October 8, 2023
Dear Friends, Our hearts are heavy as we absorb the brazen attack Hamas executed against Israel over the holiday weekend. Our pain and prayer are with the individuals and families of the murdered, abducted, and wounded. Although our initial questions about how this could have happened will be pondered for a long time, for now we need a space to connect, discuss, and grieve the violence, the loss, and the many ways Israel, and Jews all over the world, are shaken to the core. Mishkon nearly called off Erev Simchat Torah services last night. Would it feel like a vulgarity to dance when our people are in such pain? But then I realized our brothers and sisters in Israel could not dance, so we must: Israel holds so many of us up; it is our small way of holding them, at least in our heart. We found that just being together was healing. It helps to show up and be together. Please consider joining us at the Los Angeles Jewish Community Vigil for Israel tonight, October 8, from 8 to 9 p.m. at Stephen S. Wise Temple. Register here: https://wise.shulcloud.com/event/LACommunityVigil Or watch on live stream at www.WiseLA.org/Online. Being connected to community will help us in ways even many hours of watching news just can’t. If you would like to be in touch to discuss these events, or anything at all, please email me, and let’s get coffee. We need one another, and this event has made that clearer than ever. Rabbi Joshua Katzan
