Many of us were shocked by the murderous attack on worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue on October 27.
Many of us gathered the following Monday at the Temple to mourn, to show our solidarity in resistance against evil, and to affirm our shared vision of community.
In a climate where hateful speech has further lowered the threshold for violent actions, many of us suddenly find ourselves wide awake to the persistence of anti-Semitism in our society.
November 9, 2018 marks the 80th anniversary of a night of terror in Nazi Germany, known as Kristallnacht. In a carefully coordinated campaign, thugs attacked Jewish houses of worship, businesses, schools, and homes, bringing death and devastation. There were few public condemnations, and the evil of anti-Semitic violence continued to spread and increase.
Mindful of that failure of conscience and courage, we invite congregations of all faiths, as a quiet act of remembrance and resistance, to keep the lights on in their houses of worship on the night of November 9/10 this year.
May we be beacons of hope.
