We write this morning after a harrowing night. Like you, we watched as hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones attempted to fall on the State of Israel. Thank God, nearly all were intercepted by the Iron Dome technology and by military forces of Israel’s allies, including and most especially, the United States. We feel immense gratitude for this and for the minimal injuries and physical impact felt. Our hearts go out to the 7-year-old Bedouin girl critically injured last night.
This morning, we woke up to texts from our Israeli family who, unbelievably, are returning to their post-October 7 “normal” lives. This includes returning to work, cafes, shopping, and preparing for Passover. We’ve also heard from our own TBJ community members who are in Israel that they are safe and returning to their planned itineraries. We are all grateful that Lauren Rutkin arrived home safely early this morning.
We may wonder: What can we do now?
First and foremost, we continue to pray for the State of Israel and all who live within her borders. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel and stand up to forces near and far who seek to destroy her.
Please look for our Israel Action Email where we will share more ways to voice our support and thank our elected officials for the American response to the Iranian attack, and advocate to our representatives for ongoing support, especially the long-awaited military package which is imperative to finish this fight in Gaza and otherwise bolster Israel’s defense.
Finally, we invite you to come together in community this Friday night April 19 at 5:30pm for Shabbat Services and a special guest speaker, Major General (Res.) Nadav Padan, the National Director of Friends of the IDF.
We pray for the 130 hostages in Gaza to be returned safely to their families and to successfully end the war with Hamas. We need to continue to keep our eye on the ball both in Israel and here at home. We will not waver in our support and continue to plan to travel to Israel regularly, including rescheduling our most recent mission. Our sense of unity is vital now more than ever.
With Prayers for Peace & In Solidarity,
Rabbi Matthew D. Gewirtz Cantor Lucy B. Fishbein Rabbi Karen Glazer Perolman Rabbi Leah H. Sternberg Cantor Howard M. Stahl Marc Rothstein, Executive Director Karen Feldman, President
Temple B'nai Jeshurun 1025 South Orange Avenue Short Hills, NJ 07078
