Once again, on a holy day of the Jewish calendar, the people of Israel have come under attack.
Once again, the brave military forces of the State of Israel are responding and will defend our beloved Jewish state. And once again, the Jewish communities of North America stand in total and complete solidarity with our Israeli brethren. We pray for their safety and will do everything we can to ensure the complete and total success of their efforts. We will act immediately and comprehensively to support our brothers and sisters as they defend Israel.
The prayer for the State of Israel that we recite in synagogue every week - including this morning - says ונתת שלום בארץ ושמחת עולם ליושביה. This prayer translates to: “Grant peace in the land and happiness to all its residents.”
On this day, which is the holiday of Simchat Torah in Israel, we sing and dance with simcha - with happiness. Today is not a day of simcha in Israel, but it is a day of solidarity, determination and utmost seriousness.
With the community's collective help, Israel will prevail. Am yisrael chai.
You can support the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia's Philly Stands with Israel Fund, an emergency response campaign to provide immediate relief to the victims in Israel, by clicking here. You can see the Jewish Federation's full statement on the current crisis by clicking here.
Michael Balaban
President & CEO, The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia