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SOUTH ORANGE, N.J., August 13, 2019 – Members and clergy of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI), the Reform synagogue in South Orange, took part in a regional observance of the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av, a day of mourning, on Sunday, August 11. The event, at the Peter Rodino Federal Building on Broad Street in Newark, was attended by representatives of a dozen other regional synagogues and Jewish institutional partners. It brought attendees together in prayer and protest of the detention of immigrants by the U.S. federal government. Upwards of 200 people attended the rally, including 12 from TSTI.
TSTI’s Cantor Rebecca Moses, and rabbis and cantors from the region, read from the Book of Lamentations—the traditional biblical text for Tisha B’Av—as well as the words of children held in detention centers; the clergy members also shared reflections on the commandments in the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) about sheltering the refugee.
“Tisha B’Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, marks the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and other calamities that befell the Jewish people. It also spurs us, as agents of social justice, to respond to the calamities of others. Given our people’s own history among other nations, we can never forget the commandments to love the stranger as ourselves and to care for those in our midst,” said Moses.
Max Weisenfeld, president of TSTI, noted that the synagogue’s Facebook post about the rally received a tremendous amount of engagement in the first 24 hours.
“Given all the recent news events and ensuing outrage in the community, we were honored to participate in this important event and have our voices heard in support of those being detained,” said Weisenfeld. “I hope and believe that when we raise our voices in this way, our temple community and the wider New Jersey community take note.”
The other synagogues at the event were:
- From Essex County – Temple Ner Tamid, Bnai Keshet, Temple Sholom of West Essex, Congregation Beth El, Temple B’nai Abraham
- From Union, Middlesex and Hudson counties – Congregation Beth Hatikvah, Temple Emanu-El, United Synagogue of Hoboken
- From Bergen County –Temple Avodat Shalom, Temple Sinai of Bergen County, Temple Emeth, Congregation B’nai Israel
Participating institutional partners were: The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Reform Jewish Voice of NJ, National Council of Jewish Women, HIAS, Bend the Arc, J Street, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights and Torah Trumps Hate.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Members of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel in South Orange joined Cantor Rebecca Moses and others from 12 North Jersey synagogues and eight Jewish institutions at a Tisha B’Av observance and protest about the detention of immigrants on Sunday in Newark. They are (front row, l. to r.) Robin Rabinowitz, Cantor Moses, Judy Levine and Maggie Mohr; (back row, l. to r.) Robert Rabinowitz, Max Weisenfeld, Christine Jacobson, Martin Levine and Alison Oxman. Not pictured, Rachel Fisher, Ava Reinfeld and Steve Delman.
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About Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel
432 Scotland Road, South Orange, NJ 07079
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