Dear Friends,
Last Friday night, a wave of brutal terror attacks hit Paris, unsettling a city less than one year after an earlier assault. The St. Louis Jewish community stands in unity with the people of Paris and all citizens of France, mourning the victims and praying for peace. Last time, the assault was directed at fixtures of western pluralism and more directly at the Jewish community. This time, the assault was a generalized effort to destabilize and stoke fear.
Undertaken by ISIS and its affiliates, their stated targets remain Christians, Jews, Israel and what they see as the excesses of the West. ISIS claims to act in God’s name and in the name of Islam. They do neither. As many of us in the Jewish community received the news, we recognized that we have seen this story before. Indeed, we are seeing it now, unfolding in Israel in slow motion, one stabbing at a time.
We join in recognizing that the attack was anathema to the principles of true Islam and we stand steadfast against this global attack. Violence against civilians for political or religious purposes has no place in any democratic society.
The Interfaith Partnership will be holding a prayer service for the victims of the attack on Tuesday, November 17 at 7:00 pm at the chapel at Eden, 475 East Lockwood Ave, 63119.
[column grid=”2″ span=”1″]
Harvey N. Wallace
Board Chair
Jewish Federation of St. Louis
Patricia F. Croughan
Immediate Past Board Chair
Jewish Federation of St. Louis
Andrew Rehfeld Ph.D.
President and CEO
Jewish Federation of St. Louis
[/column][column grid=”2″ span=”1″]
Robert Millstone
President
Jewish Community Relations Council
Phyllis Markus
Immediate Past Board President
Jewish Community Relations Council
Batya Abramson Goldstein
Executive Director
Jewish Community Relations Council
Maharat Rori Picker Neiss
Incoming Executive Director
Jewish Community Relations Council
[/column]
