Interfaith Prayer Service Unites Westchester Religious Communities
As the violence in Gaza between Palestinians and Israelis continued last week, a gathering of about 250 people at Manhattanville College in Harrison, representing the Christian, Islamic and Jewish faiths, joined together spiritually to pray for peace and healing and to remember the four youths who were tragically killed just prior to the escalation of bloodshed.
These four youth are: Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, Naftali Fraenkel, 16, and Mohammed Abu Khdeit 16. The bodies of the three murdered Israeli teens were found just two days before the fourth, a Palestinian, was found apparently killed in retribution.
The service, which did not engage political considerations, was attended by members of religious congregations from all over Westchester County.
The Westchester Youth Alliance joined the co-sponsoring interfaith organizations American Jewish Committee, The Duchesne Center for Religion and Social Justice at Manhattanville College, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, The Episcopal Diocese of New York, Turkish Cultural Center Westchester, United Methodist Church, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in bringing everyone together.
Taking place on July 30th, thirty days after the first of the funerals for the teens, Rabbi Gordon Tucker of Temple Israel Center of White Plains, told the gathering he had just returned from Israel.
With the Rabbinical Assembly and Masorti Foundation, serving as co-chair of a solidarity mission, Tucker had visited with rabbis and community leaders in the South of Israel, met with Knesset leaders, and visited the graves of the three kidnapped and murdered Yeshiva Students.
In the Jewish faith, Tucker said, it is tradition to mourn for 30 days, but on the 31st day life must go forward.
Gordon said he had spoken with the mother of one of the Yeshiva students who said the only thing she could do was to pray and work for peace and reconciliation. The fact that an interfaith gathering in Westchester County, New York, was planned for the last day of her mourning, gave her light and hope. “It shown on her face,” Tucker said.
Memorial prayers were read from their own traditions by Cantor Tracey Scher, Larchmont Temple and Abdul Majeed, Yusuf Shah Mosque, Mt. Vernon. Text studies were given by Rabbi Tucker and Imam Musa.
Rev. Susan Andrews, General Presbyter Hudson River Presbytery spoke about the importance of building bridges in hard times.
Several other speakers talked about the importance of building interfaith dialogue, including Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan, chair of the American Muslim Women’s Association.
Dr. Hassan was credited by David Arnow, of Neighborhood Interfaith Conversations, for initiating the interfaith service by being the first to attend a memorial service for the teens outside of her own congregation.
Vitalah Simon, a member of Scarsdale Friends Meeting (Quakers) led the group in a two-minute silent meditation. The sense of deep connection and solidarity was palpable in the room.
In closing everyone acknowledged the need to be rooted in community, but also the importance of reaching out.
Candles placed outside Reid Castle at Manhattanville bore the names of the many people killed in the ongoing violence and maintained the feeling of reverence as attendees went to their cars.
