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The prayer vigil drew an overflow crowd at Young Israel of Oak Park.

Mashi Gold of Oak Park attended with her children, Chaya, 11, and Shaindel, 8.

Talking To God

In the wake of war, community members gather in prayer.

mately in God's hands and leave room for
one's own emotion and requests!'
Rabbi Yaakov Gregg of Oak Park imme-
diately "dropped everything" to attend the
service as soon as he heard about it from
his wife. In the packed synagogue, he was
among the hundred or so participants
standing in the foyer. "This was not a call to
war; it was not a call to peace,' he said. "It
was an opportunity to talk to God, and that
supersedes anything else!'

Shelli Liebman Dorfman

Senior Writer

R

abbi Yechiel Morris was not
surprised at Sunday evening's
standing-room-only crowd that
assembled to pray for the safety of those
involved in the Israeli conflict. "So many of
us are looking for an outlet to express our
fears, concerns and anger that the situa-
tion has come down to this',' said the Young
Israel of Southfield rabbi.
He estimates a crowd of 750 participants
gathered at Young Israel of Oak Park (YIOP)
for the recitation of tehillim (psalms)."No
one wants soldiers in harm's way in Gaza':
Rabbi Morris said. "No one wants to harm
civilians inside Gaza. But at the same time,
southern Israel has been under attack
for the last eight years with rockets being
shot from Gaza; and this is even after the
disengagement. For the past three years,
there wasn't one Israeli, one soldier inside
the Gaza strip and yet the rockets were still
being launched. The State of Israel tried
every way to avoid this. But it had no choice
other than to protect its citizens:'
Mark Berkman of Oak Park, who

Some 750 participants recited psalms

in suppport of Israel.

David Isaacs of Southfield

Leah, 10, and Chana Braucha, 7, of Oak Park

attended the service, analyzed the situation.
"Hamas has unequivocally called for Israel's
destruction and the death of its citizenry':
he said. "For years, Israeli citizens have
endured the terror of literally thousands
of Hamas-launched rockets and mortars
being fired into Israeli homes and schools.
Hamas has refused Israel's requests for a
cease-fire."
He is concerned with new, more power-
ful missiles being used by Hamas. "Since
Hamas refuses to stop through diplomacy,
Israeli soldiers are now going into Gaza to
stop the missiles and protect the lives of the
people who live in Israel," Berkman said.
"We are praying for the safety of those sol-
diers and the success in their ability to stop
the missiles so that Israel's citizens can be
safe from the terror of Hamas missiles."

Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater
Detroit (Vaad), the Women's Orthodox
League and the Metropolitan Council of
Young Israel.
"Israel and really the entire Jewish people
are now faced with an enemy whose most
deeply-set values are hate, violence and
murder," said David Barth of Oak Park,
who attended the service. "It's important, in
addition to showing our support for Israel's
military response, for all Jews to pray to
God for strength, protection and peace."
Community rabbis, including Rabbi
Doniel Neustadt, head of the Southfield-
based Vaad, and YIOP Rabbi Michael
Cohen, led the program, which concluded
with a prayer for the welfare of the soldiers
in the IDE
"We find community prayer a more
effective way of demonstrating our concern
for the people and soldiers of the State of
Israel," said Steven Lorch of Southfield.
Said Rabbi Cohen, "The reason for the
service was to respond with prayer at a
time of distress. Each person has their
own personal perspective of the current
situation in Israel and what he or she
feels should be addressed through their
own prayers': he said. "For this reason, the
psalms were chosen as the text to pray from
because they [the psalms] simply point to
the fact that we recognize that we are ulti-

Much To Pray For
"We came together to pray for the safety and
welfare of the citizens in Southern Israel,
Israeli soldiers and innocent civilians in
Gaza who are in danger because they are
being held hostage by their irresponsible and
brutal Hamas government': Rabbi Morris
said. "It was very meaningful that there were
several parents in attendance who currently
have sons serving for the Israel Defense
Forces (IDF) inside of Gaze
The program was organized by the

Unity Rally For Israel
— Thursday, Jan. 8

Several major Jewish organizations
are calling on community members
to stand with Israel at a community-
wide solidarity rally at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 8, at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.
Gershon Kedar, deputy consul
general of Israel, will give the main
address. He is a primary spokes-
man for Israel in the Midwest during
this crisis. He will be joined by Rev.
Kenneth Flowers of Greater New Mt.
Moriah Baptist Church of Detroit.
He is a recipient of the first Martin
Luther King Jr. Israel Award. Hannan
Lis and Ken Gold will report after
returning from Federation's 2008
Family Mission in Israel.
Rally participants are asked to
bring letters and cards to send
to endangered communities
in southern Israel. Rally spon-
sors include: Jewish Community
Relations Council and the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, Anti-Defamation League-
Michigan Region, American Jewish
Committee-Metro Detroit Chapter,
B'nai B'rith-Michigan Region, Zionist
Organization of America-Metro
Detroit District and StandWithUs-
Michigan.

January 8 • 2009

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