Divine Compassion

Shelter My People

“O G-d, full of compassion, who dwells on high, grant true rest upon the wings of the Shekinah (Divine Presence), in the exalted spheres of the holy and pure, who shine as the resplendence of the firmament, to the souls of [our brothers and sisters of Tree of Life Synagogue]...may they rest in their resting places in peace...”

Jewish Prayer for the Dead

There are three Jewish temples in Birmingham—Orthodox, Conservative and Reformed. I attended a vigil last night to stand in solidarity with the people of Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh. As Tree of Life Synagogue began burying their beloveds, about two thousand people of all religious persuasions stood in a city street before Temple Beth El to pay their respects. We don't know the dead, but they are our brothers and sisters. We wanted to stand as well against the deep hatred that would lead a man—also someone's precious child—to commit such a terrible act.

I found the service heartening. It was a collection of people representing every race and religion, who do not buy into the fear of our time—that white people are an endangered species. That others—immigrants, refugees—are going to fundamentally change this country and make it full of dangerous criminals. That somehow, invaders are coming like barbarian hordes to overrun and occupy us. The most dangerous people in America today are those who propagate this kind of misinformation. And they are within our borders, and not from without.

When I attend something like this prayer vigil, I remember who we are and what we stand for. It gives me a renewed sense of hope and optimism that if we can just survive the moment, we will be better than before. That all the hatred and mayhem will not last, and that the dark paranoia so prevalent now will fade, just as the lies and fear of the McCarthy era faded. We must not be guided by fear, but by an undiminished spirit of faith—in God, in our fellow human beings, and in our collective nature. May the people of Tree of Life Synagogue be sheltered from further harm beneath the wings of the Holy Spirit.

                                             Let the people say Amen,

                                                       Jane