The Havurah Shalom Israel/Palestine Committee and
The Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial
(Key Event Dates: April 2, April 24, & May 7, 2023)
“The Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day reminds everyone that war is not a predetermined fate, but only a human choice.”
- Parents Circle Family Forum
In recognition that the establishment of Israel as a State 75 years ago is not just a source of great pride for Jews but also of great pain for Palestinians as well as many Jews, the Havurah Israel/Palestine Committee is hosting meetings before and after the Joint Memorial Ceremony. The ceremony will be live-streamed from Israel on April 24, 2023 in the morning Pacific Time. The recording will be available soon thereafter.
The Ceremony, organized by Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle Families Forum, is the largest Israeli-Palestinian jointly organized peace event:
“The narratives that many Palestinian and Israeli communities hold are vastly different. In mourning together, we seek to challenge the status quo and set the foundation for a new reality based on mutual respect, dignity, and equality for all. We seek not to equate narratives, but rather transform despair into hope and build bridges of compassion. We remind ourselves and society that occupation, oppression, and violence are not inevitable.”
Learn more and register to watch the live-stream or recorded Ceremony: (https://afcfp.org/memorial/)
The Havurah Israel/Palestine Committee invites you to these congregational meetings. (Havurah members only):
1. Introduction to the Joint Memorial. Sunday, April 2, 7 to 8:30 PM in person and Zoom. Joined by Rabbi Benjamin, we will discuss the background for the event and the impact of the current Israeli government on the organizers, followed by poetry readings, small group discussions, final words and song by Rabbi Benjamin. Refreshments will be provided after the meeting.
2. Post Joint Memorial discussion. Sunday, May 7, 7 to 8:30 PM. Probably hybrid. Reactions to the Ceremony and discussion about where do we go from here. Please watch the Ceremony before attending.
Hope to see you at both meetings!
Watch Hineinu for updates on live-stream time and zoom room.
The organizers of the Joint Memorial explain that “Israel and Palestine have each established a national day of remembrance wherein they mourn the consequences of the decades-long conflict with one another. Israelis mourn on Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) and Palestinians on the Nakba (Day of Catastrophe).” “The choice to hold the event on the same day as Israel’s Memorial Day, aims to relay a message to both sides, calling them to recognize the joint pain and hope, and to try and prevent the next victims from this fate.”
For a webinar discussion of the impact of the current Israeli government on the Parents Circle, please click here: https://parentscirclefriends.org/safeguarding/
This year the Havurah Steering Committee has approved sponsorship of the Joint Memorial, along with a $250 donation. Hundreds of thousands people around the world have watched past ceremonies. The link below includes an hour-long recording of last year’s event and a list of sponsors – including synagogues and the Reconstructionist Rabbinic Association. (https://afcfp.org/memorial-2022/)
For questions or to help with the April 2 meeting, please contact Elinor Gollay, coordinator of the Joint Memorial working group of the Havurah Israel/Palestine Committee.