Lt. Governor Denny Heck receives applause for his “I stand with Israel” speech. You can view the vigil here on the temple’s Facebook page.
Hundreds filled Temple De Hirsch Sinai Tuesday night in a vigil held at the E Pike house of worship to support Israel and mourn the dead from the Hamas attack and ongoing battles in the region.
Senior Rabbi Daniel Weiner led prayer and song and spoke of the support the Seattle temple is extending to its global family.
“We share your pain. We share your anger. We share your resolve,” Weiner said as he condemned the Hamas attack.
Officials attending the night’s vigil that included the temple’s more than 1000 seats filled and an overflow room of onlookers included Senator Maria Cantwell, Washington Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck and Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz. Heck also addressed the crowd.
“We must help you grieve and comfort you but we also must take action,” Senator Cantwell said, saying that the United States must stand with Israel as a democracy facing terrorism.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has said there will be increased police patrols around Seattle synagogues and Jewish schools as the war between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East flares.
“In response to these attacks, the Seattle Police Department will be increasing patrols around places of worship in Seattle to ensure the safety of those gathered to worship, pray, and mourn the lives lost,” Harrell said in a statement. “My prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims of this devastating violence.”
Tuesday’s vigil was peaceful and without disruption. The temple has provided details on how to be part of its support efforts here.
UPDATE: For another way to help, E Olive Way’s Yalla has been making Atayef with proceeds from the dessert going to support the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
Yalla: Made some Atayef with lots and lots of love today! 100% of sales of this dessert will go to the PCRF to help provide medical care for children in Gaza…please feel free to stop in and get some ❤️
$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE
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Free Palestine!
Virtually all have never been allowed to experience anything outside 5×25 mile strip, most densely populated patch on the planet, 70% refugees and descendants, 50% children, extreme food, water, energy shortages, death, destruction for decades, the largest concentration camp to ever exist. Formally blockaded since 2006.
Note that the Egyptians, who share a border with Gaza, participate in the blockade with Israel. Not because they don’t see kinship with the Palestinians, nor because they have no feeling towards the suffering there, but because Hamas poses an existential threat to their government as well.
Definitely a reminder of the universal importance of having a functional government that is oriented around pragmatically advocating for a citizenry’s actual needs — rather than pushing a violent, ideologically-rooted agenda that’s doomed to remain a failure.
Yay, you won the prize for the first and most pathetic comment in this context, Hope you’re feeling good about yourself.
Tuesday’s vigil was peaceful and without disruption.
Sad that one can’t even come together to mourn an anti-Jewish massacre without the potential for protesters disrupting it. That said, I wish I knew about this beforehand.
It’s not an “anti-Jewish massacre”, it is desperate terrorism against an apartheid racist government that oppresses all Palestinians, even Jewish Palestinians.
Palestinians need a Mandela. This is a nightmare in which leadership would make a difference. I wonder how it woulda played out in the 1980s if the South African Black people had hit a music festival and slaughtered 100s of whites with automatics and killed their babys too. Yes there were attacks back then but the change came through political alliances
Yeah. The Israelis sure had it coming, didn’t they? She also shouldn’t have worn that dress , huh?
Wow, this is one of the most ignorant comments I’ve seen on this site, and that’s saying something. You clearly don’t know anything about Hamas if this is your take. It’s mind boggling to me that in their support of Palestinians, the progressive left is now siding with rightwing religious fanatic terrorists. Did you love Bin Laden, as well?
Hamas destroyed the prospects of peace through its own actions. Whatever “side” you’re on in this debate, this is a non-debatable statement of fact.