SOURCE: Central Conference of American Rabbis
Leaders of Reform Rabbinate, World's Largest Group of Jewish Clergy, Mourn Deaths in Mumbai
Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) Lends Prayers and Sympathies to All Touched by the Terror Attacks in Mumbai and Commends Governments for Working Together to Bring an End to the Violence
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - December 2, 2008) - The leaders of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, which represents nearly 2,000 Reform rabbis, the world's largest group of Jewish clergy, issued a statement mourning the deaths that resulted from the recent terror attacks in Mumbai and commending the governments of India, Israel, the United States and others working together to bring an end to the violence that has rocked Mumbai.
According to the statement, "We, leaders of the world's largest organization of Rabbis, lend our prayers and our sympathies to all who are most directly touched by these horrific acts of terror... We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters, in shock at the brutal, senseless murders of Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, his wife, Rivka, and three others at the Chabad-Lubavitch Center in Mumbai, India... May all people of good will everywhere join in partnership with God, the One who makes peace in heaven, to bring peace to India and all the world, speedily and in our own day."
Following is the full text of the statement:
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Reform Rabbinical Leaders Mourn Chabad-Lubavitch Deaths in Mumbai
We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters, in shock at the brutal, senseless murders of Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, his wife, Rivka, and three others at the Chabad-Lubavitch Center in Mumbai, India. Targeted for no reason other than that they were Jewish, their deaths deeply sadden Jewish people everywhere. We have been taught: Kol Yisrael areivim zeh lazeh. All Jewish people are connected to one another. We are one people in mourning today.
The world is in shock, as we struggle to contemplate the terror that has shaken the world's largest democracy. We, leaders of the world's largest organization of Rabbis, lend our prayers and our sympathies to all who are most directly touched by these horrific acts of terror, targeting Indians, Americans, Britons and others, including our own people.
We commend the governments of India, Israel, the United States, and others that are working together to minimize deaths and to bring a swift end to the violence that continues to rock Mumbai. May all people of good will everywhere join in partnership with God, the One who makes peace in heaven, to bring peace to India and all the world, speedily and in our own day.
Rabbi Peter Knobel Rabbi Steven Fox President Executive Vice President
To arrange a conversation with Rabbi Knobel or Rabbi Fox, please contact Adria Greenberg at Sommerfield Communications, Inc. at 212-255-8386 or adria@sommerfield.com.
The Central Conference of American Rabbis, founded in 1889, is the oldest and largest rabbinic organization in North America. As the professional organization for Reform Rabbis of North America, the CCAR projects a powerful voice in the religious life of the American and international Jewish communities.
Since its establishment, the CCAR has a rich history of giving professional and personal support to Reform rabbis, providing them opportunities for study, professional development and spiritual growth beginning while they are still in seminary, through mid-careers, and into retirement. The CCAR is uniquely positioned to meet the ongoing needs of its 1,850 member rabbis (virtually the entire Reform rabbinate) and the entire Reform Jewish community.