On October 7, Israel suffered the deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust. Hamas’s atrocities can never be condoned or excused.

My deepest condolences go to our neighbors here in the greater Town of Mt. Pleasant and in Westchester County, and to families throughout our nation, who have lost loved ones or have loved ones at risk in Israel.

We must stand together against antisemitism and against all the forms of hatred that destroy lives and communities–communities very much like our own, even if they are thousands of miles away. Even as we aren’t personally experiencing the horrors that are being inflicted on others, we must bear them in our minds and our hearts. Our shared humanity must always conquer brutality.

It’s natural to tell ourselves we’d like to do something, and we can. Simply making connections through gestures of goodwill towards others, and reciprocating their kindnesses in return, is powerful. The opportunities are all around us: on social media, when we’re driving, when we’re shopping, when we’re out-and-about in our communities in all kinds of ways. No matter our own experiences, life stories, and beliefs—including our politics! —we can rediscover together the common cause of ensuring that humanity endures.

Our world today is complex and vast, bigger than any one of us–but not bigger than all of us. As an old Irish proverb reminds us, “It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.”

As we pray for Israel and for our Jewish neighbors, friends, and family, let’s ensure together that humanity’s fate will never be dictated by tyranny and terrorism. May every one of us find comfort in all of us and sustain each other in the difficult days to come.

Lastly, please consider lighting a candle tonight with your Shabbat candles, or if you are not of the Jewish faith, light a candle in solidarity. Attend the special in-person service this evening led by Rabbi Ben Newman to welcome Shabbat and say prayers for Israel at Pleasantville Community Synagogue 6-6:30pm – all are welcome!

Helen N. Keating
Chairwoman
Town of Mt Pleasant Republican Committee