Havurah Shalom

We are, once again, coming up to the dates when Palestine and Israel each has a national day of remembrance to mourn the consequences of the ongoing violence. Israelis mourn on Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) and Palestinians on Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe).  Each year Combatants for Peace and The Parents Circle Families Forum organize the Joint Memorial and Joint Nakba Remembrance ceremonies, through which they can grieve together, catalyze transformation, and strengthen their shared resolve to create a just peace.

Last year, Havurah’s Israel/Palestine Committee became a co-sponsor of the Joint Memorial Ceremony and will again this year.  We encourage Havurah members to watch the ceremony live with us Sunday, May 12, at 10:30 am at Havurah by registering here, or at home by registering here to receive a link to the online broadcast.

We will also gather at Havurah Shalom on Wednesday, May 15, at 10 am to watch the Joint Nakba Remembrance Ceremony live. Please RSVP below. You can register here to view the broadcast online from home.

Together, Palestinians and Israelis gather in Beit Jala to recall the pain and trauma of the Palestinian community in 1948, when more than 700,000 Palestinians became refugees as a result of being forcibly expelled from their homes, with many of their villages and cities destroyed. The Joint Nakba Ceremony expresses the organizers’ belief that peace and reconciliation require a sincere and honest reckoning with history.

As the American Friends for Combatants for Peace website says, “Combatants for Peace understands that for Israelis and Palestinians to end the occupation and find a solution to the conflict, we must acknowledge the truth of history, listen earnestly to each other’s stories, and compassionately behold each other’s humanity.  In mourning together, we seek not to equate narratives, but rather transform despair and suffering into hope and build bridges of compassion. We remind ourselves and society that occupation, oppression, and violence are not inevitable. Our shared mourning is an expression of deep pain and grief for the tragic losses this conflict has wrought…. We aim to hold fast to our shared humanity as we challenge the status quo and set the foundation for a new reality based on mutual respect, dignity, and equality.”