WHEREAS, the clergy, leadership and congregation of Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Norfolk, Virginia, are committed to striving for justice and peace among all people and respecting the dignity of every human being;
WHEREAS, we as a congregation are blessed with many neighbors, friends and family members of the Jewish faith, and we are committed to loving, supporting, protecting and serving our neighbors;
WHEREAS, the unspeakable acts of brutality, hate and anti-Semitism perpetrated against the faithful and innocent congregants of the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh as they were gathered in worship on Saturday, October 27, 2018, have horrified and outraged us;
WHEREAS, in the past year, there has been a 57% increase in anti-Semitic acts and speech in this country; and
WHEREAS, we cannot be silent in the face of this evil which is infecting our land;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE VESTRY OF CHRIST AND ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH: That the clergy, leadership and congregation of Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in their grief, outrage and a yearning for shalom.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That we, the clergy, leadership and congregation of this church commit ourselves to speaking out publicly against all anti-Semitic speech and acts. We commit ourselves to standing as one with our Jewish brothers and sisters and other faith congregations in eliminating the evil of anti-Semitism as we proclaim together, “Never again.”
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the clergy, leadership and congregation of Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church will pray for those innocent lives lost at the Tree of Life Synagogue and their families and loved ones. We also will pray for those who, by word or action, promote hatred and violence. May their hearts of stone be transformed into hearts of compassion, and their words of hatred be transformed into words of shalom.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the clergy, leadership and music director of Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Norfolk, hereby dedicate the performance of the Brahms Requiem, taking place on Sunday, November 4, 2018 at 6:00 p.m., to the memory of those who lost their lives at Tree of Life Synagogue:
- Joyce Fienberg, 75, of Oakland, City of Pittsburgh
- Richard Gottfried, 65, of Ross Township
- Rose Mallinger, 97, of Squirrel Hill, City of Pittsburgh
- Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, of Edgewood Borough
- Cecil Rosenthal, 59, of Squirrel Hill, City of Pittsburgh
- David Rosenthal, 54, (brother of Cecil), of Squirrel Hill
- Bernice Simon, 84, of Wilkinsburg
- Sylvan Simon, 86, (husband of Bernice), of Wilkinsburg
- Daniel Stein, 71, of Squirrel Hill, City of Pittsburgh
- Melvin Wax, 88, of Squirrel Hill, City of Pittsburgh
- Irving Younger, 69, of Mt. Washington, City of Pittsburgh
Adopted by the Vestry of Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Norfolk, Virginia this 29th day of October, 2018.
