FMAMS Students Show Support for Israel at Massive Washington Rally

FMAMS students and faculty from Chicago, IL; Raleigh, NC; Memphis, TN; West Orange and Bergen County, NJ; New York City and Washington, DC joined more than 100,000 protesters of all ages and backgrounds who streamed to Washington's Capitol Hill on April 15 to express their solidarity with Israel. The rally was the largest in support of Israel ever held in the United States.

"The crisis in Israel is very real for Americans, who are still recovering from the shock and losses sustained at the World Trade Center," says Carol Backman, a student at the Washington, DC, Mini-School. "Many protesters carried signs equating Israel's terrorist siege to America's tragedy of September 11. One sign read, 'Every day is 9-11 in Israel,' noting that percentage-wise Israel has lost more people to terrorist attacks than America lost on 9-11. A sign carried by group of young girls asked, 'Would you trade Washington for peace?' "

"We just studied Lesson 22 of the Purposes of Jewish Living course this past week, which discusses the 'Theology of Prayer.' The text by Yehudah HaLevi really hit home for many students," says Jennifer Mohl, director of the New York City Mini-School. "While the idea was based on the opinion that we all benefit from common prayer over personal prayer, our students took that to the next step. There are so many ways that the community benefits from being united, from simple Shabbat dinners, to the unbelievable rally in Washington. The sense of community adds to the confidence in our beliefs and often times to our spiritual growth."

"It was quite moving to be a part of such a mass demonstration of solidarity with the US Capitol," says Aryeh Meir, director of the West Orange Mini-School. "I was proud to be a Jew and an American."

"The Washington rally was a powerful antidote to the expressions of hostility we, as a people, have faced in recent weeks," says FMAMS Director of Teacher Education Judy Kupchan, who flew in from Chicago. "Standing shoulder to shoulder with thousands of Jews created a sense of shared values, shared purpose, and shared fate. The crowd was a diverse reflection of Jewish America. As Meltonians, it looked like a macrocosm of the pluralism we emphasize in our own schools. The sight of the Capitol looming in the background was symbolic of our freedom to speak out as Americans, but I believe our most significant message was to our brothers and sisters in Israel: despite our geographic separation, we stand together and we will be strong together."

Photos of rally by Sam Backman, a student at the Washington, DC, Mini-School