Recapping Three Days of Grief in Philadelphia
Prayers for Peace Alliance sends a heartfelt Thank You to all who joined us this October 6th, October 7th, and October 8th. These three days were a true expression of our values. We know our communities are in pain – from decades of dispossession, occupation, apartheid, and the violence those systems produce. And we know our hearts are big enough to grieve each others’ loss while in the same breath urgently calling for an end to Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people.
The October 6th car rally and march in Northeast Philadelphia was a powerful show of solidarity alongside Philadelphia Palestinian Americans. Amidst chants for a Free Palestine and justice for all, we remembered that the atrocities of October 7th happened in the context of decades of atrocities – forced displacements in the Nakba and since, a military occupation and siege, and indiscriminate bombing campaigns. State Representative Chris Rabb gave a surprise speech to the crowd, decrying the United States’ complicity in the current genocide and reminding us of the power of our collective voice.
On October 7th we partnered with IfNotNow Philadelphia to hold a memorial vigil steeped in Jewish tradition. Together we marked the one-year anniversary, or yahrzeit, of the killing of 1,100 Israelis, and one year since the beginning of a genocide that has killed at least 41,000 Palestinians and likely many times more. Adapting the Lithuanian Jewish custom of marking a gravesite or cemetery with a length of thread, we remembered those who have been buried under the rubble and could not have proper funerals. The “Every Life, A Universe” event was well-covered in local media.
October 7th Every Life a Universe vigil with IfNotNow Philadelphia, Photo: Rachael Warriner
Then on October 8th, we took action. We gathered at City Hall to write postcards to Vice President Harris and our federal representatives, demanding no more weapons for Israel to continue its genocide of Palestinians and aggression in Lebanon. Mennonite Action led us in song and prayer, creating a reflective space to mourn the past year of destruction. As this event drew significant numbers of Mennonite Christians as well as Palestinians and Jews, Prayers for Peace Alliance continued in its mission to bring its message to faith communities besides our own.
October 8 Peace Action and letter writing with Mennonite Action, Photo Credit: Sam Kuttab
The Jewish and Muslim traditions both teach that to kill even one person is to destroy an entire universe. Thank you for joining us to grieve each one of the thousands of universes destroyed in the Holy Land. We refuse to be selective in our sympathy, or to ignore the systemic anti-Palestinian violence that too often goes unrecognized. Instead, we commit ourselves to dismantling the violent systems that cause our communities so much pain, and to building a shared future in their place.
Prayers for Peace Alliance is an intentionally joint Jewish and Palestinian project, calling for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all Palestinian and Israeli captives, and peace, justice, and equal rights for our peoples.
