For These We Cry Out: Tisha B’Av Vigil for Refugees

Sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Board of Rabbis

Tisha b’Av (The ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av)  is a day of mourning and reflecting – a time when we remember the destruction of Jerusalem and the upheaval and suffering of the exile of the Jewish people from our homeland.

At 12:00 noon on Sunday, August 11th we will gather near Independence Hall to affirm our commitment to the core Jewish value of Kavod Habriot, the basic dignity of all of God’s creation. As we remember the pain of dispersal and what it means to wander unprotected, we remember that all humanity was created b’Tzelem Elohim, in God’s image, and we are obligated to Love the Stranger, as well as our fellow, as ourselves.

It is in keeping with our tradition’s teachings and our people’s historic experience, and reflecting the Jewish community’s core values that we raise our voice in support of safe and dignified treatment for those who come to this country seeking asylum, shelter and a better life for their families.

Using the Book of Lamentations, traditional Tisha b’Av liturgy, song and fellowship we will reflect how these basic Jewish principles of human dignity and creation in God’s image are enshrined in the self-evident truths, “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”