Ecumenical/Interfaith Resources
Contact person: Rev. Nancy Truscott, 856-745-0080
Interfaith Statement of Solidarity as the High Holy Days Begin
September 7, 2021
Dear Friends in the Chatham and Madison Community,
We stand in solidarity with our Jewish neighbors as they enter the High Holy Days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Given the increase in anti-Semitic statements and actions in recent years, both locally and nationally, we want to express our unequivocal condemnation of anything that threatens or devalues the Jewish people in our community. During Rosh Hashanah, the shofar is sounded, calling the faithful to awaken from slumber, turn away from sin, and remember the Creator of the Universe. We join our Jewish friends in this spiritual wisdom and give thanks for their witness.
As we approach the third anniversary of the shooting at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, we remember gathering in our collective grief that such violence could be enacted in a house of God. And of course, we are always aware of the atrocities of the Holocaust, the trauma of which reverberates across generations. It is our sacred call to remember these awful events in the full measure of their horror and to do everything we can to prevent future injustices that target our Jewish neighbors.
As faith leaders, we believe in the power of words, both the sacred texts of our traditions and the words that we speak to one another. May we all choose our words with care in these times of tumult and division. We look forward to the many ways that together we can awaken to God’s desire for peace and justice in the world. In turning away from what divides us and turning toward our common humanity and the common good, we share in the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam – the healing of the world.
We wish you a happy, health, and peace-filled New Year. L’Shana Tova!
With love, with respect, and with prayer,
Rev. Jeff Markay, Chatham United Methodist Church
Rev. Dr. Christa Compton, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Rev. Dr. Ellen Clark Clemot, Senior Pastor, Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township
The Rev. Susan Ironside, Rector, Grace Episcopal Church
Rev. Robert J. Mitchell, St. Patrick Church
The Rev. Ellen Kohn-Perry, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Chatham
Rev. Kate Hillis, The United Methodist Church in Madison
Rev. Thomas A. Brown, Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township
Rev. Sharon C. Yarger, Chatham United Methodist Church
Rev. T. Kevin Corcoran, Corpus Christi Church
Rev. Dr. A. Craig Dunn, The First Baptist Church of Madison
Rev. Msgr. George F Hundt, Pastor, Saint Vincent Martyr RC Church
John Strakosch Walz, Clerk, Chatham Summit Quaker Meeting
Rev. Kathi Heath, Ogden Memorial Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Jacqui Van Vliet, Presbyterian Church of Madison