NEW YORK — Following reports of a gunman opening fire in central Tel Aviv in what appears to be the latest in a deadly pattern of terrorist attacks throughout Israel, T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights organization that represents over 2,300 rabbis and cantors and their communities in North America, condemned the violence and shared prayers for the victims and their families.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah, issued the following statement:
“T’ruah rabbis and cantors mourn for those who lost their lives today and in the three horrifying attacks of the last two weeks. We pray for refuah shleimah, complete and speedy healing, for the injured. Our hearts go out to Israelis living in fear of continued violence as they go about their daily lives.
“There is never a justification for attacks on civilians. Our tradition teaches the inherent value of life and that the loss of a human being constitutes nothing less than a diminishment of God: ‘If one sheds blood, it is accounted as though that person has diminished the divine image. For it is said: Whoever sheds human blood… For in the Image of God made humanity (Gen. 9:6).’ (Mekhilta de-Rabbi Yishma’el, Tractate Bahodesh)
“We will continue to work for a world where the sanctity of human life is valued above all else, and where no one has to live in fear.”
About T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights mobilizes a network of more than 2,300 rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism that, together with the Jewish community, act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.