GTU Community Opportunities to Gather in Solidarity and Prayers for Peace
A letter to the GTU community from President Uriah Kim
October 9, 2023
Dear GTU Community,
I am writing to you today with a heavy heart as our community grieves the heartbreaking violence that is consuming Israel and Palestine — the latest example of human suffering, conflict, and mass violence that occurs all too often around the world.
This devastating loss of life is one that touches us all. The impact of war is one that reverberates across the globe, and most certainly, our community at the GTU. Through such cataclysm, we hold fast to the staff of hope in a spirit of prayer for peace, cooperation, and reconciliation.
The beauty of the GTU community is that we come together, across differences, in times of crisis, in times of tragedy, and in times of despair, serving as a model of the beloved community as we remain steadfast in our condemnation of violence and our belief in a more just and compassionate future.
As we grieve and hope for an end to the suffering and violence, I would like to make the GTU community aware of two upcoming gatherings to collectively mourn and pray tomorrow, October 10th. GTU’s website will also continue to be updated as further opportunities to congregate are scheduled.
Taking Down the Sukkah Ritual with the Center for Jewish Studies | 12:45 pm
All members of the GTU community are invited to join CJS in gathering to engage with the ritual practice of dismantling our ceremonial sukkah. In solemn recognition of the horrific events overtaking Israel and Palestine, on this occasion we will come together in a memorial program to grieve the loss of life, experiencing this ritual as a silent, embodied experience of the utter undoing and removal of shelter and of life that is ongoing. A study session centered on texts related to loss and prayers for peace will follow.
Prayer Vigil for Peace | 5:00 pm
The GTU community is invited to come together in prayer and solidarity as we are witnessing tragic human suffering and conflict across the globe, painfully evident in this weekend’s escalating conflict in Israel and Palestine. We hold in prayer those in our community most closely connected to this tragedy and invite you to join us for a Prayer Vigil for Peace with the broader GTU community at 5:00 p.m. in the PSR quad. An opportunity to join via Zoom is also available.
On behalf of the many GTU communities impacted directly and indirectly by this tragic violence, and that of such violence the world over, I am adding my prayers and hopes for peace to the chorus of our community.
Uriah
Uriah Y. Kim, Ph.D.
President