Thankful for True Friends:

This week over 300 killer drones, cruise missiles and ballistic warheads were launched by Iran in an unprecedented attack against Israel.  The combined air forces of the USA, UK, France and Jordan scrambled their jets to bring down 99% of the projectiles before they reached Israel’s border. The concern was that such a massive barrage might overwhelm Israel’s air defenses.  Thank goodness for the help of Israel’s friends. In a miraculous outcome not one Israeli was killed during this Iranian assault. Israel prevailed with the help of true friends.

President Joe Biden issued as strong statement in support of Israel.  “At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week.  Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our service members, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles. 

I’ve just spoken with Prime Minister Netanyahu to reaffirm America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel.  I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks – sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel.

I will convene my fellow G7 leaders to coordinate a united diplomatic response to Iran’s brazen attack.  My team will engage with their counterparts across the region.  And we will stay in close touch with Israel’s leaders.  And while we have not seen attacks on our forces or facilities today, we will remain vigilant to all threats and will not hesitate to take all necessary action to protect our people.”

Good friends are essential in life. With the steep rise of anti-Semitism, we appreciate our friends more than ever.  When the tragedy of October 7th struck one of the first to reach out to our congregation in support was Reverend Carol Howard, the Senior Minister at the Bedford Presbyterian Church.  Reverend Howard is a true friend of the Jewish community. 

We are honored to host Reverend Howard at the Temple tonight. She will speak about her newest book on congregational health that was published in January 2024.  It is an inspiring, relevant and up to date book about the path to health for congregations. She will bring some copies of her book for those who would like to acquire one.  This book is ideal for congregational members and leaders who desire building a vibrant congregation.

I invite you to not miss out on this valuable opportunity to learn with Reverend Carol Howard, Senior Minster of Bedford Presbyterian Church, a true friend of the Jewish community.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi David Wilfond