Dear Friends, For 15 months we have seen the devastating photos of Kyiv, Bachmut, and Bucha. We have heard the pleas for help, the cries of suffering, the calls for justice, and the voices of prayer. Tonight, we welcome the Ambassador of Ukraine to our congregation. The Jewish people and the Ukrainian People have a long-shared history. We have known hunger, wars and suffering …under tyrants. The President of Ukraine is a brave Ukrainian Jew Volodymyr Zalensky. Ukraine is the only county besides Israel that has a Jewish president. Continues… The yellow and blue flag of Ukraine is derived from the legendary Ukrainian fields of wheat under the great blue expanse of the sky. Wheat symbolizes food and the physical realm. The blue sky represents the spiritual realm that transcends all earthy limitations. Today we are witness to the physical and spiritual struggle of the Ukrainian People. In Genesis it says, “The blood of your brother calls out to Me from the ground.” We hear their cries. Cain asks, “Am I my brother’s keeper? The entire Bible is one loud “Yes. We are our brother’s keeper.” Come tonight to meet the Ambassador and learn how we can make a difference. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi David Wilfond |