Events of the past days and weeks have demonstrated clearly that the Jewish people are in an “ait tzarah,” a time of formidable challenge, according to a statement by the Orthodox Union and the Rabbinical Council of America.
The statement continues, “Our brothers and sisters in the southern communities of the State of Israel have experienced rocket barrages and the current ‘truce’ is a tenuous one.
The threat of a nuclear-armed Iran looms greater with each passing day.
Those of us who live in the Diaspora face mounting anti-Semitic hostility, which in France has culminated in the horrific murders of recent days.
The OU and the RCA are therefore urging our member synagogues and member rabbis to respond over the coming weekend with programs of tefilla and divrei hitorerut, prayer and words of inspiration, in a manner appropriate to the severity of the situation.
We all fervently pray that the month of Nissan, which we are about to usher in this Shabbat, should indeed prove to be a month of ‘yeshuot bo makifot,’ a month in which our people will witness a comprehensive salvation.”