Moorestown council has posted a statement on social media addressing the fear and sorrow of residents over the deadly events in Israel and Palestine earlier this month.
” … We are grateful to those of you who have spoken up, asked for support and are taking steps to bring the community together,” the statement read. “… Council unequivocally stands opposed to hate, violence and intolerance anywhere and condemns the brutal disregard for human life that we are witnessing,” … a reference to the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip and other war zones.
“Regardless of our backgrounds and beliefs, we all share a common goal of living in a safe and harmonious environment,” the statement continued. “We call on all Moorestonians to stand together against any form of violence or discrimination during this dark time, to offer each other grace and strive for understanding and peace.’
To read the statement in its entirety, visit the township’s Facebook page.
The Moorestown Jewish Association held a unity gathering in support of peace on Oct. 18 in partnership with fellow community leaders, council members, students, and residents.
“The evening came together from what I was seeing from other organizations,” said Brooke Mailhiot, president of the association. “They were putting events together, they were putting walks together and it was very beautiful to see. I felt that we, as a community, were missing that, and I had reached out to a few of our board members, and we talked about it.
“I wanted to just bring everyone together in a safe space …” she added. “It just started growing and it just kind of organically came into this really beautiful prayer for peace that we knew would just give everyone a safe space to come together …”
The gathering included a candlelight vigil and cantor Sandi Messinger Aguilar from Adath Emanu-El, whose youth and adult choir sang “Oseh Shalom.”
“I’m really pleased that everybody was able to come together and rise above fear and confusion and pain, and be able to recognize that we are all in this together and that our desire for peace and justice, we share this,” noted Mayor Nicole Gillespie.
“We are, above all, despite our differences, friends and neighbors,” she added. “We were before the horrific events that happened a few weeks ago that continue to happen … We will continue to be friends and neighbors, and our shared commitment to peace and justice is what holds us together.
“It is during times of crisis, fear and uncertainty that we turn to faith for reassurance, that everything will be okay,” observed Shahrukh Mirza, president of Moorestown Muslims. “We turn to each other for comfort, that we are not alone in our sorrows. We turn to inspirational words from the wise, hoping for guidance towards a better future … We must rise above the rhetoric of hate; we must condemn all acts of violence no matter where they originate.
“We cannot let the actions of a few overcome our values of compassion, empathy and love,” Mirza added. “We are neighbors, after all … We must stand united as a community where there’s no room for hate.”
Mailhiot said she was overwhelmed and overjoyed by the amount of people that came together, and hearing others share their thoughts and feelings regardless of culture or religion.
“It was so touching, and I couldn’t have asked for anyone to share deep thoughts and their feelings as well as they all did,” she said.
