On Yom Kippur, New York Jews plan to honor Palestinian lives in mourning service
On Yom Kippur, a group of hundreds of New York Jews will gather at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn for a poignant religious service to publicly mourn the Palestinian lives lost amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.
On Yom Kippur, a group of hundreds of New York Jews will gather at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn for a poignant religious service to publicly mourn the Palestinian lives lost amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.
The service, part of the Yizkor liturgy, aims to incorporate traditional Jewish mourning rituals while addressing the stark divide within American Jewish communities regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The event will include customary prayers such as El Maleh Rahamim and the Mourner’s Kaddish, along with a symbolic garment tearing known as “kriah,” signifying deep mourning. A eulogy will be delivered by Najla Khass, a Palestinian-American who will honor family members killed in Gaza. “One of the things that was so painful to think about is how many Jewish communities are not going to be mourning Palestinian lives alongside Israeli lives,” said Rabbi Alissa Wise, founder of Rabbis for Ceasefire, which is sponsoring the service. “There won’t be repentance and atonement for all the violence and horror over the past year that Israel has caused. We’re trying to embody and practice a more liberatory way of practicing Jewish life.”
This public mourning service underscores the shifting sentiments among younger American Jews, many of whom are vocal critics of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which have reportedly resulted in the deaths of 42,000 Palestinians. These younger generations are increasingly calling for an end to U.S. arms support for Israel and advocating for a re-examination of Jewish values in light of contemporary issues.
While mainstream American Jewish organizations are rallying for Israel—most notably with a “Stand Together” event in Washington, D.C., scheduled for November—this Yizkor service seeks to create a space for reflection and grief, devoid of political agendas. “We wanted to create some kind of big public ritual, for a combination of moral reckoning, grief, remembrance—Jewish ritual at its deepest, oldest, and newest,” said Ellen Lippmann, rabbi emerita at Kolot Chayeinu, a co-sponsor of the event.
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Participants are encouraged to wear white in line with Yom Kippur traditions and bring small stones to form a memorial, symbolizing the Jewish custom of placing stones on graves as a way to honor the deceased. Anticipating as many as 1,000 attendees, the organizers aim to transform a day of solemnity into a collective moment of healing and commitment to justice.
The Yizkor service reflects a broader effort among groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now, which advocate for solidarity with Palestinians as a Jewish value. Susannah Dyen, a board member of Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, emphasized the significance of the gathering: “The world we want to build and live in is where everyone’s life is honored, respected, and that people can live their lives with dignity and safety. Having that space together to grieve and to recommit felt really important.”
This Yom Kippur, as traditional prayers resonate in the air, the Jewish community in Brooklyn aims to broaden the scope of remembrance to include all lives affected by the ongoing conflict, seeking a path toward compassion and healing.
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