Saturday March 24, 9:30 am, pre-march, interfaith gathering for Prayer, University Club, 76 E. Monroe St.
 

Dear Friends,

Our tradition teaches "Do not stand idly by while your neighbor bleeds." Our community is bleeding. It is long past time that we make our voices clear and loud in our national and local discussions about gun violence. If we do nothing, nothing will change.

Please join us on Friday night, March 23 for our early Shabbat service at 6:30pm. Our sermon that evening will be given by one of our youth leaders, Max Freeman. Max will discuss how the outpouring of frustration and energy among youth across the country can fundamentally change the gun debate in America.

Max grew up in Oak Park and is currently finishing his senior year at Oak Park River Forest High School. Max has been active in OPRFHS’s Speech Team and Model U.N., and he has volunteered on several local and statewide political campaigns. At the beginning of his junior year, Max co-founded the Youth Action & Civics Club (YAC) to increase civic engagement among students. YAC has taken the lead role in organizing OPRFHS’s recent walkouts against gun violence.

On Saturday, March 24 at 11:00 A.M., there will be a March for Our Lives here in Chicago at Union Park. Our youth will lead our city and state in demanding safety from gun violence.

I am writing you today to invite you to join our teens in attending this March.

We are participating in, along with NFTY [the National Federation of Temple Youth], Reform Illinois and Reform congregations throughout Chicagoland, a special pre-march, interfaith gathering for Prayer, Learning and Unity.

I hope you can join our Oak Park community—along with our Jewish and interfaith partners—at the University Club, 76 E. Monroe St, at 9:30 A.M., for this special gathering. At 10:30, our youth will lead us into the public square as we march to Union Park as a unified community of faith, together demanding social justice. Reservation is required.

I do hope you can join us.
B’shalom,

Rabbi Max Weiss