A person who takes a gun or explosives or a knife and seeks out victims whom he doesn’t know, who have not harmed him in any way, who do not threaten his safety and security, and who murders those people in cold blood — this is a horrific crime that has no place in human society. This is murder and there can be no understanding and no acceptance of this act.

The Day of Atonement is, indeed, the holiest day of the year. The most important element of the holiday, however, is the atonement connected with it. “You shall be clean before the Lord from all your sins.” And again at the end of the section: “And this shall be a statute forever for you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.” (verse 34)

The senior center will be open every morning so that seniors have a place to go, rather than staying home alone. The community has already designated a building for this wonderful center, but they have no funding for programming and activities. The community is now turning to you, for help with the cost of lectures and creative workshops for the seniors. This gift will improve quality of life for Rachel and others like her living in this rural community. It will give them reason to get up and out of the house each day.

This is what Israel is all about. We have come from the four corners of the earth to build one nation, one country. Our enemies say the Jews should go back to Poland. But we are not from Poland, nor are we from the United States nor from Yemen. We are from the Land of Israel.