Friday night Shabbat services at Tzedek Chicago have all the hallmarks of a typical service, with candle lighting and a rousing rendition of Lecha Dodi, a key hymn welcoming the Sabbath.
But this service also leads with a prayer for the people of Gaza, composed by Rabbi Brant Rosen: "In this moment of ceasefire," a congregant reads, "let us remain steadfast in our solidarity with the people of Gaza who have resisted the relentless violence of genocide with bottomless wells of courage and resilience."
For Rosen, solidarity with Palestinians has become a core Jewish value. He founded Tzedek Chicago — the word "tzedek" means "justice" in Hebrew — after breaking with the Zionism of his upbringing. For Rosen, the break came after a 2008 incursion by Israel on Gaza in which he felt that Israel was committing war crimes against the Palestinian people.
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