Hello, Friends:
People have been asking us what we are doing with respect to the tragic situation in Gaza and Israel—and even what can be done. Some have asked us to issue a statement about the ongoing violence. I need to confess that we have deliberately refrained from issuing a statement until we are sure that we have the right words to say. Emotions are much too high right now, and far too many people are entrenched in their own subjective opinion of this highly nuanced situation to issue such a statement carelessly and hastily. Our reticence to pronounce and proclaim is not due to timidity, but owing to a desire to get it right. So please watch this space for an upcoming statement. What we can say at this moment is that we have always supported, and continue to support, the rights of all people to live safely in their countries and to worship freely as they see fit. We stand with all civilians, regardless of nationality, religion, or ethnicity. We support the inalienable rights of human beings, as articulated in the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Any attempt to characterize one demographic as blameless and another as the epitome of evil is to misunderstand both human nature and the history of the region.
In the meantime, I feel it crucial to attest to how the work we do helps to move the needle toward peace. We act both locally and globally, because we believe that the two are linked. And we begin the practice of our ideals at home, here in the U.S., as we also seek to carry our ideals abroad in the work we do outside the U.S.
In all our work, we’re trying to ensure that the hatred and animus that is going on in the Holy Land, or anywhere, does not spill over into our proximity in the United States. We are working—and always have done—to ensure that people of different demographics, for instance Jews and Muslims, always see each other as friends and partners in making the world better, so that when a divisive issue comes along, they will not automatically see each other as adversaries—or even bitter enemies—but as close friends and partners who have a different perspective on a very serious issue, and who can surmount those differences and work together to solve the problem.
The Ninth Annual Interfaith Solidarity March Los Angeles has been scheduled for Sunday, April 14th, 2024, and planning is now underway. The theme of our march will encompass the aforementioned issues. Through this march, we seek to strengthen the bonds between all religious and ideological and philosophical communities, especially those whose origins lie in the Middle East and the Abrahamic Holy Land.
As always, we do a lot of great work with very little. Much of our costs are covered by in-kind donations from our partnering organizations. Printing costs, design costs, bottled water, snacks, and much more are donated by these indispensable allies. But there is so much more that needs to be covered, including advertising costs. In order for us to reach the thousands of people who need to know about this march, we’re going to have to increase our marketing. That’s going to take funding beyond what we’ve had in the past years.
Every time I hear of a Neo-Nazi march or a white supremacist rally, I think that we can do better; we can overpower the voices of hatred with the voices of collaboration and respect. With that in mind, if you want to see hundreds, if not thousands of people marching together to proclaim that they support their neighbor’s right to worship freely as they see fit; that they support their immigrant and refugee neighbors; that they support their friends of different sides of very serious social and political questions—then please give generously this year. In our day and age of entrenchment and polarization, we are seeing more emboldened displays of hatred around our country. Now is not the time to be silent. Now is the time to support your neighbor and to march together and be counted. Can we count on you?
-Dr. Arik
