A Motivating Reception and Program at Beth Am Israel

Last night a large crowd gathered to view the portraits and enjoy the wonderful food and drink provided by Beth Am Israel. I was inundated with comments and questions about the portraits. As is usually the case, everyone there was touched and deeply moved by the portraits.

Rabbi David Ackerman welcomed us and introduced me, Lisa Christian from the Anti-Violence Partnership, and Shawn Kraemer of CeaseFire PA. I read a brief explanation and history of the portrait project and was followed by the far more eloquent voice of Lisa. She commended the work that the portraits do by connecting the world to the humanity of the victims. She described as “vital” the way that the victims are portrayed by our artists, with the focus on their individual lives and personalities. She spoke about the impact of gun violence on the families whose right to grieve is seldom recognized. This is exactly why the focus of the Souls Shot project is on the day to day gun violence and its far reaching effects rather than just the mass shootings whose victims are afforded the public outcry and sympathy (and rightly so) that these families don’t receive.

She continued to spell out our need to advocate for the removal of guns, for mental health tools to be in place, and crucial economic reform. She stressed that we all need to get the word out.

Shawn Kraemer, of CeaseFire PA, remarked that having the portraits in such a sacred space made the moments with them seem holy. Indeed it did and we are able to connect in a way and feel the joy but also the pain felt by the families of the victims. We can then leave that pain behind but the families cannot.

She went on to describe a litany of outrageous laws and lack of laws and regulations in Pennsylvania. CeaseFire is laser focused on changing these laws and we urge you, if you have not already, to join with them and sign up for their updates and tips on who to contact when, etc.

We are so grateful for the opportunity to be at Beth Am Israel to for the loving concern of the congregation and guests last night. The evening concluded with beautiful, prayer like songs by Cantor Harold Messinger.

Our thanks, especially, to Elisa Abeloff who arranged for us to be at Beth Am Israel and for her, and her husband George’s, help in hanging the portraits.

Laura Madeleine

Harold Messinger -