prayer for captive Israeli soldiers

[davidfcooper]

As we are about to celebrate Passover (and our Christian friends, Easter) we are very much aware that not everyone in Israel is free - there are families that cannot have a glad heart this Pesach, because their children are still held in what must surely be one of the cruelest and most barbaric captivities imagineable. A captivity that is made even more unbearable by the knowledge that unlike their enemies, our soldiers attacked no one and did not hurt a hair on anyone's head, being merely stationed along hostile borders to defend their homes and families. All Israelis know that any of us, men, women, or children, could very easily be next, and if we are, we will be shown no humanity or mercy from our captors, who have still not allowed their hostages visits from the Red Cross or permitted them to communicate with their families. Rabbi Shlomo Amar, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, has composed a prayer for the captives to be recited at the Seder - it can be found at
our friends' web site at http://www.bobandruthie.com/soldiers.pdf

We encourage all of us, Jewish or non-Jewish, to make sure to pray this week for the captured Israelis, and also for the 15 British soldiers being held in Iran. May all of them be returned safely home, and soon.