BRATTLEBORO — As Abram stood upon the heights of Bethel, God said to Him, "Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you."
So, Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord (Genesis 13:14-18).
We are writing to affirm our support and prayers for the nation of Israel and Jewish people around the world. Our hearts are broken to see the sudden exposure of antisemitism that has revealed itself within our own nation.
It is disheartening to see and hear evidence that the very same evil spirit that led to the Holocaust is rearing its ugly head here in America. It was a joy to watch hundreds of thousands of Americans gather on the mall in Washington to convey to the community of Jewish people around the world that this unspeakable and unreasonable hatred is not universal, and that there are clearly many more voices that are ready to speak in support of the "apple of God's eye."
We wanted to add our voices in support of the nation of Israel by writing this letter directly to the Jewish community here in Brattleboro. We have one purpose, and that is to say, "You are not alone."
Furthermore, we wish to affirm the following:
• The right of the Jewish People to inhabit the land given to Abraham and his descendants forever (Genesis 13).
• The right of the sovereign nation of Israel to defend itself against the unholy alliance that seeks to deny Israel the right to that inheritance and, indeed, to annihilate the state of Israel.
• The right (and responsibility) of the nation of Israel to pursue and dismantle Hamas to ensure peace and safety for all its citizens.
• And finally, the right of the Jewish people, wherever they live, to live without fear for their safety because of their heritage, free from the scourge of antisemitism, which is, in fact, racism.
As Christians, the seedbed of our own faith is rooted in Israel, and we honor the commandment to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem," according to the admonition of Psalm 122:6.
Various Christian congregations in the Brattleboro area are praying for you, even as we see the blossoming of antisemitism springing up in Brattleboro. We are praying for the nation of Israel and Jewish communities around the world, and for our Jewish neighbors right here in Vermont.
This Voices Letters from readers was submitted to The Commons.