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Nishmat Kol Chai Jewish Unity Campaign |
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The Background: I had heard that something special happens every night at midnight at the Kotel - the Western Wall - in Jerusalem. I experienced it on my birthday, Oct. 31, 2003. A few minutes before midnight, about 100 men and women, gathered in their places on either side of the mechitzah, spent a few short minutes reciting the well-known declaration included in the Shabbat prayer service "Nishmat Kol Chai" (The Soul of every living thing shall praise Your Name). Following the recitation, which was enriched with a few chapters from Tehillim (the Psalms), we sang a song and the group dispersed. I stood by one of the reading tables, visibly shaken and moved to tears. I realized that I had to take up the challenge to ask other Jews within earshot of my voice to engage in a simultaneous recitation of Nishmat Kol Chai. With the resource of this website and the radio outreach, I am now publicly acting on the simple vision that was conceived by the Kotel. Please read the next column for the details.
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The Call for Action: Very simple. Each night at midnight, a dedicated cadre of Jews gather at the Kotel to recite Nishmat Kol Chai. (The biggest gathering occurs on Thursday night.) I'm asking you to join me in joining with them at the same time relative to where you are. For example, midnight in Jerusalem is currently 5:00 pm in New York. If you live on the east coast, I'm asking you to pause for 2-3 minutes at 5:00 pm and recite this ancient declaration of praise and thanksgiving to our Creator. It's about 260 words in length. You may elect to participate every day or you might choose to be part of the larger Thursday night gathering. If you are willing to join me in either of these commitments (not as a vow), I would love to hear from you. Please send me an email at: nishmat@gavrielsanders.com. Tell me your Hebrew name and the city you are from. To add a profound visual impact to your reciting Nishmat Kol Chai, visit www.thekotel.org. You can watch the gathering at the Kotel and say Nishmat with them in real time! I do this when I have access to a computer at midnight Jerusalem time. |