Top Ten Reasons to…

Here are the Top Ten Reasons to come to the “Interfaith Action Against Gun Violence” this Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at Temple Sinai.

1.    Express your grief and solidarity with the victims of the tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT …

2.    … and with the victims in the Denver area movie theater, the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, Congressman Giffords and those in Tucson, AZ, the Virginia Tech massacre – and so many others that have been forgotten – 62 mass murders by gunfire since 1982.

3.    Express your outrage at the scourge of gun violence in this country. 30,000 people die each year from gunfire, including an average of 8 children a day.  In 2010, there were over 19,000 suicide victims, 11,000 homicide victims and 600 accidents – not to mention 200,000 non-fatal injuries in that one year alone….

4.    …and you know that this is a unique moment in our history when real change is possible.  Whether you are in favor of banning the sale of automatic weapons, banning high-capacity magazines, requiring background checks for all gun sales (40% of guns are currently sold without a background check) to prevent criminals and terrorists from obtaining dangerous weapons - you know that this is a moment when your voice really matters.

5.    You believe, as many studies show, that the extent of gun violence is impacted by the pervasive violence we see in the media. Violent video games and increasingly violent television programming has an impact, especially on children and teens.  You know that while gun/ammunition control is critical to reducing gun violence, it is not a sufficient response to the plague that we face…

6.    …and we must educate our congregation and community about the dangers from violence in the media as well as from guns themselves.

7.    You believe that stopping gun violence is a Jewish cause, an act of “Tikkun Olam” (Repairing the World) and “Pikuach Nefesh,” (Saving Lives), the highest of Jewish values…

8.    …and you recognize that it is a value we share with people of other faiths and that coming together with people of other faiths makes us stronger.

9.    You love music and Cantor Nitza and Temple member and singer, Jon Pasternak, will lead us in song, as well as John Hancock from Church of the Atonement and….

10.  You want to hear from important leaders and NJ Senate Majority Leader, Loretta Weinberg, who is leading the charge on this issue in Trenton, will speak.

Last but not least, you love Temple Sinai, and want to support the work of our Shalom Task Force, which is working to make our congregation one of the leaders in making this community and our world a safer place for all.

Hope to see you Sunday,

Rabbi Jordan Millstein