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Having lived in close proximity of Indian Jews in Bombay (now Mumbai) at Mazgaon and Bombay Central I had always admired their candid style of thinking, perspicuity and cleanliness. I was lucky to have Mr. Edwin Mendoza, as a principal of my College at Oxford Street IN London. I’ve known Jews who were honest, magnanimous, accommodative, creative, religious and pious. On 18 th Sep 2010 Jewish Year 5771) falls Yom Kippur and I’m taking this opportunity to congratulate one of the smartest, talented and knowledgeable community of the world. In the heart of my heart I believe that Jews through out history were prosecuted because they were far ahead of time in which they lived. Today, it makes me sad to see them involved in such activities as building the settlements on illegally occupied rather usurped lands and prosecuting the innocent Palestinians. It demeans their sense of fair-play, justice and intellectual integrity. I hope and pray that better sense would prevail and they would understand that their greatness lies in the vastness of their soul and not the plastic flowers they are building in the name of settlements in West Bank and other places. These flowers can look good but they can’t emit fragrance of love and peace. Like Jews and Muslim in their faith Hebrew and Arabic are very much similar languages in their etymology. In Hebrew, like in Arabic word Yom connotes Day. In Hebrew Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement.” It is the most important holiday of the Jewish year. Many Jews are strongly devoted to their religion but most of the Jews (people may be at variance with this view) aren’t very strictly religious in their observances. However, on this day most or all of them refrain from work, fast and/or attend synagogue services. According to Jewish traditions Yom Kippur occurs on the 10th day of Tishri. The holiday is instituted at Leviticus 23:26 et seq. This day has great significance as a day to set aside to “afflict the soul,” to atone for the sins of the past year. On this day, according to Jewish traditions, the judgments about human deeds are sealed in the records of Heaven. This is the last day to demonstrate our remonstrance and to appeal to God to change the judgment if it is against us. It is the last chance of the year of our repentance. One of my friend Ezra told me that on Yom Kippur they atone not only for sins between man and God but for the sins of another person against whom they have wronged. To atone for sins against another person we must first seek reconciliation with that person. We have to set right the wrongs which we had committed against him as for as possible. And this must all be done before Yom Kippur. and evening services, which continue until nightfall. I can’t claim much about Judaism or the deep tenets of Jewish faith. However, I was very much moved by the Jewish prayer I read the other day. “On this day when we boycott the pleasures and distractions and feuds and art which medicate and blunt and crutch, cleanse us of the disappointments and the failures of this year, which we have come together this day, this fast, to bury: Asham’nu - This is our confession. It is written that we will seek You out only when we admit that we have done wrong. Gazalnu - We have stolen, and called it reclaiming. Dibarnu Dofi - We have learned to say one thing to the world, and something different to one other. He’evinu V’hirshanu - We have caused others to sin. We have warped our tradition to suit the politics of the moment. Zadnu - We have allowed our anger to overrule our judgment, our values, our compassion. Hamasnu - We have been violent, and blamed the wrongdoing of others for our wrongdoing. Tafalnu Sheker, Ya’atznu Ra, Kizavnu - We have lied to ourselves and others in order to justify our actions. We have given poor advice in order to serve our own ends. We have altered the truth to serve our aims, and spread the lie as if absolutely true. Latznu - We have made light of the suffering and the humanity and the dreams of those who are unlike us. Pashanu, Tzarar’nu, Kishinu Oref - We have committed crimes, we have persecuted others. We have been stubborn to an extreme, unbending and insensitive. Lord of Ishmael and Isaac, for their sake if not for ours, heal our children and our childrens’ children. For their sake if not for ours, grant them life, inscribe them for health, seal them for joy. May our children see each other for what they are, sisters and brothers. And after all that they’ve gone through, for their sake if not for ours, inscribe them for a year of peace.” As a Muslim I feel love and respect for all the religions especially the Jewish that is so closed to my heart. I wish them all the best.
