This is no ordinary Shabbat.
In Jerusalem—a city built on faith and routine—the usual pre-Shabbat melodies are replaced by silence. After Israel’s strike in Iran and emergency orders from the Home Front Command, synagogues across the city are closed. The skies are grounded, and the gates of prayer—sealed, at least physically
On Friday morning, members of Jerusalem’s synagogue communities receive messages like this one
"Hey friends," it begins. "If you’re reading this, you're probably, like me, trying to make sense of what's happening. It’s Friday morning, and it feels like the end of the world—or at least the end of the week as we knew it. Jerusalem, the holy city, usually buzzing with life and prayer ahead of Shabbat, just received a dramatic closure notice—public spaces shut down, gatherings banned
Closed Skies, Empty Sanctuaries
The updates are personal
“Our synagogue, Chesed VeRachamim—my peaceful corner—will be closed this Shabbat,” one congregant writes. “The Home Front Command has ordered all non-fortified synagogues to close. No public prayer. No ‘Nishmat Kol Chai’ led by our cantor Ephraim. No ‘Song of the Sea’ with soloist Muni Armoza. No Torah reading by Avi Itcher, always so precise. And no priestly blessings from Nati, our ultimate Kohen
The connection is clear: between the airstrike on Iran and the grounded skies, between the security orders and the inability to say "Shema Yisrael" together
Who would have believed this
A Wedding Celebration Postponed
Then comes the hardest blow
The cancellation of a long-awaited Shabbat Chatan, the festive celebration following a wedding
Ido Armoza, newly married this week, had been preparing for a special communal Shabbat in his honor
But with the synagogue closed, the celebration must wait
“At least the wedding itself—our Champions League moment—took place,” the message reads
“But Chesed VeRachamim is preparing for Ido and his bride a Shabbat Chatan like no other, when our soldiers—and all of us—return safely
And what about the women’s section
“How can we get through this Shabbat without Sigalit the lioness of the Levi tribe? Without La’ala Pazualov, Zili, Nurit, Orit, and all our radiant friends? We miss them already
And Still, a Prayer
Despite it all, hope persists
“A prayer from the heart
That we soon pray together again
That the gates of heaven remain open, even if the doors of our synagogues are shut
A prayer for the people of Israel
For the immediate return of the 52 hostages still in Gaza
For peace, for stability, for a flowering of life—and maybe even a recovering stock market
A prayer for quiet, for dignity, for the right to live normal lives in our land
Maybe this different kind of Shabbat will teach something new—about community, about faith, about adapting to the unexpected
Maybe the silence, too, is a form of chesed ve’rachamim—grace and compassion
Shabbat Shalom – may it be one of peace, stillness, and heart
And may we remember always the true Torah: “Love your neighbor as yourself
Amen
