Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Ceremony

Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony
Tuesday, April 29, 10:30am PDT

The 20th Annual Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day Ceremony, hosted by Combatants for Peace and the Parents Circle-Families Forum, will be streamed on April 29, 2025. In the face of growing violence and division, the ceremony is an opportunity to come together in solidarity and remember the sanctity of all life. This gathering offers a profound alternative to division and despair, proving that even in times of great suffering, solidarity is not only possible, but imperative.

This gathering commits to everything we are told is impossible.  Bereaved Israeli and Palestinian parents, children, siblings and friends will stand side by side in their pain. And they will raise their voices to say:

No more bloodshed. We refuse to be enemies. 
We will not let violence and injustice write our future.

Don't miss the largest Israeli-Palestinian peace event in history!
REGISTER HERE!

Honoring Pope Francis ~ 1936-2025

We join with people of faith and good will around the world in honoring the life and ministry of Pope Francis. No matter our spiritual tradition or station in life, Pope Francis' work for the poor and oppressed, his strong stance for the dignity and rights of migrants and immigrants, his leadership in responding to climate change and care of creation, his bridge-building between different faiths, and his relentless call for active nonviolence and end to war have been gifts to the whole human family and will continue to inspire us all.

Here are some links to tributes to Pope Francis we have gathered from diverse faith traditions -- just a few among many! 

Unitarian Universalist Association President: Pope Francis' "moral clarity and justice-centered ministry, including his work elevating climate justice and highlighting the dignity and humanity of migrant families, were significant to all people of goodwill."

CAIR National Executive Director: "The American Muslim community and many Muslims around the world appreciated Pope Francis' emphasis on the compassionate treatment of migrants and others facing crisis, his efforts to uphold the traditional values of his faith while maintaining a respectful tone, and his consistent condemnation of war crimes around the world, including in Gaza."

Rabbi Burton Visotzky of the Jewish Theological Seminary: "I was struck by his humility and the twinkle in his eye. Here was a man who loved his fellow human being -- the very embodiment of 'love your neighbor as yourself' (Lev 19:18). ... Francis made a pilgrammage to Auschwitz. He visited the Holy Land ... Again and again and again, until the day before his death, Pope Francis spoke out against antisemitism. ... He was beloved even as he was outspoken. He was not shy about rebuking the State of Israel for their treatment of Palestinians, especially in Gaza. But to those who knew the Pope, we understood that he did so out of love and caring for Jews and non-Jews alike."

Pax Christi International (Roman Catholic): Pope Francis was a steadfast defender of the Gospel values - particularly mercy, peace and nonviolence. ... Francis embodied a revolutionary spirit, urging a nonviolent revolution that prioritizes the well-being of all, especially the most rejected, excluded and under attack... He proclaimed, 'Faced with too much violence spreading throughout the world, we are called to a greater nonviolence, which does not mean passivity, but active promotion of the good.' This greater nonviolence... involves rejecting the temptation of violence, responding to evil with good (Romans 12:17-21), breaking the spiral of nonviolence, and creating potential for reconciliation."

Pacifica Institute: "We honor Pope Francis - a light of compassion, humility and peace. May his legacy inspire us to walk in love and serve in grace."

What to do if ICE comes to your place of worship...

What to do if ICE comes to your congregation, place of worship, non-profit, clinic, or private employer
Wednesday, May 7, 1-2:30pm
Congregation Etz Chayim
4161 Alma, Palo Alto

Join us for this important presentation by Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto.

The presentation will be geared toward staff and volunteers, but community members are welcome.

There will be time for Q&A.

Please RSVP using this Google form.

Mother's Day Prayers for Children Peaceful Presence

Peaceful Presence
Mother's Day Prayers for Children
Sunday, May 11, 5PM
King Plaza, 250 Hamilton, Palo Alto

Our May Peaceful Presence lands on Mother's Day this year, so our theme will be "Mother's Day Prayers for Children." We will draw on the historical impetus for Mother's Day when, in 1870, Julia Ward Howe made a Mother's Day Proclamation for Peace to protest the evil and carnage of war. (For a 3 minute video from BRAVE NEW FILMS with a brief history of Mother's Day and a reading of Howe's proclamation, click here.)

Our Peaceful Presence will include prayers and reflections from mothers in the Middle East, immigrant mothers, mothers concerned about education, and from Mother Earth. As one human family, let us gather to share prayers and commitment, resisting the forces that harm any of our children, inspiring us to work for justice, compassion and wholeness for all children, all beings, all creation.

We will gather outdoors at King Plaza (in front of Palo Alto City Hall) at 5pm (NOTE EARLIER TIME!). Everyone is welcome.

Watch "No Other Land" Documentary

NO OTHER LAND Documentary Showing
Monday, May 12, 7pm
First Congregational Church Social Hall
1985 Louis, Palo Alto

No Other Land won Best Documentary Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025. Join us, and invite your friends, to a viewing of this film on Monday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m. The film was recorded between 2019 and 2023 and shows the destruction of Masafer Yatta, a Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank, which had been resisting forced displacement following the declaration of an Israeli "firing zone" on their land.

Sponsored by Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice, Rebuilding Alliance, and First Congregational Church of Palo Alto.

Joint Nakba Remembrance Ceremony

Joint Nakba Remembrance Ceremony
Holding on to Home ~ Holding on to Hope
Thursday, May 15, 10am PT

The 6th Joint Nakba Remembrance Ceremony is a unique opportunity to commemorate the pain and tragedy of the Nakba ("catastrophe" in Arabic) when, in 1948, more than 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes, became refugees, and had their villages and cities destroyed. In Israel, even mentioning the Nakba is completely taboo, however Combantants for Peace believes that peace and reconciliation involves an honest and sincere reckoning with this history that did not end in 1948 but continues until this day.

In the aftermath of October 7, 2023, a second Nakba has been unfolding in Gaza, with over 50,000 Palestinians killed.

Hosted by Combatants for Peace and Parents Circle-Families Forum Palestinian and Israeli Bereaved Families for Peace. MVPJ is a cosponsor of this event, as well as the Joint Memorial Day Ceremony that happens on April 29. 

Statement Against Christian Nationalism

The Steering Committee of Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice issued this Statement Against Christian Nationalism on March 4, 2025. A slightly shorter version was published in The Mercury News on March 6, 2025 and titled "Americans of conscience must reject Christian nationalism."

Here is the full text:

 As a multifaith organization committed to peace and justice, we call on all governments in the U.S. including local, state, and federal to protect religious freedom. 

We affirm that true religious freedom includes both the right to practice one’s faith and the right to live free from the imposition of religious beliefs through government policy. In the United States we believe the rise of Christian Nationalism in particular threatens this freedom.  

When religion is used as a tool of political power, it often leads to the suppression of fundamental human rights. Therefore, we reject any attempt to use religious doctrine as a basis for governance in a way that restricts reproductive justice, denies LGBTQ individuals equal protection under the law, or marginalizes communities based on faith, race, identity, or national origin.

As people of diverse faiths and ethical traditions, we share a common calling to resist oppression and stand for a society where diversity is celebrated, and justice, equality, and compassion guide our shared future. We call on all people of conscience to reject Christian Nationalism and to work together to uphold the dignity, freedom, and rights of all.

San Mateo County Immigrant Support Opportunities

FAITH IN ACTION BAY AREA serves San Mateo and San Francisco Counties. Their Rapid Response work is growing. Here are ways you can support it (whether or note you live in San Mateo County!):

1. Share hotline material with your community.
HOTLINE PHONE: 203-666-4472 (203-NO-MIGRA)
Click on the following links for downloadable PDFs:
Report ICE Action poster (English)
Reporta a la Migra poster (ESP)
Community Response Line yellow cards for ICE sightings, immigration problems and attorney referrals (ENG)
Linea de Respuesta Comunitaria tarjetas para problemas migratorios y referirlo con abogados (ESP)

2. Call the hotline if you see or learn that someone has been detained by immigration enforcement, or if someone needs accompaniment at an ICE Check-In or court appearance. HOTLINE PHONE: 203-666-4472 (203-NO-MIGRA)

3. Become a trained verifier
CLICK HERE to sign up for upcoming trainings.

4. Donate to mutual aid for impacted families: 100% of donations go directly to provide material and legal support for families impacted by ICE detention or deportation. CLICK HERE. 

Out of the mud grows the lotus: Reflections from a Peaceful Presence

On January 11, 2025, our Peaceful Presence was hosted by the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple. Sydney Shiroyama, the Minister's Assistant and one of the leaders, later wrote an inspiring reflection on that gathering in light the Day of Remembrance and the ongoing political situation today. Click here to download and read her full article. Excerpts are included here, and the picture is from the service.

We post this with deep gratitude for Sydney's insights and for the wisdom and hope shared with us from the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple community - on January 11 and ongoing through our friendships. We need one another!

Excerpts from article by Sydney Shiroyama:

The theme of the January event was "Out of the mountain of despair - a stone of hope; Out of the mud grows the lotus." The phrase, “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope,” is engraved in the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C., and it is a famous line in his “I Have a Dream” speech. It serves as a reminder that even during times of great difficulty, the possibility of hope still exists. Rev. Koyama added a Buddhist metaphor with a similar meaning: “Out of the mud grows the lotus.” The lotus flower's emergence from muddy waters symbolizes transformation, enlightenment, and the power of perseverance.

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