Bible Week participants hold Havdalah in solidarity with Downing Street Rabbis and Cantors.

Rabbis and Cantors from Liberal and Reform Judaism and Leo Baeck College attended the annual Jewish-Christian Bible Study Week in Germany at the beginning of August.

The Bible Week has brought Jews and Christians together from across Europe and also Israel to study for more than fifty years.  This year, the theme was the Book of Daniel, and it had clear resonances with today in its visions of the rise and fall of empires and the use of power.

During the week, participants heard powerful testimony from Dr. Moshe Lavee and his family about the current situation in Israel.  The rabbis and cantors present wished to show their solidarity with the Havdalah being held at Downing Street on Saturday 9th December and so they read the same words as they performed Havdalah at the Bible Week, joined by Jewish and Christian participants.  All present expressed their hopes for a speedy release of the hostages, an end to the starvation in Gaza and a peaceful resolution of the conflict.