Toward the end of Passover, as all of Israel together with much of the rest of the world remained under quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic, businessman and philanthropist Adiv Baruch could contain himself no longer.
With growing antisemitism and racism in the world connected to the coronavirus outbreak, he felt he needed to take some action.
Baruch, who grew up in a secular home but whose spirituality has become stronger over the past seven years, felt “in (his) bones” that something that could transmit a sense of hope to people around the world at a time of so much uncertainty and despair when all communal religious services were barred, was to see their religious leaders united in a joint prayer emanating from Jerusalem to end the suffering from the coronavirus.
According to the World Health Organization at the beginning of May there were almost 3.5 million cases of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, worldwide, with nearly 250,000 confirmed deaths; in Israel, the international organization reported more than 16,000 cases with 230 deaths.
“The coronavirus does not differentiate between any human beings, not between color, religion, nationality, gender, or age. So we said we must create this moment of truth, of getting spiritual leaders of all religions around the world to unite (in a moment of prayer,)” said Baruch, chairman of the Israeli Export Institute and an education and hi-tech entrepreneur. “Israel is a spiritual hub also, not only a hub of technology and innovation.”
Using the extensive list of local and international contacts he has developed in his many years of involvement in business, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and educational programs in all sectors of Israeli society and abroad, Baruch began making inquiries and invitations, knowing that he had a very short window of opportunity – one week to be exact – to organize the first-time-ever united prayer in Jerusalem in order for it to take place on a neutral date which would not coincide with any of the religious holidays in April: Jewish Passover, both the Eastern and Western Christian traditions of Easter, Muslim Ramadan and Druze Ziyarat al-Nabi Shu’ayb.
“I was really stressed, we started in on it a few hours before the second Passover holiday and we had less than a week (to coordinate it),” said Baruch.
Organizing it with respect and sensitivity to all the religions, it was also important that the prayer be held in a neutral location and at a neutral time that did not denote a prayer time for any of them.
The only date possible was Wednesday, April 22 and the time 3 p.m., the site at the back terrace of the King David Hotel overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem.
“The beauty of it is that the spiritual leaders of world really embraced (the idea,)” said Baruch, noting however, that people were skeptical it could be pulled off in that short amount of time. “For us it was very important, (also because of ) ‘Tikkun Olam’ we are reaching out and telling all religions around the world that we are here, we are all equal, we are embracing every one, we are all praying to one God.”
Tikkun Olam, which literally means “repairing the world,” is a Jewish concept supporting acts of kindness and good deeds to balance the forces of good against evil.
The three-minute “Joint Global Prayer” event, which was live-streamed around the world, came together in a joint effort of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior with the World Council of Religious Leaders and numerous Jewish and non-Jewish organizations.
The prayer itself, which was recited and chanted by the religious leaders in English, Hebrew and Arabic, was composed by the two chief rabbis of Israeli, Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau.
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III, the Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Muslim Imams Sheikh Gamal el Ubra and Sheikh Agel Al-Atrash, and Druze Spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif joined in delivering the prayer.
“The prayer was written as a prayer to all nations and to all religions,” said Baruch. “(The rabbis) gave it a lot of thought and came with an open heart so that the prayer would be acceptable to all religions.”
Introduced by Rabbi David Rosen, the American Jewish Committee’s Director of International Interreligious Affairs and himself a veteran interreligious dialogue leader, the religious leaders adhered to the special requirements by the Israeli Health Ministry, and stood two meters apart as they read the prayer together.
“Welcome to this historic event here in Jerusalem where religious leaders of this land and this country have come together for the first time ever to recite a joint prayer for divine mercy and compassion at this historic moment where we are challenged by a pandemic,” said Rosen.
The prayer asked God for “the complete recovery of the sick” and to “avert the plague from Your world.”
“Please, God, You who have nourished us in famine and provided us with plenty, You have removed us from pestilence, and freed us from severe and long-lasting disease – Help us,” the leaders prayed. “Until now, Your mercy has aided us and Your kindness has not abandoned us, therefore we plead and request before You to heal us, Lord and we will be healed; Save us and we will be saved, for You are our glory.”
Following the prayer Lau noted that the virus does not distinguish between people.
“We all stand together in the Holy City, in different languages, with different religions but with one heart to ask that those who have become sick with the virus become healthy, and that the healthy do not get sick, and that joy return to our world,” said Lau.
The organizers also said the prayer was meant to show that though “In these turbulent times, we continue to hear growing voices against entire communities, this new dire reality has affected all humanity, regardless of religion, gender and race. Out of true faith in solidarity, we now call on all citizens of the world to join forces and carry a joint prayer to health and unity.”
Baruch said that following the prayer and its broadcast, many spiritual leaders from around the world sent videos of themselves reading the same prayer.
“It was (exciting) to see this happen. Since last night was the first night…we have had tens of responses and assume there will be many more tens of religious leaders who will follow that believe this is the right action at the right moment starting from the Holy Land. It gave a powerful impact to all spiritual leaders,” he said.
As the pandemic has continued to claim lives, there have been other prayers by different religious leaders and even environmental activists, and both Pope Francis and the chief rabbis of Israel separately initiated worldwide prayers on March 25, each according to their own faith.
A day later in Jerusalem, religious leaders met at the invitation of the city council to pray each in their own tradition. But April 22 represented the first time that religious leaders of different faiths had met together to say the same prayer at the same time in Jerusalem.
“Jerusalem is a house of prayer for all people and people all over the world are suffering from this virus so it is important we in Jerusalem pray together for people (suffering from) this coronavirus,” said Pizzaballa. “This situation has been able to do something rare, with Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze saying the same prayer together. I hope this is a beginning of something after the coronavirus (pandemic) because we have to pray together here in Jerusalem for people all over the world.”