Jewish youth movements hold community’s first vigil for Paris victims

Zionist youth movements held British Jewry’s first commemorative event for the victims of the Paris terror attacks with a joint-vigil at JW3.

Nine different movements met on Monday night to remember victims of the attacks by so-called Islamic State terrorists, which took place in the French capital last Friday, as well as recent jihadists attacks in Beirut and Baghdad.

Fifty people attended the event, organised by the Zionist Youth Council, where representatives of youth movements read poems, prayers and testimonies from survivors of the attacks.

Its co-chair Amos Schonfeld, movement worker for Masorti Judaism’s Noam said: “All our members are horrified by the actions that we have seen not only in Paris, but also across the world.”

“We believe that this moment transcends our ideological differences as movements as we mourn the loss of life and stand together with the people of Paris,” he noted.

Nathasha Shaw, movement worker for RSY-Netzer and co-chair of the Zionist Youth Council, said: “We believe it is important to mark the events of Friday 13th November 2015 by coming together as a community. ”

Representatives of Reform Judaism and Liberal Judaism also attended  the JW3 event, where .

The vigil was the first public event held by the recently reconvened Zionist Youth Council, which represents Jewish youth movements drawn from across the political and religious spectrum.

The death toll of the Paris attacks currently stands at 129 people, although many remain hospitalised in critical condition.