Amid the DNC, interfaith vigil calls on all to remember Gaza

While the Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago, over 200 people gathered for an interfaith vigil organized by AFSC at Montrose Beach Harbor. The vigil honored the more than 40,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza—many by U.S. weapons. Against the backdrop of Lake Michigan, faith leaders from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities spoke alongside those who had lost loved ones. Together, they called for a permanent cease-fire and an end to U.S. weapons sales to Israel.  

Jennifer Bing, director of AFSC’s U.S. Palestine Activism Program, served as emcee. In her opening remarks, she told the crowd, “All of us who have helped organize this event tonight felt it was important to include an opportunity this week to gather our community in a place of quiet, along our beautiful lakefront, and remember Palestinians killed during the nearly 11 months of genocide in Gaza.”  

The vigil took place just a week after the Biden administration approved another $20 billion in arms sales to Israel, even as the Israeli military escalates its air strikes on schools, shelters, and hospitals. 

In the midst of political speeches at the DNC, the gathering served as a space to mourn, a call to action, and a reminder of the power of people coming together against injustice. It also ensured that the voices of Palestinians in Gaza were not forgotten.  

During the evening, speakers read aloud heartfelt messages from AFSC staff members on the ground in Gaza. As humanitarian workers, they have delivered life-saving aid to so many, yet face the same dangers as those they assist every day.  

Longtime AFSC staff member Firas Ramalawi shared an account of his own experiences. “I have done everything in my power to find alternatives and distribute aid to the displaced—food parcels, hygiene kits, hot meals, and drinking water. We continue to work tirelessly to bolster the resilience of the people facing these challenges.” 

He added this plea: “Your constant support is what strengthens our resolve to live. Please, do not let the colonial powers turn us into test subjects for their weapons, drugs, or policies. We are human beings, longing for life in all its details, striving to live with freedom and dignity, because there is so much on this earth that is worth living for." 

AFSC’s staff member Serena Awad wrote this message to the crowd: “We appreciate your vigils, protests, and screams, and we hope that this continues until this genocide ends. I am sending all the strength in the world to you, the team, and the protesters, and we hear you from afar." 

Their testimonies emphasized the reality of the crisis in Gaza and the persistent need for collective action for a cease-fire, humanitarian access, and end to U.S. arms sales to Israel.  

“AFSC has long worked with people of faith and many others for a just, lasting peace for all Palestinians and Israelis,” Jennifer says. “Our efforts will continue far beyond this election cycle. By coming together like this, we hold each other up so we may continue to work for the world we know is still possible.”  

To read more, see this article in Religion News.