Your clergy are here for you during this time.

Seek peace and pursue it.

January 8, 2026 / 19 Tevet 5786

Dear Friends,

We are reaching out to you, our Mount Zion community, in this moment of communal tragedy. Yesterday, Renee Nicole Good (z”l), a South Minneapolis neighbor, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in a residential neighborhood in the middle of the day. We will hear many words in the days and weeks to come – words of shock, words of anger, words of fear, words of hope.

As your clergy, we want to find the “right” words to share with you, words that will touch you in the ways that you need, knowing that each person may need something different. Whatever you are feeling, what we can say is that we are here for you, that Mount Zion is a safe place for us to be together, to be present to the moment, and to support one another.

We each have different capacities and ways to respond.

If you are moved to act, we encourage you to connect with our Tzedek Committee by attending the upcoming Zoom meeting this Sunday or connecting with our co-chairs, Diana Dean (dianamdean@msn.com) and Amy Rapoport (rapoport@zoho.com).

If you are moved to pray, we share these words from the Minnesota Council of Churches, with whom Mount Zion has many shared values and a long history of partnership.

A Prayer for Peace

Holy One—

Source of life and love—

We grieve a life lost in Minneapolis

And we hold close the family now walking through sorrow.

Draw near to them with comfort and peace.

You did not create your children to live in fear.

You formed us for dignity, safety, and care for one another.

Turn our hearts away from violence and division

And back toward justice, compassion, and wisdom.

Guide our leaders to act from conscience, not fear,

And remind us of our shared humanity.

Strengthen us not only to pray for peace,

But to live it—

Protecting the vulnerable, welcoming the stranger,

And choosing love over hatred.

Until justice and peace embrace,

Keep us faithful.

Amen. May it be so.

—Elder Suzanne Kelly

CEO, Minnesota Council of Churches

And if you are moved to hold each other close, hug each other tightly, and remember the power of hope, we encourage you to join us for Shabbat services.

In moments like these, we want to make sure that you know your clergy are here for you. If you feel the need to talk, please contact any of us so that we can try to offer some comfort.

Sending chizuk, strength, as we pray and work for a better future.

Rabbi Esther Adler

Rabbi Heather Renetzky

Cantor Jennifer Strauss-Klein

Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker

Rabbi Spilker is currently on sabbatical