On a quiet Sunday, the citizens of Edmonton took a peaceful stand against warfare, assembling in a silent vigil outside City Hall. The unspoken call was for an end to the tumultuous conflict tearing through Gaza, at the epicenter of a brutal struggle between Israel and Hamas.
The assembly was a quiet symphony of hope voiced by a cadre of concerned Edmontonians, who aimed to raise awareness about not just the Israeli-Hamas confrontation but the unsettling violence in Ukraine as well. Leading this collective call for peace was Asher Kirschner, one of the vigil’s organizers, who lamented on the rampant killings, “There’s too much killing going on.”
The gathering, arranged to initiate at 7 p.m., was meant for anyone, regardless of faith or nationality, who could lend their silence to the cause. One important protocol of the gathering, however, was a request to refrain from bringing flags or placards openly supporting either Israel or Palestinians.
Kirschner explained this was to ensure the gathering could guide clear of favoring any particular side of the conflict. Being Jewish and having ties with both communities amplified Kirschner’s distress over the situational misery. He voiced his empathetic sorrow for both the Jewish and Palestinian communities who were not only anguished by the chaos abroad, but also scared of the increasing anti-Semitic and anti-Palestinian incidents occurring at home.
It was vital to Kirschner, and so to the others bound by a common call for tranquility, that all peace-loving citizens of Edmonton stood together. This collective unity could serve as a beacon of support for both Jews and Palestinians, reminding them that they were not isolated in their grief.
Although the gathering might have seemed small, Kirschner held an unwavering hope for future assemblies that would see people from diversified backgrounds including Palestinians, Jews, and Canadians coming together. While the announcement of the next event remains undisclosed, the seed of unity sowed in the silent vigil could potentially pave the way for a future where diverse communities stand hand in hand, lending their silence to call out for peace.
