Columbia synagogue’s sign shows support for Israel

It’s a symbolic gesture.

That’s how Rabbi Yossi Feintuch of Congregation Beth Shalom describes the sign placed in front of the Jewish synagogue on Green Meadows Road in Columbia, which reads, “We stand with Israel.”

The idea to hang the sign was sparked by an e-mail Feintuch received from Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of Union for Reform Judaism. Feintuch said the gesture “is not only the Jewish thing to do, it is the American thing to do,” because the U.S. Senate passed a resolution in support of Israel on Tuesday and President Bush expressed his support as well.

Feintuch, who is a native of Israel and has family living there, said the decision to hang the banner was not his alone.

“We are a democratic organization and we have a board of directors,” he said. “The idea of placing such a banner was endorsed by the board as a whole.”

In addition to hanging the sign, Feintuch has been in contact with his congregation about the issue. He sent e-mail messages Friday and Wednesday urging that they “stand with Israel in solidarity.”

“Let’s start immediately by thanking President Bush for his unwavering support of Israel in its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and to end its firing deadly rockets and missiles into Israel’s towns,” Feintuch said in Wednesday’s e-mail, urging congregants to call or e-mail the White House.

Repeated attempts to contact Imam Mohammed Nabeel Ahmed Khan of the Islamic Center of Central Missouri to obtain his views on the conflict were unsuccessful.