As “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” boomed over loudspeakers, thousands of Bostonians gathered in City Hall Plaza yesterday evening for an interfaith vigil in support of the victims and families affected by Tuesday’s hijackings and terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Between 13,000 and 15,000 people flocked to hear Boston’s Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders prayers and songs, said Carole Brennan, a spokesperson for the Boston Mayor’s office.

The service of peace and solidarity came just two days after the most deadly terrorist attack on American soil.

Boston police officers distributed red, white and blue ribbons to the people streaming through the entry gates of the plaza and onto the surrounding steps.

The vigil began with a prayer for national unity and hope led by Associate Director of the Archdiocese of Boston Father David Michael.

“May our union of heart and prayer be a beam of light in a darkened world,” he said.

Rabbi Barry Starr of Temple Israel in Sharon, Mass. drew the crowd’s attention and prayers to a specific group among them—four busloads of American Airlines and United Airlines Employees.

“Our hearts are with you as you are with us,” he said.

Many of the speakers shared words of caution with the crowd.

“What we must fear is not evil,” Starr said. “We must fear becoming evil ourselves.”

Karim Khudairi, a representative of the Islamic Council of New England, emphasized the importance of waiting for the FBI investigations to finish before “passing judgement” on Arab-Americans. He compared Tuesday’s attack to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, and urged the audience to remember the lessons of the past.

“We shoud not repeat history when mistakes were made against Japanese-Americans,” he said.

Cardinal Bernard Law of the Boston Catholic Archdiocese echoed Khudairi’s warning. In his prayer, he asked for the “wisdom to not judge...a group of people based on the abhorrent acts of a few.”

The crowd responded emotionally to the speakers, clapping, waving American flags and holding banners that read “Defy Terrorism” and “Viva USA.”

“It was very powerful to see such a huge group of people,” said Sarah D. Beller ’03, who attended the vigil with several other Harvard students and also placed signs on campus kiosks publicizing the gathering.

“I wanted to join with the larger Boston community during the crisis,” she said, “and show that Harvard students do care.”