Hillel exectutive director Bernard Steinburg begins a student vigil yesterday, a day declared by the chief rabbinate of Israel to be a day of prayer and fasting. Harvard students for Israel also participated.

Standing through songs of prayer and moments of silence, dozens of students gathered at Harvard Hillel to mark yesterday as a day of prayer and fasting.

The Chief Rabbinate of Israel had declared March 13 a day of fasting and prayer for Jews around the world in response to increasing violence in the Middle East. Hillel and Harvard Students for Israel (HSI) organized yesterday’s vigil in response to the declaration and said they were also mourning for lives lost in conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians.

“For us, in a time of difficulty, it is important to come together as a Jewish community in mourning and in prayer for peace,” said Hillel President Benjamin P. Solomon-Schwartz ’03, who is also a Crimson editor.

Bernard Steinberg, Hillel’s director, began the vigil by introducing themes of peace and resolve.

“We pray for the wisdom to fight for peace without false hope, without self-delusion,” he said. “We come together to revive our spirits and to renew the human bonds which nurture.”

After Steinberg’s introduction, several individuals sang Hebrew songs of prayer and the larger group joined in. After singing, the gathering observed a three-minute moment of silence.

Word that the Chief Rabbinate of Israel had called for a day of prayer and fasting spread through campus via e-mail, and the declaration also received national media coverage.

HSI President Avram D. Heilman ’03 said the vigil was an “appropriate way for the Jewish community to respond” to the call of a day of prayer.

The vigil has individual psychological significance as well as significance to the community,” Heilman said.

Declarations like this one are an uncommon occurrence. In this case, the day of prayer coincided with the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nissan, which begins today.

The vigil took place inside the Hillel building after College administrators denied their request for an outside gathering. Event organizers had initially hoped to hold it in the Yard.

Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth ’71 wrote to HSI leaders on Tuesday, saying he was concerned that the vigil would coincide with the on-going Islamic Awareness week.

“There are various events going on in the College to heighten awareness of issues relevant to Muslims,” Illingworth wrote. “To have your event in the same week might be misinterpreted as a conflict with the Islamic awareness activities. Therefore I would ask you to plan your event for another time.”

In a subsequent message, Illingworth explained that his main objection to their request had been that they wanted to use an amplification system—not the vigil itself.

HSI Vice-President Jonathan M. Gribetz ’02 took issue with Illingworth’s stance, saying that “there should be no conflict between Islam and Jews’ praying for peace for Israel and all people in the region.”