Is Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem a Waste of Time? Absolutely Not

When I read Jerusalem was a target for Hamas rockets, the sadness I felt was deep. For me, Jerusalem is not an abstraction; I lived there for nine years. It is part of my heart and soul. During those special years, I spent time in Arab, Christian, Armenian and Jewish parts of the city. No matter where I walked, I felt the same transcendent Spirit filling the air.

Like anywhere else, you meet all kinds of people in Jerusalem. One thing people in the city shared was a warm hospitality to visitors. It spoke to me of the good things we share as part of the human family.

I know some people say peace in the Middle East is impossible and prayer is a waste of time. Those are not my beliefs.

The late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, said:

They say the most profound darkness comes just before the dawn. The harshest oppression of our forefathers in Egypt came just before their liberation.

That was a course darkness of slavery of the body. Today it is a darkness of the soul, a deep slumber of the spirit of Man. There are sparks of light, glimmerings of a sun that never shone before -- but the darkness of night overwhelms all.

Prepare for dawn.

The song in the video below was inspired by verses in King David's Psalm 122. David's prayer is my prayer, too. It was a labor of love writing the song and putting images from across the city to my music in the video.

Jerusalem means, "City of Peace." May the vision of peace it represents for all people be realized soon.