Israel

Kiryat Ono, Israel: report by Hagit Ra’anan

In the early morning (4 am local time) on May 18, I joined in the live broadcast of the SOPP ceremony at Fuji Sanctuary. I remember very vividly the first year of the SOPP, when I was honored to present the Jewish faith in the way I see it and practice it. To see the magnitude and advancement of the SOPP nowadays—it is a miracle! Thank you all for allowing me to be with you in my heart. It felt for me as if I were there with you on the field! Miracles do happen!

Only hours later, Pope Francis arrived for a very special visit in the Middle East. I was watching the delegations, and it felt like a kind of Symphony of Peace Prayers, as many different prayers were presented—another miracle!

The following day, I met with the group of 12 year old kids that I work with at my hometown school. Throughout the year, we have had many conversations about the meaning of the SOPP and the idea of oneness. So on that day we prayed together with the flags of all the nations in the Middle East. We spread the flags around the tree we call the ‘gratitude tree’ in the school yard, and we decorated the tree, as we do several times every year. The kids love this activity, and so do I.