On the Rabbis Without Borders blog, a reflection on praying at the Roswell Community Masjid (RCM) after the terrorist attack at the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand:
“I arrive nearly an hour early for Jumuah (Friday afternoon communal prayers). I want to visit briefly with the Imam and other friends before the service, because I know I’ll be rushing home after the prayers to finish preparing for Shabbat. I sit toward the back of the women’s section, close to the southern wall. Just as the Imam begins his remarks, a woman rushes in and sits beside me; she greets me with a whispered Asalam aleikum and a smile. We rise for communal prayer, and I take a step backward toward the corner where I’ll stand to recite Psalm 23 in memory of the victims of the attack. But the woman to my right gently touches my arm and…” Continue reading here.