Humane Borders will hold its second annual multi-faith “Blessing of the Fleet,” giving thanks for the trucks that service its desert water stations, on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the House of Neighborly Services, 243 W. 33rd St. in Tucson.
Participants will include Rabbi Ben Herman, assistant rabbi of Congregation Anshei Israel, and Rabbi Stephanie Aaron of Congregation Chaverim.
“As part of a people who endured numerous hardships to enter the United States, some legally and some illegally, I view it as imperative that we help those who are also trying to obtain a better life for themselves and for their children,” says Herman. “People are dying every day in the desert in pursuit of this dream. In order to prevent them from dying, Humane Borders (in conjunction with the U.S. Border Patrol) puts water stations in the desert. The Blessing of the Fleet is an event where we give thanks for the trucks that bring the water to the stations and the volunteers that fill them in order to save human lives. The preservation of life is the most important mitzvah in Judaism. I hope you will join me at the Blessing of the Fleet to remember the lives of those who have perished and to commemorate the work of Humane Borders in saving human lives.”
Humane Borders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its membership includes more than 1,500 volunteers and 100 affiliated organizations.
For more information, contact Bryan Davis, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, at 577-9393 or bdavis@jfsa.org.
