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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Don&#8217;t be surprised on Nov. 18 if you see people wearing yarmulkes at church.</p><p>It won&#8217;t mean you&#8217;ve wandered into a synagogue by mistake.</p><p>Rather, it will mean that men, women and children of goodwill, people who might sing from Protestant hymnbooks or finger rosary beads as they pray, are standing in solidarity with their Jewish brothers and sisters who suffered a great loss Oct. 27.</p><p>It will also mean they accepted the invitation of the Rev. Dr. Robert Zanicky, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, to visit his church on South Franklin Street in downtown Wilkes-Barre during the week of Nov. 13 and pick up some yarmulkes.</p><p>The traditional Jewish head coverings, now on order, will be emblazoned with the words &#8220;Together We Stand&#8221; as well as the Hebrew word for peace, &#8220;Shalom.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;The time is at hand to be unequivocal and resolute as to where we the people stand,&#8221; Zanicky wrote in a letter to the editor which appears on the Times Leader&#8217;s editorial page today.</p><p>Decrying the anti-Semitism that led an alleged shooter to open fire and kill 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh last week, Zanicky suggested that clergy of other faiths lead their congregations in wearing a yarmulke as a show of support.</p><p>Rabbi Larry Kaplan, leader of Temple Israel, said he&#8217;s been heartened by the hundreds of area residents who attended a vigil Monday evening at the Jewish Community Center.</p><p>&#8220;The outpouring of support has been amazing. Total strangers have been coming up and saying they&#8217;re sorry,&#8221; he said Friday.</p><p>Still, the rabbi admitted, &#8220;It&#8217;s been tough. Usually I look forward to Shabbat, but knowing I have to greet an armed officer at the front entrance and the back entrance, it&#8217;s unnerving.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It shouldn&#8217;t have to be,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But we want people to feel secure.&#8221;</p><p>In Pittsburgh, Kaplan noted, some of the deceased had been &#8220;celebrating a baby with a naming ceremony when it happened. Now we&#8217;re having a baby naming, and the family has asked about security.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;History hasn&#8217;t been kind to the Jewish people,&#8221; Zanicky said, noting the recent murders &#8220;remind us of the pogroms and other difficult periods.&#8221;</p><p>One way to help is to show the world that the Jewish people do not stand alone, Zanicky said.</p><p>Calling on people of various faiths to wear a yarmulke during their weekend services was the beginning of the idea, Zanicky said, explaining people certainly would be welcome to wear the head coverings to other places and at other times.</p><p>Although people may think of yarmulkes as a head covering for men, Kaplan said, they are equally appropriate for women to wear.</p><p>&#8220;There are multiple ways to exhibit one&#8217;s support in our religious communities. This is but one,&#8221; Zanicky&#8217;s letter continued. &#8220;Temple Israel and First Presbyterian Church of Wilkes-Barre continue a meaningful tradition that goes back 50 years. Annually, we (Rabbi Larry and Rev. Bob) visit each other&#8217;s synagogue and church and present the sermon.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;We encourage your religious community to consider this great teaching expression and community gift to our respective houses of worship. Our visits are planned for Nov. 17 and 18 (both services begin at 10 a.m. and all are welcome).&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">The yarmulkes that will be distributed from First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre starting Nov. 13 will be emblazoned with the words &#8216;United We Stand&#8217; and &#8216;Shalom,&#8217; which means &#8216;peace.&#8217; </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL103018Vigil7.jpg</photo0><caption0>The yarmulkes that will be distributed from First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre starting Nov. 13 will be emblazoned with the words &#8216;United We Stand&#8217; and &#8216;Shalom,&#8217; which means &#8216;peace.&#8217; </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL103018Vigil6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">People packed the Jewish Community Center on Monday night and listened from the windows outside while a vigil for the shooting victims of Pittsburgh happened inside. People of goodwill can continue to show their support for the Jewish community by wearing yarmulkes to their weekend services on Nov. 18, the Rev. Dr. Robert Zanicky of First Presbyterian Church has suggested. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL103018Vigil6.jpg</photo1><caption1>People packed the Jewish Community Center on Monday night and listened from the windows outside while a vigil for the shooting victims of Pittsburgh happened inside. People of goodwill can continue to show their support for the Jewish community by wearing yarmulkes to their weekend services on Nov. 18, the Rev. Dr. Robert Zanicky of First Presbyterian Church has suggested. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader file photo </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL103018Vigil5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Yarmulkes are equally appropriate for men and women to wear, Rabbi Larry Kaplan has said. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_TTL103018Vigil5.jpg</photo2><caption2>Yarmulkes are equally appropriate for men and women to wear, Rabbi Larry Kaplan has said. </caption2><photoCredit2>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader file photo </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mary Therese Biebel</p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT</p></shirttailMeta></div>

All faiths asked to wear yarmulkes Nov. 18 to show solidarity with Jews