Nancy Pelosi’s High Holidays message named as challenges for the New Year the genocide in Darfur, alleviating poverty, caring for the environment and freeing captive Israeli soldiers. “The High Holy Days are a time of reflection and introspection,” the California Democrat and speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives said in her message. “It is a time to review actions of the past year and to rededicate to improving ourselves and the world around us. The challenges are many: fighting genocide in Darfur; addressing the needs of those living in poverty; and being good stewards of God’s creation, particularly our beautiful environment, among so many others. I join with all of you in a humble prayer that this year we each meet these challenges in our own way.
“As the Jewish community stops to spend the holiday with family and friends, let us all take the time to think about those who are not able to be with us. We join together in prayer that our American soldiers fighting overseas come home safely. We also remember the captured Israeli soldiers who will not be celebrating the holiday with their loved ones and pledge to keep their safe return a priority.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.