As Unitarian Universalist congregations across the country prepare for the church year to begin anew, many congregations begin their fall with an Ingathering Water Service -where members bring a sample of water from their summer travels or their beloved communities and add it to a communal vessel at the front of the worship hall. For many congregations, this is a cornerstone ritual of Unitarian Universalism, and a powerful tradition that holds deep meaning of what each person brings into the community to create the whole - their grief, their joys, their experiences, and their passions. Often, we use this water to dedicate babies. It is a symbol of our covenant to be a community and solidarity with one and other.

This fall, UUs for Justice in the Middle East is inviting UUs to participate in a symbolic act of witness during their water ingathering service by bringing an empty cup to the service. UUJME chapter members, local advocates, and other congregants who would like to participate can decorate a paper or reusable cup with designs (e.g., keffiyeh pattern, prayers for Palestine and peace, kites, watermelon, or the faces of healthy Palestinian children), bring that cup to the front during the ceremony, spill some "missing water" into the vessel, and then leave the cup behind beside the water communion vessel.  

UUs could also bring two cups - one with water as usual and one that is empty.

The intention is to augment and expand the traditional water ceremony, not to replace the existing ritual. This is not to alienate us from our traditions but to start or continue a conversation about an additional ritual element.

UUs across the country are taking this prayerful action in sympathy with the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza who are denied potable water by Israel, a war crime that is enabled by the United States. These people are dying of starvation, thirst, preventable disease, and weapons of war.

This silent yet powerful symbolic ritual will be only the beginning of continued conversations within each congregation as the violence in Gaza continues with no sign of a ceasefire. UUJME will provide materials to help you figure out what format of conversations or actions your congregation should take next based on the needs of your unique community. 

If you would like to learn more about how to get started with Empty Cups for Gaza, please check out the information session video at Empty Cup for Gaza Ingathering Ritual Q&A on Vimeo. Please discuss the idea with your local minister, other staff, and congregational leadership and bring your curiosity about how this ritual can be included. Invite them to view this ritual suggestion as bringing another seat to the table for an attitude of abundant space for ritual. 

Info Session Video Recording

Empty Cup for Gaza Ingathering Ritual Q&A on Vimeo

Background Information

Sample Newsletter or Social Media Announcement

Jolly Hollamon - Part-Time National Organizer

Joshua “Jolly” Hollamon (they/he) is a Los Angeles based activist, with organizing expertise around climate justice and local politics. They previously held the Climate Justice Organizer position at the UU Justice Ministry of California. He has been active in building a healthier and more sustainable community, from traveling to DC to lobby with congressmen to organizing and supporting community events. In 2020, they co-managed the incubation and operations of a new drop-in, homelessness access center. This led to extended outreach to unhoused neighbors, providing service to the previously unserved Sherman Oaks neighborhood. He has been a front-line activist and coalition builder in various movements including the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota. They support their local congregation, First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, as a member of the Animal Ministry and Building & Grounds Committees. They are also on the Board of Urban Partners Los Angeles, a nonprofit that provides weekly food distribution to the community, a diaper distribution, and tutoring to young children. Jolly is delighted to continue their work as a faith-based organizer through UUJME. 

UUJME is delighted to welcome Jolly to our organizing team, working alongside India Wood and our Organizing Committee!

India Wood (she/her) is joining UUJME as our first part-time organizer. India is both a life-long Unitarian Universalist and culturally Jewish - or a "Jew-U," as she likes to call herself. She grew up outside Boston, attending the Unitarian Church in Winchester, MA starting around the age of 8. It was at Winchester Unitarian Society in the high school youth group where she began to learn about justice and power, and started to develop an interest in activism and organizing. After attending undergrad at Oberlin College, India began working as both a health and sexuality educator at a couple of Boston area schools, and as the youth ministry coordinator at First Parish UU in Wayland and the UU Area Church at First Parish in Sherborn. While she worked in both schools and in congregations, India began volunteering as an organizer and trainer with the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate justice group. Through  Sunrise, she learned the importance of relational organizing and other key skills to building powerful campaigns. 

This past fall, India began her graduate education, pursuing an MDiv and a master's in social work. Her first year of seminary was dramatically impacted by the escalating violence in Gaza, and her faith and dedication to justice called her to action. Since October, she has been organizing with local interfaith ceasefire groups, as well as IfNotNow, helping to create trainings, run programs and campaigns, and mobilize people to actions. India is thrilled to continue working as a faith-based organizer with UUJME! 

India can be reached at [email protected].

On April 3, 2024, aid workers from World Central Kitchen traveled in the Gaza strip to deliver food aid to Palestinians using a route pre-approved by the Israeli military. They were moving in a caravan of three vehicles, with logos on top of the vehicles. Why would you need a logo on top of a vehicle? You would need it in Gaza, where planes and drones flying overhead identify targets and could avoid blowing up an aid vehicle by spotting the logo. They are intended to keep protected categories of people safe. But, despite advance coordination, Israel bombed not just one but all three of the aid vehicles one after the other. As one was hit, the aid workers moved to the next vehicle, until they ended up in the third vehicle in which all seven were killed. No one has been safe in Gaza.

The head of World Central Kitchen condemned this action by the Israeli military. He was very clear about it not being an accident. The fact that most of the aid workers were European or North American caused this to be a bigger outrage in much of international media than the killing of more than 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7.

Every incident that has unfolded is bringing more eyes to the situation in Palestine and Israel and making people ask questions and want to know more.

The continuing massacres in Gaza and the escalating violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem at the hands of settlers and the military make it clearer every day that the global community must come together to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

The behavior of the Israeli state in bombing the Iranian embassy in Damascus on April 1, killing seven officials, along with the Iranian retaliation, which destroyed some military facilities, terrified millions of people, and injured one person, have brought us closer to a world war. 

UUJME calls on Unitarian Universalists everywhere to connect with us and organize together in community in support of ceasefire and justice for Palestinians, and for the U.S. to oppose actions that could lead to serious international consequences for human life.

Connect with UUs organizing for Palestine.

Sign up for our emails at https://www.uujme.org/join.

To get support in starting a UUJME chapter or similar group in your congregation or city/town, email us at [email protected].