Dozens of Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders gathered together in Jerusalem to call on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

The leaders recited verses from the Bible in the spirit of peace, appealing to the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill that he use his influence to put pressure on Vladmir Putin. 

Speaking to the JC in front of the Russian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem where the event took place, Rabbi Yonatan Neril said he had reached out to the church to deliver a letter to Patriarch Kirill, signed by religious leaders from across the world.  

Rabbi Neril, director of The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, said: “This is a moment when religious leaders should raise the banner of peace and do everything in their power to promote it." 

Rabbi Rasson Arousi, representing the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, said: "We recite a holy call on behalf of hundreds of millions of believers around the world to stop the killing in Ukraine."

Rabbi Arousi quoted from Isaiah, saying: "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war anymore."

After holding a joint prayer on Monday, the leaders took the letter to Patriarch Kirill and pinned it to the Russian Church, in a symbolic move. 

The letter read: “We are saddened to see the fighting, which primarily pits Orthodox Christians against each other. The current conflict has already resulted in a significant loss of life, of both combatants and civilians.

"The conflict also poses a much wider risk of destruction beyond Ukraine, including the very real threat of a nuclear accident, which we know God wants us to avoid at all costs. 

“In light of your close connection to President Putin, we call on you to request that he take immediate steps to de-escalate the conflict, and seek a peaceful resolution to it." 

A similar letter was sent earlier this month to the Russian Orthodox Church, signed by 150 Jerusalem and global religious leaders and clergy.

Among the signatories were H.E. Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, the Dalai Lama and former Grand Mufti of Bosnia, Imam Mustafa Ceric.

Asked if the pressure from religious leaders would have an impact on Patriarch Kirill, Rev. Karin Ekblom from the Swedish Theological Institute in Jerusalem told the JC: “It’s our hope, of course. But if just one person listens to us, we have achieved something. This is our responsibility as religious leaders.”

H.B. Latin Patriarch Archbishop of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, told the JC: "It’s our duty to express ourselves like we do today." 

Druze Sheikh, Yaakov Salame, said: “One single event will of course not end the war in Ukraine. But collective pressure can have an effect, which is why it’s important that we are here today.”