Dear Friends,
Together we are outraged by the vicious anti-semitic gunman who killed eleven, including two brothers and a husband and wife, and injured more while they were simply gathered for a Shabbat service and to name a newborn baby at the Tree of Life – Or L’Simcha congregation in Pittsburgh yesterday.
When we gather to worship on Shabbat, we say to each other “Shabbat Shalom!” – “Sabbath greetings/peace”. When we rejoice at the birth of an infant, we look ahead filled with optimism and hope, never expecting to witness or experience violence and death at that very moment. Our expectations have been upended, our joy and peace turned to dismay and sorrow.
The Talmud teaches that all Jews are bound, one to the other, an observation never truer than in times like these. That is why we are convening a gathering and community discussion at our congregation Monday evening at 7:30pm. We need to be together, to help one another process this tragedy, to stand with one another to confront the hatred that plagues our society, to support one another as we shed tears of grief and to simply silently hold hands and offer a few prayers.
Our gathering and discussion is being widely publicized and is open to everyone in the community who desires to come in peace. Police Chief Mike Lyle has graciously offered to provide extra security precautions for our congregation as we host this community-wide event.
We share a deep sense of loss for the victims’ families, and solidarity with the Tree of LIfe congregation, and the greater Pittsburgh Jewish community. We are grateful for the many civic, religious and community leaders and people of good will of all faiths locally and throughout the world who have issued statements of support.
This incident occurred within a context. According to the ADL, anti-semitic incidents in the US surged 57% in 2017, the largest year-on-year increase since the Jewish civil rights group began collecting data in 1979. It appears that 2018 will see even greater numbers of incidents and violence. Indeed, the hatred we witnessed last year in Charlottesville continues to burn within the hearts of too many in our nation.
Rabbi David Ellenson, the Interim President and Chancellor Emeritus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion shared this message yesterday:
“Tomorrow will be a day of reckoning for the toxicity plaguing our world and how to go about repairing it. Tonight we remember the words of the Shulchan Aruch that state that it may not be possible to comfort mourners in the moment of their rawest grief. Instead, we dwell in the valley of tears, recalling our fallen sisters and brothers who were killed in this horrific tragedy. Tehyenah nafshoteihen tzrurot bi-tzror hahayim – may the souls of those murdered in Pittsburgh today be bound up in the bond of eternal life.”
I hope to see you Monday evening at the Temple. Come with your thoughts, a poem, a prayer or simply your silent presence to share.
L’Shalom,
Arnie