October 31, 2018

In just one week, three hate motivated crimes committed across the country have left our nation shaken. Our prayers are with the innocent people who tragically lost their lives, and all of our solidarity and support are with the families and communities of the victims.

This past weekend, eleven innocent worshippers were killed in a targeted, violent attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Last Wednesday, two African American shoppers were shot and killed at a grocery store just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. In the days in-between, the FBI arrested a man who sent over a dozen pipe bombs to Democratic political leaders, a progressive campaign donor, and a major national media outlet.

The factors precipitating these callous and despicable acts are clear. The shooter in Pittsburgh yelled anti-Semitic remarks about Jews as he stormed into the synagogue. The shooter, a white man, in Kentucky let a shopper with his same skin color pass by him without harm. The pipe bomber had stickers on his van depicting his “left-wing” victims in rifle crosshairs. In these three hate crimes, the common denominator is that the perpetrators were all white men who converted the increasingly divisive rhetoric in this country into fatal acts against the communities they hate.

These horrific incidents remind us that hate and violence are a reality. To that end, FEMA has a resource guide on how to prepare for and respond during and after an active shooter incident and also includes resources on how to protect houses of worship.

We stand against all divisive rhetoric, hate speech, and acts of violence against any human being for their religion, ethnicity, or political beliefs. We stand with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and the broader Jewish community nationwide, with all African American victims of violence across the country, and for the right to express one’s political views without threat of harm.

This increasing violence must be confronted head-on, with a systemic, vocal critique and broad-based mobilization efforts. To that end, we’re reaching out to our African American and Jewish brothers and sisters to convey our deepest condolences and sympathies, and calling upon our own community to step up in acts of solidarity.

Here are 3 things you can do:

1. As a show of support and solidarity, attend your local synagogue this Friday for Shabbat services.
2. Attend a vigil near you and share information about it with others in your community.
3. Donate to fundraisers for the victims’ families.

 We will never tolerate acts of harm against others, or the inflammatory rhetoric that leads to them. We support the letter sent to President Trump by the Pittsburgh arm of Bend the Arc, a progressive Jewish organization focused on advocating for social justice, demanding that Trump and his administration fully denounce white supremacy, stop targeting and endangering all minorities, stop the assault on immigrant and refugee populations, and commit to compassionate, democratic policies that recognize human dignity.