Ameinu is horrified and sickened by the murder of 11 innocent Jews as they prayed this past Shabbat at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Our hearts go out to those who were killed and injured, their families and community and to the Jewish people the world over.
This wanton act of anti-Semitic terror is not an isolated incident; it emerged out of a toxic and hate-filled environment where immigrants, minorities and the free press are bring demonized by the president of the United States and his enablers in Congress and the media. The terrorist was abetted by lax gun laws and a Congress that is unwilling to stand up for the American people in the face of opposition from the NRA.
How many more innocent people must die before we as a society wake up to what is happening around us? Jewish history teaches us that hateful words always lead to violence and that the demonization of the other inevitably leads to anti-Semitism.
Ameinu calls upon all Americans to unequivocally condemn the violence and the incendiary rhetoric that led to it. Now is the time for true patriots to reclaim our country from those who wish to destroy the freedoms that we and our forbearers have worked so hard to build and preserve. May the memory of those lost in this senseless act of violence inspire us to make meaningful and positive change in our country and in our world.
