In Pittsburgh's 'darkest hour,' 2,500 attend synagogue massacre memorial

[webfact]

In Pittsburgh's 'darkest hour,' 2,500 attend synagogue massacre memorial

By Jessica Resnick-Ault and Chriss Swaney

 

A woman places flowers on an impromptu memorial at the Tree of Life synagogue where 11 worshippers were murdered during Saturday's shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 28, 2018. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton

 

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - Some 2,500 people gathered on Sunday at a memorial service for the 11 Jewish worshipers slain in their Pittsburgh synagogue during Sabbath prayers, a mass murder the mayor called the city's "darkest hour" while exhorting mourners to "defeat hate with love."

 

Several speakers addressing an overflow crowd at the University of Pittsburgh's Soldiers and Sailors Hall sounded themes of inclusion and unity, in counterpoint to the rise of toxic political discourse widely seen as creating an atmosphere conducive to violence.

 

"What happened yesterday will not break us. It will not ruin us. We will continue to thrive and sing and worship and learn together and continue our historic legacy in the city with the friendliest people that I know," Rabbi Jonathan Perlman told the interfaith audience.

 

Three members of his congregation were among those killed when a man armed with an assault rifle and three handguns on Saturday stormed the Tree of Life temple in the city's heavily Jewish Squirrel Hill neighbourhood yelling "All Jews must die" as he opened fire on worshipers.

 

In addition to the 11 mostly elderly victims who were killed, six people, including four police officers, were wounded before the suspect was arrested. Two of the surviving victims remained hospitalized in critical condition.

 

The massacre marked the deadliest attack ever on America's Jewish community, according to the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

 

Robert Bowers, 46, who has a history of posting anti-Semitic messages online, has been charged under federal hate crime statutes, and could face the death penalty if convicted.

 

'DEFEAT HATE WITH LOVE'

 

"This is the darkest hour in our city's history," Mayor Bill Peduto declared during Sunday's service. "But here's another thing about Pittsburgh. We are resilient. We will work together as one. We will defeat hate with love. We will be a city of compassion and we will be welcoming to all people," he said to cheers.

 

The auditorium of the Soldiers and Sailors Hall, a venue that seats more than 2,300, was filled to capacity with hundreds more people gathered outside the building.

 

The names of the dead were released hours earlier. They included David Rosenthal, 54; his brother Cecil Rosenthal, 59; Sylvan Simon, 86, and his wife Bernice Simon, 84; Joyce Fienberg, 75; Richard Gottfried, 65; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; Daniel Stein, 71; Melvin Wax, 88; and Irving Younger, 69. The eldest victim was Rose Mallinger, 97.

 

She was among five of the slain who lived in Squirrel Hill, a quiet, leafy district with a large Jewish population. The community also was home to the late Fred Rogers, whose long-running children's television show "Mr. Rogers' Neighbourhood" featured lessons on friendship and kindness.

 

The remaining victims were from other parts of Pittsburgh, the second-largest city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia.

 

The mass shooting sparked security alerts at houses of worship around the country and condemnation from politicians and religious leaders.

 

Some complained that the confrontational, nationalistic rhetoric of U.S. President Donald Trump has encouraged right-wing extremists and fed a surge in activity by hate groups.

 

Trump, who quickly branded Saturday's shooting an act of pure evil and called on Americans to rise above hatred, was already facing similar criticism ahead of the Nov. 6 congressional elections following a spate of pipe bombs mailed last week to some of his most prominent critics. The targets, mostly Democrats, included former U.S. President Barack Obama.

 

"Honestly I think this president's whole modus operandi is to divide us. He gets up in the morning with new and inventive ways to divide us," U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who is Jewish, said on CNN's "State of the Union" broadcast on Sunday.

 

Trump told reporters the killings might have been prevented if there had been an armed guard. Synagogue officials said police would only normally have been present for security on high holidays.

 

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said on Fox News Sunday that federal officials visited the Pittsburgh synagogue in March to provide training on active-shooter responses.

 

The mayor said on Sunday that keeping guns out of the hands of irrational people was a better way to prevent violence.

 

FBI Special Agent Robert Jones told a news conference he did not know why Bowers had targeted the Tree of Life synagogue.

 

Authorities believe the suspect entered the synagogue, opened fire on worshipers and was fleeing when he encountered a police officer, Jones said. The two exchanged gunfire, he said, and Bowers reentered the building before a police tactical squad arrived.

 

Bowers surrendered and was taken to a hospital where he was listed in fair condition with multiple gunshot wounds.

 

Federal prosecutors charged Bowers late on Saturday with 29 criminal counts including violating U.S. civil rights laws.

 

Bowers' virulent anti-Semitic views were evident in prolific online postings. In one, early on Saturday, he wrote that a Jewish refugee group, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, "likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can't sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I'm going in."

 

He is due to make his first court appearance on Monday afternoon before a federal judge in Pittsburgh.

 

(Additional reporting by Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago, Doina Chiacu and Susan Cornwell in Washington, and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Writing by Meredith Mazzilli in New York and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Daniel Wallis, David Gregorio and Cynthia Osterman)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-29

[Redline]

Apparently there should be armed guards in every store, church, school, business...what a bunch of pure BS Trump and the republican party are pushing.  The USA has become a joke under this administration.  I don't agree with the extreme left either, or all of Obama's policies, but to say Trump and his fear tactic lies are not to blame, is also BS.  There is no reason for civilians to have assault weapons, period.  The sooner this pathetically insecure child in a sloths body is out, the better for the world.

Right wing nuts, please give me some Fox news regurgitation so I know you can make USA policy decisions as well as the weak one the Russians voted in (and now regrets).

 

[Odysseus123]

Amazing place..the good ol' USA.

It has nothing to do with the Russians.Never has and never will.

 

Rednecks voted the current incumbent in.

 

RIP the victims of yet another heavily armed white American numbnut.

 

Edited October 29, 2018 by Odysseus123

[Tug]

Soooo after this hate crime a news caster asked trump if he would tone down his speech he said he might tone it up unbelievable even for this man the mourners at the tree of life  temple could be heard chanting vote vote vote Donald you are failing in so many ways on so many levels

Edited October 29, 2018 by Tug
Auto spell

[Odysseus123]

Ah..I see that my description of heavily armed white American numbnuts has ruffled a few "sad" voters..

 

Presumably they are heavily committed posters from Andorra or Lichtenstein..

Edited October 29, 2018 by Odysseus123

[Odysseus123]

36 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

I thought most of Americans were Christians... and most American men, Christian or otherwise are circumcised so I believe.  

That kinda came later in the game..and circumcision was mainly a 20th century practice.

 

I put it to you....it's the 2nd century AD-no antibiotics or pain killers.

Option 1-deformed willy and possible death due to infection.(Jewish)

Option 2..No problems with yer willy at all(Christian)

 

How would you vote?

 

Edited October 29, 2018 by Odysseus123

[Nilats]

I'm not Jewish, I actually have protestant Christian background. I lived in a town in Israel for 2 years which had 99.99% Jewish Yiddish population - small town with ~20,000 people, everybody was Ashkenazi Jewish - even people selling ice-cream etc were Ashkenazi Jewish, observant so on and so forth... I never really had any negative experience worth mentioning... nobody called me a gentile or anything like that... that's why I don't understand what the problem is - I think it's mostly ignorance. People say they know something about Jews but in reality never make any real effort to get to know them first hand.

[sanemax]

40 minutes ago, marqus12 said:

Yeah ... Jewish fairy tales ... always innocent !

Who controlled the trade of black slaves in the Caribbean ? Angels ?

 

Blackmail on Switzerland ? for 30 millions usd left by Jews in Swiss banks
the Jews extort 12 billion.

And who TODAY is trying to extort hundreds of billions of dollars from the countries

of Central Europe and uses all possible lies and blackmail to achieve this robbery ?

 

I think I'm educated enough when it comes to Jews and what fairy tales Jews

tell naive people do not work on me.

This is Thaivisa , it isnt Stormfront

[Scott]

Nasty remarks and replies removed.

 

[Morch]

8 hours ago, Nilats said:

I'm not Jewish, I actually have protestant Christian background. I lived in a town in Israel for 2 years which had 99.99% Jewish Yiddish population - small town with ~20,000 people, everybody was Ashkenazi Jewish - even people selling ice-cream etc were Ashkenazi Jewish, observant so on and so forth... I never really had any negative experience worth mentioning... nobody called me a gentile or anything like that... that's why I don't understand what the problem is - I think it's mostly ignorance. People say they know something about Jews but in reality never make any real effort to get to know them first hand.

 

I doubt your story is factual, never mind correct. Jewish Orthodox majority towns such as you describe aren't all that welcoming to secular Jews, or even those not fully prescribing to strict interpretations. Plenty of coverage regarding related incidents on local media.

 

Orthodox Jews generally (more so those based in Israel) reject the legitimacy of Conservative and Reform schools in Judaism (which currently accounts for most US Jews). Recent comments by Israel's Chief Rabbi (an Orthodox), which failed to acknowledge the synagogue as a a synagogue caused quite a stir both in Israel and among Jewish communities in the US.

[Nilats]

52 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

I doubt your story is factual, never mind correct. Jewish Orthodox majority towns such as you describe aren't all that welcoming to secular Jews, or even those not fully prescribing to strict interpretations. Plenty of coverage regarding related incidents on local media.

 

Orthodox Jews generally (more so those based in Israel) reject the legitimacy of Conservative and Reform schools in Judaism (which currently accounts for most US Jews). Recent comments by Israel's Chief Rabbi (an Orthodox), which failed to acknowledge the synagogue as a a synagogue caused quite a stir both in Israel and among Jewish communities in the US.

I don't think observant necessarily means orthodox, not the case here. What you are talking about in Israel they call them Haredi towns - they live in Jerusalem or in towns nearby - I've never been to one - they are kind of hard to get to usually btw. They don't really constitute what you would call typical town in Israel - they are mostly considered outside of the main society.  I only know a story when an orthodox Jew was having trouble in Haredi town for some reason... it goes without saying that secular or even some very religious jews would never try to settle in Haredi town - they are super strict about everything... and I'm not really a specialist on the subject. The one I was in was definitely much more flexible than that - what I learned in Israel is that all towns are very different - local community sets its own standards about everything. Observant in my understanding is they regularly keep shabbat, go to synagogue from time to time, celebrate all the holidays, eat kosher food, but dress code is very flexible, plus many other things as well.

 

I know about this "stirr" about the status of the synagogue - that's just an opinion of one rabbi - in Israel everybody disagrees on everything - except one thing - they are all on the same boat, I wouldn't really give it that much attention - disagreements such as these in Israel happen every other day, and then everything goes back to normal... Americans probably just don't know about it ????

Edited October 30, 2018 by Nilats

[Morch]

6 hours ago, Nilats said:

I don't think observant necessarily means orthodox, not the case here. What you are talking about in Israel they call them Haredi towns - they live in Jerusalem or in towns nearby - I've never been to one - they are kind of hard to get to usually btw. They don't really constitute what you would call typical town in Israel - they are mostly considered outside of the main society.  I only know a story when an orthodox Jew was having trouble in Haredi town for some reason... it goes without saying that secular or even some very religious jews would never try to settle in Haredi town - they are super strict about everything... and I'm not really a specialist on the subject. The one I was in was definitely much more flexible than that - what I learned in Israel is that all towns are very different - local community sets its own standards about everything. Observant in my understanding is they regularly keep shabbat, go to synagogue from time to time, celebrate all the holidays, eat kosher food, but dress code is very flexible, plus many other things as well.

 

I know about this "stirr" about the status of the synagogue - that's just an opinion of one rabbi - in Israel everybody disagrees on everything - except one thing - they are all on the same boat, I wouldn't really give it that much attention - disagreements such as these in Israel happen every other day, and then everything goes back to normal... Americans probably just don't know about it ????

 

There wasn't anything said about observant necessarily meaning Orthodox, rather the opposite. And what I'm talking about is definitely not limited to a specific area in Israel, nor are said towns hard to get to.

 

As for the "stir" cited, no - it isn't the "opinion of one Rabbi", but rather a long standing position. It's an ongoing issue with regard to several related topics, which all amount to the same thing - rejection of pluralism within Judaism. That you won't give it much attention doesn't mean a whole lot, considering you don't seem to be really acquainted with the matter. Americans don't know about it? Try harder. The crisis between US Jewish communities and their Israeli counterparts even featured on a few TVF topics. It's a major issue for US Jews, and it's already been referenced in the context of current events.

Edited October 30, 2018 by Morch

[Ron19]

Troll post removed.

 

9) You will not post inflammatory messages on the forum, or attempt to disrupt discussions to upset its participants, or trolling. Trolling can be defined as the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.

[Nilats]

9 hours ago, Morch said:

 

There wasn't anything said about observant necessarily meaning Orthodox, rather the opposite. And what I'm talking about is definitely not limited to a specific area in Israel, nor are said towns hard to get to.

 

As for the "stir" cited, no - it isn't the "opinion of one Rabbi", but rather a long standing position. It's an ongoing issue with regard to several related topics, which all amount to the same thing - rejection of pluralism within Judaism. That you won't give it much attention doesn't mean a whole lot, considering you don't seem to be really acquainted with the matter. Americans don't know about it? Try harder. The crisis between US Jewish communities and their Israeli counterparts even featured on a few TVF topics. It's a major issue for US Jews, and it's already been referenced in the context of current events.

I'm familiar with it. To summarize the differences is simple - those whose mother is not Jewish are not considered Jewish... that's all there is to it... You are making it into a bigger issue than it is - so it only concerns the Reform Judaism... they are definitely much more tolerant of the Conservative Judaism In addition I know stories where Israeli religious authorities do not trust almost any rabbis in US unless they have already been approved by some Israeli rabbi - that's just how it is concerning the strictly religious Jewish definition of who is Jewish... But if you are mostly secular - why even worry about it. All this only concerns only very religious people who just have to have official recognition of their Jewishness on paper or something like that - actually there are many ways of getting that in Israel if you are into that - conversion is open to people of any sexes and any races, but the thing if you live in Israel nobody will ever ask for any such paper in any real life situation. Personally I think Israel is doing the right thing - I fully support that... they have the right to keep quality of Judaism under control so to speak - it's very cute in my opinion, it's a must have to maintain the Jewish spirit of the country imo ????

 

You must understand political life is a bit separate from those religious authorities - so Netanyahu is strictly speaking a secular type of Jewish nationalist - I think he even likes christians - so you are not going to have much friction on any of these issues there with the general public.

[Scott]

Thank you for the insights into Judaism, but we need to stick a little to the topic.