JCRC is saddened and heartbroken by the attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, UK, in which an assailant drove into and stabbed congregants gathered for Yom Kippur - the holiest day of the Jewish year.
Jews around the world are feeling increasingly unsafe as antisemitism, hate, and violence become normalized. For those less familiar with these growing incidents – it is events like this that make too many in the Jewish community question our safety when we simply seek to pray, mourn, or celebrate as a community.
Antisemitic hate – if left unchallenged by community leaders and partners - leads to real-world violence. From Tree of Life to the Capital Jewish Museum, from Boulder to the incident here in Clayton, Missouri - and now Manchester – this violence threatens not only Jews, but all communities and the very fabric of our society.
Much like the recent victims of the tragic shootings at the Latter Day Saints Church in Michigan and those gathered at the Annunciation School in Minnesota - no one should be afraid to attend their house of worship.
There is no reason that justifies this – whether the violence happens at a place of worship, a public gathering, or someone’s home. And we need this stated loudly and clearly by all good people of conscience – with no equivocation.
We honor those in Manchester who lost their lives in attempts to protect others – and realize that some were tragically shot by police on the scene.
For this reason we thank all those in our own security networks who work every day to protect us and to react swiftly and tactically when called upon.
Today, just hours after our most reflective time of the year – and as the needed peace of Shabbat awaits us - we mourn the victims and their families and wish Refuah Shlema (a prayer for physical and spiritual healing) to the injured and our entire community.
