Tag: Tree of Life Synagogue

JCRC/AJC Response to Shooting at Chabad of Poway

April 29, 2019 |

April 29 – JCRC/AJC is horrified by the act of terror that took place at Chabad of Poway over the weekend. We mourn for Lori Gilbert-Kaye, the casualty of the shooting, and we pray for the wounded. The horror of another synagogue being targeted on Shabbat, on the last day of Passover, and on the six-month anniversary of the Tree of Life massacre, reminds us of the hatred and violence being directed at the Jewish community, as well as other communities of faith.

We want to commend the bravery of those at Chabad who valiantly fought the attacker, saving countless lives in the process.

As always, we have been working closely with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit in response to this tragedy. Click here to read the communication that Federation disseminated yesterday. Our message is clear: we stand in solidarity as a Jewish community, we are taking all precautions to secure our local institutions, and we will not be deterred by this surge in hate.

JCRC/AJC has worked with the media to communicate these messages and to provide clarity regarding our community’s response. Executive Director David Kurzmann conducted interviews on Saturday evening with WDIV-TV and WWJ-AM. He also was interviewed live this morning on “The Frank Beckmann Show” on WJR-AM. Please stay tuned to our Facebook page for updates on additional community responses.

May the memory of Lori Gilbert-Kaye be for a blessing and may those injured experience a speedy and complete recovery.

Update: Community Solidarity Events in Honor of Pittsburgh

October 28, 2018 |

October 28, 2018 – As a follow up to our email this afternoon, we are writing to share an update about community solidarity gatherings taking place this week.

A list of vigils confirmed to take place throughout the community can be found below.

Monday, October 29

6 p.m.: Community-Wide Vigil in Capitol Park – JCRC/AJC is one of the numerous co-sponsors.

6:30 p.m.: Teen Vigil at Temple Israel

Tuesday, October 30

6:30 p.m.: Interfaith Vigil at Temple Beth El

7:30 p.m.: Interfaith Vigil at Congregation Beth Shalom (hosted with Temple Emanu-El)

Friday, November 2 and Saturday, November 3

Solidarity Shabbat Service at Congregations throughout the community

The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit has set up a web page for information about solidarity events. We encourage you to check this page for updates: http://jewishdetroit.org/news/stronger-than-hate/

We Mourn the Victims in Pittsburgh and Stand in Solidarity

October 28, 2018 |

October 28, 2018 – JCRC/AJC mourns the 11 Jews murdered at Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh yesterday. We pray for those wounded, including the police officers who were injured in the line of duty. The horror of a synagogue being targeted on Shabbat, on the morning of a bris, is the worst nightmares of our community come to fruition. We are shaken to our core. This hate crime not only inflicts immense pain on those who were attacked, but also terrorizes the entire Jewish community. We are strong and resilient. We will not cower in the face of such evil.

We are grateful for the many expressions of support and sympathy from the diverse communities of metropolitan Detroit. Community leaders and individuals have raised their voices publicly and privately to let us know that we do not stand alone in our pain and grief. These expressions of solidarity strengthen us in this dark time.

As the tragedy unfolded yesterday, JCRC/AJC’s first focus was to fulfill our role as the media spokesperson for the Jewish community. We worked closely with local news outlets to make sure that the voice of the local Jewish community was represented in their stories. Some of our published and recorded comments can be found at the bottom of this e-mail.

We commend the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit for their eloquent community message, which can be read here, and thank them for their partnership with JCRC/AJC as we work together to respond to this tragedy.

JCRC/AJC and our partners are working now on opportunities for the community to mourn together. We will share updates as soon as the details are available. Please follow our Facebook page for updates and when plans are confirmed, we will email you again.

We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh and communities nationwide. May those who are injured find complete healing and may the memories of those lost forever be a blessing.