We are horrified and angry that once again a terrorist has violated sacred space, this time killing one worshipper and injuring three on the last day of Passover, at Chabad of Poway. This disgusting attack comes on the heels of other violent attacks against houses of worship — mosques, churches, and synagogues — in the United States and around the world.
Today’s attacker, like the one who murdered 11 Jews in Pittsburgh earlier this year, appears to have been motivated by white nationalist and anti-Semitic beliefs.
This attack, on the last day of Passover, reminds us that our liberation remains incomplete, and that indeed our liberation will not be complete until we wipe out the scourge of those who “in every generation rise up to destroy us.” Today, this means partnering with other communities to eradicate the white nationalism that leads to hate crimes against minorities, and to pass comprehensive gun reform legislation that keeps dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who will use them for evil.
The journey out of Mitzrayim — the narrow place — is not an easy one. We face violent opposition from those who believe in the narrowest vision of America, as a place open only to white Christians. As we journey through the period of the Omer, the countdown to the moment of divine revelation, we recommit to working with other communities to achieve a safe and just world for all of us. Until then, we pray, “May there be peace within your walls, security within your gates.” (Psalms 122:7)
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights mobilizes a network of 2,000 rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism that, together with the Jewish community, act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.
