We remember Pittsburgh, and we recommit to the fight

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2019
Contact: Sonya E Meyerson-Knox | sonya@jvp.org | 929-290-0317
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On the anniversary of the white supremacist, antisemitic attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, we remember, we grieve, and we recommit. 

  • Joyce Feinberg
  • Richard Gottfried
  • Rose Mallinger
  • Jerry Rabinowitz
  • David Rosenthal
  • Cecil Rosenthal
  • Bernice Simon
  • Sylvan Simon
  • Daniel Stein
  • Melvin Wax
  • Irving Younger

We remember. We will work to make your memories a blessing. 

On this anniversary we are grateful to be able to rely on our community of JVP members – who do the work while also holding one another through grief and fear. We’re grateful to be part of a strong Jewish left that is rising to fight the right. And we’re grateful to join together with our partners to work to end racism, white supremacy, antisemitism, Islamophobia and the state and vigilante violence they create. This takes deep and uncompromising solidarity with one another. Together we heal, united we fight.

This past year, we have also seen the right wing – both here in the US and in Israel – attempt to distort and manipulate this tragedy. President Trump and right-wing politicians blamed the victims and called for more, and more militarized, police. Israeli leaders including then-Prime Minister Netanyahu praised Trump and blamed the tragedy on Palestinians. Congress tried to push through a bill criminalizing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement.

We are too unified and strong in our battle against racist nationalism to be fooled by attempts to divide and distract us. We won’t let them turn our tragedy into calls for more police or more attacks on Palestinian rights. 

On this anniversary, we commit to the road ahead. Join us: 

  • Rise together with fellow Jews to challenge white nationalism 
  • Shut down white nationalism 
  • Join our Hashkiveinu Community Safety collective listserv and network
    • After the murders in Pittsburgh, we realized that we had a responsibility to move beyond words. We wanted to support the collective creation of strategies for community safety that seriously address the rising threat of white nationalist violence – against Jews, Muslims, Black people and all people of color – while not relying on the very forces detaining and locking up and killing our friends, family and neighbors. 
    • Our Hashkiveinu Community Safety collective has deepened in the past year – sharing concrete resources, questions, tools and support. For the High Holidays, we had a training series with over 60 congregations and communities to prepare care and safety teams. Join our listserv and network to have access to these resources, this community of practice, and to not be alone in this holy work.

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Jewish Voice for Peace is a national, grassroots organization inspired by Jewish tradition to work for a just and lasting peace according to principles of human rights, equality, and international law for all the people of Israel and Palestine. JVP has over 500,000 online supporters, over 70 chapters, a youth wing, a Rabbinic Council, an Artist Council, an Academic Advisory Council, and an Advisory Board made up of leading U.S. intellectuals and artists.

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