Central Coast Jewish community mourns after synagogue attack
For the second time in six months, members of the Central Coast’s Jewish community addressed tragedy.
On Saturday, one person was killed and three others were injured, when a man opened fire at a synagogue in Poway, California. A suspect is in custody, and law enforcement says the 19-year-old suspect’s social media shows a letter with strong anti-semitic language.
“People praying [and] going to their places of worship, and being attacked for no other reason than people being narrow-minded, anti-religious, bigoted, [and] racist, it’s tremendously sad,” said Rabbi Bruce Greenbaum with Congregation Beth Israel in Carmel. Rabbi Greenbaum is referring not just to Saturday’s shooting, but about recent attacks against people of other faiths.
Rabbi Greenbaum says his synagogue took extra safety measures after the shooting at Tree of Life congregation near Pittsburgh six months ago. He says they have been working with local law enforcement, especially during certain events.
“I have been in contact with a lot of my colleagues of different faiths on the Monterey Peninsula. And we have been discussing how we all accept that there is this concept of one infinite deity. And if there is an infinite deity or god-concept, then there has to be more than one pathway to God. And for people to condemn another person’s pathway or attacks them because they disagree with how they are reaching out to God, it’s tremendously sad. And we support each other in our attempts to find compassion and love for each other during these times of tragedy.”
It was an emotional day for Rebecca Rodick, who is a member of Temple Beth El in Salinas. She tell KION that when she saw the news of the shooting she was shocked. She cried. And then, she prayed. Rodick says that respect for other faiths grows through conversation.
“The more I talk to another person from another faith and culture, [the more] I get to learn about them. They get to learn about me. That’s what promotes understanding and peace,” Rodick said.
The attack in Poway happened on the final day of Passover – one of the most important holidays for the Jewish faith.
