Jewish Democrats Respond to Shooting at Synagogue in Pittsburgh

Statement by Jewish Democratic Council of America Executive Director Halie Soifer

WASHINGTON–The Jewish Democratic Council of America is horrified by the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, and sends our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of today’s shooting. Our hearts break for the Squirrel Hill community at this incredibly difficult time. We send our prayers to those in mourning and all those affected by this devastating hate crime and act of terror.

The targeting of innocent victims in any place of worship is utterly unconscionable, and it is clear that congregants at the Tree of Life synagogue were targeted simply because they were Jews. The Jewish Democratic Council of America condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the elevated anti-Semitic, hateful, and divisive rhetoric in our country that has emboldened anti-Semites, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and those who sympathize with these movements. Hate-filled rhetoric has no doubt contributed to the rise of anti-Semitic hate crimes nationwide, and appears to have been espoused by the gunman today in Squirrel Hill.

The Jewish Democratic Council of America is more determined than ever to not let acts of anti-Semitism and terror threaten our democracy, and to end the scourge of gun violence that has plagued our country. No religious or minority group should live in fear, and it is incumbent on President Trump to ensure a culture of tolerance in our country. We call on President Trump to immediately denounce this attack as a hate crime and condemn acts of anti-Semitism in the strongest possible terms.

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