Last Saturday morning, while members of our congregation studied Torah together at the Havurah as they do every week, another congregation in San Diego was similarly honoring shabbat together and celebrating the end of the Passover holiday. Horrifically, a shooter entered the building and open fired at the congregation. Lori Gilbert-Kaye, who was there to say the mourner’s prayer for her mother, bravely jumped between the shooter and the rabbi and lost her life. The shooter then pointed the gun at children, injuring one girl and two men near her trying to intervene. If not for his gun jamming, more children could have died.

Once again, we must face our grief, anger, and shock that this is happening in the United States, and that Jews, Muslims and Christians are being targeted by hateful and deadly rhetoric here and around the world.

This Friday, the Havurah will hold an impromptu Shabbat (sabbath) service at the Havurah at 7 p.m. and invite people from different cultural/spiritual/religious/ paths to come join us. The service will be lay led. Please contact suzanneggreenberg@gmail.com if you want to participate with a story, song, poem, or thoughts or would like to help set up or take down. It is important at times like this that we continue to be Jewish clearly, proudly, and visibly. I hope everyone will be able to join us.

There are never words that can express the feelings that confront us when this kind of horrific violence happens. Let us remember and honor those whose lives have been lost or disrupted because of this hatred, and be especially kind and tender with each other as we continue to fight for a better world.

— Suzanne Greenberg

President of Havurat Ee Shalom