Blame the Jews again?

Enough is enough

REGINA BRETT

columnists@cjn.org

| @ReginaBrett

The shooting has been called the deadliest attack on Jews in the history of the United States.

The total body count at Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh: 11 dead; six wounded.

The first words that President Donald Trump said were, “If they had protection inside, the results would have been far better. If they had some kind of protection within the temple, it could have been a much better situation. They didn’t.”

Whoa. Do not blame the Jews for someone gunning them down, especially when four armed police officers were shot during the attack.

I’m tired of people blaming the Jews.

Tired of people blaming the Jews all through history.

Tired of people blaming the Jews for killing Jesus.

Tired of people blaming the Jews for the economy in nearly every nation on earth.

Tired of people blaming the Jews for not resisting more during the Holocaust when 6 million of them were murdered.

Tired of people blaming the Jews for the ir own personal bad day or bad life or bad luck.

Enough.

The attack in Pittsburgh wasn’t just a nut with an arsenal of guns. It was a nut with an arsenal of hate and guns aimed at Jews. Not just anyone. Jews.

Someone needs to say it loud and bluntly, so I will.

This wasn’t a random school shooting. This wasn’t a random shooting at a concert or a bar or a shopping mall. This was a targeted, pre-meditated attack on Jews at a synagogue on Shabbat.

The shooter posted anti-Semitic statements on social media, angry that a nonprofit Jewish organization was helping refugees settle in the United States. His last post read: “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”

When he went in the synagogue, he

In this case, it was a moot point that the attack occurred in another city and another state. This was a terror attack against Jews praying in shul. This was an attack on America’s most fundamental freedoms. The path forward was disturbingly clear. We sent bulletins to our readers Cleveland and Columbus, providing links to breaking news coverage and live video streams from the crime scene, which included as many verifiable details as we had available.

Several departments of the CJPC became involved, offering suggestions on how to cover the numerous impacts on our communities. We contacted federation and foundation leadership, rabbis and other local leaders.

We sent an updated news bulletin later Saturday as agonizing word of this attack spread across Ohio. We deployed reporters in Cleveland and Columbus and sent contributor Jane Kaufman to Squirrel Hill.

We wanted to provide our communities as complete a report as possible. So, in addition to news coverage, Regina Brett wrote a column, expressing her anger and anguish at the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history. As hours turned into days, we captured images of a community in shock and mourning. Residents in Pittsburgh and across Ohio gathered to find comfort in one another. We talked with clergy and lay leaders, Jew and non-Jew, all Americans in sorrow. We watched and reported as anger and determination led to statements and protests against anti-Semitism and other forms of hate. Overnight following the attack, the #StrongerThanHate hashtag took hold.

Tragically, through our reporting, social media and numerous local sources, we identified numerous Ohio residents directly impacted. Some in our community lost relatives. We are telling their stories to the best of our ability. As the voice of Northeast and Central Ohio’s Jewish communities, we’ve