Cleveland community stands united with Pittsburgh community

ALYSSA SCHMITT | STAFF REPORTER aschmitt@cjn.org | @AlyssaSchmitCJN

The shock that followed the Oct. 27 attack on the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood was felt in that city’s Jewish community as well as those across the country and around the world. That day’s horrible events also resonated with non-Jews.

That’s why nearly 800 people of various religions, races and backgrounds, including many Cleveland-area Jews, gathered to honor the 11 killed and show solidarity with Pittsburgh’s Jewish community during an Oct. 29 vigil at the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland’s Stonehill Auditorium in Beachwood.

When the auditorium reached capacity, an additional 700 people were transported to The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Beachwood to watch a live broadcast of the vigil, which was filled with sentiments from community leaders and lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. Jewish leaders from synagogues and agencies spoke out against anti-Semitism and called for unification as people stand up against hate.

Renee Chelm, vice chair of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s board of trustees, said Jewish Cleveland stands together and stands strong with Pittsburgh In the wake of the shooting. Chelm spoke in place for Federation President Stephen H. Hoffman and board of trustees’ board chair Gary L. Gross, both of whom were out of town.

“Today, only two days after the deadliest attack on a Jewish community in America’s history we stand here together, united in our shared humanity and united against any and all forms of hate,” she said. “You don’t have to be Jewish to feel the pain and the horror of peaceful worshipers being gunned down in their own sanctuary of God.”

Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish said the attack in Pittsburgh was in a neighborhood similar to Beachwood and the victims were like many in the audience. He encouraged those in attendance to speak out against hate, to report instances of hate to proper authorities and not to remain silent.

“As fellow Jews and as Americans, we feel the pain with their families,” he said. “We live in dangerous times. The hatred that has released terror in Charlottesville, Orlando and now in Pittsburgh is horrific. The murder of innocent people in their house of God on the Jewish sabbath was a tragedy that cannot be rationalized.

“We cannot stand silently by as hatred and bigotry grow daily. This weekend’s murders, fueled by hatred against Jews, should raise the alarm for every minority — every person in America. This weekend, the hate crime was aimed at Jews. Next, it could be African-Americans or Hispanics or Muslims or gays and lesbians. We must speak out against hate and bigotry.”

Beachwood is home to many Jewish agencies, like the Mandel JCC and the Federation, as well as many synagogues. As such, Beachwood Mayor Martin S. Horwitz sees safety as a crucial aspect of his responsibility to the city.

“I don’t have the ability to stop the sale of assault weapons, to stop hateful speech on the internet or to curb our leaders from using divisive language,” he said.

“But what I can do is make sure the city of Beachwood is committed to providing our residents, visitors and institutions the highest level of safety education and safety service as possible.”

Horwitz added Beachwood is home to all.

“No matter who you are, no matter your faith, no matter if your family arrived here a century ago or a month ago, you are part of the fabric of the community and you are valued,” he said.

In attendance were representatives from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security as well as police chiefs from Beachwood, Cleveland Heights, Orange, Lyndhurst, Pepper Pike and Solon.

Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood said now is a critical time for Jews to come together. Wherever injustice occurs, Jews belong “standing up to speak up against it.”

“The attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, it appears, was designed to destroy Judaism and Jewish life,” he said. “It’s critical for Jews to gather together and be sure that that attack is not successful. There will be times ahead where we truly need to speak with clarity and determination against anti-Semitism, hatred and violence against all kinds. Judaism is not indifferent to such hatred no matter who it is against so that’s why I’m here.”

Nosanchuk led the lighting of the 11 yahrzeit candles as representation from all Jewish denominations stood behind him. After the candles were lit, Rabbi Noah Leavitt of Oheb Zedek-Cedar Sinai Synagogue in Lyndhurst asked that the memories of the victims serve as an inspiration for all.

“We light these candles as a time of great darkness,” he said. “May the love that now surrounds us brings us back to the light.”

Rabbi Joshua Skoff of Park Synagogue in Pepper Pike and Cleveland Heights offered a prayer to those involved and asked for an end to anti-Semitism, hatred and gun violence.

“We are devastated, oh God. Our hearts are breaking in this time of shock and mourning,” he said. “Heal us from the spear, oh God, heal us from the pain. Let our fears give way to hope. Lead us to join together as a nation, to put an end to anti-Semitism, an end to hatred, and end to gun violence.”

Rev. Otis Moss Jr., pastor emeritus at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland, focused on the power of words when he addressed the audiences. He said words matter at times like these because they create a reality. Words can establish a person’s existence, and one must be careful how they are established in each other’s life and the world, he said.

“In the struggle, we have found common ground,” he said. “Someone has said when a word must be spoken to further a good cause and those whom it behooves to speak remain silent, anybody ought to speak and break the silence which is often fraught with evil because sometimes one word spoken at the right time can further the welfare of a nation. ... We must never forget that a temple bombing, (or) a church bombing, is a bombing of your house and my house.”

Bishop Nelson J. Perez, the leader of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, was unable to make the vigil due to his father entering hospice care in Florida, but the diocese was represented by Bishop Roger W. Gries. It was an easy decision to go to the vigil in the wake of a tragedy like this, he said, as everyone should come together to support each other.

“When something happens to anyone in any faith, we have to come together to support one another because there is only one God and we all worship the same God and we all suffer the same way,” he said. “When things like this happen, we’re all guilty, in a way, unless we love one another and we care for one another and reach out to one another. We’re all guilty in some way when things like this happen.”

Rabbi Allison Vann of Suburban Temple-Kol Ami in Beachwood thanked the non-Jewish clergy for inspirational words of support and to show the Jewish community is not alone.

“It’s a sad honor for all of us to be here this afternoon,” said Vann, who is also the president of the Greater Cleveland Board of Rabbis. “This afternoon, our Jewish clergy is all here together. ... We are all here to represent us, to support each other, to know that as one Jewish community we stand strong. We stand strong always.”

As an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh, Vann said the city played a large role in her life. It was there that she discovered what a Jewish community should be like and where she learned about diverse Jewish expression.

“It was by spending time in Squirrel Hill that I learned better how to gracefully, lovingly, joyfully live a diverse and vibrant Jewish life,” she said. “I know because of Pitt, because of the Jewish community of Pittsburgh, my love, learning and passion for Judaism led me forward on my path and I know I am not alone.”

Pepper Pike Mayor Richard Bain said the shooting didn’t just affect Squirrel Hill, it affected synagogues across the nation.

“It’s important people come out to bear witness to tragedies such as this,” said Bain, who is also co-chairman of the civil rights committee of the Anti-Defamation League. “We have to show that this affects all of our lives personally. Whether the victims are friends, families or strangers, they’re all part of the Jewish community. This affects us all and will continue to affect us all into an indefinite future. This is unfortunately a world in which we now live. These people who have always been there somehow now feel entitled to be out and about, and as a society, we need to push them back under the rock from which they crawled.”

Solon Mayor Edward H. Kraus said he feels vulnerable as the city’s first Jewish mayor but still manages issues of security for Solon’s Jewish community as well as its Muslim and minority communities.

“We think about it all the time,” he said.

“We have a police officer at the front door of Chabad (Jewish Center of Solon) and we do tactical training at the Chabad there, and we will continue to be very vigilant. ... When it happens to one synagogue, it happens to all of us. We’re all sort of in it together.”

Mayors from Mayfield Village, Orange, Shaker Heights and University Heights also were in attendance, as were U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and U.S. Reps. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights, and David Joyce, R-Russell Township.

Jody Katzner, a Solon resident, came to the vigil to show solidarity with those in Squirrel Hill. His cousin is Sam Schachner, president of the Tree of Life Congregation. The day of the shooting, messages were flying between family members until Katzner received the message, “We’re safe.”

“It’s important for us to stand up against the hate and not just represent the Jewish faith but Christians, Muslims and everybody else who just want to get along and have peace among all of us,” he said.

Beachwood resident Laurel Hoffman was in disbelief that the shooting happened. Her husband grew up in the community around Squirrel Hill and still has connections to the area. Her reason for coming out was politically charged and she called for others to make a change by voting.

“I believe that this kind of hatred needs to be stopped and the right policies aren’t in place to do that. We need to gather as a community to commit to voting those right people in,” she said. “I think I’m still in disbelief that this is happening in 2018, that the people of the Jewish faith are once again targets of those who decide that hatred is the better choice than acceptance.”