Wexner speaks at Columbus vigil

TAMI KAMIN MEYER | CONTRIBUTOR contributor@cjn.org

Leslie H. Wexner, chairman and CEO of L Brands, was among the speakers Oct. 28 at a vigil at the Schottenstein Auditorium in the Jewish Community Center of Columbus. He spoke of the randomness of the gunman’s murderous actions noting, “It could have been us and any of our congregations.”

He reminded attendees of the various acts of attempted and successful acts of violence in just the past week, namely the mailing of pipe bombs to several politicians and others, and the murder of two black shoppers at a Kroger supermarket in Kentucky after the gunman unsuccessfully attempted to infiltrate a black church to kill worshipers there.

“The foundation of leadership is morality,” said

Wexner, one of the richest people in Ohio and who recently abandoned the Republican Party to be an independent. “The question of morality is at stake. The leadership we have makes me worry.”

Despite never mentioning his name, Wexner’s comments made clear he was referring to President Donald Trump.

“There is no question in my mind the leadership of our country is flawed,” he said.

Wexner described how, in Judaism, shomrim not only guard the body of the deceased, but their souls as well.

“We must guard the soul of our country,” he said. “We have to be embarrassed and take action. Not just for ourselves, but for our country.”

Tami Kamin Meyer is a freelance writer from Bexley, Ohio.

When will all this horrific tragedies will stop. My heart is broken for all that lost a love one. May their memory be a blessing and bring peace.we need to be united instead of playing the blaming game.

— Isabel Hagerman

Please focus on the victims and not politics!

— Steven Seiler

Comments appearing in Online Chatter originate from cjn.org and Facebook.com/ ClevelandJewishNews. You can post comments to any story at any time. We will edit in print for brevity and obvious typos.