Shocked & Shaken
Members of the Jewish community in Butler County were shocked and shaken in the wake of Saturday's mass shooting in Pittsburgh.
Police took the suspected shooter, Robert Bowers, 46, of Pittsburgh, into custody Saturday after he surrendered to officers following an assault that left 11 people dead and six wounded.
Police said Bowers entered the Tree of Life Synagogue at the intersection of Wilkins and Shady avenues in Squirrel Hill Saturday morning and opened fire while shouting anti-Semitic statements.
Four police officers were included in those wounded. The suspect was reportedly armed with three pistols and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.
In the immediate wake of the shooting — the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history — Jack Cohen, founder of the Cranberry Jewish Group, said he had heard only limited information.
“It's very very sad for our entire community, for everyone,” Cohen said. “You know, you never thought these things would come to your own backyard.”
Cohen said he has been to the Tree of Life Synagogue many times and has friends who are members there. He condemned the attack as a work of evil.
“There is nobody that has faith that would do such a heinous crime,” Cohen said.
Cohen said the Jewish community needs to support each other and ask for support from the greater community too.
“I'm sure everybody is saying prayers,” he said. “It doesn't matter what faith you are.”
Eric Levin, president of the Congregation B'nai Abraham in Butler, said he married his wife 22 years ago in the Tree of Life Synagogue.
“It's absolutely heartbreaking,” Levin said.
He said his brother and sister-in-law are still members of that congregation, adding that his brother called him before news broke of the shooting. Neither was at the synagogue at the time of the attack, Levin said, but his brother has a store nearby.“He called to tell me what was going on,” Levin said. “I could hear all the sirens in the background.”Levin said this is an emotional time for him and many who have connections to the congregation.“In the world that we live in today, I guess we shouldn't be so surprised when something like this happens,” he said. “This is just devastatingly emotional and heartbreaking.”Larry Berg, a member of Congregation B'nai Abraham, which has its synagogue on Main Street in Butler, said he has never been to the Tree of Life Synagogue but has friends who attend there. He said he spent all morning Saturday trying to reach them by phone to make sure they were OK. Berg said the attack had rattled the area's large and close-knit Jewish community.“Everybody's really shaken by this because it's really too close,” Berg said.He said he continues to pray for the victims and survivors.The shooting has also prompted reflection on the threat posed to those who practice their faith in a minority religion, he said.“There's no question that there's a great deal of anti-Semitism in this country. Periodically it erupts in violence,” Berg said. “I think most of us hold our breath hoping it's not going to happen to us.”Berg said anti-Semitism has found ways to hide in today's society, and while the country's cultural and political climate has not directly encouraged the hate of minorities, it has fostered that hatred through ignorance. He said people have forgotten the freedoms for which America stands.“Besides prayer, I think we have to think twice about what's causing this atmosphere of hate and discontent in our country,” Berg said. “We have to realize what America really is and what it means to us individually.”Berg said religious leaders all over the country will likely begin looking at new ways to keep their worshippers safe. He said shootings like this can't continue to happen when people are most vulnerable.“This is a wake-up call that maybe we need to do more than we're doing,” Berg said.Levin said the question of safety has become a top priority for every religious institution, including those in Butler County.“I think that is a question that most boards of directors for most religious institutions are going to be grappling with moving forward,” he said. “We're no different from anybody else. We're going to have to look into security measures. Even though we're a small town. We're not immune.”Levin said it is important to come together regardless of religious identity. He said shootings like Saturday's have happened at churches, mosques and now synagogues. They target places where people are unarmed and figuratively and literally raising their hands in peace and praise to their respective god.“If it was any religious institution, everybody needs to come together,” Levin said.He said the victims' families and the survivors will need support.“At this point right now, what more can you do except to be there if asked and to send good prayers and thoughts to not only the families of the victims, but the survivors who were also inside because they witnessed it,” he said. “This is going to be so hard for them.”He said people should do whatever they can for those affected in this time of need.“If there is anything our smaller community can do to support the larger community, we hope they will reach out to us, and we will be there for them,” Levin said.
