Solidarity: We are Not Alone/After The Pittsburgh Murders
Transcribed Remarks by Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann from the Standing Together Vigil in Response to the Tragic Murders in Pittsburgh, PA.
Shalom.
The first people who reached out to me to me after I heard the news of this horrific tragedy for the Jewish people were a leader in the New York City Muslim Community, Debbie Almontaser and a pastor and clergy partner on a joint synagogue/church project, Reverend Nigel Pearce. Over the next twenty-four hours, more texts, emails and calls came in from leaders of other faith. And they all said, “We have your back. We love you. We are here for you. And we will fight with you.”
Even in this terrible, awful stinging pain and mourning, let us be reminded that we are not alone. That there are other people who are here for us. Just yesterday, within six hours, the Muslim community raised $50,000 for the Pittsburgh synagogue victims’ families. And tonight, I want to thank and acknowledge the allies that are sitting among us, that have chosen to be with us tonight in our night of mourning and pain; those that have shown up for us: Thank you for being with us.
In joining with others, we also remember that we are not the only targets. Twenty-six people gunned down while praying in church in South Sutherland, Texas. Nine African-American worshippers who were ruthlessly killed in Charleston, South Carolina in an act of hate. Six people killed in a mosque in Quebec City. And we know that hate crimes happen every day to Jews, Muslims, Latinx community members…African-Americans in our city and around our country.
In Hosea, we read (the words from) the prayer when putting on tefillin — prayer garb — in the morning:
וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי לְעוֹלָם וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי בְּצֶדֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּט וּבְחֶסֶד וּבְרַחַמִים. וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי בֶּאֶמוּנָה וְיָדַעַתּ אֶת יְהוָֹה.
V’erastich Li l’olam, v’erastich li Li B’Tzedek, U’vMishpat U’vChesed U’vRachamim, V’erastich Li B’Emunah v’Yada’at et Adonai.
I betroth you to me forever; in justice, law, in lovingkindness and compassion so that you shall know the Holy One.
We know God when we know others. We come to bind ourselves to the fate of other people and therefore have them bind their fight to ours. When we let others’ pain and oppression be our own responsibility; when we let the question that was asked in our torah — of “are we our brother’s keeper” — when we can answer that question affirmatively, then we can come together to address the hatred that is at the bottom of this terror.
HaMakom Yinachem. May God comfort us. May God comfort us with the knowledge that we are not alone. And may this knowledge help us gather together across difference, in a web of tzedek umishpat, hesed v’rachamim, justice/righteousness and lawfulness; love and compassion. Until hatred is uprooted from its source and all of us, every single one of us, is truly free.
