Kean University stands in solidarity with the victims of Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting
By Nicole Diefenbacher | Published by Nov. 26, 2018
On Saturday, Oct. 27, a man armed with an AR-15 style assault rifle and at least three handguns entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and opened fire while shouting anti-Semitic slurs, killing 11 congregants. Kean University President, Dawood Farahi, released a statement to all faculty and staff the following Monday, titled “Promoting Mutual Respect After the Pittsburgh Tragedy.”
The statement called the attack a “senseless and hateful crime” that has “shocked and saddened people around the world and here at Kean.”
“The deadly shooting was not just an assault on innocent members of the Jewish community who were worshipping that morning but rather an attack on the values of inclusiveness, respect and tolerance that we celebrate and nourish in our community,” the statement continued.
Dr. Farahi urged the people of Kean to “join… in committing to action in their memory — volunteer in your community; protest injustice and hate; or speak up when you hear someone say something hurtful or biased.”
“I still get nervous to this day to tell someone my faith,” said Michelle Gitlin, a Jewish student at Kean University. “Because even in this day and age, really anyone can snap on you and do the unthinkable.”
Another Jewish student said that the shooting was a wake-up call.
“It is 100 percent possible for history to repeat itself,” said Ciara Williams, president of Kean Hillel, the university’s Jewish student organization. “There was a point where I cried because my grandma goes to Friday/Saturday services regularly, so it worries me that I couldn’t protect her.”
Williams said this shooting should not stop Jewish people from practicing their faith out of fear.
“We as the Jewish community have come so far to end that fear,” continued Williams. “If anything, we shouldn’t continue to be unheard, we should sing our prayers from the rooftops and demand to be heard. Although there is always a possibility of crimes towards the community, we need to be strong in numbers and refuse to be invisible.”