When a hate-filled gunman burst into Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Or L’Simcha Congregation on Shabbat morning, murdering 11 worshipers and terrorizing an entire community, he probably did not think that his vile actions would lead to an outpouring of love and unity.
But that’s exactly what is happening. In the aftermath of the attack, AJC has launched the #ShowUpForShabbat campaign, calling on both Jews and non-Jews to fill synagogues this coming weekend. Within minutes of the initiative’s online launch, hundreds of individuals and organizations throughout the country and around the world had already committed to participate in the campaign and attend Shabbat services this weekend in solidarity with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh. The numbers continue to grow with each passing minute.
Please join AJC and all the individuals who have already pledged to #ShowUpForShabbat. Go to AJC.org/solidarity, add your name in support of this effort – even if you are unable to attend – and then share this message with your family and friends. If you are able to attend services, please tweet and post on Facebook about your Shabbat plans using the hashtag #ShowUpForShabbat. You can share our posts directly from Facebook and Twitter.
Representatives from AJC’s 22 offices across the United States are reaching out to clergy, diplomats, local government officials, and other civic leaders to encourage them to participate in the #ShowUpForShabbat campaign, while the organization’s 11 international offices are working with partners in over 35 Jewish communities around the globe to launch similar initiatives locally.
Other local, national, and international Jewish organizations are being asked to encourage their members to participate in the campaign. Synagogues are being called on to welcome the anticipated influx of attendees at their Shabbat services with explanatory programming and rabbis are being asked to dedicate their sermons to discussing the initiative.
As AJC CEO David Harris declared in the hours after yesterday’s tragedy, “The community of conscience must stand as one, whether in the face of the hate-motivated attack against a black church in Charleston, which took nine lives, or a synagogue in Pittsburgh, which took eleven lives. We are determined to ensure that love triumphs over hate, good over evil, unity over division. That’s our America.”
Join him, AJC, and Jews around the world in an unprecedented demonstration of unity this Shabbat.
Sincerely,
Dan Elbaum
AJC Chief Advocacy Officer