This week, I struggle to find the words to adequately express my fury of thoughts. Words alone simply cannot begin to capture the magnitude of the tragedy that occurred in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Saturday. Bear with me as I try to find the right ones.
The attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue and the brutal murder of 11 innocent temple-goers was not only an attack on the congregation, but the Jewish people as a whole. It was an attack on humanity, a rejection of the value of human life and everything that 21st century America stands for. As a proud Jew and the descendant of a long line of immigrants who fled persecution in Europe, I am appalled that the safe haven my ancestors sought in America can foster such malicious animosity.
Most of the victims were Jewish elders who may have been alive to witness the atrocities of the Holocaust, the deadliest systematic killing of the Jewish people in an effort to “cleanse” the human race. These victims miraculously managed to survive a time when anti-Semitism dictated the law, only to fall to their death at the hands of the same evil. Before preparing to fire at the congregants in prayer, the Pittsburgh shooter, Robert Bowers, shouted an eerily familiar phrase, “All Jews must die,” not too far off from Hitler’s leading ideology during his rule over Nazi Germany. Even after being shot multiple times and taken under police custody, Bowers continued to defend his actions to officers, claiming that Jews were committing genocide to his people.
Anti-Semitism is still very much alive and well, if this is any indication. Not only is it alive, but it is thriving. In a post-Holocaust world, Jews still teeter on the brink of extinction if we only close our eyes for a minute. Failure to properly nip it in the bud will lead to the growth of something more permanent and fatal, to the point of no return. We can only “talk” so much about fighting hate and standing in solidarity. Direct action must be taken to prevent disasters like this from reoccurring time and again. We need to break the cycle of repetition once and for all.
Although, the fact of the matter is that there will always be people who do bad things, an unavoidable side effect to living in this world. Yet it is our job to be aware of our surroundings and notice criminal behavior and signs of danger when we see them. Bowers was reported to have obsessively posted racial slurs and hate threats to social media site Gab, where his account’s bio read, “jews are the children of satan.”
Sometimes all it takes is the detection of these signs and reporting them, in the hope that further detrimental action can be halted. Of course, there is only so much an individual can do to stop such a violent force, but we can at least try our best to limit its development in its early stages, if possible. It pains me that Gab’s moderators failed to take serious action in reporting Bowers upon viewing his hateful banter on their site — instead, hosting an open environment for Bowers’ anti-Semitism to circulate freely.
It sickens me that people still breed the desire to murder and systematically eliminate a group of humans based on their religion, race, culture or ethnicity, when we like to think that we live in a progressive society. When will we outlive the existence of such deranged hatred and complete disregard for morality — or is that even possible?
On a brighter note, the truth is that love can still be found and is more than abundant, despite the dominance of darkness at times like this. We must continue to believe in goodness and in the strength of our community. This is exemplified by the Jewish doctor Jeff Cohen, who treated Bowers at Allegheny General Hospital after he was shot, along with a team of many other Jewish medics. When speaking on how he could perform under such difficult circumstances, he responded, “my job isn’t to judge him … my job is to care for him.” If that isn’t the ultimate form of compassion and proof that love prevails, I don’t know what is.
Coffee is my lifeline, every morning, afternoon and night—and occasionally in between. Find me café hopping with my nose buried in a book and a cappuccino by my side for good company. I’ll never pass up a chance to explore this adventure-packed city and its unique, bustling yet mellow culture.
