Tree of Life Synagogue Massacre

It's been a week since eleven people were gunned down at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.

A few friends have expressed their condolences to me. Their sentiments are directed me only because I am Jewish, not because I have family or friends who attend Tree of Life.

While I truly appreciate their words of comfort, I feel unsettled too, for two main reasons: 1) I am a lapsed Jew, and 2) I don't see this as only a tragedy for people of the Jewish faith.

I have not been to a Jewish service in a few years. I'm not sure how many. For awhile I was attending Saturday morning Shabbat services. Then I was only going on High Holy Days.

When I go to services, I sit in the back of the sanctuary. That is where I am most comfortable. The worshippers who were shot at Tree of Life we're sitting in the back. If I had been there, I likely would have been a victim.

Yes, this is a tragedy for people of the Jewish faith. Jews across the country and  around the world are in mourning, especially because this was obviously a hate crime. The *alleged* gunman *allegedly* told police that he was intending to kill Jews. So yes, that makes it personal to people who share my faith.

But this should be a tragedy for everyone. People were killed in a place of worship, a house of G-d, a haven of safety that opens it's doors and welcomes everyone. We should all mourn when any innocent person is murdered in a synagogue, a temple, a mosque, a church, etc. What happened at Tree of Life should be an international outrage. It should be personal to everyone who believes in and celebrates religious freedom and diversity.

We should all be united in grief.

librararianintx