Join Our Solidarity Shabbat: We Stand with Pittsburgh

SAN FRANCISCO – Last Shabbat, we witnessed the deadliest act of anti-Semitism in Jewish North American history. This Shabbat, we respond with our greatest show of solidarity.

The AJC (American Jewish Committee), The Jewish Federations of North America, and the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) are partnering nationally on this effort to come together to express our unity and strength as one people. Together we will stand alongside our brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh mourning the loss of 11 innocent members of Congregation Tree of Life.

Here in the Bay Area, the AJC and The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund and are encouraging everyone to gather at synagogues, community centers, and homes to #ShowUpForShabbat.

“We must speak out and stand up against those who target Jews. Coming to synagogue this Shabbat will send a clear, strong message that Jews are not afraid at all,” said Rabbi Serena Eisenberg, AJC’s Northern California Director. “And we also know today that Jews are not alone. In our country, in our city, elected officials as well as other faith and ethnic communities recognize that an attack on any faith is clearly an attack on all faiths.”

Since launching on Sunday, one day after the horrific attack in Pittsburgh, the campaign has taken on a life of its own. What started on AJC’s Facebook and Twitter accounts has spread far and wide, throughout the United States and across the world. The #ShowUpForShabbat hashtag has been used thousands of times on Twitter alone. The campaign has been already been endorsed by actress Mayim Bialik, Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro, Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, and thousands of rabbis, community leaders, elected officials, diplomats, and private individuals—both Jewish and non-Jewish—around the world.

“There are no words to express our grief for the families and the community of the Tree of Life synagogue. We are all mourning this unspeakable loss,” said Danny Grossman, CEO of the San Francisco-based Jewish Community Federation. “We cannot let hate win. We cannot let fear win. We cannot let anti-Semitism win. We must stand unafraid, in our places of worship and pray freely, with Pittsburgh and for Jewish people everywhere.”

The Federation has created a dedicated webpage that is updated daily with details on how to participate, including a list of congregations who have confirmed their participation.

ADL, in collaboration with OneTable, is inviting communities to create or join a #SolidarityShabbat dinner this Friday to engage in constructive dialogue with a plurality of perspectives, to address persistent anti-Semitism and hate, deep, painful divides in our communities, and to consider the role we can play in strengthening civil discourse and society.

“As we work to address the extremism and hate in our communities, it is just as important to create space to come together in community to process, to heal, and to gain strength from each other,” said Seth Brysk, ADL Regional Director. “This Shabbat we stand with our partners in solidarity with the Pittsburgh Jewish community and all those affected by the recent act of anti-Semitism and hate in our country.”

Join our Solidarity Shabbat.