Bellmore-Merrick Jewish community mourns Pittsburgh victims

Rabbi Charles Klein, of the Merrick Jewish Centre, will visit Pittsburgh, along with a delegation of other rabbis, this week to comfort the bereaved and visit the wounded after this weekend's deadly Anti-Semitic mass shooting.

"We feel very deeply and personally the pain and loss of 11 of our people," Klein said on Saturday. "Our hearts are broken. The horror of what occurred in that synagogue makes all of us mourners — because we are, first and foremost, a family, and they are our brothers and sisters."

The Merrick Jewish Centre will also host an inter-congregational vigil at 7 p.m.

Rabbi Shimon Kramer, of the Chabad of Merrick, Bellmore and Wantagh, also said, in a statement, that the faithful should remember the words of Menachem Mendel Schneerson — Lubavitcher Rebbe — and in times of tragedy, "turn the darkness immediately into light, by doing extra acts of love and kindness."

"We will not be deterred by hate," Kramer said, "and we will continue to help others, and make the world a better and brighter place."

Klein added that Jewish life in America, on Oct. 27, changed forever.

"The spreading virus of anti-Semitism morphed into violence in a way we long feared it might — yet prayed it would not," he said. "Eleven Jews murdered in a synagogue is a tragedy that none of us will ever forget. However, it is the new reality that we sadly confront. What happened today has happened far too often in our history. More than yesterday, we need to stand together today and tomorrow in unwavering solidarity. Only when we are together can we overcome these forces that seek to destroy us. May God comfort and strengthen the mourners and may those wounded speedily recover."

Rabbi Dahlia Bernstein, at Congregation Beth Ohr in Bellmore, said that the Pittsburgh shooting hit particularly close to home, because a former clergy from Congregation Beth El, which became Beth Ohr in recent years, serves one of the communities housed in the building that was targeted.

"Thankfully, he and his family were unharmed," she said, on Facebook.

"I stood in services after hearing the news feeling shaken, imagining a sanctuary like ours in turmoil," Bernstein said. "How can this be happening in 2018? One might think that an event like this would make people want to disassociate, but I believe the opposite is true. It crystallizes a steadfast desire to come together, to pray ancient words that have held our people for hundreds and thousands of years."

Bernstein, and other congregants from Beth Ohr will be part of Monday night's vigil at the Merrick Jewish Centre.

Richard Bowers, 46, the alleged shooter in Pittsburgh, according to multiple reports had posted an anti-Jewish message is posted on his Gab social media account that read: “I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered,” he said. “Screw your optics, I'm going in.” That was at 9:49 a.m.

Five minutes later a 911 call was made to the Allegheny County Emergency Operations Center about an active shooter. Police were dispatched. Shots were exchanged. Bullets from Bowers AR-15 assault rifle and possibly three handguns struck 17 people, killing 11 and injuring six, including four police officers. His words after being taken into custody according to police were, “All these Jews need to die.”

Bowers, who was also shot, was charged by federal officials with 29 criminal counts, including obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs — a hate crime — and using a firearm to commit murder. He also faces state charges, including 11 counts of criminal homicide, six counts of aggravated assault and 13 counts of ethnic intimidation.

Immediately after news of the shooting broke, many took to social media, especially Twitter to react to the mass shooting. It was the 294th such incident this year in the United States. A mass shooting is defined as four or more individuals being shot or killed in the same general time and location.

Anti-Semitism appeared to be a motive for the shooting, Bowers targeted the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society for his ire. It is a nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees. The Anti-Defamation League has reported that anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. has risen by 57 percent in 2017 from 1,267 in 2016 to 1,986. The largest increase since the ADL began tracking in 1979.

Only once since 1979 has the ADL recorded more incidents: 2,066 in 1994. Since then, the incidents had mostly declined. There were small increases in 2014 and 2015. Then, in 2016, the count began to rise.

The vigil will be held tonight at 7 p.m. at the Merrick Jewish Centre, 225 Fox Blvd. in Merrick. Klein said that police would be on hand providing security.

This story will be updated.