Utah’s Jewish community mourns after synagogue shooting
Apr 29, 2019, 2:28 PM
A woman leaves flowers on a growing memorial across the street from the Chabad of Poway synagogue in Poway, Calif., on Monday, April 29, 2019. A gunman opened fire on Saturday, April 27 as dozens of people were worshiping exactly six months after a mass shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue. (AP Photo/Greg Bull)
(AP Photo/Greg Bull)
SALT LAKE CITY — Members of Utah’s Jewish community are mourning with their California counterparts, after a shooting at a synagogue near San Diego that killed one person and wounded three others.
The United Jewish Federation of Utah has condemned the attack and pledged to support the California synagogue any way they can.
Rabbi Benny Zippel, founder and executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of Utah, encouraged people of all faiths to reach out with love.
“When things like this one happen, it becomes that much more important for us all to reach out, even more than we did before, to our fellow person, and let them know how much we love them and how much we care about them,” he said.
That the shooting occurred on the last day of Passover was also deeply troubling, Zippel said.
“It’s sad when the holiday ends where you have tragedies, such as this one,” he said. “It makes it that much more impactful and sad.”
Chabad Lubavitch plans to light Sabbath candles on Friday in honor of the woman who died in the shooting.
