Eight years later, to the day, since the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 2018, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, called on Americans to remember the “deadliest act of antisemitism in American history.”
“It’s been 2,922 days since the attack, but the pain still lingers in our commonwealth,” Shapiro stated. “Today, we offer prayers of comfort to those touched by this violence.”
“Let today be a moment for action, remembrance and resolve to combat antisemitism in all forms,” he wrote in a statement that also named all 11 of the victims.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who in previous years has released joint statements with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), stated that the victims were “brutally murdered in a vile, antisemitic attack.” He also named the 11 victims.
Fetterman was one of more than a dozen members of Congress to issue statements on social media about the anniversary of the attack.
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), who lost his primary, stated in his post about the anniversary that “sadly, Jewish institutions—including synagogues—must now spend $1 billion to provide the necessary security so a mass shooting like the one at Tree of Life doesn’t happen again.”
“Today, we remember the 11 innocent lives tragically stolen in the Tree of Life synagogue shooting,” stated Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a former House speaker. “We commit ourselves to confronting the rising tide of antisemitism, rejecting hatred and ensuring every American is safe to worship in peace.”
Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) were among those to decry both “antisemitism and hate in all its forms” in their statements. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) denounced hate and called for gun control.
Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), whose district includes Pittsburgh and who has accused Israel of “genocide,” stated that “eight years ago today, 11 members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community were killed in a horrific act of hate.”
“Today, we honor their lives, remember their loved ones and stand with a community forever changed by this tragedy. May their memories always be a blessing,” she stated. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their places of worship and communities. May we continue to stand together against antisemitism, xenophobia and all forms of hate.”
Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America and a Pennsylvania resident, told JNS he was “offended that certain officials are unable to condemn horrific antisemitic acts without including a condemnation of other non Jewish hateful acts in the same breath.”
