People pray at a makeshift memorial near the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Oct. 31, 2018. Photo: Reuters / Cathal McNaughton.

Jewish groups in the United States and around the world commemorated on Tuesday the second anniversary of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, in which 11 Jewish worshippers were murdered by a white supremacist gunman.

The mass shooting took place on October 27, 2018, at the Tree of Life – Or L’Simcha Congregation in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The congregation, along with New Light Congregation and Congregation Dor Hadash, which also worshipped in the building, was attacked during Shabbat morning services. The shooter killed 11 people and wounded six. It was the deadliest attack on a Jewish community in the United States.

Those killed were:

  • Joyce Fienberg, 75
  • Richard Gottfried, 65
  • Rose Mallinger, 97
  • Jerry Rabinowitz, 66
  • Cecil, 59 & David Rosenthal, 54
  • Bernice, 84 & Sylvan Simon, 86
  • Daniel Stein, 71
  • Melvin Wax, 88
  • Irving Younger, 69

Robert Gregory Bowers, 46 years old, was arrested at the scene and charged as the suspect with 63 federal crimes, some of which are capital crimes. He has pleaded not guilty. He separately faces 36 charges in Pennsylvania state court.

Bowers had earlier posted antisemitic comments against HIAS (formerly, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) on the online social network Gab. Dor Hadash had participated in HIAS’s National Refugee Shabbat the previous week. Referring to Central American migrant caravans and immigrants, Bowers posted on Gab that “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) tweeted:

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) tweeted:

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) tweeted:

B’nai B’rith International tweeted:

The Tree Of Life – Or L’Simcha Congregation, where the massacre occurred, tweeted:

Source:http://www.algemeiner.com/category/news/feed/