Our hearts are breaking. When we woke this morning to the news of the terror attacks against Muslim worshippers in New Zealand, the first thing we thought of was the Ann Arbor Muslim Community. White supremacy, whether in Christchurch, Ann Arbor, or anywhere else in this world is a threat to us all. The murder of innocents, especially in prayer, is a terrible affront to humanity. 

As a Jewish community, we express our grief and moral outrage over this Islamophobic act of terror in New Zealand—the murder of 49 innocents in prayer.

Both the Muslim and Jewish traditions believe that whoever destroys a single life is considered to have destroyed the entire world; and whoever saves a single life is considered to have saved the entire world. (Surah 5:32, Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5)

We recognize that last night, whole worlds were lost. We hold you in our hearts, and grieve alongside you.

 

Rabbi Jared Anstandig—Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan

Rabbi Nadav Caine—Beth Israel Congregation

Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner—Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation

Rabbi Josh Whinston—Temple Beth Emeth