Members of Mid-Michigan’s Jewish community are reacting to news of an anti-semitic shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue Saturday that left eleven people dead.
According to a report from the Anti-Defamation League, the synagogue attack follows a historic 60 percent rise in antisemitic incidents from 2016 to 2017.
Sheldon Messing is President of Temple Beth El in Midland. He said their small congregation was shocked by the news.
“To have something like this happen in America is kind of mind-boggling. This is not Europe of the 1930’s.”
But, Messing said, said there has been an outpouring of support from the Midland community.
“We’ve received letters of condolence from other houses of worship, including from the Muslim community here in Midland.”
Messing said he’s lived in the Midland area for 46 years and can’t think of an incident of anti-semitism he’s experienced there.
Members of the Midland interfaith group are holding a vigil for victims of the shooting on Friday.