Gathering to be held in light of attack at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh

Gather now in witness and solidarity with our Jewish neighbors

In the aftermath of the attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburg, the Milton Interfaith Clergy Association invites, indeed calls, all in our community to gather in witness and solidarity with our Jewish neighbors on Saturday, November 3 at 11:45 a.m. at Congregation Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills. This will be our local expression of the global Jewish advocacy group, AJC’s #ShowUpForShabbat campaign, calling on both Jews and non-Jews to fill synagogues this coming weekend.

We will gather at the entrance to the synagogue, located off Lodge Street in Milton, for a brief statement of purpose led by representatives from MICA and local leadership and then form a wide arc of protection and love around the front of the building. When the synagogue’s Shabbat service concludes at 12 noon we will be welcomed with songs, readings and prayers. Everyone will then be invited inside for the traditional blessings offered over wine and challah bread that conclude the service. Light refreshments will also be served.

Congregation Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills and the Milton Interfaith Clergy Association issue this invitation and call as a statement of defiance and resolve. Defiance against those who seek to sow fear in the Jewish community and resolve that the America we believe in is a country that respects and embraces diversity.

Please note backpacks or large purses will not be allowed in the building.

Ample parking is available nearby at St. Elizabeth Roman Catholic Church, 350 Reedsdale Road.

As AJC CEO David Harris declared in the hours after Saturday’s tragedy, “The community of conscience must stand as one, whether in the face of the hate-motivated attack against a black church in Charleston, which took nine lives, or a synagogue in Pittsburgh, which took eleven lives. We are determined to ensure that love triumphs over hate, good over evil, unity over division. That’s our America.”

For more information:

Please head to Congregation Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills’s website: http://www.bethshalombluehills.org/