PITTSBURGH – Leaders of The Tree of Life and The Tree of Life Congregation are offering support to the community in West Bloomfield following today’s incident at Temple Israel.

In a statement, Carole Zawatsky, CEO of The Tree of Life, offered words of hope, extending love to the West Bloomfield community:

“I am relieved by reports that everyone is physically safe after the horrific incident in West Bloomfield this afternoon. And yet the feelings of fear the incident has awakened for me and many in my own community in Pittsburgh persist. We grieve for a lost sense of security; that we live in a world where Jews have to worship under the protection of armed guards; that preschoolers must be equipped to survive an active shooting situation.

“In 2018, people of all backgrounds across the city and the country and around the world rallied to support the Pittsburgh Jewish community in its darkest hours. We must now do the same for the West Bloomfield community. This cannot undo what was lost today, but by forging connections and recognizing our shared humanity, we begin to heal the persistent societal wounds, including antisemitism, that continue to plague us all.”

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life Congregationand survivor of the 2018 Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, shared his reflections and offered a word of caution:

“The tragedy of today’s events in West Bloomfield demonstrates what happens when we let H[ate] take over: it leads to violence. We lose our humanity when we seek violent means as a solution. No one should dwell in fear because of who they are.”

Alan Hausman, president of the Tree of Life Congregation, one of the three congregations affected by the 2018 synagogue shooting, said:

“We are breathing a little easier now after hearing that everyone at Temple Israel is reported safe. However, the incident is a painful reminder of our own tragedy. We are grateful to the security team and local law enforcement for swiftly containing the situation and preventing a worst-case scenario.

“Tomorrow night, the Tree of Life congregation joins synagogues across the country for Shabbat Across America, where we’ll have the opportunity to gather and stand in solidarity with the community in Michigan.”

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