Speaking against hatred

Local rabbi: ‘It breaks my heart, that this has become America’

Local Jewish leaders condemn shooting, urge people not to give in to hate.

Jewish community leaders in Albuquerque expressed sorrow and spoke out against hate following the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue that claimed 11 lives and injured six others on Saturday.

“It breaks my heart, that this has become America,” said Harry Rosenfeld, rabbi of Congregation Albert.

Saturday morning, Rosenfeld said he had to start a “beautiful celebration” — a bat mitzvah — by “talking about hate.”

“Even at that high moment, we still had to acknowledge the issues and the problems in our world, particularly in our society,” he said.

Rosenfeld also said President Donald Trump was “absolutely wrong” to make the issue about guns.

“This isn’t really about guns, this is about hatred and the acceptance in America that it is OK to express your hate by killing others, and by verbally abusing others,” he said. “It comes from our leadership, and it has for decades.”

Rabbi Arthur Flicker of B’nai Israel called the attacks “horrific” and “un-American.”

“America was founded among many freedoms, one of which is religious freedom,” Flicker said. “We’re not going to let terrorists, or those who hate us, stop us from being who we are. We trust that the overwhelming majority of America, particularly the people of Albuquerque, will rally with us.”

Both Rosenfeld and Flicker applauded the actions of the Albuquerque Police Department in sending officers to synagogues around the city after the shooting to give a “sense of safety” to members.

The president of Congregation Nahalat Shalom, Emet Ma’ayan, called the attacks a “targeted hate crime against Jews” and said the congregation planned a gathering for Jewish community members affected by the tragedy.

“When neighbors came knocking on my door — and we all sat around talking — we felt we needed to be together to stand up and say ‘we’re not hiding,’” he said.

After closing sabbath Saturday evening, the congregation held a ritual, saying prayers for healing and mourning the dead while blessing the community.

As for the future, Rosenfeld cautioned community members against making assumptions and generalization and letting “their own hate build” and “turning away from each other.”

“We can’t let hate win,” he said. “We can’t live our lives in fear and we can’t barricade ourselves behind our own walls because then they win.”