‘IT COULD HAVE BEEN US’

Hub Jews see signs of growing anti-Semitism

Some residents of Brookline, home to a large Jewish community, say that while the attacks occurred in Pittsburgh, it could have easily been at a synagogue where they worship. Brookline police said they would ramp up “marked patrols in all places of worship in light of what happened” yesterday. “It makes it all so much real and scary, but just because it happened in Pittsburgh doesn’t mean anti-Semites aren’t in Brookline or in any other part of the country,” said Ethan Roubenoff, a Brookline native. “There’s a lot of hate towards Jews, people of color, and immigrants. I think America is right now in an unstable place and there are people who are trying to latch onto any minority groups that they can target.” Roubenoff said “that fear makes me want to go to a synagogue even more. I am a proud Jew. We need to show the anti-Semites that we are not afraid and we can demonstrate that by publicly being at synagogues.” “I go to the largest synagogue in Boston,” wrote one Twitter user. “That could have been us.” “The synagogue I go to in Boston leaves it’s doors opening during davening (prayer) when the weather permits as a sign of welcome,” wrote another user. “I fear for the future of that practice.” Ben Perlman, a Brookline resident, said some synagogues have armed security guards, but that “doesn’t mean it should be the norm. It’s just scary that we have to come to this, having armed security at places of worship.” Robert Trestan, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League’s New England office, said he heard about the shooting from Boston police while he was teaching a class. Yesterday “is the worst and deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the United States,” Trestan said. “Today is the horrific reminder of when anti-Semitism manifests itself to kill people. This is a man who was apparently motivated by a hatred of Jews to kill them. “Synagogues are safe places and people should not have to fear being attacked or killed. The more these attacks are normalized, the greater the minority groups are marginalized and that opens the door for some people to target them for violence or elimination,” Trestan added. “Who is to say it could not have happened here,” said Trestan. “There’s a strong feeling of vulnerability when suddenly you become a target of violence simply because of the religion you believe in.”