Rabbi: ‘We will not bow to hate’

A US rabbi who carried on preaching despite being wounded in a deadly shooting at a US synagogue says Jews will not be intimidated by the “senseless hate” of anti-Semitism.

Lori Kaye, 60, was killed and three people – including Noya Dahan, 8, and her uncle Almog Peretz – were wounded when a gunman burst into the synagogue in the southern Californian town of Poway on Saturday and opened fire on the final day of Passover.

Police identified the shooter as John Earnest, 19, who had posted anti-Jewish remarks online before the shooting and claimed he burnt another mosque in the area weeks earlier.

Earnest (inset) is facing one charge of murder and three of attempted murder, and will be formally indicted tomorrow.

Ahead of the funeral for Ms Kaye, the synagogue’s rabbi, Yisroel Goldstein, said: “Terror will not win. As Americans we cannot cower in the face of the senseless hate that is in anti-Semitism.”

Later, he recounted the attack, saying he was completing his sermon when he heard a loud bang.

“I turn around and I see a sight that I … indescribable. Here is a young man standing with a rifle, pointing right at me,” Rabbi Goldstein said. “And I look at him. He had sunglasses on, I couldn’t see his eyes, I couldn’t see his soul. I froze.”

Before he could reach Ms Kaye, “more shots came” and Rabbi Goldstein raised his hands – losing his right index finger to a bullet.

He saw children were still playing in the banquet hall and rushed to get them out.

“I was scared, really, really scared,” young Noya, who suffered a leg injury, said. “I didn’t see my dad. I thought he was dead.”

Rabbi Goldstein was joined in this effort by Mr Peretz, 34, whom Rabbi Goldstein said was an Israeli “war veteran”. Mr Peretz “ran into the hall, gathered more children, he got a bullet in his leg, risking himself to save the children”.

It was then the shooter’s gun jammed, creating an opening for others to jump in.

Others attempted to stop Earnest from fleeing, including US Army veteran Oscar Stewart, who tried to tackle him.

Picture: AFP Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein was shot in the hands during a deadly synagogue attack.