Gun debate ‘would split my shul down the middle’
A LAS Vegas rabbi has said that America’s gun issue is so divisive he would never deliver a sermon on the issue — despite some Jewish groups calling for tougher gun control.
Rabbi Malcolm Cohen, who grew up in Edgware and now works at Las Vegas’s Temple Sinai shul, revealed how some members of his own community had lost friends, while others were still waiting to hear the extent of injuries to people caught up in the horrific attack earlier this month.
“I’m not calling for anything right now,” he told the JC last week before the start of Succot.
“I’m not in favour [of] the Reform movement I represent jumping in and talking about gun law right now.
“My congregation is very mixed politically. The Reform movement do a lot of amazing work — but they should let the dust settle before jumping in on something like this.”
There would be sombre moments of reflection in this week’s Succot services, he said, but the city’s shocked residents are largely responding with “bravery and love”.
Fifty-eight people died and hundreds more were injured when gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on crowds at a music festival from the 32nd floor of his hotel room, using dozens of weapons.
Rabbi Cohen, who lives with his wife Sarah and their two children about 20 minutes away from where the incident took place, said: “I had just come into my house after building my Succah when my phone lit up with alerts about what was going on.
“I immediately phoned my parents and my wife’s parents in London to say that we were safe. Then I sent a message to my congregation to say my phone would be on all night for anyone who needed to contact me.
“There were people from my congregation who were in the area when it happened and some of our community has had friends who died or were injured.
“We have one congregant whose friend, a police officer on duty there, was killed. We’ve also got people with friends with kids in a dance team who were shot at.
Rabbi Cohen said: “I do know there are plenty of gun owners in my congregation,” but he did not know how ownership of weapons within his community matched up with others.
“I have had conversations about guns — but not from the pulpit. That’s overtly political and it would split the shul down the middle.
“I don’t own a gun and I don’t know how to shoot one either.
“While it is foreign to me, there are plenty in my shul who do use guns.”
Rabbi Cohen had decided to move to the area after receiving an advert for the job while working at West London shul.
He had been among a team of ministers there, but relished the prospect of building his own congregation at the Reform movement synagogue in Las Vegas.
“Everyone knows their own version of Vegas — British people love coming over here,” he explained.
“But there’s a lot to be said for being a clergy person in place like this. There are probably more problems compared to somewhere like north-west London.
“Things may take place that are against Jewish values but I’m not doing them, and when people fall prey to them they need people like me.
“Everyone should know that the people here are fantastic and they are responding with bravery and love to what has just taken place.”
There are plenty of gun owners in my congregation’