Sharing lessons from the Tree of Life

Cities around the world are on the front lines of hate crime and have much to learn from each other, write Pittsburgh Mayor BILL PEDUTO and JACK ROSEN, president of the American Jewish Congress, from the 33rd International Mayors Conference in Israel

No one can prepare you to lead a city through its darkest hour. But you don’t have to do it alone. Those first few days after the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre, the advice of mayors who had led their own cities in times of great tragedy was invaluable. Parkland. Orlando. San Bernardino. None of us has all the answers, but having lived through something similar, the ability to share our experiences and learn from one another meant everything.

That is why we are bringing the experiences, lessons and unanswered questions of Pittsburgh to the world. Last week, we gathered in Israel with municipal leaders from around the globe for the 33rd International Mayors Conference hosted by the American Jewish Congress and Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mayors are often on the front lines against today’s tragedies, attacks and battles with hate. The conference provides a platform from which to share the lessons of Pittsburgh with local governments near and far, in order to prevent future violence and draw some good from Pittsburgh’s darkest day.

If you had asked a random American six months ago to guess where the next anti-Semitic attack would take place, chances are he or she would not have said Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh’s Jewish community is integral to the city’s history and identity; it wouldn’t be Pittsburgh without it. Yet on Oct. 27, Pittsburgh became the site of the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in the history of the United States.

That anti-Semitism is on the rise is not new; 2017 saw a 37 percent increase in anti-Semitic hate crime, the third increase in as many years. And this is taking place around the world. A recent poll revealed a third of Europeans believe Jews use the Holocaust to advance their own agendas. In France, anti-Semitism rose 74 percent in 2018 from 2017 — a truly alarming statistic.

But perhaps more than any other incident, this attack should represent an international wakeup call that anti-Semitism is a real threat to Jewish lives everywhere. Before Pittsburgh, antiSemitism in the U.S. felt like little more than a pale imitation of the anti-Semitism of old. After the shooting, we must remember that unchecked hate always leads to violence. Historically, anti-Semitism has always had the insidious ability to erupt seemingly out of nowhere.

That is why it is more important than ever to talk about Pittsburgh with leaders from around the world. To engage with them about antiSemitism and other forms of ethnic, racial and religious discrimination. To show them the history and resilience of the Jewish people through the lens of modern Israel. To warn mayors around the world of what we saw: That they must fight anti-Semitism in their cities on every level or more Jewish lives will be taken.

The effect the shooting had on the city of Pittsburgh also shed new light for many residents on what it means to experience hate crime. When we speak about hate crime, we speak only about the victimized group. But the vile massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue was an attack on all of Pittsburgh.

The man who murdered 11 worshipers on Oct. 27 hated Jews. He killed those people because they were Jewish. But he also hated Pittsburgh. He hated that it is a city where Jews are accepted and valued and can live without fear. It would be a disrespect to the dead and to the living to pretend as though this was anything short of an attack on our city of Pittsburgh.

Hate crime occurs all over the world. Cities must be able to support one another when hate crime strikes, so that the city governments can support and protect their people. We believe opening a conversation about the nature of hate crime and the ways in which cities can fight it is imperative for meetings such as the Mayors Conference.

The events following the shooting have also been a harsh reminder that although mayors know their cities best, national governments don’t always understand. It would be naïve to look at Pittsburgh and deny that hate crime and gun violence, especially in America, are linked. After witnessing the tragedy that befell Pittsburgh firsthand, we knew that concrete actions had to be taken to ensure that those who would harm minority communities would not be able to so easily. All mayors must be prepared to take hard stances for their cities.

Lastly, there is no replacement for building relationships, sharing experiences and having people to rely on. Mayors who have faced antiSemitism and racism in their cities, who have had to make difficult decisions on gun control, and who have had to play a role in healing their cities — they can learn from one another. Above all, the International Mayors Conference offers international mayors the chance to create relationships across continents, built on something all mayors have in common: love for their cities.

Cities can help each other to heal, but our goal must be to prevent such future tragedies altogether. The battle against hate is often waged at a local level, but we don’t need to do this alone. Hate knows no borders; neither can we when we fight it. Together we must find ways to stop this from happening again — and build the bonds to be there for each other if it does.