The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Chabad rabbi hosts vigil for Pittsburgh shooting victims
LITCHFIELD — The mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh happened on Oct. 27, and residents across the country are still reeling from the inexplicable event that left 11 people dead. The shooter, a loner named Robert Bowers, was arrested and is facing charges.
For Rabbi Joseph Eisenbach, leader of Chabad Lubavitch of Northwest Connecticut, there are no answers that can ease the pain of such a loss. His solution: “Celebrate the light.”
The rabbi invited residents to a memorial vigil at the Litchfield Firehouse Wednesday night, as well as clergy from area houses of worship. The vigil, he said, was his way of helping people find comfort, together.
“We’re here to celebrate the light that is in all of us,” Eisenbach said, addressing a group of about 30 people who attended. “Where does the darkness go? It’s not real. Light is real ... it fills the darkness.”
Chabad members were contacted by a church in Cornwall, asking what could be done to remember the shooting victims, Eisenbach said.
“So we decided to hold a vigil,” Eisenbach said, addding that since the shooting, strangers have approached him and offered their love and support.
“I have been blown away by the support we have received here in this community since this happened,” he said. “In the grocery store, on the street ... It’s just been amazing.”
The Rev. Deacon Amy Reichman of St. Michael’s Parish in Litchfield, the Rev. Tuesday Rupp from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Woodbury, and Sisters Joann Ianotti and Rosemarie Greco were among the guests who attended Wednesday’s vigil. Other ministers came from Litchfield, Norfolk and other surrounding towns.
“I wanted to show my support and be part this,” Reichman said.
For the vigil, the Chabad set up a long table decorated with flowers and signs, each bearing the names of one or two of the victims: Joyce Feinberg, 75, Richard Gottfried, 65, Rose Mallinger, 97, Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, brothers Cecil Rosenthal, 59, and David Rosenthal, 54, Bernice Simon, 84, and Sylvan Simon, 86, Daniel Stein, 71, Melvin Wax, 87, and Irving Younger, 69.
After prayers, Eisenbach asked guests at the vigil to read a short biography of each person and then light a candle. He also encouraged people to take a few candles with them to light when they returned to their homes. The service ended with a prayer in Hebrew.
“We live in the greatest country in the world, but‘why’ and ‘how’ are questions we cannot answer,” Eisenbach said. “Sadly, we’re limited — it’s impossible to understand how this could happen. It’s a time to reflect and remember.”
“It’s a wonderful thing that the rabbi did this,” the Rev. Rupp said, as she greeted people after the service. “I think people wanted to have something to go to, so it was a good idea. I’m happy I was able to be here.”
Congregation B’nai Israel in Southbury hosted vigils immediately following the Oct. 27 shooting, and they were well-attended by residents from surrounding communities, Rupp said.
As the service ended, the rabbi encouraged people to do a mitzvah, or a good deed, to connect with others.
He also talked about Noah, who took his family, built an ark and left civilization behind as the flood waters rose, and compared him to Abraham, who went out into the world and connected with others.
“Let’s not live in this world like Noah,” he said. “Let’s live like Abraham, making a connection.”