On May 7, nearly a year after the attack, I stood in the courtroom as the man responsible was sentenced to life in prison. Survivors stood before the judge and spoke about what was taken from them.
After the defendant spoke, Judge Nancy Salomone addressed him directly:
“You chose to victimize people who were peacefully gathering together,” she said. “You chose to victimize these people because they were members of the Jewish community. You chose to victimize the elderly, to victimize children, to victimize people that were gathered in peace to grieve together and to heal together and to help together.”
At that moment, the Jewish community was seen. And being seen matters.
But being seen is not the same as being safe.
So let me be direct. The Jewish community needs everyone right now. Not just for your sympathy. We need collective action against hate. What does that look like?
It means speaking up when you hear antisemitism dismissed as harmless in person and online. It means pushing back when hatred is disguised as political commentary. It means gathering support for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, so that houses of worship and other non-profits can protect themselves. It means urging Congress to pass the SACRED Act, which would protect worshippers from intimidation outside houses of worship.
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