The following is my piece in the December 26, 2019
edition of the Philadelphia Jewish Link:
When gunshots rang out in Jersey City, New Jersey on December
10, for many people it was merely yet another deadly shooting that they read
about in the news. There was no personal connection; it was “just another
shooting.” The tragic loss of life that we hear about on what seems to be a
regular basis has left far too many people immune to the fact that this is an
epidemic that must be stopped.
However, the Jersey City shooting hit closer to home for
many of us than some of the other shootings that we read about, and I’m not
only referring to the relative geographic proximity of Jersey City to the
Greater Philadelphia area and Cherry Hill.
The Jersey City shooting claimed the lives of several
members of the city’s Orthodox Jewish population as they were gunned down in
the JC Kosher Supermarket, as well as the lives of an employee of the
supermarket and a member of the Jersey City Police Department.
The victims included 39-year-old Detective Joseph Seals, a
13-year veteran of the force and a father of five, 24-year-old Moshe Deutsch,
33-year-old Mindel Ferencz, the owner of the supermarket and a mother of three,
and 49-year-old Douglas Miguel RodrÃguez, an employee of the supermarket.
The senseless violence that cut their lives short is hard to
process and is something that will haunt their grieving families and
communities for quite some time.
Yet, the story doesn’t end there. It was some of the
troubling events that unfolded in the aftermath of the shooting that left the
greater Jewish community contemplating what transpired and wondering, what
next? Where do we go from here?
A disturbing video was circulated after the shooting in
which bystanders were seen angrily shouting anti-Semitic comments, blaming the
Jews for the shooting, and expressing a desire for the Jews to get out of
Jersey City. Watching the footage and listening to the expletive-laden
diatribes sent shivers down my spine.
In addition, a Jersey City Board of Education member was
under fire after she posted inflammatory comments on social media which
denigrated Jews and seemed to imply that there was value in the twisted message
the gunmen were trying to send to the Jewish community. While Jersey City Mayor
Steven Fulop and NJ Governor Phil Murphy both called on the Board of Education
member to resign, the fact remains that she had no qualms about posting such
incendiary anti-Semitic sentiments in the public realm.
These incidents are a stark reminder that anti-Semitism is
alive and well in our own backyard and throughout the United States. As
comfortable as we may feel in American society, we must never forget for a
moment that there are people who resent us solely because we are Jewish.
However, we can find solace in the fact that the Jewish
community is able to find light even in the darkest of times and we have the
innate ability to illuminate our lives and generate inner strength and resolve
when the world around us may seem bleak and cold.
The notion of bringing light to darkness was on full display
at the recent menorah lighting alongside the JC Kosher Supermarket in Jersey
City. A crowd gathered to light the Chanukah menorah at the very scene where
shots rang out just a few short weeks ago. People, young and old, joined
together not just to remember those who perished in the deadly attack, but also
to celebrate life.
“The first night of Chanukah at the very place of this
shooting, which created so much darkness and negativity, can bring light and
positivity,” said Rabbi Moshe Schapiro, one of the organizers of a menorah
lighting.
Although we may live in turbulent times, it is imperative
that we always keep things in perspective and never forget the power of
positivity, the power of prayer, and the power of the Yad Hashem.
May the lights of the Chanukah menorah continue to inspire
us, reinforce our faith, and light up our lives.
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