Owings Mills JCC To Help Community Process Pittsburgh Shooting

OWINGS MILLS, MD — The Jewish Community Center is offering an opportunity for people in Baltimore City and Baltimore County to process the Pittsburgh shootings. The center is hosting sessions for adults on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at its Park Heights and Owings Mills locations.

A gunman killed 11 people and injured several others at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh at 9:50 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27.

Authorities said the gunman spouted anti-Semitic remarks, then launched into a 20-minute killing spree inside the building where congregation members had gathered for services.

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The Jewish Community Center will host "Pittsburgh Tragedy: How To Process Your Grief," a session where people can talk about anxiety, sadness, anti-Semitism and hatred from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at both the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC Morstein Performa, 506 Gwynnbrook Ave., and the Weinberg Park Heights JCC Strauss Auditorium, 700 Park Heights Ave.

A session called "Pittsburgh Tragedy: How To Talk To Your Child" will address how to talk to children about what happened. These sessions will be held from 8:30-9:30 a.m. at Weinberg Park Heights JCC Straus Auditorium, 700 Park Heights Ave., Baltimore; and from 7-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the JCC Morstein Performa, 506 Gwynnbrook Ave., Owings Mills.

Those who need disability assistance should call 410-466-9200 or info@jcsbaltimore.org.

The sessions come after two demonstrations of unity were held in Park Heights and downtown Baltimore over the weekend.

There was a memorial gathering at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation at 7401 Park Heights Avenue at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28. It was intended to show that "we will not be intimidated, we encourage Jews to pray, study and gather in their synagogues and other Jewish communal settings," organizers said.

Hundreds were in attendance at the event in Park Heights, including U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, according to WBAL.

In addition, there was a rally against hate at the Holocaust Memorial at 699 Washington Place, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28.

The Baltimore Jewish Council issued this statement on the Pittsburgh massacre on Saturday, Oct. 27:

The Baltimore Jewish Council and The Associated are horrified by the shooting that occurred earlier today in the midst of Shabbat services at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. This attack on a Jewish community during prayer -motivated by anti-Semitism - is among our greatest fears. We extend our deepest sympathies to the all of the families affected by today's violence, including those attending services at the Tree of Life Synagogue and the heroic members of law enforcement who responded so quickly. In the hours after the shooting, we have heard from many of our elected officials and partner law enforcement agencies, reassuring us that our communities and our places of worship are receiving extra vigilance and attention. We thank them for all that they do every day to help protect our neighborhoods and Jewish institutions...

Image from the Baltimore Holocaust Memorial demonstration on Oct. 28 via WBAL/YouTube.