East End Vigil Mourns Victims Of 'Heinous' Synagogue Shooting

GREENPORT, NY — As night fell on Mitchell Park in Greenport Sunday, a few dozen turned out, cloaked in mourning, for a vigil to remember the victims of a horrific synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh Saturday.

"It is sad to come together to mourn the lives of people who were killed and targeted for who they are," said Sonia Spar, co-chair of the Southold Town Anti-Bias Task Force. "We chose to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community after the heinous shooting at the Tree of Life congregation during Shabbat services."

Those attending the vigil also remembered two individuals murdered this past week in Louisville, KY "for being African-American," she said.

"Our community needs to continue speaking up against bias, hate and bigotry and be a voice to all those who feel vulnerable during this time," she said.

In Nov., 2016 the Anti-Bias Task Force launched a campaign for respect and civility, Spar said. "Two years later we have seen an increase of hate crimes in the country. We make a call to our community to help bring back respect and civility to all our interactions and to be role models to our children who are looking to us, following our behavior. Words matter — and we must tone down our current public discourse," she added.

At the event, Susan Dingle read a poem she wrote about respect and civility. Carolyn Peabody of the ABTF asked people to express why they had attended.

The group included residents of Sag Harbor and Shelter Island, in addition to Greenport and other Southold Town residents, as well as Greenport Village Trustees Mary Bess Phillips, Doug Roberts and Julia Robins.

The vigil, Spar said, was meant to call for "respect and civility in all our interactions" and to represent the community "standing together against senseless violence motivated by hate and bigotry. Together we can make a difference for our community, for all of us who make the fabric of our nation."

Local elected officials have spoken out against the violence. "Rep. Lee Zeldin, co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus and one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, issued a statement following the tragedy. "Americans stand in solidarity, deeply saddened by the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. We are all very grateful for the heroism of our law enforcement who selflessly risked their own lives to stop this evil shooter. The rising tide of anti-Semitism all around the world in recent years must be identified more widely and confronted with total focus and determination. We must respect and protect religious freedom, which is a bedrock principle and fundamental right within our great nation."

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone also spoke: "I am outraged by the mass shooting . . .This senseless violence is an affront to us all, and the extremist who committed this act toward innocent worshippers and our law enforcement should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

He added that although there was no credible threat in Suffolk County, the Suffolk County Police Department would increase patrols, especially around houses of worship in the wake of the incident.

"In the aftermath of this tragedy, this is a moment for all Americans to come together to reject violence and hatred in all forms," Bellone said. "We stand with the good people of Pennsylvania, the victims and their families during this difficult time."

Two brothers and a husband and wife were among the eight men and three women slain when a gunman opened fire inside a Pittsburgh synagogue Saturday, officials announced.

Armed with an AR-15 and three Glock handguns, the lone shooter, identified as Robert Bowers, began his rampage Saturday morning at the Tree of Life Congregation, authorities said. The massacre, likely the deadliest assault on the Jewish community in American history, rocked the diverse Squirrel Hill neighborhood and led alarmed religious leaders to express "grave concern" for the country's Jewish population.

Dr. Karl Williams, chief medical examiner of Allegheny County, identified the victims at a press conference Sunday as: Joyce Fienberg, 75, of Oakland; Richard Gottfried, 65, of Ross Township; Rose Mallinger, 97, of Squirrel Hill; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, of Edgewood Borough, Cecil Rosenthal, 59, of Squirrel Hill and his 54-year-old brother David, also of Squirrel Hill; Bernice Simon, 84, of Wilkinsburg, and her 86-year-old husband Sylvan; Daniel Stein, 71, of Squirrel Hill; Melvin Wax, 88, of Squirrel Hill; and Irving Younger, 69, of Mt. Washington.

Mourners remembered the lost on Sunday.

A GoFundMe campaign created to raise money for the congregation had surpassed $344,000 in donations as of Sunday afternoon.

Two additional congregants were also hurt in the shooting along with four police officers. One officer was shot in the hand and another was hurt by shrapnel and broken glass. One officer was released Saturday and another will be released Sunday. The other two need additional assistance, officials said, and will remain hospitalized.

Bowers, 46, exchanged gunfire with police officers as he tried to leave the synagogue, authorities said. He was hurt in the altercation and remains hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds.

Bowers is charged with 11 state counts of criminal homicide, six counts of aggravated assault and 13 counts of ethnic intimidation. He was also charged federally with obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs — a federal hate crime — and using a gun to commit murder. Bowers, who could face the death penalty, is schedueld to make an initial court appearance on Monday.

While he had no criminal past, Bowers has a long history of spewing anti-Semitic rhetoric. Citing police sources, KDKA reported that the shooter yelled "All Jews Must Die" when he walked into the building.

He told police after the massacre that Jews were committing genocide and that he wanted them all to die. In his biography on the social media network Gab — which has become increasingly popular among white nationalists — he wrote that "Jews are the children of Satan." He posted conspiracy theories, including that Jews controlled the country, and yearned for others to see what percieved as reality, according to The New York Times.

Bowers wrote: "IT's the filthy EVIL jews Bringing the Filthy EVIL Muslims into the Country! !"
In another post hours before the rampage, he railed against the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, a Jewish non-profit organization dedicated to helping refugees.

"HIAS liked to bring invaders in that kill our people," wrote Bowers. "I can't sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I'm going in."

President Donald Trump called the shooting an "evil anti-Semitic attack" and said the outcome could've been different if the synagogue had "some kind of protection" from an armed guard.

Patch photo by Sonia Spar.