Community Corner

Watch Cleveland's Vigil For Victims Of Synagogue Attack

Couldn't make it to Monday's 5 p.m. vigil for the victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh? Watch the event now.

BEACHWOOD, OH — The entire Greater Cleveland community mourned the tragic loss of life in Saturday's attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Eleven people were killed, more were injured, and a city was rocked to its core. The Anti-Defamation League has said the attack may be the deadliest on the American Jewish community ever.

On Monday, Clevelanders took part in a community-wide vigil to honor the memories of those lost. Organized by the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, and featuring several prominent local faces (like Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and Beachwood Mayor Martin Horwitz), the event was held in a packed Stonehill Auditorium. Speakers affirmed their support for the families of the victims of the attack, and said they would not be cowed into submission through fear and terror.

Local clergy gathered on-stage in an act of solidarity. The group, including Mark Hollingsworth, the Episcopal bishop for Cleveland, spoke of the heartbreak of the incident at Tree of Life. "In response to these acts of evil, let us stand together, pray together, and act together to heal the world that God loves and has given us to share. Because we all belong to God, we belong to each other," he said.

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Cities around Ohio — including Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati — have said they would increase police patrols around Jewish institutions. In Northeast Ohio, police departments in Beachwood, Cleveland Heights and University Heights have said they are working with the Jewish Federation of Cleveland to ensure the protection of Jewish synagogues and schools.

Watch the vigil below. The audio is shaky at first but improves about five minutes into the stream.

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Photo caption: People pause in front of at a memorial for victims of the mass shooting that killed 11 people and wounded 6 at the Tree Of Life Synagogue on October 29, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Eleven people were killed and six more wounded in the mass shooting that police say was fueled by antisemitism. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

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