CJP, JCRC, and Greater Boston’s Jewish community are filled with grief for the victims of a brazen attack on a synagogue in Halle, Germany. Timed to occur during Yom Kippur, one of the holiest and most solemn days on the Jewish calendar, the attack came as dozens of worshippers were inside the synagogue. More lives would have been lost if not for the secured doors of the building.

We join with the global Jewish community and the people of Germany in condemning the attack and in offering prayers for the victims and their families.

The aim of the attacker was made clear by statements leading up to and during the shooting and echoed the words used by terrorists and extremists who attacked synagogues and houses of worship from Poway to Pittsburgh to Christchurch.  Antisemitism and the ideology of hatred in its many forms are antithetical to our faith and an affront to humanity. We share with Jews and other minority groups around the world deep concerns over rising antisemitism, xenophobia, and racism in Germany, throughout Europe, and around the world.

For the victims, we will mourn. For the living, we will continue to fight for a better, more just world.

We pray for the recovery of the injured and hope that the families of those we lost find comfort in their sadness.