As a Nazarite, I condemn this act of religious terrorism by a neo-Nazi.
John
The Gab site, a social media platform, associated with a man by that name referenced the HIAS National Refugee Shabbat, an event held last weekend and billed online as “a moment for congregations, organizations, and individuals around the country to create a Shabbat experience dedicated to refugees.” The organization HIAS, with offices in Silver Spring, Md., and New York, emphasizes the “beginning of the experience of wandering in search of freedom for the Jewish people,” and the importance for Jews of deepening “our understanding of today’s global refugee crisis.”
HIAS representatives were not immediately available on Saturday afternoon.
The person identified as Robert Bowers on Gab.com posted this morning that “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”
On or around Oct. 10, the same person wrote, “Why hello there HIAS! You like to bring in hostile invaders to dwell among us?
We appreciate the list of friends you have provided,” and included a link to the website listing participants in the national event.
Jewish Family and Community Services is listed on the HIAS website as a partner of the organization. The website indicates that JFCS and three Pittsburgh congregations were participating in the group’s awareness campaign last week: Beth Shalom, Dor Hadash and Makom HaLev.
It was reported that the suspect was wounded.
Allegheny General Hospital is on lockdown. A security guard is manning the driveway to the ER. Spokesman Dan Laurent said:
“This is a standard precaution. It just means that we are a little more strict in terms of the ability to get in and out of the hospital. There is still a lot of uncertainty out there. This is not unusual when there is a shooting event like this and when patients from that event are taken to a hospital.”
Rosamond Press 
Leave a comment