The Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida condemns the hateful act of violence at the Tree of Life Synagogue, and sends its heartfelt sympathies to the victims, the families and the entire Pittsburgh community.

The Federal Government has labeled this an anti-Semitic hate crime because the alleged perpetrator specifically targeted a synagogue and the Jewish community and was found to have a history of antisemitic rants.

Yesterday’s attack was the most violent act of antisemitism in our country’s history. According to the ADL, there was a 57% increase in antisemitic incidents and online harassment in 2017 – the largest increase on record and the second since the organization began tracking the data in 1979. We must ask the question, has antisemitism become normalized and accepted as free speech? And if so, what are we going to do about it?  We have to take this violent act of antisemitism as a call to action for a nation to begin standing up for each other and demand that our leaders actually lead us to create a world where all people are treated with dignity and respect.

The Holocaust Center is calling upon our community to stand up to this and all forms of hate. Let’s pull together as a strong community to teach empathy and moral leadership; and that all people deserve dignity and respect.

One thing everyone can do today is exercise your obligation to vote.

Please join us in sending our prayers to the Tree of Life family.