Several hundred people from across the Pittsburgh Jewish community turned out for a community wide event entitled Stronger Together.
The evening marked the end of the shiva for several of the mourners following the recent atrocity in which 11 people were killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue.
Guest speaker Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet told the audience: “Antisemitism isn’t some virus like polio that can be cured with legislative medicine. It can only be cured internally, by way of fixing ourselves.”
In what was described by one of the Tree of Life congregants as a “riveting and moving speech,” Rabbi Schochet stressed: “If there is one thing this terrible tragedy brought to the fore, not that we didn’t know it before, it is the way Jewish people are connected at the core. Like a family member, however far away, when anything happens in any one place we feel it someplace else.”
“But why does it take for Jews to be under threat in order to snap us back into some kind of reality check and acknowledge that, that which unites us is far greater than that which divides us?”
He challenged his audience, and the hundreds more who watched through a live stream that “though we may be two Jews with three opinions we must retain one heart. If he or she is Jewish enough for neo-Nazis to hate them, then they’re Jewish enough for you and me to love them.”
Rabbi Schochet thereafter led a farbrengen for the mesivta boys and members of Anash.
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I heard from friends of mine in the Kolel there that it was very inspiring. Kol Hakovod.
Yes indeed a very touching moment. The story the family Heirloom the precious siddur. A tear shed my chills were vibrant emotions flowing. A touching story a holy sidder an extraordinary story.
We had a farbrengen here in Beit Shemesh and all watched this together. So inspiring.
Thank you. We want Moshiach now!
Worth publicizing!
Achdus is the answer!
I really appreciate your posting this so I can experience it (albeit after the fact) with my community!
very worth watching, hope there were a lot of people from different sectors in the audience. Love the part when he actually held up the precious siddur, of the unbelievable story!
It was uplifting to see so many from our community together. Thank you Rabbi Shochet for the inspiration.
tears roll down my eyes watching this unity of even after such tragic circumstances . Rabbi schochet thank you immensely for your inspirational words that really gave me shivers down my spine. spoken like a true chossid and schochet!!!
We need more achdus. Like Rabbi Schochet said: if your Jewish enough for the Nazi to hate you then you’re Jewish enough for me to love you.
I sat next to 2 non Jews who came to show their support. One said to the other, I don’t understand a lot of what he’s saying but I understand a little and I’m so inspired. V’rouh kol amai ha’aretz!
What a speech. The words were very inspiring.