Response to mass shooting at California synagogue emphasizes shared humanity
“We are all created equal,” said the pastor of the Presbyterian church where the 19-year-old shooter is a member.
After a 19-year-old gunman killed one and injured three at a synagogue in Poway, California, on April 27, neighbors sought to repair the rupture. Two Muslims and a Sikh quickly went to the scene to offer aid. A nearby Orthodox church opened its door to the victims. Another church organized a candlelit interfaith vigil.
In the shooting at the Passover service, Lori Gilbert-Kaye died shielding Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein from further harm. He was struck in his hand and lost a finger. Gilbert-Kaye, who was 60, was a founding member of the congregation, he said in a video circulated by news outlets.
“We are all created in God’s image; we’re all partners in creation,” Goldstein said of the community response. “No matter what faith or religion you’re from, we all have to make this world a better place.”
