Jewish American Heritage Month

PITTSBURGH -- Rabbi Jonathan Perlman took the witness stand Thursday wearing the yarmulke he had on the day a gunman burst into his Pittsburgh synagogue during Sabbath services and began shooting anyone he could find.

The skullcap Jews wear as a reminder of God's presence fell off during the Oct. 27, 2018, attack on the Tree of Life synagogue, which was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. Authorities kept it as evidence for years, and Perlman, the rabbi for one of the three congregations who shared the building, only recently got it back.

As he recalled the terrifying events of that day, Perlman, 59, also assumed his role as a teacher to explain the stitched Hebrew lettering on his yarmulke, which read, There is nothing aside from Him,

This is a God who is present to all aspects of creation," he told the federal jury.

It was one of several moments during the trial over a brutal act of violence against Jews in which survivors used the opportunity to educate the jury about their faith a show of defiance before the man who tried to destroy them and who has expressed little emotion while seated at the defense table.

Robert Bowers, a 50-year-old truck driver from the Pittsburgh suburb of Baldwin, faces 63 federal charges related to the killings of 11 worshippers, who came from all three of the congregations who used the synagogue New Light, Dor Hadash and the Tree of Life. If convicted of certain charges, which include 11 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, Bowers could face the death penalty.

Prosecutors say Bowers expressed a hatred of Jews online and at the synagogue on the day of the attack. One of his attorneys acknowledged during opening statements Tuesday that Bowers carried out the attack but tried to cast doubt on whether the hate crimes charges were applicable. His defense teams legal maneuverings have focused not so much on preventing his conviction as on preventing his execution.

Perlman, the rabbi of New Light Congregation, recounted arriving at the congregation's basement sanctuary in the synagogue shortly before worship began on that Oct 27. Member Melvin Wax led in an opening prayer in which we talk about how grateful we are to start a new day, he recalled.

Perlman then heard what he immediately recognized as gunfire coming from elsewhere in the building. I said, Were in danger, follow me.' He guided Wax and two other worshippers, Carol Black and Barry Werber, into a nearby storage room in the labyrinthine building.

He said Wax, who was 87 years old and hard of hearing, wanted to see what had happened. I said, Please dont. Stay inside.' He didn't listen to me.

As Black and Werber testified on Wednesday, Wax opened the door to look out and was shot and killed.

Perlman had left the area and was trying to find my own hiding space when he saw Tree of Life member Stephen Weiss. He called Weiss a man of extraordinary courage for coming down to the New Light area, even while the attack was underway on the main floor, to make sure New Light members in the basement knew what was happening.

Perlman eventually found a side exit, climbed over a fence into a neighboring yard and found police, informing them of where the others were hiding. With the attack still ongoing, they told me to get the hell out of here, and he went home.

Weiss told jurors Wednesday that he was one of 12 worshippers that day at the start of Tree of Life's service, which was being held in a separate chapel. He knew the head count because, as a ritual leader of the congregation, he made sure there was the required minimum a minyan of 10 adult worshippers in the room. After worshippers heard a loud crash, two them went to see what happened. Weiss went to the chapel door but stayed in the room to maintain the minyan.

He heard gunfire, saw shell casings clattering on the floor and turned back into the room, where Rabbi Jeffrey Myers was evacuating those who were able to move quickly and urging the more frail members to get down.

Weiss escaped through a door at the front of the chapel and, after going downstairs to warn New Light members, found his own way outside.

He noted that although the synagogue's door was locked on weekdays, when the office staff could buzz people in, it was routinely unlocked on the Sabbath.

We prided ourselves on having our doors open to all people, he said.

Asked by a prosecutor if his Tree of Life congregation has been able to gather a minyan as easily since the attack, Weiss said it hasn't.

We dont have the same attendance from those members who were very reliably there, he said. When asked why not, he said: Because they have been killed.

Seven people, including five police officers, were injured in the attack.

One of them, Officer Daniel Mead, testified Thursday that he had just reported to duty when he heard the call about an active shooter at the synagogue. He and his partner, Michael Smigda, rushed to the scene and, moving cautiously along the wall, Mead said he turned a corner in front of a glass entrance and was immediately met by gunfire.

When I stepped out, stuff hit the fan, he said.

I can remember plain as day, Mead said. I can hear the shot. I can see the muzzle flash. This all happened so quick.

Mead said his hand was dangling like a rag doll, so he went to a waiting ambulance for treatment. He said the bullet shattered bones throughout his hand, and that he hasn't been able to return to work as an officer.

Asked why he rushed to the synagogue that day, he said: Its what we do.

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Find more AP coverage of the synagogue shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/pittsburgh-synagogue-massacre

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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A Legacy Of Leadership And Love: Rabbi Gershon Edelsteins Enduring …

Posted By admin on June 8, 2023

Meeting Rabbi Gershon Edelstein earlier this year had a profound impact on my life. As someone who had limited exposure to gedolim, this encounter presented a unique opportunity to interact with a centenarian talmid chacham and gain valuable insights. However, the challenge lay in selecting the right questions to make the most of this brief meeting. Throughout my flight to Israel, I grappled with which inquiries would be most fitting and how I could maximize this precious occasion.

Upon arriving in Israel, a friend picked me up from the airport and brought me to Bnei Brak, where Rabbi Edelstein resided. We attended Maariv services, squeezing into a small room with approximately 35 people. Positioned near the divider separating us from the revered rav, I observed him attentively following each word in his siddur, demonstrating profound reverence, simplicity, and focus. Witnessing his prayerful demeanor offered a fresh perspective on approaching prayer, inspiring me to adopt a similar practice of following along with my finger slowly and thoughtfully. Trying this method myself, I discovered its difficulty, far exceeding my initial expectations.

After the prayer service concluded, all participants had the opportunity to receive a blessing from the rosh yeshiva by walking past him. Eagerly awaiting our turn, my son and I anticipated a more private audience where I could present the three questions I had carefully prepared.

Over the course of 36 hours, I deliberated on the questions I would ask. Although one question lacked thorough consideration and another seemed overly simplistic, the third question encapsulated a long-standing concern I had regarding leadership and the Orthodox Jewish world in general. Despite having posed this question to several distinguished rabbis in the United States, I had yet to receive a satisfactory answer that could provide the comfort and clarity I sought in navigating the complexities of the modern landscape.

However, everything changed when Rabbi Edelstein responded briefly yet insightfully to my third question. Walking out of his house, I felt a renewed sense of confidence, clarity, and tremendous inspiration. Hearing such a sincere and meaningful response from the gadol hador left me with a profound sense of chizuk, ready to return to my work in America. (The question and his answer were both too personal and too complex to share publicly.)

What is it about Rav Edelstein that has prompted hundreds of thousands of Jews worldwide to mourn his passing and experience such an immense loss? On an individual level, it is the thousands of personal encounters like mine, where he provided clarity, insight, and guidance to numerous members of the Jewish community. However, on a broader scale, his departure represents a loss of a direct connection to Hashem and the profound clarity of thought that accompanies great Talmudic scholars.

Throughout his remarkable century-long life, Rabbi Edelstein dedicated himself to the Jewish people, teaching Torah, and disseminating a wholesome message. His central tenet emphasized that a life of Torah should be one filled with nachas (joy) and love. Circulating videos showcase his unwavering belief that Torah should be an enjoyable experience for children and that in todays world, we must strive to eschew negative and aggressive tactics, instead focusing on connection, love, kindness, and inspiration to educate the next generation.

One particular video exemplifies Rabbi Edelsteins values in a truly remarkable manner. In this video, he is posed with a question concerning the predicament parents face when their 12-year-old child consistently struggles to awaken for davening. The daily battle between parents and children over waking up for davening is a relatable issue for nearly every parent. Davening with a minyan holds great significance in our avodas Hashem, both on a practical level and as an expectation within yeshivas. If a young boy fails to wake up and join the minyan, he not only misses out on an important daily opportunity to connect with Hashem, but also risks compromising his standing within his yeshiva. Moreover, our sages have delineated specific times for the recitation of Krias Shema and Shemoneh Esrei, and by oversleeping, a child would be neglecting these essential daily mitzvos. Simply put, waking up on time constitutes a fundamental and crucial component of successful Jewish living.

In this particular video, a concerned father seeks guidance from the rosh yeshiva on how to address the issue of his childs persistent tardiness in awakening for davening.

Here is his response Only in pleasant ways, without forcing them. The questioner asks, Should I nag them? To which Rav Edelstein replies, No. No nagging. Kids know whats good; they need encouragement and motivation to do good and to be interested. Forcing causes the opposite and doesnt help at all. You are not allowed to force; forced chinuch is backwards, with opposite results. Chinuch should be interesting, friendly and loving. Forcing the child will just backfire, only in a pleasant way, a child should not feel any criticism and judgment. Kids will pick up on criticism it hurts them tremendously and it causes the child to go off the derech! They should not feel criticism, its an important foundation of chinuch. A child shouldnt be criticized thats the rule of chinuch.

The educational philosophy articulated by Rav Edelstein in this particular video resonates deeply with the impression I formed during our meeting. He embodied the belief that our Torah, our sacred teachings, should be approached as Deracheha darchei noam a path of pleasantness. This philosophy embraces the idea that through embracing the pleasant and joyous aspects of Torah, one can provide meaningful leadership to a generation yearning for solace and guidance. A gadol hador of his caliber possesses the ability to instill confidence in a father grappling with the challenges posed by his consistently tardy son. Moreover, Rabbi Edelstein possessed a unique capacity to address not only individual concerns like mine, but also the myriad substantive issues that constantly crossed his desk in his role as a communal leader.

My personal sense of loss upon Rabbi Edelsteins passing reflects the collective mourning of our nation. We recognize that losing an individual with such clarity and connection to Hashem diminishes our collective existence, limiting our ability to forge similar connections in his absence. Let us all endeavor to live a Torah-infused life as he exemplified a life characterized by kindness, love, and an appreciation for the profound.

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