Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on March 3, 2017

Synagogue spreads message of hope in response to hate

Updated: 11:05 PM EST Mar 2, 2017

The congregation of Ohev Shalom was joined by people of many synagogues across Central Florida, as well as people who practice other faiths, to answer words of hate with songs of love and joy.

A rise in threats and vandalism at places of peace, Jewish centers and cemeteries, has given way to rising fears of antisemitism across America.

In Central Florida, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando in Maitland was targeted with bomb threats three times in January alone, and other local centers also received threats since then.

That's why Rabbi David Kay opened Ohev Shalom's doors to the public, inviting people to come together with a simple message.

"Answer closed minds with open hearts," Kay said. "The purpose of hiding behind anonymity and threatening people is to disrupt their lives and we are going on with our lives, and more than that, we are enjoying ourselves."

The rabbi said it takes people of all walks of life, standing together, to stomp out hate.

"I remain convinced that the number of people who are of goodwill and have love in their hearts outnumber the haters hundreds to one, thousands to one. We just need some of those folks to stand forward and we will be OK," he said.

WEBVTT >> FOR THE CONGREGATION OF OHEVSHALOM, WORDS OF HATE, AREANSWERED WITH SONGS OF LOVE.KAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BEINTIMIDATED.REPORTER: A RISE IN THREATS ANDVANDALISM AT PLACES OF PEACE,JEWISH CENTERS AND CEMETERIES,HAVE GIVEN WAY TO RISING FEARSOF ANTI-SEMITISM ACROSS THECOUNTRY.HERE, IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, THEJEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OFGREATER ORLANDO IN MAITLAND WASTARGETED WITH BOMBS THREATSTHREE TIMES IN JANUARY ALONE AND OTHER LOCAL CENTERS HAVERECEIVED THREATS SINCE THAT'S WHY RABBI DAVID KABROUGHT HIS CONGREGATIONTOGETHER, WITH A SIMPLE MESSAG>> ANSWER CLOSE MINDS WITH OPENHEARTS.THE PURPOSE OF HIDING BEHINDANONYMITY AND THREATENING PEOPLEIS TO DISRUPT THEIR LIVES, ANDWE ARE GOING ON WITH OUR LIVESAND MORE THAN THAT WE AREENJOYING OURSELVES.REPORTER: THE RABBI TELLS US ITT]HE RABBI TELLS US IT TAKESPEOPLE OF ALL WALKS, STANDINGTOGETHER, TO STOMP OUT HATE.>> I REMAIN CONVICED THAT THENUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OF GOODWILL AND HAVE LOVE IN THEIRHEARTS OUTNUMBER THE HATERSHUNDREDS TO ONE, THOUSANDS TOONE.WE JUST NEED SOME OF THOSE FOLKSTO STAND FORWARD, AND WE WILL BEOK.REPORTER: MANY PEOPLE FROMSYNOGOGUES ACROSS THE AREA, ANDEVEN PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENTFAITHS, TOOK PART IN THE SERVICEAND RABBI KAY TELLS US LEADERSOF SEVERAL OTHER FAITHS,CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS, OTHERRELIGIONS, AND PEOPLE WITH NOPARTICULAR FAITH, HAVE REACHED

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Synagogue spreads message of hope in response to hate - WESH Orlando

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