CLEVELAND — It was not the message that the Jewish Federation of Cleveland had expected to write on the weekend commemorating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Like many, Jewish Federation of Cleveland Board Chair J. David Heller and President Erika B. Rudin-Luria were watching intently on Saturday as a suspect took four people hostage inside the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. The standoff lasted 12 hours before the four hostages were safely rescued. The suspect, identified as Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British citizen, was killed.
"This past weekend was largely consumed with fear and anger as we watched the news of yet another Jewish house of worship being invaded by a gunman. This time in Colleyville, Texas," Heller and Rudin-Luria wrote in a blog post on the federation's website. "We cannot thank law enforcement and the first responders enough for their heroic efforts to resolve the situation, as well as to care for the hostages and their loved ones."
The pair decided to use some of some of Dr. Martin Luther King's words to illustrate the importance of antisemitism awareness.
"First, for those who want to pretend this weekend’s attack had nothing to do with Jew hatred or antisemitism, Dr. King reminds us that 'When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You’re talking antisemitism.' The terrorist targeted this specific synagogue on a Shabbat morning, during services, for a reason and not by accident or convenience. Any suggestion to the contrary is gaslighting – plain and simple.
Second, for those who want to pretend that antisemitism is just a problem for the Jewish community, Dr. King points out that 'In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.' In other words, it is incumbent upon all of us to speak out against hatred in all forms and not just when convenient or in vogue. No community alone can rid itself of racism and xenophobia. Only together can we be stronger than hate."
Heller and Rudin-Luria closed their blog post with a powerful message: "May we work together to heal the brokenness in our world. As Dr. King taught, 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.'"
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