The police presence continues outside the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Image by Aiden Pink/The Forward

By Aiden Pink April 28, 2019

Jewish institutions in Pittsburgh expressed their condolences after a gunman killed one person and injured three more at a synagogue in California on Saturday – six months to the day after a similar attack in the Steel City.

“Our hearts are broken once again by the horrifying attack against a synagogue in San Diego,” the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh wrote on its Facebook page. “As a community that experienced violence, we offer our sympathy to the Jewish community there.”

Rodef Shalom Congregation’s Facebook post was simple: “Our hearts are in California as we continue to stand together against hate.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Eleven people were killed at the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Synagogue in Pittsburgh on October 27, by a gunman who allegedly shouted “all Jews must die.” It was the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in American history, and led Jewish institutions around the country to reevaluate their security protocols.

Like the Pittsburgh gunman, the suspect in the Poway attack used an AR-style assault rifle, San Diego County Sheriff William Dore said on Saturday. While authorities have not yet publicly released a motive in this case, Poway mayor Steve Vaus told CNN that he believed a hate crime had occurred, “because of statements that were made when the shooter entered.”

Aiden Pink is the deputy news editor for the Forward. You can reach him at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount