Five months after suffering a far-right terror attack of its own, the Jewish community in Pittsburgh is raising money to support the Muslim communities affected by the Christchurch shooting.
Jewish organisations in the Pennsylvania town, including the Tree of Life congregation that was attacked last October, are fundraising to help after 50 people were killed in the attack on two mosques in New Zealand .
Last October's shooting in Pittsburgh was the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history. Robert Bowers, the man charged with killing 11 people in the Tree of Life synagogue, has been linked to several far-right groups and extremist views.
Muslim organisations in the US raised over $200,000 (£150,000) for victims of the attack at the time and now, after the latest deadly shooting, the Pittsburgh Jewish community is responding in kind.
In a statement on Friday, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh announced the formation of a New Zealand Islamophobic Attack Emergency Relief Fund, with people able to donate online to “show New Zealand and the world how we are all stronger together.”
Meryl Ainsman, chair of the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, said: “Unfortunately we are all too familiar with the devastating effect a mass shooting has on a faith community,”
“We are filled with grief over this senseless act of hate. May those who were injured heal quickly and fully, and may the memories of the victims forever be a blessing.”
Six hours after the fund opened, more than $20,000 had been raised via hundreds of donors. By Sunday, thousands of donors were said to have given money, and traffic to the Jewish Federation’s website was so high that it crashed on a number of occasions.
Brian Schreiber, president of the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Pittsburgh, described how “the Muslim community was here for us in our time of need.
“Our responsibility is to be there right back, in their time of need, to support them so they don’t feel alone in that journey.”
Josh Sayles, director of the Community Relations Council of the Pittsburgh Federation, told Haaretz that ““In the wake of the Tree of Life shooting, the Muslim community banded together and raised over $240,000 for us.
“I hoped against hope that, four and a half months after October 27, we would never have to step up in the same way for the Muslim community or any community, anywhere, as a result of a mass shooting. But given what they did for us, we did not have to think twice.”
