Winnipeg’s Jewish community and supporters will band together Tuesday for a vigil to honour victims of the Pittsburgh shooting.
The ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue on Wellington Crescent. Members of Shaarey Zedek, other Jewish institutions and other members of the community are encouraged to attend.
The event was planned after Saturday’s tragedy that saw eight men and three women killed by a shooter who opened fire during services at the Tree of Life Synagogue.
Laurel Malkin, president of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, says the local community is grieving with those in Pittsburgh. She says the community needs to be vigilant.
“We’re not afraid to be Jewish, to be Canadian Jews,” she said. “You cannot live in a world of fear.”
Malkin applauded other community members from different religions for their outpouring of support and credited the Winnipeg Police Service for their strong presence.
“They are there for us whenever we need them,” Malkin said. “After the events on Saturday, they made a point by driving by synagogues, and just being more visible.”
Ian Staniloff, executive director of the Congregation Shaarey Zedek, said education is the key to help battle discrimination such as anti-Semitism.
“It starts very young,” he said. “It’s not something you’re born with, it’s something you acquire and learn. So, love and compassion is one of the great ways to go.”
Staniloff also says Premier Brian Pallister made a surprise visit to the synagogue to give his condolences early Monday.
The vigil will include prayers and candles lit for each victim in the Pittsburgh shooting.
