We are both saddened and horrified by the deadly attack on Tree of Life * Or L’Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh, PA. We stand against anti-semitism in all its forms, and in solidarity with the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and with Jewish communities across the U.S.

The spate of white nationalist violence targeting people of color inside safe sanctuaries has been increasingly frequent and violent in recent years. The massacres at Tree of Life synagogue, the Sikh Gurdwara in Oak Creek (Wisconsin) in 2012, the Emanuel AME Church (Charleston, SC) in 2015, and just earlier last week, the murder of two African Americans by a shooter in Louisville, KY, who attempted to go into a Black church first, are all connected; these are terrorist acts, carried out by a movement whose broader aim is to deepen divisions and take over our civic institutions.

We recommit to a vision of love and mutual understanding in this moment of tragedy, and remain undeterred in our fight for an inclusive multi-racial democracy—one that ensures the safety and dignity of all communities. We stand in solidarity with all Jews across the country, and as a racial justice organization, we lift up Jews of color in our communities, and reaffirm our commitment to advancing racial justice at the intersections of racism and anti-semitism.