NEW YORK — Today, T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights organization that represents over 2,000 rabbis and cantors and their communities in North America, released the following statement in response to the shooting that left at least eight people dead, including six Asian women. Among the dead are Delaina Ashley Yuan, 33; Paul Andre Michels, 54; Xiaojie Yan, 49; and Daoyou Feng, 44.
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, executive director of T’ruah, released the following statement:
“We are horrified and saddened by the murders in Georgia. Rabbis and cantors stand in solidarity with Asian and Asian American Pacific Islander communities, including with Asian Jews in our own communities, and among our rabbinic membership.
“America has a long history of anti-Asian prejudice dating back to the very first anti-immigrant laws of the nineteenth century. In the past year and a half, anti-Asian hate crimes have increased as a result of political leaders spreading anti-Asian hate in relation to COVID-19. The killings in Georgia lay bare the consequences of the toxic mix of white supremacy, hate, misogyny, and easy access to guns. Moreover, following the shootings, local authorities have failed to acknowledge this toxic mix, instead seeking other excuses to explain this murder.
“We won’t stop with words. Today, we mourn the lives lost as a result of this brutal attack. We also pledge to keep fighting alongside other marginalized communities to stop the hate, xenophobia, white supremacy and misogyny that endanger us all, and to work toward a multi-ethnic democracy that will keep us all safe.
About T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights mobilizes a network of more than 2,000 rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism that, together with the Jewish community, act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.