San Antonians of all faiths stand in solidarity to honor victims of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting

Memorial held at Temple Beth-El on Tuesday evening

SAN ANTONIO – A crowd of more than 1,000 people stood in solidarity with the Jewish community Tuesday in San Antonio to honor the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

People of all faiths met for the memorial gathering at Temple Beth-El. 

Len and Fran King attended the memorial, saying they were very moved by the events that took place.

“It’s our community that’s at stake — our people, our religion,” Len King said.

It was standing room only inside the sanctuary and the overflow room. Community leaders, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and law enforcement heads were in attendance.

Bob Hulob drove from across town to be at the memorial. He said every religions group is being persecuted, and it’s time for all of them to unite. He’s Catholic but says there should be no division among the community.

“There’s that small percentage of nuts and they overshadow everything, and I think it’s important to show that the vast majority of people are good folks,” he said.

Cecilia De La Garza, a Christian, said it’s important to show that God made everyone equal.

“It’s a place of worship. Why should we have to worry about our security?” she said.

Ronit Sherwin, CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio, said agencies across the nation have been taking measures to secure their facilities and people since before the shooting happened over the weekend.

“I have confidence all agencies have solid security plans prior to this event,” she said.

Nirenberg urged people to rise above hatred and reject the message of division that’s currently overtaking the nation.

“We live in a shattered society. Our world is imperfect. All of us have an opportunity to heal the wounds of hate with the salve of compassion,” he said.


About the Author:

Patty Santos joined the KSAT 12 News team in July 2017. She has a proven track record of reporting on hard-hitting news that affects the community.