An Open Letter to Wasi MOHAMED,
Executive Director of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh
Dear Mr. Mohamed,
Fred (“Mister”) Rogers, a former resident of Pittsburgh, often told a personal story about learning how to cope when tragedy strikes. He said, “My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.”
At this time, so soon after the brutal and tragic shooting at a house of worship, and the deaths of eleven people engaged in the service of God, we are in a period of communal and national mourning. At this time of our grief, we are eternally grateful to the Islamic community of Pittsburgh, as well as the wider Islamic community, for the outpouring of moral and financial support for our brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh as well as the wider Jewish community.
Too often, at times of tragedy, we hurry to blame from a place of hurt and anger, and fail to see the helpers in our world. Therefore, we explicitly and publicly acknowledge your leadership and your community's role as true helpers. Your caring and love for us has been deeply comforting, and give us hope that together, we can continue to work to foster closer ties and find a way to heal the many rifts in our world that divide us and turn us against each other.
In gratitude,
Rabbi Jehoschua Ahrens, Darmstadt, Germany
Rabbi Yitzhak Ajzner, Ra'anana, Israel
Rabbi David Almog, Riverdale, New York
Rabbi Dr. Elisha Ancselovitz, Maale Gilboa, Israel
Rabbi Dr. David S. Bauman, Skokie, Illinois
Rabbi David Bigman, Ma’aleh Gilboa, Israel
Rabbi Michael Chernick, Teaneck, New Jersey
Rabbi Max Davis, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Rabbi Barry Dolinger, Providence, Rhode Island
Rabbi Menashe East, Randolph, New Jersey
Rabbi Sam Englender, West Hartford, Connecticut
Rabbanit Devorah Evron, Mitzpe Netofa, Israel
Rabbi Dr. Zev Farber, Zikhron Yaakov, Israel
Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Michael Feuer, Ma’aleh Adumim, Israel
Rabbi Amitai Fraiman, Riverdale, New York
Rabbi Avidan Freedman, Efrat, Israel
Rabbi Eitan Gavson, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Ralph Genende, Melbourne, Australia
Rabbi Daniel Geretz, West Orange, New Jersey
Rabbi Steve Golden, Cedarhurst, New York
Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, Los Angeles, California
Rabbi Steven Greenberg, Boston, Massachusetts
Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, Riverdale, New York
Rabbi Ben Greenfield, St. Louis, Missouri
Rabbi Tyson Herberger, Oslo, Norway
Rabbi Avram Herzog, Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Rabbi Brad Hirschfeld, Riverdale, New York
Rabbanit Bracha Jaffe, Baltimore, Maryland
Rabbi David Jaffe, Sharon, Massachusetts
Rabbi David Kalb, New York, New York
Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky, Los Angeles, California
Rabbi Ysoscher Katz, New York, New York
Rabbanit Rachel Keren, Ein Hanatziv, Israel
Rabbi Frederick Klein, Miami, Florida
Rabbi Yaakov Komisar, Sharon, Massachusetts
Rabbi Tzvi Koren, Ra'anana, Israel
Rabbi Binyamin Krauss, Riverdale, New York
Rabbi Daniel Landes, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Samuel Lebens, Haifa, Israel
Rabbi Hayim Leiter, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Aaron Levy, Toronto, Ontario
Rabbi Dr. Martin Lockshin, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Yehoshua Looks, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Asher Lopatin, Huntington Park, Michigan
Chief Rabbi Jair Melchior, Copenhagen, Denmark
Rabbi Ben Mernick, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Avram Mlotek, New York, New York
Rabbi Dina Najman, Riverdale, New York
Rabbi Micha Odenheimer, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Devora Renert, Jerusalem Israel
Rabbi Dr. David Rosen, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Dr. Isaac Sassoon, New York, New York
Rabbi Shalom Schlagman, MD, Rochester, New York
Rabbi Gabriel Kretzmer-Seed, Bronx, New York
Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, Los Angeles, California
Rabbi Ami Silver, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Daniel Silverstein, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Pesach David Stadlin, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Michael Stein, New York, New York
Rabbi Zach Truboff, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Devin Maimon Villarreal, Los Angeles, California
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, Phoenix, Arizona
Rabbi Dr. Alan Yuter, Jerusalem, Israel
Fred (“Mister”) Rogers, a former resident of Pittsburgh, often told a personal story about learning how to cope when tragedy strikes. He said, “My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.”
At this time, so soon after the brutal and tragic shooting at a house of worship, and the deaths of eleven people engaged in the service of God, we are in a period of communal and national mourning. At this time of our grief, we are eternally grateful to the Islamic community of Pittsburgh, as well as the wider Islamic community, for the outpouring of moral and financial support for our brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh as well as the wider Jewish community.
Too often, at times of tragedy, we hurry to blame from a place of hurt and anger, and fail to see the helpers in our world. Therefore, we explicitly and publicly acknowledge your leadership and your community's role as true helpers. Your caring and love for us has been deeply comforting, and give us hope that together, we can continue to work to foster closer ties and find a way to heal the many rifts in our world that divide us and turn us against each other.
In gratitude,
Rabbi Jehoschua Ahrens, Darmstadt, Germany
Rabbi Yitzhak Ajzner, Ra'anana, Israel
Rabbi David Almog, Riverdale, New York
Rabbi Dr. Elisha Ancselovitz, Maale Gilboa, Israel
Rabbi Dr. David S. Bauman, Skokie, Illinois
Rabbi David Bigman, Ma’aleh Gilboa, Israel
Rabbi Michael Chernick, Teaneck, New Jersey
Rabbi Max Davis, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Rabbi Barry Dolinger, Providence, Rhode Island
Rabbi Menashe East, Randolph, New Jersey
Rabbi Sam Englender, West Hartford, Connecticut
Rabbanit Devorah Evron, Mitzpe Netofa, Israel
Rabbi Dr. Zev Farber, Zikhron Yaakov, Israel
Rabbi Dr. Reb Mimi Feigelson, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Michael Feuer, Ma’aleh Adumim, Israel
Rabbi Amitai Fraiman, Riverdale, New York
Rabbi Avidan Freedman, Efrat, Israel
Rabbi Eitan Gavson, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Ralph Genende, Melbourne, Australia
Rabbi Daniel Geretz, West Orange, New Jersey
Rabbi Steve Golden, Cedarhurst, New York
Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, Los Angeles, California
Rabbi Steven Greenberg, Boston, Massachusetts
Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, Riverdale, New York
Rabbi Ben Greenfield, St. Louis, Missouri
Rabbi Tyson Herberger, Oslo, Norway
Rabbi Avram Herzog, Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Rabbi Brad Hirschfeld, Riverdale, New York
Rabbanit Bracha Jaffe, Baltimore, Maryland
Rabbi David Jaffe, Sharon, Massachusetts
Rabbi David Kalb, New York, New York
Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky, Los Angeles, California
Rabbi Ysoscher Katz, New York, New York
Rabbanit Rachel Keren, Ein Hanatziv, Israel
Rabbi Frederick Klein, Miami, Florida
Rabbi Yaakov Komisar, Sharon, Massachusetts
Rabbi Tzvi Koren, Ra'anana, Israel
Rabbi Binyamin Krauss, Riverdale, New York
Rabbi Daniel Landes, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Samuel Lebens, Haifa, Israel
Rabbi Hayim Leiter, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Aaron Levy, Toronto, Ontario
Rabbi Dr. Martin Lockshin, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Yehoshua Looks, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Asher Lopatin, Huntington Park, Michigan
Chief Rabbi Jair Melchior, Copenhagen, Denmark
Rabbi Ben Mernick, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Avram Mlotek, New York, New York
Rabbi Dina Najman, Riverdale, New York
Rabbi Micha Odenheimer, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Devora Renert, Jerusalem Israel
Rabbi Dr. David Rosen, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Dr. Isaac Sassoon, New York, New York
Rabbi Shalom Schlagman, MD, Rochester, New York
Rabbi Gabriel Kretzmer-Seed, Bronx, New York
Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller, Los Angeles, California
Rabbi Ami Silver, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Daniel Silverstein, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Pesach David Stadlin, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Michael Stein, New York, New York
Rabbi Zach Truboff, Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Devin Maimon Villarreal, Los Angeles, California
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, Phoenix, Arizona
Rabbi Dr. Alan Yuter, Jerusalem, Israel