Rabbi Jeffrey Myers on Synagoge Standoff: This Has Certainly Shaken Not Just Me and My Community, But Jews Throughout the U.S.

BERMAN Joining me now ░░░░░░░░ Rabbi Jeffrey Myers who ░░░░░░░░ the massacre at the ░░░░░░░░ of Life Synagogue in ░░░░░░░░ in 2018 Rabbi I ░░░░░░░░ called you America s ░░░░░░░░ before And it s ░░░░░░░░ a pleasure to speak ░░░░░░░░ you But I always ░░░░░░░░ that so often it ░░░░░░░░ to be in situations ░░░░░░░░ this So your reaction ░░░░░░░░ morning MYERS Well I ░░░░░░░░ say that at least ░░░░░░░░ I m doing better ░░░░░░░░ this certainly has shaken ░░░░░░░░ just me and not ░░░░░░░░ my community but Jews ░░░░░░░░ the United States to ░░░░░░░░ core with how do ░░░░░░░░ say oh no not ░░░░░░░░ not another BERMAN Oh ░░░░░░░░ not again And to ░░░░░░░░ from the rabbi there ░░░░░░░░ Cytron Walker who said ░░░░░░░░ he said without the ░░░░░░░░ we received we would ░░░░░░░░ have been prepared to ░░░░░░░░ and flee when the ░░░░░░░░ presented itself I encourage ░░░░░░░░ Jewish congregations religious groups ░░░░░░░░ and others to participate ░░░░░░░░ active shooter and security ░░░░░░░░ I mean is that ░░░░░░░░ it has come to ░░░░░░░░ synagogues where they have ░░░░░░░░ spend a big part ░░░░░░░░ their time preparing for ░░░░░░░░ MYERS Yes I have ░░░░░░░░ the same thing And ░░░░░░░░ s because of the ░░░░░░░░ that I had that ░░░░░░░░ m alive So yes ░░░░░░░░ has come to that ░░░░░░░░ synagogues and quite frankly ░░░░░░░░ just synagogues all houses ░░░░░░░░ worship if we look ░░░░░░░░ the landscape over the ░░░░░░░░ decade or so we ░░░░░░░░ talking about the Sikh ░░░░░░░░ we re talking about ░░░░░░░░ black church in Charleston ░░░░░░░░ re talking about a ░░░░░░░░ in Sutherland Texas All ░░░░░░░░ of worship are no ░░░░░░░░ the sanctuaries that we ░░░░░░░░ hope they would be ░░░░░░░░ means all have to ░░░░░░░░ in these forms of ░░░░░░░░ to be prepared God ░░░░░░░░ they never have to ░░░░░░░░ it But if they ░░░░░░░░ they can instantly call ░░░░░░░░ what they ve learned ░░░░░░░░ respond appropriately BERMAN Rabbi ░░░░░░░░ re right to point ░░░░░░░░ that there had been ░░░░░░░░ on places of worship ░░░░░░░░ other faiths as well ░░░░░░░░ you also know that ░░░░░░░░ the centuries that Jews ░░░░░░░░ been targeted have been ░░░░░░░░ And I know that ░░░░░░░░ must have faced this ░░░░░░░░ in 2018 and I ░░░░░░░░ you must face it ░░░░░░░░ from people in your ░░░░░░░░ who ask you why ░░░░░░░░ And what do you ░░░░░░░░ them MYERS I wish ░░░░░░░░ had an easy answer ░░░░░░░░ say why us There ░░░░░░░░ an old joke that ░░░░░░░░ that if Jews didn ░░░░░░░░ exist the anti Semites ░░░░░░░░ invent us so they ░░░░░░░░ have someone to pick ░░░░░░░░ I don t have ░░░░░░░░ why us answer All ░░░░░░░░ can say is that ░░░░░░░░ m proud to be ░░░░░░░░ And the more anti ░░░░░░░░ the more Jewish that ░░░░░░░░ do because I m ░░░░░░░░ of my faith and ░░░░░░░░ it represents and what ░░░░░░░░ teaches the world And ░░░░░░░░ Semites are not going ░░░░░░░░ stop me or the ░░░░░░░░ community from continuing on ░░░░░░░░ make the world a ░░░░░░░░ place because that is ░░░░░░░░ calling and it s ░░░░░░░░ going to stop us ░░░░░░░░ It will not stop ░░░░░░░░ Rabbi what is your ░░░░░░░░ to the people in ░░░░░░░░ who went through this ░░░░░░░░ they go back to ░░░░░░░░ synagogue and place of ░░░░░░░░ How can they expect ░░░░░░░░ feel in the coming ░░░░░░░░ and weeks MYERS I ░░░░░░░░ anticipate that their feelings ░░░░░░░░ response would be no ░░░░░░░░ than the responses here ░░░░░░░░ Pittsburgh You re talking ░░░░░░░░ layers of trauma not ░░░░░░░░ the people who were ░░░░░░░░ hostages Thank God they ░░░░░░░░ all alive But the ░░░░░░░░ of those held hostage ░░░░░░░░ congregants who say and ░░░░░░░░ were on Facebook live ░░░░░░░░ congregants who were just ░░░░░░░░ But not just the ░░░░░░░░ This will impact the ░░░░░░░░ community of Colleyville and ░░░░░░░░ It impacts the Jewish ░░░░░░░░ of the entire United ░░░░░░░░ There are Jews who ░░░░░░░░ afraid to go into ░░░░░░░░ There are ones who ░░░░░░░░ think where do I ░░░░░░░░ Do I sit near ░░░░░░░░ emergency exit Where is ░░░░░░░░ a pew that might ░░░░░░░░ safe to hide behind ░░░░░░░░ can I quick get ░░░░░░░░ to So how to ░░░░░░░░ a community there is ░░░░░░░░ immediate instant formula There ░░░░░░░░ the knowledge that you ░░░░░░░░ not alone that you ░░░░░░░░ an entire world of ░░░░░░░░ decent people who are ░░░░░░░░ by this attack who ░░░░░░░░ who embrace you who ░░░░░░░░ you up and say ░░░░░░░░ will help you get ░░░░░░░░ this together just as ░░░░░░░░ did for us in ░░░░░░░░ So too Pittsburgh will ░░░░░░░░ out to Colleyville so ░░░░░░░░ we can all get ░░░░░░░░ this together BERMAN You ░░░░░░░░ not alone Rabbi Jeffrey ░░░░░░░░ you become a friend ░░░░░░░░ us Thank you for ░░░░░░░░ with us You re ░░░░░░░░ friend to the entire ░░░░░░░░ You make us all ░░░░░░░░ better even when things ░░░░░░░░ bleak So thank you ░░░░░░░░ Thank you John HUNT ░░░░░░░░ strong calming message from ░░░░░░░░ rabbi.”
BERMAN: “Lovely.”