The Jewish community in Metro Detroit is coming together in grief following a shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia.
Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov said, “It’s devastating and the whole community, the Jewish community, our hearts and minds are with them. These are brothers of ours.”
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He added, “I know some of them and this is very personal.”
Rabbi Shemtov and his wife, Itty, woke up to the news of the shooting, which took place at a Jewish holiday event similar to those held in Detroit.
Itty Shemtov, director of education at the Shul, recalled, “I started getting texts from my friends and I’m like ‘wait what did I miss?’ and of course I looked it up and this is an event just like this one.”
The news arrived on the same day Detroit was preparing for its own Hanukkah celebration, Menorah in the D.
Rabbi Shemtov said, “We don’t take this lightly, but we have to be strong and we have to move forward.”
Both Rabbi Shemtov and Itty Shemtov expressed concern over the frequency of such tragedies in the world today.
Itty Shemtov said, “Evil has got to go and the best way for that to happen is by illuminating more.”
The couple emphasized that healing begins with the community coming together and supporting one another.
Rabbi Shemtov concluded, “Light will prevail over darkness both in our personal lives and on a communal level.”