On Friday night, several members of the UIUC faculty and staff joined students and community members for a Shabbat dinner. It is a tradition that began a few years ago, and it allows us to connect with the Jewish community on and around campus. Friday night was another enriching experience: it showcased the diversity of people connected with Jewish life on campus and allowed us to reflect on the value of learning through Jewish Studies coursework, programming, and other events.
With the memories of that experience so fresh in my mind, I was particularly struck by the news of the horrific anti-semitic and anti-refugee attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh this Shabbat. The Program in Jewish Culture & Society stands in solidarity with the victims of the attack. We decry the assault and murder of individuals who had simply gathered to celebrate their faith. We mourn the senseless loss of 11 lives and offer our condolences to their loved ones. We also stand in solidarity with all those who were targeted and whose sense of community was so brutally disrupted by this attack. The Program in Jewish Culture & Society condemns all violence that is so clearly motivated by hatred.