Pittsburgh synagogue shooting prompts donations in NYC, across U.S.

At Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza, a unity vigil is held with the National Action Network, elected officials and faith and community leaders on Monday night. Photo Credit: amNewYork/Sarina Trangle

New Yorkers continued to send an outpouring of love and support on Monday to the victims of the horrific Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that has left the nation heartbroken.

They focused on raising funds to help victims and shattered families deal with an uncertain future, while gathering at vigils in a display of strength against hate.

The Saturday morning massacre by a gunman yelling anti-Semitic rhetoric left 11 people dead and six wounded at the Tree of Life synagogue in what is believed to be the deadliest attack on a Jewish community in U.S. history.

“I think the most important message is not everyone who was here was Jewish,” said Ilana Symons, an NYU student from Pittsburgh, who attended an interfaith service at NYU’s Kimmel Center for University Life on Monday. “I felt so supported …which really shows there are more good people than bad people.”

Symons said she had attended services at the Tree of Life synagogue but belonged to a different congregation.

“It’s obviously hard to not be at home right now,” she said. “When I hug people here, I’m hugging my family.”

Members of the Muslim community responded quickly, raising over $150,000 through an online campaign on LaunchGood titled “Muslims Unite for Pittsburgh Synagogue.”

“When we all heard the news of the shooting, we were deeply horrified,” said Mohammad Khan, campaign director at MPower Change, a Muslim-led racial and social justice organization, which worked with CelebrateMercy, another Muslim group, to create the campaign.

“As Muslims, we see that anti-Semitism is deeply tied to other forms of bigotry and racism that impacts all our communities,” said Khan, who lives in Queens.

The funds will be used to help pay for various needs, including funeral expenses and medical bills.

Khan said volunteers are also willing to accompany members of the Jewish community to services or other day-to-day activities if that would make them comfortable.

“There is a lot of energy in the local community,” he said. “People are really eager to help.”

The UJA Federation of New York created a Pittsburgh Solidarity Fund for psychological services, security, support for families and medical bills.

“We stand together, one community with strength and resilience,” the nonprofit said in a statement. “The local Jewish day schools in the Pittsburgh area will also most likely require additional resources to help children process this tragedy.”

Another GoFundMe campaign for the victims of the shooting had raised over $700,000 by Monday afternoon.

R.J. Tabachnick, 20, an NYU student from Pittsburgh, said he was in shock, but was happy to be surrounded by other students during the vigil.

“It hit home in a lot of ways even though I wasn’t from that part of the city,” he said. “It’s very comforting, I think that’s a major reason why I came. I needed to be around people. It’s a sense of community.”

One of the speakers was Doria Kahn, a 20-year-old student who said she was “proud to be Jewish.”

“It’s really important for me to come here and show that we will stand up for Jews wherever they are targeted,” she told amNewYork. “These are the times to come together."

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer gathered with the National Action Network, members of the clergy and elected officials to decry hate and violence at a vigil at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn Monday night.

Merrill Zack of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which Bowers reportedly blamed for assisting refugees, said people have rallied around the group in recent days.

“All I can say is we’ve gotten a lot of good responses on social media and support for HIAS,” Zack said.

A volunteer group from Misaskim, a New York-based group that specialized in bereavement services for the Jewish community, was waiting to get access to the synagogue, which is still a crime scene.

Any blood that is left over will be collected and buried with the bodies, according to custom.

“We just met with the FBI and maybe we will get in on Tuesday,” Misaskim president Jack Meyer told amNewYork on Monday. “Law enforcement comes first.”

With Ivan Pereira