Tree of Life Shooting: I’m Trying to Remain Optimistic

This is a difficult blog for me to write.

First, I usually don’t write or comment too much about current events on this blog, preferring, instead, to talk about PR and marketing. However, I felt compelled to talk about my feelings in the hope that journaling would help improve the way I’m feeling.

Haters are going to hate. Period. There’s nothing any of us can do about that – and the Jews aren’t alone in being singled out, of course; the difference this time is that it’s not about the color of our skin – it’s about religion. Yet, no matter what the situation is, it hurts. Black, White, Catholic, Jewish or Baptist. If someone wants to get a gun and shoot someone, no matter what their race, creed or color is, it’s going to happen.

I really feel for the Tree of Life congregation and cannot imagine if this happened at my shul in Dallas. Just like Pittsburgh, we have a very tight community in Dallas where everyone knows everyone, or at least is connected through some kind of relation or friendship. It breaks my heart to think about the people suffering in Pittsburgh when they were trying to celebrate life.

This one person can’t change the world, so I’m trying to remain optimistic that the next time a person picks up a gun and intends to use it against another human being, maybe he or she will have some kind of awakening. I don’t think that’s going to be the case, but at least I can think that it can happen.

Here’s the link to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh if you’re interesting in donating to the victims’ fund.