#ShowUpForShabbat: Sadiq Khan to attend synagogue in wake of Pittsburgh massacre
Mayor of London will be 'standing shoulder-to-shoulder' with the community following campaign to attend synagogue from Jewish leaders
Sadiq Khan is to attend synagogue this weekend, following a call by Jewish community leaders to do so in the wake of the Pittsburgh attack.
The Mayor of London will be “standing shoulder to shoulder” with the community as part of the ‘#ShowUpForShabbat’ international initiative, launched by the American Jewish Committee this week.
The campaign urges people all over the world to go to synagogue on Friday night and Saturday, following the massacre last Saturday.
British Jewish community leaders in the UK threw their weight behind an initiative, including the Jewish Leadership Council, urged “communities across the country and around the world, along with leaders, politicians and other allies, to attend a synagogue this coming Shabbat.”
Taking to Twitter, the Mayor of London said: “Places of worship should be sanctuaries and safe spaces. Tomorrow I will be standing shoulder to shoulder with Jewish Londoners for their Shabbat service to show solidarity to the victims of the Pittsburgh shooting last weekend.”
Khan will attend a London synagogue. He also paid respects to victims of the attack at the community’s vigil at JW3 this week, organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
This comes after 11 congregants were murdered at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, with suspect Robert Bowers facing 44 charges. Federal prosecutors have indicated they may now seek the death penalty.
A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies also backed the initiative: “We would urge as many people as possible to Show up for Shabbat next Saturday to demonstrate support for all those affected by the Pittsburgh massacre.”
The campaign urges anyone who wishes to come to synagogue on Friday night and Saturday, 2-3 November to contact any of the synagogue movements in the UK: the United Synagogue, S&P Sephardi Community, Liberal, Reform and Masorti Judaism.
- Find out more here: https://www.thejlc.org/showupshabbat
READ MORE:
- Voice of the Jewish News: The hate is beyond us – our response is not
- OPINION – Daniel Lichman – From Cricklewood to Pittsburgh: Standing up for one another
- OPINION – Dave Rich: Resilience the best response to Pittsburgh
- OPINION – Ghanem Nuseibeh: After Pittsburgh, Muslims must intensify our fight against antisemitism
- OPINION – Michael Goldstein: Pittsburgh: Let’s respond
Listen to this week’s episode of the Jewish Views Podcast, focusing on Pittsburgh:
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