Jewish senior explains his thoughts on the recent shooting of a Jewish synagogue

On the morning of October 27, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a shooter began to open fire in a Jewish synagogue.  The shooter continued shooting for twenty minutes. Eleven people were killed and six were injured. This was the most deadly anti-Semitic act in United States history.

Discrimination against Jews is nothing new and neither is violence.  The synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh was not the first of its kind and will most likely not be the last.  

“It never really shocked me,” says Jewish senior Nathan Chapman concerning the synagogue shooting, “This stuff is happening every day now”.  White supremacists, as well as other terrorist groups and individuals cause constant fear in America, especially for minority groups.

The reasons for anti-Semitism, white supremacy, and violence have been discussed and debated.  

“I think mostly it’s just ignorance,” Chapman says, “like [they] don’t understand what this other person is about so they get too overzealous”.  Ignorance to the point of violence is the problem the United States faces today.

Because of the frequency of shootings and terrorist acts like the shooting in Pittsburgh, a shooting anywhere is not unheard of.  

“That could totally happen anywhere, like at the school, or some other kind of church or religious place,” Chapman says.  Chapman believes that the best way to stop this violence is to try to understand each other and be more kind.

“When someone is promoting some kind of hate speech I just shut it down because there’s no point,” Chapman says.  Muslims in Pittsburgh responded to the synagogue shooting with the understanding Chapman thinks is necessary. The Muslim community in Pittsburgh has raised more than $150,000 for the victims of the shooting at the synagogue (The Washington Post).

“[There was] something I saw about somebody that was like ‘We’re here for you guys if you need any help.  It doesn’t matter that were Muslim and you’re Jewish we still care about you guys.’ That meant a lot to me,” Chapman says.