Members of the Terre Haute Jewish community gathered with their neighbors on Monday evening, two days after the Oct. 27 attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, for a Stand Against Hate Candlelight Vigil at Vigo County Courthouse.
UHC’s Brent Silver spoke to WTHI-TV News:
“That could have been my synagogue. It could have been my church. That could have been my home or my school,” Brent said.
“One of the other congregations I attend is more secure and sometimes there’s locked doors. And sometimes there’s a police presence. Unfortunately, that’s the world that we live in right now. And until we change hearts and minds, that’s the reality we have to deal with.”
The Facebook group Wabash Valley in Solidarity organized the event. UHC members participated in the group’s Charlottesville Solidarity Vigil in June 2017.
Photos
Community members gathered on and around the courthouse steps to pay tribute to victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue attack.
UHC members participated in Monday’s vigil.
Speakers included CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center Executive Director Dorothy Chambers.
Hand-lettered signs silently delivered messages including, “Human rights are the soul of America”, “Love unites us all” and “This is what democracy looks like”.
Participants held lit candles as a gesture of peace and unity.
Spent candles lined the plaza wall.
