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Solidarity vigil in downtown Indy for Jewish community

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Support for the Jewish community continues to pour in in Indianapolis after an attack inside a synagogue in Pittsburgh killed 11 people on Saturday.

A solidarity vigil was conducted Thursday evening in Indy’s downtown City Market in light of the event. Organizers of the event say they don’t want this story to go away. They want the support for the Jewish community to continue well after this story isn’t the top story anymore. 

Through song and prayer, about 40 people braved the rainy weather and huddled together outside Indianapolis City Market to show their support for the Jewish community after Saturday’s attack.

“We just felt like it was really important to acknowledge the loss in Pittsburgh and to mourn with our Jewish community,” said Malkha Bird with Jewish Voice for Peace. “But also to remember that there are so many victims of white supremacy in this country. There are black and brown victims every day.” 

“It’s important that it’s not just a one-time incident. This happens, we’re in mourning and then we move on,” Bird said. “But that this is a conversation, this is a national reckoning, that we really acknowledge where we are as a country and the devastation that white supremacy has on people in our country.” 

The event spearheaded by the Jewish Voice for Peace brought out supporters from all religious backgrounds.

“Oh, it’s sickening, it’s absolutely atrocious, it’s awful,” said Phill Greene, a practicing Buddhist who came out to show that anti-Semitic violence against anyone is not OK.

“When the community gets together like this, it’s important to show international solidarity and to show that the hostility toward those groups is not at all cool,” Greene said. “We have to come together and show our support.”

On a cold night in Indianapolis, the warmth of strangers coming together with one clear message: Hate of any kind is not welcome here or anywhere.

The solidarity vigil came amid a national push for people of all faiths to show support Friday during Shabbat. Shabbat happens every Friday and signals the beginning of the Jewish day of rest.
A hashtag has started online #showupforshabbat in solidarity of Friday’s efforts.