Beach people – Residents urged to choose life at Tree of Life Synagogue vigil
On the Tuesday following the Saturday, Oct. 27 mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh residents of all faiths gathered at the Manhattan Beach pier to remember the 11 who were killed.
Manhattan Beach Mayor Steve Napolitano told those gathered that, although they had to recognize the horror of what had transpired, they could not let it prevent them from going on with their lives. The best way to prevent hate-fueled violence, Napolitano said, was to demonstrate that “kindness is strength.” He then led the crowd in a chant of resilience.
Rabbi Yossi Mintz of the Jewish Community Center pointed out that next week marked the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, considered the beginning of the Holocaust. But instead of despair, he and others urged those gathered to focus on ways to bring the community together to prevent these tragedies from recurring.
Alluding to the 11 candles, one for each of the deceased, that he would later ask children in the audience to light, Mintz said that one person could make a difference.
“Even one light has the power to evaporate darkness,” Mintz said.
Photos by JP Cordero
