Announcements

On behalf of B’nai Adath Kol Beth Yisrael

Regarding the JC Kosher Supermarket Shooting in Jersey City, New Jersey

December 12th 2019    

We were shocked, saddened and appalled when we learned that on Tuesday, December 10, 2019, the JC Kosher Supermarket in Jersey City, New Jersey was the site of a deadly hate crime shooting. Firstly, we grieve and pray for all the victims of the shooting in Jersey City, their families and friends. May The Most High comfort them and bring them peace during their tragic time.

Unfortunately, news agencies reported at least one of the shooters as having ties to “Black Hebrew Israelite” groups which they described as being identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center (the “SPLC”) as hate groups. We believe that it is important to know that the SPLC does NOT classify Israelites as a whole as a hate group and many people who identify as Israelites are neither members of a hate group nor hateful people. 

B’nai Adath Kol Beth Yisrael, and the Israelite Board of Rabbis

(aka “Black Jews”) with which we are affiliated, have no connection with ANY hate group. The shooters have no connection to B’nai Adath nor do they have any ties to the Israelite Board of Rabbis or to any of its affiliated congregations. 

We condemn all expressions and actions of bigotry, whether it’s racism, sexism, xenophobia or anti-Semitism. Within the United States and throughout the world we are seeing a frightening increase in hate crimes that must be stopped. As members of Am Yisrael, an attack against any member of any community that identifies itself as Jewish or Israelite is an attack against us all.

We work within our Israelite, Jewish and Bedford Stuyvesant communities, as well as with our neighbors and friends of all faiths, to bring about a better, more peaceful world and stand ready to work with all in the future to achieve this goal.

May The Most High comfort them, along with all the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר אבלי ציון וירושלים