[Kip
Currier: I'm posting helpful information below, received from my former and
now-retired University of Pittsburgh colleague Dr. Ellen Detlefsen, whose son
David Reynolds works within the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) Education
Division. As Ellen wrote:
"David...has put together a lesson plan and
resource page about the tragedy in Pittsburgh. He has asked us to share
this widely, and we urge you to do the same! Sadly, it is more needed now
than ever, so please see that this is shared with teachers, preachers, health
workers, and your friends, neighbors, and relatives!"]
On the morning of October 27, at Sabbath services, Robert Bowers entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA and
yelled “All Jews must die,” then opened fire upon the congregants. He was armed
with
an assault rifle and several handguns and killed eleven congregants and
wounded six others, four of whom are police officers.
When
surrendering to law
enforcement, Bowers told an officer that he “wanted all Jews to die” and
that Jews “were committing genocide against his people.”
This
shooting is the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the
U.S. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to analyze
this incident in the context of the shooter’s background and history of
anti-Semitism, as well as the nationwide rise of anti-Semitic incidents
over the last year. In this lesson, students will learn more about the
incident, understand and consider the larger
context of anti-Semitism in the U.S., explore how the escalation of
hate operates and how allyship can make a difference.
Dave Reynolds, Director of Professional Development and Regional Support
