[Thread: I have a few things to say, so please bear with me.]
Friends, as some of you know, I am a survivor of the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue here in Pittsburgh two years ago.

I was with my friends Dan Leger and Jerry Rabinowitz, z"l. Dan and Jerry were shot. Dan was severely wounded, but fortunately survived. Jerry, of blessed memory, did not. I was very fortunate and managed to escape.

11 innocent, defenseless people were murdered that day. They are gone, but we must not forget them. We must honor their memories and keep them alive.

Joyce Fienberg
Remember Her Name
Richard Gottfried
Remember His Name
Rose Mallinger
Remember Her Name
Jerry Rabinowitz
Remember His Name
Cecil Rosenthal
Remember His Name
David Rosenthal
Remember His Name
Bernice Simon
Remember Her Name

Sylvan Simon
Remember His Name
Daniel Stein
Remember His Name
Melvin Wax
Remember His Name
Irving Younger
Remember His Name

I am extraordinarily grateful that I am still here. I have always given thanks every morning upon waking, but it has even more meaning now.

I feel that I have a particular responsibility to do what I can to honor their memories by living a good life and striving to make the world a kinder, better place, even if only by a little bit.

I will probably never really know why this happened, but I feel it's because one individual permitted hate to come into their heart, and let it drive G_d out (or human kindness, if you will).

We can't completely stop this - there will always be evil in the world - but we can make it less likely by trying to find the good in other people, the divine spark, and connecting with it.

Treating other people with respect and kindness won't eliminate evil, but it will make the world a better place for the time we inhabit it.

This takes work - it's easy to be put off by surface differences - differences of language, appearance, culture, religion. However, we're told that humans are created in G_d's image. That clearly doesn't mean that we look the same, sound the same, etc.

It means that this is something that we all have inside, an essential goodness, a divine spark. If we can connect with each other, we find & amplify the divine sparks that are within all of us. This is a fundamental and profound act, & permits us to engage in improving the world.

We have a lot of work to do for us and our country. A Pandora's box of resentment, anger, and hatred has been unleashed. Far too easy access to weapons of war has made this a lethal combination.

Regardless of the outcome of the impending election, there will be a lot more work to do to repair our country's social fabric and to make this a safe and welcoming place for all. This will be a long and difficult task, but a little kindness is a good place to start.

Last (but most certainly not least), I want to thank and honor our heroic first responders and all of the other helpers. Pittsburgh police, EMS, and public safety put themselves in the line of fire without hesitation in order to save lives.

Four of our officers were severely wounded, and still suffer from those wounds. I am profoundly grateful to them, and to the many others who came forward and helped. I am forever in their debt.

Let me append (more) inspirational sidewalk art from my neighbor @joyeilene

Addendum (I promise this won’t be as long as the appendix to an economics paper). At the risk of sounding preachy, let me recommend the following.

Recognize that there’s something more important than you - you and your desires aren’t the most important thing on the face of the planet.

Practice gratitude. Find ways to appreciate the many things, small or large, that are good in your life.

Find things that add meaning to your life. Embrace opportunities to do so. Sometimes unexpected (& apparently negative) occurrences contain an element for good.

In my case, Jewish tradition, observance, and learning provide a framework for these things, but find the outlook and practices that work for you. It’s a beautiful thing that diverse beliefs and practices can all produce so much good.

אבער יעדער מאל טראכט איך וועגן די 11 קדושים, מיין הארץ איז צעבראכן ווידער א מאל...