jews in the d

Pittsburgh aftermath

continued from page 27

in his faith and practice. I am so
proud of his courage that day, for
telling his story and for being a
pillar of his community.
“All of my mom’s family is in
Pittsburgh. We spent so much of
my childhood there. It’s my second
home. I am feeling sadness that a
beautiful city and a neighborhood
with so much history will become
synonymous with gun violence
in the minds of so many. Squirrel
Hill has long been the Jewish
cultural center of Pittsburgh,
a place of promise, family and
interconnectedness. My zaydie, who
I loved so deeply, had a deli there,
and my family continues to call it
home.”

INCOMPARABLE FEAR
On the phone with a 911 dispatcher
when the gunman entered the store
room, Werber feared he would
be shot and was thankful his flip-
phone cell does not light up during
conversations, keeping him from
being visible.
In a cbsnews.com video, he said,
“I spent four years in the service.
I’ve never been as frightened in my
life. And I worry that it’s going to
happen again and again and again.”
Werber was observing his
mother’s yahrtzeit the day of the

shooting.
“He was wearing my bubbie’s
wedding band with his own last
Saturday,” London said. “He said she
was watching over him.”
In the CBS video, Werber added:
“The good Lord was watching me.”
London said Werber “is
overwhelmed with attending
funerals and shivahs and mourning
the senseless loss of his friends.”
He has been interviewed by many
news sources. “The relentless
media attention has been wearing
on him though, and we can see it.
Telling the story over and over is so
hard,” London said. “Telling how
he literally saw two of his friends
die is unimaginably hideous and
horrifying.
“He looks so strong on the TV
clips that I’ve seen, but I can feel
how he is suffering inside. We’re
praying for an end to that part of it
so he can begin to heal.” When they
spoke, she said, “He asked us to pray
for his friends.
“I always thought my uncle
would be famous for his beautiful
singing voice or the many ways in
which he supports his community
both in and out of synagogue. This
unwelcome fame that has arrived on
his doorstep is unimaginable.” ■

Opportunity for High School Students

Baruch HaShem,

prayers for Pittsburgh.

28

November 8 • 2018

jn

Applications are now being accept-
ed for the Bronfman Fellowship,
which selects 26 outstanding North
American teenagers for a rigorous
academic year of seminars including
a free five-week trip to Israel in the
summer between the Fellows’ junior
and senior years of high school.
The program educates and
inspires exceptional young Jews
from diverse backgrounds to grow
into leaders grounded in their Jewish
identity and committed to social
change.
During the program’s seminars,
the Fellows meet with leading
intellectuals, religious and political
leaders, and educators. With the
guidance of a diverse faculty of rab-
bis and educators, the Fellows can
explore a wide range of Jewish texts,
from classic religious documents to
contemporary Israeli and American
voices, using them to spark con-

versations, and achieve a deeper
understanding of themselves and
one another.
Fellows also spend two weeks
with a group of Israeli peers who
have been chosen through a paral-
lel selection process as part of the
Fellowship. Upon returning home
from the summer in Israel, they con-
tinue their Fellowship year experi-
ence with monthly virtual experienc-
es and a spring seminar in the U.S.
focusing on major themes in North
American Jewish life.
Applications for the 2019
Fellowship are due Nov. 30 and are
available online at bronfman.org.
High school students in the United
States and Canada who self-identify
as Jewish and who will be in the
seniors in the fall of 2019 are eligible
to apply. Prior Jewish education is
not required. Students are chosen on
merit alone. ■