14 May 2 • 2019 jn Morales in the past about coming to the synagogue armed because he’ s trained, and he wanted trained security. “Unfortunately, we couldn’ t afford to have an armed security offi- cer at every service, so whenever we had extra help, we were grateful for it, ” Goldstein said. According to the report, Morales had recently discovered his Jewish heritage and drove more than 100 miles each way to the synagogue from his home in El Centro, Calif., a Mexican border city, the rabbi said. After fleeing the scene in his vehi- cle, Earnest called 911 and turned himself into authorities. He was pulled over and taken into custody without incident. Moments after the attack, Goldstein wrapped his bleeding fingers in a prayer shawl, stood on a chair and spoke to his congregation, he told CNN the day after the attack. He recalled saying, “We are a Jewish nation that will stand tall. We will not let anyone or anything take us down. Terrorism like this will not take us down. ” Authorities said they discovered an online letter written by Earnest filled with statements about kill- ing Jews. The letter referenced the recent shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue and mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, and took credit for a recent arson at a nearby mosque. Goldstein told news outlets that members of the congregation had recently attended a city seminar about what to do in an active shooter situation. He said the training helped “tremendously. They evacuated so well, we had so many exit doors that it was so effective. People ducked down and they crawled out to safe areas. ” After he was released from the hospital, Goldstein told reporters, “ A little bit of light pushes away a lot of darkness. We need a lot of light now. “ And this coming Saturday, I per- sonally feel, I want to appeal to all the Jewish people to make an effort to attend synagogue. We need to fill up those rooms, not run away from synagogue but, on the contrary, let’ s fill up the synagogues. ” ■ JTA.org contributed to this report. jews d in the HATRED STRIKES AGAIN continued from page 12 ALLISON JACOBS DIGITAL EDITOR The shooting at Chabad of Poway near San Diego weighs heavily among communities everywhere, including Metro Detroit. Several shared their experiences, opinions and personal ties to the Poway community: RABBI HERSCHEL FINMAN Herschel Finman, rabbi/founder of Jewish Ferndale, was at shul around 6 p.m. for Moshiach’ s Meal, a custom that ends Passover. While celebrating, a con- gregant turned to him, revealing his knowledge about a shooting at a Chabad synagogue in California. “Right at that point, my heart sunk, and the joy of the holiday was sucked right out of me — and, of course, my major concern was what was going on in that Chabad house and what we can do here to possibly help,” Finman says. Finally, around 10 p.m., Finman learned the full story, including that his colleague, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, was one of the victims. Finman and Goldstein were acquaintances at the Rabbinical College of Seattle. It was a small program, with 14 students living together under one roof. “We basically saw each other 24/7 for two straight years,” Finman says. Goldstein is originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., and has been the rabbi of the Chabad of Poway for more than 30 years. “He is very lively and very dedi- cated — a person who really want- ed to get out and make his mark on the world,” Finman says. “His whole life he wanted to be where he is now.” While he has been praying for Goldstein, who was injured, and the Poway community, Finman has been addressing safety concerns from worried family members and friends in the community. “We’ re beefing up our security and being very vigilant in dealing with this type of a thing,” Finman says. “At the same time, we are pro- viding a place — if there is some- thing that happens in Ferndale, Jewish Ferndale is somewhere peo- ple can go.” RABBI MITCH PARKER Saturday morning, Rabbi Mitch Parker of B’ nai Israel Synagogue of West Bloomfield addressed his congregation on the last day of Pesach. He was recounting some of the difficult moments in Jewish history during the month of April. “As I am talking about blood libels that took place around Pesach and things happening in the past, three hours later Jews are get- ting killed again,” Parker says. As he arrived at shul Sunday for morning minyan, he spotted two West Bloomfield police cars sitting outside. Aside from heightened security, the service at B’ nai Israel had a more somber tone. “I usually talk about what hap- pened in Jewish history in a given day. Today, we just sat in silence remembering what had happened.” While he was grateful for the police presence, Parker indicates B’ nai Israel has increased security overall since the Tree of Life mas- sacre in Pittsburgh. “We have to make sure that we have adequate security. On the other part, we have to work hard to create a society where people accept differences — where people can appreciate others as opposed to hate.” RABBI NOAM GROSS Rabbi Noam Gross, an educator at Partners Detroit Young Jewish Professionals, lived in Israel for eight years, where violent acts could take place at any point in time. “The idea of attacks on Jews is unfortunately part of the collective Heroic Israelis Several Israelis were in the Chabad of Poway during the terrorist attack on April 27. Almog Peretz, 34, is from Sderot — a town near the border with Gaza that’ s been subjected to rocket attacks where residents have only 15 seconds after a rocket alarm sounds to get to a bomb shelter. Peretz had only moved to California from Sderot a few months before the attack, according to reports in Haaretz. He reportedly saved the lives of sev- eral children during the shooting attack and was hit by shrapnel in his leg as he ushered them to safety. He told an Israeli radio station he took the children to a building in the back and hid them there. “It doesn’ t matter where we go, we have to look out for ourselves. In Sderot, where I used to live, didn’ t they also fire rockets at us? I didn’ t believe this would happen in a place like this,” Peretz told Israeli radio. Israel Dahan, the father of 8-year-old Noya Dahan who was wounded in the attack, also moved with his family from Sderot a few years ago. “We came from fire to fire. We left Sderot after our house was hit a few times. My mother’ s house was hit. I was wounded,” he said. Congregant Israeli Shimon Abitbol immediately protected his grandson when he heard the shots. “Without thinking twice, I lay down on my grandson and protected him,” Abitbol told Times of Israel. “After I counted seven or eight gun- shots and there was a lull — I assume the weapon jammed — I took my grandson and rushed outside through a side door; we gathered all the children there.” Abitbol, a paramedic with the Magen David Adom service, also tried to perform CPR on Lori Gilbert-Kaye, who later died from her gunshot wounds. ■ Herschel Finman Mitch Parker Rabbis React to the Shooting Noya Dahan, 8, is wrapped in the Israeli flag at a vigil in Poway. PHIL RAIMI Noam Gross continued on page 16