The Orthodox Union expresses its deepest sympathies to the people of Halle, Germany, and its Jewish community, where a gunman targeted a synagogue.
As congregants observed Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, a heavily armed gunman with a live-streaming head camera tried to storm the synagogue. The synagogue’s locked door foiled what would have been an even larger massacre.
The local police referred to the attack as one of the most brazen in a string of recent attacks aimed at the Jewish community in Germany.
“This senseless act of anti-Semitic violence was not only a heinous attack on the Jewish community of Halle, but it’s yet another example of anti-Semitism in Germany which continues to proliferate. Every Jew has the right to practice their religion without fear of being a victim of terror,” said Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Allen Fagin. “An attack on a Jew anywhere is an attack on every Jew, and our prayers and thoughts are with our brethren in Halle.”
“We condemn the dangerous rhetoric that foments such senseless violence and we stand with the Jewish community of Halle, Germany during this terrible time,” said Orthodox Union President Moishe Bane.