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Hi John,
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Today, we observe the anniversary of one of the worst attacks on the Jewish community in our country’s history: The mass shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA. That day, three years ago, 11 people were murdered by a gunman using an AR-15 style assault weapon – a gun designed for war and mass destruction.
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I remember this day vividly. It happened on Shabbat, a holy day for Jews that we celebrate each week on Friday evening and Saturday. I had joined friends from college for a Shabbat meal that evening, and the next morning I awoke to the news of this horrific attack on the Pittsburgh Jewish community. But this tragedy rippled throughout Jewish communities across the country, because all Jews know the fear of being persecuted for our religion.
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Each murder by gun violence tears at my soul, but this one is particularly deep. It is so easy to see my own small, Midwestern Jewish community and my college Jewish community, in Tree of Life’s community. Antisemitism should have no home in the United States. Gun violence should have no home. But we are in a moment where antisemitism is rising by the highest margin in years and hate crimes are at an all time high. 2021 will be the deadliest year for gun violence in recent memory. We are a country in crisis, and it’s up to us to act to stop it.
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That’s why I’m asking you to take action today, to honor the 11 lives that were viciously stolen at Tree of Life and to stop further communities from being changed forever: Will you add your name now and demand that Congress ban assault weapons like that one that was used in the Pittsburgh mass shooting?
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I won’t stop fighting for the Pittsburgh community and all others whose lives are not valued by our country as much as the guns that threaten them. I know that if we can work together, we can stop the hateful and deadly path that our country is on. I work at Brady because we know what to do to tangibly end the gun violence epidemic in our country, and create a country that values all of its people, but we can only do it if we all work together.
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Please add your name now and demand that we finally ban these weapons of war in our country. It’s up to us to protect all communities in the United States.
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I am proud to be Jewish. I want to be proud of our country too – a safe country. Thank you for honoring these victims with me today.
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May their memories be a blessing.
Hannah Litman
Digital Fundraising Strategist, Brady
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