Biden marks anniversary of Pittsburgh synagogue attack that killed 11 people

PITTSBURGH (AP) — President Joe Biden on Saturday marked the sixth anniversary of gunman deadly attack at a Pittsburgh synagogue and spoke out about what he called a “horrific wave of anti-Semitism” amid the war in the Gaza Strip.

The 2018 attack killed 11 worshipers from the Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life congregations who shared space at a synagogue in Squirrel Hill, the heart of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. Two worshipers and five responding police were also injured in the attack, the deadliest attack yet anti-Semitism in the USA story.

Biden said in a statement that the attack “shattered families, pierced the heart of the Jewish community and struck the soul of our nation.” But he said that over the years, the Jewish community has “also shown the country how to courageously turn pain into purpose” by launching “a global initiative to counter hate and violence fueled by hatred.”

Biden noted that memories of the attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh come weeks after anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel, “during which Hamas killed more than 1,200 people, took another 250 hostages and committed horrific acts of sexual violence.”

He said the trauma and loss of October 7 was compounded by “a horrifying wave of anti-Semitism against Jews in America and all over the world.”

The attack sparked a war between Israel and Hamas and led to large-scale destruction and death of civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Biden said his administration is pursuing a national strategy to counter anti-Semitism, including $1.2 billion for security at nonprofits such as synagogues, Jewish community centers and day schools. He also cited the Justice Department’s investigation and prosecution of anti-Semitic hate crimes and said his administration has “notified colleges that anti-Semitism is discrimination” and prohibited by laws protecting civil rights.

Vice President Kamala Harris also addressed the rise in anti-Semitism in her statement marking the anniversary of the Pittsburgh attack.

“I will always work to ensure the safety of Jewish people in the United States and around the world, and will always call out anti-Semitism whenever and wherever we see it,” she said.

The Pittsburgh attacker was sentenced to death last year after being found guilty of 63 counts, including hate crimes resulting in death.

In June the ground was broken for a new complex on the Pittsburgh site that would include a cultural center, sanctuary, education center and museum, as well as a memorial to the slain believers from the three communities.