Light in the Darkness: Jewish Ferndale Ceremony Honors Shooting Victims

Ferndale, Mich. – A crowed of mourners gathered on the front lawn of Jewish Ferndale for a ceremony Sunday afternoon. Rabbi Herschel Finman addressed the group.
"In the face of adversity, we look for an opportunity to transform darkness into light," Finman said. The ceremony was to honor the lives of 11 people who were murdered Saturday, Oct. 27 at the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by a gunman who screamed that "all Jews must die," before riddling the pews with bullets during sabbath.
Those 11 names were read by Federal Judge Mark Goldsmith, "Daniel Stein, Joyce Feinberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, brothers Cecil Rosenthal and David Rosenthal, husband and wife Bernice Simon and Sylvan Simon, Melvin Wax and Irving Younger."
The names were met with bowed heads and tears.
"We will do charity in remembrance of their souls," Goldsmith said.
State Reps. Robert Wittenberg and Jeremy Moss both spoke at the memorial, as well as County Commissioner Helaine Zack, Ferndale City Councilperson Melanie Piana and Ferndale Police Chief Vincent Palazzo.
Wittenberg and Moss are the only two Jewish elected officials in the State House.
"I am 32 years old. I've seen more blatant anti-semitism in the last two years than in the 30 before in my life," Moss said. "We have a lot to do to honor these victims from yesterday's hateful, vicious attack. We need to combat this rhetoric, not just against Jews but against anybody who is attacked."
Finman said that the news is full of darkness, but that Jewish faith calls upon people to combat darkness with light.
"What can we do now? What should we be doing?" He asked the crowd.
He stressed for the members of the crowd to think about what each individual could do to add more light to the world.
"What act can you do, in your place in the world, to add light?" he asked.
Learn more about Jewish Ferndale at jewishferndale.com.