New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

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Students Mourn After Anti-Semitic Attack in Germany

A vigil was held on Thursday for the two who died and two who were injured in a shooting in a synagogue on Yom Kippur in Halle, Germany.
+Nicole+Beremovica+a+CAS+sophomore+who+was+raised+in+Dusseldorf%2C+Germany%2C+speaks+at+a+vigil+honoring+the+victims+of+a+Yom+Kippur+attack+in+Halle%2C+Germany.+%28Staff+Photo+by+Min+Ji+Kim%29
Nicole Beremovica a CAS sophomore who was raised in Dusseldorf, Germany, speaks at a vigil honoring the victims of a Yom Kippur attack in Halle, Germany. (Staff Photo by Min Ji Kim)

Humming Jewish hymns to the strumming of guitars and beating of drums, around 50 NYU community members gathered at a vigil on Thursday to honor those affected by a recent attack on a synagogue in Eastern Germany. 

The vigil was held under the Washington Square Arch and hosted by NYU’s Bronfman Center for Jewish Life, NYU Jewish Voice for Peace and NYU Global Spiritual Life. It mourned the two dead and two injured when a gunman opened fire in a synagogue in Halle, Germany.

The shooting occurred on Yom Kippur, which is considered the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. The holiday is celebrated by a 25-hour period of fasting and a full day of synagogue services.

CAS sophomore Nicole Beremovica was raised in Dusseldorf, Germany in a Latvian-Jewish family. She said shootings in Germany are incredibly rare and guns are not as easily accessible as they are in the U.S.

“For there to be a shooting in Germany — it’s a shock,” Beremovica said. “I don’t want this to become normal.” 

CAS senior Michael Bearman, who is with NYU JVP, said that this attack was part of a growing trend of white supremacy across the world.

“I think this event reminds us that the enemy of the Jewish people is fascism and white supremacy,” Bearman said. 

This commemoration is the third one held for victims of anti-Semitic violence in the past year, following vigils for a synagogue shooting last October in Pittsburgh and the Poway shooting in May. Some attendants of tonight’s vigil expressed that they are no longer surprised by news of synagogue attacks.

“I almost expected to turn my phone on after the holiday and to see something,” said Bronfman Jewish Education Intern Alli Moses, a master’s student at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Bronfman Rabbi Joe Wolfson said during the vigil that until recently, he thought that violence against Jewish people was no longer a prevalent issue.

“There was a time until not that long ago when we could think of murderous anti-Semitism as something of the past […] something that was exiled to the fringes,” Wolfson said. “We’re entering into a period of history where this is part of our lives, something we can expect to happen every three to four months.”

Bronfman Rabbi Nikki DeBlosi agreed.

“It’s not shocking,” DeBlosi said. “It’s just become another aspect of life.”

Email Lisa Cochran at [email protected].

 

About the Contributor
Lisa Cochran, News Editor
Lisa Cochran is a sophomore studying Journalism and the Politics concentration within GLS. She is originally from Ames, Iowa — which is more of a vague concept than a real geographical location. When she is not hunched over her or someone else’s WSN article at 2 a.m., she is probably reading literature about being sad, (wastefully) using Nespresso pods at a rate of 3 pods per hour, incessantly rating movies on LetterBoxd or absurdly overdressing for everyday occasions. She is super edgy... meaning she is always on edge. Follow her on Twitter for more shocking details @lisaacochran.
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