Rabbinical Assembly and USCJ Condemn Terrorist Attack in Buffalo, New York

NEW YORK, NY (May 17, 2022)  Following the attack in Buffalo, New York, in which ten people were killed by a white supremacist gunman at a supermarket in a Black neighborhood, the Rabbinical Assembly (RA), the international association for Conservative/Masorti rabbis, and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), issued the following statement:

"Along with all Americans who value human life, the Rabbinical Assembly and USCJ express our utter horror at the unspeakable act of white nationalist terrorism against a Black neighborhood in Buffalo.

"We offer our deepest condolences and support to all those impacted by the attack and reiterate our fierce condemnation of white supremacy and gun violence. We commit, along with our institutional partners:

  • To raise our voices against the profoundly dangerous theory of Great Replacement, which endangers Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, as well as Jews, since white supremacist theory places Jews at the center of their grossly distorted ideology.

  • To continue to educate our communities about the interwoven nature of racism and antisemitism; and

  • Actively recognize that an attack on any of us is an attack on all of us.

"In 2016, the RA spoke out against mass shootings, as it has very many times, and took a strong stand in favor of gun control by passing a Resolution on American Gun Violence. Seeing yet another explosion of racist hate, the RA and USCJ unequivocally call upon lawmakers to take all available measures to ensure the safety of the public, to limit the availability of guns, and to condemn white supremacy in all its many forms. As tradition reminds us, 'Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor' (Leviticus 19:16)."