The board of directors, kau ngāué, and members of the YM&YWHA ʻo Uasingatoni & Inwood express our deep sorrow to our brethren at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. We are with them both in spirit and in person as our own Chief Program Officer Martin Yafe arrived there last evening to represent us all and offer support.
We must stand together as a community to fight hatred, anti-semitism, and all acts of violence against people. We will mourn together for the people whose lives were lost and pray for those injured to recover fully and quickly. We express our deep appreciation to the first responders who ran into the line of fire to save lives. They too are our heroes.
We will continue to make certain that Y is a place where people can come without fear and we work closely with the NYPD, Department of Homeland Security, UJA-fetulolo ʻo Niu ʻIoke, JCRC-NY, and JCC Association to increase and strengthen our security protocols.
We will continue to be a place where all are welcome to support, to learn, to inspire, and to celebrate together. Our hearts are broken as we absorb the intensity of this tragedy, but our resolve to live on freely is stronger than ever.
By Martin Englisher, ʻŌfisa Pule Lahi
