August 29, 2025
Once again, the hearts of our grieving nation look to one another for support and comfort. Wednesday’s shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis leaves us bereft. Our hearts mourn the loss of the two children murdered while they attended school and church. At a time when so many people say they have no words, my colleague and friend, Rabbi Evan Schultz found the words. He wrote:
A child in prayer
deserves only
to be heard
by the angels
not received
by them.
Words stir in our minds. They may come as expressions of anger or emphatic rhetorical questions that echo the Book of Lamentations which begins, “Eicha, how?” Mixed with grief and tears, we feel the sadness of the moment, and like every other mass shooting, we will return to our lives because we have allowed these tragic incidents to become normalized.
This shooting strikes us deeply. As a religious organization, we know all too well the fears of being attacked in a house of worship. The Jewish community in Columbus, led by the efforts of JewishColumbus, have helped us think about ways in which we can protect our worshippers and all those who enter our building. Under Debbie Vinocur’s leadership, we have earned several state and federal grants which have strengthened our security infrastructure. We do everything we can to ensure our safety. This tragic incident strikes deeply for other reasons as well. The alleged shooter amplified the likes of Robert Bowers, convicted of murdering 11 Jewish worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue. He wrote “Burn Israel” and “Destroy HIAS” and “6 million wasn’t enough.” Such words elevate our fears regarding the connection between classical antisemitism and present-day anti-Zionism and its threat to Jews.
Perhaps one of the most moving moments shared in the aftermath of Wednesday’s shooting was when a young boy, who left the church without a physical wound, praised his friend who sheltered him and saved his life as they hid under a church pew. His friend laid on top of him and was hit in the back. This young boy acknowledged that his friend was in the hospital and was likely to survive.
We want answers and we want change. As we have entered the month of Elul, we hope this season inspires teshuvah. What our society needs is a reckoning. The process of teshuvah, (which means repentance and also indicates turning) requires us to recognize the times we have failed and done wrong. On Yom Kippur, when we acknowledge our transgressions, we speak in the plural; “we have sinned, we have done wrong, we have harmed.” This collective response to our confession invites us to think deeply about what a societal teshuvah might look like.
Maimonides in his Laws of Repentance writes:
All of the prophets commanded concerning repentance; the Jewish people will not be redeemed save by repentance. Indeed, the Torah long since assured us that in the end, at the close of the period of exile, the Jewish people will turn to repentance and be immediately redeemed. (Mishneh Torah Laws of Teshuvah 7:5)
Rambam’s concern lies with his hope that all of Israel will be redeemed. He is referring to the exile from Israel after the destruction of the Temple. This collective turning can forge a path in a new direction. For many of us, we lie in a place of despair without hope that anyone has the courage to lead us forward.
As the angels hold these children and Annunciation Church Holds their community together, the responsibility is upon us to reach out to our Catholic friends and neighbors and let them know that we hold them in our hearts.
May the angels hold us, too. Jewish tradition says that when we pray for healing, we turn to four angels, Michael, Rafael, Gavriel, and Uriel. May Michael help us discover who might be able to guide us forward. May Rafael bring the wounded – both those in body and in soul – healing. May Gavriel give us strength and courage to have hard conversations. May Uriel light our pathway forward.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Rick Kellner