Doctor Kleinplatz calls for love in the wake of terrifying hatred
The Windsor Jewish community is in shock after the shooting deaths of eleven people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
The Saturday morning attack left six others wounded and a gunman in custody.
Robert Bowers was hit by gunfire before being arrested, but survived in surgery and is to appear in court.
Dr. Morrie Kleinplatz is Co-chair of the Holocaust Memorial Committee and the son of two Holocaust Survivors.
Speaking on the Lynn Martin Show on AM800, he says it is a haunting reminder of hatred and anti-Semitism.
"For those who are survivors, for the Jewish community as a whole, but especially for survivors and the families of survivors, it's frightening because it reminds us of what happened some 80 years ago and this kind of thing is so fearful"
Dr. Kleinplatz says society needs to come up with an appropriate response.
"What as a world are we going to do, this is not just a question for the Jewish community, this is a question for the world. Right now there is an atmosphere of fear and division of anger of sadness and trauma"
He says it's important not to react with more hatred.
"We need to come together, not just as Jews, not just as Canadians, not just as North Americans, but as human beings and that's my comfort, that's what I think about. I think about it as our responsibility each one of us as individuals to reach out to other people to love instead of hating"
A vigil is being planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Temple Beth El in Windsor.