We are in pain as we grieve the loss of 21 beautiful lives—19 children and two adults—in Uvalde, Texas. This was an act of senseless violence, the repercussions of which will be embedded upon the hearts and lives of their families and the entire Uvalde community forever. But these continued acts of gun violence in our country devastate all of us; they create a growing chasm of sadness that begins to feel unchangeable. We have been grieving for what feels like days, weeks, months and years. We mourn the lives of the children who were sent off to school in hopes of learning, growing, and experiencing life together, on the cusp of summer break, as we mourn the lives of those adults who sought to guide our children in those efforts.
What can be said that hasn’t already been said as the country continues to suffer, while our leaders seemingly refuse to find a way forward? As a Jewish organization that seeks to improve the lives of people in our community, we cannot stand silent in the face of gun violence, a clear lack of prioritization of community mental health services, and an epidemic of domestic violence that persists. We must speak up.
Our hearts are broken and we are devastated. But it is the job of all of us to fight for a better world, a safer world, a more loving world to honor the memories of the children and adults who were senselessly killed yesterday. We will continue to do that at JFS because we must. As Jews, we are guided by and have a moral imperative to seek justice as this is what love in action looks like. Call on your senators to pass federal gun control legislation including HR 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act that the House approved more than one year ago; support increased services for survivors of domestic violence and encourage your state legislators to increase funding for preventative community mental health services, in Washington state.
We ask you to join us in love, with love, as we work toward a more just world together.
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