On Sat. Oct. 27, 2018, 11 Jewish people were shot and killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA. The fact that Pittsburgh is a short two hour drive from Solon, OH, the realization that it this was the largest anti-Semitic attack in the US and the shock of an event such as this occurring in 2018 are some of the many reasons Pittsburgh, as many now call the event, struck home for Jewish people not only in Solon, but across the US. This atrocity was yet another reminder that hate exists in our world and that, despite what some may think, say or believe, anti-Semitism lives on.

In Solon, anti-Semitism is normally the last thing Jews have to worry about considering Ohio has one of the highest Jewish populations in the US, but the same could be said about Pennsylvania, and there may even be pitfalls to having so many Jews in one area. Just think, with so many people with the same beliefs in one area, we are, for the most part, immune to the hate and anti-Semitism that plagues other cities, and this even causes ignorance among us. Solon High School (SHS) History teacher Karen Smith spoke of the possible obliviousness people may have toward anti-Semitism because of their surroundings.

“I think [Solon’s diversity] could definitely play a part in [the lack of knowledge regarding anti-Semitism], because you’re not having everybody that’s from the same religious affiliation or even country of origin, so… you have all these people from different traditions and cultures and languages, and maybe because we’re so diverse, it’s a topic that gets lost in the mix…” Smith said.

One student who understands the privilege of living in Solon is SHS senior Carly Stewart.

“I am lucky to have attended a Jewish day school through eighth grade that taught me strong values and morals, as well as the details of my heritage,” Stewart wrote in a Facebook post detailing her reaction to the Pittsburgh tragedy. “I’m lucky to go to a public school that still has a large, active Jewish community. I’m lucky to live in a city with a thriving Jewish population.”

Even in Solon though, there is anti-Semitism.

“Yes, unfortunately, I have faced anti-Semitism,” Stewart said. “In some ways, people haven’t realized that what they said was anti-Semitic. For example, I’ve been labeled with Jewish stereotypes, or overheard them being used (‘She looks Jewish,’ or ‘He’s probably pretty cheap’). These comments upset me because people don’t realize how offensive stereotypes can be, even if that’s not what their intention was.”

Additionally, Judaism is often mistaken for a race, but it’s a religion. It is subtle comments such as those Carly mentioned, and those regarding Judaism as a race which those of us in Solon must deal with, but when listening to congregants of a synagogue speak about the anti-Semitism they’ve faced, it’s sad and sickening to hear them share similar stories. The most common story I’ve heard from a variety of hosts (educators at Temple and my friend’s mother included) is “Where are your horns.” It’s these crude assertions which Jews may deal with at some point that highlight the gravity of what happened in Pittsburgh.

In her Facebook statements, Carly wrote that Pittsburgh reminded her she doesn’t “live in a bubble,” and being a Jew myself, I understand her sentiment. It’s not every day an event such as this occurs, and for many Jews out there it cut deep, which is one reason why Carly and Smith believe there should be more education about religion in school.

Smith discussed the importance of teaching religion to students in the classroom in order to ensure they’re educated on the possible adversity they may see in the outside world after leaving Solon.

“I think personally having students understand religion fundamentals is crucial…” Smith said. “As a teacher, I don’t think you should promote any religion, but I think it’s more so about making students aware of the different cultures and world religions that exist. There’s an interesting world religion map, and I think it’s valuable to show students because so many kids think that Judaism is the world’s second largest religion, and I think that’s because of our community.”

In truth, around .2 percent of the world is Jewish, and this is just the percent that identify as Jewish, not those who are practicing Jews. For those of you who are Jewish, you understand the difference between being a practicing Jew, versus just identifying as one, because there is a large one as far as Judaism is concerned.

Another Jewish person who was deeply affected by what happened at Tree of Life was SHS senior Jacob Levine. He said that at dinner the night of the shooting he had a conversation with his grandfather about what happened.

“My strongest reaction came after family dinner that night when my grandpa, who survived the Holocaust, saw that people in America in 2018 were massacring Jews and painting swastikas on synagogues,” Levine said. “He broke down in tears and talked about his parents (the little memory he still has of them) who were killed by the Nazis when he was 14 and his baby sister who he was responsible for from then on.”

Knowing that there are Holocaust survivors out there who had to hear about this happening is shameful. I’ve had the privilege of hearing some Holocaust speakers and one thing that rang true through each of their stories was the need to share and make sure that nothing such as the Holocaust ever happens again. It’s true, what happened at Tree of Life wasn’t as large scale as the Holocaust, but it proved that there are those out there that believe in the rhetoric created by Hitler during the time.

After Pittsburgh, many temples had to place police outside in order to keep watch and ensure the safety of the congregants. We’re fortunate to have police officers who watch over us at my temple, but it’s also scary for young kids coming to learn about their religion. Normally, we have police stationed outside during large events at Temple, but Pittsburgh has changed all that. Smith touched on this idea and brought a question to the forefront of the conversation.

“…I don’t think that, especially in a place of religion, that you should have to have armed guards,” Smith said. “You go to a religious place because you’re promoting or you’re praying for peace and acceptance and equality, not thinking that something tragic is going to happen, but has that become our new world?”

I’m not entirely sure that it is our new world, and I certainly hope for all of our sakes that it isn’t, but along with this question, Pittsburgh has forced people to face the fact that anti-Semitism is still a part of our world.