Fred Rogers once said, “The older I get, the more I seem to be able to appreciate my ‘neighbor’ (whomever I happen to be with at the moment). Oh, sure, I’ve always tried to love my neighbor as myself; however, the more experiences I’ve had to see the uniqueness of each person…as well as each tree, and plant, and shell, and cloud…the more I find myself delighting every day in the lavish gifts of God, whom I’ve come to believe is the greatest appreciator of all.”
To revisit the events of October 27, 2018, is to reopen the wounds of anti-Semitism; to relive the trauma inflicted upon a community just because of the way they choose to practice their faith; and to empower the haters who choose to make that poison their mission in life. In the span of 7 minutes, 11 victims, ages 54 – 97, and 6 others, including 4 policemen, were injured when a man of hate, also injured by the Pittsburgh Police, decided to act on that hate, entering the Tree of Life Synagogue, stating, “All Jews must die.”
To remember the events of October 27, 2018, however, is to rededicate and honor those same victims, alive or dead, and foster resiliency and compassion for all, no matter their race, religion, gender, socio-economic status, or physical/mental abilities. Fred Rogers also stated, “The world needs a sense of worth, and it will achieve it only by its people feeling that they are worthwhile.”
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Suggested Technology: Laptops for Students, Internet Connection.
Instructional Time: 3 hours.