'We have to add light in the world,' says neighbouring rabbi after synagogue shooting

Transcript

They were there to celebrate the last day of Passover. But now, the Jewish community in San Diego County is in mourning. 

A gunman walked into the Chabad of Poway Synagogue on Saturday and started shooting. Lori Gilbert Kaye, a founding member of the synagogue, was killed. Three others were injured, including Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein. 

Yeruchem Eilfort is the rabbi at the Chabad of La Costa, a synagogue in a nearby town, and a long-time friend of Goldstein.  

He spoke to As It Happens host Carol Off about his friend of 30 years and what message he has for his own congregation in the attack's aftermath. 

Here is part of their conversation.

Rabbi Eilfort, how did you first learn that there had been a shooting at the synagogue in Poway?

We were in the middle of our services. A police car from the City of Carlsbad pulled up. Why? Because an emergency broadcast had gone over countywide, and they immediately dispatched units to the various houses of worship, particularly Jewish ones.

So the police officer pulled up, and my wife went over to ask what was going on. And he informed her what was going on. 

So Rabbi Goldstein was shot in the hand. He's lost a finger. He has other damage to his hand. How is he doing?

Rabbi Goldstein is a trooper's trooper. I am filled with admiration for him right now. The way he has been a rock of strength.

Of course it's an incredibly emotional time for him, as it is for the whole community. But more so for him. He had a rifle leveled at his face two days ago. He was wounded almost in front of his granddaughter, who he had to yell at, "Get out of here!" as he was bleeding from a finger, and [watched] a dear congregant and friend of his shot right next to him.

And despite all of this, he has been speaking out about the need for love, the need for growth, the need for marching forward, the need for strength, the need for unity. He has been nothing short of inspirational.

He's really a remarkable man. And I'm a little choked up talking about him, because it's just — I can't see how a person can humanly do what he's been doing.

I want to ask you about the woman who was killed, Lori Gilbert Kaye. What can you tell us about Lori?

The people who know her have said to me, "This is like an angel." A little bit of light has been dimmed from the world because Lori has been taken from us.

So then we have to add light in the world. We have to make up for what she can't do anymore.

We cannot allow terrorists and haters to win. You know, there's a battle here. We've got to win. And the way we're going to do it is through love and adding light and looking for goodness in people.

That's the side of light and hope. But there is the dark side, and I have to ask you one question about that. The alleged shooter did issue some kind of a manifesto that was full of anti-Semitism. And we know that anti-Semitism is on the rise in the United States and around the world. How much does that worry you?

As a leader of a congregation, you have to be mindful of this. But you ... also have to strategically think, "How are we going to beat it?"

First question is, are we going allow this to scare us or intimidate us? And the answer has to be no.

Then, how do you vanquish darkness and ignorance? You vanquish darkness, evil, hate, ignorance by bringing light, love and knowledge.

Now at the same time, we're going to be very vigilant, continue to be very vigilant, and we're going to study what happened. And we will continue to make improvements in security.

We've got to study what's happened in New Zealand, the terrible shooting in the mosque, and what happened in Sri Lanka, ... what happened in Pittsburgh six months ago, what happened two days ago in Poway, California.

We want people to feel when they come to our sanctuary that they're in a sanctuary, a place where they're safe from the the winds of outside.

And we will do that. We will achieve it. And we'll continue to get better and better at it. And we will fight the anti-Semitism and the hatred, the bigotry wherever it leads. And we'll do it by shining a light on it. And it will drive away the darkness. And we will be successful. There's no question we will be successful.

Written by Sarah-Joyce Battersby. Produced by Sarah Jackson. Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.