New Jersey Community of Conscience Statement on the Jersey City Attack

(The New Jersey Community of Conscience is a project of AJC New Jersey)

 

In October we gathered to launch the New Jersey Community of Conscience (NJ-COC), a state-wide initiative comprised of leaders from various religious, ethnic, civil and social justice communities. As the inaugural members of this group, along with the undersigned members of the Coalition of Religious Leaders of New Jersey, we strongly condemn the horrific violence perpetrated at the Jersey City Kosher Supermarket on December 10. Our prayers go out to those injured and our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, including Jersey City Detective Joseph Seals, Leah Minda Ferencz, Moshe Deutsch, and Miguel Jason Rodriguez.

 

The perpetrators reportedly had antisemitic and anti-police social media posts. This tragic event reminds us that continued vigilance is essential in this time of a disturbing rise in antisemitic and other hate incidents in New Jersey and across the country.

 

We are grateful to the law enforcement officials and New Jersey officials who responded so quickly and are investigating this heinous attack.

 

Hate and bias of any kind cannot be tolerated in New Jersey, or anywhere in our country or our world. An attack on one of our communities is an attack on all communities. We proudly stand together to speak out, and up, for one another.

 

For the New Jersey Community of Conscience (in formation)

(Organizations listed for identification only)

 

 

Adriana Abizadeh

Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund

 

Atiya Aftab

Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom

 

Very Rev. Peter Baktis

Orthodox Church of America

 

Rabbi Philip Bazeley

Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple

 

Rev. Charles F. Boyer

Bethel A.M.E. Church

and Salvation and Social Justice

 

1. Ali Chaudry, Ph.D.

NJ Muslim Jewish Advisory Council
and NJ Interfaith Coalition

 

Christian Fuscarino

Garden State Equality

 

Rev. Rob Gregson

Unitarian Universalist FaithAction NJ

Reverend Jack Johnson
Coalition of Religious Leaders of New Jersey

 

Rabbi David C. Levy

AJC New Jersey

 

Imam Adeyinka Mendes

The Muslim Center of Greater Princeton

 

Pinakin Pathak

Hindu Jewish Coalition

 

Raghu Rao
Hindu Jewish Coalition
and Forum for Religious Freedom

 

Rev. Matthew P. Ristuccia

 

Prema L. Roddam, Esq.

South Asian Bar Association

 

Rev. Louise Scott-Rountree

Office of the Mayor of Newark

 

Philip Sellinger, Esq.

NJ Mulsim Jewish Advisory Council

 

Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer

American Baptist Churches USA

 

President Bradley H. Thatcher

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

 

 

 

For the Coalition of Religious Leaders of New Jersey

 

 

Rev. Timothy Levi Atkins-Jones

Pastor, Mt. Bethany Baptist Ch.

 

Rev. Darrell Armstrong

General Baptist Convention

of NJ

 

1. Rev. Peter A. Baktis

Orthodox Church of America

 

Bishop Tracie Bartholomew

NJ Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

 

Imam Qareeb Bashir

Islamic Council of Greater Trenton

Rev. Dr. Tanya Bennett

Greater NJ Annual Conference, UMC

 

Very Reverend Archimandrite Ambrose Bitziadis-Bowers

Ecumenical Officer, Greek Metropolis of NJ

 

Rev. Charles Boyer

Executive Director Salvation and Social Justice

 

Mr. Marcus Burnett

President, NJ Council of Churches

 

1. Ali Chaudry, Ph.D.

Islamic Society of Basking Ridge

 

The Most Reverend James F. Checchio

Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen

 

Rev. Dr. Harold Delhagen

Presbyterian Synod of the Northeast

 

Joan M. Diefenbach, Esq.

Director, NJ Council of Churches

 

Rev. Leslie Dobbs-Allsopp

Interim Executive of the Elizabeth Presbytery

 

Rabbi Menashe East

Interfaith Council of Morris County

 

Rev. Bolivar Flores

Vice President of the NJ Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers

 

Rabbi Daniel Geretz

Maayan of West Orange

 

Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz

Congregation B’nai Jeshurun

 

Rabbi Arnold Gluck

Temple Beth El

 

Fr. Timoth Graff

Archdiocese of Newark

 

Rabbi Andy Green

Tri-County Board of Rabbis

 

Rev. Rob Gregson

Unitarian Universalist Faith Action

 

Bishop Carlye Hughes

Episcopal Diocese of Newark

 

Rev. Jack Johnson

Coordinator, Coalition of Religious Leaders

 

Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale

Reformed Church of America

 

Mr. James King

NJ Catholic Conference

 

Rabbi David Levy

AJC – NJ Regional Director

 

Rev. Sara Lilja

Director of Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministries

 

Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley

Past President National Council of Churches

 

Rev. Miriam Mendez

Executive Minister American Baptist Churches of NJ

 

Rev. Freeman Palmer

Conference Minister of Central Atlantic Conference, United Church of Christ

 

Rev. Jeanne Radak

Presbytery Leader, Newton Presbytery

 

Rev. Scott Russell

Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer, Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey

 

Bishop John Schol

Greater NJ Conference of the United Methodist Church

 

Rev. Louise Scott-Rountree

Clergy Affairs Manager, Office of the Mayor of Newark

 

Father Guy Selvester

Diocese of Metuchen

 

Rabbi Alan Silverstein

Rabbinical Assembly

 

Ms. Harinder Singh

Sikh Research Institute

 

Reverend Barbara Smith

Executive Presbyter, Newark Presbytery

 

 

Bishop William Stokes

Episcopal Diocese of NJ

 

Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan

Diocese of Camden

 

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R.

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Newark

 

Rev. Bob Tomlinson

New Brunswick Presbyter

 

Rabbi David Z. Vaisberg

Senior Rabbi, Temple B’Nai Abraham