Ithaca College

Our hearts continue to grieve over the events in Pittsburgh this past Saturday, when eleven Jews were murdered while at Shabbat morning services and six people, including four police officers, were wounded.

We continue to stand in solidarity with Congregation Etz Chaim (Tree of Life), the entire Pittsburgh Jewish community, and all those who are hurting during this time.

We also offer our sincere thanks to the many students, faculty, staff, and Ithaca community members who were present at Sunday’s “Vigil for Pittsburgh.” Hillel is dedicated to continuing to be present for all members of our campus community.

We are available at anytime for students and all members of the Ithaca Community who wish to discuss their feelings and concerns. Hillel’s staff will be holding open drop-in hours inside Muller Chapel’s Phillips Room from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, and our office in the lower level of Muller will be opened the remainder of the week.

The safety and concern of our community remains a top priority. Last week the entire staff of Muller Chapel participated in a learning session with The Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management addressing how to respond in the event of an active shooting incident. The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life is also exploring ways to further increase community safety at Muller Chapel.

We also invite everyone to attend the “Community-Wide Vigil for Tree of Life Congregation” sponsored by Cornell Hillel and the Roitman Chabad Center at 4:30 p.m. The location of the vigil will be in Ho Plaza on Cornell’s campus. Additionally, Hillel will be including a time for remembrance and reflection at our upcoming Shabbat service this Friday at 6 p.m. in Muller.  

We encourage everyone to take care of themselves, their friends and loved ones, and to be in touch if there are any questions or desire to connect.

We are sending love and comfort to all who are in pain.

We are also sending hope and optimism that love will prevail, that our Jewish community and the broader Jewish community will be resilient in the face of fear, and that our bonds of concern and compassion will provide light that prevails over darkness.