LEXINGTON, Ky. — Each day starts with a prayer for Rabbi Shlomo Litvin. He uses Tefillin, which is a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah. 

What You Need To Know

  • Rabbi calls for an end of hatred and antisemitic messages

  • Saturday, four hostages endured an 11-hour standoff in Texas

  • They were released and the suspect was killed

  • The Lexington rabbi says it mean more investment educational resources needs to be a priority

On Monday, he along with many Kentucky Jewish faith leaders say they are devastated and horrified by the events that unfolded at a Texas synagogue Saturday night.

Authorities said four hostages endured an 11-hour standoff before being released and the suspect killed.

Litvin is calling for an end of hatred and antisemitic messages. 

“Saturday night, when I first heard the news, I did the only thing that I could do. I began to pray,” Litvin said.

On Saturday, after Sabbath Litvin processed the updates unfolding in Texas.

“As I thought of the rabbi and his congregants being held at gunpoint in the synagogue I prayed for their freedom,” Litvin said.

That freedom came 11 hours later for the four hostages at the North Texas synagogue.

“The fact is that any expert in hate will tell you, that hate starts with hateful words that leads to hateful assemblies, and finally acts of violence. We as a culture have failed to counter words of hate,” Litvin said.

The Chabad of the Bluegrass rabbi for Lexington and the UK community is calling for an end to antisemitism — listing off a series of recent hate-laced events.

“So my first thoughts was, how do we prevent the next Texas? how do we prevent another city from being added to the list of Pittsburgh and Poway and Texas and Monsey, in Jersey City and Crown Heights? It's exhausting,” Litvin said.

Rabbi Litvin says it begins with rejecting voices of hate.

“This common treatment of sweeping antisemitism under the rug and hoping it goes away, hasn't worked and needs to change. So the first thing we need to do is speak out and that applies to Jews and non-Jews,” Litvin said.

It also means investing heavily in educational resources, not only for young people but the entire community.

“As our communities are desperate to take our COVID masks off. I think it's time to start unmasking other diseases in our community, including that one of hate. And when someone says something that we all know is coded racism, code or antisemitism code or bigotry, call them out ‘what you're saying is wrong’,” Litvin said.

Rabbi Shlomo Litvin says next week is International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022 on Jan. 27.

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