Jewish leaders join interfaith vigil for San Diego Mosque victims, call for protection of sacred spaces
JCRC-NY and UJA-Federation join an interfaith vigil mourning victims of the San Diego mosque attack, calling for religious freedom, solidarity and dignity.
Jewish communal leaders, faith leaders, and interfaith partners across New York gathered for a vigil to mourn the victims of the horrific attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, standing in solidarity with Muslim communities and reaffirming the shared right of all Americans to worship without fear.
The vigil was attended by JCRC-NY and UJA-Federation of New York, alongside other religious and community leaders who came together in grief, compassion, and unity.
In a statement, JCRC-NY and UJA-Federation said every American must be able to pray, learn, and gather in community without fear. They described attacks on houses of worship and schools as attacks on the foundations of religious freedom and human dignity in the United States.
“As a Jewish community that has experienced hatred and violence directed at our own sacred spaces, we stand in shared grief and solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters, and in unwavering opposition to religious hatred and intolerance in all its forms,” the statement said.
The gathering reflected a growing interfaith response to violence targeting religious communities. For many Jewish leaders, solidarity with Muslim communities carries particular moral urgency because synagogues, Jewish schools, and Jewish community centers have also faced threats, vandalism, and deadly attacks in recent years.
The vigil also sent a broader civic message: the safety of one faith community cannot be separated from the safety of another. When a mosque, synagogue, church, temple, school, or community center is attacked, the harm extends beyond one group. It weakens the promise of religious liberty and public peace for all.
For New York’s diverse faith communities, the moment calls for more than condemnation. It requires sustained education against hate, stronger protection for vulnerable institutions, deeper interfaith relationships, and community-based efforts that prevent fear from hardening into division.
Standing with Muslim communities after the San Diego attack, JCRC-NY, UJA-Federation, and their interfaith partners strongly affirmed a restorative principle: grief must not isolate communities; it should bring them together in defense of human dignity, sacred life, and the right to worship in peace.
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