Pittsburgh paper puts Jewish mourners’ prayer on front page to honor synagogue shooting victims

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette put the opening words of the Kaddish, a traditional Jewish mourners’ prayer, on the front page of its newspaper on Friday to honor the victims of the synagogue shooting.

“Magnified and sanctified by Your name,” the headline reads in Hebrew.

“Magnified and sanctified be Your name”

These are the first words of the Jewish mourners’ prayer, which will be recited tonight on the first Sabbath since the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting. pic.twitter.com/LJPsKdlWRQ

— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (@PittsburghPG) November 2, 2018

Friday evening marks the first Shabbat service since a gunman opened fire inside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood on Saturday, killing 11 people and injuring several others.{mosads}

Robert Gregory Bowers, the suspected shooter, pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday. He has been indicted on 44 federal counts related to the attack, including hate crime charges. The attack is believed to be the deadliest attack against Jewish people in U.S. history, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

The gunman reportedly yelled “all Jews must die” as he stormed the synagogue and gunned down those gathered to worship last Saturday.

The newspaper on Monday printed the names of the victims on the front page.

On today’s frontpage, we remember the 11 victims of the Squirrel Hill synagogue massacre.

Learn more about the victims here: https://t.co/dze646cy20 pic.twitter.com/FiJyn18Wmc

— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (@PittsburghPG) October 29, 2018

Friday is also the day the final funeral services for the victims will be held, the newspaper reported.

More than a dozen Jewish newspapers in the U.S. signed on to an emotional joint editorial condemning anti-Semitism in the wake of the shooting.

“For many Jews, the United States has long held a unique role in our collective imagination,” the editorial reads.

“But after the horrific attack this past Shabbat at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, in which 11 of our brothers and sisters were brutally murdered, we can’t help but be shaken and concerned for the America we have come to know and love,” it continues.

Anti-Semitic incidents and sentiment have been increasing steadily for the past decade, according to data collected by the ADL.

There was reportedly a 57 percent uptick in anti-Semitic incidents in 2017.