By Chris Jennewein
Times of San Diego
SAN DIEGO — Poway of Chabad Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was injured during Saturday’s anti-Semitic attack, appeared with President Trump in Washington Thursday at the National Day of Prayer.
“My life has changed forever, but it changed so I could make change,” Goldstein said at the White House. “If something good could come out of this terrible, terrible, horrific event, let us bring back a moment of silence to our public school system.”
Also appearing with Trump at the event were Army veteran Oscar Stewart and Border Patrol Agent Jonathan Morales, members of the congregation who helped disrupt the attack that killed Lori Gilbert Kaye and injured Goldstein and two other people.
After being wounded in the shooting at the Chabad of Poway, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein wrapped his bloodied hand in a prayer shawl, stood on a chair, and addressed the congregation: “We are a Jewish nation that will stand tall. We will not let anyone take us down.”
Trump extended the invitation to Goldstein earlier this week as the two spoke in the aftermath of the shooting, during which Goldstein lost his right index finger. Goldstein told MSNBC Monday that Trump spoke to him “like a friend, like a buddy.”
“He was just exceedingly kind and sensitive,” Goldstein said. “We spoke for close to 15 minutes. I thought to myself, for the president of the United States of America to take time out of his day to talk to me about the issues at hand is absolutely incredible and admirable.”
Before departing for the capital Wednesday morning, Goldstein met with Jason Greenblatt, Trump’s advisor on Israel, who called the rabbi “a pillar of strength.” Since the shooting, Goldstein has called for the greater Jewish community to show solidarity with the victims and show strength in the face of bigotry and anti-Semitism.
“This Friday night go to your synagogue,” Goldstein said during a news conference Sunday. “We need to fill up this room. We need to show them that terrorism, evil, will never prevail.”
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Jennewein is editor and publisher of Times of San Diego, which shares stories with San Diego Jewish World under the aegis of the San Diego Online News Association