By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — The Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colorado, is actively participating in the healing of that city in the wake of a gunman opening fire on Monday, March 22, at the Table Mesa King Soopers supermarket and killing 10 people ranging in age from 20 to 65, including Police Officer Eric Talley, 51, who tried to quell the disturbance.
The others slain were Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Teri Leiker, 51; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; and Jody Waters, 65, it was reported by Jonathan Lev, the JCC’s executive director.
The JCC participated Tuesday night in a virtual gathering of the Jewish Community. Other participants were The Haver: Boulder’s Rabbinic Council, Congregation Bonai Shalom, Congregation Har HaShem, Adventure Judaism, and Congregation Nevei Kodesh
Furthermore, Lev reported, “the Community Foundation Boulder County has established a fund to support the victims, their families, and our community in dealing with and processing these events. The Community Foundation’s partnership with the Colorado Healing Fund ensures that funds will go directly to victims and their families. If you would like your support to go solely to the victims and families that were physically affected by yesterday’s attack, please donate directly. If you would like to support memorial services and the family of Officer Eric Talley, please direct your support to the Colorado Fallen Hero Foundation.”
The alleged shooter, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, was charged with ten counts of first degree murder. The suspect was born in Syria, but had lived for some time in Boulder, where he had gone to school.
Coming just days after another gunman killed eight people in Atlanta, Georgia, including six Asian-Americans, the massacre in Boulder intensified calls for gun safety legislation. Jack Rosen, president of the American Jewish Congress, said the “epidemic of mass sgun violence that has been rampant for years in the United States… must stop.”
“As American Jews, we understand that the weapon used in this mass attack — an AR 15 assault rifle — is also the weapon of choice used in mass attacks against American Jews and other vulnerable communities. An AR=15 was used in the massacre of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, the Chabad of Poway attack and the Jersey City shooting. This and similar weapons present a consistent, direct threat to both our community and the country as a whole. … We strongly urge Congress to pass smart legislation to control the gun violence epidemic that all Americans are facing.”
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Los Angeles, recalled massacres in Las Vegas, Orlando, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, El Paso, Columbine, San Bernardino, Fort Hood, Atlanta and Boulder. In the past, Schiff said, “Congress had the opportunity to take action and to save lives, but again and again, failed to do so. Too many Republicans beholden to the NRA, momentum stalled out far too soon, and far too short of the reforms we need.”
He urged people to “sign my petition demanding the Senate take up and pass the House’s bipartisan gun safety bills immediately. We cannot sit by and do nothing again and let this horrific epidemic of gun violence continue.”
Meanwhile members of San Diego’s congressional delegation announced programming to address anti-Asian hatred in the United States. Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, said the Future Forum — a group of the 50 youngest members of Congress, for which she serves as vice chair — will conduct via Facebook a virtual town hall at 5:30 p.m.. Wednesday, March 24 “on what Congress is doing to address the rising trend of anti-Asian violence in the United States.” She said that San Diego County is home to more than 400,000 members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, likewise held a roundtable discussion with members of the Asian-American community Tuesday, with scheduled participants including Kent Lee, co-chair of the San Diego Asian Pacific Island (API) Coalition; Lauren Garces of the Asian Business Association of San Diego; Joe Garbanzos, AARP’s California State President; JoAnn Fields, Government Relations and Public Affairs Director of the API Initiative and Indroneal Banerjee, president of the AAPI Democratic Club of San Diego.
San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer messaged that the homicides in Atlanta were “the latest in a dangerous increase in hate incidents directed toward our Asian American and Pacific Island communities, as well of women of color.”
“We must stand together,” Lawson-Remer added.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com Names in boldface are those of known members of the Jewish community.