Israeli organizations are stepping up to provide aid to the Squirrel Hill community of Pittsburgh in the aftermath of Saturday’s shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue that killed 11 people.
Israel’s United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit is already on its way to Pittsburgh to provide emotional support to community members and family members who lost loved ones in the shooting.
“We will be utilizing techniques and tools that we have developed here in Israel and have proven to be highly successful in assisting those who have suffered from similar incidents here,” Miriam Ballin, director of United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit, told the Jerusalem Post.
Additionally, the Israeli ZAKA International Unit is helping procure human remains from the scene of the shooting in order to provide them with a proper burial.
“We grieve together with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh and pray for the full and speedy recovery of the wounded,” ZAKA Chairman Yehuda Meshi-Zahav told Israel 21C. “Our volunteers will also work with the community to offer assistance in all matters related to this tragic and horrific attack.”
Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett had told his ministry to provide to the Squirrel Hill community in any way possible and is flying to the community itself, according to the Post.
“We stand together with the Jewish community of Pittsburgh, we stand together with the American people in the face of this horrendous anti-Semitic brutality and we all pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message.
