Jewish community leaders joined Muslim officials in Christchurch on Wednesday, to hand over 1.1 million dollars raised for the victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks.
The Jewish community has asked that some of the donated money is used for interfaith activities to foster a greater connection between the Jewish and Muslim communities.
“Our faith has a shared Abrahamic tradition and Jews and Muslims have both suffered persecution and racism historically, and unfortunately still do today,’’ says Stephen Goodman of the New Zealand Jewish Council.
“The Jewish community, both in New Zealand and overseas, wanted the victims of the mosque attacks to know that we see them, we empathise with them, and we support them.’’
A great proportion of the money donated was raised by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh in the United States of America, who lost 11 members of their community in a deadly synagogue shooting in October last year.
The New South Wales Jewish community also donated money, along with the American Jewish Committee and the New Zealand Jewish community.
The money has been pooled together to form the Abrahamic Fund.
It will be used mainly for counselling and support services, medical treatment, financial planning services, education and vocational training for the victims of the mosque shootings and their families.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the Christchurch massacre and we extend our hand in friendship in calling for an end to racism, an end to anti-semitism, an end of Islamophobia, and an end to bigotry in all its forms,’’ said visiting New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies Chief Executive Vic Alhadeff.
Ibrar Sheikh, from the Federation of the Islamic Associations NZ (FIANZ), says the Muslim community is very grateful for the support shown by the global Jewish community.
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