Nephew of rabbi shot at California synagogue prays with students at Drexel's Chabad
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- On Sunday, the rabbi injured in an attack on his synagogue in Southern California spoke about the terrifying shooting one day earlier.
That rabbi's nephew is the co-director of the Drexel Chabad House.
On Sunday evening, students prayed at Drexel Chabad on Baring Street, one day after a deadly shooting at Chabad Poway in Southern California.
Student Rudi Weinberg was at Drexel Chabad when news of the shooting broke.
"It was right after Passover ended. People had their phones and saw the news reports," said Weinberg.
The violence hit especially hard here at Drexel Chabad. Rabbi Chaim Goldstein is the nephew of Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was shot and injured during Shabbat service.
Chaim Goldstein is also the co-director of Drexel Chabad. He spoke about his uncle on Sunday.
"I know him just as a beacon of light and always pumping goodness and positivity, which is incredible after being attacked like that."
Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein spoke one day after losing his index finger in the shooting.
"Here is a young man standing with a rifle. Pointing right at me. And I look at him. He had sunglasses on. I couldn't see his eyes. I couldn't see his soul," he said.
Goldstein said he ran into the banquet hall where several children were playing.
"My granddaughter, four-and-a-half years old, sees her grandpa with a bleeding hand and she sees me screaming and shouting, 'Get out! Get out!' She didn't deserve to see her grandfather like this," he said.
Back at Drexel, Rabbi Chaim Goldstein and his wife, Moussia, are encouraging students to perform good deeds and acts of charity in light of the recent attacks.
"It's just a beautiful thing to see with students, even though it does hit home, and especially for us being our family, it's even more important to say, this has happened but we're going to show the world that love is stronger than hate," said Moussia Goldstein.
Drexel student Elan Itschakov said, "Even through hardships and horrible events that occur that we can still come together and regardless of anything we can come together to pray and really bring light into that darkness."
The Drexel students say they are in the process of planning a MEGA Shabbat dinner for May 31. They are hoping hundreds of people will come together to pray and eat. Especially after recent events, they hope to see some new faces there.
