Police Presence Increased At Neve Shalom In Metuchen

METUCHEN, NJ — Police will increase their presence at Neve Shalom Temple in Metuchen this week, following a deadly attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue over the weekend, Mayor Jonathan Busch said.

Busch said the decision to increase patrols was out of an abundance of caution. Other police departments around the state have made similar security increases.

A multi-faith vigil was held at the temple Sunday night; Gov. Phil Murphy, Rep. Frank Pallone, and several religious leaders were in attendance. Busch shared his remarks online, referencing Pittsburgh Native Mr. Fred Roger's advice to always look for the helpers when "scary things" are in the news.

"Look to your left and right – WE ARE THE HELPERS. We are the ones to stop this. If you see people being singled out, being treated unfairly, if we notice people using hate filled rhetoric, or leaving people out, or mistruths being spoken about them, we need to be able to stick up for one another and stand up as a community to say that this is not acceptable," Busch said. (You can read his full remarks below.)

Two brothers and a husband and wife were among the eight men and three women slain when a gunman opened fire inside a Pittsburgh synagogue Saturday, officials announced. (See related: Pittsburgh Synagogue Victims ID'd; Gunman Wanted All Jews To Die)

Armed with an AR-15 and three Glock handguns, the lone shooter, identified as Robert Bowers, began his rampage Saturday morning at the Tree of Life Congregation, authorities said.

The massacre, likely the deadliest assault on the Jewish community in United States history, rocked the diverse Pittsburgh neighborhood and led alarmed religious leaders to express "grave concern" for the country's Jewish population.

Mayor Jonathan Buch's remarks:

One of Pittsburgh’s most famous residents was the late Fred Rogers, also known to many of us throughout our childhoods as “Mister Rogers.” Mister Rogers said many kind words to people during his years helping children and families through all kinds of issues, but I found this message to be particularly helpful right now:

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers.' You will always find people who are helping.'"

Yesterday, while watching yesterday’s breaking news, my seven year-old looked at the television and was able to read the words: KILLED, WOUNDED, and SYNAGOGUE. He stopped in his tracks and asked, “What happened?” I tried to explain as we watched live footage of SWAT teams descending around Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue and then he asked:

"Why do they want to kill us?"

I struggled with this question as I also imagine that some African American parents did earlier this week when in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, a man committed to killing people in a predominantly black church, walked toward the church, but the doors were locked. So, instead, he walked into a grocery store and killed the first two African American people he saw.

In situations like these, we have a tendency to feel helpless. But not just helpless with respect to senseless murders. Helpless with hateful rhetoric, helpless with racism, helpless with bullying. We are not helpless. To answer our children’s questions, we can find some solace in Mister Rogers’ quote. We have to tell our children to look for the helpers.

Look to your left and right – WE ARE THE HELPERS. We are the ones to stop this. If you see people being singled out, being treated unfairly, if we notice people using hate filled rhetoric, or leaving people out, or mistruths being spoken about them, we need to be able to stick up for one another and stand up as a community to say that this is not acceptable.

Patch's Daniel Hampton contributed to this report

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