Biden marks the anniversary of the Pittsburgh synagogue attack that left 11 people dead

President Joe Biden on Sunday marked the sixth anniversary of a gunman’s deadly attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh, citing what he called a “terrible wave of anti-Semitism” during the war in Gaza.

The 2018 attack claimed the lives of 11 worshipers from the Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life congregations, who shared space at the synagogue in Squirrel Hill, the heart of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. Two worshipers and five responding police officers were also injured in the attack, the deadliest act of anti-Semitism in American history.

Biden said in a statement that the attack “shattered families, pierced the heart of the Jewish community and struck the soul of our nation.” But he said that in the years since, the Jewish community has also “shown the country how to courageously turn pain into purpose” by “launching a global initiative to counter hate and hate-fueled violence.”

Biden noted that the anniversary of the Pittsburgh synagogue attack comes weeks after the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack in Israel “in which Hamas killed more than 1,200 people, took another 250 hostage and committed horrific acts of sexual assault.”

He said the trauma and losses of October 7 are compounded by “the terrible wave of anti-Semitism against Jews in America and around the world.”

The attack sparked a war between Israel and the militant group Hamas and has resulted in widespread destruction and civilian deaths in Gaza.

Biden said his administration was implementing a national strategy to counter anti-Semitism, including securing $1.2 billion for security at nonprofits such as synagogues, Jewish community centers and day schools. He also referred to the Justice Department’s investigation and prosecution of anti-Semitic hate crimes, saying his administration had “notified colleges that anti-Semitism is discrimination” and was prohibited under civil rights protection laws.

Vice President Kamala Harris also cited a rise in anti-Semitism in a statement marking the anniversary of the Pittsburgh attack.

“I will always work to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish people in the United States and around the world, and I will always denounce anti-Semitism wherever and whenever we see it,” she said.

The Pittsburgh attacker was sentenced to death last year after being convicted of 63 charges, including hate crimes resulting in death.

In June, ground was broken for a new complex on the Pittsburgh site that would include a cultural center, shrine, educational center and museum, along with a memorial to slain worshipers from three congregations.