As the nation offers its thoughts and prayers to members of the Pittsburgh synagogue that became the latest target of a hateful soul, a group of young Aurora Christians gave their hearts to those of the Jewish faith.
If you follow the news even a bit, chances are you’ve seen them — brightly decorated hearts at the center of wooden memorials, bearing the words from Psalm 34: “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
That was the same scripture passage spoken by Vice President Mike Pence in the days following the Saturday massacre that left 11 dead as they worshipped at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue.
When Aurora carpenter Greg Zanis, nationally known for his Crosses for Losses Foundation that brings wooden memorials to the sites of our country’s mass shootings, heard about the Pittsburgh tragedy, he admitted feeling conflicted about whether he should travel there.
Yes, he’d put Stars of David on a number of crosses for Jewish victims in previous shootings, including five students slain at a high school in Parkland, Florida, a year ago. But “I did not know how my presence would be taken” when none none of the victims were Christians.
Then the calls started coming in, as did a few hundred dollars in donations that would allow him to make the spur-of-the-moment 500-mile trip to Pittsburgh and back.
“You need to go,” urged the Rev. Dan Haas, co-founder of the Aurora Prayer Coalition for Reconciliation, who works alongside Zanis in this nonprofit foundation.
And so, just before midnight on the same day as the shootings, Zanis loaded his truck with 11 of his now familiar crosses, as well as 11 Stars of David he carved that afternoon and planned to attach as soon as he arrived in Pennsylvania. Then, just before he left around midnight, Covenant Christian School Principal Phil Lundquist brought over a pile of decorated hearts, made of brightly colored tissue paper and similar to the ones the students from this small private school in Aurora had created for the anniversary crosses Zanis took to Las Vegas in October in remembrance of the mass shooting there in 2017.
“It’s so encouraging to see how even normal school kids can make a difference at times like this,” said Lundquist. “We feel so blessed to be even a little part of what Greg is trying to do … knowing how these words of Scripture speak to them and bring such comfort.”
As it turned out, those decorated hearts at the center of the stars — with the children’s personal words of condolences etched on the back — have been prominently displayed in the robust media coverage of this massacre. That’s because, in large part, these wooden memorials were placed directly in front of the synagogue and directly across from the media’s assigned section.
Lundquist said students and parents alike were excited to see their handiwork on TV and in newspaper photos, including when President Donald Trump and his family visited the sobering line of memorials outside the synagogue, solemnly placing stones and white roses, a Jewish tradition, near those decorated hearts.
The president’s visit to the crosses was a surprise to Zanis, who said he began crying as he watched it live on TV Wednesday. While he was “so honored that someone cared enough,” the carpenter, well aware of the controversy surrounding this visit, was also appreciative Trump, “who can be a troublemaker acted like a peacemaker, respectful and solemn, in front of the stars.”
The only resistance Zanis met, he told me on Wednesday, was when he first arrived in his white truck with the “Crosses for Losses” logo, and was questioned by a couple of onlookers who wanted to know if he realized all the victims were Jewish.
After those near the massacre site — including officials and family — saw what he was carrying, Zanis said he saw nothing but tears and appreciation.
He did, however, know this visit required a different approach: Because he wanted to keep as low a profile as possible, Zanis arranged for family members only to place the crosses close to the synagogue and behind the police line. And unlike previous visits to the sites of mass shootings, the Aurora man did not organize any prayer vigils.
“Often as Christians, whether subliminally or not, we are taught to be bigots,” Zanis said, admitting he knew little about the Jewish community.
“I was scared to death, to tell you the truth,” Zanis added. “I wanted to make sure I did nothing that would offend anyone.”
He obviously succeeded. In addition to the warm reception he received from family and officials there, back in his hometown, Rabbi Edward Friedman of Temple B’Nail Israrel in Aurora invited Zanis to attend the 7:30 p.m. service on Friday so his mission of love can be recognized by a grateful congregation.
He also asked the carpenter to bring a Star of David cross bearing the names of the 11 Pittsburgh victims.
Friedman, who had been out of town until mid-week, said the regular Friday service has turned into “somewhat of an event” after hearing from so many people from other faiths, including members of the mosque in Plainfield, who want to attend to show their support for a grieving community.
Margaret Frisch Klein, rabbi with Congregation Kneseth Israel Synagogue in Elgin, has also experienced “a tremendous outpouring” from local groups, not unlike what is happening nationwide.
While she and Friedman say they have not experienced alarming amounts of anti-Semitism in the Fox Valley, when it does rear its ugly head, compassionate hearts have always been there to offset the hatred.
“When you are building deep relationships,” said Klein, “the bad is less likely” to occur.
Still, Klein admits, the kind of hatred that led one man to such extreme violence “is not new at all.” And when I asked if she always lives with the fear of it, the rabbi took a considerable pause before answering.
“No,” she finally noted, then paused again before adding, “but, we live with the knowledge hate is real, fear is real and it is what drives hate. It only takes one kook anywhere at any time or any place to go over the edge.
“And so we compartmentalize that knowledge … it is how we get through the day because you cannot cower in fear.”
Both rabbis agree that, while it’s only natural to lament the breakdown of civility and rise of hate in our country, focusing more on how our nation — and indeed our own communities — come together during these hurtful times can go a long way in restoring our faith in mankind.
There have been plenty of wonderful stories coming out of this horrible crime, as you likely know.
Lundquist admits most of the students in his Christian school have little knowledge about the Jewish religion. But his hope is that a “valuable lesson” will come from their role in decorating these memorial hearts, a lesson that will stay with them as they grow into young adults and future leaders.
Not only do both Christians and Jews recognize Psalm 34 and the Old Testament, he pointed out, “so much of our faith is based on Jewish tradition.”
Looking at those 11 heart-centered memorials in front of the synagogue, Zanis said he couldn’t help but notice that, from the back, they looked identical to the ones he had carved for so many slain Christians.
It was a sight that made him even more glad he took that drive to Pittsburgh.
No matter what our faith, Zanis noted, “we really are more alike than we are different.”
