Summer in Minnesota began with unspeakable violence: the murder of Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, the attempted assassination of Senator John Hoffman, his wife Yvette, and several other elected officials. It is ending with yet another tragedy – this time, comforting our Catholic brothers and sisters in the wake of the murderous rampage on Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis that can only be described as evil.
As Jewish community leaders, we write to ask our partners and colleagues to consider the impact of headlines and social media posts that center the gunman’s antisemitism. These narratives, even if well-intentioned, risk overshadowing the grief and trauma most directly impacting our Catholic neighbors.
The Twin Cities may be home to millions, but our Jewish community feels only a degree or two removed from the families whose children attend Annunciation. Even for those without direct connections, so many of us have deep ties – personal, professional, and institutional – to Minnesota’s vibrant Catholic community.
And yet, as strong as those connections are, we know this tragedy is not about us.
To state the obvious: yes, we are aware that the shooter expressed antisemitic and antizionist views, documented in a chilling video he recorded before carrying out the attack. But those same weapons also bore anti-Christian, anti-Muslim, anti-Hispanic, and anti-government messages. As strong reporting by Walker Orenstein and Deena Winter in the Minnesota Star Tribune shows, the gunman’s obsession seemed less with any single group and more with mass violence itself, particularly school shootings.
Our JCRC, like Jewish Community Relations Councils nationwide, prioritizes building relationships with the vast majority of our neighbors who are not Jewish. While we have sometimes felt disappointment since October 7, when support and understanding from many fell short, Minnesota’s Catholic community has been a steadfast ally.
At this moment – when victims are still fighting for their lives, and the murdered children have not yet been laid to rest – we owe our Catholic brothers and sisters the same respect and solidarity they have consistently shown us.
That is why we ask our national partners to be mindful not to frame this tragedy as primarily about Jews or antisemitism. This is not to dismiss those elements, but to recognize that empathy and solidarity must come first. At TC Jewfolk, we ask ourselves whether the “Jewish angle” to a story adds depth or distracts from our broader responsibility to be good neighbors. We are not focused on pageviews, clicks, or attention, but on the humans who live and work and raise families in our own community. Our coverage of yesterday’s mass shooting reflected that approach: we highlighted statements of grief and support from Jewish institutions to our Catholic friends, and shared information about vigils organized by Catholic leaders.
The danger of leading with the Jewish angle too quickly is that it risks diminishing the seriousness of antisemitism when it is central. If everything is about antisemitism, then soon, at least in the public’s eyes, nothing is.
There will be time to engage in the connections between antisemitism and other forms of hatred. But that is not the primary story for today. The story that matters right now is empathy, solidarity, and grief with those most directly harmed.
As Jewish leaders, we know what it feels like to have our own tragedies universalized, our grief quickly reframed to serve other causes. We ask, as kindly and firmly as we can, that others not do the same now. Please approach this act of horrific evil inflicted upon our friends and neighbors at Annunciation, as we would want others to approach our community, with respect, compassion, and the patience to center the pain of those most affected.
Libby Parker is the Executive Director of Jewfolk, Inc. Ethan Roberts is the Deputy Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.
Thank you.