NEWS: 130+ Members of Pittsburgh Jewish Community Send Open Letter Calling for Admin, Congress to Facilitate Ceasefire, Thank Summer Lee for Leadership to Save Lives and Return Hostages

Nov 20, 2023

**For Immediate Release**

Monday 11/20, 2023

Contact: Emilia.Rowland@mail.house.gov | 330.212.2065

NEWS: 130+ members of Pittsburgh Jewish Community Send Open Letter Calling for Admin, Congress to Facilitate Ceasefire, Thank Summer Lee for Leadership to Save Lives and Return Hostages

Pittsburgh, PA – Today over 130 members of the Pittsburgh Jewish Community released an open letter calling for the Biden administration and Congress to “immediately call for and facilitate de-escalation and a ceasefire to save lives” and thanking Congresswoman Summer Lee (D-PA-12) for her leadership in this moment of immense pain and fear.

Click here for a link to the letter which will be updated regularly with new signatories. Signers interested in talking with press are available for interviews by request to PittsburghJewishCommunity@gmail.com.

The letter reads:

We are Jewish community members from across Pittsburgh who are devastated by the rapidly escalating violence across Israel and Palestine. We urge the Biden administration to immediately call for and facilitate de-escalation and a ceasefire to save lives.

We are in ongoing grief and fear for Palestinians living and dying under suffocating Israeli siege and bombardment. We are still in mourning for Israelis killed on October 7 and civilians taken hostage. We condemn the indiscriminate killing of civilians, and we long for a world in which there will be no more grieving families.

As we enter the second month of the Israeli government’s deadly airstrikes and brutal siege, the number of Palestinians killed has passed 10,000 including over 4,300 children with countless more trapped and buried under rubble. Over 240 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza — and every day the airstrikes continue putting their lives and safe return at greater risk.

We are grateful that our representative, Congresswoman Summer Lee, has been leading the calls in Congress for a ceasefire and the safe return of hostages, and that she was recently joined in these calls by Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon. We call on the full Pennsylvania delegation to join her in these efforts, and for the Biden administration to heed to calls of the American people who overwhelmingly want to see a ceasefire now and a future without occupation or blockade, in which all Palestinians and all Israelis live with safety, equal rights and freedom.

Lauren Berry-Kagan
Symone Saul
Samuel Weiner
Allie Levin
Kenneth Mostern
Marijke Hechr
Adona Losif
Michael Bazan
Bella M
Callie Wrenn
Jules M
Kyle
Leykn Schmatz
Anya
Gloria
Mariana
Dana Duncombe
Ruby Frazier
Charlie Baron
Eric Lipsky
Juliet Phillips
O.E. Zelmanovich
Emilio Moline
Alyssa Freedman
Dade Lemanski
L. Stern
Reuy Miller
Rachel Reed
Adrian M
Jodi Hirsh
Elijah
Jordana Rosenfeld
Jess
Ian Lipsky
Lily Wasserman
Sarah E. Scherk
Max Applbaum
Naomi
Honey
Rachel Greene
Pamela Harbin
Katy
Will
Leora
Marcy
Beth Scondel
Evie Damon
Mk Davis
Jimmy Coblin
Taylor Wainwright
Yael Engel
Sam Wasserman
Benjamin Case
Olivia Tucker
Harriet
Ruth Mostern
Ami Furgang
Kaley
Anonymous Rabbi
Avigail
Harry Hochheiser
Camille Interligi
Aden Halpern
Judith
Allyson Gluckman
Robert
HeatherMaggie
Mandy Simons
Katharyn Gaslowitz
Samuel
Dafna
Reed Callan
Daniel
Asma Miryam
Annie Dunn
Matt Pascal
Zachary Michaels
Marcie
Jenni Walkuo Jayes
Ru Emmons
Abbey
Tahel Axel
Samuel Gespass
Taly
David Goldstein
Keshira haLev
Lucia Goubert
Eva Resnick-Day
Gab
Em Duhamel
Devon Cohen
Caroline Sefcik
Alexandra Weiner
Josh Stein
Terry
Dinnie Goldring
Alexandra Korshin
Daniel
Liz Lynch
Hana
Gabriel
Miriam
Sarah Sindler
Molly
Kovi
Talya Lubit
Emily Forney
Theron Gilliand, Jr.
Anna
Daniel Stock
Donna Coufal
Joe Coufal
Sarah
Noah
Rachel Fishback
Keila
Tatiana
John
Avocet
Anonymous Signer
Emma K
Eric
Tim Fife
Kenneth Boas
Julianne
Jenny Bazan
Madelyn Rice
Marta Pelusi
Cole
Aaron Kuhn
Gregory
Rosabel Kurth
Eileen Yacknin
Sarah Cummings
Arthur T
Anonymous Signer
Anonymous Signer
Sunshine
Samara

** Note: Redacted names/last names reflect a request for anonymity and are available upon request for verification purposes only. Signers interested in talking with press are available for interviews by request to PittsburghJewishCommunity@gmail.com

As of the 19th, 40 members of Congress have called for a ceasefire including 4 Jewish members of Congress – click here to view a full list. Several members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community have written moving op-eds on their calls for ceasefire to protect innocent Palestinians and safely return Israeli hostages.

Lee recently joined a press conference with over two dozen Rabbis calling for ceasefire after 750 North American Rabbis and Cantors across the country called for a ceasefire and 80 rabbis released a video calling for a ceasefire. This also comes one week after Rep. Lee joined a press conference with veterans of the post-9/11 wars who, informed by their experiences, called for a ceasefire the day before Veterans’ Day.

Last week, an Israeli-American dual citizen from Pittsburgh wrote an op-ed for the Pittsburgh Tribune in which she wrote, “Being pro-Israel means demanding an end to the horrors that are currently being perpetrated against the people of Gaza. Being pro-Israel means calling on Israel to act within the bounds of justice and law, to seek true solutions, to end war and not to perpetuate it. It is time for Americans, too, to learn a new way of being pro-Israel.”

Since the horrific October 7th attack by Hamas, Lee has co-sponsored a resolution condemning Hamas and demanding the release of Israeli civilians, co-authored a letter to the State Department to demand an urgent briefing on the safety of civilians, the efforts to release the hostages, and the status of American citizens in Israel and Palestine, and cosponsored the Ceasefire Now Resolution to protect innocent Palestinian civilians and preserve the lives of Israeli hostages.

Lee has also worked with State Department to help multiple constituents seeking safe departure from Israel and Gaza.

Lee is simultaneously focused on combating rising antisemitism and islamophobia at home. After reports of antisemitic property damage in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park, Lee met community in the neighborhood as well as city officials discussing action to stop these unacceptable incidences of antisemitic vandalism ensure all constituents feel safe and protected.

Monday, November 20, 2023

Contact: PittsburghJewishCommunity@gmail.com

RELEASE: 130+ Pittsburgh Jews for Ceasefire Send Open Letter Calling for Admin to Facilitate De-Escalation, Thank Summer Lee for Leadership to Save Lives and Return Hostages

PITTSBURGH — More than 130 Pittsburgh Jews today released an open letter calling for the Biden administration and Congress to “immediately call for and facilitate de-escalation and a ceasefire to save lives” and thanking Congresswoman Summer Lee for her leadership in this moment of immense pain and fear. Below you can find a link to the letter which will be updated with new signatories:

Link to letter: medium.com/@pittsburghjewishcommunity/pittsburgh-jews-say-ceasefire-now-4ddab71e11e5

** Note: Redacted names/last names reflect a request for anonymity and are available upon request for verification purposes only.

Signers interested in talking with press are available for interviews by request to PittsburghJewishCommunity@gmail.com

Pittsburgh Jews for Ceasefire

In Solidarity,

Pittsburgh Jews For Ceasefire

NEWS: 130+ Members of Pittsburgh Jewish Community Send Open Letter Calling for Admin, Congress to Facilitate Ceasefire, Thank Summer Lee for Leadership to Save Lives and Return Hostages

RELEASE: 130+ Pittsburgh Jews for Ceasefire Send Open Letter Calling for Admin to Facilitate De-Escalation, Thank Summer Lee for Leadership to Save Lives and Return Hostages

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