11 hours ago
Baltimore community leaders, residents march as violence continues in Jewish communities
Members of the Baltimore-area Jewish community, elected officials, and their allies marched on Sunday to show support for the victims of more hate crime attacks.
More than 400 people walked along Park Heights Avenue in Pikesville Sunday morning. Meanwhile, a Baltimore group is part of the international campaign "Run 4 Their Lives Baltimore." It continues to march in solidarity with the hostages held in Gaza, which has lasted for more than 18 months.
But this week, hundreds more showed up to honor the victims of the alleged hate crime attack during a Jewish support walk in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1.
The stories behind the walk
On Sunday morning, Rachel Sabath, the inaugural senior Rabbi at Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation, walked and talked about a bracelet she wears that has a special name engraved on it.
"Omri Miran. I met his father shortly after October 7, Danny Miran, just this wonderful, beautiful family of farmers," said Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi.
Sabath said no one has heard from this family friend in more than a year.
"And Omri was dragged away on October 7, dragged away from his wife and his two little girls who were clinging to his legs," Sabath said.
This story is just one reason why supporters, including Sabath, walk each Sunday.
"The fear of an attack against us has not cowered people and has not stopped them from coming out to support the community and the hostages," said Julie August, a co-organizer of 'Run 4 Their Lives Baltimore'.
"Not going to be frightened into silence"
According to organizers, the message behind the walk is twofold, after what the FBI is calling a "targeted act of violence" in Boulder, Colorado, on June 1.
"The Jewish community is not going to be cowardly and is not going to be frightened into silence," said Jay Beirnstein, a co-organizer of "Run 4 Their Lives Baltimore." "And I think the events in Boulder, the attack that occurred this week, reinforced the community's determination to make a statement."
Organizers explained that the recent attack in Colorado hits close to home for many members of Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom and the community around it.
In April, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home was firebombed after a man allegedly broke into his house.
Then last month, two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot and killed outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C on May 21.
"Sarah [Milgrim] and Yaron [Lischinsky] —your own— who were murdered so senselessly outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., the week before," said Sabath. "People in Boulder, Colorado, were set on fire. A Holocaust survivor— a Holocaust survivor set on fire in the United States of America, is so horrific and terrifying, and the only way we can really, truly respond to that is to insist that hate has no place."
An 88-year-old Holocaust survivor was among the victims injured in the attack, CBS News reported.
"The fact that a Holocaust survivor was among those wounded is a sobering reminder of the enduring threat of antisemitism and the urgent need to protect those who have already suffered so much," Maryland Congressman Glenn Ivey said in a statement.
Baltimore Jewish community receives more security
During Sunday's walk, extra security and police were seen lining the streets as the crowds walked.
Elected officials also joined to show their support.
"We show a sense of community solidarity and not be afraid, because that's what these people want us to be," said Julian Jones, the councilman for Baltimore County's 4th District.
"We have to allow there to be a place, a safe place, for people to come together and continue to pray for the hostages," said Sabath.
According to "Run 4 Their Lives Baltimore" organizers, the walk in Pikesville is one of 230 sites around the world that participate in this walk every Sunday.
