NJ Community of Conscience condemns attack in Jersey City
AJC NEW JERSEY launched in October the New Jersey Community of Conscience (NJ-COC), a state-wide initiative comprised of leaders from various religious, ethnic, civil, and social justice communities. The group was created to serve as responders when any one of our communities is targeted by hate or bias.
The inaugural members of the NJ-COC, along with the undersigned members of the Coalition of Religious Leaders of New Jersey, strongly condemn the horrific violence perpetrated at the Jersey City Kosher Supermarket on Dec. 10. Our prayers go out to those injured and our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, including Jersey City Detective Joseph Seals, Leah Minda Ferencz, Moshe Deutsch, and Miguel Jason Rodriguez.
This tragic event reminds us that continued vigilance is essential in this time of a disturbing rise in anti-Semitic and other hate incidents in New Jersey and across the country.
We are grateful to law enforcement and elected officials who responded so quickly and are investigating this heinous attack.
Hate and bias of any kind cannot be tolerated in New Jersey, or anywhere in our country or world. An attack on one of our communities is an attack on all communities. We proudly stand together to speak out, and up, for one another.
Leaders interested in joining the Community of Conscience should contact
AJC New Jersey Director Rabbi David C. Levy at levyd@ajc.org.
New Jersey Community of Conscience members (in formation)
Adriana Abizadeh
Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Atiya Aftab
Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom
Very Rev. Peter Baktis
Orthodox Church of America
Rabbi Philip Bazeley
Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, New Brunswick
Rev. Charles F. Boyer
Bethel A.M.E. Church and Salvation and Social Justice
M. Ali Chaudry, Ph.D.
NJ Muslim Jewish Advisory Council and NJ Interfaith Coalition
Christian Fuscarino
Garden State Equality
Rev. Rob Gregson
Unitarian Universalist FaithAction NJ
Reverend Jack Johnson
Coalition of Religious Leaders of New Jersey
Rabbi David C. Levy
AJC New Jersey
Imam Adeyinka Mendes
The Muslim Center of Greater Princeton
Pinakin Pathak
Hindu Jewish Coalition
Raghu Rao
Hindu Jewish Coalition and Forum for Religious Freedom
Rev. Matthew P. Ristuccia
Prema L. Roddam, Esq.
South Asian Bar Association
Rev. Louise Scott-Rountree
Office of the Mayor of Newark
Philip Sellinger, Esq.
NJ Muslim Jewish Advisory Council
Rev. Dr. Lee B. Spitzer
American Baptist Churches USA
President Bradley H. Thatcher
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Coalition of Religious Leaders of New Jersey
Rev. Timothy Levi Adkins-Jones
Pastor, Bethany Baptist Church
Rev. Darrell Armstrong
General Baptist Convention of NJ
V. Rev. Peter A. Baktis
Orthodox Church of America
Bishop Tracie Bartholomew
NJ Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Imam Qareeb Bashir
Islamic Council of Greater Trenton
Rev. Dr. Tanya Bennett
Greater NJ Annual Conference, UMC
Very Reverend Archimandrite Ambrose Bitziadis-Bowers
Ecumenical Officer, Greek Metropolis of NJ
Rev. Charles Boyer
Executive Director, Salvation and Social Justice
Mr. Marcus Burnett
President, NJ Council of Churches
M. Ali Chaudry, Ph.D.
Islamic Society of Basking Ridge
The Most Reverend James F. Checchio
Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen
Rev. Dr. Harold Delhagen
Presbyterian Synod of the Northeast
Joan M. Diefenbach, Esq.
Director, NJ Council of Churches
Rev. Leslie Dobbs-Allsopp
Interim Executive of the Elizabeth Presbytery
Rabbi Menashe East
Interfaith Council of Morris County
Rev. Bolivar Flores
Vice President of the NJ Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers
Rabbi Daniel Geretz
Maayan of West Orange
Rabbi Matthew Gewirtz
Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, Short Hills
Rabbi Arnold Gluck
Temple Beth El, Hillsborough
Fr. Timothy Graff
Archdiocese of Newark
Rabbi Andy Green
Tri-County Board of Rabbis
Rev. Rob Gregson
Unitarian Universalist Faith Action
Bishop Carlye Hughes
Episcopal Diocese of Newark
Rev. Jack Johnson
Coordinator, Coalition of Religious Leaders
Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale
Reformed Church of America
Mr. James King
NJ Catholic Conference
Rabbi David C. Levy
Director, AJC New Jersey
Rev. Sara Lilja
Director of Lutheran Office of Governmental Ministries
Rev. Dr. A. Roy Medley
Past President, National Council of Churches
Rev. Miriam Mendez
Executive Minister, American Baptist Churches of NJ
Rev. Freeman Palmer
Conference Minister of Central Atlantic Conference,
United Church of Christ
Rev. Jeanne Radak
Presbytery Leader, Newton Presbytery
Rev. Scott Russell
Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer, Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
Bishop John Schol
Greater NJ Conference of the United Methodist Church
Rev. Louise Scott-Rountree
Clergy Affairs Manager, Office of the Mayor of Newark
Father Guy Selvester
Diocese of Metuchen
Rabbi Alan Silverstein
Rabbinical Assembly
Ms. Harinder Singh
Sikh Research Institute
Reverend Barbara Smith
Executive Presbyter, Newark Presbytery
Bishop William Stokes
Episcopal Diocese of NJ
Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan
Diocese of Camden
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C. Ss. R.
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Newark
Rev. Bob Tomlinson
New Brunswick Presbyter
Rabbi David Z. Vaisberg
Temple B’nai Abraham, Livingston