Statement Condemning Attacks in Orlando

June 12, 2016 - The Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara joins together with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) in expressing our outrage at the horrific shootings at the Pulse Night Club, whose clientele is the LGBTQ community in Orlando.

"This is an act of terrorism and a mass hate crime," stated David Bernstein, JCPA's President and CEO. "We offer our heartfelt condolences to all of the families who were affected and wish a full recovery to all those injured."

"We know that the authorities will do everything in their power to establish the motives behind these crimes and spare no effort in bringing to justice all the responsible parties," stated Mr. Bernstein. "We urge the citizens of the United States to stand together neighbor to neighbor against hate crimes, terrorism, and intolerance."

JCPA, the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community, serves as the national coordinating and advisory body for the 16 national and 125 local agencies comprising the field of Jewish community relations.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara is dedicated to building a vibrant and inclusive local Jewish community, to enhancing the well being of Jews in Santa Barbara, Israel and throughout the world, and to strengthening the relationship between the Jewish community and the community at large.