Tree Of Life Rabbi Says 'Hate Speech' Fueled By Politicians Led To Synagogue Massacre

Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers delivered a poignant sermon on Saturday in which he blamed politicians for a rise in hate speech across the country a troubling trend that he said led to the recent massacre at his synagogue in Pittsburgh, CNN reported .

Myers shared his message with three Tree of Life congregations that came together to attend the synagogues first Shabbat services since the mass shooting. The rabbi said he had shared the same message with Donald Trump when he met with the president in Pittsburgh last week.

I said to him, Mr. President, hate speech leads to hateful actions. Hate speech leads to what happened in my sanctuary... I witnessed it with my eyes, Myers said.

Eleven people were killed on the morning of Oct. 27 when a gunman entered the synagogue as Shabbat services were just getting underway. The gunman reportedly shouted All Jews must die! before opening fire in different areas of the building.

It seemed like a typical morning, Myers recalled in an ABC News interview . The usuals were there. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary in any way, shape or form. Im not hyper-vigilant but youre always looking to see, all right, is there something out of place? Ive just been over the years readily trained to do that. But all seemed good. All was ready.

Myers said that he and a dozen congregants were just beginning service in the sanctuary upstairs when the first rounds of gunfire were heard. The rabbi managed to evacuate some people out of a side door but eight congregants remained behind.

One of them was wounded. Thank God, she will survive her injuries, Myers said. The remaining seven people were killed.

.@realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS with Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, lay a stone and flower for each of the 11 victims at the memorial outside the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA. pic.twitter.com/bIyZO8Zslb

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.@realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS with Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, lay a stone and flower for each of the 11 victims at the memorial outside the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA. pic.twitter.com/bIyZO8Zslb
Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) October 30, 2018

The alleged shooter, Robert Bowers, had posted anti-Semitic tirades on social media. He was arrested at the synagogue after being wounded by police who responded to the shootings.

Myers was criticized by some for meeting with Trump during the presidents controversial visit to Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The rabbi said hed received death threats for saying Trump was welcome at the synagogue. Following the get-together, Myers said he was pleasantly surprised to discover a warm and personal side to Trump.

In his sermon on Saturday, Myers said hed drawn on lessons from Jewish tradition in welcoming the president to Pittsburgh, CNN reported.

And though he called out politicians generally for fueling hateful rhetoric in the U.S., Myers stressed that he does not foist blame on Trump or any one person for the mass shooting.

Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers on President Trump's Pittsburgh visit: I was pleasantly surprised by a warm and personal side to the President that I dont think America has ever seen pic.twitter.com/Jzpk3J1KBS

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Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers on President Trump's Pittsburgh visit: I was pleasantly surprised by a warm and personal side to the President that I dont think America has ever seen pic.twitter.com/Jzpk3J1KBS
CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) November 1, 2018

Myers, who wore a rainbow-colored prayer shawl during his Saturday sermon, has been appealing to politicians to tone down their inflammatory rhetoric in the aftermath of the synagogue tragedy.

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Weve got to stop hate and it cant just be to say we need to stop hate. We need... to tone down rhetoric. Hate is not welcome here in Pittsburgh. It should not be welcome in our borders at all, the rabbi said on NBCs Today show last week .