When the Victoria Islamic Center burned down in the small Texas town of Victoria, the small Jewish community opened their hearts and their Synagogue to the members of the mosque so they would have a place to gather and pray.
The cause of the fire is under federal investigation because of a recent burglary and because the fire erupted hours after U.S. President Trump ordered a halt to any visitors or immigrants from 7 predominantly Muslim countries.
Robert Loeb, the president of Temple Bnai Israel, said, “When a calamity like this happens, we have to stand together. We have probably 25 to 30 Jewish people in Victoria, and they probably have 100 Muslims. We got a lot of building for a small amount of Jews.” One of the Victoria Islamic Center’s founders, Shahid Hashmi, said: “Jewish community members walked into my home and gave me a key to the synagogue.”
Christian communities in Victoria have also provided support to the mosque. Children from a Catholic school formed a human chain of “love and peace.” They also presented a tree to be planted at the mosque.
Jews across the U.S. have been especially sensitive and supportive of the Muslim community during a time of rising Islamophobia and with President Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies. Having experienced the extremes of religious marginalization and hatred, the Jewish community has often been a leading voice in religious freedom issues in the U.S. The Jewish community of Victoria shows that this isn’t just an ideological position but is a way of living out their faith within the larger community.
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