Why the Pittsburgh shooter raged about immigration before attacking a synagogue
On Saturday, a shooter opened fire inside a synagogue in the heart of a heavily Jewish neighborhood in Pittsburgh. The attack occurred during Shabbat services and during a bris, a celebration of a newborn life.
Immediately before the massacre, the alleged killer tweeted about HIAS, an organization once known as the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society that dates back to the late 19th century. "HIAS likes to bring invaders that kill our people, " he wrote. It doesn't take a deep understanding of American anti-Semitism to know that to him, "our people" did not include Jewish Americans, even though Jews have lived in America since before the founding of the United States and the congregation he attacked has been convening to pray since the Civil War.
Why, then, did this white-nationalist xenophobe gun down local Jews to protest HIAS? The massacre reflects a stark reality with deep roots in American history: Anti-Semitism, nativism and anti-immigrant sentiments have long been inextricably intertwined.
The anti-Semitism that drove the immigration policy of the early 20th century never faded from American life. Nor did its connection to anti-immigrant sentiment. And that sentiment is what compelled a shooter ranting about HIAS to massacre Jews who were part of a congregation that dates to the 1800s and is located in a city where HIAS has no offices or presence.
1.Synagogue犹太教堂
2.Rage about=be angry with
3.Shabbat=rest
4.In the heart of a heavily jewish neighborhood in pittsburgh
5.Deep root in
6.Bris= celebration of a new born life
7.Massacre=屠杀
8.Alleged=嫌疑犯
9.Hebrew希伯来
10.Sheltering n.栖息之处
11.Society 协会
12.It doesn’t take a deep understanding
13.Xenophobe=xeno外来,陌生人 14.phobe仇恨(排外者,恐外者)
15.technophobe(害怕新科技),16.acrophobe(恐高)
17.Gun down=开枪射杀
18.Stark reality=残酷的,正式无法回避的现实
19.Anti-semitism nativism anti-immigrant
Sentiment情绪
20.Convene v.;congregation n.
21.Anti-semitism connection to anti-immigrant never faded from American life either
=Nor did its connection to anti-immigrant sentiment
22.Rant about=to speak violently(愤愤不满)
23.Compel sb to do sth驱使做某事
24.Date to=date back to
25.Office=办公地点
26.Presence=一般只用单数,驻地代表