ADL mourns murdered Florida rabbi

BOCA RATON, Florida (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is shocked and horrified by the murder of a rabbi on his way to synagogue Saturday morning, Aug. 9,  in North Miami Beach. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Rabbi Joseph Raksin’s family and the surrounding community.

ADL has been in close contact with the lead investigators on this case from the Miami-Dade Police Department. We have every confidence that law enforcement will use all the tools at their disposal to find the perpetrators of this heinous act.  We know that the greater Miami community, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, stands united with us during this extremely difficult time.

Hava Holzhauer, ADL Florida Regional Director, issued the following statement:

“This is a terrible tragedy. While the motivation for this crime is still being investigated, nothing can justify the killing of an innocent man walking to his place of worship to pray on his holy day.　We appreciate the professionalism that the Miami-Dade Police Department has shown in securing all the evidence surrounding the crime and assuring that this investigation remains an exceptionally high priority.　Let us hope that the culprits are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice.

“At this time, it appears to be a robbery that went badly. Currently no evidence has been brought to light that it was motivated by anti-Semitism. While our community is on high alert due to recent anti-Semitic incidents that have coincided with hostilities in the Middle East, we must be careful not to assume this was a hate-motivated crime unless or until such information is discovered and released by law enforcement.”

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Preceding provided by the Anti-Defamation League