POWAY, Calif. — Since the deadly shooting that took place at Chabad of Poway on Saturday, the synagogue has received an outpouring of support from the local community and beyond. The rabbi who was injured in the shooting has now received a special invitation from the White House.
Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein who lost a finger in the shooting was invited to attend the National Prayer Breakfast with President Trump on Thursday in Washington, D.C. Rabbi Goldstein said he is honored to have been invited to the annual event.
“It means the world to us for the President of the United States of America to invite me, to transform the horror, the terror that we have experienced here, [and] to give us comfort at the highest level. It means the world to us,” said Goldstein.
PHOTOS: Poway Rabbi Goldstein Attends White House National Day of Prayer Service
Before departing for the capital Wednesday morning, Goldstein met with Jason Greenblatt, Trump's advisor on Israel, who called the rabbi "a pillar of strength." Since the shooting, Goldstein has called for the greater Jewish community to show solidarity with the victims and show strength in the face of bigotry and anti-Semitism.
"This Friday night go to your synagogue," Goldstein said during a news conference Sunday. "We need to fill up this room. We need to show them that terrorism, evil, will never prevail."
