Saturday evening services at Temple Shalom in Dallas had extra security on-hand, following the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue earlier in the day.
The Dallas synagogue's rabbi, Andrew Paley, did not address the shooting during the service, but said he spoke to several members of the congregation individually about the tragedy.
"It's shocking in the 21st century that we're having this conversation in this way at all, but it just reminds us how this strain sort of bubbles beneath the surface and given the right kind of environment could burst forth," Paley said.
He said he's already had conversations with clergy from other Dallas houses of worship in the past. But in the wake of this tragedy, he said those discussions need to continue.
"One of the most powerful things to be able to do is to show up and to be present and to let people know that there's a light in this darkness," Paley said. "That there's a way out of this conversation in a way that's helpful and constructive. That this is not how we have to be."
