On October 27, an armed man entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and opened fire on those attending the Shabbat morning services. The result of the shooting: eleven people were killed and seven others wounded in the deadliest attack on Jewish community in the history of the United States. In the aftermath of the attack, multiple religious groups expressed their support for the synagogue and the victims of the mass shooting.
Today, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman will do the same. The wide receiver, whose father is Jewish, will wear a specially designed pair of cleats supporting the Tree of Life synagogue and sporting the message “Stronger Than Hate”:
In Remembrance. בזיכרון עץ חיים#StrongerThanHate
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) December 16, 2018
Joyce Feinberg
Richard Gottfried
Rose Mallinger
Jerry Rabinowitz
Cecil Rosenthal
David Rosenthal
Bernice Simon
Sylvan Simon
Daniel Stein
Melvin Wax
Irving Younger
@MACHE275 @CJPBoston pic.twitter.com/PUUszklkUz
Edelman wearing the cleats will come two weeks after New England designated its game against the Minnesota Vikings as its My Cause My Cleats contest. The initiative, however, runs until this week which allows the veteran wide receiver, who used his regular footwear in week 13, to wear the cleats honoring the shooting victims today when the Patriots play the Steelers in Pittsburgh.