After phone call, Trump praises ‘very special’ Chabad rabbi injured in shooting

‘What a great guy. He had at least one finger blown off, and all he wanted to do is help others,’ US president tweets

By ToI Staff 29 April 2019, 2:59 pm

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Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein speaks to community members and congregants about the shooting at the Chabad of Poway Synagogue during a candlelight vigil for the victims, at Valle Verde Park on April 28, 2019 in Poway, California. (Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP)

US President Donald Trump on Monday tweeted about his phone call the previous day to Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, who was injured in both hands in Saturday’s shooting attack on his synagogue in Poway, California, calling him a “great guy.”

The rabbi on Sunday told his congregants and reporters about the call, saying he was “amazed” to receive it and that the conversation lasted between 10 and 15 minutes, during which Trump “spoke about his love of peace and Judaism and Israel.”

“I spoke at length yesterday to Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, Chabad of Poway, where I extended my warmest condolences to him and all affected by the shooting in California,” Trump wrote in his post.

“What a great guy,” he added. “He had at least one finger blown off, and all he wanted to do is help others. Very special!”

The incident is being treated as a hate crime, and the gunman, John Earnest, 19, was charged Sunday with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder.

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Chabad congregant Lori Gilbert-Kaye, 60, died in Saturday’s shooting. Apart from the rabbi, an eight-year-old Israeli girl from Sderot, Noya Dahan, and her 31-year-old uncle, Almog Peretz, were also injured. All are in stable condition.

Elected US officials across the political spectrum have condemned Saturday’s violence, which coincided with the final day of Passover and came six months after a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue killed 11 people.

JTA contributed to this report.