Crowdfunding campaign raises tens of thousands for Chabad attack victims

A crowdfunding campaign established to help the victims of an attack on a Chabad synagogue near San Diego, California, raised more than $32,000 in its first 14 hours.

More than 600 people donated on GoFundMe, with many of the donations ranging from $10 to $36.

The donations will “be used to pay for any necessary medical operations for the victims, funeral services, synagogue [repairs] or anything else the synagogue would need assistance with,” wrote the person who set up the page, who identified himself or herself as Cam N.

“I do not worship at the Chabad of Poway, but I belong to another house of worship and seeing a place of prayer attacked horrified me and motivated me to start this campaign,” Cam N wrote.

Meanwhile, about 900 people from all faiths – Jewish, Christian and Muslim – gathered at the nearby Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church Saturday evening for an interfaith vigil in response to the shooting.

People attend a prayer and candlelight vigil at Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church on April 27, 2019 in Poway, California. (David McNew/Getty Images/AFP)

At the end of a brief service inside the building, the crowd moved to the church’s courtyard for a candlelight vigil. They sang “This Little Light of Mine” and the civil rights era song “We shall Overcome,” the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Many of the people in the crowd cried quietly during the vigil, according to the report.

Others gathered at sunset, the end of the Passover holiday, outside of the synagogue, with flowers, candles and notes to express their shock and grief, according to the report.