Synagogue Shooting in California

A recent shooting at a California synagogue left one person dead and three others injured. The shooting in Poway, just north of San Diego, occurred on the last day of Passover and adds to the ongoing national debate about guns, anti-Semitism, and hate in our society.

Instructors, click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.

Download the PowerPoint Lecture Spark for Synagogue Shooting in California

Links

“1 dead, 3 injured in synagogue shooting in Poway, deputies detain suspect”
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/poway-synagogue-shooting-chabad-way-san-diego-sherrifs-department-509162631.html

“The suspect in the California synagogue shooting faces 109 federal civil rights and hate crime charges”
https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/09/us/san-diego-synagogue-shooting-hate-crime-charges/index.html

“Prosecutors add hate crime charges in California synagogue shooting”
https://www.kcra.com/article/prosecutors-add-hate-crime-charges-synagogue-shooting/27422803

“109 hate-crime charges filed against San Diego area synagogue shooting suspect”
https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-hate-crime-poway-synagogue-shooting-20190509-story.html

“Poway shooter told police the ‘Jewish people are destroying the white race’”
https://www.timesofisrael.com/poway-shooter-told-police-the-jewish-people-are-destroying-the-white-race/

“Prosecutors say synagogue gunman boasted of hate for Jews”
https://news.yahoo.com/us-prosecutors-add-hate-crime-charges-synagogue-shooting-175608162.html

“Rabbi of California synagogue recalls coming face-to-face with gunman: ‘I couldn’t see his soul’”
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/28/us/san-diego-synagogue-sunday/index.html

“The meme terrorists”
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/04/california-synagogue-shooting-worse-you-thought/588352/

“California synagogue shooting: Suspect known as quiet, smart while authorities question if he was hateful”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/04/28/california-synagogue-shooting-who-suspect-john-t-earnest/3608583002/

Assessment

• Writing: Beyond the immediate loss of life, why is the attack at the California synagogue so alarming?
• Debate: Hate crime laws should be modified to deal with the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States.
• Poll: What do you believe accounts for the rise in anti-Semitism in the U.S.?
• Short Answer: Describe the reaction of California Governor Gavin Newsom to the shooting in Poway.

Current events quiz:

1) In 2017, which state experienced the greatest increase in anti-Semitic acts?

a. Texas
b. New York
c. California
d. Florida

2) The shooter in California mainly targeted ______ people online.

a. Jewish
b. Muslim
c. LGBT
d. African-American

3) The California synagogue shooter was charged with how many hate-crime charges in court?

a. 4
b. 10
c. 109
d. 159

4) Ten people were injured in the recent California synagogue shooting. (T/F)

5) The shooter allegedly told police about his hate for the Jewish community. (T/F)

6) The shooter promised his online hate group that he would live-stream the attack, similar to what another before him had done. (T/F)

Answers:

1) C

2) A

3) C

4) False

5) True

6) True

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