January 2013 / Tevet 5773: Public Statement on Firearm-related Violence

We, the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island, send our heartfelt condolences to all of the survivors and families of victims of the horrific violence in Newtown last week.  There are far too many deadly tragedies involving firearms in the United States, and the rate of gun violence in the United States is demonstrably higher than other similar countries.

It is also clear that our gun laws are among the most permissive in the Western world, and that our political institutions have not mustered the political will to deal with this pressing issue to this point.  Judaism is a religion that values the protection of life as paramount.  As our Torah teaches, "...guard well your lives." (D'varim/Deuteronomy 4:15).  

Further, the Talmud states that we must not sell weapons to those who may use them in dangerous ways (Avoda Zara 15b).  In this spirit, it is essential that we find a way to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who have a history of propensity to violence and those who are recognized to be potentially harmful to themselves or others.

We recognize the complexity of the problem of violence in America, and we call for all of us to address the problem of violence in a creative and constructive way. We encourage our elected leaders to pass much-needed legislation to regulate the use of firearms, so that tragedies such as Newtown do not happen again."