El Paso rabbi’s relatives were inside California synagogue during shooting

An El Paso rabbi is thankful that his children and grandchildren weren’t hurt during a shooting at a synagogue in California.

A woman was killed and a 19-year-old suspect is in police custody.

Rabbi Yisraeil Greenberg leads the Chabad Lubavitch Synagogue in west El Paso.

Rabbi Greenberg’s daughter is married to the son of the rabbi who was wounded in Saturday’s shooting.

Rabbi Greenberg spoke about what it was like being hundreds of miles away from his family who were in Poway, California.

“Obviously at that moment the feeling was that it wasn’t clear who was shot and how many people were wounded,” Rabbi Greenberg said. “Therefore, it was very emotional for us here until we got more details at night.”

Rabbi Greenberg’s three children and some of his grandchildren were inside the synagogue at the time that the gunman opened fire.

Thankfully, none of them were hurt.

“My grandchildren were in the foyer when the shooting took place,” Rabbi Greenberg said. “The kids were still around and nothing affected them. God almighty performed a great miracle.”

That miracle, Rabbi Greenberg says, was that the suspect’s gun jammed.

“We believe that it was obviously the hand of God that stopped it,” Rabbi Greenberg said. “The hand of God that gave the freedom of choice to a person to choose to do good or evil. He chose to do evil.”

Monday night, Rabbi Greenberg invited the community to the Chabad Lubavitch Synagogue for a prayer gathering, to remember the woman who was killed in Saturday’s shooting and to also pray for the wounded victims still recovering.

“That they should have a speedy recovery and a reminder to all the congregates that we have to increase in good,” Rabbi Greenberg said.

And to increase good, Rabbi Greenberg suggests starting a charity box at home.

Once it’s filled, donate the money to an organization that does good in the community.

A simple act that Rabbi Greenberg says serves as a reminder, “That good will prevail evil and light will overcome darkness,” Rabbi Greenberg said.