Jewish Federation of Broward County sings, prays for victims of synagogue massacre

'We will come together -- all of us -- fighting anti-Semitism,' congressman says

DAVIE, Fla. – Members of the Jewish Federation of Broward County sang and prayed Monday for the victims of the synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh. They also lighted 11 candles, one for each person who was killed.

An hour later, in the same room, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, teared up as she thought about the victims.

"As a proud Jew, this is so personal for all of us," Wasserman Schultz said. 

The mass shooting came the same week the congresswoman's name was listed on a series of pipe bomb envelopes mailed across the country.

On Monday, she and U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Florida, joined interfaith and school leaders in Davie to condemn all acts driven by hate.

"We will come together -- all of us -- fighting anti-Semitism, fighting racism, fighting hatred and bigotry, and ultimately pushing as hard as we can to take action," Deutch said. 

Deutch called for stricter gun control as he stood next to Max Schachter, who lost his 14-year-old son, Alex, in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre.

After the shooting in Pittsburgh, rabbis in South Florida said they’re beefing up security at their synagogues.

"We are changing our patterns of dropping children off, just to keep the patterns changing," Rabbi David Spey, of Temple Bat Yam, said. "We are increasing the number of armed security officers that we have on campus."