Reaching Out After the Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting

The Tree of Life Synagogue was the scene of one of the worst disasters in the city of Pittsburgh’s history.

When I heard the news the first thing I did was to call the family of Rabbi Arthur Schneier.

Rabbi Schneier is known as one of the most respected religious leaders in the world. The good Rabbi has been the head of the Park East Synagogue in New York for over thirty years and is the founder and President of The Appeal of Conscience Foundation.

For over fifty years he has used this foundation to help promote peaceful coexistence through interfaith dialogue with organizations worldwide.

I know how blessed I am, and when situations like this happen I always feel like I have to try to extend a hand to thy fellow man.

Karen Dresbach, who is the executive Vice President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and the daughter of Rabbi Schneier, answered the phone and immediately told me that her 87-year-old dad had already sprung into action and was headed with other top officials in a private plane to Pittsburgh. I told Karen to let her father know that if he needed me to go to Pittsburgh that I would be there.

We need to help the people of our country and our world understand that our life is just too short to continue with this madness.

We are all people first and to waste time thinking about hate and jealousy is just maddening.

Our World is a beautiful world. The things that we can do with precious time is a blessing. To do evil crimes and then have to spend the rest of your life asking yourself "What did I do?" is such a waste of life.

In the five years that I have gotten to know the good Rabbi Schneier I also got to meet some of the great world leaders and to a man they always say the same thing. Through Rabbi Schneier we promote love and peaceful coexistence within all races.

I thank God that Rabbi Schneier is in Pittsburgh with his army of people that understand that as John Lennon once said, we must GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!

Ray Negron is a sports executive with over 40 years of experience in baseball. His first job came from a chance encounter with George Steinbrenner as a youth. He has become an American film producer, a best-selling author, and a philanthropist. His memoir is entitled, "Yankee Miracles: Life with the Boss and the Bronx Bombers." For more of his reports, Go Here Now.