He’s a big man with an even broader smile. His voice, while strong, often carries quiet but resounding messages. Rabbi Joshua Lief leads the congregation at Temple Shalom in Wheeling. This small, tight-knit Jewish community has been a part of the Northern Panhandle for 175 years.

Growing up in Wheeling, Lief returned years later with his family to re-invigorate the Jewish faithful with some wonderful programs that invite people of all faiths or no faith to share with his congregation. To date, it’s been a most welcoming part of the greater Wheeling community.

Locally, Christians and Jews alike have erased any boundaries that kept them from sharing in common causes, and the results have been warmly embraced. People of all faiths have attended popular Thanksgiving services held jointly with Jewish and Christian worshippers sharing the same pews.

Yet with the current war between Israel and Hamas, not everyone looks kindly on the Jewish people. It’s the saddest time, not only in the Middle East, but also in cities and towns across this country. Never in all my years would I have imagined such hatred would arise again against the Jewish people like it has today.

And standing tall against such vile words and actions is Rabbi Lief. Recently, he experienced firsthand the unfortunate words of hate from a passerby as Lief was being interviewed by a reporter as they stood outside Temple Shalom on Bethany Pike.

Despite the verbal assault, the Rabbi kept his usual calm demeanor and the verbal attack was defused peacefully. While freedom of speech is guaranteed in our country, it should not pay homage to hatred.

It’s not the first time Temple Shalom has been the target of such behavior. Thankfully, it has not escalated to the point of violence.

No one of any faith in this United States should have to fear retribution because of their religious beliefs. It’s what our country was founded on and flourished under. Now I feel we have taken steps backwards, and that scares me for all of us.

Whatever the future holds, I’m glad to know Rabbi Lief is here, standing tall against hatred. I hope he knows that there are more people standing behind him than in front of him and his people. There is no room in the Friendly City for anything else.

Heather Ziegler can be reached at haziegler@theintelligencer.net.