Jewish aid pours into Virginia Tech

Jewish support is pouring into Virginia Tech in the aftermath of a deadly shooting rampage. United Jewish Communities has provided an emergency $10,000 grant to the local Hillel chapter at Virginia Tech, and two Hillel professionals will be heading to the Blacksburg campus next week. Additional offers for rabbinic and other assistance have come from Jewish organizations. “The Jewish community has come together,” said Sue Kurtz, Hillel director at Virginia Tech. “It’s been beautiful.”
A student killed 32 people on Monday, including a 76-year-old professor and Holocaust survivor, before taking his own life. In an interview Wednesday, Kurtz said the prevailing atmosphere on campus was shock. Kurtz said she was still assessing student needs, although she planned to host communal dinners for Jewish students through the end of next week at the least.A complete list of the victims still has not been released, but Kurtz said she did not believe any Jewish students had been killed in the attack but that several had lost close friends.