On Oct. 27, 2018, a gunman opened fire at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh Penn. When I saw the New York Times alert flash on my phone, I thought it was a mistake. Questions flashed in my mind, "How could someone do that?" or "How can this kind of hate still exist today?"

I was raised Jewish. I went to a small Jewish pre-school, went to Hebrew school on the weekends, lit the candles for Shabbat and had a Bat Mitzvah. Despite this, my family and I rarely went to Temple during the high holidays. Although we celebrated and said the prayers, it was rare to go to services. My great-grandmother used to say, "It's not about what you do, it's what is in your heart."

A few weeks ago, my younger cousin had her Bat Mitzvah; it was a week after the shooting. As we walked into the temple, I noticed there was a cop stationed outside the door. My heart sank realizing this was for our safety. The fact that there had to be a cop outside a place of worship broke my heart. What kind of hate compels a person to act violently towards another person?

Before the Bat Mitzvah, it had been five years since I stepped foot inside a temple. Some people might read this and think of me as a bad Jew. How could I not go to temple services for five years? What about holidays like Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur? I might not have gone to services, but I hold my religion close to my heart. There are many people I know who go to Church or Temple but do not actively practice what is said at services. I try to live every day as a good person and therefore a good Jew. I do not need to go to Temple to be a good person.

Growing up, my school celebrated Holocaust Remembrance Month. Although every April was painful for me, it was essential to learn about the horror that happened in Europe during World War II. We have to make sure that a mass genocide like that never happens again. As a nation, we have somehow regressed into thinking intolerance towards those who are different is okay. Here is a little reminder for those who have forgotten, it's not! Regardless of someone's skin color is, their religion, sexual identity or gender we are all human beings, and we need to treat one another with respect. Once we forget that, we are doomed to make the same mistakes as the past.

During this upcoming holiday season remember that regardless of the holiday someone celebrates we are the patchwork of what makes this country great.