The suspect who set fire to Pennsylvania's Jewish Governor Josh Shapiro's residence was motivated by the governor's pro-Israel positions, ABC reported on Wednesday. The arson attack occurred late Sunday night, hours after a Passover Seder celebration and while Shapiro's family was inside the residence.

Court documents reveal that the suspect, 38-year-old Cody Balmer, committed the act "because of what he perceived as injustice toward the Palestinian people." Investigation findings show that less than an hour after the incident, Balmer called emergency services and told the dispatcher he "would not take part in Shapiro's plans regarding what he wants to do to Palestinians."

Though police have not officially released information about the motive, one of the search warrants stated that Balmer targeted Shapiro because of "injustices toward Palestinians."

Earlier this week, investigators revealed that Balmer admitted during questioning that "he harbors hatred toward Governor Shapiro," according to court documents. Balmer told investigators that if he had found Shapiro, he would have struck him with the hammer he was carrying.

According to court documents obtained by the New York Post, Balmer confessed to draining fuel from a lawnmower and filling two beer bottles with it to create improvised Molotov cocktails. The suspect walked approximately an hour from his home to the governor's mansion, scaled the perimeter iron fence, broke two windows using a hammer, and threw the firebombs inside.

The attack took place Sunday at 2 a.m. while Shapiro and his family were asleep in the residence. The governor and his family, along with another family staying at the house, were safely evacuated by state police, and no injuries were reported. Just hours before the attack, Shapiro had shared a photograph of his family's Passover Seder table on social media.

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A Pennsylvania man has been charged with multiple felonies, including attempted murder and terrorism, after turning himself into authorities for setting fire to the Governor's Residence while Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were inside following their Passover seder, CBS News reports. The suspect admitted to investigators he was "harboring hatred" toward the governor, according to court documents filed in Dauphin County.

Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg, voluntarily surrendered to authorities after allegedly jumping a fence and deliberately starting the fire around 2 a.m. on April 13. According to charging documents, Pennsylvania State Police were contacted by a woman who described Balmer as her "ex-paramour" and told officers he had confessed to her and wanted to be turned in to police.

Shortly after the woman's report, Balmer went directly to the Pennsylvania State Police Headquarters on Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg and, according to court documents, told a trooper he had set the fire and wanted to surrender himself. The Shapiro family had just celebrated the first night of Passover inside the residence the evening before the attack. The governor confirmed Sunday that no one was injured.

Court documents show Balmer has been charged with criminal homicide (attempted murder), terrorism, aggravated arson, aggravated assault, burglary, and additional offenses. Following his arraignment Monday evening, a judge denied bail. Pennsylvania State Police stated earlier Monday that Balmer received medical treatment at a hospital for "a medical event not related to this incident or his arrest."

Last night at the Governor's Residence, we experienced an attack not just on our family, but on the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

This kind of violence has become far too common in our society, and it has to stop. pic.twitter.com/5HP5JSvgfc

— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) April 13, 2025

 During police questioning after his surrender, Balmer admitted he harbored hatred toward Shapiro, removed gasoline from a lawn mower, poured it into beer bottles, walked an hour to the Governor's Residence, and threw the homemade Molotov cocktails into the home, the criminal complaint states. Balmer acknowledged to investigators he knew the Shapiro family might be home at the time.

When asked what he would have done if confronted by the governor inside the residence, Balmer reportedly told police he would have "beaten him with his hammer." During a search of Balmer's home, investigators discovered the sledgehammer seen in surveillance footage, along with clothes Balmer wore during the attack.

Governor Shapiro expressed gratitude on social media Monday, stating: "This weekend, our family witnessed the incredible bravery and excellence of our first responders. The entire Shapiro family is eternally grateful for the @PAStatePolice troopers who safely evacuated our family from danger, the firefighters who quickly put out the fire at the Governor's Residence, and the law enforcement officials who've worked to investigate this attack."

Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline estimated the damage to the historic residence will cost millions. The 29,000-square-foot home, completed in 1968 along the Susquehanna River waterfront, houses numerous historic artworks and furniture pieces.

"[Balmer] is a domestic terrorist," Enterline declared. "And I hope he spends a lot of time behind jail for the heinous acts that he performed here in our capital city that put not only the first family, but my firefighters at risk."

President Donald Trump condemned the attack from the Oval Office on Monday. "The attacker basically wasn't a fan of anybody, probably just a whack job," Trump said. "And certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen."

Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens explained Sunday that before turning himself in, the suspected arsonist had scaled a fence and "evaded troopers" searching the property before the fire started. Security footage captured a man, later confirmed to be Balmer, breaking a window in the residence's piano room and throwing a homemade Molotov cocktail inside. Court documents indicate Balmer then broke another window, entered the residence, and ignited another incendiary device in the dining room.

Balmer, a longtime Harrisburg resident, served eight years as a construction equipment repairer in the Army Reserve, according to an Army spokesperson cited by CBS News. Public records suggest an unstable background, including custody disputes over his children and a near home foreclosure.

Christie Balmer, the suspect's mother, told CBS News that her son is "mentally ill and he went off his medication" before attacking the Governor's Residence, claiming she had unsuccessfully tried to get her son "picked up" by four different police departments last week. "So he was mentally ill, went off his meds, and this is what happened," she said.

Balmer's next court appearance is scheduled for April 23. State police officials have launched a security review of the incident.

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Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz are preparing to embark on a bus tour through Pennsylvania. The tour, scheduled to kick off in Pittsburgh on Sunday, comes just days before the Democratic National Convention and underscores the importance of Pennsylvania in the upcoming election.

Kamala Harris loves a good bus tour! Can't wait for joyful gems like this from Pennsylvania in the coming days. pic.twitter.com/b3KJDqJywr

— Madam Auntie VP Kamala Harris for PRESIDENT! (@flywithkamala) August 14, 2024

 The tour will commence in Pittsburgh, a major urban center in western Pennsylvania. Joining VP Harris and Gov. Walz will be their spouses, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz. The tour will include several stops, including retail locations, providing opportunities for direct interaction with voters.

American political strategist Scott Jennings said on Wednesday on CNN, "The person who wins Pennsylvania is highly likely to win the race." Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes, has been a key swing state in recent presidential elections. In 2020, it was narrowly won by the Democratic ticket, and maintaining this support is likely a priority for the party. The tour allows the leaders to address specific concerns of Pennsylvania voters, demonstrating their commitment to the state.

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In an exclusive interview with Israel Hayom, Pennsylvania State Representative Mark Gillen shared that he is pushing forward with plans to build a Holocaust museum in Berks County in the face of growing antisemitism. The Republican lawmaker, who recently visited Israel, is determined to create an educational center despite facing threats and opposition.

Gillen, who has represented Pennsylvania's 128th district since 2010, recently traveled to Israel with the Harel Association. During his visit, he volunteered on military bases, packing first aid kits and food parcels to support soldiers amid manpower shortages. The Republican legislator also toured Christian sites in Jerusalem's Old City and visited Yad Vashem, Israel's official Holocaust memorial. "I'm enjoying Israel very, very much. It is a very spiritual land," Gillen told Israel Hayom. "I'm encouraging people and lifting their spirits because I stand up for them abroad."

The Pennsylvania representative's commitment to preserving history extends beyond his recent trip. Gillen founded The Berks Military History Museum in Mohnton, Pennsylvania, which houses World War II artifacts. The museum's construction incorporated reclaimed wood from German POW barracks formerly used at a Pennsylvania airport.

Encouraged by the public interest in the Holocaust section of his military museum, Gillen is now focusing on a new project: The Berks Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Set to be built in 2025, the museum will be funded by community contributions and will feature more of the reclaimed wood from the barracks and also steel from the World Trade Center as "I was a first responder and firefighter on 9/11."

All the artifacts for the museum were loaned or bought, mainly from Europe. So far, he has acquired Warsaw Ghetto Stars of David and concentration camp uniforms. He is currently in the market for a WWII train car and intends to go to antique shops in Poland in the future. Governor of Pennsylvania since 2023 and friend of Gillen, Josh Shapiro, has expressed his support for the project.

"I wasn't expecting the effort antisemites took to shut down my project," Gillen revealed to Israel Hayom. The opposition became so severe that a bomb squad was placed on standby during the ceremonial groundbreaking in 2021. Following the October 7 attack on Israel, Gillen faced further harassment after publishing a commentary supporting Israel and condemning Hamas in a local paper.

Online, Gillen was targeted with antisemitic slurs and Holocaust denial comments like, "You f*cking Jew piece of sh*t," "Shove your fake Holocaust up your ass," and "Why do you want to commemorate these pieces of sh*t?". "Because I'm a public official, you have to live with this," he lamented. "They want to get inside your head, and I won't let them. It only validated that we should be doing this."

Gillen's stance against antisemitism extends to his political actions. He recently removed state funding from the University of Pennsylvania, calling it a "hub of antisemitism." The lawmaker stated it was entirely unacceptable to "give taxpayer dollars to schools allowing these protests to go on in violation of their own rules of hate speech and threats." When approached by the university administration about potentially restoring funding, Gillen responded, "Not unless you enforce policy changes."

Our Commonwealth has a rich military story to tell, and Berks County is no exception. Recently, I had the privilege of touring the historic Berks Military History Museum. Inside are artifacts, uniforms, & memorabilia from approx. 1933 onward - these displays are worth the visit! pic.twitter.com/37uXJXZMRd

— Chrissy Houlahan (@RepHoulahan) October 21, 2020

 The representative also commented on the recent shooting at the Pennsylvania Trump rally, "I thought I was misreading because of my jetlag" and that it was utterly "jarring." Gillen, who serves as chairman of emergency affairs, noted that "it hit close to home because my secretary was sitting right behind Trump where the bullets hit, and my good friends Congressman Dan Meuser and US Senate candidate Dave McCormick were there."

"Assassinations are sadly a part of US history, and we need to ratchet down the rhetoric that 'the other party is the enemy' and visceral hatred for someone on the other side of the aisle. It is a problem," Gillen stated. He emphasized his own approach to politics, saying, "When I ran for office, I never discussed my competitor; it is just not who I am. But unfortunately, this is the exception, not the rule regarding politicians."

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For the Trump camp, this was significant. The Des Moines Register poll is considered one of the most reliable in Iowa, which many look to during the primaries as well as later on, to get an idea of the political atmosphere in the state. Its pollsters, in contrast to the others in the state, predicted that Trump would win the 2016 election by seven points. And they were right: Trump ended up winning the Hawkeye State by nine points.

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Trump has shot up in this most recent poll and now leads his Democratic opponent Joe Biden 48% to 41%. This lead is beyond that of a margin of error, which stands at 3.4 points. Moreover, Trump's spike in the polls comes as Joni Ernst, the Republican senator from Iowa, is also pulling ahead of her Democratic rival Theresa Greenfield, now leading her by four points. In addition to the encouraging news from Iowa, Trump continues to maintain a statistical tie with Biden according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll, which also shows Biden's lead shrinking in Pennsylvania.

The Des Moines Register poll is an anomaly in the state, where other polls point to a tie between the two candidates and is a reflection of independent voters deciding to lean right and cast their ballot for the president. And if they're doing that in Iowa, they may do the same in other Midwestern states – just as they did in 2016, when they handed Trump a victory at the very last minute.

This is the scenario that Biden dreads and Trump is betting on.  The Democratic candidate can take solace in knowing there are far fewer undecided voters this time around and that support is greater for him than it was for Hillary Clinton in 2016 in the Midwest, as well as nationally, although the latter is irrelevant to the US election system.) The bottom line is that anything can happen, and maybe Trump is gaining momentum at precisely the right time, while Biden, on the other hand, is losing steam.

Over the weekend, the Trump campaigned announced it would cancel plans to hold an Election Day party on Tuesday night at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, with the president instead likely to take in the results from the White House. While the move was immediately interpreted by the city's Democrats as a sign that Trump was feeling down and out, it seems they forgot the party would have violated the restrictions in place on mass gatherings due to the coronavirus outbreak. Trump was also forced to cancel plans in Nevada last week when that state's Democratic governor refused to allow them to hold a mass rally, leading the president's team to hold one of the rallies on the Arizona border instead.

Trump is optimistic – despite all the restrictions, despite all their attempts to sabotage him, and despite the fact that people are grasping onto poll averages that are not in his favor. Yes, Trump is optimistic, some would even say very optimistic. The polls point to Biden emerging as the victor, but four years ago, they pointed to Clinton. Truth be told, Trump is in a relatively good place. According to one calculation, he is poised to garner 280 electoral votes and win the race, and that's even if he unable to win in Michigan and Wisconsin, which he won with a razor-thin margin in 2016, this time around. Trump will win 280 electoral votes as long as he succeeds in winning in the rest of the states he won in 2016, chief among them Pennsylvania and Florida. The polls indicate this scenario is most definitely possible since in some of these states, he and Biden are in a statistical tie.

Biden stays close to home

If the Independents continue to skew in his favor, and if the Republicans continue to show up for their party, given the passion out in the field, we could in fact see a victory with 280 electorates. One mustn't forget that although Biden is seen as the harbinger of change in many states, in Pennsylvania and in the Midwest, he is seen mainly as the man who will bring about the eradication of the fracking and coal mining industries, and in the minds of independent voters, that is to his major detriment.

All thisת along with the fact that Trump is still seen as better suited to managing the economy once a vaccine for the coronavirus is found, mean Trump is well situated to garner 270 electorates, if not more, and he is determined to use the final days in the lead up to the election to create optimistic momentum.

The president has been holding rally after rally where he assures Americans that the country's golden days still lie ahead while repeatedly warning that Biden will drag America into "endless foreign wars." At every rally, by the way, the crowd goes wild whenever he mentions the pro-Israel steps he has taken, including moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. But Trump main focus at the rallies is on warning voters that Biden will destroy their industries. In Michigan, he told attendees, "A vote for Biden is a vote to extinguish, demolish, and wipe out Michigan's auto industry" while noting he had brought in factories and prevented others from leaving the state. In Pennsylvania and the rest of the Midwest, the president warned Biden would "destroy" the oil industry.

On Sunday, the second to last day before the election, Trump had rallies planned in no fewer than five states: Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The last event, in Florida, where he is also a resident, is expected to kick off at 11:30 p.m. local time. Biden, in contrast, has decided to stay in Pennsylvania, just a stone's throw from his home state of Delaware, for the entire day.

Over 90 million US citizens have already cast their vote, meaning almost half of all registered voters in all 50 states and some two-thirds of the total number of ballots cast in 2016. Most states have already reported record-breaking turnout in the early voting stage. Naturally, the million-dollar question that must be asked is: Who does this benefit? In the coronavirus era, early voting models are no longer relevant, and because early voting is so widespread, no pollster is willing to say who they believe has gained from the phenomenon outright.

At his drive-in rallies, Biden draws a few hundred, and sometimes only a few dozen, cars. Trump draws tens of thousands of people. I have been to his rallies. The people love him. They know he is not responsible for the coronavirus. They know he did good things for the economy, they know his heart is in the right place, and most importantly, they know that while he may talk and tweet, he also takes action.

And so Trump carries on with his crazy process, as one man entering the fray and taking on everyone on his own. As far as the atmosphere on the street is concerned, and the number of Trump masks that abound regardless of Halloween, Trump has won. And that is true even in the country's Democratic capital.

At the airport in Washington on Sunday, two passengers stood next to me in line to rent a car; one a lawyer, the other working for an insurance agency, both proudly donning Trump face masks.

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"He's good for the economy, and he's good for America," John, the lawyer from New York, not exactly the reddest of states, tells me. "I'm convinced he's going to win because ultimately, you want a president that will bring the receipts," he says.

"Biden is the worst candidate the Democrats could have offered, while Trump is Trump. I just hope that after the election, the Democrats will be able to lose with dignity. America can't go on with this division for long," he said, summing up what many have said about Biden. They're not turned off by him like they were with Clinton, but they don't hold him in high regard either. Trump, on the other hand, is appreciated, on both sides of the aisle.

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The pace of events in the 2020 US presidential campaign isn't letting up. One event follows the next.

On Monday, President Donald Trump held three rallies in purple-state Pennsylvania, which could decide the election, and then immediately returned to Washington to put the bowtie on another huge achievement of his presidency – a third appointment to the Supreme Court – an hour after Judge Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed by the Senate.

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Shortly thereafter, we woke up to news of riots in Philadelphia after police shot a young man who was apparently threatening police officers with a knife.

Theoretically, neither the appointment of the justice nor the incident in Philadelphia has anything to do with the election, but in the era in which we live, everything is related. The Democrats will certainly use the events in Philadelphia to enlist their base, and claim that under Trump, the authorities have been more racist and quicker to pull the trigger. Of course, the Republicans and Trump himself will use Barrett's appointment to the Supreme Court as another draw to bring voters to the polls, reminding them that even if they don't like the president, he is the only one who will keep the court conservative, and also that he is appointing judges to lower federal courts at a dizzying rate (almost 200 thus far).

If these two events weren't enough, the COVID crisis across the US is also not letting up, and voters are voting early in droves, with the number of early votes already exceeding that of 2016. Over 60 million citizens have already had their say.

Trump summoned Barrett about an hour after she was confirmed, and she was sworn in at the White House by senior Justice Clarence Thomas. She received the job at a young age, 48, and it is hers for life. There are only eight others like her, and together they will decide fates and will shape the image of America for generations to come.

Trump praised Barrett's work, her excellence as a brilliant professor of law at Notre Dame University. "The Barrett family has captured America's heart," the president said, praising her seven children, who were watching from their home in Indiana. Barrett was the 115th justice nominated to the Supreme Court and is only the fifth woman to hold the job. America is so divided, however, that not a single Democrat voted for her, despite her qualities.

In America of 2020, everything is political, and that reminds us of another country. This was the first time in over 150 years that not a single person from the minority party voted for a nominee from the opposing party.

Barrett, by the way, could soon find herself in the eye of a storm if the election results aren't decisive, and both parties have to bring it to the justices to decide, as happened in 2000. It isn't clear, though, that the court would want to intervene in that political uproar. The Constitution is very clear – every state decides on its own electors, either through elections or otherwise.

But both parties remember Florida, and the Democrats are afraid that the Republicans, who control many states at the local level, will try to tamper with the results or the vote count and appoint electors in ways that skirt the vote, as state legislatures are allowed to do, under the Constitution. Even Republicans could appeal to various courts, claiming that the Democrats are committing voter fraud or submitting invalid ballots or ones that were not filled out by voters.

Letting loose on Harris

On Tuesday, the first lady also appeared. This was Melania Trump's first appearance this year at a major campaign event for her husband. At a rally, Trump promised that he would promote a tax cut for the middle class, and again warned that Biden would hurt American workers by promoting environmental policies that would close down the oil shale industry, which is very prevalent in the Midwest, and also cause gas prices to go up.

"You are so lucky I'm president. Look at the low price of gas," he said, stressing that Biden was "a cheerleader for NAFTA. You got killed by NAFTA … enthusiastically voted for China's entry into the World Trade Organization fueling the rise of China on the backs of Michigan workers." He went on to attack the media for not reporting his successes. He called the appointment of Justice Barrett "historic," and emphasized that she will "defend our God-given freedom." He also let loose on Biden's vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, warning that she would effectively replace him because he would no longer be fit to serve: "Three weeks into his presidency, they'll say, 'Kamala, you're ready? That's why they're talking about the 25th Amendment."

He warned that she is "The most liberal person in the Senate… this will not be the first woman president" and said, "I'm working my a*s off here. Sleepy, Joe, the guy goes to his basement. He's got another lid … That's the garbage can." At the rally, he also praised his senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, "who's leading peace in the Middle East without blood." The audience cheered when he mentioned his name.

A race against time

Back to Pennsylvania. On Monday, Trump held three rallies in a state where Biden is supposed to be a local son, because he grew up there, in Scranton, until he was nine. On Tuesday, the president sent his wife, Melania, to Pennsylvania and continued on to a series of rallies in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. This, after three in Pennsylvania on Monday.

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Just before leaving, he attacked Biden for hiding in his basement and expressed pride in discomfiting him. "Sleepy Joe rushed to get to Pennsylvania because he saw that we had 25,000 people at my rally," Trump said. On Tuesday, Biden was in Georgia at another "drive-in" rally, because he thinks he has a real chance of nibbling away at the Republican South. It could be that the Democrats are wasting precious resources and even showing hubris, but we'll know in a week.

Michigan and Wisconsin, like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida, are critical states because both electoral lists, Republican and Democrat, can win there.

Polls are showing a close race, with a slight advantage for Biden in some states. Trump won all of them four years ago, but this year it looks like it's going to be very hard. Pennsylvania is still the big story. It is Ground Zero for this election. Incidentally, on Monday, Biden called his opponent "George" twice at a virtual event, alongside his wife, who appeared surprised. To whom was Biden referring? Some claim he meant the host, George Lopez, or George Bush.

Either way, the media and Trump rushed to celebrate the entertaining clip, which bolstered Trump's (unproven) claim Biden is unfit and incapable of even remembering his opponent's name and for what job he is running. In the meantime, other than Fox News, most channels continue to support Biden in very biased coverage, while accusing Trump of failing to handle the COVID crisis.

"I can promise you that he will win," I was told by Ted Halison, a resident of Lancaster who came to Trump's Monday rally at the local airport in his Pennsylvania town.

"The story of people not wanting to reveal their vote is right. But the huge early voting has to wake us up. In any case, I'm convinced there will be voter fraud. They don't want Trump," Halison says.

"Who doesn't?" I ask.

"Everyone other than the American people, who love him," he says.

At the hotel I stayed at in Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, there was a group who had just arrived from Charlotte, North Carolina. One of the members of the group, Larry, told me that Trump is dividing America too much: "That's why he is losing. Enough, we can't go on like this. America under Trump is losing standing in the world," he said. Larry and his wife already voted and he thinks that even if Republicans wake up now, it will be too late.

Trump himself can be encouraged by the size of the audiences his rallies are drawing. They are in love with him. On Monday, I attended one and I saw how excited they are about their president. The local paper The Patriot-News reported on its front page on Tuesday: "Trump's final-stretch campaign blitz draws big crowd in central Pa." A young Amish man who came to the rally with his friends told me that he wasn't sure he would vote, but eventually decided to because this was a very important election. Most Amish will, he said.

The Amish don't have cars or television and they are not allowed to use electricity, but the young man was able to tell me that Trump gets a lot more support than people think, and that the feeling among Trump supporters is that the polls don't reflect the true public support he has, which can be seen in the number of people who attend his campaign rallies. The Trump campaign is also worried by the fact that there is no third-party candidate who could help the president by splitting the Democratic vote.

More than 150 years ago, Pennsylvania was the site of the terrible Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. Next to the battlefield, President Abraham Lincoln made his famous speech calling to heal the country's wounds. It seems as if this year, too, Pennsylvania will be a bloodbath – political, thank God, and not in a real war.

I'm in Harrisburg, an hour away from that same important site, and it looks as if this year there is a civil war brewing over the character of America. But in the end, America will win, like always. 

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Pennsylvania is called the Keystone State due to the key role it played in the original 13 colonies. The 2020 election has put Pennsylvania, where the US declared independence on July 4, 1776, back on center stage.

Both sides are focusing on it as if it were Florida in 2000, and rightfully so. In 2016 Trump managed to "steal" it from the Democrats after it voted for them for 28 years, and now he's trying to do it again by emphasizing coal and oil shale and the rest of the industries that would have to close under Joe Biden's green policies.

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Pennsylvania is purple in the classic sense of the word: the eastern part of the state is liberal, like new York, the western part leans Democratic, like Ohio, but is not liberal, and in the middle, it's as conservative as Alabama. As if that weren't enough, the Philadelphia suburbs are unpredictable, as is appropriate for a city where independence was declared. So Trump arrived Monday and held three massive rallies.

Biden is leading in the polls, and apparently in early voting, too. The number of early votes sent in this year has already surpassed all early votes cast four years ago, and stands at over 60 million. But Trump has the energy and the momentum, as well as a fired-up base that has started to flock to the polls in recent days, including in Florida. One thing that is surprising is that young Black men are voting for him in disproportionate numbers, compared to other sectors of Black voters.

Polls in key states which will decide the election show Biden with a small lead in most of them, but also point to a statistical tie, especially in Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina. So the experts can't agree about the range of possibilities for the election, which could be anything from a runaway victory for Biden with far in excess of 270 electoral votes, or a surprising win for Trump in the style of 2016.

Trump, who hasn't stopped running around, arrived at the pleasant small town of Lititz, in the heart of conservative Pennsylvania, on Monday. It's a rural, religious area that is home to a large Amish community whose members use horses and carts to get around and have become an inseparable part of nearby Lancaster. There, I met a woman named Debbie. She lives in a very "red" area but she, like all her friends, is liberal and is voting for the Democrats.

"Are you optimistic?" I ask here.

"I'm really scared … there are days when I feel like Biden will win, and days when I don't," she replies.

Trump is fighting for every vote in Pennsylvania's conservative districts, because Biden is still more down-to-earth and warmer than Hillary Clinton. But at the rally in Lititz on Monday, it appeared as if all Pennsylvania was red. There were a lot of Amish (who do not believe in COVID and insist on not wearing masks), and they all – at least according to a loudspeaker that announced their arrival – are voting for Trump. Everyone was in a good mood, as if it was a football game, and showed up wearing Trump flags.

It's the growth, stupid

In his speech, Trump reminded them of the economic growth during his presidency. He stressed that Biden was in the hands of environmental activists who wanted to prevent the residents from enjoying that growth. He stressed that the COVID crisis would pass.

We'll make a comeback, no one can make a comeback better than us, he told the audience. "We're the greatest country in the world," he said, to chants of "USA!"

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Trump also needled Biden, who isn't making public appearances: "I can't lock myself in the White House basement, because I have work to do."

Trump doesn't believe the polls. He is certain that he is a true son of the Keystone State. Trump has to win as many votes as possible in the heart of red Pennsylvania, as well as split the suburban vote, as he did in 2016, especially around Philadelphia.

I also met Jim. He grew up in Pennsylvania but went to college in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a libertarian – in other words, does not believe in either party and wants the government to stay out of all areas of life, so he isn't supporting anyone. He says that the Second Amendment, which guarantees Americans the right to bear arms, is the one of the most important things, which is why Trump has so much support in this part of the state, where many residents hunt.

"Sure, he has a chance. I'm a retired educator. A lot of teachers I know think Trump's a clown, but Biden isn't getting them fired up," Jim says.

A politician, not a local

The fact that Trump fought a battle here and won four years ago is making us think he might do it again. He could definitely win. Biden is not loved here, even though he talks about being from here and growing up some 80 miles away. The way they see it, he isn't a local any more, he's a politician, whereas Trump is like them.

All of a sudden, as I'm driving, I see a lovely black horse and an Amish man driving along in a cart. And on the subject of carts, it seems like the Democrats have theirs before the horse and are counting on a sure win. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is already treating Biden like the president. Her attitude reflects the growing Democratic opinion that a Biden victory will lead the Democrats to re-take the Senate, as well. Indeed, a few Republican senators, especially in Maine and Iowa, are in trouble.

Either way, the hardest week for both sides has begun, and Trump isn't letting up. On Monday, it was announced that he will be holding 11 rallies in the last 48 hours of the campaign. That is his way of scoring free media coverage and pushing back the massive enlistment for Biden, who might not be holding rallies, but is blasting the media with campaign ads. On Monday, Trump racked up a huge victory: the appointment of Judge Amy Coney Bennett, his third to the Supreme Court. Vice President Mike Pence, who was exposed to COVID through his team, did not self-isolate and remained in charge of the Senate for the vote. The appointment guarantees a solid conservative majority on the court that could also decide the result of the election, if it's close.

Everything is hanging in the balance for another week, but it appears as if the election is for or against one figure: a person named Trump.

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Myers heads the Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation, whose synagogue in Pittsburg, bearing the same name, was the target of the worst anti-Semitic incident in American history last year.

He spoke with Israel Hayom several weeks ago, as Pittsburgh's Jewish community was preparing to celebrate the High Holy Days for the first time since the Oct. 27, 2018 massacre at the synagogue, which claimed the lives of 11 Jews.

The victims, all of whom were Jews taking part in Shabbat services in two separate congregations at the complex, were murdered by a white supremacist.

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In the ensuing months, the congregations have had to pray elsewhere because the site of the shooting has yet to be reopened for services.

For Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, it was clear that a big venue was needed. It was then that nearby Calvary Episcopal Church stepped up to the plate: Calvary's head priest, Rev. Jonathon W. Jensen, wrote to Tree of Life, and made it clear that they would go out of their way to make sure the High Holy Days would be properly celebrated.

"Our faith calls us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves," Jensen said. "And this is one expression of that."

Myers was extremely grateful for that gesture, which meant that some 800 congregants would use the church intermittently for about a month. The regular churchgoers were also invited to attend the services, which saw Torah scrolls and shofars placed next to crosses and images of the Twelve Apostles.

Asked about the reopening date of the synagogue, Myers struggled to answer. "That's a complexed issue to resolve, everyone realizes it's not an easy decision to put in a time frame but one day we will reopen," he said.

During the interview he reflected on that horrific event, sharing his pain at witnessing his congregants' suffering.

"At first I experienced horrible guilt but I've come to recognize I did the best I could, had I perhaps attempted more I probably wouldn't have been standing here.

"Well, I'm standing here talking to you so I guess that's a pretty good testimony amongst all these lights here that I'm doing OK. It's a challenging day by day ... So I've embraced what apparently my mission is and I move forward with it day to day, to take care of myself, take care of my congregation, and to see that 11 people didn't die in vain."

According to Myers, there is no simple answer to what needs to happen in order to return to normalcy, but he has been determined not to fall into despair.

"It's really very easy to fall prey to survivor's guilt, regret, and other feelings, and become a victim. So the feistiness you see in me is that renewed energy and vigor and faith that I have to soldier onward to do the best that I can to make our world a better place."

In the wake of the massacre, President Donald Trump and others have called on the justice system to have the shooter, 46-year-old Robert Gregory Bowers sentenced to death.

Myers refuses to take a stand on this but instead wants to focus on the help he and the community have received in the year since.

"I have no thoughts on the matter, I have complete faith in the Department of Justice to act professionally and do the right thing."

"We've gotten condolences from all over ... being there means a great deal, seeing how much people care. But words aren't necessary. Frequently there are no words and sometimes it's beyond words and just the presence of being there and letting people know you are there. I'm just one of many but it's an entire community embracing each other. That's how we get through it.

"There's no textbook, we're writing the textbook as we go along. And if you look at the research you see there's nothing out there to tell you what to do and how to do it. Particularly for the Jewish community, this has never happened. And the Jewish community has been a part of the United States for 355 years. So we're figuring it out an hour at a time, a day at a time, what to do."

The interview with Myers was conducted at the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, about ten minutes from Squirrel Hill, the neighborhood where the shooting took place. The neighborhood is home to about a quarter of the 50,000 Jews who live in the area.

Family members of the victims sat next to him. During the conversation, everyone took pains to avoid talking about the shooter and to steer clear of politics. They preferred to talk about how everyone in the city, regardless of faith and ethnicity, rallied behind the Jewish community to make sure the synagogue would be renovated and reopened.

"We're very mindful of the terminology, that's the sensitivity we're trying to hold up. Throughout this past year we've discovered that language is important," Director of Jewish Life and Learning at the federation, Rabbi Amy Bardack, who also sat next to Myers, said. "What happened was not a tragedy, as that could be attributed to a natural disaster. And we don't use the word 'event' which can just as easily describe a joyous thing, like a bar mitzvah or a wedding. What we experienced was a malicious, hateful, and deliberate attack," she continued.

"Out only explicit request is that come Oct. 27 that day would be protected, and the city is honoring that by not issuing permits for marches that day," she stressed. "But there's Oct. 28, there are the days before. That's when those who feel passionate about political issues can speak to that. We're just asking for a peaceful memorial day for the community to humbly come together to commemorate."

Cecil and David Rosenthal, two disabled brothers in their fifties, were the first to be killed in the shooting. They lived near the synagogue and attended the services every week. They were loved by the community. Their sister Michele Rosenthal rushed to the scene when her husband called her to tell her there had been a shooting.

"You just got into a mode of taking care of what needs to get done ... Our parents were our priority and just making sure they were getting through this, it's me and my sister," she recalled. "We woke up the next morning and started working on the plans, per my dad's wishes because of the Jewish tradition to do things quickly. Probably best to just say it was just putting one foot in front of the other."

According to Rosenthal, family and community are key to coping with such tragedy, because they are a pillar of stability.

"It helped being surrounded by family and friends who knew how to step in and didn't ask any questions. And having my husband there just to make sure I got through the day. I spent my childhood in that building; I know all the details inside the building. I can't ever go back in."

After entering the ground floor, the shooter went to the basement, where the New Light Congregation was holding service. The Conservative congregation is led by Rabbi Jonathan Perlman, 55, who was at the synagogue during the fateful day. Myers said coping with the events has taken a heavy toll on him, shedding a tear as he spoke.

"I have discovered that trauma has many faces – there are highs and lows that will remain with me for the rest of my life. It's a wound, it's not like grief that you can recover from and make peace with.

"Trauma is something that is ready to attack you at every moment of the day; hearing gunshots on TV, loud booms on the street, might be from a car backfiring, being aware of crowds and suspicious people. It has deeply affected me and the way I deal with it is through psychotherapy primarily, through prayer, being around my friends at New Light. I've held them up but they have also held me up. And I love to interact and laugh with them; it helps me a great deal.

"I have been told that the second year after the anniversary of a trauma is worse. So I'm preparing for that. This resilience is sometimes very surprising. I strive for that but I know it is not something that is always promised

For Rabbi Perlman, the time that has passed may have helped reflect on the events, but the pain is all the same.

"I think a lot about what happened and keep seeing images in my mind. I'll share one experience: There was a man whose name was Mel Wax, who always opened our services. He was an older man, 88 years old; he had a great deal of energy, always there early. He was deaf in both ears but that didn't stop him, he kept in tune with the entire congregation.

"Once the shooting started I was able to get two people and him into a large storage room in our sanctuary, and he didn't understand what was going on. He didn't hear gunfire, he was confused and he kept thinking that whatever it was we were bothered by somehow stopped. So he left the storage closet and he was shot twice.

"I beat myself up about this because I feel like I could've wrestled him into the ground, I could've shouted at him so he would know not to leave the closet, hold his arms, something. But I know that I would've put myself in jeopardy as well."

According to Perlman, "Mel was a kind old man; he was promoting voting registration at his senior apartment building just the week before, because in services we've been talking about going out to vote." Perlman adds with pain, "Like all others, he did not deserve to die."

He constantly thinks of what could have happened had he done something different, and it pains him that he could not save Wax.

"I go through these scenarios in my mind and I think a lot of the other victims do too, how I could've done more, why didn't I save more people, why did this person choose to do x, y and z, why did they turn the other way. It's part of the trauma and the inner demon, carrying around this type of thing with you. I will never forget Mel and I ask his forgiveness and wish he could've been here celebrating the new year with me."

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The Anti-Defamation League also counted at least 50 incidents in which white supremacists are accused of targeting Jewish institutions' property since a gunman killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018. Those incidents include 12 cases of vandalism involving white supremacist symbols and 35 cases in which white supremacist propaganda was distributed.

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The ADL said its nationwide count of anti-Semitic incidents remains near record levels. It has counted 780 anti-Semitic incidents in the first six months of 2019, compared to 785 incidents during the same period in 2018.

The ADL's tally of 12 arrests for white supremacist plots, threats, and attacks against Jewish institutions includes the April 2019 capture of John T. Earnest, who is charged with killing one person and wounding three others in a shooting at a synagogue in Poway, California. The group said many of the cases it counted, including the Poway shooting, were inspired by previous white supremacist attacks. In online posts, Earnest said he was inspired by the deadly attacks in Pittsburgh and on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, where a gunman killed 51 people in March.

The ADL also counted three additional 2019 cases in which individuals were arrested for targeting Jews but weren't deemed to be white supremacists. Two were motivated by Islamist extremist ideology, the organization said.

The ADL said its Center on Extremism provided "critical intelligence" to law enforcement in at least three of the 12 cases it counted.

Last December, authorities in Monroe, Washington, arrested a white supremacist after the ADL notified law enforcement about suspicions he threatened on Facebook to kill Jews in a synagogue. The ADL said it also helped authorities in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, identify a white supremacist accused of using aliases to post threatening messages, including a digital image of himself pointing an AR-15 rifle at a group of praying Jewish men.

In August, an FBI-led anti-terrorism task force arrested a Las Vegas man accused of plotting to firebomb a synagogue or other targets, including a bar catering to LGTBQ customers and the ADL's Las Vegas office. The ADL said it warned law enforcement officials about the man's online threats.

"We cannot and will not rest easy knowing the threat posed by white supremacists and other extremists against the Jewish community is clear and present," the group's CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, said in a statement.

The ADL said it counted at least 30 additional incidents in which people with an "unknown ideology" targeted Jewish institutions with acts of arson, vandalism or propaganda distribution that the group deemed to be anti-Semitic or "generally hateful," but not explicitly white supremacist.

"These incidents include the shooting of an elderly man outside a synagogue in Miami, fires set at multiple Jewish institutions in New York and Massachusetts, Molotov cocktails thrown at synagogue windows in Chicago, damaged menorahs in Georgia and New Jersey, as well as a wide range of anti-Semitic graffiti," an ADL report said.

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On Friday, they outlined their vision for the Tree of Life building, where three congregations – Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light – had gathered on Oct. 27, 2018, when a gunman opened fire, killing 11 people and wounding seven.

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The building in the city's Squirrel Hill neighborhood has not reopened since the shooting, considered the deadliest attack on Jews in US history. Tree of Life leaders now envision a rebuilt space that includes places of worship, memorial, education, and social events, as well as classrooms and exhibitions. The mission: to fight anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination.

"There was never any doubt that we would go back to the site," Tree of Life Executive Director Barb Feige said. "The congregation is a community. It survives without its building, but is committed to going back to that location."

There have been conceptual discussions about the changes to the building, said Tree of Life president Sam Schachner. Some donations have come in that will be used for the project, and the congregation will engage in a vigorous fundraising campaign, he said. No architectural plans have been drawn up, and no construction work has yet taken place.

The building was in need of extensive and costly repairs before the shooting, Feige said. The rebuilding now extends initial plans Tree of Life had to expand cooperation and collaboration among the three congregations and with the community, she said.

Robert Bowers, 47, a truck driver from Baldwin, Pennsylvania, has been charged in the attack. Investigators say Bowers used an AR-15 rifle and other weapons, and that he criticized a Jewish charity on social media before the massacre, claiming the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society "likes to bring invaders that kill our people." Police said Bowers also expressed hatred of Jews during and after the rampage.

Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Bowers' lawyers said this week that the case would be over by now if the prosecutors had accepted his offer to plead guilty in return for a sentence of life in prison without parole.

The government's decision to seek the death penalty disappointed some of the people most affected by the massacre, including members of Dor Hadash. The rabbi of New Light Congregation, which had three members slain in the attack, also expressed his opposition to a death sentence. Tree Of Life has said it is confident justice will be served.

In a statement, Tree of Life said rebuilding plans "reflect resiliency, strength, and community collaboration."

That collaboration likely will include the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh's moving into the building, where neighboring Chatham University also hopes to share space, Feige said.

"We are poised to become an incredible center for Jewish life in the United States," Tree of Life's Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, who was leading Shabbat services when the shooting started, said in a statement. "When we reopen, and we most certainly will, I want the entire world to say, 'Wow, look at what they have done.' To do anything less disrespects the memory of our 11 martyrs."

There will be a memorial for the 11 victims, but whether that will be the city's public memorial remains to be determined. Leaders have met with experts on the Holocaust and 9/11 memorials to discuss a public memorial for the Tree of Life shooting and have been advised to take their time, Feige said.

"Regardless where that is located, whether it is our site or not, we will obviously include in our plan a memorial, if not the memorial, to the 11 souls that were lost," she said. She called the eight men and three women killed "stalwarts of the three congregations."

"I think part of our desire is to honor them and their commitment," she added. "Is it sort of 'the bad guys win if we don't go back'? There is a little bit of that."

The next steps include hiring a strategic planning consultant well-versed in the Jewish community and in building collaborative and space-sharing plans.

"It's a bit of a unicorn in the skills set, but hopefully we can find someone who can lead us," she said.

Synagogue leaders will consider the thoughts and ideas about the building's future shared by the victims' family members, witnesses, members from all three congregations, community leaders, and others during several "listening sessions," Tree of Life said in its statement.

The Jewish community and the city will hold a commemoration on Sunday, Oct. 27 – exactly one year after the shooting. Events will include a private Jewish service in the morning, a community service in the city, a gathering to study the Torah portion that was to be read when the shooting took place, and a public memorial service in the evening.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered state flags to fly at half-staff at all state facilities, public buildings, and grounds on that day. He also signed a proclamation declaring Oct. 27 a day of remembrance.

Chuck Diamond, Tree of Life's former rabbi, said returning to the building will not only provide a stand against hatred, but hope for Pittsburgh and other communities affected by mass shootings.

"When people pass by that corner, you can't help but think of what happened and the poor souls who lost their lives. And it's sad," Diamond said. "To rebuild, inspired by those wonderful people and their memories, and by honoring their memories, it sends a positive message to the entire world."

Diamond spent 10 years in the building, which has been the scene of many joyous occasions – weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, parties and baby-naming ceremonies.

"That is what it should be remembered for, all the wonderful things," Diamond said. "The community would like to see it as a center for Jewish life, a symbol that nothing is going to keep us down, like we have been doing for centuries."

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