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Wife of rabbi at Tree of Life during shooting speaks out against death penalty

PITTSBURGH — The wife of a rabbi who narrowly escaped death at the Tree of Life synagogue is calling for faith over vengeance.

In an op-ed for the Jerusalem Post, Beth Kissileff, the wife of Rabbi Jonathan Perlman, asked to spare the life of accused killer Robert Bowers, who allegedly opened fire inside the synagogue in October killing 11 people and injuring seven others.

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“Calling for the death penalty means there is no possibility for the shooter to repent, to change or to improve. I would rather not foreclose that possibility of change, slim as it may be, by putting someone to death," Kissileff said.

A spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office told Channel 11 the decision about whether to pursue the death penalty against Bowers remains under review.

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