Ivanka Trump Responded To The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting With Calls For Unity

Authorities reported Saturday that a shooting at The Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had resulted in multiple fatalities before police were able to take the suspected shooter into custody. In the wake of the deadly synagogue shooting, Ivanka Trump urged Americans to "unite against hatred and evil." The president's eldest daughter converted to Judaism nearly 10 years ago and is often spotted attending services at a synagogue in Washington, D.C. with her family.

"America is stronger than the acts of a depraved bigot and anti-semite," Ivanka tweeted Saturday. "All good Americans stand with the Jewish people to oppose acts of terror & share the horror, disgust & outrage over the massacre in Pittsburgh. We must unite against hatred & evil. God bless those affected."

Pittsburgh police reported taking a suspect into custody Saturday, shortly after responding to reports of an active shooter at The Tree of Life Synagogue in the city's Squirrel Hill neighborhood. According to police, the gunman yelled an anti-Semitic slur just prior to opening fire on congregants. A spokesman for police said there had been multiple casualties, including three officers shot.

According to People magazine, Ivanka converted to Judaism before Jared Kushner proposed to her in June 2009. They married Oct. 25, 2009.

Despite her life in the public eye, Ivanka hasn't been the most incredibly outspoken person when it comes to discussing the details of her religious beliefs. "I always shied away from [my conversion] being a public conversation because it's such a personal thing," she told Vogue in a 2015 interview.

But don't mistake her hesitation to publicly discuss her conversion to Judaism as a sign she holds any regrets. "It's been such a great life decision for me," Ivanka told Vogue of her conversion. "I am very modern, but I'm also a very traditional person, and I think that's an interesting juxtaposition in how I was raised as well. I really find that with Judaism, it creates an amazing blueprint for family connectivity."

Ivanka went on to tell the fashion magazine that she and Kushner were "pretty observant — more than some, less than others."

"We observe the Sabbath. From Friday to Saturday we don't do anything but hang out with one another," she said. "We don't make phone calls... It's an amazing thing when you're so connected to really sign off."

Observing the Sabbath also had a positive effect on their children, Ivanka told Vogue. "For Arabella to know that she has me, undivided, one day a week?" she said. "We don't do anything except play with each other, hang out with one another, go on walks together. Pure family."

Since moving to Washington, D.C. following her father's election victory, Ivanka has repeatedly been seen attending services with her family at a synagogue near her home. Most recently, she was spotted bringing her three children to synagogue on Oct. 1 to celebrate the Shemini Atzeret holiday, The Daily Mail reported.

Speaking to reporters in Indianapolis, President Donald Trump said Saturday's deadly synagogue shooting "looks definitely like it's an anti-Semitic crime." Trump went on to say there had been "a lot of people killed, a lot of people badly wounded" and that the FBI was now involved.