The anniversary of a tragic event always carries some weight, but this year’s commemoration, which marks five years since the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, takes on even more significance, said Maggie Feinstein, director of the October 27 Healing Partnership. It is said to have a sexual nature.
She says five years is enough time for people to make an educated decision. “Normally every five years we take a step back and say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that was five years ago,'” she said. “And we measure time, little by little, to this important moment in our lives. And what has changed? What hasn’t changed?”
On October 27, 2018, an armed attack by a white supremacist at Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill killed 11 members of three congregations: Tree of Life, New Light, and Dor Hadash. did. In June, a federal jury convicted the now 51-year-old gunman on 63 charges, including hate crimes. The same jury sentenced him to death on August 2.
One of the biggest changes this year for many survivors of the attacks is that the shooter’s trial is no longer on the horizon for them. Many of them felt unable to speak publicly for fear of disrupting the shooter’s trial.
Carol Black, a survivor who hid in a closet and lost her brother during the shooting, said planning this year’s event has been a little easier. “Obviously, I can only speak for myself, but I think we’re a little bit more free,” she said. “I think that’s probably the best way to put it. I felt a little bit freer.”
Black said the planning commission has asked U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan to be the keynote speaker for the event, which will be held Friday at 3 p.m. at Schenley Park. He said he had built strong relationships with the victims’ families. As a result, plans for this year’s commemoration ceremony have been temporarily postponed.
Black said the commemoration will be similar to what has been held every year (except for the first year during the coronavirus pandemic). The bereaved families light a candle for each of the 11 victims. Survivors from the three congregations that were worshiping that day will give readings. Local leaders pay their respects.
Works by children from eight schools will also be exhibited this time. Middle school students at Kentucky Avenue School in Shadyside created individual pieces of art for each of the 11 lives lost. Art teacher Stephanie Shropshire said the students didn’t want to just paint a mosaic, so they researched Jewish traditions and learned that it was customary to place stones instead of flowers on graves. There, each student researched the lives of those killed by gunfire and created custom stones for them.
Shropshire herself knew more than half of the victims, and some students used her story for information. Shropshire remembers Cecil Rosenthal asking her grandmother for a Diet Coke while they waited at the bus stop. So Cecil’s stone features a Coke and a bath, as well as a heart representing the “Love like the Boys” campaign honoring Cecil and his brother David.
Another student painted three roses on a rock to symbolize the three years left until Rose Mullinger, who was 97 at the time of the attack, would be 100 years old.
Students and musicians are also scheduled to perform the “Violin of Hope” at this year’s commemorative ceremony. Many of the instruments were preserved during the Holocaust and restored after World War II. “It’s amazing to me to be able to sit in a park and hear the sounds of violins being played by young people in Pittsburgh and think about the importance of resilience,” Feinstein said.
Anti-gun violence group holds storytelling event
In addition to Friday’s ceremony, several events will be held in the lead-up to the anniversary. That includes Thursday’s reading event hosted by Pittsburgh-area anti-gun violence groups.
“This is the fifth year, and it’s a significant year. It’s been a long time without gun legislation,” said Dana Kellerman, policy director for Squirrel Hill Against Gun Violence. “But that’s where we are.”
Kellerman said this will be her group’s first foray into storytelling. Over the past few years, they have held wakes and memorial services and lobbied for change. But she believes it’s important for everyone to sit down and reflect on their own relationship to gun violence in order to understand its broader context. And she hopes to persuade people to use their personal stories to inspire change.
Kellerman said the stories recorded during the event will be shared with the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee, where two gun bills that passed the Pennsylvania House are currently stalled. One of these bills would allow judges to temporarily take guns away from people deemed dangerous, and another would strengthen a loophole that requires background checks to purchase guns. It is something.
Michael Golfin, pastor of Deliverance Baptist Church in Wilkinsburg and a member of the clergy council that co-sponsors the event, said he has had to oversee too many funerals because of gun violence. Told.
Golfin plans to record the story of the event about 20 years ago, when an 18-year-old pregnant woman showed up at his door at 1 a.m. and was shot in the face with a shotgun. . She and her baby eventually survived, but her boyfriend, who was also shot, did not, he said. That night inspired Golfin to continue participating in efforts to end gun violence.
The event will feature a number of private video booths where individuals can record their stories. Some people may be able to record their stories on their phones or write them down. Others can tell their stories into the microphone in front of the entire group, and their stories will be recorded as well.
Here is a list of this week’s commemorative events:
Wednesdays from 10am to 2pm: Days of healing and self-care include art-making, improvisation, sound bathing, acupuncture, trauma-informed yoga at the Jewish Community Center, and more.
Thursdays from 6pm to 8pm: A storytelling event aimed at calling for new gun regulations enacted by a variety of partners, including Squirrel Hill Fighting Gun Violence at Rodef Shalom.
Friday 8am, 9am, 10am: The Torah is studied with various Jewish scholars and leaders.
Friday 3pm: The memorial ceremony, held in Schenley Park, included lighting of candles, music played by a violin rescued from the Holocaust, and a keynote address by U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan.
Sunday: There are a variety of volunteer opportunities, including blood drives, stone painting, cemetery cleanups, friendship circles, book backing for the Pittsburgh Prison Project, and bread baking at the Family House.