Seven years have passed since a shooter attacked the Tree of Life synagogue building and the three congregations that worshipped within. October 27, 2018 was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history and the reverberations from that day are still felt at HIAS and across our community.
May the memories of Joyce, Richard, Rose, Jerry, Cecil, David, Bernice, Sylvan, Daniel, Melvin, and Irving be a blessing. Our hearts are with their families and with the entire Pittsburgh Jewish community today, in our wishes for their healing and peace.
In the years since the attack, the conspiracy theories about Jews and refugees that motivated the shooter have become alarmingly widespread. Anti-immigrant and antisemitic sentiments, including the “Great Replacement” conspiracy, now not only motivate political violence but are also used as a justification to detain and deport immigrants and to dismantle previously bipartisan efforts like the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
HIAS pledges to always stand firmly for the rights and safety of refugees and displaced people around the world. In a moment when our values are under attack, we work every day to fight back against hate and to bring compassion to others. For us, this resilience and commitment is the lasting legacy of the Tree of Life shooting. It is the pathway toward hope, and we follow that pathway with Pittsburgh in our hearts.
We remember always:
Joyce Fienberg
Richard Gottfried
Rose Mallinger
Jerry Rabinowitz
Cecil Rosenthal
David Rosenthal
Bernice Simon
Sylvan Simon
Daniel Stein
Melvin Wax
Irving Younger
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