HIAS Statement on the Pittsburgh Shooting, Six Years Later
Oct 27, 2024
On the morning of October 27, 2018, a shooter attacked the Tree of Life synagogue building and the three congregations that worshipped within. It was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. Six years later, HIAS mourns the eleven victims of the attack, and stands in solidarity with the wider Pittsburgh community that was so deeply, and forever, affected.
May the memory of Joyce, Richard, Rose, Jerry, Cecil, David, Bernice, Sylvan, Daniel, Melvin, and Irving be for the brightest blessing. May their loved ones be surrounded with love and resilience, with healing and hope.
HIAS recognizes with alarm that six years after the attack in Pittsburgh, the hateful conspiracies about Jews and refugees that motivated the shooter have become more prevalent. The Great Replacement Theory, which alleges a conspiracy to replace white populations in the U.S. with non-white immigrants, has been used repeatedly by candidates and media personalities during the 2024 election season to achieve political gains. In the past six years, the narratives espoused by the shooter about an “invasion” at the border have fully migrated from fringe social media accounts to the largest political stages in the country.
Within the context of a political moment where xenophobic, antisemitic, Islamophobic, and racist rhetoric have come to the fore, HIAS remembers with compassion the congregations and communities of all faiths that have been victims of hate-motivated attacks.
In such a moment, we pledge to always stand firmly for the rights and safety of refugees and immigrants around the world, to welcome refugees with compassion, and to work for a better future. We live this commitment every day, and we do so 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
