The Collection

The October 27 Archive currently contains 1579 objects and is regularly being expanded with more material. The archive includes flyers and programs from community gatherings held since the October 27 attack, a comprehensive collection of news coverage about the day of the event, oral history recordings reflecting a diverse array of experiences, and historical documentation about the Jewish experience in Western Pennsylvania.

Using this archive

You can view all the materials currently included in the archive using the browser below. Each object has been described and cataloged to help you discover materials, learn about these materials, understand the context in which these materials were created, and draw connections between different materials. You can refine the browsing experience using various filters, including creator, type, and subject. Some of these filters have already been used to create preset galleries, each organized around specific aspects of the archive. You can also look for specific words and phrase found in the archive using a keyword search.

 

View the collection

Image
Photograph showing selection of archival materials
Photo Credit
Photograph by Carly Lough

The Archive

The October 27 Archive currently contains 1579 objects and is regularly being expanded with more material. The archive includes flyers and programs from community gatherings held since the October 27 attack, a comprehensive collection of news coverage about the day of the event, oral history recordings reflecting a diverse array of experiences, and historical documentation about the Jewish experience in Western Pennsylvania.

Using this archive

You can view all the materials currently included in the archive using the browser below. Each object has been described and cataloged to help you discover materials, learn about these materials, understand the context in which these materials were created, and draw connections between different materials. You can refine the browsing experience using various filters, including creator, type, and subject. Some of these filters have already been used to create preset galleries, each organized around specific aspects of the archive. You can also look for specific words and phrase found in the archive using a keyword search.

Galleries

Galleries are pre-selected filters that provide a glimpse into the depth and breadth of the October 27 collection.
  • Oral Histories

    Western Pennsylvanians share their life stories and reflect on the impact of an antisemitic attack in a beloved Jewish neighborhood.

  • Breaking News

    Documentation of the October 27 attack as it was unfolding, told through news articles and oral histories.

Show filters

Language – Cards

Creator – Cards

Group – Cards

Image
MSS_1297_B001_F008_I002_P001.jpg
Gifts

Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, Pa.) card

Envelope and card from administrators and affiliated staff at The Center for Global Understanding and Peacemaking at Elizabethtown College. Envelope is inscribed: "Tree of Life" and illustrated with a Star of David and heart. Card features an illustration of peacock feathers on the front. Card reads: "Elizabethtown College's Center for Global Understanding and Peacemaking shares our concerns and prayers for your community at this most difficult time.

Image
2023_53_1_a (1).jpg
Gifts

Star of David memorial (Richard Gottfried)

Wooden pedestal painted white with white Star of David and red heart affixed to front. Handwritten in pencil and black marker on the Star of David is the name "Richard Gottfried." (The name is misspelled as "Richard Guttfried.") Collaged onto the heart are white pieces of paper and a translation of Psalm 34:18: "The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Accompanying image shows all 11 Stars of David in the series.

Image
2023_53_18 (1).jpg
Gifts

Artificial Flowers (7)

White ceramic vase (Lenox Poppy Vase) with gold trim at bottom rim and flower pattern. Vase contains stalks of wheat and dried lotus pods bound together with a strip of fabric. Fabric has an autumn harvest theme. Attached to the lotus pod are a not bound in fabric and a wooden heart. Note includes the names of the 11 victims and the message, "Our deepest sympathies to your family, friends, and the Tree of Life community. Our hearts are broken, but our strength is strong. Hate will not win. [Redacted] Denniston and Hastings." Vase has dirt and cobwebs around bottom.

Image
329.jpg
Community

"The Children of Willesden Lane" program

Folded cardstock program for "Mona Golabek in The Children of Willesden Lane: A Tale of Music, Hope and Survival." Cover features image of a girl with a suitcase on a dark red background. Interior pages lists speakers and performances, describes the production, and provides background information about Mona Golabeck, Kristallnacht, and the Kindertransport. Back page describes the missions of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, Classrooms Without Borders (Pittsburgh, Pa.), and the Pittsburgh Willesden Lane Read, and includes a memorial to the victims of the October 27 attack.

Image
pittsburgh_post_gazette_20181027_I14.jpg
Websites

Shooting prompts Pittsburgh synagogues to go on lockdown but worship services continue

Summary: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report detailing how several Jewish institutions in Allegheny County responded to the immediate breaking news of the October 27 attack. Includes reports from Shaare Torah Congregation, Chabad of South Hills, and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh. Includes comments from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh detailing security measures undertaken within the Jewish community in recent years. Report also includes quotes from a havdalah vigil held at the corner of Murray and Forbes avenues on the evening of the attack.

Image
2023_53_1_d (1).jpg
Gifts

Star of David memorial (David Rosenthal)

Wooden pedestal painted white with white Star of David and red heart affixed to front. Handwritten in pencil and black marker on the Star of David is the name "David Rosenthal." Collaged onto the heart are white pieces of paper and a translation of Psalm 34:18: "The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Affixed to one side of the pedestal is a black sticker with the word "LOVE" in white letters. Accompanying image shows all 11 Stars of David in the series.