The Collection

The October 27 Archive currently contains 1333 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

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

The Archive

The October 27 Archive currently contains 1333 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

Date – Cards

Group – Cards

Location – Cards

Event – Cards

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Gifts

St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Londonderry, N. H.) card (05)

Hallmark card from a member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Londonderry, New Hampshire. The envelope contains a handwritten message: "With Peace and in Repentance and friendship of Spirit." The front cover reads: "Peace" and features a sandy landscape with a blue sky and orange flowers. The inside reads: "Dear Friends in the God of Abraham, My spirit and my prayers have been with you this past week. Prayers of love, courage, hope, and prayers of repentance for all little ways in which my own way of living accommodates any hatred, bigotry, or antisemitism.

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Gifts

New York State memorial flag (Bernice Simon)

Miniature New York State flag. Wrapped around stem of flag is a slip of laminated yellow paper reading, "In Memory of our Sister BERNICE SIMON z''l -- To his family and community we pray Tanuchamo min hashamayim. May God in Heaven comfort you. The Principals, Teachers, Parents, Alumni, and Students of Magen David Yeshivah. Brooklyn, NY." Part of a series of 11 flags, each dedicated to one of the victims. Additional photograph shows the entire set of 11.

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Gifts

Goddard Middle School (Littleton, Co.) card (16)

Handwritten card from a student at Goddard Middle School in Littleton, Co. The front cover features a large Star of David and contains the following quote attributed to Albert Einstein: "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." The inside reads: "Dear Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, I am sorry for your loss, and violence. I am a student from all the way from Denver, Colorado. So from all of us from Colorado we give you good wishes. Sincerely, Will [last name redacted]."

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Gifts

Park Avenue Synagogue (New York, Ny.) binder

One of two identical binders containing photocopies of handwritten, illustrated selections from the "Prayer of Peace" created by sixth grade students at Park Avenue Synagogue (New York, Ny.). The front cover of each binder reads: "Read Me, A Prayer for Peace, For Tree of Life Synagogue From Park Avenue Synagogue NYC 6th Graders." Each student illustrated a stanza from the "Prayer for Peace," an eighteenth century prayer which was composed by Rabbi Natan Sternharz, a prominent student of the Chasidic leader, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, and is included in the Rabbinical Assembly's prayer book.