
Primary Type – Cards
Secondary Type - Cards
Language – Cards
Creator – Cards
Date – Cards
Group – Cards
Location – Cards
Event – Cards
Handmade booklet with blue paper on the cover, pink cover on the back, and three pages of white paper inside. Tied together with red ribbon through three hole punches. Extensive color staining and bleeding throughout. Due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial, the messages on this card are no longer visible.
Folded card in the shape of a Star of David from a student at Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, Co. Card reads: "Dear members of Tree of Life Synagogue, I am an international student from Japan. I heard sad news at October 27th. I feel so sorry for that. Stay strong, I stand with you. Shalom." Illustrated with a Star of David and Japanese flag lower center.
Page of blue typed text over a photograph of Tree of Life synagogue illuminated at night. Photograph shows barrier tape behind large white Stars of David with names of victims on them. Title reads: "Decolonizing Judaism in an Era of White Supremacy: Tree of Life, Travel Bans, and New Concentration Camps."
Single sheet folded in half. Contains photocopy of two pages from the "Readings: Prelude to Kaddish" section of the Kol Haneshamah Shabbat Vehagim prayerbook. One side contains the poem "Each Of Us Has a Name" in English and Hebrew. Other side contains "In Many Houses" by Diane Cole and "To open eyes when others close them" by Emmanuel Eydoux.
Post-it note with handwritten message in black ink. The message reads: "We are all brothers and sisters. Your struggle is our struggle. - A Muslim." Color bleeding due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Small wooden crate containing a bouquet of synthetic flowers resembling sunflowers, roses, and hydrangeas.
Card with illustration of the sun and its rays of light obscured by a large cloud on the front cover with the inscription: "Warm thoughts can make the sun a little brighter, the sky a little bluer, the world a little nicer." The note inside affirms the sender's love and prayers. Concludes: "Know the entire community is here for you."
Award medal attached to light blue ribbon and housed in blue velour jewelry box. Design of medal features City of Pittsburgh crest.
Handwritten tag on green and white striped paper. A large piece of tape has been affixed to the tag.
Oral history of Anna Coufal, recorded as part of the Meanings of October 27th Oral History Project.
Single page flyer. Backdrop features color photograph of lit tealight candles. Text lists title, date, time, and location of event, biography of speaker, and a list of sponsoring organizations. Footer includes logo for the Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future Speakers Bureau.
Floral tag from floral arrangement sent by a couple from Virginia. Handwritten message in blue ink on a printed tag featuring a white orchid on the lower right.
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.
Card with a peacock on the front cover. The card reads: "A Catholic who loves all Jewish people! A friend, a neighbor, she loves you."
Sympathy card from the staff of Family Medicine Squirrel Hill to the families of the October 27 victims. Pre-printed word "family" is crossed out and replaced with handwritten word "families."
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "Dear Tree of Life members, You have all been in my heart and prayers this past week. It is impossible to imagine what you all must have experienced, but I would hope that your faith and strong community would be very healing at this time. I am so impressed with the response of your congregation- to just keep going, as the Jewish people have done for thousands of years throughout history.
Card from a student at West Allegheny Middle School in Imperial, Pa. The front features a hand-colored illustration of a pineapple with floral and geometric motifs. The back contains a handwritten note, a "Stronger Together" sticker, and the stock signature: "From your friends at West Allegheny Middle School."
Typed letter from a student at Hebrew Academy, a private Jewish day school in Montreal, Quebec. The letter reads: "Dear Rabbi, My name is Joelle. I'm 10 years old. I live in Montreal. I go to Hebrew Academy, a private school. I'm sorry to hear that there was a shooting. I feel so bad. It doesn't matter what religion you are, you have to respect other[s] just the same way you have to respect Hashem (God). We should always know that we are stronger than hate. So bad things can't happen we have to faith and emunah (trust) in Hashem. I feel so bad. From: Joelle. P.S.
Handwritten card from a student at Goddard Middle School in Littleton, Co. The cover contains a quote attributed to the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius: "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall" in the upper left corner. The cover features a full-length illustration of a mountainous landscape with a deer at the center as the sun sets. The inside reads: "Dear Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, I am sorry that someone would ever do that. We're thinking about you all the way in Colorado. I'm a student in middle school. My name is Erin.
Terms of Use
The October 27 Archive collects responses to an antisemitic attack in Pittsburgh, Pa. on October 27, 2018. These responses take many forms but share a motivating impulse. Each began in the mind and heart of someone who was moved by the events of that day and was compelled to create something meaningful from that feeling. By sharing these responses, those people chose to be vulnerable for the sake of a greater good. The October 27 Archive website was launched with the belief that sharing these responses with the world can provide an avenue for people all over the world to reflect, learn, and heal.
By entering this website, you agree to honor the spirit in which these responses were created and in which they are being shared with the world.
The materials on this website are being made available exclusively for research purposes. For permission to use any of the materials on this website for any other purpose, please contact the archive. If you are the creator of any of the material on this website, and you would like to provide context or request to have something removed, please contact the archive. If you intend to reference any material found on this website, please attribute all citations to the Rauh Jewish Archives, so that other researchers can easily locate these materials in the future.