
Primary Type – Cards
Secondary Type - Cards
Language – Cards
Creator – Cards
Date – Cards
Group – Cards
Location – Cards
Event – Cards
Square card with white and yellow text against blue background. Card reads, "Mitzvah4Pittsburgh. Some spread darkness. We spread light. Choose a good deed. Choose a Mitzvah. Add light to the world," followed by four options and a place for respondents to list their name and email address. Some names and email addresses have been redacted for privacy.
Note addressed to Jerry Rabinowitz written on the back of a business card from Doug [last name redacted], a certified Pilates instructor in the Pittsburgh area. The note reads: "Dear Jerry- I will miss you. Best peace sir!"
Summary: KDKA-TV breaking news report on the October 27 attack. Includes updates throughout the day with more info about the shooting and responses from public officials
Note from a member of The Church at Severn Run in Severn, Maryland. The note is enclosed in an envelope with church letterhead, reading: "The Church at Severn Run: Love Well, Live Jesus, Believe Big!" The note inside contains messages of love and support. The church's contact information is included on the back of the envelope.
Brown envelope with handwritten note in black ink on a rectangular emblem, reading: "In Memory." Staining and creasing due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
White posterboard with an illustration of the Pittsburgh skyline and various handwritten messages. The names and ages of the eleven victims of the October 27 attack appear on the left, followed by the acronym "RIP" (Rest in Peace). The inscription, "You can't break a city made of steel," appears in the upper center. The words, "Pittsburgh is are (our) city," appears below with an arrow pointing to an illustration of one of Pittsburgh's iconic yellow bridges; "Never forget 10-27-18" appears underneath.
Note from a member of The Church at Severn Run in Severn, Maryland. The note is enclosed in an envelope with church letterhead, reading: "The Church at Severn Run: Love Well, Live Jesus, Believe Big!" The note inside contains messages of encouragement and the sender's prayers for God's blessing. The church's contact information is included on the back of the envelope.
Card from a congregant at the Holy Angels Parish. The front cover contains a stock illustration of seven children holding hands around a table with a large goblet and loaf of braided bread, and seven doves. The illustration is labeled: "We are people of God's peace." The inside reads: "Dear Tree of Life member. You are all in our thoughts and prayers. Holy Angels\CCD. Jason [last name redacted]." Due to water exposure at the memorial site, the ink on this card has partially lifted.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "May the love and comfort of God, our father, be with you all in this dark hour. We pray for all of you. GOD BLESS You. Margaret [last name redacted]."
Message written on a green note card which affirms the importance of words and combatting hate. The note ends with the following words: "Squirrel Hill is in the hearts and minds of everyone in PGH [Pittsburgh] and in the world."
Cardstock program with typed text on front and back. Creased down the middle. Program includes itinerary, directions for a vigil walk and a wreath laying ceremony, and Hebrew and English lyrics for two Jewish songs: "Olam Hesed Yibaneh" and "Oseh Shalom Bimromav."
Card from a congregant at the Holy Angels Parish. The front cover contains a stock illustration of a haloed dove flying in front of Noah's ark. Due to water exposure at the memorial site, the message in this card has been partially erased. The remaining text inside reads: "...for your loss...[f]or you...Devon from CCD Hol[y] Ange[ls]...[mem]bers of the Tree of life."
Summary: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report listing detours to Port Authority bus routes passing through Squirrel Hill to accommodate crime scene blockades and public vigils in the neighborhood.
Typed letter on Alfred University letterhead in hardback certificate holder, signed by Alfred University President Mark Zupan.
Handwritten note written in black, pink, and red marker on the back of page from a Staples calendar. The note contains quotes from Ecclesiastes and the South African Jewish philosopher, David Benatar. The quotes articulate the philosophical perspective, championed by Benatar, that procreation is not ethical.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "Dear Ones [heart symbol], We send you love and share your pain and loss. I wish we could kiss you and make it all better. May God bless you and be with you and comfort you in this tragic time. [Heart symbol] Love, Joci and Jim [last name redacted].
Handwritten letter from a student at Hebrew Academy, a private Jewish day school in Montreal, Quebec. The letter reads: "Dear Rabbi, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope it does not happen again. Refua Shleima (speedy recovery). I hope that everyone is comfortable and safe. Ahava Montreal ha [Hebrew Academy] 4A.
Card from the Friendship Circle of Illinois. The front cover reads: "To: The Jewish Community of Pittsburgh. From: Yisroel [last name redacted], Chicago IL." The inside reads: "I feel so sad for you. My hachlata (resolution) is to give 3 cents instead of 1 or 2 cents. You should have everything you need. And Hashem (God) should give you all that you need." Spelling errors have been corrected for clarity.
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.