
Primary Type – Cards
Secondary Type - Cards
Language – Cards
Creator – Cards
Date – Cards
Group – Cards
Location – Cards
Event – Cards
Folded card with colored pencil illustration. Front and back of card feature Stars of David enclosed by hearts. Inside reads: "Thumbs up I feel your pain" and features a stylized thumbs up and a smiley face.
Handwritten card from a student at Goddard Middle School in Littleton, Co. The front cover reads: "I am sorry" and features a large heart below. It is signed: "By D'mitri." The inside reads: "Dear survivors of the synagogue shooting, I AM sorry FOR your LOSS. This note is from D'mitri [last name redacted]. I live in Colorado."
Bright green posterboard with inscription in black marker. Blank back.
Floral tag from floral arrangement sent in memory of Al Hess. The note is printed on a tag with a beige background from a local florist.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "Friends, Words cannot express our sorrow the losses you all have endured. That your community of faith, love, peace was assaulted with such hatred and brokenness-our hearts ache for you all. We stand with you in faith and love in the face of such destruction. We stand with you in prayers for comfort and healing in the midst of your pain. We stand with you as a force for love in a hurting world. The [last name redacted] Family, Lauren, Joel, Kieran, Micah."
Laminated prayer card with text of the "Prayer to Our Mother of Perpetual Help" on the reverse. The front side features a reproduction of a medieval-style icon of the Virgin and child against a gold backdrop. This prayer card has the imprimatur of the former archbishop of Boston, William Cardinal O'Connell (1859-1944).
Zine page with bubble letters and information about the emotional value of hugs. Zine page with cartoon imagery and information about the value of hugs. A young boy hugs a globe, beneath the inscription: "Embrace the world one hug at a time."
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.
Oral history with Hershey Dugan recorded as part of the Meanings of October 27th oral history project.
White posterboard with handwritten message in black marker reading: "Pittsburgh Strong. We Will Never Forget 10-27-18." Staining due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Handwritten note written in blue marker on lined notepad paper from Christian Lacroix reading: "We love you, Cecil. May God comfort you and all the innocent people who died here." A white sticker with a red heart appears below.
Prayer card with the words of a prayer to be recited every day at high noon. The prayer reads: "O God of mercy, give us peace. Peace in our hearts. Peace in our homes. Peace in our community. Peace in the world." Staining due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
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. The inside reads: "Even in dark times there's still hope! I'm praying for you ALL! From Holy Angels CCD." Spelling errors corrected for clarity.
Handwritten letter written in black ink on lined notebook paper from a Jewish resident of Riverdale, Ny. Addressed to Congregation Tree of Life, the Squirrel Hill community, Pittsburgh, and everyone grieving from the October 27 attack.
19-paged saddle-stitched booklet. Includes note from current president, explaination of Reconstructionist Judaism, and history of Congregation Dor Hadash with reproduction of archival materials, Typed half-page booklet printed in color and staple-bound.
Collage with a hand drawn tree in the center. Leaves comprised of multicolored tissue paper; two ready-made decorative leaves in orange, yellow, and red fabric. Signed in red ink lower center. Yinyang in blank ink appears on the lower right; dove outlined with fuchsia ink appears on the lower left.
Post-it note with handwritten message in green marker. The message reads: "Love Wins [heart]."
Notecard with the following message written in black ink: "LOVE ALWAYS."
Glass, blue stone and blue handwritten post-it-note. The post-it-note reads: "God help these families and community. 'Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.' (1 Samuel 7:12). Raise an Ebenezer in Pittsburgh. RIP 11 lovely souls." The back reads: "The Ebenezer is the stone of help."
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.