
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.
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.
Western Pennsylvanians share their life stories and reflect on the impact of an antisemitic attack in a beloved Jewish neighborhood.
Documentation of the October 27 attack as it was unfolding, told through news articles and oral histories.
Primary Type – Cards
Secondary Type - Cards
Language – Cards
Creator – Cards
Group – Cards
Location – Cards
Event – Cards
Handwritten note written in blue ink on paper. Dated Saturday November 17, 2018 in the upper right corner. Addressed to the people of Pittsburgh and Tree of Life synagogue.
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.
Post-it note with handwritten message and illustration in blue and green marker. The message reads: "Nothing is lost on the breath of G-d." An illustration of a dove holding an olive branch against the backdrop of cresting waves or mountains.
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 blessings and affirmations of love. The church's contact information is included on the back of the envelope.
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue marker. The message reads: "When there is dark be the one who turns on the light."
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.
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."
Hebrew mourning prayer, "Kel Male Rachamim" (God full of compassion) translated into English. The names of the eleven victims of the October 27 attack have been inserted here. Tears and creasing due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "Dear Members, We at the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in California extend our most heartfelt feeling for you in the time of mourning. It is our wish that your healing take place as soon as possible. We are with you in your loving God. Jay [last name redacted]."
Folded card with marker and colored pencil illustration. Front and back cover features Star of David inside heart. Interior features illustrations of heart and tree and word "Please accept our love and thoughts at this terrible time. Beth Chai Congregation, Bethesda, Md."
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.
Handmade, screen-printed card on pink paper with green paint. An abstract shape, perhaps meant to evoke a broken heart, appears in the center. Signed, lower right: "Love, Brian S." The card has been laminated.
Pamphlet from the Christian organization "Bridge to Salvation."
Single page with typed text and hand-drawn illustration of an open Torah scroll, Shabbat candles, and a kiddish cup. Text lists details of event and includes quotation from Statement of Principles.
Cover of bencher (grace after meals booklet) from the bar mitzvah of Nate Itskowitz. Features illustration of a black and yellow sports jersey with the name Itskowitz, a Steelers logo modified to read "Nate" and the date "10-27-18," and Hebrew text listing the event and date.
Page of typed text. Includes list of speakers, acknowledgement, and a quote from Coretta Scott King.
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.