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
Printed note in black ink on bright green paper. The note reads: "Hate has no home here. Our hearts are heavy with grief." Tape marks visible on the right and left sides of the note. Color bleeding due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
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
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]."
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue marker. The message reads: "May your loved ones rest in peace. May your hearts heal and know that we are with you and will defend and love you."
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]."
Post-it note with handwritten message in green marker. The note, which is written in Hebrew, reads: "There is love with us and it will be victorious. May their memories be a blessing." Signed by the Karmiel-Misgav partnership with Pittsburgh.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter is dated 11/4/18 and reads: "Dear All, Our hearts are crying with you. We feel you[r] pain. We pray you can worship in your house and feel safe. With Halloween just passing, I am reminded of skeletons and the fact they all look the same. We can't tell someone's faith, color, etc. We are all the same- people of God. Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church is with you, supports you, cares for you. Mary [last name redacted] Elementary School Teacher."
Post-it note with handwritten message in red marker. The message reads: "Let love rule."
Printed note in black ink on white paper. The note reads: "Love and Prayers for the 11 Slaughtered Innocents. Love Over Hate." A line of interfaith symbols including the Star of David, cross, crescent moon, Om, Kanda, and Dharma wheel appears below. Tearing and creasing due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Photograph showing group of adults and children along the outer wall of a sukkah at the Hebrew Institute in Squirrel Hill.
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.
Triangle-shaped card from a student at Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, Co. The card reads: "Dear members of Tree of Life, I am a Chinese [student] who is now studying in U.S. I am sorry about the situation that happened recently. Personally, I support you, do not be afraid! Peace be with you." Star of David in the upper center, peace sign in the bottom center.
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."
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.