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
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.
Floral tag from floral arrangement, which reads: "May the lord Be with you!" The message is written in black ink on a printed tag with white and purple flecked flowers.
Oral history of Meryl Ainsman, recorded as part of the Meanings of October 27th Oral History Project.
Floral tag enclosed in white envelope from floral arrangement. The envelope is hand illustrated in blue ink with a tree in the center and has a hole punch in the upper left corner. The tag is addressed to Squirrel Hill and reads: "To the neighborhood that gave me my friends, my craft, my fiancee, my passion, and my livelihood, shine on, love on, heal on, grow and hug, and thrive and be gentle with one another. Heal. Heal. Heal. Love."
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue marker. The message reads: "Stay strong. Hate cannot win!! Ron [last name redacted]."
Printed Hanukkah note with edited photographs featuring the eleven October 27 attack victims with Hanukkah imagery in the background. From top-bottom and left-right: Melvin Wax, David and Cecil Rosenthal, Irving Younger, Daniel Stein, Bernice and Sylvan Simon, Jerry Rabinowitz, Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, and Rose Mallinger. A large blue Menorah with the words: "Happy Hanukkah appears below."
Post-it note with illustrations in red marker. A cascading stream of hearts, outlined in red, begins in the upper left corner and extends to the lower right corner.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "Dear Members of the Tree of Life Synagogue- My thoughts and prayers are with you as you grieve the loss of 11 of your friends, family, and members. The members of my church, Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California have been praying for your congregation. We hope and pray that over time your hearts will heal and peace will enter to fill the void left by the 11. El."
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.
Card made by a student from the George Washington University Hillel. Front cover reads: "We Are One" with an illustrated heart below. The inside reads: "The GW community sends prayers and holds your community in our hearts. We will find a way to come out stronger."
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter is dated 11/4 and reads: "God loves you- We love you- Have strength in the LORD. Ken [last name redacted]."
Summary: Associated Press wire report carried by WESA on increased security presence at synagogues and other houses of worship following the October 27 attack.
Clay pot containing white flowers with bow tied around stems. Bow made of gold-trimmed wired ribbon with multicolor leaves.
Vinyl banner with light blue horizontal bars across the top and bottom with light blue text against a white background. Text reads, "We Love Our Jewish Neighbors" in all-capital san serif font.
Grey and black sticker with the words: "You are beautiful" on the front. The back contains a hashtag and web link to the "You Are Beautiful" company website.
Card from the Friendship Circle of Illinois. The front of the card features an illustration of 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, Ny., the international headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The inside reads: "To the Jewish community of Pittsburgh sheyichyu (may they live), I'm very sad to hear about the tragic passing of the eleven yidden (Jews) who were so brutally murdered al kiddush Hashem (sanctified by God). I hope there will be no more bad things that happen.
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 reads: "We mourn for you loss and we pray the God of Abraham embraces you in fresh, new ways today and always! Shalom!" The church's contact information is included on the back of the envelope.
Folded card on white paper. Extensive pink staining in the center. Traces of yellow and pink writing and hand drawn illustrations visible in the upper center and lower left. Dirt stains throughout. Due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial, the message on this card is no longer visible.
Post-it note with handwritten message in black marker. The message reads: "Love is strongest power exists." A Star of David appears below.
Folded card with crayon illustrations. Cover features three human figures. One is standing and smiling. Second is prone and frowning. Third is floating with face obscured. Several balloon-like shapes float toward a colored band along upper margin. Interior reads, "We are here. Right by your side. Keep fighting and good things will come." Back reads "2018" above prone human figure.
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.