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 shows a tree in autumn with grass and falling leaves. Inside reads: "Nobody deserves to go through what you are going through. Best wishes to all. Love [heart] Beth Chai."
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 and illustration in blue marker. The note features an illustration of a winged angel with a sad face in the center and a sun in the upper right corner. The words: "Love > hate [encircled with a slash trough the center]" appear below.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The front cover reads: "Letters." The inside reads: "To Tree of Life family: Who can explain such an event? And how do we move forward? My prayer is that your faith in your God will see you through this grieving time and heal you all with His Grace. Steve [last name redacted]."
Floral tag from floral arrangement, which reads: "We love you, pray for you and stand with you during this time. May God provide with His peace and comfort." The message is printed on a tag from a local florist.
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.
Poster with collage of photographs showing scenes of interfaith support and a quotation of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
Black cotton t-shirt with the words Stronger Than Hate in white to the left of a modified Pittsburgh Steelers logo with a Star of David replacing the yellow hypocycloid.
Black and white photograph of the 1901 confirmation class of Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh. Shows four girls and three boys in formal wear.
Post-it note with handwritten message in green marker. The message reads: "Doubt is not the opposite of faith, fear is [underlined] let us not fear."
Piece of notepad paper with a pencil drawing of a flying angel with wings and a halo.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "I am so sorry for the loss in your community. I hope you know there are many in our church and community who support you in your loss with our prayers."
Small wooden crate containing a bouquet of synthetic flowers resembling sunflowers, roses, and hydrangeas.
Card featuring reproduction of a nineteenth century Japanese woodblock print depicting the grounds of the Kameido Tenjin Shrine in Tokyo, Japan. Interior includes handwritten note from two individuals who identify as a Catholic and a baptized Episcopalian, respectively.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "Dear members and brothers and sisters- May you each know that our prayers are with you. May you find peace through God's love. Sam W. May our God be gracious to you in your time of difficulty beyond difficulty. Our [?] God is yours. David [last name redacted]."
Printed memorial note with the names and ages of the eleven victims of the October 27 attack. Creasing and staining due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Large bound volume. Cover features gold writing embossed onto white leather and reads, "Book of Life, New Light Sisterhood, Donated By Mr. and Mrs. Harold Marcus in memory of Herman L. Katz." Interior pages contain handwritten messages in calligraphy.
Clear glass vase containing a variety of blue, purple, and white synthetic flowers. Flowers nestled in wired silver tinsel. Bottom half rusting and discolored from moisture exposure.
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 a quote from 1 Peter 4:3 about love and a prayer for God's love. The church's contact information is included on the back of the envelope.
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.