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
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.
Typed copy of Professor Marc Brettler's address to his students at Duke University the Tuesday following the October 27 attack. This address was delivered by two people from Durham, North Carolina: Francis and Joanna [last names redacted].
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue marker. The message reads: "I pray to you and remember you always. May your soul rest in peace." Tape affixed on the upper center.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "Dearest sisters and brothers in the Lord, I just wanted to encourage you in the midst of all this tragedy and sadness that God will rise up among the carnage and be glorified through such honor and sadness. He is alive and well, and I know it doesn't feel like He is among you. He is and He will reign forever and be there with you in these hard times. He loves each and every one of you and has a plan for all of this.
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 messages of condolence, love, and wishes for strength. The church's contact information is included on the back of the envelope.
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 messages of encouragement and the sender's prayers for God's blessing. The church's contact information is included on the back of the envelope.
White button with black text and safety pin on back, Design features tree with branches forming a Star of David. Text above design reads, "#pittsburghstrong."
Folded card with colored pencil illustration. Front reads: "Kindness" and shows a girl asking "Are you okay"? The back shows a second girl, responding: "Yes, I am okay". Inside reads: "Dear Pittsburg[h], Our hearts go out to you in this sad time. May you find peace, and comfort, and a beacon of hope. Laurie and Michael."
Clear glass globe vase with rippled lip. Vase filled with translucent marbles and two synthetic light pink roses.
Cardstock program with typed text on front and back. Creased down the middle. Program includes itinerary, directions for a vigil walk and a wreath laying ceremony, and Hebrew and English lyrics for two Jewish songs: "Olam Hesed Yibaneh" and "Oseh Shalom Bimromav."
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue marker. The message reads: "The 2nd and imp[ortant] commandment is LOVE Your Neighbor. Susan." Tape on the bottom and top left. Tearing and dirt due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Post-it note with handwritten message in black marker. The message reads: "We will make the world a better place in the name of your memory."
Note from a member of The Church at Severn Run in Severn, Maryland. The front of the note reads: "Heaven is for everyone! God is Love- We love you. 'If any man says he love God, he's a liar if he loves not his brother.' 'Love they neighbor as thyself.' We are all children of the Lord. We are all the same in God's eyes. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament." Illustrations of a smiling heart, five-pointed star, cloud, rainbow, as well as flowers, appear below.
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.
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."
Post-it note with handwritten message in black marker. The message reads: "With loving memory.... May all these innocent souls rest in peace in shamium (heaven)." Signed with a heart.
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.