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 letter written in green ink on white coloring paper, folded in half, from Lizzie, age twenty. Addressed to Lizzie's community in Pittsburgh. Lizzie explains her impulse to write this letter: "I'm not sure how to put this in words, but I do know that I have the urge to send something." Lizzie identifies herself as Jewish in her card. Tearing in upper center may be due to exposure to the elements sustained at the Wilkins memorial.
Hardwritten card in blue pen on white paper, offering condolences following the October 27 attack.
Plastic Ziploc bag with multicolored blue, red, and yellow ribbons tied into a bow on the upper right corner. Staining and dirt due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Eight photocopies of an image with the words "You Are Not Alone" printed in a rectangular object resembling a flag with bands, resembling woodgrain backing, on the upper and lower edges. Staining due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Card addressed to Joyce Fienberg, written using personal details from various public sources.
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 black ink. The message reads: "Etz Chaim Hi. It is a tree of life for those who hold fast to it."
Black hockey stick with the words "Crosby 87" in white lettering along the upper shaft. Stick has black tape around the blade and clear packing tape bound around the handle.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "Words can't begin to express the sorrow we have felt and experienced as a church, country and people for the senseless loss and hatred you all have experienced. We pray and hope you feel God's peace, comfort and loss in this time of great sorrow. Love will win. Peace will win. Always. Your sister in God's love..."
Navy blue cotton t-shirt with white and gold screen-printed lettering. Lettering on front reads, "Pitt/Stronger Than Hate" with a Star of David taking the place of the dot above the letter I in "Pitt."
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.
Basket of synthetic flowers with pink bow. Basket and bow have water damage.
Award medal attached to light blue ribbon and housed in blue velour jewelry box. Design of medal features City of Pittsburgh crest.
Notecard with message written in ink. The note reads: "Dear Hate- There is NO ROOM for you in our city! Love and FAITH will overcome!" Signed with four hearts in the lower right.
Handwritten note written in purple marker on white paper reading: "We are all praying for you on this tragic day." Signed by the Yu, Kaufmann, and Bernstein families. Color bleeding due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Folded card on pink paper. Burn damage visible in the upper right edge of the card, perhaps due to proximity to an illuminated candle. Due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial, the message on this card is no longer visible.
Laminated printed signs in blue and green ink on paper. The signs urge the reader to "Show solidarity" and "stand up for our common values, today tomorrow and always." An illustration of three stylized people raising their hands appears in the upper center, surrounded by the words: "Kindness, Respect, Courage."
Card on light pink paper with handwritten note and illustrations. The card reads: "I love you. I pray for you. Lyla [last name redacted]." Hand drawn illustrations of a blue flower, red heart, and red tulip appear below.
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.