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 on red paper with handwritten messages in black marker. The front cover is addressed: "To the strong and resilient Jews of Squarrel [Squirrel] Hill," with a heart. The inside contains a message of support and solidarity from an anonymous Jew.
Folded card with marker illustrations. Cover reads "Best Wishes." Interior features illustration of smiling sun over water and words "Best Wishes" and name "Harper [last name redacted for privacy]."
Hebrew mourning prayer, "Kel Male Rachamim" (God full of compassion) translated into English. The names of the eleven victims of the October 27 attack have been inserted here. Tears and creasing due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Folded card with marker and colored pencil illustrations. Front and back both feature Stars of David encircled by hearts. Inside shows a tree, labeled "a living tree" signed "from Milo".
Print with various birds resting on the branches of a flowering tree folded in half to create an improvised card. The inside contains a handwritten sympathy note written in blue ink from a member of the autism community in Monroeville, Pa.
Note addressed to Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz reading: "I will miss your Hello and smile all my days at Shadyside Hospital. Kelly [sad face]." Written on notecard which was cut in half.
Handmade, screen-printed card on yellow paper with green paint. A heart appears in the center. Signed, lower right: "Love, Khira D." The card has been laminated.
Note dated October 27, 2019 reading: "You can count on our prayers. Together we are stronger than hate. The Roman family." Illustration of a young child angel with wings bottom center.
Card made by a student from the George Washington University Hillel. Card reads: "We love you and are thinking of you. May we all see better days ahead. Love, GW Hillel."
Card from a congregant at the Holy Angels Parish. The front cover contains a stock illustration of a haloed dove flying in front of Noah's ark. The card reads: "Tree of Life Synagogue" and contains the following note: "TREE OF LIFE, I am very sorry for your loss. I send prayers that it gets better. I pray for your loved ones. Holy Angels, 6th grade, Brooklynn."
Business card for Richard C. Yeomans, a pastor and chaplain who founded Emergency Ministry Services.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "We are shocked that this individual felt he could do such a thing. Who gave him the power to act as God? All our prayers are with your community and faith. Blessings! A sad Presbyterian member!"
Folded card with colored pencil illustration. Cover shows a tree. Inside reads: "I am so sorry for your loss. We are with you in spirit and in deed. As a former resident of Pittsburgh my heart breaks for you and your community."
Post-it note with handwritten message in black marker. The message reads: "Love is stronger than hate."
Folded card with repeating diagonal plaid pattern in green and dark blue marker on yellow paper. The inside contains the following words in a cloud-shaped bubble with emanating light rays: "I am sorry for what happened. It will be ok. [Heart]." A Star of David surrounded by tiny dots appears in the upper left corner.
Patch featuring logo of Pittsburgh Penguins adapted to resemble a Star of David above the words "Stronger Than Hate."
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue marker. The message reads: "Hate is not welcome here! May love, community, and peace shield you with The Tree of Life." Signed: "[Heart] Temple Beth Shalom, Florida, N.Y."
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.