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
Typescript document stapled in upper left-hand corner, 10 pages.
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]."
Handwritten note from the [last name redacted] family from Toronto. Written in black ink on the back of stationary with the logo of Marriott Hotels. Staining due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Summary: New York Jewish Week breaking news report on the October 27 attack.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "You are in our thoughts and prayers knowing our Karla was living in your neighborhood has helped us so much-"
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue ink. The message reads: "Prayers for Pittsburg[h]. May this never happen again anywhere." Color bleeding due to exposure to the elements.
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue marker. The message reads: "When there is dark be the one who turns on the light."
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter is dated 11/4/2018 and reads: "To my brothers and sisters at the Tree of Life Synagogue: When I was young in Denver, Colorado our Congregation Church (First Plymouth) and the Temple Micah shared our building. The Rabbi was wonderful and we combined our youth groups and spent weekends and retreats together. It was highlight of my life to learn how common our shared heritage and beliefs were across what had been presented to me as "separateness." So untrue!!
Printed text of the Hebrew poem "Shalom Aleichem," which is traditionally recited on Friday evenings to welcome the Sabbath angels. Translated into English here. Some of the text in the first line of the final stanza has been cut off. Staining and creasing due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Torn page from a children's coloring book with illustrations of a seal and fish on the front and a lion on the back.
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.
Handwritten card in pink marker on paper. The card contains illustrations of a flower and two hearts and reads: "Simon. May their memory be a blessing." Folded on the sides.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "Please feel our love, our support and our commitment to peace in this world. Our church community holds you and your congregation in our hearts. Susan [last name redacted]
Wooden pedestal painted white with white Star of David and red heart affixed to front. Handwritten in pencil and black marker on the Star of David is the name "Sylvan Simon." Collaged onto the heart are white pieces of paper and a translation of Psalm 34:18: "The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Accompanying image shows all 11 Stars of David in the series.
Card with photograph of ribbons laid out in a rainbow pattern. The inside reads: "God bless. Sandy and Cheri."
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.