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
Typed memorial note in honor of Richard Gottfried. The author recalls personal details about Gottfried's identity as a Jew and his commitment to the field of dentistry.
Printed card with the seven biblical laws of Noah. Each law is printed in the respective colors of the rainbow. Staining due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Floral tag from floral arrangement addressed to the members of the Tree of Life synagogue. The note is printed on a tag with a beige background from a local florist; tearing in the center right due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Card addressed to Cecil Rosenthal, written using personal details from various public sources.
Clear ribbed glass bottle with packing tape around base. Dirt and small leaf stuck to tape. Bottle contains a variety of synthetic flowers and greenery including sunflowers, oak leaves, grass, and glitter-covered poinsettias.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The front cover of the letter reads: "Letters." The inside reads: "My prayers and love are with all of the members of your synagogue."
Folded cardstock program for "Mona Golabek in The Children of Willesden Lane: A Tale of Music, Hope and Survival." Cover features image of a girl with a suitcase on a dark red background. Interior pages lists speakers and performances, describes the production, and provides background information about Mona Golabeck, Kristallnacht, and the Kindertransport. Back page describes the missions of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, Classrooms Without Borders (Pittsburgh, Pa.), and the Pittsburgh Willesden Lane Read, and includes a memorial to the victims of the October 27 attack.
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue marker. The message reads: "As a result of this hate, I'm committing to discovering my Jewish identity and am doing micro-kindness."
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue marker. The message reads: "No hate" [heart, broken heart]. Just [heart]."
Miniature New York State flag. Wrapped around stem of flag is a slip of laminated yellow paper reading, "In Memory of our Brother JERRY RABINOWITZ z''l -- To his family and community we pray Tanuchamo min hashamayim. May God in Heaven comfort you. The Principals, Teachers, Parents, Alumni, and Students of Magen David Yeshivah. Brooklyn, NY." Part of a series of 11 flags, each dedicated to one of the victims. Additional photograph shows the entire set of 11.
Summary: New York Jewish Week breaking news report on the October 27 attack.
Rectangular cardboard sign. Front reads, "LOVE They Neighbor" with a heart in purple, green, blue, and read marker. Back includes signatures from the Wolfson children.
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 reads: "Dear friend, Greetings and peace be with you today. I thank God for the opportunity to write to you this morning. I just wanted to let you know that I am committed to praying for you and serving our communities together. The world is full of broken people. Some of these broken people have caused unimaginable pain. To you my Jewish friends.
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "My thoughts and prayers are with you. Clara [last name redacted]."
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter is dated November 4, 2018 and reads: "Dear Friends, May I never understand the anger and the hatred that has been loosed on you in Pittsburgh. May the awful misunderstanding that leads to these feelings in too many others be washed from the face of the Earth. I am ashamed for so many on our planet, whether they murder Jews, Coptics, journalists, or perceived blasphemers. And I am angered by the fomenting of such terror by our leaders and by the silence of our politicians.
Post-it note with handwritten message in green marker. The message reads: "To never be silent at the arms of our oppressors."
Card from a congregant at the Holy Angels Parish. The front cover contains a stock illustration of seven children holding hands around a table with a large goblet and loaf of braided bread, and seven doves. The illustration is labeled: "We are people of God's peace." The inside reads: "Everyone will stand with you through these tough times. -Flynn."
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.