
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
Vinyl banner with light blue horizontal bars across the top and bottom with light blue text against a white background. Text reads, "We Love Our Jewish Neighbors" in all-capital san serif font.
Post-it note with handwritten message in red marker. The message reads: "Hate is not welcome here." Tape on the upper edge.
Handwritten note written in blue ink on a lined notecard reading: "Sending all of my sympathy, empathy and love. I don't know what else to say. -Hope [last name redacted]. Brooklyn, New York (Former Pittsburgher)."
Picket sign made from rigid foam insulation covered in red, white, blue, and green duct tape and affixed to the top of a wooden dowl. Design features a globe inside a red cross, symbolizing medical care, beneath the words "Heal the World" and "Tikkun Olam."
Handwritten card in pink and blue pencil on paper. The card reads: "I love you because you are kind." Signed with a striped heart. Spelling errors corrected for clarity. Smudging and staining due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Handwritten card from a student at Goddard Middle School in Littleton, Co. Front cover contains the following quote: "Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness and bad days give you experience." Shows three small Stars of David on the far left and a cartoonish illustration of a stick figure pushing a pull with a Star of David on top of a heart up a hill on the center right. Inside reads: "Dear Tree of Life Congregation, My name is Yahir [last named redacted] and we heard what happened and we want you to [k]now that we pray for you.
Handwritten card from a student at Goddard Middle School in Littleton, Co. The front cover contains the following quote attributed to the movie star, James Dean: "Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." A Star of David appears below. Another quote, attributed to the author, August [middle initial and last name redacted] appears on the bottom right: "An empty box in an empty room is hard to fill, but over time it fills slowly..." An open, empty box appears above.
Handwritten letter from a student at Hebrew Academy, a private Jewish day school in Montreal, Quebec. The letter reads: "Dear Rabbi, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope it does not happen again. Refua Shleima (speedy recovery). I hope that everyone is comfortable and safe. Ahava Montreal ha [Hebrew Academy] 4A.
Oral history of Shawn Brokos, recorded as part of the Meanings of October 27th Oral History Project.
Miniature New York State flag. Wrapped around stem of flag is a slip of laminated yellow paper reading, "In Memory of our Sister BERNICE SIMON 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.
Folded card on yellow paper with handwritten message in black marker. The front cover reads: "My thoughts and prayers are with you and the Jewish community through these tough times that you and all Pittsburgh people are going through right now."
Letter from a member of the Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California. The letter reads: "I pray for you with all my heart. May God's healing love rain down on you. Love, Mary."
Card addressed to David Rosenthal, written using personal details from various public sources.
Card from the Friendship Circle of Illinois. The front cover reads: "To: The Jewish Community of Pittsburgh. From: Yisroel [last name redacted], Chicago IL." The inside reads: "I feel so sad for you. My hachlata (resolution) is to give 3 cents instead of 1 or 2 cents. You should have everything you need. And Hashem (God) should give you all that you need." Spelling errors have been corrected for clarity.
Card addressed to David Rosenthal. Cover features a reproduction of a painting by Frank Crosby, a resident of the Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh. The inside contains messages of love and support written by other members of the Emmaus Community.
Card made by a student from the George Washington University Hillel. The front cover features the partial outline of a tree; most of the ink faded has faded by water damage at the memorial site. The inside, which also has partial fading due to water damage, reads: "I can't think of the words to say that could possibly make this better for all of you. Just know that we are all here for you, as a Jewish community sending love and strength your way. Though it may not seem like it now, we will all make it through this and work to make tomorrow a better day.
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue ink. The message reads: "We love [heart] Tree of Life." Staining and color bleeding due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Typed poem by Sylvan Kametz and Rabbi Jack Riemer titled "We Remember Them." This poem was originally published by the Central Conference of American Rabbis in a 1978 prayerbook pamphlet geared for Reform Jewish mourners. A handwritten note dated 11/4/2018, written in blue ink appears on the upper register. Tearing and staining due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Post-it note with handwritten message in blue marker. The message reads: "Thank you, so many people who come to bear witness. You meant a lot to us." Signed with a heart.
Typed two-page letter addressed to the Tree of Life synagogue, families of victims, and survivors. Dated Sunday Nov. 4, 2018. The letter includes tributes from multiple individuals throughout western and central Pennsylvania, including Allegheny, Beaver, Elk, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
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.