
Primary Type – Cards
Secondary Type - Cards
Language – Cards
Creator – Cards
Date – Cards
Group – Cards
Location – Cards
Event – Cards
Handwritten note written in black ink on light yellow paper. The note reads: "Dear God, Let love prevail... Let hate fail... Blessed those affected by this terrible act... A Pittsburgher."
Orange card addressed to the Tree of Life Community on the front cover. The inside contains a sincere message of sympathy from a Jewish resident of Erie, Pa.
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 green marker. The message reads: "Love."
Handwritten card from a student at Goddard Middle School in Littleton, Co. The front and back cover contains the following quote attributed to the medieval Persian poet, Rumi: "Don't grieve, anything you lose comes around in another form." The words in the quote are overlaid with red, green, and blue shading. A large Star of David enclosed by three circles appears below. The upper flap inside reads: "Just because the light stopped shining, doesn't mean we're stuck in darkness. The moon comes out, but the sun still comes up every day.
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: "Pray for world peace. Praying for all. Love Wins!" The church's contact information is included on the back of the envelope.
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 contains messages of support and prayer. The church's contact information is included on the back of the envelope.
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."
Diamante poem by Reena [last name redacted], which was sent with the materials from Emergency Ministry Services, a faith-based training and disaster response NGO in San Juan Capistrano, Ca., affiliated with the Orange County Church on the Rock. A diamante poem is a seven-line unrhymed poem which is shaped like a diamond.
Card from the Friendship Circle of Illinois. The front cover reads: "From Eli [last name redacted] Chicago, Il." The inside reads: "To the Jewish community of Pittsburgh sheyichyu (may they live), We were all so sad when he heard the news. We all hope very soon there will be tichiat hameitim (resurrection of the dead). My hachlata (resolution) is to look in my siddur (prayer book) while I daven (pray)." Spelling errors corrected for clarity.
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.
Handmade card illustrated with multi-colored crayons on light purple paper. The front features a child's illustration of an animal, perhaps a horse, with its mouth open wide in the shape of the letter C. The back features a blob outlined in brown crayon and other undecipherable imagery.
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.
Paper with photocopied excerpts from two passages titled "November 1." The first passage is the Prayer of Joy. The second passage is a quote from Max [redacted], a minister in San Antonio, Tx. The back contains a handwritten message from Denise, a resident of the North Side section of Pittsburgh.
White envelope addressed to Tree of Life Congregation. Handwritten in black ink. Staining due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Notecard with green line on the right which reads: "This was wrong and shouldn't have happened. Our hearts go out to you. We know that love is stronger than hate."
Handwritten note in black marker on white paper. The note reads: "We are with you. We are all Pittsburghers. HATE WILL NEVER WIN." Tearing and staining due to exposure to the elements at the Wilkins memorial.
Typed copy of Professor Marc Brettler's address to his students at Duke University the Tuesday following the October 27 attack. This address was delivered by two people from Durham, North Carolina: Francis and Joanna [last names redacted].
Letter written in blue ink on lined notebook paper reading: "Dear Jews of Pittsburgh, I am really sorry for you and your losses and hope you feel better soon. Love: Tali, From: Cleveland, Ohio." Illustration of a girl with a large smiling face, long hair adorned with flower or butterfly clip, and a long sleeved dress appears in the lower center.
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.