The Collection

The October 27 Archive currently contains 176 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.

Using this archive

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.

 

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object

White Tree, Rosary, and Card

White synthetic tree with 11 pieces of black lace tied to branches and a rosary tied to top branch. Square base of tree has switch for battery operated power. Attached to front of tree is a greeting card with message from sender. Front reads, "In times like these when prayers are too deep for words" Interior includes a quotation from Romans 8:26-27 and the line "There is One who leans in close and listens to the heart." Over the word "One," sender wrote, "Our God" in black marker and added, "We are with our Jewish friends praying for comfort and peace for all of you."

Historical Notes

In the days after the October 27 attack, people began leaving objects at two locations outside the Tree of Life synagogue--one at the corner of Wilkins and Shady avenues in front of the Zittrain Gardens, and the other on a private lawn at Wilkins and Murray avenues, just beyond police barricades. Community volunteers moved the entirety of these two memorials inside the Tree of Life building on November 14, 2018, for preservation purposes. This synthetic tree became part of a public display of select memorial objects arranged in the windows of the Hailperin Sanctuary lobby. Rauh Jewish Archives staff and volunteers dismantled this display on February 16, 2023, and the objects were brought to the archive for preservation.

Use and Reproduction
Donor Information
Item
2023_53_9
Donor
Tree of Life Congregation, New Light Congregation, Congregation Dor Hadash, Tree of Life Inc., The 10.27 Healing Partnership
Subjects
Decorations , Trees

Full metadata

Metadata

White Tree, Rosary, and Card

Object Identifier
2023_53_9
Object Date
2018-11
Member of Item
2023_53_9
Primary Type
object
Secondary Type
Flora, Artificial
Donor
Tree of Life Congregation, New Light Congregation, Congregation Dor Hadash, Tree of Life Inc., The 10.27 Healing Partnership
Description

White synthetic tree with 11 pieces of black lace tied to branches and a rosary tied to top branch. Square base of tree has switch for battery operated power. Attached to front of tree is a greeting card with message from sender.

Member of Collection
October 27 Tribute Collection [MSS 1297]
Event
Wilkins Avenue Memorial
Hailperin Lobby window display
Location
5898 Wilkins Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Group
Gifts
Subject
Decorations
Trees
Creator
Unknown
Dimensions
23.5 x 21 x 4 in.
Language
English