Black and white photograph showing the original section of the Tree of Life synagogue located at the corner of Wilkins Avenue and Shady Avenue in Squirrel Hill.
Tree of Life Congregation was founded in 1864, making it the second oldest Jewish congregation in Western Pennsylvania and the oldest affiliated with Conservative Judaism. After occupying synagogues in downtown Pittsburgh and the Oakland neighborhood of the city, the congregation relocated to the Squirrel Hill neighborhood in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The congregation broke ground on the initial section of its new Squirrel Hill synagogue in 1947 and dedicated the building in 1952. The congregation subsequently expanded the building through additions in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1990s.
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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.
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