The Collection

The October 27 Archive currently contains 839 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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"With Deep Sympathy" card

"With Deep Sympathy" card. Front cover features a stock message comparing the love of lost ones to the light of a stars on a background with the night sky, twinkling with stars. Contains handwritten messages of sympathy and support to both the congregation and the family members. Signed: "VFW-3160 Norfolk, VA." VFW is a national service organization for veterans of foreign wars.

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. Most of these objects including this one were moved to archival preservation over the following year, but a small number were arranged in public display 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. This card was left at the Wilkins Memorial by members of the Norfolk, Va. branch of the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) organization who wished to convey their solidarity and sympathy with the victims and their families, as well as the local Jewish community.

Use and Reproduction

Donor Information

Item

MSS1297_B001_F035_I020

Donor

Tree of Life Congregation, New Light Congregation, Congregation Dor Hadash, Tree of Life Inc., The 10.27 Healing Partnership

Subjects

Veterans of Foreign Wars