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"Etz Chaim" card
Envelope with the Hebrew words "Etz Chaim" (Tree of Life) written in the center. The card features a large white dover on a blue background. It is addressed: "Beloved Mishpacha (family)." The note inside articulates the senders' pilgrimage to place a stone at the memorial which developed outside of the Tree of Life synagogue in the aftermath of the October 27 attack. Leaving a stone at graveside is a common Jewish mourning ritual. The letter concludes with a biblical quote from Job 14:7-9. It is signed by a group of individuals and congregations from Jerusalem and Kfar Saba, Israel, as well Cleveland, Hilliard, Martin's Ferry, and New Albany, Oh., as well as the New Messiah Congregation in Columbus, Oh. The back flap of the envelope contains a blue flap with clouds and reads: "Everyday grace."
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 a group of individuals and congregations in Israel and Ohio 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
Donor
Tree of Life Congregation, New Light Congregation, Congregation Dor Hadash, Tree of Life Inc., The 10.27 Healing Partnership
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