The scene is indelibly etched into the minds of Pittsburghers.
In the aftermath of the Oct. 27, 2018, attack on the Tree of Life synagogue, people left a steady stream of items anonymously at a makeshift memorial along the sidewalk at Wilkins and Shady in Squirrel Hill.
The immediate and compassionate response for the three affected congregations — Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light — was deeply appreciated, said Tree of Life board member Laurie Eisenberg.
“The loving, supportive messages and objects that appeared in the makeshift memorial seemed to have appeared miraculously, and were a great comfort to the stunned and grieving congregations,” Eisenberg said.
Now the Tree of Life is working with a researcher to archive those mementos and learn more about the stories and people behind them. People can share their stories on the Tree of Life’s website.
While some of the items contained obvious messages and relevance to the event, others left members of the congregations intrigued and somewhat puzzled.
Some of the items that raised questions include: a marathon medal, high-top sneakers, a guitar, and a nurse’s cross that was hand-delivered on the November day that the memorial was dismantled.
“As our recovery continues and we begin to look outward, we are interested in knowing why individuals were moved to leave something among the flowers; what their intended messages were, and what the act of choosing or creating their gift and leaving it at the site meant to them,” said Eisenberg.
The archival project is also looking to identify the violinist and church choir who performed briefly on the sidewalk sometime during the two and a half weeks after the shooting.
“Scholars and students will study the particulars of this terrible anti-Semitic assault for decades to come; this project aims to make sure the caring response of the community is fully documented for their review and intends to ensure that the stories are accurately recorded and preserved,” Eisenberg said.
With respondents’ permission, some of the stories may be referenced or recounted in published works about the memorial.
Anyone who left something at the memorial, played an instrument or sang nearby is being asked to go to www.treeoflifepgh.org/stories.
