Podcasts about pittsburgh synagogue shooting

AJC CEO Ted Deutch joins us to discuss the significance of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting at the Tree of Life and its aftermath, the anniversary, and what it means to Jews around the world after the October 7 attack on Israel, when once again Jews were murdered just for being Jewish. In the final episode of the Remembering Pittsburgh series, Ted reflects on what being Jewish in the United States feels like at this moment, and how the Jewish community is uniting to overcome yet another challenge. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.  Episode Lineup:  (0:40) Ted Deutch Show Notes: Listen: Remembering Pittsburgh Part 1: Behind the Scenes at the Reimagined Tree of Life Remembering Pittsburgh Part 2: What the Family of Tree of Life Victim Joyce Fienberg Wants You to Know About Her Legacy Remembering Pittsburgh Part 3: How the #ShowUpForShabbat Campaign Drew Global Solidarity Amid Tragedy Take Action: Urge Congress to Stand Against Rising Antisemitism Music credits: Hevenu Shalom - Violin Heart Fire Tree (Violin Version) - Axletree Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and review us on Apple Podcasts. Episode Transcript: Manya Brachear Pashman: This month, AJC set out to mark the five-year anniversary of the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting at the Tree of Life with a series of episodes exploring this turning point for the American Jewish community. Our first installment aired October 5. Two days later, the Jewish people faced another unprecedented deadly antisemitic attack, this time in Israel. Synagogues stepped up security and families tamped down their fears to take their children to Hebrew school or attend Shabbat services. In the second episode of our series, we sat down with Howard and Marnie Fienberg, who paid tribute to their mother Joyce. In the third installment, we looked back at how the horror drew people to solidarity.  For this closing episode of the series, I sat down with AJC CEO Ted Deutch, who served as a congressman at the time of the Tree of Life massacre. We discussed this anniversary and its parallels to the October 7 attack on Israel, when once again Jews were murdered just for being Jewish. Manya Brachear Pashman: Ted, where were you on the morning of October 27, 2018 when you heard about the Tree of Life?    Ted Deutch: I was a congressman who represented Parkland, where the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas took place. And the morning of Tree of Life, I spoke to a group of high school students from all around South Florida, who participated in a program about how they can become leaders in the community. I spoke with them about what had happened a few months before in Parkland, and what I had seen from high school students in Parkland and how they responded and how you stand up to violence and try to stop it and how you respond to evil and how important it is to use the power that you have as young people. That was literally what I was doing right before I walked out of the Florida Atlantic University auditorium and saw my phone start to buzz with news of Tree of Life. Everything that I had said to the students in the discussion, that really difficult conversation we had with these students who shared with me their fears of violence, their fears of going to school–those fears hit home really hard for me and for the Jewish community.  Manya Brachear Pashman: Did you view this as a significant turning point for the Jewish community in America or worldwide? Ted Deutch: This was something that we dealt with in Europe, we feared, we stood AJC's stood with the Jewish community across Europe as they, as they were attacked over years. I was a member of Congress when we had vigils with the ambassadors from European countries, in memory of lives lost, Jewish lives lost as a result of antisemitic attacks. And here, that morning is a turning point for all of us in the Jewish community, and how we respond, how we view the threat of antisemitism now as a deadly threat to the Jewish community in America, and for the rest of America to see another example of what happens when antisemitism, hatred are running rampant and where it can lead and how dangerous it is. Manya Brachear Pashman: From your vantage point as a congressman, what shifted on Capitol Hill, if anything, after October 27? Ted Deutch: Well, I was a member of Congress, but I focused so much of my work on the Jewish community. And we had started a Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism in response to what happened in Europe. We never could have imagined something like that happening in our own country, especially in this place. I mean, this is the most idyllic, suburban, lovely neighborhood. I mean, it is, as everyone knows, it is literally Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, right? He lives just a stone's throw from Tree of Life. And so our work became that much more urgent. And we immediately refocused our efforts and those of us who were committed to fighting antisemitism, to ways that we could ensure the security of the Jewish community, and we immediately started looking at ways to find additional funding for security and and we dug deep into FBI reporting and research into what else is out there and what else they're tracking and what the fears are. And, unfortunately, whether in Congress, now at AJC, that hasn't stopped since. Manya Brachear Pashman: Did the members of Congress who are not Jewish respond differently? Ted Deutch: There was real support, and support not just for me and my fellow Jewish members, but for the Jewish community overall. Lots of members of Congress, most, know the Jewish community, many of them have Jewish communities they focus on in their own districts, sometimes large, sometimes very small. But the security concerns became real for every one of them – whether they had a large thousand-family congregation in a major city or a tiny synagogue somewhere in a remote part of the country, everyone felt it, everyone was put on edge, and every member of Congress felt an obligation to respond to that. I just remember having conversations with colleagues who were people of faith, who went to church. They were so struck by the fact that they came and went every Sunday, walked into their churches, doors were wide open. And the contrast to synagogues where you really need to be committed in so many places to get in so many places to go to synagogue, because you have to go through security, and sometimes you have to check in with the police, and in some places, you have to go through metal detectors. That really, really hit them and I think continues to, especially now. Every time something happens in Israel, we see a need for greater security at home. In the aftermath of the horrific attack by Hamas. It's affected Jews, obviously in Israel and around the world and how we view Israel, but we all fear for what could happen in the United States. Manya Brachear Pashman: You left your job on Capitol Hill and became CEO of AJC just last year. I'm curious whether the horror in Pittsburgh so soon after the Parkland shooting was an inflection point for you and your path? Ted Deutch: I wasn't thinking about leaving Congress. But when a friend reached out and asked if I'd be interested in being considered for the AJC job, I started reflecting upon the issues that I worked on, and what I had been through. And this fits into a very specific part of that thinking it was. It was the whole series of what happened, the shooting at Stoneman Douglas, and the impact that that had on the community. Then almost in immediate succession, quick succession, this horrific shooting at Tree of Life. First, there was the trauma in our own community, then there was the real trauma in the broader Jewish community. And then, not that they're directly related, but on January 6, when I was sitting in my office with the lights off, and my electronics silenced as the Capitol Police told us to do, and I was sitting in a dark cubicle in our staff office … watching what was happening in the Capitol and listening as people ran by my office and not knowing who they are. Everything was, everyone was so concerned about violence that day and my first thought that day was how grateful I was that I had just moved into this new office and had not yet had an opportunity to hang my mezuzah. And, right, so where does this fit in? I didn't decide to come to AJC because of some series of traumatic events. But just in terms of a turning point for me, what happened at Tree of Life and how that informed the remainder of my time and I was in Congress and the way I thought about my work, and, and then those fears on January 6, and realizing again, how at risk I felt even in the U.S. Capitol as a Jew. I suppose there is probably a straight line that I didn't see that started that day that led me to where I am now. Manya Brachear Pashman: So, you've been here a year now. How have these events shaped your work since you arrived? Ted Deutch: AJC's is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people in Israel, and to advance democratic values. If we go back to Tree of Life, and think about what's transpired since and the rise in antisemitism as we saw it around the country, and on social media, and the many ways that the community has felt at risk.  The week I started, Kanye West went on his antisemitic rampage on social media on Twitter. The Jewish community is not well if antisemitism is running rampant. So it's why we worked so hard with the White House, it's why we encouraged them to create a national strategy. It's why we brought in special envoys from around the world to meet with the White House to help inform the process. It's why we celebrated the release of the National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism and put together, really devoted a large part of our resources over the past six months, helping to implement the national strategy. And it's why we continue across the country here to look for ways to engage further in fighting antisemitism. By strengthening the relationships we have with others–it's why we're doing so much more in our intergroup work and interreligious work.  I just recently visited a new Hindu temple in New Jersey, I think it's the largest, certainly the largest in the United States, one the largest in the world. And it was really meaningful to spend the afternoon with leaders of the Hindu community who, who very much recognize that in many ways our fates in America are intertwined.  Manya Brachear Pashman: So in our first episode of this series, our producer Atara Lakritz and I went on the last tour of the Tree of Life building. You also walked through the building back in June, before many of the artifacts had been removed. Would you mind reflecting on that experience? Ted Deutch: When I walked up to the synagogue, I couldn't help but think of my synagogue where I grew up on the other side of Pennsylvania in a lovely community, like Pittsburgh. I was struck that, forget that this was a synagogue, I really couldn't stop thinking that it was inconceivable that that kind of horrible tragedy could happen in a community like that.  And walking through the synagogue and seeing the site where hatred, and antisemitism, and manifestations, the worst manifestations of antisemitism were brought to this lovely place, in this wonderful synagogue. It was overwhelming to think about what was happening that Shabbat and the fear and terror that people felt as that was happening. That was number one. Secondly, I walked into the main auditorium where they were gathering all of the things that hadn't yet been taken away to be used in the museum and the memorial that's going to be constructed, that haven't been given back to families.  There were lots of things that are just not identified, they don't have families to return them to. And to see tallaisim and tefillin and all kinds of items that are used for Jewish rituals and Jewish customs just sitting on this table where they didn't know what they were going to do with them because the synagogue that existed there, the life that existed there, that simple, wonderful community, that was gone. It was gone.  That community will never be the same. And I think for our community, for the Jewish community, we're really never gonna be the same after what happened there. Manya Brachear Pashman: You were telling me before we started this conversation that they gave you something during your visit. Ted Deutch: As I walked through, and they saw how moved I was by this massive display. They came over and made such a kind gesture to me. And of all of the gifts that I've received in all of my travels, as a member of Congress, and now as CEO of AJC, I don't think there's anything that's as meaningful as the tefillin that they gave me. I don't know, obviously, I don't know whose it was. And it may well have been someone that was a synagogue member years and years ago. But the connection that I felt at that moment to that community at Tree of Life and the connection that I felt thinking about, not just Tree of Life, but tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people throughout our history.  And knowing that I was going to return to New York, I was going to have the opportunity to join the Jewish community around the world in overcoming these tragedies, and making sure the world understands why these kinds of attacks will never, they'll never work, they'll never, they'll never defeat the Jewish community. As we endure this really challenging time now in Israel, I've been thinking the same thing. We've gone through a lot in our history, and we've constantly, constantly overcome, and have grown and have learned and have continued to enrich the world. As Tree of Life rebuilds and will help shape a national and international conversation for years to come about fighting antisemitism. And as we continue to do our work and as Jews around the country and around the world go through whatever security measures they have to to go to synagogue and to drop their kids at day school and Hebrew school and for people to show up for programs at the JCC, there is a defiance that I felt at that moment that is perhaps the most important thing I took away from that day. Because it was awful. But I'm not going to dwell on how terrible it was. We're going to think about every way we can to honor the memories of the lives that were taken, and to strengthen the Jewish people in their memory as we go forward. Manya Brachear Pashman: We planned this series and invited you to speak before the October 7th terrorist attack in Israel and the war with Hamas that has unfolded since. At first we wondered whether we should even proceed with this series. How could we focus on anything other than Israel at this moment? Of course, the parallels between the Tree of Life and October 7th are all too stark– Jews are once again being targeted simply because they are Jewish. Can you share your thoughts on this difficult moment for the Jewish people? Ted Deutch: That sense of unease that all of us felt when we heard that story, like how could that possibly happen in the United States, really, it's an unease and fear that we feel when we've watched what's happened in Israel and when a horrific and brutal and barbaric attack takes place against our family, our brothers and sisters in Israel, we feel that here, and especially when it was, it was unthinkable what happened with this Hamas attack. Just as somebody shooting up a synagogue was unthinkable in America, it again, it puts us on edge, and it makes us redouble our efforts. Not just to fight antisemitism, but to really bring the community together. What I've really been proud of since this terrible time in Israel began is the way that AJC has responded, not just in putting out meaningful information to help people get the facts and get through this, and to fight back against lies. But the way that we've really worked to bring the community together.  There are 16 million Jews in the world, out of eight and a half billion people we need to stick together. Moments like Tree of Life remind us of that, and what's been happening in Israel absolutely reminds us of that. That informs so much of what AJC does, and has done in response to Tree of Life and certainly is doing in response to the current situation.

In the aftermath of the slaughter of 11 Jews inside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, American Jewish Committee (AJC) drew up a plan to galvanize Jewish communities and their allies across the world in an expression of unity and defiance: #ShowUpForShabbat. The campaign, which reached hundreds of millions of people, urged those of all faiths to attend synagogue services during the Shabbat following the attack to show solidarity with the Jewish community. In this third episode of our Remembering Pittsburgh series, hear from some of those who showed up to that Shabbat five years ago on what the experience meant to them and how the events of that week altered their perspective on antisemitism in America. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.  Episode Lineup:  (0:40) Belle Yoeli, Anne Jolly, Rachel Ain, Sharif Street, Jennifer Mendelsohn Show Notes: Listen: Remembering Pittsburgh Part 1: Behind the Scenes at the Reimagined Tree of Life Remembering Pittsburgh Part 2: What the Family of Tree of Life Victim Joyce Fienberg Wants You to Know About Her Legacy Take Action: Urge Congress to Stand Against Rising Antisemitism Music credits: Shloime Balsam - Lo Lefached Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and review us on Apple Podcasts. Episode Transcript: Manya Brachear Pashman:  This month, AJC set out to mark the five-year anniversary of the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting at the Tree of Life with a series of episodes exploring this turning point for the American Jewish community. Our first installment aired October 5. Two days later, the Jewish people faced another unprecedented deadly antisemitic attack, this time in Israel. Synagogues stepped up security and families tamped down their fears to take their children to Hebrew school or attend Shabbat services. In the second episode of our series, we sat down with Howard and Marnie Fienberg, who paid tribute to their mother Joyce. In this third installment, we look back at how horror drew people to solidarity. May we see that same solidarity today.  Belle Yoeli: We saw hundreds of thousands of people show up. And we saw pictures later, after the fact, and videos, and people making speeches, and just so much solidarity. This was captured on the news. I think it really stands out as one of the most amazing responses to antisemitism that we've seen in modern history. Manya Brachear Pashman: On October 27, 2018, Americans witnessed the deadliest antisemitic attack in this nation's history. Eleven worshipers inside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh were murdered just for being Jewish. The senseless slaughter inside a house of worship devastated and shocked American senses because it was simply unAmerican. But the aftermath of the atrocity became an American moment when so many people showed up – showed up with hugs, showed up with flowers, showed up with prayers for their Jewish neighbors.  The most visible expression of this came a week after the massacre with the unprecedented turnout of people of all faiths at synagogues across the nation as part of AJC's #ShowUpForShabbat campaign. Together, Americans sent a message that hate will not prevail. Belle Yoeli: Everyone wanted to do something, and the entire Jewish community mobilized to make this happen with the understanding that as AJC has always said that antisemitism is not just about the Jewish community. It starts with the Jewish community, but it's a threat to democracy, and the murder of Jews in their religious institution is such a breaking, a fracturing of everything that the United States stands for, everything that democratic society stands for. Manya Brachear Pashman: Today, Belle Yoeli is the chief advocacy officer for AJC. In 2018, she worked as the chief of staff for then AJC CEO David Harris. David had spent nearly 20 years counseling European leaders on the rise of antisemitism in their midst, calling their attention to violent crimes against Jews when conflict erupted between Israel and their Arab neighbors. Belle was on her way to a nephew's birthday party when she got the call on October 27 about what had happened in Pittsburgh. She remembers sobbing in the car on the phone with colleagues as they all grappled with the reality that whether they were regular shul-goers or had just happened to go to synagogue to celebrate a friend's bar mitzvah that day – it just as easily could've been them. For many, what they needed now was to go to shul and not be afraid, and to see others, not just their own community, but others of all faiths in the pews alongside them. What they needed most now was to know they were not alone. So they drew up a plan. Belle Yoeli: A couple members of our staff actually kind of simultaneously came up with a similar idea, which was that we need to, more than anything, rally non-Jews to come and support the Jewish community at this time, and what better time to do that than the following Shabbat. Manya Brachear Pashman: Dubbed #ShowUpForShabbat, the social media-based campaign called on both Jews and those of other faiths to flock to synagogues that coming Shabbat on the weekend of November 2 in support of the Pittsburgh Jewish community and all of American Jewry. The response across 80 countries was astounding. More than 250 million people spread the message on social media, including celebrities Andy Cohen, Itzhak Perlman, and Mayim Bialik, and politicians Paul Ryan, Kamala Harris, and Sadiq Kahn. And hundreds of synagogues across the country and around the world, from Tokyo to Santiago to London to San Francisco, welcomed people of all faiths into their sanctuaries. Those who walked through the doors included diplomats from dozens of countries, federal, state, and local elected officials, and Christian, Muslim, Hindu clergy. Synagogues across the country reported massive crowds rivaling or exceeding those seen at High Holy Day services. Belle Yoeli: There are some times, I think before Pittsburgh, and before Tree of Life and after, where the Jewish community doesn't always feel like we are seen, and that we need defense too. When it comes to antisemitism, because Jews are viewed as white or for other reasons, or when it comes to us attacks against Israel, we don't feel like our partners are necessarily always there for us, although many are. Seeing with such clarity how people were showing up for the Jewish community, we all really needed that. And honestly, society needed that and to see that. That we will not let this stand. I think it shook everyone to their core and not just the Jewish community. That's what struck a chord with people that could have been me, that could have been hatred towards African Americans, that could have been hatred towards the Muslim community. Every single community who has a piece of them, an identity that's so strong resonated with that. Manya Brachear Pashman: We connected with people who showed up that Shabbat five years ago, and asked them what the experience meant to them, whether the events of that week altered their perspective on antisemitism in America, or changed how they show support to their Jewish neighbors. Anne Jolly: An important part of what we proclaim is love God, love your neighbor, change the world. And so we believe that means we show up for each other. We can't love each other without being present with each other. So we have to be together. You have to show up. Manya Brachear Pashman: Episcopal Bishop of Ohio Anne Jolly was serving as the rector of St. Gregory Episcopal Church in Deerfield, Illinois in October 2018. A former hospital chaplain, she was sitting in her office when she heard the news break that Saturday morning. Her first call was to her friend and colleague Rabbi Karyn Kedar down the road at the Reform temple commonly known as Congregation BJBE. Rabbi Kedar had recently preached at St. Gregory and then-Pastor Jolly was scheduled to deliver the guest sermon at BJBE the following Friday night. Anne Jolly: I called her and we talked and we prayed. And I said to Karyn, I think probably you need to preach on the Shabbat following the shooting at your temple and she said, ‘I want you to do it.' She said ‘I think I think we need to hear your voice and that the congregation needs to hear you. Rabbi Kedar I think thought that to hear a voice of someone who is not Jewish saying aloud, We love you, we care for you. We believe we are all created in God's image together. And that means we need to show up for each other. It means we need to be present with each other, that to hear that from someone who was not part of their community might be more powerful, more impactful, and more important for the community here at that time. Manya Brachear Pashman: When Bishop Jolly arrived that following Friday she did not expect her sudden sense of fear when she encountered armed guards. Anne Jolly: I didn't realize I was afraid until I walked in the door. And I stopped and had to take a deep breath and realize that I was afraid because I was entering into a space of people who have long been afraid. And that I had never had to experience that before in that way. And I wasn't really afraid for my congregation the same way I was for my beloveds in the synagogue, that they had more of a reason to be afraid than I did. And that was all the more reason for me to be there, and to be present with them. Manya Brachear Pashman: Bishop Jolly credits that night at BJBE for the deep connection that formed with the congregation. In fact, she returned to BJBE many more times to celebrate Shabbat. Precisely a year later, the members of the Jewish congregation showed up at her door after a pumpkin patch at St. Gregory had been destroyed by vandals. Anne Jolly: There were a bunch of them that came to our patch and we were talking about it and they said, ‘We just wanted to show you that we are supporting you. And they were worried that that vandalism had been an act of aggression against us. And I just thought it was kids. And that was a really clear distinction of how our worldviews are different. For them, a vandalism thing would, of course, of course, be something hateful against them. In this case, it was children, it was just teenagers being dumb. But it reinforced that understanding that for them, fear is always in the background because of the violence perpetrated to them – again and again and again. Rabbi Rachel Ain: It was not a wake-up call that hate existed and already the hate was being felt. And at the same time, the love with my neighbors was being felt. So I was able to hold on to both emotions. But really, as I look back at these five years. Pittsburgh to Poway to Colleyville to Jersey City. I mean, I can sort of think back to all of these moments. It's here. And we need to both be proudly Jewish, and strongly protected. Manya Brachear Pashman: For Rabbi Rachel Ain, the spiritual leader of Sutton Place Synagogue, a conservative synagogue in New York City, the massacre at Tree of Life was not her first encounter with antisemitism. She knew it was simmering. A year earlier, almost to the day, vandals had spray painted swastikas across the entrance of her synagogue on the East Side of Manhattan. She knew how powerful it had been to have members of the wider community come support the congregation after that incident. Whether to invite members of the community to #ShowUpForShabbat was never a question in her mind. Rabbi Rachel Ain: It's not only that I felt supported by my neighbors, especially those that weren't Jewish. But more than anything, it was that so many of our congregation members who were not, let's say Shabbat regulars, felt the importance and the value of showing up for Shabbat and they knew that they had an address to come to both physically and spiritually to place their pain and their needs. Manya Brachear Pashman: That same weekend marked the bar mitzvah celebration of a young man in the congregation. Rabbi Ain wrestled with how to balance the sadness and shock of the prior weekend with the joy and celebration of his milestone. And a few years later, that same young man and his brother stepped up to lead the synagogue's Holocaust Remembrance event, in which teens interviewed the children of Holocaust survivors and shared the stories that have been passed down to them. She wonders if that moving show of solidarity when he was 13 and the formational years that followed had an impact. Rabbi Rachel Ain: What I really keep thinking about is how some of our teenagers who at that point, were in sixth grade or seventh grade. And now here they are seniors in high school and freshmen in college, how their teen experience has been shaped by showing up for Shabbat and showing up for shul when bad things have happened. So what I've also tried to do is, how do we ensure that our young people's experiences aren't only about the challenges of being Jewish, but the joys of being Jewish? Sharif Street: I just remember the massive amount of people that showed up and the diversity of the folks. I mean, I don't think I'd seen that many people show up for an evening Shabbat at Rodef Shalom in, well, maybe ever.” Manya Brachear Pashman: Pennsylvania State Sen. Sharif Street had been in Pittsburgh the day before the shooting at the Tree of Life building. When he heard the news that Saturday morning, he scrambled to find out if his friends and colleagues were OK. He was not oblivious to hatred and its potential to lead to violence. His father had been active in the civil rights movement and Sen. Street had sponsored legislation to curb hate crimes, but he had hoped to get ahead of the trend. This seemed unfathomable. Sharif Street: I didn't really contemplate that in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it was within the realm of reasonable possibility that someone was gonna walk into a synagogue, and commit such a vicious, horrible act of hate. I didn't see that.” I thought we had moved beyond that stage of antisemitism and bigotry. And I was reminded of what my friends, older folks, and black and Jewish community always said, which is, we have to remain constantly vigilant. Because these things have a way of coming back. It took on a new air, a new level of seriousness to me. Because this is not the idea that people could be killed because of antisemitism in America. It's not just something of a bygone era. But I realized we were living in that era today. Manya Brachear Pashman: Sen. Street accompanied a friend to Temple Rodef Sholom in Philadelphia a week later and he has a few indelible memories from that night.  Sharif Street: People from every walk of life. Some people who were obviously maybe were not Jewish, who just wanted to express their support and their solidarity. And the look on the faces of people who are members, who were just, who felt so troubled, so shaken. And to see all the support from people, I think, made people feel like even in this world that seems so cruel in that moment that there were many people who are good, who stood with them. And I think a lot of times, folks who are doing these kinds of acts of hate and terror want to make folks, in this case Jewish people, feel isolated and alone. And I think that the service allow people to recognize you're not alone. And that people from all walks of life stand with you and stand against these horrible acts of hate. I think those of us who were, I would say the under-50 crowd and the younger you got, the more there was a level of shock, found it more disturbing because I guess we were further removed from an era when things like this when vicious acts of violence against people for antisemitism, racism and other forms of bigotry were more commonplace. People were wanting to make sure that this is not the beginning of a new chapter. Hopefully in our lifetimes we'll remember this as a disturbing outlier, not the beginning of an era. Jennifer Mendelsohn: What really struck me about it was how simple it was, all we asked people to do was quite literally show up. You didn't have to wave a protest flag. You didn't have to donate money somewhere. You didn't have to go on a march. It was literally just saying, ‘Come be with us this evening. We're hurting. And to have that answered so resoundingly was incredibly inspiring. Manya Brachear Pashman: Jennifer Mendelsohn helped create the DNA reunion project at the Center for Jewish History, which uses the power of genetic genealogy to reconnect Holocaust survivors and their children to relatives from whom they were separated. While she did not regularly attend Shabbat services, she and her husband thought it was important to show up at Fulton Street Synagogue in Baltimore on November 2, 2018.  Jennifer Mendelsohn: I walked in, and there's just no way to express what it was like. There were probably 300 people there. And you know, we normally do a potluck dinner. And I looked and there was, you know, there was no room to put down all the food, there was no prayer books, there were people, you know, just packed in. And I remember seeing the faces of neighbors of ours, non Jewish neighbors, and I immediately just got so overcome, and they just sort of smiled at me. And just to know that they had taken the time on a Friday night just to say, we care, and we're here with you. It was unbelievably powerful. Manya Brachear Pashman: Clergy and congregants from across different religious traditions helped light memorial candles for the 11 victims in Pittsburgh and the congregation sang “We Shall Overcome.” Jennifer Mendelsohn: I feel like every time I go back, I remember how nice it feels to be at synagogue. You always think like, Oh, it's so much easier to just, you know, sit on your couch with your fuzzy slippers. But it's, you know, it's always nice to be there. And all of the rituals are so familiar, you know, lighting candles, and, you know, welcoming the Sabbath bride and all of that, and the songs and it just reminded me that, you know, I'm not a particularly religious person in terms of practice or ritual. But it reminded me that, you know, that's where I come from, those are my people. And it was just very comforting to be in that environment at a time of such tragedy to just be around familiar sounds and smells and sights and all of that.” Manya Brachear Pashman: For Mendelsohn, 2018 had already been fraught and eye-opening, as she had become the target of online antisemitism because of a political project on Twitter. As someone who deals with the Holocaust on a daily basis, her shock surprised her. Jennifer Mendelsohn: This event sort of crystallized the sense that, you know, antisemitism was still around and perhaps, you know, coming back with a new fearsome edge… It was very hard to fathom. You know you you spend this much time thinking about the Holocaust and dealing with families shattered by genocide that was, you know, spurred by just hatred. And you think, ‘Well, surely this will never happen again, because everyone understands, and clearly people don't. So it was a very sobering experience to feel threatened again, as an American Jew. Manya Brachear Pashman: But #ShowUpForShabbat also crystallized that regardless of ideology, color or creed, most of America stood beside the Jewish community in this moment. Jennifer Mendelsohn: The crowd inside that synagogue was exactly the America that my ancestors came to the U.S. to be a part of, you know, they escaped political discrimination in Eastern Europe, and that's really for me what it was all about and to reinforce that that America exists that helping, kind, inclusive America, in the face of this horrific act of violence and hatred was just really the balm that my soul needed at that moment.  

This month, we mark the five-year anniversary of the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting at the Tree of Life. On October 27, 2018, 11 worshipers were murdered for solely being Jewish, in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. As the first installment in a four-part series, we take you inside the Tree of Life building before it is demolished in the coming months to make way for a new complex dedicated to Jewish life and combating antisemitism. Hear from Carole Zawatsky, the CEO behind the reimagined Tree of Life, and Eric Lidji, director of the Rauh Jewish Archive, as they explain their mission: to preserve artifacts and memories so that the story is preserved forever. Carole shares her commitment to honoring the victims, and Eric discusses the challenges of documenting an ongoing tragedy. Together, they emphasize the power of bearing witness to history and the healing strength of remembrance. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.  Episode Lineup:  (0:40) Eric Lidji, Carole Zawatsky Show Notes: Music credits: Relent by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com),  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Virtual Violin Virtuoso by techtheist is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License Fire Tree (Violin Version) by Axletree is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. Al Kol Eleh (backing track), with Yisrael Lutnick Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us. Transcript of Conversation with Eric Lidji and Carole Zawatsky: Eric Lidji: Pittsburgh definitely is not forgetting. It's ever present here. There are people who are healing and doing so in ways that, at least from the outside, are remarkable and very inspiring. And there are people who I'm sure have not fully reckoned with it yet. Carole Zawatsky: It's all too easy to walk away from what's ugly. And we have to remember. We can't walk away. Manya Brachear Pashman: Five years have gone by since the horrific Shabbat morning at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue, when eleven congregants were gunned down during prayer – volunteers, scholars, neighbors, doing what they always did: joining their Jewish community at shul.  This is the first installment of a series of episodes throughout the month of October devoted to remembering and honoring the lives lost that day and reflecting on how the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history changed those families, changed us, and changed our country.  Today, we take you to the Tree of Life building that stands on the corner of Shady and Wilkins Avenues in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood to hear from two people in charge of preserving the artifacts and memories of the vibrant Jewish life that unfolded inside those walls until October 27, 2018. In early September, our producer Atara Lakritz and I visited the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Squirrel Hill, where Jews have settled since the 1920s, is quite literally Mister Rogers' neighborhood. We were there to interview those touched by the events of October 27. But it didn't take us long to figure out that everyone there had been affected in some way.  All along Murray Avenue, in 61C Cafe, at Pinsker's Judaica Shoppe, at the Giant Eagle supermarket, when we told people why we were there, they all had a story, an acquaintance, a connection.  Later, walking through the glass doors of the synagogue felt like we were stepping through a portal, traveling back five years, when life stopped, and the reality of the hatred and terror that unfolded there began to haunt every step.  Atara and I were invited to accompany a final group tour of the building before it closed in order for preparations to begin for the building's demolition. The tour was painful, but we felt it necessary to share with our listeners.  As we left the lobby, we were told to take the stairs to the left. The stairs to the right were off limits. Someone had been shot there.  We were led to a small, dark storage room where chairs had been stacked for guests. A handful of people had hidden there as the shooter continued his rampage, but one man walked out too soon, thinking it was safe. When first responders later came to get the others, they had to step over his body.  In the kitchen, there were still marks on the wall where the bullets ricocheted when he shot two women hiding underneath a metal cabinet. The calendar on the wall there was still turned to October 2018 with a list of activities that were happening that week posted alongside it.  And in the Pervin Chapel where seven people died, pews punctured with bullet holes and carpet squares stained with blood were no longer there. No ark either.  But remarkably, the stained glass windows remained with images and symbols of Jewish contributions to America, the land to which the ancestors of so many worshipers once inside that synagogue had fled to and found safety. Those windows will be carefully removed by the son of the man who first installed them 70 years ago. And they will return, when the reimagined Tree of Life rises again.   Carole Zawatsky: The tragedy is a Pittsburgh experience. But it's also every Jew's experience. It shattered for so many of us our sense of security in America. This is our safe haven. This is where we came to. Manya Brachear Pashman: Carole Zawatsky is the inaugural CEO of the reimagined Tree of Life. Since November 2022, she has overseen the development of a new complex on the hallowed ground: an education center dedicated to ending antisemitism, including a new home for the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh; a memorial to the lives lost that Shabbat morning; a dedicated synagogue space where the Tree of Life congregation can return. Carole Zawatsky: What can we build to enrich Jewish life, to remember this tragedy, and to show the world that we as Jews should not be known only by our killers and our haters, we should be known by our joy, our celebrations, our rituals, our resilience. Manya Brachear Pashman: The founding director of the Maltz Museum in northeast Ohio, Carole has spent the last 30 years developing programs and education around the Holocaust and genocide, and overseeing projects that explore Jewish heritage from a national perspective and through a local lens. She led our tour. On October 27, 2018, the congregations of Tree of Life, New Light, and Dor Hadash, which all met in separate areas of the large, multi-story building, had just ushered in the new Hebrew year of 5779. Young students at the Hebrew school had written their own personal Ten Commandments that the teachers had hung on the walls of an upstairs classroom. Carole Zawatsky: Don't egg your neighbor's house, respect your parent. Every one of them said: Thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt not kill. And those 10 commandments that they wrote in their little student handwriting were thumbtacked up on the wall in the very classroom where the gunman was apprehended. Manya Brachear Pashman: Before the rebuilding of Tree of Life begins, Carole's no. 1 priority has been preserving the artifacts and remnants that bear witness to what happened. Artifacts include the ark, damaged by bullets, the Torah scrolls, which were remarkably unscathed but for the handles. The list of whose Yahrzeits fell on that day, still on the podium; and, of course, the children's artwork and the wall behind it. Carole Zawatsky: In the work happening here, and in my role as the CEO, I constantly ask: ‘Am I doing it right? Am I doing enough?' And preserving the evidentiary material was incredibly important to me, that we have the physical evidence to bear witness. And as that drywall in the classroom in which the gunman, the murderer, was apprehended, was coming down, I found myself asking: ‘Have I saved enough? Will this story be preserved forever? Have we done everything we can?' Manya Brachear Pashman: Helping Carole with this Herculean effort, is Eric Lidji, the director of the Rauh Jewish Archive at the Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Museum, in downtown Pittsburgh. Eric has been collecting documentation and evidence for the archive since October 28, 2018.  Painted stones left in memory of the victims, hand-made signs, pamphlets, and prayers from vigils, sermons from interfaith services. But also a pair of tennis shoes, a guitar, a framed leaf from the Raoul Wallenberg Tree planted in Israel, a cross affixed with Stars of David -- all individual expressions of a community-wide anguish. Eric Lidji: Even before I entered the building, we knew that there were going to be pieces of the building that had historic value. Since late 2018, I've been in the building numerous times, dozens of times, doing work there. And it sort of culminated in this opportunity in early June, where we were allowed to go in and identify pieces of the building that became historic that day, and figure out how to get them out. Manya Brachear Pashman: This is no simple job for anyone involved, no less for Eric, who is accustomed to handling archival materials from generations past, not the present. Eric Lidji: It's hard for me to disentangle the work of pulling these things out of the building with the knowledge that these families that I've come to know and love, that this is sort of directly related to their loved ones passing. Pittsburgh definitely is not forgetting, it's ever present here. There are people who are healing and doing so in ways that, at least from the outside, are remarkable and very inspiring. And there are people who, I'm sure, have not fully reckoned with it yet.  The stories that we're used to telling at the archive, they move much slower. You know, when you get records from 75 or 100 years ago, that's in motion too, but it's moving very slowly. And you can kind of sit there and watch it, and understand it. And get some sense of what it might mean. But when you're living through something, it's changing constantly, all around you. And it's responding to things in the world. And it's responding to people's internal resilience and their ability to grow. When I look out at the community, I see a lot of different stories. People are in a lot of different places. And it's going to be different on a month like this, where we're saying Yizkor. And it's going to be different in the early stages of the trial versus the late stages of the trial. It's assimilated into our lives now, it's a part of our lives. Manya Brachear Pashman: In 2019, Eric and journalist Beth Kissileff assembled an anthology of raw reflections by local writers about the Tree of Life massacre. It included only one essay by someone inside the building that day: Beth's husband, Rabbi Jonathan Perlman of New Light. Eric also contributed his own essay. He wrote: “I have no special insight into why this attack happened, or why it happened here. I don't know what would have prevented it from happening here or what would prevent it from happening again somewhere else. I don't understand the depth of my sorrow or the vast sorrow of others. I asked him if four years later he would still write those words. Eric Lidji: I feel the same way. You know, there's a second half to that paragraph, which is that, I do have the materials and I can describe those. The premise of an archive is that at some point, we'll all be gone. And when we're all gone, our things are what speak for us. And at the moment, there's a lot of witnesses here, emotional witnesses, I mean, who can testify to what this means.  But there's going to come a time where they won't be there. And our job, I say our, I mean everybody's, our job in the present is to document our experience. So that when we're not here anymore, people in the future have the opportunity to have access to the intensity of the feelings that we had. That ultimately is how you prevent complacency. And so I don't claim any, I don't understand anything in the present. But I do understand the records. And I hope that we're being a good steward and custodian of them so that in the future, people have the opportunity to have access to real human feeling and so that they can really understand what this experience was like for people who were alive today. Manya Brachear Pashman: The Rauh Jewish Archive has collected and preserved thousands of artifacts and documents, but no physical or intellectual access has been granted yet. Cautious care has been taken to make sure families and survivors are ready and know what's involved in making the materials available to the public. Once that happens, a trove of electronic materials will be uploaded to the newly launched October 27 Archive, which will become the public face of the collection. The electronic catalog will help individuals, schools, and institutions such as Tree of Life to tell the story they're trying to tell.  Carole Zawatsky: We're the only generation to bear witness to this. The next generation will not bear witness. Their children will not bear witness. We have a moral obligation to ensure that these lives are remembered and memorialized, and that we as Jews and as citizens of this earth remember what hate looks like and work toward a better world. It's all too easy to walk away from what's ugly. And we have to remember. We can't walk away. Manya Brachear Pashman: The Tree of Life building is now a shell of what it once was. The stained glass windows will soon be removed for safekeeping until the new building is ready to welcome them back. As the demolition crews arrive to remove what's left, Carole's focus has shifted. Carole Zawatsky: Our focus now is truly on working with our architect, working with the exhibition designer, and forming a new institution. This is an incredibly special moment for us, as we come together and continue to crystallize our mission, our vision, and form this new institution that will be a significant part of the Pittsburgh community, along with the national community. Manya Brachear Pashman: The architect for the project, Daniel Libeskind, a son of Holocaust survivors who is renowned for his redesign of the new World Trade Center site, has described the spiritual center of the Tree of Life as a Path of Light, which connects and organizes the public, educational, and celebratory spaces. Carole Zawatsky: We can never as Jews allow ourselves to be defined by our killers. And I'm delighted to be working with Daniel as our architect and his concept of bringing light into the darkness. Vayehi or, let there be light. We have to bring light back to the corner of Shady and Wilkins. And side by side with tragedy, as we have done throughout all of Jewish history, is also celebration. To have baby namings and B'nai Mitzvot. Celebrate Shabbat and celebrate holidays side by side. That this is the most Jewish thing we can do. When the temples were destroyed in Jerusalem, what did we do? We recreate. And that is the strength and resilience of the Jewish people. Manya Brachear Pashman: Carole also continues to build a multifaith donor base, comprised of foundations and individuals from Pittsburgh and across the country, to raise the $75 million needed to make the reimagination a reality, ideally by 2025. The reasons why donors give vary, but in most cases they're deeply personal. Carole Zawatsky: The events of 10/27 are personal for everyone. For those people who tell us: I heard the gunshots from my kitchen. I was with my children. From people across the country who experienced a sense of loss of safety. To non-Jews who say: I have to have something to tell my children why some people don't like their friends. What did I do? How did I help be a part of the solution? Manya Brachear Pashman: For generations, the Jewish people have confronted antisemitism in its many forms. But through it all, the Jewish calendar continues to guide the community through celebrations of life and beauty and wonder. Carole describes it as the bitter and the sweet.  Carole Zawatsky: I've had on occasion, a Rabbi, a funder: ‘How are you doing? How do you get through this?' And for me, there's often a soundtrack in my head. And one of my favorite Hebrew songs is “Al Kol Eleh,” and through the bitter and the sweet. To me, it is the definition of Judaism. And it's the definition of what we're doing. Manya Brachear Pashman: Do you mind sharing a bit of that song with us now?  Carole Zawatsky:  Al hadvash ve'al ha'okets Al hamar vehamatok Al biteynu hatinoket shmor eyli hatov Al kol eleh, al kol eleh. Manya Brachear Pashman: This podcast is dedicated to the 11 lives lost on October 27, 2018: Joyce Fienberg,  Richard Gottfried,  Rose Mallinger,  Jerry Rabinowitz,  Cecil Rosenthal,  David Rosenthal,  Bernice Simon,  Sylvan Simon,  Daniel Stein,  Melvin Wax,  Irving Younger.    May their memories be for a blessing.

The Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in October 2018 was the deadliest attack on Jewish people in American history. For Adam Reinherz, award-winning journalist and senior staff writer at the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, it was also something much more personal. In the years since the attack, Adam has reported on everything—from the tragedy to its fallout to the shooter's recent death sentence—across dozens of articles, for the sake of both his Jewish community and the larger world. In this week's episode, Adam and Yehuda Kurtzer discuss what it means to approach a story that holds both particular and universal resonance. A list of Adam's articles on the shooting can be found here. JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST FOR MORE HARTMAN IDEAS

In this episode we learn about the psychology of Robert Bowers, how to survive a mass shooting, and the psychology of mass shooters.To donate to the Tree of Life rebuilding fund, send a check to T of L Inc, RRR campaign                                                                                                                                                          0 Woodland Rd                                                                                                                                                           Pittsburgh, PA 15232Follow this link to become a Teacher's Pet:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1662730/supportE-mail me at Pugmomof1@gmail.com; visit me on Instagram as True Crime University_Donate via PayPal to help me keep the show going: bullymom7@yahoo.com  True Crime University is part of the Morvid Collective Podcast Network. Visit all our podcasts at morvidcollective.com References:   Wikipedia, deathpenaltyinfo.org, cnn.com, bbc.com, npr.org, justice.gov/United States vs Robert Bowersadl.org, triblive.com, cnn.com, jamanetwork.com, theviolenceprogram.org, Psychology Today, alicetraining.com, simplypsychology.orgMy music is "Motivational Day" by AudioCoffee from Pixabay MusicSupport the show

In this episode we learn about the history of the perpetrator, Robert Bowers, and discuss his court proceedings. TRIGGER WARNING: graphic violenceFollow this link to become a Teacher's Pet:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1662730/supportE-mail me at Pugmomof1@gmail.com; visit me on Instagram as True Crime University_Donate via PayPal to help me keep the show going: bullymom7@yahoo.com  True Crime University is part of the Morvid Collective Podcast Network. Visit all our podcasts at morvidcollective.com References:   Wikipedia, independent.co.uk, theinquirer.com, Gab.com, deathpenaltyinfo.org, cnn.com, bbc.com, npr.org, justice.gov/United States vs Robert Bowersadl.org, triblive.comMy music is "Motivational Day" by AudioCoffee from Pixabay MusicSupport the show

In this episode we learn about the victims, survivors, and police killed or wounded in the 2018 Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting.Follow this link to become a Teacher's Pet:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1662730/supportE-mail me at Pugmomof1@gmail.com; visit me on Instagram as True Crime University_Donate via PayPal to help me keep the show going: bullymom7@yahoo.com  True Crime University is part of the Morvid Collective Podcast Network. Visit all our podcasts at morvidcollective.com  References:   Wikipedia, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood by Mark Oppenheimer, cbsnews.com, triblive.com, pittnews.com, documentary "A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting", Centre Daily Times, The Sentinel, abcnews.go.com, cnn.com, wpxi.com, yorkdispatch.com, religionnews.com, goodmorningamerica.com, usatoday.com, legacy.com, findagrave.com, heavy.com, inquirer.com, schugar.com, thecjn.ca, time.com, thedp.com, haaretz.com, jta.org, squarespace.com, publicsource.com, My music is "Motivational Day" by AudioCoffee from Pixabay MusicSupport the show

AP correspondent Ben Thomas reports on Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting.

AP correspondent Mike Hempen reports on Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting.

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports on Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

AP correspondent Norman Hall reports: Pittsburgh-Synagogue Shooting

In this episode we begin to discuss the events of October 27, 2018, the largest anti-Semitic attack in US history, the killing of 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue. TRIGGER WARNINGS: Hate crime, anti-Semitism, gun violenceFollow this link to become a Teacher's Pet:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1662730/supportE-mail me at Pugmomof1@gmail.com; visit me on Instagram as True Crime University_Donate via PayPal to help me keep the show going: bullymom7@yahoo.com   References:   Wikipedia, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood by Mark Oppenheimer, cbsnews.com, treeoflifepgh.org, triblive.com, pittnews.com, documentary "A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting", Centre Daily Times, The Sentinel, abcnews.go.com, cnn.com, wpxi.com, bbc.com, wesa.fm, Broadcastify, chicagotribune.com, witf.org, radioreference.com, pittsburghpa.gov, unionprogress.com, superdroidrobots.com, theweek.com, everytown.org, gtitraining.orgMy music is "Motivational Day" by AudioCoffee from Pixabay MusicSupport the show

On today's episode of The Confluence: We discuss what's to come in the final phase of the federal trial for the man who carried out the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting; Pittsburgh City Council is developing a framework for how to use federal dollars to address food insecurity; and an amendment to a state law will allow the city to more easily take control of privately owned, blighted properties.

Attorney Marty Dietz joins to explain the verdict that was made yesterday in the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Trial. He also explains what the next steps are. 

Attorney Bill Difenderfer joins Larry and Marty to discuss the trial deliberations in the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Trial. He explains the possibility of him getting the death penalty.

Hour 4 - Paul Rasmussen breaks news that the jury has come to a verdict concerning the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Trial. Larry and Marty also celebrate National French Fry Day, discuss dating apps, and talk more on Pet PFAs. 

Attorney Marty Dietz joins Larry and Marty to discuss the closing arguments of the Synagogue Shooting Trial. He also talks about doctors being paid to say certain things.

On today's episode of The Confluence: A jury found Robert Bowers guilty on all counts in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial, still leaving in question whether he will receive the death penalty; and a conversation with WQED's incoming president and CEO, Jason Jedlinksi.

Gunman who killed 11 at Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018 found guilty of capital offense, making him eligible for death penalty. Listen for more details.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Attorney  Bill Difenderfer joins Larry and Marty to talk about the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Trial and the death penalty. 

Maggie Feinstein, with the 10.27 Healing Partnership joins Larry and Marty. They talk about the media coverage of the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Trial and the language we use to talk about it. Marty asks why she thinks anti semitic attacks and rhetoric have increased since the attack. As well as resources for those experiencing trauma.

Hour 1 - Larry and Marty discuss if following the media coverage for mass shootings can be harmful or helpful - they ask for callers. They also discuss the "New Democratic Party" of Allegheny County.   

The House of Representatives is set to vote on the deal to suspend the nation's debt limit. A federal appeals court ruled that the Sackler family be sheltered from opioid lawsuits linked to their company Purdue Pharma and Oxycontin painkillers. And, a trial is underway in the case of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting which left eleven worshippers dead.

AP correspondent Ed Donahue on Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

AP correspondent Ed Donahue on Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

UC Berkeley School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky discusses the judicial system problems revealed by the abortion pill litigation & Supreme Court ethics reform. University of Pittsburgh Professor of Law David Harris updates us on the trial of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter. ACLU of Illinois Director Of The Women's and Reproductive Rights Project Ameri Klafeta […]

Maggie Feinstein,10.27 Healing Partnership Director joins the guys to discuss processing the trauma and grief from the Pittsburgh shooting. She also talks about the respectful language to use and mental health resources. 

On today's episode of The Confluence: The federal trial of the man charged with carrying out a mass shooting at the Squirrel Hill Tree of Life Synagogue, affecting three congregations in 2018, begins next week. We ask a panel about how the city's Jewish community is preparing, and what the community can expect as the trial unfolds. Today's guests include: An-Li Herring, reporter with WESA; Kiley Koscinski, reporter with WESA; Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership; and David Harris, professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh, and the legal systems advisor and educator for the 10.27 Healing Partnership.

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, joins CBS News' Elaine Quijano to discuss the October 27th, 2018 deadly attack on his congregation that killed 11 people and wounded six - making it the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, joins CBS News' Elaine Quijano to discuss the October 27th, 2018 deadly attack on his congregation that killed 11 people and wounded six - making it the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's episode of The Confluence: The trial for the accused shooter in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting has been set for April; a newly released documentary film includes the stories and memories of survivors and those whose lives were lost in the 2018 antisemitic attack; and we revisit our 2020 interview with Judah Samet, a member of the Jewish community who narrowly escaped the attack, and passed away last month. Today's guests include: An-Li Herring, reporter with WESA; and “Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting” filmmaker Trish Adlesic and producer Susan Margolin.

Three years ago, on October 27, 2018, a gunman entered the Eitz Chaim synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and murdered 11 Jews at prayer, in the worst attack on Jews in the United States ever. The next year, a man brandishing a machete had attacked a Chanukkah celebration in New York, murdering a rabbi, and in April 2019, a worshipper was murdered at a Chabad synagogue near San Diego. In the attack in Pittsburgh, the shooting suspect had posted antisemitic hate online in advance of the shooting, but it went unnoticed. As antisemitism threatens Jews around the world, are social media giants doing enough to stamp out the hate, and if not, how can they be held to account? In this week's episode of The Honest Report podcast, we are joined by Mark Oppenheimer, historian and journalist, who recently released a book on the shooting aftermath and the Jewish community in the Pittsburgh neighbourhood where the attack took place. Welcome to the Honest Report podcast. Please subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share our show. If you are interested in sponsoring a podcast, visit the HonestReporting Canada website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thehonestreport/message

October 27th: Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting (2018) Hatred, left unchecked, can have deadly consequences. On October 27th 2018 a man entered a Pittsburgh Synagogue with so much hatred he was willing to kill complete strangers to prove a point. Wikipedia, CNN, BBC, adl.org, reuters.com, theatlantic.com

You should be safe in your place of worship. But this week two years ago, a man walked into the Tree of Life-Or L'Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh and broke that rule.

Adam Kuperstein is the weekend anchor and a reporter for NBC's flagship station in New York City.Covering the recent Jersey City shooting, rapid-fire gunshots sounded behind Adam while he was reporting live on air. We talk about the traumatizing experience and how he's dropped everything to cover other anti-Semitic attacks like the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre.He also shares how being out in a hurricane was the first step in his transition from sports to news, and dishes on his hard-hitting interview with the man who ate a $120,000 banana at Miami's Art Basel. Plus, #TielessSaturdays!

the Jewish community in Frederick and beyond is still reeling from an October 27th shooting in which eleven congregants were gunned down in a Pittsburgh synagogue. The shooter, who has been charged with a hate crime among other charges, shouted “All Jews Must Die” as he fired an AR-15 and three Glock .357 handguns at random. Incidents of anti-semitism are on the rise in the United States — in 2017, reported incidents of anti-semitism rose by 57 percent according to the Anti-Defamation League’s latest report. Rabbi Jordan Hersh joins Emma Kerr and Colin McGuire from the Beth Sholom Congregation in Frederick to describe the moments and days since the shooting, and his hope that hate can be overcome.

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the massacre of Jews at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, the closing of rural hospitals, and the political reawakening of women in Orange County, California. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:   The largest murder of Jews in the United States took place last month at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Natalia referred to writer Yascha Mounk’s tweet about the resistance of the media to acknowledge anti-Semitism as racism. Niki referred to her discussion of anti-Semitism and the alt-Right in her podcast series A12. Rural hospitals are closing, depriving Americans in these regions of crucial medical services. Natalia recommended historian Gabriel Rosenberg’s book on the idealization of rural life, The 4-H Harvest: Sexuality and the State in Rural America. Motivated by antipathy to Trump, previously politically disengaged suburban mothers in Orange County are organizing in advance of the midterms. Natalia cited historian Lisa McGirr’s Suburban Warriors: The Origins of the New American Right as an important political history of the region. Neil mentioned his recent Atlantic article on white women’s changing political affinities in the age of Trump.    In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History: Natalia recommended Jordan Smith’s Runner’s World article, “Kelly Herron After Chasing Down Alleged Attacker: We Do Not Have To ‘Let It Go’.” Neil shared Ruth Graham’s Slate article, “Two Shotguns: What Happened at Ruby Ridge?” Niki discussed Keia Mastraianni’s Bon Appetit article, “’Election Cake’ Makes a Modern Resurgence.”

In this episode Shang and Black Pedro welcomes Jay Newz (@JayNewz) and Psychic Wayne (@PsychicWayne1). They discuss Pipe Bombs, the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting and Wayne's Psychic abilities. Follow Shang @ComedianShang, Black Pedro @BlackPedro and @ComedyPopUp for info on upcoming episodes.Like the facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/SavageAFshow/https://www.facebook.com/ComedyPopUpLA/

In this episode Shang and Black Pedro welcomes Jay Newz (@JayNewz) and Psychic Wayne (@PsychicWayne1). They discuss Pipe Bombs, the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting and Wayne's Psychic abilities. Follow Shang @ComedianShang, Black Pedro @BlackPedro and @ComedyPopUp for info on upcoming episodes.Like the facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/SavageAFshow/https://www.facebook.com/ComedyPopUpLA/

We start our podcast on a somber note as we talk about the recent shooting at the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue. We talk about the rise of right-wing violence, its radicalization in during the midterms, and link it to the attempted assassination of democratic leadership. We talk about how Trump is riling up his...

Marquette University Law School Professor Andrea Schneider reacts to the deadly shooting at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA that claimed 11 lives on Oct. 27. As former board chair of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and an active member of the local Jewish community, she sheds light on how people are turning their grief into action.Read her open letter: https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2018/10/30/op-ed-heartbroken-in-pittsburgh/

Marquette University Law School Professor Andrea Schneider reacts to the deadly shooting at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA that claimed 11 lives on Oct. 27. As former board chair of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and an active member of the local Jewish community, she sheds light on how people are turning their grief into action.Read her open letter: https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2018/10/30/op-ed-heartbroken-in-pittsburgh/

In our first episode, we discuss the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and what research tells us about gun policy; how to counter Russian social media influence in the United States; paths toward Korean unification; myths about "Medicare for All" and other single-payer plans; what Angela Merkel's exit means for Germany, Europe, and the world; and what might happen if Palestinians started voting in Jerusalem city elections. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

*TIMECODES*   INTRO - 0:28   Carly Rae Jepsen   November 5… NO, SIXTH! SIXTH!!!   Bevs Like These   Headline of the Week   BEYOND THE HEADLINES - 11:12   Woman Who F***ed 20 Ghosts Gets Engaged   Twitter Removing The Like Button?   Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting   POLITICS ROUNDUP - 38:09   Can Trump End Birthright Citizenship?   Jacob Wohl Tries to Smear Mueller   One Last Midterm Update!   TIDBITS - 1:13:29   Hillary’s Racist-ish Joke   Lightning round: Google, Merkel, Tyler Perry, The Vatican, Undertale, Brazil, Kanye, Naomi Watts, and a debunk about crotch-bleaching!   WI-FIVE - 1:22:18   OUTRO 1:24:17  

Host Don Marsh goes behind the headlines to discuss the local Jewish community’s reaction to last weekend’s tragic event in Pittsburgh at the Tree of Life synagogue, where 11 people were killed.

Doctor Abdul El-Sayed, will join us to make his case for Medicare-for-All. Heather “Digby” Parton from Salon will be here to the biggest news stories of the week.

11 people were killed and six others—including four police officers—injured Saturday when a gunman opened fire during a baby-naming ceremony at the Tree of Life Congregation, a Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The shooter, Robert Bowers, 46, surrendered to the police and was taken to the hospital, a local councilwoman told the The New York Times.

All you need to know Radio  #447 Thursdsay 3:30pmcst Topic: Is Donald Trump responsible for the hate in the World right now with all the pipe bombs and the  killing of jews? But a hate-fueled attack on a Pennsylvania synagogue, a politically motivated attempt to bomb Democratic figures, and a seemingly racially motivated double homicide in Kentucky -- all occurring within two weeks of the election -- have complicated the President's plans to close out midterm season. Torn between his role as the GOP's most valuable surrogate and his duty to reassure a divided country, Trump has attempted to perform both responsibilities simultaneously -- to mixed reviews. After a shooting Saturday at a Pittsburgh synagogue left 11 dead, Trump opted to leave the White House anyway for a pair of events in Indiana and Illinois while the tragedy was still unfolding.The tragedies have threatened to knock Trump off what he had hoped would be his message heading into the home stretch of the midterms: immigration. White House aides had eyed having Trump deliver a major immigration speech in the week before the election as he sought to channel images of a Central American migrant caravan heading to the US into a rallying cry for his supporters.Trump has adopted a closing midterm argument that has employed all kinds of disgusting lies 

In this episode, we talk about the massacre of eleven Jews during Shabbat services at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. We discuss the right-wing rhetoric--starting with the president--that currently encourages intolerance, racism, anti-Semitism. We talk about how to discuss anti-Semitism with children without also scaring them unnecessarily. And we talk about why the argument that "this was about anti-religiosity" isn't just foolish but also immoral in that it seeks to erase Jews from the narrative. **_If you want to support the show financially--for as little as $1 per month--please visit our [Patreon Page](https://www.patreon.com/impolitecompanypodcast) to become a monthly patron. We're putting together plans for an audio documentary about campaigns and religion, and your help could free us up to concentrate on it and other show projects._** Discussed This Week (including resources for discussing the Tree of Life massacre and anti-semitism generally with children): * [How to Talk to Children About Anti-Semitism](https://pjlibrary.org/beyond-books/pjblog/february-2017/how-to-talk-to-children-about-anti-semitism) (PJ Library) * [4 Steps for Talking to Kids About the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting](https://www.kveller.com/4-steps-for-talking-to-kids-about-the-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting/) (Sivan Zakai, Kveller) * [Empowering Young People in the Aftermath of Hate](https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/empowering-young-people-in-the-aftermath-of-hate-in) (Anti-Defamation League) * [What Jewish Schools are Telling Students About the Pittsburgh Shooting](https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/10/jewish-schools-pittsburgh-shooting/574351/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=atlantic-daily-newsletter&utm_content=20181030&silverid-ref=MzEwMTU3MTkxMDAzS0) (Joe Pinsker, The Atlantic) * [How Trump and Republicans wield the politics of victimhood](https://pjlibrary.org/beyond-books/pjblog/february-2017/how-to-talk-to-children-about-anti-semitism) (Paul Waldman, Washington Post) * [The Bodyguard](https://www.netflix.com/title/80102306) (Netflix) * [Hocus Pocus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UUMsInka2s) (Nish's house) * [Bang](https://acorn.tv/bang) (Acorn TV)

The Jewish community at large and its allies mourn the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history, in which 11 people were killed.

All you need to know Radio  #447 Thursdsay 3:30pmcst  Topic: Is Donald Trump responsible for the hate in the World right now with all the pipe bombs and the  killing of jews?  But a hate-fueled attack on a Pennsylvania synagogue, a politically motivated attempt to bomb Democratic figures, and a seemingly racially motivated double homicide in Kentucky -- all occurring within two weeks of the election -- have complicated the President's plans to close out midterm season. Torn between his role as the GOP's most valuable surrogate and his duty to reassure a divided country, Trump has attempted to perform both responsibilities simultaneously -- to mixed reviews. After a shooting Saturday at a Pittsburgh synagogue left 11 dead, Trump opted to leave the White House anyway for a pair of events in Indiana and Illinois while the tragedy was still unfolding.The tragedies have threatened to knock Trump off what he had hoped would be his message heading into the home stretch of the midterms: immigration. White House aides had eyed having Trump deliver a major immigration speech in the week before the election as he sought to channel images of a Central American migrant caravan heading to the US into a rallying cry for his supporters. Trump has adopted a closing midterm argument that has employed all kinds of disgusting lies 

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

The mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh brings the new wave of anti-semitism into focus. We'll talk about the state of anti-semitism and the factors that have increased it, as well as the effect it is having on politics. Join Carnivore Radio hosts Jeff Sherman and Eric Lopkin as they analyze the news and politics.

Speakers at the October 29 community gathering in Milwaukee to mourn the 11 people killed in Pittsburgh during Shabbat services on October 27.

Don't let this this detour scare you, we're heading in the right direction. Journey with us as we take a trip down memory lane and discuss our Noir Experience Black Out event and reflect on 2018 goals. We also touch on current events like the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting & the upcoming election . #LuggageLoveLoot #BlackOut #DayParty #BlackGirlMagic #Goals #Homeownership #Entrepreneurship #AirBnb #ProtectTheVote #Election2018 #866OurVote #PrayForPittsburgh #TreeOfLife #StrongerThanHate #PittsburghStrong

Presidential Tone + Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting + #WalkAway #BLEXITMovement Aisha Love + Immigrants Marching towards U.S.+ Ongoing Hurricane Relief - Tell Me Something Good Tuesday - Powered by Hawk Law Firm 884 Johnnie Dodds Blvd.

11 killed in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. Red Sox win World Series. Weekend movie box office. Kiss will start 3 year farewell tour. Hillary Clinton says she wants to be President but isn't running again. Simpsons to drop the character Apu. Migrant caravan getting closer to US. 2 winning Powerball tickets sold.

LISTEN TO RATIONAL RADIO LIVE ON WHIP | M/W/F 4-5PM EST MONDAY 10/29 | Around 250 organizations promised that 100% of their plastic packaging would be reused, recycled, or composted within seven years, and eleven people were killed in a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Join hosts Tony, Irish, and Dan for a look at current events and politics around the country and world. Skip to a topic: 8:29 - Plastic Waste Elimination Pledge by 2025 Attracts More Big Firms https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45988589 17:34 - Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46002549 Live show edited to podcast format by EMELY MOREL Intro music attribution: Chicago by [JCM] Canada

The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting, The Mail Bomber and The Attachment To Identity - Spirituality --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/peterabundant/support

(10/29/18)

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Rabbi Richard Nichol of Congregation Ruach Israel in Needham sat down with The Needham Times to discuss the recent shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh and how the incident will influence CRI's security.

This was a heartbreaking week in America, after several domestic attacks left the country shaken, frightened, and on edge. On Monday, an explosive device mailed in a package to the home of George Soros was discovered. Then starting Wednesday, one by one, 13 more packages addressed to high profile Democrats, all of whom were Trump critics and people Trump had publicly and repeatedly attacked, were found. There was a deadly shooting of two Black Americans in a supermarket in Kentucky, minutes after the shooter was unable to gain access to a predominantly black church in Jeffersontown. Then, the week closed with mass shooting during Shabbat services at Pittsburgh's oldest Jewish congregation, killing 11 and injuring 6, likely the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history, which was charged as a hate crime. Unlike his predecessors, Trump was unable or unwilling to rise to the occasion and seek to unite and comfort the country. Instead, he blamed the media, lightened but continued his attacks on political opponents, and complained these crimes were distracting from his messaging ahead of midterms. Trump also refused to call out hate or the rise of white supremacist groups, who view themselves as on his side and his defenders. Instead, Trump announced he is a “nationalist” — a term with historical connotations to white nationalism, seemingly a guiding philosophy behind much of his regime's actions and policies. All the attacks this week were carried out by middle-aged white men. Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-102/

The Roy Green Show Podcast The Federal government has a plan for the provinces that resisted the carbon tax. Dan Kelly, President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent business talks about it with Roy. Meanwhile Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe calls the new plan a “shell game.” He joins Roy to explain how he sees the situation. The shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue comes one day after the arrest of alleged pipe bomber Cesar Sayoc. Tom Quiggin and Dr. Frank Farley both provide their expert perspectives on these acts of mass violence and attempted violence. The U.N. Global Compact for Migration is about to be signed by 189 nations, including Canada. Although voluntary, it will see developed nations forced to absorb millions of migrants. A Global News discover documents that show Stats Canada is requesting personal banking information of 500,00 Canadians without their knowledge.  David Akin, Chief Political Correspondent with Global News, explains the story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CC ft Jacey Special Report Oct 28 2018 - Press conference to name the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims. The primary mission of the Community Connection Radio Show featuring Jacey is to educate and inform listeners around the world about some of the injustice, brutality and corruption that is present in law enforcement, government and business organizations. CCRS also works to promote entrepreneurship and good business leadership around the world. Listen to original shows Tuesdays at 5p gmt / 12p est / 11a cst / 9a pst on the internet radio stations SoMetro Talk and SoMetro Radio. Both stations are original member stations of the GET GLOBAL NETWORK.

CC ft Jacey Special Report Oct 28 2018 - Press conference to name the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims.The primary mission of the Community Connection Radio Show featuring Jacey is to educate and inform listeners around the world about some of the injustice, brutality and corruption that is present in law enforcement, government and business organizations. CCRS also works to promote entrepreneurship and good business leadership around the world. Listen to original shows Tuesdays at 5p gmt / 12p est / 11a cst / 9a pst on the internet radio stations SoMetro Talk and SoMetro Radio. Both stations are original member stations of the GET GLOBAL NETWORK.

CC ft Jacey Special Report Oct 28 2018 - Press conference to name the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims.The primary mission of the Community Connection Radio Show featuring Jacey is to educate and inform listeners around the world about some of the injustice, brutality and corruption that is present in law enforcement, government and business organizations. CCRS also works to promote entrepreneurship and good business leadership around the world. Listen to original shows Tuesdays at 5p gmt / 12p est / 11a cst / 9a pst on the internet radio stations SoMetro Talk and SoMetro Radio. Both stations are original member stations of the GET GLOBAL NETWORK.