This week will mark eight years since 11 people lost their lives in the attack
PITTSBURGH —
This Tuesday marks eight years since the Tree of Life synagogue shooting took the lives of 11 people. On Sunday, volunteers from across the region paid tribute to the victims of the shooting, giving back to their community with a day of service projects.
The events of the day spanned from donating blood to cleaning headstones, all with the goal of honoring those who lost their lives.
‘Treat them with the utmost care’
“It’s ultimate selflessness,” said Elisha Serotta, program specialist for 10.27 Healing Partnership at Jewish Life and the Center for Loving Kindness.
She and a team of others were at the Beth Abraham Cemetery, carefully cleaning headstones across the cemetery.
“We really want to do that in honor of those we lost, of the 11 victims, and also make a space for their families to be able to process the trauma in our community, to be able to come together to talk about it.”
Kelly Schwimer, executive director of the Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh, also discussed the importance of taking care of the headstones.
“It is important to maintain them and treat them with the utmost care, with the rituals that we promised for centuries, for decades, and to take care of the people who are laid to rest here.”
Coming together for community
Others gathered at two different blood drives hosted by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh.
“Rather than our community feeling broken as a result of that attack,” said Jordan Golin, president and CEO of Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh, “the community members are choosing to come together and help strengthen one another, which I think is the best legacy possible.”
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Volunteers also made blankets and hygiene kits, which will be used for the JFCS’s food pantry, as well as for its immigrant, youth and older adult services.
“What we believe,” said Maggie Feinstein, director of 10.27 Healing Partnership, “is that by elevating a lot of the things that they were passionate about in the community and the ways in which they gave back, we all can continue that legacy going forward.”
A ceremony to honor the victims of the 2018 shooting is being held at the Jewish Community Center on Tuesday at 6:30. The ceremony is open to all.
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