PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rabbi Jeffrey Myers is retiring from Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, which he led the through the aftermath of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history in 2018.
Myers, 70, survived the attack, which claimed the lives of 11 worshippers from three congregations sharing the synagogue space — Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life.
kAmx? E96 ?62C=J 6:89E J62CD D:?46[ E96 4@?8C682E:@? 92D H@C<65 E@ 8C:6G6 2?5 962=] xE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A:EED3FC89\DJ?28@8F6\D9@@E:?8\EC:2=\EC66\@7\=:76\?6H\=:89E\5@C\9252D9\5df_gfa7g_e24ae33_674c_4453hc42hQm6?5FC65k^2m 2 =@?8\56=2J65 EC:2= =625:?8 E@ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A:EED3FC89\DJ?28@8F6\D9@@E:?8\562E9\A6?2=EJ\443ccfbde3a476gddgfd4bah73__7d_dQm8F?>2?’D 562E9 D6?E6?46k^2m] xE 6IA6C:6?465 E96 5:DCFAE:G6 A2?56>:4 2?5 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^EC2G6=\C6=:8:@?\=:76DEJ=6\C246\2?5\6E9?:4:EJ\C24:2=\:?;FDE:46\b6aee756h_h36e`___3_2c_4hgf4e_26Qm8C@F?53C62<:?8k^2m 7@C 2 ?6H 3F:=5:?8]k^Am
kAm“|J >:DD:@? 92D 4@>6 E@ 2 4@?4=FD:@? E@ E96 36DE E92E x 4@F=5[” |J6CD D2JD] “xE H2D E:>6 7@C E96 ?6IE 492AE6C 2=D@ 7@C E96 %C66 @7 {:76]”k^Am
kAmw6C6 2C6 E2<62H2JD 7C@> %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD’D C6A@CE @? 9:D C6E:C6>6?E]k^Am
k9amp =@?8 C64@G6CJ 7C@> 2 EC2F>2E:4 D9@@E:?8k^9am
kAmxE’D 366? 2 =@?8 C@25 E@ 962=:?8 7@C |J6CD[ E96 4@?8C682E:@?D 2?5 E96 H:56C 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm|J6CD 24@H=6586D 96 DECF88=65 E@ AC2J 27E6C E96 EC2865J] w6 7@F?5 D@=246 😕 E96 q@@< @7 !D2=>D[ D2J:?8 :E 4@G6CD E96 H9@=6 C2?86 @7 9F>2? 6IA6C:6?46 “7C@> 6=2E:@? E@ FEE6C 56DA2:C]”k^Am
kAm“|J 72:E9 5:5 92G6 E96 2?DH6CD[” 96 D2JD] “xE ;FDE E@@< E:>6 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 7:?5 E96>]”k^Am
kAmx? 9:D 72C6H6== C6>2CD 3J ?2>6[ 255:?8i “|2J J@FC >6>@C:6D 2=H2JD 36 7@C 2 3=6DD:?8]”k^Am
kAm|J6CD “H2D C62==J ;FDE 2 ?6H C233: 2?5 92C5=J 3C@<6? 😕 J6E[ 2?5 H6 H6?E E9C@F89 E96 E9:?8 E92E H6 H6?E E9C@F89[” D2JD pF5C6J v=:4<>2?[ 2 DFCG:G@C @7 E96 2EE24<] “w6 92D DE66C65 2 4@?DE2?E D9:A 2?5 E2<6? 42C6 @7 6G6CJ@?6[ 2?5 x E9:?< 96 92D 62C?65 9:>D6=7 2 C6DE]”k^Am
k9amp C6EFC? E@ 9:D C@@ED 😕 }6H y6CD6Jk^9am
kAm|J6CD A=2?D E@ C6EFC? E@ 9:D ?2E:G6 }6H y6CD6J E@ 36 ?62C 9:D 52F89E6C 2?5 8C2?552F89E6C] w6 H2?ED E@ 42E49 FA @? C625:?8[ 5@ D@>6 HC:E:?8 2?5 4964< @77 D@>6 “3F4<6E =:DE” 8@2=D H:E9 9:D H:76]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ A=2?D E@ H@C< >@C6 @? 962=:?8 9:D @H? :??6C H@F?5D]k^Am
kAmw:D DA:C:EF2= ;@FC?6J 3682? ?62C }6H2C<[ }6H y6CD6J] pD 2 3@J[ 96 D2?8 D@AC2?@ 😕 9:D DJ?28@8F6 49@:C] qJ 9:D >:5\E66?D[ 96 H2D =625:?8 E92E 49@:C] w6 DEF5:65 E@ 364@>6 2 42?E@C @C 92KK2?[ 2 EJA6 @7 y6H:D9 4=6C8J H9@ =625D H@CD9:A] p7E6C D6G6C2= J62CD D6CG:?8 4@?8C682E:@?D 😕 }6H *@C< 2?5 }6H y6CD6J 😕 E96 r@?D6CG2E:G6 56?@>:?2E:@? @7 yF52:D>[ 96 DEF5:65 7@C @C5:?2E:@? 2D 2 C233: 2?5 42>6 E@ %C66 @7 {:76]k^Am
k9amp ?6H C233:[ 2 DF556? DA@E=:89Ek^9am
kAmx? a_`g[ E96 D>2== 4@?8C682E:@? H2D D92C:?8 :ED 3F:=5:?8 H:E9 EH@ @E96CD]k^Am
kAm$2332E9 D6CG:46D 925 ;FDE 368F? E92E $2EFC52J >@C?:?8[ ~4E] af] p7E6C 962C:?8 8F?7:C6 😕 E96 =@33J[ |J6CD FC865 H@CD9:AA6CD E@ 7=66 :7 E96J H6C6 23=6 — 2?5 E9@D6 H9@ H6C6 7C2:= E@ =:6 5@H? @C 9:56] w6 E@@< D96=E6C[ AC2J:?8 2?5 E2=<:?8 E@ 2 h“ @A6C2E@C]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D 6D4@CE65 E@ D276EJ 3J A@=:46 @77:46CD[ DE:== H62C:?8 9:D AC2J6C D92H=]k^Am
kAmx? E96 52JD 27E6CH2C5[ 96 =65 D6G6C2= 7F?6C2= D6CG:46D]k^Am
kAm(:E9 :ED 52>2865 3F:=5:?8 2 4C:>6 D46?6[ %C66 @7 {:76 3682? H@CD9:AA:?8 2E 2 ?62C3J DJ?28@8F6[ #@567 $92=@>] u@C |J6CD 2?5 @E96CD[ :E H2D 4CF4:2= E@ C6DF>6 E96:C y6H:D9 @3D6CG2?46D[ 567J:?8 E96 <:==6C’D :?E6?E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96C6 H6C6 FA=:7E:?8 >@>6?ED] $2> $49249?6C[ E96 4@?8C682E:@?’D E96?\AC6D:56?E[ C642==D 9:D D@?’D 32C >:EKG29 2 76H H66
kAm|J6CD “925 E9:D 23:=:EJ E@ 36 E96C6 7@C @E96CD H96? 96 H2D 8@:?8 E9C@F89 DF49 A2:?[” $49249?6C D2:5]k^Am
k9amu:CDE 2 A2?56>:4[ E96? 2 EC:2=k^9am
kAm%96 r~’xs\`h A2?56>:4 5:DCFAE65 E96 4@?8C682E:@?D’ 962=:?8 2D |J6CD =65 C6>@E6 D6CG:46D 7C@> 9:D 9@>6] qFE AC6D:5:?8 @G6C 9:D 52F89E6C’D @FE5@@C H655:?8 96=A65[ 7F=7:==:?8 2 !D2=>’D AC@>:D6] “v@5 EFC?65 >J >@FC?:?8 :?E@ C6;@:4:?8[” 96 D2JD]k^Am
kAmp7E6C C6DF>:?8 :?\A6CD@? H@CD9:A[ E96 E9C66 E2C86E65 4@?8C682E:@?D 3C2465 7@C 2 =@?8\56=2J65 7656C2= EC:2= @7 E96 <:==6C]k^Am
kAmxE 3682? 😕 E96 DAC:?8 @7 a_ab[ ;FDE 2D |J6CD’ 52F89E6C H2D 6IA64E:?8 96C 7:CDE 49:=5] |J6CD H2D D4965F=65 E@ 36 E96 =625 H:E?6DD] w6 E@=5 E96 AC@D64FE:@? E62> E92E :7 E96 323J H2D 2 3@J[ 96 :?D:DE65 @? 36:?8 AC6D6?E 7@C E96 4:C4F>4:D:@? — F?H:==:?8 E@ “=6E E96 D9@@E6C 56AC:G6 >6 @7 E9:D >@>6?E]” x?DE625[ 2 8C2?552F89E6C 2CC:G65[ 2?5 96 E6DE:7:65 @? D4965F=6]k^Am
kAm%96 =6?8E9J EC:2= 4@?4=F565 H:E9 E96 4@?G:4E:@? 2?5 562E9 D6?E6?46 @7 E96 8F?>2?[ H9@ C6>2:?D @? 562E9 C@H]k^Am
k9am(:E9 D92C65 EC2F>2[ %C66 @7 {:76 3@?5D H:E9 49FC49 D9@@E:?8 DFCG:G@CDk^9am
kAm%C66 @7 {:76 3682? 2 >62?:?87F= C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 |@E96C t>2?F6= p|t r9FC49 @7 r92C=6DE@?[ $@FE9 r2C@=:?2[ 2 9:DE@C:42==J q=24< 4@?8C682E:@? H96C6 2 C24:DE 8F?>2? <:==65 ?:?6 q:3=6 DEF5J A2CE:4:A2?ED 😕 a_`d] |6>36CD G:D:E65 6249 @E96CD’ 4@?8C682E:@?D[ 2?5 |J6CD 56G6=@A65 2 3@?5 H:E9 t>2?F6=’D A2DE@C[ E96 #6G] tC:4 |2??:?8]k^Am
kAm|J6CD 36=:6G6D :E’D :>A@CE2?E E@ DA62< @FE 282:?DE C:D:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A@==\;6H:D9\25F=ED\2?E:D6>:E:D>\:DC26=\D276EJ\ga632c35ehf_`cddhb34g3ff5d3g25c`Qm2?E:D6>:E:D>k^2m 2?5 @E96C 7@C>D @7 92EC65 — 2 H@C5 96 C67FD6D E@ FEE6C[ DA62<:?8 @?=J @7 “w]”k^Am
kAm“p?E:D6>:E:D> 😀 E96 H@C=5’D @=56DE 5:D62D6[” 96 D2JD] “xE 5@6D?’E C6BF:C6 2?J D@CE @7 AC6D4C:AE:@? @C :?@4F=2E:@? E@ 6=:>:?2E6] xE C6BF:C6D A6@A=6 E@ 9@?@C E96 H@CE9 2?5 5:8?:EJ @7 6G6CJ 9F>2? 36:?8]”k^Am
k9am!=2??:?8 2 ?6H 3F:=5:?8 H:E9 2? 6IA2?565 >:DD:@?k^9am
kAm|@DE @7 E96 %C66 @7 {:76 4@>A=6I 92D 366? 56>@=:D965] !=2?D 7@C 2 ?6H 3F:=5:?8 42== 7@C 2 >6>@C:2= E@ E96 G:4E:>D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 2?E:D6>:E:D> 6I9:3:ED[ 2 D2?4EF2CJ 2?5 6G6?E DA246]k^Am
kAm%96 3F:=5:?8 😀 D=2E65 E@ @A6? 😕 a_ag[ D2JD r2C@=6 +2H2ED:=2C=J ?2>65 4@?8C682E:@?]k^Am
kAm#646?E=J 23@FE d_ y6H:D9 72>:=:6D[ >2?J H:E9 J@F?8 49:=5C6?[ ;@:?65 E96 4@?8C682E:@?]k^Am
kAm%92E 92D 3@@DE65 9@A6D 7@C E96 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAm$2JD v=:4<>2?i “(6 :?E6?5 ?@E E@ =6E E96 D9@@E6C H:? 2?5 ?@E E@ 7256 2H2J :?E@ 9:DE@CJ]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! G:56@ ;@FC?2=:DE y6DD:6 (2C52CD<: 4@?EC:3FE65] $96 2?5 $>:E9 H6C6 2>@?8 E96 !:EED3FC89 !@DE\v2K6EE6 ;@FC?2=:DED H9@ D92C65 E96 a_`h !F=:EK6C !C:K6 7@C 3C62<:?8 ?6HD 7@C 4@G6C286 @7 E96 DJ?28@8F6 >2DD24C6]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmpDD@4:2E65 !C6DD C6=:8:@? 4@G6C286 C646:G6D DFAA@CE E9C@F89 E96 p!’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^3:E]=J^2A\EH:CQm4@==23@C2E:@?k^2m H:E9 %96 r@?G6CD2E:@? &$[ H:E9 7F?5:?8 7C@> {:==J t?5@H>6?E x?4] %96 p! 😀 D@=6=J C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C E9:D 4@?E6?E]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.