On Saturday October 27, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Tree of Life Synagogue (TOL), also known as L’Simcha Congregation, Dor Hadash and New Light Congregation were holding Saturday morning Shabbat services in the Tree of Life Synagogue building. TOL rents space to Dor Hadash and New Light Congregation. All three congregations were present that day. No one could have known the biggest anti-Semitic hate crime in American history was about to unfold:
A 46-year-old man armed with a Colt AR-15 SP1 (an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle) and three Glock .357 SIG handguns.
An act of domestic terrorism fueled by immense hate and anti-Semitism.
Leaving our country devastated.
This attack hit my family and my community hard. I am Jewish and proud to be. The Jewish community is a tight, strong community with a long history of love and hardship. Once I heard about the shooting I went into shock, then anger, then sadness, then anger again.
What really surprised me was the sense of solidarity we gained from this attack. Hear me out. After the attack, people of all different religions came together to show their love and support along with their pain for the people who survived the attack, and for those who did not. People mourned at the site, held vigils all around the country. Churches and Mosques held services in honor of the victims and their families. Our synagogue did as well.
As most of you know, we have two very special sisters on this site we like to call the “Quilt Sisters.” In case you don’t know who they are, Sara R. and her sister
‘winglion’ hand-make stunning quilts for people in need of support, comfort and love. Community Quilts are made of “Cotton Fabric, ‘Dream Wool’ wool batting, love and respect.” Each and every one of the 162+ quilts made for members of the Daily Kos community, Community Action quilts, and quilts for VA hospitals are tended to by the members of Daily Kos, and the Quilt Sisters.
Of course, once they heard about the horrific attack they set to work creating one of the most beautiful pieces of artwork I have ever seen. Just six months later, they had finished the quilt and were ready to share the completed piece with the world.
Originally, Sara R. reached out to my my mom to ask her to deliver the quilt as she and her sister were unable to travel across the country at the time. My mom grew up in Squirrel Hill and attended the New Light Congregation. The three of us (my mom, dad and me) spent three years advocating for gun safety laws in our city. They felt it was fitting for her to present the quilt to the Congregations.
I, of course, wiggled my way in to join in the delivery of the quilt. We decided to turn it into my Bat Mitzvah project (since I was two years late in completing one to be exact). So, we went to our Rabbi and discussed it being my project and from then on, I spearheaded it. And, I would like to say, everything turned out perfect. It was such beautiful trip with an amazing message. I felt so proud to represent the Daily Kos community, the Quilt Sisters, and my community.
June 14: I contacted a representative at the Tree of Life synagogue. I was filled with so much determination and excitement to be able to plan and execute this project. I didn’t quite know how this project would unfold, and I worried about how to execute it. I’m only 15. But, at the same time, my mind was telling me to keep going and be confident... “It’s going to be great. You're not alone, your mom is going to help you. She won’t let you mess up.” All these thoughts in my brain kept me grounded.
July 1: It had been a while since I sent the email. I became anxious waiting for a response just to find out my email had not sent. Of course that would happen to me. Luckily, I caught it and resent the email. Alex from TOL responded later that day and we discussed dates and times for the trip.
Then it started to to settle in. Exactly what I was doing? It was set in stone. We were going to the site of that horrific attack. We were going to meet someone who survived it. I was overwhelmed with so many emotions I couldn’t even begin to explain them all. I was honored to be the one to present this quilt. I was nervous as to how he would react. I was devastated that so many people died. I was confused as to how someone could commit such a horrid crime, how someone’s heart could be so stone cold. How someone could be so fueled by hate and twisted thoughts about a group of people.
After that I realized that life can change so fast. Maybe a car crash, or a shooting, or sickness. Anything could happen in the blink of an eye, and boom you're gone. Or your loved ones are gone. It made me appreciate the beautiful parts of the world. How there can be glimmers of hope in the dark shadows of hate.
July 22/23: The day before we left for our trip, I was so overwhelmed in both good and bad ways. So many thoughts were flowing through my mind. Thoughts of pride in my heritage, honor to be given this responsibility, love, strength, compassion. But also, sadness, grief, anger, pain and confusion. I couldn’t sleep that night. I remember talking to my best friend all night trying to stay calm, but I knew I wouldn't be able to. And I was right. I fell asleep at about 2:45 in the morning and had to be up at 3:30 to get to the airport at 4:00. Surprisingly I wasn’t tired. Just the opposite actually, I was wide awake in my brain, even if my face didn’t show it. My mind was on hyperdrive still trying to process everything.
July 23: I finally slept. Well, more like passed out on the plane. My excitement was still there, my mind still racing a mile a minute. But, I knew it was all unfolding and it would work out perfectly. So now, all that was left was getting some rest and being prepared for the meeting. After all, it all came down to the 20 minute meeting didn’t it?
So, after some sleep we got off our first plane and realized we had five minutes to get across the airport to our second flight. My mom gave me the tickets and told me to run across and get to our gate. After the train ride I ran out, ran up the escalator, weaved through the crowd and across the flat escalator. Then past a few more gates, more people and to the gate at 10:10. We made it, somehow, and I take full credit for my “athleticism.” I’m sure it was quite the site to see me running in an over-sized hoodie, shorts that you couldn’t really see and slides with fluffy socks. Half sprinting and half sliding around like a baby deer trying to talk for the first time. But, we made it with time to spare. After the flight, all I could say was “oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” And a little bit of “can we get Starbucks? I need coffee.” But mostly “oh my God.”
It was all I could say. The trip I had been waiting almost two months for was finally happening. It was one of the first times it felt like more than an ongoing dream, it became reality. My thoughts cleared and I was filled with a feeling of determination, thinking to myself about how we flew across the country to present this symbol of hope and community to people who need it.
I’ve done some big things before. I held a 17 minute vigil for the 17 victims in the Parkland shooting two years ago, with 100 middle schoolers standing silent in the rain. In sixth grade, I spoke in front of my city council and fought for stricter gun regulations, and again the following year because they were slow to bring the safety measures up for a vote.
But, this action moved me the most. Seeing the aftermath, seeing the love and support from people all over town. Hearing peoples reactions when we told them about the quilt. This is why I did this. Spreading love and community. Coming together in a time of hate and outshining it with love and family. Showing the people that thought they could bring us down, that we are stronger than they think. Standing together and showing we can overcome the tragedies is better revenge than fighting fire with fire, in my opinion.
My cousin picked us up at the air port. We went to our place, unpacked and then to Mineo’s Pizza, the best pizza in America, in case you didn’t know. Then we walked around Murray Ave for a bit. We visited the houses of my great grandparents, and admired all the Jewish culture. We saw a lot of “Stronger than Hate” signs in store windows and front lawns. The support was evident in the small town, and it was gorgeous.
July 24: The big day. The day we had been waiting for was finally here. dweb8231 picked us up and drove us to Rodef Shalom, the synagogue hosting Tree of Life while repairs are being made. I was so nervous and shaky. I felt like I had stage fright right before a show, even though I was only meeting with one person. Once, we got there I was in awe of the architecture of the building. It is so stunning and seemingly got more and more breathtaking the more we saw.
We walked up the staircase past glass cases full of artifacts. My heart was beating so fast as I gripped the quilt and signed my name into the guest book. I felt like my brain was throwing millions of thoughts a second at me.
As soon as Alex came out and shook our hands my heartbeat slowed down, my mind cleared, and I was again filled with such a strong sense of pride I thought I might melt. We began talking as my mom unwrapped the quilt and unfolded it. I watched his eyes widen, as did my smile. We explained everything and chatted with him for a little while. He read the hand written messages and I pointed out all the small details on the quilt and what they meant.
I had to focus so hard to make sure everything I said made sense since I was so overwhelmed with a ton of emotions. I’d like to thank my mom for stepping in a few times for answering questions and and clarifying, because I sure would have been lost without her there next to me.
After the meeting, the receptionist asked where we are from. I told her we are from California. Her eyes lit up and then she asked if we wanted a tour. Let me tell you, I have never seen somewhere more beautiful. Ever.
After our meeting and tour of Rodef Shalom, we drove to the Tree of Life synagogue. It was full of little gifts, tributes and signs of love and support from congregants and people around the country. The plants are well kept and colorful. They are not giving up. By keeping the outside well cared for, the message, at least to me, is that once again the Jewish people will not allow an anti Semitic attack to stop them from living and loving their lives and religion. They truly showed that they are “Stronger than Hate”
Special thanks to dweb8321 for transporting and joining us. We were very happy to meet a Daily Kos blogger in the home of the Steelers (Stillers)!