'Stand Up And Speak Out Against Antisemitism': President Biden, Other Pa. Officials Offer Tree Of Life Remembrances

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It is a day of reflection as the 11 lives lost three years ago at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill are remembered.

It was the deadliest anti-Semitic attack on U.S. soil.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is remembering each of the victims in this post to Twitter. It names each person who lost their life:

Joyce Fienberg
Richard Gottfried
Rose Mallinger
Jerry Rabinowitz
Cecil Rosenthal and David Rosenthal
Bernice Simon and Sylvan Simon
Daniel Stein
Melvin Wax
Irving Younger

The Tree of Life Congregation on Twitter said, "Each person left an indelible mark on our community. It is our prayer that their memory be a blessing on this day and all of the days to come."

Gov. Tom Wolf released this statement, "On this day three years ago, a gunman carried out an antisemitic attack against Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue — Or L'Simcha Congregation. We come together to mourn the 11 lives tragically lost and stand against hate."

Rep. Conor Lamb also put out a statement via Twitter, saying, "Today we honor the memory of the 11 lives that were taken three years ago in the attack on the @treeoflifepgh congregation. #StrongerThanHate"

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania said, "Three years ago today, Pittsburgh and the Nation were shaken by the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history at the Tree of Life Synagogue. Today and every day, I stand with the victims' families. We must honor their memory with a commitment to justice."

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said, "3 years ago, tragedy struck when a hateful madman stole the lives of 11 innocent victims at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Antisemitism is a toxic philosophy with no place in society. On this anniversary, the victims, their families, and all affected are in my thoughts."

Here in Pittsburgh, Mayor Bill Peduto called for a moment of silence at 9:54 a.m. The time the attack began in 2018.

In a statement he said, "My thoughts continue to be with everyone impacted by this senseless tragedy. May the memories of our lost community members continue to be a blessing."

In addition, President Joe Biden released a statement. Read it in full here:

"Three years ago, on a peaceful Shabbat morning, a lone gunman stormed into the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood and stole the lives of 11 souls in prayer. Eleven others managed to escape — some with serious physical injuries, others with indelible scars of grief.

"The attack was the deadliest act of antisemitism in our nation's history. It was an assault on members of the Tree of Life, New Light, and Dor Hadash congregations, the American Jewish community, and our country. And it was a reminder that hate never goes away, it only hides; and if we give hate oxygen, it can consume.

"But the days, weeks, and months that followed also revealed the unyielding character of a community: The first responders who rushed into harm's way. The teenagers who organized a Havdalah vigil for a neighborhood in need. The art teacher who painted hearts and Stars of David in the windows of a local coffee shop. The designer who formed an iconic image that defined a city and inspired a nation with three simple words: stronger than hate.

"That day and those that followed remind all of us to embrace the better angels of our nature – and to turn pain into purpose. We must always stand up and speak out against antisemitism with clarity and conviction, and rally against the forces of hate in all its forms, because silence is complicity. We must recognize in others our shared humanity and strive to summon unexpected faith in unanticipated moments — in the hope that we might heal and rebuild.

"That continues to be the work of my Administration — laying out our country's first-ever comprehensive strategy to address domestic terrorism, signing legislation aimed at strengthening our efforts to counter unlawful acts of hate, taking executive actions to protect houses of worship, and pressing forward with executive and legislative action to reduce all forms of gun violence.

"This Shabbat, in synagogues around the country, worshipers will sing the timeless words from the Book of Proverbs: Eitz Chayim Hee La'machazikim Bah. 'It is a tree of life for those who hold fast to it.' As we mark three years since this heinous attack, we resolve to remember the lives lost and commit to protecting a future worthy of their memories. May the survivors and the families of the victims hold fast to the teachings of their faith and find comfort in the embrace of their community and their country."

In:
• Tree of Life