In a poignant ceremony marking resilience and hope, Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh celebrated the groundbreaking for its new building nearly six years after the tragic attack that shook the nation. On June 23, 2024, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers declared,

(Andrew Goldstein/Pittsburgh Union Progress)

The event, covered by CNN and Pittsburgh Union Progress, highlighted the community’s steadfastness in the face of tragedy. Families and leaders gathered to commemorate the resilience of the congregation and to lay the foundation for a center that will honor the victims and combat antisemitism. Speakers included CNN Anchor Wolf Blitzer, Gov. Josh Shapiro, and First Gentleman Doug Emhoff. 

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer visits the Tree of Life community as they break ground on a new synagogue. Watch the video here [1].

The ceremony was punctuated by a powerful symbolic act, where leaders broke glass, a poignant gesture captured in Patrice O’Neill’s video. This act symbolizes not just the physical rebuilding of a place of worship, but also the renewal of hope. The groundbreaking serves as a beacon of hope and a testament to the community’s unwavering spirit.

To learn more about the new building and ongoing efforts, visit the Tree of Life Renewal site.

NIOT featured the story of Pittsburgh’s response to the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history in the public television documentary Repairing the World: Stories From the Tree of Life [2]. Learn more about the community’s resilience [3]in the face of hate. 

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