H eadlines
Pittsburgh Congregations Reflect After Two Years
NATIONAL ADAM REINHERZ | CONTRIBUTOR
TWO YEARS AFTER 11
loved ones were ripped from
their families, multiple bodies
and minds were injured and a
sense of communal serenity was
shattered by the events of Oct.

27, 2018, the three congregations
principally affected by the shoot-
ings — Dor Hadash, New Light
and Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha
— are trying to find a balance
between looking at the past and
focusing on the future, all within
the constraints of COVID-19.

For Tree of Life*Or
L’Simcha, there are the obvious
losses of Joyce Fienberg, Rose
Mallinger, Cecil and David
Rosenthal, Bernice and Sylvan
Simon and Irv Younger. Barb
Feige, Tree of Life’s executive
director, said the congrega-
tion is continuing to respect
each family’s journey, but the
near-eradication of in-person
gatherings has challenged
longstanding support systems.

And, Feige pointed out,
the congregation has suffered
double displacement: First, in
the aftermath of Oct. 27, 2018,
Tree of Life relocated to Rodef
Shalom Congregation. Then,
because of COVID-19, Tree of
Life went virtual.

When the 2019 High
Holidays arrived, additional
space was required beyond
what Rodef Shalom, Tree of
Life’s new home, could provide.

The Calvary Episcopal Church
offered its 1,000-seat sanctuary
free of charge, which Tree of
Life graciously accepted, yet
Name: Dignity Memorial
Width: 9.25 in
Depth: 5.5 in
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this meant the congregation
was tasked with personalizing
an unfamiliar space.

The need for virtual
programming for this year’s
High Holidays helped the
congregation really get a sense
of itself, Feige explained: “Tree
of Life is more than a building.

It’s a family. It’s a community.

It’s people together and, yes,
there is a connection to the
building at Wilkins and Shady
without a doubt — generation
to generation has grown up in
that building and celebrated
simchas in that building —
but we’re still a congregation,
a family celebrating simchas
together.” Still, the lack of in-person
connection had an impact.

“People missed that, and
that’s unrelated to our trauma,
Families light yahrzeit candles for their loved ones in Pittsburgh at the 2019
commemoration of Oct. 27.
Photo by Joshua Franzos
maybe it piles on,” Feige said.

“We know that one of the
things the shooting did was
highlight the preciousness of
life, and you want to recognize
those connections even more,
and that COVID made people
recognize that. That’s what’s
important for Tree of Life right
now: to continue to maintain
things that bring us together
and keep us together because
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