Eleven people died when a gunman burst in on October 27 and opened fire at the synagogue known for its tradition of openness, tolerance and respect. The gathering at sundown Friday — much larger than on a typical Friday — took place in the Rodef Shalom synagogue in the nearby Shadyside neighborhood, a temporary home to the Tree of Life congregation, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Tree of Life rabbi Jeffrey Myers, a survivor of the shooting, on Saturday described the agony of the past week, but also the determination of his congregation — and of Pittsburgh — to remain strong. Congregants are working meticulously — and with the respect demanded by Jewish tradition — to clean and restore the Tree of Life building. The preceding days, he said, had “been nothing but funerals and sadness and pain and anguish…“It felt really good to be with my Tree of Life family” again.

Source: The Guardian November 03, 2018 18:00 UTC