‘Pause With Pittsburgh’ Campaign Seeks Moment Of Silence On Attack Anniversary

Pittsburgh Synagogue, Tree of Life, Or L’Simcha Image by Google Images Screenshot

By Aiden Pink October 16, 2019

To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in American history, the Jewish Federations of North America are calling for a nationwide moment of silence.

The “Pause with Pittsburgh” campaign is meant to commemorate the 11 people who were killed in the shooting at the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha synagogue building in the Steel City last year. The city will be holding a memorial event on October 27 at 5:00 p.m., but people who live outside of the area will be able to watch a livestream.

Those who sign up on the Pause with Pittsburgh website and share their contact information will receive a text at 5:00 that day with a text containing a link to the livestream as well as a memorial video. Participants will also have to consent to sharing their information with the JFNA and its nearly 150 member organizations across North America.

“Nothing can erase what happened one year ago – but we can choose to stand even stronger and strive even further to demonstrate our resilience and strength as a People,” JFNA president and CEO Eric Fingerhut said in a statement. “Through the darkness of this tragedy we have seen a wave of solidarity, and we are gratified that it has sparked a movement of renewed unity.”

Aiden Pink is the deputy news editor of the Forward. Contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @aidenpink

Aiden Pink is the Deputy News Editor for the Forward. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO