Tree of Life shooting
Tom Hanks, Joanne Rogers to raise money to rebuild Tree of Life Synagogue site
By Yonat Shimron — November 19, 2020
(RNS) — The site at which 11 Jews were shot to death two years ago will be razed or rehabilitated in a plan that will include a memorial.
Against the darkness: Remembering Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life shooting
By Campbell Robertson — October 27, 2020
(RNS) — At a court hearing for the Tree of Life shooter, two members of one of the affected synagogues came ‘to witness,’ saying, ‘That’s part of Jewish theory, to witness and remember.’
Two years after Pittsburgh shooting, solemn anniversary marked online
By Yonat Shimron — October 27, 2020
(RNS) — Public commemorations of the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, which killed 11 Pittsburgh Jews, will be livestreamed.
Greg Zanis, who honored shooting victims by building 26,000 crosses, dies
By Yonat Shimron — May 6, 2020
(RNS) — The 69-year-old retired carpenter from Aurora, Illinois, crisscrossed the country to erect his wooden memorials near the sites of massacres, big and small.
The top 10 news stories in Judaism of 2019
By A. James Rudin — December 27, 2019
(RNS) — The most important events and trends of the year in Judaism, from the horror of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting to the hope of a burgeoning birth rate in Israel.
Before another shooting, let’s do these necessary things to stop hate
By Pardeep Kaleka — October 28, 2019
(RNS) — Bipartisan support of common-sense legislation such as the Khalid Jabara-Heather Heyer NO HATE Act will equip law enforcement to identify and track hate incidents more effectively.
One year after Tree of Life, a couple looks to the past for a way forward
By Yonat Shimron — October 24, 2019
VIENNA, Va. (RNS) — After losing his mother in the Tree of Life shooting, Howard leaned into his faith. His wife, Marnie, into activism.
After deadly shooting, Pittsburgh synagogue plans reopening
By The Associated Press — October 18, 2019
PITTSBURGH (AP) —Tree of Life leaders now envision a rebuilt space that includes places for worship; memorial, education and social events; classrooms and exhibitions. The mission is to fight anti-Semitism.
Felled by bullets, 11 Pittsburgh Jews will be remembered this Yom Kippur as martyrs
By Yonat Shimron — October 8, 2019
(RNS) — A new poem to be recited during services Wednesday (Oct. 9) is just one example of the tangible ways the horrific events of Oct. 27, 2018, are reshaping the American Jewish community.
At services this Rosh Hashana, a familiar social justice refrain
By Yonat Shimron — September 30, 2019
(RNS) — Over the past year, American Jews have called for shutting down Immigration and Customs Enforcement camps, addressing white nationalism, protecting abortion rights and scores of other liberal agenda items.
Religious freedom summit opens with stories of religious violence and resilience
By Adelle M. Banks — July 16, 2019
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback said the Trump administration wants to ramp up attention to killings and persecution based on religious beliefs and reverse trends that show they are often on the increase in countries across the world.
In the wake of the Pittsburgh shooting, finding a new Jewish voice at Shavuot
By Beth Kissileff — June 7, 2019
(RNS) — Many of the things that those killed did helped others find their own Jewish voices. And that, in some ways, is what Shavuot is about.
How safe is your place of worship?
By Christopher P. Scheitle — April 30, 2019
(The Conversation) — Many local police departments will conduct a security assessment for specific congregations or offer a workshop for multiple congregations.
Is there a war against Christianity?
By Jeffrey Salkin — April 24, 2019
Fewer people living with faith. More people dying for faith. A sacred paradox.
How to make your seder memorable and un-lame
By Jeffrey Salkin — April 18, 2019
Seder sans substance seems sad. Say something significant.
