In commemoration of the attack at the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives has created an exhibit of archival materials chronicling the three congregations that were worshipping inside the building that morning: Tree of Life*Or L'Simcha Congregation, New Light Congregation, and Congregation Dor Hadash.
In the months since the attack, many public accounts have used the shorthand "three congregations" to explain the shared living arrangements within one large Squirrel Hill synagogue. Grouping these congregations together based solely on their mutual suffering ignores each congregation's individual characteristics. Each was created to fill specific religious and spiritual needs. Each developed along a particular path, reflecting different eras, ethnicities, practices, and ideas within American Judaism. Through their histories, each congregation illuminates a different corner of the larger Jewish history of our region.
 
Using rarely seen materials from the archive, the exhibit focuses on the essential qualities of each of these three congregations, celebrating the individuality and identity of each.
 
The exhibit is located in the lobby of the Detre Library & Archives, on the sixth floor of the Heinz History Center, and can be viewed daily through Dec. 27.

Admission to see this exhibit is free but does not include admission to the rest of the History Center. This exhibit was made possible through generous contributions from Carolyn Slayton and Seth Glick, and an anonymous donor.
 
For more information, contact Eric Lidji at eslidji@heinzhistorycenter.org or 412-454-6406.
As part of the annual Treasures in the Archives program on Sunday, Nov. 17, Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives Director Eric Lidji will discuss the creation of the exhibit and the role an archive can play in the aftermath of a communal tragedy.
 
Treasures in the Archives is free and open to the public. To RSVP, please register online or call 412-454-6361.
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Senator John Heinz History Center
1212 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh, PA,15222
412-454-6000

A proud affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the  Senator John Heinz History Center  is the largest history museum in Pennsylvania and presents American history with a Western Pennsylvania connection.