By: Colton Walter
A crowd of students, teachers, staff and members of the community gathered at Red Square to grieve for the victims of the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting and to address what had happened.
The vigil took place on Monday, November 5th, a week after the October 27th shooting that took the lives of eleven people.
The service was organized and led by Professor Kirsten Christensen, Chair of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and Rabbi Bruce Kadden. The vigil contained many different pieces and reflections in the aftermath of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting.
“I hope that they felt supported in their grief,” Christensen said, talking about the attendees. “Events like this… are devastating and destabilizing. Coming together is an important act so that we can see others who also feel impacted, who want to mourn together, who want to respond in some way.”
English Professor Rona Kaufman shared her personal connection to the synagogue’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood and her family’s experience there. Kadden also read “I am the Jewish Nurse,” a letter written about the mix of emotions felt by the shooter’s hospital caretaker.
Later, the choral group Consonare Amici sang a Kaddish prayer for the dead. Fitting the setting, a violin solo of Max Bruch’s “Kol nidre” was performed in a souring, mournful melody by Music Professor Svend Rönning. The performances resonated with many audience members. “That was incredible, I got chills,” said student Juliana Andrew.
One main focus of the vigil responded to the shooter’s outspoken hatred of immigrants. On the social network Gab, the shooter repeatedly said that he targeted Jews because of their support for HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society that Tree of Life was a part of.
“I hope that students understand the importance of speaking out against hatred and bigotry in any form and supporting one another in efforts to create a just and peaceful community, country and world,” said Kadden. “Most particularly it is important that we advocate for continuing to welcome refugees and immigrants to our country as they make us a stronger community.”
On this topic, English professor Lisa Marcus read Warsan Shire’s poem “Home” during the vigil. The piece shared the desperation of refugees seeking asylum and linked their plight to tragedy. Marcus read, “You have to understand, no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land.”
Through this gathering Pacific Lutheran University hoped to show continued support through hardships and tragedies. More information on Holocaust and Genocide studies can be found at plu.edu/hgst.
