Timeline of events at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Timeline of events at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh PITTSBURGH - On Saturday morning, a gunman opened fire inside the Temple of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood, killing as many as 11 people. Below is a timeline of events based on police reports and Channel 11 reporting. 9:50 a.m.: Robert Bowers enters the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill armed with an AR-15 and three Glock handguns. Content Continues Below 9:54 a.m.: Emergency dispatchers receive multiple calls for gunshots fired at the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill. 10 a.m.: Channel 11 got the first report of a possible shooting inside the synagogue. 10:15 a.m.: Channel 11 reporter Lori Houy arrived on the scene to an enormous police presence. 10:35 a.m.: Pittsburgh Public Safety puts out a tweet. 11:05 a.m.: Channel 11 gets reports that multiple people are injured during shooting in Squirrel Hill. 11:15 a.m.: Channel 11 sources tell us the suspect is surrendering.
UPMC Presbyterian Hospital: Hate crime charges filed in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that left 11 dead. Robert Bowers, 46, of suburban Baldwin, surrendered to authorities after Saturday morning's shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue. He made anti-Semitic statements during the shooting and targeted Jews on social media, according to a federal law enforcement official. Bowers faces 29 charges in a rampage that left the historic Jewish neighborhood of Squirrel Hill and the rest of the nation stunned.
The attack is believed to be the deadliest on the Jewish community in US history, the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement. "These incidents usually occur in other cities," Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich told reporters Saturday. "Today, the nightmare has hit home in the city of Pittsburgh. " "The crimes of violence are based upon the federal civil rights laws prohibiting hate crimes," said Scott Brady, US Attorney, and Bob Jones, the FBI special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh office, in a statement. Shots fired shortly before 10 a.m. Security had been a 'major concern'
Pittsburgh shooting: What we know so far. Image copyright Reuters A gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday morning and opened fire, killing 11 people. Six people were injured, among them four police officers, in the attack on the synagogue in the Squirrel Hill district. The suspect, who was taken into custody, has been named as Robert Bowers, 46. Here's what we know so far about the shooting. Warning: This story contains offensive language and anti-Semitic quotes. What happened? The gunman entered the building shortly before 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Saturday, during a service. He was armed with three Glock handguns and an AR-15 assault rifle. He was leaving the building when he was met by emergency responders. Two officers - among the first to arrive - were injured in an initial confrontation with the gunman. A further two Swat team members were hurt inside the building, clashing with the shooter. Image copyright Getty Images The gunman suffered multiple gunshot wounds and surrendered to the authorities.
Muslim community raises $70,000 for Pittsburgh synagogue attack victims. Survivors relive synagogue ordeal. Image copyright AFP Survivors of the deadly gun attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue have recalled how they took refuge and hid in storage rooms to avoid the roaming attacker. One congregation leader said their training in active-shooter situations had helped save lives. When the suspect was detained after a shootout, he reportedly told Swat officers he wanted "all Jews to die". The 11 victims were named on Sunday and included a husband and wife, and a woman aged 97. Another six people were injured, including four policemen. Mayor Bill Peduto said that this was the "darkest day of Pittsburgh's history". The suspect, Robert Bowers, 46, faces 29 criminal charges over what is thought to be the worst anti-Semitic attack in recent US history.
What have the survivors said? Three congregations were reportedly meeting at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill district of Pittsburgh on Saturday morning. Pittsburgh shooting: What we know so far Mr Cohen said "everyone froze but Rabbi Perlman". Children of couple killed in Tree of Life mourn their parents and share their story. Click to enlarge Photo courtesy the Simon family Sylvan and Bernice Simon Alleged shooter Robert Bowers killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue on Saturday in Squirrel Hill. The congregants were attending a bris, and among the victims were Bernice and Sylvan Simon. Many family members of the victims have remained quiet in their time of mourning.
This mass shooting is believed to the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Bernice and Sylvan Simon were 84 and 86 years old respectively. "Our lives were forever shattered on the morning of October 27, 2018 when our beloved Mother and Father were senselessly, brutally, and savagely murdered at Tree of Life Congregation along with nine other fellow congregants. Our parents did everything together as a married couple. We had plans to meet at their home in the afternoon to celebrate my sister’s birthday. The 'Tree Of Life’ Martyrs —Mishael Zion. As a born-and-bred Israeli, I often find myself playing down that Jewish-American identity within me. Not that I’m fooling anyone, but afternoons on the Israeli playground taught me that it’s better to claim the fact that I’m a second-generation Jerusalemite, or if we’re playing ethnicity, then to claim my Dutch heritage.
But being an American Jew — that’s not something an Israeli would brag about.American Jewry is a community Israelis rarely think about seriously, and especially liberal American Jewry. Until, that is, they are murdered for being Jews and for being liberal. And so – despite the fact that the pain and mourning are so fresh – I want to take a moment to reflect on the liberal American Jewish community, 11 of whose members died on Shabbat in sanctification of God’s name: martyrs.Martyrdom. Mishael Zion Few Israelis see American Jewry as a holy community in that sense. Get Jewish Week's Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up.
Pittsburgh: A city in mourning after the Tree of Life synagogue shooting. Tree of Life shooting is a wake-up call —Max Kalnitz. Shooter Robert Bowers pleads not guilty. Image copyright EPA Robert Bowers, the alleged gunman accused of killing 11 Jewish worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue on Saturday has pleaded not guilty. Mr Bowers, 46, has requested a jury trial. He faces 44 counts of murder, hate crimes, obstructing religious practices and other crimes.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Authorities called the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue the worst anti-Semitic incident in US history. Media playback is unsupported on your device In addition to those killed, six people were injured, including four police officers, before Mr Bowers surrendered to law enforcement. What charges does he face? US media reported Mr Bowers entered the courtroom without a wheelchair, bandaged on the arm from the injuries suffered during a shootout with police on Saturday. Mr Bowers confirmed he had read the indictment and understood the charges against him. During his first court appearance, Mr Bowers was in a wheelchair and spoke little. Image copyright AFP. Here’s what it costs to put your synagogue under armed guard. A police officer stands guard outside Temple Sinai in Pittsburgh, Nov. 2, 2018. The synagogue is a half mile away from the Tree of Life Congregation, which was attacked by a lone gunman less than a week earlier.
(Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) NEW YORK (JTA) — After a mass shooting in a heavily Jewish area shocked the nation, Rabbi Yakov Saacks felt like his Long Island congregation was at risk. So the rabbi installed 17 cameras on the synagogue’s exterior that can zoom in to read numbers on license plates, as well as indoor cameras at each entrance. When the sanctuary is especially crowded — on the High Holidays, for example — as many as three guards will patrol the building carrying guns and communicating by radio. That was after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, nearly nine months ago. “What can we do? The added measures have changed Saacks’ budget, of course. For more than a decade, the federal government has provided funding to help synagogues bolster their security. Statement On Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting —Tom Malinowski. Scammers try to profit from Tree of Life massacre.
Pittsburgh police and the FBI said they are aware of scammers that may be attempting to solicit donations for victims of the Tree of Life mass shooting. Authorities said they have received reports of fraudsters approaching people in person, or by telephone, email or social media and asking for donations. They often ask for credit card information. “Unfortunately, such times also bring about scammers who wish to prey upon people’s good intentions,” Pittsburgh police said in a news release. Police said people should do research before donating to an organization, and don’t respond to spam or follow links in such emails because they could leave your personal information vulnerable. Joyce Gannon Crowdfunding event for critical needs services to benefit Tree of Life victims Here are more tips from the FBI: “FBI Pittsburgh wants criminals who plan to exploit people’s pockets and generosity to know it won’t be tolerated,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Jones said in a statement.
DONATE (for real) 1864 Tree of Life Congregation —Rauh Jewish Archives. 1864 Tree of Life Congregation Portrait of Joseph Levin (c.1865-1947) by Samuel Rosenberg, c.1940. Joseph Levin served as cantor for the Tree of Life Congregation from 1902 to 1938. Joseph Levin Photographs, Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center 1864 Tree of LIfe Congregation Rabbi Herman Hailperin (left) and Cantor Joseph Levin of the Tree of Life Congregation, c.1950. Dr. Montefiore Hospital Photographs, Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center Alexander Fink (1818-1892), a founding member and president of the Tree of Life Congregation from 1872 to 1892, c.1885. Corinne Azen Krause Photographs, Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center 1864 Tree of LIfe Synagogue Confirmation class of Tree of Life Congregation, 1900. Joseph Levin (c.1865-1947), Bellaire, Ohio, c. 1885.
Tree of Life Synagogue on Craft Avenue, c.1946. Allegheny County Community Development Photographs, Detre Library and Archives at the Heinz History Center 1864 Tree of Life Synagogue. Squirrel Hill (Pittsburgh) Neighborhood of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States Squirrel Hill is located at WikiMiniAtlas 40°26′17″N 79°55′23″W / 40.438072°N 79.922972°W / 40.438072; -79.922972Coordinates: 40°26′17″N 79°55′23″W / 40.438072°N 79.922972°W / 40.438072; -79.922972 and has two ZIP codes: 15217 and 15232. Squirrel Hill South has a population of 15,110, up 4% since 2000, of whom 82% are White, 11% are Asian, 3% are Hispanic, and 3% are Black. There are 7,514 housing units which have a 95% occupancy rate. Around 1820, William "Killymoon" Steward built one of the first tavern/inns in the area.
By the 1860s, the area along Fifth Avenue near Woodland Road had several mansions, including Willow Cottage. Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill, looking north near Darlington Road, circa 1937. Prior to 1868, the Squirrel Hill area was part of Peebles Township. Squirrel Hill grew even more with the opening of the Boulevard of the Allies in 1927, providing a direct link to downtown Pittsburgh.
Shabbat. Shabbat observance entails refraining from work activities, often with great rigor, and engaging in restful activities to honor the day. Judaism's traditional position is that unbroken seventh-day Shabbat originated among the Jewish people, as their first and most sacred institution, though some suggest other origins. Variations upon Shabbat are widespread in Judaism and, with adaptations, throughout the Abrahamic and many other religions.
According to halakha (Jewish religious law), Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night.[1] Shabbat is ushered in by lighting candles and reciting a blessing. Traditionally, three festive meals are eaten: in the evening, in the early afternoon, and late in the afternoon. The evening meal and the early afternoon meal typically begin with a blessing called kiddush and another blessing recited over two loaves of challah. Etymology[edit] History[edit] Origins[edit]