Tree of Life shooting: One year later, Squirrel Hill residents committed to moving forward

PITTSBURGH — On the corner of Wilkins sbobet Avenue, a large cement building with the name “Tree of Life - Or L’Simcha” sits vacant and quiet on a brisk, sunny afternoon.

Through the fenced-off front entrance, passersby can see 11 paper stars in the windows. There is one name written on each star: Joyce Fienberg, Melvin Wax, Irving Younger, Rose Mallinger, Richard Gottfried, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Jerry Rabinowitz, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon and Daniel Stein.

Sunday marks one year since a man opened fire during morning services at the synagogue that housed three congregations: New Light, Dor Hadash and the building’s namesake, Tree of Life. The anti-Semitic attack killed 11 and wounded six. To commemorate those who were killed, the Squirrel Hill community, where the synagogue is located, will come together for Torah study, volunteering and ultimately a ceremony to honor the victims.

It’s been almost a year, yet just like the building, which i99CLUB looks like a half-memorial, half-crime scene, Squirrel Hill is still raw. What to do with the building on Wilkins Avenue has been the subject of much debate over the last year. Some wanted to renovate the current building, which had a significant amount of damage, while others wanted to turn the entire building into a memorial.