Amy Guterson was the director of Tzohar Seminary at the time of the synagogue shooting. In this episode she shares about her life journey, from leaving Orthodoxy as a young woman to become an off-Broadway actress to returning to observant Jewish practice infused with chassidus after getting married. Tzohar, a one-year program for young Jewish women to study Torah and the arts, is one manifestation of Amy’s unique path. Her Shabbat table on October 27th, 2018, which brought Jews and non-Jews together, is another.

This episode is adapted from an oral history interview conducted by Aliza Becker with Amy Guterson on December 9th, 2019 for the Meanings of October 27th oral history project. You can listen to the full unedited interview at The October 27 Archive website, which is managed by the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center: https://october27archive.org/profiles/amy-guterson

Check out Tzohar Seminary at its website: https://www.tzoharseminary.com/

To learn more or to donate to help us create more episodes like this one, visit october27podcast.org

Rabbi Jeremy Markiz was a rabbi at Beth Shalom, a Conservative synagogue in Pittsburgh, at the time of the synagogue shooting. In this episode, Rabbi Markiz narrates his family’s immigrant journey to America and his passion for Judaism as a boy, which led to his pursuit of the rabbinate. Rabbi Markiz’s wedding was the day after the shooting, and just three days later he returned to a synagogue community in crisis. He reflects on moments of joy and sorrow as he tried to simultaneously celebrate his marriage and hold space for the spiritual needs of his congregants.

This episode is adapted from an oral history interview conducted by Noah Schoen with Rabbi Jeremy Markiz on April 13th, 2021 for the Meanings of October 27th oral history project. You can listen to the full unedited interview at The October 27 Archive website, which is managed by the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center: https://october27archive.org/profiles/rabbi-jeremy-markiz

To learn more or to donate to help us create more episodes like this one, visit october27podcast.org

Wasi Mohamed was the director of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh at the time of the synagogue shooting. In this episode, Wasi reflects on his early years growing up Muslim in Harrisburg, PA and his college years at the University of Pittsburgh. In his role as the director of the Islamic Center—his first job out out of college—he actively and vocally expressed the Muslim community’s solidarity with the Jewish community after the synagogue shooting. For Wasi, it was his pre-existing relationships with Jews that empowered him to show up for his friends and colleagues.

This episode is adapted from an oral history interview conducted by Noah Schoen with Wasi Mohamed on February 1st, 2020 for the Meanings of October 27th oral history project. You can listen to the full unedited interview at The October 27 Archive website, which is managed by the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center: https://october27archive.org/profiles/wasiullah-wasi-mohamed

To learn more or to donate to help us create more episodes like this one, visit october27podcast.org

Dina Rayzberg is a Jewish community member who moved to Pittsburgh in 1997 to raise her family. In this episode, Dina recounts her experiences growing up Jewish in the Soviet Union, where the practice of Judaism was strictly forbidden, and her subsequent migration to the United States, where she became an active member of the Jewish community. Dina’s perspectives on Jewish life, antisemitism, and the synagogue shooting are shaped by the strong repression of Judaism in her childhood and the vibrant Jewish life she cultivated in Pittsburgh as an adult.

This episode is adapted from an oral history interview conducted by Noah Schoen with Dina Rayzberg on December 7th, 2019 for the Meanings of October 27th oral history project. The full, unedited interview will be made available soon at The October 27 Archive website, which is managed by the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center.

To learn more or to donate to help us create more episodes like this one, visit october27podcast.org

Nina Butler is a prominent member of the Pittsburgh Jewish community and volunteer with several organizations that responded to the October 27th, 2018 synagogue shooting. In this episode, she traces her early life path: her adoption of observant Judaism, move to Pittsburgh after marriage, and the birth of her children, several of whom have developmental disabilities. Nina’s response to the synagogue shooting was shaped by her personal connection to Cecil and David Rosenthal, her role on the chevra kadisha, and her emphasis on the many acts of chesed that followed the violent attack.

This episode is adapted from an oral history interview conducted by Noah Schoen with Nina Butler on December 5th, 2019 for the Meanings of October 27th oral history project. You can listen to the full unedited interview at The October 27 Archive website, which is managed by the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center: https://october27archive.org/profiles/nina-butler

To learn more or to donate to help us create more episodes like this one, visit october27podcast.org

Michelle Kenney is the mother of Antwon Rose II, a 17-year-old who was shot and killed by a policeman on June 19, 2018. In this episode, Michelle recounts her upbringing in a steel town just outside Pittsburgh as the child of an interracial marriage with Black Christian and White Jewish family members. Her experience of the synagogue shooting was deeply shaped by the murder of her son just four months prior.

This episode is adapted from an oral history interview conducted by Aliza Becker with Michelle Kenney on November 16th, 2021 for the Meanings of October 27th oral history project.

To learn more or to donate to help us create more episodes like this one, visit october27podcast.org

Drew Medvid was a student at the University of Pittsburgh at the time of the October 27th, 2018 synagogue shooting. In this episode he reflects on his learning journey about the Jewish experience, from key relationships with Jews growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina to his time at Pitt. Drew discusses his reactions to the synagogue shooting and relates what he has learned about antisemitism to his experience as a trans man.

This episode is adapted from an oral history interview conducted by Noah Schoen with Drew Medvid on September 15th, 2019 for the Meanings of October 27th oral history project. The full, unedited interview will be made available soon at The October 27 Archive website, which is managed by the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center.

To learn more or to donate to help us create more episodes like this one, visit october27podcast.org

Reva Simon was a lifelong Pittsburgher and devoted member of Congregation New Light. In this episode, she describes the Jewish communities of her childhood with striking detail. Reva was driving to morning services when the synagogue shooting occurred, and she reflects on the impact of the shooting and remembers her fellow congregants—Rich Gottfried, Dan Stein, and Melvin Wax—who were killed that day. She passed away on October 12, 2019, and is interred at Pliskover Cemetery.

This episode is adapted from an oral history interview conducted by Noah Schoen with Reva Simon on August 5th, 7th, and 9th of 2019 for the Meanings of October 27th oral history project. The full, unedited interview will be made available soon at The October 27 Archive website, which is managed by the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center.

To learn more or to donate to help us create more episodes like this one, visit october27podcast.org