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‘Lessons From the Tree of Life’ Opens at Museum of Jewish Heritage, Connecting Past and Present Antisemitism

Timed to key October commemorations, the show uses preserved artifacts to frame the 2018 Pittsburgh attack within a longer U.S. story of anti-Jewish violence.

A new, temporary exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage explores antisemitism in America, with the 2018 shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh at its center. (Jackie Hajdenberg)

Overview

  • The exhibition opened Oct. 5 in New York and runs through Nov. 9, aligning its final day with the anniversary of Kristallnacht.
  • Twenty-two objects are on display, including a Siddur Sim Shalom grazed by a bullet, a “Stronger Than Hate” commemorative plate, a teary Mr. Rogers painting, and notes from Temple Beth Orr.
  • The project was produced with the Tree of Life memorial initiative and the Rauh Jewish History Program and Archives at Pittsburgh’s Heinz History Center.
  • Historical context spans from the 1915 lynching of Leo Frank to last June’s firebombing at a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, which injured several people and led to one death.
  • A parallel reflection space titled “Maintaining Memory” features a 1930 Romanian ner tamid, with additional programming including an Oct. 7 film screening and a discussion with Amy Spitalnick, Yair Rosenberg, and Carole Zawatsky.