Statewide 'Stronger Than Hate Day' established for Tree of Life synagogue victims

An official “Stronger Than Hate Day” was established in Pennsylvania during a joint legislative session that honored the victims of the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood.

It’s just the third joint legislative session held in the last 78 years. The last time the two chambers of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly held a special joint session was on Sept. 25, 2001. On that day, representatives and senators got together to remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The last special joint session before that was after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Tree of Life attack, which occurred on Oct. 27, claimed the lives of 11 synagogue members in one of the deadliest attacks against the Jewish community in U.S. history. Two other congregants were hurt in the attack, along with five police officers who were injured in a shootout with alleged shooter Robert Bowers.

Now, April 10 will honor the victims of the attack — Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil and David Rosenthal, Bernice and Sylvan Simon, Dan Stein, Mel Wax and Irv Younger — along with the first responders and others affected by the shooting.

Family members of victims and members of Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light — the three Jewish congregations holding worship services inside the Tree of Life building at the time of the attack — joined public officials from across the state Wednesday in a session that included state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, Gov. Tom Wolf, Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Auditor General Eugene DePasquale.

Memorializing the victims of the attack in his speech, Frankel also remarked on the rising dangers of hate speech.

“Hate speech dehumanizes whole groups of people for who they are or what they believe,” Frankel said. “Repeated often enough, ignored often enough and rationalized often enough, these words create an environment in which atrocities are possible, maybe even inevitable. This phenomenon has cost us dearly in my community.”

Bowers posted repeatedly online, sharing hateful anti-Semantic writings and calling Jew “the children of Satan.”

Frankel also called on elected officials to be a shield “against these very dark forces of hatred and violence, by embracing the diversity of our communities and promoting tolerance, compassion and acts of loving kindness.”

State Sen. Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, said legislators had come together in a demonstration of love and affection.

“This extraordinary session is about calling forth extraordinary resolve,” said Costa. “Our fight against hate and bigotry will continue, because the forces of evil knock at our door. We have a responsibility today to remember what happened that day, mourn those who were taken from us, and ensure that love defeats hate.”

Bowers pleaded not guilty to 63 federal charges filed against him, 22 of which are punishable by death. He could become the only person from Western Pennsylvania on federal death row if he is convicted and sentenced to death.