Current:Home > StocksTree of Life synagogue demolition begins ahead of rebuilding site of deadly antisemitic attack-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Tree of Life synagogue demolition begins ahead of rebuilding site of deadly antisemitic attack
View Date:2024-12-24 00:19:02
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Demolition got underway Wednesday at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, the site of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, as part of the effort to reimagine the building to honor the 11 people who were killed there in 2018.
The demolition work began slowly, with crews picking away at the building’s exterior.
Most of the building will be removed, although portions of the sanctuary walls will be preserved. The new building will include spaces for worship, a museum, an education center and a movie theater.
Carole Zawatsky, who heads the new nonprofit overseeing the project, was at the site as demolition began. She said she had a mix of emotions, including feeling bittersweet knowing why the old building was being demolished but also feeling tremendous excitement about seeing the project moving forward. It was sobering and a physical manifestation of healing, she said.
“It is an incredible symbol of great resilience and moving forward,” she said.
The Oct. 27, 2018, attack claimed the lives of 11 worshippers from three congregations meeting at the synagogue – Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life. The three have been meeting at nearby synagogues since then.
In a related project, a memorial to the victims is being planned for a site just outside the synagogue.
The process of planning that memorial was left to representatives of the congregations and victims’ families.
The design calls for a walkway that will lead visitors into garden memorial with 11 sculpted forms of open books, each representing one of the people who were killed.
They represent the “Book of Life,” where, according to Jewish tradition, the righteous are named.
The man who killed the congregants was sentenced to death last year, after the conclusion of a long-delayed federal trial.
veryGood! (873)
Related
- Ranked voting will decide a pivotal congressional race. How does that work?
- Navajo Nation charges 2 tribal members with illegally growing marijuana as part of complex case
- NCAA, ESPN reach broadcast deal for championships that creates women's basketball payouts
- A return to the moon and a rare eclipse among 5 great space events on the horizon in 2024
- Giuliani’s lawyers after $148M defamation judgment seek to withdraw from his case
- Exploding toilet at a Dunkin’ store in Florida left a customer filthy and injured, lawsuit claims
- Stock market today: Global shares mostly slip, while oil prices advance
- NBA fines Nets $100,000 for violating player participation policy by resting players
- Volunteer firefighter accused of setting brush fire on Long Island
- Nepal bars citizens from going to Russia or Ukraine for work, saying they are recruited as fighters
Ranking
- Powell says Fed will likely cut rates cautiously given persistent inflation pressures
- King’s daughter says wars, gun violence, racism have pushed humanity to the brink
- US says Russia has used North Korean ballistic missiles in Ukraine and is seeking Iranian missiles
- NFL coach hot seat rankings: Where do Bill Belichick and others fall in final week?
- Kyle Richards Swears This Holiday Candle Is the Best Scent Ever and She Uses It All Year
- New study claims that T-Rex fossils may be another dinosaur species. But not all agree.
- New York City subway train derails in collision with another train, injuring more than 20 people
- Kia EV9, Toyota Prius and Ford Super Duty pickup win 2024 North American SUV, car and truck awards
Recommendation
-
Louisiana House greenlights Gov. Jeff Landry’s tax cuts
-
Who is Natalia Grace? What to know about subject of docuseries, ‘Natalia Speaks’
-
Travis Barker and Alabama Barker Get “Tatted Together” During Father-Daughter Night
-
Kendall Jenner Leaves Little to the Imagination in Tropical Bikini Photos
-
Krispy Kreme is giving free dozens to early customers on World Kindness Day
-
Backers of an effort to repeal Alaska’s ranked voting system fined by campaign finance watchdog
-
New York City is suing charter bus companies for transporting migrants from Texas
-
Make these 5 New Year's resolutions to avoid scams this year