Seven years later, ‘stronger than hate’ must be more than words

Seven years ago, on Oct. 27, an antisemite wielding an assault rifle stormed the Tree of Life building and shot everyone he saw. He murdered 11 Jews who had come to pray on Shabbat: Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Dan Stein, Melvin Wax and Irving Younger. He seriously wounded six others, including four first responders.

He shattered the nerves and hearts of three congregations, Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life.

And he left our community feeling vulnerable, despondent and angry.

As our neighbors joined us in solidarity and healing, vowing that Pittsburgh is “stronger than hate,” we felt united in our mission to stop hate in its tracks — even as we came to the stark realization that a massacre of Jews can happen anywhere.

But seven years on, have we made any progress in conquering Jew hatred? To be sure, since 2018, many organizations have arisen whose mission is just that, but it would be dishonest to claim that those efforts have been successful, at least so far.

In 2024, the ADL tabulated 9,354 antisemitic incidents across the United States — a 5% increase from those reported in 2023, a 344% increase over the past five years and an 893% increase over the past 10 years.

Here in Pittsburgh, more than 260 antisemitic incidents have been logged so far in 2025 by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

Far-right antisemitism continues to surge, and, especially since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, antisemitism from the far left is surging as well. Just last week, New York state’s Young Republicans’ group chats were leaked, revealing jokes about gas chambers, praise for Adolf Hitler and racist, antisemitic and homophobic slurs. And while we held out hope that the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel would subdue the voices of “progressive” Jew haters, that turned out not to be the case. Instead, they doubled down on their claims of colonialism, genocide and age-old blood libels.

In Pittsburgh, we have seen Jewish college students attacked, a self-identified Hamas operative vandalizing Chabad of Squirrel Hill and the Federation, individuals’ property defaced and violent threats levied at local officials who support Israel. In Harrisburg, our Jewish governor’s residence was firebombed in an apparent attempt to murder him and his family — on Passover.

“Stronger than hate” should be more than a slogan. It must be a charge. A mandate. A demand for vigilance and courage.

It should be a call to build, and maintain, coalitions with our neighbors. A call to hold elected officials accountable when they amplify Jew hatred, whether through libels about Israel or through shameful antisemitic tropes.

“Stronger than hate” should be a call to speak up, even when it might be unpopular, even when it is uncomfortable.

And it should be a call to transcend whatever fear and anxiety persist to fully embrace our heritage, celebrate our peoplehood with pride and joyfully join together in community as often as we can.

Seven years later, we still feel the pain and the loss. But we should also remember and draw on the love and the strength that we felt then.

Seven years later, let’s commit to honoring those we lost with action by embodying the essence of truly being stronger than hate. PJC