Tree of Life, Inc. poised to receive more than $1 million in federal funds
New building will house an educational center, a museum that explores the roots and manifestations of antisemitism and a Oct. 27 memorial.
The Senate was expected to approve a package of spending bills on Friday that includes $1 million for Tree of Life, Inc.’s rebuilding project and $547,000 to support the 10.27 Healing Partnership, which was launched to address mental health needs following the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting of 2018.
The rebuilding effort for Tree of Life is underway. Demolition of the building began in February in preparation for the construction of a new structure designed by Studio Libeskind in collaboration with Rothschild Doyno Collaborative. It will house an educational center, a museum that explores the roots and manifestations of antisemitism in the United States and the official Oct. 27 memorial on the corner of Shady and Wilkins avenues.
The House passed the spending legislation earlier this week. The earmarks for Tree of Life and the 10.27 Healing Partnership were requested by Rep. Summer Lee, whose district includes Squirrel Hill.
“After fighting tirelessly for many many months,” Lee wrote in a prepared statement, “I am especially proud to have officially secured more than $12.6 million for 15 community projects to fight hunger, homelessness and blite [sic]; provide job training, provide mental health, trauma care and wraparound services, fix infrastructure, and educate against antisemitism.”
Lee was one of only 22 House Democrats to vote against a resolution in November that condemned the support of terrorist organizations and antisemitism on college campuses. The resolution (H. Res. 798) passed on a 396-23 vote. Lee said at the time that while she condemned antisemitism on college campuses “in the strongest possible terms,” she voted against the resolution because it “misrepresented events” and targeted constitutionally protected speech. PJC
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