Megan Trotter | News Editor
The 2023 Eradicate Hate Global Summit opened its doors Wednesday for its third annual conference. Founded after the Oct. 27, 2018, Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, the conference was the loved ones and survivors’ first opportunity to speak publicly about the attack since the sentencing in August.
For roughly 40 minutes, speakers composed of survivors and victims’ family members held the undivided attention of more than 1,600 participants at the David L. Convention Center.
For 4-½ years, the survivors of the attack were unable to speak freely about their experiences because they were afraid to share any information that could lead to a mistrial. Now, with the trial behind them, the speakers expressed relief to finally be able to talk about the attack in public.
Audrey Glickman, who was leading the for the Tree of Life Congregation when the shooting took place, expressed her frustration with not being allowed to speak about her feelings because of politicization and moralization by the public.
“Broadly speaking, it would be very nice if the general public would not presume to be speaking on behalf of any victims. Whether right or wrong in their opinions,” she said.
Director Maggie Feinstein of 10.27 Healing Partnership moderated the panel. The speakers included Amy Mallinger who lost her 97-year-old grandmother, Rose Mallinger, Michele Rosenthal who lost her 54 and 59-year-old brothers, David and Cecil Rosenthal, Jodi Kart who lost her 87-year-old father, Melvin Wax, as well as Glickman and Pittsburgh Police Sgr. Jonathan Craig who responded to calls for the attack.
For all of them, the killers’ trial loomed over their summer.
At the end of May, 12 jurors and six alternates were sworn in. On June 16, the gunman was found guilty on all 63 charges including obstruction of religious freedom. Then in June, the jury began work to determine if he was eligible to receive a death sentence under federal statute.
On July 13, the jury unanimously found that he was eligible and on Aug. 3, the assailant was sentenced to death for killing 11 worshippers in the synagogue shooting.
Despite the emotional challenge presented by the trial, Kart felt compelled to stand in for her father.
“It was brutal, and absolutely there was a choice. I didn’t have to see what I saw. I didn’t have to hear what I felt compelled to bear witness to. I don’t wish it on anybody,” Kart said. “I’m now a member of a club that I never asked to join. But as a result, I feel like I have a voice and I have to use it. Whatever I can do to help prevent this from happening in the future.”
Many of the speakers echoed feelings of a family “6B,” as they called themselves after their room, found within the shared traumatic experiences of the victims and family members in the courtroom.
“When you testify for your loved one, it’s not something that’s easy to do, but we all had to deal with it because of our loved ones,” Mallinger said. “So, we knew right before, everybody was a bit nervous and everyone was a little bit scared, so we knew before give them a little space. But afterwards, everyone was very encouraging. And it was just so nice to be a part of that community.”
The Eradicate Hate Global Summit was formed as a response to the synagogue shooting and held its first conference in the Fall of 2021. The “Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Trial: Claiming Our Voices in the Judicial Process” conference was one of 95 sessions scheduled over the three-day summit. 10.27 Healing Partnership assembled with the explicit intention to help those struggling after the attack.
“We often sort of think about it as we just need to keep everybody moving together. And know that in some moments, that’s really easy, because some moments everybody wants to move together. They like each other or there’s like a really amazing, powerful thing that they’re doing together. But then there’s also times where there’s just disagreements,” Feinstein said.
Now, 10.27 Healing Partnership continues to provide assistance to individuals like Mallinger, Rosenthal, Kart, Glickman and Craig, as well as general community members seeking support.
Craig shared that his experience testifying in the synagogue shooting trial was different because it was actually a victim impact statement.
“I was extremely embarrassed afterwards. I was very emotional while giving my statement. But everyone that was in the courtroom, people that I didn’t know later on jurors, the family members, other victims were the kindest and most supportive people that I’ve ever met in my life,” he said.
Rosenthal said that while standing in trial on behalf of her brothers she had to remind herself that she alone was not against the defendant, but rather it was the prosecution team fighting for her loved ones.
Despite differing opinions on the gunman’s death sentence the speakers remain close to one another and often don’t even talk about the final ruling.
Kart said it is always easy to decide that combating hate is too much so she appreciates everyone’s willingness to tackle the difficult conversations and share their experiences.
Glickman, among the other survivors, said she was upset to not be able to use her voice and was relieved to finally be able to participate in the Eradicate Hate Global Summit this year.
“It was important for me to talk, from the very beginning to say: this is a hate crime. This is not acceptable.”
“I was extremely embarrassed afterwards. I was very emotional while giving my statement. But everyone that was in the courtroom, people that I didn’t know later on jurors, the family members, other victims were the kindest and most supportive people that I’ve ever met in my life,” he said.
Rosenthal said that while standing in trial on behalf of her brothers she had to remind herself that she alone was not against the defendant, but rather it was the prosecution team fighting for her loved ones.
Despite differing opinions on the gunman’s death sentence the speakers remain close to one another and often don’t even talk about the final ruling.
Kart said it is always easy to decide that combating hate is too much so she appreciates everyone’s willingness to tackle the difficult conversations and share their experiences.
Glickman, among the other survivors, said she was upset to not be able to use her voice and was relieved to finally be able to participate in the Eradicate Hate Global Summit this year.
“It was important for me to talk, from the very beginning to say, this is a hate crime. This is not acceptable.”