Rabbi Me’irah Iliinsky of San Francisco had been scheduled to come to Pittsburgh and give a talk. Then came October 27th. But her grief for the victims, the Jewish people and our community eventually expressed itself in something beautiful, a painting she delivered to Pittsburgh on Friday, March 8th.
On your next visit to the offices of JFCS, look in the upstairs lobby for “The Tree of Life is Weeping,” an original painting presented to us by Rabbi Me’irah Iliinsky of San Francisco. It is a tribute to the October 27th shooting, its victims, and also the hope and resilience embedded in Jewish traditions.
When she came to Pittsburgh to donate the original painting to JFCS, survivors and families were invited. In fact copies were given to the Pittsburgh police, the survivors, the three affected congregations, and the families of the slain. Rabbi Iliinsky spoke about the inspiration for the work: the Tree of Life.
“It is a tree of life to all who grasp it, and whoever holds on to it is happy; its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all it paths are peace,” says Proverbs 3:17-18 in the Torah. A common symbol of harmony and diversity in Jewish culture, even the building where the tragedy took place bears that name.
Her shock and horror at the October 27th shooting could not be reconciled with the Jewish Tree of Life, she said. But one night she had a vision that the Tree of Life was weeping in sorrow over the terrible event. From that basic seed, the painting grew into a deeply symbolic work, replete with other Jewish symbols, and also connected to Pittsburgh with the names of those killed written in leaves that had fallen from the tree, and the names of the survivors on leaves still hanging on the lower branches.
The presentation was attended by several survivors, both congregants and the police officers injured that day. “Since October 27th, and still today, JFCS has been providing counseling of various sorts to the victims and anyone in the community who has needed it,” said Jordan Golin, President and CEO of JFCS. “We have tried to be a force for healing. This beautiful gift renews our strength and hope so we can continue.”