Tree of Life rabbi retires after years leading wounded Pittsburgh congregation
Rabbi Jeffrey Myers is leaving Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life after guiding the congregation through the 2018 synagogue massacre and its aftermath.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Tree of Life rabbi retires is the search many in Pittsburgh may be making as Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, 70, prepares to step away this month from the congregation he led through the aftermath of the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, the Associated Press reported.
Myers became spiritual leader of Tree of Life Congregation a little more than a year before Oct. 27, 2018, when a gunman entered the Pittsburgh synagogue on a Sabbath morning and killed 11 worshippers from three congregations using the building: Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light, according to the AP.
In an interview with the AP, Myers said his work had reached a natural end. “My mission has come to a conclusion to the best that I could,” he said. He added that Tree of Life also needs room for “new voices.”
Why is Tree of Life rabbi Jeffrey Myers retiring?
Myers told the AP he is ready for a new chapter after years spent helping his congregation grieve, worship and rebuild. He plans to return to his native New Jersey to be closer to his daughter and granddaughter, spend time reading and writing, pursue goals with his wife and focus more on his own healing.
He has said that after the attack, prayer became difficult. Myers told the AP he found his way back through the Book of Psalms, especially Psalm 121, which says, “My help comes from God, maker of the heavens and the Earth.”
During the attack, Myers urged congregants who could escape to run and told others to hide or lie down, the AP reported. He later testified at the gunman’s 2023 trial that he prayed while sheltering and expected to die before police officers brought him to safety.
The gunman was convicted and sentenced to death after a long-delayed trial and remains on death row, according to the AP.
Congregants described Myers as a steady presence through years of grief, legal proceedings and disruption. Audrey Glickman, a survivor of the attack, told the AP that Myers “steered a constant ship” and had “earned himself a rest.”
Tree of Life’s damaged building later became a crime scene, and the congregation began worshipping at nearby Rodef Shalom, the AP reported. The COVID-19 pandemic then forced Myers to lead remote services from home.
At a farewell address on July 17, Myers thanked congregants, clergy, public officials and the police officers who rescued him, some of whom were seriously wounded, according to the AP. He also named each of the 11 victims and ended by leading the congregation in Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.”
What happens next at Tree of Life?
Most of the old Tree of Life building has been torn down, the AP reported. A new building planned for 2028 is expected to include a sanctuary, event space, exhibits on antisemitism and a memorial for the 11 victims.
Carole Zawatsky, who leads the nonprofit overseeing the project with the congregation, told the AP the memorial is meant to keep the victims at the center of the site’s future.
Tree of Life has also built ties with Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where nine Black worshippers were killed by a racist gunman in 2015. The Rev. Eric Manning, Mother Emanuel’s pastor, was in court when Myers testified, the AP reported.
Robin Friedman, the congregation’s current president, called Myers “the right guy at the right time” and described his departure as “bittersweet,” according to the AP. The congregation has recently added about 50 Jewish families, many with young children, giving members hope for what comes after Myers’ farewell.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.