PITTSBURGH – Nearly eight years after the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, the institution that grew out of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting announced a new identity today: The Tree of Life Center for Humanity.

The new name was unveiled in a video featuring a voiceover by Tom Hanks, who served on the honorary cabinet when the campaign to rebuild began.

“The Tree of Life Center for Humanity will not only be a beacon of Jewish life here in Pittsburgh, but also will be a national model for bridge building and education,” said Carole Zawatsky, CEO of The Tree of Life Center for Humanity. “Our new name codifies the shared humanity central to our mission of uprooting antisemitism and hate.”

The name is a nod to The Tree of Life’s education-centered approach to countering antisemitism, hate, and division, which focuses on building community and forging new relationships across differences by emphasizing shared values. The Tree of Life Center for Humanity draws inspiration for its mission from the communal response to the October 27, 2018, attack in which Pittsburghers of all backgrounds rallied together around the Jewish community in Squirrel Hill.

“Our shared humanity is paramount to everything our organization does,” said Michael Bernstein, chairman of The Tree of Life Center for Humanity board of directors. “The Tree of Life Center for Humanity will open its doors to thousands of students, families and people of good moral conscience, equipping them to uproot antisemitism by remembering those taken from us and building relationships across difference to repair our world.”

Construction on the Daniel Libeskind-designed memorial and building is underway. The building will house a first-of-its-kind museum that traces the history of antisemitism in America and tells the story of October 27, 2018, and the community’s powerful unified response against hate. The Tree of Life Congregation, one of the three congregations impacted by the attack, will also return to the space when it reopens.

To date, more than $51.5 million has been raised to rebuild and reimagine The Tree of Life from donors in Pittsburgh and across the country, including the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Henry Hillman Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, the PNC Foundation, and the Ford Foundation. The project has also received funding through federal grants secured by the Pennsylvania congressional delegation and through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP).

In addition to the building, the funds raised will support the establishment of a museum and robust programming, including the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh and LIGHT Initiative, as well as seed operations costs and program reserves to ensure the institution’s long-term financial stability and health. The funds raised also support the creation of the 10/27 Memorial.

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