Dina Rayzberg is a Jewish community member who moved to Pittsburgh in 1997 to raise her family. In this episode, Dina recounts her experiences growing up Jewish in the Soviet Union, where the practice of Judaism was strictly forbidden, and her subsequent migration to the United States, where she became an active member of the Jewish community. Dina’s perspectives on Jewish life, antisemitism, and the synagogue shooting are shaped by the strong repression of Judaism in her childhood and the vibrant Jewish life she cultivated in Pittsburgh as an adult.

This episode is adapted from an oral history interview conducted by Noah Schoen with Dina Rayzberg on December 7th, 2019 for the Meanings of October 27th oral history project. The full, unedited interview will be made available soon at The October 27 Archive website, which is managed by the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center.

To learn more or to donate to help us create more episodes like this one, visit october27podcast.org

Nina Butler is a prominent member of the Pittsburgh Jewish community and volunteer with several organizations that responded to the October 27th, 2018 synagogue shooting. In this episode, she traces her early life path: her adoption of observant Judaism, move to Pittsburgh after marriage, and the birth of her children, several of whom have developmental disabilities. Nina’s response to the synagogue shooting was shaped by her personal connection to Cecil and David Rosenthal, her role on the chevra kadisha, and her emphasis on the many acts of chesed that followed the violent attack.

This episode is adapted from an oral history interview conducted by Noah Schoen with Nina Butler on December 5th, 2019 for the Meanings of October 27th oral history project. You can listen to the full unedited interview at The October 27 Archive website, which is managed by the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center: https://october27archive.org/profiles/nina-butler

To learn more or to donate to help us create more episodes like this one, visit october27podcast.org

Michelle Kenney is the mother of Antwon Rose II, a 17-year-old who was shot and killed by a policeman on June 19, 2018. In this episode, Michelle recounts her upbringing in a steel town just outside Pittsburgh as the child of an interracial marriage with Black Christian and White Jewish family members. Her experience of the synagogue shooting was deeply shaped by the murder of her son just four months prior.

This episode is adapted from an oral history interview conducted by Aliza Becker with Michelle Kenney on November 16th, 2021 for the Meanings of October 27th oral history project.

To learn more or to donate to help us create more episodes like this one, visit october27podcast.org