A representative from Pittsburgh Public Schools confirmed that the plaque was recently noted as missing, but it remains unclear when it was taken from the school grounds.
Alan Mallinger, reflecting on the Tree of Life memorial located on the Allderdice campus, expressed his sorrow at the absence of the plaque.
The plaque honored his mother, Rose Mallinger, along with the other 10 victims of the tragic event that occurred on October 27, 2018. The victims included Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil and David Rosenthal, Bernice and Sylvan Simon, Dan Stein, Melvin Wax, and Irving Younger.
Tree of Life memorial plaque outside Pittsburgh Allderdice missing https://t.co/sOvapmvo9F
— WPXI (@WPXI) October 16, 2024
This memorial was established by the boys’ basketball team during that school year, who also planted 11 trees on the school grounds in remembrance of those who perished.
The attack on the synagogue is recognized as the deadliest antisemitic assault in U.S. history.
“It was heartening for the community to see the students support the memorial at Tree of Life,” Mallinger remarked.
A spokesperson from Pittsburgh Public Schools indicated they are uncertain when the theft occurred and noted that “a review of security footage has not yielded any clues or identified possible suspects.”
“I genuinely hope that whoever took the plaque will return it,” Mallinger said. “Let’s hope that nothing like this occurs again in the future.”
Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to reach out to either the school district or the federation.
