Middle School students at The Davis Academy launched an initiative, “Sending Love to Pittsburgh”, in response to the tragedy that occurred at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Eager to show support for the Squirrel Hill Community, the students set a goal to collect and send 11,000 paper hearts (one thousand for each victim who perished during the tragedy). Each heart has messages of love, hope, healing, and strength and was created by our immediate and extended communities.
After launching the initiative, students received an overwhelming response both locally and as far as California, collecting hearts from families, friends as well as organizations ranging from synagogues, schools, churches, book clubs, and more, who were touched by the tragedy and inspired to show support. As the initiative is gaining momentum students continue to strive toward their goal of 11,000 hearts by November 27th, which is thirty days following the tragic event, coinciding with Judaism’s traditional thirty days of mourning.
When asked how they hope these hearts will affect the Squirrel Hill Community, Jewish Life Leaders responded as a group that: “After the recent tragedy, it’s important to come together and show our support. We hope that our efforts will help lift the Squirrel Hill Community’s spirits, make them feel safe and comfortable, and remind them that they have support in the world around them.”
At The Davis Academy, we encourage students to live by the school’s five core values: wisdom, spirit, respect, community, and righteousness. In both good times and amidst tragedy, these values guide student as they show compassion and support in our immediate community and in the world around us.
If you are interested in “Sending Love to Pittsburgh” email Rabbi Micah Lapidus, Director of Jewish and Hebrew Studies at The Davis Academy at mlapidus@davisacademy.org for more information. The Davis Academy will supply hearts, or participants are welcomed to create hearts of their own. You can see a few heart and message examples in the photos accompanying this press release as well as at the end of this lyric video, At the Heart, A Tree of Life, which is a song written by Rabbi Micah Lapidus that makes a connection between the heart and the tree of life. All completed hearts can be sent to the following address:
Sending Love to Pittsburgh
8343 Roswell Road, #344
Atlanta, GA 30350
