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The deadliest act of antisemitism on American soil is remembered in a new exhibit
(New York Jewish Week) — At first glance, the prayer book is one that’s found at countless Conservative synagogues across the country: Siddur Sim Shalom, which was published in 1985 by the Rabbinical Assembly.
But the chewed-up appearance of the book’s left corner tells a different story: This siddur was grazed by a bullet during the Oct. 27, 2018 mass shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue. That day, 11 Jewish worshippers from three congregations were killed during prayer services — the deadliest act of antisemitism on American soil.
The book is one of 22 objects on view at a new exhibition at the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. The exhibit chronicles the long history of American antisemitism before and after Pittsburgh, from the 1915 lynching of Leo Frank, a Jew who was wrongly convicted of murder, to the firebombing last June at a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, where at least seven people were injured and one later died.
“Lessons from the Tree of Life: Lighting the Path Forward” is part of a series of exhibits, events and installations at the museum marking three terrible anniversaries: the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, the Oct. 7 invasion of Israel by Hamas and Kristallnacht, the Nazi-led pogrom of Nov. 9, 1938.
“We decided that at this point in time that [an exhibit on Pittsburgh] would be an important thing to do,” Jack Kliger, CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage told the New York Jewish Week. “And, obviously, the events going on both here and around the world are so timely, and important in a very elemental way. [It’s] a time for us to have hope.”
He added, “But we cannot have hope without remembering and understanding who we are, where we came from, and the history of the events, particularly in the 20th century.”
The Pittsburgh exhibit was created by the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Tree of Life — a new memorial that’s rising at the site of the Pittsburgh shooting — and the Rauh Jewish History Program and Archives at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.
Other items on view include a hand-painted commemorative plate with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ logo, a Star of David and the phrase “stronger than hate”; a painting of children’s television star and Pittsburgh native Fred Rogers, in tears in front of the Tree of Life logo; and notes written on miniature ribbon scrolls, penned by members of Temple Beth Orr in Coral Gables, Florida — a synagogue whose community was deeply affected by the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
The exhibit opened on Sunday, Oct. 5, which is also the day that many Jews around the world commemorated the second anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 invasion of Israel. (This year, Oct. 7 falls on the first day of the festival holiday of Sukkot, and many Jewish institutions — including the museum — will be closed.) “Lessons from the Tree of Life” will be on view in New York through Nov. 9 — the 87th anniversary of Kristallnacht, when Nazi-led mobs torched synagogues, looted Jewish-owned shops and arrested Jews.
The confluence of all three harrowing anniversaries means it’s a busy time for the museum. As such, a parallel exhibit also opened on Sunday: “Maintaining Memory,” a reflection space where visitors are invited to a rotunda where a ner tamid (eternal flame) in the shape of a menorah, crafted in Romania in 1930, is lit.
“All of this is designed to remember and honor those who were lost as well as those who survived,” Kliger added, referring to the victims of Oct. 7, the Tree of Life shooting and Kristallnacht. “And the story of survival is very important in all three instances.”
The exhibits are part of “a commemorative series of events and installations in the museum,” said Kliger. Such events include three days of Oct. 7-related programming, including a screening of the film “Torn,” about the battle over the “Kidnapped” posters on New York City’s streets, and a conversation about uprooting antisemitism with Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs,; Atlantic writer Yair Rosenberg, and Carole Zawatsky, CEO of the Tree of Life museum.
“We’ve always committed ourselves to covering 20th century Jewish life before, during and since the Holocaust,“ Kliger said. “The Holocaust was not a meteor that hit the Earth by itself. It happened in the context of events that happened before, and sadly, events that continue to happen, but that we continue to fight to make sure that ‘never again’ has a meaning.”
For more information about the exhibits and events at The Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust (36 Battery Place), click here.
The post The deadliest act of antisemitism on American soil is remembered in a new exhibit appeared first on The Forward.
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US Strikes More Than 90 Iranian Military Targets on Kharg Island, CENTCOM Says
A satellite image shows an oil terminal at Kharg Island, Iran, February 25, 2026. Photo: 2026 Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS
United States forces executed a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island in Iran on Friday night, the US Central Command said on Saturday.
“US forces successfully struck more than 90 Iranian military targets on Kharg Island, while preserving the oil infrastructure,” CENTCOM said.
The strike destroyed naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers, and multiple other military sites, the US military said in a post on X.
President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to strike the oil infrastructure of Iran’s Kharg Island hub, unless Tehran stopped attacking vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
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North Korea Fires Ten Ballistic Missiles Toward the Sea of Japan
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and wife Ri Sol Ju inspect an honour guard before leaving Pyongyang for a visit to China, this January 7, 2019 photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang January 8, 2019. Photo: KCNA via REUTERS.
i24 News – North Korea fired roughly ten ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Saturday, the South Korean military reported, marking a new act of defiance amid Seoul and Washington’s annual joint military exercises.
The launches, originating from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, were detected around 1:20 p.m. local time, according to a statement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The missiles were directed toward the East Sea—the Korean name for the Sea of Japan—though details on their range or trajectory were not immediately available. Earlier, the South Korean Ministry of Defense had already confirmed the launch of at least one unidentified projectile in the same area.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense also verified the incident, noting that a suspected ballistic missile had been launched from North Korea.
The launches come amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Since Monday, the United States and South Korea have been conducting their annual joint exercises, which will continue through March 19 and involve approximately 18,000 South Korean troops alongside an unspecified number of U.S. forces.
Pyongyang has sharply criticized the drills, calling them a rehearsal for invasion. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned this week that the exercises could trigger “terrible and unimaginable consequences.”
The missile tests also coincide with fading prospects for inter-Korean dialogue. Kim Jong-un recently dismissed outreach efforts from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, labeling Seoul “the most hostile enemy.”
The show of force occurred just hours after South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, during a visit to the United States, mentioned a potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un—a meeting Washington still considers possible.
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Dutch Authorities Investigate Explosion at Jewish School Claimed by Extremist Group
Police outside a Jewish school following an explosion that caused minor damages, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, March 14, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
i24 News – An explosion struck a Jewish school on Zeelandstraat in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert during the night between Friday and Saturday, Dutch authorities confirmed. Emergency responders, including police and firefighters, acted swiftly, and officials reported that the building suffered only limited damage. No injuries have been reported.
Mayor Femke Halsema described the incident as a deliberate attack against the Jewish community in the city, emphasizing that the authorities are treating the case “very seriously.” Security camera footage showing the individual who detonated the device is under investigation.
In an unverified online video, previously little-known group identifying itself as Ashab Al Yamim later claimed responsibility for the blast. The group released online footage appearing to show the small explosion followed by a fire outside the school. Its logo was also seen in videos related to an attack on a synagogue in Rotterdam earlier this week.
Dutch investigators are coordinating with the judiciary to determine the full circumstances of the attack and whether additional suspects were involved. Authorities noted that the organization had not been previously known to security services.
The explosion comes amid rising security concerns for Jewish institutions across Europe, following heightened tensions in the Middle East. The group behind the claim has also alleged responsibility for previous incidents targeting Jewish sites in Europe, including attacks in Liège, Belgium, and Rotterdam, though these claims remain unverified.
Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centers across the continent have stepped up security measures in recent weeks amid fears of potential threats to Jewish communities.