Rabbi David Kaplan never met Rose Mallinger, but he keeps her photo at Congregation Ohav Zedek in Wilkes-Barre.
Mallinger, 97, was the oldest of 11 people killed in the Oct. 27, 2018 shootings at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue.
“Every single day I look at it, so I don’t forget,” said Kaplan, who had photos of all the victims printed for display at his own congregation.
“It changed my life and the lives of my community,” Kaplan said of the shootings, which were the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. “We feel very vulnerable.”
On Monday night, Kaplan had the opportunity to meet Mallinger’s children following a public screening of "Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life," a documentary about how greater Pittsburgh united after the shooting to support members of the region’s Jewish community.
WVIA sponsored Monday’s presentation at the Friedman Jewish Community Center in Kingston. Another free public screening is set for 6:30 p.m. this evening at the Scranton Jewish Community Center.
The film, which was directed by Patrice O’Neill, also will be broadcast at 9:30 p.m. this Thursday, April 11, on WVIA-TV.
Mallinger’s sons, Alan and Stanley Mallinger, attended Monday’s screening with their sister Andrea Wedner, who was wounded in the attack that took their mother’s life; and Andrea’s husband, Ron Wedner. They were joined for a post-screening panel discussion by Rabbi Larry Kaplan from Temple Israel of Wilkes-Barre.
The family helps keep their mother’s memory alive by speaking to audiences at screenings of the documentary, particularly with school groups.
“It’s very healing for me. I am happy to share my story and talk about my mother,” Andrea Wedner said. “I want the world to know who Rose Mallinger was. She was more than just a 97-year-old woman who was murdered at the Tree of Life. She was a wonderful woman, a wonderful mother, grandmother, great-grandmother.”
These appearances have become a calling for Mallinger’s family.
“After the shooting, it seemed like most of the families or people involved got into some kind of movement, whether it be voter registration, or gun legislation. Ours has morphed into talking to students, trying to get them to fight bigotry and anti-semitism, and racism, and get them on the right path,” Ron Wedner said.
“We want to educate people, especially young people,” Andrea Wedner added.
Family members said that students have asked thoughtful questions and expressed an interest in starting “Eradicate Hate” clubs at their own schools.
“We see these kids, and how affected they are after watching the film,” Andrea Wedner said. “It’s real for them. They’re seeing the actual people that this happened to. They get very personal with us.”
While Monday’s audience was made up of adults, the emotional impact was no less powerful.
Shelly Farber, who drove from his home in Albrightsville to watch the film, said it reminded him about the challenges of being Jewish in Pennsylvania, especially in rural communities, where it is easy to feel isolated.
“The state now has its third Jewish governor, even as many states have never had even one,” the Carbon County resident said. But that contrasts with the Tree of Life attack, which created a sense of fear for Jews across the Commonwealth.
“I just feel being Jewish in Pennsylvania we have to continue to work against hate,” Farber added.
Rabbi David Kaplan said the insecurity created for Jewish people in the wake of the Tree of Life attacks has only intensified since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel last fall, and the war that has followed.
“We feel even less secure now, given the outrageous behavior all around the world towards Jews – irrespective of their support for Israel,” Kaplan said.
“I have been shocked and dismayed by the vitriol, but on the other hand, we found love and friends where we didn’t know we have love and friends,” he added.
Loving one another is the message Rose Mallinger’s family remains dedicated to spreading.
“She was such a kind person. She loved everybody. She made friends with everybody. She cared for people,” Andrea Wedner said of her mother. “She wanted to make the world a better place, and I think she would be pleased that we are trying to do that.”
What their mother’s message to the world would be?
“Why can’t people just be nice to each other,” Alan Mallinger suggested.
“She would want to have them all over for dinner,” Stanley Mallinger added.
