10 January 10 • 2019
jn

F

or a period
of 10 days in
December,
Jewish Community
Center staff from
around North
America filled in
as JResponders to
provide the JCC of
Greater Pittsburgh
with an opportunity for respite and
healing with their families after the
devastating attack on the Tree of Life
Synagogue in Squirrel Hill. I had the
opportunity to go to the JCC and work
in a variety of positions and serve as a
JResponder on one of these days.
When I received the email asking for
volunteers to go to the JCC of Greater
Pittsburgh, I didn’
t even think twice
about it. I have always been involved
in community service and have loved
helping others no matter who it is
or the circumstances. I had no idea
what job I would be assigned or who
I would be working with, but I knew
I wanted to be part of the healing
process for Pittsburgh and the JCC
community.
In this fast-paced world where we
are all under pressure to think and act
quickly, it can be incredibly difficult
to slow ourselves down. I wanted to
take time to breathe and really take
in the experience from every aspect; I
had no idea how beneficial my trip to
Pittsburgh would be for me.
Never having been directly affect-
ed by a tragedy similar to the mass
shooting at the Tree of Life, I expected
to see a crippled community with
memorials to those who lost their lives
everywhere and people struggling to
cope. I expected to see tears and a lack
of energy in the building; my expecta-
tions couldn’
t have been further from
the truth.
As I walked into the JCC of Greater
Pittsburgh on a very cold Friday morn-
ing, I was greeted by smiling faces,
children headed up to preschool, and
an unexpected hustle and bustle every
which way I looked. I had the oppor-
tunity to spend the day with many of
the staff at the JCC to assist staff in
any way they needed. In that time, I

learned how their department and
community responded firsthand after
the hateful tragedy and got to know
many of them on a personal level. I
was mindful of what I said to ensure I
didn’
t upset anyone, not realizing how
much healing had already taken place.
The more people I talked to, staff
and JCC members, the more I began
noticing an enormous sense of pride
in their community. They all held
their heads high, acknowledged what
happened, and indirectly made it very
clear they are a tremendously resilient
community who with the support of
their friends, family and community,
can and will overcome anything. It was
clear to me that I was exactly where I
was meant to be.
Rather than seeing a story on the
news or reading an article, I was able
to be present in that moment, look the
staff and community members in their
eyes and feel what they were feeling
and see healing right in front of my
eyes. I couldn’
t have asked for anything
more genuine.
I also had the opportunity to visit
the Tree of Life after my shift at the
JCC. As I drove up to it, the building
was dark and locked up. Standing in
front of the memorials of those who
lost their lives on the day of the shoot-
ing, it felt dark.
Adjacent to the memorials were
dozens and dozens of Post-It notes the
community had written and put up on
the wall next to the front doors. People
had written notes from all over the
world, several from Israel.
Two notes in particular stood out
to me. One read, “You are not alone.
”
The other read, “We cannot change
the past, but we can inspire the future.
”
These two notes, similar to many of
the others I read, inspired me to return
to Detroit and share my experiences
with friends, family and coworkers.
No matter the amount of hate that
exists in this world, communities will
always come together and support one
another. ■

Stephanie Zoltowski is the director of special
needs at the JCC of Metro Detroit in West
Bloomfield.

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