When I Cry, I Cry For My Mother

Featured guest:
Andrea Wedner, Tree of Life Congregation Survivor

September 27, 2024

On October 27, 2018 the deadliest attack on any Jewish community in the United States occurred at the Tree of Life Congregation of Pittsburgh during Shabbat morning services.

Shortly after starting the prayer session a hate filled anti-semite entered the Tree of Life building and killed eleven people and wounded two congregants and subsequently four members of law enforcement.

Andrea Wedner, a survivor of the synagogue massacre, recalled in her testimony during the trial that Sabbath services had started just five minutes earlier when she heard a loud bang, followed by rapid gunfire, coming from the lobby.

In that moment, her mom, Rose Mallinger, sitting next to her in the Pervin Chapel inside the Tree of Life Synagogue, asked “What do we do?” Andrea whispered “We need to get down” as they sought refuge under the pew. After the gunman methodically moved through the building, he made his way back to the chapel and started firing, where Andrea, who at that point made eye contact with the gunman, was wounded from the assault and realized that her 97-year-old mother had been shot.

Andrea was on the phone with 911 when she and her mother were shot, and that horrific call was played to the jury. Even as she lay injured, Andrea was able to check her mom’s pulse and realized Rose would not survive.  Pittsburgh SWAT by that time had breached the building looking for victims and possible survivors and found a severely injured Andrea and escorted her to safety. But before leaving Andrea kissed her fingers, touched her mother’s skin and cried out “Mommy.” She needed to step over another victim on her way out, and saw other victims who had been killed on the stairway.

Andrea was the sole survivor of those shot in that section of the building. In this video, Andrea shares her traumatic and heart wrenching story in hopes of turning hate to hope, as she fights against the rise of antisemitism.