(Jewish Group) Amid horrific testimonies, Pittsburgh Jews hold each other up

The testimonies were harrowing.

A 911 dispatcher recalled the moment she understood the woman on the other end of the line could no longer answer because she was dead. An older synagogue member described fleeing into a dark storage closet stacked with folding chairs and card tables. And a rabbi cried as he relayed how he hid in a bathroom and uttered the central Jewish prayer, the Shema, believing he was about to die.

Week One of the trial against Robert Bowers, the man accused of killing 11 worshippers in the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, reopened old wounds and resurfaced painful memories, and not only among the dozen or so people who testified this week.

“I’m hearing a lot of vicarious and secondary trauma,” said Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, set up to provide counseling and connection to people affected by the Oct. 27 massacre.

Feinstein has attended each day of the trial along with one or two of her associates to offer support to anyone who needs it.

more...