Students remember Tree of Life victims, place lanterns at 11 benches in their honor

PITTSBURGH — Students at Pittsburgh Greenfield school came together Friday to remember the 11 lives lost in the Tree of Life synagogue shooting.

>>STORY: Police officers injured in Tree of Life shooting issue statements, express gratitude

Sunday marks one year since the tragedy, and in the time since, the school has dedicated benches to each victim. Those benches were lined up on a field during Friday’s commemoration ceremony and a lantern was placed at each one.

Students placing lanterns on memorial benches for each victim who lost their life during the Tree of Life mass shooting last year. @WPXI pic.twitter.com/HStlhtu8hl
— Mike Holden (@WPXIMikeHolden) October 25, 2019

Family members of some of the victims attended the ceremony, during which the name of each victim was read as a bell was rung.

“The real thing that keeps me remembering them is that, as a community, it was a tragedy that happened to all of us,” Ari Case, a seventh-grade student, said.

Families overcome with emotion as students place lanterns on benches of their late loved ones. #TreeOfLife pic.twitter.com/rS0FyiwJUt
— Mike Holden (@WPXIMikeHolden) October 25, 2019

Standing together against hate, the students sang “Be The Light” and showed how light can shine through darkness and tragedy.

“Kindness needs to be contagious,” Pat Gallagher, a teacher at Pittsburgh Greenfield, said. “We’re teaching kids now, as kindergarteners all the way up to eighth grade here at Greenfield School … hopefully teaching them how to do this now and send them this message through something bad that happened. Hopefully, it will change the world.”

“Be a lamp, a lifeboat, a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” @WPXI pic.twitter.com/WtVRuYaA4F
— Mike Holden (@WPXIMikeHolden) October 25, 2019