SENATE MATTERS: Tragedy and Triumph

Words cannot convey the hurt we feel after the tragedy this past weekend at Tree of Life Congregation in Squirrel Hill. They cannot do justice to the pain of our community.

But words can help us heal. The words we write, the words we use to teach, and the words we use to make our city and our world a better place, these are powerful.

Our lives at the University of Pittsburgh and those of the community in Squirrel Hill are joined in innumerable, intimate ways. As faculty and staff, we live there, we raise our children there, we have history there, and it is our community, whether we are of the Jewish faith or not. We will not let that sense of community go; we will hold it close and provide comfort.

This hate will not change who we are and what we do; we will intensify our positive contributions. We will continue as we have always done, to teach the youth of this city to be thoughtful, engaged and caring citizens. In this way, we will change the hate.

Written by Robin Kear, vice president of the University Senate, on behalf of the Senate officers and staff — Chris Bonneau, president; Cindy Tananis, secretary; Frank Wilson, immediate past president; and Lori Molinaro, director of the Office of the University Senate.