When unspeakable tragedy struck Mister Rogers’ neighborhood on that rainy Saturday morning in October 2018, it was the immediate outpouring of love that Rabbi Ron Symons recalled as an embrace for the healing process.
Symons wants to pay that compassion forward to the ‘Burgh’s neighbors in Uvalde, Texas — through teddy bears and books.
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh’s Center for Loving Kindness, in partnership with the 10.27 Healing Partnership in Squirrel Hill, is seeking donations of new stuffed animals and books for children of the town in Texas that experienced a similar unspeakable tragedy on Tuesday.
“Minutes after the Tree of Life shooting, the Jewish Community Center became the center of community response,” said Symons, founding director of the JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness. “People flooded here to find out information and bring food, to seek comfort, and to comfort others.”
He said in the midst of pain for Texas, he and his team decided to do something. They created “Build a Hug,” a drive to collect bears and elementary-level books that will be sent to the Herby Ham Activity Center in Uvalde.
Drop off sites and hours can be found here.
The Texas center is similar to the JCC in that it offers some of the same types of programming and is a resource for children who’ve been traumatized by the horrific shooting at Robb Elementary School in which 19 children and two adults were killed. The center’s Project Grace provides a safe space for children experiencing trauma.
“These children and families need comfort,” said Symons, who was listening to CNN on his drive to work Wednesday. He heard about a blood drive at the Herby Ham Activity Center, just a few miles away from the school. He reached out to its director, who was grateful for the support, he said.
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Symons recalled that as days and months and years go by, some people will forget. But those who lived through it, never will.
He said he heard a teen on the radio from Newtown, Conn., site of another horrific school shooting 10 years ago, who was about to enter college talk about having to sleep with the light on and pillows around her, often being startled awake in the middle of the night.
She was about to enter college and looking to connect with a roommate but realized her being scared from that school shooting might affect her future living situation.
“She is afraid,” Symons said.
Core values: Love and support
Symons said showing love and support for a community experiencing pain is at the core of the values of the Center for Loving Kindness.
It was established in 2016 with the goal of redefining the word “neighbor” from a geographic term to a moral concept, Symons said. Collaborating with 10.27 Healing Partnership, an organization that provides support for those impacted by the Tree of Life attack and other hate-induced traumas, Pittsburgh understands the heartache in Uvalde and across the world.
So it’s important in times like these to stand with a fellow community center that will act as a place of healing for the people of Uvalde, he said.
“These bears and books are important because when there are books, children climb on a parents lap,” Symons said. “They read together, embracing and feeling loved. They snuggle. These kids need snuggling.”
