Pittsburgh Deli Receives Orders From Around World to Feed Families of Shooting Victims
by Shiryn Ghermezian
A kosher deli in Pittsburgh has been receiving orders from across the globe to send platters of food to those mourning the 11 victims of the Oct. 27 massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue, The Wall Street Journal reported last week.
Murray Avenue Kosher — located a few blocks away from the site of the shooting — has had people calling from places such as London and Wisconsin asking the small shop, which has been in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood for about 50 years, to feed the families and the staff at the funeral home handling services. One such order was for even cold cuts to feed 60 people, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Lila Weiss, co-owner of Murray Avenue Kosher, said, “It’s a busy time and a sad time.” She recalled Rose Mallinger, 97, one of the shooting victims, coming into the shop with her daughter, who was injured in the shooting, and Weiss was good friends with 71-year-old Dan Stein, another victim of the shooting, and his family.
AJay Herskowitz, who has worked behind the deli counter at Murray Avenue Kosher for four decades, knew some of the shooting victims. He said, “Behind the deli counter, you meet everyone. Some became close friends. The more stories I hear, the more it hurts.”
Milky Way, a kosher vegetarian restaurant down the street from the deli, has also sent meals to crews cleaning the Tree of Life synagogue and a group of grief counselors, according to the report.
The 11 victims of the shooting were all buried last week: four funerals were held on Tuesday, three on Wednesday, three on Thursday and one on Friday.