Police tape is seen in front of the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, after the October 2018 shooting attack there. Photo: Reuters / Alan Freed.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has announced a $6.6 million grant for the rebuilding of Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue, where eleven worshippers were murdered by a neo-Nazi gunman during Shabbat services on Oct. 27, 2018.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Wolf said that the purpose of the funding was to “transform the site of the worst antisemitic attack in US history into a new place of hope, remembrance, and education.”

“Following the tragedy that occurred here, Pennsylvanians came together in solidarity to support the Tree of Life and the other congregations,” Wolf added. “I am proud to join you by providing this state funding to the Tree of Life’s efforts to remember and rebuild here and create a place for residents and visitors from around the world to reflect, learn, and grow.”

Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers — who ushered several people at the synagogue to safety as the massacre unfolded — also spoke at the news conference, affirming that the grant would provide “an opportunity to collectively renew our resolve to fight antisemitism and bigotry of all kinds, as we continue our journey of healing.”

“We are tremendously thankful to Governor Wolf for this significant and generous investment in our effort to establish a new and reimagined space that serves not only our congregation but all of Tree of Life’s neighbors and the broader community,” Myers said.

Tree of Life’s “REMEMBER, REBUILD, RENEW” project will create spaces for worship and education as well as to commemorate those who lost their lives in the tragedy. A new home for the exhibitions and public programs of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh is also part of the renovation scheme.