This article was republished with permission from the St. Louis Jewish Light.
A documentary about resilience in the face of antisemitic violence, which is streaming this month on PBS, offers a close look at the local response to the 2018 massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.
“Repairing the World: Stories From the Tree of Life,” directed by Oakland documentary filmmaker Patrice O’Neill, examines the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. Eleven Jews died in the mass shooting during Shabbat services.
The documentary, which has previously screened in the Bay Area, focuses on the survivors, families and community leaders who grappled with grief, accountability and how to move forward together.
The film follows the months and years after the attack, documenting how the Jewish community and the broader city came together in ways that reshaped relationships across faith and civic lines.
“Our stories are not about hate,” O’Neill said. “They’re about communities who stand together.”
“Repairing the World” is part of the long-running “Not In Our Town” series, a nationally recognized body of work documenting how communities confront acts of bias and violence, founded by O’Neill. The project began with a 1995 broadcast on PBS about Billings, Montana, where residents responded to antisemitic attacks by placing paper menorahs in their windows. That moment helped spark a nationwide anti-hate movement that continues in communities across the country, including Northern California.
That storytelling philosophy guided O’Neill and her film team’s work in Pittsburgh.
“There is inherent drama in how we care for each other,” she said. “Filmmaking can be lazy if it only relies on violence.”
The documentary captures interfaith gatherings, public memorials and difficult conversations about antisemitism and responsibility. It also shows how support extended far beyond Pittsburgh, including those who traveled from across the country to stand with the Jewish community during moments of mourning and remembrance.
O’Neill said those moments made clear that the impact of antisemitic violence is never confined to one place.
A central message of the film is that antisemitism and other forms of hate are most effectively addressed when communities find ways to build genuine connections.
Since the film’s original release, the context surrounding it has shifted. O’Neill acknowledged that the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent global developments have changed how general audiences react to stories about antisemitism.
“There’s been less interest since Oct. 7,” she said. “And that’s distressing.”
Still, she points to a hopeful outcome. Tens of thousands of students have seen the film through school screenings and youth summits, leading to the creation of anti-hate clubs and student-led initiatives focused on community response.
For O’Neill, the goal of the film remains unchanged.
“We want people to see themselves in this story,” she said. “And to understand that each of us has a role to play.”