Pittsburgh leaders on resilience after trauma

Leaders of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh shared crucial lessons for Australian Jewish community organisations navigating recovery after the Bondi Beach terrorist attack when speaking to Launchpad alumni at JewishCare NSW last week.

Federation CEO Jeff Finkelstein, who led the Pittsburgh community’s response after the Tree of Life shooting killed 11 people in 2018, emphasised the importance of decisive leadership in crisis.

“Delegate, trust, and take risks with the right heart behind it,” Finkelstein said. “You can clean it up later. Don’t let process get in the way of doing what needs to be done.”

Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, outlined three types of trauma affecting communities: primary (those directly affected), secondary (those who witnessed it), and vicarious (those who feel they could have been targeted).

“People living in California who never visited Pittsburgh still experienced trauma because they could picture themselves at that synagogue,” Feinstein said.

A critical finding from Pittsburgh was the mental health toll on community professionals. A study of 350 Jewish professionals showed alarming rates of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and suicidal ideation — comparable to first responders.

“Many staff members thought of themselves as program professionals, not trauma responders,” Feinstein said. “Nobody signed up for this work.”

Finkelstein stressed that recovery is “a marathon, not a sprint,” and that communities must anticipate a “disillusionment phase” where initial unity fractures as organisations navigate competing priorities and budgets.

“It’s normal,” Feinstein said. “The key is staying in conversation, because solutions only come when we’re talking.”

Both speakers emphasised that workplaces must function as “places of healing, not just places of doing,” and that reconnecting staff to gratifying aspects of their work is essential to preventing burnout and disorder.

Finkelstein highlighted the importance of relationships built before crisis. “Build relationships not because you have an intention of what you need them for — just build them. You never know when they’ll be critical.”

The Pittsburgh leaders also described a “concentric circles” or “onion” model of community support, where all members have a place and responsibility to both give and receive support.

“This is how you create meaningful community,” Feinstein said.