A Conversation with Michael Bernstein, Remember.Rebuild.Renew
Michael Bernstein is Chair of the Committee responsible for the Remember.Rebuild.Renew campaign to rebuild Tree of Life into an international institution dedicated to ending Antisemitism through education, engagement and action.
Michael is a Managing Partner of Woodland Management, his family’s investment and family office which Michael has led since 2015. Prior to Woodland Management, Michael served as CEO of Polyconcept, a leading global supplier of Promotional Merchandise. Michael holds a BA in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin and a JD from the University of Pittsburgh.
What first motivated you to become involved in the Tree of Life nonprofit organization?
The synagogue shooting was profoundly impactful for me and for my family, and I felt and continue to feel a compelling need to act. When I learned that Daniel Liebskind was going to be the architect and that the project would be focused on addressing antisemitism and hate-fueled violence, that hit a hot button for me. I agreed that I would serve on a committee of the new 501c3 that they aspired to set up, and at the first meeting I was nominated as the chair. And here I am, roughly eight months later, with a full-time job I didn’t ever anticipate I would have.
I’ve lived in Pittsburgh for all of my life, apart from college and professionally relocating for only about a year. I’ve also been engaging in antisemitism education through my work on the board of Classrooms without Borders. When I went on my first trip with them to Poland in the summer of 2016 with my second child, we walked in Majdenek in the footsteps of the survivor, Howard Chandler, and I was devastated by the horror. I connected it to when I’d been to Yad Vashem and when I’d studied the patterns and the horror of what happened. I felt like my country was heading down a similar path. So much is different between now and then, but this notion of othering, building hate and divisive rhetoric and antisemitism was familiar. Antisemitism feels closest to home for me as a Jew, and I feel we as Jews have an obligation to fight it. It doesn’t mean it is worse or better than any other form of hate-fueled violence, but antisemitism animates and is the root of many other forms of hate. I believe if we can successfully end antisemitism, which is our vision, if we can dismantle it and defang it, it will help reduce other forms of oppression.
What are the big ambitions of this project, beyond rebuilding the synagogue, that interest you?
A pure regional or local building project in this case would not succeed. Very few cities anywhere need a new synagogue, let alone an expensive one. I think for us to have long-term sustainability we need to be a meaningful new voice in the networks that are trying to fight the good fight against antisemitism, hate fueled violence and identity-based violence.
Unfortunately, Tree of Life has resonance. For many people around the world it symbolized and solidified that things were changing in our country. I think that gives us an opportunity to do something and be part of a dialogue because we hold that authenticity. There are very few places in the world where you can physically go to where a site of such a tragedy occurred and learn about it. We want to truly be an impactful change agent, not just for Pittsburgh, but nationally and internationally. That’s an ambitious goal, and it can be hard for people to envision what that means and what that looks like, and I think it can be uncomfortable. For many, they just want their synagogue back, so we’re trying to ensure people also have their synagogue forever.
How do you envision Tree of Life being a change agent?
I think there are three elements to helping people become UPstanders, or people who refuse to be bystanders to injustice. The first is bringing awareness of the issue to people. Secondly, how do you inspire them? Once they’re aware, how do we get them to the point where they think “Wow, I actually want to do something about this”? And then once they’re inspired, how do you prepare them to act? Whether they are Jewish or non-Jewish, I think the issue is universal. Traditionally I think these kinds of institutions are focused on education, but not enough on outcomes. We’re very focused on the action and in the activation. The museum that will be on site will certainly tell the story, but the intention is that people will leave the Tree of Life either having done something or be beginning to do something about antisemitism and injustice.
I think we are trying to build a new, iconic Jewish institution. I think we’ll be a wonderful bookend to the Jewish Community Center in terms of what we represent for the Pittsburgh and Jewish community. As a Daniel Liebeskind design, it’s going to be an iconic building and will draw people to Pittsburgh, which in my mind only reinforces the importance and strength of the history of our community and Jewish community. It should be a beacon for young Jews around the country to think about Pittsburgh as maybe the place they want to be. It will be symbolic of a healthy Jewish community in a vibrant city. I do feel part of what we’re trying to do is amplify the importance of the historic Jewish community in Pittsburgh, to the region and to the world.
How do you envision this institution serving the local community when it someday opens?
When this institution opens it is intended to be part of the community. We’ll probably have a café, and we’ll be offering programming that will be welcoming and inviting, whether it’s a film series, speaker series or hosting lifecycle events. Squirrel Hill is a walking community—I imagine saying to friends “let’s meet at Tree of Life.” It should be a source of pride. In order to build this our support is going to be much broader than the Pittsburgh Jewish community, it’s going to be the global community. The support from the non-Jewish community should make us feel as Jews in Squirrel Hill like people care about us, and that we should in turn care about others as well.
The hallmark of this design is the path of light, the centerpiece of the architecture for the project. It is meant to be a source of renewal. Yes, we’re dealing with a heavy topic, but the project is meant to reinforce the resilience of Jewish life in Squirrel Hill and the health of our community. The tragedy is a part of it, but it’s not only about the tragedy. It’s about the response of our broader community to the tragedy as well. How do we help build a more loving, welcoming, resilient community in and of itself? That’s what this building is going to try and do.
In eight years from now, I want to feel that the leadership and the people that make up the Tree of Life community have a strong, meaningful voice. When I think of my role in the future, I imagine myself excited by the film series or events coming up, paying my membership dues, and that Tree of Life is every bit a part of my day-to-day life in Pittsburgh as any of the other institutions I currently use. I’d like to think that if my kids are still living in Pittsburgh, maybe they go to a Saturday service or a Friday night Shabbat with their own kids. The idea is to redefine what a Center for Jewish Life does, much like the JCC has done. At the Tree of Life I think we can help blend the secular and spiritual aspects of Jewish life.
Tree of Life is about recognizing a sense of place and belonging. I think having Jewish institutions in a neighborhood recognizes that the people who live there are important, valued, and part of the community. I’d like it to be an example for others. I fear for and worry about the other minority communities in Squirrel Hill, including the Asian American community. I worry about what they’re going to be facing and the way our country is evolving. I’m hoping that what we do with Tree of Life is welcoming to those communities, and they identify with and see that it represents more than our Jewish values. Having strong Jewish institutions that are open to non-Jews in a community demonstrates the health of a vibrant mixed community.