Mr Hertzman, who used to worship at the synagogue attacked and knew two of the dead, said: "We've certainly seen that anti-Semitism is on the rise across the US. I don't know if it's increased in Pittsburgh or we're just more aware of that."<doc-sep>The deadly shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue on Saturday placed Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood on high alert as officials sought to secure the area. It also placed this Jewish enclave at the center of the nation's attention. Squirrel Hill is the Jewish hub of Pittsburgh with more than 50 percent of Greater Pittsburgh’s Jewish community living in or around the neighborhood, said Jeff Finkelstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. "It's a high concentration of the Jewish community," he said. "It makes it very special, actually." The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition describes it as a once-bustling business district turned "affluent city neighborhood." The coalition boasts nearly a dozen synagogues, ranging from orthodox to conservative, as well as some Jewish religious private schools. It was also once home to Fred Rogers, better known as Mr. Rogers and host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Mr. Rogers "chose to die at his Squirrel Hill home," the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported in his obituary. People from the area like to boast of Rogers' residency, reported the Post-Gazette's Peter Smith. "Local boosters, in between hyping such things as convenient bus lines and an array of solid private and public schools, like to point out that Squirrel Hill was the real-life Fred “Mister” Rogers’ neighborhood," he wrote. Pittsburgh:Robert Bowers, 46, is the suspect in 'horrific' synagogue shooting Shooting suspect::Accused shooter Robert Bowers made anti-semitic comments during attack Rogers indeed was a neighbor, including to students of nearby Carnegie Mellon University, also in Squirrel Hill. Junlei Li, now co-director of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media, described the aura of Rogers in Squirrel Hill while he was a student at Carnegie Mellon. "There was a lot of folklore. My classmates would tell me stories of walking home to Squirrel Hill and running into 'Mister Rogers.' He would always talk with students and was so interested in who we were," Li told the university's media relations department in March. Some watching the events in Pittsburgh made the connection to Rogers. For the New York Times' Bari Weiss, it brought to mind one of Rogers' more famous quotes often repeated during tragic events. Follow Sean Rossman on Twitter: @SeanRossman<doc-sep>The Jewish congregants were there to celebrate life, but were met by death. Most never had a chance. Just before 10 a.m. Saturday, suspected gunman Robert Bowers, 46, burst into the Tree of Life Congregation Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh and, yelling "All Jews must die," killed 11 before himself being wounded and taken into custody. The list of those killed Saturday included middle-aged brothers, an elderly husband and wife and a grandmother nearing 100. All were cherished members of a tight-knit Jewish community with deep roots in Pittsburgh history. Many of them had gathered for a naming ceremony, which marks the beginning of a baby's journey in the Jewish faith. Some arrived on this traditionally holy day, the sabbath, simply to worship, study and pray. All wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. On Sunday, Pittsburgh chief medical examiner Karl Williams read the names of the dead. "The families are in shock and grieving, please be respectful of their needs, their time and space as they deal with this tragedy," he said. Those killed were Daniel Stein, 71; Joyce Feinberg, 75; Richard Gottfried, 65; Rose Mallinger, 97; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; brothers Cecil Rosenthal, 59, and David Rosenthal 54; husband and wife Bernice Simon, 84 and Sylvan Simon, 86; Melvin Wax, 88; and Irving Younger, 69. 'Infectious' laugh and gentle spirit The Rosenthal brothers, Cecil and David, were long-time members of the Tree of Life synagogue, according to J.E. Reich, who grew up in the neighborhood the brothers called home. Reich said the brothers were developmentally disabled and lived together. The two had Fragile X syndrome, a genetic disorder that often results in mild to moderate intellectual disability. Cecil Rosenthal loved to greet people at the door of the synagogue before services “not out of obligation, but out of joy,” said Reich, a reporter who has written for online websites such as Jezebel. Reich tweeted that due to the ongoing police investigation, which has involved cordoning off part of the cemetery at Tree of Life, all burials may be delayed. "This is heartbreaking: the map for the cemetery plots where the victims will be interred is still in Tree of Life Synagogue – still cordoned off as a crime scene – which might delay their burials," Reich wrote. "Synagogue admin is hoping that an FBI agent will be able to get the plot plan for them." Achieva, an area organization that helps the developmentally disabled, put out a statement Sunday that said both brothers had a deep love of community and life. “If they were here, they would tell you that is where they were supposed to be,” said Chris Schopf, Achieva's vice president of residential supports. “Cecil’s laugh was infectious," Schopf added. "David was so kind and had such a gentle spirit. Together, they looked out for one another. They were inseparable. Most of all, they were kind, good people with a strong faith and respect for everyone around.” Sylvan Simon, 86, and his wife, Bernice, 84, lived in Wilkinsburg, about six miles from Tree of Life. One of their sons, Martin, died in a motorcycle accident in 2010. Bernice Simon was a retired nurse who served for several years on the board of their townhouse community, according to Simon Reichbaum, who lived three doors down from the couple for more than two decades. “They were very nice people, I could not think of a bad word to say about them,” said Reichbaum, who described Bernice Sylvan as his “comrade-in-arms” on the townhouse board. She “wanted to do right for others,” Reichbaum said. Reichman said Sylvan Simon, who was also retired, liked to take walks around the neighborhood. He always exchanged a wave and a friendly hello. In 2008, Sylvan Simon was quoted in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article about the popularity of the Nintendo Wii video game among senior citizens. The shooting “has struck us all very hard,” said Reichbaum, 74, whose children attended Hebrew school at Tree of Life when they were young. “I can’t even put it into words.” A 'basic goodness about him' Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, was a family doctor in Pittsburgh, where he shared a practice with Kenneth Ciesielka. Jerry and his wife Miri were devoted members of Dor Hadash, which is housed at the Tree of Life Synagogue, and he had served as past president of the Jewish reconstructionist congregation, friends said. As a kid, Rabinowitz attended Maple Avenue School in Newark, New Jersey, from grade school through middle school. Mark Sarver, who met Rabinowitz in grade school and later served as the best man in his wedding, said his best friend “never took my friendship for granted.” As a boy, "Jerry was a small version of the adult self that he became," said Sarver of Washington, D.C. "He was studious but brilliant. He was earnest but fun loving. He just had this basic goodness about him.” Rabinowitz earned bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in the 1970s and moved to Pittsburgh around 1980. Known for his signature bowtie and delightful bedside manner, Rabinowitz earned a reputation for faithfully tending to the needs of his patients, friends and family. “He was extremely caring (and) would always put everyone else’s needs before his own,” said Avishai Ostrin, his nephew, who spoke with USA TODAY from his home in Israel. “It was always about everyone else.” More:What is Gab, the fringe social network used by Pittsburgh shooting suspect? More:Design based on Steelers helmet honors synagogue dead Ostrin said his uncle was "just really, really funny, outgoing (with a) great, loud laugh. Always a smile on his face, always lending a hand.” Years ago, when Sarver’s mother had surgery in Pittsburgh, Rabinowitz made special arrangements to make sure his family was cared for. “We both knew that we were friends to the end, no matter what,” Sarver said. “We could talk about anything and everything.” Richard Gottfried, 65, not only was a longtime dentist, but was an avid golfer, runner and book lover. As an athlete, boasting on his website that he had completed 28 of one of Pittsburgh's biggest 10K events, the annual Great Race, according to the biography on his website. He practiced dentistry with his wife of 38 years, Margaret Duranchko. On Sunday, their practice’s answering machine said: "Our office is closed indefinitely due to the tragic death of our beloved Dr. Rich." Though he was a member of the Tree of Life synagogue, he and his wife volunteered their skills as dentists for the Catholic Charities Free Dental Clinic. Also as a couple, they were wedding counselors at St. Athanasius Catholic Church in the suburb of West View, where Duranchko is a parishioner. Their practice is also in West View. Gottfried had an undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh and received his dental degree there as well in 1980, the same year he married Durachko. Melvin Wax, 88, was a kind, simple man with a well-known presence in the synagogue, said Bill Cartiff, 56, who has been friends with Wax’s daughter for 30 years. The retired accountant went to the Tree of Life Synagogue three to four times a week and lived in Squirrel Hill. Although hard of hearing, Wax was in good health, ate well and didn’t even need a walker, said Cartiff. He also told jokes, was “with it” mentally and could hold good conversations. His daughter Jodi Kart, whom Cartiff is neighbors with in the South Hills, saw her father several times a week. One grandchild also survives Wax, whose wife died two years ago. Wax’s family will meet with the Jewish funeral home Monday, and the funeral will probably take place Tuesday or Wednesday, Cartiff said. “Yesterday was a day of waiting and stressful anticipation of what was happening and getting the official news, which we didn’t get until late in the day after dark,” Cartiff, 56, told USA TODAY. “Today is just a day to let the dust settle, meet with some family and make arrangements. Because the funeral home couldn’t meet with us until tomorrow, we’re kind of in limbo.” All of those who died leave behind grieving family and friends.<doc-sep>
PITTSBURGH — The streets of Squirrel Hill, slick with rain and fallen leaves, felt eerily quiet on Sunday morning as Elias Aizenman, 59, walked his dog, Leo. One day earlier, just blocks from Aizenman's home here, a gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue and killed three women and eight men before being taken into custody by police. Tree of Life is where Aizenman's daughter had her bat mitzvah ceremony, and it's at the heart of this historically Jewish community, which is home to University of Pittsburgh faculty members and a judge. Still, he said he wasn't shocked to learn that a shooting had happened. "It didn't take me by surprise," Aizenman said. "I sort of was expecting something like this. I just wasn't expecting it here just because of the nature of the community." As Aizenman walked Leo past signs that read in English, Arabic and Spanish, "No matter where you are from, we're glad you're our neighbor," the Allegheny County medical examiner publicly read aloud the names of the congregation members who were killed Saturday. Two brothers and a married couple were among those fatally shot after authorities say Robert Bowers went on a rampage during a weekly service on Saturday. The 11 victims were 54 to 97 years old, authorities said at a news conference. Dr. Karl Williams, the chief medical examiner, said autopsies had begun, but he wouldn't give a time frame on how long they would take to complete. Federal charges released Saturday night said Bowers, who was being treated for gunshot wounds at a hospital, took four firearms into the synagogue: three Glock handguns and semi-automatic rifle. Authorities said he used all four weapons. At Waffalonia, a waffle restaurant in Squirrel Hill, Cody Murphy, 17, who helped organize a vigil on Saturday, was thinking of Jewish holidays to come. "On Hanukkah, we're all going to be thinking about it and, on Passover, we're all going to be thinking about it," she said. "It's never going to go away, and a lot of kids in this community are going to be scared to go to services." Adults in the community, where Fred Rogers of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" once lived, also echoed the fear of returning to synagogues in the community. "What are we going to do when we go to synagogue next? That fear ripples through your mind," said Dennis Jett, 73, a former U.S. ambassador to Peru and Mozambique who has lived in this neighborhood for six years. Jett likened the feeling in the community to the atmosphere after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "I know what that feels like, and the idea that that feeling could be here in this neighborhood is unthinkable," he said. On most Sundays in Squirrel Hill, people watch football and root for the Steelers, Aizenman said. But this Sunday was different. "I guess people are staying home," he said. Officials said that Bowers is believed to have acted alone and that there was no additional threat. "He will be held fully accountable," U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said at the news conference. Authorities said Sunday that they were treating the attack as a hate crime and that Bowers had mentioned his hatred for Jews. FBI Special Agent Robert Jones said it remained unclear why the gunman chose the Tree of Life synagogue and whether he had scoped out the premises before launching his attack. Jones said Bowers appeared to be trying to leave when officers arrived on Saturday. He added that if Bowers had made it out of the synagogue, there was a strong possibility there would have been more violence. Jones said he expected the crime scene investigation to take as long as a week to process. Jeff Finkelstein, chief executive of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, said three congregations hold services at the synagogue, but he couldn't say how many were meeting on Saturday. Authorities said victims were found in different locations within the synagogue. Phil McCausland reported from Pittsburgh. Kalhan Rosenblatt reported from New York. Saphora Smith reported from London.