Squirrel Hill Stands Hosts Storytelling Workshop, 10/27 Days of Service Event

This past Sunday Squirrel Hill Stands partnered with CeaseFirePA to host a workshop on how to tell your story in the service of passing stronger gun laws. Video producer and storyteller Rick Weiss of Trident TV joined us. We learned how to tell an effective and persuasive story, how to place our stories in the context of the larger gun violence epidemic and with whom we need to share our stories. Special thanks to Repair the World Pittsburgh and the 10.27 Healing Partnership.

You can find the slide deck here:

Read more in the Jewish Chronicle:

Some event photos here:

See Rick's work:

The Clergy Council hosts a Vigil to End the Slaughter of Our Children.

On Thursday, the Clergy Council of Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence hosted a prayer vigil to end the slaughter of our children. The event was held at the Jeron X Grayson Center and opened with a welcome and opening prayer from Rev. Glenn Grayson. The event included moving testimony from multiple speakers including Rabbi Jonathan Pearlman, Rev. Eileen Smith, Dr. Toya Jones, Terrel Thomas, and Tia Baker. Carolyn Ban lit memorial candles and the names of the victims of gun violence in Allegheny County in 2023 were read by Sister Sarah Crotty, Reverend John Welch, Rabbi Doris Dyen, and Carolyn Ban. Bishop Michael Golphin gave the call to action and closing prayer. Music was provided by the Deliverance Baptist Choir. We are grateful to all of the speakers and to those who attended.

You can watch the event here.

You can see coverage of the event here, here, and here.

Squirrel Hill Stands Hosts: The Challenge of Passing Gun Safety Legislation

Thanks to all who came out to join us on Wednesday. We hosted State Representative Arvind Venkat and Moms Demand Action state legislative lead, Hadley Haas for a program focusing on the Common Agenda to end gun violence. These four extremely important bills have made it through the state house Judiciary Committee and second passage (where amendments are added) and will be up for FINAL PASSAGE in the state house at the end of the month. The bills are:

HB 338 - Mandatory reporting of lost & stolen guns

HB 714 - Universal background checks for all firearms purchases

HB 731 - Safe storage of firearms

HB 1018 - Establishing extreme risk protection orders (red flag laws)

We rolled out our action plan for moving these bills forward. To participate by calling your legislator or phone banking to constituents of on the fence legislators, click here. To help by writing a letter to the editor, click here.

You can also help out by sharing the media coverage from the event. See below. And keep scrolling down for event photos.

Four gun safety bills could pass PA House in late May, head to Senate At the end of May, the Pennsylvania House will have a final vote on four pieces of gun safety legislation.

Squirrel Hill group pushing for stricter gun laws meets with State Representative By Pete DeLuca, WPXI-TV May 10, 2023 at 11:16 pm EDT

State Rep. Arvind Venkat, left, and Policy Director Dana Kellerman of Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence address an audience at the anti-gun-violence group's event at Congregation Rodef Shalom in Squirrel Hill North on May 10, 2023. The slide show reflected the proximity in time of the trial of the accused shooter in a 2018 massacre that killed 11 worshipers of other Squirrel Hill congregations. (Photo by Matt Petras/PublicSource)

The Challenges of Passing Gun Safety Legislation w/ Rep. Arvind Venkat May 10, 2023