The Empire State Building And Eiffel Tower Go Dark To Honor Pittsburgh Synagogue Victims

Dimming of the lights on the Eiffel Tower on Sunday night Image by Getty Images

By Jenny Singer October 29, 2018

Dark days, recently.

Two of the world’s greatest landmarks went dark to pay homage to the victims of the Pittsburgh shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue on Saturday.

In Paris on Sunday night, the lights of the Eiffel Tower were gradually dimmed and then turned off in honor of the 11 victims of the Shabbat morning shooting.

In Manhattan on the same night, the lights on the iconic Empire State Building were darkened. The building emitted a faint orange halo in a nod to the color that represents gun violence prevention. Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, tweeted that the decision surrounding the tower was made to “honor the victims of the anti-Semitic attack.”

In sympathy for the victims of the attack in Pittsburgh, our tower lights will go dark tonight. Our mast will display an orange halo shining a light on gun violence awareness.

?: @isardasorensen pic.twitter.com/ulKFNUTl60

— Empire State Bldg (@EmpireStateBldg) October 28, 2018

On a wall of Jerusalem’s Old City, a light projection gave tribute to Pittsburgh’s Jews:

People walk past a projection on the Old City wall in Jerusalem, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018 in a commemoration of the victims of a deadly shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. https://t.co/cIZIbqME25 pic.twitter.com/kIKmfoaV7U

— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 28, 2018

Intentionally or not, the darkening and light effects in each tribute echo the Jewish mourning customs of kindling a light during the period of shiva, the initial seven days of bereavement. The significance of light, darkness, and candles are paramount in Jewish mourning.

Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

Jenny Singer is a freelance writer with pieces in Vox, the Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, Teen Vogue, and more. She was previously a staff writer at Glamour and the Forward, and she’s currently getting an MFA in nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa.

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