President’s team seeks Rabbi Skoff’s input before visiting Pittsburgh

ALYSSA SCHMITT | STAFF REPORTER aschmitt@cjn.org | @AlyssaSchmitCJN

Before President Donald J. Trump paid a solemn visit to those grieving in Pittsburgh in the wake of a shooting at Tree of Life Congregation, an advance team for the president planning the visit called a Cleveland rabbi for advice.

Rabbi Joshua Skoff, senior rabbi at Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike, received the call Oct. 29. The team wanted to know if the plans they had to honor the victims were appropriate.

The team talked with Skoff about laying down 11 flowers, one for each of the victims. Skoff said that was OK, but also suggested they lay down 11 pebbles.

“I said it might be nice to lay 11 stones down there,” Skoff said. “Clearly, you don’t do that until the (headstone) is laid down, but it shows he’s aware that now there will be 11 funerals because of these 11 deaths.”

CNN reported Oct. 30 Trump placed small stones taken from the White House grounds on 11 Star of David markers planted outside Tree of Life Congregation in Squirrel Hill, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

Why exactly Skoff was called for advice, he couldn’t answer.

“It’s one of the mysteries of the White House,” he said.