A gift of love
Islanders came together with an outpouring of love and compassion with the creation of a Tree of Life quilt in response to the October 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
Textile artist and psychotherapist Susan Schrott reached out to community members and Shelter Island School students, who gathered to write messages of “love, hope and healing” on the quilt’s leaves.
“As you can imagine this has been the most meaningful piece of art I have ever created,” Ms. Schrott said in a journal she kept on the project.
The 77” by 53” quilt was made with fabric hand-dyed by Ms. Schrott, who free-motion quilted the piece throughout the winter, including 11 branches and birds, each representing an individual victim. Numerous leaves with messages from students adorn the tree, featuring a Star of David at its center with calligraphy done by Ms. Schrott’s husband, Jonathan. The Hebrew letters say: May you be protected and blessed with kindness and grace and may you know peace.
