2nd Gentleman Doug Emhoff To Appear At Tree Of Life Groundbreaking

PITTSBURGH, PA — Second gentleman Doug Emhoff will attend Sunday's groundbreaking for the new campus of the Tree of Life synagogue, where 11 people were murdered in 2018 in the worst antisemitic attack in the nation's history.

Emhoff, who is Jewish, will speak at the event, the White House said.

A portion of the building that sits at the intersection of Shady and Wilkins avenues has been preserved while a new adjacent building is constructed. That process should take about two years.

When the new Tree of Life building is completed, it will house the synagogue, a museum and memorial. It will host a collection of national education programs, outreach initiatives and events. Those programs will be curated for local, national, and international audiences who can participate in person or virtually.

Emhoff has devoted much of his time as the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris to fighting antisemitism.

He has participated in the White House’s development of the first national strategy to combat antisemitism. He also has made an increasing number of public appearances after last year's Hamas attack on Israel that left more than 1,100 Israelis and triggered a larger Middle East war.