Vigil: Hundreds fill the streets outside a Pittsburgh Jewish Community Center for a vigil.

PITTSBURGH – Hundreds of people filled the streets outside the Jewish Community Center in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood Saturday night at a candle-light vigil for victims of Saturday’s synagogue shooting.

Teary-eyed people embraced as others sang hymns.

State Rep. Dan Frankel, who has served the Squirrel Hill district for more than 20 years, said he was not surprised by the large showing of solidarity at the evening vigil, which was organized by young members of the community.

“Squirrel Hill is a diverse community that embraces tolerance with a passion,” he said.

The vigil followed a shooting that left 11 people dead and six injured Saturday morning at the conservative Jewish Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill. Police arrested Robert Bowers, 46, in the shooting.

Frankel described the day’s events as “unfathomable.”

“It was a horrific day. It was a day that you can’t even begin to imagine,” he said.

But Frankel said he is hopeful his community will heal.

“The Jewish community and Jews know how to deal with tragedy,” he said. “We have a sense of resilience.”

Rabbi Amy Bardack was attending services at nearby Beth Shalom synagogue when she heard about the shooting.

“Everybody was whispering,” she said about the possibility of a nearby shooting as the synagogue was put on partial lockdown.

“It’s tragic. It’s surreal,” she added. Bardack described Squirrel Hill as a vibrant, tight-knit community.

Bardack and other faith leaders were at the Jewish Community Center throughout the day as a “headquarter” for the whole community to gather and mourn. Nearby stores donated food, she said.

The center and a nearby school recently had active-shooter drills, she said. Anti-Semitic acts had taken place before, but not anything that caused physical harm to people, she added.

“October 27th will forever be a line in the sand of before and after,” Bardack said.

“The Jewish community and Jews know how to deal with tragedy.” Dan Frankel Pennsylvania state representative