The leaders of two houses of worship — hundreds of miles apart but bonded by attacks of hate — will hold an online discussion Wednesday night focused on racism, hate speech and understanding.

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, of Pittsburgh’s congregation Tree of Life – Or L’Simcha, was inside the Squirrel Hill synagogue in October 2018 when a man with an AR-15 style rifle and anti-Semitic ideas opened fire, killing 11 among the three congregations inside.

The Rev. Eric Manning, of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., began leading the congregation in June 2016 – a year after a white man set on sparking a race war killed nine black parishioners.

The Facebook Live event – “Racism: A Conversation Between Friends” – will be a “chat about racism between two new friends,” according to a release from Tree of Life.

“We can’t easily erase 400 years of racism in the United States,” Myers said. “But it is through listening and hearing from important African American leaders that we will know what steps are to be taken.”

Manning traveled to Pittsburgh in the aftermath of the massacre at the synagogue, which was home to the congregations Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light. He wanted to be there, he told the Tribune-Review days after the shooting. He referred to himself and Myers as “kindred spirits.”

The hour-long talk – not open to outside participants – will be streamed and recorded on Tree of Life’s Facebook page at facebook.com/treeoflifepgh

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