One year later, the pain remains.

On Oct. 27, 2018, a gunman killed 11 people during a Saturday morning worship service at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood.

Some of the victims had ties to Butler County.

One of them, Rose Mallinger, 97, was a friend of Michal Gray-Schaffer, cantor at the Congregation B’nai Abraham Synagogue on Butler’s North Main Street.

“She had a lot of life left,” Gray-Schaffer said. “I still tear up when I think of her. We were just so fond of one another.”

Lauren Mallinger spoke about her mother-in-law, who was known throughout her neighborhood as “Bubbie.”

“She loved her synagogue, her community and her family, She was the mayor of our street. All the kids knew her. Everyone knew her.”

A year after the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history, the synagogue remains closed.

“For sure, the Jewish community has changed,” Eric Ackland, owner of a bookstore in Squirrel Hill told The Wall Street Journal.

“Everyone’s just more guarded, more wary.”

Area Jewish organizations plan to mark the anniversary Sunday with community service events, Torah study and a public memorial service. No public events are planned in Butler.

But the tragedy has made its impact here, too. It has changed our way of life, our sense of security.

Jack Cohen, president of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau and founder of the Cranberry Jewish Community group, was familiar with many of the victims.

“What have we learned? Nothing,” Cohen said. “We see this happen time after time after time, and all we do is argue about why it happened.”

He said many have looked to leaders to correct the situation, and still nothing has been accomplished.

“If this is how we live now, we have to reconcile that in our minds,” Cohen said. “It’s devastating to families, the community and country.”

Gray-Schaffer agrees that the hatred and violent tendencies that cause mass shootings must be addressed.

“It doesn’t seem like a lot has changed as far as people learning to respect one another’s differences,” she said. “I’d like to see — from the top down — respect for human beings’ differences. The differences are beautiful.”

Mass shootings, unfortunately, are commonplace today. We are starting to become numb to the carnage.

Let’s fight to keep our humanity and compassion — not letting hate or indifference win.

If a mass shooting occurs and the number of deaths rolls across the bottom of your TV screen, remember that these are people — not just numbers — taken from their mothers, fathers, children and friends too soon.

— JGG