Teddy bears are a common gift for any age or event, but for the Pitt community, teddy bears represent Holocaust survivor and educator Shulamit Bastacky, and her overwhelming kindness and passion to help others. Bastacky passed away Jan. 1 at 79.

A procession of Pitt community members dressed in black marched from from Trees Hall to the Bigelow Lawn Wednesday night. The mourning colors were worn not just to remember one death, but millions. Pitt’s...