The International Mayors Conference, a yearly event hosted by the American Jewish Congress and the American Council for World Jewry, brings selected mayors from cities around the world to Israel for a week. The purpose of the conference is to provide an opportunity for city leaders to learn from one another and in particular from the growing Israeli tech companies who are on the forefront of tech science. The mayors, who traveled together in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, visited dignitaries, important historical sites and organizations in order to discuss the importance of creating sustainable and secure cities. This conference also provided an opportunity for Mayor Peduto to honor the 11 victims of the October 2018 massacre at Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill by visiting a memorial in Jerusalem for his slain constituents and planting an olive tree in their memory.