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Issue #4 Published Biweekly October 31, 2019 2 Cheshvan, 5780
forefront of their minds. As we mark one year since what is perhaps the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in the history of the United States, in which a congregation was instantly transformed into a combat zone, the question is, now what? Where do things stand one year later? According to the AntiDefamation League (ADL), American Jews continue to face significant threats one year after the attack. Since the deadly shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, at least twelve white supremacists have been
W
hen a gunman armed with an assault rifle and several handguns entered the Tree of Life - Or L’Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh at 9:50 a.m. on Saturday, October 27, 2018, and began shooting while shouting anti-Semitic slurs, the lives of countless people changed forever. For the families of the eleven congregants who tragically lost their lives on that fateful day, the pain is still palpable. For the worshipers and law enforcement personnel who sustained serious injuries, the memory of what happened is still fresh. For
(credit: AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) anyone who has ever prayed in a synagogue or other House of
A Gift of Life: My Personal Journey See ad on page 42
November 1, 2019 3 Cheshvan, 5780 Parshat Noach Candle Lighting: 5:41 pm
Reflecting on the Pittsburgh Attack One Year Later
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CANDLE LIGHTING
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n April 4, 2019, I listened to a voice message on my phone that said, “Good afternoon, this is Chaim Steinmetz of Renewal calling. We were wondering if kidney donation is still in the cards for you these days and if it is of interest, we do have a good match for you. If you could please call me back...” I was stunned after hearing that message and it took awhile to regain my composure to fully comprehend what was being asked. I had not thought about
donating my kidney since a year before when I attended a Renewal information session that was given in the hopes of finding a match for my husband’s good friend’s wife, Ilene Lechtzin. I had never heard of Renewal until my friend, Gevura Davis, informed me that she was organizing an event to have them come to Lower Merion in April 2018. The objective of the event was to educate people about Renewal’s mission and swab anyone interested in learning if
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Worship, the realization of what happened in Pittsburgh is at the
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Politz Day School of Cherry Hill Breaks Ground on New Gymnasium Expansion Project By PJL Staff
T
he day after Yom Kippur, construction vehicles rolled onto the campus of Politz Day School of Cherry Hill, thereby signaling the beginning of a long-awaited expansion project. The centerpiece of the project is the construction of a new gymnasium, which the students have been dreaming about for years. Ever since Politz opened the doors to its new facility
in 2004, it planned to add the gym. However, challenges abounded throughout the years, and classes graduated
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