Metro Preservation Central PA center to house memories of Jewish life there
Page 4
JANUARY 26, 2012 SHEVAT 2, 5772
Vol. 55, No. 37
Pittsburgh, PA
Giffords resigns from Congress
$1.50
Byman: Israeli counterterrorism a series of adjustments BY LEE CHOTTINER Executive Editor
we do,” he said. “We have a unique opportunity to do something creative and courageous.” Recently, Rodef Shalom has reached out to Temple Sinai and Congregation Beth Shalom in Squirrel Hill to consider partnerships in education. Bisno hopes to present a proposal for such initiatives to the board of trustees by March, at the latest. These initiatives must not undermine the congregation’s identity and turn it into “a one-stop behemoth,” he cautioned. “We need to figure out what we need to accomplish.”
Daniel Byman believes Israel must defend itself from terrorism, but it must also learn from its mistakes. And there have been mistakes. “I believe terrorism is horrible — not just wrong, but horrible. And I believe Israel has not only a right but an obligation to fight back,” Byman, an expert in counterterrorism, said in a Chronicle interview. “But that doesn’t mean Israel always does the right thing. “Israel is a government. Like any other government, it is subject to political pressure; it is human beings making mistakes. Israeli intelligence is superb … but it’s fallible as well,” he continued. “Israel, I think, is actually often not so good on the strategic level. It’s very good in making day-to-day decisions but often some of its long-term decisions have backfired.” A professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a senior fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, Byman is out with his new book, “A High Price: The Triumphs & Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism.” In it, he tracks the evolution of terrorism in the Arab-Israeli conflict since the British mandate, with an emphasis on the 1990s to the present. He analyzes what has worked and what hasn’t. He spoke here last week as a guest of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh. In his book, Byman prefers to address day-to-day acts of terrorism, such as bombings and rocket attacks, and the counter-measures employed by Israel. These types of terrorism are harder for Israel to deal with than the high-profile hijackings and hostage takings of the
Please see Rodef Shalom, page 15.
Please see Byman, page 15.
Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), seen here on the campaign trail with her husband, U.S. Navy Capt. Mark E. Kelly, resigned from Congress this week after a final appearance on the floor of the House of Representatives Tuesday for President Obama’s State of the Union Address. Giffords was shot in the head Jan. 8, 2011, at a public appearance in Tucson. She says she needs to resign to focus on her recovery.
Rodef Shalom ponders tough issues at town meeting BY RON KAPLAN Chronicle Correspondent
A fixture in Jewish Pittsburgh for more than 150 years, Rodef Shalom Congregation has a storied past. But, according to its clerical and lay leadership, it must make serious changes to secure its future. At a Jan. 19 town meeting, Rodef Shalom’s senior rabbi, Aaron Bisno, and its president, Don Simon, laid out the challenges facing the largest congregation in western Pennsylvania, and their strategies for addressing them. Bisno said that Rodef Shalom must con-
sider changes to nearly every aspect of its operation. This must be done, he said, by pooling resources with neighboring congregations for youth education, religious services and administrative functions. “We can’t go it alone. We have an obligation to pursue [collaboration],” Bisno said. Bisno, who traveled across the country last winter while on sabbatical, visited many congregations and learned firsthand that Rodef Shalom’s problems aren’t unique. His sabbatical also exposed him to many creative approaches to deal with these vexing challenges. “We need to re-examine everything
B USINES S 12/C L AS SIFIED 11/C OMMUNITY 10 O BITUARIES 14/O PINION 6/R EAL E STATE 13/S IMCHAS 8
Times To Remember
KINDLE SABBATH CANDLES: 5:13 p.m. EST. SABBATH ENDS: 6:15 p.m. EST.