The Jewish Chronicle February 9, 2012

Style Hooray for Hollywood Tinsel Town rediscovers Israel

Page 10

february 9, 2012 SHEVAT 15, 5772

Vol. 55, No. 39

Pittsburgh, PA

Komen criticized

$1.50

Beth Shalom, Rodef Shalom rabbis call for cooperation in ‘white paper’

BY LEE CHOTTINER Executive Editor

Chronicle photo by Lee Chottiner

Nancy Brinker, founder and CEO of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, addressed the 2011 Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) Biennial convention on Dec. 15. Brinker has since weathered attacks from Jewish women for Komen’s decision to cut, then restore, funding for Planned Parenthood

Jewish women react as Komen defunds, funds Planned Parenthood

BY TOBY TABACHNICK Staff Writer

Jewish supporters of the Susan G. Komen Foundation were left dismayed and wary last week after the organization announced its plan to pull the plug on funding to Planned Parenthood, then quickly reversed its decision following massive protests.

Those protests poured in to the self-described “global leader of the breast cancer movement” through online petitions, phone calls and posts on social networks.

Its initial decision to cut off Planned Parenthood was seen as an effort to avoid

problems with some of its donors. Planned Parenthood is currently under a congressional investigation, launched by U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), for allegedly using government money to fund abortions.

Breast cancer research has been a cause widely supported by Jewish women, perhaps, in part, because those of Ashkenazi descent are 10 times more likely than the general population to develop the disease due to a common gene mutation.

Many support Planned Parenthood because it provides education about breast care to low-income women, and connects them to resources to help them get biopsies, ultrasounds, and mammograms.

The Pittsburgh office of the National Council of Jewish Women was “deluged with e-mails and phone calls” from members upset with Komen’s initial decision, said Christine Stone, the NCJW’s state policy advocacy chair in Pennsylvania.

Concerned that Komen is “feeding into a dangerous trend, where women’s health issues — even preventative efforts — are being attached to a political agenda, where anti-choice influences are being used to de-rail these partnerships,” Stone said last week’s controversy has shaken her trust in the organization.

“Now we will just wait and see if Please see Komen, page 19.

The religious leaders of Beth Shalom and Rodef Shalom have drafted an historic “white paper,” which spells out an unprecedented level of cooperation between the two worship communities.

In the white paper, which was drafted by Rabbis Aaron B. Bisno of Rodef Shalom and Michael Werbow of Beth Shalom, the two clergy resolve to “collaborate in common purpose to respond to the new realities” facing their congregations.

They also pledge to “create meaningful Jewish experiences for those individuals and families who identify with our shared communal mores and values.”

Both rabbis say the white paper is not a blueprint for merger.

“This paper Rabbi Werbow and I drafted together for the purpose of [showing] where our thinking overlaps,” Bisno told the Chronicle. He called the paper “a guide to ourselves with regards to what we might imagine we can achieve working in partnership.”

The white paper cites “recent patterns in Jewish demography and affiliation, to say nothing of prevailing current economic realities” as the impetus for the proposal.

“We live in difficult and challenging times, and where the desire to create pluralistic and intellectually honest Jewish communities of vitality and meaning are concerned, we are all in this together,” the white paper states.

“No single congregation is immune from present-day realities, nor can any single congregation solve these challenges alone.

The white paper calls for “collaborative efforts” in the following areas: Please see Cross-pollinating, page 12.

B USINES S 15/C L AS SIFIED 17/C OMMUNITY 12/O BITUARIES 18 O PINION 6/R EAL E STATE 16/S IMCHAS 14/S TYLE 10

Times To Remember

KINDLE SABBATH CANDLES: 5:30 p.m. EST. SABBATH ENDS: 6:31 p.m. EST.

2 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

FEBRUARY 9, 2012

This week’s issue: sepTember 21, 1978

Camp David Accords marked a new start tempered by old fears (Editor’s Note: Retro News is a column that will appear every week as part of the celebration of the Chronicle’s 50th anniversary.)

Front Page The banner headline of the Sept 21, 1978, Jewish Chronicle — or rather the punctuation of that headline — said it all:

“Peace breakthrough!?”

That exclamation point and question mark, printed side-by-side, encapsulated all the hope and skepticism that marked the historic announcement of the Camp David Accords by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and U.S. President Jimmy Carter just days earlier on Sept. 17.

The announcement followed 13 days of cloistered negotiations at the secluded presidential retreat of Camp David, Md. In his front-page news analysis that week, Albert W. Bloom, executive editor of the Chronicle, wrote that the accords marked the beginning of two “socio-political security constellations” — one of

peace, the other of troublemakers.

Bloom reported that some journalists were none too impressed by the accords, which would lead to the signing of the first formal peace treaty between Israel and an Arab state months later on March 26, 1979. He said one reporter referred to the announcement as a “media event.”

In an unusual juxtaposition, the only other story on page 1 that week was a piece about an upcoming Holocaust symposium — a subtle reminder of how much the Israel stood to gain — and lose — by this peace process.

Inside, the Chronicle printed on page 2 the complete text of the statements the three leaders made at the White House following the Camp David summit. On page 4, it had a staff interview with Tamar Avidar-Eldar, the women’s affairs attaché at the Israeli Embassy who attended the White House announcement. She was in Pittsburgh that week for a Pioneer Women conference.

Opinion Even in 1978, Iran was very much in the news. The Chronicle carried a halfpage editorial this week, titled “Iran — on the oiled horns of dilemma,” express-

Iran would be overthrown, replaced by the Islamic republic that today threatens Israel and the world with its nuclear program.

Community

The Sept. 21, 1978, front page.

ing concern that country’s 80,000-strong Jewish community amid the political turmoil theater.

“There is reason for concern and an alert to the plight of the Iranians, both non-Jewish as well as Jewish,” according to the editorial. “Meanwhile, conflicting reports are emanating from Iran on how the internal strife of that oil-vital country affects the Jewish community there.”

It wouldn’t be long before the Shah of

Also this week, Jody Dickman Gluck of Pittsburgh was named Best of Show winner of the Israel Photo Contest, which was sponsored by the 30th Anniversary Committee of the United Jewish Federation.

Shaare Torah announced it would sponsor a discussion titled, “Test Tube Baby — the Jewish Challenge,” at its 33rd annual Pre-Selichos Symposium.

Among the speakers would be Dr. Cyril Wecht, then-Allegheny County Coroner; Dr. Wilfred Finegold, a retired professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pittsburgh; and Rabbi Bernard A. Poupko of Shaare Torah, an executive member of the Rabbinical Council of America. The Chronicle’s Bloom would serve as moderator of the event, and Stanley Greenfield, an attorney, professor of law at Duquesne University and president of Shaare Torah, would deliver the opening remarks.

— COMPILED BY LEE CHOTTINER

(For a more comprehensive look at the Sept. 21, 1978, Chronicle, visit the jewishchronicle.net and click on “archives” at the top of the page. Back issues of the Chronicle are archived by the Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project.)

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012 — 3

METRO Briefly A Jewish teen will be among the recipients at 7th Annual Peace It Together Community Initiative Reception and Peace Partner Awards ceremony, Wednesday, Feb. 22, at the Circuit Center & Ballroom, 5 Hot Metal St., South Side.

Matthew Fidel is being honored in the Youth and Young Adult category for his contributions to the Bridging Matthew Fidel Faiths program, and for his social action work of engaging and integrating teens of different faith and cultural backgrounds.

The other honorees are Dr. Mary Carrasco for her contributions to the prevention and intervention of child abuse and neglect through the establishment of family centers and child advocacy centers in Allegheny County; and the late Fred Rogers for his role as creator and host of “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood.”

In addition, The Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden are being honored for their work towards peace and justice through the Peace Camps that they organize to help children learn themes of respect, caring, and forgiveness though interactive and innovative activities.

The awards are sponsored by the Center for Victims of Violence and Crime (CVVC). WQED/Comcast Newsmakers’ Tonia Caruso will be the emcee.

Contact CVVC at 412-482-3240, ext.

214 or information@cvvc.org for more information.

United Synagogue YouthCentral Region will hold a reunion the weekend of March 23, at Congregation Tifereth Israel, Columbus, Ohio.

The reunion coincides with USY’s 60th anniversary. The weekend is open to all USY alumni and families.

Visit tiferethisrael.org or contact Rabbi Michael Ungar at mungar@tiferethisrael.org or 614-253-8523 to register or for more information.

The Guild of Temple Musicians’ Young Composer’s Award is accepting entrants for its 2013 competition.

The winner receives a $2,500 prize and the winning work will be premiered at the 2013 American Conference of Cantors/Guild of Temple Musicians

annual convention taking place in June of that year in Minneapolis.

The winner also receives travel to the event, a one-year honorary membership in the Guild of Temple Musicians, and submission for possible publication with Transcontinental Music, publisher of Jewish music.

This year’s requested work will be from the Psalms, and it is strongly encouraged that applicants consider how their music will be used in services.

Applicants should consult Mishkan T’filah, the prayer book for the Reform movement, for assistance in how their piece or parts of it could be incorporated into liturgical use.

The competition is open to Jewish composers of any country who are at least 18 years of age as of the submission date and whose birthday falls after Jan. 1, 1977.

Visit the Guild’s website, thegtm.org, for more information.

Campus Superstar, a citywide event celebrating the local musical talent of university students in Pittsburgh within the “American Idol” format, will hold its sixth annual competition, Sunday, April 1, 7 p.m., at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.

Last year, more than 1,800 community members and college students attended to see which one of the 10 finalists would win the $5,000 first prize.

Each year, more than 150 students try out for the opportunity to be one of the 10 selected finalists. Many prior contestants are now featured around the country in musical theater companies as well in shows on Broadway.

This year’s judges are KDKA news anchor Ken Rice, Grammy Award winning jazz vocalist Etta Cox and two former Pittsburghers who are now on Broadway.

Iris Ranier Dart, author of the best-selling novel and Academy Award winning “Beaches,” will be the artist in residence.

Proceeds of Campus Superstar benefit the Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh (hilleljuc.org).

The Jewish Women’s Center of Pittsburgh will hold its annual Tu B’Shevat seder Sunday, Feb. 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Labor Zionist Center, 6328 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill. Rooted in the Kabbalistic tradition, the JWC seder focuses on women, celebrating and comparing their lives to the changing seasons. Included in the seder will be four cups of wine/grape juice, various fruits and nuts, and a chocolate fountain.

There is no charge, but guests are asked to bring a bottle of red or white wine/grape juice. Email debbey_altman_diamant @hotmail.com for reservations.

Please see Briefly, page 5.

4 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012

METRO

Youlus pleads guilty, admits in Torah fraud in federal court

BY TOBY TABACHNICK Staff Writer

Rabbi Menachem Youlus, the Maryland rabbi who has referred to himself as the “Jewish Indiana Jones,” pleaded guilty in Federal District Court in New York last Thursday to mail and wire fraud.

Youlus admitted in open court that he had fabricated tales of rescuing Torahs lost during the Holocaust, and that he had deceived people into paying him large sums of money for the Torahs.

Between 2004 and 2010, the New York Times reported, he admitted to falsely representing to clients that he obtained vintage Torah scrolls “in particular ways, in particular locations — in Europe and Israel,” he told Judge Colleen McMahon.

Each of the two counts of fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, but sentencing guidelines recommend terms of 51 to 63 months. Sentencing has been scheduled for June 21.

Youlus will also be required to pay more that $862,000 in restitution to the victims he defrauded.

Prosecutors said Youlus, 50, sold Torahs with fraudulent histories over a period of six years, and that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars through Save a Torah, a nonprofit organization he helped found in 2004.

Youlus’ false Torah rescue accounts include the story of discovering two Torahs wrapped in Gestapo body bags in a mass grave on a pig farm in Kamenets-Podolsky, Ukraine. Youlus

Menachem Youlus

sold five Torahs purporting to be one of the two he allegedly found on that farm.

Robert Kushner, of Mt. Lebanon, purchased one of those Torahs. Kushner donated that scroll to Beth El Congregation of the South Hills in 2001 in memory of his father, who was born in Kamenets-Podolsky. The scroll, which Beth El’s Rabbi Alex Greenbaum confirmed is kosher, is used regularly at

the congregation’s weekday morning kosher Torah to Beth El in my father’s services. memory. That is the most important While he said he is glad that Youlus thing to me.” was brought to justice, Kushner also notThe state of Maryland began investied that the Orthodox rabbi has brought gating Youlus and Save a Torah in earshame to the Jewish community. ly 2010 at the request of Menachem Z. “The sad part is that not only did he Rosensaft, vice president of the Amerdefraud so many people, but he also ican Gathering of Jewish Holocaust embarrassed the Jewish community,” Survivors and Their Descendants, and Kushner said. “And I think he actually a regular contributor to the Chronicle. really brought disgrace to those who Rosensaft says he hopes the others died in the Holocaust.” involved with Save a Torah will apoloKushner said gize for enthat before he abling Youlus to “...not only did he defraud so purchased the perpetrate his Torah, he did a fraud. many people, but he also “fair amount of “Menachem embarrassed the Jewish due diligence,” Youlus now contacting sevstands exposed community.” eral people who as a matter of Youlus knew law as a charlaRobert Kushner personally, intan who desecluding the late crated the memRabbi Irvin ory of the HoloChinn, of Gemilas Chesed synagogue caust and the sanctity of Torah scrolls in White Oak. Everyone Kushner con- for the sole purpose of enriching himtacted vouched for Youlus’ self,” Rosensaft wrote in a statement integrity. for the Chronicle. “It remains to be “What keeps going around and seen whether his enablers at the Savearound in my mind is the ends to a-Torah Foundation and elsewhere which he went,” Kushner said. “He who defended him long after evidence was a charlatan. Maybe he was a per- of his fraudulent scheme had become son who lived two different lives. It is incontrovertible will offer the Jewish hard to know what made him tick. I’m community and society at large a pubnot sure it was all about money. The lic apology.”

Torahs were not sold well above what they would cost in the marketplace.

What was his motive?”

“It is disappointing that the story he told me is not true,” Kushner added.

(Toby Tabachnick can be reached at “But on the other hand, I did donate a tobyt@thejewishchronicle.net.)

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012 — 5

METRO Briefly Continued from page 3.

The Sisterhood Movie Night series at Rodef Shalom Congregation will end with “The Front,” Sunday Feb. 12.

The dramatic comedy — Oscar-nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, in 1976; directed by Martin Ritt; and starring Woody Allen — looks at a shameful period in Hollywood history, when 300-plus actors, directors, producers and screenwriters were black-

listed by the studios in 1947 for refusing to answer questions of the infamous House Un-American Activities Committee. Only a fraction succeeded in rebuilding their careers.

Ritt, who directed and produced The Front, was on the blacklist, as well as the writer of this film, Walter Bernstein, and actors in the film, including Zero Mostel, Herschel Bernardi, and Anna Marcovicci. Allen plays the part of an unsuspecting loser who agrees to front for some of his TV writer friends until his false persona is challenged by HUAC officials.

The film is free to the. Light refreshments will follow the screening.

Thirty teens took part in Shabbat Beshalach.

Thirty teens from Congregation Emanu-El Israel, Temple David, Temple Emanuel, Temple Ohav Shalom and Temple Sinai joined together for a Shabbat of Social Justice this past week.

After months of planning, the teens met Friday night, Feb 3 — Shabbat Beshalach — at Temple David in Monroeville for a teen-led service followed by teen-led programming.

After a sleepover at Temple David, they left for Braddock in the next morn-

ing to help the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank distribute food from the Produce To People program to 475 people in the Braddock community.

After lunch at Temple Sinai in Squirrel Hill, and a Torah lesson based on the week’s portion, the teens went to the Bethlehem Haven, a women’s shelter, Downtown. The afternoon was spent sorting through household goods for the residents and serving them dinner.

6 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Opinion

The Jewish Chronicle David M. Caoin, CEO EDITORIAL STAFF Lee Chottiner, Executive Editor Angela Leibowicz, Community/ Web Editor Toby Tabachnick, Staff Writer SALES STAFF Susie Mangel, Senior Sales Associate Roberta Letwin, Sales Associate Donna Mink, Classified Sales PRODUCTION STAFF Dawn Wanninger, Production Manager Nancy Bishop Production Artist BUSINESS STAFF Joe Soloski, Comptroller Josh Reisner, Office Manager Marcy Kronzek, Subscriptions BOARD OF TRUSTEES Richard Kitay, President Cindy Goodman-Leib, Vice President Larry Honig, Secretary Andy Schaer, Treasurer Davida Fromm, Past President Carolyn Hess Abraham Brian Balk Daniel Berkowitz Lynn Cullen Milton Eisner Stephen Fienberg Malke Steinfeld Frank David Grubman Thomas Hollander Evan Indianer David Levine Ari Lightman Mitchell Pakler Amy Platt Benjamin Rosenthal Charles Saul Adam Shear Jonathan Wander Lou Weiss Published every Thursday by the Pittsburgh Jewish Publication and Education Foundation 5915 Beacon St., 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-687-1000 FAX: 412-521-0154 E-Mail: newsdesk@thejewishchronicle.net SUBSCRIPTION: $45 in Pennsylvania $47 East of the Mississippi $49 West of the Mississippi and FL NEWSSTAND PRICE $1.50 PER COPY POSTMASTER: Send address change to THE JEWISH CHRONICLE, 5915 BEACON ST., 3rd Floor PITTSBURGH, PA 15217 (PERIODICAL RATE POSTAGE PAID AT PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA) USPS 582-740 Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to the Jewish Chronicle become the property of this publication, which is not responsible for the return or loss of such items.

The Chronicle does not endorse the goods or services advertised in its pages and makes no representation to the kashrut of food products and services in said advertising. The publisher is not liable for damages if, for any reason whatsoever, he fails to publish an advertisement or for any error in an advertisement. Acceptance of advertisers and of ad copy is subject to the publisher’s approval. The Chronicle is not responsible if ads violate applicable laws and the advertiser will indemnify, hold harmless and defend the Chronicle from all claims made by governmental agencies and consumers for any reason based on ads appearing in the Chronicle.

Violence surrounds Israel he Middle East continued its slide into chaos this week.

Hamas and Fatah reached agreement on a new Palestinian unity government to be headed by current P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas until new elections are held later this year.

The United States closed its embassy in Damascus, Syria, amid the deteriorating situation in that country.

Riots continued on the streets of Cairo.

The Obama administration imposed tough new sanctions against Iran’s central bank.

Any of these developments can be viewed as bad news for Israel because any one can lead to fresh outbreaks of violence that reach the Jewish state.

Clearly, the P.A. development is not good news for Israel. Even in the absence of a peace treaty with the Fatahcontrolled West Bank, there were at least talks going on until recently.

But those talks failed, and like the P.A. appeal to the United Nations for recognition, this unity deal is likely an end run around the peace process, designed to force Israel’s hand.

T

That’s a dangerous game to play in that Hamas, which doesn’t accept Israel’s right to exist, stands a good chance of winning the upcoming election. If that happens, Israel faces the prospect of rocket attacks on two fronts.

That’s a predicament we suspect no Israeli government would long tolerate.

Which brings us to Syria. The shuttering of the U.S. embassy, with other Western countries expected to follow suit, isolates Syrian President Bashir Assad, which may seem like cause for celebration. After all, he is the conduit between Iran and its proxy army in Lebanon, Hezbollah, with Iranian weapons shipped through Syria to Hezbollah fighters. An end to Assad would mean an end to the arms pipeline, right?

Well, Daniel Byman, 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, who spoke in Pittsburgh last month at a World Affairs Council forum, told us that the arms flow to Hezbollah would likely continue if Assad falls. Even if the land route is

cut off, Iran would simply fly the weapons in. Hezbollah, which is part of the Lebanese government, controls the ministry, which just happens to control the airports.

Meanwhile, an isolated Assad, emboldened by the United Nations Security Council’s failure to pass a resolution condemning his attacks on his own people, could use anti-Israel fervor in his country to divert attention from his own crimes. Might he again allow Palestinians in his country to converge on the border with the Golan Heights as he did last year on Nakhba Day? We’ll have to stay tuned.

To the south, violence in Egypt will preoccupy an already anti-Israel government, leaving it not too concerned about securing its southern border with Israel against Hamas attacks.

Finally, while we support the Obama sanctions, Israel must be prepared for an Iranian backlash, which could come through its Hezbollah and Hamas proxies.

Conditions are ripe for violence against the Jewish state in 2012, and only prudent diplomacy, with a little help from Israel’s friends, can put it off.

Meet Ayelet Galena ABBY WISSE SCHACHTER

How many of us can say that we’ve changed the world for the better? How many of us can say we’ve changed the world for the better while battling a deadly disease? What if I told you there was such a person and that she lived only two years?

Meet Ayelet Yikara Galena.

Pittsburghers might want to take special note of Ayelet’s story since we have a personal link to her. Ayelet was the great-granddaughter of the late Rabbi Baruch Poupko, of blessed memory, rabbi of Congregation Shaare Torah and pillar of the Pittsburgh Jewish community for more than 60 years.

Ayelet was 2, she suffered from a rare bone-marrow disorder called dyskeratosis congenita and she died on Jan 31. She changed the world for the better because her life and illness lead thousands of Jews and non-Jews to commit themselves to living better lives and because the campaign to save her life may save dozens of others’.

Ayelet has over 5,000 friends on Facebook because her parents, Hindy Poupko, a Jewish communal professional in New York, and Seth Galena, the founder of the hilarious website bangitout.com, decided to fight as hard as possible to save their daughter’s life. In Ayelet’s name, they launched a national campaign to raise awareness and registrants to the national

bone marrow registry and to find a donor match for their daughter.

Celebrities like 50cent, Pharrell, Rhianna and Leighton Meester supported the campaign with tweets and blog posts. Thousands of people tuned in online to read about Ayelet every day. At the funeral, Ayelet’s mother, Hindy, said the average number of daily readers of Ayelet’s blog was 14,000. And many, many others got involved by praying for Ayelet, learning Torah for Ayelet, baking challah for Ayelet and most notably registering as bone marrow donors to potentially be a match for Ayelet.

I grew up in Montreal and knew Hindy Poupko and her wonderful family from when I was a kid. I read about Ayelet along with thousands of others and prayed for her. But I also called the National Marrow Donor Program, Be the Match (Marrow.org). I had registered to become a donor years earlier when a friend and a work colleague were both afflicted and eventually died from lymphoma. I wanted to make sure that my information would be available to the Jewish bone marrow registry Gift of Life Foundation (giftoflife.org) in case I was a match for Ayelet. It was, and as I learned, so is all of the marrow registry information nationwide. I also learned that becoming a marrow donor is less painful than it was in previous years and that registering to be a donor is an oral swab that can be done by mail, rather than a blood sample requiring an injection.

The campaign was a success, and a seven-out-of-eight point match was found. On Aug. 31, 2011, at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Ayelet got her transplant. But it wasn’t enough to save her and on the last day of January she passed away from this world. She fought to live for as long as she could, and in

her life she gave only happiness and joy to her parents and family. As her parents wrote of Ayelet, “her life, her strength, a blessing to so many.”

At Ayelet’s funeral, her mother, father and grandfather Rabbi Reuven Poupko spoke with humor, grief, passion, pain and so much love about the little girl who touched so many. Her grandfather called her “a perfect gift reclaimed by Hashem” and reminded the mourners to take a lesson from Ayelet and “fight for life, fight for joy, for optimism and for hope.” Rabbi Poupko encouraged all who were touched by Ayelet to “pay her tribute” “by choosing life as our tradition guides us to.”

Ayelet’s father, sobbing, described his daughter as someone who “raised our level of faith, emuna” and how her struggle for life and her courage in the face of adversity “changed our nation.”

The family also continues to encourage those who want to pay respects to Ayelet to donate to a marrow registry and especially to register as a bone marrow donor. The campaign for Ayelet, which produced her transplant, has resulted in new volunteer bone-marrow donors and remarkably matches for 21 others in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. Twenty-one lives and who knows how many more may be saved because of Ayelet’s short and remarkable life.

May Ayelet’s memory continue to be a blessing and an inspiration, and may all those who want to honor Ayelet please register to become a bone-marrow donor.

(Abby Wisse Schachter, a Pittsburghbased columnist, can be reached at awschachter@aol.com.)

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012 — 7

OPINION

Letters to the editor We invite you to submit letters for publication. Letters must include name, address and daytime phone number; addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Letters may not exceed 400 words and may be edited for length and clarity; they cannot be returned. Mail, fax or e-mail letters to: letters@thejewishchronicle.net via e-mail : via fax:

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Bible resolution hypocritical I have to believe that members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly attempt to outdo each other for

outrageousness and the extent to which a thumb is jammed into the eye of the citizenry. Why else would the House, with so much weighty and legitimate business on its plate, have wasted one minute or one ounce of printer’s ink to proclaim 2012 “The Year of the Bible” as it did on Jan. 24?

Our “holy” House members note in their resolution that the Bible is “the word of God” and direct us as to “our national need to study and apply the teachings of the holy scriptures.” Apparently, any offense the resolution metes out to atheists, agnostics, Jews, Muslims, and Please see Letters, next page.

8 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012

OPINION

Ultra-Orthodox Judaism need not be so obscurantist Menachem Z. Rosensaft

NEW YORK — The spectacle of Haredi thugs spitting on Naama Margolis, an 8-year-old schoolgirl in the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh has exacerbated the already frayed relations between the fundamentalist religious sector of the Jewish community, in Israel and elsewhere, and the rest of us, that is, Conservative, Reform, Modern Orthodox and secular Jews.

The Beit Shemesh incident was triggered not only by the zealots’ belief that the child, a religious girl from an observant family, was immodestly dressed — she was wearing a regulation school uniform — but by their conviction that they have the right to physically and verbally abuse women and girls of whose attire, demeanor or behavior they disapprove.

Another Haredi paragon, one Shlomo Fuchs, recently called Doron Matalon, a female Israeli soldier returning to her base, a “slut” on a public bus in Jerusalem. When the soldier pointed out accurately that she protects him and his way of life, Fuchs responded by say-

ing, “She protects me? I sit at shul from eight in the morning till midnight and study, and she’s protecting me? I protect her.”

While one must not generalize and tar all ultra-Orthodox Jews with the brush of intolerance (many Haredi leaders, including Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, have harshly condemned these incidents), the fact is that the antagonism displayed by Haredim toward other Jews is becoming ever more extreme. Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, one of the most prominent ultra-Orthodox personalities in Israel, has called for increased isolationism on the part of his community.

According to Elyashiv, Haredi Jews should not engage in any educational process other than Torah study. No university. No law school or medical school. Not even vocational school.

“We must protest and warn of all sorts of trends from outside to strike at the cruse of pure oil, to alter the spirit and the essence of the ultra-Orthodox public,” exhorted the Haredi newspaper Yated Neeman.

It was not always thus. One of the greatest Chasidic masters of the 19th century, Rabbi Simhah Bunim of Prszysucha (in Yiddish, Pshyskhe) worked as a bookkeeper, then in the timber trade, and ultimately as a licensed pharmacist before devoting himself full-time to his religious and communal pursuits. As far as he was concerned, “no Jew, however learned and pious, may consider himself

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an iota better than a fellow Jew, however ignorant or irreligious the latter may be.

“This is confirmed,” Bunim continued, “by the law that if a learned and pious Jew were commanded to slay the ignorant or impious one, or be himself slain, he must accept death rather than kill the other. No one can tell whose blood is redder, and whose life is more important in the eyes of God. If a man in this crucial moment has no right to deem himself superior to another, what right can he possibly have to do so on less critical occasions?”

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the widely revered Lubavicher Rebbe, who in his youth had studied at the University of Berlin and the Sorbonne in Paris, was adamant that science and faith could be reconciled. In a 1962 letter featured on the Chabad.org website he wrote, “It is safe to assume that all we have learned in the field of nucleonics (the study of the behavior and characteristics of nucleons or atomic nuclei) in the last few decades is very little by comparison with what we can confidently expect to learn in the next few decades.”

My own grandparents were all members of the Chasidic community in their respective Polish hometowns. All four were devoutly observant, and yet my two grandfathers treated the women in their families with respect, even when this required a deviation or departure from tradition.

Before her parents married, my mother told me, her mother told her future husband that she would not wear a sheytl, the wig traditionally worn by married Orthodox Jewish women to cover their hair, and my grandfather accepted her decision without argument.

In her memoir, my mother wrote that when she left to attend the University of Nancy in France to study medicine — she eventually became a dentist — her father told her “We are sending you off with all our love and may God watch

over you. Remember, whatever times may come, you may lose all your possessions, but nobody can take away your education.”

My father’s father was equally tolerant. My grandmother died in 1919 in a flu epidemic that also took the life of the husband of my father’s sister, Lea’le.

My grandfather, Reb Mendl Rosensaft, was a prominent and highly respected disciple of the Gerer Rebbe, the largest and most prominent Chasidic dynasty in pre-World War II Poland. A few years after my grandmother’s and uncle’s death, an emissary of the Gerer Rebbe came to my grandfather and told him that the rebbe wanted to marry Lea’le.

Rather than making a decision on his daughter’s behalf, as would have been expected in Chasidic circles, my grandfather said that he needed to consult her. A little while later, my grandfather returned to tell his guest that he was sorry, but Lea’le did not want to marry the rebbe. For my grandfather, his daughter’s feelings and wishes were of paramount importance.

The fact that the obscurantism that has taken hold in the Haredi world was not inevitable makes it all the more tragic.

Before this schism becomes irreparable, those ultra-Orthodox rabbis and leaders who still adhere to the concept of Jewish peoplehood would do well to ponder the words of another Chasidic master, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, as taught by Elie Wiesel: “We are going farther and farther away from the light at Sinai, yet we do not come any closer to the light of the Messiah!”

LETTERS

I am a person of faith, one who attends worship services, and who often invokes and praises the name of God in thoughts and writing, but I find it chilling that a band of public officials in the most corrupt state government in the nation would have the audacity to wade into an issue that is none of its business and which is arguably a violation of the Constitution.

Hypocrisy is on display in the Pennsylvania State House … again. Common sense is dead.

TO THE

EDITOR

Continued from previous page. others is of no consequence to our state “leaders.” After all, what good is any state resident who does not revere the Bible?

As stunning as this blurring of the line between church and state is the fact that the resolution was adopted 193-0, not one sensible and thoughtful person choosing to challenge such a monstrosity. I am mystified and ashamed that Jewish members of the body who surely knew better voted to approve this sham.

(Menachem Z. Rosensaft is an adjunct professor of law at Cornell Law School, a lecturer in law at Columbia Law School, a distinguished visiting lecturer at Syracuse University College of Law, and vice president of the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Their Descendants.)

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012 — 9

OPINION Egypt’s economic woes distract from religious extremist reality Guest Columnist SETH J. FRANTZMAN JERUSALEM — As the one-year anniversary of Egypt’s Tahrir Square uprising came and went, many commentators felt obliged to wax positive about the revolution in the country. The analysts didn’t want to appear to be cynical on hopes that Egypt will emerge as a wonderful beacon of democracy in the Middle East. But in order to keep up the optimism, everyone must keep making excuses for the reality.

A New York Times editorial on Jan. 21 claimed, “Worsening economic conditions are further sabotaging hopes for a democratic future” in Cairo. “The United States, the European Union and the gulf states last year promised billions of dollars in assistance to Egypt … those countries should move quickly on their commitments, including offers to begin freetrade talks with Egypt … That’s a goal worth working toward.”

The notion here is that a bad economy could push Egypt into chaos or totalitarianism. Everyone knows that it was terrible economic climates that gave rise to Communism and Fascism. Thus, in order to prevent radicalism, the West must throw money at Egypt — beyond the

largesse that America already extends to the country. Currently, U.S military aid comes to over $1 billion and U.S development aid has totaled $28 billion since 1975.

On Jan. 25, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz was more apocalyptic in its description of what might happen if the West doesn’t step in to save Egypt’s economy, writing in an editorial: “It’s a democracy in need of help, both financial and diplomatic. Without investment and direct assistance, it will be difficult for this democracy to feed Egypt’s 85 million people.”

What is interesting about these editorials is that they were written within days of a Muslim Brotherhood member being elected speaker of Egypt’s parliament.

Where these writers are correct is in their analysis that this is indeed democracy.

But why does this democracy deserve a blank check from the West for support?

In Europe, when Austria elected Jorg Haider, and when Hungary more recently elected the right-wing Fidesz party, the West sought to put up a cordon sanitaire around these democratic regimes because the West disagrees with their rightwing ideology. Thus, the West expressed displeasure.

It isn’t just democracy for democracy’s sake. After all, the savage Hobbesian world envisioned in “Lord of the Flies” was a democracy, it was just a bad one that didn’t protect minority rights and was riven with extremism. Egypt’s

democracy is similar. Egypt has elected an extremist parliament that is dominated by a hard-right religious party and is outflanked by an even more extreme Salafist party. The secular liberals that are similar to typical democratic parties in the West are a small minority.

Consider how the opposite message is relayed about Israel. The perception that Israel is tilting to the right by electing Yisrael Beiteinu, and that it is becoming more religious, are held up as reasons why the United States and Europe must put pressure on Israel. Thus, when Israel is said to be persecuting NGOs, it is argued that progressives must not support Israel. But when Egypt raids the offices of NGOs, as was done recently, we are asked to give more financial assistance. American politicians who rightly say that aid should be in jeopardy are accused of harming Egypt, and it is even implied they may be responsible for the country lurching into famine.

So why is Egypt different? Part of the reason is the typical double standard for countries in the “South” or Third World.

Less is expected of them, and therefore the standards that a democracy such as Austria are held to do not apply. But another hand is at work, one that needs to find an excuse for the impending failure of Egyptian democracy and the country’s decline into totalitarianism, extremism or chaos. Many voices want to set up others to be at fault, so that it can be said that because America didn’t aid Egypt, Egyptian

democracy failed.

Unfortunately, the West has no coherent policy in terms of democracy promotion.

One overarching argument is that democracy for democracy’s sake is important.

But the advocates of that view are often dismayed by the fact that democracy results in the election of radicals. Then, the advocates change their tune and say that the Islamists who are elected are actually moderates, which is what has transpired in discussions about Tunisia and Egypt.

There is, of course, an arguable hypocrisy inherent in saying “be democratic” and then not supporting the results. A coherent policy would argue for the promotion of an American or liberal democratic reform based on enacting a type of Bill of Rights as part of championing elections. Students of the American Constitution will understand the importance of this. The Founding Fathers of the United States created a Constitution that ensured checks and balances, but they also put in place a Bill of Rights, to protect against the evils of majoritarian democracy — the “tyranny of the masses,” as it were.

Where democracy has failed, it has failed because of the lack of checks and balances. Scaremongering about economic aid is not part of a coherent policy.

It is just an excuse.

(Seth J. Frantzman is a writer, journalist and scholar living in Israel.)

10 - THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Style Israel = Hollywood Rollercoaster relationship between Zionism, Tinsel Town on upswing

BY DANIELLE BERRIN Los Angeles Jewish Journal

At the Golden Globe Awards in January, producer Howard Gordon stepped up to the stage to accept the award for Best Television Series — Drama for cocreating the breakout Showtime hit “Homeland.” In a single season, the show has become a sensation, edging the pay-cable channel closer to its rival HBO in number of subscribers and garnering profuse media attention and acclaim.

Gordon has much to be grateful for. At the Globes, he thanked his cast, his agent and a handful of television executives — but absent from his speech was any mention of the show’s secret shining star, the incubator of its concept, and its original homeland: Israel.

“When I walked offstage,” Gordon said in an interview after the event, “I said to Gidi Raff,” — the Israeli creator of “Hatufim,” upon which “Homeland” is based — “ ‘Did I remember to say thank you to…? In my head, it was: ‘Thank you to [my agent] Rick Rosen for bringing us this show from Israel.’ And he said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Are you sure?’ ” Two weeks later, Gordon, a consistent Israel supporter, was remorseful. “Honestly, it was one of those moments where you go up there and you see Morgan Freeman yawning and the red light is flashing saying, ‘Wrap up,’ and you’re in shock.”

The omission was a missed opportunity for the Globes’ nearly 17 million viewers to hear that the “Homeland” win was also a big moment for Israel: Three years after another Israeli-inspired show, HBO’s “In Treatment,” was up for the same honor, “Homeland” became the first Israeli format to win the Globes’ top TV award. But perhaps it will inspire a growing cadre of pro-Israel Hollywood movers and shakers to spread the word.

Because with the success of such shows as “Homeland” and “In Treatment,” and the potential of many others currently in development, the industry has begun to see Israel as a great new resource, a fact of which very few Americans are aware.

As director Jon Turteltaub put it, “You, me and 11 other people know.”

This new trend reflects more than a triumph of good ratings, good writing and good luck — it is the love child of a deepening relationship between Hollywood and Israel that has been steadily building over the past several years.

That’s right: The image of Hollywood as home to so-called self-hating Jews who have perennially distanced themselves from the Jewish state, whether out of apathy, ambivalence, fear, alternate priorities, shame, political disillusionment or, perhaps, just plain career

PHOTO BY PAUL DRINKWATER/NBC VIA GETTY IMAGES

Producer Howard Gordon accepts the Golden Globe award for Showtime’s “Homeland,” based on the Israeli show “Hatufim.”

PHOTO BY PAUL DRINKWATER/NBC VIA GETTY IMAGES

Joshua Milina

absorption, has given way to the reality of an industry drawing closer to Israel than ever before.

All this is the result of a few strategic initiatives over the past five or six years that have been aimed at getting prominent entertainment leaders to connect with Israel’s burgeoning industry.

PHOTO BY PAUL DRINKWATER/NBC VIA GETTY IMAGES

Jason Alexander

Among them is an annual Master Class program organized by The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, which each year brings Hollywood “masters” such as Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment, to Israel to teach aspiring young film and television artists.

Just as pivotal has a been a series of

trips by a select group of A-list Hollywood tastemakers that William Morris agent-turned-independent-manager David Lonner has been sponsoring since 2006 — largely on his own dime. Lonner’s guest list has included filmmakers Alexander Payne (“The Descendants”), Davis Guggenheim (“Waiting for Superman”) and Turteltaub (“National Treasure”), as well as producer Darren Star (“Sex and the City,” “Beverly Hills, 90210”) and Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chair Amy Pascal, whom Forbes magazine once called “arguably the most high-powered woman in Hollywood.”

The timing for all these trips has been both intentional and providential, because they came just as Israel’s creative industry was undergoing an explosion in productivity and quality that many are comparing to the trajectory of Israel’s high-tech industry. Hollywood was able to get in on the ground floor. The start-up nation, as it turns out, is not only adept at technological and medical innovation, as well as energy efficiency, it is also darn good at making movies and television.

Since 1964, Israel has garnered 10 Oscar nominations for best foreign language films — four of them in just the past five years.

Even bigger right now is the Israeli television industry, which, since 2007, has seen at least 10 Israeli television “formats” (industry slang for media concepts that can be translated or adapted into different markets internationally) sold into the Hollywood marketplace. Israeli-inspired “The Ex-List” (CBS) and “Traffic Light” (Fox) were short-lived, but many more, including CBS’ “Life Isn’t Everything,” HBO’s “The Naked Truth,” NBC’s “Midnight Sun” and the CW’s “Danny Hollywood” all are in various stages of development. The exchange between the two countries is now so substantial that people often speak of a “pipeline” going back and forth. And the mainstream media, including the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times and Nikki Finke’s Deadline.com all have taken note.

“Not since Golda Meir wanted everyone to make and write ‘Exodus’ has there been so much activity,” Ben Silverman, founder and CEO of Electus and the former co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, said in a recent interview.

“I do think there’s a renaissance happening,” said Sherry Lansing, the former studio chief of Paramount Pictures, who is responsible for organizing the first high-profile Hollywood mission to Israel, in 1984.

What is happening now, however, is more than a revival or renewal of past Please see Israel-Hollywood, page 13

Camp Guide

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012 — 11

12 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRRUARY 9, 2012

Community A C

Grant awarded

TURKEY MEATLOAF

By Carol Evon on recipezaar.com Prep time 15 minutes; total time 1 hour Servings: 7-8

L O S E R

Turkey Meatloaf 1 pound ground turkey 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs 1 egg 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (any flavor) 1 medium onion chopped into small pieces

L O O K

Hillen Academy photo

Amy Katz, executive director of Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education, presented Dan Kraut, chief executive officer at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, with an award at the recent North American Jewish Day School Conference. The Challenge Award, as it’s called, was for a grant submitted jointly by Hillel Academy and Community Day School. The grant was received after demonstrating a drive to increase revenue through innovation. Specifically, the grant was awarded for the Pittsburgh Jewish day school’s efforts to create the First Year Free Tuition Program. The $25,000 award, which can be used for unrestricted purposes, will be split between Hillel Academy and Community Day School.

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, onion (chopped into small pieces) and barbecue sauce. Mix well with hands. Spray the inside of a loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Put mixture in loaf pan and mold it to form a loaf, then spread a light coating of barbecue sauce over the top of the meatloaf bake for 45 minutes.

Comments Nearly everyone raved about this recipe online. Most people agreed that it would take more than 45 minutes to cook if you want a harder top — the recommendations went from 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. I cooked mine for 1 hour 15 minutes and it was perfect for my taste.

Many people thought the onions didn’t cook enough so I sautéed them first in a bit of olive oil. Some people used ½ teaspoon onion powder if they didn’t have an onion. I went the ½ teaspoon onion powder route — much faster and easier. The taste was fine.

Instead of seasoned breadcrumbs, I used old-fashioned oatmeal. It gave the meatloaf a nice texture. Next time I make this, I will add some salt and pepper seasoning to make up for not using seasoned breadcrumbs.

I just formed my meatloaf in a baking dish, not a bread pan. There is no way this would serve 7 to 8 people, unless they didn’t like it. Two of us ate it up in one dinner and one lunch.

This recipe is a winner, and I thank my office mate Marcy for sharing it with me.

✂

(Angela Leibowicz can be reached at angelal@thejewishchronicle.net.)

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9. 2012 –– 13

STYLE Israel–Hollywood: Continued from page 10. ties. Hollywood and Israel have become enmeshed in a relationship that is not about a religious awakening or even fervent Zionism — it is a practical business relationship of investment and trade.

Hollywood, it could be said, is leading the anti-boycott movement, valuing Israel for its creative resources and paying handsomely for them.

“Right now,” Gordon said, everyone in Hollywood wants to know, “What’s coming out of Israel?” But the feeding frenzy is not simply about money — even the sales-driven Rosen, a talent agent from the tough-guy agency created by Ari Emanuel, admits he’s developed a soft spot for the country.

“It started as business for me,” said Rosen, a founding partner at William Morris Endeavor who is responsible for bringing both “In Treatment” and “Homeland” to the United States. “But I’ve become enormously close to the country, and even to my clients there.

It’s become much more personal.”

As with every romance, there is much at stake. For one, the most powerful image-maker in the world is getting into bed with a country that has serious image problems. Hopes are high; hearts harbor great expectations. Especially at a time when the international conversation around the Jewish state remains focused on its unceasing existential threats — the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a potentially nuclear Iran, calls for delegitimization, and, increasingly in recent months, internal conflict over a polarizing secular-religious divide. The potential for Hollywood to use its influence and expertise to help recast international opinion of Israel is huge.

“Israel invented storytelling, with the Bible,” Silverman, also an executive producer of “The Office,” said. “We are the storytellers — the Jews. And we have lost our way with our own narrative, and it’s essential we start telling our story again. All these stories coming out of Israel are stories the world should hear.”

What would it mean for an industry created by Jews to help redefine the narrative of the Jewish state? Perhaps it’s a chance for Jewish Hollywood to acknowledge its debts, and its origins.

As Silverman pointed out, centuries of storytelling skills derive from reading and re-telling the most influential work of literature in the Western canon: the Hebrew Bible. So now that this confluence of cultures has led to a deeper attachment, what’s Hollywood going to do about it?

While the organized, institutional Jewish community has long desired — and struggled — to galvanize Hollywood support for Israel, it is wary of putting too much stock in a historically fickle relationship. Jacob Dayan, who served as Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles from 2007 until last summer, spent a great deal of his term cultivating relationships in Hollywood.

“I met each and every one — if I had to call Les Moonves, I called Les Moonves. I spoke to every person I had to, told them the Zionist story,” Dayan said. “There are heads of studios who are great friends of Israel — for example, Amy Pascal was in very close contact with me — but to tell you that a concrete product emerged out of this great connection? The answer is ‘no.’ ” It wasn’t long ago that the Israel-Hol-

lywood relationship was an uneasy one.

In 2001, the actor Joshua Malina, who at the time was starring in the Emmy-winning series “Sports Night,” created by Aaron Sorkin, received a desperate call from an official at The Federation in Los Angeles, asking him to appear at a proIsrael rally. The Second Intifada had just broken out, and the news out of Israel was dismal — terrorist bombings on buses, in cafés and a nightclub had given the image of dead Jewish bodies a regular spot on the evening news. The Federation decided to stage a solidarity rally on Wilshire Boulevard, billing it as a show of support for Israel’s right to exist. “I thought, ‘OK, that’s a slam dunk,’ ” Malina said. But the somewhat image-conscious actor still took a moment to reassure himself, “That’s not controversial.”

When Malina arrived at the celebrity check-in desk on the day of the rally, the woman on duty didn’t even recognize him. Flustered, but not surprised, he was soon cleared and ushered to a green room for celebrities and dignitaries — but the room was nearly empty. “There was [singer] Peter Himmelman and Mayor [James] Hahn” — then Los Angeles’ mayor. Beyond that, he said, there was “nobody else that I recognized.”

Having grown up Conservative in New Rochelle, N.Y., where he studied at a Modern Orthodox yeshiva, Malina was comfortable in his Jewish skin. “Love of Israel was baked into my consciousness,” he said. So when he gazed upon that empty room intended for his colleagues, he was taken aback. “I was really struck by that,” he said. Before the rally’s end, he tracked down The Federation’s entertainment director to ask: “Where are all the famous people?”

The answer was disconcerting. “I was told, ‘If it has to do with Israel, you can’t get anybody [in Hollywood] to come,’ ” Malina recalled. “I was appalled. This was a rally for Israel’s right to exist, and that’s a political hot potato you can’t get people to show up for? I thought, ‘Wow, if I’m the best they can do — this is bad.’ ” It’s impossible to measure, of course, how much a celebrity presence truly bolsters Israel’s public image. But who could deny that a photograph of a movie or pop star praying at the Western Wall doesn’t make a good impression, eliciting at least some modicum of pride in Jews who care about popular culture, but especially among young Jews who idolize their favorite celebrities? “There are very few things that make me wish I was more famous,” Malina said, halfjoking. “I constantly wish I had more money, but the one thing that makes me wish I had a higher profile is that I would be such a good Jewish role model. It seems like the high-profile nonJews are going to Israel all the time — Madonna’s going, Whitney Houston’s going — it’s the Jews that seem a little more hesitant.”

“Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander is one big name who traveled to Israel specifically to draw attention to politically minded, nonpartisan, pro-peace group One Voice. He said he believes celebrity is pretty “useless” unless it is used for some meaningful purpose. “If you step back and say, ‘You know, when I show up at places, people tend to make a fuss about it. Maybe I should think about what I show up for.’ ” (This story appears in the Chronicle with the permission of the Los Angeles Jewish Journal.)

14 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Simchas Weddings

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The Jewish Chronicle 10,000 Eyes will see your ad in the Classifieds

Abrams/Tobe: Diane and John Abrams of Carmel, Ind., and Judy Tobe and Stephen Tobe of Pittsburgh announce the marriage of their children, Leslie Jennifer Abrams and Matthew Ian Tobe Sept. 4, 2011, in Indianapolis.

Rabbis Sandy and Dennis Sasso and Richard Rheins officiated.

Leslie’s grandparents are Miriam

Calderon of Indianapolis and the late Charles Calderon, and Jerome Abrams of Indianapolis and the late Barbara Abrams.

Matthew’s grandparents are Phyllis Seidenstein of Monroeville, the late Bernard Seidenstein and the late Terry and David Tobe.

Maid of honor was Samantha Leapman. Bridesmaids were Marla Werner, sister of the groom; Rebecca Tobe, sister-in-law of the groom; Jennafer Birne, Lisa Calderon, Joanna Fleckman, Carli Ryback and Emily Schankerman.

Kaylee and Ella Werner, nieces of the groom, were flower girls.

Scott Tobe served as best man for his brother. Groomsmen included Michael Abrams, brother of the bride; Michael Werner, brother-in-law of the groom; Laurence Bolotin; Jeffrey Lombard; Jeffrey Parker; Devon Schad; and Kevin Zukerman. Ethan and Benjamin Werner, nephews of the groom, were the ring bearers.

Leslie graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from Indiana University, Bloomington, and is in her last year of medical school at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Matthew graduated with a degree in political science from the University of Colorado and is with ZBT International.

After a honeymoon in Bali and Thailand, Leslie and Matthew reside in Indianapolis.

9

16 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012

TORAH

All Jews don’t look like Barbra Streisand Portion of the Week

RABBI SHARYN HENRY RODEF SHALOM CONGREGATION Yitro; Exodus 18:1-20:23

As I write these words I am preparing for our congregational/community journey to Haiti. By the time you read them, I, along with 11 others from Pittsburgh, will be in Haiti, providing physical exams and fluoride treatments, fitting Haitians with reading glasses and playing Frisbee and soccer with children. We will also have the opportunity to witness life in Haiti, and absorb the rich culture of the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

With this week’s Torah portion as our guide, we will make our way through this extraordinary experience — one new and often overwhelming experience at a time.

I imagine that our “different-ness” will be something about which we will constantly be aware. After all, we are all — by Haitian standards — privileged. Most of us are Jewish (there are barely a handful of Jews in Haiti) and all of us are white with European ancestry (95 percent of Haitians are black, with African ancestors). One of our

greatest challenges will be to build bridges and real relationships with people whose lives, histories and futures are wholly different than ours.

Lessons from this week’s Torah portion, Yitro, will help us navigate through this new territory. And, while in Haiti will likely be feeling quite different in Haiti, this portion has something to teach us all about diversity. Furthermore, Yitro highlights something we often ignore: the diversity within the Jewish world.

This week we read the story of God’s revelation at Mt. Sinai. According to tradition, every Jew, including those of us who would be born later — even thousands of years later — was present at Mt. Sinai.

What did that group look like? Did we all look the same? It is unlikely.

The historical home of the Jews lies at the geographic crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe. As a result, Jews have always been an amalgam of many peoples and that Jewish origin includes a multitude of languages, nations, tribes and skin colors.

The story of the Jewish people is filled with interracial and intercultural mixing: Joseph married an Egyptian-African.

Moses married Zipporah, an Ethiopian. A “mixed multitude” left Egypt with the Hebrews. Solomon and David each took wives from Africa. Later, when Jews

spread across the globe we established communities in countries as far-flung as Jamaica, Brazil, Yemen, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Uganda, India and China, as well as in many countries in Europe. In our own time the Jewish community has changed through adoption, conversion and intermarriage. In a blog post entitled “Not all Jews look like Barbra Streisand,” one African-American Jewish woman noted, “… many Jews look like me.”

While it is true that there is substantial racial and ethnic diversity in the American Jewish community, the reality of nonAshkenazi Jews in this country is often that of “other.” The author of the blog writes, “In my experience being a black Jew in an average New York synagogue means being assumed to be a child’s nanny, a member of security, or simply the help.”

Organizations like Be’chol Lashon (In Every Tongue) and the Jewish Multicultural Network are dedicated to creating spaces for all Jews. They also provide education for Jewish communities who would like to become more aware of the diversity of Jews. I urge you to visit the websites of these organizations to learn more (bechollashon.org and jewishmultiracialnetwork.org).

Alden Solovy, a contemporary poet and

teacher wrote this beautiful prayer. It is my prayer as I prepare for my journey. It is our prayer as we prepare to stand once again at Sinai to receive God’s word. It is our prayer as we stand side by side with every Jew, past, present and future: Be’Chol Lashon (In Every Tongue) We sing praises, Be’chol lashon, In every tongue, In every voice, In joy and sadness, With music and with love.

We seek truth, Be’chol lashon, In every tongue, With every breath, In study and prayer, With faith and with purpose.

We pursue justice, Be’chol lashon, In every tongue,, In every land, In word and deed, With strength and with courage.

We study Torah, Be’chol lashon, In every tongue, In every generation, In wonder and awe, With zest and with zeal.

We are one people, Present on Sinai, Where G-d spoke, Be’chol lashon, In every tongue, To every soul, To every heart, The whole House of Israel.

(This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association.)

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Studio and One Bedroom apartments available To schedule your tour call 412-521-7876 52 Garetta St. FOR SALE

Exquisite Gem Lovingly Maintained Squirrel Hill Condo $179,000 2 Bed, 2 Bath Open Balcony. Well-fitted Kitchen.

Amenities include pool, sauna Jacuzzi & gym.

Walk to business district.

Close to University & Medical Areas.

Contact Diana Wolpert @ 412 352 0398

www.mckinneyproperties.com

BEACON PLACE AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY RENT $925/MONTH

POSSIBLE

MULTI-YEAR LEASE

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PERFECT OFFICE SPACE 1039 LILAC STREET (BETWEEN MURRAY & BEECHWOOD)

GAS INCLUDED WILL REMODEL TO SUIT

OFFICE SPACE APPROX. 400 SQ. FT. Nicely remodeled. In heart of Regent Sq. Currently one lg. rm, could be partitioned if necessary. $425 includes utilities CALL MARK

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412-401-6214

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Wonderful 5 Bed 31/2 bath Tudor home.

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Phone Tamara Skirboll 412-401-1110

*In Select Units

Sherwood Towers & Chalfont Apartments 412-683-8683

OFFICE RENTAL

COLDWELL BANKER REAL ESTATE SERVICES 412.363.4000

CALL DONNA 412-687-1000 TO PLACE YOUR REAL ESTATE AD

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012 — 17

Cl aSSiFied

advertisements • Deadline Friday at Noon • All Classified Ads Are Payable in Advance For 10 Words or Less 25¢ For Each Additional Word

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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE 5915 BeaCon ST., 3rd Flr., PiTTSBurgh, Pa 15217 HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

OCCASSIONAL HOUSEKEEPER/ Companion for elderly man in good health, in Sq. Hill. 412-651-2679.

••• VOLUNTEER CENTER COORDINATOR, The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh a non-profit fundraising and community planning organization is dedicated to promoting service volunteering as a means to give community members a way to engage with Federation, engage in Jewish life, make a difference, and learn about key issues facing the community. To this end, Federation has launched a new Volunteer Center that focuses on linking volunteers from the Jewish community to existing, high-quality, relationship-based volunteer opportunities in Jewish organizations, and the community at large. Federation is looking for an individual with strong programmatic and entrepreneurial skills to grow this Center. The skills and attributes needed for this position include, but are not limited to: High energy professional, able to work in a fast –paced environment, Deep commitment to the Jewish community, Good communication skills, both written and oral, Well organized, timely and responsive, Ability to establish and maintain relationships with organization, and staff, Knowledge of community issues and organizations, Ability to adapt to changing priorities and needs in the community, Supervisory skills for managing a junior associate, 3-5 years’ experience working with volunteers or in related activities, Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in relevant or related field. Compensation is commensurate with experience, education and previous related achievements. Position is full time and offers a competitive package. Qualified individuals may apply by sending cover letter, resume and compensation requirements to the attention of Pat Calabro at pcalabro@jfedpgh.org.

••• THE CARE Registry, INC. is in immediate need of caregivers for our elderly clients.

We offer $12.00/hour pay!

We also have Live-in-care positions. Please call for more info. 412-421-5202 or www.TheCareRegistry.com.

HOME INSTEAD SENIOR Care needing week-end caregivers. Rewarding work with seniors, make a difference in the life of an elderly person by joining our #1 non. Medical team of caregivers. Car is required, training is provided, Flexible schedule, all shifts EOE. 412-731-0733.

POSITION WANTED THE CARE REGISTRY, INC provides nurse aides and companions to offer one on one care for you in your home. The workers are screened and bonded. All shifts and live in care available. The Care Registry is licensed by the PA Dept. of Health. Low rates! Care management also available.

412-421-5202 or www.TheCareRegistry.com ••• CAREGIVER CONNECTION A PA. Licensed home-care registry, Jewish Family & Children’s Service refers screened, JF&CS trained caregivers providing short/long-term personal care services to seniors at affordable rates. Available 24/7, call 412-422-0400 or 877-243-1530 (toll free).

••• HOME HEALTH CARE specialist in hospice, dialysis & direct care. Will work any shift. Call Patricia Spencer 412-229-8760.

••• BOYD COMMUNITY Service proving personal care, transportation, light housekeeping, meal preparation & shopping. Reasonable rates and hourly services. Contact Sonya Boyd 412-731-0279.

••• CAREGIVER/ Caring Hands, Personal Touch Elder Care.

Experienced with references & reasonable rates.

Call 412-841-0146.

••• CERTIFIED NURSING Assisant available to help care for your loved one. References, experience, will do light housekeeping. 412723-2693.

••• CAREGIVER AVAILABLE to take care of your loved one.

Reliable with references.

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••• LAUNDRY & IRONING also available to do home or office cleaning, clean out basement, garage or yard .References 412-330-9871.

POSITION WANTED MALE CAREGIVER looking to take care of your male loved one. References, Act 33/34 clearance & years of experience working with Stroke, Dementia & Parkinson’s, call 412-805-5375.

••• PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZING & Painting. Are you stressed out, living in disharmony & clutter? Do you need to freshen up your bedroom, office or kitchen but don’t have the time? I help busy professional & families in Pittsburgh. I can make your home more liveable, too. Call Jody at 412759-0778 or email: collegeconcierge.jdiperna@ gmail.com. Find me online at http://collegeconcierge. squarespace.com.

••• HEVENLY HOUSEKEEPING our house cleaning is a blessing. Experienced, reliable & reasonable. 412-2772565.

••• CAREGIVER WILL TAKE Loving care of your loved one, have all references & clearances. 412-215-1801.

••• OFFICE CLEANING Available. Excellent references, reliable and reasonable. Call 412-980-2002.

••• PERSONAL ASSISTIANT to the Elderly/Handicapped.

Excellent driver for shopping & errands, appointments & outings. Available for companionship correspondence, light cooking, light cleaning. Act 33/34, reasonable rates. 412-4222849.

••• WHY PAY for a nursing agency when you can have me! 32 years’ experience with excellent references.

412-969-5364.

••• CERTIFIED AID seeking position as caregiver, available 24/7, year’s experience, good references & have clearances. 412-513-7840.

••• SEEKING PRIVATE Duty caregiving, available 24/7.

Certified, experienced, reliable with references. 412969-6863.

••• PERSONAL CAREGIVER available to care for you or your loved one. Experienced, references 412-628-4381.

••• EXPERIENCED CNA seeking part-time work. Available various days & evenings.

Call me 412-918-9886.

BUYING AUTO/TRUCKS/ JUNK REMOVAL SELLING & BUYING Auto’s & JUNK Removal. Cars, Trucks, Vans, SUVs, Quit Driving, Death, Wrecks, Antiques, Classics & Junkers.

FREE Legal Title Transfer!

Vehicle Removal from Your Property. Denny Offstein Auto Sales 724-287-7771.

Paying Cash, Honest Fair Prices!

CHAIR CANING CANE & ABLE Chair caning, hand pre-woven cane rush reed & wicker repaired. Reasonable rates pick up & deliver.

Charyl Hays 412-655-0224.

SPORTS JCC loses close call to Pittsburgh Project; drops in GPIBL standings

BY ZACHARY WEISS Chronicle Correspondent

In a game in which every second counted, Jonathan Blue of Pittsburgh Project hit a buzzer-beating two-point shot to defeat the JCC, Thursday, Feb. 2, by a score of 51-49.

While Ben Katz of the JCC led all scorers with his 18 points and teammate Jesse Goleman added 17 points of his own, Blue also paced Pittsburgh Project with 17 points including his two game-winners.

“We have to move forward and we have to put it behind us,” JCC Head Coach Andy Pakler said. “This team has to play the rest of the season as hard as they possibly can. I think we dropped a couple of rankings tonight in the standings, so we’re going to battle the rest of the way.”

Pittsburgh Project, which lost its first meeting to the JCC earlier in the season, came out in the first quarter looking as though they had something to prove.

They drilled shots from all over the court and made four three pointers to take a 1610 lead at the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter, Pittsburgh Project continued the onslaught. Blue got into the act in this quarter, scoring nine points and giving his side a 26-16 lead at the half.

“His focus and his following the plays were very important and he needed to get the ball,” Pittsburgh Project Head Coach Lorenze Jefferson said. “He’s our best foul shooter, and when he gets to the rim, he scores and he draws fouls.”

The JCC picked up its play in the third quarter by stepping up its defensive effort.

They pressured Pittsburgh Project, forcing some turnovers and a couple three-point plays from Goleman and Katz. This cut the lead to 31-28 midway through the quarter.

But Pittsburgh Project maintained a 37-33 lead going into the final period.

“We went down at halftime and I talked about how it’s going to be effort in the second half that’s going to get you back into the game,” Pakler said. “We did in the third quarter, but the mistakes were just too much to overcome.”

Pittsburgh Project immediately drilled a trey to start the fourth quarter. The momentum changed though when Goleman nailed a three-point shot of his own to cut the lead

down to four points. From there, the JCC came back and even took a 47-44 lead — its first since it led 4-3 early in the game.

Despite this, Pakler still felt that something was off and the disappointment of his team’s performance became apparent.

“We knew that even if we won that game, that we didn’t deserve to win it,” he said. “We didn’t play our best basketball. If we had gotten out of here with a win, it would have been a steal.”

The excitement mounted on both sides when it became clear that neither team was pulling away and the outcome of the game would come down to the final seconds.

The JCC had the ball with 6.4 seconds left in the game; however Katz threw the inbounds pass out of bounds giving Pittsburgh Project a chance to win.

The Project made the most of it.

“We tried to draw up something that had Jesse on the fly,” Pakler said. “We had him open, but Ben threw the ball too late and made a critical error by throwing it directly out of bounds, so they got to inbound right over there by the sideline, right near their basket. To be honest, that’s just the way that this game went. I knew that that ball was going to go in before they even inbounded it.”

Ultimately Blue’s hands were the last to touch the ball and as he drew closer to the basket, he shot the ball and began to fade away.

The ball rattled around the rim and went in as the buzzer sounded, and the Pittsburgh Project bench rushed the court in celebration.

The play went exactly how Jefferson drew it up during their timeout right before the play.

“Our starting guard needed to penetrate,” Jefferson said. He’s pretty good off of the ball, he needed to penetrate for a pick and roll to the basket for a winning shot in the last seconds.”

The loss now places the JCC at 9-2 on the season going into the final week. The team faced Auberle on the road Tuesday Feb. 7 and will host division leader and rival Career Connections on Thursday Feb. 9. The JCC lost their earlier match against Career Connections on Jan. 10.

(Zachary Weiss can be reached at yngzc@yahoo.com.)

COMPUTER

FOR SALE

PLASTER/PAINTING

NICE JEWISH Boy, offering the full range of computer services, from advising and teaching to repair and support. I will come to your house or apartment, fix any problem you’re having & teach you what you need to know to use it. I have 14 years’ experience working with people of all ages. . No job is too large or small, and nobody is too computer illiterate. (Really) CALL JASON 412-401-1204, or visit my web www.computerwizard.us. References available.

ADATH JESHURIN Cemetery Plot. Prime location on isle, section- B, Plot- 41, row- 7. $850.00 call Elaine.

PLASTER/PAINTING Marbleized painting & drywall, free estimates, excellent references. Call Herzel 412422-5486.

DRIVER NEED A RIDE? Call Norm, he will drive you. Doctors, shopping, anything that needs to be done. Experienced, insured, great references and reasonable rates.

Available le for airport pickup or departure.

Norm 412-521-6999.

HOME IMPROVEMENTS SOUTH HILLS Glass Block Company. Glass Block & Replacement Windows. Free Estimates, fully insured, PA#041031. 412-466-7097, email: shgwindows@verizon.net.

TUTOR/ EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST IN-HOME TUTORING & Learning Support K-12. 412760-9560, e-mail:debbiechottiner@yahoo.com, visit my web-site: www.debbiechottiner.com.

MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT THE HOT MATZOHS, Pittsburgh’s #1 Klezmer Band, is available for your Wedding, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Corporate or other special event! The dynamic band, featuring violinist Barbara Lowenstein (founder), offers many styles of music in addition to Klezmer, e,g, classical, jazz, swing and folk. Call 412-344-3338 or 412-303-0746. e-mail: barbsviolin@gmail.com.

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18 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012

OBITUARY BRILL: On Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Jean P. Brill, 95½, of New Kensington; wife of the late Joseph M. Brill; mother of Shirley Lynn Hess of New Milford, N.J. and Judith (Stephen Baranowski) Brill Sales of Sequim, Wash.; sister of the late Milton Barbanell and the late Sara Barbanell; grandmother of Brian and Michael Sales, Lynn Sullivan, Julie Dorsett and Barbara Early; great-grandmother of Shannon Dorsett. Born on June 17, 1916, in Steubenville, Ohio, Jean was the daughter of the late William and Bessie Solof Barbanell. She was a member of Adat Shalom B’Nai Israel Beth Jacob Synagogue in Fox Chapel, and the sisterhood of the synagogue. She enjoyed volunteering for the Red Cross, Citizens General Hospital, Peoples Library, Presbyterian Senior Care, and was the representative for the Parnassus High Rise with the Westmoreland County Housing Authority. She also worked in the office of Hart’s Department Store in New Kensington for many

years. Mrs. Brill was preceded in death by her husband Joseph who died in 1965. She is survived by her daughters, grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter. Visitation was held prior to services at the Ross G. Walker Funeral Home; services were officiated by Rabbi Yaier Lehrer; interment Beth Jacob Cemetery in New Kensington. Arrangements by Ross G. Walker Funeral Home, Ltd., 217 Freeport Road, New Kensington, PA, 15068. www.rossgwalker.com DORFZAUN: On Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, Leon Dorfzaun, 78; beloved husband of the late Sandra F. (Gordon) Dorfzaun; beloved father of Cindi Dorfzaun and Andrea (Michael) Huffman; brother of Richard (Rhoda) Dorfzaun and the late Edward Dorfzaun; also survived by nieces and nephews. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, interment Pliskover Cemetery. Arrangements by Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232. www.schugar.com

EHRMAN: On Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, Jeanette G. Swartz Ehrman, 95, of Auburndale, Mass.; beloved wife of Jules Ehrman; mother of Mark L. Ehrman of Boston, Sarah J. Ehrman of Pitts- Jeanette G. Swartz burgh and Ruth Ehrman E. Tedaldi of Boston; sister of Barbara Rosenbloom Tracy and Harriet Wilkoff; dear grandmother of Max, Luke, Jude, Julia, Max, Dylan, Olivia and Ben; Jeanette spent the majority of her life in Pittsburgh with her beloved husband, Jules Ehrman. She graduated from Sewickly Regional High School as the Valedictorian and went on to the University of Pittsburgh where she earned both a Bachelor’s Degree in 1937 and a Master’s Degree in Special Education. She was passionate about her involvement with and commitment to the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf where she taught for many years. She was an avid gardener, cook, tennis player and a very proud mother and grandmother.

Contributions may be made to the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, 300 E. Swissvale Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15218. Arrangements by Stanetsky Memorial Chapel, 1668 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02445. www.stanetskybrookline.com FINEBERG: On Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, Arnold Fineberg; beloved husband of Rose Fineberg; beloved father of Barbara (Marshall) Baker and Diane (Darius) Sansosti of Pittsburgh; brother of Rose Malhmood of Los Angeles, Calif., Cecelia Sharpe of Pittsburgh, the late Jeanette Berman, Ralph Fineberg, Ethel Siegel and Saul Fineberg; grandfather of Jessica Butler, Jon Baker and Ryan and Brooke Sansosti; great-grandfather of Bailey; also survived by nieces and nephews. Services and interment were held at Kether Torah Cemetery. Arrangements by Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232. www.schugar.com

GUSKY: On Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, Marvin "Marvelous" B. Gusky; beloved husband of Dolly Gusky; step-father of Dana Anderson (Seamus Galligan), Abby Anderson (Bill Westberg) and Amanda Anderson; brother of the late Harriet Gusky Bennett; grandfather of Alexis Lopatin, Eli Lopatin, Owen Westberg and Meris Westberg; uncle of Howard, Wendy and Brian Bennett. A sartorial icon, a golf pro wanna-be and a beloved grandfather and uncle. Marvin was the proprietor of the elegant Squirrel Hill haberdashery Marvin's; Marv was always impeccably turned out, whether fitting businessmen for suits or watering the lawn in his Gucci loafers. "He taught me cashmere," said his granddaughter Alexis Lopatin," and he was always ready for a tap dance and a song." Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel; interment was private. Contributions may be made to Animal Friends, 562 Camp Horne Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237. Arrangements by Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232. www.schugar.com RUBIN: On Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, Joyce E. Rubin; beloved wife of Manuel Rubin; mother of Mark (Monica) Rubin and Kenny (Jenine) Rubin; daughter of Samuel and Gertrude Ruben; sister of Norma Olszewski, Madeleine Gross, Karen Bond, Gary Ruben and Linda Mazurek; grandmother of Talia Rubin, Jonathan Rubin, Jennifer Rubin, Jonah Rubin and Asher Rubin. Services and interment were in Boca Raton, Fla. Contributions may be made to Hadassah Greater Pittsburgh Chapter, 1824 Murray Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217. www.hadassah.org/pittsburgh TOBIN: On Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, Claire Tobin; beloved wife of the late Gilbert “Gibby” Tobin; beloved mother of Susan R. (Peter) Gonsenheimer; grandmother of Lisa (Barak) Naveh; greatgrandmother of Gabriella and Abigail.

Services and interment were held at Poale Zedeck Memorial Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Community Day School, 6424 Forward Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or American Heart Association, 777 Penn Centre Blvd., Ste. 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15235. Arrangements by Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232. www.schugar.com

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012 — 19

METRO White Paper: Continued from page 1.

• Educational opportunities for both children and adults; • Cultural, religious and social experiences appropriate for every demographic; and • “An ongoing exploration and evaluation of what will best serve the interests going forward of the widest cross-section of Pittsburgh’s Reform and Conservative Jewish communities.”

Broadly written, the white paper makes clear that other areas of cooperation could be included going forward.

The two rabbis have been working on this project for some time, according to Werbow. “We sat together in fall,” he said “and it’s gone through a few revisions since then.”

While historic in that it is a written guide for future cooperation, the white paper’s proposals are hardly new to either congregation. Some such efforts are already underway.

For months, Beth Shalom Religious School and the Rodef Shalom Jacob

Komen: Continued from page 1.

Komen really does continue its relationship with Planned Parenthood,” she said. “We’ll be wary.”

It was the NCJW that first brought the Komen Race for the Cure to Pittsburgh in 1992.

“The NCJW had a big stake in bringing [the Race for the Cure] here,” Stone said.

“Now we have a voice in being disappointed, and trepidation going forward.”

Karen Wolk Feinstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, which was the Race for the Cure’s first funder in Pittsburgh, was dismayed that Komen attached itself to an issue as politicized as abortion.

“What does this subject have to do with breast cancer screenings, early intervention, and best practice treatment?” Feinstein said in an emailed statement to the Chronicle. “How did Komen get itself into this public relations debacle? Now, both sides of the ‘choice’ debate are furious.

What has Komen achieved to advance women’s health in this heated discussion?

Nancy Brinker (founder and CEO of Komen) is responsible for a serious breach of philanthropic responsibility to allow this mission creep to muddy the good work that the regional Races have performed. It was totally unnecessary. Komen’s reputation for credibility and public trust has been seriously damaged, and Planned Parenthood’s financial status remarkably helped as donations pour in support.”

As a result of its recent decisions, the JHF wil be either decreasing or ceasing its funding to Komen, according to Feinstein.

While recognizing the “decades of good work and leadership” of Brinker, Barbara Weinstein, legislative director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, said she was “deeply disappointed at the initial decision to disqualify Planned Parenthood for funding.”

Just this past December, the Union for Reform Judaism honored Brinker with the Eisendrath Bearer of Light Award, the Reform movement’s highest honor.

“Part of our concern is based on the good work Planned Parenthood does with screening low-income women for breast cancer,” Weinstein said.

Also of concern to the RAC was that the

Religious School have held a joint program on Sundays for their seventhgraders. The program covers topics chosen by the students themselves last spring: ethical issues in Judaism, critical issues with the clergy, Jewish cooking and culture, social action and Holocaust education.

Other efforts have been less exciting, but just as necessary.

“We’re looking at areas where we have duplication of resources and services,” Werbow said. “Last winter, we arranged with the same snow plow company to get better deal because they’re doing both sites — those kinds of things where, through economies of scale, we can be stronger.”

Some up coming projects have less to do with sharing expenses then sharing ideas. For instance, both Werbow and Bisno have said they plan to address each other’s congregations in the near future in a “rabbinic exchange.”

“We’re looking towards doing that,” Werbow said, “we just haven’t set the dates.”

(Lee Chottiner can be reached at leec@thejewishchronicle.net.)

standard Komen had created in disqualifying grant recipients “left them open to more politicization rather than less,” Weinstein said. “Any member of Congress could have opened an investigation that could disqualify lots of non-profits.”

Weinstein said the RAC would be keeping an eye on how Komen deals with Planned Parenthood and other nonprofits in the future.

“We’re looking forward to seeing how this (the revised policy) gets applied in a practical sense,” Weinstein said. “We are eager to see how the funding actually shakes out in the future.”

Hadassah has also taken a stand against the politicization of women’s health issues after last week’s firestorm.

“Hadassah … is pleased that the women’s health community is returning to a consensus policy of non-politicization of our work,” wrote Marcie Natan, national president of Hadassah, in a prepared statement. “Our attention to the issues we deal with together — improving breast health, raising awareness of breast cancer symptoms, funding breast cancer screening, treatment and most importantly, research for a cure, and ensuring that those women who are the most vulnerable in our community have access to lifesaving health services — simply cannot be inhibited by politics ... . Hadassah is proud to continue our longstanding role as an advocate for a woman’s right to choose and a strong supporter in the advancement of women’s health … . Komen should never again allow this type of controversy to erode the integrity of its wellknown and much-admired name in fundraising for breast cancer treatment research and awareness.”

While Komen has backtracked in its stance toward Planned Parenthood, the charity’s vice president for public policy, Karen Handel, resigned on Tuesday.

Handel was instrumental in the organization’s adoption of its initial decision to de-fund Planned Parenthood.

Handel told Komen officials that she supported the decision to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, according to the Associated Press. She said the discussion to de-fund the organization began prior to her arrival at Komen, and was approved at its highest levels.

(Toby Tabachnick can be reached at tobyt@thejewishchronicle.net.)

We acknowledge with grateful appreciation contributions from the following: Donor

In MeMory of

BERNARD & MARILYN CAPLAN .....................................PHILIP CAPLAN HARRY C. CHIZECK...........GERTRUDE CHIZECK DOLORES GORMAN COHEN.............................JULIA WISE GORMAN RUTH K. GOLDMAN................ETHEL GOLANTY HELEN P. KLINE .............................ABE & EDGAR MARKOWITZ HELEN P. KLINE .................MOLLIE GREENFIELD JANET MORITZ .............MARIAN LINDENBAUM DAVID & LYNETTA NEFT .......FRANCES SNIDER

Donor

In MeMory of

TOBY PERILMAN...............BERTHA ACKERMAN MARION & MORRIS RIEMER .....ESTHER COVEL MARION & MORRIS RIEMER ......MOLLIE GANELIN SHEILA ROTHMAN ......................ETHEL BRAUN GERTRUDE SIGMAN ......................ABE WEINER JACK SINGER ..............................YETTA SINGER SHARON SNIDER ...........................DAN SNIDER JANE TUMPSON...................WILMA TUMPSON JANE TUMPSON............................PHIL WEINER EILEEN G. WAYNE ..........ANNA I. WEINBERGER HAROLD C. WEISS....................JEFFREY WEISS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12: BERTHA ACKERMAN, WILLIAM BARNETT, NEWMAN COHEN, ESTHER GOODMAN, ETHEL GREENBERG, MYER GROSSMAN, MOSES HARTER, SELMA B. KATZ, GERALD KELLMAN, NATHAN LIEBLING, EVA MANDELBLATT, SALLY MARCOVSKY, DOROTHY L. MARSHALL, FLORENCE G MENDELSON, PHILIP NATHANSON, SARAH NEISTADT, HERMAN OBERNAUSER, ROSE SCHLESSINGER, ANNA SCHWADRON, JACK M. SHAER, REUBIN SHAPERA, KATIE L. SOLOMON, SARAH WAXLER, WOLF YOUNG. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13: FANNYE P. BALKMAN, HYMAN BARNETT, JOSEPH BLOOM, EDITH COHEN, REUBEN A. COHEN, SAMUEL COHEN, HATTIE DEBROFF, HANNAH R. ELIASHOF, ROSE FIREMAN, CELIA GLANTZ, HERMAN GLASS, ROSE GLICK, ROBERT KANE, ABRAHAM I. KANN, ROSE KLEIN, HAIM LAZARUS, NACHAME O. LEVIN, BEN LEVINE, HARRY E. LEVINE, SARAH LEVY, SAMUEL MALLINGER, JOSIAH MARCUS, MATHILDA MARCUS, REBECCA MEHLMAN, SAMUEL S. NEWMAN, FANNIE HANTMAN ORR, WILLIAM D. ORR, RENA POLLOCK, HYMAN POSE, WILLIAM RACUSIN, NATHAN L. ROSENTHAL, SARA RUBENSTEIN, MAX A. RUBIN, PHILIP SCHMEISER, LOUIS SHENKAN, FRANK STARK, JOSEPH STEIN, HARRY STRAUCHLER, GITTEL SUKOLSKY, REBECCA TRACHT, GERALDINE TYSON, OSCAR WANETICK, ANNA I. WEINBERGER, RUTH WEINBERGER, ARTHUR WEINER, FANNIE B. WEINTHAL, MIRIAM WIESENTHAL. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14: ROSE AVNER, NETTIE G. BARON, JACOB E. CANTER, GERALD LEE GOLDMAN, GEORGE W. GOODWIN, TILLIE GRAY, LENA GUTKIND, AARON HIRSCHMAN, SAMUEL HORNE, SARAH KORETSKY, HANNAH S. KUSMINSKY, SHINA E. LANDO, SAMUEL O MARKOWITZ, SAMUEL NEWMAN, SAM OKER, SAMUEL PASEKOFF, DORA RABINOVITZ, OSNA ROSE, FANNIE ROSEN, BERTRAM SAMUELS, ETHEL SCHRAGER, EDWARD SCHULTZ, LOUIS SHER, BELLA M. SHERMAN, MYER SILVERMAN, GERTRUDE STEINBERG, JENNIE SMIT STRENG, EVA TENENBAUM, LOUIS WEINER, LOUIS A. WIENER, ALICE R. WOLF, ISAAC WOLOVITZ, OSCAR ZEIDENSTEIN. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15: MARY AMERICUS, CHARLES C. BAROFSKY, PHILLIP CAPLAN, DAVID COHEN, A. L. DAVIDSON, DANIEL GRODNER, SARA R. KITAY, MIRIAM F. KOPELSON, FREDA KRAMER, HARRY LANGER, EDWARD LAPIDUS, YETTA LEVENSON, WILLIAM M. LOWENSTEIN, JEAN MARIANS, MELVIN MORGAN, ABAHAM NERNBERG, JOSEPH PERELL, ESTHER PHILLIPS, FANNIE PROTECH, SYDNEY S REICHART, ABRAHAM RIPP, PHILLIP H. SAACK, PHILLIP SACK`, PAULINE SALKOVITZ, MILTON SAPIR, J.L. SAPPER, TAUBE SCHWARTZ, BENJAMIN SILBERMAN, ABRAHAM SILVERBERG, AUDREY S. SILVERMAN, FRANCES SIMON, JACOB I. SLOTSKY, ALBERT STEIN, WILMA J. TUMPSON, DAVID WALLACH, HERMAN WEISBERGER, JOSEPH N. WEISSBERG, HARRY A. WILKOFSKY, MARY WYCHANSKY, DEBORAH ZELMANOVITZ. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16: DOROTHY (NEEREBECCA) BUCKDRUCKER LEWINTER, HARRY N. COHEN, JACOB GERBER, CHARLES GESSNER, HARRY GLICK, BELLE GREEN, NORMA GROSS, JOSEPH HIRSH, BENJAMIN HORVITZ, HYMAN KOSS, LILLIAN KRAMER, BESSIE SNYDER LAST, ROSE LEVINSON, A. SANFORD LEVY, SARAH LIEBMAN, EDNA LIPTZ, ELI LONDON, REBECCA MARDER, ABE MARKOWITZ, HARRY MERVIS, LEAH NEAMAN, MAX PIPMAN, ESTHER RICE, SOPHIE ROSEN, CELE ROSMAN, RUBEN ROTHMAN, JACK SECHER, SELMA SHERMER, KATIE SILVERHART, ANNIE SMITH, ANNE SNYDER, EMANUEL SPECTOR, JOSEPH SPERLING, MAX STEINER, LOUIS TALENFELD, JACK WEBER, MATHILDA WERTHEIMER, ANNA WITT, DORA YOUNG. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17: IDA SYLVIA SHAFFER BARRON HOCHBERG, MORRIS MARVIN BERGER, CHARLES BERMAN, MAX COFFEE, SYLVIA EDELHEID, FRIEDA FEINBERG, SARAH FREIBERGER, REUBEN GOLDSTEIN, ROSE GOLDSTEIN, GEORGE KALB, LOUIS KLEVAN, LOUIS KWALWASSER, RAE G. LABOVITZ, WILLIAM LEIBER, ROSE SCHULTZ LEVEN, ABE LEWIS, LOUIS LEWIS, BERTHA LIEBER, EDITH LOCKER, WILLIAM LOSMAN, MEYER MAGLIN, LIFSHA MAZER, ALFRED D. MILLER, FANNIE A. MORRIS, ANNA MYERS, HILDA PLATT, ANNETTE RICHMAN, LILLIAN W. ROTHMAN, BENJAMIN SACHS, DAVID SATIN, CELIA SAUL, ANNA ETHEL SCHACHNOWSKY, DAVID SEGAL, IRA KAY SHARE, SENDER SHIREY, ANNA E. SHRACHNOWSKY, ABRAHAM SIFF, JACOB SIMON, WILLIAM SOCKEL, SARA STUART, JACOB D. TITLEBAUM, TILLIE T. UDMAN, ELI G. WEINTHAL, ROSE WEISMAN, MORRIS WILKOFSKY, FANNIE WILLIAMS, ISAAC WOLK, BEN ZELMANOVITZ. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18: MORRIS BERGER, ISRAEL FINEMAN, IDA FORMAN, HARRY FRANK, RACHEL GOODMAN, LENA GORDON, MORRIS A. GREENBERG, MAX JACOBS, LOUIS KANTOR, ESTHER LEHMAN, FRANK LEVIN, SOPHIE LEVIN, FREDA LEVINE, JOSEPH RABBI LEVINE, HARRY LINDER, PESIE Z. LINDER, ANN LIPSITZ, JOSEPH LOVE, SARAH LURIE, MARY RAPOPORT, MOLLIE ROGOW, BLANCHE F. ROSEN, LOUIS RUZEWICH, HERMAN RYAVE, SIGMUND SCHOENFELD, ROSE SCHWARTZ, ROSE SCHWARTZ, ROSE L. SCHWARTZ, ANNA E. SHAPIRO, MORRIS SHAPIRO, TILLIE SHILLIT, SOLOMON SILVERMAN, MARGARET STEINER, ROSE C. SUGAR, SAMUEL TOKER, JACK WAGNER, JACOB C. WEDNER, SAMUEL WEISBERG, ESTHER WEISS, JEFFREY S. WEISS, ROSE WERSHBAL, ESTHER WIESS, MAX WILKOFF, SYLVIA WITTLIN, ESTHER WOLFF, CELIA WOLK, ALBERT ZIMMER.

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20 — THE JEWISH CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 9, 2012