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September 22, 2017 | 2 Tishrei 5778
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Candlelighting 6:59 p.m. | Havdalah 7:55 p.m. | Vol. 60, No. 38 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
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Bagels and lox look inviting, but JCC policy don’t overeat after Yom Kippur, tackles issues say medical professionals of gender identity and inclusion
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Girl power
New magazine by and for female Jewish adolescents draws on local support.
By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer
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tendency we all have,” explained Sari Cohen, a naturopathic doctor at the UPMC Center for Integrative Medicine. “If you eat too much, you’re going to end up Sari Cohen feeling crummy, and you Courtesy photo don’t want that,” echoed Elan Noorparvar, an internist at Century III Medical Associates in West Mifflin. When the Day of Atonement comes to a close, as opposed to feverishly filling one’s empty gut, “you want to ease back into eating slowly,” said Cohen. Elan Noorparvar “It’s not like you need Courtesy photo to eat the three meals that you missed. You can have a normal dinner, and your body will catch up,” agreed Noorparvar. Ideally, post-Yom Kippur nourishment would be easily digestible foods, which are “not too fatty or greasy,” said Cohen. Rice
he JCC is for everybody.” That the catchphrase, which has adorned signage, websites and key cards for years, required greater explication was a decision recently rendered by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh’s board of directors when it decided to specifically address “gender identity” and “gender inclusion” within the organization’s membership policy. “The JCC is open and accessible to everyone, regardless of age, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or special need by welcoming individuals of all backgrounds, embracing their uniqueness and diversity under our communal tent,” reads the updated policy. “As an organization, while our mission implied that we are open to all, we felt that it was very important to be more explicit with ‘gender expression’ and ‘gender identity,’” said Marc Brown, immediate past chair of the JCC’s board. “Now more than ever we felt it was important to let the community know we are open for everybody, and everybody should feel welcome in our agencies and at our programs and in the services we offer,” added Jim Ruttenberg, JCC chair of the board. Such inclusive affirmation, which mirrors policies at several other JCCs across the country, is essential, given the startling statistics facing transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, said Brian Schreiber, JCC president and CEO. Compared with 4.6 percent of the general population, nearly 40 percent of transgender individuals have attempted suicide at some point in their lives, noted a 2014 study from the American Foundation for Suicide
Please see Fast, page 15
Please see Gender, page 15
Page 3 LOCAL Jewish by choice Rabbis negotiate their own conversion requirements. Page 4 WORLD
By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer
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Tour de Israel
Prestigious cycling competition coming soon to Jerusalem and other locales. Page 9
abbi Barbara Symons of Temple David in Monroeville is expecting 100 guests at her Yom Kippur break fast on the night of Sept. 30. Both Hillel Jewish University Center and Chabad House on Campus are anticipating more than 200 attendees at their co-hosted Saturday evening meal, said Danielle Kranjec, senior Jewish educator at Hillel JUC. For those gathering in Monroeville, Oakland or at a host of other sites, the post-Yom Kippur plate may appear pretty similar. Symons plans on serving bagels and lox. The Pitt party is offering a “dairy bagel schmear,” noted Kranjec. The potluck dinner that Rabbi Paul Tuchman of Temple B’nai Israel in White Oak anticipates joining should also be familiar, he said. Despite the bountiful bagels and luxurious lox sure to supply many menus, eager eaters should exercise discretion and common sense in the moments following Yom Kippur, said several local physicians. “The most important thing is to not overeat when breaking a fast, which is a
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Hillel students look ahead
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Uman has growing pains
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Headlines Can an A.I. be Jewish? CMU students to grapple with Jewish futurism — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer
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hat would Judaism look like on another planet? How do kosher laws apply to synthetic meat? How do quantum technologies impact halachah? What does that even mean? A cohort of Jewish Carnegie Mellon University students will be wrestling with some of these concepts, and others, as part of a new working group on Jewish futurism created as part of Hillel Jewish University Center’s efforts to tailor ways to connect to a diverse range of student populations, eschewing a one size fits all approach. “We are constantly reviewing and analyzing how we can find innovative and engaging ways that sing to the identities of the different Jewish student populations,” said Dan Marcus, CEO and executive director of Hillel JUC. Together with a group of CMU students, Danielle Kranjec, Hillel JUC’s senior Jewish educator, crafted the futurism program “to really marry together the students’ academic and Jewish identities in a way that’s really relevant and interesting and fun,” Marcus said. Kranjec appreciates the freedom she has, she said, to create curricula that meets the needs and interests of the different students with whom she works. “One of the ongoing informal conversations that kept coming up with the students at CMU were all of these ideas around technology and the future and how their professional work and coursework intersected
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p The inaugural group of Weitman Learning Fellows, 2015
Photo provided by Danielle Kranjec
with Judaism, writ large, thinking far into the future,” she said. “We developed a series of questions around what we would call futurism, but vis a vis Judaism itself.” The group will meet six times throughout the semester and will draw on science fiction, halachic literature and scientific texts and articles as its source material. Kranjec intends to let the students lead the way on these topics. “I’m not an expert on artificial intelligence, but some of them are becoming experts in artificial intelligence,” she said. “If we want to ask, ‘can an A.I. [artificial intelligence] be Jewish,’ they are going to have as much to weigh in as I do.” The lines of inquiry of the Jewish futurism
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Please see Futurism, page 16
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group, Kranjec said, have much in common with the issues facing Jews today, as well as those faced by Jews in the past. “The interesting thing is, when you get to the base of it, we are really asking the same questions that everyone asks: What is Judaism? What is essentially Jewish? Because I think that is what many of us are asking in our daily lives as we make our decisions of how we do what we do, and what we take from our tradition, and what we don’t carry forward. But this is putting those questions into a mode that resonates with a particular kind of student, and a particular kind of Jew.” Alan Menaged, a CMU junior majoring in math, who is “pretty scientifically oriented,”
is looking forward to the research aspect of the new group. “I have particular curiosity about what Jewish life is going to be like in the next 50 years,” said the New Jersey native, who was raised in an Orthodox family and has maintained his Jewish observance while in college. “There’s so much to talk about [concerning] the future of the Jewish people.” While contemporary Jews, when talking about the future, generally discuss such issues as declining institutional affiliation, there are other factors that most definitely will come into play as science continues to advance, and Jews will need to decide how to respond based on their tradition, he said. As an example, Menaged offered a robot that has been programmed to have emotions. “How do we treat that robot?” he asked. “Do we treat it like an animal? Do we treat it like a person? Or do we treat it like anything else created in a lab?” Hillel JUC has created educational opportunities for other cohorts of students as well. Those seeking to learn the basis of Jewish values and then apply those values to social justice work can apply for a Tzedek Fellowship. No prior Jewish learning or experience is required. Tzedek Fellows will spend five, one-hour sessions discussing the central themes of the Jewish tradition relating to justice and then will be required to spend at least 10 hours engaged in volunteer service hours. The program is perfect for Jori Newman, a junior pre-med Pitt student, majoring in English. While both Newman’s parents are Jewish, she had little Jewish background before she came to Hillel JUC. She
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Headlines jGirls Magazine gives teens a ‘room of their own’ — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer
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f jGirls Magazine is any indication of what the next generation of Jewish womanhood looks like, the future is in excellent hands. The newly launched online magazine, run by an editorial board of Jewish females between the ages of 13 and 19 from around the country and representing all streams of Judaism, is a treasure trove of original essays, fiction, poetry, music and visual arts. Not only does the magazine provide its contributors and editors with an outlet for their creativity, but it also offers them a platform to exchange ideas with other young Jewish women from divergent backgrounds whom they otherwise might never meet. The magazine was conceived by Elizabeth Mandel, who serves as its executive director and who admittedly spends a “lot of time thinking about where my identity exists at the nexus of being Jewish and being a woman.” Inspired by other online spaces for self-identifying Jewish women, including Kveller, Lilith Magazine and Jewish Women’s Archive that “create a source of community,” she set out to develop a site that she would be proud to have her three young daughters tap JCthey ReSound Family_Eartique 5/23/17 10:03 AM as become teens and “start to look away
from adults and to their peers for guidance.” “I started thinking about how important it is for our daughters to express themselves,” Mandel said, “and to start thinking at an early age about establishing relationships with others who are both the same and different from themselves.” jGirls, she said, gives Jewish girls “a room of their own,” alluding to Virginia Woolf ’s celebrated feminist essay which advocated for allowing women writers to have their own space — both physical and figurative — in the face of a historically male-dominated literary tradition. “There are other spaces [for Jewish women] out there,” Mandel said. “But they tend to be multigenerational. This space is for Jewish girls, by Jewish girls.” jGirls is a “collaborative space” that works alongside other organizations that “empower and amplify the voices of Jewish teenage girls, including the Jewish Women’s Archives’ Rising Voice Fellowship, Moving Traditions’ Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing and Ma’yan/ Research Training Internship,” she added. When launching jGirls, Mandel put out a wide call for applications to its inaugural 12-person editorial board. She received several dozen. “It was competitive,” she said. “They were all fabulous girls with diverse Jewish geographic backgrounds and interests. The applications reflected the glorious mosaic of Page 1 our Jewish community.”
Rivka Mandelbaum, a 16-year-old graduate of Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, was one of the 12 chosen for the board. Currently studying in Jerusalem at Nishmat for a gap year before beginning her college career at Princeton University, Mandelbaum applied to jGirls “because I love the idea of having a magazine aimed at fostering a creative community of Jewish teen girls,” she said on her bio on the site. Mandelbaum, whose family is Orthodox, served as an editor and writer at Hillel’s school newspaper, was involved in theater and also participated in Mock Trial. “jGirls has been an awesome outlet for her,” said Mandelbaum’s father, Yitzie Mandelbaum, a software engineer at Google. “It’s an interesting mix of girls from different Jewish backgrounds.” The young women discuss together the merits of publishing various pieces on different topics, he said. “It’s been a great way for her to share her own thoughts and learn about others. It’s a healthy environment for that discussion.” Because the young women on the editorial board are geographically dispersed, they meet virtually to review submissions, Mandel said, adding that submissions “can be on anything; they don’t have to be explicitly about being Jewish or being a girl, because whatever is submitted is coming from that lens.” After receiving about 130 submissions from about 80 writers and artists, the maga-
p Rivka Mandelbaum
Photo courtesy of jGirls
zine had a soft launch in June, publishing 42 pieces. Those works came from six countries — the U.S., the United Kingdom, Israel, France, Australia and Spain — and from about 20 states. Some of those 130 submissions are not yet published and are still under review. They may be released when the site has its full launch later this fall. jGirls, which can be found at jgirlsmagazine.org, has so far had 2,665 unique visitors to its site, Mandel said. jGirls is funded by the Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta, the Jewish Women’s Foundation, the Hadassah Foundation, Morty’s Angels, FJC, the Jewish Education Project, Bikkurim, the UJA Federation of New York and Sally Gottesman. PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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Headlines Conversion standards vary, but only slightly, among non-Orthodox rabbis — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer
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ong gone are the days of rabbis rebuffing potential converts three times so they can demonstrate their determination to become Jewish, at least in the non-Orthodox world. But that doesn’t mean that conversion is an easy process, as local rabbis consistently require serious study, immersive participation in congregational life and a commitment to live Jewishly. Area Reform rabbis share the responsibility of teaching prospective converts at a weekly Introduction to Judaism class that extends over the course of six to eight months. The class, which has been going Rabbi Jamie Gibson strong for more than three File photo decades, alternates meeting at Temple Sinai and Rodef Shalom Congregation and includes sections on Jewish thought, the holidays, Biblical text, Talmud and Israel, as well as the issue of the acceptance of converts in American Jewish life,
“ It’s about becoming part of the community,” — RABBI JAMIE GIBSON according to Rabbi Jamie Gibson, senior rabbi at Temple Sinai. Each iteration of the class generally has a cohort of between 25 and 40 people, who also regularly meet individually with their sponsoring rabbi. Gibson meets with his students privately every three to four weeks and also has small group meetings with those people connected with Temple Sinai who are working toward conversion. “So, the idea is that between those three circles of contact there is plenty of time to transmit information and for students to ask questions and process all this information we’re giving them,” Gibson said. But the process of becoming a Jew extends beyond learning material, Gibson emphasized. “It’s about becoming part of the community,” he said. “So, I ask people to clear
their schedules and to come to six to eight services, Shabbatot, in a row, so they not only understand our melodies, but they also understand the rhythm and sensibility of the congregation that they hope to join.” Gibson has additional required readings for his students, and although the Introduction to Judaism class does not cover Hebrew, he encourages his students to have a rudimentary knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet, enough to at least be able to write the letters and to read brachot in Hebrew rather than transliteration. “At the end of the process, when the student feels that he or she is ready, and I feel they are ready, I give them a significant project to do, which not only asks them to share the kind of cognitive knowledge they’ve acquired about holidays and sources and things like that, but really much more,”
Gibson said. “I have three substantial essay questions where they really can open their wings and fly a little bit with their own thoughts — whether it is about Shabbat, the Rabbi Aaron Holocaust or the personal Bisno File photo experience of transformation and conversion.” Gibson then assembles a beit din consisting of three rabbis and also requires his converts to be immersed in the mikvah. If the candidate for conversion is male, and has already been circumcised, he is required to undergo hatafat dam brit, which is the letting of a drop of blood. If someone has not been circumcised, the full procedure is explored. For most people, the entire process takes between a year and a year and a half, Gibson said. Beit din, mikvah and hatafat dam brit are common requirements for conversion among Pittsburgh’s non-Orthodox rabbis, although other requirements vary. Rabbi Aaron Bisno, senior rabbi at Rodef Shalom, also meets with his candidates on an individual basis and requires a personal essay Please see Conversion, page 5
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Headlines Conversion: Continued from page 4
at the completion of their coursework. And while he encourages his candidates to come to services, he has no specific attendance requirement. He does not require his students to become versed in Hebrew, although he does expose them to the language. Bisno’s candidates for conversion generally can complete their preparation in about a year, he said, although if a person is already a member of a Jewish family, sometimes the process does not take that long. Rabbi Seth Adelson, senior rabbi at the C ons e r v at ive Beth Shalom, said his candidates for conversion can generally complete their requirements in about eight months. Adelson Rabbi Seth teaches a course along Adelson File photo with Rabbi Alex Greenbaum, spiritual leader of Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, for those candidates wishing a Conservative conversion. The class “covers all the basic knowledge that you need to be a knowledgeable, practicing, Conservative Jew, including a requirement for learning to read Hebrew and a Rabbi Alex familiarity with basic Greenbaum including File photo principles, Jewish law, holidays, exposure to Jewish practice, a requirement to attend synagogue, kashrut and Shabbat,” he said. In addition to Adelson and Greenbaum, the students are occasionally taught by guest speakers. Adelson’s students meet with him individually a few times over the course of the six-month class, he said. He requires Hebrew, with the goal of having his candidates “able to at least try to manage the siddur,” he said. Although he tells his candidates that he hopes to see them in synagogue, he does not take attendance. Adelson requires a personal essay at the conclusion of his students’ studies and also requires them to take a written test “to demonstrate competency.” Rabbi Barbara Symons, spiritual leader of Temple David, requires her students to take the class offered by the area Reform rabbis, and she also participates in Rabbi Barbara teaching that class. Symons “I try to require File photo someone to take that class because they get different perspectives, because of the different rabbis and cantors teaching,” she said. She also meets individually with her students and encourages them to get involved in the congregation. She sees Hebrew “as a tool to be involved in Jewish life and community life,” she said, and wants her students to be able to gain enough competency in the language to read the Shema and the V’ahavta and the blessings for conversion. After a candidate has been questioned by the beit din and has immersed in the mikvah, Symons and her congregation celebrate the
new member of the community at the Shabbat service immediately following the conversion. When the new convert ascends the bima and holds the Torah, the joy and pride is shared by everyone present, Symons said. “Every single time, it’s breathtaking and empowering,” she said. “It’s remarkable to look at the community’s faces.” The time it takes to convert, Symons said, differs for each person, but typically extends between one and two years. For people who are already in a Jewish family, it can take less than a year. Symons asks her students to be involved in the “three pillars” of Judaism: prayer, study and social justice, and she always asks them “what’s next?” following the conclusion of the conversion process. Rabbi Jonathan Perlman, spiritual leader of New Light, which self-identifies as a Conservative congregation, has been doing conversions for 25 years, but has only had a few candidates since he took his pulpit in Pittsburgh in 2010. Right now, he is working with one candidate, but does not Rabbi Jonathan participate in the ConserPerlman vative conversion class File photo team-taught by Adelson and Greenbaum. “I believe the conversion process is creating a relationship with the rabbi who will be your mentor for the year,” Perlman said, adding that he used to do joint classes, but found them “unsatisfying,” preventing him from “getting to know the students, and my students didn’t get to know their rabbi. And I would not participate in a joint community group because different rabbis have their own standards.” Perlman requires his candidates to study for 12 months prior to conversion. “I want them to experience all the festivals, to begin to lead a Jewish life and to begin to take on a Jewish lifestyle,” he said. “I want their full participation in the congregation.” While he does not have a specific synagogue attendance requirement, he tells his candidates that he would “like them to come regularly and to be there for the festivals.” Perlman is also honest with his students about their status in the wider Jewish community with a Conservative conversion. “I’m clear with my students that this is a Conservative conversion, and if you make aliya, your identity might be challenged,” he said. “People may not see you as a Jew. It’s good in Conservative synagogues, and maybe in Reform synagogues and some Orthodox. But I’m realistic with them in terms of what to expect,” he said. Temple Sinai’s Gibson is also up front with his students about the status of a Reform conversion. “I let all conversion candidates know that their conversions will be accepted by the Reform movement, the Reconstructionist movement and a broad section of the Conservative movement, but will never be accepted in the Orthodox movement,” he said. “This has nothing to do with them and everything to do with the fact that they don’t accept me as a rabbi who has authority to change anyone’s personal status.” PJC
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Calendar q SATURDAY, SEPT. 30
size proportions via music, movement, sensory stimulants and expressive arts. Final session from 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. $7 per class, unless already paid for the whole session. Contact Chabad of the South Hills, Mt. Lebanon at mussie@chabadsh.com for more information.
Yom Kippur Afternoon Panel Discussion on “Courageous Conversations: Women of Faith.” How does one guide our faith communities in times of turmoil? What does it take to lead in a position traditionally held by men? Is raising teenagers one of the most courageous acts of this age? Rabbi Sharyn Henry will be joined by Dr. Malak Bokhari, Quranic Arabic teacher, and Ayana Teter, associate minister of the Pittsburgh Presbytery, for a panel discussion about courage and leadership. Open to the community at 3 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation.
q WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27 The Kollel will conduct the ceremony to perform the mitzvah of pidyon petter chamor (redemption of the firstborn male donkey) for the entire community at 5 p.m. at Hillel Academy, 5685 Beacon St. q THURSDAY, SEPT. 28
q THURSDAY, SEPT. 28 Moishe House will hold Crafts Night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Message facebook.com/ events/239020443287588/ or contact moishehousepgh@gmail.com for more information. q SUNDAY, SEPT. 24 Moishe Gets Moving: Tashlich Hike, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Racoon State Park. Moishe House will provide a picnic lunch.Sign up at https://goo.gl/forms/zQ8DK5dKEb4fK8X83. Contact moishehousepgh@gmail.com for more information. Start the New Year with a clean slate at this creative Tashlich musical service led by clergy of both Rodef Shalom and Beth
Shalom. Tashlich means “casting off” and involves symbolically casting off sins by tossing pieces of bread into a body of flowing water. Just as the water carries away the bits of bread, so too are sins symbolically carried away. 4:30 p.m. at the Squaw Valley Park gazebo, 325 Fox Chapel Road, Fox Chapel. q MONDAY, SEPT. 25 Babyccino: A Chic Meet for Mod Moms & Their Tots. Explore the High Holidays in pint-
Break the Fast with Moishe House Pittsburgh and J’Burgh from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Full kosher meal provided (lox, bagels and so much more) at no charge. RSVP is required by Sept. 27 to attend at https://hilleljuc.wufoo.com/forms/ supei151aee35e/. Contact moishehousepgh@ gmail.com for more information.
Annual Teshuvah Drashah by Rabbi Yissochar Frand by the Pittsburgh Kollel. Live video hookup. 8 p.m. at Kollel Jewish Learning Center, 5808 Beacon St. Carol L. Tabas will be the recipient of 2017 Shore-Whitehill Award, awarded annually by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and Jewish Residential Services to volunteers who promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the fabric of Jewish life. Tabas will be honored from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Golf Club. Keynote speakers will be Nancy Thaler, deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs, and Al Condeluci, CEO of Community Living and Support Services. RSVP at megan-grabski@unitedwayswpa. org by Sept. 20.
q SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1 Brunch & Serve (& Build!) by Repair the World. Brunch 10-11 a.m. at Repair the World, 6022 Broad St., East Liberty. Service and sukkah building from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sheridan Avenue Orchard. Register at http:// rpr.world/pghsukkot.
Please see Calendar, page 7
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• Matzo Balls
• Potato or Noodle Kugel
• Chicken Soup
• Chopped Liver
• Desserts
• Fresh or Prepared Brisket
• Local Apples & Honey
• Wood Street Bakery Challah Round (Plain or Raisin)
9 a.m. - Noon
Limited Time – Plots available at $850 Grave-side prayers provided…Lovingly maintained by on-site caretaker
For more information, visit www.adathjeshuruncemeterypgh.org Questions, Reserve a Plot or Need a Ride call 412-508-0817 Adath Jeshurun Cemetery | 4779 Roland Road | Allison Park, PA 15101
Dinner Packages Brisket Dinner
Congregation Bet Tikvah
with Gravy, Baby Carrots & Roasted Potatoes 2 - $24.95
DINNER FOR
4 - $59.95
6 - $79.95
8 - $99.95
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with Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans 2 - $19.95
DINNER FOR
4 - $39.95
6 - $59.95
8 - $79.95
Call Us Today for All Your Holiday Needs
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Happy New Year 6 SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
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www.bettikvah.org (412) 256-8317 Bet Tikvah is a queer-centric independent minyan, including family and friends. We hold services at Rodef Shalom Temple, Fifth & Morewood Aves. Services are free and open to all. No tickets needed. Rosh Hashanah
Thursday, September 21
7:30pm
Kol Nidre
Friday, September 29
7:00pm
Yom Kippur Break-fast
Saturday, September 30 Rodef Shalom ALC1
4:00pm 6:00pm
Succot
Friday, October 6 Members’ house
7:30pm
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Calendar Calendar: Continued from page 6 Pittsburgh J-Fest on Darlington is for the teens, by the teens and will be held from noon to 3 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill. The first year of this free street festival will celebrate Jewish teens in Pittsburgh with activities like Zumba in the street, a Steelers big screen watch party outside, 100 percent kosher food, games, programming, community service and more. Contact Andrew Exler with any questions at aexler@bbyo.org. q MONDAY, OCTOBER 2 Germany Today. Dr. Lauren Bairnsfather will discuss her trip to Germany in August 2017. Sponsored by Classrooms without Borders in Pittsburgh and Germany Close Up in Berlin, the trip provides Jewish young adults with an immersive and valuable experience. This is also an opportunity for the community to meet the Holocaust Center’s 2017-2018 ARSP volunteer from Germany, Tim Zenglein. 7 p.m. at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, 826 Hazelwood Ave. Register at https:// is.gd/hsENtG. q TUESDAY, OCT. 3
Sharon, Pa., for a tour of Gone with the Wind Hotel and lunch. There will be a stop at Reyers Shoe Store on the return trip. The cost is $58 for members and $65 for anyone that belongs to the national AARP group. Contact Marsha Kramer at 412-656-5893. q FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 On the Shabbat of Sukkot join the second annual Temple David vegan potluck Shabbat dinner followed by worship and speaker Sally Lipsky of Food for Health, a nonprofit service offering guidance and support for healthy, plant-centered eating. If you want recipe ideas for a plant-based dish, visit her website at https://www.plantbasedeatinghub.com/. Vegan means no animal products — no meat, chicken, fish, eggs, or dairy. Consider what you can make from vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, legumes. 6 p.m., followed by worship at 7:30 p.m. at Temple David, 4415 Northern Pike, Monroeville. For more information contact Stan Beck at stanb@templedavid.org or 412-491-0313. q WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11 All-Rolled-Into-One Simchat Torah Activities: Roll into Rodef Shalom to roll out Torahs in the sanctuary, as well as roll up rugelach and vegetarian sushi to nosh on. It is sure to be a rock’n’rolling good time. 5:30 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation.
Reservations must be in by Oct. 3 for the Squirrel Hill AARP trip Oct. 24 to Tara, near
q SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15
q SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21
Helen Wilson, teacher, editor and author of “Squirrel Hill: A Neighborhood History,” will speak about her new book at 1 p.m. at Rodef Shalom. Wilson is president of the Squirrel Hill Historical Society.
Travel with Classrooms Without Borders to Gnadenhutten, Ohio, to see how genocide has taken place in our own backyard. Learn about the history of a town that was witness to a large massacre of Native Americans in 1782. For more information and to RSVP go to https://is.gd/bgkI6n.
South Hills Jewish Pittsburgh presents the Jewish Family Fall Festival. Admission includes a kosher picnic lunch, hayride, pumpkin picking, hay/corn mazes, petting zoo and more. $5 per person through Oct. 5 and $10 per person thereafter; limited to the first 300 people. 12:30-3:30 p.m. at Simmons Farm, 170 Simmons Road, McMurray. To register and for more information call 412-697-6647 or visit southhillsjewishpittsburgh.org. Screening of “Brundibar Revisited.” The film, which is available for students through Film Pittsburgh’s Teen Screen program, provides an engaging experience for adult audiences. Subjects include at-risk youth in Germany, immigration of Holocaust survivors to Israel, and the incredible children’s opera Brundibar that was written and performed in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp. 1 p.m. at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, 826 Hazelwood Ave. Register at https:// is.gd/ayj9VN. Consul General of Israel in New York Dani Dayan will give a public talk. 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, Katz Theater.
q SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22 A Conversation with Bari Weiss together with Rabbi Danny Schiff. Bari Weiss recently joined The New York Times, where she works as an op-ed editor and writer. She was previously an associate book review editor and op-ed editor at The Wall Street Journal. Weiss has also been a senior editor at Tablet, the daily online Jewish magazine. Weiss is a proud Pittsburgh native. Sponsored by the Jewish Community Foundation. A nonsolicitation event. Brunch will be served. 11 a.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation. RSVP by Oct. 16 at https://is.gd/GoW4nu. Children’s Village Open House. Join Classrooms Without Borders for an informative and engaging afternoon focused on its 2018 Children’s Village Seminar. During the open house, attendees can hear from a guest speaker, review an outline of the itinerary, gain an understanding of costs involved, and ask questions. 2-4 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation. To learn more and to RSVP go to https://is.gd/6jdBh7. PJC
Mazel Tov! SPECIAL OCCASIONS DESERVE SPECIAL ATTENTION
What is a special occasion…a birth, a b’nai mitzvah, an engagement, a wedding, an anniversary? Absolutely!
But so is a birthday, a graduation, an athletic victory, an academic achievement…anything that deserves special recognition.
And there is no better place to share your joy than in...
ANNOUNCEMENTS Text Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No Charge With Photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15
The more you celebrate in life… the more there is in life to celebrate! SEND YOUR CELEBRATIONS, MAZEL TOVS, AND PHOTOS TO: announcements@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
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SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 7
Headlines More than a retirement home, it’s a place for St. Louis Jewish seniors to gather — NATIONAL — By Ben Sales | JTA
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doctor, a lawyer, a banker and a therapist set up an office together. It sounds like something out of “Old Jews Telling Jokes.” More like a Pioneering Option for Aging Jews. The shared premises are at the heart of the plan for Covenant Place, a renovated Jewish independent living community for senior citizens in St. Louis. Set to open in 2019 with a price tag of $30 million, Covenant Place will combine affordable apartments for seniors with a first floor housing medical and social services — everything from a primary care doctor to a hairdresser. The facility’s officials say it’s the first such project in the country. “Right now I am involved with pretty much everybody,” said Jerry Fiman, 83, the president of Covenant Place’s tenants’ council. “You’d be surprised how many people come knocking on my door asking what they can take for this pain or that. Having something like that will be wonderful.” Covenant Place’s management hopes to pioneer a new model of caring for seniors as the elderly population swells. The new building, they say, will allow seniors to continue living independently while not having to spend their days shuttling to doctors, lawyers, classes and social activities across town. Seniors in the surrounding area can also take advantage of the building’s services,
p A choir composed of Covenant Place residents performs.
Photo courtesy of Covenant Place
lowering costs and easing access while also aiming to engender a stronger sense of community among retirees. The project comes as the country’s elderly population spikes. The population of Americans older than 65 will nearly double between 2012 and 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2010, that group was 13 percent of the population. By 2030, it will number more than 20 percent. Elderly Jews already make up a much higher percentage than in the general population, according to most studies. “Imagine you’re 85 or 90, you want to go to the doctor, but also to the Jewish Family and Children’s Services counselor,” said Joan Denison, Covenant Place’s executive director. “You have to drive there, park your
car, go back — you’re already exhausted.” At the new center, she said, “They can come, have a good meal, a lifelong learning class, come see a movie and just spend the day and take care of the things they need to do, but also be socially engaged with their peer group.” Covenant Place houses 400 mostly low-income seniors, many of whom are Jewish. The surrounding three-mile radius, says Denison, has nearly 40,000 seniors. The new Covenant Place will offer this community primary medical care, dentistry, rehabilitation and therapy, legal assistance, tax preparation and counseling, as well as classes and movie screenings. Covenant Place isn’t the only Jewish retirement community experimenting with this model.
Kavod Senior Life in Denver, which also houses 400 residents, opened a center in March that provides therapy, mental health counseling, dentistry and some medical specialists, as well as classes and wellness activities like yoga and tai chi. Unlike in Covenant’s plan, however, not all of the offerings are open to the public, though they may be in the future. The St. Louis care facility, which will be called the Mirowitz Center, will also function as a kind of institutional guinea pig for this kind of arrangement. Social work researchers from nearby Washington University will collect data from the various components of the center and analyze how the model affects the seniors’ quality of life. A 2015 study at Brigham Young University found social isolation poses a significant threat to longevity. The setup will also enable health professionals to collaborate on individual care for patients. “Medical communication is going to be much more efficient and better,” said Jonty Felsher, co-owner of RPI therapy services, which has a space in the current Covenant Place but will expand in the new building. “I have a patient who I am seeing for chronic back pain. That patient is seeing their orthopedic doctor, pain management specialist and neurologist. It’s very difficult to get everyone on the same page to manage that patient’s care.” Another of the center’s goals is to make low-income services more aesthetically attractive. Rather than an institutional dining hall, the building will include a cafe that looks more like a Panera. Covenant hopes to draw seniors Please see Seniors, page 10
Cornell and Israel’s Technion Institute open high-tech campus — NATIONAL — By Josefin Dolsten | JTA
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EW YORK — A high-tech teaching and research center born of a collaboration between Cornell University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology inaugurated its newly built campus on Roosevelt Island. More than 500 people were present for the inauguration last week of Cornell Tech and the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Cornell University President Martha Pollack and Technion Institute President Peretz Lavie. “Today we take a bold step in the tech arena with the opening of this campus,” Cuomo said prior to the Sept. 13 ribbon-cutting ceremony. “It’s ambitious — it was almost an audacious dream when we started.” De Blasio joked, addressing the Technion president, “In New York, Peretz, we would say this is a mitzvah.”
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p The Cornell Tech campus is located on New York’s Roosevelt Island.
Photo by Iwan Baan
Bloomberg, who conceived of the $2 billion project when he was mayor and donated $100 million to it, said Cornell Tech would help re-establish New York as a technological center. “In many ways, this project helps bring New York City back to the future,” he said, citing various technological features of the
campus, such as the goal to make the main academic center one of the largest net-zero energy buildings in the world. In 2010, Bloomberg invited top universities to submit pitches to build the campus. The winners would receive both funding and land on Roosevelt Island, a two-mile long island on the East River. In 2011, the city
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declared Cornell and the Technion winners, and the project opened the following year, operating out of a temporary location in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. Cornell Tech will offer master’s and doctoral programs in fields related to technology, computer science and engineering. De Blasio echoed Cuomo’s vision of the campus, which he said, “says to people that we will be forever a global center of technology and innovation.” Lavie recalled thinking the Israeli institute had a slim chance of winning the bid. “Since we have such a slim chance of winning — be wild,” he recalled telling Technion staff. “Use your imagination, think outside the box.” Lavie referenced Cornell University’s founder in showing how Israeli startup culture plays into Cornell Tech’s technology focus. “With this campus, Cornell and Technion are making a clear statement: practical knowledge, to paraphrase Ezra Cornell, is not inferior nor second to basic knowledge,” he said. “They are the sides of the same coin. This concept is part of the Technion’s DNA and more broadly the State of Israel, which is known as startup nation.” PJC
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Headlines In this Ukrainian city, businesses and mobsters follow the Jewish pilgrims entrepreneurs like Breskov. But locals say it has also increased the presence of organized criminals feeding off their success. “The mafia runs this place,” Breskov said last week in a matter-of-fact tone. “The only reason that I can sell on Pushkin Street is that I have connections.” Some 500 Jews live year-round in this city 130 miles south of Kiev. Most live and work in the area around Pushkin Street, the main artery leading to the gravesite. Since 2012, that area went from being a collection of ramshackle houses with a single, overpriced kosher pancake stand and a Judaica shop to a vibrant neighborhood with a newly built high-rise apartment building. Some 20 kosher restaurants have opened — among them branches of Israeli franchises such as Maafeh Neeman, a cafe
— WORLD — By Cnaan Liphshiz | JTA
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MAN, Ukraine — By selling coffee to Jewish tourists, 18-year-old Yuri Breskov can earn in a week more than his teachers from high school make annually in this provincial city. His revenues peak at $3,000 on the week of Rosh Hashanah, when some 30,000 Israelis and other Jews visit the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman, an 18th-century luminary and founder of the Breslov Chasidic movement. The annual pilgrimage has been taking place for decades. But what began as a trickle of observant Jews has grown in recent years and diversified to include many secular pilgrims. It’s a change that is creating new and lucrative opportunities for dozens of
p Pilgrims to Uman pray at the grave of Rebbe Nachman.
Photo by Yaakov Naumi/Flash90
Please see Uman, page 16
Israel gears up to host prestigious Italian cycling race — WORLD — By Andrew Tobin | JTA
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ERUSALEM — Stressing the chance to show off Israel to the world, Israeli officials joined with their Italian counterparts in announcing Monday that three stages of the prestigious Giro d’Italia cycling race will be held in the country, starting in Jerusalem. It will mark the first time that any leg of cycling’s Grand Tour races — the Giro, the Tour de France and the Spanish Vuelta — will take place outside of Europe, and just the 12th time the Giro had gone outside of Italy in its 101-year history. Israeli officials said the race will be the biggest sporting event ever held in their country and touted it as an opportunity to showcase the Jewish state — and its capital — to the world. “Hundreds of millions of viewers around the globe will watch as the world’s best cyclists ride alongside the walls of Jerusalem’s ancient Old City and our other historic sites,” Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said at the hotel gathering. “Our message to the world is clear: Jerusalem is open to all.” The race will bring more than 175 of the world’s best cyclists to Israel along with tens of thousands of tourists and cycling enthusiasts. Culture Minister Miri Regev called on “everyone who loves the Giro to come here to Israel.” “This bike race across the Holy Land will be a fascinating journey through time covering thousands of years,” she said. “I’m sure it will be a thrilling experience for everyone.” Israel will host the first three stages of the Giro, or “the Big Start,” on consecutive days from May 4 to 6. Stage 1 will be a 6.3-mile individual time trial in Jerusalem, passing the Knesset and ending near the walls of the
p Alberto Contador, left, and Ivan Basso, right, former winners of the Giro d’Italia, with race and Israeli officials including Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, fourth from right. Photo courtesy of the Giro
Old City. Stage 2, in the North, will start in Haifa with riders pedaling 103.8 miles down the Mediterranean coast to the Tel Aviv beach. Stage 3, in the South, will cover 140.4 miles through the arid Negev from Beersheba to Eilat on the Red Sea. Italian officials told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz earlier this month that they were being careful to avoid crossing into politically sensitive areas, like the West Bank or eastern Jerusalem, which they feared could spark protests. An official map of the Stage 1 route shows it approaching but not entering the Old City, which is located in eastern Jerusalem — where much of the world, but not the Israeli government, envisions a future Palestinian capital. According to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, the route will pass the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial as part of a tribute to Gino Bartali, an Italian cycling champion credited with saving hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust. While ostensibly training in the Italian countryside, Bartali,
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who won the Giro four times and the Tour de France twice, would carry forged papers in the frame and handlebars of his bicycle to Jews hiding in houses and convents. He also hid a Jewish family in his cellar. In 2013, years after his death in 2000, he was recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations by Israel’s Holocaust authority, Yad Vashem. Italian Sports Minister Luca Lotti said Monday that the race would celebrate Bartali’s memory. In addition to being a great sports champion, he said, Bartali “was also an extraordinary champion of life, and a man of heroic virtues, and this needs to be commemorated, and shared, especially with the young generations — never to be forgotten.” Retired Giro champions Alberto Contador of Italy and Ivan Basso of Spain, both two-time winners, also were on hand for the Jerusalem announcement. Sylvan Adams, a Canadian real estate magnate and philanthropist who recently
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immigrated to Israel, helped bring the Giro to Israel and will serve as its honorary president. Adams said he was motivated by love of cycling and a desire to help his adopted country. “I would call this the antidote to BDS,” he said, referring to the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel. “The media sometimes portrays our country in a negative way, and this is a way to bypass the media and go straight into the living rooms of 800 million people. They’ll see our country exactly as it is, and my experience is people almost universally have positive experiences when they encounter Israel.” The Giro is just part of Adams’ larger plan to make Israel a cycling powerhouse. A co-owner of the Israel Cycling Academy, Israel’s first professional cycling team founded in 2014, he is building the first velodrome in the Middle East in Tel Aviv to be finished in time for the race. “My plan is to bring Israeli athletes to the highest level of the sport,” he said. Ran Margaliot, an Israeli former professional cyclist and the general manager of the Israel Cycling Academy, said the team has applied to compete in the Giro and will find out if it qualified in December. It is among 32 second division teams jockeying for a wild card spot, but he is hopeful. “I certainly think we deserve an invitation,” Margaliot said. “No one can tell me we’re not good enough, and we work as hard as the Europeans, even harder.” Margaliot said that while he failed to achieve his ambition of becoming the first Israeli to race in a Grand Tour, the next best thing would be for an Israeli member of his international team to do it. “You can imagine what it would mean for an Israeli rider to be racing in his own country, passing near his home and friends and family,” he said before catching himself. “But we have a lot of work to do to get ready.” PJC SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 9
Headlines For secular Israeli teens, the eve of Yom Kippur is a night of forbidden love — WORLD — By Andrew Tobin | JTA
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HOHAM, Israel — Ely Cohen topped off his all-white outfit with a few spritzes of cologne. At sundown, the start of Yom Kippur, such “anointments” would no longer be kosher, and he wanted to be ready for the big night. He had just started dating a girl at his high school, and they had plans to meet up. “We agreed to find each other in the roundabout, where everyone goes after synagogue,” he said. The high school sweethearts — along with many of their peers — met up in the traffic circle. But Cohen, 18, and Yuval Sadaka, 17, snuck into the high school gym for a make-out session. That night, the evening of Yom Kippur, turned out to be a turning point in their relationship, both Cohen and Sadaka said. A year later they are inseparable. To most American Jews, the notion of kindling romance on the Day of Atonement is akin to mixing oil and water — you can, but you probably shouldn’t. But across Israel, it’s tradition for communities to gather on the streets after the Yom Kippur evening service, Kol Nidre. Israelis of all ages and stripes gather outdoors, chatting, enjoying the quiet of a night on which there is little or no traffic and, if they are young or single, flirting. It is a custom especially beloved among Israeli teens. Despite the holiday’s somber character — and the scriptural prohibition of sex during the 25 hours of Yom Kippur — many look forward to Judaism’s holiest day as an opportunity for romance. Like most of the country, Cohen’s hometown, Shoham, near Ben Gurion Airport, shuts down for Yom Kippur, when Jews traditionally fast and repent for their sins of the past year. Businesses shutter, the streets clear of cars, radio and TV cease broadcasts. Even many secular Jews, who constitute the majority in Shoham, as well as about 40 percent of all Israelis attend Kol Nidre services. Afterward, people pour out of synagogue and into the empty streets. Keeping with tradition, many are wearing white from head to toe. Teenagers, mostly from the secular high school here but also from the Religious Zionist one, tend to stay out late, walking or
Seniors: Continued from page 8
there from across the economic spectrum. “The reason Social Security worked as an FDR program was that it was aimed at everyone,” said Andrew Rehfeld, CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, which partially funded the project and shares a campus with Covenant Place. “We’re creating a space everyone wants to be in, and it isn’t stigmatized as a low-income space.” Fiman is looking forward to welcoming 10 SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
p Israelis on Yom Kippur enjoy the Tel Aviv beach in 2014.
Photo by Danielle Shitrit/Flash 90
p Yuval Sadaka takes a selfie with Ely Cohen. Photo by Yuval Sadaka
biking around town. As a bonus, sleeping late the next day makes the fast easier. In Shoham, the main meeting place is a traffic circle in the center of town. Hundreds of teenagers gather in a mass of white, with many sprawled out on pillows and blankets in the grass. Some play backgammon or board games. In public, hardly anyone violates the religious ban on eating or smoking; smartphones are left at home, or at least in a pocket. Public displays of affection are also generally avoided in keeping with the Talmudic prohibition against sexual relations. Yet, according to Cohen — who is secular but observes many Yom Kippur customs — the holiday is known to launch plenty of relationships. After all, everyone is dressed up and on their best behavior. No adults are around, and there is nowhere else to be or anything better to do. It is easy to strike up conversation with new people “about how hungry you are,” he said, laughing. “Everybody is clean and dressed in white, and you’re supposed to have asked forgiveness for your sins,” Cohen added. “So there is this pure, magical feeling in the air.” Sadaka had a simpler explanation: “Girls like Yom Kippur because the boys act nice for once,” she said. And because romance is forbidden that day, it is more tempting than ever. “You want to do it because you can’t do it,” Sadaka said. “Not even the bad breath you get from fasting can ruin it.” Young love on Yom Kippur may not be a new development. In the Talmud, the
first-century sage Rabbi Simeon Ben Gamliel recounted that in ancient times, the “daughters of Israel” would dance in the vineyard in white dresses on Yom Kippur, and the boys “who did not have a wife would turn to there to find one” (Taanit 31a). Gamliel also indicated the same ritual happened on Tu b’Av, a harvest festival now celebrated as a kind of Israeli Valentine’s Day. Of both holidays, he said, “There were no days as happy for the Jews.” Ari Engelberg, an Israeli sociologist, said this description of Yom Kippur as a holiday of joy and courtship akin to Tu b’Av has long confounded rabbis since it flies in the face of contemporary understanding and observance. “In rabbinic Judaism, Yom Kippur has become a very serene severe day of atonement on which everyone worries about their sins,” said Engelberg, who teaches sociology and Israel studies at the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “Rabbi Gamliel lived just after the Jewish Temple was destroyed and is recalling another tradition, perhaps within his memory. This has been a puzzle for generations of rabbis.” Eyal Turgeman, a 43-year old who lives in Rishon Lezion, a city south of Tel Aviv, had a romantic encounter on Yom Kippur eve decades ago. The mechanical engineer looks back on it with mixed feelings today. Turgeman grew up in Jerusalem in an Orthodox Jewish household that strictly observed Yom Kippur. His parents, Moroccan immigrants, taped the light
switches, pre-cut the toilet paper (tearing and cutting are forbidden on Jewish holy days) and slept in separate beds to avoid even incidental contact. His father — like many strictly observant and almost all haredi Jews — spent most of the holiday in study or prayer. But Turgeman and his friends, both Orthodox and secular, wandered the streets until the wee hours of the morning just like teens do today. “Also back then it was a big opportunity to meet girls because it’s a big social thing at the center of town,” he said. In his last year of high school, Turgeman spent Yom Kippur at his girlfriend’s house. Unbeknownst to his parents, they slept in the same bed. “We started to touch each other, and one thing led to another,” he said. “We were up all night. Because it was not allowed, it was better than usual.” In the morning, Turgeman had regrets. Soon thereafter, he and his girlfriend, his first love, broke up. Turgeman said he often blamed their Yom Kippur transgression. “All the time it was in my head that it happened because of this, because I felt I did something that God saw me and punished us,” he said. Although he is now secular, Turgeman said he still “feels a little bad” about that night and would not repeat it. “What happened, happened,” he said. “But today I wouldn’t do that. It’s one day a year when you’re supposed to control yourself.” PJC
elderly neighbors from the area once the center opens. He hopes an added benefit of more visitors will mean a revitalized Jewish life for the facility, which is officially nonsectarian. When Fiman’s parents were residents of Covenant Place decades ago, Friday night services used to fill up, but now they get about 25 people a week. With the new space, which will include a chapel, Fiman hopes that number will double or triple. “They’ll come to see our movies, they’ll come to see our classes,” he said. “I’d love to get back to something like that, where people look at us as a place to go for services.” PJC
p Covenant Place, a Jewish retirement community in St. Louis, is constructing a building that combines affordable apartments for seniors with a range of social and communal services open to the surrounding community.
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Photo courtesy of Covenant Place
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Headlines — WORLD — From JTA reports
On a historic Emmy night for diversity, ‘SNL’ quietly wins big The 2017 Emmy Awards presentation, which is being hailed as a historic night for diversity in Hollywood, honored some Jewish talent. “Saturday Night Live” led the way with eight of the TV awards, which were handed out Sunday night in Los Angeles. “SNL” winners included Kate McKinnon and Alec Baldwin, for best supporting actress and actor in a comedy, respectively, for their portrayals of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump throughout the 2016 presidential campaign and its aftermath. Melissa McCarthy also won for her work as a guest actress on “SNL,” notably portraying former White House press secretary Sean Spicer. The show’s Jewish creator, Lorne Michaels, was a winner as the show took home the award for best variety sketch series. Michaels, who has produced the show for much of its four decades, now holds the record for most Emmy nominations. Jewish filmmaker Ezra Edelman won the nonfiction directing Emmy for his work on the ESPN documentary “O.J.: Made in America.” The Emmys also paid tribute to those in
the industry who have died during the last year, including Jewish actresses Carrie Fisher and Zsa Zsa Gabor. However, the night was most notable for other reasons. Donald Glover became the first African-American to win best directing in a comedy series and the first black actor to win best lead actor in a comedy since 1985. He is the star and creator of the FX show “Atlanta.” Lena Waithe, who co-wrote the Netflix sitcom “Master of None” with Aziz Ansari, became the first black woman to win best comedy writing. Riz Ahmed became the first South Asian man to win an Emmy with his performance on the HBO miniseries “The Night Of.” And Sterling Brown, a star of NBC’s “This Is Us,” became the first African-American man to win outstanding lead actor in a drama series since 1998. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who has FrenchJewish heritage, broke the record for most consecutive wins in any Emmy category with her sixth straight best lead actress in a comedy award. The former “Seinfeld” star is the driving force behind HBO’s political satire “Veep.” Neo-Nazi group marches through Swedish city ahead of Yom Kippur demonstration A group that promotes an openly racist and anti-Semitic doctrine marched through Sweden’s second largest city ahead of its
Today in Israeli history — WORLD — Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
September 22, 2000 Yehuda Amichai dies
Yehuda Amichai, the Poet Laureate of Jerusalem, passes away from lymphoma at the age of 76.
September 23, 2003 Simcha Dinitz dies
Simcha Dinitz, a longtime Israeli diplomat who served as Israel’s Ambassador to the United States from 1973 to 1978, passes away at the age of 74.
September 24, 1950 Operation Magic Carpet ends
Between June 1949 and September 24, 1950, Operation Magic Carpet secretly brings nearly 50,000 Yemenite Jews to Israel.
neo-Nazi march planned for Yom Kippur. Dozens of members of the Nordic Resistance Movement marched through Gothenburg on Sunday, reportedly using the event to build support for its Sept. 30 march going near the city’s main synagogue on Judaism’s holiest day. The group, which carried the organization’s flag and banners bearing Nazi symbols, did not have a permit for Sunday’s march. Police were on hand to observe the march but did not intervene to stop it, The LocalSweden reported. Gothenburg Police Chief Erik Nord told the local media that Sweden’s freedom of speech laws also protect protests without permits. The group has a permit for the Sept. 30 march, which will take place during the Gothenburg Book Fair, when some 100,000 people will gather in the city for the largest literary festival in Scandinavia. The route taking demonstrators near the synagogue is an alternative offered by police to prevent them from marching on the main roads of the city near the book fair. U.S. campuses are becoming more Israel friendly Anti-Israel activism on college campuses across the country has declined, according to a new report by a campus pro-Israel organization. The report by the Israel on Campus Coalition published Monday shows that there
were nearly three times as many total pro-Israel events on campus as anti-Israel events during the past school term. According to the report, there were more than 3,100 pro-Israel events in 2016-17 and about 1,100 anti-Israel events. And 149 campuses experienced anti-Israel activity last year compared to 185 two years ago. The boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel also saw falling activity, with 20 BDS campaigns nationwide on college campuses last year compared to 33 the year before. And only one of those campuses saw a recurring BDS campaign, as opposed to eight the year before. Israel Apartheid Week, a weeklong series of events opposing Israel, declined for a second straight year, to 45 last year from 83 in 2014-15. By contrast, there were five more pro-Israel weeks in 2016-17 than there were the year before. And there were about 300 anti-Israel speakers last year, compared to about 500 two years ago. Still, the report said that while these actions were declining, the anti-Israel movement was becoming more sophisticated and enlisting the help of outside organizations. The report named American Muslims for Palestine, American Friends Service Committee, Palestine Legal, the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights and Jewish Voice for Peace as external organizations providing support to anti-Israel student activists. PJC
A SWEET NEW YEAR HAS
September 25, 1917 Amir Gilboa is born
Amir Gilboa, born Berl Feldmann in the Ukraine, is one of Israel’s leading poets. He is known for drawing upon his military experiences and biblical issues of morality to write contemplative poems.
September 26, 2002 Rabbi Zerach Warhaftig dies
Rabbi Zerach Warhaftig, a founder of Israel’s National Religious Party and signatory of Israel’s Declaration of Independence, passes away in Jerusalem at the age of 96.
September 27, 1950 Third Maccabiah Games begin
The Third Maccabiah Games commence in the 50,000-seat stadium in Ramat Gan, Israel.
September 28, 1995 Israeli Palestinian Interim Agreement is signed
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat sign the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement, sometimes referred to as Oslo II, in a ceremony at the White House. PJC
ARRIVED... & SO HAS OUR NEW HOME NA'AMAT USA PITTSBURGH COUNCIL COME VISIT US @ TREE OF LIFE*OR L'SIMCHA 5898 WILKINS AVE 15217 OUR CONTACT IS THE SAME: 412-521-5253 NAAMATPGH@GMAIL.COM
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Opinion The possessions of Iraqi Jews — EDITORIAL —
A
year from now, the United States is scheduled to return to Iraq a trove of Jewish artifacts the U.S. military discovered in Baghdad after it overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003. Included within the historic materials are thousands of what were badly damaged holy books — the oldest from the 16th century — which were shipped to the United States, restored and digitized. In an effort to make clear that the United States did not enter Iraq to loot it, an agreement was made at the time with the U.S.-run Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq to return the collection. What that agreement unfortunately ignored is that Iraq itself looted the artifacts (read: possessions) from Iraqi Jews as they fled their 2,000-year-old community during World War II, and after the creation of Israel. When the Ba’ath Party took power in the late 1960s, most of the rest of the Jewish community was forced out. Some believe that there are only five Jews in Iraq today. The archives should be made fully available to their original Iraqi Jewish owners. But most of them live in the United States and Israel, with whom Iraq is still in a state of war. Even if they wanted to, Iraqi-Israelis couldn’t visit a Baghdad-based archive. There is also no guarantee that Iraq would preserve and protect the historic Jewish items. The State Department did the best it could with a bad situation. It issued a statement which read: “When the [Iraqi Jewish Archive] is returned, the State Department
p Materials drying outside the Mukhabarat, Saddam Hussein’s intelligence headquarters.
p During Treatment: Rabbinic Bible from Venice, 1568
will urge the Iraqi government to take the proper steps necessary to preserve the archive, and to make it available to members of the public to enjoy.” Whether Iraq will do so is anyone’s guess. Iraq and proponents of returning the archive say the Judaica can serve as an educational tool for Iraqis to learn about the history of Jews in the so-called Fertile Crescent. And since the collection has been digitized, it can be viewed by anyone anywhere, regardless where the physical items are kept. But none of this recognizes the fact that the archives were the property of Iraqi Jews and belong to their descendants, rather than
the Iraqi government. We therefore urge the State Department to reopen this issue with Iraq with the goal of retaining the collection in U.S. custody until an agreement can be reached between all of the parties — including Iraqi Jews themselves. It would be nice if, as suggested by Heskel Haddad, president of the World Organization of Jews from Arab Countries, the Iraqi government could be convinced to make a grand gesture of gifting the archives to the Jewish community. But whether from the result of negotiations or a grand gesture from Iraq, it should be U.S. policy that the Iraqi Jewish archives be returned to Iraqi Jews. PJC
p After Treatment: Passover Haggadah from Vienna, 1930. This colorfully illustrated French and Hebrew Haggadah was published in Vienna. Caption on image: Eating Matzah.
Photos courtesy of the National Archives
Talking to Qatar should not mean blessing Qatar Guest Columnist Ben Cohen
S
hould American Jewish leaders speak to the rulers of a petro-state that finances Hamas terrorists to blow up their fellow Jews in Israel? That, in essence, is the fraught question emerging from the rumors and reports of recent days that prominent representatives of the U.S. Jewish community will meet with senior Qatari officials, supposedly including Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, on the fringes of the 72nd United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. Having canvassed Jewish opinion on this question, I’ve concluded that to answer it with an absolute “no” is unwise. For one thing, it’s a very hard position to maintain indefinitely. Remember, both Egypt and Jordan were signatories to the 1969 Khartoum Declaration of Arab states, which announced the three “nos” — no negotiations with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no peace with Israel. Less than half a century later, those two Arab states have said “yes” to all three of those propositions, largely because they grasped the historical 12 SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
moment of Arab rejectionism had already passed. Those outcomes began with a political dialogue predicated on the answer, “possibly.” An outright refusal to talk also ignores the key considerations of context and purpose. Imagine, say, that Qatar was to edge away from Iran’s embrace, or that it announced a cut in funding to its Hamas friends, or that the Saudis — who have shown real ice in their veins in their current dealings with their Qatari brothers — were to ease their blockade on Doha in exchange for a Qatari commitment to reform their foreign policy. Would it then be wrong for American Jewish leaders to explore what else might be in store? One could certainly imagine the Israelis themselves being willing to do so, given that they operated a trade office in Qatar for nearly a decade before the second Palestinian intifada damaged their burgeoning relations with the Gulf states. Indeed, this hypothetical demonstrates that dialogue can be a political tactic in itself, a means of either blessing one’s adversary or consigning him to the margins. And it’s precisely here that we get to the heart of the dilemma that Qatar and its emir pose to Jewish leaders — because the current context for a dialogue isn’t what you’d call auspicious. Two weeks ago, when Qatar first dangled the prospect of a meeting with the emir —
via an announcement from a Washington lobbyist being paid $50,000 a month to facilitate this dialogue — we had not heard a single hint of a policy change from Doha. As of this writing, that hasn’t changed. So why, then, should American Jews give Qatar the public relations gift of a meeting, which projects the sense that Qatar is a responsible international player, and that the Saudi attempt to portray it as a terrorism hub is an exercise in dishonesty and hypocrisy? Look as well at what Qatar could do now. It could lean on Hamas to release — now — the bodies of IDF officers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, both of whom were killed during the summer 2014 Gaza war and whose remains have stayed in Hamas custody ever since, in flagrant violation of international conventions that demand their return to the next of kin. Qatar could — now — announce a review of how state broadcaster Al Jazeera portrays both Israel and Jews, perhaps with guidance from Jewish institutional experts on anti-Semitism, with the goal of purging conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic memes from the global station’s coverage. Qatar could — now — deport to Israel for trial the Hamas terrorist Husam Badran, who was given sanctuary in Doha, where he’s now a spokesman for the terrorist group. Badran was behind some of the most sickening outrages of
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the Hamas suicide bombing campaign against Israel during the second intifada, including the bombing of the Sbarro pizzeria in Jerusalem in 2001, and the bombing of a Passover seder at a Netanya hotel in 2002. Forty-five Israelis were murdered in those attacks and hundreds more wounded, and Badran’s hands are stained with the blood of other terror operations too. But Qatar has not done any of these things. If Jewish leaders must meet with the emir, they should quietly, restrict the conversation to tangible political issues, and make crystal clear that a private meeting is not a public blessing. Those Jewish organizations that already have connections with Qatar should arrange meetings through their own contacts, rather than through a hired PR flak whose sole job is to burnish Qatar’s reputation, regardless of whether the emirate remains, as the late Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres memorably described it in 2015, the “world’s largest funder of terror.” And if the publicity-conscious Qataris issue a statement hailing a new era in relations with American Jews — without making any real concessions first — then our leaders have a duty to disavow them. PJC Ben Cohen writes a column on Jewish affairs and Middle East politics for JNS.org, where this article first appeared.
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Opinion Conservative Judaism needs a new brand Guest Columnist Rabbi Steven C. Wernick We are living at a moment of great disruption. We all sense it. We all experience it. It impacts every aspect of our lives — education, economics, politics, social society. Judaism is not immune to these forces. Changes in demography; declines in synagogue membership, educational fluency and connection; the rise of the “nones” (Jews who identify as Jewish with no religion); a weakening of the bonds to Israel; intermarriage and more are all signs of this moment of disruption. The institutions we built to sustain and nurture Jewish life for the last 200 years are crumbling while a new Jewish future, one that is not yet fully defined, is emerging. Much has been written and discussed
about the state of 21st century Jewry and what to do about it. Ultimately we are all asking a variation of the same question: How do we navigate a rapidly changing world in an authentic way? In his book “Leading from the Emerging Future,” Otto Scharmer argues that our response “requires us to shift the inner place from which we operate. It requires us to suspend our judgments, redirect our attention, let go of the past, lean into the future that wants to emerge through us, and let it come.” During the beginning of my tenure at the USCJ, I would often be invited to speak to congregational boards about membership recruitment and retention. Leaders always wanted to know how to attract and retain new members. I observed a 90-minute board meeting that had just four agenda items: a financial matter in the religious school, a casino night, a parent’s night out and the annual dinner-dance fundraiser. At 9 p.m., following 90 minutes of frontal committee reports, it was my turn to teach this board about membership. I decided to throw aside my fancy PowerPoint and instead I asked for three people to share an experience that inspired them to sit at the board table. One person shared how his daughter stood under the chuppah the week before and what it meant to be surrounded by a community that had shared in his family’s life journey. Another spoke about how her son died in a car accident 20 years earlier and teared up as she described the way the community literally helped her to get out of bed in the morning and continue living. And a third mentioned how his first trip to Israel was with the congregation and how he had become a lifelong learner as a result of it. I challenged them, explaining that “if
you want to attract and retain members, then you need to talk more about these stories and figure out how the congregation enhances and expands the key moments of people’s lives and functions as a catalyst for their passions through Judaism.” In other words, it’s about purpose, not program. It’s about meaning, not membership. In our work at USCJ, we know that what all thriving kehillot (sacred communities inside and outside the walls of a synagogue) share is intentionality around Jewish relevancy and relationship. When planning their year they don’t ask what programs they need to drive people into the synagogue. They ask what questions and challenges their people are struggling with and how they can be a source of connection and meaning that leads to the Kabbalistic notion of shleymut (wholeness). In this time of great disruption, our focus must shift from structures to values. An authentic and dynamic Judaism is rooted in the wisdom gained at the intersection of
heritage and progress. It is a Judaism that thrives in the tension of old and new, that finds unity in diversity, that is committed to lifelong Jewish growth, that is dedicated to excellence, and that understands that we are part of a great people, with a great tradition, that continues to this very day to inspire us to life fulfillment and a better world. USCJ’s new branding and messaging launched this week is designed to more clearly communicate this vision, mission and values to our network of almost 600 kehillot and to those in the Jewish world who are seeking meaning, connection and shleymut in this way. Our new brand is focused on this collective striving for meaning, which is why we decided on the tagline, “Seek meaning together.” We understand that no one person or institution has all the answers or all the resources necessary to succeed alone. Our new logo also highlights this idea. It features interlocking U’s that reflect the strength of unity, partnership, collaboration and the notion that we are each links in the chain of the Jewish experience through time and place. Multiple shades of color reflect the diversity of our community — people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, gender, orientations and perspectives. An orange hue represents the light of Torah and the passions of our souls. Our mission is to partner with congregations and other organizations to understand the profound nature of the disruption of our time and to develop strategies to meet the needs of the current and emerging Jewish future. This Rosh Hashanah we begin not only a new year, but also a new age. Shanah tovah. PJC Rabbi Steven C. Wernick is chief executive officer of the USCJ, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
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SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 13
May you be inscribed for a good and sweet year! Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year.
From the staff and board of
P I T TS B U R G H
14 SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
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Headlines Fasting: Continued from page 1
and fish may be suitable options, she added. “Even with a couple bites of a cookie, [your sugar will] come up quickly,” said Noorparvar. “You don’t want a heavy meal.” While cramming crackers down a parched maw should be avoided, something else to keep in mind is that regardless of one’s hunger, staying hydrated is key, said the physicians.
“Water is excellent,” said Cohen. “In general, water is always a good thing,” agreed Noorparvar. Although orange juice is a staple on the break fast menu, reaching for the liquid extract right after fasting really “depends on the person,” said Cohen. “I find juice too sweet and will crash if that’s the first thing I go for, but that could be individual.” Both doctors recommend that as with eating, similar judgment be used when quenching one’s initial thirst. “Don’t pound
four bottles of water right up front. Take it easy; slowly hydrate yourself over the course of the night,” said Noorparvar. Between the bagels, lox and beverages, if you thought that there was a lot to consider (and now less to eat) after the fast, Cohen has a recommendation for earlier. “I think there’s a tendency to overindulge before a fast as well,” she said. Ingesting too much food or drink beforehand could “make fasting even harder, so a similar meal before the fast could help ease people into it.”
Gender: Continued from page 1
Prevention and the Williams Institute. Between the increased risk of sexual assault and partner violence, as well as the staggering threats presented, it was necessary to make clear that “moving forward, gender identity and gender expression were going to be part of our inclusion policy” and that “we were going to be very public about that stance,” said Schreiber. Adopting new language is “the first step in a process,” said Dr. Elizabeth Miller, director of adolescent medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. During the May 8 meeting in which the new policy was adopted, Miller educated the JCC board on issues concerning gender and sexual identity, gender nonconforming behavior and transgender care and described “what some of the follow-throughs were in terms of practice,” such as providing intake forms with nongender specific language, offering additional staff training and creating safe spaces within the facilities for transgendered individuals. Hillel Jewish University Center recently took similar steps, noted Danielle Kranjec, the organization’s senior Jewish educator. Apart from expanding its library on Jewish approaches to transgender issues and engaging in corresponding educational training, Hillel JUC “changed the signage on one of its bathrooms over the summer.” “This restroom may be used by any person regardless of gender identity or gender expression,” reads the newly displayed text. The change was made so “that everyone feels welcome and feels as though their concerns are being met,” explained Ronna Peacock Pratt, director of Strategic Engagement and J’Burgh at Hillel JUC. At the JCC, “it’s not about changing restrooms, it’s about changing culture,” explained Schreiber. “A lot of times when we think about the gender issue, it all comes down to restrooms, but it’s a lot deeper than that. It’s about really getting through people’s discomfort and also some fear around all of that.” Such fright has been aroused by the media through gross depictions, said BD Wahlberg, a recent University of Pittsburgh graduate who identifies as “gender non-binary.” The Buffalo Bill character in “The Silence of the Lambs,” who fashions a “woman skinsuit” from victims’ flesh, Aerosmith’s hit song “Dude Looks Like a Lady,” decrying the physical surprise of a paramour, or televi-
p Carly Chernomorets
Photo by Alex Feldman
p BD Wahlberg
Photo by Adam Reinherz
“ This feels like the Jewish community is giving me a big hug and saying, ‘We still love you. We still want you
”
to use our treadmills.
— CARLY CHERNOMORETS sion shows in which a transgender person is either the “butt of the joke” or forced to take part in “a big reveal” are cultural creations that project “insecurities” onto a demographic “who just want to be free and happy,” said Wahlberg. We are left “with a lot of these messages that trans people are out to get you, when really I just want to use the restroom.” But accessing a restroom isn’t so simple. Of the 27,715 U.S. transgender adults surveyed for a 2015 report by the National Center for Transgender Equality, 59 percent indicated that during the prior year they had avoided using a public restroom, 32 percent altered their diet so as to avoid using a public restroom, 12 percent were harassed in a public restroom, 1 percent were attacked in a public restroom, 1 percent were sexually assaulted in a public restroom, and 9 percent were completely denied use of a public restroom. “We all have to pee. Regardless of gender identity, everyone is going to have to pee at some point, and being able to do that safely is really a privilege that many people don’t think about,” said Carly Chernomorets, a recent Brandeis University graduate and current Pittsburgh resident. Chernomorets, who prefers the pronoun
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“they,” explained the thought process of using a public restroom. “If my only options are a men’s bathroom or a women’s bathroom, I know that I am way less likely to get beat up by the occupants of a women’s bathroom than the occupants of a men’s bathroom.” But sometimes the decision is as simple as, “would I rather get punched in the face or pee in my pants,” said Chernomorets. While bathrooms ignite certain concerns, locker rooms provoke even greater reactions. “As a transperson, I don’t ever like to use public locker rooms because I get stressed out about being harassed. I use the Bloomfield Pool every day, but I don’t use their bathrooms,” said Wahlberg. “Going to the men’s room makes me pretty uncomfortable, and I have a general feeling that a lot of women would feel uncomfortable with me in their space. Everybody wants privacy, everybody wants dignity, everybody wants to feel comfortable and welcome and safe, and I recognize that there are a lot of people who have been socialized in a way to be terrified of gender nonconformity, to be terrified of people who cross these gender lines, and that’s sometimes not their fault that they feel that way.”
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As the authorities will tell you, in the absence of food, Yom Kippur delivers much food for thought. Similarly so at the holiday’s close. Said Symons, break fast is “an opportunity for our community, which had been in prayer together, to relax, socialize together and enter the New Year. I also want to ensure that no one goes home alone.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
But what people should realize, said Wahlberg, is that “there are probably trans men who have used that bathroom and trans women who have used those locker rooms way way way before” the JCC’s policy was updated. Such is true, said Schreiber. “For several years,” the JCC has “worked with transgendered individuals around the locker rooms of their choosing — for the most part in our family-friendly/unisex restroom,” and this is how the JCC will continue, with its staff handling each request on a case-by-case basis. Likewise, with Emma Kaufmann Camp and the JCC’s other offerings, said Schreiber. “The policy applies to all JCC programs. The applications will be as unique as the needs of an individual or family want.” What the updated policy provides is “recourse, I think, to people who I say pass a lot less, because there is a lot of privilege in just looking like how people expect you to look if you are a man or a woman,” said Wahlberg. “I am very fortunate,” said Chernomorets. “I have never had a physical act of violence brought on me due to my identity, but it happens to a lot of people all of the time. It’s on the forefront of my mind, so it feels really good to know that it’s stated in the JCC’s policy that if something did happen I can pull up the policy and circle the words ‘gender expression’ and ‘gender identity’ with my finger and say, ‘You’re promising to take care of me in a situation in which I may be persecuted by the way that I look and act.’” But just as “there is a welcoming which is, ‘I am allowed to be in this space,’ there is another welcoming which is ‘I feel comfortable in this space,’” noted Wahlberg. “This is a journey, it doesn’t happen in one full swoop,” said Schreiber. For starters, “my big dream is that at the Shabbos table two weeks from now, folks are talking with their loved ones that this policy came through and what does this mean?” said Chernomorets. The JCC could also offer future dialogue and events to increase the visibility of transgender individuals, noted the recent graduates. Still, as someone “proud to be Jewish, I am happy to hear that about the Jewish community making these types of decisions,” said Chernomorets. With the JCC’s updated policy, “this feels like the Jewish community is giving me a big hug and saying, ‘We still love you. We still want you to use our treadmills.’” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 15
Headlines Futurism: Continued from page 2
is now Hillel’s Shabbat chair, in charge of Shabbat dinners. “My parents didn’t really expose me to Judaism,” Newman said, adding that she never attended Jewish camp, did not attend a synagogue and rarely celebrated the Jewish holidays. At the end of her first week at Pitt, a friend asked her if she wanted to go to Hillel for Shabbat. She had never heard the word “Shabbat,” she said, and had to Google it. Now she is immersed in the Hillel JUC community and looking forward to learning about the sources of Jewish values from
Uman: Continued from page 9
chain — as well as 25 hotels, many operating within apartment buildings in a practice that passes as legal in Uman. Signs in Hebrew, including electronic ones, dominate the streets, touting everything from electricians to lawyers, medical specialists to Jacuzzi bath operators to real estate agents. On Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath, one of the signs reads “Shabbat Shalom.” The transformation reflects the explosion of Jewish pilgrims to Uman. Whereas in the past the visitors were mostly Chasidic men, they now include “everyone you can imagine, from female teenagers to post-army guys,” said Shimon Buskila, a former leader of the Jewish community here. They are also coming by the thousands outside of the High Holidays period. “It was sudden, it was unexpected and it has been a very profound change,” he said. “From a phenomenon connected to the Breslov stream, the pilgrimage has grown to become an all-Israeli phenomenon, an international one even.” Even so, Buskila said, Rosh Hashanah in Uman remains a “deeply spiritual event.” On the first evening of the holiday men, many of them wearing a festive all-white version of the knee-length kapote robe favored by Hasidim, greet each other with hugs on the street, sometimes walking with their arms wrapped around a friend’s shoulder to join a mass of people who pray in relative silence around the gravesite. Children scamper about everywhere, even on rooftops. Nachman, who lived in the late 18th century in Podolia and Ukraine, was a charismatic mystic whose sayings and parables were transmitted by devoted disciples. Unlike most other Chasidim, his followers never accepted a successor to the man they consider their “true tzaddik,” or holy man. But the reverent crowd of followers of the Breslov stream — a movement that emphasizes pious joie de vivre and in Israel does outreach in prisons — has been joined increasingly in recent years by visitors who can be seen smoking and drinking on the street on Shabbat, barbecuing on the porches of rented apartments and hotel rooms, frequenting hookers and getting into brawls. This behavior has led several hotels in Ukraine to stop renting rooms to Jews. And 16 SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
traditional texts, hoping those values will inform her career as a physician. “I never expected to be involved in any Jewish life on campus,” said Newman, who is from Stroudsburg, Pa. “Growing up, there were three Jewish students in my class, and one was me and one was my twin brother. But I got here, and I fell in love with the Jewish community in and outside of Hillel. Shabbat spoke to me, so I got involved.” The Tzedek Fellowship will appeal to many Pitt students, who are “very pragmatic,” Kranjec explained. “They are very professionally and careerdriven. So, everything they do in their studies or in their time, they want to be building toward their career or their professional lives.”
The Tzedek Fellowship will allow students going into the helping professions, “to have an opportunity to talk about Jewish values in a concrete way and then put them into action,” she said. Hillel JUC also has responded to the intellectual needs of students who come to college with a solid Jewish educational background and are looking for more advanced learning opportunities. This will be the third year of the Weitman Fellowship, “a space for students to really challenge and support a continued and more sophisticated form of Jewish learning,” said Marcus. “It’s learning and action. The students that participate not only have a series of high level learning opportunities,
“ I don’t know about mafia, but thanks to the pilgrims I can live a halfway decent life because I get no state pension. There are
”
good and bad people in each group.
— LUBA DANKOV
it also requires the Israel Police to dispatch 20 officers each year to Uman to better maintain the peace. The commercial growth is due in large part to the secular visitors, who will buy products and services shunned by observant Chasidim. As a rule, the Chasidim refrain even from drinking water from glasses that have not undergone the koshering process. Some of the new businesses are owned by Israelis who settled in Uman, like Shlomo Aboutbul, who opened a restaurant here in 2015. Others are owned by Ukrainians or are joint Israeli-Ukrainian ventures. The settling of Israeli businesspeople has led to the doubling of the local Jewish population, which numbered 200 just three years ago. The community’s growth is a mixed blessing, according to Buskila. “We now have a wide selection of kosher products, kosher meat, we have a Jewish kindergarten for our daughter, we have an emergency clinic,” he said. “But there are negative aspects and some parents feel the change compromises our efforts to bring up our children in a moral environment.” The popularization of the Uman pilgrimage is taking its toll on relations with the non-Jewish population, Buskila added. In December, in the most notorious example yet of strain, unidentified vandals desecrated a synagogue with a pig’s head and anti-Semitic graffiti. “I find it difficult to believe that this incident isn’t connected to misbehavior, abuse and violence by a certain fringe within the pilgrim community,” Buskila said. “Unfortunately, their actions can eclipse a record of coexistence which is mostly very positive.” Displays of anti-pilgrim hostility have been occurring for years in Uman, sometimes in demonstrations featuring anti-Semitic rhetoric. But the desecration was an escalation that provoked a retaliation: In January, Ukrainian prosecutors charged an Israeli who vandal-
ized a crucifix with a hate crime, allegedly as payback for the anti-Semitic attack. Many locals, including Luba Dankov, a retired teacher who rents out her apartment on Pushkin Street, are grateful for the pilgrimage. “I don’t know about mafia, but thanks to the pilgrims I can live a halfway decent life because I get no state pension,” she said. “There are good and bad people in each group.” But the interest apparently taken by the mafia in the Uman pilgrimage is nonetheless a friction point. Eduard Leonov, a member of the nationalist Svoboda Party, launched a campaign in 2011 for a “Chasid-free Uman.” He complained that because of the pilgrims, “Uman is suddenly a crime capital.” “Mafia” here refers to Ukrainian mobsters with regional franchises who employ a mix of intimidation, violence and bribes to advance their goals, according to the U.S. State Department. While organized crime is a major force everywhere here — the State Department’s 2016 report on Ukraine spoke of how its “endemic corruption” has turned the former Soviet republic “into a transit country” for international money laundering — it seems to be particularly present in Uman, where locals report that gangsters are able to operate with impunity. Mafia connections are a necessity for many of the dozens of businesses that have sprung up in Uman over the past five years, according to Buskila. Breskov, the coffee seller, says he has to give its enforcers a 20 percent cut from his earnings. Israeli and Ukrainian businessmen alike all have “to get along with the mafia,” said Aboutbul, the restaurant owner. And Buskila added that many business owners pay “protection” fees to the mafia instead of paying taxes, “which are very easy to avoid here — you just have to throw the auditors a bone.” Another business that reportedly enjoys
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they also have to put into action a project or an event or a program they have been discussing and learning about.” Only students “who have done Jewish learning in the past and who have been to Israel,” are admitted into the six-session Weitman Fellowship, Kranjec said. “We actually still get a diverse group of students,” she continued, adding that it’s moving to see Orthodox students, Reform students and students who developed their Jewish identities once they came to Hillel, learning together and discussing Jewish issues. PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
connections to organized crime is Saga, a strip club and restaurant that for the duration of Rosh Hashanah functions as a brothel under the auspices of organized crime bosses, according to Vika Tsegurna, a local tour guide. Three taxi drivers confirmed this. The restaurant’s owners declined to be interviewed, as did a spokesman for the mayor’s office. Prostitution has long shadowed the Uman pilgrimage. Five years ago, taxi drivers would take interested parties to a group of deserted buildings outside Uman, where dozens of prostitutes who came to the city especially for the pilgrimage would ply their trade. Transportation services offer another glimpse into mafia involvement. Pushkin Street once was serviced by dozens of independent taxi drivers, but they are now banned from the Jewish area. Their place has been taken by employees of large taxi firms who have “come to an arrangement” with organized crime bosses, according to Anatoly, a cabbie who used to work near the Jewish area before he was “forced to leave by thugs,” as he put it. Buskila and Aboutbul insist that organized crime in Uman is essentially “white collar” in its treatment of Israelis, involving the threat of damage to property at worst but zero violence against actual people. To Buskila, the criminals “occupied a vacuum left by authorities” following a period of chaos during the revolution in Ukraine in 2014. The revolution — in part a response to allegations of corruption and subservience to Russia by the previous regime — unleashed a wave of nationalist sentiment. It also resulted in major damage to the local economy and a free fall in the value of the local currency, the hryvnia, against the dollar. This last development made Ukraine especially attractive to Western businessmen and tourists, Buskila said. Still, violent incidents involving the pilgrims do occur, including the brief hijacking last year of a bus with female tourists from Israel by criminals as part of their dispute with the bus company’s operators. And in 2011, thugs abducted a haredi Orthodox man they said had stolen from a local hotel and confiscated his passport. His passport was returned for ransom, according to the news site Behadrei Haredim. For all the challenges it brings, the growth in Jewish presence in Uman is something Buskila and other community members generally welcome. “It feels good to be part of something that started out small and has grown into something pretty big,” he said. PJC
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PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE
SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 17
Celebrations
Torah
Bat Mitzvah
How would you deal with your ‘moment’?
Rose Juliet Blodgett, daughter of Dr. Helene Finegold and Dr. and Mrs. Todd Blodgett, will become a bat mitzvah on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 10:30 a.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Grandparents are Mrs. Marian Finegold and the late Dr. Richard Finegold.
Rabbi Mendel Rosenblum Parshat Haazinu | Deuteronomy 32:1-52
I Birth Cindy and Terry Lerman announce the birth of their second grandson, Beau Gavin Lebowitz, on Aug. 14. Beau is the son of Samantha (Bootel) and Joshua Lebowitz of King of Prussia, Pa. Beau is the brother of Abel Duke. Sharing in their happiness are grandparents Phillip and Susan Bootel and Kim Lebowitz and great-grandmother Joyce Lebowitz. Joining in the excitement are aunts Becca and Deborah and uncles Jake and Joey. Beau is named in loving memory of his maternal great-grandfather, Mayer “Mickey” Bootel. PJC
L’Shana Tova
t was a few months ago while preparing for a bat mitzvah at Chabad when the grandfather of the bat mitzvah girl (from the former Soviet Union) stopped in to drop off a few items for the event. I asked him if he would like to lay tefillin, and he agreed. It was a very moving few moments saying the shema together, as this was the very first time in his life that he had the opportunity to do this special mitzvah. As I was helping him unwind the tefillin, he began to tell me very passionately and tearfully about how deprived he felt by what “Stalin and Lenin had taken away from me!” He spoke about how proud he was that his granddaughter was reclaiming her heritage. The next day on Shabbat at the bat mitzvah, I called him up to the Torah, for an aliya for the very first time in his life. While reciting the blessing, asher bachar banu, he became visibly emotional — choking up with tears.
High Holiday season; it has a funny way of coming to the fore. The High Holidays offer each Jew the opportunity to come home and feel at home. A child may have become estranged from his parents, sometimes even for years, but eventually will find his way back home. Home for the Jew never changes. No matter how much time has passed, G-d is our father, and He’ll always be there, to welcome his children home. It is truly amazing! A Jew could walk into shul on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. Fifteen years may have passed since his last visit. Yet remarkably, he plugs right into the moment! Somehow he senses G-d’s fatherly embrace and greeting: “Welcome home my child!” The presence and prayers of the Jew who comes to synagogue on the High Holidays are infinitely cherished by G-d. This is the Jew who finds his “comfort” elsewhere during the year. But as the High Holidays approach, this Jew becomes unsettled with his or her reality (consciously or subconsciously) and feels the urge to return home, to family, and go to shul.
Let us tap into this awesome opportunity and unleash the potent energy of our souls so that it flows
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“Wait one second,” I thought. ”How does one explain this phenomenon? Shouldn’t a Jew, who has never been to shul in his life, feel out of place and distant in this environment? Where does this warmth and emotion come from?” This was another one of those moments where an eternal truth was reaffirmed: The power of the Jewish soul was on full display. It is what we refer to as the pintele yid, the essence of the Jew that can never be extinguished — not by Stalin, not by Lenin or any other force in the world. Throughout our long and difficult history, through challenges and persecutions, we as a people have faced many trials. But what has never wavered, and what will exist forever, is that spark of unshakable faith and Jewish identity that is hidden deep in the inner recesses of our souls, the pintele yid. It emerges at the most unlikely of times and at the most unlikely of places. And like the Jewish people, it endures, defiant and eternal. Be on the lookout for your pintele yid, this
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This voice from within — of wanting to return home, flows from the deepest elements of our soul. Often, this voice is muffled and masked by the constant distractions of our hectic lives. Yet, there are occasions when this voice refuses to be silenced. Every Jew is familiar with moments of awakening. At these times, the essence of who we are bursts forth to the center of our awareness, and we realize it’s time to go home! Friends, who knows? We too may experience a “momentP in shul this year. Perhaps it will be caused by the soul stirring blasts of the shofar or the sincere sounds of Avinu Malkainu. Let us tap into this awesome opportunity and unleash the potent energy of our souls so that it flows into our lives with enough inspiration to last for the upcoming New Year. With blessings for a sweet New Year! PJC Rabbi Mendel Rosenblum is director of Chabad of the South Hills. This column is a service of Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh.
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Obituaries CHARAPP: Harriet Charapp, on Thursday, September 14, 2017. Beloved wife of the late Babe Charapp. Cherished mother of Ron (Linda) Charapp and Cyndi (Alan) Levine. Grandmother of David (Betsy) Charapp, Kevin Charapp, Jess Kinna, Casee (Curtis) Gilbert and Kyle Levine. Great-grandmother of Daniel, Will, Arianna, Isaiah, Lily and Sadie. Services and interment were private. Contributions may be made to the American Lung Association, 1200 Hosford Street, Suite 101 Hudson, WI 54016. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. FRANKEL: Robert M. Frankel, on Sunday, September 17, 2017. Beloved husband of Rebeca Frankel. Loving father of Dan (Debra) Frankel and Janina (Rafi) Frankel-Yoeli. Brother of Marcia Kane. Grandfather of Aaron, Erica and Mark Frankel. Stepgrandfather of Dana and Hagai Yoeli. Also survived by nieces and nephews. Robert was President of The Frankel Company, a regional insurance agency and was later vice chairman of Hilb, Rogal and Hamilton Company of Pittsburgh. He was chairman of the National Foundation of Jewish Culture and the Three Rivers Arts Festival. Robert was past president and chairman of the campaign that created the City Theatre in its current location. He was a member of the boards of Carnegie Museum of Art, UPMC Presbyterian, Monte-
fiore Hospitals, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Rodef Shalom Congregation. Served as past president of the Hebrew Institute and Assurex International, an insurance trade group. He received numerous awards, the namesake for the City Theatre Robert M. Frankel Award established to honor his leadership in establishing one of the city’s premiere theatrical companies and venue. The CNG/WQED (Volunteers in the Arts) award. He received the Outstanding Fundraising Award from The National Society of Fundraising Executives. Services were held at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Interment at West View Cemetery, Rodef Shalom Congregation. Contributions may be made to Alzheimers Disease Research Center, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, adrc.pitt.edu. Jewish Family & Children Service, 5742 Bartlett Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, jfcspgh.org or City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203, citytheatrecompany.org. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel Inc. FRIEDMAN: Frank A. Friedman, of Pittsburg h, on Saturday, September 9, 2017, a few months shy of his 99th birthday. Lifelong resident of Pittsburgh. Married to the late Joan “Ducks” Welsby Friedman for 71 years. Beloved father of Laura (Robert) Schneider, Judy Friedman
(Stephen Steurer), Abbie (Steve) Greenberg, Joel Friedman and the late Rebecca Gudelsky. Loving grandpa of Brian Schneider (Emily Major), Aliza Steurer (Steve DiDomenico), Samara (Dave) Wheaton, Erin Steurer (Edward Espinal), Kendra Greenberg (Nick Caito), Stephen A. Steurer, and Daniel (Abbey) Gudelsky. Great-grandpa of Eddie and Theo DiDomenico, Stella Wheaton, Rocco Gudelsky and Elijah Espinal. Brother of EdnaBelle (Sis) Kalson, the late Paula Ruth Mitchel and the late Jerome Friedman. “Frankie,” as Joan loved to call him, served in the Army Air Force during WWll as a second lieutenant, flying 25 missions over Europe as a navigator on B17 bombers. After returning to the states he made a successful career of representing numerous and diverse furniture manufacturers and traveling to see his many customers. In his later years, he enjoyed swimming at the YMWHA in Oakland, filming family events,
and watching football games, documentaries, musicals and old movies (particularly about WWll). He also loved listening to music and his favorite radio station, NPR. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a nickname for every person he encountered, with especially endearing ones for the family. Frank and Joan both donated their bodies to Humanity Gifts Registry for scientific research. A memorial gathering will be held at a later date. Donations may be made to Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements entrusted to the Anthony M. Musmanno Funeral Home, Inc. Please view and sign the family’s guestbook at musmannofh.com HARLICH: David S. Harlich, of Squirrel Hill, on Wednesday, September 13, 2017. Beloved and devoted son of the late Samuel and Regina Harlich. Brother of the late Martin and Irvin Harlich. Beloved companion of the late Rosie Price. David was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He was dedicated to the care of his family most of his life, always maintaining a close relationship with cousins Marcia Willinsky, Sherwin Harlich and Jeffrey Harlich. Graveside services and interment were held at Beth Abraham Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 320 Bilmar Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Please see Obituaries, page 20
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What Does Retirement Mean To You? 2200 Murray Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15217 412-521-2732 www.paytaxeslater.com
James Lange, CPA and Attorney When we think about retirement, we generally
jump to the issue of finances. How much money do you need? How much money do you want? How much money do you have? The topic of planning for, and spending in, retirement comes up almost all the time with my clients. And well it should. It takes planning to get where you want to be. With answers, we can come up with some good strategies to bridge the gap between where we are and where we want to be. But what about thinking of “retirement” in a slightly different light? Many of my clients are already retired, some are years away from retirement, some are eager to retire and move on to new adventures, some can’t imagine retiring, even if they are set financially. But, what is almost always true, is that most everyone has some aspect of their job, or certain personal responsibilities that they really don’t enjoy. That’s when I like to share a bit of advice I learned from Dan Sullivan, a business /life coach who I meet with in Toronto: “No matter what stage of life you are in, you should try to “retire” from the things you don’t enjoy when at all possible”.
Dan’s coaching is more about improving your quality of life as a business owner, rather than strategies to maximize profits. But, it struck me that much of what he recommends could be equally useful in one’s personal life as well as one’s work life, whether you are a business owner or not. When Dan talks about “retiring” from what you don’t like to do, he isn’t advocating that you quit your job or abandon all your responsibilities.
your priorities can be very helpful. For instance, I love my work, but managing employees is something I find unpleasant and would rather not do. For over 30 years, I assumed I had to play a very active role in management because it was part of owning a company. Even with my exceptional crew, many of whom have been with me for more than twenty years, it was still the most unpleasant aspect of my job. What I’ve discovered is that by “retiring” from that
“ No matter what stage of life you are in, you should try to “retire” from the things you don’t enjoy when at all possible.
”
— DAN SULLIVAN He means that you should try to extract yourself from obligations and tasks that sap your energy and take away from the things you enjoy. Sometimes that means finding someone to take your place and sometimes it just means saying “no.” He divides activities into three categories. An A is something you really dislike doing. The B items are things you neither love nor hate, but you do them because you think you have to. The C activities are things that give you joy and great satisfaction. The task is to minimize the items in category A. Naturally, everyone will have their own rankings, but even the act of thinking about
aspect of my work and putting it in the hands of someone who does not find the task so onerous, everyone is happier. While I will always attend to some management issues, I delegated a significant amount of those responsibilities to our veteran estate planning attorney. Because he has more patience, he is more effective, and that is better for business and for me. So, what onerous tasks in your life can you “retire” from, even if you still have years of work in front of you before you can officially retire? Perhaps a simple step forward would be to think about chores that you could outsource, freeing
up time to do things that enrich your life. For example, we have a snow-removal service for the winter. I love getting up, and being able to ignore the snow on our sidewalk and driveway to go to work or to go cross country skiing. When I return, it is to a clean and shoveled sidewalk and driveway. This little stress reliever makes my life easier and happier. What would you like to give up, delegate, or outsource? I highly recommend giving it some thought. By the way, if “retirement” gives you more time, and you enjoy travel, consider Toronto. Toronto is a very cosmopolitan city with fabulous food, theaters, concerts, museums, galleries, etc. And it is much easier to get to than you might think. If you fly Porter Air from Pittsburgh, you land on an island connected to the heart of downtown by a pedestrian tunnel. For my return flight, I walked from my hotel to the airport! What a time saver! If you are interested in more financial information (we have written 5 best-selling financial books, many peer-reviewed articles, have 185 hours of our radio archives, etc.), we encourage you to visit our website, www. paytaxeslater.com. It has a wealth of valuable free material of special interest to IRA and retirement plan owners, or please call (412) 521-2732 for a free copy of The Ultimate Retirement and Estate Plan for Your MillionDollar IRA or to see if you qualify for a free second opinion consultation.
The foregoing content from Lange Financial Group, LLC is for informational purposes only, subject to change, and should not be construed as investment or tax advice. Those seeking personalized guidance should seek a qualified professional.
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PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE
SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 19
Obituaries Obituaries: Continued from page 19
ROSEN: Robert (Barry) Rosen died on Sunday, September 3, 2017. Beloved father of Barbara (Todd) Knight, Alysia Taylor and Joshua (Mary) Rosen. Son of the late Belle and Harry Rosen; brother of the late Natalie Weinstein and the late Rita Braun; uncle of Sandra Gelet, Joyce Braun and Robert Weinstein. Survived by former wife, Deborah Rosen. Interred at New Light Cemetery. Peace. RUBEN: Ann Fay Ruben, on Saturday, September 9, 2017. Beloved mother of David (Sheri) Ruben of Minden, Nev., and the late Steven Ruben. Sister of the late Edith (Herman) Kaplan of Chicago. Grandmother of Daniel and Matthew Ruben. Great-grandmother of Micha Ruben. Graveside services were held at Adath Jeshurun Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Muscular Dystrophy Association, 400 Penn Center Boulevard, #524, Pittsburgh, PA 15235; or Make-a-Wish Foundation, 707 Grant Street, #3700, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. SHAMES: Joan “Josie” Kramer Shames, on Saturday, September 16, 2017. Beloved
wife of the late George H. Shames. Loving mother of Hilary Shames and Matthew (Jennifer McGarrity) Shames, all of Pittsburgh. Sister of the late Lloyd Kramer, Barbara (late Jack) Shore and Vida (late Nick) Demas. Sister-in-law of Ann Kramer. Devoted grandmother of Lisa and Heidi Langhorst and Ella and Jackson Shames. Also survived by her many treasured and beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. In her characteristically modest fashion, Josie brought her natural generosity and kindness to her endeavors as an advocate for the many causes in which she believed. Whether working to improve basic human and political rights, giving voice to children and families who otherwise might not be heard, or loving and supporting her family and friends, Josie often worked behind the scenes affecting, influencing and teaching by connecting with people on an individual level. She loved without judgment and was loved in return. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment at Homewood Cemetery. Contributions may be made in her name to KidsVoice, kidsvoice. org, 437 Grant Street #700, Pittsburgh, PA 15219; ACLU, aclu.org , 247 Fort Pitt Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15222; or Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, adrc.pitt.edu, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. PJC
Arrest made in hate material
H
ardy Lloyd was arrested on Friday, Sept. 15 for distributing hate literature and is being held without bail. He is expected to be sent back to federal prison for probation violations. “Lloyd was the individual who was distributing hate mail, stickers, etc. in the Pittsburgh area,” said Brad Orsini, director of community security at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. The dissemination of hate literature was reported in “Hate literature spurs vigilance in Squirrel Hill and elsewhere” in the Sept. 15 Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. PJC
Hardy Lloyd
Photo courtesy of Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh
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FOR SALE
FOR SALE SQUIRREL HILL/NORTH OF • $975,000 FOR FORBES SALE
5529 Dunmoyle: Spectacular 8 br, 4½ bath home. Formal living and dining rooms, first floor family room, wonderful rear porch that is the expanse of this grand home. Beautiful architectural features — woodwork, windows, high ceilings and much more. FOX CHAPEL MEWS - $349,000
FORSALE SALE FOR
FOX CHAPEL MEWS - $349,000
EXQUISITE 3 bedroom condo-Completely renovated with magnificent built-ins. In NORTH OF 3FORBES •in-unit $1,250,000 EXQUISITE bedroom condo-Completely renovatedhas with magnificent built-ins. In unit balcony,great room, laundry.Building many amenities -pool,guest
FOR SALE
WHO WANTS TO SHOVEL SNOW? WINTER IS COMING! DON’T WAIT FOR THE COLD! WE HAVE 3 BEDROOM, 2 BATH CONDOS WITH BALCONIES. INDOOR PARKING & MANY AMENITIES. A SMALL PET IS PERMITTED. CALL TAMARA SKIRBOLL FOR ALL SHOWINGS, 412.401.1110.
unit suites, balcony,great room,room in-unitand laundry.Building has many amenities -pool,guest library,party much more. High end unit ready for move-in.
suites, and much more. Ross High end ready for move-in. 4 br, 3½ baths, open concept kitchen, a Designed bylibrary,party premierroom architect David ofunit Design Alliance. MURDOCH FARMSlarge - $525,000 sunken diningMURDOCH room with 6 ft.FARMS windows, sunken living room with 10 ft. ceilings. Great room/kitchen. - $525,000 FIRST TIME OFFERED! Great 4 bedroom 2 bath and 2 1/2 baths home with integral FIRST TIME OFFERED! Great bedroom 2 bath and 2 1/2 baths Living room master br4finest have deck space with views of CMU, Oakland and Downtown from this garage onand one of Pittsburgh's finest private streets. Magnificent livinghome roomwith withintegral fireplace, garage on onefirst of Pittsburgh's streets. Magnificent with fireplace, floor den and much more. This is theliving homeroom you want. floor denThe and much more. This is the home to youawant. lovely privatefirst location. lower level den opens private patio. Recently installed heated driveway and SQUIRREL HILL - SUMMERSET walkway to front steps. Lower level -also has radiant heat. Truly a treasure with many amenities. SQUIRREL HILL SUMMERSET
ATFRICK FRICKPARK PARK- $569,000 - $569,000- SOLD - SOLD AT
FIRST TIME OFFERED! Spectacular 4 BR , 2 full $1,400,000 Baths and 2- 1/2 bath town home. METROPOLITAN CONDOMINIUM FIRST TIME OFFERED! Spectacular 4 BR , 2 full • Baths and 2- 1/2 bath town home. Owner thought of every detail. Beautiful amenities through out the entire home,
Have a Happy & Healthy New Year! from Cheryl and Tamara
Owner thought of every detail. Beautiful amenities through out the entire home,
even the bonus of two washers and dryers. Enjoy resort living as the home is even thebedroom bonus of twocustom-designed washers and dryers. Enjoy resort living as the home is Rare three spacious penthouse in one of Pittsburgh’s most distinguished directly across from the pool and the fitness center. DON'T MISS THIS! directly across from the pool and the fitness center. DON'T MISS THIS! buildings. Floor to ceiling windows bring natural light into the large living and dining areas with access SHADYSIDE- $230,000 - $230,000 SHADYSIDE to a lovely outdoor deck.3The largetownhome well-appointed exquisite eat-in gourmet kitchen has a pass thru to the FIRST TIME OFFERED! bedroom Maple Heights. Beautiful yard, FIRST TIME OFFERED! 3 bedroom townhome on on Maple Heights. Beautiful yard, great builtins, central garage . dining room. The master suite includes aintegral luxurious and a huge dressing room closet. The amenities of great builtins, central air,air, integral garage . bath the building include 2 parking spaces,-two guest suites, -catering SHADYSIDE CONDO $195,000 SOLDkitchen, wine and storage lockers, library, SHADYSIDE CONDO - $195,000 - SOLD FIRST TIME OFFERED! Chic and cozy.2 central air, laundry room in unit,balcony conference/party room, aand resistance pool, and an extensive exercise area. Outdoors, the serene grounds FIRST TIME OFFERED! Chic cozy.2 BR,BR, central air, laundry room in unit,balcony and garage. PET FRIENDLY! GREAT LOCATION! garage. PET FRIENDLY! GREAT LOCATION! boasts a puttingand green, koi pond, waterfall and a gazebo.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT CHERYL GERSON CHERYL.GERSON@PITTSBURGHMOVES.COM 412.401.4693 TAMARA SKIRBOLL • 412.401.1110
Jill&and &Mark Mark Portland Jill Portland JILL MARK PORTLAND
RE/MAX Realty Brokers RE/MAX Realty Brokers RE/MAX REALTY BROKERS (412) 521-1000 ext. 200200 (412) 521-1000 ext. 200 412.521.1000 EXT. (412) 496-5600 (412) 496-5600 JillJill 412.496.5600 JILL (412) 480-3110 Mark | 412.480.3110 MARK (412) 480-3110 Mark
FOR RENT
FOR SALE
FOR SALE
5125 Fifth Ave.
100 DENNISTON AVE. UNIT 431
2 & 3 Bedrooms Corner of Fifth and Wilkins Spacious 1500-2250 square feet
(VILLAGE OF SHADYSIDE)
”Finest in Shadyside”
OPEN SUNDAY
www.kaminrealty.kamin.com
September 24th 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
412-661-4456
MICHAEL J. TORETTI, ESQ.
Multi-Million Dollar Producer 5501 Baum Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15232
FIND IT IN THE
classifieds
C: 412-725-5772 (Preferred) O: 412-361-4000 x216
Fabulous Double Unit Condo! 3 bedrooms, 3 baths. 2 outdoor patios. 2 reserved garage parking spaces. Over 3,300 sq ft. of one-floor living!
$665,000
MichaelToretti.howardhanna.com
Business & Professional Directory AUTOS WANTED
AUTOS WANTED
724-287-7771 BUYING VEHICLE$ DENNY OFF$TEIN AUTO $ALE$
GARDEN GARDEN AND & HOME MAINTENANCE HOME MAINTENANCE Spruce up your yard on a one-time or regular basis; clean out house, basement, gutters, painting. Reliable service, with references. Call Scottie at 412-310-3769.
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classifieds
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PET SITTING
PLUMBING
TRAVEL AGENT
Pet Sitting Service
ROAD RUNNER PLUMBING
Exclusive Discounted Business Class Tickets
We are a well established (almost 25 years) pet sitting service. If you need help with your pets, please give us a call! We have dedicated personnel in your local area. 412-963-6933 Amshelpetsit.com
• Registered Master Plumber • Sewer and Drain Experts • Full Service Plumbing
TO EUROPE AND WORLDWIDE
Call Mike 412-421-1538 412-292-5830
412-884-0543
#HP3342
PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE
Easy to arrange. Call me at or email me your info at joann.uts@gmail.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 21
Community Apples & Honey Festival
t Thanks to Dave & Buster’s, a restaurant and games venue, the festival offered a choice of active attractions. Throughout the afternoon, more than 1,500 people attended.
t Shalom Pittsburgh — a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh — presented the 7th Annual Apples & Honey Fall Festival at The Waterfront in Homestead on Sunday, Sept. 10. Shofar making was one of many featured familyfriendly activities.
u Julia Katz with husband Willie Choi and their daughter took advantage of the family-friendly scene at the festival, where attendees could find information about a plethora of Pittsburgh-area Jewish organizations.
u The Cook family children sample the creative sweets of retailer Rocket Fizz.
Photos by Joshua Franzos
Running hard t Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh cross-country teams placed third in both the novice boys and junior varsity divisions at the Sacred Heart XC Invitational held at Frick Park on Sep. 17. From left: Akiva Camp, Rami Shaw, Azi Knoll, Yonah Itskowitz and Dov Gelman.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Knoll
t Third-graders Caleb Knoll, Noah Bernstein, Coby Shaw and Hannah Swedarsky display their medals from the Winchester Thurston Cross Country Invitational at Schenley Oval on Sep. 10. The meet included 13 other schools and multiple divisions of races ranging from novice through varsity. This year’s Hillel Academy cross-country teams include 21 runners.
Photo courtesy of Joshua Swedarsky
t Coby Shaw crosses the finish line first in the novice boys division at the Sacred Heart XC Invitational.
Photo courtesy of Joshua Swedarsky
Apples everywhere Members of Friendship Circle recently traveled to Simmons Farm for pre-Rosh Hashanah apple picking.
u From left: Matthew Shlomchik, Peter Layman, Noah Strauss and Davis Morgenstern p From left: Sarah Berlin, Dini Hyman and Elena Sheffler
22 SEPTEMBER 22, 2017
PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE
p Sarah Davidson and Ryan Silverman.
Photos courtesy of Friendship Circle
PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG
Community At Rodef Shalom
Kid friendly The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh provides many learning opportunities with its programs for children.
p Nutritionist at JCC Clubhouse: JCC nutritionist Brittany Reese teaches children in the Clubhouse after-school program, which this year has a renewed focus on health and wellness. Reese, a certified dietician, works with Clubhouse participants to create healthy no-bake recipes and teaches basic cooking and nutrition skills.
p Musician Dan Nichols leads a lively erev Shabbat service at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Also pictured are, from left, music director Don Megahan, cantorial soloist Molly May and Rabbi Sharyn Henry. t Tot Shabbat candle lighting. From left: Rabbi Sharyn Henry, Family Center director Mimsie Leyton and members Lydia and Nina Blank
p Scholastic Book Fair at JCC: The JCC’s Early Childhood Development Center’s Scholastic Book Fair this week inspires reading for all ages.
u Graduates of Aleph-Bet Boot Camp learned to read Hebrew in just five days as one of the congregation’s learning opportunities for the month of Elul. The class was led by the congregation’s senior vice president, Karen Brean (front row, center).
t JCC Clubhouse walks: Kids from Pittsburgh Colfax K-8 school love to carry the “We love Clubhouse” sign on their daily walks, accompanied by the after-school Clubhouse program staff, from Colfax to the JCC. The “walking bus” from the schools and bus stops empowers children with skills to navigate our community and creates opportunities for outdoor environmental education.
Well done! t For his 5th birthday party, Riley Herman of Mt. Lebanon asked for sports equipment instead of presents. Riley then donated all of the equipment to Jewish Family & Children’s Service, which will be sharing it with refugee children.
Photo courtesy of JF&CS
Photos by Matt Unger
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