Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 11-8-19 by Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

November 8, 2019 | 10 Cheshvan 5780

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Judge strikes down gun laws

Candlelighting 4:51 p.m. | Havdalah 5:51 p.m. | Vol. 62, No. 45 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

Unchecked U.S. aid to Israel Bari Weiss challenged at J Street conference discusses ‘How To Fight Anti-Semitism’ before local audience

Local municipalities prohibited from enacting firearms regulations.

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

P whether any of our dollars are going there?” he asked. Ben-Ami said assistance to Israel could be checked against, for instance, the Arms Export Control Act, which requires U.S. arms sales to be used strictly for self-defense. He also said the idea of using aid to pressure was not new. A number of presidents have withheld portions of loan guarantees commensurate with Israel’s spending on settlements, a mechanism that is enshrined in law. Nancy Bernstein, co-chair of J Street Pittsburgh and a member of its national board, who was at the conference, clarified the position of the advocacy group in an interview with the Chronicle. “We actually feel that you don’t cut the aid, you give the full amount of military aid, and then you say there are certain things it can’t be used for,” Bernstein explained. “It’s security aid for defense and security reasons, and there are certain things that Israel is doing that can’t be defined by that, like annexing the West Bank, demolishing Palestinian homes, expanding settlements

ittsburgh native Bari Weiss returned to the city on Monday, Nov. 4. Weiss, a New York Times writer and op-ed editor, spoke at Chatham University’s Campbell Memorial Chapel before a crowd of over 650. The author was joined in conversation by University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg. The event served as part promotional stop, part homecoming for Weiss, who joked when taking the stage that she remembered most of the audience from her bat mitzvah. Those familial feelings belied the seriousness of the conversation with the writer, who was in town to promote her first book, “How to Fight Anti-Semitism.” Nordenberg set the stage for the pair’s dialogue, observing that the peace and calm of the evening was very different than that of a year ago following the shooting at the Tree of Life building. He dedicated the program to the victims of the attack and of anti-Semitism throughout the world. Nordenberg pointed out that Weiss had recently been named No. 7 in the Jerusalem Post’s list of “The 50 Most Influential Jews of 2019” and asked if she found this a blessing or a burden. Weiss replied that she viewed her whole life as a blessing. “My inheritance was unimaginable. Not in a financial sense … but in the sense that I was born in this country in the Golden Age of American Jewry. I was born after the feminists broke down the walls at work. I was born in a country whose founders so fully understood the Jewish story.” Nordenberg explained that in her book, Weiss describes herself as an American, a Jew, a Zionist and a proud daughter of

Please see J Street, page 14

Please see Weiss, page 14

Page 2 LOCAL The marvelous Mrs. Masloff Local author has new book on former Pittsburgh mayor. Page 5

 Rabbi John Rosove and Nancy Bernstein at the J Street conference on Oct. 27, remembering the 11 people murdered at the Tree of Life building last year.

Photo provided by Nancy Bernstein

By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer and Ron Kampeas | JTA

LOCAL Time capsule opened

Jewish newspapers, religious items from 1906 unearthed. Page 7

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Street convened its eighth annual conference last week, its 11th year of existence. The gathering attracted 4,000 activists— including about 20 from Pittsburgh-- and signaled to Democratic candidates that the self-described “pro-Israel, pro-peace” group might support tying aid to the Jewish state based on its compliance with certain policies. The group’s president, Jeremy Ben-Ami, spoke Sunday night, Oct. 27, at the opening plenary at the Washington Convention Center, firming declaring: “Our aid is not intended to be a blank check.” But the next morning, talking to reporters, Ben-Ami added parameters to the pledge: He was referring to precedent and existing laws. J Street was not advocating new legislation to restrict aid to Israel. And he was less conclusive than the “blank check” line had made it seem. Ben-Ami clarified that the leveraging aid idea should be considered, stopping short of giving it a full endorsement. “If it is against American policy to expand settlements, shouldn’t we be inquiring

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— LOCAL — By David Rullo | Staff Writer

llegheny County Common Pleas Senior Judge Joseph M. James struck down three gun-control ordinances passed by Pittsburgh City Council and signed into law by Mayor Bill Peduto in response to the Oct. 27, 2018, shooting at the Tree of Life building. James found in a five-page opinion that Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearms Act bars local municipalities from enacting firearm regulations. The three laws, passed in April, would have banned assault weapons, including the Colt AR-15 rifle used in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting; banned accessories, modifications and certain types of ammunition and adopted “Extreme Risk Protection Orders,” enabling courts to temporarily prohibit a person from having guns if the individual is shown to possess a significant danger to themselves or others. The judge’s ruling was anticipated by the mayor’s office. In an emailed statement to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, Peduto’s communications director, Timothy McNulty, said: “The city and its outside legal counsel have always expected this would be a long legal fight and will continue to fight for the right to take common sense steps to prevent the gun violence plaguing Squirrel Hill and all city neighborhoods. We will appeal.” Both the original law and James’ ruling have divided Pittsburgh and the Jewish community. CeaseFire PA Director of Organizing Rob Conroy said he was “deeply disappointed’

in the decision although it was not “a complete surprise.” According to Conroy, the Uniform Firearms Act’s language is open to interpretation and James issued a “general and sweeping statement.” He feels that the state law specifies “a municipality can’t regulate the lawful ownership or transfer of firearms and that is not, in our opinion and I believe, the city’s opinion, what any of those laws the city passed actually governed.” Pittsburgh area attorney David Wolf disagrees with Conroy’s interpretation. “I think Judge James got it right. It’s quite clear in section 61.20, which says as a general rule, no county, municipality or township may, in any manner, regulate the lawful ownership, transfer or transportation of firearms, ammunition or ammunition components when carried or transported for purposes not prohibited by the laws of this commonwealth.” Wolf is a lawyer with Goldberg, Kamim & Gravin, which has represented the largest gun collectors association in Pennsylvania. He believes the law was an attempt by the city to “usurp” the state’s legislative authority. “As an officer of the court, I took a pledge to uphold the Constitution of the United States and of the commonwealth. I’m sure the mayor

and City Council did the same. I’m sure they are very bright and can read what the statute says. If they don’t like the statute, we have ways to have it changed. This is not how you go about striking down legislation you don’t like.” Cliff Zlotnik thinks that Peduto was attempting to do the right thing but believes what he did was wrong. “The bottom line is, what the Tree of Life shooting showed was what happens when people are unprepared, what happens when we have gun-free zones, what happens when bad guys can walk into places people feel safe with impunity.” Pointing to “government evidence from the Centers for Disease Control,” Zlotnik added, “They say that guns or weapons are used 16 to 100 times more often to save a life than to take a life.” Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence co-founder Carolyn Ban thinks the city acted to pass the laws because of the “utter failure of state and federal legislators to act.” “House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rob Kauffman said as long as he is chairing the committee, he won’t bring any legislation to reduce gun violence. We think that’s undemocratic and unresponsive to the citizens of Pennsylvania,” Ban said. Temple Emanuel of South Hills Senior Rabbi Aaron Meyer moved to Pennsylvania in July. As a new resident, he wondered if he knew enough “about the particular case of what municipalities get to do in the state of Pennsylvania. Regardless, I applaud the city of Pittsburgh. Often, change can only happen because there are positive instigations.” Meyer served as an associate rabbi at

Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Seattle. He pointed out that many cities now have progressive gun control laws. “Washington state has passed gun violence prevention measures above and beyond federal standards. There are now 15 states, including Washington, that have extreme risk protection orders, or red flag laws on the books, as the city of Pittsburgh tried to put through. Twenty-one states, including Washington, have background checks above and beyond federal statutes. During my time in Seattle, both of those bills passed.” If there is a middle ground to be explored, perhaps it is offered by Jon Tucker of the Republican Jewish Coalition. “I’m out of step with the Republican Party in that I believe assault weapons should be treated as you treat sports cars that are not street legal,” Tucker said. “You can trailer them to the track and then drive them 200 miles per hour, but you can’t drive them on the street. I think assault weapons should be handled the same way. “An argument I’ve never heard,” he continued, “is that assault weapons and weapons of mass casualty, these weapons should be put in a gun locker and only used in a gun club because there really is no other reason to own them.” While Ban supports the recently overturned laws, her words of advice apply to all sides: “It’s up to citizens to educate themselves and let their elected officials know about positions that matter to them. We speak to legislators who say, ‘We hear from the other side all the time. We don’t hear from people that want us to pass this legislation.’ We need to be far more vocal.” PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Pittsburgh Jews react to judge striking down gun laws passed by City Council

Headlines Mental health experts talk to parents about teen resilience — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

pediatric mental health dream team shared strategies on raising resilient teens during a public conversation at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh. The Nov. 3 program, sponsored by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and area organizations, featured an array of nationally recognized professionals and offered insights on keeping kids healthy. Dr. David Brent, psychiatry and pediatrics professor and endowed chair in suicide studies at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of STAR-Center (Services for Teens at Risk) at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, moderated the nearly hour-long discussion and asked panelists to discuss resiliency, how parents should address trauma and professional outlets for at-risk children. Local experts included Dr. Judith A. Cohen, medical director of the Allegheny Health Network’s Center for Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents and professor of psychology at Drexel University College of Medicine; Dr. Elizabeth Miller, chief of adolescent and young adult medicine at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and pediatrics professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; and Dr. Gil Zalsman, CEO of Geha Mental Health Center in Israel and chair of Israel’s National Council of Suicide Prevention, all of whom fielded Brent’s inquiries and offered skills for traversing modern challenges. One such challenge is the exposure to traumatic episodes. Through television, the internet, social media and the 24/7 news cycle, details of highly traumatic events like mass shootings and terrorist attacks are pervasive. While it’s impossible to entirely shut out such reports, the experts recommended taking breaks from technology in the aftermath of these events, especially given that, as Cohen pointed out, reliable information isn’t immediately available. People are inclined to turn to their televisions

or phones to seek out details, but the bevy of unsubstantiated stories, claims or images may end up causing harm, panelists said. “I would echo the importance of staying calm, or radical calmness, in the context of these kinds of experiences,” said Miller. “After 9/11, lots of teachers had their televisions on in their classrooms, and not only were they exposed, but all the kids in their classrooms were exposed,” said Cohen. Exposure can lead to anxiety. Rather than seeking out immediate information during or after an attack, it’s better to reassure young people who are in an affected community. “We have to show kids that we are going to keep them safe,” said Cohen. “Even if we don’t feel that way, we have to protect our kids and give them a sense that we know what we’re doing, that we’re going to take care of them.” Another way to protect children is by ensuring they get enough sleep, which helps with emotional regulation, said Miller. “Making sure that your kids are sleeping and getting off the phones and internet as much as possible are helpful strategies,” she said. “Because even if they’re off the phones and off the internet, your children are going to hear about what’s going on in their community, but your ability to maintain that very calm and safe space is critical.” Certain moments may preclude the possibility of turning away from TV or phones, noted Zalsman. In those instances, the best thing to do is to sit by your children and “try to explain, because the most terrible part is that kids cannot understand why this guy killed our friends.” When discussing trauma with children, some parents might be tempted to share their own experiences. If they do, they need to be careful of the approach, the panelists said. Context matters, and parents need to ask themselves what the purpose of sharing the story is. “It’s really important to think about what you’re trying to achieve,” said Cohen. “Think carefully about what you think the child’s

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Please see Teens, page 15

be a donor and was a match. Now I’m back at work and back to being myself.” To learn why UPMC should be the ﬁrst choice for all your care, from routine to advanced, visit UPMC.com/Routine.

p Panelists discuss resiliency and teen mental health during the Nov. 3 program. Photo by Scotland Huber/Jewish Healthcare Foundation

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Headlines After five decades in theater, Tony-winning CMU alum knows what it takes to succeed — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

even-time Tony winner Jamie deRoy had some great advice for budding directors, actors, stage managers and dramaturges at Carnegie Mellon University last month. In fact, the advice was pretty good just for life in general. “I like to keep everything positive,” said deRoy, a Pittsburgh native, CMU alum and longtime producer and performer. In her Oct. 24 talk in CMU’s Philip Chosky Theater, deRoy urged the students to refrain from “bad-mouthing” other people’s work in public, and to adhere to what she called “the three-block rule” after leaving a performance. “If you don’t have anything positive to say, don’t say it within a three-block distance of the theater,” she said, because, with everyone leaving a theater at the same time, it is likely that someone who worked on that show will overhear the comments. In an industry that is hyper-competitive, deRoy stressed the importance of taking the high road, and implored the students to, above all, be supportive of each other and everyone else making art.

 Jamie deRoy, left, and Kim Weild , who oversees CMU’s directing programs; right, Jamie deRoy is celebrated on CMU’s Walk of Fame. Photos by Toby Tabachnick

deRoy, whose family was affiliated with Rodef Shalom Congregation, was raised in Squirrel Hill and graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School. Her mother was the famed artist Aaronel deRoy Gruber, whose large metal sculpture “Steelcityscape” is installed in Mellon Park. She still has family in Pittsburgh and comes to visit from time to time. Growing up in Pittsburgh, deRoy acted in

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community theater and school plays, but caught the theater bug in a serious way after her father — an investor in the Broadway production of the “Pajama Game” — took her backstage to meet the cast. “From that point on, forget it,” she said. “I was hooked.” She attended CMU for a year before heading to New York in 1967 to find her

place on the Great White Way. She is currently producing nine Broadway shows: “To Kill A Mockingbird,” “The Inheritance,” “Ain’t Too Proud,” “Tootsie,” “Beetlejuice,” “The Great Society,” “Slave Play,” “TINA” and the upcoming “The Lehman Trilogy.” It’s not necessarily easy to get started in show business, and it takes hard work and persistence to succeed. deRoy shared the trajectory of her multifaceted career, from her early years after leaving CMU, to studying with Uta Hagen in New York and taking advantage of summer stock in Westport, Connecticut. Her talk was peppered with stories from her decades working in New York and Los Angeles, and included lots of fun insider tidbits, including her experience opening for Joan Rivers at the Improv in L.A. deRoy, at the time, was a comedic singer, and her act got big laughs from the audience. After her performance, she saw Rivers’ husband, Edgar Rosenberg, beelining in her direction. She was scared that she was going to get fired. Instead, he said, “Joan loved you,” and the

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Headlines ‘The incomparable Mayor Masloff,’ examined in new book — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

ophie Masloff ’s story is as compelling as it is unlikely, but it has not been told comprehensively until now. With her new book, “Sophie, the Incomparable Mayor, Masloff,” local Jewish historian Barbara Burstin delves into detail about the life of Masloff, a daughter of Romanian Jewish immigrants “from the wrong side of the tracks,” who rose to become the first Jewish and first female mayor of Pittsburgh. Burstin has published three prior books on the history of the Pittsburgh Jewish community: “Steel City Jews 1840-1915,” “Steel City Jews in Prosperity, Depression and War, 1915-1950” and “Jewish Pittsburgh,” part of the Images of America series. She began working on the Masloff book in 2016. “I had been doing all this on the Pittsburgh Jewish community and my books kind of ended in 1950, and I really am not contemplating a sequel taking us up to the present time,” Burstin said. “But Sophie is part of the Pittsburgh Jewish community, and it just kind of hit me that nobody has put together any kind of biography about her, and she deserves it.” In her book, Burstin covers Masloff ’s life

beginning with her childhood, her long career as a clerk in the Court of Common Pleas, her election to City Council and her mayoral administration during which she successfully shepherded Pittsburgh through tough economic times from 1988 to 1994. Because Masloff, who died in 2014, left no diaries and few papers, Burstin’s research depended upon newspaper accounts and conversations with more than 60 people who knew the late mayor, including family members, colleagues and close friends. “The reality of her term in office was very different from the perception of a lot of people, even people who I talked to who were Pittsburghers,” Burstin said. “I don’t think that even among the Jewish community that she was considered a great mayor or anything. I found that there was a real disconnect between how she came across and how effective and smart and capable she was as mayor.” But Masloff ’s effectiveness and intelligence did come across through conversations with associates who worked closely with her, according to Burstin. “These were people who were by no means political hacks, machine politicians, anything like that,” she said. “These are people who

could have made a lot more money elsewhere who chose to work with Sophie because they admired and respected her, and in some cases grew to love her — that she was just a wonderful person who was doing the best by the city that could be done at a very tough time in our history.” After working for more than three decades as a clerk in the Court of Common Pleas, in 1976, Masloff won a seat on Pittsburgh City Council in a special election. When Pittsburgh Mayor Richard Caliguiri died in office in 1988, the then 70-year-old Masloff succeeded him, after having been elected Pittsburgh’s first female City Council president just months before. She served out Caliguiri’s term and was re-elected in 1989. In addition to keeping Pittsburgh’s economy afloat when other cities were going bankrupt, Burstin said, Masloff ’s administration is credited with developing the Hill District’s Crawford Square and supporting the Regional Asset District, which provides grants for cultural, civic and recreational facilities. RAD has been “an enormous contribution because it has funded all kinds of arts, cultural activities and sports,” Burstin said. “It’s really made a major mark on the cultural landscape of Western Pennsylvania.

p Sophie Masloff Photo courtesy of Newscom

And Sophie was very instrumental in that, just in greasing the wheels, being present in the legislative sessions. You had to get the state to buy into it, you had to get the city and county to buy into it. And Sophie had those relationships and was able to influence people and get things done.” Masloff was not wholeheartedly embraced by all factions of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, Burstin noted. “Sophie was from the other side of the tracks,” she said. “So, among the old guard, the German Jewish elite, the descendants from that, Sophie was not one of them by any manner of means. She didn’t attempt to be one of them, and she didn’t come across that way. She was her own person and so she wasn’t necessarily touted or held on a pedestal, that’s for sure, by many people in Please see Masloff, page 15

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Headlines Pittsburgh is final stop for Persian cooking expert Reyna Simnegar the Inquisition. They became conversos, pretending to be Christian to the world but secretly maintaining their Jewish faith. By Hilary Daninhirsch | Special to the Chronicle That revelation led her on a lifelong path toward finding her Jewish spiritual roots. urmeric, saffron and cardamom char- Over the years she uncovered more Jewish acterize much of Persian cooking, and family history that goes back centuries, as last week, about 60 women gathered well as Jewish objects, paintings and other at the Fox Chapel Racquet Club to sample family heirlooms. several authentic and fragrant Persian dishes. Simnegar wanted to formally convert The event was sponsored by the Jewish to Judaism at 17 but the rabbis advised Sisterhood and featured Reyna Simnegar, her to wait until she was at least 18; she a Venezuelan native and said it was about a threeauthor of “Persian Cooking year process before her for the Non-Persian Bride: conversion was complete. And Other Sephardic At 18, when working in a Recipes You Will Love.” Taco Bell after having come A VIP reception prior to Los Angeles for college, she to the cooking demonmet her future husband, who stration featured wine was a Persian Jew. Because and Persian appetizers her future mother-in-law like eggplant quiche with was worried that she would tomatoes and zucchini; mini have to FedEx her son some salmon kabobs; and Libyan of his favorite Persian dishes, butternut squash salad. Simnegar learned to cook Simnegar, who lives in from her husband’s mother. Boston and is the mother of p “I thought it was poetry,” she Reyna Simnegar five sons from 11 to 18, told said. Eventually, that encythe attendees about her journey to becoming clopedia of knowledge would prompt her to Jewish. She was raised Catholic and went to write a cookbook, published in 2011. Catholic school in Caracas, Venezuela. As Entertaining the guests with humorous a child, she could not understand why her anecdotes, Simnegar demonstrated some uncle would wrap himself in a “schmatte” and of her tried and true cooking techniques, rock back and forth (she thought perhaps while guests were treated to an exquisite that he had dementia), nor why her father three course Persian meal from recipes would place stones upon family tombstones. in her cookbook. As a young child, she was told not to ask so Simnegar served ash’e anar (Persian pomemany questions. But at the age of 12, after granate soup), made with beets, suffused she told her aunt that she spotted a Jewish with turmeric, cilantro and mint and topped person (her first sighting of a Jew), her aunt with pomegranates; joojeh budemjune finally told her the long-buried family secret: (chicken with eggplant), cooked with saffron Her father’s family was actually Jewish, having fled Spain for Venezuela during Please see Simnegar, page 15

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p Samples of recipes from Reyna Simnegar’s book, “Persian Cooking for the Non-Persian Bride: And Other Sephardic Recipes You Will Love.” Photos by Hilary Daninhirsch

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Headlines Aliyah cards, newspapers, a pickle pin preserved in 1906 Tree of Life time capsule — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

llen Cousin, who turns 90 later this month, remembers attending Hebrew School at the old Tree of Life building on Craft Avenue and celebrating his bar mitzvah there. Awaiting the opening of a time capsule that was enshrined in that building’s cornerstone in 1906, Cousin was “very excited” to see what was contained within it. “It’s been a long time,” he said. In fact, it’s been 68 years since Tree of Life held services in the Craft Avenue building, now demolished after having been repurposed into a theater space used by the Pittsburgh Playhouse beginning in 1951. Tree of Life was founded as a break-away group from Rodef Shalom Congregation in 1864. The original 16 members held services in people’s homes and other locations until Tree of Life bought space downtown in 1883. By 1906, the congregation had outgrown its downtown space, and began construction on a new building on Craft Avenue in Oakland. In 1951, Tree of Life sold the Craft Avenue property to the Pittsburgh Playhouse, and moved to its current location at the corner of

Wilkins and Shady Avenues. The Pittsburgh Playhouse — which has been affiliated with Point Park University since 1968 — was located at the Craft Avenue site until 2018, when it moved to new digs on Forbes Avenue downtown. Point Park is now planning to sell the Oakland property. The Tree of Life cornerstone was opened at the demolition site on Nov. 4, to the keen anticipation of several Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha members present as well as Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, Executive Director Barb Feige and Eric Lidji, director of the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives. Lidji donned gloves before gingerly removing the items from the weathered tin box that served as the time capsule. Several items that were in the box, such as a souvenir booklet of a B’nai B’rith outing and copies of the Jewish Criterion — a predecessor to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle — were frayed, crumbly and yellowed. That those items were in the box was not a surprise, thanks to newspaper accounts of the original cornerstone ceremony published in August 1906 in the Criterion and the Pittsburgh Daily Post. But other items found in the time capsule were unexpected: aliyah cards that were used to call people to the Torah; a luach, which is a book containing the Jewish calendar; business cards presumably thrown into the box

the items, then Tree of Life leadership will determine where each item should be housed. The cornerstone itself may be incorporated as part of the congregation’s history in a renovated Tree of Life building at the Wilkins and Shady location. “It’s quite thrilling to see the paper materials, the cards to call people to the Torah, and to know our forebears handled them and touched them, and that they were a vibrant part of an active congregation,” said historian Laurie Eisenberg, a board member of Tree of Life whose family has been affiliated with the congregation for three generations. p Eric Lidji examines items removed from the Tree of Life time capsule, excavated from the As Tree of Life — one of three cornerstone of the congregation’s old building congregations attacked by an on Craft Avenue. Photo by Toby Tabachnick anti-Semite on Oct. 27, 2018 — at the last minute by Tree of Life members is moving ahead “in perpetuating a vibrant at the cornerstone ceremony. And a small congregation,” Eisenberg said she is looking Heinz pickle pin. forward to incorporating the cornerstone “I’m giddy,” said Feige. “I find it very and time capsule “into our history as we exciting. The pickle is fabulous, an ingenious move forward and build.” PJC and creative way to incorporate Pittsburgh into the time capsule.” Toby Tabachnick can be reached at Lidji will be examining and documenting ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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NOVEMBER 8, 2019 7

Calendar >>Submit calendar items on the Chronicle’s website, pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. Submissions will also be included in print. Events will run in the print edition beginning one month prior to the date as space allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon. q SATURDAY, NOV. 9 Watch dances, admire vegan gingerbread houses and taste vegan foods from across the Pittsburgh area with Moishe House at the Pittsburgh Vegan Expo and Convention beginning at noon at the Monroeville Convention Center (meet at Moishe House for rides.) Moishe House will cover admission costs. For more information, visit faceboook. com/events/245248259576943. Moishe House events are intended for young adults age 22-32. Temple Ohav Shalom hosts The Bible Players in honor of the 50th year of the congregation. The event is open to the entire community. The event begins with havdalah and dessert and then continues with an exciting and hilarious Jewish-infused comedy and improv show! Tickets are only $18. The show begins at 7 p.m. at Temple Ohav Shalom, 8400 Thompson Run Road. Visit templeohavshalom.org/artsweekend.html. The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh presents “Etty,” the one-woman play based on the diaries and letters of Etty Hillesum and adapted and performed by Susan Stein. The play will be performed at 7:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall (4400 Forbes Ave.), commemorating the 81st anniversary

of Kristallnacht. The play will be followed by a discussion with the audience. For more information visit hcofpgh.org/kristallnacht19.

org for more information or visit classroomswithoutborders.org/events/ show.php?229.

Join Chabad of Monroeville (2715 Mosside Blvd.) for Havdalla and Movie Night: “When The Smoke Clears!” Light refreshments will be served. $5. To register, visit jewishmonroeville.com/movienight.

q TUESDAY, NOV. 12

q SUNDAY, NOV. 10 The Jewish Women’s League of Pittsburgh invites you to attend “Transitions: Choosing the Next Level with Mrs. Aliza Bulow.” Bulow is an author, educator and mentor to Jewish women around the world. She is the founding director of CORE. Bulow speaks at Shaare Torah social hall, 2319 Murray Ave. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. $36 per person, payable at the door. q SUNDAY, NOV. 10 & MONDAY, NOV. 11 In commemoration of the shooting at the Tree of Life building, Classrooms Without Borders is organizing a conference titled Antisemitism, Hate and Social Responsibility, to take place at Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave., from 1-5 p.m. on Nov. 10-11, 2019. The conference will feature lectures by renowned scholars and workshops that will equip teachers to educate and inspire their students to identify and combat hate, anti-Semitism and racism. This conference is geared towards educators, spiritual leaders, students, and members of the community. Contact daniel@classroomswithoutborders.

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Enjoy a delicious lunch and a presentation on “Aging Better and Safer” by AgeWell Pittsburgh at Chabad of the South Hills (1701 McFarland Rd.) beginning at noon. Suggested donation $5. Wheelchair accessible. Please call 412-278-2658 or email barb@chabadsh. com to register. The Jewish Pro-Life Foundation invites you to attend Judaism: The Original Pro-Life Religion, an uplifting educational program exploring Judaism’s traditional principles regarding unborn life. A short slideshow will be presented followed by Q&A. Bring your curiosity and conversation, but please leave any politics and polemics at the door. The program is free of charge. Light refreshments will be served. Carnegie Library Squirrel Hill branch, meeting room B, 1 p.m. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division Explorin’ Pittsburgh Club Goes Axe Throwing at Lumberjaxes in Millvale (2 Sedgwick Street), 7 p.m. $35. Space is limited to 24. To register, visit jewishpgh.org/event/yad-axe-throwing. q T UESDAYS, NOV. 12-DEC. 17; SUNDAYS, NOV. 17-DEC. 22 Mined from the teachings of the Torah and contemporary psychology, Worrier to Warrior: Jewish secrets to feeling good

Jewish Secrets to Feeling Good However You Feel. Mined from the teachings of Torah and contemporary psychology, Worrier to Warrior, takes a fresh approach to the battle against bad feelings, providing realistic spiritual mechanisms for remaining upbeat no matter what life brings. 6 consecutive Tuesday evenings. This course is accredited for up to 15 continued medical credits. $79, Scholarships available. Class begins at 7:30 p.m. at Chabad of Monroeville (2715 Mosside Blvd.) To register, visit jewishmonroevill.com/jli. q WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13 Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh to kick off the 2020 Community Campaign. This Is Us will celebrate the Pittsburgh Jewish community. Featuring an interview with chef Kevin Sousa (Superior Motors) and Chef Michael Solomonov (Zahav) about all things Israeli food and Jewish Pittsburgh. This Is Us takes place from 5:30-8 p.m. at Rivers Casino. To learn more, visit jewishpgh.org/event/this-is-us-2. Please see Calendar, page 9

This week in Israeli history Nov. 11, 1902 — Air Force founder Yisrael Amir is born

— WORLD — Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

Yisrael Amir is born in Vilna. Despite a lack of aviation experience, he is named Israel’s first air force commander in May 1948 and within two months expands the force from eight to 60 aircraft.

Nov. 8, 1923 — Yisrael Meir Friedman Ben-Shalom is born Yisrael Meir Friedman Ben-Shalom, the future Pashkaner Rebbe, is born to a Hasidic and Zionist family in Bohush, Romania.

Nov. 9, 1924 — Gen. Avraham Tamir is born

Avraham Tamir, a military strategist who rises to the rank of major general, is born. He is part of the Israeli delegation at Camp David in 1978 and is one of the first Israeli officials to meet with Yasser Arafat.

Nov. 10, 2004 — ‘Hatikvah’ officially declared national anthem

The Knesset officially adopts “Hatikvah” (“The Hope”) as Israel’s national anthem after a delay of more than half a century because of concerns that non-Jewish Israelis feel excluded by the lyrics.

For more info contact

(412) 829-0266 or nate@sherervideo.com 8 NOVEMBER 8, 2019

however you feel, a six-week Rohr Jewish Learning Institute course, takes a fresh approach to the battle against bad feelings, providing realistic spiritual mechanisms for remaining upbeat no matter what life brings. Offered Tuesday evenings starting Nov. 12 from 7:30-9 p.m.at the South Hills JCC, 345 Kane Blvd or Sunday mornings starting Nov. 17, 10:15-11:30 a.m. at Chabad of the South Hills, Mt. 1701 McFarland Rd. For more information call 412-344-2424 or rabbi@chabadsh.com.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Nov. 12, 2009 — Labor politician Eliyahu Speiser dies

Former Knesset member Eliyahu Speiser dies at age 79. A Mapai member, he is involved in the merger that produces the Labor Party in 1968 and is elected to the Knesset three times, beginning in 1977.

Nov. 13, 1949 — Shagar is born

Shimon Gershon Rosenberg, the Orthodox rabbi and Zionist philosopher known by the acronym Shagar, is born in Jerusalem to two Holocaust survivors.

Nov. 14, 2012 — Hamas military chief killed

Ahmed Jabbari, the Hamas military chief, is killed in an IDF airstrike on Gaza that marks the start of Operation Pillar of Defense. Jabbari was behind the abduction of Gilad Shalit in 2006 and almost every other Hamas attack from Gaza. PJC

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Calendar Calendar: Continued from page 8

MoHo goes to Mana Board Game Tavern! Try out some new games over drinks with Moishe House at the brand- new board game tavern on the North Side! Mana Board Game Tavern houses over 250 games and a wide variety of drinks including alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. Moishe House will cover the cost of gameplay! 7 p.m. For more information visit facebook.com/events/2138022979833190/. Moishe House events are intended for young adults age 22-32. q WEDNESDAYS, NOV. 13, 20, 27; DEC. 4 Jewish Family and Community Services presents Trauma Resiliency Group: An Integrative Approach to Healing, a free weekly gathering for anyone suffering the aftermath of the trauma of Oct. 27. Offered by Amy Lohr, LCSW, integrative psychotherapist, at the 10.27 Healing Partnership (2nd floor of the Squirrel Hill JCC, 5738 Forbes Ave. at 4 p.m.) “Heal, Grow and Live with Hope” Nar-Anon and NA meetings every Wednesday evening at Beth El Congregation, 1900 Cochran Road, 15220 at 7:30 p.m. Come to the office/school entrance at the end of the building to be buzzed in. Call Karen at 412-563-3395 and leave a message for more information.

q THURSDAY, NOV. 14

q FRIDAY, NOV. 15 & SATURDAY, NOV. 16

The Chabad of Monroeville Jewish Women’s Circle invites you to a lady’s night out of baking fun! Go elbow deep in dough and delicious fillings to make your very own babka, just like bubbe made. Enjoy a guided presentation and learn the tricks and tips to perfecting this delicious treat. All while schmoozing and enjoying prepared variations of babkas with friends. The fun starts at 7 p.m. at Chabad of Monroeville (2715 Mosside Blvd.) To register, visit jewishmonroeville.com/jwc.

Kulam: Pittsburgh Community Beit Midrash welcomes Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies’ Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield for Shabbat meals and classes on Nov. 15 and 16 at the Jewish Community Center. Rabbi Hirschfield will be teaching two sessions, a Shabbat dinner session: “The Conflict Between Truth and Peace: What Do We Do When We are Committed to Two Values That are Sometimes Irreconcilable?” (6:30 p.m. on Nov. 15), and a Shabbat lunch session “Levinas and Radical Responsibility: What Could Jewish Community Model for Humanity?” (1 p.m. on Nov. 16). Childcare will be available for both sessions. Suggested donation: $15 per person/$36 family maximum. jfedpgh.org/donate/foundation.

Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division for their 3-part series Young Adult Bartending Club. Each session takes place at a different bar. November’s get-together is at Amberson Towers Community Room (5 Bayard Road) beginning at 7 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh. org/event/young-adult-bartending-club-5. q FRIDAY, NOV. 15 Chabad of the South Hills presents a Friday Night Dinner Honoring the Yahrtzeit of our 11 brothers and sisters. Special Guest Mrs. Sharon Saul, Psychologist, MS. Exciting Children’s Program. $18/adult $12/child (12 & under) $54/ family max. Chabad of the South Hills (1701 McFarland Road), 5:30 p.m. Register before Wednesday, Nov. 13 at chabadsh.com or baty@chabadsh.com.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

q SUNDAY, NOV. 17 Women of Rodef Shalom and the Rodef Shalom Caring Committee present “Marijuana and Your Health.” Learn about the distinction between CBD and THC, by-products of the marijuana plant. These products are being promoted to relieve chronic pain, anxiety, inflammation and more. Does the research bear out the effectiveness of these products? Breakfast begins at 9:30 a.m. The program starts at 10 a.m. at Rodef Shalom (4905 Fifth Ave.) RSVP to Carol Leaman at CHLOTR@aol.com by Nov. 11.

Join Moishe House for Treasures in the Archives with Moishe House as we journey through Pittsburgh’s history with archivists from the Heinz History Center! The archivists will be sharing the rarely heard stories behind their favorite collections, and we will get to see these historical objects, documents, and photographs firsthand! 2-4 p.m. If you are able to attend, please RSVP at heinzhistorycenter.org/events/treasures-inthe-archives-2019 to reserve your spot, as the event may fill up. Moishe House events are intended for young adults age 22-32. q TUESDAY, NOV. 19 Celebrate with the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh at the CHUTZ-POW! Volume IV: Women’s Stories South Hills Launch Party beginning at 7 p.m. at the South Hills JCC (345 Kane Blvd., 15243). Hear from the creators about the process of putting the book together. Light hors d’oeuvres served. Learn more at hcofpgh.org/cp4kickoff. q WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20 Escape the November cold with Cozy Night! Puzzles & Harry Potter at Moishe House from 7-9 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/events/952910038408082. Moishe House events are intended for young adults age 22-32.

Please see Calendar, page 20

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

NOVEMBER 8, 2019 9

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PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

NOVEMBER 8, 2019 11

Opinion

— EDITORIAL —

n 2017, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh released the findings of the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Community Study, which the Federation had commissioned from the Marilyn and Maurice Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University’s Steinhardt Social Research Institute. The research included interviews with approximately 2,100 Jewish households throughout Greater Pittsburgh, and the comprehensive report that came out of those interviews provides a wealth of insight into Jewish Pittsburgh. The statistics uncovered by the study could serve as roadmap to guide us toward a stronger, more cohesive and robust community. While the data had lots of good news for Jewish Pittsburgh — including finding 17% growth since 2002 along with an influx of young Jewish adults here — the challenges revealed in the study also are many and include declining congregational affiliation, non-engagement of a significant percentage of intermarried families as

intermarriage rates increase, and economic insecurity, with one-quarter of Jewish household lacking sufficient savings to cover three months of expenses. “The biggest take-away from the study is opportunity,” said Evan Indianer, the study’s chair, back in 2017. The study, he explained, would allow community organizations to make “smart, data-driven decisions.” After a year of grieving, processing and

responding to last year’s massacre at the Tree of Life building, we hope the professional and lay leadership of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community is ready to turn its attention back to some of the issues highlighted by the Jewish Community Study. Of course the shock and loss felt after our fellow Jews were murdered in the most violent anti-Semitic attack in the history of the United States will remain with many

— or most — of us throughout our lives, we remain optimistic that our community is ready to refocus on the various challenges we face in Jewish Pittsburgh as we move further into the 21st century. The Chronicle is committed to resume its reporting on these issues following a year of coverage dominated by last year’s attack and its aftermath. We have already published three articles of a 10-part series closely examining some of the people who make up the statistics highlighted in the study, and we look forward to resuming that series in the weeks to come. The Pittsburgh Jewish Community Study is a “planning tool,” Jeff Finkelstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, told the Chronicle back in 2017. He hoped the study would be utilized by the community to see “what we’re doing well — and do more of that — and what we’re not doing well.” “It’s a snapshot in time,” Finkelstein said. “Shame on us if we don’t use it to look at the trends and make sure we’re addressing the needs of our Jewish people.” We have some work to do, that’s for sure. PJC

Expressions of gratitude beyond “Thank you for your service” Guest Columnist Leon S. Malmud

As Jewish Americans, we especially have much for which we should be thankful. The

n November, we celebrate Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. These two holidays have a common thread — that of gratitude. On Veterans Day, we remember with gratitude the service of the men and women who had and continue to place their lives at risk in order to protect and defend our nation’s freedom. On Thanksgiving Day, we celebrate with gratitude the bounty and richness enjoyed by our lives in this country. As an 80-year-old first-generation Jewish American veteran, physician, university professor and father, I am concerned that many of us have forgotten to be grateful for the gifts that these two holidays have bequeathed to us. We seem to focus more on the controversies that we are experiencing rather than our nation’s achievements and progress. In my lifetime, I have witnessed many challenges, injustices and tragedies that this nation has endured both in the homeland and from abroad. We still struggle with attempts to remove the stain of slavery from our culture, to right the wrongs of internments of Japanese-Americans in WWII and the ever-present challenges of accepting this generation’s immigrants, who may upon arrival look and sound different from ourselves.

12 NOVEMBER 8, 2019

United States is the first nation in post-biblical history to have granted equal citizenship to Jews upon its founding in 1776. Yet for all of us who confront the challenges and master them, as each prior generation has done, we have witnessed our nation becoming even greater and stronger than ever before. As Jewish-Americans, we especially have much for which we should be thankful. The United States is the first nation in post-biblical history to have granted equal citizenship to Jews upon its founding in 1776. We are not guests here. We are, as is every other American, a vital part of the fabric of this nation. As Jews, we are taught by our religion to recognize that gratitude alone for blessings is not sufficient. Gratitude must be accompanied by acts of charity, understanding and acts of loving kindness. Each of us is commanded to identify the needs of others and to therefore support agencies and organizations dedicated to addressing those needs. Since I am a Jewish veteran, I would like to focus on the ways we can express our gratitude to our returning veterans by helping

to meet their unmet needs. To illustrate, I will use examples from my own Jewish war veterans post #215. We have committed our resources to scholarship aid for returning vets of all races and religions of course who require financial aid while advancing their post-service education in community colleges under VA benefits. Educational benefits from the VA do not extend to the months between scheduled classes. That has left some vets with an inability to support themselves over those months. Some are homeless. Some live in their automobiles. Many are “food insecure,” reporting that sometimes what’s for dinner is “sleep.” Our JWV post also provides a VSO (legal representative) in the role of advocate to assist returning vets in accessing the benefits to which they are entitled. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs recognizes that need and works with these advocates in facilitating their needs. In addition, my JWV post has also

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

established a supportive relationship with the United States Coast Guard facilities in New Jersey. For example, we have assisted family members in traveling to the graduation ceremonies of their newly appointed Coast Guard men and women. Even today, we maintain a dialogue with other veterans’ organizations in combating residual anti-Semitism and bigotry. These are just a few examples of what we have chosen as expressions of our gratitude since all of us are veterans ourselves. We gratefully are not in personal need; however, we recognize the needs of our fellow warriors and their families. Why should November be selected as the “month of demonstrations of gratitude”? As Jewish-Americans, we witness the juxtaposition of the Days of Awe, introspection, confession and requests for forgiveness from both God and those individuals who we may have offended — followed by the joy of the thankfulness of Sukkot and the joy of Simchat Torah. Is it not appropriate that we, as Americans and Jews, follow with expressions of gratitude as we anticipate the various secular holidays which we witness and experience as Americans? We have so much for which we should be grateful. I hope that you agree and find it in your heart to act accordingly. PJC Leon S. Malmud, M.D., is dean emeritus and Herbert M. Stauffer Professor of Radiology emeritus at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. He lives in a suburb of Philadelphia.

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Photo by monsitj/iStockphoto.com

Looking ahead, with the Community Study as our guide

Opinion Remembering Kristallnacht Guest Columnist Rabbi Walter Jacob

Friendly non-Jews were careful; what was permissible?

ovember 9, 1938: The Final Solution had begun with us in Germany — men into concentration camps, businesses looted, moneys confiscated. When it ended, 6 million Jews across Europe, murdered. Who could foretell any of this? We had no inkling. Certainly not I, as an 8-year-old mischievious boy who had, that evening, peeked into the huge synagogue (as big as Rodef Shalom) next door. Why not? It was my father’s, the rabbi’s, and I had done so many times before. We went to sleep, and fire engines awakened my little brother and me — delighted, till we saw that it was our synagogue burning as we were yanked from the window. In the room next door, my father the rabbi was being interrogated by the Gestapo. That had happened several times before about 4 a.m., always with searches for the supposed secret documents of the B’nai B’rith of which my father was district president. That evening when the Gestapo agents left, they took my father with them, along with several hundred Jewish men. They were trucked to Dachau, a concentration camp two hours away. In this dank, freezing winter night, they left — no coats, no goodbyes and their astonished families, wondering and no one to ask. After a month or six weeks, they were released one by one. For days, members of our community (Augsburg: population 300,000, 1,500 Jews) wondered whether we had been singled out or had this occurred elsewhere in Germany.

Who was watching, listening? Eventually, we learned that this had happened to every German Jewish community. Anti-Semitism had been nurtured for years and had led to this. How did our and other families cope in this period when women largely dealt with family and home while business and finances were the male domain? Decisions were shared, but rarely left entirely to the women, who were now utterly on their own. My mother was told that it was not safe to be alone in our apartment with two little boys and we moved into the home of the congregational president, which we boys thoroughly enjoyed. We were safe, but my mother was concerned with our future and immediately left for Stuttgart, the nearest American consulate, as our only hope was emigration as soon as possible. She spent two icy days standing in line, received a number and was told to wait till they contacted her — how long? — perhaps two or three years. My family had begun to plan for emigration to America in the summer of 1938; our American family had provided the necessary papers, which were endless. The families had remained in touch since their arrival in the 1870s. Not much practical work needed to be done — just downsizing our furniture to

fit into a small home that we might be able to afford; we boys would grow and there would be little money for new clothes, so we purchased two, three or four sizes too large. Tight government regulations, changing daily, limited what we could take, if we would be able to leave. My mother had to grapple with all this this while keeping two boys and their friends, whose school had been closed, occupied. Radio programs might have been helpful, but we had carefully avoided owning a radio to avoid the mandatory demand to listen to all Nazi speeches. My family, along with all others, yearned for news about our men. Were they healthy in this cold, wet winter? What was happening to Jews elsewhere in Germany? Could they help us? Each family had endless questions, but it was not even wise to ask. My family had an unusual additional source as we subscribed to the weekly New York Times (we had always read English and French) and through some bureaucratic error, it continued to arrive. Friendly non-Jews were careful; what was permissible? Who was watching, listening? The most courageous act I saw was a milkman who, on Nov. 10, pushed his way through a large crowd of gawkers

and delivered as always, despite the police waving him off. We children were given only information as absolutely necessary. Fortunately for my mother, 5– and 8-year-olds could be handled. She and everyone else knew or quickly learned that a single wrong remark could doom a family. What happened to our small family? After six weeks, my father, along with most other men, was released. Neither then nor later did he talk about this period. My parents worked hard to prepare for emigration as my parents understood that the mood might change without warning. Generously the British government, through the Chief Rabbi, provided temporary visas for several hundred rabbis and scholars, provided they did not work, and my father left for England. We children and my mother, eliminating all but three toys each, remained in Augsburg as we had no money in England and the small amount the German government permitted us to withdraw each week would see us through. When my mother in March of 1939 saw tanks on the roads leading to Czechoslovakia, she felt that war was imminent, phoned my father in London, told him we would arrive the next day and answered no questions. She gave our prepared dinners to friends and took our ever ready suitcases to the train for England. That began 10 months in London with our family that had arrived a few months earlier and now had enough family with them that we ate in shifts. There would be plenty of adventure till we resettled in the United States, but we were safe and ever, ever grateful. PJC Rabbi Walter Jacobs is Rodef Shalom’s rabbi emeritus and senior scholar.

The circles of grieving Guest Columnist Laura Fehl

n Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in memory of the one-year mark for the Tree of Life tragedy, I spent the day like many others — volunteering, studying Torah and ending the day with the commemoration service at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum. Standing in the midst of the almost 2,500 people in attendance, I suddenly felt this aloneness. I realized that I have struggled to find my place in the circles of grief, not really

knowing where I fit in. Yes, I went to services and community events at Tree of Life over the years with fellow CDS families and friends, attended bar and bat mitzvahs there as did many in our community. I knew most of the victims because that is the nature of the Squirrel Hill Jewish community. But there is one part I didn’t share with most. Most didn’t know that an organization I worked with at least a few times a week, NA’AMAT Pittsburgh Council, also shared space in the Tree of Life building. We spent many hours in that building and were there less than 24 hours before the massacre. It was by chance that we weren’t there the next morning when this hate-filled man took the lives of so many of our neighbors.

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During the year that followed, I never felt there was an appropriate time to share or couldn’t bring myself to share within the community at large what my connection was and how it affected me. I continued to try to divert my attention to those who were impacted the most — the three congregations, the victims, the survivors and their families. I pushed aside what was going on internally with me. Instead of trying to process my trauma and grief, I retreated, avoided conversations and held in much of what was going on inside of me to the point where it manifested itself in physical symptoms and illnesses. I became a ticking time bomb that to the few who knew me well, only waited for the next bomb to go off. It was after having one of those

Laura Fehl is a member of NA’AMAT Pittsburgh Council .

Letters to the editor via email: letters@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org Address & Fax: Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 5915 Beacon St., 5th Flr., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Fax 412-521-0154

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ticking-time-bomb moments while running into some friends after the commemoration service that I realized I wasn’t going to move forward unless I acknowledged how I was feeling. I was encouraged to write about my own reflections from my unique vantage point. My hope is that in sharing this, I can break my cycle of isolation and finally join the circle of grieving to begin my personal healing from this tragedy. By sharing this, I also hope that other community members with unusual connections to Tree of Life and the Tree of Life building can also break the cycle of isolation and ultimately feel less alone as well. PJC

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Headlines J Street: Continued from page 1

in the West Bank. “There are two laws--the Arms Export Control Act and the Leahy Law--that are pretty explicit about the purposes to which U.S. security equipment and assistance can and can’t be put by recipient countries,” Bernstein continued. “And that’s including Israel, but we’ve really never held them accountable for that. There have been other administrations that have conditioned aid, so it also isn’t the first time we are talking about this issue. And it was done by Democratic and Republican administrations.” Many recent actions of Israel and the Trump administration have been “threatening the possibility of a two-state solution,” Bernstein said. “If you want to negotiate with a partner, you don’t bring them to their knees.” The Trump administration’s moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, ending aid to the Palestinians, closing the Palestinian diplomatic office in Washington, and the Netanyahu administration’s “announcing plans to annex the settlements in the West Bank,” are all measures that impede movement toward a two-state solution, and “deepen the conflict,” she said. Bernstein further linked right wing politics in the U.S. to Netanyahu’s Israel, noting that J Street is critical of both.

Weiss: Continued from page 1

Pittsburgh. He asked what that Pittsburgh connection meant to her. The editor, who left the city for college, said that “being from Pittsburgh meant everything to me and I didn’t realize it until I left.” Weiss painted a portrait of her life in Squirrel Hill as going from Shabbat dinners filled with interesting conversation to services at Beth Shalom, from various events at Chabad followed by basketball at the Jewish Community Center. “It was only when I went to New York that I realized that was really, really exceptional.” Recalling the city’s response to Oct. 27, Weiss said, “There was a sense of community. The attack on the Jewish community in Pittsburgh was an attack on everyone. I think that’s a model for America and the world.” Part of that model, according to the author, involved finding the helpers in the tragic event. That idea was popularized by Pittsburgh television pioneer Mr. Rogers and holds special meaning for Weiss. “Everything embodied on that show is not just a lovely feeling but it became reality.” In her book, Weiss writes that her life was a “holiday from history.” Nordenberg followed up by asking what she meant by that phrase. In a somber explanation, Weiss said that the Tree of Life tragedy, the attack in Poway and the attempt by a white supremacist in Denver, Colorado earlier in the week to blow up a synagogue is a “return to the norm of Jewish history.” She continued saying that throughout history Jews have worried about security and 14 NOVEMBER 8, 2019

“We can’t be more opposed to what the right is doing here in the U.S. and what Netanyahu is doing in Israel,” she said, noting that J Street has become a “powerful voice for Jews”—and that politicians are listening to that voice. “They know we are loyal to progressive and democratic values and not to Trump and Bibi and those values are being threatened here and in Israel,” Bernstein said. In fact, 10 Democrats running for president delivered remarks to the J Street conference. Of those, four were opposed to the leveraging aid to Israel idea: Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Michael Bennet of Colorado, and former Housing Secretary Julian Castro. Three backed it, to varying degrees of specificity: Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, as well as Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana. Three avoided any comment: Former congressman Beto O’Rourke, self-help writer Marianne Williamson and entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who were among five candidates who submitted video messages and were not subjected to the live grilling carried out by Obama administration alumni Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes. Only Biden, forcefully (and unsolicited, in his video) stood up for aid unequivocally. Bernstein is confident that J Street is “impacting the conversation in the community and among the politicians about the

of displaying visible signs of their Judaism. “I never thought about those things when I was growing up. That in itself is an unbelievable departure that said something unique about what America could be at its very best.” A large portion of the conversation between the two was spent discussing Weiss’ distinction between anti-Jewish prejudice and anti-Semitism as well as the various types of anti-Semitism expressed by the far right, the far left and radical Islam. As Weiss explained it, anti-Jewish prejudice doesn’t currently threaten the lives of Jews. It is, she said, “morally disgusting” but doesn’t fundamentally seek the erasure of the Jewish people. She contrasted that with anti-Semitism, labeling it the “oldest conspiracy theory” using several tropes employed by white supremacists to illustrate her point. The author didn’t shy away from discussing what some progressives view as her most controversial point, that the far left exhibits anti-Semitic behavior which can be found, among other places, on college campuses. She explained her position by saying that the “far left is more insidious” than the far right and uses the language of “all good progressives: social justice, anti-hate, etc.” The goals of the far left, according to Weiss, are “Jewish zombies, living in Jewish bodies” that disavow their “Jewish soul.” As an example, she pointed to Britain’s Labour Party, which disavows Zionism and any form of Jewish power. She concluded her description by saying the far left doesn’t seek “dead Jews,” only Jews who are more marginalized and assimilated. This belief has caused the group IfNotNow Pittsburgh to publicly criticize the author.

relationship between Israel and the U.S.,” she said. “J Street has in its policies that Israel should maintain its military edge in the region but I think our support shouldn’t be a blank check. Right now we are in a fight to secure what we feel is Israel’s future as a democratic homeland to the Jewish people, and right now, our government is aligned with Israel’s openly hostile attitude toward a two-state solution.” On Sunday night, Oct. 27, Bernstein took the conference podium to deliver an in memoriam to the 11 Jews murdered at the Tree of Life building last year. Rabbi John Rosove, head of J Street’s rabbinic cabinet sang “El Maleh Rahamim,” then all 4000 attendees together recited Kaddish. “Many people in the audience told me that they were very happy that we did it and that they were very moved by it,” Bernstein said. The conference also included several sessions on anti-Semitism and white supremacy as well as anti-Semitism on the far left. “I think the take-away is the threat on the left is not proportionate to that on the right,” Bernstein said. “The ADL research shows that 100 percent of the anti-Semitic violence has been perpetrated by right-wing extremists. But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stand up to anti-Semitism on the left, like we do to racism or any other -ism in our culture. This is part of our culture and we have to address it, but the answer was to educate people about the history of anti-Semitism

to overcome these attitudes so we can work together, not to become more estranged.” Conference speakers included Bashar Azzeh, a member of the PLO Palestine National Council & Central Council, and IfNotNow founder Emily Meyer. IfNotNow, a progressive Jewish activist group that targets Jewish institutions it sees as enabling Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians—in 2018, it led a campaign of walkouts of Birthright Israel trips—recently announced that it is expanding its mission beyond the Jewish community and will now officially lobby Democratic candidates in the 2020 elections to speak out against the “occupation.” Having speakers from IfNotNow and the PLO at its conference is not a signal that J Street is moving further left, said Bernstein, but does indicate that “we are not afraid of hearing those perspectives. I don’t really understand what the danger is of listening to different perspectives, short of a Kahanist, a violent person. If somebody has an idea that not everyone supports, it still might be important to hear what they have to say. Frankly, IfNotNow is a pretty big movement in the United States among young Jews. I think it would be stupid to ignore them. We don’t have to agree with everything they do or think, but why would we want to ignore them?” PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchroncile.org

p University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg speaks with Bari Weiss. Photo by Jim Busis

The progressive organization wrote an op-ed, published in the Pittsburgh City Paper the same day as Weiss’ appearance. In it the group questioned casting far-left Jewish movements in the “role of white supremacists” who are equally “to blame, if not more, as the far right for the spread of anti-Semitism.” Weiss didn’t respond publicly to the op-ed. However, in a question from the audience about whether there have been protests at her speaking engagements the author joked, “Not yet. I’m waiting. I was sort of hoping there would be some here tonight.” The idea of solidarity concluded the conversation. Weiss recalled watching a video of the memorial service at Soldiers and

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Sailors Hall & Museum after the massacre and what it meant to see local leaders embrace the Jewish community. “I was so moved by seeing the Mourner’s Kaddish at Soldiers and Sailors with all of the leaders on stage, there were like 30 or 40 religious leaders onstage. It was our prayer, in our language. It allowed us to be our full self, which allows other communities to be their full self as well.” If you were unable to attend the talk and would like to see the conversation in full, C-SPAN recorded the event and plans to air it in the future. PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Teens: Continued from page 3

response will be. Will it be helpful to the child? Will they feel like they need to protect you? Will it make it more likely that they’ll share information with you or less likely?” As for dealing with trauma’s impact on children, parent-child communication is essential, said Zalsman, especially if cutting or other dangerous behavior is evident. “Once you see a sign of self-harm, stop everything,” he said. “Don’t go to work. Sit down and force them to talk. They must tell you what’s going on. That’s your responsibility.” Parents shouldn’t be afraid of asking their

deRoy: Continued from page 4

two ended up working a lot together. It’s important, deRoy, said, to have that sort of graciousness in wanting to see others succeed. It is also imperative to perform as much as possible, even if the projects are not as glamorous as being in a Broadway show. She advised the students to be open to taking non-equity tours, or doing a “cabaret act just to be seen.” “You get your feet wet that way,” she said.

Masloff: Continued from page 5

the Jewish community. “But she really didn’t care,” Burstin continued. “She was beloved by all manner of people in this town, and it was proven. She’d go out on the street and people would yell, ‘Hi, Sophie.’ She was just a beloved, popular mayor, but among the business elites and even the so-called

Simnegar: Continued from page 6

and topped with gureh (sour grapes); and javaher polo (jeweled rice), aromatic basmati rice crowned with currants and pistachios. Dessert was Persian roulade, literally a rolled cake, brushed with rose water, filled with whipping cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup and topped with powdered sugar and strawberries. She also explained the significance of each dish, such as how rice is considered a “canvas” in Persian cooking. She alluded to her relatives cooking with eggplant frequently; at the time, she did not realize that it was a holdover from Sephardic Jewish cooking in Spain. As she was demonstrating the right way to shred beets, cut onions and roll a cake, Simnegar passed along helpful kitchen tips: • Hungry? Take a whiff of cinnamon and

children directly about suicide, said Zalsman. One can ask about other matters first, but over the course of the conversation, “don’t be afraid to go to the painful point and ask directly, ‘Do you think of hurting yourself? Have you ever hurt yourself in any way?’ And if the answer is yes, go on and say, ‘Do you think of ending your life?’ And if yes, ‘Do you have a plan?’” It’s key that parents remove “the means of suicide,” said Zalsman. “Every Jewish family has a little pharmacy at home. Throw it away. Even things you think are safe, like Tylenol, are not safe for kids, and can kill them. Take it away.” For parents who believe their child is suicidal or “or even if you are not sure, take them to a mental health professional or go to

the emergency room, go to your pediatrician, don’t mess around with that,” said Cohen. “You don’t want to regret not doing it. It’s better to do more than less in that situation.” Before and after the discussion and Q&A, attendees were able to speak with representatives from local agencies or get printed resources at tables. The free event was co-sponsored by Jewish Family & Community Services; 10.27 Healing Partnership; Community Day School; Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh; Yeshiva Schools; The Friendship Circle and The Second Floor at the JCC. The evening was about “educating parents about signs and symptoms,” said Stefanie Small, of JFCS. “Without education, people are left to flounder on their own.”

“The most important thing is to be seen. You’re not going to be discovered at home.” Those seeking a career in theater also should make it a point to attend lots of shows, she said, and she offered advice on how to do that on a budget. She reminisced about “second acting” shows, and shared tips on other ways to see theater “not at top price.” Hitting the off-Broadway theaters is a great way to do that, she pointed out, as those shows often end up as big hits on Broadway, including Tony-winners “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Avenue Q.” deRoy has kept up with many of the folks with whom she attended CMU; she suggested

the students make it a point to do the same. “A lot of people who come out of this college are making a positive influence in the world through theater,” she noted. In fact, five CMU alumni were nominated for Tonys last year, including deRoy, who chalked up six nominations. Although she has enjoyed great success as a Broadway producer, she emphasized that she chooses the shows she supports based on their artistic merit, not their likelihood of financial success. “I go with what I’m passionate about, not what’s going to make the most money,” deRoy said, noting that although not

all shows that end up on Broadway are successful from a financial perspective, they may still deserve to be there. “The rate of success on Broadway leans toward failures,” she acknowledged. “Breaking even is a win on Broadway. If you’re not happy breaking even, don’t invest in the theater.” After five decades in the theater, deRoy has no regrets in making it her life’s work. “It’s wonderful to be in the theater,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” PJC

Jewish elites, she was not given that kind of recognition.” Masloff ’s life, Burstin said, is a “tremendously fascinating human interest story.” “She certainly didn’t go from rags to riches — this was not lucrative, she literally went from paycheck to paycheck,” Burstin explained. “She never had extra cushions, and her husband was not really a wageearner for much of his life, so Sophie was the breadwinner, and on a city salary. She never

took extra money for any of the commercials she did, she gave to charity. She really was not mayor for any kind of self-aggrandizement, that’s for sure, and frankly she was a leader with traits of honesty, integrity, and caring for people which we certainly look to and appreciate in this day and age.” Masloff ’s rise, according to Burstin, “was certainly uncharted, unexpected. It wasn’t anything she plotted or planned. She was at the right place at the right time, but she got

herself there. She earned that.” Burstin, who has held recent speaking engagements about “Sophie, the Incomparable Mayor, Masloff,” allows time for her audiences to share their own “Sophie stories,” she said. “She was a character.” PJC

the hunger pangs will pass. • When caramelizing onions, add turmeric for a deep golden color. • Add powdered sugar to thicken whipping cream. All attendees not only partook of a sumptuous three course meal but took home a signed copy of Simnegar’s colorful cookbook, filled with 350 pages of Persian Jewish recipes, the titles of which are translated into Farsi. Examples of other recipes represented in the book include Moroccan tomato and roasted pepper dip (matbucha); Persian ground beef kebab (kebab’e kubide); Persian potato latkes (kookoo sibzamini); chickpea cookies (kuluche nochkotchi); and Turkish coffee (kahveh). Because of the importance of rice in many dishes, the cookbook also features a Persian rice tutorial as well as other tutorials; pages lovingly devoted to saffron (the golden threads of Persian cuisine); and descriptions of the spices, seeds and other ingredients

that characterize Persian cooking. Gorgeous photography captures the mouthwatering recipes, and photos of the author and her family are interspersed throughout the book. After having traveled extensively since her cookbook was first published almost a decade ago, Simnegar said that her trip to Pittsburgh will likely be her last cooking demonstration, as it takes time away from her family. But it was important to her that Pittsburgh be her final stop, particularly as her hometown also experienced a tragedy during the Boston Marathon in 2013. “The [Pittsburgh] community is very special,” she said. “I wanted to talk about the story of my family in a place where there was also a tragedy. It was extremely difficult for Bostonians; you feel alone and lost. We had that in common with Pittsburgh. I felt like it was like serendipitous, that Pittsburgh would be my last show.” The cooking demonstration was the

Jewish Sisterhood’s second annual kickoff event. A nonprofit organization, the Jewish Sisterhood was founded in 2016 by Shternie Rosenfeld to tend to the needs of the greater Pittsburgh Jewish community in the areas of education and special programming geared toward women. Other events have included family Shabbat dinners, self-development courses and the latest addition, “Journey with Shternie,” a weekly video blog with short Kabbalistic thoughts on the Torah portion. “This is our second year bringing out a cookbook author to delight and engage us with their delicacies and also their fascinating life story. We love meeting other Jewish women who are strong, influential, beautiful, courageous and who are making a difference. That is what our sisterhood is all about,” said Rosenfeld. PJC

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“Creating a community-wide conversation around mental health and reducing stigma is always helpful,” said Rabbi Mordy Rudolph, of Pittsburgh’s Friendship Circle. Ann Giazzoni, a North Hills resident and licensed clinical social worker who attended the event was impressed by the panelists — “superpowers in research,” she said. “To get them all on one stage and watch them talk to each other was amazing.” “These are the best in their field,” echoed Heidi Leibovich, a Squirrel Hill resident and licensed clinical social worker. “As a therapist, it was very helpful to hear them.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

The book is available at sophiemasloff.com. Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Hilary Daninhirsch is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh. NOVEMBER 8, 2019 15

Life & Culture A murder mystery that speaks yinzer — THEATER — By Adam Reinherz I Staff Writer

he dress code doesn’t require black and gold, but Alec Silberblatt might appreciate it if you arrived sporting those colors. Silberblatt, a New York City native who grew up in Forest Hills, was bar mitzvahed at Temple Sinai and graduated from Winchester Thurston School, is bringing his darkly comedic monologue, “The Mon Valley Medium,” to the Carnegie Stage on Nov. 8 and 9. The 70-minute murder mystery concerns the story of an abducted and murdered girl, a character’s reliance on a local medium and what to do with knowledge acquired. “I can’t say enough, it is funny,” said Silberblatt, who plays Mack, “a drinking buddy — he might be the guy who comes over with your uncle who might be a bit too loud but it’s fun to hear his perspectives on the world.” Apart from learning from “a lot of little tangents” that Mack goes on, there’s a value in how they’re shared, explained Silberblatt. In deference to the setting and character, Mack speaks yinzer. Silberblatt employed the pronunciations in “The Mon Valley Medium” for obvious reasons, but he’s also relied on them for

 Alec Silberblatt, as Mack, in “The Mon Valley Medium”

Photo courtesy of Alec Silberblatt

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larger goals. The one-time Applachian dialect that’s come to embody elements of Pittsburgh’s culture has aided his process. Four years ago, about three years after arriving in New York, Silberblatt began writing plays set in the Steel City with characters that spoke the beloved dialect. “That’s really what solidified what my voice is,” he said. Around the time Silberblatt was refining his niche, the 2016 election transpired. There was a trend where plays were becoming more political, after “the big DT was elected,” he said. “I had an idea the summer after the election to talk about a con man, or find a way to tell a story about someone who was lying to people who were willing participants in that lie because

that’s how I saw the election and what has followed.” Silberblatt was intrigued by what he described as people’s complicity and began to write. He initially drafted the material as a short film, then rewrote it as a feature film. “It didn’t work until I wrote it as a long first person monologue,” he said. There was this need to investigate “why people believe what they believe, why they believe it so heartily and why they act on it in ways others find deplorable or reprehensible or morally ambiguous.” “The Mon Valley Medium” was performed twice in New York, but being able to bring it back to Pittsburgh is special, he explained. “I grew up in Forest Hills. I went to school in Shadyside and spent a lot of time in Squirrel Hill and Shadyside and downtown.” Apart from attending college in Ohio and now living in New York, “my professional career really started in Pittsburgh.” After receiving his “first shot” at PICT (formerly Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre), Silberblatt worked with regional companies and venues, including Quantum Theatre and Carnegie Stage, and continued the relationships throughout his seven years in New York. “I feel very much a part of [Pittsburgh’s] artistic community and especially the Please see Silberblatt, page 20

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PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

NOVEMBER 8, 2019 17

Celebrations

Torah

B’nei Mitzvah

Wealth inequality and spiritual currency

Alexia Hailey Glancey, daughter of Amy (Goldberg) Glancey and Steven Glancey and sister of Tyler will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Congregation Sha’are Shalom in Leesburg, Virginia. Alexia is the granddaughter of Zandra and Arthur Goldberg, Kathleen Scully of Media, Pennsylvaniaand Tom Glancey of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Alexia excels academically at Smarts Mill Middle School where she performs in the school plays. She has been recognized by the Virginia General Assembly for charitable initiatives in Loudon County where she resides.

Alexander Rowe, son of Sandee Connors-Rowe and Patrick Rowe of Ben Avon, will become a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, Nov. 9 at Temple Emanuel of South Hills. Alex is the older brother of Liam and is the grandson of Charles and Charlene Rowe of Germantown, Maryland and David & Shirley Connors of Plymouth, Michigan. Joshua Andrew Correnti, son of Lisa and Rip Correnti became a Bar Mitzvah at Adat Shalom during Shabbat morning services on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019. Grandparents are Ellen and Sheldon Schwartz, Carol and Richard Correnti.

Engagement Valerie Kramer and Tom Brooks and Larry and Annie Weidman, of Squirrel Hill, are thrilled to announce the engagement of their son Aaron Weidman to Jennifer Judge, daughter of Bev and Marty Judge of Rochester, New York. Aaron’s Pittsburghbased grandparents are Madeline and the late Fred Kramer. Aaron earned a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of British Columbia and now works for Highmark. Jen earned a Ph.D. in toxicology from the University of Rochester and now works for Cook MyoSite, a company developing cell therapy products. The couple is planning a wedding in May of 2020 and intends to make Pittsburgh their home. PJC

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Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz Parshat Lech Lecha Genesis 12:1-17:27

“Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. So that the land could not support them staying together; for their possessions were so great that they could not remain together.” — Genesis 13: 5-6

n Parshat Lech Lecha we are presented with a wide array of emotions, ranging from tragedy to triumph. From a macro-perspective, Lech Lecha is a recording of change and growth where we see Abram receive his true name of Abraham and thus the fulfillment of the first portion of his holy mission’s actualization. We read about war and degradation, but we also encounter the first moment of circumcision, and thus, the recording of a deep covenant between God and creation. We also see moments concerned with humanly needs, including the excerpt posted above, which discusses the wealth divided between Abraham and his nephew, Lot. In this passage, we see issues of class and inequality in the land of Israel. Millennia before politicians placed explored the problems of wealth, the Torah laid down approaches to understanding the need for a balanced view of excessive wealth. The rabbis picked up on this biblical observation. One midrash explains that a problem is that people in poverty can’t live together because extreme poverty can lead to violence. However, those who use their wealth as an excuse to influence society in a way that leads to the regressive treatment of the poor are also in violation of Judaism’s commitment to fairness, making extreme wealth just as dangerous. Indeed, part of creating a safe society is addressing the root problems of poverty. Opulence often grows a sense of entitlement, which leads to corruption, which leads to

exploitation of those without access to the same resources. Consider how Egypt’s prosperity factored into the devaluing of the Israelites or how America’s growth to a superpower was largely dependent on slave labor. Being charitable, to remove guilt, does not erase one’s oppression that enabled that charity. Those who view people with less as transactional objects lose their values to a life of lavishness. On the other hand, Judaism does not condemn wealth. But the responsible approach requires us to think together about our moral obligations to ensure wealth adds dignity rather than destroys spirits. Deuteronomy 15 reminds us that there will always be poor people, and we must never desist from supporting them. In the case of Lot and Abr(ah)am, one might argue that “the land could not support them” precisely because “their possessions were so great” and that this is not a space issue, but a relationship issue. The family can no longer remain a family due to greed and jealousy. It was their relationship to wealth that made it impossible for them to dwell together. Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch suggests that there really was enough land for the two of them, but Lot’s desire for more led him to leave Abraham. Today, there are enough resources to support every human and every animal, yet rampant exploitation and greed leads to global conflicts. Based on this passage, and many sprinkled throughout our tradition, Judaism condemns a society that tolerates extreme poverty. Rather than retreat into moral callousness by citing “the markets,” or “the job creators” as vehicles of inevitable progress, our Torah portion asks us to rise above the myopia of the next payday. Like Abraham, we can leave behind the idol worship of possessions and instead seek spiritual currency by helping others and advocating for the less fortunate. PJC Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the president and dean of Valley Beit Midrash and the author of 17 books on Jewish ethics.

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18 NOVEMBER 8, 2019

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

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Obituaries COHEN: Marian Chaban Cohen, on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019. Beloved daughter of the late Samuel and Lee Chaban and adored wife of the late Herbert S. Cohen. Loving mother of Rick Cohen, Cathy Cohen Weitz and the late Saul Weitz and James and Randi Cohen. Sister of the late Florence Chaban. Grandmother of David Weitz and Cassidy Miller, Andrew Weitz, Julie Cohen and Cory Oppenheimer and Wendy Cohen. Great grandmother of Henry Weitz and Nora Oppenheimer. Also lovingly survived by Ann Adler, cousins, nieces, nephews and many wonderful friends. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Marian’s doctors at UPMC Shadyside and the staff at the JAA Sivitz Hospice. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. Contributions may be made to JAA Sivitz Hospice, 200 JHF Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, Jewish Family and Community Services, 5743 Bartlett Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or the charity of your choice. schugar.com KORDISH: On Oct. 31, 2019 Herb Kordish, formerly of San Diego, CA, passed away at the age of 84. Beloved son of the late Irving and Sara Kordish and the late David Stuart; beloved brother of Beverly Lebovitz (the late Allen Lebovitz); loving uncle to Jeff (Robin) Lebovitz, and Dr. Paul Lebovitz

(Mark Caldone); proud great-uncle to Sean Lebovitz. Also survived by lifelong friends in San Diego, CA and Pittsburgh, PA. He served in the Korean War and graduated from California State College with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He will be missed more than words can say. According to his wishes there will be no service and his remains were donated to science. The family would like to thank the staff at Charles Morris Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, the Allegheny Health Network Hospice team, especially Sandy Heinz and Dr. Lyn Weinberg, for the care, love, and compassion they bestowed upon him. Contributions may be made to the Charles M. Morris Nursing Rehabilitation Center, 200 JHF Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. LASDAY: Joan Seiner Lasday, age 87, of Delray Beach, passed away on Oct. 13, 2019. Beloved wife of the late Lawrence William Lasday, loving mother of Alan (Maria) Lasday, Jack (Lucy) Lasday, and Beth Polevoi (Mike Rodell); Dear sister of Miriam Ginsberg and Elinor Secher; Cherished grandmother of Michael Lasday, Erin (Taylor) Stout, Jason (Meghann) Polevoi, Sami (Matthew) Lerner, Bryan Lasday, Jeremy Greenberg, Corey Polevoi, Gabi Greenberg, and Ali Lasday; Adored great-grandmother of Kellen, Coraline, and Judah. Contributions may be made to the Congregation Beth Shalom Joan Lasday Jewish Education Fund. NEWMAN: Arlene Newman of Bethel

Park, PA passed away peacefully on Oct. 30, 2019 surrounded in the final days by her loving family. Arlene was preceded in death by her parents, Pearl and Buddy Soltz and her devoted husband, Sandy Newman. She is survived by her four loving children, Barbara Newman, Eddie Newman (Debbie), Roger Newman (Joyce), and Doug Newman (Shelly). She was the proud “Boby” to Melissa Siebert, Tiffany Joyce (Michael), Jessica Gusmar (David), Stephanie Newman, Cory Newman

(Ashley), Carlie Newman, Zac Newman (Brittany), Michael Newman, Nicolete Newman, Anthony Newman, and brother David Soltz of Edgewater, Florida. She was also blessed with seven great-grandchildren. Arlene in her words, wanted them all to know that “I loved my family more than they could ever know and was unbelievably proud of all of my children and grandchildren.” Words cannot describe how much she will be missed. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Homestead Hebrew Cemetery. No flowers please. In lieu of flowers, we recommend a donation in Arlene’s name to a charity of your choosing. PJC

Trial for accused Pittsburgh synagogue murderer won’t begin until after Jewish holidays

trial date for the accused shooter at the Tree of Life building last year will not be set until all pretrial motions are resolved, said U.S. District Judge Donetta Ambrose at a status conference last week. The Justice Department, which is seeking the death penalty, had requested a trial date be set for September next year. The defense objected to that date. Objections to that date were also conveyed by congregations New Light and Dor Hadash in a letter to the judge. The proposed date would have come just days before the High Holidays. Despite the assistant U.S. attorney’s argument that the government’s request for a

date in September 2020 was an effort to avoid unreasonable delays for the victims’ families — and that jury selection would, in fact, delay the commencement of witness testimonies, thereby avoiding conflict with the Jewish holidays — Ambrose said the trial would not begin until all pretrial issues had been resolved and the holidays were over. The defense has until mid-December to file all motions, including constitutional challenges to the death penalty, and the prosecution will have another month to respond to those motions. PJC — Toby Tabachnick