Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 12-13-19 by Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

December 13, 2019 | 15 Kislev 5780

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Purr-fect volunteer opportunity

Locals find meaning in giving back by fostering animals.

Candlelighting 4:36 p.m. | Havdalah 5:39 p.m. | Vol. 62, No. 50 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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Three residents celebrate Foundation half a decade at Goldberg House mission connects with Jewish community down under By David Rullo l Staff Writer

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well-maintained home, and the prospect of greater communal integration. There was only one catch. Eligible residents required a consolidated waiver. “It’s kind of the golden ticket,” said Alison Karabin, a licensed social worker who serves as project manager of JRS’ families in transition program. Pennsylvania’s Medical Assistance program offers various waivers for eligible individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or autism. However, each waiver provides limits for services provided, according to Disability Rights Pennsylvania, an independent nonprofit protection and advocacy agency. Whereas the person/family directed support waiver provides non-residential services and caps individual expenditures at $33,000 per year, the consolidated waiver provides residential and non-residential services without set cost restrictions. “If you’re someone that needs 24/7 support and supervision, you’re really limited in what you can do,” said Karabin. A consolidated waiver “is not a blank check,

re kangaroos kosher? The 33 members of the Pittsburgh Jewish community who were part of the Jewish Community Foundation’s first mission to Australia might be able to answer that question for you. The mission — Foundation Down Under — visited sites in Melbourne, Sydney and New Zealand, according to Sharon Perelman, director of planned giving and associate foundation director. Lori Shure chaired the mission with her husband Bob. She believes the trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity, not only to visit Australia but to see Jewish Australia through the eyes of Foundation Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff, who grew up in the country. Unlike other mission locations visited through the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, Australia doesn’t have beneficiary agencies receiving Federation funds. That meant participants wouldn’t be doing what other mission-goers have done in the past — seeing the success of programs supported by Federation. Instead, they would be touring a country with a different type of Jewish community. “I was volunteering at Federation helping to plan missions,” Shure recalled. “We were trying to decide what kind of trips Federation should be involved in because they aren’t a travel agency. I questioned if this trip fit. But the opportunity to travel with Rabbi Schiff and see Australia through a Jewish lens meant that it was so unique and compelling, as was seeing a different kind of Jewish community. Given that, I knew it made sense.”

Please see Goldberg, page 14

Please see Australia, page 14

LOCAL Grappling with prejudice

 Max Steinberg, left, Jason Baker and Kevin Ginsburg Mt. Lebanon High hosts frank panel ‘Hate Has No Home Here.’ By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

Page 4 LOCAL 20 sweet years

NuGo’s David Levine reflects on two decades of healthy food. Page 21

ive years ago, three strangers moved into a one-story home on Shady Avenue in Squirrel Hill. Located across the street from the Children’s Institute, the residence was centrally located for neighborhood walks or easy access to shopping in Squirrel Hill’s business district. Though the house wasn’t far from the inhabitants’ previous residences, relocation was a leap for each of the young men, as Jason Baker, Kevin Ginsburg and Max Steinberg had never lived away from their families. Moving represented an unknown, but the opportunity for a Community Living Arrangement (CLA), a first in the area, sparked interest. Months earlier, through public discussions, representatives of Jewish Residential Services shared information on the CLA and its prospect of providing a permanent living space with 24-hour care where Shabbat and Jewish holidays would be celebrated. JRS staff promised prospective families the Solomon and Sarah Goldberg House would enable three individuals with intellectual disabilities a chance to enjoy a safe,

Photo courtesy of JFCS

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Headlines Fostering pets heals shelter woes, broken hearts — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

wo summers ago, Rabbi Keren Gorban moved into a brick home on a quiet street in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood. During the closing, the seller had placed keys in Gorban’s palms and commented on a matter unlisted in any prior disclosure statement. “She said, ‘And, there’s some really cute kittens in the backyard,’” recalled Gorban. Gorban, an ailurophile with two cats of her own, was surprised by the admission and began investigating. There were indeed kittens in the backyard, so Gorban sought advice from friends and prepared to address her newly acquired neighbors. Given the number of felines, Gorban thought, “they’re clearly coming from somewhere, which means that there are unaltered cats in the neighborhood, and if you leave them there will be more cats,” she said. “I was like, ‘My neighborhood, my backyard, is not going to turn into a cat colony.’” Gorban acquired humane traps, similar to those used by animal control, set the cages and waited. Apart from several racoons and a robin, Gorban caught 12 kittens and three adult cats. She freed the racoons and robin, then took the 15 moggies to two local nonprofits: Humane Animal Rescue and Animal Friends. Gorban worked with the latter fostering three kittens for about a month. Fostering is different for each person, with much of it determined by the pet itself, explained Emily Zadjura, executive director of the Foster Farm, a Pittsburghbased organization. The process can last anywhere from two

p These kittens are part of Humane Animal Rescue’s Foster Program.

weeks to a year, depending on the pet’s age, health and behavior, she said. “I think a lot of it is how willing are you to commit yourself to this.” When someone agrees to foster underage kittens that can’t eat on their own, the

Photo courtesy of Humane Animal Rescue

foster will need to bottle-feed them every two hours. Other cats require socialization while some simply need to be removed from a shelter due to illness, like an upper respiratory infection, said Melissa Smith of Humane Animal Rescue. When it comes to

dogs under the age of 8 weeks, they’re placed in a foster home if they have kennel cough or require a less stressful environment. Humane Animal Rescue works with Please see Foster, page 3

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Headlines Foster: Continued from page 2

360 foster homes, all within an hour of the Steel City, to place between 1,500 and 2,000 animals a year, said Alexis Simonow, the organization’s foster program manager. Amy Schulman, of Mt. Lebanon, gets a daily email from Humane Animal Rescue. Schulman was introduced to the world of animal fostering after experiencing the wonder of Hollywood, her cat.

VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR: ADDENDUM “He was fostered prior to our adoption, and we just thought that getting involved in the foster program would be a really great way for us to give back,” she said. Schulman fosters between one and three kittens at a time, provides them with food, litter, a clean space to play and ample socialization, all in the hopes of preparing the cats for adoption. Apart from the “joyful” experience of having “little kittens around,” fostering is a Please see Foster, page 15

In last week’s issue, we published the Chronicle’s second annual edition of Volunteers of the Year. We inadvertently omitted the volunteer from the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and published an incorrect photo for the volunteer from Hadassah Greater Pittsburgh. We present both here, and regret these errors.

JCC of Greater Pittsburgh

Hadassah Greater Pittsburgh

For Margie Ruttenberg, the JCC is a “family thing.” Her mom Ilene taught preschool for 35+ years; her brother Jimmy served as board chair. Following a television news career in Washington D.C. she returned to Pittsburgh. As an active volunteer with the JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness, she helped to strategize and position the JCC to get “the public exposure that its work so deserved.” Margie set up a partnership with ABC News affiliate WTAE, which helped the JCC “reach beyond its walls to the larger community so people can not only be inspired but get involved in what we’re doing.”

Family House is an important Hadassah Mitzvah. Amy Shugerman Glasser has been the coordinator for the past 7 years. She never realized how this project could change her life and the lives of others that Hadassah cooks for. “To see how the Family House guests and staff are so appreciative and touched by the generosity of our caring Hadassah members, friends and family is rewarding,” said Amy. This project shows the part of Hadassah that she is so proud of and goes along with its logo, “The power of women who do.” Amy says she is blessed with the best team leaders and volunteers who keep giving of themselves to help others. Hadassah is honored to have Amy chairing this meaningful project. PJC

h THE BEST OF THE IN YOUR EMAIL INBOX ONCE A WEEK. Sign up on the right hand side of our homepage. p A volunteer enjoys snuggling with a kitten.

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Headlines Dialogue on hate and prejudice held at Mt. Lebanon High — LOCAL — By Justin Vellucci | Contributing writer

outh Hills educators culminated a year of dialogue on hate and prejudice Dec. 7 by hosting a panel discussion, “Hate Has No Home Here,” before a packed house at Mt. Lebanon High School’s Fine Arts Theater. The nearly three-hour session, which closed with a standing ovation, featured a social-issues advocate, a hip-hop artist, a journalist and the former head of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh. The October 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life building jump-started dialogue and several community events last year — and was referred to throughout discussion of anti-Semitism Saturday. But the conversation this weekend tackled everything from the white supremacist patriarchy, police violence against African Americans and LGBT rights to a Mt. Lebanon “Colonial Day,” Islamophobia and the neuroscientific roots of prejudice. Zack Block, executive director of the Pittsburgh chapter of Jewish nonprofit Repair the World, mediated the conversation. Jewish multimedia artist and Repair the World staffer Julie Mallis brought the issue of bias right into the event’s backyard, unreeling the history of “redlining” — or blocking Jews

p Panelists

Photo by Justin Vellucci

and people of color from buying homes — in Mt. Lebanon. “This history of hate is super-present here — that’s not comfortable and that’s not something to be proud of,” said Mallis. “We can commit to changing that narrative.” Tereneh Idia, an African American designer and writer, kept things broader, repeatedly assaulting concepts of white supremacy. “I think that hate is not strong enough a word,” Idia said. “When we talk about the white supremacist patriarchy, we talk about hate. When we name it, we can [see how] it absorbs and re-tells world history in its own image.” “It makes ‘white’ the default,” she added. “We want to reflect the multiculturalism of the world. There’s no default human being.” Wasi Mohamed, the former Islamic Center of Pittsburgh executive director now working with Forward Cities, and rapper Jasiri X tackled different angles. “People who have met Muslims are way

less likely to hate us — that makes me feel good about this country,” said Mohamed, who became known to many in Pittsburgh’s Jewish community when he helped facilitate donations of approximately $250,000 to Tree of Life. “We are taught we are born pure … It’s not the seed, it’s the soil. If it’s the soil, it’s important for us to start focusing on that.” He said it’s also important to focus on these issues outside of election cycles. “We are being divided and being taught to hate each other … for the benefit of 1% of the population,” Mohamed said. Jasiri X started his 15-minute session by showing a harrowing video about police violence, then rapping. “Antwon Rose, he’s got a name, too,” he rapped at one point, calling out, among other shooting victims, the black teenager killed by a white police officer in East Pittsburgh. “I pray to God that we never gotta name you.” “We have a responsibility, we have to acknowledge: This is wrong, this is a structurally racist place, whether you’re talking about Mt. Lebanon, whether you’re talking about Pittsburgh, whether you’re talking about America,” Jasiri X said. “These are four people who are teachers to me,” mediator Block responded. “I am glad we can receive these lessons. There’s a call to action at the end of the story.” During a robust question-and-answer session, the holding of a “Colonial Day”

in Mt. Lebanon schools drew fire from the panel and occasional shouted interjections from audience members. “That’s f-ed up,” Block spat. “If you want to have Colonial Day, tell the whole story,” Jasiri X said. “We murdered [indigenous] people, we killed these people — tell the whole story!” “Kids are never too young to be taught reality and truth,” Mallis added. Mt. Lebanon social studies teacher Julianne Slogick, who helped organize the event with Mt. Lebanon Public Library, said the community conversation was an attempt to be inclusive and spark more dialogue. “I think, for many, this is seen as a jumping-off point into something additional for our students and the community,” she said. Mt. Lebanon residents Alan and Betsy Hohlfelder came out Saturday due to their interests in social issues and activism. “I think the tone of the country in the last three or four years has been terrible — the divisiveness, people not being able to talk to each other, to be civil,” Betsy Hohlfelder said. “I think we all have to do something about that.” At the end of the evening, she was glowing. “That was amazing,” she said, smiling. “So much to think about — I’m glad I came.” PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

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Margie Ruttenberg with Daniel Tabares, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, when he was presented with the first JCC Loving Kindness award. Margie met Danny when he participated in the JCC’s “From Parkland to Pittsburgh, Stronger Together” gathering in April, for which Margie helped set up a live town hall and hour-long special prime time broadcast on WTAE “for people outside of the local community to see the kind of work we’re doing.”

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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 FRIDAY, DEC. 13 Serve as a volunteer tax preparer for this 2020 tax season. The United Way presents a free tax preparation information session lunch at 12 p.m. at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, 2000 Technology Drive. CPE, CLE, and CE credits are available for CPAs, tax attorneys and registered agents/ paid preparers. For more information, visit jewishpgh.org/event/tax-prep-info-lunch. q SATURDAY, DEC. 14 The Alumni Theater Company Teen Ensemble and teens from the Jewish Community Center present “Wears Your Mask?” Seven young women create original pieces that address perceptions of ethnicity and the quest to define personal identity and explore their cultures and experiences as black and Jewish teens. This production is appropriate for ages 15+. Children under 4 will not be admitted. 6601 Hamilton Ave., 15206. 7 p.m. $12-18. For more information, visit facebook.com/ events/1004160149932435. The Klezmatics perform at Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society (4400 Forbes Ave.) at 7:30 p.m. $50/$20 (full time student. For more information and tickets, visit calliopehouse.org.

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q SUNDAY, DEC. 15

information, visit classroomswithoutborders. org/events/show.php?244.

Rabbi Lenny Sarko will hold a one-day adult education seminar at 10 a.m. entitled “The Gospels as seen through the eyes of the Old Testament” at Congregation Emanu-El Israel (222 N. Main St.). The program will examine motifs, patterns, and images that shaped and are present in both the New Testament and the Jewish Bible. Free and open to the public. Light refreshments. Games, crafts, music, prizes, sufganiyot and latkes! Everyone is welcome to attend J-JEP’s 10th Annual Latkepalooza from 10 a.m.noon at Congregation Beth Shalom, 5915 Beacon Street. $5 per person. Help give light to others and stop by the BSUSY/theRSTY teen table with a donation of new clothes or school supplies for NCJW’s Back 2 School Store. For more information, visit jjep.org. Get into the Chanukah spirit with a fun and exciting Menorah workshop at The Home Depot (Wilkins Township) at noon featuring a new menorah design, dreidel count, Chanukah crafts and treats, latkes and music. For more information, visit, jewishmonroeville.com/menorah. Dr. Ricky Law presents “Transnational Nazism Ideology and Culture in GermanJapanese Relations, 1919-1936.” Law traces the cultural origins of interwar JapaneseGerman convergence and highlights the significance of Nazism’s durability and flexibility for our world. Q&A and dessert reception will follow the lecture at Rodef Shalom (4905 5th Ave. 2 p.m. Free. For more

Come shop the best of everything in clothing, fashion jewelry, handbags, and gifts for the season!

Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division at 2 p.m. for a tour of Mindful Brewing (3759 Library Road). For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/event/young-adultbrewery-club-at-mindful-brewing. Is your son or daughter interested in representing Pittsburgh at the 2020 JCC Maccabi Games & ArtFest? Attend a special South Hills Information Session on at 7 p.m. at South Hills JCC, 345 Kane Boulevard. Contact Chris Herman at chrerman@jccpgh. org for more information. q TUESDAY, DEC. 17 Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh from 10-11 a.m. at Temple David, 4415 Northern Pike, for a Mission to Israel: Monroeville Information Session. For more information, visit jewishpgh.org/event/ mission-to-israel-monroeville-info-session. Rodef Shalom’s “Wisdom, Wine and Cheese Lecture Series” presents rabbis discussing their experiences as Women on the Pulpit. Free and open to the public, 4905 Fifth Ave, 7 p.m. rodefshalom.org.

of an autographed lithograph of Steeler Cam Hayward. Special holiday refreshments with coffee and tea. Please note, should the Pittsburgh public schools be closed due to weather conditions the AARP meeting will be canceled; check your TV and radio stations before leaving home. For more information, contact Marsha at 412-731-3338. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division and Young Adults at Beth Shalom are teaming up for Latkes and Sufganiyot, a delicious evening at Congregation Beth Shalom (5915 Beacon St.) Fill own donuts, eat latkes and make Hanukkah aprons to protect you from that Hanukkah oil. 7:30 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/event/ yad-donut-latke. q THURSDAY, DEC. 19 South Hills Jewish Pittsburgh presents Getting Through the Holidays Mindfully & Stress Free, next installment of South Hills Healthy Living. Learn ways to make the holidays less hectic in this interactive session. Free and open to the community. 7 p.m. South Hills JCC (345 Kane Blvd). For more information and to register, visit southhillsjewishpittsburgh.org/healthyliving. q FRIDAY, DEC. 20

q WEDNESDAY, DEC. 18

An esteemed panel will debate the merits of the latke or hamantash to determine The Squirrel Hill AARP chapter will hold its which is better at the 4th Annual Great annual holiday party and meeting at 1 p.m. at Rodef Shalom, 4905 5th Ave. There will be a bingo with door prizes and a raffle drawing JC Opn News REVISED FIN_Eartique 12/9/19 2:26 PM Page 1 Please see Calendar, page 7

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Calendar Calendar: Continued from page 6 Latke-Hamantash Debate. Hilarity is guaranteed! Temple Sinai (5505 Forbes Ave.) 8:10 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit templesinaipgh.org/ event/latke/hamenstash-debate.html. q SUNDAY, DEC. 22 The Annual South Hills Lights Community Chanukah Festival features a live concert with Oneg Shemesh and the world’s first Chanukah virtual reality 3D experience, plus the Grand Menorah lighting and more. Free and open to all. 5 p.m. Potomac Ave. & Belrose Ave. For more information, and to RSVP, visit www.chabadsh.com/lights. Join Temple Ohav Shalom as they host the 2nd Annual North Hills Public Menorah Lighting at McCandless Crossing (8970 Covenant Avenue) on the first night of Chanukah. Located at the fountain in McCandless Crossing, free, 5:30 p.m. Join Chabad of Monroeville for Light Up the Night Monroeville! A large 12-foot glow in the dark menorah will be lit. There will be Chanukah gifts for all in attendance. The evening will include a grand chocolate coin drop from a firetruck and Chanukah songs from the Gateway 4th grade chorus. Warm drinks and Chanukah refreshments

For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/event/yad-ladies-night-out.

will be served. Free and open to the whole community. 5:30 p.m. Miracle Mile Shopping Center.

throughout the Greater Pittsburgh region, including kid-friendly opportunities. For more information, visit jewishpgh.org/mitzvah-day.

q MONDAY, DEC. 23

q THURSDAY, DEC. 26

Bnai Emunoh Chabad presents Chanukah Festival from 4:30-8:30 p.m. under the Homestead Gray Bridge. The event features Avraham Fried, a grand menorah lighting, food, free Dave & Buster’s play credit to the first 1,000 people and kids activities. Free.

Join the entire South Hills Jewish community at the South Hills JCC for the South Hills 5th Night Chanukah Celebration at 5 p.m. Menorah lighting, latkes and donuts, balloon artist, airbrush face painting, open swimming and more. Free and open to the entire community. For more information and to register, southhillsjewishpittsburgh.org/chanukah19.

Facilitated by local clergy, the Christian-Jewish Dialogue at Rodef Shalom (4905 Fifth Ave.) explores topics of similarities and differences. Themes range from wedding rituals to the story of Noah. Attendees are invited to join for any and all sessions. 12 p.m. Free and open to the public.

q FRIDAY, DEC. 27

Rodef Shalom Congregation presents the 2020 Milton E. Harris Interfaith Lecture “Why Is It Always the Jews?” featuring Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin. Anti-Semitism is history’s oldest ideology. What provokes this intense hatred? Why Is It Always the Jews? Join preeminent Jewish thought leader Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin for an interfaith lecture and luncheon at Rodef Shalom Congregation (4905 Fifth Ave.) 11:30 a.m. No cost for clergy. Questions? rodefshalom.org/rsvp.

q TUESDAY, DEC. 24 Chabad of the South Hills (1701 McFarland Road) presents its annual Chanukah Seniors Lunch at noon. Learn about the important documents you need as you age. Wheelchair accessible. Pre-registration is strongly suggested. Please call 412-278-2658. Lunch is co-sponsored by Chabad of the South Hills and the South Hills JCC. chabadsh.com. Come to Moishe House for Jewish Christmas from 7-9 p.m. and partake in the ancient tradition of Chinese food (vegetarian) and a movie under the light of their menorah. Moishe House events are intended for young adults age 22 - 32. Message a resident or the page for the address. For more information, visit facebook.com/events/458767981441837. q WEDNESDAY, DEC. 25 The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh presents Mitzvah Day. Sites are available

Every year has dozens of Shabbats and eight nights of Hanukkah, but only one Shabbanukkah night, so come celebrate Moishe House’s Hanukkah Party Shabbat dinner at 7:30 p.m. Moishe House events are intended for young adults age 22-32. Message a resident or the page for the address. For more information, visit facebook. com/events/1116667678535345. q WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8 Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division for Ladies’ Night Out. Make kokedama, a form of Japanese garden art. Sip some wine and enjoy a relaxing evening creating a beautiful accent for your home or office! $25 includes kokedama making, wine and snacks! 7 p.m. 5135 Penn Avenue.

q THURSDAYS, JAN. 9, FEB. 6, MAR. 5, APR. 2, MAY 7, JUNE 4

q FRIDAY, JAN. 10

Bob Dylan has journeyed from Judaism to Christianity, and back again. How do his songs illuminate his spiritual journey? Join Rodef Shalom’s Scholar-In-Residence Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin for “Rock of Israel: How Does it Feel?” A dinner and a discussion about this rock legend! 6:45 p.m. 4005 Fifth Ave. $15 for adults, $10 for kids, and $20 for nonmembers. rodefshalom.org/ rsvp. PJC

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DECEMBER 13, 2019 7

Headlines Linda Sarsour clarifies her comment that Israel is ‘built on the idea that Jews are supreme to everyone else’ Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour took to Twitter to clarify recent controversial comments she had made about Israel. Speaking Friday at the annual conference of American Muslims for Palestine in Chicago, Sarsour had criticized progressive Zionists. “Ask them this, how can you be against white supremacy in America and the idea of being in a state based on race and class, but then you support a state like Israel that is based on supremacy, that is built on the idea that Jews are supreme to everyone else,” she said. Sarsour is a surrogate for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who is Jewish, and one of the original national organizers of the Women’s March. She has frequently spoken harshly against Israel and its government. In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Sarsour said her comments had been referring to Israel’s nation-state law. “I was specifically referring to the racist argument at the heart of the nation-state law recently passed by the Israeli government — not the Jewish people. I apologize for the confusion,” she wrote. The controversial law, passed last year, asserts that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, that

national self-determination in the State of Israel is “unique to the Jewish people,” and that Hebrew is the state’s language — while Arabic, previously an official language, is now designated as having “a special status in the state.” In her tweets, Sarsour said that “we need to be consistent and challenge the State of Israel on its system based on valuing one people over another. We are against a supremacist state in America that values race/class over others & we need to be honest in how we speak about Israel.” She also dismissed criticism against her comments as an “attempt to paint the Left in USA & UK as antisemitic to disrupt potential transformative campaigns & opportunities for true progress for our nations.” Sarsour’s comments at the conference had drawn criticism on social media, including from Jonathan Greenblatt, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League. “She slanders the founders of Israel as supremacists, invoking a centuries-old anti-Semitic trope when she describes them as having believed that Jews are ‘supreme to everybody else,’” Greenblatt wrote of Sarsour’s comments.

Ronald Lauder is funding a $25 million campaign against anti-Semitism in US politics Billionaire philanthropist Ronald Lauder is funding a $25 million campaign against political candidates in the United States who

A must read!

support or normalize anti-Semitism. Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, announced the new campaign, called the Anti-Semitism Accountability Project, or ASAP. The effort will include a nonprofit organization and a super PAC. Lauder will have the final say on which politicians — federal, state and local — will be targeted for defeat, according to The New York Times. He is a longtime Republican donor, but Lauder told the newspaper he planned to use the organization to go after both Democrats and Republicans who traffic in anti-Semitic language and tropes. A statement announcing the launch of ASAP said it would “also respond and take action against institutions and cultural figures who support anti-Semitism.” Lauder also told The Times that he would look into universities and their professors, and pressure them to stop anti-Semitic statements and actions by contacting major donors. ASAP will partner with existing organizations that are working across the country to combat anti-Semitism, the statement said, and encouraged contact from those groups through its website. The launch comes in response to a documented surge in anti-Semitism across America, according to the statement. According to a poll commissioned by ASAP and conducted by Douglass Schoen of Schoen Consulting, anti-Semitism has doubled over the past five years. Today, 14% of Americans hold anti-Semitic beliefs, as

A stirring story of family, loss, and faith. We are truly the wiser and the richer for the gift of it. — Rabbi Aaron Bisno, Rodef Shalom Congregation, Pittsburgh

To order your copy, email Lee Goldman Kikel at: lee@leekikel.com or www.leekikel.com

8 DECEMBER 13, 2019

More than 30 employees of West Virginia’s Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation have been suspended over a photo showing trainees making a Nazi salute. The photo of dozens of participants in a basic training class reads “Hail Byrd!” at the top, a reference to a training instructor for the class. Two correctional academy trainers and a cadet from the class shown in the picture were fired, The Washington Post reported. The class was conducted Oct. 21 through Nov. 27, local news station WCHS reported. “It is distasteful, hurtful, disturbing, highly insensitive and completely inappropriate,” West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety Secretary Jeff Sandy said of the photo in a memo obtained by The Post. “It betrays the professionalism I have seen Please see Briefs, page 11

Dec. 16, 1984 — Abie Nathan aids Ethiopia

— WORLD —

Dec. 13, 1949 — Mossad established

— Eric S. Lidji, Director, Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives, Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh

Over 30 West Virginia correctional academy trainees suspended over Nazi salute photo

This week in Israeli history Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

Perseverance dignifies Melvin Goldman, while also illuminating the experiences of those who never had the opportunity to tell their story aloud.

compared to 7% from a survey released by the Anti-Defamation League in 2014. The poll used the definition of anti-Semitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Lauder told The Times that he has hired teams of researchers to follow political races across the country “from the most local to the major ones” to track anti-Semitic comments.

Reuven Shiloah, a Foreign Ministry special operations officer, is assigned the task of launching and leading the Institute for Collating and Coordinating Intelligence Operations, commonly known as the Mossad.

Dec. 14, 1858 — Land deeds introduced in Palestine

The Ottoman Empire enacts the Tapu Law, which introduces title deed registration to its Arab provinces. The law enhances landowners’ ability to rent to peasant farmers and thus helps the empire collect more taxes.

Dec. 15, 2016 — Friedman named ambassador

President-elect Donald Trump announces that he will nominate New York bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman, a longtime Trump adviser known as a supporter of West Bank settlements, to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Israel.

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Israeli peace activist Abie Nathan arrives in Ethiopia with $300,000 worth of relief supplies donated by Jews around the world for a country in the middle of a droughtdriven famine that kills an estimated 1.2 million people over two years.

Dec. 17, 1993 — Rabbi urges soldiers not to remove settlements

Shlomo Goren, the first head of the IDF’s Military Rabbinate and the Ashkenazi chief rabbi from 1973 to 1983, calls for soldiers to disobey orders to remove Jewish settlers from the West Bank, Gaza Strip or Golan Heights.

Dec. 18, 1947 — Trans pioneer Gila Goldstein born

Gila Goldstein, who in the 1960s becomes the first Israeli to have sex reassignment surgery, is born Abraham Goldstein in Turin, Italy.

Dec. 19, 1936 — A.B. Yehoshua born

Avraham B. Yehoshua, who becomes one of Israel’s most acclaimed writers, is born in Jerusalem. He leads a new wave of Israeli writers with novels including “The Lover,” “Mr. Mani” and “The Late Divorce.” PJC

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Organization Directory ADAT JESHURUN CEMETERY Office: 217 East Patty Lane Monroeville, Pennsylvania 15146 Phone: 412-508-0817 Website: adathjeshuruncemeterypgh.org Email: office@adathjeshuruncemeterypgh.org

President, Barbara Scheinberg; Vice President, Ted Heyman; Secretary, Gail Schmitt; Treasurer, Marty Elikan; Renee Abrams, William Berkowitz, Allan Dalfen, Paul Herman, Beverly Kalson, Earl Kaiserman, Sandy Goppman, Lou Kushner, Alan Sable, Stuart Neft; Susan Cohen, Office Administrator. ••• ADAT SHALOM B’NAI ISRAEL/BETH JACOB A welcoming and inclusive synagogue serving the Fox Chapel & North Hills community

368 Guys Run Road (Fox Chapel Area) Cheswick, PA 15024-9463 Phone: 412-820-7000 Website: www.adatshalompgh.org Email: lrothstein@adatshalom.org

Amy Himmel, President; David Lazear, 1st VP; Laurie Singer, 2nd VP; Michele Fryncko, Recording Secretary; Jill Langue, Asst. Recording Secretary; Jim Grenen, Treasurer; Marshall Dayan, Asst. Treasurer; DeDe Fink, Sisterhood President; Yaier Lehrer, Rabbi; Lisa Rothstein, Executive Director; Casey Shapira, Preschool Director; David Haviv, Religious School Director. ••• AHAVATH ACHIM CONGREGATION The Carnegie Shul

Website: thecarnegieshul.org Email: mrmike7777@yahoo.com

Lawrence Block, Pres; Richard D’Loss, 1st; V.P.; Paul Spivak, 2nd V.P.; Elaine Rosenfield, Secy.; Joel Roteman, Treas.; Rosalyn Hoffman, Michael Roteman, Marcia Steinberger, Irwin Norvitch, and Wendy Panizzi, Board of Directors. ••• AIPAC — THE AMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Phone: 410-223-4190 Website: aipac.org Email: myaffe@aipac.org

Michael Yaffe, AIPAC Pittsburgh Director. ••• ALEPH INSTITUTE— NORTH EAST REGION Hyman & Martha Rogal Center

5804 Beacon St. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-421-0111; Fax: 412-521-5948 Website: alephne.org Email: rabbivogel@alephne.org, info@alephne.org

Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel, Exec. Dir.; Marty Davis, Chairman of the Board; Eytan Rosenthal CPA, Treasurer, Bill Rudolph, Estelle Comay Esq., Charles Saul Esq., Jon Pushinsky Esq., Charles Perlow Esq., Neil Notkin, & Jim Leiber Esq. Board members ••• AMERICAN TECHNION SOCIETY Advancing Innovation for Israel and the World

6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 120 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 Phone: 248-593-6760 Website: ats.org Email: joey@ats.org

Joey Selesny, Regional Director East Central Region. ••• BBYO KEYSTONE MOUNTAIN REGION 2545 Railroad St. Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Phone: 412-945-7145

Website: bbyo.org/region/keystone Email: lmigdal@bbyo.org

Website: bethshalompgh.org Email: office@bethshalompgh.org

Lindsay Migdal, Regional Director: KMR BBYO •••

Seth Adelson, Rabbi; Debby Firestone, Pres..; Kate Rothstein, Executive V.P.; Alan Kopolow, V.P.; Jordan Fischbach, V.P.; Dan Eisner, Secretary, Fred Newman, Treasurer; David Horvitz, Immediate Past Pres; Ken Turkewitz, Interim Executive Director; Rabbi Larry Freedman, Dir. of J-JEP; Hilary Yeckel, Dir. ELC; Marissa Tait, Youth Program Dir.; Rabbi Jeremy Markiz, Dir. of Derekh & Youth Tefillah; Dale Caprara, Controller; Carole Salisbury, Bookkeeper; Lonnie Wolf, Cemetery Dir.; Audrey Glickman, Rabbi’s Assistant; Rabbinic Scholar; Ira Frank, Men’s Club Pres.; Judy Kornblith Kobell, Sisterhood Pres.; Michelle Vines, Events Coordinator; Anthony Colaizzi, Communications & Design Mgr. •••

CONGREGATION BET TIKVAH A welcoming, queer-centric, independent minyan.

P.O. Box 10140 Pittsburgh, PA 15232 Hotline: 412-256-8317 Website: bettikvah.org Email: info@bettikvah.org

•••

BETH EL CONGREGATION OF THE SOUTH HILLS 1900 Cochran Road Pittsburgh, PA 15220 Phone: 412-561-1168 Website: bethelcong.org Email: steve@bethelcong.org

Alex Greenbaum, Rabbi; Amy Greenbaum, Assoc. Rabbi / Edu. Dir.; Steve Hecht, Exec. Dir.; Warren Sufrin, Pres.; Susie Seletz, Exec. V.P.; Judy Balk, Admin. V.P.; Robby Greenberger, Ed. V.P.; David Sirota, Fin. V.P.; Geri Recht, Fundraising V.P.; Judi Kline, Membership V.P.; Stacey Reibach, Volunteerism V.P.; Beth Pomerantz, Fin. Secy.; Neal Ash, Asst. Fin. Secy.; Bill Spatz, Treas.; Cindy Platto, Asst. Treas.; Karen Balk, Rec. Secy.; Lynda Abraham-Braff, Sisterhood Pres.; Jeremy Broverman with Steve Haberman, Men’s Club Co-Pres.; Sadie Kalathunkal, Youth Advisor ••• BETH HAMEDRASH HAGODOL/ BETH JACOB SYNAGOGUE Visit us Downtown. All are welcome.

810 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: 412-471-4443

Stanley J. Savage, Rabbi; Ira Michael Frank, Pres.; Sherman Weinstein, 1st V.P.; Lee Oleinick, 2nd V.P.; Joe Goldston, Secy; Brian Cynamon, Treas.; Stephen A. Neustein, Esq.; Assist. Treas.; Arlene Neustein, Sisterhood Pres. •••

BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION 265 North Ave. Washington, PA 15301 Phone: 724-225-7080 Website: mybethisrael.org Email: office@bethisraelsynagogue.com Facebook: facebook.com/bethisraelsynagogue

President, The Hon. Gary Gilman; Vice President, Marc Simon; Treasurer, David S. Posner, Esq.; Secretary, Marilyn Posner; Immediate Past President, Richard S. Pataki, M.D.: Rabbi, David C. Novitsky, Esq. Board of Directors: Richard Littman; Stephen Richman, Esq.; Dana J. Shiller, Beth Tully, Fred Weber. ••• BETH SAMUEL JEWISH CENTER A warm and diverse Jewish community serving the needs of Western Allegheny, Beaver and Butler counties.

810 Kennedy Drive Ambridge, PA 15003 Phone: 724-266-5238 Website: bethsamuel.org Email: bethsamueloffice@comcast.net

Cantor Rena Shapiro, Spiritual Leader; Barbara Wilson, Director; William Snider, Pres.; Lauren McLeod, V.P.; Karen Beaudway, Past Pres.; Nicole Homich, Secy.’ Sara Braun & Dan Weisberg, co-Fin. V.P.; Sharon Camhi, Trustee 1; Jerry DeSena, Trustee 2. ••• CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM Enriching lives through community, lifelong Jewish learning and spiritual growth!

CONGREGATION B’NAI ABRAHAM A warm, caring, inclusive community.

519 N. Main St. Butler, PA 16001 Phone: 724-287-5806 Website: congbnaiabraham.org Email: congbnaiabraham@zoominternet.net

Cantor Michal Gray-Schaffer, Spiritual Leader; Eric Levin, President; Christine Hood, V. P.; Shirley Grossman, Sec.; Roberta Gallagher, Religious School Director. ••• B’NAI EMUNOH CHABAD 4315 Murray Ave. Pittsburgh PA 15217 Phone: 412-521-1477 Website: bechabad.org Email: bechabad@gmail.com

Elchonon Friedman, Rabbi; Yehuda Cowen, Pres.; Shalom Leeds, VP & Gabbi; Chanani Saks, Treas.; Ivan Engel, Rec. Secy.; Joel Pirchesky, Past Pres. ••• CHABAD OF CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY 5120 Beeler St. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-772-8505; Fax: 877-286-1434 Website: chabadofcmu.com Email: Rabbi@chabadofcmu.com

Rabbi Shlomo and Chani Silverman, Co-Directors. ••• CHABAD HOUSE ON CAMPUS Serving the needs of the Jewish college community.

Phone: 412-683-7770; Fax: 412-681-7770 Website: chabadpgh.org Email: home@chabadpgh.org

Rabbi Shmuel, Sara Weinstein, Co-Directors. Rabbi Shua, Shoshana Hoexter, Co-Program Directors. ••• CHABAD JEWISH CENTER OF MONROEVILLE 2715 Mosside Blvd. Monroeville, PA 15146 Website: JewishMonroeville.com Email: Chabad@JewishMonroeville.com

Rabbi Mendy Co-Directors. •••

and

Schapiro,

ROHR CHABAD JEWISH CENTER WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

424 Brockway Ave. Morgantown, WV 26501 Phone: 304-599-1515 Website: JewishWV.org

Rabbi Zalman and Hindy Gurevitz, Co-Directors.

5915 Beacon St. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-421-2288; Fax: 412-421-5923

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Esther

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CHABAD OF THE SOUTH HILLS Bringing the Joy and Relevance of Judaism to the South Hills.

1701 McFarland Road Pittsburgh, PA 15216 Website: chabadsh.com Email: rabbi@chabadsh.com Phone: 412-344-2424; 412-512-3046

Rabbi Mendel & Batya Rosenblum, Co-Directors; Mrs. Mussie Rosenblum, Event Coordinator; Mrs. Barb Segel, Development Coordinator. ••• CHABAD OF SQUIRREL HILL 1700 Beechwood Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-421-0546 Website: chabadpgh.com

Rabbi Yisroel and Chani Altein, Co-Directors; Sara Deren, Director of Jewish Discovery Center; Bayla Oster, Assistant Director of Camp Gan Izzy. ••• CLASSROOMS WITHOUT BORDERS Open Minds. Open Hearts. Providing Holocaust and Israel Education to teachers from all frameworks.

P.O. Box 60144 Pittsburgh, PA 15211 Phone: 412-915-9182 Website: classroomswithoutborders.org Email: info@classroomswithoutborders.org

Dr. Zipora (Tsipy) Gur, Executive Director; Melissa Haviv, Assistant Director; Daniel Pearlman, Programs Manager; Jamie Campbell, Wheeling Program Coordinator; Board of Directors: Robert Glimcher, Chair; Lisa Allen; Michael Bernstein; Estelle Comay; Laura Penrod Kronk; Robert Mallet; Victor Mizrahi; Alex Paul; Charles S. Perlow; Louis B. Plung; Debbie Resnick; James Rudolph; Hilary S. Tyson. ••• COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL 6424 Forward Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-521-1100; Fax: 412-521-4511 Website: comday.org

Avi Baran Munro, Head of School; Bari Weinberger, CFO; Tzippy Mazer, Head of Hebrew and Jewish Studies; Mark Minkus, Head of Intermediate School and Middle School; Andrea Erven-Victoria, Head of Early Childhood and Lower School; Sarah DeWitt, Enrollment Management Dir.; Jenny Jones, Institutional Advancement and Donor Relations Dir.; Jordan Hoover, Technology and Strategic Initiatives Dir.; Jennifer Bails, Marketing and Communications Dir.; Derek Smith, Pres.; Debbie Resnick, Immed. Past Pres.; Eva Gelman, Vice President; Stav Gil, Treas.; Evan Indianer, Secy. ••• CONGREGATION DOR HADASH Pittsburgh’s Reconstructionist Congregation

4905 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Phone: 412-422-5158 Website: dorhadash.net

President, Donna Coufal; VP of Ritual, Judy Yanowitz; VP of Administration, Melvin Melnick; Secretary, Beth Silver; Treasurer, Jim Silver; Adult Education, Deborah Prise; VP of Youth Education, Dana Kellerman; Life Events, Pamela Weiss; Social Action, Eve Wider; Social Events, Judy Grumet and Ellen Berne; Membership, Janey Zeilinger; Programming, Jean Clickner and Roz Becker; Member-at-Large, Kimberly Latta; Communications Chair, Jim Lenkner; Principal, Dor Hadash Religious School, Karen Morris. Please see Organizations, page 10

DECEMBER 13, 2019 9

Organization Directory Organizations: Continued from page 9 CONGREGATION EMANU-EL ISRAEL To support Judaism and the welfare of our community

222 North Main St. Greensburg, PA 15601 Phone: 724-834-0560 Website: ceigreensburg.org Email: office@cei-greensburg.org

Rabbi Leonard Sarko, Sara Rae Perman, Rabbi Emeritus; Irene Rothschild, Pres. & Admin.; Terri Katzman, 1st V.P.; Julie Goldstein, Treas.; Virginia Lieberman, Secy.; Marion Slone, Sisterhood Pres.; Gary Moidel, Men’s Club Pres.; Robert Halden, Archives; Terri Katazman & Virginia Lieberman, Caring; Shoshana Halden, Edu.; Esther Glasser, Endowment; Shirley Shpargel, Library; Robert Slone, Long-Range Planning; Mary Ellen Kane, Membership; Richard Virshup, Physical Properties; Shoshana Halden, Ritual Practices; Terri Katzman & Mary Ellen Kane, Social Action; Mitch Goldstein & Zach Virshup, I.T. ••• FORWARD SHADY APARTMENTS Owned by Forward Housing Corporation and managed by the award-winning SeniorCare Network, this 117-unit supportive senior housing community offers efficiency, one and two bedroom apartments in a convenient location along Forward Avenue in Squirrel Hill.

5841 Forward Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-521-3065 Fax: 412-521-6413 Email: forwardshady@srcare.org

Tom Netzer, Pres.; Donna Kruman, V.P.; Terry Lerman, Treas. ••• FRIENDS OF UNITED HATZALAH OF ISRAEL “Israel’s fastest, free emergency medical service...when every second counts, we save more lives!”

2682 Green Road, Suite 101 Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122 Phone: 216.544.3010 Email: cari@israelrescue.org Website: www.israelrescue.org

Cari Margulis Immerman, Director – 17 Midwest/Central States ••• THE FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE OF PITTSBURGH Building inclusive community for those with special needs, one friendship at a time.

1922 Murray Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-224-4440 Website: fcpgh.org Email: info@fcpgh.org

Rabbi Mordy Rudolph, Exec. Dir.; Rivkee Rudolph, Dir.; Dr. Laura Marshak, Prof. Advisor; Ann Grandinetti, Development Assoc.; Leighann Calamera, Grant and Corporate Development Assoc.; Hayli Firtell, Teen Coord.; Julia Averbach, Family Coord.; Sara Cato, Dir. of Operations; Adina Waren, Dir. of Programs; Gila Zimbovsky, Office Manager; Paige Eddy, Friends on the Town Program Coordinator; Alexa Dines, Friends at Home Coordinator; Emily Vogt, Friends on the Town Program Associate; Alyssa Marchitelli, Program Coordinator; Esti Weiss, Front Desk Assoc.; Cara Paolicelli, Friendship Fellows Director; Board of Dir.’s: Alan Gordon, Chair; Dr. Tracy Levy, Immediate Past Chair; Aaron Morgenstern, V. Chair; Mollie Hanna Lang, Secretary; David Khani, Treas.; Michael Bernstein, Assistant Treas.; David Goldberg, Ina Gumberg, Lee Hurwitz, Kathy Klein, 10 DECEMBER 13, 2019

Natalie Moritz, Dorothy Pollon, Rachel Petrucelli, Andrew Rabin, Geri Cohen Recht, Joe Reschini, Cindy Vayonis. ••• GEMILAS CHESED CONGREGATION 1400 Summit St. White Oak, PA 15131 Phone: 412-678-8859; Fax: 412-678-8850 Website: gemilaschesed.org Email: gemilaschesed@gmail.com

Rabbi Moshe Russell, Interim Rabbi; Gershon Guttman, Pres.; vice president Larry Perl; Bruce Gelman, secretary; Richard Bollinger, Treas.; Gabbaim are Gershon Guttman and Alan Balsam. ••• HADASSAH 60 Revere Drive, Suite 800 Northbrook, IL 60062 847.205.1900 Hadassah.org/midwest midwest@hadassah.org Rochelle Parker, Greater Pittsburgh Rsparker@hadassah.org

Ronna Ash, Managing Director, Hadassah, Midwest ••• HEBREW FREE LOAN ASSOCIATION 4307 Murray Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-422-8868 Website: hflapgh.org

Shelley Daniels, Pres.; Nancy Israel, 1st V.P.; Jesse Hirshman, 2nd V.P.; Laurie Moritz, Treas./Secy.; Ellen Clancy, Dir. of Operations; Aviva Lubowsky, Dir. of Marketing & Development. ••• HILLEL ACADEMY 5685 Beacon St. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-521-8131; Fax: 412-521-5150

Daniel Kraut, Esq., CEO; Rabbi Sam Weinberg, Principal & Ed. Dir.; Ella Ziff, Dir. of Student Services; Elky Langer, Assistant Principal K-4; Rabbi Oren Levy, Assistant Principal K-4; Yikara Levari, Assistant Principal 5th 12th-grade girls; Rabbi Yisroel Smith, Assistant Principal Boys High School; Kira Sunshine, Dir. of Admissions; Ruth Pohuly, Early Childhood Dir.; Sarah Hartman, Fin. Mgr.; Selma Aronson, Exec. Admin. to the CEO. ••• THE EDWARD AND ROSE BERMAN HILLEL JEWISH UNIVERSITY CENTER

The Mildred and Joseph Stern Building 4607 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Phone: 412-621-8875; Fax: 412-621-8861 Website: hilleljuc.org Email: info@hilleljuc.org

Daniel Marcus, Exec. Dir. & CEO; Danielle Kranjec, Senior Jewish Educator; Rachel Cohen, Dir. of Operations; Jennifer Poller, Dir. of Development; Lori Ferguson, Development and Special Events Manager; Isaac Minkoff, IACT Israel Engagement Coordinator; Ariel Walovitch, Dir. of Engagement; Risa Fruchter, Janet L. Swanson Dir. of Jewish Student Life at the University of Pittsburgh; Alex Zissman, Dir. of Jewish Student Life at Carnegie Mellon University; Andrey Kogan, Israel Fellow; Michael Warshafsky, Board Co-Chair; Matthew Weinstein, Board Co-Chair; Aaron Leaman, V. Chair Fin.; Mitchell Letwin, V. Chair Development; Adrienne Indianer, V. Chair Board Governance/HR; Katie Whitlatch, Immed. Past Chair. ••• HOLOCAUST CENTER OF PITTSBURGH 826 Hazelwood Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-421-1500 Email: info@hcpgh.org Website: hcofpgh.org

Dr. Roy “Jake” Jacobson, Board Chair; Lauren Apter Bairnsfather, Director; Board Members: Dr. Barbara Burstin, Dr. Tim Crain, Marc Friedberg, Paul Guggenheimer, Lori Guttman, Dr. Rachel Kranson, Debra Levenson, Dr. Melissa Marks, Dr. Manuel Reich, Harry Schneider, Barbara Shapira, Benjamin Simon, Paula Spiro, David Sufrin, Hal Waldman, Roberta Weissburg, Dr. Yolanda Avram Willis. ••• ISRAEL BONDS 6507 Wilkins Ave., Suite 101 Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-362-5154; 1-800-362-2669 Email: Pittsburgh@israelbonds.com

ISRAEL HERITAGE ROOM University of Pittsburgh

Susie Rosenberg Phone: 412-298-6698 Website: nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/content/ israel-heritage-room-committee Email: Susan.b.rosenberg@gmail.com

Susan Binstock Rosenberg, Chair; Ruth Gelman, Eileen Lane, Dr. Alex Orbach, Judith Robinson, Dr. Adam Shear, Marcia Weiss, Vice Chairs; Ruth Gelman, Treas.; Dr. Nancy Glynn, Corr. & Fin. Secy.; Sylvia Busis, Nancy L. Shuman, Hon. Chairs. ••• JEWISH ASSISTANCE FUND P.O. Box 8197 Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-521-3237 Website: jewishassistancefund.org Email: Info@JewishAssistanceFund.org

Skip Grinberg, President; Joyce Berman, VP; Sylvia Elias, VP; Gean Goldfarb, VP; Todd Rosenfeld, VP; Lynn Snyderman, VP; Ellen Primis, Secretary; Harvey Wolsh, Treasurer; Sharon Weisberg, Assistant Treasurer; David Maretsky, Past President; Cindy Goodman-Leib, Executive Director. ••• JEWISH ASSOCIATION ON AGING 200 JHF Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-420-4000; Fax: 412-521-0932 Website: jaapgh.org

Andrew Stewart, Board Chair; Lynette Lederman, V. Chair; Mike Levin, Treas.; John Katz, Secy.; Steve Halpern, Asst. Secy.; Mitchell Pakler, Immed. Past Chair; Deborah Winn-Horvitz, Pres. & CEO. ••• JEWISH CEMETERY & BURIAL ASSOCIATION OF GREATER PITTSBURGH P.O. Box 81863 Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-553-6469 Website: jcbapgh.org Email: jcbapgh@gmail.com

Gregory Engel, President; Rochelle Sufrin, Vice President; Stanley Kirshenbaum, Treasurer; Natalie Rosenbloom, Secretary; Harvey Wolsh, Historian; Jonathan Schachter, Executive Director •••

Squirrel Hill: 5738 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-521-8010; Fax: 412-521-7044 South Hills: 345 Kane Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15243

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

William S. Goodman, Chair of the Board; Carole S. Katz, Samuel W. Braver, Joshua M. Farber, Lori B. Shure, V. Chairs; Merris Groff, Treas.; Scott E. Seewald, Asst. Treas.; Hilary Tyson, Secy.; Jeffrey Galak, Asst. Secy.; James S. Ruttenberg, Immed. Past Chair; Brian Schreiber, Pres. & CEO. ••• JEWISH FAMILY and COMMUNITY SERVICES (JFCS) Supporting people through life’s changes and challenges

Julian Elbling, Campaign Chair; Marian Ungar Davis, Advisory Council Chair, Ellen Teri Kaplan Goldstein, Women’s Division Chair; Adrienne Indianer, Registered Representative; Patty Minto, Office Manager; Harold F. Marcus, Executive Director. •••

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF GREATER PITTSBURGH Nurturing People, Connecting Community, Each Day, Through Every Age, Inspired By Jewish Values

Phone: 412-278-1975; Fax: 412-446-0146 Website: JCCPGH.org

5743 Bartlett St. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-422-7200; Fax: 412-422-1162 Website: jfcspgh.org

Jillian F. Zacks, Esq, Board Chair; Eric J. Perelman, Carol Robinson, Vice Chairs; Scott I. Americus, Treasurer; David R. Lassman, Secretary; Peter J. Lieberman, At-Large; Jordan Golin, Psy.D., President & CEO. ••• JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER PITTSBURGH 2000 Technology Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: 412-681-8000 Website: jewishpgh.org

Meryl K. Ainsman, Board Chair; Charles Porter, Jan Levinson, Scott E. Tobe, Vice Chairs; Gilbert Z. Schneider, Treasurer; Stephen F. Halpern, Assistant Treasurer; Dr. Susan G. Berman Kress, Secretary; Ellen Teri Kaplan Goldstein, Assistant Secretary; Jeffrey H. Finkelstein, President & CEO. ••• JEWISH HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION 650 Smithfield Street, Suite 2400 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (412) 594-2550 Website: jhf.org Email: info@jhf.org

Karen Wolk Feinstein, President & CEO; Nancy Zionts, COO & Chief Program Office ••• JEWISH NATIONAL FUND Jewish National Fund Administrative Center/ Mailing Address 60 Revere Drive Suite 725 Northbrook, IL 60062 Phone: 412-521-3200 Website: jnf.org

Steven H. Schwartz, President. Amy Cohen, Director. ••• JEWISH RESIDENTIAL SERVICES From disabilities to possibilities

2609 Murray Avenue, Suite 201 Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-325-0039 (administrative office) Fax: 412-621-4260 Website: jrspgh.org Email: info@jrspgh.org

Nancy E. Gale, Executive Dir.; Nikki Finch, Off. Mgr.; April De La Cruz, Dir. of Residential Support Servs.; Caitlin Lasky, Dir. Development & Communications; Joseph Herbick, Dir. Sally and Howard Levin Clubhouse; Kadidja Macina, Prgrm. Supervisor; Alison Karabin, Project Mgr., Families in Transition; Gerri Lynn Sperling, President. Jeffrey Herzog, Vice President; Ellen Berne, Vice President; Lorrie Rabin, Secretary; Paul K. Rudoy, Treasurer. ••• J STREET PITTSBURGH The home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans

Facebook: facebook.com/jstreetpittsburgh Email: pittsburgh@jstreet.org

Nancy Bernstein, Malke Frank, Co-Chairs. Please see Organizations, page 23

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11 color WORLD

Headlines Briefs: Continued from page 8

time and time again displayed and practiced by our brave correctional employees.â&#x20AC;? Sandy has not said how or when the photo came to his attention. He also said that faith and community leaders were informed of the incident and were asked for their help to address it, including recommending changes or additions to the training program. It was released by the department with the faces of the trainees and others in the photo blurred. Division of Corrections Commissioner Betsy Jividen ordered all copies of the photo be destroyed or otherwise taken out of circulation, according to WCHS.

Joe Biden takes swipe at Bernie Sanders over idea to withdraw military aid from Israel Joe Biden told voters in Iowa that support for withdrawing military aid from Israel over its interactions with the Palestinians is â&#x20AC;&#x153;bizarre.â&#x20AC;? Biden was attacking Sen. Bernie Sanders, a fellow Democratic candidate for the 2020 presidential nomination in 2020, and others.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In terms of Bernie and others who talk about dealing with Zionism, I strongly support Israel as an independent Jewish state,â&#x20AC;? Biden said during a question-and-answer session with voters in rural northeastern Iowa, The Associated Press reported. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The idea that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d withdraw military aid, as others have suggested, from Israel, is bizarre. I would not do that. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like saying to France, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Because you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t agree with us, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to kick you out of NATO.â&#x20AC;? Sanders has said he would â&#x20AC;&#x153;absolutelyâ&#x20AC;? leverage the $3.8 billion in annual military assistance from the United States to Israel to pressure the Israeli government to act differently. Biden has called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions regarding the Palestinians â&#x20AC;&#x153;counterproductive,â&#x20AC;? and also called the Israeli leader an â&#x20AC;&#x153;extreme rightâ&#x20AC;? government official. He also has accused Palestinian leaders of instigating hatred against and attacks on Israelis.

Man injured in Chabad of Poway shooting sues Jewish center for lax security A man who was injured in the shooting attack at the Chabad of Poway is suing the Jewish center for not protecting its worshippers. Almog Peretz was shot in the leg in

the April 27 attack. His 8-year-old niece also was injured. Peretz was shot while gathering children in the synagogue and ushering them to safety. One woman was killed in the attack, and the synagogueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rabbi was shot and lost a finger. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges that the synagogue did not have proper security despite a rise in anti-Semitic attacks nationally and did not use a $150,000 government grant to upgrade security, the Los Angeles Times reported. Chabad of Poway received the grant a month before the attack because the synagogue â&#x20AC;&#x153;believed that it was at risk of an anti-Semitic attack on its congregants,â&#x20AC;? according to the lawsuit. On the day of the attack, the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doors were unlocked with no guards or other security measures in place, it says. Peretz plans to sue the gun store that sold the shooter his weapon, as well as the Chabad organization, Fox5 San Diego reported. Attorney Yoni Weinberg told Fox that the federal government had sued the Chabad of California in 2014 for not using grant money toward security. The accused gunman in the Poway shooting, John Earnest, 20, pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder. The murder charge is classified as a hate crime, making Earnest eligible for the death penalty. Earnest told a 911 operator

right after the attack that he did it to save white people from Jews. Chabad of Poway had no comment for either news outlet.

Bernie Sanders staff member who posted anti-Semitic and homophobic tweets â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;no longer with campaignâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; A newly hired staff member on Bernie Sandersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2020 presidential campaign left his job after reports surfaced about past anti-Semitic and homophobic tweets. Darius Khalil Gordon announced on Wednesday that he had joined the Sanders campaign team as deputy director of constituency organizing. The following day, the conservative news website the Washington Free Beacon reported that Gordon had posted anti-Semitic and homophobic tweets from 2010 to 2012. Gordon has since deleted his Twitter account. The Sanders campaign told CNN on Friday that Gordon was â&#x20AC;&#x153;no longer with the campaign.â&#x20AC;? A tweet from Sept. 22, 2010 preserved in a screenshot read â&#x20AC;&#x153;Working hard so one day I can make that Jew Money.â&#x20AC;? The Republican Jewish Coalition in a statement issued Friday afternoon called on the Sanders campaign to fire Gordon.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; PJC

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Opinion Trump’s SNAP judgement — EDITORIAL —

e subscribe to the view that justice must be tempered with mercy. That holds true for decisions made by judges, by government and by each of us. And it means looking carefully at the collateral impact of decisions that affect people’s lives, and taking those consequences into account. Last week, the Trump administration issued guidelines to eliminate some 700,000 people from benefits they currently receive from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). There are elements of the administration’s decision and its explanation that appear reasonable. But since the move ignores the dramatic consequences of the

cutbacks on the most vulnerable within our society, we think it is a mistake. SNAP is what used to be called “food stamps.” Over time, the food stamps program has proven to be the least costly, most direct way to help Americans facing poverty and hunger. Any reduction in food benefits necessarily means that more people will go hungry. And the elimination of hundreds of thousands of recipients from food benefits means that a lot of people will go hungry. As described by Mazon, the Jewish antihunger group, the cuts will affect the most vulnerable American communities: veterans, single mothers with school-aged children, those living in rural America and those living on Tribal Lands. “The new guidelines will deny SNAP benefits after three months

to adults without dependents who are unable to secure employment. The rule impacts not only single adults but also defines those without dependents as any parent with children over the age of 6,” according to Mazon. Provisions of the new rule are slated to take effect on April 1, 2020. The administration says the changes will save the country billions of dollars, that it will encourage recipients slated to lose benefits to find a job, and will replace a feeling of entitlement with one of dignity in paying their own way. While we can agree with the theory of the new rules, their very troubling impact fails to temper justice with mercy. For example, the new rule takes away the right of states to adjust benefits to local economic changes through waivers. And the new rules ignore the fact that, even

when the job market appears strong, there are many — who because of advanced age and insufficient education, chronic physical or mental illness, or the need to be a caregiver for elderly parents or sick children — cannot meet the new work requirements but still deserve support from a just and caring society. We join with those who have expressed concern about this decision, and its apparent tone deafness to the needs and challenges of vulnerable, low-income Americans, how they cope with the realities of employment, poverty, life and health demands, and the continuing human need for food and sustenance. We urge the administration to show more compassion, and to temper justice with mercy. PJC

I’m a proud British Jew troubled by Corbyn’s anti-Semitism problem — but I still voted for Labour Guest Columnist Nina Caplan

am a secular Jew and a lifelong British Labour Party voter — two allegiances that once intersected very comfortably. As so many of us do, I inherited my politics. Every time Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher was reelected, my mother and her friends held a full wake. I remember the moaning and the drinking, as if someone had actually died. She herself is no longer alive, so I cannot ask what she thinks of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, or of the accusations of anti-Semitism leveled at him and so many of his cohort. Suddenly, so many things that once were simple seem impossibly complicated. Brexit, the British push to leave the European Union, will deprive me of my right to live and work across the English Channel. I must choose, it seems, between being British and being European, when I thought I had the right to be both. Labour might just prevent Brexit. Yet here, too, I’m obliged to decide where my loyalties lie. Jews putting their Jewishness before allegiance to country is an anti-Semitic stereotype. And yet — how can I support an anti-Semite? I did not realize these essential aspects of my identity could be separated from one another. I am still not sure that they can be, without me breaking apart. The Conservative Party has its own problems with racism: Recently, Parvez Akhtar, the Conservative candidate for Luton South, called for Johnson to apologize for Islamophobic comments he has made in his newspaper columns. Johnson has also grossly insulted Africans and denigrated vulnerable groups, from single mothers to survivors of childhood sex abuse. To ignore all this just because he hasn’t made any comments disparaging Jews

12 DECEMBER 13, 2019

seems unwise, even dangerous. But anti-Semitic or racist comments by individual lawmakers aside, the U.K.’s current push to quit the European Union is an act of monumental self-harm: We would quit our biggest trading partner, the European Union, and give up our part in a project that was designed to prevent another war in Europe — and has mostly succeeded. Like an earthquake, Brexit has exposed the weaknesses and fractures the once-mighty British nation has desperately been trying to disguise. The fatal nostalgia for a former empire and the festering belief that we alone won the war, a plucky little nation overcoming the Nazi juggernaut. The ghastly failure of industry that has destroyed communities and fostered fear and insularity, while ineffectual or indifferent governments looked on. These malign forces are never kind to Jews. If we follow through with Brexit, we will almost certainly disunite the United Kingdom: Scotland, which voted 62% to remain, now wants another referendum on independence. Northern Ireland, which was also majority remainers, may end up quitting the U.K. and forming a united Ireland if our prime minister, Boris Johnson, gets to follow through on his current stated intention to create trade barriers between there and the mainland. Brexit is an act of harm to Britain’s Jews, too, because the best answer to racism is always solidarity. A peaceful Europe, trading and talking, is a Europe where the Holocaust could never happen again. I believe that as fervently as my forebears believed in the Torah. So, what to do? The accusations leveled at Corbyn are not mere politicking. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is investigating the allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. The only other party that has been investigated in this way by the EHRC was the far-right British National Party. If you take the far right out of the picture — and how I wish I could — I suspect that most of the people who voted for Brexit

have done so because they lack the tools to assess the misinformation fed to them by dishonest politicians, disaster capitalists and meddling Russians. They believe that a return to past isolation from Europe will be a return to solitary splendor. The splendor was real enough, but the solitude is a myth. Britain grew rich on the back of its colonies, and won two world wars with the help of those colonies — among other allies, including the United States. And so we come full circle. The people whose countries we conquered were mistreated then and their descendants, those who came here to make a better life for themselves, are mistreated now, while more recent arrivals are feared as criminals and job-takers by white Britons fed a bitter narrative of anti-immigrant rhetoric. A kingdom rips itself to pieces in its attempt to return to a prelapsarian self-sufficiency that never actually existed. Can Corbyn prevent all this? He is not a Remainer. He is what’s called a Lexiter, a leftwing pro-Brexiter: He believes in a socialist Britain that can only become a reality when we wrest ourselves from the global capitalist project that the EU represents. But, as the only possible prime minister other than Johnson, he is our best hope. He has, at least, promised a second referendum on whether Britain should leave the EU, and unlike Johnson, who lies as easily as he breathes and has been fired from jobs in politics and in journalism for untruthfulness, Corbyn would probably fulfill that promise. So, the vital question for a Remainer British Jew, however secular: Is Corbyn actually an anti-Semite? I don’t know. He is a champion of the Palestinians, which is fine by me: I hold anti-Israel sentiment to be very separate from anti-Jewish sentiment. But has Corbyn’s hatred for Israel spilled over onto the whole of world Jewry? It’s very possible. He has said that Zionists “don’t understand English irony” — a highly provocative statement,

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even if he denies that by “Zionists” he meant “all Jews.” I am not a Zionist, but if I were, sorry Jeremy, I would still be as English as you are. In 2012, Corbyn sent a supportive message to Mear One, the creator of a mural featuring a hook-nosed man counting money. He later apologized, claiming he had not looked at it properly. In a front-page editorial, the Jewish Chronicle (London) newspaper stated that a vote for Labour is a vote to discount the fears of British Jewry. A few days later, the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis echoed those sentiments in a front-page piece in The Times, saying Britain’s Jews are afraid of the consequences of a Corbyn government. These are not the voices that a secular Jew listens to. There are still staunch Jews within the Labour Party, and very many righteous Labour MPs who want no part in this sleaze. But there are also Jewish MPs who have quit the party entirely, citing racist abuse. But in the end, I’d rather fight Labour’s anti-Semitism from within Britain and within Europe. While some Labour leaders are keen to leave, the Conservatives are slavering to take us out, with or without a post-Brexit deal. So I cling to my hope for a Labour government that will hold a second referendum so that we can, freely and fairly, change this nation’s course. The Brexiters and I both want to go back in time. But I want to travel to pre-2016, when the Brexit referendum took place, not pre-1945, when the Holocaust did. In the end, I swallowed my bile and voted for Labour — because even a tarnished hope is better than none. PJC Nina Caplan is the author of “The Wandering Vine: Wine, The Romans and Me” (Bloomsbury), and a columnist at The New Statesman and The Times (of London). She has written op-eds for The Telegraph, The Evening Standard, The Guardian and JTA, where this article first appeared.

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Opinion Trapped by multiple narratives Guest Columnists Mark Fichman Ruth Fauman-Fichman

e recently visited Israel, accompanying four members of Congress — Jan Schakowsky (Illinois), Peter Welch (Vermont), Andy Levin (Michigan) and Deborah Halland (New Mexico) — and 11 J Street leaders. Our goal was to see and hear a wide range of views on the political relationships between Israelis and Palestinians. We did not visit historical, cultural and artistic sites except insofar as they shed light on the current political relationships between Israel and the Palestinians in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. We visited Yad Vashem and the Yitzhak Rabin museum to remind us and further educate us on the history of Israel and its origins in the Holocaust. We met settlers, leading Knesset members on the right and left, Palestinian Authority leaders, representatives from the Israeli Defense Forces, past members of security organizations Shin Bet

and Mossad, leaders from NGOs from Israel and the Palestinian areas, and our current U.S. Ambassador, David Friedman. Most of us had visited Israel many times before. The words we heard most frequently were not “peace,” “security,” “occupation” or “two states for two peoples.” The most frequently heard word was “narrative.” Every group and every occasion had a narrative. What do we mean by narrative? Everyone has their own unique view of the situation they face, guided by the history of their situation as they tell it. Hence, narrative. In our current times, narratives become valid accountings for those telling their story. All “facts” are viewed through a narrative lens. Some narratives we heard: Palestinians are terrorists. Palestinians are freedom fighters. The West Bank is Judea and Samaria is Areas A, B and C. Jewish settlers in Judea and Samaria are realizing the historical Jewish relation to Israel. Jewish settlers in the West Bank are taking lands that have been in Palestinian families for hundreds of years. These lands are seized by occupiers. These lands are taken lawfully. Palestinian villages have no access to water because they have not properly applied for a permit. These villagers are being driven from their homeland. Sadly, we are trapped by multiple narratives.

The many people we met, on all sides (there are not two sides; rather there are as many sides as there are narratives) are captive to these narratives. We would like to step back, set aside the narratives and focus only on what we saw and can agree that we see. Just the facts on the ground. We visited the city of Hebron in the West Bank-Judea and Samaria-Area C. The city is divided, with one section exclusively inhabited by Israelis. It is completely separated by soldiers, barbed wire and other modern military methods from the other sectors of Hebron, inhabited by Palestinians. The Palestinian residents who had previously lived close to the Israeli residents were moved to other Palestinian sections of Hebron. There are a significant number of Israeli soldiers patrolling the area to maintain separation, eliminate hostilities and keep the situation nonviolent. Each side tells a complex, aggrieved narrative about what happened in Hebron in the 1990s that resulted in the current set of arrangements. But the facts on the ground in the moment are clear: Two groups are kept separated by physical and military means from each other. Between 200 and 1,200 Israelis reside in roughly 20% of the city and roughly 200,000 Palestinian Hebron residents live in the

remaining 80% of the city. All movement into and out of Hebron requires movement through checkpoints with permits. One’s lawful movement is dictated by one’s status. Palestinian Hebron residents are governed by Palestinian Authority law and Israeli military law, while the Israeli residents are under Israeli civil law. Same space, different status. Those are the facts on the ground since 1994. We visited a small village called Susiya in the West Bank-Judea and Samaria-Area C. The villagers are historically (since at least since Biblical times) known as “cave dwellers.” They live in caves sometimes and at other times on their land. No matter where they want to stay, Susiya villagers have to receive permits from the Israeli military to stay there or receive water. On the day we visited, we watched as a waterline was being excavated 100 yards from their homes, to which they do not have access. Susiya will need a permit from the Israeli Water Authority for a connection to available water. There are now separate roads for Israelis and Palestinians, resulting in two separate highway systems in Judea and Samaria-the West Bank-Area C. There are checkpoints Please see Trapped, page 15

Leave the Holocaust out of your self-promotion, political agenda and profit-seeking Guest Columnist Jonathan Greenblatt

ere we go again: Two more cases of the abuse of Holocaust imagery have surfaced and created an international stir. In November, Russian figure skater Anton Shulepov wore an Auschwitz-themed costume during his free skating performance at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating event. To compound the offense, the International Skating Union listed it as a contender in the best costume category, which is open to voting from the public. After protests, the skating union quickly removed the Shulepov costume from its top list. That same day, Amazon announced it was removing holiday ornaments that displayed an image of the same Nazi concentration camp on the products from its marketplace. Unfortunately, Nazi analogies and imagery have been proliferating for some time. For more than a decade, inappropriate and offensive comparisons to the Holocaust have increasingly cropped up in popular culture in the United States. Sports and other celebrities have compared their personal struggles to those of Anne Frank or, at a traumatic time in their lives, make inappropriate comparisons to Hitler or the Holocaust to make a point. Then there is the use of Nazi analogies to make a political point. Sometimes it’s by pro-life

individuals who refer to abortion as worse than the Holocaust. Sometimes it’s by folks on the left who are troubled by Donald Trump’s behavior and refer to him as a second Hitler. And some, like Shulepov, are simply looking for attention. The use of concentration camp designs, the pinning of the Jewish yellow star and the very word Auschwitz definitely cause people to sit up. Each manifestation is offensive and insensitive in its own way. The use of Holocaust references by high-profile public figures such as entertainers trivializes history and the political use of the Holocaust stops civil discussion dead in its tracks. In each case, the attention seekers don’t think for a second about those who actually perished in the gas chambers. They all deserve repudiation. The murder of 6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children, is not a subject for glib analogies, lightheartedness or political exploitation. In calling out those who misuse the memory of the Holocaust, one must distinguish between the motives of the offenders. There are meaningful differences between those who must be called out for their evil intent, those who are undermining rational discussion about serious issues and those who are guilty of self-promotion at the expense of the victims of genocide. Are there occasions where it would be deemed legitimate to cite the Holocaust or compare something to those tragic events? Historical and political analysis surely leaves room for serious comparisons. In the popular sphere, however, it is far better to be cautious and generally avoid such usage.

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All this matters, not only because of the general debasement of facts and history, but because the Holocaust itself is either being questioned, ignored or complained about. Holocaust denial is alive and well in extremist circles. White supremacists like David Duke and Arthur Jones and Islamist extremists like Iran’s former leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad simply deny the Holocaust and claim it’s a fantasy foisted on the world by all-powerful Jews. ADL’s Global 100 Survey of 101 countries several years ago revealed that 45% of the respondents indicated that they had either

never heard of the Holocaust or weren’t sure. And ADL’s most recent poll of 18 countries showed that 30 percent of people believe that Jews talk too much about the Holocaust. The misuse of Holocaust analogies and imagery is not only a slap in the face to all those who died. It is also contributing to the trivialization and diminution of the understanding of those horrific events which are so important in making sure that such things never happen again. PJC Jonathan A. Greenblatt is CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League.

— LETTERS — Regulating hate As a former citizen of the totalitarian Soviet Union, where all freedoms were on paper only, I know that it is clearly a human rights violation when freedom of speech is abridged (“Should Facebook be regulated?” Dec. 5). Or is it? There is the well-known if unclear firein-a-crowded-theater rule. There are equally vague “imminent violence” limitations. There is, after all, understanding that the freedom of speech in the U.S. is strictly guarded only in the governmental transactions (how strictly you can ask James Rosen, a Fox News journalist who was persecuted by the Obama administration). Some of us still remember that the only non-governmental Nazi sentenced to hang by the Nuremberg Tribunal was Streicher, the publisher of Der Sturmer, a newspaper whose propagation of anti-Semitism merited his death sentence. So no, contrary to the Dobzinski and Talmy opinion piece, hate speech is fought not only by arguing against it. Sacha Baron Cohen is right demanding barriers to propagation of the hate ideologies whose lethality has been proven historically and no longer requires any “imminent violence” confirmation. Not allowing social media carriers like Facebook to become contemporary Der Sturmers is the least that can be done to prevent anti-Semitic violence.

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Michael Vanyukov, Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh DECEMBER 13, 2019 13

Headlines Goldberg: Continued from page 1

but there’s no cap to it.” The average cost to serve an individual with a consolidated waiver is $143,154, noted Peri Jude Radecic, CEO of Disability Rights Pennsylvania, in testimony to the Pennsylvania State Department of Human Services. Because of the financial abilities provided by a consolidated waiver, demand is high. Due to a funding shortage, however, individuals can spend years waiting for a consolidated waiver, said Karabin. As of May 31, 2019, 13,015 Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities, including 1,079 Allegheny County residents, were waiting for community supports and services, according to the PA Waiting List Campaign. Individuals, like Baker, who waited 13 years before receiving a consolidated waiver, can spend considerable time sitting on a list, explained Caitlin Lasky, JRS’ director of development and communications. Although a 13,015-person sum demonstrates tremendous need, the figure also represents some progress, as in April 2006 there were 24,500 people waiting for service, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs. For those on a waiting list, and lacking a consolidated waiver, it’s difficult to obtain residence in a CLA. When it came time to filling Goldberg House, each of the three men had a

consolidated waiver. With the support of their families, JRS and the Verland Foundation — which partnered with JRS on Goldberg House — Baker, Ginsburg and Steinberg moved into the yellowish brick ranch on Shady Avenue in 2014. At the time, other CLAs existed in the larger Pittsburgh area but Goldberg House was uniquely positioned to grant these individuals coveted independence and familiarity, explained Lasky. “Social capital is really important for people in general but specifically for people with disabilities because that really impacts their physical and mental health,” she said. “Being around community, where they grew up, is something that is really priceless.” Each day’s activities at Goldberg House represent a dedication to individual and communal existence. After waking in the morning — Baker, Ginsburg and Steinberg each have their own decorated bedrooms — the three residents eat breakfast and head out to day programs, jobs or activities. “The staff plans a lot for them, their families plan a lot for them,” said Karabin. “In some ways, it’s just like you or I that we have our interests or passions and we do them, but these are people who need a lot to get them to and from the activities and to help them.” Verland staff helps with dressing, bathing and transportation, and although Baker, Ginsburg and Steinberg have separate schedules, the group gathers regularly at sites like the Friendship Circle or Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh.

For the past five years, the three have volunteered monthly at the Jewish Family and Community Service Squirrel Hill Food Pantry. “Max, Jason and Kevin have become members of our family,” said Matthew Bolton, the pantry’s director. “These guys are so hard-working, and we all appreciate their sense of humor and dedication.” Each night, Baker, Ginsburg and Steinberg eat together in Goldberg House’s dining room. Meals are prepared in a large kosher kitchen, with two sinks and two dishwashers. Shabbat and Jewish holidays are regularly observed. On Sukkot, inside the backyard sukkah, homemade decorations are hung beside those gifted from friends and supporters. “There’s a lot that the house celebrates with the community, but there are a lot of things, like Chanukah coming up, that they like (to do) on their own,” said Karabin. “It’s a Jewish home with three very different Jewish people, which I think is a good analogy for the Jewish community, where we’re small enough that there’s room for everyone but they all come at it from different backgrounds.” A half-decade together has brought the Jewish men and their families closer. “Max, Kevin and Jason are now like siblings,” said Terry Feinberg Steinberg in a statement. “They’re loyal. They protect one another.” “There is support and camaraderie,” echoed Barbara Ginsburg in a statement. Goldberg House was achieved through the generosity and vision of Jane Yahr

Australia: Continued from page 1

Of course, it wasn’t simply the communities that are different. Perelman pointed out that being south of the equator changed more than just perspectives. Australians celebrate holidays in what we consider off-season. “They were going into spring and getting ready to celebrate Chanukah. People don’t think about how Jewish holidays are based on the seasons in Israel and the northern hemisphere, so to be there now was really interesting.” Andrew Horvitz, 26, was the youngest member of the group. “I thought the trip wouldn’t be as jam-packed as other trips I had been on because it was with older people,” Horvitz remembered with a laugh. “But every day we were up early and out late. It was a really good balance of learning about Australia and learning about Jewish Australia. I really enjoyed that we got to see both sides.” The mission left the United States on Sunday and, due to the time change, arrived in Australia on Tuesday. They spent their first hours in the country at a casino watching the Steelers best the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. At that point, “our primary goal was to stay awake and get onto the right schedule,” Shure said. “The trip really started the next day.” Melbourne has a Jewish community of 55,000, a number close to Pittsburgh’s 50,000. But the two communities differ in key ways. Melbourne has 11 Jewish days schools, compared to Pittsburgh’s three. Sixty-five percent of Jewish students, K-12, attend a 14 DECEMBER 13, 2019

p Pittsburghers down under in New Zealand.

Jewish day school — and most Australian students are not Orthodox. By contrast, Pittsburgh has 19% participation in its Jewish day schools. Of course, success is in the eye of the beholder. As Schiff noted in an email after the trip, “the Australians we met were busy lamenting that 15 years ago their percentage attendance levels were at 80%.” Shure had some familiarity with Jewish Australia. She recalled spending Shabbat morning at Beth Israel, a Melbourne congregation where Schiff served as rabbi before coming to the States. She noted how nice it

Photo provided by Sharon Perelman

felt to be at synagogue on the other side of the world yet feel completely comfortable. “It was right after the commemoration of the tragedy at the Tree of Life. They had Rabbi Schiff speak and invited our group up for an aliyah. It was a really nice thing to be a part of.” Aside from Melbourne, the mission spent time in Sydney. For Shure, seeing the not-for-profit organization Big Kitchen was a highlight of the trip. “Last year, they made over 80,000 meals and distributed them to disadvantaged Australians regardless of religion. We met

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and Barbara Goldberg, trustees of the Solomon and Sarah Goldberg Memorial Fund at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and nieces of Sarah and Solomon Goldberg, noted Lasky. Given Goldberg House’s success, JRS and Verland are opening a second CLA in Squirrel Hill in the spring. Located on Mt. Royal Road, the home will have a kosher kitchen, celebrate Shabbat and the Jewish holidays, offer 24-hour care and provide an opportunity for independence and integration similar to Goldberg House, she said. The hope with the Mt. Royal house is to follow the pattern of Goldberg House, and create bonds with neighbors, thereby fostering integration with the community at large. “One of the goals of JRS is inclusion, and it sounds very Pollyanna, but everyone benefits from inclusion,” Karabin said. “It’s not just the three guys that live at Goldberg house. It’s their parents and their grandparents and their siblings, and it goes out well beyond the immediate families. “I think sometimes people really overlook the things that people with disabilities, especially intellectual disabilities, can contribute to the community, but I think everyone is enriched by an inclusive community, not just the people that you think are the beneficiaries of that. I think the neighbors, the congregations, the program — I mean, we all benefit from it.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. with the rabbi that started it and his wife. I think people were really taken by it and the work they do.” The mission learned about other interesting facets of the Australian Jewish community. “There are more Holocaust survivors in Australia than anywhere outside of Israel,” Perelman pointed out. While the trip featured a strong educational component, it also allowed time for sightseeing and other activities, like scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the Sydney Opera House and climbing the Sydney Bridge. The various locations proved a logistical challenge that required multiple flights and bus rides. Even that, though, provided an opportunity for community building. “We were in New Zealand and went to learn about the culture of the Maori, the native people,” said Shure. “The woman driving the bus was a Maori. She said, ‘Wherever you’re from, I want you to sing a song.’ … An Israeli woman got up and sang ‘Hava Nagila’ and the whole bus started singing with her. It was so funny — you’re halfway around the world and find like-minded people.” Shure had been on previous missions, including Prague and Budapest and Israel. “Those trips were easy to understand,” she said. “This was a different type of trip and an opportunity to learn about a different Jewish community and it felt as connected as every other Jewish trip.” Oh, and as for kangaroo, according to the OK Kosher website, it is not kosher and was not sampled as part of the Foundation’s mission. PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Foster: Continued from page 3

boon to shelters because it frees up space and resources, she explained. “It helps us out greatly,” agreed Dan Rossi, Humane Animal Rescue’s CEO. “During the months of June, July and August, we will typically get between 800 and 1,000 cats in each month.” Those numbers are “overwhelming,” he said. “There’s no way that we can internally house that many cats or animals at that period of time.” Cheryl Johnson understands the predicament. After finishing work at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, she often visits the shelter’s adoption floor. Johnson began fostering five years ago, and since then has cared for approximately 30 cats and dogs. The regular feedings, cleanings and checkups are second nature now, but Johnson started slow. “I was actually a volunteer first. I was a cat cuddler and then I became a dog walker,” she said. Fostering felt “intimidating,” but Johnson underwent training, mentoring and orientation. Ultimately, she fostered two kittens and quickly learned the routine for keeping kittens on track. “Feed them, weigh them, make sure that they get up to weight in order to be spayed and neutered,” she said. Providing care for a newborn kitten or puppy, or even an older animal, is “a commitment,” said Zadjura. “It is work, but I do think that it is always worth it in the end.” Johnson agreed: “It’s really rewarding whenever you go from the beginning to the end to see the full life that maybe didn’t even have a chance but will now because of the love and care that you’ve put into it.” Given those benefits, Johnson plans on fostering indefinitely. She even admitted that although she’s never fostered reptiles or bunnies, she is open to the prospect: “I’m happy to take whoever.” Such willingness to lend a hand once resulted in more than the Penn Hills resident could literally carry. After an email sought takers for a litter of 10 kittens, Johnson decided to foster them all. The rationale was “even though they’re all going to get adopted to 10 different homes,

Trapped: Continued from page 13

throughout. Israelis and Palestinians are governed by different laws and rules. We were a few miles outside Gaza at an Israeli moshav (a cooperative town) and every house has a safe space they can access within seven seconds if there are rockets flying overhead from Gaza. Rockets flew overhead three days after our visit. The IDF maintains security in the West Bank-Judea and Samaria-Area C using walls and fences, checkpoints, travel restrictions. They enter Palestinians’ homes at night. This is a publicly stated IDF security policy. No Palestinian can enter Israeli towns/settlements without a permit.

p Another adorable kitten

p A resident gets a little extra TLC.

Photos courtesy of Humane Animal Rescue

I wanted to keep them together as long as I can,” she said. “They all have such different personalities, and they all play off of each other. It’s like having a big family, I guess. I just love seeing how they grow up together and who teamed up with who.” During the litter’s earliest stages, Johnson woke up every two hours for feedings. Losing sleep was an afterthought. If newborn kittens are brought in without a parent, that’s “what has to be done,” she said.

Rossi has had the same experience. About 10 years ago, he fostered a small group of kittens. The bottle babies required feeding every few hours, which presented a challenge to Rossi’s early morning routine, so he began taking the three kittens with him — including to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh. “I couldn’t leave them in the car while I was working out. I couldn’t leave them at home, certainly, and I didn’t want to miss

While in Susiya, Rep. Andy Levin tweeted about the water situation, wondering aloud why they could not get water in Susiya when water was being delivered to nearby houses. Levin was inundated by tweets, reflecting all the narratives we have studiously avoided here. He became popular/vilified very quickly as the Twitter onslaught began. The narrative arrows and plaudits came flying from many directions, including from the Israeli administrative authority COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) responsible for the West Bank. COGAT said: “We were surprised to read @AndyLevin‘s tweet. The pipe is part of a major water infrastructure project for the region and will serve all populations in the area, mainly the Palestinians. We regret that your hosts mislead you and misrepresented the situation.’’ No one

tweeted, including COGAT, that if for whatever reason there is no water for these people, something should be done to address their basic human need for water. In these several examples, we present the facts on the ground we and the members of Congress saw. In Hebron, Israelis and Palestinians live in radically different circumstances with far different resources and security arrangements. In Susiya, Palestinians simply can not get access to water. Near Gaza, rockets fly overhead and everyone has built a safe space in the event of rockets from Gaza. If you ask what is happening here and elsewhere, you plunge into a world of competing narratives. But in all these cases, the facts are clear. For all of us, these facts were difficult to grapple with emotionally. Whatever your

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my workout. So I actually started sort of sneaking them in and hiding them downstairs,” he said. Rossi’s plan of stashing kittens in a cubicle reserved for trainers, or somewhere designated for staff, worked until one morning when an employee at the front desk asked Rossi what he was carrying. When she saw the kittens, “she was like, ‘Oh, no, no, no, they gotta stay up here with me. I’ll take care of them,’” he recalled. Since then, JCC staffers have helped Rossi by holding his foster kittens and keeping them warm whenever needed. The partnership has also yielded long-term gains, as more than a dozen of Rossi’s fosters have been adopted by JCC members during the past 10 years. Often an attachment develops when people come into the building and see the kittens “advance from when their eyes aren’t open to them actually opening their eyes and starting to interact,” said Rossi. Growth during those early days occurs so rapidly; there’s something healing about engaging in the process, explained Johnson. It’s part of the reason she began bringing her kittens to the Federation after Oct. 27, 2018. Those weeks after the shooting at the Tree of Life building were extremely challenging, and sitting there with “this little purring kitten on your chest and just taking a break was really nice and helpful for me personally and for my colleagues who were under a lot of stress,” she said. “People would come over and just pick up a kitten and pet the kitten. We wouldn’t even have to talk.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

narrative, the facts are challenging. It is hard enough to change facts; it seems to be much harder to change narratives. Whatever the narrative, we must engage with these facts. People are living next to each other completely separated from each other. Maybe when we truly engage with the facts and strip away the narratives, there may be some hope of creating a common and better narrative. With that, maybe the facts can change for all for the better. PJC Mark Fichman is an emeritus associate professor of business at Carnegie Mellon University and is active in J Street Pittsburgh. Ruth Fauman-Fichman is an anthropological archaeologist who is currently an interpreter at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.

DECEMBER 13, 2019 15

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16 DECEMBER 13, 2019

Spanish Onions

49 lb.

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dietitian pick Sun Maid Pitted or Chopped Dates 8 oz.

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DECEMBER 13, 2019 17

Life & Culture

h a k u n a h C s a e d I t f i G 19 20

BY JESSE BERNSTEIN | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Photo by Chinnapong/iStockPhoto.com

t’s a late Chanukah this year — Dec. 22, practially right on top of that other holiday. But the good thing about a late-December Festival of Lights is it gives you plenty of time to figure out what you’re going to surprise your friends and family with this year, when all are gathered around the candlelight. In case you haven’t yet picked the perfect thing for your loved one, never fear: You still have time, and we’ve got some quirky, easily obtainable gifts that will hopefully delight the recipient. Please see Gifts, page 19

DECEMBER 13, 2019

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Chanukah Gift Ideas, 2019 Otterbox Phone Case The Otterbox phone case has been a really solid, functional Chanukah gift for a long time. They’re wonderfully durable, helping countless phones over the years survive all types of drops. The newest versions are thinner, and not quite as unwieldy as Otterbox cases of the past. They come in blue, pink, black and ocean green. Get it on amazon.com for $22.20.

You’re walking from your car to the store on a brisk December day, hands stuffed in your pockets, headphones snugly in your ears. You feel your phone buzz in your pocket with what must be an important email from work. In the past, you might have had to do the unthinkable: peel off your gloves in the slightly cold air to use your touch screen. But no longer! The knit touch-screen gloves allows you warmth and the ability to use your touch-screen phone, for $8.99 on amazon.com.

By Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman It’s only the best children’s book about the holiday! Follow Hershel as he braves a succession of increasingly fearsome goblins, intent on ruining Chanukah for the whole town. You can find “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” on amazon.com for $17.99.

Natural Beeswax Chanukah Candles All other images screenshots from websites.

Knit Touch-Screen Glove

‘Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins’

Take your chanukiah to the next level with the sweet, honey aroma of beeswax candles. They burn for over an hour, fit most candlesticks and come in packs of 45. Just $11.95 on amazon.com.

Please see Gifts, page 20

ER T S EGI

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh presents our Jewish Community Foundation’s annual

AY! D TO

d r i b w o n S s t n e v E

Snowbird Events

Longboat Key Tuesday, February 4 6:30 pm

The Sanctuary at Longboat Key 537 Sanctuary Drive

Boca Raton Wednesday, February 5 6:30 pm Boca West Country Club 20583 Boca West Drive

foundation.jewishpgh.org/snowbird or by calling Patti Dziekan at 412.992.5221

These are non-solicitation events. Minimum $500 commitment to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Campaign.

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DECEMBER 13, 2019 19

Chanukah Gift Ideas, 2019 Russ & Daughters New York Brunch

Ember TemperatureControl Smart Mug

Ready for this? This Russ & Daughters’ brunch for six, available on amazon.com for $140, includes one pound of Gaspe smoked salmon, one pound of all-natural cream cheese, six assorted bagels, one chocolate babka, one pound of custom roast coffee, one ceramic coffee cup and an insulated tote bag. No need to make the trek to New York! Bring Russ & Daughters wherever you want. This is an out of the box gift, but it’s a guaranteed splash.

This mug, which can be controlled with the Ember app, keeps your hot drink at the exact temperature you prefer (between 120 and 145 degrees). Set the mug on the charging coaster, and get an hour of battery life for the mug. Never take that unexpected lukewarm sip of coffee again. Get it on amazon.com for $69.90.

Maccabot

Fit Smart Yoga Mat

The Maccabot is a dancing Chanukah robot, presumably brought to life with the spirit of the holiday (also 3 AA batteries). It’s 8 inches tall, comes with spinning laser lights and plays “I Have A Little Dreidel,” “Chanukah Oh Chanukah” and “Al Hanisim.” All of this for $19.95 from traditionsjewishgifts.com.

It’s almost 2020, and you or someone you love haven’t given yoga a try yet? Rectify that with this ridiculously high-tech yoga mat that rolls itself up, gives you extra grip as you get sweatier and “comes with bonus yoga routines, powered by Women’s Health, that you can hear using your smart speaker.” Just $89.95 on amazon.com.

‘The Jewish Cookbook,’ by Leah Koenig Weighted Blanket

You can find every manner of chicken, brisket and other staples in Leah Koenig’s new cookbook, out this year from Phaidon. Better yet, many of the recipes are drawn from the far corners of world Jewry, rendered with love and beautiful color photographs. For $35.99 from Target, that’s a bargain.

We don’t make a commission from selling weighted blankets. But man, those things are awesome. These heavy, formhugging blankets have to be felt to be believed. Find one at laylasleep.com for $99.

Instant Pot The Instant Pot is nearly ubiquitous at this point, but there’s a reason for that: It’s awesome. A combined pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sauté, yogurt maker and warmer. Easy to use, easy to clean and extremely durable. Find an Instant Pot on amazon.com for $67.99.

Small Baby Blue Kiddush Cup The National Museum of American Jewish History Museum Store has a wealth of good options, even beyond Judaica. But we’re partial to this small silver-plated zinc Kiddush cup, hand-painted with rich blue enamel. Pick it up at judaicashop.net for $70. PJC 20

DECEMBER D ECEMBER 13, 13, 2019

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Life & Culture David Levine celebrates 20 sweet years of NuGo mortality from ischaemic heart disease,” wrote researchers in a 2019 World Health Organization bulletin. “Another systematic review found that palm oil consumption increased blood levels of atherogenic low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.” There are also environmental concerns, noted Levine, who founded his 20-year-old company with Keith Rohrlick and Steve Smith. Eighty-five percent of palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia, where, because of increased global demand, deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions, habitats for tigers, rhinos and orangutans are being increasingly depleted. It’s issues like these that have spurred Levine to preach the value of particular ingredients. Real dark chocolate allows consumers to truly enjoy the chocolate’s flavors, as well as benefit from antioxidants, whereas palm-oil substitutes mask taste and compromise texture, he said. Chemistry and geopolitics may seem like a lot to chew on, but Levine hopes people understand why they matter to NuGo. “It’s the basis of why we exist,” he said. “We make a product that is better for the world, better for you and truly tastes better.” NuGo employs about 25 full-time staff and has “sales and distribution in all 50 states,

— FOOD — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

quirrel Hill resident, cyclist and runner David Levine is on a quest that makes marathoning look easy. Levine, president and CEO of NuGo Nutrition, wants consumers to better understand the treats they eat. “In most healthy snacks in the United States that call themselves ‘dark chocolate’ there’s a fair amount of deceptive labeling going on,” said Levine. Unlike milk chocolate, which the Food and Drug Administration maintains must contain at least 10% chocolate liquor; not less than 3.39% milkfat; and at least 12% milk solids, dark chocolate lacks an FDA standard. This generates misunderstanding, explained Levine. Although many snacks purport to use dark chocolate, some “are not using the real ingredient,” he said. “Instead they are adulterating dark chocolate by taking out the natural cocoa butter and putting in palm oil.” Apart from a not-so-sweet switcheroo, the use of palm oil raises separate issues. “Although its negative health impacts are contested, a meta-analysis of increased palm oil consumption in 23 countries found a significant relationship with higher

p David Levine

Courtesy of NuGo Nutrition

May the warmth and brightness of the Chanukah lights fill your home!

Please see NuGo, page 22

5 PM Tot Shabbat Snacks & Schmooze 5:15 PM Tot Shabbat Hanukkah Service 5:45 PM Traditional Latke Hanukkah Congregational Dinner & Menorah Lighting We’ll have fresh latkes with all the ﬁxings, homemade old-fashioned tomato soup, and mixed greens salad! Bring your family Hanukkiot (Hanukkah menorahs), and we’ll practice lighting the ﬁrst candle so you’re prepared for the beginning of Hanukkah on Sun., Dec. 22.

Responds quickly and provides grants to Jewish individuals and families living in Western PA, with no expectation of repayment We welcome your support through referrals and tax deductible donations as we assist people throughout the year. 412.521.3237 | JewishAssistanceFund.org

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Cost: $10 (13+); $5 (4–12); Free (3 & under) Register online at www.TempleSinaiPGH.org no later than 5 PM on Tues., Dec. 17. 7 PM Shabbat Hanukkah Evening Service with Birthday Blessings 8:15 PM This year we’ve moved our hilarious Great Latke-Hamantash Debate to Hanukkah to give the latke a chance to shine! Our esteemed panelists include Mike Gordon, Dr. Barbara Burstin, and Rabbi Larry Freedman. Hilarity is guaranteed! Free & open to the public.

5505 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15217 (412) 421-9715 www.TempleSinaiPGH.org

DECEMBER 13, 2019 21

Life & Culture Henry Shapiro plays modern klezmer music with a nod to the past — LOCAL — By David Rullo | Staff Writer

radition has a vote, not a veto. Rabbi Mordeciai Kaplan’s paraphrased axiom might have been hanging on the studio walls as Henry Shapiro recorded his latest CD, “Klezmerati.” The album features traditional klezmer songs and original pieces written by Shapiro in the familiar style of the beloved Ashkenazi Jewish folk music, with slight nods to modernity and the musician’s individual  Cantor Henry Shapiro styling and influences. File photo The original American klezmer bands, popular in the early 20th century, consisted largely of violin, wind and brass instruments. They played dance halls and weddings for Jewish immigrant communities. As these immigrants had children that identified more with American culture than the Eastern European shtetls of their parents, the music waned in popularity. The next generation of Jewish musicians began to branch out into big band and jazz music. It wasn’t until the 1970s that klezmer music had a revival across Europe and the United States. The new klezmer bands were leaner than those of previous generations. In many cases the large brass sections were replaced by a bass player, clarinet and flute. In some cases, the guitar was now featured as a lead instrument to the music. It is against this backdrop that Shapiro, a guitarist, began playing the music. As he recounts it, the path to performing klezmer wasn’t a straight one. After

NuGo: Continued from page 21

and in about 18 or 19 countries outside of the U.S.,” said Levine. Expansion has enabled the company to appeal to consumers with specialized dietary preferences, such as gluten-free, low-sugar, high-protein or plant-based. Of particular pride, he added, is NuGo’s dedication to kosher eaters. “We committed from day one to making sure that all of our products were kosher,” said Levine. When a product is certified kosher, “it’s a symbol of quality,” he continued. “Obviously, I understood from the hechsher standpoint what it could provide. I also recognize that others outside the Jewish community recognize that maintaining a kosher symbol was a designation of quality, and I continue to hold that belief. I think it means more.” 22

DECEMBER 13, 2019

attending college, he started that he used the technique playing jazz and swing on several songs he wrote. music. It was only after he Other modern techniques began performing with a featured on the CD but group of musicians playing not heard in the original various types of folk music, music include bent notes including Eastern European more familiar in blues and and Appalachian/bluegrass, jazz compositions and that he slowly morphed guitar trills. into playing klezmer. “ K l e z m e r at i” was Asked why he decided to recorded last year before embrace the genre, Shapiro the shooting at the Tree of noted “it’s part of the Jewish Life building. Shapiro made American experience. I’m a a conscious decision to not Jewish musician and want to promote the album at that play traditional Jewish music.” time. Instead, he worked Like the second and third with the film maker Ken generation of America Love, composing music folk musicians that were for his new documenable to hear and play early tary “Jewish Memories of Appalachian and Southern Pittsburgh’s Hill District.” blues thanks to the work In fact, one of the original of musicologists that made pieces on the CD, “Road to field recordings of forgotten Zin” is used in the film. artists, Shapiro heard origThe song features a bass inal klezmer songs traded  Cover art for Cantor Henry Shapiro’s latest recording, line by Shapiro and piano Photo courtesy of Henry Shapiro bordering on jazz by Marilyn from musician to musician. “Klezmerati.” “They would pass these Lerner. According to the recordings, cassette tape to cassette tape, is it that makes the music characteris- composer, the song is evocative of a journey. that had gone through 50 copies. Everybody tically klezmer.” Its title makes reference to the smallest desert knew the songs.” That ornamentation often required in Israel and can be heard a few different ways. In fact, Shapiro explains, the tapes were so Shapiro to find new techniques on the guitar “Zin is a sonic, it’s only one letter from popular that you can often tell what recording for traditional elements of the music. both sin and Zen.” a musician learned a particular song from In klezmer, there is often a sound Shapiro Despite the original songs and modern based on the way he or she played the piece. calls a “crack.” This sound can be performed playing and recording techniques, Shapiro “It’s like the Bible — the trope and the on both the clarinet and violin but there is no had a simple goal. vowel markings are what you get from similar technique on guitar or other instru“I wanted to be absolutely true to the music. those records.” ments. As a result, Shapiro had to invent a I was calling it third wave klezmer at one point. Shapiro, too, transcribed songs by hand method to create a similar sound. I want it to be an authentic record, like you from those tapes, It was important to the “If you pre-bend the string, that’s a guitar took a time machine back from 2017 or ’18.” guitars that his originals felt like they thing, and go down and come back up again, “Klezmerati” is available to purchase on could have been played by those bands you’ll get the essence of that. The accordion Amazon and CD Baby as well as several whose music may have only been available though, can’t bend a note, so how do they local shops. PJC commercially on 78s or wax cylinders. get the sound? You can imitate it by playing David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ “Like any good musician I tried to get a double stop (two notes together).” the essence of the ornamentation and what Shapiro was so happy with the results pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

NuGo’s newest product, the NuGo Perfect Cookie, was introduced last month and is being marketed as “the only vegan and low-sugar protein cookie.” The pareve cookie is available in four flavors: dark chocolate chip, double dark chocolate, peanut butter and lemon poppy seed. Levine said the Perfect Cookie should appeal to a wide range of consumers given that it’s not only pareve “and delicious” but it contains less than 2 grams of sugar, has no artificial sweeteners, is made with 10 grams of plant-based protein and only vegan ingredients, and possesses between 5 to 7 net carbs, depending on the flavor. “It’s got all the bells and whistles,” he said. Coming up with the Perfect Cookie was simply an act of listening to what consumers desired, Levine continued: “Our mission at NuGo is we always want to maintain the integrity of the ingredients that we’re putting inside, and keep them at the highest level of fidelity possible.”

As much as Levine enjoys placing healthy snacks in people’s hands, he likes helping people in other ways as well. For close to two decades, NuGo has supported the Children’s Alopecia Project, a Pennsylvania based nonprofit that helps children with all forms of alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that often results in partial or total hair loss. “It’s just a really wonderful organization,” said Levine. “They’re not searching for the cure — that’s being done on a national level by other groups — they’re just making the children stronger and more confident, and explaining to other kids that don’t have alopecia that ‘Hey, these kids are just incredibly strong, wonderful individuals.’” Levine was introduced to the Children’s Alopecia Project after a friend’s daughter was diagnosed with the disorder. Since then, NuGo has supported the nonprofit in multiple ways, including most recently by purchasing a car so the organization “can travel around the country” raising

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awareness and bolstering children’s self-esteem, said Levine. Given the relationships that NuGo has developed with communities and consumers, Levine is proud of the last 20 years. “We’re very happy with what we’ve done and how we’ve grown, but we certainly have a whole lot more to accomplish,” he said, noting that he has plenty of good advice to rely upon. “I’ve always been fortunate enough to have around me some very wise and bright and hardworking co-workers. The one thing I’ve learned is that you’ve got to rely on the talent of others to make you better,” he said. “I’m just very excited to be able to continue to do that with all of my team around me. The executive team and everyone in the organization just makes me better every day.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Organization Directory Organizations: Continued from page 10 JEWISH WOMEN’S FOUNDATION OF GREATER PITTSBURGH The Jewish Women’s Foundation supports organizations that improve the lives of women and girls, with a focus on social change.

1620 Murray Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-727-1108; Fax: 412-681-8804 Website: jwfpgh.org Facebook.com/jwfpgh Email: jcohen@jwfpgh.org

Paula Garret, Lauren Goldblum and Joan Gurrentz, Co-Chairs; Elyse Eichner and Susan Leff, Small Grants Committee Co-Chairs; Paula Garret, Signature Grant Committee, Chair; Judy Greenwald Cohen, Exec. Dir. ••• JOINT JEWISH EDUCATION PROGRAM (J-JEP) Providing innovative learning experiences that inspire and prepare students to engage meaningfully in Jewish life

4905 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh PA 15213 Phone: 412-621-6566, ext. 111 Website: www.jjep.org Email: RabbiLF@jjep.org

Rabbi Larry Freedman, Director; Kate Kim, Assistant Director; Aaron Bisno, Rabbi; Sharyn Henry, Rabbi; Seth Adelson, Rabbi; Hal Coffey, Todd Roscoe and Betsy Schwartz, Co-Chairs. ••• KEHILLAH LA LA An inclusive community engaging members in creative Jewish experiences

Phone: 412-335-0298 Website: ravchuck.com Facebook: Kehillah La La Email: ravchuck@gmail.com, ravchuck@yahoo. com

Chuck Diamond, Rabbi and Executive Director; Fred Davis, President; Bobbi Gerson, Treasurer; Mickie Diamond, Secretary. ••• KOLLEL JEWISH LEARNING CENTER 5808 Beacon St. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-420-0220; Fax: 412-420–0224 Website: kollelpgh.org Email: info@kollelpgh.org

Rabbi Levi Langer, Rosh Kollel; Rabbi Doniel Schon, Associate Rosh Kollel; Philip Milch, Esq., President; Dr. Frank Lieberman, Vice President; Michael Kaminsky, Treasurer, Mark Sindler, Esq., Secretary; Rabbi Avrohom Rodkin, Director of Education; Stacie Stufflebeam, Director of Development ••• LADIES HOSPITAL AID SOCIETY 3459 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Phone: 412-648-6106; Fax: 412-692-2682 Website: lhas.net

President, Carole L. Kamin; Vice Presidents: Jackie Dixon, Peggy Smyrnes-Williams, Heather Ziccarelli; Secretaries: Denise Shipe, Judy Woffington; Treasurer, Cindy Kacerik; Directors: Brittany Holzer, Linda Melada, Jill Nolan, Denise Pochan, Ruth Rubenstein, Marcia Weiss, Gayle Zacharia. ••• LUBAVITCH CENTER SYNAGOGUE Chabad of Western Pennsylvania

2100 Wightman St. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 (Corner of Hobart & Wightman streets) Phone: 412-422-7300

Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld, Mr. Charles Saul, Esq., Pres.; Lior Shkedi, Vice President; Shmuel Huebner, Daniel Wein, Chaya Hoffinger, Chavie Goldshmid, Yosef Goldberg, Yosef Silverman, Arkie Engle, Shimon Zimbovsky, Board Members ••• NA’AMAT USA Pittsburgh Council (formerly Pioneer Women) A voice for Women and Children in Israel. Committed to gender equality, religious pluralism, the status of women in and out of the home, the prevention of domestic violence and education. We have moved from Tree of Life to Rodef Shalom – Please come visit us!!

4905 Fifth Ave (Inside Rodef Shalom) Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-521-5253 Cell: 412-303-5769 Website: naamatpgh.org • naamat.org Email: naamatpgh@gmail.com

Roselle Solomon and Dorothy Greenfield, Co-Presidents; Barbra Bowman-Labbie, Fundraising VP; Judy Kobell, Treasurer; Natalie Rosenbloom & Rhoda Judd, Recording Secretary; Barbara Caplan & Elinor Young, Correspondence Secretary; Gail Neft & Diana Spodek, American Affairs & Allied Activities VP; Gloria Elbling Gottlieb, Julian Elbling & Carole Wolsh, Spiritual Adoption/Scholarship Chair; Lisa Steindel, Past President; Jackie Braslawsce, Executive Director. ••• NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN Pittsburgh Section

1620 Murray Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-421-6118; Fax: 412-421-1121 Website: ncjwpgh.org

Teddi Horvitz, Pres.; Lynn Farber, V.P.; Paula Garret, Treas.; Debbie Levy Green, Imm. Past. Pres.; Cristina Ruggiero, Exec. Dir.; Megan Rose, Director of the Center for Women (a joint project of NCJW and the JWF); Misi Bielich, Director of the Children’s Rooms in the Courts; Meredith Brown, Manager of Programs and Operations; Lynn Tomasits, Director of Retail-Thriftique; Amy Herlich, Dir. of Development ••• NEW COMMUNITY CHEVRA KADISHA OF GREATER PITTSBURGH Email: NewCommunityCK@verizon.net Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/NCCKPGH/ Website: www.ncckpgh.org Phone: 412-422-8044

•••

NEW LIGHT CONGREGATION/ OHR CHADASH Conservative, Egalitarian • Come Join Us

5915 Beacon Street Pittsburgh PA 15217 Phone: 412-421-1017 Website: newlightcongregation.org

Jonathan Perlman, Rabbi; Barbara L. Caplan, Stephen Cohen, co-presidents; Marilyn Honigsberg, Administrative Assistant.; Janet Cohen, Corresponding Secretary; Debbie Salvin, Membership V.P.; Barbara Caplan, Social V.P.; Harold Caplan, Treasurer; Carl Solomon, Fin. Secy.; Ileen Portnoy, Secy.; Sharyn Stein, Sisterhood Pres.; Harold Caplan, Men’s Club Pres. ••• PARKWAY JEWISH CENTER Egalitarian Conservative Synagogue in the East Suburbs

300 Princeton Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15235 Phone: 412-823-4338; Fax: 412-823-4338 Website: parkwayjewishcenter.org Email: parkwayjc@verizon.net

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Cantor Henry Shapiro, Spiritual Leader; Robert Caplan, Lynda Heyman, Hal Lederman, Executive Committee; Laurie Barnett Levine, Sisterhood Pres.; Rick Sternberg, Office Manager. ••• PASTE Pittsburgh Association of Synagogue and Temple Executives

Drew Barkley (Temple Sinai), President; Leslie Hoffman, Treasurer (Temple Emanuel of South Hills); Barb Feig, FSA (Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha); Lisa Rothschild (Adat Shalom Synagogue); Steve Hectht (Beth El Congregation of the South Hills ), Ken Turkowitz (Congregation Beth Shalom), Barbara Wilson (Beth Samuel Jewish Center), Barry Weisband (Rodef Shalom Congregation). ••• PENN STATE HILLEL 114-117 Pasquerilla Spiritual Center University Park, PA 16802 Phone: 814-863-3816 Email: Hillel@psu.edu Website: pennstatehillel.org

Executive Director: Aaron Kaufman; Chair: Jill Epstein, First Vice President, Wealth Management, Wealth Advisor, UBS; ViceChair: Todd Goodstein, Owner, Energy Transfer Solutions, Inc.; Secretary: Cindy Ruben; Treasurer/Finance Chair: Jeffrey Ruben; WSFS Mortgage. •••

V.P.; Richard Levine, 2nd V.P.; Nathaniel Scholnicoff, 3rd V.P.; Rabbi Ari Goldberg, Fin. Officer; Shifra Poznanski, Rec. Secy.; Todd Stufflebeam, Exec. Dir.; Shifra Poznanski, Stacie Stufflebeam & Naama Lazar, Sisterhood Presidents; Shmuel Isenberg, Men’s Club Pres. ••• RAUH JEWISH HISTORY PROGRAM & ARCHIVES AT THE SENATOR JOHN HEINZ HISTORY CENTER Preserving the History of Western Pennsylvania’s Jews

1212 Smallman St. Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Phone: 412-454-6406 Websites: heinzhistorycenter.org/collections/ rauh-jewish-history-program-and-archives; jewishfamilieshistory.org; jewishhistoryhhc.org Email: RJArchives@heinzhistorycenter.org Eric Lidji, Director, eslidji@heinzhistory-center. org; Adam Reinherz, Chair

•••

RIVERVIEW TOWERS APARTMENTS Live Life Your Way

52 Garetta St. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-521-7876; Fax: 412-325-7041 Website: riverviewtowers.com

Amy Weiss, Chair, Mitchell Pakler, Vice, Barry Roth, Secretary, Alec Stone, Treasurer, Debbie Winn-Horvitz, Hanna Steiner, Executive Director. •••

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE Connecting Jewish Pittsburgh

RODEF SHALOM CONGREGATION An Inclusive Reform Jewish Community, LGBTQ+ Safe Zone, & Fully Accessible Gathering Place

5915 Beacon St., 5th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15217-2005 Phone: 412-687-1000; Fax: 412-521-0154 Website: pittsburghjewishchronicle.org Email: newsdesk@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

4905 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Phone: 412-621-6566; Fax: 412-687-1977 Website: rodefshalom.org Email: info@rodefshalom.org

Evan Indianer, Chairman; Gayle R. Kraut, Secretary; Jonathan Bernstein, Treasurer; David Ainsman, Immediate Past Chairman; Gail Childs, Elizabeth F. Collura, Dan Droz, Milton Eisner, Malke Steinfeld Frank, Seth Glick, Tracy Gross, Tammy Hepps, Richard J. Kitay, Cátia Kossovsky, Andi Perelman, David Rush, Charles Saul, Evan H. Stein, Board Members; Jim Busis, CEO and Publisher; Liz Spikol, Acting Editor-in-Chief. ••• PLISKOVER ASSOCIATION, INC. Pliskov Landsleit org, manages Pliskover Cemetery

P.O. Box 8237 Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Website: pliskover.com Email: pliskover@pliskover.com

Kimball Rubin, President; Bruce Ibe, 1st Vice President; Pam Ludin, Vice President of Budgets, Investments, and Audits; Carole Rubenstein, Vice President of Marketing; Steven Speck, Vice President of Membership; Honey Forman, Vice President Scholarship and Special Events; Jared Kaufman, Treasurer; Cheryl Kaufman, Financial Secretary; Joel Dresbold, Recording Secretary. Anastasia Abramson, Marilyn Brody, Marshall Cohen, Cookie Danovitz, Andrew Pearl, Frank H. Rubin, Paula Rubin, Gloria Shapiro, Ruth Stock Zober, Board Members. ••• CONGREGATION POALE ZEDECK 6318 Phillips Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-421-9786 Website: pzonline.org Email: info@pzonline.org

Rabbi Daniel Yolkut, Spiritual Leader; Dr. Louis Felder, Pres.; Joe Ungar, 1st

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Aaron B. Bisno, Rabbi; Sharyn H. Henry Rabbi; Dr. Walter Jacob, Rabbi Emeritus & Senior Scholar; Barry D .Weisband, Exec. Dir.; Karen Brean, Pres.; David Kalson, Sr. V.P.; Alex Heit, Margot Cavalier, V.P.s; Bob Rosenthal, Secy.; Eric Kruman, Treas.; Joel Katz, Asst. Treas.; Dir.; Mimsie Leyton, Family Center Dir.; Rabbi Lawrence Freedman, Dir. of J-JEP; Amy Langham, Dir. of Finance & Admin; Stephanie Rex, Dir. of Communications & Marketing; Yael Eads, Dir. of Informal Jewish Life; Mayda Roth, Dir. of Development. ••• RODEF SHALOM BROTHERHOOD

Thomas Litman, Pres.; Peter Rosenfeld, Edward Mandell, V.P.s; Richard Meritzer, Brotherhood Treas.; Al Rosenfeld, Brotherhood Rec. Secy. ••• WOMEN OF RODEF SHALOM

Teri Cowan, Pres.; Sandie Brand, Marjorie Goldfarb, Goldie Katz, Elaine Rybski V.P.s; Terri Sterrett, Rec. Secy.; Sheila Werner, Assist. Rec. Secy.; Phyllis Feinert, Corr. Secy.; Emmeline Silk, Assist. Corr. Secy.; Gail Lefkowitz, Treas.; Nancy Rosenthal, Assist. Treas.; Marilyn Caplan, Karen Hochberg, Marla Perlman, Ruth Rubenstein, Directors; Marion Damick, Parliamentarian. ••• SHAARE TORAH CONGREGATION At the gateway to the community — come visit or join our family

2319 Murray Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-421-8855; Fax: 412-521-9938 Rabbi: 412-377-1769 Website: ShaareTorah.net Email: Office@ShaareTorah.net

Please see Organizations, page 24

DECEMBER 13, 2019 23

Organization Directory Organizations: Continued from page 23 Email Sisterhood: dorseyhannahb@aol.com

Daniel E. Wasserman, Rabbi; Eliezer M. Shusterman, Assoc. Rabbi; Jonathan Young, Pres.; V.P. Adam Rothschild; Secy. Linda Tashbook; Treasurer, Avram Avishai; Brian Cynamon, Jay Luzer, Salomon Murciano and Bryan Shuman, Gabbaim; Sisterhood Pres., Hannah B. Dorsey. ••• TEMPLE B’NAI ISRAEL A Friendly Progressive Congregation with Traditional Values

2025 Cypress Drive White Oak, PA 15131 Phone: 412-678-6181; Fax: 412-896-6513 Website: tbiwhiteoak.org Email: tbioffice@gmail.com

President: Janice Greenwald; Vice President: Dick Leffel; Secretary: Lindi Kendal; Treasurer: Steve Klein; Office Manager: Lisa C. Schonberger; Rabbi: Paul Tuchman. ••• TEMPLE DAVID CONGREGATION Making our house of prayer, learning and gathering into your second home.

4415 Northern Pike Monroeville, PA 15146 Phone: 412-372-1200; Fax: 412-372-0485 Weiger Religious School 412-372-1206 Website: templedavid.org Email: tdoffice@templedavid.org

Barbara AB Symons, Rabbi; Jason Z. Edelstein, Rabbi Emeritus; Beverly Reinhardt, Office Mgr.; Rabbi Barbara Symons, Dir. of Education; Barbara Fisher, School Admin. Assist.; Reena Goldberg, Pres.; Vacant, Exec. V.P.; Harvey Wolfe, Fin. V.P.; Melissa Cooper, Religious School V.P.; Bruce Antonoff, Worship & Ritual V.P.; Kay Liss, Past Pres.; Brett Pechersky, Comptroller; Jay Goodman, Rec. Secy.; Alisa Chotiner, Treas.; Mary Bendorf, Fin. Liaison. •••

TEMPLE EMANUEL OF SOUTH HILLS Emanu-El – “God is with Us” ... in our community ... in our families ... in our words and deed, hearts and souls

1250 Bower Hill Road Pittsburgh, PA 15243-1380 Website: templeemanuelpgh.org Facebook: facebook.com/templeemanuelpittsburgh Twitter: @TEPGH

Aaron C. Meyer, Senior Rabbi; Jessica Locketz, Rabbi and Director of Education; Mark Joel Mahler, Rabbi Emeritus; Iris Harlan, Early Childhood Development Center Director; Leslie Hoffman, Executive Director; David Weisberg, President; David Rullo, Vice President; Beth Schwartz, Vice President; Lisa Steinfeld, Vice President; Jeffrey Young, Vice President; David Hepps, Financial Secretary; Tracy Barnett, Treasurer; Michelle Markowitz, Treasurer; Mary Cothran, Secretary.

TEMPLE OHAV SHALOM A vibrant, inclusive Reform community in the North Hills

Simon, Assistant Treasurer; Sarah Pfeffer, Secretary; Michael Eisenberg, Immediate Past President. TREE OF LIFE*OR L’SIMCHA MEN’S CLUB

8400 Thompson Run Road Allison Park, PA 15101 Phone: 412-369-0900; Fax: 412-369-0699 Website: templeohavshalom.org Email: jleicht@templeohavshalom.org

Jeremy R. Weisblatt, Rabbi; Sandy Stover, Preschool Dir.; Jackie Leicht, Temple Admin.; Sara Stock Mayo, Director of Ruach and Music; Arnie Begler, Pres.; Ellen Sapinkopf, Immediate Past President; Allan Jones, Treas; Ken Eisner, VP Administration Cindy Harrison, VP Fundraising; Herb Cohen, VP Membership; Aaron Brauser, VP Lifelong Learning; Beth Mongilio, VP Social Action; Sam Joseph, VP Youth; Alysia Knapp, Corresponding Secy.; Rhea Marinstein, VP Spiritual Enrichment; Ian Halper, Rec. Secy.; Andi Turkheimer, Member at Large; Brian Kline, Member at Large, Rebecca Mason, Member at Large; Seth Corbin, Member at Large; Mike Daninhirsch, Men’s Club; Julia Cohen & Kristi Karsh, Women of Ohav. ••• TEMPLE SINAI 5505 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-421-9715; Fax: 412-421-8430 Website: templesinaipgh.org Email: office@templesinaipgh.org

Bob Fierstein, Co-President; David Lilien, Co-President/Treasurer; Michael Eisenberg, Harold Lessure, V.P.s; David Dinkin, Ritual Committee Chair; Irwin Harris, Immediate Past President. •••

YOUNG JUDAEA WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA REGION Young Judaea is a Jewish Zionist Youth Movement operating year-round youth activities, volunteering and leadership development, summer camps for children and teens; programs to Israel for teens during the summer, Israel Gap year following high school and college programs.

Kara Spodek, Co-President, Stacey Hausman, Co-President •••

Contact: Sharon Schoenfeld, Director of Year-Round Programs Phone: 646-292-2388 Website: youngjudaea.org Email: pghyj@youngjudaea.org, info@youngjudaea.org

TREE OF LIFE*OR L’SIMCHA SISTERHOOD

TRI-STATE REGION FEDERATION OF JEWISH MEN’S CLUBS

Alex Kiderman, President, Robert Fierstein, David Lilien, Jeremy Broverman, Steve Haberman, Ira Frank, Vice Presidents; Mark Frisch, Secretary; Michael Rosenberg, Treasurer, Irwin Harris, Immediate Past President. Rabbi Seth Adelson, Spiritual Advisor. ••• WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AUXILIARY FOR EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE To help make a better life for those less fortunate.

Phone: 412-421-4690

James A. Gibson, Sr. Rabbi; Keren Gorban, Associate Rabbi; Laura Berman, Cantor; Drew Barkley, Executive Dir.; Marilee Glick, Ed. Dir.; Saul Straussman, President; Alison Yazer, 1st Vice President; Stephen Jurman, 2nd Vice President; Elizabeth Collura, 3rd Vice President; Jerry Katz, Treasurer; Mara Kaplan, Assistant Treasurer; Lynn Rubenson, Secretary; Josh Lederer, Financial Secretary; Immediate Past President: Philip Lehman. ••• TIPHERETH ISRAEL CEMETERY Oakwood Street Shaler Township, PA 15209 Send correspondence to: 2233 Ramsey Road Monroeville, PA 15146 Phone: 412-824-7460 Email: adamwgusky@yahoo.com

President, Harvey Wolsh; Vice President, Adam Gusky; Secretary & Treasurer, Judy Gusky. ••• TREE OF LIFE*OR L’SIMCHA CONGREGATION 5898 Wilkins Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15217-1299 (Current Office, Shabbat services, operations and deliveries at Rodef Shalom, 4905 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213) Phone: 412-521-6788 Website: treeoflifepgh.org Email: office@treeoflifepgh.org

Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey S. Myers, Alvin K. Berkun, Rabbi Emeritus; Barb Feige, Executive Director; Alex Speck, Program Director; Sam Schachner, President; Carol Sikov Gross, President Elect; Alan Hausman, Vice President; Irwin Harris, Vice President; Stacey Hausman, Treasurer; Ben

Shimon Silver, Rabb; Rocky Wice, President 412-260-9694, Email: rocky770@gmail.com •••

Rabbi, Eli Hershman; Fargotstien. •••

Seidman; Treas., Marian Activity Director, Ruth

YESHIVA SCHOOLS 70 Years of Changing the World for Good

Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld, Dean; Howard Balsam, Chair of the Board; Shlomo Jacobs, President; Charles Saul, V.P.; Chaya Engle, Benny Greenberg, Donna Katz, Chaim Oster, Yonason Sanford, Board Members; Rabbi Yossi Rosenblum, Educational Director Mrs. Blumi Rosenfeld, Assist. to the Dean; Rabbi Chezky Rosenfeld, Director of Operations; Rabbi Manis Frankel, Boys School Principal; Rabbi Elimendy Shusterman, Boys High School Principal Mrs. Mindy Small, Boys General Studies Dir.; Mrs. Batsheva Deren, Girls School Principal; Mrs. Nami Friedman, Girls Assist. Principal; Mrs. Leah Shollar, Girls School General Studies Dir.; Mrs. Chaya Sara Barrocas, The Early Learning Center Director. •••

5831 Bartlett Street Pittsburgh PA 15217 Phone: 412-421-0508 Email: halochoscope@hotmail.com

YOUNG PEOPLES SYNAGOGUE 6404 Forbes Ave. P.O. Box 8141 Pittsburgh, PA 15217-8141 Phone: 412-421-3213 Website: yps-pgh.org Email: Rebecca.spiegel1@verizon.net

Rebecca Spiegel, President; Diane Spodek, Treasurer; Vice President: Steven Santman; Bima Officers (3-month rotation): Rabbi Richard Marcovitz, Marc Pomerantz, Harold Scheinman, Alexander Orbach; Secretary, Heather Harr; Gabbaim, Allen Spiegel and Harold Scheinman; Allan Zeman, Chairman of the Board. ••• ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA: PITTSBURGH ZIONISM — The right of the Jewish people to live in their Jewish homeland in peace.

2100 Wightman St. Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-422-7300; Fax: 412-422-5930 Website: yeshivaschools.com Email: mail@yeshivaschools.com

YOUNG ISRAEL of PITTSBURGH/ CONGREGATION SHAARE ZEDECK Orthodox

Youth Advisor: Chaim Steinberg; Committee: Sharon Ackerman, Barbara Baumann, Karen Morris. •••

6507 Wilkins Ave., Suite 102 Pittsburgh, PA 15217-1367 Phone: 412-665-4630 Email: stuart.pavilack@zoa.org

Stuart V. Pavilack, Executive Director; Jeffrey L. Pollock, Esq., President; Stephen A. Neustein, Esq., First Vice-President; Lawrence N. Paper, Esq., Vice President; Andrea Chester, Vice President; Jason Small, Treasurer; Julie Paris, Asst. Treasurer; Judy Kobell, Recording Secretary; Lyn Silverman, Corresponding Secretary; Ira M. Frank, Immediate Past President. Board members: Jeanne Bair, Hirsh Dlinn, Julian Elbling, Alexandra Greenberg, Rhonda Horvitz, Linda Hurwitz, Gerald Kobell, Esq., Linda Safyan, Charles Saul, Esq., Dee Selekman, Joe Titelbaum, Sibyl Treblow, Helene Wishnev, Dr. Murray Gordon, Michael Vanyukov, PhD., Richard Wice, David Weisberg Please send corrections, changes and additions to orgsdirectory@pittsburgh jewishchronicle.org. PJC

IT’S amazing WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR.



Selling? Buyers are flocking to the To advertise, call 412.687.1047. 24 DECEMBER 13, 2019

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Life & Culture Tony Shalhoub grew up in a Lebanese family in Wisconsin. He draws on that to play his Jewish ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ character.

p Tony Shalhoub plays Abe Weissman and Marin Hinkle portrays his wife, Rose.

p Tony Shalhoub filming “Monk” in New York City.

the story of the upper-middle-class Jewish family at the heart of the show does not feel so different from his own upbringing. By Emily Burack | JTA “I was a young kid during this period. I have very vivid memories of my father and n a recent snowy afternoon, Tony his friends and my friends’ parents, and it Shalhoub is drinking tea in a room just feels kind of strangely familiar to me,” at the Whitby Hotel in Midtown Shalhoub told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Manhattan. He’s in the midst of a long press His dad, Joe, immigrated from Lebanon day promoting season 3 of “The Marvelous at 8 years old, and his mom, Helen, was a Mrs. Maisel,” and he just wants to get second-generation Lebanese-American. comfortable. So he gets up before the inter- Shalhoub was the ninth of 10 kids, and his view begins to turn up the room’s thermostat. father drove a refrigerated truck to sell meat. “Now it’s good,” he says in his “There’s a lot of my dad in this portrayal,” smooth, deep voice. Shalhoub said, despite the differences on The move fits Shalhoub’s thoughtful paper between Abe and Joe. “Like Abe, my personality — he speaks in careful, father wasn’t interested [in], or impressed measured sentences — and it’s also some- with, show business. My mother was the thing his exacting, intellectual character on opposite — she loves movies and theater and the show might do. music. But he was a little bit more pragmatic. As Abe Weissman, a neurotic but lovable That side of him is reflected in this character.” Columbia math professor, and the titular In a time of tricky debates about repreMrs. Maisel’s father, Shalhoub steals most of sentation — for example, should only the scenes he’s in. His character’s tone ranges Jewish actors play Jewish characters? Does from comically flustered to darkly serious, it matter? — Shalhoub says he isn’t worried and it’s capable of eliciting laughter, anger or about the role and has not received any sadness in quick succession. pushback. He is immediately believable as Last season, his portrayal won Shalhoub an a late 1950s New York Jewish dad — see Emmy and a SAG Award. The 66-year-old actor his enthusiasm at a Yom Kippur service in attributes the success to a certain humorous season 2 for some evidence. article of clothing (more on that later). “People who I meet on the street, or who Despite growing up the son of Christian are fans of the show, [tell me] ‘Oh, you Lebanese immigrants in Green Bay, remind me of my father’ or ‘you’re my uncle Wisconsin — about as far culturally as so-and-so,’” Shalhoub said. “It’s the way these one can get from the Upper West Side of writers have made these characters.” “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” — Shalhoub says He’s not surprised by the continued success of “Mrs. Maisel,” which has earned numerous Golden Globes and Emmys. “I can only assume that people want to revisit this time period and get out of the present. I mean, they need a little respite,” he said. Shalhoub is hitting on something that likely contributes to the popularity of “Mrs. Maisel”: the beautiful, colorful costumes, the lush old-time sets and the retro lingo creates an escapist p Tony Shalhoub’s one-piece romper in season 2 product in 2019. was a comedic sensation. Photo courtesy of Amazon Prime via JTA In season 3, the protagonist

Midge, a stand-up comedian learning on the job, goes on tour, and the show travels to Las Vegas and Miami. Much of Abe’s storyline in the first half of the new season focuses on leaving his comfort zone as he tries to figure out the world of entertainment that his daughter now finds herself in. Still, growing up a Lebanese kid from Green Bay, did he ever think he would play a role like this? Shalhoub laughs before responding. “I didn’t really think about it. I mean, I didn’t really think that I would be an actor,’ he said. “I didn’t really imagine that was such a viable avenue to pursue.” Pursuing acting has turned out to be more than viable. After his breakout role as an Italian cab driver, Antonio Scarpacci, in the NBC sitcom “Wings,” he went on to win three Emmys for his portrayal of detective Adrian Monk in the comedic procedural “Monk” (he was nominated eight consecutive years). Shalhoub has also had some notable roles in film: He was a chef in the Stanley Tuccidirected “Big Night” (1996); an FBI agent in a Denzel Washington thriller “The Siege” (1998); and a reformed villain in the “Spy Kids” series (2001, ’02 and ’03). On top of it all, he’s also had a critically acclaimed career on Broadway. In 1989, he met his now wife, the actress Brooke Adams, when he starred in the Pulitzer Prizewinning play “The Heidi Chronicles.” Perhaps his best-known Broadway role is as Tewfiq Zakaria in “The Band’s Visit,” which swept the Tony Awards in 2018. In the musical, which is based on an Israeli film about an Egyptian police band that gets lost and ends up in a small Israeli desert town, Shalhoub plays the bandleader. During his Tony acceptance speech for best lead actor in a musical, he talked about his father coming as a child from Lebanon to Ellis Island in 1920, and ended with a message to the children of immigrants: “May we, their descendants, never lose sight of what they taught us.” For nearly two years, Shalhoub went back and forth between working on the Broadway show and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” The musical premiered Off-Broadway in November 2016; the pilot for “Maisel” aired the following spring, in March 2017,

Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios via JTA

— TELEVISION —

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WireImage/Getty Images via JTA

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Photo by James Devaney/

with season 1 debuting on Amazon Prime in December of that year. The Broadway version of “The Band’s Visit” began previews in October 2017. Shalhoub recalls how much fun he had alternating between the two roles: the Egyptian general Tewfiq and the Jewish mathematician Abe. “I loved being that busy,” he said. “There was even a month leading up to the Tonys, when the Tony voters were coming, where I was doing both at the same time. I was shooting [Maisel] in the day and going in and doing the show at night. It was amazing. It was like splitting your brain in two.” The different wardrobes helped him switch from one character to the other. When he donned Abe’s sweaters, Abe emerged. At the theater, putting on the Egyptian band’s powder blue uniform, he got into the headspace of Tewfiq. “You just you sort of step out of one world into another. That’s what makes the work endlessly fascinating,” he said. Asked about his most iconic “Maisel” costume — the workout romper that Abe wears on summer vacation in the Catskills in season 2 — Shalhoub interrupts before the question is finished. “People seem to love the romper!” he exclaims. “I loved it,” he continued. “It’s a whole other part of Abe, outside of his normal routine in New York. He’s up in the country, he’s by the lake. He’s drinking more — he’s having tomato juice every day. He’s in the fresh air. You see this whole other side of him. “But I have to say, people asked me about the Emmy Award and the SAG award, I attribute that to the romper. I owe that to Donna [Zakowska], our costumer.” Really? “I do, because really I don’t think anyone else in my categories had the chance to wear a romper,” he said. “That set me apart.” For Shalhoub, the Abe role isn’t only about humor. “It’s what’s so incredible about our country and our industry that I — being a Lebanese kid from Green Bay — could end up portraying this kind of character,” he said. “There’s just … something sort of magical about that.” PJC DECEMBER 13, 2019 25

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Celebrations

Torah

Engagement

Wrestling and prevailing

Ria David and Dr. Mark Perlin of Squirrel Hill are delighted to announce the engagement of their son Ariel (Ari) to Elliana (Ellie) Kahn, daughter of Lori and Mitchell Kahn of Deerfield, Illinois. Ariel is the grandson of Rita Perlin, and the late Seymour Perlin of Tappan, New York, and the late Freda and D’Arcy Seeligsohn of Cape Town, South Africa. Ellie is the granddaughter of Herbert Reitman of Skokie, Illinois, and the late Gail Reitman, and Juliet Kahn of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the late Reuben Kahn. Ariel is a Kraft-Heinz supply chain strategy manager and an MBA candidate at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Ellie is an assistant vice president at Lincoln Property Company. The couple is planning a fall 2020 wedding in Chicago.

Birth

Shaina and Aaron Rafkin announce the birth of their daughter, Chava Meira, sister of Kovy and Leeba. Grandparents are Amy and Marty Cohn and Sara and Hank Rafkin. Greatgrandparents are Leslie Itskowitz, Vicky and Ted Cohn of Cleveland, and Sheryl and Don Babcock of Alliquipa. PJC

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Rabbi Kelilah Miller Parshat Vayishlach Genesis 32:4-36:43

n the parsha this week, we read one of the most enigmatic (and most often-referenced) passages in the Book of Genesis. As Yaakov is about to meet his brother Esav for the first time since their traumatic parting, Yaakov remains alone for the night. A “man” comes and wrestles with Yaakov until daybreak, and the stranger is only able to overcome Yaakov by resorting to supernatural means, revealing himself as more than human. In the end, the supernatural stranger still cannot escape Yaakov’s grasp, and Yaakov demands a blessing from his opponent. Yaakov is blessed with a new name: Yisrael — “For you have wrestled (sarita) with the Divine (Elohim) and with humans, and prevailed” (Genesis 32:29). This name Yisrael, of course, becomes the name of the entire nation, and the name by which Jews know ourselves today. We are named after a “God-wrestler” — a dynamic character that has an evolving (and at times confrontational) relationship with God and with the human beings in his life. We see in this name a reflection of our own constantly evolving, often tumultuous, relationship with God, with life and with Jewish history. Many of us take great comfort in the image of Yisrael as “God-Wrestler,” since we feel so much less alone in our inevitable moments of doubt, discomfort, ambivalence or alienation. Many of us feel pride in our mandate to interrogate and reshape tradition through the process of sacred grappling. All of this is deeply important to Jewish process and to the evolution of Jewish religious civilization. And, at the same time, our self-image as

“God-Wrestlers” risks becoming a Jewish truism. At this stage in my own spiritual journey, I find myself increasingly impatient with an approach to Judaism that values the wrestling without imagining what might be on the other side of all that effort. After all, Yaakov/Yisrael is not locked in perpetual combat for the rest of his life. He wrestles, he remains persistent and he eventually gains a blessing, a new identity and, ultimately, reconciliation with his estranged brother. Without the blessing, the midnight wrestling match is a bad joke — a parody of the religious quest. And yet we so often find ourselves tempted to focus exclusively on the wrestling, without even considering what blessings we might ask for when dawn comes. This is not to say that, when we have periods of profound God-Wrestling, we must emerge with some kind of permanent spiritual transformation. Life does not take that narrative shape for most of us; rather, we move constantly between effort and rest. The key is to remember that the periods of “prevailing” are as important as the periods of grappling. There are real spiritual truths and blessings to be won through our efforts, even if those truths and blessings are incomplete or provisional. We must keep searching for them, rather than allowing ourselves to become mired in cynicism and barren skepticism, believing that struggle is all that exists. My hope and prayer for this coming Shabbat is that we can all invite a little bit of rest and blessing into our spiritual journeys, so that when we do inevitably re-enter the “God-Wrestling” ring, we are reinvigorated with joy, purpose and possibility. PJC Rabbi Kelilah Miller is the education director/cantor at Ohev Shalom in Wallingford, Pennsylvania.

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Memories of Donora: Growing Up Jewish In A Western Pennsylvania Steel Town By Sidney Mishkin

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DECEMBER 13, 2019 27

Obituaries DORFZAUN: Aaron Michael Dorfzaun, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019; beloved son of Rhoda and Richard Dorfzaun; loving father of Madison E. Dorfzaun; brother of Joshua Dorfzaun. Services and interment PRIVATE. Contributions in Aaron’s memory may be made to Temple Sinai, 5505 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. EISENFELD: Arnold Joel Eisenfeld, M.D., Arnie, 83 of North Haven, Connecticut died Nov. 30, Louisville, Colorado. He was born July 26, 1936, to Bessie and Harry Eisenfeld in Pittsburgh. Arnie married Nancy Adler in 1960. He was valedictorian at Washington & Jefferson College and Yale Medical School. Arnie was a Yale Medical School faculty member and an internal medical specialist in pharmacology and OB/GYN. Arnie was a brilliant physician and research scientist. He leaves an adoring family: wife, Nancy, Louisville, Colorado; son Michael (Erin) Eisenfeld, Farmington, New Mexico; daughter Susan (Scott) Ryder, Boulder, Colorado; grandchildren Johanna, Mia, Max and Danielle; brother Leonard (Vicki) Eisenfeld, West Hartford, Connecticut; sister-in-law Sally (Perry) Schoenecker, Kirkwood, Missouri, and cousins Lynne and Blair Jacobson and family of Pittsburgh. A

graveside service was held on Friday, Dec. 6 in Avon, CT. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Childhaven Foundation, 807 West Apache St., Farmington, NM 87401. childhavennm.org FURST: Irene Furst (nee Winograd), of Pittsburgh and formerly of Baltimore, passed away on Nov. 30, 2019, at the age of 98. Devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Holocaust survivor of Lodz, Poland, the Lodz Ghetto, Auschwitz, and Stutthuff concentration camps, and one of the most amazing inspirational people her friends, family and community have known. She was brilliant, compassionate, resilient, strong and wise. She was predeceased by her adoring husband and Riga, Latvian Holocaust survivor Gilbert Furst. She is the mother of Linda Furst (Dr. Dennis J.) Hurwitz, Allen (Arlene) Furst, and Dr. Herbert (Susan) Furst; she was loved and admired by her grandchildren, Jeffrey Hurwitz and Julia Hurwitz (Andrew) Silbernagel and the late Karen Rachel Hurwitz, Lauren Furst Williams and Lisa Furst (Jeff) Hall, Adam (Ariella) Furst, and Jason (Bianca)Furst; her great-grandchildren are Riley, Harper, Hunter and Jagger; and several cousins, especially child survivor Dr. Ilona Winograd Barkal, of Stockholm and Israel, who cherished her dearly. Irene and Gilbert emigrated to Baltimore, Maryland in 1947, through the efforts of HIAS and sponsorship of Phillip Furst. There, they raised their three children. After she worked as a manager at H&R Block for 26 years, she moved to

Pittsburgh to be near her daughter Linda. In Squirrel Hill, she became an active part of the Pittsburgh community, sharing her life experiences in person and through video biography with numerous students, participating in Na’amat, and enjoying maj, cards and Scrabble. She remained a competitive Scrabble player, strong and independent, residing at Maxon Towers until recently. Her caregivers helped her retain her dignity in recent months and are appreciated by her family. Funeral services and interment were held at Chevra Ahavas Chesed Cemetery – Randallstown, Maryland. She was laid to rest next to her husband. Please omit flowers. Contributions in her memory may be sent to The Karen Rachel Hurwitz Library at Community Day School, 6424 Forward Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217, or The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh or the charity of your choice. HECHT: Mark Hecht, on Monday, Dec. 2, 2019. Beloved father of Aaron (Sara) Hecht, Sarah Hecht, Alison Hecht and Loren Hecht; son of Helen and the late Arnold Hecht; brother of Steve (Lynn) Hecht. Also survived by four grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Graveside services and interment were held at Poale Zedeck Memorial Park, Gibsonia. Contributions may be made to The Jewish Association on Aging, 200 JHF Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or the Paralyzed Veterans of America, 8011 Eighteenth St. NW, Washington, DC 20006. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

ILLSON: Esther Illson, On Monday, Dec. 2, 2019, Esther Illson, loving mother of two children and devoted grandmother of four grandchildren, passed away at age 89. Esther was born in Pittsburgh on June 19, 1930, to Ethel and Meyer Laufe. Esther married Erwin Illson and they raised two sons. Esther graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, taught nursery school and subsequently went on to sell real estate which was one of her life’s passions. To Esther, selling real estate was not just a job, it was a core part of her life, and it enabled her to expand her broad and diverse circle of lifelong friends. Esther also loved the arts and music and maintained an interest in areas as diverse such as Broadway show tunes and the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild. Esther was preceded in death by her brother Leonard and is survived by her two sons Jim and John, their spouses Inna and Peg, and grandchildren Dan, Rebecca, Greg and Stuart. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Homewood Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild Jazz Fund, 1815 Metropolitan Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. schugar.com

Please see Obituaries, page 29