Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 1-17-20 by Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

January 17, 2020 | 20 Tevet 5780

Candlelighting 5:02 p.m. | Havdalah 6:05 p.m. | Vol. 63, No. 3 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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Aleph Institute expands What will alternative sentencing program Jewish life to African American community be like in 2040?

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL New Jersey honors victims

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

advocate to avoid life-destroying punishments, emphasizing rehabilitation instead. “All these years we were doing all Jewish clients,” said Vogel. “However, because we received the foundation money to do it not only for the Jewish inmates, we are now working with other agencies, non-Jewish agencies to help organize it in their communities too.” In addition to the foundation funding, Aleph receives funds from Allegheny County to provide casework services to assist in alternative sentencing and reentry programs. So far, Vogel is working with about six African American clients in addition to those who are Jewish. “Alternative sentencing should be for not only Jewish, but for everyone,” stressed Vogel.

n 1964, Look magazine, in an article titled “The Vanishing American Jew,” predicted that there would be no Jews left in the United States by the rise of the 21st century. Now, with the dawn of the third decade of the 2000’s, we can rest assured that Judaism remains alive and well in America, at least for now. But what will it look like in 20 years? We asked local spiritual guides, Jewish educators and residents to weigh in on their vision of the future of the Jewish community in 2040. Thoughts ranged from denominational disappearances to technological innovations and population shifts. Whether the ideas shared prove to be actual prognostications or guesses gone wrong only time will tell. “By 2040 I think that Jewish life will be more global and less local, which has already been a trend,” said Rabbi Amy Bardack, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s director of Jewish Life and Learning. “I think there will be an influx of Jewish Pittsburghers who are not from the area — people seeking Jewish life in contexts that are different from our current offerings and institutions.” Those who come here, and those presently in Pittsburgh, will certainly access Jewish life in new ways, predicted Rabbi Aaron Meyer, of Temple Emanuel of South Hills. “Legacy organizations, including my synagogue, are in many ways, the taxi cabs of Jewish life,” he said. “We don’t know what our communities’ Uber and Lyft are going to be, but we know that if demographic and engagement trends continue, that level of disruption will happen. I think organizations unable to both adapt and ultimately encourage that type of ingenuity are simply going to cease to exist.” The future doesn’t bode well for some elements of 20th century Jewish life, said Rabbi Danny Schiff, Federation’s Foundation Scholar, who predicted a collapse of denominational identities like Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist.

Please see Aleph, page 12

Please see 2040, page 12

Tree of Life representatives travel to the Garden State for memorial. Page 2

LOCAL Speaking freely about free speech

Panel of experts considers the First Amendment. Page 3  The Allegheny County Courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh

LOCAL

Photo by Dlu under Creative Commons license via Wikimedia Commons

Happy human facts By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

F Creators of Sad Animal Facts and PGH Stories talk coupledom.

Page 14

or the past three decades, Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel has worked to find sentencing alternatives for Jewish community members convicted of non-violent crimes, avoiding harsh jail sentences that would wholly dismantle their lives and the lives of their families. Now, he is using his expertise to help those in the African American community as well. Thanks in part to a 2018 grant from the Pittsburgh Foundation, Vogel has expanded the reach of his program, working hand in hand with African American faith leaders and others to find effective alternatives to prison. Taking on federal, state and local cases, Vogel, executive director of the Aleph Institute-North East Region, and his team

keep your eye on PittsburghJewishChronicle

LOCAL Exploring Jewish masculinities.

LOCAL Talking with Randall Robinson

LOCAL Plumbing home’s history

Headlines Tree of Life members attend New Jersey memorial dedication — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

ith feelings of gratitude, kinship and remembrance, representatives of Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha recently crossed state lines to help dedicate a glass memorial designed in memory of those murdered during the Oct. 2018 attack at the Tree of Life building. Rose Gersen, Irwin Harris, Rosanne Levine and members of the Mallinger family were among several Tree of Life members who traveled to the Garden State on Jan. 12 and participated

in a special Shabbat service and dedication with representatives of Temple Shalom in Succasunna, New Jersey. “We were so overwhelmed and humbled by the support that the entire community offered to us,” said Levine. “The congregation members were incredibly gracious and supportive.” Months earlier, members of Temple Shalom had visited Pittsburgh, and from their time here “they felt a connection,” said Barb Feige, Tree of Life’s executive director. “We have had many visitors and I remember them being a really warm group, so when they said they wanted to do Please see TOL, page 20

p Representatives of Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha gathered with members of Temple Shalom in Succasunna, New Jersey, prior to the sculpture dedication. Photos by Cliff Levine

p A glass sculpture memorial was dedicated in memory of the 11 Jews murdered on Oct. 27, 2018.

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Headlines Limits of free speech explored by panel at Heinz History Center — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

he First Amendment right to free speech has never been absolute, just as the specificity of its limits have never been perfectly clear. The proliferation of the internet and social media have further muddled where the lines should be drawn between freedom of speech and when it should be constrained because of its potential for harm. The issue is ripe, as the hatred promoted on certain sites can lead to violence, as may have been the case with the accused murderer of 11 Jews at the Tree of Life building who had been active on such platforms. A panel of experts, including Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha, parsed out the difficulties in navigating freedom of speech in the 21st century at the Heinz History Center on Jan. 8. The program, dubbed “Are There Limits to Free Speech?” was sponsored by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Highmark and moderated by Keith Burris, executive editor of the Post-Gazette. The 90-minute discussion before an audience of hundreds of interested community members had the panelists questioning whether our rapidly changing society should reinterpret where limits of speech should be

p Keith Burris, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers and Ruth Ann Dailey

set, as well as what everyday citizens might do to tamp down on the pervasive incendiary rhetoric polluting our atmosphere. Calling himself a “First Amendment fundamentalist,” Duquesne University School of Law Professor Bruce Ledewitz noted three categories of speech under the

Photo by Toby Tabachnick

First Amendment that could raise concerns. “One is when you are upset because of something I believe — and that’s a circumstance in which there is really nothing that can be done,” he explained. The second category includes speech that is intended to harm, intimidate or harass, which

is not protected under the First Amendment, according to the professor. Pursuant to a Supreme Court decision, this type of non-protected speech would include such acts as a cross-burning intended to intimidate. The third category, said Ledewitz, is encouraging another person “to commit violence or other serious crimes.” Part of the test to determine if speech is protected is whether it is directed to causing “imminent lawless action,” and is likely to indeed “produce such action,” according to the 1969 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brandenburg v. Ohio. The prominence of social media, Ledewitz speculated, may have altered what types of speech should not be protected under Brandenburg. “What used to be just talking is now essentially planning violence, as speedily as circumstances permit,” he said. “And what used to be protected probably is not to be protected anymore, in all circumstances.” Wasi Mohammed, Pittsburgh director of community entrepreneurship at Forward Cities and the former executive director of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, noted that his opinion on limits of speech has evolved over time. While he was raised with the mentality that free speech is “sacred,” his views have become more nuanced. As “the darkest corners of the internet Please see Speech, page 13

HOW WE ENGAGE In a social justice class, Senior School students produce investigatory podcasts that share the stories of Pittsburgh residents affected by issues such as neighborhood gentrification and submit them to a national NPR contest. How will you give your child the opportunity to engage with real-world issues?

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Headlines Panel: What it means to be a Jewish man — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

or decades, through both his writings and speeches, visiting scholar Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin has addressed the subject of Jewish masculinity. Joining Salkin to explore the topic during a Jan. 12 panel at Rodef Shalom Congregation was Peter Rosenfeld, a past president of Rodef Shalom’s brotherhood; Rayden Lev Sorock, a trans queer dad; and 14-year-old Nathan Rybski, a Pittsburgh Allderdice High School student who recently celebrated a bar mitzvah at Rodef Shalom. Through prepared prompts and audience generated questions, the nearly 90-minute program enabled panelists to reflect on Jewish masculinities. Growing up in a mixed Long Island, New York, setting was often difficult, explained Salkin, senior rabbi of Temple Solel in Hollywood, Florida. Because of his long hair and disinterest in sports, Salkin was often called a “hippie Jew fairy,” or another variation “of the F-word,” he said. Whereas non-Jewish classmates often chided Salkin for his musical, literary and theatrical affinities, Jewish youth groups and summer camps provided a “respite” from everyday life in high school, he explained; it

was in those Jewish spaces “we were allowed to hug each other, we were allowed to cry, we were forced to cry.” Discovering Jews with similar understandings of masculinity can be difficult, explained Sorock: “None of us are male or masculine in a vacuum. We are constantly responding to others or they are responding to us.” Past boyfriends and family members provided examples of Jewish masculinity for Sorock, but “I’m still learning how to be a man, as I hope we’re all open to still learning how to do that.” These days the subject of Jewish masculinity isn’t necessarily broached between friends at Allderdice, explained Rybski: Nonetheless, coexisting each summer in a cabin full of “rowdy” Jewish boys at Camp Harlem in the Poconos “gave me time to think about who I am as a Jewish person.” In similar ways, observing the portrayal of Jewish characters onscreen provides a chance to grapple with identity, noted several panelists. Whether in television or movies, Jewish men are often stereotypically depicted as being overly intellectual, financially successful or “nebbishy,” which ends up promulgating false narratives, said Salkin. Much in the same way Jewish art often reduces the depiction of Jews to dancing rabbis or chassidim, the lens needs to widen when it comes to portraying Jewish men on screen, he continued. The classic tropes of masculinity don’t

p Panelists Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, Peter Rosenfeld, Rayden Lev Sorock and Nathan Rybski Photo by Adam Reinherz

hold up for everyone, explained Sorock. “For me, there was a very intentional process by which I was kind of wondering what kind of masculinity I was going to embody when I made the decision to be visibly male in the world. And I think I went

through a lot of ‘Oh, well, the information I’m getting is to be masculine is to be a jerk.’ “That’s a lot of the message that we get about how to be men and boys, and I think Please see Men, page 13

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Headlines JNF memorials honor shooting victims — LOCAL — By David Rullo | Staff Writer

ewish National Fund Chief Executive Officer Russell Robinson is passionate about JNF’s why. “The soil of Israel is where we all have our growth from. God said to Abraham, ‘Go forward to a new land.’ No other people are linked to a land. We talk about Israel and Jerusalem, that was the story then and it’s the story now.” But Robinson recently attended to some business closer to home, when he traveled to Temple Shalom in Succasunna, New Jersey, for the dedication of a memorial to the victims of the Oct. 27, 2018, shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue building. The trip provided Robinson with an opportunity to reflect on that terrible day and one of the things that came out of it: a memorial to the victims in Israel. As he recalled, the attack occurred during JNF’s national conference in Phoenix, Arizona. New York Times columnist and Pittsburgh native Bari Weiss had spoken to the 1,500 in attendance about anti-Semitism just a few hours before word of the unfolding tragedy reached Robinson and JNF’s leadership. “It was a really unbelievable moment for us. It shocked the world and the

Jewish community,” Robinson recounted. “We said, ‘We’ve got to do something. We raised money and went to Israel thinking, ‘Where are we going to put this?’ We had an Russell Robinson emotional response, but Photo courtesy of Jewish National Fund we needed a logistical response as well.” The y e ventually decided to place a memorial plaque with the names of the 11 Pittsburgh victims at the 9/11 Living Memorial Plaza in Jerusalem. “We wanted a place that resonated to the world in Israel, that had all these similar sacrifices but always talks about tolerance and peace,” said Robinson. “It’s important to recognize these horrific murders and to remember the victims in a place called Israel, to memorialize them.” The location also provided instant foot traffic. “People come constantly from countries all over the world. You have to remember, there were 3,000 people killed in 9/11 from something like 98 different countries,” Robinson explained. The memorial was visited by Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto in February 2019. He planted an olive tree next to the plaque honoring the victims. Pennsylvania Gov.

Israel, its mission is larger than that. “We started 118 years ago, repurchasing the land of Israel acre by acre, not just for a place called Israel, but a place called the Jewish homeland. Today we’re helping to develop the frontiers of Israel. We do that with hundreds of thousands of donors that are joining with p Mayor Bill Peduto visited Israel last year and honored the us to be a part of the memory of those murdered on Oct. 27. Photo by Rafi Ben Hakun, KKL-JNF development of Israel and the nation.” Tom Wolf planned to visit the memorial on Surprisingly, Robinson noted that the his trip to Israel this month, according to largest segment of JNF’s donor demoJNF Communications Manager Sam Zalta. graphic is 22 - to 40-year-olds. That may be Back in the States, the JNF CEO spoke at due to the not-for-profit’s commitment to the memorial dedication in New Jersey. He education and work to connect with Jewish said that Temple Shalom decided to create children as young as 6 or 7 years old. the memorial after visiting Pittsburgh, to Robinson will visit Pittsburgh in February provide a space where people can pause 2020, when he plans to meet with leaders and think about tolerance, much like JNF’s from Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha, New memorial in Israel. Light Congregation and Congregation “That’s why they called me to speak. I’m Dor Hadash. PJC bringing a picture of the victims with me for them to hang as part of the memorial.” David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ While JNF is known for planting trees in pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines North Sider striving to keep memory alive of 19th-century Jewish woman idea of the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s provenance â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or who Rosenberg was, for that matter â&#x20AC;&#x201D; until his friend, the late Carol Peterson, realized that Rabbi Lippman Mayer, who led Rodef Shalom Congregation from 1870 until 1901, once lived next door. When Peterson began researching other homes on the street, she discovered that Falconeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house once belonged to Rosenberg. Falconeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest was piqued after hearing about some of her accomplishments, and he decided to dig deeper. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The more I dug into her and what she did, it became very obvious that she was not only important for Pittsburgh but that she was a national figure,â&#x20AC;? said Falcone, who has made it his mission to transmit her narrative. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The only thing Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing is pointing at her, and saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Look, she is so important, we should give her some acknowledgement and respect,â&#x20AC;? said Falcone, a former professor of history and art history at the University of Pittsburgh and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and the current of president of the nonprofit Preservation Pittsburgh. Rosenberg was the daughter of Henrietta (nĂŠe Lehrberger) and Mayer Hanauer, prominent members of Rodef Shalom and the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; LOCAL â&#x20AC;&#x201D; By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

â&#x20AC;&#x153;H

amiltonâ&#x20AC;? creator Lin-Manuel Miranda was on to something when he wrote the lyrics: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have no control â&#x20AC;Ś who tells your story.â&#x20AC;? But in the case of Pittsburgh native and American activist Pauline Hanauer Rosenberg, one could say she lucked out. Rosenberg, who was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, in 1863 to German-Jewish immigrants, left quite a legacy, including helping to establish the National Council of Jewish Women and what would become the Irene Kaufmann Settlement. Although her name currently is not a household word, historian turned househusband Matthew Falcone is determined to change that by obtaining a Pennsylvania Historical Marker for the home Rosenberg shared with her husband on Pittsburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s North Side from 1888-1898. He has also applied to register the home on the National Register of Historic Places. Falcone has lived for about 10 years in that Deutschtown house located on Lockhart Street along with his husband Adam Falcone and his two young children, but he had no

p Matthew Falcone holds a photo of Pauline Rosenberg in his North Side home where she once lived. Photo by Toby Tabachnick

Please see Memory, page 13

This week in Israeli history â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WORLD â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

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

Jan. 17, 1986 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Israel, Spain establish diplomatic ties

Spain b ecomes the last Western European nation to open formal diplomatic relations with Israel, a condition for Spain to gain admission to the European Community, the European Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s predecessor.

Jan. 20, 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Israel, Kazakhstan sign defense pact

Israel signs a security cooperation accord with Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic with a Sunni Muslim majority, to boost Kazakh national defense while increasing Israeli arms sales.

Jan. 21, 1968 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Merger forms Labor Party

Mapai, the dominant political party during Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first two decades, joins with two smaller left-leaning parties, Ahdut Haâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;avoda and Rafi, to form the Labor Party at a conference chaired by Mapaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secretarygeneral, Golda Meir.

Jan. 18, 1991 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Iraqi Scuds strike Israel

Jan. 22, 1979 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Munich mastermind killed

Jan. 19, 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Hamas military leader assassinated

Jan. 23, 1922 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Nazi-Hunter Tuviah Friedman born

The morning after U.S.-led allied forces launch airstrikes on Iraq, eight Iraqi Scud missiles hit Israel in the predawn hours. Seven people are wounded and several residential buildings are damaged in Haifa and Tel Aviv.

Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior Hamas military commander and the founder of its Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, is suffocated in his hotel room in Dubai in a killing widely attributed to the Mossad.

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Ali Hassan Salameh, the chief of operations for the Palestinian terrorist group Black September, is killed by a Mossad car bomb in Beirut in revenge for the killing of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

Tuviah Samuel Friedman, a Holocaust survivor and Nazi-hunter involved in the search for Adolf Eichmann, is born in Radom, Poland. He carries on much of his work alone after moving to Israel in 1952.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; PJC PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

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, JAN. 17 MoHo Goes to Racial & Economic Justice Shabbat Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Join Moishe House for a meaningful Shabbat dinner to learn about racial and economic justice here in Pittsburgh, led by Repair the World, at the East End Cooperative Ministry, 6140 Station St. Over a vegan-friendly meal, Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy will be honored by exploring local injustices and learning how to take action to make Pittsburgh livable for all. For more information, visit facebook.com/events/2526493907598441. q SUNDAY, JAN. 19 Join Community Day School and PJ Library Pittsburgh with children (ages 2-5) from 10-11 a.m. for PJ Invention Time featuring PJ Library story, snack and building inventions with a Jewish holiday theme using recycled materials. Free. CDS Annex Building (2740 Beechwood Blvd.). comday.org/ pjinventiontime Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division for a tour of Cinderlands Warehouse, 2601 Smallman St. 2 p.m. Free. For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/event/ young-adult-brewery-club-at-cinderlands-warehouse. Do you want to fight for gun violence legislation in the new year? Join Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence at the Jewish Community Center, Room 202, for their 2020 Planning and Strategy Meeting. 3 p.m. To become a member and to participate in the meeting, visit squirrelhillstandsagainstgunviolence.org/join. q TUESDAY, JAN. 21 Attend the next Rodef Shalom Book Club Meeting for a discussion of “Memento Park,” 2019 Association of Jewish Libraries Jewish Fiction Award-winning novel by Mark Sarvas. Copies of the book are available in the Lippman Library. Wine, cheese and crackers will be served. This event is free and open to the public. 6:30 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. Escape the bitter winter with a night of puzzles, warm drinks and Harry Potter audiobooks at Moishe House. 7 p.m. Message a resident or the page for the address. facebook.com/ events/498882994069101 Temple Emanuel of South Hills is hosting $camJam, a free informative evening on financial and investment scams targeting seniors. Speakers from the PA Department of Banking and Securities, the PA Office of Attorney General and the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office will present. 7:30 p.m. Free. Registration is encouraged to templeemanuel@ templeemanuelpgh.org or 412-279-7600. For more information, visit templeemanuelpgh.org/event/scamjam.

q THURSDAY, JAN. 23

q MONDAY, JAN. 27

If you get excited about dinosaurs, evolutionary theories of altruism or other topics relating to natural history, come to Nerd Nite’s Natural History Nite with Moishe House Pittsburgh for a chance to meet your fellow nerds over some drinks. Nerd Nite is a lecture series that’s a mix between a TED talk, a happy hour and freshman orientation. Admission is $5, but if you sign up through Moishe House by Tuesday, Jan. 21, they will pay for your ticket and provide transportation from the house in Squirrel Hill. Spirit 242 51st St. 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/ events/564137781088558.

Join Congregation Beth Shalom for an information session about the upcoming Derekh Civil Rights Journey, April 26-28, 2020. They will outline the trip, work through the details and answer any questions. If you have questions before the session, please email Rabbi Jeremy Markiz at jmarkiz@bethshalompgh.org. 5915 Beacon St. bethshalompgh.org/events-upcoming

The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh presents “Generations Speaker Series: Deborah Leuchter Stueber.” Stueber will recount the story of her parents, Kurt and Edith Leuchter, surviving the Holocaust, fighting Nazis in the French Resistance and making a new life in America. Free, but advanced registration required at hcofpgh.org/ generations-speaker-series. 7 p.m. Mt. Lebanon Public Library (16 Castle Shannon Bvld.). q FRIDAY, JAN. 24-SUNDAY, JAN. 26 Congregation Beth Shalom holds its Scholar-inResidence Weekend: Jewish Spirituality in the 21st Century, a weekend of engaging and enlightening programs with scholars Dr. Deborah and Rabbi Jeffrey Schein. 5915 Beacon St. For complete details, visit bethshalompgh.org/scholars. q SATURDAY, JAN. 25 Community Day School’s Rock-n-Roll Annual Party, its 10th annual fundraiser, will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Nova Place, 100 S. Commons, on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Honorees include: Dr. E. Joseph Charny; Kara McGoey Ph.D.; and Tzippy Mazer. The event will feature a silent auction to raise funds for the CDS Class of 2020 Israel trip, as well as a luxury raffle. $150/person, $75 first-timer rate, $50 alumni (ages 2130). For tickets, visit comday.org/cdsrocks or contact Jenny Jones at jjones@comday.org or 412-521-1100, ext. 3207. q SUNDAY, JAN. 26 Join the I-Volunteer crew at Brother’s Brother (1200 Galveston Ave.) and help prepare medical and emergency supply kits to be distributed across the globe. This project is aimed at young adults. Please wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothing. If you require accommodations for a disability, contact Bex Frankeberger at bfrankeberger@jfedpgh.org. 11 a.m. To register, visit jewishpgh.org/event/ i-volunteer-brothers-brother-project.

q WEDNSDAY, JAN. 22

Beth El Congregation of the South Hills will host the Musicians of Steel for a 412 Food Rescue Benefit Concert at 7 p.m. Free, donations are accepted at the door or online with your RSVP. 100% of the money collected will support 412 Food Rescue. This program will feature the chamber music of Mozart in honor of his birthday. 1900 Cochran Road. To register, visit eventbrite.com/e/ concert-series-presented-by-musicians-of-steeltickets-86383323847.

Dr. Barbara Burstin will speak about her book, “Sophie: The Incomparable Mayor Masloff,” and the journey of Sophie Masloff, the daughter of Romanian Jewish immigrants who grew up in the Hill District to become the first female and Jewish mayor of Pittsburgh. 4 p.m. 501 Cathedral of Learning

Be amazed and mystified by World Renowned Master Illusionist Ilan Smith at Chabad of the South Hills’ “Magical Evening” at 7 p.m. at the Carnegie Stage (25 W. Main St.) Reserve tickets at chabadsh.com/magic or mussie@chabadsh.com or 412-344-2424. Tickets: $50.

Join Bend the Arc for its Community Meeting and Planning Session at 7 p.m. at Sixth Presbyterian Church, 1688 Murray Ave. pittsburgh.bendthearc.us/ make_2020_our_year_bend_the_arc_community_ meeting_and_planning_session

Women of Rodef Shalom and Brotherhood present the Rodef Shalom Movie Night. “School Ties” is a thoughtprovoking film set in the 1950s that exposes intolerance and bigotry in an upper-crust prep school. Free and open to the public. 7:30 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. Attendees are encouraged to wear old-school ties, caps and sweatshirts in keeping with the spirit of the film.

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q TUESDAY, JAN. 28 Join the ladies of E3 for An Evening at Manchester Bidwell with Bill Strickland at 6:30 p.m. For questions, contact Rachel Gleitman at rgleitman@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5227. For more information or to register online, visit jewishpgh.org/event/e3-15. Free. 1815 Metropolitan St., 15233. RSVP by Friday, Jan. 24. q TUESDAYS, JAN. 28; FEB. 4, 11, 18, 25; MARCH 3; SUNDAYS, FEB. 3, 10, 17, 24; MARCH 1, 8 The new Rohr Jewish Learning Institute course, “Judaism’s Gifts to the World” will take place on six consecutive Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. at the South Hills JCC (345 Kane Blvd.) or Sundays at 10:15 a.m. at Chabad of the South Hills (1701 McFarland Road). For more information, visit chabadsh.com. q WEDNESDAYS, JAN. 29 & FEB. 12, 19, 26; MONDAYS, FEB. 3 & MARCH 2 Join Beth El Congregation for its annual Winter Speaker Series beginning Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. Free and open to the community. 1900 Cochran Road. For more information, including speakers and topics, and to RSVP, visit bethelcong.org/events/winterspeaker-series/2020-02-03. q THURSDAY, JAN. 30 Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division for Trivia Night at Bingham Tavern (321 Bingham St.). Arrive by 7 p.m., trivia begins at 8 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/ event/young-adult-bar-club-trivia-at-bigham-tavern.

q THURSDAYS, FEB. 6, MARCH 5, APRIL 2, MAY 7, JUNE 4 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 SUNDAY, FEB. 9 New findings from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s “Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos” will be the topic of a presentation by Dr. Andrew Kloes at the Rodef Shalom Brotherhood’s Herzog Breakfast Discussion (4905 Fifth Ave.) at 10 a.m. Kloes, a Penn Hills native, is an applied researcher in the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies at the USHMM. Light breakfast served. Free. rodefshalom.org Celebrate Tu B’Shevat with PJ Library and Repair the World at 10 a.m. Enjoy a birthday party for the trees with fun tree-themed crafts, games and stories; plus the usual birthday party fun. Attendees will also fill bags for Beverly’s Birthdays. The event is free, but you can sponsor a Birthday Bag with a suggested donation of $10. JCC Squirrel Hill. To register, visit jewishpgh.org/event/yad-tu-bshevat-2020. Temple Emanuel of South Hills presents Bagel Bites, a monthly brunch and speaker program. This month’s guest speakers is Susan Kalson, chair of the URJ’s Commission on Social Action. 10:30 a.m. Free. 1250 Bower Hill Road. For more information, visit templeemanuelpgh.org. Join Beth Shalom Men’s Club for a Sports Luncheon. Enjoy a hamburger and hot dog lunch at 12 p.m. at the Beth Shalom Samuel & Minnie Hyman Ballroom (5915 Beacon St.). Local sports celebrities will attend. Autographs and surprises, gifts for all. All are welcome, no charge. RSVP by Jan. 29 to Ira Frank at natfabira@juno.com. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org/events-upcoming.

Put on your finest flapper dress and celebrate the decade with a throwback to last century’s 1920s at Moishe House’s Roaring Twenties Shabbat. A vegetarian dinner will be provided. Message a resident for the address. facebook.com/ events/2537242869706899

The original exhibit “For You Were Strangers” at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh dives into the history of Jewish immigrants in Pittsburgh, noting the upheavals that drove Jewish immigration, changing U.S. policies in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the local attitudes and institutions that were implemented as these immigrants and refugees came to form the basis of our society today. Exhibit opening at 11 a.m. 826 Hazelwood Ave. Free. To register, visit hcofpgh.org/events.

q SATURDAY, FEB. 1

q WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12

Join Congregation Beth Shalom (5915 Beacon St.) for Sisterhood Shabbat, as they honor Marlene Behrmann-Cohen, Ilanit Helfand and Pat Weiss, along with speaker Danielle Kranjec. Sisterhood Shabbat celebrates the women in Beth Shalom’s congregation and presents an opportunity for all to learn together. bethshalompgh.org/events-upcoming

Chabad of the South Hills presents An Evening with Holocaust Survivor Sammi Steigman beginning at 7 p.m. at Chabad of the South Hills (1701 McFarland Road). Sammi will share his story of life in a Nazi labor camp and being subjected to horrific medical experiments as well as the lessons he’s learned. $10 in advance/$15 at the door. chabadsh.com

Join Pittsburgh NCSY at The Q at 8 p.m. The Q is a team-based trivia game fundraiser. Participants can prepare by getting a team of eight to 10 people or be placed on a team if you prefer. No trivia experience required. All proceeds benefit Pittsburgh NCSY. JAA Charles Morris Campus, 200 JHF Drive. To register, visit centraleast.ncsy.org/theq.

q FRIDAY, FEB. 14

q FRIDAY, JAN. 31

q MONDAY, FEB. 3 Beth El Congregation hosts First Mondays with Rabbi Alex Greenbaum, its monthly lunch program, this month featuring Abby Mendelson. Mendelson will present “Jewish Hollywood: Then and Now.” Mendelson has written 13 nonfiction books and teaches at Point Park and Chatham universities. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. and the program starts at noon. 1900 Cochran Road. $6. For more information and to register, visit bethelcong.org/events/first-mondays-abbymendelson.

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Enjoy soup and a speaker at Parkway Jewish Center’s “Souper Shabbat Plus Lecture Series.” Ben Shapiro will present “Sustainable Gardening & Landscaping” and will discuss the ecology of the Pennsylvania/Ohio region. The service begins at 6 p.m, soup and speaker at 7 p.m. 300 Princeton Drive. For directions and more, visit parkwayjewishcenter.org. q SUNDAY, FEB. 16 Author Julie Orringer discusses her book “The Flight Portfolio” beginning at 10 a.m. as parts of the Derekh Speaker Series 2020 at Congregation Beth Shalom (5915 Beacon St.) A book signing will follow this event. Free. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org/events-upcoming. PJC

JANUARY 17, 2020 7

Headlines the most frequently targeted religious group between 2006 and 2018, targeted in 29.8% of reported bias incidents. Figures by bias type are not yet available for 2019.

— WORLD — From JTA reports

In New Jersey, reported bias crimes increased by 65% in 2019

Based on preliminary figures, 944 bias incidents were reported in New Jersey in 2019, a 65% increase from the previous year. According to a news release from the office of Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, this is the largest number of reported bias crimes since 1996, and the largest year-overyear increase since bias reporting standards were implemented in 1991. “The terrible attack in Jersey City was by far the most violent bias incident in New Jersey last year, but it was hardly the only one,” said Grewal. “We are committed to doing everything in our power to solve this problem. In addition to maintaining vigilance against such attacks, we in law enforcement are joining with community members and youth leaders across the state to counter the corrosive messages of hate that motivate such acts, and to replace them with messages of tolerance, understanding, and unity. A New Jersey State Police report found that 172 anti-Jewish bias incidents were reported in 2018, which accounted for 30% of the total number of reported bias incidents in the state and 86.4% of all bias incidents motivated by the victim’s religion. Jews were

New York City will install 100 new security cameras in Orthodox Brooklyn neighborhoods

New York City will install 100 new security cameras in Williamsburg, Crown Heights and Borough Park, the Associated Press reported. The first 30 cameras are scheduled to be installed by March, and the remaining 70 will be installed with input about where to locate them from community representatives, the Brooklyn Paper reported. “An attack on the Jewish community is an attack on all New Yorkers,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement published by local media. “These new security cameras will increase the NYPD’s visibility into these neighborhoods, and help our officers on the ground keep New Yorkers safe.” The three neighborhoods have been the sites of numerous anti-Semitic incidents ranging from verbal assault to physical attacks, including sucker punches and the ripping off of kippahs and women’s head coverings. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in applications filed by Orthodox residents of Rockland County for gun permits, the New York Post reported.

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In the week following the Dec. 28 stabbing attack at the home of a rabbi in Monsey, New York, there were 65 new applications filed countywide, with 23 from Monsey. All but five of the new applications came from within the heavily haredi town of Ramapo, which includes Monsey and other heavily Jewish areas, according to the Post. In the two months prior to the attack, an average of six applications a week were filed throughout the county, with only two from Monsey.

Germany gives $4.5 million to Dutch Holocaust museum

Germany has pledged nearly $4.5 million toward renovating the Dutch national Holocaust museum. Emile Schrijver, director of Amsterdam’s Jewish Cultural Quarter, an organization comprising five museums and institutions in the Dutch capital, announced the funding Monday. “We expected a donation of half a million or a million euros,” Schrijver told Het Parool. The National Holocaust Museum of the Netherlands opened in 2017 in a former religious seminary that was used to smuggle hundreds of Jewish children to safety from an adjacent building in which they were held. Their parents were interred across the street at the Hollandsche Schouwburg, a theater that the Nazis converted into a detention facility. In February, the museum will close down for two years for renovations meant to turn the theater and seminary into a single museum with a larger capacity and state-of-the-art displays. The renovations will cost about $30 million. The Dutch government has allocated at least $6 million toward the project. Nazi Germany and its Dutch collaborators murdered about 75% of the Netherlands’ prewar Jewish population of approximately 140,000 Jews. It was the highest death rate in Nazi-Occupied Western Europe. Dutch Jewry’s numbers have remained at around 40,000 people since the Holocaust.

Polish Jewish community leader stands behind president’s decision to skip Holocaust memorial event

Poland’s largest Jewish communal group expressed its support for President Andrzej Duda’s decision to withdraw from a major Holocaust memorial event in Jerusalem. Artur Hofman, chairman of the Social and Cultural Association of Jews in Poland, the largest Jewish organization in the country, said in an interview that “the Jewish community in Poland and all Jewish organizations” support Duda’s decision. Duda announced last week that he would not participate in the 5th Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem, scheduled for Jan. 23. Duda wanted to give a speech there, but the organizers did not include him on the program. The Polish president will speak on Jan.27 at the Auschwitz

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Museum, during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the liberation of the camp. “This is our president and our government. We unconditionally stand behind them. If Polish memory is under attack, we defend it. The world’s largest commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz will take place in Poland,” said Hofman. Hofman also emphasized that Israelis know that Poles were not complicit in the Holocaust. He called the Russian attempt to blame Poles for cooperation with Hitler “a provocation.” “The vast majority of Israelis know history and know what the realities of World War II looked like. Emigrants from Russia (to Israel) may not have historical knowledge. Many of these people have no Jewish background. And Israelis are aware of this,” Hofman said

Israeli Education Minister Rafi Peretz under fire for suggesting homosexuality is unnatural

Several Israeli municipalities instructed local schools to discuss equal rights and tolerance after the country’s education minister suggested homosexuality is abnormal and unnatural. The decision followed an interview published in the Hebrew-language daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, in which Rafi Peretz was asked what he would do if one of his children had a “different sexual orientation.” “Thank God, my children grew up in a natural and healthy way. They are building their homes based on Jewish values. I don’t bother my head with ‘what if ’ thinking,” Peretz responded. “In the religious public that lives according to the Torah, a normal family is a man and a woman. We don’t need to be ashamed that we live in this natural way,” he also said. Amir Kochavi, the mayor of the city of Hod Hasharon near Tel Aviv, responded on Facebook, saying he would urge local schools to teach tolerance, the New York Times reported. “I will promote within the municipal educational system a program of democracy, equality, recognition of the other and acceptance of differences. In short — everything that is the opposite of Rabbi Rafi,” Kochavi wrote. In July, Peretz, who is a rabbi, came under fire for saying in a television interview that he supports gay conversion therapy and that he has used the practice to help homosexual youth. Days later he walked back his comments. Peretz is head of the right-wing, religious-Zionist Jewish Home Party. His remarks angered some of his openly gay fellow Knesset members. “Look, Rabbi Rafi, this is what a ‘natural and healthy’ family looks like in a country in disarray that has let you be its education minister,” Labor-Gesher Party lawmaker Itzik Shmuli said in a tweet that included a photo of his partner and their baby son. PJC

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Headlines Jason Greenblatt, Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former Middle East negotiator, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sure that Israelis and Palestinians are ready for peace

Do you think you brought Israelis and Palestinians closer to that goal? I think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gotten closer to creating a plan that both sides should take seriously. And if they really spend time on it and actually talk to each other, they could make progress. Will they do that? That remains to be seen.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WORLD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; By Josefin Dolsten | JTA

ason Greenblatt, President Donald Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former Middle East negotiator, made his first public speech since leaving the White House on Jan. 12. Greenblatt, 52, who worked as a lawyer for Trump for two decades prior to joining the administration, spoke at Congregation Keter Torah in Teaneck, New Jersey, the Modern Orthodox synagogue where he is a member. The event was organized by the Northern New Jersey Holocaust Memorial & Education Center to raise money for a new Holocaust memorial in the township, which has a significant Jewish population. Sporting a black yarmulke and an American and Israeli flag lapel pin, Greenblatt delivered a long and wide-ranging speech that recounted how his Hungarian-born parents survived the Holocaust and how their stories had impacted him. As his wife and four of his six children listened in the audience, he also denounced the recent spike in anti-Semitic attacks, though he cautioned against pointing fingers at anyone in particular for the increase. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency spoke with Greenblatt after the event. Here is the conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity. What has your life been like since leaving the White House? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really enjoying it. I have breakfast with my wife every morning. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m having a lot of very interesting meetings. But mostly spending time with my family, trying to catch up on three years and really just trying to be a father and a husband again. What are your career plans now? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know yet. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing some consulting. I want to explore what the opportunities are and where my talents best lie. But Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to keep my foot in the region. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to be involved with that to the extent I can and support the White House to the degree that they continue to work on this file. People recognize that Israel and its neighbors are doing business today in ways they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t doing three, five, seven years ago. And

Why hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the peace plan been released yet? Will it be released before Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third election this year? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not in the White House, so I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know. And if I knew, I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell you anyway. But I think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going through the analysis that we went through the two last elections and I think they have to make a decision. Is it going to help the peace plan to release it pre-election, or post-election pre-government, or is it not? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what the results of that analysis are. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your proudest accomplishment and biggest regret from your time in the White House? My biggest regret is not being there for the launch (of the peace plan). That is a shame, but I do have a wife and children, so I had to return. Proudest? I would say probably being part of the decision regarding the Jerusalem recognition, the embassy, the Golan, probably speaking at the United Nations Security Council in a way that needed to be spoken to it for years. p Jason Greenblatt after speaking at Congregation Keter Torah in Teaneck, New Jersey, Jan 12, 2020

people would like to get involved in that, so a lot of people are approaching me, [asking]: â&#x20AC;&#x153;How can I do business in Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Qatar? What does it take and how do we deepen the connections between Israel and the region and bring it forward?â&#x20AC;? In your speech, you talked about how well-received you were as an observant Jew in the Arab world. Did that surprise you? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure I was surprised, but I learned with each visit just how much more alike we are than we are apart and how much more willing they are to be open-minded and accepting. And that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that all of a sudden we are going to create peace

celebrations IN THE

Photo by Josefin Dolsten

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s far more complicated â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but on a human-to-human basis, the interactions were amazing. Palestinian, Saudi, Emirate â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter. Are you hopeful about peace between Israel and the Palestinians? I think they have a lot of very tough issues to work out. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if the two sides will come to agreement on those tough issues. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think anybody can be sure. These are complex issues that the two sides are extraordinarily divided on, and even within the two societies, so I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think anybody can sit here and say peace can be achieved. But I think it would be a shame if we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t continue to try desperately.

Did your view about the possibility of peace change? I became more hopeful because of the interactions with ordinary Palestinians and Israelis, particularly the Palestinian side. The everyday people that I met and the everyday Arabs and the Arab leadership â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not the Palestinian Authority, certainly not Hamas â&#x20AC;&#x201D; gave me a lot more hope than when I went into the job. What are your concerns ahead of the 2020 election, specifically as it relates to Israel or Jewish issues? I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to answer that question until we see who the candidate is on the Democratic side. (There are) a lot of candidates still left in the field. Some of them who would probably not be very helpful to Israel, others Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure about.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; PJC

SPECIAL OCCASIONS DESERVE SPECIAL ATTENTION The more you celebrate in lifeâ&#x20AC;Ś the more there is in life to celebrate! SEND YOUR SIMCHAS, MAZEL TOVS, and PHOTOS TO: announcements@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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Opinion An expression of Jewish nationalism — EDITORIAL —

ithin our tradition, there are a number of ways of looking at Judaism. It’s founded, of course, upon a belief system with religious components, but it’s also comprised of social, cultural, intellectual, political and national characteristics. Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan pulled them all together when he described Judaism as a civilization. In the late 19th century, Jewish national identity took a political form through the Zionist movement, which ultimately succeeded in establishing the State of Israel. Known to most of us as the national liberation movement of the Jewish people,

Zionism still plays an important role in how Jews around the world express their ongoing concern for the safety and welfare of the Jewish people. Some are of the view that Diaspora Jews have no right to weigh in on issues that affect the security and well-being of Israel, and argue that such decisions should be made only by those who live there. But that’s not the majority view, and it is certainly not the view of the World Zionist Organization, founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897, which has been convening congresses every few years since then to consider a wide array of issues affecting Jewish nationhood. Since Israel was founded, the WZO has become a meeting place for Israel and Diaspora Jews for whom the Jewish state is a joint

national project. It is an institution of Jewish unity. The 38th World Zionist Congress will meet in October in Jerusalem. It will make decisions regarding institutions that allocate nearly $1 billion annually to support Israel and world Jewry. Delegates to the congress are elected by the Jewish people — including all of us. The United States will send 152 delegates to the congress, constituting about one third of the total participants. Israel and the rest of the Diaspora will select the remaining delegates. The election of delegates — which is conducted online, and is open to Jews 18 and older — begins Jan. 21, and is coordinated by the American Zionist Movement. A click on azm.org will show how voting is done, and how one may select from the 13 different slates that are

vying for American representation in the congress — including candidates representing Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Sephardic, right-wing, progressive, young adult and Israelis who live in the United States. We encourage our readers to participate in this election process, and to vote their conscience, with pride. Democracy is a good thing, and the opportunity for every adult Jew to participate in this process is welcome. Unfortunately, there is a $7.50 fee to vote ($5 for those 25 and under). Although we would like to see those fees waived, administration of the voting does cost money, and the fee is a relatively small price to pay for the privilege of participating in this important Jewish national process. Voting runs through March 11. PJC

The NYC anti-Semitism March shouldn’t overshadow Judaism’s main purpose Guest Columnist Rabbi Ari Berman

his month, I joined tens of thousands of Jews and non-Jews who marched from downtown Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge in a show of commitment to fighting the recent violent rise of anti-Semitism. Also this month, I stood in Jerusalem with thousands of Jews at the Siyum HaShas, a celebration of the seven-plus year achievement of the completion of the study of the entire corpus of the Talmud. Our gathering was just one of dozens held around the world. As I reflect on these two massive displays of Jewish unity, I cannot help but think of an ancient Jewish teaching in which power is symbolized by the image of an intertwined book and sword descending from heaven. The sword represents physical strength and

the ability to fight and defend oneself. The book represents the power of ideas. At first glance, one might think that the sword is a more effective means of securing power in the physical world. But as the character of Rosencrantz points out in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” to prove a slightly different point, we know that “many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose quills.” Compelling ideas, unlike mighty armies, are rarely defeated. And while the mastery of ideas often requires greater patience, once achieved, the effects are long lasting and hard to eradicate. Throughout our long and often turbulent history, Jews have learned that in order to survive, we need to join together with our partners and friends in other communities and protect ourselves from those who would harm us. That is why we are so appreciative of the great outpouring of support by our neighbors and public officials that preceded and will follow the Jan. 5 march. But while the lesson of the sword — survival — is of course essential, it should

not be confused with our foundational purpose. Our purpose as Jews is to study, model and spread Torah values. We have a 3,500-year-old tradition filled with great wisdom, values, teachings and traditions. These ideas and ideals are more relevant today than perhaps ever before. In our rapidly changing world, people are increasingly seeking stability, clarity, meaning and morality. Our modern lives, often filled with mind-numbing routines and life conducted on autopilot, make us long for purpose and significance. In a world of the ephemeral, people seek the eternal. All of these values are found in our tradition and teachings about truth, compassion, kindness and redemption. And our purpose as Jews is to embody these values and share them with the world. As the new decade dawns, the bending arc of history has become more palpable. We are living in a period unlike any the world has seen before. All areas of our lives — technology, health, communications, industry

— are shifting at an unprecedented pace; the turbulent international political culture and the new frightening wave of anti-Semitism are raising crucial questions for our community and society at large. We can all feel history bending. But in what direction? Looking out at the hundreds of thousands of people who gathered over the past week in defense of Judaism — one group celebrating the completion of the Talmud and the other rallying against anti-Semitism — I saw once again the book and the sword descending intertwined from heaven. As our society joins together to assert the need for physical Jewish security, we must also remember the greater purpose our security protects. Collectively, we must seize the arc of history and bend it toward more peace, justice, opportunity and prosperity for all. PJC Rabbi Ari Berman is president of Yeshiva University. This article originally appeared on JTA.org.

Coming together — and reaching out Guest Columnist Mikhal Weiner

hese last weeks of continuous attacks on Jewish communities left me feeling somber, overwrought, scared. But not surprised. In many ways, this seems like the inevitable continuation of a wave we have been riding for the past years. Nationalist and antiJewish rhetoric, whether blatant or implicit, has been burbling up all over the world (in Hungary, Brazil, Britain, to name a few). We’ve seen racists becoming bolder and more outspoken, saying things about minorities that, only five years ago, would be unthinkable. In this moment, it’s almost instinctual to 10 JANUARY 17, 2020

hold fast to our immediate communities; when I read about the stabbing in Monsey, New York, I felt an urge to go light Chanukah candles with other Jewish families near me. I know others felt the same way — my social media was replete with pictures of friends coming together to create light in this time of darkness. Indeed, connecting with other Jews in defiance of this violence and hatred is a great source of strength. But, though it may seem counterintuitive, I believe we should also draw energy by reaching outward and aligning ourselves with others who face discrimination, hatred and violence. There is strength in solidarity. The worldwide swell in xenophobia seems, at times, too much to handle. How can any one person face down such vitriol, especially when it is promoted by those who hold the most power? It’s enough to make a person want to close the blinds and hide away. But,

as it says in Pirkei Avot 2:16, “It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.” And we have some work we can do right on our home turf. As an Israeli living in the United States, I can see the work that needs to be done in both of my homelands so clearly that it hurts. The work is hard, to be sure, and it won’t be pleasant. It will mean parsing things that are uncomfortable. It will mean self-criticism. It will be painful. But I honestly believe that it will make us stronger, truer in the long run. We cannot condemn one form of discrimination while being fine with another. One glaring area in which we must do better is by calling out racist speech in Israeli politics, especially in the rhetoric that has become exceedingly explicit in the recent election cycles. It is one thing to legitimately make one’s case on the stump and try to win over voters.

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It’s quite another to send out an automated message, as the Likud party did this past September, saying that voters should come to the polls because Arabs want to “annihilate us all, women, children and men.” Later, the party recanted and said they’d made a mistake and perhaps they did. But the fact that this could happen, that this kind of discourse is accepted among staffers with enough superiority to handle a media blast of this size should be, at the very least, extremely concerning. These statements are strikingly similar to other assertions put forth in the United States, for instance, about immigrants. In Europe about refugees. Only the “they” changes. Everything else draws from the same well of fear. The recent racism in Israeli politics doesn’t surprise me either. I grew up in a Please see Weiner, page 11

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Opinion

At 17, I’m the youngest woman to complete the seven-plus year study of the Talmud Guest Columnist Hila Schlakman

didn’t start learning the Talmud to take a stand or voice an opinion. When I started learning a page of Talmud per day (daf yomi) at age 10, I didn’t realize that anyone would even notice. To me, it was just something I did, a part of my day that was dedicated to learning Torah with my brother and father. At ages 9 and 10 respectively, my brother and I had no idea what the commitment really meant. I knew that our being so young was pretty unusual. When my older brother had finished the daf yomi cycle at 17 years old, it was considered a big deal. But other than that, studying Talmud daily seemed very normal to me. I wasn’t even aware that the fact that I am a girl was a factor to consider. The daf yomi has been a part of my home for as long as I can remember. My father and my older brother, Ari, first finished Shas (the 2,711 page Babylonian Talmud) in 2012. They had started learning Talmud together in 2005 when I was 3 years old. I always saw them learning and bonding together. It seemed very natural, meaningful and

Weiner: Continued from page 10

heavily segregated country. Things I took for granted seem absurd now, after my years abroad. Separate school systems, for one. I never spoke to an Israeli Arab until I was in my twenties. Separate neighborhoods, separate municipalities, separate lives. No one, on either side of the divide, wanted us to meet. The cleaving of Israeli society is intentional. When we don’t see one another, crimes committed against the other are so much easier to accept. And we know this! We

important to me, but not out of the ordinary. As a new cycle was approaching, my younger brother Yosi said he wanted to begin learning with my dad as well. I was 10 at the time and looking for a project that I could take on for my bat mitzvah, so I decided to join. A few years later my younger sister, Bracha, joined as well. And ever since my grandparents moved to Israel, I’ve had the privilege of learning with my grandfather, too. In my experience, the hardest part of learning the daf is starting the practice. Deciding to learn every day for seven and a half years is an intimidating goal. Luckily, my dad was very determined, so once we decided we were starting, that was it. There were no exceptions: if you missed a daf, you had to make it up another day. It can be hard at times, but that’s part of the beauty of it — the Torah is always a part of our lives, no matter what else we are doing. It wasn’t always easy. Not every daf is interesting (although my dad might say otherwise), and with everything going on in our lives, it can be hard to find the time for learning. Thankfully, I had tons of support. My father always took time out of his day to learn with us, make sure that we understood the page, point out all of the interesting details and encourage us to develop our own thoughts and opinions. My family and friends were always there for me, displaying

patience, understanding and encouragement. The experience has taught me many things. I now have an understanding of what our religion is based on — the concepts and ideas that go beyond mere technical points of Jewish law. I enjoyed reading the stories about Jews who lived during Talmudic times, the way our ancestors thought and how they shaped our religion and practice. These things have changed the way I think about Judaism and life in general. Often, I found that what I learned in the daf was directly connected to my life at the time. I think that anyone can relate to the Gemara (Talmud) and that it affects each person differently, depending on who they are and how they think. The rabbis in the Gemara challenged every imaginable idea, but always with the understanding of the importance of Torah and belief in God. Respect was always maintained for the generations that came before, even as halacha (Jewish law) was applied to new situations that arose. I learned how to follow complicated discussions and seek deeper meaning in topics I would otherwise never have thought relevant to my daily life. I learned that it’s OK to be wrong or to admit what you do not know. I learned that one should stand up for their opinion, but that the real

challenge is to truly listen and learn from what others have to say. One of the truly remarkable things about the great rabbis in the Gemara is that most of them had other jobs. Learning Torah was of central importance, but they understood how Torah was to be integrated into people’s lives. My goal in studying the daf was never to decide on intricacies of Jewish law, but to similarly integrate Torah into my daily life as a Jewish woman. This Siyum HaShas — or celebration of the completion of the seven-and-a-half-year reading of the Talmud a page per day — was a very proud moment, as three generations of our family finished the Talmud Bavli together in our home in Israel. I could not imagine a more special family experience. This chapter of learning, at times leaning on my father’s shoulder with my brother on his other side, later to be joined by my younger sister and my Zaidy, has now ended. As I prepare to finish high school and move on to the next chapter of my life, I can’t imagine a better experience to have bonded me to my family and to prepare me for a life of continued learning and new experiences. PJC

know that these kinds of policies can only snowball into further dehumanization and discrimination. We know that the next step, already taken by extremists and trickling its way into mainstream society, is violence. We should be more outraged. I know that it’s not so simple. I know there are extenuating circumstances. That atrocities have been committed on both sides. I’m not here to count grievances. In my decades of living in Israel, serving in the IDF, being immersed in the tangled web of Israeli reality, I know too well that there are far too many grievances to count. I’m here to say that regardless of what others do we need to

call out wrongs when we see them. Period. And, yes, in the United States we must raise a cry when those in power incite violence against Muslims. We must raise a cry when those in power incite violence against immigrants, regardless of how we feel about immigration policy. Even if we believe that immigration should be slowed or stopped, there is no justification for the kinds of statements being made, the ways in which immigrants and asylumseekers are being treated. We must raise a cry when people incite violence against anyone. It may not seem like the time to be writing about this. However, I believe that now is the exact right time. Now is the time to form

alliances and make the values for which we stand clear. All hatred, racism and violence are connected. The terrifying acts being perpetrated against the Jewish community are wrong and need to be condemned loudly. In the same breath, as a member of that community, I will stand and condemn all other xenophobic violence. Because when they come for others, I want to know that I said something. Sooner or later they’ll be coming for me, too. PJC Mikhal Weiner is a writer and musician from Israel who currently lives in New York. Her work has appeared in GO Magazine, Lilith and Entropy Magazine.

Play has relevance today

— LETTERS — Death penalty trial would reopen wounds As a survivor and friend to many of the victims, I had to share my thoughts on the article you shared with your readers (“Scholars weigh in on death penalty for Pittsburgh synagogue murderer,” Jan. 10). The punishment has been talked to the proverbial ends of the earth and I think the shooter is getting exactly what he wanted by surrendering. The message he sowed or added to was “hate” but not just that. It was hatred for the Jews and all that we stand for, in his eye anyways. As long as the case has continuous mention in the media and in the public, the anti-Semitism that he spewed will be highlighted for all and especially those that believe in his garbage. So if he gets the death sentence, the appeals will again and again force many of us to relive that terrible Shabbat morning and reopen the wound that we try to heal from. The trial itself will also force it again to be relived in front of the whole world and reawaken the pain and sorrow that was burned into us. I think the plea deal would not be for him, but for those of us that do not want to relive that day. Barry Werber member of New Light Congregation

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Hila Schlakman is a 17 year-old senior at Ohr Torah Stone’s Neveh Channah High School and a resident of Efrat, Israel. This article originally appeared on JTA.org.

I am writing in response to the article by Audrey Glickman about the decision of Point Park Playhouse to cancel “Parade.” I could not agree more with Ms. Glickman. It is important to support theater, novels, films, etc. that reflect the attitudes, customs and language of certain periods of time. This is one of the many ways we can increase our sensitivity to the experiences of others. Last year, I attended the Playhouse’s outstanding production of “Cabaret” with German friends who were blown away by the play. A few days after that, the Tree of Life shooting happened — suddenly making Cabaret’s language and subject not only important historically, but relevant to life in Pittsburgh today. Michelle Dreyfuss Mt. Lebanon, PA We invite you to submit letters for publication. Letters must include name, address and daytime phone number; addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Letters may not exceed 500 words and may be edited for length and clarity; they cannot be returned. Mail, fax or email letters to:

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Address & Fax: Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 5915 Beacon St., 5th Flr., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Fax 412-521-0154 Website address: pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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Headlines Aleph: Continued from page 1

Aleph, located in the heart of Squirrel Hill, also provides Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous programming, assistance in finding housing and employment, and help in accessing healthcare to those who have been incarcerated and their families. Aleph has had a “100% success rate” in securing employment for participants in its Alternative Sentencing Program, and, for program participants without an alcohol dependency issue, “there is a 100% success rate in keeping the family units intact for ASP participants,” according to statistics provided by Aleph. Vogel is now partnering with Rev. Tim Smith of the Center of Life in Hazelwood and with leaders of the Birmingham Foundation, “putting together a program where we agree our caseworkers will oversee that the individual will go to 12-step programs, will go to anger management, will go to parenting classes, will go to other programs that are available,” he explained. “We will oversee it and see that it works hand in hand with parole and other agencies to make sure that the individual has the resources. We find them jobs, get them back into the community, get them back into a healthy part of the community, with them going back to their faith-based program, whichever it is, and helping them become productive members.” Alternatives to jail gives these people “another chance,” said Vogel. “So many of these kids on the streets have not been given a chance. They didn’t graduate high school, there is no one holding their hand to help them get their GED. They need to be directed and walked with as they go through it, and they 99.9% want to be productive members of society. They just need someone to hold their hands, and we are the hand-holder.” Vogel’s partnership with the African American community began about five

2040: Continued from page 1

“There will, of course, be some pockets of strength that will remain here and there, but for the most part they will be gone.” Schiff pointed to comments he shared with the Chronicle five years ago: “Only those persistent, consistent and focused enough to have a reasonably robust connection to Jewish practices or activities will remain a part of Jewishness in any way that counts.” Homestead historian Tammy Hepps also thinks portions of Jewish life will vanish by 2040. “I don’t think there is a future for nonOrthodox Judaism as we know it today, but I do think there is a future for non-Orthodox Jewish people identifying strongly as Jewish,” Hepps said. “I’m trying to imagine what that would look like here, based on a comparison with other communities like Israel today or interwar Poland. I’m trying to guess what is possible in a community without the grounding those

12 JANUARY 17, 2020

“ So many of these kids … need to be directed and walked with as they go through it, and they 99.9% want to be productive members of society. They just need someone to hold

”

their hands, and we are the hand-holder.

— RABBI MOISHE MAYIR VOGEL months ago, an offspring of an initiative begun by Dr. Bruce Rabin, who has been convening meetings between the Jewish and African American communities at the Birmingham Foundation on the South Side. Participants at those meetings have included several local rabbis, employees of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, and local African American clergy and other leaders. The meetings between the two groups have focused on “the effects of trauma on the mental and physical health of young individuals and how we could use programs from the Jewish community that could be beneficial to the African American community, and how events occurring in the African American community could be made available for educational purposes for Jewish youth so they could become more cognizant of issues that black kids are growing up with,” said Rabin, a longtime professor of pathology at the University of Pittsburgh. Rabin was inspired to convene the meetings between the two communities following a program last spring at the Center for Victims during which he spoke about the effects of trauma on a community. “That motivated me to bring people together to start talking about this, to show the black community that we are concerned and we want to do things, and in exchange we want help in educating our children about issues in the black community, so that when they grow up they will be involved

in helping other people and not growing up in isolation.” During those meetings, “one of the things that was quite obvious was the wonderful success Rabbi Vogel has had, and that the African American community could learn and benefit from what he is doing, and hopefully utilize his program to help black individuals avoid incarceration,” said Rabin. The Center of Life’s Smith, who has spent the last 30 years working to reverse the disproportionate incarceration of young African Americans, said his recent collaboration with Vogel has been valuable. “It is obviously very important work and it’s important to me because what I have seen as an African American is a disproportionate amount, particularly of young men, get put in jail for very small offenses and actually sit in jail for long periods of time, without any good representation,” Smith explained. “Some of them don’t have a good understanding of the law, they don’t have the money to get a lawyer, the public defenders don’t really do a very good job for them. So being able to have some resources out there that we can tap into that will help to represent some of these folks is really invaluable.” The two faith leaders have been working together for the release of a man who has been incarcerated since the 1960s. The man, who is dying from stage four cancer and other diseases — and who wants to spend his final days with this family — was arrested

communities have/had in Jewish languages and culture, as well as what can develop in a place at such a distance, both geographically and culturally, from today’s centers of Jewish creativity.” Of course, any discussion of a Jewish future has to include Israel, said Alan Menaged, a 2019 Carnegie Mellon University graduate. “I think that especially with rising anti-Semitism in both Europe and the United States, a lot of Jews are going to turn to Israel as a place of safety and comfort,” he said. In turn, Israel “will adjust its policies to be more open to connections with the global Jewish community.” Menaged, a Carnegie Mellon math major who works as a technology analyst at Roivant Sciences in New York, noted Israel’s impact will be evidenced by the number of people who move there and the reaction of remaining Diaspora residents. “I think there are definitely going to be some communities that if a significant group makes aliyah will end up looking more like Pittsburgh, in terms of building closer connections between Jews of different backgrounds and Jews of different streams,”

he said. “Shared experience, either through connection to Israel or anti-Semitism, will bring these disconnected groups together.” Technology will serve a similarly unifying force, predicted Danielle Kranjec of Hillel JUC. But how that will happen is “the key question that we’re all struggling to figure out,” Meyer said. “On the one hand, we understand that individuals can connect in a decentralized way on their own time and form niche groups specific to their interest, and at the same time Judaism shows us the meaning of relationships taken offline, and that the concept of a minyan in prayer translates to many different activities throughout Jewish life. “And so whether we’ll see people being willing to step back from a completely online engagement and re-engage with communities, or whether there will be technology we haven’t even thought of that further changes the game it’s anybody’s guess.” If history is any indicator, technology is likely to mirror or to build upon some current uses, like those of OneTable — an organization that uses a digital platform to build community around Friday night dinners. But “Judaism is

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and imprisoned at the age of 17 for being in a stolen car. While in prison, he ended up killing two members of the Aryan Nations in self-defense and received multiple life sentences as a result. “That was a black man who gets arrested in the 1960s for being in a stolen car, then gets triple life,” said Smith. “The reason why he killed these other guys is because they were trying to kill him. That’s the nature of the environment in prison. There is no real justice done here, it’s just somebody going through the system.” Smith and Vogel are “working together to see how many people we can help, through either getting somebody to look at their case again, or get them out so that they can spend the rest of their time with their family,” Smith said. “We have found a way to work together and that means a lot.” Allegheny County has joined in the push for alternative sentencing, Vogel noted. Just last week, the county published its year one report for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Safety + Justice Challenge, a “national initiative to prevent the misuse and overuse of jails,” with stakeholders in the criminal justice system “working collaboratively to reduce the number of people entering jail and those staying in the jail longer than necessary,” according to a press release. As a result of the work in Allegheny County during this first year, the jail population was reduced by 7%. “Everyone has come to recognize that prison is not the solution for every crime,” noted Vogel. “Not only is it not the solution, it’s very destructive. Even taking an individual out of society for three months, which is comparatively very small, is very destabilizing and ruins an individual terribly. He loses his job, it strains his relationship with this family. All of a sudden his family has to find resources to cover months without working. It’s very damaging.” PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at tttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

very special in that there are some traditions that go back thousands of years and there’s no reason they will change,” said Menaged. “The ways that Jews connect to Jews and each other is very ingrained, and by 2040 I can’t imagine a lot of that changing.” The difference will be “multiple onramps to Jewish life beyond the current organizations and institutions we have,” said Bardack. So many unknowns remain as to what will be in 2040, but current signs point to a promising future, she continued: “There is every reason for this area to remain a cohesive Jewish community and a Jewish community that continues to grow and evolve.” Rabbi Yossi Berkowitz, of the Kollel Jewish Learning Center, agreed. “Based on my experience here in the last eight years, I see a lot of growth in the Jewish community remaining connected and remaining strong,” said Berkowitz. “There’s a vibrant Jewish life in Pittsburgh that bodes well for a good future.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Speech: are manifesting in physical violence almost daily,” targeting marginalized communities, Mohammed said that he now weighs the First Amendment freedom for hateful speech against the rights of others protected by such laws as “the 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection for everybody.” Shapiro highlighted the responsibility of ordinary citizens to “move this dialogue forward.” He implored the community to “yes, remember the horrors of what happened in Rabbi Myers’ shul, but to also remember what happened two hours later at the corner of Forbes and Murray when we gathered together — people from all walks of life committed to working together to break down the hate, and bring up the love and bring people together.” While Shapiro noted that he works to “find the line between protecting ideas and stopping certain acts,” the real work that needs to be done “to deal with hate speech in our community is your responsibility, on your timelines and in our town halls, to make sure that we’re bringing down the temperature. And that we are speaking to one another with respect, and with that feeling of love that we had that evening, standing outside in that misty weather.” Indifference is not an option, said Meagan

Cahill, senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. “We can’t just say, ‘We’re not Jewish. It’s not really affecting me,’ or ‘I’m not Muslim. It’s not affecting me,’” she said. “We all have to step up, and we all have to say that it’s not acceptable. Now, I don’t have a great solution for how we do that in these times, like on 4chan and Reddit and places where it’s that strong, tight community of whatever kind of terrorist groups might be posting on there. There’s not a ready good answer for that. But I think at the very least, we all have to say we’re going to be active, we’re going to actually be proactive….We have to change some of the statutes but we need to be doing the prevention work as well. I think if we’re proactive, if family members notice that something’s going on, if people notice someone is posting things online, there are new tools, especially for law enforcement, that they might be able to use, to remove weapons temporarily.” While censorship may not always be a viable option, moral censure can be, emphasized Ruth Ann Dailey, a columnist for the Post-Gazette for almost 20 years. The recent rash of anti-Semitic attacks in the New York area reminded Dailey of the Crown Heights riots and murders in 1991, after a black child, Gavin Cato, was accidentally struck and killed by a car in the motorcade of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Following

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that I had to unlearn a lot of that,” said Sorock. “The healthiest masculinity that I feel is when I’m not thinking about it very much because then I’m not overanalyzing and concerned with every little interaction or every thought that I’m having. When my masculinity and femininity, or whatever you want to call it, is more in balance and I’m not thinking about them as this total dichotomy, then that’s where I feel the calmest and the most true, I guess.” Listening to the panelists “opened up a whole discussion about what is gender identity, period. It also helped me reflect on my own journey toward opening the closet door,” said Rabbi Burt Schuman, of North Oakland. Despite not reaching “any outstanding new thoughts” on the subject, the program was valuable, explained Rabbi Walter Jacob, Rodef Shalom’s rabbi emeritus and senior scholar. “We’re more willing to talk about issues from that perspective than certainly we would have been even a dozen years ago.” The willingness to confront the question of Jewish masculinities represents an openness to engaging in difficult conversations, said Karen Brean, Rodef Shalom’s president. “My advice is not to try to fulfill any stereotype you see,” said Rybski. “Just try to be whoever you are. You are a Jewish person. There shouldn’t be a stereotype for that.” PJC

Concordia Club. Mayer was a leader of B’nai B’rith and Henrietta was a member of the Hebrew Aid Society. Rosenberg graduated from Pittsburgh’s Public Central High School. After she and her husband Hugo were married, she left Pittsburgh to attend Barnard College. Although it was unusual for a woman to do so at the time, she also took graduate courses at Columbia University, then the University of Pittsburgh. Much of Rosenberg’s work when she returned to Pittsburgh focused on helping immigrants, but she also prioritized advocating for equal rights for women. “There was this undercurrent of using her privilege or status to advocate for social change, particularly for women,” noted Falcone. Through historical research, including combing the archives of the Jewish Criterion, one of the Chronicle’s predecessor newspapers, Falcone learned that his house on Lockhart Street was once a hub of progressive discourse, thanks to Rosenberg. The house was used as a “salon,” to which Rosenberg “would invite people from women’s groups that she was part of,” Falcone said. “She would bring in speakers and she would have important progressive people come and stay with her in the house and they would partake in Pittsburgh society. A lot of them were Jewish. One of them was one of Pennsylvania’s first elected women. She was on the Philadelphia school board and she came to stay with Pauline. Another gentleman, who was involved with the

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the accident, several Jews were attacked on the street by black youths, and a visiting Jewish student from Australia was killed. Two weeks later, a non-Jewish man was killed by a group of black men, who might have mistaken their target as a Jew. The Rev. Al Sharpton, in his eulogy at Cato’s funeral, referred to “diamond dealers” and made other provocative remarks about Jews, some say stoking the violence. Sharpton has reportedly expressed regret privately to Jewish leaders for his comments, and in May 2019 conceded he could have “done more to heal rather than harm” at the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center conference. In researching the Crown Heights riots of 1991 in relation to current events, Dailey recalled that a banner was displayed at Cato’s funeral that said, “Hitler did not do the job.” “People who are still active in modern politics spoke at that funeral,” noted Dailey, adding that “moral censure” could be appropriate for those “who participated in that room, who stood and spoke at that funeral and didn’t protest.” “I think there might be a responsibility to hold the people who are still out there today active and prospering in American society, to see if we can we can hold them responsible,” she said. “That would be an example of moral censure.” Dailey noted that in the ensuing years following the Crown Heights riots, “some of the leaders of the black community and the

Jewish community reached out and spent years of bridge building. As recently as a few years ago, you would see regular coverage of how pleased they were that that had helped bring peace, civil rest. And then here suddenly, again, we have another outburst of these horrible acts of violence. And I do think that is greatly increased by social media and until our laws catch up, as Megan (Cahill) said, we have to be manning the barrier there of appropriate civil discourse.” Myers implored the community to make connections across ethnicities and religions. “We don’t know our neighbors,” he said. “I daresay most of the people in this room don’t know anything that the Pillars of Islam. Most of you, unless you are Jewish, may not know the tenets of Judaism — even if you’re Jewish you might not know the tenets of Judaism. What’s the difference between a Protestant and a Roman Catholic? “So if we get to the point of legislation, it’s too late, because we’ve missed the boat on education,” he continued. “It’s about education. If you understand your neighbor, you have to love them. If you understand your neighbor, you can appreciate who they are, their origins, where they come from. So as adults, we need to find and create opportunities to get to know our neighbors, both from an educational, and social and cultural point of view.” PJC

Chautauqua Jewish Society stayed here, too.” In 1894, Rosenberg, along with several other women, founded NCJW after attending the World’s Fair in Chicago. She served as NCJW’s first vice president and its second president, and founded not only the Pittsburgh section of the organization, but sections in several other locations, including Philadelphia, Youngstown and Washington, D.C. “I think it is really fantastic that Matthew is taking the time to recognize one of the founding members of our organization,” said Cristina Ruggiero, current executive director of NCJW Pittsburgh. Having just celebrated 125 years since the section’s founding, “it’s nice other people in our community are excited about preserving this history. It takes a lot of effort to do, and it is a wonderful recognition of Pauline.” In fact, Ruggerio, along with NCJW Pittsburgh’s president, Teddi Horvitz, sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in Harrisburg in support of Falcone’s application for a historic marker, noting that Rosenberg’s work included establishing the first Penny Lunch program in the Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Committee for the Jewish and Non-Jewish Blind, which eventually became the Pittsburgh Association for the Blind. Members of the Philadelphia section of NCJW signed a petition in support of the historic designation, and Sheila Katz, CEO of the national organization sent a letter of support as well, calling Rosenberg’s work “groundbreaking.” “At a time when women were supposed to not assume any public face, let alone become social activists, Pauline Rosenberg had the courage and determination to challenge that

perception,” wrote local historian Barbara Burstin in a letter of support. “She was one of the early female pioneers who sought to confront the ills of the society that she saw around her.” Her “innovations in the field of public welfare,” continue to be felt today wrote Eric Lidji, director of the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives, in a letter of support. Through her work with NCJW, “Rosenberg pioneered the concept of ‘preventive philanthropy’ in Pennsylvania,” Lidji wrote. “Whereas previous generations had used charity to address immediate, individual needs, the NCJW addressed structural problems within immigrant communities,” and was “the first Jewish charity to explicitly address needs beyond the Jewish community.” The state commissioners will meet in February to determine whether the house will receive a historic marker, and Falcone expects to hear this month whether he will be permitted to proceed with getting it listed on the national registry. If he is successful, he could obtain a plaque for the house which will include a written narrative about Rosenberg that will be put into the Library of Congress. The marker and plaque, Falcone hopes, will “spark a much larger conversation and recognition, especially this year. It’s the Year of the Woman, 100 years since women’s suffrage, and what better time to acknowledge people that contributed to that, especially Jewish women. Women are underrepresented, and Jewish women are even more underrepresented in their contributions.” PJC

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

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. JANUARY 17, 2020 13

Life & Culture Creative new residents look forward to making a ‘weird’ home together — BOOKS — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

rooke Barker and Boaz Frankel want readers to know couches and love are nothing alike. Whether covered in leather, linen, microfiber or cotton, a sofa has a limited number of styles and uses. Love, on the other hand, is experienced in myriad ways. “A relationship can be so many things, said Frankel. “We all call it the same thing but every relationship looks drastically different.” “Which is nice, that it’s a possibility,” said Barker. “You can just fall in love and create this world with someone. It’s unlike anything that anyone else has to make for themselves.” In celebrating the singularity of romantic partnerships, Barker and Frankel recently released “Let’s Be Weird Together: A Book About Love.” The 112-page illustrated work includes everything from a gallery of quirky historical couples to lesser-known love languages, and even a sheet of temporary tattoos. Barker and Frankel, who met in Portland, Oregon, and moved to Amsterdam before arriving in Pittsburgh last February, have long collaborated on creative ventures. After

they began dating in 2014, their first project involved a daily desk calendar. As Barker explained, Frankel realized the problem with so many calendars was the tiresome nature of unifying themes. “Maybe you love sudoku, but after a week you don’t ever want to see another sudoku in your life,” she said. The couple created a year’s worth of material called “It’s Different Every Day,” and followed it with annual installments for Workman Publishing Company. Calendars have a limited shelf life and are intended to be discarded, so when their Workman editors suggested a book, Barker and Frankel, now married thirtysomethings and members of Congregation Beth Shalom, happily agreed. “We were already sort of in this rhythm of doing something absurd together, and then we were like, ‘We can make a book,’” said Barker, 32. In many ways, the process of gathering information and disseminating obscure truths in an enjoyable fashion was quite familiar. Barker, a popular illustrator, is the force behind Sad Animal Facts, a regularly updated Instagram account with 400,000 followers, and author of The New York Times bestselling book of the same name as

p Boaz Frankel and Brooke Barker have co-written a new book.

well as its sequel, “Sad Animal Babies.” Curating the necessary details for those projects requires Barker to regularly communicate with scientists, journalists and other researchers, as well as those who frequently cull zoological studies for new insights. Scouring sources for details on wombats, snow monkeys and squirrels actually began in childhood, she explained. With four other siblings and no pets,

Photo by Adam Reinherz

Barker turned to books. Because of her feverish reading habits and “obsessive” memorization tendencies, she developed a belief that “animal facts were always good conversation starters,” she joked, “and I think I’ve always been wrong.” Case in point, she continued: Barker once asked a taxi driver how his day was going. Please see Creative, page 20

JSS is accepting scholarship applications! Apply today if you are a Jewish high school senior or student enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate or technical school with financial need with residency in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington or Westmoreland county.

Apply by February 12, 2020: jfcspgh.org/jss

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Life & Culture Companies court Jewish customers with faux pork offerings — FOOD — By David Rullo | Staff Writer

hen it was first introduced in 2016, the Impossible Burger was embraced by vegetarians and the Jewish community alike. Suddenly anyone who had given up meat but was still anxious for the smoky taste of an afternoon barbecue could walk into a sit-down restaurant and order a burger without shame. Even better — Jews around the globe could now enjoy the most tantalizing of forbidden combinations — the prohibited, mythical cheeseburger! It wasn’t long before other, similar plantbased burgers began to be found not only at restaurants but in grocery stores and fastfood restaurants as well. Now that Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have given the world a taste for a beef alternative that looks, tastes and feels like the real thing (they can even make your burger “bleed” if you like), the companies have taken on a new challenge with implications not just for the vegetarian and kosher markets, but one that just might make an impact in the halal and Muslim community as well. Impossible Foods call their new porkstyled offerings “juicy, savory, pre-seasoned meat, made from plants, designed for kosher and halal certification.” Beyond Meat’s sausages are already certified as kosher and are available at Giant Eagle and other grocery stores and can also be found on the menu of Dunkin Donuts (and not just suburban locations but at the kosher store in Squirrel Hill). According to Melissa Crowe, an employee at the Murray Avenue location, the Beyond Sausage breakfast sandwiches are even more popular than the vegetarian sausage sandwiches that have long been a staple at the chain. “They go quick,” she observed. While it’s possible to recreate the experience of eating pork or sharing a grilled non-meat substitute brat with the neighbors at a block party, observant Jews might question the halacha of eating a product that tastes so close to what has long been considered the calling card of treif food. Rabbi Daniel Schon of the Kollel Jewish Learning Center points out that in the Talmud Jews are cautioned not to say they won’t eat pork because they find the animal or its meat repulsive, rather simply because it’s “a commandment from God.” According to Schon, given that statement, if there’s a product similar to pork but not treif, then it is acceptable to consume. Food either “is or isn’t kosher,” according to Rabbi Alex Greenbaum of Beth El Congregation of the South Hills. For the Conservative rabbi, if the food is kosher, it can be eaten. The real issue he said is “giving people the wrong impression. If one passed

p Beyond Sausage is on the shelf at local grocery stores, offering a meat alternative for both vegetarians and those keeping kosher.

Photo by David Rullo

In perhaps the best argument for both Impossible Pork and Beyond Sausage, Markovic added, “anything that will help someone keep kosher is good and something I’m all for.” by Smallman Street Deli and saw a bunch of rabbis sitting around eating” a Beyond Sausage sandwich, it might give the impression that it’s OK to eat the same type of sandwich, unaware that it isn’t pork. To combat this problem, Rabbi Mendel Rosenblum of Chabad of the South Hills points out that Jewish law and the rabbis have found solutions. For instance, “if one is drinking almond milk and eating meat,” you’re giving the appearance of mixing dairy and meat. The simple solution according to

Rosenblum is to put a few almonds near the dairy-substitute showing onlookers that it isn’t cow milk being consumed. As for whether he would eat a product like Impossible Pork, Rosenblum is quick to reply, “Absolutely I would, if it was certified kosher.” He noted, however, that it isn’t his taste, so he’ll probably skip the new offering. Greenbaum, on the other hand, is a fan of Burger King’s Impossible Burger and will most likely sample the new product once the chain makes it part of its menu.

While observant Jews can decide for themselves whether they will taste the new, pork-modeled meats, one thing is clear: kosher grocery stores and catering companies have already decided to utilize the plant-based pork alternative. Deena Ross, the owner of Creative Kosher, hasn’t had an opportunity to try the pork substitute yet but wouldn’t shy away from it. In fact, she already uses “veggie and veal bacon and makes a pea soup with bacon flavor. It sounds like a good product,” she added while noting, “they make a good burger, especially once you add cheese and veggies. It’s really invigorated the vegetarian market.” Murray Avenue Kosher’s Aryeh Markovic said the store doesn’t currently offer Beyond Sausage on its shelves, but only because none of his suppliers are carrying it yet. Markovic previously operated a restaurant in Miami and was one of the first locations to have the Impossible Burger on its menu. In perhaps the best argument for both Impossible Pork and Beyond Sausage, Markovic added, “anything that will help someone keep kosher is good and something I’m all for.” PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Life & Culture Adam Sandler gives feverish performance in ‘Uncut Gems’ — FILM — By Matt Silver | Contributing Writer

ou’ve seen Chanukah-time Adam Sandler before, but never like this. Though the latest from the Safdie brothers, Josh and Benny, opened nationally on Christmas Eve, and square in the middle of 2019’s Chanukah, the Jewish holiday that “Uncut Gems” loosely revolves around is Passover. Sandler’s character, Howard Ratner, is an inveterate gambler who owns a jewelry store in Manhattan’s Diamond District. He lives high, materially speaking, with sartorial taste that’s expensive but not fashionable. Vogue termed the Ratner look — Gucci shirts with tags still attached, Ferragamo loafers with the belt to match, Rolex on the wrist, rimless, tinted Cartier glasses on the face and, the coup de grace, a Star-of-David pinkie ring — “endearing schmuck style at its finest.” Though Ratner’s clothes are the least of his problems. To Howard’s wife Dinah (Idina Menzel), he is a schmuck but also so much worse — loathsome, repulsive and, the one that cuts deepest, laughable. Howard’s having an affair with a store clerk (Julia Fox) half his age, an aspiring socialite who throws herself at rap stars in night clubs, yet is emotionally, and financially, dependent on “Howie.” He owns the kind of Manhattan condo that unscrupulous rich men who live with their wives on Long Island keep in the city for their mistresses. This is where Julia lives. Dinah, the wife, knows all about it but is past caring. Howard and Dinah have decided to divorce; they’ll make it public after Passover. Meanwhile, his affair and crumbling family life back on Long Island are but satellite moons constantly revolving around Howard’s more exigent problems, all of which are created, then escalated, by Howard himself. He’s in hock to his truly detestable brother-in-law Arnold (Eric Bogosian) and, instead of paying Arnold back when he has the cash on hand, Howard puts a pile of dough on a 2012 Celtics-Sixers playoff game. Earlier that day, NBA star and Celtic Kevin Garnett walked into his shop and became mesmerized by an uncut Ethiopian black opal that Howard had just acquired

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p Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner in “Uncut Gems”

from a tribe of Ethiopian Jews — so mesmerized that Garnett wouldn’t leave without it, convinced the rock possesses mystical powers and that he couldn’t possibly lose a game with it in his possession. Howard does what any sensible person might: he loans Garnett the stone, taking the basketball star’s Celtics championship ring as collateral. He then immediately pawns the Celtics ring, takes the cash and puts his money on a can’tmiss bet, the Celtics and Garnett to win big. Garnett does, in fact, play emboldened and unburdened and the Celtics do win big (the last part is historical fact; the movie’s events track with the 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinal playoff series between the Celtics and the Sixers that improbably went seven games). Howard believes he’s just had one of the biggest hits of his life: He can now pay back his pseudo-mobster brother-in-law, get Garnett’s ring out of hock and keep the leftovers for himself. But the way events unfold is microcosmic of how everything seems to unfold for Howard: the thing Howard is so sure won’t happen does, and what appears to be certain victory is ripped suddenly — and probably

in the minds of most viewers, unfairly — from a compulsive, self-destructive hero who’s simultaneously endearing, pitiable and inexorably screwed. This same roller coaster ride plays out in at least three permutations over the film’s two-and-a-quarter hours. Unlike most roller coasters, this one doesn’t slow to reascend before propelling forward and sideways and upside down at breakneck speeds. The Safdies’ pacing of the film is so consistently full-throttle that viewer exit polls are eliciting responses like “anxiety-inducing” and “emotionally exhausting.” To those descriptions, add addictive. Howard’s supercharged compulsivity is contagious, seemingly transmitted via viewing. Despite early predictions to the contrary, however, Sandler was snubbed in the 2020 Oscar nominations “Uncut Gems” is a frenetic full-court press of a movie, with parts that are at least superficially about basketball. In one particularly funny-because-it’s-true moment, the character Demany (LaKeith Stanfield), Howard’s entrée to rapper and athlete clientele, asks the hoops-obsessed Howard, “What is it with

Photo courtesy of A24 Films

you Jewish n***as and basketball anyway?” It’s one of a handful of scenes that speaks to the sometimes fraught yet inextricably bound relationship that exists between black and Jewish Americans vis à vis sports, especially basketball, and popular culture. The Safdie brothers, Sephardic Jews themselves, have made in “Uncut Gems” a movie that is plenty Jewish, if for no other reason than the preponderance of Jewish actors playing Jewish characters who get major screen time — Sandler, Menzel and Judd Hirsch (who plays Sandler’s father-in-law, Menzel’s character’s father), to name just a few. The Passover scene, at the family’s Seder table, where Howard recites the 10 plagues as his own life is being besieged by every float in the parade of horribles is particularly memorable. In several ways, the story of Passover tracks allegorically with the story the Safdies have constructed here; it’s worth seeing the film to watch Howard try to free himself of the bondage of his own making, even if it’s clear from the start that it’s impossible. PJC Matt Silver is a staff writer at the Jewish Exponent, where this article first appeared.

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Life & Culture Series examines death of AMIA prosecutor — TELEVISION — Selah Maya Zighelboim | Contributing Writer

“N

isman: The Prosecutor, the President and the Spy” begins with a series of images and sounds: An aerial view of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Documents. A dark hallway and, then, a phone call. “I’m at my son’s house. I came and he’s dead,” a woman’s voice says in Spanish. The disjointed and uneasy feeling that defines the initial scene pervades through much of “Nisman,” a new true crime documentary series from Netflix that explores the mysterious death of Jewish Argentine lawyer Alberto Nisman. Nisman served as special prosecutor in charge of the investigation into the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina, a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. The bombing left 85 dead and hundreds wounded. It remains the worst terrorist attack in Argentine history. Nisman spent years investigating the attack and, on Jan. 19, 2015, was supposed to present his findings. He had apparently found that Iran was behind the attack and that former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner helped cover it up. Just a few days before, he had formally accused her of the cover up. But the day before his presentation, he died. His mother found him that night in his home, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. The death was quickly ruled a suicide, but skepticism and controversy abounded. Did Nisman really commit suicide, just before he was supposed to present the findings of an investigation he had spent so much time on? Or was he murdered? It’s a case that has torn at the fabric of Argentina. It also attracted international attention. But while many may have heard about Nisman’s death and the AMIA bombing, few know the full extent of the case’s complexity. “Nisman” dives straight into the

p A new Netflix series examines the mysterious death of Alberto Nisman, the special prosecutor who was investigating a bombing at a Jewish community center in Argentina. Netflix trailer screenshot

complexity, peeling apart layer after layer of scandal, misdirections and confusion. The first episode explains the AMIA bombing and the basic background. The next few episodes delve into the details of the initial investigation into Nisman’s death, Nisman’s investigation into AMIA and the events that occurred in the days leading up to Nisman’s death. The last two episodes look more closely at the scene of Nisman’s death and follow up on what has happened since. The end result is that the series traces over the same timeline multiple times, each time adding a greater depth of information. What is, at first, presented in a way that seems like fact is revealed later to be a cover up, putting the viewer through the same roller coaster that people at the time may have experienced. The series’ level of depth and research is astounding. Told in Spanish with English subtitles, it draws on a deep and wide well of information, looking at television footage,

Selah Maya Zighelboim is the editor of the Baltimore Jewish Times.

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with each episode clocking in at about an hour. The series will leave viewers with a wealth of information and questions, rather than concrete answers. As far as Netflix goes, the density in “Nisman” does not lend itself to being particularly binge-worthy. The story is far too complex to stream in a day. That complexity, combined with the subtitles, means that viewers can never take their eyes off the screen. It may also mean that viewers may find themselves occasionally rewinding to make sure they understood something correctly. Overall, it’s a comprehensive telling of an important story. Netflix gave this history its true-crime documentary makeover. Hopefully, more people will learn about it as a result. PJC

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newspaper clips, phone call recordings and documents. It sometimes cuts away to a graphic of a timeline, a much-needed element that helps in the telling of this extremely dense and complex story. Most fascinating of all, the documentary features interviews with a range of people who knew Nisman, worked with him or investigated the case. Those interviews include Viviana Fein, a prosecutor who investigated Nisman’s death; Diego Angel Lagomarsino, Nisman’s employee who claims he gave him the gun that ended his life; and Antonio “Jaime” Stiuso, Argentina’s former ex-spy chief who worked with Nisman on the case, among others. As the documentary peels away each layer, there is always a sense that there is still something else there, some more information lurking around the corner, another deception yet to be revealed. And there always is. Nisman’s death is a heavy case and certainly worthy of a six-part documentary,

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Celebrations

Torah

B’nei Mitzvah

Universal compassion Malik Jacob Choset, son of Howie and Beth Choset, will become a bar mitzvah at Adat Shalom during Shabbat morning services on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020. Grandparents are Tobe Choset and the late Malcolm Choset, and the late Gene and Pat Gallenz.

Ilyssa Shiri Bails is the daughter of Michael and Jennifer Bails. She is the sister of Sylvie and the granddaughter of Irvin (z”l) and Sandi Bails, Dr. Harold and Jan Glick, and Stephen Gross (z”l), all of Pittsburgh, and the great-granddaughter of Evelyn Rosenstein of Boynton Beach, Florida. Ilyssa will become a bat mitzvah on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020, at Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation. She attends Community Day School, where she is in seventh grade. She studies musical theater at the Richard E. Rauh Conservatory at Pittsburgh Musical Theater and dance at the JCC Pittsburgh. Ilyssa is also a proud farm girl who spends her summers with dairy cows at Hameau Farm in the Big Valley. She is working on a project to help raise awareness about dementia through Dementia Friends Pennsylvania.

Engagement

Amy and Robert Gold announce the engagement of their son, Jake Gold, to Morgan Rose, daughter of Marci Friedman and Michael Friedman of Beachwood, Ohio. The groom-to-be is the grandson of Ellie Gold and the late Sanford Gold, of Pittsburgh and Phyllis and Joseph Kalk of Beachwood. The bride-to-be is the great-granddaughter of Jeanette Seaman and the granddaughter of Beverly and Dennis Seaman of Beachwood and Lois Friedman of Lyndhurst and the late Richard Friedman. Jake received a business degree at The Ohio State University and is a retail real estate associate at CBRE in Pittsburgh. Morgan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in early childhood at The Ohio State University and earned her master’s degree in education at Ursuline College. She is a firstgrade teacher at Hillel Academy in Pittsburgh. A summer 2020 wedding is planned. PJC

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fundamental struggle of the Jewish people, and truthfully, of all ethnically and religiously distinct peoples, is striking a balance between parochialism and universalism — taking care of our own versus taking care of everybody, regardless of who they are. Of course, it makes sense to take care of our own first — to see our brothers and sisters across the world that say the same prayers and pray to the same God and feel an obligation to help them in times of need. And, of course, that does not absolve us in any way for being compassionate and caring for all humans when we are in a position to be helpful and compassionate. This tension comes into high relief in this week’s parsha of Shemot — Exodus. The Israelites have grown into a large people, living in a land not their own and finding themselves under the thumb of a tyrant who not only enslaves them all, but eventually resorts to infanticide to try and control their numbers. Israel emerges as a nation unto itself, but that emergence occurs in a foreign land — the first real Jewish nation emerges in exile. That first Jewish nation also begins to understand itself through interactions with the Egyptian nation. We learn who we are by being in relation to another nation, and not just on our own in isolation. These lessons are learned one interaction at a time, from Egyptian to Israelite, and Israelite to Egyptian. We see it four times in this parsha. In the first instance, Pharaoh declares that all the Hebrew firstborn males should be killed. But the women responsible for carrying out the decree, the midwives to the Hebrews, refuse to do it. They take on great personal risk to defy a tyrant on behalf of a group of foreigners — out of compassion, and because it is the right thing to do. It is important to note that the ethnic identity of the midwives is somewhat unclear — the Torah calls them “Hebrew midwives,” but might mean “midwives to Hebrews.” The famous 15th-century commentator Abarbanel (and I) think it means they were Egyptians. The second occurrence of universal compassion is when Pharaoh’s daughter draws the Hebrew infant from the water and calls him Moses. Again, why would a royal princess feel the need to raise an orphan, a

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foreigner, a discarded child that was literally refuse of the river? She knows Moses is an Israelite. She could have certainly turned a blind eye and said, “This child is not of my people — this baby is not my problem.” But she did the right thing for a person from a completely different ethnic clan out of pure sympathy and love. The third time is when the royal prince Moses goes out to see the state of his empire, and witnesses a taskmaster beating an Israelite. Moses steps in to protect the Israelite, and in doing so, kills the taskmaster. It is unclear at this moment whether Moses knows that he is a Hebrew — the Torah doesn’t have an instance of Moses being addressed as a Hebrew until God speaks to him at the burning bush — but I prefer to see this as a moment, again, of a person doing the right thing for a foreigner at great personal risk for themself. And finally, Moses flees Egypt for the Land of Midian, where he finds Tzipporah and her sisters at the well, being harassed by shepherds. Moses takes on great personal risk and drives off the shepherds. It is not the safe thing to do, or the self-interested thing to do; it is the right thing to do. But just as non-Israelites saved him, here we find Moses stepping in to save non-Israelites. The Torah’s message in Shemot is abundantly clear: yes, you should take care of your own. But the entire story of Moses’ redemption is filled with peoples of different backgrounds — Israelites, Midians, and Egyptians — looking out for each other. Moses learns those lessons and returns the favor when given the chance to stand up for others who do not look like him or speak his language. Our tradition hardwires the idea of universal compassion into the story of our specific national salvation and redemption, and we are expected to continue that tradition. From the Central Americans who risk their lives to escape poverty and violence, to local Pittsburghers who struggle to pay the heating bill throughout the winter, we are expected to take care of our neighbors, whether they look like us or not. As the descendants of Moses and as the recipients of generations of kindness and salvation in exile, we are expected to extend universal compassion to those around us who are experiencing hardship, and to do it without regard for our own personal self-interest. PJC Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman is rabbi at Brith Sholom Jewish Center in Erie, Pennsylvania. He lives in Pittsburgh.

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Obituaries JAFFE: Dana Jaffe, on Jan. 8, 2020. Loving daughter of Drs. Ronald and Sandra Jaffe; beloved mother of Noa and Sam; sister of Assaf Jaffe; also survived by aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Homewood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Jewish Family and Community Services, 5743 Bartlett St., Pittsburgh, PA 15217, or a charity of donor’s choice. schugar.com KR AFTOWITZ: Abby Kraftowitz died on Jan. 8, 2020, at the age of 33, after a long battle with cancer. During her life, Abby brought her boundless spirit, courage, and sense of adventure to places all over the country and around the world. She was a published photographer and artist who was able to portray, with sensitivity and beauty, the journeys of people who were going through intense and sometimes difficult life events. As a group of fellow artists wrote to her: “You are sun and moon and starlight. You are carried in the warmest parts of our hearts. We will honor you every time we are brave, chase dreams, love fiercely, live as art, because your example inspires us.” Abby is survived by her parents, Janice Gordon and Robert Kraftowitz, her sister Laura Kraftowitz, her grandmother Ida Gordon, her uncles, aunts and cousins, and innumerable friends. The funeral service was held at Rodef Shalom Synagogue. Professional Services by D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd., Lawrenceville. Donations in Abby’s memory can be sent to the Cancer Caring Center either online (cancercaring.org/ donate/) or by mail: 4117 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15224. dalessandroltd.com NE AMAN: Bernard Neaman, on Jan. 6, 2020. Beloved husband of the late Anna Neaman; brother of the late Louis Neaman and Rhoda Bornstein; loving father of Ilene (Bruce Jacobs) of Morristown, New Jersey; grandfather of Lauren (Adam) Lazer, Julie (Ari) Selman, Sam and Erica Jacobs; great-grandfather of Benjamin, Hannah, Noah and Joshua. Graveside Services and Interment were held at Torath Chaim Cemetery, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. Contributions may be made to the Charles Morris Nursing and Rehabilitation, 200 JHF Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to the Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com PASEKOFF: Lee Herbert Pasekoff, on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. Beloved father of Hayley (Steve) Noorbakhsh and Emma

Pasekoff (Peter DeGori). Loving brother of Ellen (late Richard) Grinberg and Bonnie (John) Levey. Uncle of Bryan and Edye Grinberg, Samantha Levey, Anthony Butelli and Macey and Blain Schiff. Lee was passionate about his family, dogs and the sport of golf. Graveside services and interment were held at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Contributions may be made to The Joe Beretta Foundation, P.O. Box 777, Mt. Juliet, TN 37121 (thejoeberetta foundation.com) or any animal shelter of your choice. schugar.com SHORE: Lorraine Port Shore, on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. Beloved wife of the late Abraham Shore and Gerald N. Hurwitz. Beloved mother of Steven Hurwitz, Nancy (late Richard) Cline and the late Jay Hurwitz. Sister of the late Ivan (surviving spouse Arlene) Port, Eleanor Shratter and Earl Port. Sister-in-law of Roz (late Melvin) Hurwitz. Grandmother of Jennifer Cline. Also survived by nieces and nephews. Services were at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Ave., Shadyside. Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. schugar.com SILVERMAN: Bernard S. “Barney” Silverman, unexpectedly on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, age 78. Beloved husband of 47 years to Claudette Silverman; loving father of Corrie Garnett (Effrum), Megan Sigal (Justin), Abbie Whittingham (Stephen) and Seth Silverman (Annina); adoring grandfather of Quintin, Luke, Zoie, Cooper, Sadie, Jax, Cameron, Leo, Alivia and the late Annie; brother of the late Renee Stettner; uncle of Hal Martin. Family was everything to Barney and he loved so big. Barney had a special charm and was never without a smile. He will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, wit and above all else, his huge heart. Friends were received at McCabe Bros., Inc. with a private interment. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to pittsburghfoundation.org/ anniewhittingham. Condolences may be left at mccabebrothers.com. STONE: Rose (Velgich) Stone, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. Beloved wife of the late Harold; preceded in death by her parents, Abraham and Celia and daughter Abbe. Survived by children Steven and Bonnie and her fourlegged buddy, DaeDae, as well as many nieces and nephews. Rose was the last living sibling of 11. Visitation was held at the D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd., 4522 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201. Interment at B’nai Israel Cemetery. Contributions may be made to New Light Synagogue, 5915 Beacon St., Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Let the mahj game begin! dalessandroltd.com PJC

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THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday January 19: Hyman Cohen, Bessie Coltin, Jack Ginsburg, Jesse B. Guttman, Cecile G. Kluger, Tinnie Lange, Dr. Emerson N. Milligram, Ruth Friedman Oshry, Nathan Ripp, Ralph Hyman Rosenthal, David Silverstein, Abraham Teplitz, Freda Winerman Monday January 20: Helen Bloom, Perry S. Brustein, Arthur Cohen, Ella R. Finn, Lottie Gerber, Dr. Hyman D. Goldberg, Rhea Golden, Ruth S. Harris, Miriam Kaufman, Janet Martin, Rebecca Podietz, Louis Schwartz, Isaac Sunstein, Manuel Joseph Topp, Jack E. Wise Tuesday January 21: Morris J. Ackerman, Abner Crumb, Martin Falk, Lillian Adlow Friedberg, Dr. Robert Stanley Goldbloom, Nell Schechter Greenberger, Marc Alan Hersh, Esther Horvitz, Rose Jacobson, Julius Kertman, Harry Lazier, Murray S. Love, George Marcus, Mary Zweig Miller, Mark H. Rossen, Lena Weinstein, Marian Weiss, Meyer Weiss, Ida Finkel Williams Wednesday January 22: Jeremias Becker, Simon Beigel, Leon Bluestone, Oscar Blustone, Max Boodman, Israel Chaiken, William G. Dubin, Harry Friedman, Herbert A. Gold, Frances Kendal Haberman, Isadore E. Lample, Max T. Levine, Anna Lewis, Sol Lieber, Alvin Lippard, Joseph Littman, William Lubow, Mendel Miller, Dorothy Cottler Richman, Berel Louis Sachs, Dorothy B. Schneirov, Rose Serbin, Louis (Happy) Solomon, Lena Star, Caro Talisman, Abe Zwang Thursday January 23: Samuel Bernstein, Rose Schwartz Bodek, Charlie Brown, Pauline Caplan, Renee Cohen, Nathan Dektor, Leroy D. Fienberg, Freda Florman, Arthur W. Fried, Zola S. Heller, Sylvia Kalmick, Max Kalson, Pearl Klein, Jack Lange, Rita Marks, Byrde Marlin, Nellie E. Rudolph, Harry Selkovits, Samuel Solow, Sarah Rachel Teplitz, Morris Vinocur, Dora Zeidenstein Friday January 24: Ruth Boimel, Abraham J. Epstein, Vivian S. Hyman, Max Levenson, Esther Mallinger, Julia Mankin, Rose H. Mirskey, David Newman, Eugene Neil Reuben, Rae Solomon Saturday January 25: Philip Backer, Bernard Bigg, Aaron H. Braunstein, David Dugan, Louis Fineberg, Abraham J. Friedman, Sam Gerson, Harry Glick, Nathan Greenberg, Frances S. Winsberg Gusky, Samuel Harris, Sarah Kallus, Betty Lenchner, Jacob Linder, Violet Semins Paris, Minnie Pecarsky, Charlotte Rubin, Ben Scolnik, Jacob Shapiro, Dr. Bernard J. Slone, Jennie S. Solomon, Ann Tergulitza, Freda Venetsky

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Headlines TOL: Continued from page 2

something to memorialize the group we lost I thought it was very special,” said Gersen. “They were very warm and welcoming when they were here and I figured I should go to reciprocate in part and in honor of those we lost,” echoed Harris, one of several Tree of Life ambassadors trained in handling requests for visits or speaking engagements. Levine organized elements of the trip, and while the Steel City travelers had some idea what the weekend would bring they were surprised by the outpouring of support. Among the hundreds attending the Friday

night services, Roxbury News reported, was U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski, Roxbury Deputy Mayor Fred Hall, NJ-Israel Commission Executive Director Andrew Gross, World Union for Progressive Judaism President Rabbi David Saperstein, Jewish National Fund CEO Russell Robinson and First Presbyterian Church of Succasunna Pastor Rev. Carie Morgan. “The speakers were just wonderful in being supportive to us as members of Tree of Life but also talking a lot about the climate in the country, and what happened in Brooklyn, Jersey City and Poway,” said Gersen. Preceding the speeches and service was a special Friday night dinner. “It may sound very formal, but it was

very warm and it was really a lovely evening,” said Gersen. “They worked incredibly hard on putting this together,” added Levine. “On Saturday, they had a beautiful service and all of us from Tree of Life had separate aliyahs and it was very nice,” noted Gersen. Throughout Shabbat, efforts were made to include the Pittsburgh delegation, and because of the kind sentiments of Temple Shalom’s staff and lay leaders, “it was a spiritual weekend,” said Harris. Before returning to Pittsburgh on Jan. 13, the Steel City group was gifted a replica of the glass memorial by representatives of the New Jersey congregation. “We will be bringing that to Tree of Life in

the next day or so and it will be displayed and explained to the congregation,” said Levine. “Being able to share the stories of the 11” was an impetus for going, and having now returned “I would do it again,” said Harris. “It was emotional,” echoed Gersen. “We are looking forward at Tree of Life. We will never forget, but we have to look forward and look toward the future.” Feige said she was pleased with the trip’s success, as well as the continued support received by the congregation: “Trauma goes on and everything we can do that moves healing forward is a good thing.” PJC

history of the kazoo. I love telling stories about neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. I love telling stories about weird couples in ancient Egypt. And whether that takes me behind the camera or in front of the camera, I’m just passionate telling stories and being curious and asking questions,” he said. Neither Frankel nor Barker are certain where their fascinations will lead, but both have dream projects. Frankel, a frequent guest on Portland TV shows, would love to produce a weekly program in Pittsburgh highlighting the city’s arts and culture. Barker

would love to create a sad animal theme park combining science and entertainment. Imagine “Garfield’s Nightmare Science Edition,” where rides and simulations, like a housefly roller coaster, would enable participants to better understand an animal’s journey, she said. Interested station managers or amusement park developers might have to wait a few weeks to finalize any deals, as Barker and Frankel are currently on tour promoting their new book. The Jewish duo, who recently hosted a Chanukah party for 30 new friends, hope interested readers in Austin,

Minneapolis, San Francisco, Pittsburgh or any of the tour cities along the way will stop by upcoming events. “They’re free. They’re fun. I think they’ll be entertaining,” said Frankel. “It will be sort of a variety show-esque thing with a lot of little bits and pieces, presentations, stories and drawing demonstrations.” Added Barker, “Getting to meet a new person is always exciting for us.” PJC

Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Creative: When the cabbie replied it wasn’t too good because he only slept six hours the evening before, Barker replied, “Giraffes only sleep two hours a night actually, so if you were a giraffe six hours would have been a ton.” Such a point of view illuminates life’s moments, Barker said; when projects move slower than expected, she reminds herself, “That took me a long time, but it would have taken a slug a lot longer.” While Barker’s search for information manifests itself in illustrations, Frankel’s inquisitiveness leads to alternative endeavors. For six years he hosted the Pedal Powered Talk Show, an internet program where Frankel and a co-host got onto a cargo bike and traveled to interview people among herds of buffalos, across urban areas and even through white water rapids. “I just love meeting new people,” he said. “I think curiosity guides most of the things that I do in my life and I like not just sitting and looking online and learning things on Wikipedia but going out and just asking questions about why things are the way they are.” That’s what inspired Frankel, 37, to create “PGH Stories,” a 90-part documentary series exploring the Steel City’s neighborhoods in alphabetical order. With Bedford Dwellings now complete and Beechview coming soon, Frankel is excited to hammer away at a multiyear task. “I just love telling stories,” he said. “I have a small kazoo museum (in Beaufort, South Carolina) and I love telling stories about the

Illustration by Brooke Barker

Continued from page 14

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JANUARY 17, 2020 21

Community PB&J and Mitzvah Day More than 50 volunteers worked together at the South Hills JCC to make sandwiches and decorate cards for those in need. The activities were part of Mitzvah Day 2019, a Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh program. Photos by Kim Rullo

Pittsburgh on the bridge

Thousands of Jews and Jewish allies went to New York City to march against anti-Semitism on Jan. 5.

Speaking the same language

p Former Pittsburgh resident Melissa Schaffer marched across the Brooklyn Bridge, protest signs in hand. Photo courtesy of Melissa Schaffer p Levi DiCola, Syvlie Casher and Joseph Raithel build Temple David’s version of the Tower of Babel. Photo by Jessica Raithel

Celebrate good times

p Girls of Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s Bat Mitzvah Club enjoy a special pre-Chanukah bash.

22 JANUARY 17, 2020

New Light celebrates Chanukah

Photo by Chani Altein

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

t New Light Congregation celebrated Chanukah with a special dinner and movie program on Dec. 29.

Photo by Barry Werber

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Community Jewish Women’s Foundation awards grants

Lots of special people at Yeshiva

The Jewish Women’s Foundation completed its 2019 grantmaking, awarding $91,400 for programs in the Jewish and general communities.

The Early Learning Center at Yeshiva hosted Grandparents/Special Person Day on Dec. 31. Grandparents, parents, family friends and even older siblings visited the classroom, in person and on FaceTime. Visitors and children enjoyed projects, smiles and hugs. Photos by Elly Feibus

p JWF Co-Chair Joan Gurrentz, JWF Executive Director Judy Greenwald Cohen and JWF Co-Chair Lauren Goldblum

p Tzipka Cowen and Ayala Hoch do crafts with granddaughter Moriyah.

p Elyse Eichner and Susan Leff, grantmaking co-chairs

Photos by Melanie Weisbord

Jewish and proud

p Shuey Teitelbaum visits with nephew Adam.

p The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh staff participated in the AJC’s #JewishandProud day on Jan. 6. After learning that many Jews in the Diaspora conceal their Jewish identities out of fear, AJC designated the day to establish pride and solidarity among Jews worldwide. Photo courtesy of Jackie Reese

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p Moshe and Leah Shollar with granddaughter Mina

p Special friend Libby Saul visits with Shmuel Rubin and his mother, Devorah.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

JANUARY 17, 2020 23

KOSHER MEATS

• All-natural poultry — whole chickens, breasts, wings and more • All-natural, corn-fed beef — steaks, roasts, ground beef and more • Variety of deli meats and franks Available at select Giant Eagle stores. Visit GiantEagle.com for location information.

Empire Kosher Fresh Ground Turkey Sold in 1 lb. pkg.

49 lb. Save with your

Price effective effective Thursday, Thursday, January October16 4 through through Wednesday, Wednesday, January October 22, 10, 2020 2018 Price

Available at 24 JANUARY 17, 2020

and PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

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