Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 2-14-20 by Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

February 14, 2020 | 19 Shevat 5780

Candlelighting 5:36 p.m. | Havdalah 6:36 p.m. | Vol. 63, No. 7 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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Tree of Life works to collect Jewish the story of items left after attack community focuses on disability awareness in February

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Maspeak founders honored

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

Local organizers fighting white nationalism win award.

Page 2

LOCAL New Holocaust Museum findings

 Items left after the attack at the Tree of Life building. By David Rullo | Staff Writer

Penn Hills native shared new information about Nazi camps. Page 3

LOCAL Interfaith funerals Some rabbis are now sharing funeral duties with clergy from other religions. Page 4

n the days and weeks following the Oct. 27 attack at the Tree of Life building, mourners created a makeshift memorial outside the scene of the massacre. Stuffed animals, notes, a marathon medal, tennis shoes and painted stones were some of the items left among the thousands of flowers that lined the sidewalk on Wilkins and Shady avenues. These objects — some with an explicit connection to the shooting; others without — were a visible way for the community to express their grief. Laurie Zittrain Eisenberg, a board member at Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha and faculty member of the history department at Carnegie Mellon University, was one of the volunteers who helped dismantle the memorial. “Since most of these items were left anonymously, we were left to our own devices to read into some of the more ambiguous ones what the person’s intent had been, what the item meant to them, why they wanted us to have it.” Tree of Life is now working to discover

Photo by Laurie Zittrain Eisenberg

the backstory behind some of the more esoteric pieces, since the stories behind the more obviously connected items are “very touching, moving and powerful.” In addition to looking for people who left inanimate objects, Tree of Life members also hope to identity a violinist and church choir that performed in front of the building in the first weeks after the attack. The synagogue has been able to locate some people who left gifts through contemporaneous media stories or happenstance. It is now widening the search, creating a page on its website where people can submit the story of what they left at the memorial. Historian Eisenberg said she has a “sensitivity to preserve this tangible evidence of the community’s response to the assault on the synagogue,” a generous, spontaneous reaction “that should be preserved as part of the larger story.” While no permanent home has been chosen yet to house the collection and stories, it will ultimately be a location

Please see Tree of Life, page 14

hroughout February, local residents and organizations are calling attention to disability inclusion as part of Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month. Last week, Nancy Gale, executive director of Jewish Residential Services, traveled to Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4 for Jewish Disability Advocacy Day. Gale and fellow participants heard from authorities on disability inclusion and met with politicians to discuss continued efforts. “It was just a really terrific day,” said Gale. “I learned a lot, and we had a chance to see how this works — where bills are proposed and constituents go and voice their opinions about them.” The day represented a number of milestones. Aside from marking the 10th annual Jewish Disability Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, participants commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 45th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Jewish Disability Advocacy Day, which is supported by the Jewish Federations of North America, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and the Jewish Disability Network, draws delegations from all over the country, including from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. “Jewish Federation’s Community Campaign supports advocacy on issues important to the Jewish community on both the state and national level, and a critical part of those efforts is advocating for legislation and funding for people with disabilities,” said Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Marketing Director Adam Hertzman, Please see Disability, page 14

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LOCAL Profile: Rachel Kudrick

NATIONAL AIPAC apologizes

MUSIC 102-year-old releases album

Headlines Student group Maspeak battles white nationalism; receives national award — LOCAL — By David Rullo | Staff Writer

ollowing the terrorist attack at the Tree of Life building on Oct. 27, 2018, Sai Koros and Claire Singer decided it was time to get political. Both students at the University of Pittsburgh at the time, the pair created Maspeak, a network for Jewish student advocacy focused on social justice. Maspeak, which means “enough” in Hebrew, started as a group chat that informed its participants about open letters, peaceful protests and rallies in the wake of the shooting. But the nascent organization turned into something more and started on-campus meetings after receiving a charter from Pitt. Soon, Koros and Singer had created a Jewish community that was both politically active and LGBTQ+ friendly. Singer felt a political response to the attack was important because the shooting itself was political. “To put it simply, it was a white nationalistic terroristic attack directly targeting elders of our community to whom we all feel connected,” Singer said. “When it’s so close, it’s a wake-up call.” Singer was disappointed by the initial response to the shooting. “The primary narrative” people were speaking out against was hate, she said. But she felt it was more particular than that. “It was white nationalism. It was an attack on the Jewish people,” she said. “As a result, I felt it was important to stand in solidarity with other groups that were targeted by this specific stream.” Some of the groups and causes that Maspeak aligned itself with included the

p Maspeak founders Claire Singer and Sai Koros

Purple Rose Project, which supported Antwon Rose’s family, and the Muslim community after the Christchurch, New Zealand, shooting. Both Singer and Koros believe that it is important to stop and consider what these types of attacks mean to those affected by them. Singer mentioned that after Oct. 27, homecoming weekend continued at the university. A dean explained it was important to show that the school’s activities wouldn’t be affected by terrorist events like the shooting. Singer said she remembered thinking, “This is the type of thing we should be stopped by. We should stop and reflect on how we can build across communities and how we can become stronger.” Koros, who graduated last year and now works at the university, pointed out that the LGBTQ+ community is already invested in battling extremism, hate and white nationalism. “I think LGBTQ+ people tend to already be invested in their own liberation and the

Photo by David Rullo

liberation of others,” Koros said. “Because of that, there were connections we were able to form and energy we could create with people in the same place we were politically.” The need for a group that was Jewish, political and open to all identities was important to Koros. “I think that an important part of being a queer person is being political,” Koros said. “Many of the structures in place within the Jewish community aren’t necessarily political, even if they are queer friendly, and that’s an important aspect for me to feel invested in my identity.” Koros and Singer were recently honored by Western States Center for creating Maspeak as well as for a project about student perspectives and responses to the attack on Oct. 27, shown at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh and a Classrooms Without Borders conference. The not-for-profit which works nationally to strengthen inclusive democracy, is recognizing the work of 11 individuals under 25

who have demonstrated their commitment to building an inclusive community. The two were each awarded $1,027 by the organization, after being nominated by one of their professors. A Western States Center press release announcing the award read: “Sai and Claire’s work directly confronts white nationalist ideology and promotes inclusive community, as shown in their peaceful protests of rightwing ideologues and dangerous anti-Semitic speech, their commitment to social justice, as well as their organization’s support of families who have lost loved ones to police brutality, including Antwon Rose’s family.” Now that Koros has graduated and Singer is almost done, the two have begun thinking about the future of Maspeak. Singer noted that student organizations don’t always continue to exist on campus once their creators graduate, but she’s thinking that Maspeak might break that pattern because of the broad interest the group has attracted, with members from Point Park University and Carnegie Mellon University as well as Pitt. Singer sees building community as vital to the future of the group as they shift into a new phase of the organization that moves well beyond a reaction to Oct. 27. “This year, we had a lot of events where people got to know one another, build relationships with one another,” Singer said. “We’re working on creating a big intergroup event where we can bring together various groups and organizations and build relationships that way.” Koros said that those relationships won’t simply be on the Pitt campus, but across the U.S. as well. PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Tens of thousands of Nazi camps catalogued in Holocaust Museum encyclopedia — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

etween 1933 and 1945, the Nazis and their European allies operated a staggering number of detention sites and camps — more than 44,000 — geographically ranging from the United Kingdom Channel Islands in the west to Russia in the east, and from Norway in the north to Somalia in the south. At these sites, millions of innocent people, including 6 million Jews, were murdered, while others were forced to work against their will, persecuted and tortured. A comprehensive seven-volume encyclopedia documenting those camps is being produced by a small group of researchers, editors and writers at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., along with hundreds of scholars from around the world. Penn Hills native Andrew Kloes is one of those researchers at the Holocaust Museum’s Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies. Kloes, the guest speaker on Feb. 8 at Rodef Shalom Brotherhood’s Herzog Breakfast Discussion, shared an insider’s look at new

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p Andrew Kloes

Photo by Toby Tabachnick

findings revealed within the “Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933-1945.” Researchers have been working on the encyclopedia since 1999 and have completed its first three volumes, the first two of which are available for free online. The aim of the project is to provide scholars with leads for additional research and memorialize the places where millions of people suffered and died, according to Kloes. “The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum undertook this project recognizing that it had a unique obligation to

provide reliable and up-to-date reference for the study of the Holocaust, especially while eyewitnesses and survivors were still present to provide critical guidance and oversight,” Kloes said. Each of the seven volumes of the encyclopedia focuses on a particular type of site, or group of related sites. The first three volumes, published by the museum in partnership with Indiana University Press in 2009, 2012 and 2018, total 5000 pages. Volume 1 documents 110 camps that the Nazi regime established shortly after coming to power in 1933. About 80% of the 50,000 to 100,000 prisoners in these early camps were supporters or members of the Communist Party of Germany. “Within this group, the camp guards singled out the Jewish prisoners for the most special and harshest abuse,” noted Kloes. Volume 1 also examines the 24 main concentration camps that the SS operated in Germany and German-occupied France, the Netherlands, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and the 874 “sub-camps,” or satellite camps, “which comprised their respective camp networks,” Kloes said. Volume 1 also documents the Auschwitz concentration camp and killing center, “where at least 1 million Jews were murdered by poison gas.” Volume 2 of the encyclopedia covers

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the sites and towns in Eastern Europe, in German-occupied Polish and Soviet territory between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, where the Germans incarcerated local Jewish communities in ghettos. “Whereas previous scholarly attempts to identify the number of ghettos that the Nazis created resulted in estimates ranging from 400 ghettos to 800 ghettos, our encyclopedia was able to document the existence of 1,143 ghettos,” said Kloes. The new results were achieved, in part, by examining records from the former Soviet Union, which scholars were not able to access during the Cold War. “The ghettos existed within urban landscapes, which commonly changed their appearance over time,” Kloes said, adding that “little, if anything, remains of the physical structures that form most parts of these ghettos.” With a small number of exceptions, “at almost all the ghetto sites, there are no museums, no memorials, or even any sign of what occurred there,” he explained. “The danger is that as the last survivors pass away, so too will any knowledge of the places where they suffered. One goal of this volume was to collect detailed information about the locations of the ghettos to assist in the preservation of that memory.” Please see Encyclopedia, page 15

FEBRUARY 14, 2020 3

Headlines Rabbis’ perspectives vary when it comes to co-officiating at interfaith funerals — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

ith the rise of interfaith marriage, it is no surprise that families are seeking ways to meld the traditions of various faiths. From weddings performed jointly by clergy representing different religions, to the December holiday mashup “Christmakkah,” cultures and customs are being blended in ways unimaginable a century ago. Interfaith funerals, co-officiated by a rabbi and a non-Jewish clergy member, while not yet ubiquitous, now can also be added to that canon. Rabbi Chuck Diamond, spiritual leader of Pittsburgh’s Kehillah La La, recently co-officiated a funeral with a Presbyterian reverend for the first time, and “would probably do it again if asked,” he said. Diamond, who has officiated at interfaith weddings — but not yet co-officiated at one — was contacted by a former congregant who told him of a Russian Jewish mother and Christian father whose 7-year-old daughter had recently died of leukemia. The funeral was to be held at Shadyside Presbyterian Church, and the mother was seeking a rabbi to preside over the

“The priority for me was service in addition to the reverend comforting the mourners,” “to have both backgrounds repreDiamond said. “And I think sented,” Diamond said. we were able to do that.” “To me, the most important Although the child was not thing is providing comfort for raised Jewish, according to the family after such a tragic Orthodox and Conservative loss,” he explained. “I worked law, she would be considered with Rev. (Lynn) Portz and she Jewish because she was born was very welcoming and sensito a Jewish mother, Diamond tive to my needs.” said. The family, however, did Portz also did not know the p Rabbi Chuck File photo not “practice much.” family, and the two clergy met Diamond If the child had not been with them together. “I thought we worked very well together,” Jewish, though, Diamond said he still Diamond said. “We both had different things would have been open to co-officiating we brought to the service and to comforting at her funeral. Rabbi Jeremy Weisblatt, spiritual leader of the family. I learned a bit from her and I Temple Ohav Shalom, a Reform congregathink she learned a bit from me.” During the service, Diamond “said a few tion in Allison Park, estimates that between words and did the El Malei Rachamim both 60 and 70% of his congregation is comprised of interfaith families. in Hebrew and in English.” He will not officiate at an interfaith The two clergy escorted the coffin out of the church together, with Diamond reciting wedding, he said, and has never been asked the “appropriate prayers we say when we to co-officiate a funeral along with a clergy escort the body from the chapel.” member of another faith. At the cemetery, Allegheny County “The closest most interesting situation was Memorial Park, Diamond and Portz divided a gentleman had passed away who was Jewish up the service, with Portz reciting Psalms and his wife and children are all Catholic,” and Diamond supervising the attendees Weisblatt recalled. “Yet, they called me and placing dirt in the grave. He also led a recita- asked me to officiate because they wanted to honor their father even though he wasn’t tion of the Mourner’s Kaddish.

1O TONY AWARDS

INCLUDING

actively Jewish his whole life.” If asked to co-officiate with non-Jewish clergy, Weisblatt would have to make his decision based on the particular situation. “It would be one of those situations where I would want to talk to the family to understand what it is they are actually looking for,” he said. “What is their understanding of the funeral? How are they trying to honor their person? It is very different from a wedding in that a wedding is, according to Jewish law, a status change. And I am officiating as a rabbi creating a Jewish home, whereas a funeral is a whole different situation in that you are dealing with mourning and how people understand mourning…. Are we burying in a Jewish cemetery? Are we not burying in a Jewish cemetery? There are so many variables in that situation.” Mourning, according to Jewish law, Weisblatt said, is about “honoring the dead, and we want to honor their wishes as best as possible. So that would be my focus in any decision on whether to officiate. It’s how do we best honor this person’s life and make sure that their memory lives forever.” The primary issue that arises when assessing the propriety of a rabbi co-officiating a funeral with clergy of a different faith is not halachic but “Jewish,” according Please see Funerals, page 15

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The Jewish Women’s Foundation is pleased to announce its 2019 Jewish and general community grants JEWISH COMMUNITY

The Jewish Women’s Foundation

Hillel Academy $7,000

supports organizations that improve

Jewish Healthcare Foundation $17,162 National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section/Center for Women $10,000 Tzohar Seminary $5,000

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that promote social change since 2003, investing over $1.2M in the community.

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For more information or for inquiries about becoming a member, contact Judy Greenwald Cohen at jcohen@jwfpgh.org or 412-727-1108. Or visit JWF’s website at www.jwfpgh.org

Headlines Temple Sinai member starts classes for budding gardeners — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

hen horticulturist Rachel Kudrick’s spiritual buds require watering, the Morningside resident turns to Temple Sinai. But it didn’t start out that way. Born in Streator, Illinois, to a family of Catholics and Southern Baptists, Kudrick, 51, moved to Pennsylvania nearly four decades ago at 13. From the first week in Clarion County, Kudrick participated in the nearby church’s choir and youth group. “I felt very at home with the people, but never connected to the service,” she said. As Kudrick grew up, her religious interests expanded: “Judaism always drew me. I always read about it and learned about it, and I got to the point where I felt like I knew as much as I could learn on my own.” About 10 years ago, Kudrick was directed to Rabbi Jamie Gibson of Temple Sinai. “I went to him and I said, ‘You know, I don’t want to convert. I just want to learn more.’” Gibson invited Kudrick to a Friday evening service, where she discovered that the communal Shabbat prayers contrasted with other religious encounters. “When I went to church in Clarion County, I knew all the people and I felt very comfortable PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

the areas they relish. with them — well, aside from being As a teacher, Kudrick tries to gay, but they didn’t know that — but understand the reasoning behind I never felt connected to what was a student’s interest in gardening. happening,” she said. “Whereas at “Think about the biggest best Temple Sinai I just felt connected thing you want, and then cut it to whatever was in the room. Even into pieces, ” she said. “Approach it though I didn’t understand the a piece at a time. If you approach Hebrew at all, something just spoke it all at once, you’re going to get to my heart. I came home crying and p Rachel Kudrick overwhelmed and you’re going to I was like, ‘I think I want to convert.’” Photo provided So that’s what she did. “It was by Rachel Kudrick feel like you failed, and you’re not going to continue.” just a spiritual thing that I don’t In that vein, Kudrick asked students really understand. To this day I just felt like during last week’s opening session why they I’d come home, and it stayed that way.” Kudrick has a more tangible grasp on her wanted to garden. “If your goal is to grow 25 bushels of tomapassion for gardening. A graduate of Bidwell Training Center’s horticulture program, toes and what you did was sit outside and Kudrick worked at Bidwell with orchids and smoke a cigarette, you didn’t really succeed,” hydroponically grown tomatoes, and even- she said. “You still did succeed with smoking tually taught classes on the mathematics of a cigarette, but if you know what you actually want out of it then you’ll know to focus greenhouse management. Her sharp mind and green thumb are a on getting it.” This is especially true of gardening with boon to those interested in the field, explained Drew Barkley, Temple Sinai’s executive children, Kudrick said. “Let’s say you really want to spend time director, which is why he asked her to teach a related course at the Squirrel Hill synagogue. with your kids outside. Well, if your kids are Meeting Wednesday mornings and really little then you’re probably not going to evenings, “Planning to Canning: Gardening end up with a lot of side dishes because kids on the Cheap with Rachel Kudrick” is a tend to pull the wrong plants.” chance for Temple Sinai members and If your goal is simply to spend time with non-members to orient themselves to the kids, however, “then even if at the end of gardening basics. Each class functions inde- the season all you have is this big pile of dirt, pendently so students can pick and choose you were still successful.” PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Understanding and inclusion are key to Kudrick’s work, explained Barkley: “Rachel embodies so much of what Temple Sinai is about. It’s why she was nominated to be volunteer of the year.” Kudrick received that honor in 2019 after taking the lead on Temple Sinai’s vegetable garden. When congregants wished to establish a crop station near the historic Forbes Avenue building, Kudrick designed the plans. By season’s end, Temple Sinai had donated 200 pounds of freshly grown produce to the Squirrel Hill Community Food Pantry. Because of what she does for the congregation, serving as Kudrick’s rabbi is an honor, said Gibson: “I am proud of the way she has offered her talents and passion for the earth to the synagogue and the city at large. She is a living example to be courageous in one’s self and to be a proud Jewish woman. She leads with her heart, and we are all the richer for it.” Kudrick gets her love of gardening from her late father, Lloyd, who worked in a factory all his life but was passionate about horticulture. After Lloyd’s death in 2001, Kudrick’s mother, Imogene, required help with the property. The large lot, almost an acre, had apple trees, peach trees and pear trees, along with perennial flowers and a vegetable garden. Please see Gardener, page 15

FEBRUARY 14, 2020 5

We honor the people

who inspire us every day.

UPMC Transplant Services congratulates the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE), which was named a 2019 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner. This presidential-level honor recognizes CORE for excellence and innovation in the face of complex challenges. UPMC is proud to partner with CORE to fulﬁll its mission of saving and healing lives through organ donation. To learn more about the services that CORE provides, visit CORE.org.

Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside is ranked among America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.

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>>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, FEB. 14 Join Temple Sinai at 5:45 p.m. for the 3rd Annual Folk Shabbat Dinner and Evening Service with prayers woven with songs including music by Peter, Paul & Mary, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, John Denver, Cat Stevens and more. The menu will feature dishes from the Torah (Israeli/Mediterranean food). Cost: $18 (ages 13+), $10 kids (ages 4-12), free (ages 0-3). 5505 Forbes Ave. templesinaipgh.org/event/folkshabbat-dinner.html

Enjoy soup and a speaker at Parkway Jewish Center’s “Souper Shabbat Plus Lecture Series.” Ben Shapiro will present “Sustainable Gardening & Landscaping” and 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 part 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.

$10

SUNDAY SPECIAL

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q SUNDAYS, FEB. 16, 23; MARCH 8, 15, 22, 29 From vaudeville and Yiddish theater to Broadway and improv, the Jewish people kvell at comedy. Improv Class at Rodef Shalom is your chance to take the stage, have fun with friends and laugh along the way. Sign up for this free lighthearted improv class today for anyone 21 and over. No previous experience necessary. 1 p.m. Rodef Shalom, 4905 Fifth Ave. RSVP: Emily Harris, emilyharris.storymaker@gmail.com q MONDAY, FEB. 17 The University of Pittsburgh Jewish Studies Program presents A Rich Brew: How Cafes Created Modern

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MONDAY DINNER SPECIAL Chicken Paprikash $33.99

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Chabad of the South Hills presents its monthly senior lunch at noon. Enjoy a delicious lunch and the presentation “7 Steps to a Healthier Heart.”

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As the Purim and Pesach season approaches, wine and alcohol are in the spotlight. Kollel Konnections presents a three-part Dinner & Learn series titled “Living in High Spirits: the Torah Perspective on Alcohol Consumption.” The series will take place at Cafe 18, 2028 Murray Ave. There is a $20 dinner charge for each session. RSVP required. Rabbi Yossi Berkowitz will lead the interactive classes. 8 p.m. For any questions and to RSVP, contact Rabbi Yossi Berkowitz at yossiberk@gmail.com.

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Learn Hebrew at New Light Congregation. The sixweek class taught by Shai Miller will focus on reading and pronunciation. 10:30 a.m. $85, includes study book and workbook. To enroll, email Janet Cohen at janet.cohen@gmail.com or call 412-512-0949. 5915 Beacon Street. newlightcongregation.org/events/ adult-hebrew-classes-guiding-pronunciation

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Join the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh for The Decline in Global Freedom, a luncheon discussion with Michael J. Abramowitz, president of Freedom House, a nonpartisan voice dedicated to promoting democracy. Abramowitz will describe the current state of democracy, explain why we face an erosion of faith in free institutions and discuss the U.S. role in moving beyond the current crisis of faith. Noon. Omni William Penn Hotel. To register, visit eventbrite.com/e/the-decline-in-global-freedomtickets-89065395997.

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Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division for a tour of Eleventh Hour Brewing, 3711 Charlotte St. 2 p.m. Pay your own way upon arrival. jewishpgh.org/event/young-adultbrewery-club-at-11th-hour-brewing

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Jewish Culture. Enjoy coffee, pastries and an immersive discussion of Jewish cafe culture at the turn of the 20th century presented by Dr. Shachar Pinsker. 12 p.m. Room 602, Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fifth Ave.

Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Volunteer Center at Rodef Shalom Congregation and help assemble emergency Go-Bags for all Jewish community classrooms. Must be 15 or older. A maximum of 20 participants can be accepted. If you require accommodations for a disability, please contact Bex Frankeberger at bfrankeberger@ jfedpgh.org. 1 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. To register, visit jewishpgh.org/ event/go-bags-assembly.

Fighting the Februarys: A Toolkit for Combating a Depressed Mood, featuring Eleanor ShimkinSorock, M.D., MPH, retired psychiatrist and Gary S. Sorock, Ph.D., RN, retired epidemiologist and psychiatric nurse. 10 a.m. Light refreshments. Rodef Shalom, 4905 Fifth Ave. RSVP: caringcommittee@ rodefshalom.org

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Calendar Calendar: Continued from page 7 Wheelchair accessible. $5 suggested donation. 1701 McFarland Road. chabadsh.com The Squirrel Hill AARP chapter will hold its monthly meeting at 1 p.m. at Rodef Shalom, 4905 Fifth Ave. The guest speaker will be Michael Dunn, director of social services at Lifespan. Please note, should the Pittsburgh public schools be closed due to weather conditions, the AARP meeting will be canceled. For more information, contact Marsha at 412-731-3338. q WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20 South Hills Jewish Pittsburgh presents South Hills Healthy Living - “Playtime for Kids, Adults & Seniors” beginning at 7 p.m. at the South Hills JCC. Rachael Speck, JCC of Greater Pittsburgh’s children, youth and family director, will host the interactive session, giving you simple, creative ways to play with loved ones of all ages and stages. Free. 345 Kane Blvd. southhillsjewishpittsburgh.org/healthyliving q FRIDAY, FEB. 21 & SATURDAY, FEB. 22 Sing A New Light presents Yale University’s Magavet at Congregation Beth Shalom (5915 Beacon St.) during Shabbat services, Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9:45 a.m. For more information, visit singanewlight.org/events. q SATURDAY, FEB. 22 Join Congregation Beth Shalom for Clues & Schmooze, a trivia event including a raffle, open bar and snacks. Trivia will be in teams of three to six players. Bring your own team or be matched up at the door. $25/person by Feb. 20, $30 at the door. Registration: 7:45 p.m., trivia: 8:15 p.m. 5915 Beacon St. bethshalompgh.org/events-upcoming q SUNDAY, FEB. 23 New Light Congregation presents Sing a New Light featuring Yale University’s a capella group Magevet. The concert begins at 1 p.m. at the Squirrel Hill JCC. $10 suggested donation. To RSVP, visit eventbrite/e/88441877035. Lend a hand packing hamantaschen to be donated to the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Volunteer Center. Must be 10 or older. A maximum of 10 participants can be accepted. If you require accommodations for a disability, please contact Bex Frankeberger at

bfrankeberger@jfedpgh.org. 4 p.m. 310 Electric Ave. To register, visitjewishpgh.org/event/pack-bakedgoods-with-creative-kosher. q TUESDAY, FEB. 25 Join Moishe House for a happy hour at Mario’s, 5442 Walnut St., beginning at 5 p.m. Appetizers are on them. Moishe House events are intended for young adults age 22–32. q WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26 Join Classrooms Without Borders and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh for an Open House for the Momentum Women’s Trip to Israel at 7 p.m. The trip will take place Oct. 19-26. Open to mothers with at least one child under 18. Held at a private residence. For more information, email Emily Richman at ERichman@jfedpgh.org or Chani Altein at caltein@chabadpgh.com. q WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27 Make sushi at Moishe House. Vegetarian options will be available. Email a resident for the address. 7 p.m. facebook.com/events/177412890275656 q FRIDAY, FEB. 28 Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division, Chabad Young Professionals, JGrads CMU and JGrads Pittsburgh for Shabbat Across America at Chabad of Squirrel Hill. Open to grad students and young professionals over 21. 6 p.m. $10 per person. jewishpittsburgh.wufoo.com/ forms/q1bzf5031b65vxl q FRIDAY, FEB. 28 & SATURDAY, FEB. 29 Temple Emanuel of South Hills welcomes Rabbi Menachem Creditor for the annual Sajowitz Weekend. Rabbi Creditor will deliver a d’var Torah on Friday followed by an after-service dinner lecture about the uses and abuses of power in the Jewish community. On Saturday he will discuss gun violence and the Jewish community and LGBTQ+ issues in the Jewish community. Free. 1250 Bower Hill Road. For more information and to register, visit templeemanuelpgh.org/event/sef2020. q THROUGH FEB. 29 The Zionist Organization of America: Pittsburgh Israel Scholarship Program is accepting applications through Feb. 29, 2020. The program is designed to encourage student participation on approved educational trips to Israel. Up to three ZOA Scholarships, $1,000 each, are available to

Celebrate Purim as a family and bake some delicious hamantashen at the Kid’s Mega Hamantash Event. Bring your kids for an afternoon of fun, giving and hamantash making. Open to all kids 3-11. $10 per child. 1 p.m. Chabad of Squirrel Hill, 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/megapurim The New Community Chevra Kadisha of Greater Pittsburgh will hold its 15th annual Adar 7 dinner at 6 p.m. The kosher dinner will be held at Temple Sinai. Eric Lidji, director of the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives at the Heinz History Center will speak about “Why is Death Sad?” Rabbi Jamie Gibson of Temple Sinai will be honored for his continued support and spiritual guidance which contributed to the establishment of the New Community Chevra Kadisha. q MONDAY, MARCH 2 Beth El Congregation hosts First Mondays with Rabbi Alex, its monthly lunch program with Rabbi Alex Greenbaum. This month’s guest is Mila Sanina, executive director of Publicsource. She will discuss truth seeking and local journalism in the era of fake news. Learn how to distinguish fact from fiction and how to think critically as an educated consumer of news. Visit bethelcong.org for more information or call 412-561-1168 with any questions and to RSVP. $6. 11:30 a.m. 1900 Cochran Road. q MONDAY, MARCH 2 & TUESDAY, MARCH 2 Yeshiva Girls School proudly presents Between the Raindrops. The musical production for women and girls tells the story of Rebbetzin Menucha Rochel. 7 p.m. Reserved seating: $25. 6401 Forbes Ave. yeshivaschools.com/production q TUESDAY, MARCH 3 Join Chabad of the South Hills at noon for their Purim Senior’s Lunch with hamantashen and a special chair

q WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5-APRIL 2 New Light Congregation is offering Sacred Seasons of Christians and Jews, a new interfaith learning opportunity. Rabbi Jonathan Perlman from New Light Congregation and Rev. Taeeta Candy from Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church will lead the five-week class which begins March 5 and will discuss the connections between Passover and Easter. Free and open to the public. 6111 Rodman Street. 6:30 p.m. Please contact Janet Cohen at janet.cohen@gmail.com to register. q SUNDAY, MARCH 8 Join the entire South Hills Jewish community for the South Hills Jewish Community Purim Carnival at the South Hills JCC. Enjoy carnival games and prizes, pizza, hamantaschen, an inflatable obstacle course and slide, moon bounce, DJ, balloon artist, face painting and PJ Library Quiet Corner. 12:15 p.m. Lunch and admission are free. Game bracelets can be purchased for $10 on the day of the event. 345 Kane Blvd. southhillsjewishpittsburgh.org/purim20 q TUESDAY, MARCH 10 Chabad of the South Hills presents Purim in the Air. Enjoy a sit-down dinner served airplane style, inflight entertainment featuring “The Lego Purim Movie,” nail art and face painting party at “Queen Esther’s Xpress Spa,” crafts and fun at kidsport, and Sky Bar for adults. Come in costume (air theme optional). 5 p.m. South Hill JCC, 345 Kane Blvd. $10/individual or $18/family. Book your tickets at chabadsh.com/purim q FRIDAY, MARCH 13 Bring your family and friends to a very special Shabbat service and oneg celebration in honor of Dr. Walter Jacob on his 90th birthday, featuring Artist-in-Residence Dan Nichols and the Rodef Shira Choir. RSVPs appreciated. 5:30 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org/rsvp Enjoy soup and a speaker at Parkway Jewish Center’s “Souper Shabbat Plus Lecture Series.” Tom Dougherty, vice president of external affairs at Allegheny Land Trust will discuss ALT’s work helping people save local land in the Pittsburgh 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. PJC

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Headlines Historical documents can be found on every street — WORLD — By Eric Lidji | Special to the Chronicle

time machine would aid my work tremendously. In a flash I could visit any moment in time where documentation is lacking. I’d rescue records from disposal and escort them back to the present for all to enjoy. What sorts of things would I collect? Letters of introduction carried by peddlers in the 1830s, minutes of the warring congregations of the 1850s, love letters penned by immigrants in the 1880s, the burnt 1890 census, and so on. OK, let’s temper the fantasy a bit. Say this time machine could only accommodate observation. No souvenirs allowed. What era would I most want to see for myself? I would choose the 1920s. In the history of Western Pennsylvania Jewry, no run of years provides quite as much variety in individual or communal experience as that decade. The population was at its largest and most sprawling. The 60,000 or so Jewish people living within the city limits were spread across four large communities — the Hill District, Oakland, Squirrel Hill/Greenfield and East Liberty — and perhaps a dozen smaller ones in neighborhoods like the South Side, Beechview, Beltzhoover, Hazelwood, Homewood, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, the

p Temple B’nai Israel

Photo courtesy of the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives at the Heinz History Center

Strip District, Deutschtown and Manchester. The Jewish population of the hundreds of towns surrounding Pittsburgh was growing even faster than the city, doubling over the decade and likely approaching 30,000 people by 1930. And yet, this seemingly ever-swelling Jewish community was on the verge of stalling, as the immigration quotas of the 1920s eliminated the chief factor for population growth. The community was religiously diverse. Synagogues ruled, with nearly 80 throughout the region. You could find ethnic variations in Jewish worship and many denominational experiments. But you could also find proud Jews who wanted nothing to do with religion.

It was also economically diverse. There was incredible wealth and dramatic mobility, but there were also pockets of considerable and persistent Jewish poverty. These became increasingly dire as the Great Depression fell over the city and then the whole country. A hidden figure connects a lot of these trends. It was not a rabbi, nor an educator, nor a philanthropist. His name was Herschel Miller, and he was a general contractor. He started H. Miller & Sons around 1890, first building houses around the Hill District and incrementally assuming larger and more significant projects over the next 40 years. His first big commission came in 1913, went he built the new Concordia Club on Ohara Street in Oakland. Earning the trust of the local Jewish elite, the projects came quick. He built an addition to Westmoreland Country Club in 1917. That same year, he built the original Hebrew Institute in the Hill District, which was funded through a seed grant by Louis I. Aaron of Rodef Shalom Congregation. The United Hebrew Relief Association hired Miller in 1921 to build a novel Jewish affordable housing development in Oakland. A few years later, B’nai Israel congregation hired Miller to build its new synagogue along Negley Avenue in East Liberty. In the fashion of the day, Miller commissioned construction photographs, including the one seen here, to mark his work-in-progress.

The end of the 1920s brought a rush of activity. Miller built Taylor Allderdice High School in 1927, the new Montefiore Hospital and the Irene Kaufmann Settlement House auditorium in 1928, and was about to start on the Congregation Beth Shalom sanctuary when he died in January 1930. Throughout that three-year stretch, he was also building new warehouses and office towers downtown and model homes out in the suburbs. The Great Depression ended this communal construction boom, just as it slowed construction throughout the region. The next boom was not until the mid-1950s. A lot of Miller’s best-known buildings survive, and a surprising number are still being used by their original owners for their original purposes. In the absence of living voices, these buildings tell us about a turning point in local Jewish history, almost a century ago. Correction: Writing about the early days of Yeshiva Schools last month, I included a postcard sent to a “Mr. Fogel” in early 1942. Meyer Fogel donated the postcard to us in 1992, and I assumed that it had been sent to him. But given that he was serving in the Army in early 1942, the postcard was more likely addressed to his father, Joseph Fogel. PJC Eric Lidji is the director of the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives at the Heinz History Center. He can be reached at eslidji@ heinzhistorycenter.org or 412-454-6406.

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Headlines AIPAC apologizes for ads that called Democrats ‘radicals’ — NATIONAL — By Ron Kampeas | JTA

he American Israel Public Affairs Committee apologized for and removed at least two Facebook ads that slammed “radical” Democrats in Congress, and altered a petition that said Israel’s harshest critics in Congress pose a threat “maybe more sinister” than ISIS. In a statement posted on Twitter, the group offered its “unequivocal apology to the overwhelming majority of Democrats in Congress who are rightfully offended by the inaccurate assertion that the poorly worded, inflammatory advertisement implies.” The AIPAC apology was attached to an earlier tweet by Eli Clifton, an investigative journalist who first brought one of the Facebook ads to light. An AIPAC official told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency the apology applied also to another inflammatory Facebook ad and to the petition linked in the ads. The controversy comes just weeks before AIPAC’s annual conference and at a time when a number of left-wing activist groups are pressuring Democratic presidential candidates to boycott the conference. The

two ads, which an AIPAC spokesman said were targeted to pro-Israel Democrats, started appearing on Facebook in late January and were removed in February. In an email to JTA, before AIPAC posted the apology, the spokesman said the targeted audience had “responded very positively.” In the ad Clifton posted, two little girls are wrapped in Israeli and American flags against a desert background, with a banner that says, “Protect our Israeli allies.” “The radicals in the Democratic Party are pushing their anti-Semitic and anti-Israel policies down the throats of the American people,” p Screenshot of an AIPAC Facebook ad targeting “radical” Democrats Screenshot from Twitter/via JTA the text said. “America should never abandon its only Democratic Omar and Tlaib, that would link assistance ally in the Middle East. Sign the letter asking, “What is this?” to Democrats in Congress — don’t In one of the ads Soifer provided, the same to Israel to its treatment of incarcerated abandon Israel!” text used in the ad with the little girls was Palestinian minors. Tlaib and Omar have been accused by Halie Soifer, the director of the Jewish attached to a collage of three Democratic Democratic Council of America, provided congresswomen: Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Jewish groups, Republicans and some JTA with screen captures of another ad that Michigan, Betty McCollum of Minnesota Democrats of peddling anti-Semitic tropes, had appeared and two versions of a peti- and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. Tlaib says including that Jews wield disproportionate tion that the ads linked to. Soifer’s group Israel should not exist as a Jewish state; Omar power. Omar has apologized for some, but champions moderate Democrats and has and McCollum back the two-state solution, not all, of her statements. Soifer also shared two screen grabs to the criticized some of the same targets identi- as does AIPAC. Omar and Tlaib back the fied by AIPAC in the ads. She said she had boycott Israel movement. McCollum is the forwarded the ads to an AIPAC official, lead sponsor of legislation, backed also by Please see AIPAC, page 19

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

Feb. 14, 1978 — Carter proposes aircraft sale to Saudis

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President Jimmy Carter announces a plan to sell advanced fighter jets to Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia as one, all-or-nothing package for congressional approval, drawing immediate criticism from American Jews.

Feb. 15, 2017 — Netanyahu visits Trump White House

Feb. 17, 2013 — Musician Shmulik Kraus dies

Shmulik Kraus, one of Israel’s most influential musicians, dies of swine flu in Tel Aviv at age 77. Beyond a solo career, his collaborators included Esther and Avi Ofarim, Arik Einstein, and Josie Katz.

Feb. 18, 1947 — Britain asks UN to sort out Palestine

Amid rising intercommunal violence, the British government asks the United Nations to decide the future of Palestine, leading to the partition plan the U.N. General Assembly approves Nov. 29, 1947.

President Donald Trump plays host to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his first trip to Washington since his speech to Congress against the Iran nuclear deal in March 2015.

Feb. 19, 2009 — Yemeni Jews secretly flown to Israel

Feb. 16, 1910 — Children’s author Miriam Roth born

Feb. 20, 2009 — Netanyahu invites Kadima, Labor to join coalition

Miriam Roth, who elevates children’s literature in Israel, is born in Slovakia in the Astro-Hungarian Empire. She makes aliyah in 1931 but doesn’t begin writing her 23 children’s books until the 1970s.

Facing terrorist threats, 10 of the fewer than 300 Jews remaining in Yemen are secretly airlifted to Israel. Most of Yemen’s Jews left during Operation Magic Carpet in 1949 and 1950.

Benjamin Netanyahu, whose Likud party finished second in the Knesset election, is given the opportunity to form a government and invites Tzipi Livni of Kadima and Ehud Barak of Labor to join a centrist coalition. PJC

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Headlines JCPA: Community relations are in crisis — NATIONAL — By Ron Kampeas | JTA

n increase in anti-Semitism, an intensification of anti-Israel activity and decades of neglect have created a crisis in the Jewish community relations field, according to the umbrella group for Jewish public policy organizations, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. In reports published this week at its annual Washington meeting, the group urged a radical shift among its constituent Jewish community relations councils, which advocate for Jewish issues on behalf of the Jewish community at the local level. The shift would mean engaging with other ethnic and civic groups and more assertively including Jewish voices in broader conversations about bias, Israel and a range of other issues where Jewish communities have led in the past. The JCPA wants constituents to contribute toward nearly doubling its existing budget with hopes of training a new cadre of Jewish outreach officials across the country. “The Jewish community does not have the network of relationships it did with other communities and leaders it did 30 or 40 years ago,” said David Brown, the co-chairman of a JCPA task force that spent a year presenting the report. “We absolutely need them.”

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Brown also referred to reports of a rise in anti-Semitic attacks and an increase in anti-Israel activity on campuses. “It’s become politically OK to say things that were certainly amped down for a generation or two,” he said. The four-day annual conference, which ran from Feb. 8-11, drew some 250 professionals and volunteers. The sessions reflected the range of policy issues being dealt with at the local level by CRCs, including criminal justice reform, immigration, #MeToo, the social safety net and BDS. The report undergirding Brown’s remarks, and a panel after he delivered them, painted a dire picture of the decline of the prominence of the Jewish voice in such issues. It blamed a number of factors, including the widening divide between Israel and the Diaspora, the disenchantment of millennials with the norms of their elders, and the difficulties inherent in an essentially liberal U.S. Jewish community grappling with the emergence of anti-Semitism on the left as well as the right. The reports identified the decline of the Jewish community relations council. Such councils flourished in the years following World War II, when American Jewish leaders sought to include Jews in the framing of public policy. Its success was seen in the preeminence of Jews in the civil rights movement, the proliferation of Jewish lawmakers and the fact that Americans remain overwhelmingly pro-Israel.

That success didn’t last, said one of the several reports released at the conference: “Following the Oslo Process and the resolution of the plight of Soviet Jewry, areas of the community relations field experienced a decline. The U.S. Jewish community shifted its focus to internal challenges of Jewish education and identity with the belief that peace could be achieved, anti-Semitism was declining, and oppressed Jewish communities were now free.” These and other trends “are limiting the effectiveness of community relations organizations and initiatives.” While CRCs in major cities are robust, JCPA officials said, among the 125 affiliated with the umbrella, many are staffed by one person or manned by volunteers. That creates a vacuum, said Gidi Grinstein, the founder of Reut, an Israeli think-tank that issued one of the reports. When crises demand responses, Jewish voices are lacking. “This country is so big, the communities are so diverse, the issues are so different, the only way to contain what we’re talking about here” — the rise of anti-Semitism and of anti-Israel activism — “is a network of local organizations that have the talent, the methodology and the technology,” Grinstein said. At the annual meeting, and at a board meeting last month, the JCPA lay and professional leadership launched a pitch based on the Reut report to donors and constituent community relations councils to raise $1.6

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million — almost doubling its existing $1.8 million budget — to hire officials to make up for the gap. Part of the plan would be to make the larger and more robust councils hubs that would assist the smaller ones in their regions. At the conference, JCPA officials acknowledged two additional obstacles to reviving a robust Jewish presence in community affairs: an Israeli government that has trended rightward, and with its actions has alienated liberals, and the disruptive politics of the moment. There was much talk at the conference of the need to broaden the capacity for criticism of Israel while continuing to delegitimize calls to bring an end to Israel as a Jewish state. “Let’s be honest that when acting as advocates to engage liberals with Israel, the current government’s policies can make for a really bad client,” Jeremy Burton, the executive director of Boston’s JCRC, said during a panel. “Which requires moral clarity about our absolutes like delegitimization of Israel’s existence and nuance about criticism.” Melanie Gorelick, JCPA’s senior vice president, said the JCPA would have to make the case to the disaffected that the best arena to advance favored policies, in a Jewish setting, was the local JCRC. “We are the only organizations that come together and tackle day-to-day issues” with the right and the left at the table, she said. PJC

FEBRUARY 14, 2020 11

Opinion — PROS & CONS —

Immigration: Left-leaning rabbis push ahistorical agenda Guest Columnist Albert Eisenberg

he American and Jewish foundational stories are fundamentally linked. The Hebrews were commanded to resettle Eretz Yisrael after years in slavery in the Diaspora, while the first “Americans” — those native to Europe, that is — came to the New World with messianic fervor and with freedom of worship in mind. The U.S. has stood as a welcome signal for immigrants worldwide for generations, and Israel, too, has beckoned back Jews from Baghdad to Galicia to Ethiopia. But to hear many in a decidedly leftleaning rabbinical establishment tell it today, Jewish values demand a certain approach to America’s contemporary immigration issues. It sounds something like this: You welcomed in the stranger among you, and

therefore the U.S. today should take in scores of Syrians and Afghans and Eritreans. Or you should not deport immigrants who have overstayed visas or come here completely against our laws. Or raise legal immigration quotas by whatever percentage the Democratic Party is arguing. Any opposition to refugee programs that have a tenuous track record of assimilating people here, or support for enforcing existing immigration laws by way of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is deemed not only beyond the pale politically but against Jewish values. Or so I hear in the often one-note sermons delivered at the various synagogues I attend now and again across Philadelphia. The call from the pulpit for more immigration, more lax enforcement for illegal immigrants and bigger and more comprehensive refugee programs is part and parcel with the average d’var at the average leftleaning shul, which is to say is that delivered to any non-Orthodox congregation on a given Shabbat. Environmental “justice,” racial “justice,”

anti-Trumpism, immigration and refugee issues are all common topics in sermons across Philadelphia and elsewhere. And yet, these speeches feel to me more like the left-wing orthodoxy dressed with Talmudic language rather than an approach to current issues based on Jewish teachings. The conclusion is always the same, and it’s whatever will galvanize the mostly progressive synagogue-goers into political action. Surely it is a virtue to welcome in the “stranger” and treat every person with dignity, but one individual stranger does not apply to a massive absorption of new populations, and there is no such example in the Torah of the Jewish people welcoming massive foreign populations — and certainly not without demanding some sort of cultural or religious assimilation. We are living in a world with 7 billion people in it, billions of whom come from what economists label euphemistically the “developing world.” Can the U.S. really take every one of these in, in an era of environmental degradation, increasing

consumption and economic duress for many native-born Americans? It is worth recognizing that Judaism and Jewish life have flourished for centuries not with openness but with insularity; that is why we have laws of kashrut, eruvs to retain community within specific geographical regions and laws of communal (as well as personal) prayer. That doesn’t argue for any immigration policy in particular, but rather a more balanced conversation that doesn’t claim the mantle of tenuous or ahistorical biblical quotes in order to satisfy today’s progressive dogmas. So what does Jewish wisdom have to teach us about present-day immigration policy? Probably not as much as you will hear from the pulpit on any given Saturday. PJC Albert Eisenberg is a right-leaning political consultant and commentator based in Philadelphia. He has worked on Israel and Jewish-related issues, among others.

Immigration: Jewish values say it’s time to act, not wonder Guest Columnist Max Weisman

here is a famous Talmudic story in which Rabbi Hillel tells a young man, all while standing on one foot, that the Torah can be summarized as the golden rule: Treat others as you wish to be treated. We are reminded that, regardless of the persecution and discrimination the Jewish people face, we are to treat others with dignity and respect. This applies to other Jews in our community as well as to the stranger. The U.S. is currently in the middle of an ugly debate around strangers — our immigrant

community. As people from all corners of the world flock to the U.S., it is our job to lead the way in welcoming them. Immigrants are here to seek opportunities for success, quality education, refuge from war-torn countries and countless other reasons, not dissimilar to many of our ancestors. Jews, from biblical times to Babylon to Ancient Rome to Nazi Germany and even in present-day America, know what it’s like to be “othered” rather than welcomed. Our Jewish values remind us to treat current immigrants with the dignity that we wish we had been shown throughout history. When other nations deemed Jews as “less than” or “undesirable,” we would not have wished to be deported or separated from our family in cages. So why would a modern and democratic nation do the same to others?

The current political discussion around immigrants is despicable — it’s not democratic and certainly not aligned with our Jewish values. To be so scared of those who speak or pray or dress differently than us that our government’s solution is to build walls and cages is a way to run a zoo, not a country. In a few weeks, we will celebrate Purim. This is the classic Jewish story of a man in power trying to exterminate the Jews because we were seen as different and thus a threat. In the Purim story, when Esther tells King Achashverosh that the king’s top advisor is trying to kill her and her people, his response is not to build cages and walls. That would have been cowardly, undemocratic and not a viable solution. Instead, he confronted his advisor and stood up for oppressed people. But we don’t have to feel defeated. We can

be a part of the solution. On a small scale, treat your neighbors with kindness and welcome others with open arms. Support immigrant-owned businesses, befriend those in your community who may look or speak differently than you, consume books and movies about other cultures. On a larger level, speak out against systemic oppression. Be aware that our country is treating immigrants on a frighteningly similar scale that we were treated in Germany in the early 1940s. Think back to every time a Holocaust survivor spoke to your Hebrew school class and you wondered, “What would I have done?” Now is the time to act instead of wonder. PJC Max Weisman is a senior associate at Ceisler Media who lives in Philadelphia.

Never again begins with never forget Guest Columnist Rep. Brendan Boyle

his year, we mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the conclusion of World War II and the ending of the Holocaust. Year after year, communities around the world come together to commemorate the lives of more than 6 million Jewish victims and millions of other victims of the Holocaust

12 FEBRUARY 14, 2020

while vowing to stop future genocides from happening again. Yet 75 years after the terrible atrocities of the Holocaust, we continue to witness an alarming rise in Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism, threats of genocide around the globe, and toleration of unchecked hatred. Just in recent weeks, we’ve seen anti-Semitic attacks instill fear in communities nationwide after waves of violent attacks took place in New York and New Jersey. In addition, there has been a growth in memberships within far-right extremist groups along with participation in hate crimes. And in our

own state of Pennsylvania, we must never forget the horrific shooting at the Tree of Life building that claimed 11 lives just over a year ago, and ensure that no similar tragedy strikes the Commonwealth again. We should all be appalled by this epidemic of violence. Now, more than ever, we need to reinforce our words with action when we say never again. We can start by ensuring that future generations will never forget about the dangers of extremism and discrimination that defined the Holocaust. In January, the Pew Research Center released a new study revealing that half of its

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13,000 participants did not know the basic facts regarding Nazism and the Holocaust. It is alarming that only 38% of teens knew how many Jewish people died, and 43% of all participants falsely thought that Adolf Hitler became the German chancellor “by democratic political process.” This is deeply troubling, and it should not go unaddressed. As a Pennsylvania state legislator and a member of Congress, I have fought hard to make sure we would never allow time or distance to diminish the horrors that Please see Never, page 13

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Opinion Kobe Bryant supported the Jewish community Guest Columnist Jeremy Treatman

ike everyone else in the United States and most places on the globe, Kobe Bryant’s death and the death of his daughter and seven others has rocked me. When thinking about sharing some thoughts about Bryant, I wondered, where do you start? How do you put things on paper about an icon this big, a legend this big? The only way is to tell the story of his youth, what he meant to the people who know him and to tell the truth. So I would like to share a snippet of my unique perspective about Bryant from 1992 to 2002, when I had the best seat in town to his formative years — first as a family friend of the Bryants, then being the media member who was lucky enough to do all of his first-ever television, radio and print interviews and lastly to being an assistant coach at Lower Merion High School outside Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant’s high school,

Never: Continued from page 12

happened 75 years ago. I believe it is our collective duty to keep these lessons at the forefront of our global memory. That’s why I spearheaded legislation as a state legislator to ensure Holocaust education would be included in all Pennsylvania schools — making it the sixth state at the time to do so. Now, as a member of Congress, I have continued that mission to teach the next

during the 1995-1996 state championship season. My memories are blended in from three vastly different but beautiful and poignant angles. What a blessing to have witnessed and played a small role in the growth of one of the greatest international icons of the game of basketball — one who died having transcended sports, and causing millions around the globe to shed tears even though they never even met him. It hasn’t been until this week that I realized how much he impacted people and how much he impacted me. Here’s how: Bryant was the most confident, talented, singularly focused person I ever met. That’s evident in basketball, but also in his life after basketball, in business, creative projects and, especially, fatherhood. He taught me to not let anything get in the way of your dreams. As his high school coach Gregg Downer always said, “He did it with no shortcuts. No excuses. Just hard work, dedication and results.” Bryant had detractors and obstacles along the way, and he always used the negativity to “fuel his fire,” to make him prove people wrong. He knew he was special, yet he took on this blessing and never looked at it as burden.

That is why, as Downer so poetically said last week, “Superman isn’t supposed to die.” What’s not as well-known is that Bryant loved and supported the Jewish people, and he very much felt at home amid his friends and teammates in the Jewish community in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. He loved tagging along with his dad Joe, a legend himself, when he was the girls coach at Akiba Hebrew Academy in suburban Philadelphia in 1992-’93. That was the first time I met Kobe Bryant, and while he was practically dunking on a side basket I remember asking his father, “Is he anything close to what you were?” And Joe Bryant said, “He’s so much better than me at this age it’s not even funny. He is going to be so much better than me. It’s not even close.” Bryant further honed his skills at the JCC outside of Philly as a youngster, where the maintenance man gave him a key so he could practice there at any time. One time in a pickup game when Bryant was in ninth grade, I tried to guard him. He did his patented off-arm push off to create space, and that 6-foot-1, 150-pound ninth grader caused me to double over with stomach pain.

generation to never forget the Holocaust by introducing a bill that encourages schools nationwide to include Holocaust education in their curricula. Furthermore, last month, the House of Representatives successfully passed the Never Again Education Act, of which I am an original co-sponsor, to reaffirm our bipartisan pledge to keep alive the memory of the Shoah. I’m proud to support this bill because it will help increase education programs on the Holocaust and the availability of resources for educators. Expanding education about the Holocaust

and genocide has been, and continues to be, a priority for me. As of July 2019, there were only 12 states that require public schools to include the Holocaust in lesson plans. That means an overwhelming majority of students in our school systems graduate without being exposed to the Holocaust in the classroom. We have a duty to change this. Learning about the horrific consequences of hatred and bigotry is our best defense to ensuring those vile acts are never repeated. We must stand united against anti-Semitism and protect the Jewish

— LETTERS — Too much information Regarding “Gun Policies Vary Widely Among Pittsburgh Congregations,” Jan. 31, we agree completely and support Mr. Andrew Neff from Upper St. Clair in his letter about this article on Feb 2. Exposing and writing about specific shuls and their security and firearm protection for their congregants during services is not a wise or helpful idea. In fact, it is dangerous. This applies to synagogues in the South Hills and in the entire Pittsburgh area. By mentioning and opening up a commentary on the subject of guns as a key form of protection and which synagogues have or do not have such security, this information only provides an invitation for criminals to attack our Jewish places of worship and our people even more specifically and easily. These pieces of “information” written in our own city’s Jewish publication should be more attentive to the protection of our synagogues while providing reading information to its subscribers that actually serve to protect our people. Never should information open the door to a wild person’s anti-Semitic urges to harm and kill. We need that tactical advantage at all times, as Mr. Neff clearly wrote in response to the original article well. Robert and Audree Schall Mt. Lebanon

Both sides now

Re: Your two opinion pieces on the Middle East peace plan: Generally, when there are two opinion pieces, the usual standard for journalist integrity and objective reporting calls a pro and a con position. However, both of the opinion pieces presented only the con position. You could have included: an article by Caroline Glick (a member of Israel’s negotiating team with the PLO 1964-1966) who is very much in favor of the plan; or this tweet by Gov. PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

It’s a memory I’m now grateful to have. Even when he hit the big time, Bryant continued to lean on our people for the biggest roles in his life. Arn Tellem was his first agent, Tzvi Twersky is running his Mamba Academy and Doug Young is a board member of many of Bryant’s charities and a close confidant. He has hired countless Jewish people throughout his life. Bryant told me his dad and mom taught him that “they don’t see color, religion, race. Just human beings.” That’s pretty ironic since Bryant doesn’t seem like a real human being. He was larger than life. Running the Kobe Bryant Basketball Classic we do at Lower Merion High School every year is a blessing. The plans for next year’s event will blow people’s minds and help us support widows and families that lose children. Bryant has inspired me and anyone who knew him to be a better version of him or herself. If only he could see this reaction to his death. Maybe it would bring all of us some more comfort. PJC Jeremy Treatman co-owns the Play by Play Sports Broadcasting Camps and owns the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classics.

community at home and abroad. Nothing can justify anti-Semitism. In Congress, I will continue to speak out and amplify the need for education on the Holocaust at every opportunity. But, as Americans, this is a call for action to strengthen our efforts to do our part in educating future generations about the consequences of unchallenged hatred. There is so much more to be done, and I ask you to join me in this fight. PJC Rep. Brendan Boyle Pennsylvania’s 2nd District.

represents

Mike Huckabee: “Palestinians routinely rejected or ignored all previous plans. We will soon know if they want peace or poverty.” You could have referenced an Arab research center survey results showing “that Arab respondents preferred by a 10-to-1 ratio to remain Israeli citizens.” But you didn’t present anything from the “pro” peace plan side. Furthermore, the headline of the lead article, “Locals voice skepticism, condemnation,” conveyed the impression that there was local skepticism about the peace plan, but closer reading showed that the skepticism was in reality about the sincerity of the Arab Palestinians’ desire for peace. A reader had to flip to page 14 to discover that “Mahmoud Abbas rejected the plan before it was released.” A little journalist investigation would have likely found many Pittsburgh locals who thought the peace plan was a refreshing departure from multiple failed attempts to placate Arab leaders who have rejected every plan that allowed for anything less than total destruction of the Jewish state. Next time please present both sides equitably. Simone Shapiro Squirrel Hill

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FEBRUARY 14, 2020 13

Headlines

p A collage of items left after the attack at the Tree of Life building

p Thousands of flowers were left outside the Tree of Life building. Photo by Laurie Zittrain Eisenberg

Tree of LIfe: Continued from page 1

that’s accessible to researchers and scholars in the future. City of Pittsburgh archivist Nick Hartley said that items such as guitars or baseballs may have no obvious connection to the attack, but they had meaning to the people who left them. “These items are an attempt by members of the community to express empathy and

sympathy for the attack at the building,” he said, adding that the more removed in relevance the item is, the more important it likely is to the donor. 10.27 Healing Partnership Director Maggie Feinstein agrees. “(These items) help us think about how we show empathy for people you don’t know,” Feinstein said. “They also give a little bit of a window about the person leaving the item without making it about them. People want to show that if a tree falls in the forest, they’ve seen it.”

Feinstein said that leaving an object behind after a tragedy “can define someone’s grieving.” The city of Boston experienced a similar occurrence in 2013 after the Boston Marathon bombing. Shoes, race bibs, T-shirts, banners and stuffed animals were left behind by those mourning the attack. Ultimately, those items were cataloged and stored at the Boston City Archives. After the death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter accident several weeks ago, fans of the retired NBA star left basketballs, signs, letters, flags, stuffed animals, shoes and jerseys, among other items, at the Staples

Disability: Continued from page 1

adding that evidence of Federation’s work can be seen through “inclusion in areas such as technology access, education and job training.” At Temple Sinai, disability inclusion is also a top priority, and paramount to the congregation’s identity, explained Judy Rulin Mahan, Temple Sinai’s member engagement and operations director. In 2015, Temple Sinai formed a disability task force to facilitate a more inclusive environment. Since then, the congregation has made several changes in order to create a more welcoming space, such as magnifying glasses and fidget toys for services, largeprint prayer books and a quiet room and sensory-friendly spaces for those seeking less stimulating environments in the building. “Disability inclusion is important to Temple Sinai because it’s important for individuals to feel included no matter what,” said Rulin Mahan. “Some people’s disabilities show, some people’s disabilities don’t, but everybody’s a part of our community here, and everybody — everybody — is included.” On Feb. 21, disability inclusion will be addressed from the pulpit. During a similarly designated Shabbat service last year, Mara Kaplan, co-chair of the disability inclusion task force, referenced her son Samuel, a child with “severe disabilities,” and talked about the “oppressive” comments she had received while grocery 14 FEBRUARY 14, 2020

p From left: Chelsea Karp, Nancy Gale, Aaron Gorodzinsky, Lisa Lenhart, Congressman Mike Doyle and Rebecca Axelrod-Cooper Photo courtesy of Nancy Gale

shopping with him. Kaplan challenged listeners to question their personal judgments and explore new relationships. “Push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Get to know a person who makes you feel a little uncomfortable because they are different than you and make a genuine attempt to get to know them. See how many things you can find that you have in common,” said Kaplan. “Get to know someone that has a disability, a mental health diagnosis, or is raising a child who learns and understands the world differently from

you. Use these strategies of active listening, challenge your prejudices, asking questions, spending time in others shoes and sharing yourself with others. What you will learn is that our congregation, our community, is greater because it is made up of many parts.” Kaplan will speak again on Feb. 21, said Rulin Mahan, noting that by sharing stories, congregants “don’t feel that they’re alone.” Narrative strategies will also be employed on Feb. 25 when JRS hosts “Breaking Down the Walls: A Storytelling Event” at the Sally and Howard Levin Clubhouse.

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Photos by Brian Cohen and Laurie Zittrain Eisenberg

Center in Los Angeles, and at his old high school gymnasium in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. His widow, Vanessa, requested some of the items, which will be cataloged and shipped to the family. Each item and story is unique, Eisenberg said, but all of them brought “great comfort” to the synagogue, “even if (the gift-giver) decided to remain anonymous.” Anyone interested in sharing the story behind an item left at the synagogue is invited to do so at treeoflifepgh.org/stories. PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

The “Moth”-style event will feature visual and spoken storytelling by Clubhouse members. “It’s really a chance for members at the Clubhouse to tell their story, and for the community to come and understand what life is like for them and how things look from their eyes,” Gale explained. Additional events throughout the month include a Temple Sinai brotherhood brunch and lecture on Feb. 23 with Joyce A. Bender, founder and CEO of Bender Consulting Services, Inc., a national leader in advancing employment of people with disabilities, and a Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month Shabbat dinner at Rodef Shalom Congregation on Feb. 28. Whether by participating in local events or advocating in the nation’s capital, there are multiple ways to increase disability inclusion, explained Gale. “There is a lot that the community can do to help ensure that people with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else. For example, check out our website, which has the information about the specific legislation and look at what your elected officials are doing to promote and protect these rights,” she said. “It’s really important to ensure that just because someone has a disability that they should not be prevented from exercising their rights and from participating in the community — all of those things that the rest of us kind of take for granted.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines Encyclopedia: Continued from page 3

Volume 3 of the encyclopedia covers an additional 474 camps and 220 ghettos operated by the allies of Nazi Germany and 11 European countries, including fascist Italy, Vichy France, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia. “For decades, scholars have researched and discussed the fact that Germans could not have carried out the genocide of the Jewish people of Europe without active participation of local collaborators in many countries,” Kloes noted. “This volume brings new clarity to the European collaboration with the Nazis and documents the wider European role in the Holocaust.” Volume 4 contains the team’s latest research and is currently in the final stages of editing. “It covers approximately 2,000 camps that were operated by the German Armed Forces,” said Kloes. “The main focus of this volume is on the prisoner-of-war camps for the enlisted men and officers, the various armies that fought against the Germans.” Nazi racial ideology “influenced the way

Funerals: Continued from page 4

to Rabbi Danny Schiff, Jewish Community Foundation Scholar at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. “When I say ‘Jewish,’ I mean that there is obviously a world of values and ideas and ways of thinking and approaching reality that Judaism brings to the table that are beyond the halachic questions, but nonetheless vital to how we see ourselves,” Schiff said. A Jewish funeral is “an expression of the Jewish view of life and how we understand

Gardener: Continued from page 5

“The trees needed care so I started working at it,” Kudrick said. At the same time, she began “ripping up” her landlord’s yard in Pittsburgh. “It was a way of dealing with my grief.” It’d been years since Kudrick was so committed to the land, but gardening was a part of her childhood, and though she didn’t realize it at the time, her family was

and throughout German-occupied Europe. The researchers working on Volume 7 have identified between 30,000 and 40,000 sites where the Germans used forced laborers, most from the Slavic countries, said Kloes. About 12 million forced laborers were brought to Germany from other countries, and another 10 million were made to work as forced laborers for the Germans in their own countries. Concentration camp expansion continued until the final months of the war, noted Kloes. “The month in which the most people were held in the concentration camp system was January 1945,” he said. “At this time, only four months before the end of the war, there were a total of 715,000 prisoners across all the different camps in the system. Of these, an estimated one-third to one-half, approximately 250,000 to 350,000 people died before the end of the war, many on forced marches.” While the research team has been working on the encyclopedia for 21 years, it aims to complete its work within the next five years, Kloes said. PJC

in which the Germans treated prisoners from the different national backgrounds of the soldiers whom they captured,” he noted. “For example, Croatian, Dutch, Dutchspeaking Belgians, Greeks and Norwegian prisoners of war were never put into camps, or they were released from prisoner-of-war camps after a very brief period. Allowing these prisoners of war to go back home was also a political decision, the calculation that doing so might make the German military occupation of these countries peaceful.” Volume 4 also covers several hundred German military brothels that the Germans created for their soldiers, Kloes said. “Almost all the women in these brothels were there against their will. Some had worked as prostitutes before the war. Other women were taken to these German military brothels from the concentration camps. And in other cases, women were sent to these brothels as punishment for committing a crime against the German occupation their home country.” Volumes 5, 6 and 7 are currently in the works. Volume 5 focuses on the approximately

3,000 Nazi sites for racial persecution, detention, resettlement and murder, with most of the victims at these sites non-Jews. The volume also includes the so-called euthanasia centers in Germany, “where people with mental and physical disabilities were gassed to death, as well as sites in Germany where forced abortions and infanticide were performed, primarily on women brought to Germany from Poland and the Soviet Union to work as forced laborers in agriculture,” and documents the detention camps for the Roma people persecuted because of their ethnic identity. Volume 6 covers approximately 2,000 camps that were separate from the concentration camp system covered in Volume 1, including “many cases in which the SS brought Jewish men and women from ghettos to work on agricultural estates or in factories, where they persecuted, exploited and murdered them.” It also covers the camps where “the SS brought millions of Jewish people for the sole purpose of murdering them, the so-called extermination camps.” Volume 7 focuses on sites where millions of non-Jews, mostly Eastern Europeans, were brought to work as forced laborers in Germany

death,” ideally communicated by those “who understand the core of Jewish wisdom well.” That core of Jewish wisdom, according to Schiff, “does not mesh with the core of Christian wisdom or secular wisdom. They are different schools of thought. And therefore, to have people from vastly different schools of thought come and present themselves together at a funeral doesn’t help to deliver a Jewish message.” Schiff said he would not co-officiate with non-Jewish clergy at a funeral, but stressed that people must be sensitive when communicating and interacting with those who are grieving. “Nobody should be telling people how

they need to conduct themselves at times of tragedy and loss,” he said. “However, when we reflect upon these things at more sober and less emotional times, what we should always ask ourselves is to what extent particular ways of approaching a subject supports what we are trying to do as Jews, what our goals are as Jews. And I think the clear answer to that question is that officiation by people who are well-versed in the ideas and thoughts of Judaism is what our tradition demands.” While Rabbi Eli Seidman, director of pastoral care at the Jewish Association on Aging, did officiate at the funeral of a Catholic veteran when he served as a

military chaplain, he would not co-officiate at the funeral of a Jew along with clergy of another faith. For Seidman, who has been an Orthodox rabbi for more than three decades, “that’s the only time it ever happened, and as a military chaplain, it was part of my job.” Most of those to whom Seidman provided spiritual guidance while serving in the military were not Jewish, he noted. “In the civilian world, I wouldn’t be comfortable co-officiating,” said Seidman.

financially insecure, she said. With the home garden, “we could eat vegetables in the summer and then my parents could can them and we could eat them throughout the winter,” she said. “I tell you now that I grew up poor and at the same time I can tell you that I ate like a gourmet because we had asparagus with almost every meal in the summer. We had morel mushrooms year round, because we went and foraged them and strung them and dried them.” Kudrick understands there are factors

restricting others from growing their own produce, but she’s determined to help. For starters, although her class costs $20 a session, it’s free for those who can’t afford it. “I put a box in the back of the room, and I say, ‘If you’re gonna pay, it’s back there.’ And then I don’t keep track. I figure if you’re a millionaire and you feel the need to steal a gardening class, I’d rather you have the cover to do that than someone else who feels ashamed that they really can’t afford them.” In recent years, Kudrick has worked with

individuals and organizations similarly concerned with providing fresh produce to the financially insecure. Doing so not only reinforces the values she holds dear, she explained, but calls to mind the messages shared within the folk music her parents played for her decades ago. As Pete Seeger once sang: “Inch by inch, row by row. Gonna make this garden grow.” PJC

Hadassah office closed in December 2018, nearly 100 years after the chapter’s inception. Hadassah, the Women’s Organization of America, was founded by Henrietta Szold in 1912, and Pittsburgh’s chapter sprung up almost five years later. Following a May 1916 gathering, in which temporary officers were appointed and an application was made for an official charter, the chapter officially began in February 1917, during a meeting at the Fort Pitt Hotel when permanent officers were elected. According to materials at the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives,

the original officer slate included: Mrs. A. H. Vixman, president; Mrs. Barnett Davis, Mrs. Moses Krieger and Mrs. M. L. Avner, vice presidents; Miss Sarah Treelisky, corresponding secretary; Miss Fannie Klebansky, recording secretary; Mrs. Max Amdursky, financial secretary; and Mrs. Jacob L. Lichter, treasurer. Mrs. Krieger was elected chairman of the board of directors. At the end of its first year, the Pittsburgh chapter had 121 members. PJC

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

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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

Hadassah chapter reassigned

embers of Hadasah’s Central States region were recently notified of changes to the Tikva chapter. Per a letter from Hadassah Central States President Lyn Furness, Tikva members were informed that the chapter will become part of Hadassah’s Greater Detroit region. The move, effective January 2020, was due to changing times and demographics, according to the notice. “While your chapter is being reassigned, your local activities need not change,” wrote Furness. “You will be invited to region-wide PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

events and Geographic Area conferences. As a member, you will, of course, continue to receive invitations, the award-winning Hadassah magazine, Hadassah updates and opportunities to speak out on issues including Israel, anti-Semitism and women’s health equity.” According to Hadassah.org, the Central States Region has over 10,000 members, associates and supporters in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Buffalo and Rochester, New York. Collectively, the organization has more than 330,000 members, associates and supporters. Pittsburgh’s

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— Adam Reinherz FEBRUARY 14, 2020 15

Life & Culture — BOOKS — By Jesse Bernstein | Contributing Writer

“Facing Survival” David Kassan USC Fisher Museum of Art

n his collection “Testimony: The United States (1885–1915), Recitative,” Charles Reznikoff took real courtroom testimonies describing all manner of crime — from petty theft to infanticide — and refashioned them into poems. Line breaks were inserted, but the original words were hardly touched. “Testimony” is in the tradition of found poetry that tweaks and reorders existing text so the original is seen from a different angle. The result is brutal, haunting and frequently beautiful poetry that paints a bleak picture. One example: “He picked up a stick of wood and said ‘By Jesus Christ, I will knock your brains out,’ and told her to leave the house. She answered she would go when she was good and ready. He said, ‘You will go before you are ready,’

and shoved her towards the door. She caught hold of the door casing, and their little girl began to cry.” Reznikoff, a Brooklyn-born lawyer and the son of Jews who fled Russian pogroms in the early part of the 20th century, does not moralize, nor does he even comment on the events that the poems describe. But with the slight reorientation of our experience of the text, he takes a grim, violent story and turns it into something different. The spirit of the event he describes, if not the literal truth, becomes more evident. It is that sort of move — an artist using his medium to add to something that could not be conveyed by a simple recounting of reality — that is mostly missing from David Kassan’s “Facing Survival,” a collection of paintings from his recent exhibit at the USC Fisher Museum of Art (presented by the USC Shoah Foundation and The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation). “Facing Survival” is made up of portraits of 15 Holocaust survivors and one multi-paneled painting of 11 survivors together. Selma Holo, executive director of USC Museums, writes in an introductory essay that Kassan painted his subjects only after painstakingly recording each of their stories of survival. The USC exhibition included some of the

survivors’ spoken and transcribed testimony. Testimony comes up repeatedly in the essays. In Kassan’s paintings, survivors are “as you have never seen them before,” artist John Nava says. Kassan “understands that testimony in its essence is being,” writes Stephen Smith, executive director of the USC Shoah Foundation. Testimony, Kassan himself writes, “is an effective weapon in countering hate group propaganda and racism.” zBut it seems to come at the cost of the medium’s many advantages. What Kassan has done in the majority of his portraits could just as easily have been done with a camera. There is no reframing of the survivors in a new way; they look wise and world-weary, qualities that many of us would already associate with them. It’s not clear what these straightforward portraits add to our conception of testimony. Holo describes her initial apprehension about going to see Kassan’s paintings due to a general aversion to realist painters, who, “although highly skilled,” often produce “mere reportage.” Though she finds herself disabused of that initial assessment at the

exhibit itself, the book version does not transcend that issue. Where Kassan succeeds is in the portraits where he uses the medium to his advantage. An excellent portrait of Andrew Holten shows a deep crease across the middle of the subject’s face, giving it the quality of a bent photograph, found tucked away in a drawer. His shirt blends with background colors; Holten has memory, and is memory, a quality shared by everyone but heightened in the survivor. One painting of a survivor in a clean, concentration camp uniform is genuinely astonishing. The uniform looks brand new, almost clown-like, or just picked up from the costume store. It’s a portrait of dignity that had to be regained in order to live life as a human and not as a prisoner. It is in those portraits, and even in the studies of subjects’ floating hands printed in the back of the book, that Kassan finds a genuinely artistic testimony, one that reorders survivors ever so slightly to reveal a deeper truth about them, without sacrificing their literal experiences. PJC Jesse Bernstein is staff writer and books editor of the Jewish Exponent.

Philip Chosky Performing Arts Program JCC Richard E. Rauh Senior High Musical 2020 Directed by Jill Machen

SHOW DATES Thursday, February 13 Saturday, February 15 Sunday, February 16 Wednesday, February 19 Thursday, February 20 Saturday, February 22

7:30 PM 8:00 PM 2:00 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 8:00 PM

$12/Reserved Seats Available until February 6 $10/General; $8/Students & Seniors Available in advance: Centerfit Desk, lower level Kaufmann Building The Second Floor Teen Center Robinson Building At the door 30 minutes before show starts Katz Performing Arts Center 5738 Darlington Road • Squirrel Hill Questions: Chris Herman • 412-339-5395 cherman@jccpgh.org

FOR TICKETS: 412�697�3518 or JCCPGH.ORG 16 FEBRUARY 14, 2020

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Review: Life or something like it

Life & Culture 102-year-old releases album with writing partner, 88 — MUSIC — By Jesse Bernstein | Contributing Writer

ne was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, and the other in Philadelphia. One served in World War II, and the other rode an aircraft carrier in the North Atlantic about a decade later. One ran an ad agency, and the other had a long career as a consultant. All the while, Alan Tripp (the Kansan WWII veteran, 102) and Marvin Weisbord (the seaworthy Philadelphian, 88) harbored an abiding love for the big-band jazz music of their youths. Now, the friends — both residents of Beaumont at Bryn Mawr outside Philadelphia — have put that love to good use, releasing their album “Senior Song Book.” “We did this because we really both believe this music ought to be preserved,” Tripp said. “Senior Song Book” is a 10-track album of original songs, with lyrics by Tripp and Weisbord. Taking the music of big-band leaders like Cole Porter and Jerome Kern, Tripp and Weisbord have recreated the sound of their musical heroes, but with lyrics in a more contemporary idiom. Not that they’re pretending to be something they aren’t; with song titles like “Best Old Friends,” “Never Too Late for Love” and the lead single, “I Just Can’t Remember Your Name,” they know who the audience is for their work.

p From left: Marvin Weisbord and Alan Tripp have released an album of original songs. Photo by Lisa Schaer

But whatever they initially imagined their audience to be, it’s grown far beyond that. NPR, The Washington Post, and even “The Kelly Clarkson Show” have covered Tripp and Weisbord’s work. For a couple of old media hands like Tripp and Weisbord, who have both spent a lifetime in and out of the industry, it’s all just

a cherry on top of the real sundae: a real, live album of their work. Though Weisbord is pleased that his grandchildren can finally measure him in a metric they truly understand — YouTube hits — he’s quick to quash any notion that it’s gone to his head. Celebrity culture is, after all, “a paroxysm of self-congratulation,” in his words.

If it sounds to you like Weisbord knows how to turn a phrase, you’re not alone. Editors of The New York Times Magazine and The New Republic certainly thought so when Weisbord was writing for them in the ’50s and ’60s. And readers did, too; his account of John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign, “Campaigning for President,” went through two editions, and he wrote other sought-after books on photography and management. Weisbord is a longtime writer too, who studied journalism at the University of Illinois. He got his master’s degree at the University of Iowa, taught journalism classes at Penn State for a few years, then moved back to Philadelphia to work in his father’s printing business for almost a decade, while he pursued a doctorate in American studies at the University of Pennsylvania. All the while, he harbored a dream of making music. But he could never really get the hang of an instrument, aside from a few plonks on the piano. He had long career as a consultant, writing a handful of management books with titles like “Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There!: Ten Principles for Leading Meetings That Matter” and “Organizational Diagnosis: A Workbook of Theory and Practice.” Now, he and his wife of 63 years, Dorothy, are at Beaumont. And it’s just their luck that Tripp ended up there, too. Please see Album, page 20

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FEBRUARY 14, 2020 17

Celebrations

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Wedding

Servant leadership Dr. Nathan and Janice Bahary of Squirrel Hill announce the engagement of their daughter Ayelet to Harry Esses, son of Dr. Steven and Shelly Melman of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, and the late Alley Esses. Ayelet’s grandparents are Muriel and Arthur Lorring of Coconut Creek, Florida, the late Herbert Perlin, and the late Suzette and Heskel Bahary of Chicago, Illinois. Harry’s grandparents are Al and Paulanne Green, the late Iris Green, Sandy Esses and the late Harry Esses, all of Deal, New Jersey, and the late Joseph and Levana Melman of Brookline, Massachusetts. Ayelet is a research analyst at Ipsos Healthcare and Harry is a loan officer at FM Home Loans, LLC. They are both graduates of Brandeis University, where they met. A spring 2020 wedding in New York is being planned. PJC

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Rabbi Jonathan Perlman Parshat Yitro | Exodus 18:1-20:23

e was despised, shunned by men, a man of suffering, familiar with disease, as one who hid His face from us. He was despised, we held him of no account. Yet it was our sickness he was bearing, our suffering that he endured. We accounted him plagued smitten and afflicted by God. Crushed because of our iniquities, he bore the chastisements that made us whole, and by his bruises we were healed. We all went astray like sheep, each going his own way; and the Lord visited upon him the guilt of all of us … he shall receive the multitude as his spoil for he exposed himself to death and he was numbered among the sinners, whereas he bore the guilt of the many and made intercession for sinners. Sounds Christian doesn’t it? A servant who suffers and is despised by men? One who is exposed to death? Who made intercession for sinners? These words are taken from Chapter 53 of the Book of Isaiah (53:3-12) and are an important prophetic locus of the coming of Jesus. Jews do not read Chapter 53 this way. This text is not a prophecy at all but a description of who we are as a people. In Parshat Yitro we read that God declares us a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). It comes just before the reading of the Ten Commandments. These are weighty words, and I imagine that the people who stood at Mount Sinai did not quite understand what God and Moses were getting at. What do the words “Kingdom of Priests” mean to these newly freed slaves? What is a priest? That word has never been used before in relationship to the Jewish people. The people did not yet know about the classification of part of the Levite tribe as kohanim. They did not know about the duties this landless group would have to perform. The kohanim were to be the religious intercessors for the nation. They would perform their sacrifices, heal the sick, celebrate holidays, bury the dead and deal with distinctions between clean and unclean. No, these words “kingdom of priests” are used long before the Jewish people get a hint of what Aaron and his sons are obligated to do. So what does it mean? That all of Israel can be kohanim, priests? Won’t this conflict with the very idea of the kehuna? If we are all kohains, who gets the first aliyah? And then there is the problem of “kingdom.” Does this mean that we will be the ruling class of the world? Or should we operate in our own kingdom, a geographic place, where even the cab driver is a leader? Rashi believes that here we are talking metaphorically. “Priest” is a pseudonym for “ministers.” We are ministers in the department of justice in God’s world. Kli Yakar has a different perspective. We are the leaders of the kingdom. He says that we exist on a level of kingship over God and His word.

We receive God’s decree and then are free to adjudicate. We are philosopher kings imbued with Torah who rule like priests. We are a leaders not ministers. For Rashi, we are servants; for Kli Yakar, we are leaders. We need to put ourselves in the sandals of the Israelites standing at Sinai. They did not know what the words “Kingdom of Priests” meant when they first heard them. Like a bar mitzvah boy or bat mitzvah girl, they were too young to really understand the deeper meaning of the Jewish mission in the world. Does the bar mitzvah boy really know what is ahead of him? Does he fully comprehend what it means to be a Jew with obligations? What the bat mitzvah sets in motion is a vision of lifelong learning and acquiring Jewish values. A vision is set forth for the people: “You are to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Such is the vision of Isaiah set forth above. Isaiah’s suffering servant is not a man who died on a cross for our sins. The suffering servant is the kohain. The kohanim are those who live their lives of the liminal man — he is permitted to receive the impurities of the people; he brings their offerings of atonement; he carries the sins of the nation and creates the rituals for purification. He defiles himself by working in the trenches and bringing holiness to the community. Isaiah uses this persona of the hard-working, sin-bearing kohain as the overarching vision for each Jewish individual who works to be a light unto the nations. This is exactly the metaphor that the Torah uses in relation to the vision of what the Jew can be for the world starting today. And if we conflate both Rashi and Kli Yakar, we can say that “kingdom of priests” represents a both/ and not an either/or expression about the role of Jewish people in the world. We lead with Torah values and we minister to the grief and impurity in the world. The “Servant Leadership” movement is very much in vogue in the business world and its thinkers credit Jesus with introducing the idea to the world as illustrated by his actions in each of the four Gospels. Our prooftext of servant leadership starts with the “Kingdom of Priests” of Exodus. We could say that Jesus was a foundational figure in translating an important Jewish philosophy to the world. We need to remember that “Kingdom of Priests” is embraced by each individual. It is a metaphor transformed into a purposedriven vision for each person. Chapter 56 of Isaiah, a few chapters after the suffering servant (53), enunciates the vision that embraces the world: “Those who hold fast to My covenant — I will bring them to my sacred mount and let them rejoice in my House of Prayer … for my house will be called a House of Prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7). PJC Rabbi Jonathan Perlman is spiritual leader of New Light Congregation. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association.

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Obituaries FREED: Charles V. Freed, on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. Beloved husband for 67 years of Marilyn Protas Freed. Loving father of Melinda Freed of Mt. Lebanon, Blaire Freed of Baltimore, Maryland, and the late Howard Protas Freed. The family wishes to thank loving caregivers, Roberta “Robin” Thornton, Sean Thornton, Teresa Lutty and Michelle Culligan, for their wonderful care and companionship, and the staff of Manor Care, Bethel Park. Charles studied at Carnegie Tech and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. Charles was a CPA in private practice for 63 years. He was honored by PA Institute of CPAs for his length of service. Despite being disabled at the age of 59, Charles led a full and active life enjoying his family, his love of music and working up until the time of his death. Services were at Temple Emanuel of South Hills. Interment at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery/Temple Emanuel section. Contributions may be made to Temple Emanuel, 1250 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15243 or a charity of donor’s choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com RECHT: Nancy Heller Recht was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 2, 1925. She graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in social work. She married prominent Pittsburgh attorney C. Joseph Recht in 1951. He predeceased her in 1979. She was an active member of the National Council of Jewish Women and worked for many years as the volunteer director of its thrift shop in Oakland. She moved to Los Angeles in 2012. She died on Jan. 30, 2020. She is

Headlines survived by her loving children Abram, a physician in Brookline, Massachusetts; Philip, a lawyer in L.A.; and Mindy, a lawyer in Philadelphia; and by her grandchildren, Joseph, Hannah, Ben and Sadie. Graveside services and interment were held at Tree of Life Sfard Cemetery, Versailles Boro. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com SMITH: Emmanuel “Manny” Smith, on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. Beloved husband of Ileane (Oblonsky) Smith. Brother of Jerome (Sharon) Smith. Uncle of Judy Kaufman, Alyse (Andy) Platner and Dr. Evan (Lisa) Oblonsky. Manny graduated from the University of Texas, Phi Beta Kappa, and Harvard Law School. He worked in Washington, D.C., beginning with the Interstate Commerce Commission and elected to work with the Social Security Administration in Maryland and Virginia as well. Manny moved to Pittsburgh in 1991 to be an administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration. He retired with over 45 years of service to the federal government. He was on the board of trustees for the Pittsburgh Opera and Pittsburgh Public Theater as well as serving on the board of the Concordia Club. Services were held at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills. Interment at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery/ Beth El section. Contributions may be made to Beth El Congregation, 1900 Cochran Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15220. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com PJC

AIPAC: Continued from page 10

petition linked in the ad. Each said, “Radicals in Congress are threatening the U.S.-Israel relationship by reducing or cutting aid and military assistance, encouraging the boycott of Israeli companies and using plainly anti-Semitic language.” There was a critical difference, however, in the second-to-last sentence. One said: “It’s critical that we protect our Israeli allies especially as they face threats from Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah ISIS and — maybe more sinister — right here in the U.S. Congress.” The other version of the petition ended at “ISIS.” Soifer said the first version was altered after she had asked AIPAC about the ads and the language in the petition. The petition remains live on the web with the second, less inflammatory text intact. An AIPAC spokesman — before the apology for the ads — said the language warning of “sinister” radicals in Congress “was modified for clarification purposes.” The AIPAC apology was not entirely unqualified. The ads, it said, “alluded to a genuine concern of many pro-Israel Democrats about a small but growing group, in and out of Congress, that is deliberately working to erode the bipartisan consensus on this issue and undermine the U.S.Israel relationship.” The AIPAC spokesman also provided

JTA with an older AIPAC ad targeting Rand Paul, a Republican senator from Kentucky, for holding up aid to Israel in 2018. That ad also was sharply worded. Paul, it said, “wants to abandon our Israeli allies.” AIPAC’s efforts to be bipartisan have been frustrated in recent years by the appearance that it is more willing to confront Democrats over differences. In 2015, it ran a fullthroated and public campaign against the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear deal. By contrast, its differences with the Trump administration have not been expressed publicly. AIPAC has in recent years emphasized its outreach to progressives, including by hiring staff dedicated to making inroads on the left. Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, said the ads were further evidence of AIPAC’s identification with Trump and with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Spending millions of dollars on progressive outreach can’t distract from the fact that a surrogate group it has helped set up has been attacking Democratic candidates and progressive voices who are seeking peace, justice and rights for both Israelis and Palestinians,” he said. Soifer in an email suggested AIPAC was risking its relationship with its most critical constituency, American Jews. “The overwhelming majority of American Jews are Democrats, and they reject the use of Israel as a political wedge issue,” she said. PJC