Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 3-20-20

March 20, 2020 | 24 Adar 5780

Candlelighting 7:15 p.m. | Havdalah 8:14 p.m. | Vol. 63, No. 12 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Virus woes hit local businesses

Programs and services canceled, others go online: COVID-19 impacts Pittsburgh Jewish community

$1.50

Robert Levin forgoes retirement for job preservation

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

P

Hebrew Free Loan, Jewish Assistance Fund offer help.

the next few days and weeks would bring as COVID-19 cases were announced to both the east and west of the county.

And you could walk into virtually any grocery, convenience or department store, warehouse club or gas station and have your choice of toilet paper in whatever ply-count you desired.

Fast forward a week and all major league sporting events have been canceled or postponed, there has been a statewide shutdown of all non-essential services, and schools across the state have been suspended for a minimum of two weeks as students began celebrating what one local Jewish teen called a “coronavacation.”

The halcyon days of buying whatever type of toilet paper you wanted, whenever you needed it, are gone, at least for a while. As the news of the virus became more serious,

ittsburgh’s most famous furniture salesman decided life on the couch wasn’t for him. After 26 months of retirement, Robert Levin, 63, reacquired the company his grandparents, Sam and Jessie Levin, started nearly a century ago.

Forgoing retirement to buy back Levin Furniture is “a good story,” said Levin. The real message, though, is “we saved a total of 1,200 jobs.”

Levin’s decision to purchase the Pennsylvania and Ohio assets of Levin Furniture and Wolf Furniture through a court restructuring of parent company Art Van Furniture, LLC, was announced on March 4, however, the Squirrel Hill resident had been following related news for weeks from media in Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, and Toledo, Ohio, describing Art Van’s financial straits.

“About a month ago or so I learned that the situation was pretty dire,” Levin said.

In March 2017, months after acquiring Levin Furniture, Art Van completed an equity recapitalization in partnership with Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. of Boston.

The move, however, was followed by a series of miscalculations, reported Crain’s Detroit Business: “After its 2017 acquisition, Thomas H. Lee set an aggressive strategy to open 200 more stores and double revenue to $2 billion by 2020. But being saddled with roughly $400 million in debt and no financial cushion to respond to the disruption of changing furniture habits left Art Van’s business model sitting on a tinderbox. Management missteps were all the fuel needed to burn the house down.”

Cash shortages, unpaid bills and shipping problems were afloat, said Levin, “so I got

Please see COVID-19, page 14

Please see Levin, page 14

Page 2

LOCAL Mohel Doyle Pittsburgh’s first female mohel is a physician.

Page 3

LOCAL Kiddush to go

 The pews of Congregation Beth Shalom’s sanctuary will be empty for the time being.

Photo by Jim Busis

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

W An unusual Shabbat.

Page 9

hat a difference a week makes.

Last Thursday, COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, was just a topic of conversation and debate as Allegheny County had yet to report its first case.

Local Jewish institutions were trying to decide if, or when, they would need to cancel events and planned activities. Some congregations grappled with the idea of closing their physical doors but streaming services and programs or explored the idea of ceasing daily minyans but still celebrating Shabbat communally. Both the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh were working on plans to ensure their members still received the vital services they provided while not putting the public at risk.

Schools, museums and campus organizations were all open but pondering what

keep your eye on PittsburghJewishChronicle

LOCAL Dr. Paul Caplan leaves legacy of care.

NATIONAL Keeping seniors safe

HISTORY Harry Golden and Squirrel Hill

Headlines Jewish organizations offer financial relief for those affected by virus — LOCAL —

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

R

obert Sayre and Jessica Strong know what’s financially at stake now that the coronavirus has hit Pittsburgh.

Sayre runs Mesa, a Mexican take-out restaurant employing seven in Oakland, near the University of Pittsburgh. His wife, Strong, employs 22 people through Flexable, which provides childcare at special events like conferences, networking sessions and weddings.

“Right now, we’re probably at 40 to 50% of what usual business looks like in this weather or at this time of year,” said Sayre, a Stanton Heights man who has three children with Strong, his high-school sweetheart. “At that level, we can kind of tread water and get by. If it drops much more than that, we’ll have to cut back on labor and look at other options, like borrowing money.”

Though officials were hesitant last week to measure or predict the financial fallout that the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, could wreak on Greater Pittsburgh, there are Jewish organizations offering help to those impacted financially by the global pandemic.

The Hebrew Free Loan Association — which Sayre and Strong have tapped in the past — recently announced it will offer no-interest loans up to $5,000 for individuals affected by the coronavirus and living in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland counties. A co-signer is sometimes required. You do not need to be Jewish to receive the loan.

HFLA’s Coronavirus Financial Bridge Loan Program is intended to address lost

p Businesses will be hard hit by the coronavirus.

wages due to being unable to work, childcare costs due to school closures, small business losses, cancelled study abroad programs, and medical expenses. Applicants must provide written substantiation of these costs.

“While this is an unprecedented health crisis, it’s also an unprecedented financial crisis,” said Aviva Lubowsky, HFLA’s director of marketing and development. “We know people are going to be affected by being unable to work, childcare costs due to school closures, colleges cancelling the rest of the semester, and even direct medical expenses from a coronavirus diagnosis. Hebrew Free Loan is here.”

This is not the first time Hebrew Free

Photo by amstockphoto/iStockphoto.com

Loan has stepped in during a crisis that roared in the media and throughout the public consciousness. In 2019, it offered no-interest loans to federal workers furloughed and left without paychecks by the government shut-down.

The Jewish Assistance Fund is promoting its assistance to Jewish individuals and businesses as people prepare for financially stressful times ahead. That organization offers financial support without the need for repayment in the form of grants. More than 500 Pittsburghers live in homes the fund supported last year.

“We want people to know there are resources available — this is a commitment the Jewish community makes during

usual times and unusual times,” said Cindy Goodman-Leib, JAF’s executive director.

“People come to us with eviction notices and utility shut-offs — and we help those people turn their lives around.”

Those hit in the wallet by coronavirus also have Uncle Sam. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan law slated to provide $8.3 billion to address the pandemic, which includes up to $1 billion in small business loan subsidies to help those who suffer financial loss due to the outbreak. “(That law) was a good first step in providing the resources needed to address the COVID-19 crisis, but more needs to be done,” Congressman Mike Doyle (D-District 18) told the Chronicle. “I support the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which would ensure free testing for the COVID-19 virus, expand unemployment assistance, and establish an emergency paid sick leave program to replace a significant share of lost wages, so that those who take leave to avoid spreading the virus — or due to illness or caregiving responsibilities — can pay their bills.”

The impact to Pittsburgh remains unknown.

Last week, circumstances on the ground seemed to change by the minute, with businesses grappling with emergency planning, religious entities such as synagogues shuttering services, and schools — including local universities — opting to take their instruction online. As of press time, 10 confirmed coronavirus cases had been reported in Allegheny County.

The Asian American community was one of the first in Pittsburgh — about two weeks ago — to report an economic downturn, based on what some said was xenophobia Please see Relief, page 15

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Headlines Mohel Doyle snips a traditional gender role week for 12 weeks, so it’s pretty intensive.”

— LOCAL — “At the end you have to write an essay and you have to submit your privileges to do

By David Rullo | Staff Writer circumcisions, as well as credentials, from the hospital you work in to be a part of the class.” ore than 3,300 years after The doctor said that she uses Moses’ wife Zipporah the same medical tools for the circumcised their religious ceremony that she does son, Dr. Kerra Doyle has begun at the hospital. performing brit milot, or ritual Part of Doyle’s training included circumcisions, as Pittsburgh’s first the traditional prayers and female mohel, or mohelet. blessings, but she encourages Doyle, an obstetrician and families to have their rabbi at the gynecologist, decided to become a ritual to “help elevate the cereDr. Kerra Doyle mohelet at the suggestion of Rabbi Photo provided by mony,” she said.

Kerra Doyle Keren Gorban, associate rabbi The mohelet is comfortable at Temple Sinai. performing a brit milah for a family “I never thought I would do this, become regardless of its denominational affiliation. a mohel, but I have a son and know how “There aren’t a lot of rules to make it kosher,” important having the brit is,” Doyle explained. she said. “It should be on the eighth day and Gorban approached Doyle after learning there is a drop of blood, that’s really all you that Dr. Ya’aqov Abrams, the last practicing need. Other people may have other cultural “doctor mohel” in Pittsburgh, was retiring traditions they want to adhere to in terms of and making aliyah to Israel, leaving the city the gender of the mohel, but they should check without a mohel with a medical degree. with their rabbi if they think it’s an issue.”

“Particularly within the liberal Jewish Rabbi Elisar Admon is an Orthodox rabbi communities, and after an incident a number and a Pittsburgh mohel who also works with of years ago, there is a significant preference families regardless of denomination. for mohels who have medical training,” He agreed with Doyle, that “if families Gorban explained. have a question about anything with the brit That medical training was far more milah, they should contact their rabbi.” important to Gorban than Doyle’s sex.

He is not opposed to a female mohel, he said.

“An OB-GYN is technically a surgeon and “It was Zipporah that circumcised Moses’ they do circumcisions all the time,” Gorban son,” Admon pointed out. “When I heard said. “They are the best candidates. Dr. that there was a new mohel in town, I Doyle was happy to do it. She stepped up.” reached out and offered help in whatever Doyle said that she has performed way I could provide.” “hundreds of circumcisions, probably five Rabbi Aaron Meyer of Temple Emanuel of or six a week in the hospital.”

South Hills is happy a mohel with a medical As a new mother herself, Doyle understands degree is available to Pittsburgh families. the importance to a family of having the “The Pittsburgh Jewish community is option to employ a mohel that is also a doctor. blessed to have Dr. Kerra Doyle,” he said.

“I would never have considered someone “Her training, as both a medical doctor and a who wasn’t a physician to do my own son’s mohelet, leaves her uniquely poised to guide brit, so I felt a physician mohel would open families through this important, emotionthe door for people who otherwise would laden rite of passage. “ not be able to have the traditional brit.”

Doyle has performed four brit milot so far Doyle took a 12-week online course and looks forward to working with Pittsburgh through the National Organization of families of all, or no, religious backgrounds.

“The important thing is for families to not be American Mohalim. The training required afraid to reach out to have a brit, even if they’re participants to be physicians.

NOAM’s Brit Milah program is certified not religious, even if only one of them is Jewish, by the Brit Milah Board of Reform Judaism same-sex couples, unmarried, anybody. As long but that doesn’t mean only Reform Jews as there’s one parent, of either gender, who is Jewish,” she said. “People should reach out and take the course.

“It’s Reform but there were people of all not feel like there are restrictions on how Jewish movements — Conservative, Orthodox. they are. My goal is always to say yes.” PJC There aren’t a lot of classes like that, so I David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ think a lot people want to take the online mohel class,” Doyle said. “It’s two hours a pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Paul Caplan, patient-minded physician, dies at 107 — LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

P

aul Caplan, a celebrated physician who understood, scientifically, that the practice of medicine was predicated on interpersonal relationships, died on March 7. Caplan was 107 and the oldest living graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

When Caplan was honored by that institution at its 2017 Graduation Ceremony and Medical School Diploma Day, the centenarian offered advice based on nearly 70 years of practicing medicine: “Remember the art of listening,” he told the school’s Medical Alumni Association. “Take time to hear about the whole life of the patient, not just the disease.

If you treat your practice as an avocation, not just a vocation, it will never be work.”

For Caplan, an assiduous reader who continued to frequent the university’s medical library in search of new findings even after his retirement at 95, personal interactions were just as vital to his learning as books were.

Born on Nov. 21, 1912, to Dora Freedman and Philip Caplan in California, Pennsylvania, Caplan decided to become a doctor at the age of 10 after his mother grew ill.

A general practitioner had arrived at her

p Dr. Paul Caplan

p Dr. Paul Caplan Photos courtesy of Roberta Caplan

bedside for treatment, and “he was so gentle and so caring that I said to myself, even then, ‘Someday I’d like to be like that man,’” Caplan told the Chronicle in a 2019 interview.

Ever distinguished and thoughtful, Caplan was receptive to others, explained Marisa

Eckels, a registered nurse who worked with Caplan for more than two decades.

“He just had such a special way about listening to everybody, but his patients, in particular. He just took that time to get to know them,” she said. “He used to tell me that before you ever laid hands on anybody to do an examination, if you just talk to them you probably could know more about them than the exam would ever teach you.”

Dr. Terence Starz, a partner of Caplan’s

and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, agreed.

“His ability to establish a rapport with the patient was exceptional,” said Starz. “And that comes not only from his medical knowledge about the physical aspects of disease, but he was also somebody who understood all of the emotional aspects.”

Fascinated by the mind-body connection, Caplan kept a photograph of Sigmund Freud in his office and attended weekly grand rounds at Western Psychiatric Hospital for years.

“I often called him the Sherlock Holmes of the body,” said his daughter Roberta Caplan.

If people’s ailments were mysteries to be solved, Caplan was perfectly suited to do so.

Dapperly dressed in a suit jacket, shirt and tie, Caplan was inquisitive without being patronizing, and his ability to unravel medical conundrums led to scores of followers.

His daughter recalled one incident as a prime example.

Years ago, a patient presented with severe chest pains and an inability to sleep. A battery of tests revealed nothing peculiar, so Caplan sat down with the man and his wife. The three spoke about earlier events and Caplan eventually asked about wartime experiences. As the patient related, during World War II, he had been taken captive by the Germans and chained to a tree. Caplan Please see Caplan, page 15

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Headlines Local Jewish organizations receive state grants to enhance security — LOCAL —

By Toby Tabachnick | Editor

F

ifteen Jewish organizations in Southwestern Pennsylvania will be amping up their facilities’ security, thanks to approximately $722,000 in grant funding they received on March 11 from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

The funding came from the first-ever cycle of the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Security Grant Program, signed into law by Gov. Wolf in Nov. 2019, and which supports security upgrades for facilities “used by nonprofit entities deemed at risk for hate crimes,� according to a press release issued by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh’s Federation, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, led lobbying efforts to pass the legislation.

There were 807 applications for this round of grants, with requests totaling about $27 million. All of the funds available — $5 million — were disbursed to 113 applicants throughout the commonwealth and included many religious and educational entities. “We are so grateful that the legislature recognized the need in the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish community,� said Bob Silverman, chair

The grant funds can be used for safety and security planning, purchasing safety equipment or technology, training and threat assessments, and other safety-related projects. of the Pittsburgh Federation’s Community Relations Council in a prepared statement. “The fact that our community received nearly 15% of all available funds demonstrates that our elected officials have recognized and acted upon the threat to our community after the horrific violent attack on the Tree of Life synagogue building a year and a half ago.�

The grant funds can be used for safety and security planning, purchasing safety equipment or technology, training and threat assessments, and other safety-related projects.

Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, which received $90,000 in grant funds, had already made “significant security upgrades� to its facility 20 years ago following an attack by a gunman who shot bullets into the building after murdering his nextdoor neighbor and Beth El member, Anita Gordon, in her home, according to the congregation’s president, Warren Sufrin. “However, we recognized after the horrific

events in Squirrel Hill, much more was required,� Sufrin said. “Among other things, we’ll be improving surveillance, improving internal communications and hardening the exterior of the facility.�

Community Day School, which received $74,584 in grant funds, will use the money for “perimeter security and the BluePoint Rapid Emergency Response System,� said Jennifer Bails, director of marketing and communication for CDS. “The BluePoint alert system is an emergency response and notification system that Federation is putting into schools, early learning centers, and some other Jewish organizations. The system will provide notifications regarding an active shooter or any other type of emergency to BluePoint users within the Pittsburgh Jewish community.�

The nearly $120,000 grant to Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh will be used “for increased target hardening and emergency response systems,� according to Rabbi

Chezky Rosenfeld, director of development for Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh. “The abundance of applications for the non-profit security grants demonstrates the compelling need for churches, synagogues and other non-profit facilities to safeguard their communities,� noted Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition Chair Marc Zucker in a prepared statement. “The attacks on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the attack on the Poway, California synagogue and threats against synagogues elsewhere are among the more prominent examples of threats to the security and safety of members of the Jewish community and many other communities across the Commonwealth. “The fact that 694 facilities with requests exceeding $22 million in aid could not receive any monetary assistance under this program is a signal that the perceived security risks and the inadequacy of existing safeguards are far greater than anticipated,�

Zucker continued. “The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition is working with the Governor’s office and the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives to assure that Pennsylvanians can live and work in institutions which are safe and welcoming for all.�  PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines No visitors, no group dinners: How Jewish nursing homes are trying to keep seniors safe from the coronavirus — NATIONAL —

By Ben Sales | JTA

B

enita and Michael Ross are glad to live a half-hour’s drive from their granddaughter’s college, Brandeis University. So when the Boston-area school announced that it would close due to the novel coronavirus, Benita would have invited her granddaughter to stay with them.

Except she can’t do that because all visitors are barred from the retirement community where the Rosses live. It’s a painful feeling, but the Rosses know that it’s the right thing to do, given how vulnerable senior citizens are to COVID-19.

“We can’t bring her in, I can’t give her the bear hug I want to give her,” Benita Ross said.

“That’s where it hits me personally. It’s not a resentment people have but it’s an understanding, in the reality of the moment, that this is what we need to do. There’s a sense of camaraderie about it.”

As the coronavirus spreads throughout the United States and the world, shutting down everything from grade schools to professional sports leagues, the most vulnerable people are senior citizens. Data emerging

p Residents learn Facebook at the Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly in Massachusetts.

Suzanne Kreiter/Getty Images/via JTA

from the thousands of COVID-19 deaths around the world show that the fatality risk increases with age.

So in response, retirement homes and assisted-living facilities are taking drastic steps to prevent the spread of the virus.

Homes across the country are barring all

visitors, closing their dining halls and asking residents to gather only in small numbers.

Outside activities at a number of homes have been postponed. They’re cleaning their facilities more often, and keeping tabs on the health of staff.

“We know the population we care for is at

greater risk than the broader general population,” said Kim Brooks, COO of Senior Living for Hebrew SeniorLife, a network of senior living facilities in the Boston area, including the Rosses’. “For the things that we can control, it is up to us to take as proactive a measure as we can to try to keep it out of our communities.”

The restrictions can be tough on seniors and their families.

Bonnie Yasaboof, whose mother lives in the Hebrew Home in the New York City neighborhood of Riverdale, is trying to figure out the best way to see her mother while also helping care for her grandchildren, whose parents are working from home. She said the restrictions on visitors are wearing on her mother, who was recently in the hospital.

“She’s very depressed,” Yasaboof said.

“She keeps saying, ‘How are you going to come and visit me?’ because she waits for me to visit. And honestly I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Similar precautions are being implemented in coronavirus hot spots like Seattle and New Rochelle, New York, as well as places where the virus, as of now, is less prevalent.

Joan Denison, CEO of Covenant Place in Please see Seniors, page 17

EKC—A Special Place For Summer 2020 EKC is a special place to so many people. On any given day there could be close to 500 campers and staff walking around, laughing, smiling and playing together. Our little slice of paradise on Cheat Lake can elicit the feeling of being so comfortable in your surroundings. How do we consistently create an environment that is special to that many people?

It starts with pursuing a summer camp experience of connections, values, growth and fun. We remind ourselves every day that at EKC “we are family” through and through. As we move ahead to 2020, it is important to repeat what made 2019 so wonderful.

For our campers, the priority was making sure laughter reigned throughout camp, and that their friendships were able to grow continuously. Did it work? It sure did!

• In 2019, families measured us well above the national average for all Jewish camps for campers building relationships with other campers.

• EKC families were also more likely than the national average to say that our programming (such as waterskiing, archery, horseback riding and cooking to name a few) was fun, worthwhile and built valuable skills.

• 99% of families said that Shabbat at EKC created an ambiance and atmosphere where their child was proud to be Jewish.

What is going to make EKC special in 2020? Honestly, everything!

Each day brings new laughs, new friends and memories to last a lifetime.

Counting down the days till summer, Aaron Cantor, Director LEARN MORE: 412-697-3550 • emmakaufmanncamp.com

6 MARCH 20, 2020

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Headlines Jews in Pittsburgh feel impact of COVID-19 travel upsets — LOCAL —

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

A

fter two years in Pittsburgh, Ran Inbar is ready to return to his native Israel.

But COVID-19 has other ideas.

Inbar, an educator by trade, was set to fly to Israel March 19 to interview for a job as a school principal in Tel Aviv. On March 9, the day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for all people entering Israel, Inbar cancelled his flight. The interview, instead, was set to take place online.

“The whole world’s just gone crazy,” said Inbar, a husband and father who doesn’t know if his family will need to delay returning to Israel this August after a two-year work assignment in Pennsylvania.

“When? Where? Who knows when it will be normal again? We don’t know. There’s no one to ask.”

Inbar isn’t alone. Last week, thousands of Pennsylvanians, including many in Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, scrambled to alter travel plans after President Donald Trump restricted international travel and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued warnings against any non-essential travel.

The scope of the impact — both on travelers and the local businesses that depend on

p Kim Salzman, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s director of Israel and overseas operations, and her family, are feeling the impact of restricted travel in Israel.

Photo provided by Kim Salzman.

fluid air traffic — is tough to measure.

U.S. citizens are not required to register their presence abroad, and federal officials do not maintain comprehensive lists of U.S. citizens residing overseas, a U.S. State Department official told the Chronicle. But the number of

Americans abroad may be significant. In the first three quarters of 2019, the most recent data available, people traveled internationally by air from the U.S. nearly 37.8 million times, a 7.5% increase from 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel

and Tourism Office. While U.S. nationals, for now, are still able to come home, the Department of State advises its citizens to “reconsider” traveling abroad, and many countries throughout the world are taking actions — such as quarantines and border restrictions — that may limit people’s ability to travel.

On March 14, President Donald Trump suggested at a press conference that some U.S. domestic travel could be restricted as well.

Personal stories of canceled trips and diverted adventures spread throughout the Jewish community last week. Bryna Siegel Finer, a Swisshelm Park resident and associate professor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, planned to leave March 25 for a conference in Milwaukee.

“I was kind of debating whether to go or not and they just had to cancel,” she said. “It’s because so many people were backing out and all these states of emergency.”

Delta, who Siegel Finer planned to fly from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin next week, announced it would waive the change or cancellation fees associated with the flight but Siegel Finer still got stuck with the bill.

“I realize it’s really minor compared to what a lot of people are going through — but I kind of want my $125 back,” she laughed.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh also was among a spate of organizations that Please see Travel, page 15

Business Owners: Don’t let your business fall prey to the old adage ‘Out of sight, out of mind.’

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MARCH 20, 2020 7

Headlines Squirrel Hill through the eyes of Harry Golden — HISTORY —

By Eric Lidji | Special to the Chronicle

H

arry Golden was once the most famous Jewish writer in America.

The “once” in question was late 1958, when his book “Only in America” became the best-selling title in the country.

He followed it with the bestsellers “For 2¢ Plain” and “Enjoy, Enjoy!”

All three books collected pieces from the Carolina Israelite, a monthly newspaper Golden began publishing in Charlotte around 1944. The Israelite actively promoted Civil Rights in the heart of the South. It survived through humor, warmth and nostalgia.

Golden used his success well. He published at least a book a year through 1975, including two about Leo Frank, another about Carl Sandburg, and one about Kennedy.

One of his last was “Travels Through Jewish America,” written in 1973 with his son Richard Goldhurst. The book is a travelogue of the middle-class American Jewish experience, with stops in the Jewish communities of 10 cities, including Pittsburgh.

Golden was sloppy. He bungles facts on every page. And yet, he understands what he is seeing. A child of the Lower East Side, he marvels at frozen-in-time Murray Avenue

and immediately gets its insane to pass a law which significance. Even then, will deprive a man of two or 47 years ago, Squirrel three years of his freedom Hill was a rarity. for shooting a bald eagle Squirrel Hill strikes from a Piper Cub. And it is him as being more inward insane unless you are quite than other Jewish neighserious about preserving borhoods. Its leaders bald eagles. The Jewish seem content to stay hospital is a bald eagle. There local, rather than pursue are few of them and they national posts. On top of have a symbolic value past that, he notes, “There are all worth.” After a pause, the greater internal differquotation continues: “When ences between Jews in there is a dearth of doctors, Pittsburgh than in compathe minorities get a break. rable cities. These are not There may not always be a divisive differences but p dearth. Maybe the minoriA clipping from the Oct. 17, 1958, issue of the YH&WHA still they are differences.” ties won’t be as lucky in the Such intriguing vaga- Weekly, advertising a talk by coming decades as they have writer Harry Golden. ries fill the chapter. One Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project been in the past, if lucky is wishes that Golden would what you want to call it.” just say what he means. One of these “differElsewhere, an anonymous Jewish ences” comes to light through his reporting businessman offers an alternate take on on Montefiore Hospital. It had joined the self-sufficiency. Efforts to integrate the University Health Center of Pittsburgh in Duquesne Club in the 1960s had been pointDecember 1969. The move jeopardized the less, he argues. Why threaten the elites, when Jewish identity of the hospital, prompting all Jews really want is “prestige, not power?” some soul-searching.

The businessman continues: “The Mellon “And you are worried about the possible Foundation gave Montefiore Hospital extinction of the Jewish hospital?” Golden $200,000. That’s the kind of integration we asks Dr. Yale David Koskoff, a famed neuro- should aim for. I am not sure whether we can surgeon and president of the medical staff. support Israel or our agencies forever. Maybe Koskoff laughs and says, “It is probably we will have to ask someone else for money

someday. I am willing to make a deal with the Christians. For that $200,000 and their kindness, they can keep the Duquesne Club, which was theirs to begin with.” (The grant was for $500,000, paid toward a 10-year $22 million upgrade of Montefiore.)

Were these differing viewpoints actually more pronounced in Squirrel Hill than the other Jewish communities Golden visited?

Who knows? That’s the downside of quoting from secondary sources: you’re always at the mercy of the one quoting. Perhaps a more illuminating record could be found within the Harry Golden Papers at UNC-Charlotte.

Even so, the chapter is a useful snapshot.

Outsiders have a way of clarifying certain truths, especially those that locals feel too deeply to articulate. Golden realizes that all these rivers, hills, bridges and tunnels make Pittsburghers feel “less anonymous, more of an integer.” The sense of belonging is even more intense on the neighborhood level.

A strong physical sense of place is what gives Squirrel Hill a “sustaining value” for its Jews, Golden writes. And he seems to suggest that it is also the reason the neighborhood accommodates difference without division.

Everyone inside it knows its boundaries. 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.

U

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By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer Prior to Saturday evening’s closure, services were held both on he day of rest took on new Friday night and Saturday at meaning as Squirrel Hill Beth Shalom. Ira Frank, who synagogue-goers expeattends multiple services at rienced a Shabbat completely the synagogue, described a out of the ordinary. With some precautionary atmosphere. buildings shuttered and others Before Shabbat, “we were open but reduced to limited telling people if they felt offerings because of COVID-19 uncomfortable not to come,” concerns, last weekend’s day and during both Saturday of worship found many in p morning’s early minyan and At Congregation Pittsburgh’s historic Jewish Beth Shalom, 9:30 a.m. services “we told prepackaged kiddush neighborhood bewildered. people to stay away from Rabbi Elisar Admon regu- was served to each other and not to shake congregants for their larly attends Congregation enjoyment to go. hands,” said Frank.

Poale Zedeck. The Orthodox Photo courtesy of Tammy Hepps Each week, following 9:30 institution has operated on the a.m. services, Beth Shalom corner of Philips and Shady avenues for more holds a kiddush. The gathering provides than 90 years, reliably offering multiple daily attendees a chance to mingle, eat and services. But on Friday evening, March 13, enjoy refreshments. approximately 90 minutes before the beginLast week, “instead of kiddush in the ballning of Shabbat, Rabbi Daniel Yolkut emailed room, we had boxed lunches that were given members of the congregation saying, “due to out,” said Frank. the statewide ban on schools for the next ten The prepackaged, “to-go” food was just one business days, we will be closing the shul for of several disorienting aspects of Shabbat for the period for all davening and other activities.” Tammy Hepps, a regular Beth Shalom attendee.

Admon decided to venture elsewhere.

“At every moment it was like things in On Friday evening he attended services at the service were altered: They didn’t parade Young Israel of Pittsburgh and the following around the Torah, people were asked not to day he joined the minyan at the Kollel Jewish sit near each other,” said Hepps.

Learning Center.

By design shaleshudes (a third meal Both venues “have seating that is far away” customarily eaten by Jews on Saturday and enabled social distancing, and at neither afternoon), is a mournful period, as “we’re service did Admon shake hands or “talk to sad that Shabbat is leaving.” Last weekend people at all,” he said. pushed the trope, Hepps said.

The absence of fraternization in some “We were all saying goodbye to each ways enhanced the meaning he was able to other and not knowing for how long. Every take from prayer. moment was like acknowledging that we By focusing solely on the texts, “this was don’t know when the next time we will be a time to strengthen myself, and I went to together again having Shabbat.” minyan and I felt a greater connection,” he Between the changes in the services, and said. “It’s a tough situation when we close the uncertainty of what’s to come, there shuls, but this is what the halacha (Jewish law) was an almost “funereal” sense, continued wants us to do,” to pray and “not feel lonely.” Hepps. “It’s not like we’re all going to reunite Leslie Itskowitz also regularly attends in three months and think we’re all going to Poale Zedeck. When she heard of the syna- be great. It’s impossible to think that people gogue’s Shabbat closure, Itskowitz phoned we love aren’t going to be affected by this.” her sister, also a Squirrel Hill resident.

With the virus’ migration, familiar life Itskowitz decided to spend Friday evening will continue to be disrupted. Last Shabbat with her sister and brother-in-law, and in Squirrel Hill may be an example of Saturday with other family members, because what is to come. “it’s important to be with loved ones,” she said.

“For someone like me, community is my Still, Itskowitz “missed being in shul,” she stability,” said Hepps. “I count on Shabbat every said. “I missed the camaraderie. I missed the week as a time to see friends, chat and hang out davening, but I understand that’s what we’re after shul for hours. I know that Shabbat begins facing for the next few weeks.” and ends at a certain time, but to think that it’s Congregation Beth Shalom, a Conservative not a part of my week, to be in community with synagogue located on the corner Beacon Street other people, feels destabilizing at a time when and Shady Avenue has offered regular services everything feels very unstable.” for nearly a century. But following havdalah “In retrospect, did we ever appreciate the on March 14, the building closed. camaraderie and the socialization of being Rabbi Seth Adelson, and leaders of Beth with each other, with like-minded people,” Shalom shared the news in a March 13 said Itskowitz. “God willing, when this is message to congregants: “It is with the pain over, and we’re past the pandemic, I will of many broken hearts with which we send have a heightened appreciation for our shul this communication, not due to physical and our Jewish community.” PJC sickness per se, but because the synagogue is Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ our communal center; it is our Beit Kenesset, place of gathering, that enables and enhances pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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MARCH 20, 2020 9

Headlines — WORLD — From JTA reports

Former leader of Milan Jewish community dies of coronavirus

Michele Sciama, a former secretary-general of the Jewish Community of Milan — the city’s local Jewish communal life organization — has died of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Sciama, known to his friends and family as Micky, was 79. He is survived by his wife, Viviane, and two daughters, Dalia and Stefania, the Italian-Jewish Moked news site wrote in an obituary.

Gadi Luzzatto Voghera, the director of the Center of Contemporary Jewish Documentation, an organization that documents Nazi war crimes, wrote in Moked that before he became ill with the virus, Sciama was working on organizing a fundraising concert for the center.

“We will perform the concert in his name and in his memory, to honor his memory and to fight that virus that not only produces statistics, but deprives us of the presence of people, friends and brethren,” Luzzatto Voghera wrote after Sciama’s death.

Sciama had been heavily involved in Jewish education and his passing is a “great

loss for the community,” Claudia Bagnarelli, a former principal at the Jewish school of Milan, which has about 500 students, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Lombardy, whose capital is Milan, is the epicenter of the outbreak.

Israeli government moves to allow tracking of cell phones to fight coronavirus

The Israeli Cabinet approved a measure that will allow the Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet, to track the cell phones of Israelis who are infected with coronavirus.

The agency would not require a court order to perform the surveillance and it will be limited in the scope of information it can collect, who would have access to it, and what it can be used for, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

After approval of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Subcommittee on the Secret Services, the authorization would be valid for 30 days.

Under the authorization, the agency would be allowed to use cell towers to track the movements of those infected with the coronavirus and who they came in contact with before going into quarantine. Anyone who came within about 6 feet of an infected person for more than 10 minutes would

JC Opn compass_Eartique 2/28/17 10:32 AM Page 1

receive a message telling them to self-quarantine, the Times of Israel reported.

The decision prompted criticism that the measure would infringe on civil liberties.

Haredi Orthodox yeshivas remain open in Israel, gathering in classes of 10 students

Senior rabbinic leaders of the haredi Orthodox community in Israel announced that schools and yeshivas will remain open, but they have limited class sizes to 10 students to adhere to Ministry of Health directives.

The announcement was made in a letter that was signed by Rabbis Chaim Kanievsky and Gershon Edelstein, heads of the Ponovitz yeshiva in Bnei Brak, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The rabbis instructed any student who feels ill or who has an ill family member to stay home. They also cited a teaching from the Talmud that states that the world exists “for the sound of children studying Torah,” adding that Torah study “is the greatest protection so that the destroyer not come to Israel’s rooms.”

Students at Ponovitz and other haredi yeshivas crowded into their main study halls, in contravention of Health Ministry directives, after Kanievsky ordered his followers

to keep schools open. Several other prominent haredi rabbis also had ordered that schools and yeshivas remain open.

Religious Zionist yeshivas closed in compliance with official directives.

Rabbi asks worshippers not to kiss stones of the Western Wall

The rabbi of the Western Wall and other holy sites, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, called on worshippers not to kiss the stones to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

The request came after consultations between Rabinowitz and the Health Ministry about required hygiene practices, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation said in a statement on Monday. Kissing the stones is a common practice at the wall, which is considered the holiest site in Judaism.

Following new government directives, worshippers at the Western Wall have begun standing about 6 feet apart during prayer services. Yellow tape now marks out areas of the prayer space that are not to be occupied by more than 10 people at a time.

Hundreds of worshippers visited the Western Wall for morning services on Monday and dozens of bar mitzvahs took place with limited participants, according to the foundation. PJC

www.pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

This week in Israeli history

We’re taking hearing aid technology in a whole new direction.

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

March 20, 1917 — Yigael Yadin born

Yigael Yadin is born in Jerusalem. After becoming the second IDF chief of staff in 1949, he retires in 1952 and turns to archaeology. His excavations include Masada, Megiddo and the Dead Sea caves.

March 21, 2016 — 17 Jews evacuated in final Yemen airlift

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The Jewish Agency secretly brings 17 Yemeni Jews to Israel, completing an effort in recent years that has helped roughly 200 Jews escape a civil war. The ancient community is reduced to about 50 Jews who refuse to leave.

March 22, 1988 — Homosexuality legalized in Israel

The Knesset repeals a British Mandate-era law banning sex between people of the same gender and thereby legalizes homosexuality in Israel. The repeal is the culmination of a 10-year legal struggle.

March 23, 2016 — Writer Aharon Megged dies

Aharon Megged, who won almost every literary prize in Israel, dies in Tel Aviv at age 95. He wrote 35 books, as well as plays, skits and articles, and nurtured such writers as A.B. Yehoshua.

March 24, 1966 — Israeli TV goes on air

An instructional program in math targeting seventh- and ninth-graders in 32 schools becomes Israel’s first TV broadcast, 10 years after Jordan and six years after Egypt launch domestic television.

March 25, 2019 — Israel-Gaza violence flares

A rocket destroys a house in Mishmeret, so the IDF bombs suspected Gaza military sites. Thirty rockets then are fired from Gaza into southern Israel. Egypt brokers a ceasefire to prevent an all-out war.

March 26, 2017 — Pence sets U.S.-Israel goals

Vice President Mike Pence lays out the Trump administration’s Israel-related goals at the AIPAC Policy Conference. They include the U.S. Embassy’s move to Jerusalem and a comprehensive peace plan. PJC

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Headlines Their gigs canceled by the coronavirus, Jewish performers and educators innovate online — NATIONAL —

By Gabe Friedman | JTA

A

s a freelance Jewish educator, musician and consultant, Eliana Light knows the coronavirus outbreak puts her line of work in a precarious situation.

Instead of being hired to perform at synagogues, or getting invited to be an artist in residence at Jewish centers around the country, she will have to adapt as cities enact quarantine and social distancing policies — and just like freelance performers and small businesses in other industries, she could lose a lot of her traditional business.

But the whole ordeal has had the opposite effect on her.

“Personally, I’ve gotten up the past couple of days with more energy and excitement than I have in a long time,” Light said on a Zoom call from her home base, a Moishe House in Durham, North Carolina. “I did the elliptical for two hours this morning …

That’s not me, I’m not that person usually!”

She has big goals she now plans to tackle in the coming months, and thinks the Jewish community will emerge stronger than ever from the trying time.

“I think big shifts like this help us as individuals and as a community sort out our priorities, what matters to us, what’s important in life,” she said. “All of a sudden, all of my gigs get canceled, it’s time to do all the things you want to do … more professional development, clergy training, layleader training, one-on-one training and consulting, a podcast, a new album.”

Light, 29, who records albums of original Jewish folk music in addition to performing and leading services in a variety of ways, is one of several young Jewish artists and spiritual leaders hoping that they will retain an audience as they shift their work online, in the form of Zoom calls, Facebook Live sessions and other forums. Unlike the many synagogues and large organizations that have at least somewhat of a built-in audience, Light and her cohort will have to get creative and do a lot of online outreach.

The program brainstorming and decision making process is happening in real time, as the virus’ spread accelerates each day and forces more people online for their Jewish learning needs. Hours before being called for this article, Light and some of her friends, including Chava Mirel, Rachel Goldberg and Rabbi Alexis Pinsky, formed what they are calling the Mispacha Collective. Their debut online event, which they’re dubbing the World Synagogue Sing, was set to take place on March 22.

On March 12, on a bit of a whim, Light

p Eliana Light is one of several young Jewish musicians and spiritual leaders moving their work online.

“ People don’t want to support the thing that you create, they want to support you.

I’m not even worried about money,

”

I know we’re going to figure it out.

— ELIANA LIGHT, FREELANCE JEWISH EDUCATOR, MUSICIAN AND CONSULTANT tried running an impromptu morning shacharit prayer service through Facebook Live and was overwhelmed by the response.

In addition to the 1,000-plus views, many people donated to Light through a PayPal account. The individual donations ranged from about $3 to $54.

Light thinks people understand the difficulties that freelancers and small businesses are going through, and that their situation could get worse the longer the pandemic wears on.

“People don’t want to support the thing that you create, they want to support you,” Light said. “I’m not even worried about money. I know we’re going to figure it out.”

Light is far from alone in these endeavors.

Jewish kids performer Joanie Leeds is offering “Quarantine Kids Concerts” each afternoon. Interested viewers will pay a subscription fee through PayPal or Venmo to access a private Facebook group. Josh Nelson, Noah Aronson, Shira Kline, Elana Arian and Rabbi Leora Kaye are offering a

Photo by Ori Salzberg

“Quarantine Shabbat,” or Shabbat service via Facebook Live. Lex Rofeberg and his Judaism Unbound group has started a Facebook page that gathers many of these online offerings in one place.

There are challenges for Light and others in her field, who are used to thriving off of in-person interactions at their performances in moving online. For instance, Light noted that the steep increase in screen time has hurt her eyes. She also finds it alienating at times to not be able to see her audience as she plays guitar.

There are technical obstacles too, such as the lag that often occurs during a Zoom call, depending on everyone’s internet connection. Light’s in the process of hooking up a better quality microphone to her computer, and downloading software to help with the delays.

But overall, Light is full of enthusiasm about the potential that online work offers, and the new audiences around the world that she could reach.

“I hope we don’t go back to the way things were, (and) call each other even more and share our resources and support each other,” she said. “Hopefully we get back to something even better than it was before.” PJC

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MARCH 20, 2020 11

Opinion The loneliness of social distancing — EDITORIAL —

A

t the beginning of last week, Jews were celebrating the festive holiday of Purim — with only limited COVID-19 concerns. But by week’s end, things got a lot more serious. State and local governments and the CDC issued edicts restricting communal gatherings; schools and synagogues announced they were closing; facilities for the elderly locked their doors to visitors; businesses faced a significant drop in customers; the sports world came to a screeching halt; and just about everyone became hyper-focused on handwashing and the art of “social distancing.”

The fast spreading coronavirus impacted our daily lives — so much so that even in an age of suburban sprawl, reclusive social media use and increasing social isolation, the idea of virus-motivated social and business restrictions felt foreign. Yet it is our new reality.

In New Jersey, the Bergen County Rabbinical Council ordered the closure of synagogues and prayer groups, urged restaurants to restrict business to take-out and recommended against all non-essential travel. Its reasoning was clear and correct: “Slowing the spread of the disease will allow our hospitals to best manage this situation. The only way to do this is for us to socially distance ourselves from one another.

Moreover, the doctors emphasized that the

The interconnected nature of religious observance makes Judaism remarkably social. Now, within our busy, engaging and embracing Jewish community, it felt a bit like the welcome lights were being turned off. most significant community closure possible will make the greatest impact in potentially saving lives in our area.”

On March 13 in Pittsburgh, shortly before Shabbat, Rabbi Daniel Yolkut of the Orthodox Congregation Poale Zedeck ceased all programming at his synagogue, including daily and Shabbat minyans.

“Our current stance regarding the complete cessation of public tefillah (prayer) is rooted in the need to impress on all of us the paramount halacha of pikuach nefesh (saving a life),” Yolkut wrote in an email to his congregants. The rabbi also stressed that he was “firmly opposed” to people organizing private minyans in their homes.

Yolkut quoted Rav Hershel Schachter in emphasizing: “It is not a midas chassidus

(act of piety) to ignore sakanas nefashos (danger to life).”

The interconnected nature of religious observance makes Judaism remarkably social. Now, within our busy, engaging and embracing Jewish community, it felt a bit like the welcome lights were being turned off. And many in our community felt alone, left to fend for themselves, in an increasingly threatening world environment.

The challenge going forward is to figure out how to keep connected in an isolated world. Moving school instruction, synagogue services and other communal gatherings online may be only part of the answer.

According to Rabbi Joshua Ladon, the West Coast director of education for the Shalom Hartman Institute, other pathways for

connection will have to come from carefully orchestrated volunteer activity, designed to address communal needs: “It is counterintuitive but clear that if we are going to get through this social distancing, we are going to have to do it together … Social distancing does not mean quarantine. This is a time to make sure everyone in our communities has the food and supplies they need, and to mobilize those who can deliver goods.” And, it is a time to approach religious rituals and community interactions with heightened ingenuity and a new sensitivity.

Creativity will be essential going forward to keep us connected Jewishly, and people have already begun to act. Last week, on Purim, dozens of volunteers in Westchester County, New York, organized by Chabad, visited more than 130 locations where Jews were quarantined to read the Megillah outside of their homes.

We are in uncharted territory. Even as we look to our medical, religious, political and social leaders to help develop approaches to address our new challenges, each of us must still fend for ourselves and our families and pursue a course that helps ensure the physical and emotional safety of those around us.

While that may mean more handwashing, social distancing and telecommuting for us, it should also mean looking to friends and neighbors to do what we can to help them.

We can worry about everything else once the serious health threat passes. PJC

Exploring secular identities enhances Jewishness Guest Columnist Dionna Dash

O

n the weekend of Feb. 21, the Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh held its fifth annual Ignite Summit, a three-day program featuring traditional Shabbat observances mixed with presentations from guest speaker Ariel Tidhar. The Ignite Summit is a signature event for the Hillel JUC, providing its students with an opportunity to deeply discuss a specific Jewish theme, hear from nationally successful Jewish professionals and navigate stress away from upcoming midterm exams.

This year, the summit’s theme was “Jewish and,” exploring the intersections between students’ Jewishness and their other component identities.

As the vice president of Hillel JUC’s University of Pittsburgh student board, I was getting ready for another inspiring summit as February approached. Last year, as a green freshman new to Jewish college life and still grieving Oct. 27, actress Mayim Bialik’s Ignite appearance was cathartic for me. She graciously answered students’ questions

12 MARCH 20, 2020

about anti-Semitism, Israel and maintaining her Jewish identity while surrounded by the Hollywood stereotype, setting my expectations for what community-led Jewish learning should accomplish and inspiring me to look forward to this year’s summit.

Walking into the Hillel JUC building for Friday night Shabbat, I was met with hundreds of colorful “Jewish and” circles that students had filled out over the past few months. Ariel Walovitch, Hillel JUC’s director of engagement, had been running this “Jewish and” campaign since last year, seeking an initiative for students “to be inspired to show their true colors.” My own bright yellow “Jewish and writer” circle intermingled with others’ declarations of being Jewish sports-lovers, Greek life members, and natives of various cities. To see everyone’s defining attributes displayed, while knowing that we are all part of the larger Jewish community, confirmed for me the diversity within Hillel JUC. Every student brings a unique viewpoint to Jewish culture, enriching our programs and gatherings.

The weekend’s guest speaker, American Israeli jewelry designer Ariel Tidhar, gave a presentation on Saturday highlighting the importance of her coinciding Jewish, feminist, and Israeli identities. Tidhar embarked on her design career in 2016 after

graduating from New York’s Pratt Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in fashion design. After facing anti-Semitism from members of the fashion industry and repeatedly getting turned down for jobs, Tidhar embraced the notion that “talent is easy, hard work is always hard” and set out to make her own line of hand-crafted jewelry, incorporating traditional Jewish motifs and modern pieces honoring her Israeli roots.

Four years since graduation, she has a thriving brand and works closely with other Jewish women in design.

Hearing Tidhar tell her story of refusing to suppress her identities and ambitions gave me hope that there are creative spaces where people with “Jewish and” in their identities can thrive.

As an aspiring writer, Tidhar’s message of resilience and hard work resonated with me. “If you want to create something, you have to be genuine to yourself because only that will create longevity in success,” Tidhar said. Undertaking any creative pursuit has its risks and its associated fears, but perhaps by embracing one’s true identities and persisting both through a path’s benefits and detriments, one will have a chance at success. Being able to see a young, Jewish woman succeed in such a creative, competitive industry was an important element of Tidhar’s impact at Hillel JUC.

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On Saturday morning, I led a discussion about the intersections of religious and secular identities, the significance of one’s name and how to approach situations where one must suppress an identity. Discussing these issues made me realize that while we sometimes face challenges maintaining multiple facets of our identities, there are spaces in which each facet can be nurtured.

When they all coexist, we find strength in displaying our unfiltered selves.

Dozens of students from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University got the chance to buy some of Tidhar’s pieces at a pop-up shop in the Hillel JUC library. Seeing all of her hand-crafted work, designed for anyone and everyone who considers themselves Jewish, confirmed for me Tidhar’s message that “no matter your background, you can feel unapologetically Jewish.” Filled with people shopping for Magen David kippah clips, pomegranate earrings and hamsa necklaces, the Hillel JUC community that morning was a wonderful mélange of students from all backgrounds celebrating both their shared identities and their unique viewpoints. PJC Dionna Dash is a sophomore communication and linguistics student at the University of Pittsburgh and vice president of Hillel JUC’s student board.

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Opinion What Israel’s getting right about Coronavirus Guest Columnist Mikhal Weiner

A

lthough I now live in New York City, I’m originally from Israel and I happened to have been back home visiting family as the whole world began its decline into self-quarantine over the past weeks. As a result, I got to witness both societies folding in on themselves from an interesting vantage point.

What is clear is this: The Israeli government and population are taking the outbreak extremely seriously. The United States government and population — not so much.

I know of people returning from Italy to Israel who were ordered into self-quarantine as early as mid-February. They fell in line without complaint. Over the past month, I learned of another case, another quarantine, another closure with each passing day.

The Israeli Ministry of Health set up a very clear, dedicated website with information on which countries are considered health risks, how to handle suspected cases, and detailed locations where all known patients went before diagnosis so that those who came in contact with them can self-quarantine.

It is obvious to everyone here in Israel that testing for COVID-19 is free and widely available, due to the socialized health care system. That extremely high health tax doesn’t seem so bad now.

One person I know put himself into self-quarantine for two weeks because he was in the same supermarket as a known patient. His roommates voluntarily moved out of their apartment to be safe.

Another friend entered into self-quarantine for two weeks because he had been in Switzerland on a business trip, even though

After spending much of our youth running for cover or avoiding dangerous hotspots, after living through multiple wars, after being beaten down by the inhumanity and impossibility of the conflict — what’s a little quarantine? that meant his wife would have to care for their two children by herself. When I asked his wife what she thought of this, she replied, “It’s what has to be done, isn’t it? Better safe than sorry.”

This kind of story is common, despite the huge financial hit many are taking. Nearly everyone I’ve spoken to has lost work.

Layoffs are rampant, many are on unpaid leave for an indeterminate amount of time, and those dependent on the gig economy are at a loss to make ends meet.

Nonetheless, compliance with regulations here has been pretty incredible. This has been particularly striking in comparison to the updates I continuously receive from my community in New York and as I listen to the president’s shockingly false statements about the outbreak. It should be obvious that a pandemic is not something spinable, that we need to take immediate and extreme measures to control it when human lives are at stake.

A doctor friend in New York shared with me that she simply does not have tests for

the virus; even when people appear with suspicious symptoms, all she can do is send them home with regular flu advice and medications.

Without tests, of course, people can’t be quarantined and the virus can’t be contained.

The numbers of confirmed cases that the United States is reporting are hard to corroborate — there could be many more who were sent home because there aren’t enough tests.

Israelis and Palestinians, on the other hand, have not wasted time getting their priorities in order.

By early March, the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government declared a state of emergency and were collaborating to control the virus. I can’t remember the last time the PA and the Israelis collaborated on anything. In this case, though, everyone wants to do whatever they can to get this thing under control.

Israeli medical teams have sent hundreds of coronavirus tests and gallons of disinfectant into the Palestinian territories.

Officials from both sides of the divide are

coordinating collaborative meetings for doctors from both communities. This may be the most surreal part of the whole ordeal, especially for someone like myself who was raised amid ongoing violence and hatred.

That being said, I’m not an idealist and I have no illusions about everyone’s self-interest. It’s clear that the Israeli government wants to control COVID-19 within Palestinian territories to make sure it doesn’t spread to Israelis and vice versa. Officials have said as much when they stated that this is a “virus that doesn’t respect borders.”

The important part, though, is that they’re working together.

To be sure, things are far from perfect.

The Purim parade settlers held in Hebron while their Palestinian neighbors were under lockdown was both in poor taste and downright dangerous. Haredi Orthodox communities are flaunting the regulations, carrying on yeshiva studies in large groups despite the lockdown. On the whole, though, the feeling is that most people seem to be rallying. Doing what needs to be done.

Keeping a stiff upper lip.

It occurs to me that Israelis and Palestinians are actually particularly well-positioned to handle this kind of emergency. We are, after all, quite practiced at finding ourselves in life-or-death situations and following extreme regulations in order to stay safe.

After spending much of our youth running for cover or avoiding dangerous hotspots, after living through multiple wars, after being beaten down by the inhumanity and impossibility of the conflict — what’s a little quarantine?

It’s a strange, cynical silver lining in a mess of a situation. But a silver lining nonetheless. And if this is the only one we’ll get, I’ll take it. PJC Mikhal Weiner is a writer based in New York City.

A word to our readers individuals around the world have changed our lives, and our Jewish lives, forever, this coronavirus pandemic may also inaugurate or many of us here in the Pittsburgh a new and unfamiliar daily routine even Jewish community, it seems like we after it passes. were just now emerging While we all go through this from the year of shock and period of uncertainty and risk, the mourning following the massacre Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle will at the Tree of Life building. Spring, be there with you, doing its best as it were, was right around the to keep you informed of what you corner. And now, in the space of need to know about what’s going just one week, the coronavirus on right here, in our community. pandemic descended upon us and There will be a deluge of general p Jim Busis upended all of our lives. news about the country and the File photo city, but only we are focused We know that most of us — but on the Jewish community in perhaps not all — will emerge Pittsburgh and elsewhere. unscathed from this. But we don’t know Our staff is committed to keep up the flow when, and we don’t know what the new “normal” will be. Just as the massacre at the of information in print and online, even if Tree of Life building and subsequent terrorist almost all staff members are working from attacks on other Jewish institutions and home by phone and by email. Normally we

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are out and about the community, bumping into people at Jewish events or while shopping or strolling in a park. But not right now. So, we will be more dependent than ever on you, our readers. Please let us know what’s happening, what you’re feeling and experiencing, and what you think is news. Write to us at: newsdesk@pittsburgh jewishchronicle.org or send us a letter to the

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In the meantime, be smart and minimize the risk to yourself and to those around you. Read the Chronicle, an approved activity! PJC —Jim Busis, CEO and publisher of the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

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MARCH 20, 2020 13

Headlines COVID-19: Continued from page 1

store shelves also were quickly emptied of cleaning supplies, soap, dry goods and most of their fresh and frozen food selections.

A new normal swept across Pittsburgh as public officials worked to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. As of press time, there were 10 reported cases of the virus in the county and the city had banned all gatherings of 50 or more people.

Local Jewish institutions are now working to provide services for their respective communities within the guidelines set by the county, city and state. Over the next several weeks, the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle will continue to provide updates on cancelations, programs shifting to online formats and the rescheduling of events. For complete, up-to-the minute information, check with individual institutions and synagogues.

Aleph Institute Twelve-step programs hosted by the Aleph Institute will now be held online and by telephone for the next two weeks. Prison visits by volunteers have been suspended for the next two weeks although contracted rabbi visits will continue. Visit aleph-institute.org for more information.

BBYO Following Centers for Disease Control Guidelines, all BBYO programming has been cancelled. Teens are invited to participate in the new BBYO On Demand online streaming service featuring 24-hour programming at azabbg.bbyo.org/on-demand/home.

Jewish Association on Aging The JAA has restricted access to its Charles Morris Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, AHAVA Memory Care Center, Residence at Weinberg Village and Bartlett Street Community (Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Terrace). If you do not work in a JAA building, you will not be allowed in.

“We serve an elderly community that is vulnerable,” said Deborah Winn-Horvitz, president and CEO of the JAA in a prepared statement. “In this time of uncertainty, our primary goal is to keep our residents safe and healthy. We are being proactive on every front to help us move through this situation in the safest and most caring way possible.”

Other preventative measures being implemented by the JAA include: residents and clients vigilantly monitored by the nursing staff for any changes in condition, with medical providers being contacted whenever conditions warrant a higher level of action; outside appointments by residents kept to a minimum; staff assisting with video calls

(Skype, FaceTime) between residents and families, as well as continuing regular lines of communication including telephones and emails; determining visitation options in situations where there is a significant issue or change in condition or when end-of-life may be imminent; and restriction of communal meals for residents, with dining by tray service in effect.

Riverview Apartments is encouraged to follow JAA’s protocols for visitation restrictions.

As of press time, there were no cases of the coronavirus within the JAA. Anyone with questions about JAA’s response to the virus can call their family and care provider hotline at 412-521-5675, email infojaa@jaapgh.org or check the agency’s website at jaapgh.org/news.

Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh The JCC has suspended all programs and services until at least March 30. Its leaders are meeting with the Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging to discuss AgeWell Pittsburgh at the JCC and its meal program, exploring the option of a “grab and go” option.

A transition plan is being created for clients of physical therapy at the JCC Powered by the JAA.

A dedicated email address has been set up by the JCC at questions@jccpgh.org and additional information can be found at jccpgh.org.

“Our highest priority is the safety, health, and well-being of our members, staff and extended family,” JCC President and CEO Brian Schreiber said in an email. “We are following guidance and directives from civil and health authorities. The JCC will use our social media platforms to stay connected and to continue our community work in these unusual times as we await further communication from governmental leaders as to how we can support vulnerable populations we serve each day.”

Jewish Family and Community Services JFCS will continue to serve its clients, meeting remotely by telephone, email and video. Critical services requiring face-to-face meetings will continue on a case-by-case basis. Several JFCS services have been modified to assist those in need while ensuring the safety of their clients and staff.

JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry will continue to serve the community with food distributions. Clients will now receive pre-bagged foods.

JFCS Career Development Center will operate remotely to help those working Please see COVID-19, page 17

Levin: Continued from page 1

involved and my goal was to save the jobs. It was a business that was very viable.”

Moving forward, Levin is focused on establishing credit and receiving “judicial approval in bankruptcy, but it’s all looking good,” he said. “What we need the most is business right now.”

Customers can accordingly expect sales, promotions and “long-term free interest financing,” he continued. “Whatever we need to do to get the business going.”

Levin recognizes he’s reentering retail at a time when some are concerned about unnecessarily exiting their homes or congregating in public spaces due to fears of COVID-19.

The company has a “vibrant online business” where people can “get the same mattress that you looked at in the showroom online. We have a very liberal return policy.”

So, while online shopping is an option for people who “don’t have the time or inclination to go to the store,” for those who do enter the showrooms they’ll find “very enthusiastic employees,” he said.

Providing customers with trusted service and quality merchandise has been a company hallmark for nearly 100 years, explained Levin.

The origins of Levin Furniture involve Levin’s grandfather, an immigrant, arriving in America in the 1890s and peddling goods through southern Wisconsin. Ten years later, Levin’s grandfather moved closer to a relative in Mount Pleasant and set up a secondhand store in Westmoreland County.

He was one of few businessmen who 14 MARCH 20, 2020

p Robert Levin

Photo courtesy of Levin Furniture

extended credit through the Depression, said Levin. He was also known for accepting “farm goods in trade for the furniture.

Because he had seven kids, that’s a lot of people to feed, (customers) would bring a couple dozen eggs, butter, chickens and that would be their payment.”

Preserving rapport is important, but maintaining a good name requires more than simply treating consumers with respect — that’s why it was so important to act now, explained Levin.

“It’s really the job preservation. That would have been horrible to see it just shut

down and see everybody out of work. We have employees that work for the company, who are still in their 50s, who started in high school. These are people who have worked for us for 35 years,” said Levin.

Levin’s commitment to others is well known in the Pittsburgh community, said Nancy Gale, executive director of Jewish Residential Services: “Robert Levin and his family have long been extremely generous to JRS. The fact that Robert cares deeply for the employees of Levin Furniture is therefore no surprise, but further evidence of what a wonderful person he is.”

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Leslie Hoffman, executive director of Temple Emanuel of South Hills, recalled an exchange with Levin several years ago in which Levin donated a couch and loveseats for the Temple’s youth lounge.

“He was instrumental in getting the donation for us,” she said. “It was a simple process. Seamless, no questions asked. It was basically like, ‘What do you need?’ We picked it out and it was delivered here.”

Levin enjoys the daily exchanges and communal involvement, perhaps even more than he realized a few years ago. When he retired in 2017, the decision was driven by stress, he said. “I felt that I had kind of put in my time.”

In retrospect, the timing wasn’t right, said Levin, who offered advice to those contemplating retirement.

“If you like what you’re doing and don’t really have a plan, keep working. Think hard about retirement. Think about what you really want to do. If you’re very busy and then stop abruptly that’s a big lifestyle change. I’m sure that’s not advice people haven’t thought about before.” There’s a lot of value to retirement, “no doubt, but it’s also exciting to be doing something that you’re passionate about.”

Levin’s wife, Kerry Bron, a physician, said she’s pleased Levin decided to push off retirement.

“It’s exciting to see him energized and excited to be back in the game,” she said.

As for when Levin may entertain another departure from the work world, he said, “Oh yeah, I’m not retiring anytime soon, that’s for sure.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Relief: Continued from page 2

about the coronavirus’ origins in Wuhan, China. Asian American advocacy groups said their members’ restaurants were seeing a 20-40% drop in revenue during the first five to six weeks of the outbreak.

Marian Lien, president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans, said she was reaching out to federal officials seeking microloans for businesses financially affected by the virus.

The number of passengers flying into and out of Pittsburgh International Airport

Caplan: Continued from page 4

and the couple soon recognized that each night the patient unknowingly relived this former imprisonment. Upon that revelation, Caplan, the man and his wife all hugged, “and they laughed and cried, and Dad came home saying, ‘This was probably one of the best days in my medical career.’”

As evidenced by mementos from his 17 years as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s international tour physician, and the multiple awards in Caplan’s Oakland residence, his professional days were marked by many highlights and accolades, including being named Master of the American College of Rheumatology, an honor signifying outstanding contributions

Travel: Continued from page 7

canceled overseas travel plans in the light of the pandemic. The organization postponed a seven-day “alternative spring break” trip to Israel with 11 students from area universities, and restricted staff travel as well, spokesperson Adam Hertzman said.

Kim Salzman, the Federation’s director of Israel and overseas programs, returned to Israel from Pittsburgh Feb. 27, shortly before the imposed self-quarantining there. She travels about three or four times each year between the two locations for her job.

also waned last week as President Trump restricted air travel into the U.S. “The airline and airport industry have faced the threat of communicable disease before and have developed, trained and executed emergency plans and drills as part of our preparation,” said Bob Kerlik, a spokesman for the Allegheny County Airport Authority. “Obviously, the coronavirus issue overall is having a large impact on the travel industry, including decreased flights and passengers. Likewise, we expect to see an impact here as airlines adjust travel schedules.”

Kerlik did not cite any financial figures.

The trade group Airlines for America

estimates the aviation industry worldwide could lose up to $113 billion in revenue due to the virus and its implications, national media reported. An official with the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce declined to comment on what the dwindling travel numbers mean to Pittsburgh businesses that depend on the traffic to thrive. Pittsburgh tourism officials also said they lacked the data to quantify the potential impact.

Strong, the Stanton Heights woman who runs Flexable, is realistic about the hit her business will take when organizations start cancelling events.

“Obviously, that’s going to default to zero

— and we’re already seeing some events cancel,” Strong said.

But Flexable hopes to weather the crisis by reaching out to workplaces with essential employees, such as 911 operators and public utilities, Strong said. And Mesa, which Strong’s husband runs, is looking into starting delivery options.

“Nobody knows what to do,” she said. “Is stocking up on toilet paper going to save you? I don’t know, I don’t know. But we’re ready with childcare to help businesses in need. Our tiny slice is all we can do.” PJC

to the field through scholarly achievement and/or service to patients, students and the profession.

But there were other elements of his life that were less public.

In World War II, Caplan was a practicing physician with the 83rd Infantry Division.

Armed with medical insight but no gun, Caplan arrived with the group on Omaha Beach shortly after D-Day. The experience was “terrible,” he told the Chronicle. “I was making a decision on who should be sent back with the next ambulance immediately and who can wait.”

Throughout his life, Caplan spoke little about that period, said his daughter: “When I was in sixth grade, I was doing a report on World War II, and all he could say to me was, ‘War is a terrible waste of lives.’ That’s all he could say ... It really wasn’t until I saw the

movie ‘Saving Private Ryan’ that I was able to appreciate what he experienced.”

At 106, Caplan said his thoughts were focused on living in the present and things to come rather than past tragedies.

“I think I have more important things to think about such as, ‘What should we do tomorrow? What’s my next event?’” he said.

He also treasured fond memories, particularly of his wife, Gertrude Forman, whom he married in 1942.

“She was beautiful, had a bright personality and was generous,” Caplan said.

It was through her involvement in the Jewish community, including with the Ladies Hospital Aid Society, the then-named United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh’s chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women, that Caplan “grew through his Judaism,” said Roberta Caplan.

The couple philanthropically supported numerous causes both within and outside of the Jewish community.

Even so, it was the care evident in his “tender” words that serve as Caplan’s legacy, explained Rabbi Aaron Bisno, of Rodef Shalom Congregation: “They conveyed his confidence — in the information and in you — and you could trust all he told you. You knew in his presence, within his embrace, you were truly cared for.”

Caplan is survived by daughters Donna (Stanley) Hersh and Roberta Caplan; grandchildren Craig (Marcy), Brian (April), Eric (Danna) Hersh and Arielle Baumgarten; and great-grandchildren Jenna, Jordan, Avery and Hadley Hersh. PJC

Salzman said the travel restrictions could have an impact on her work, as well as the Partnership2Gether program between Pittsburgh and its Israeli sister city, Karmiel, and sister region, Misgav.

“I think people are doing their best to just protect their families, communities and country while trying to keep a semblance of routine,” Salzman said, speaking by phone from her home in Israel. “When you aren’t able to travel and have face-to-face encounters, that absolutely hinders your mission.

But we’re looking at creative ways to connect people virtually and hope this will pass soon.”

She is feeling the impact of restricted movement in a personal way these days: she and her

three children are on quarantine until March 22.

“We went to a tennis Purim party last Sunday and someone at the party tested positive for coronavirus so now all of us are in quarantine, which means we can’t leave the house or come into contact with anyone,” she wrote in an email.

The impact on Pennsylvania business in light of flight restrictions also remained unclear last week. The Pennsylvania Office of International Business Development said it has partners in more than 220 counties, many of which face travel restrictions.

Exports from Pennsylvania support some 1.6 million jobs. There also are more than 5,100 foreign-owned businesses in Pennsylvania, which employ more than 320,000 workers.

Rabbi Amy Bardack receives Rabbinical Assembly appointment

R

abbi Amy Bardack, director of Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, has been appointed to serve a two-year term on the executive council of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international asso- p Rabbi Amy Bardack File photo ciation of Conservative rabbis.

The RA, founded in 1901, helps shape the ideology, programs and practices of the Conservative movement.

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Bardack, who received rabbinical ordination for the Jewish Theological Seminary, came to Pittsburgh’s Federation in July 2016 after serving as the Judaic studies director at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston.

Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

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

The state’s Department of Community and Economic Development “does not yet have any data that can show an impact of the coronavirus on trade,” said Casey Smith, its communications director. An Allegheny Airport Authority official also declined to quantify the impact on the Pittsburgh International Airport, except to acknowledge fewer passengers were flying.

Inbar, who wants that school principal job in Tel Aviv, trudged on last week. “(The interview) will go online,” he said.

“I’ll still be able to participate.” PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

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MARCH 20, 2020 15

Life & Culture abortion, performed without her philandering husband’s knowledge. He brings maximum empathy to those who have often withheld it.

There are times when his onslaught of detail stops working as an agent of verisimilitude and becomes a slog to read, but thankfully, those occasions are few and far between. Most of the time, Halberstadt is able to successfully build his scenes with well-observed details; I was delighted when he noticed a sign for “Afrobraids” on the renamed “50th Anniversary of the Victory over Fascism Street” in the city of Vinnytsia.

Toward the end of the second section, Halberstadt delivers the scene that describes his whole project. It’s an early summer morning in Vilnius, and Halbderstadt is 8, tiptoeing around his sleeping parents and maternal grandparents. He looks at his entwined mother and father, during the last summer they all spent together as a family; he considers the gas range that his grandmother will use to singe a plucked hen later that day, and the scientist’s tools of his grandfather’s home laboratory. He picks up a jar, quiet as can be, and empties the contents into his hand: a frog, bound for his grandfather’s scalpel.

In that scene, as in the whole book, Halberstadt goes through his family’s belongings, the inheritance he is going to receive, whether he likes it or not. He does so with respect, a little bit of fear, tenderness, skepticism and love. After he considers the frog, he places it gently back into the jar. PJC

Jewish food in the Biblical, Rabbinical, Medieval and Modern Eras. These sections offer the reader plenty of context with which to interpret the rest of the book, from the origin of dietary laws to their adaptations in the modern world. The authors in this section provide a balanced amount of information about Ashkenazi, Sephardic and Mizrahi cuisines.

“Part 2: Food and Culture” documents how food has shaped Jews’ interactions with other religions and nationalities. The popularity of a traditional Jewish dish among non-Jewish

Hungarians is used to explain patterns of cultural exchange in Katalin Francesca Rac’s “How Shabbat Cholent Became a Secular Hungarian Favorite.” Jordan D. Rosenblum’s “A Brief History of Jews and Garlic” examines the impact of garlic on Judaism from the biblical era to the modern day. In “Jews, Schmaltz, and Crisco in the Age of Industrial Food,” Rachel B. Gross explains the aggressive marketing of Crisco as “pure” during the early 1900s because it was parve and supposedly lighter than schmaltz, the cooking fat of choice for Eastern European immigrants.

These essays skew toward Ashkenazi issues and move the book’s focus more heavily on a European and North American perspective.

“Part 3: Ethics” addresses philosophical questions presented by the process of creating and consuming food. This section is almost entirely focused on Ashkenazi Jews in North America. Topics vary between the graphic human and animal rights abuses at a kosher meat company and the communal impact of gardening. “A Satisfying Eating Ethic,” by Jonathan K. Crane addresses the practice of eating itself and reads like a Michael Pollan manifesto. Audiences familiar with contemporary diet culture and eating fads may be surprised at the level of mindfulness ancient Jewish thinkers brought to the act of eating, from Elijah’s recommendation to “Eat a third, drink a third, retain a third,” to Maimonides’ advice to avoid snacking between meals.

“Eating well, or at least the eating well I see Judaism endorsing ... orients consumers to

pay attention to internal cues,” Crane writes.

“Knowing the features of one’s own hunger requires listening to one’s body, not to industries plying snacks.” The rabbis of the Talmudic and medieval eras seem startling prescient in the face of skyrocketing levels of obesity, diabetes and other diseases that can be tied to relying on external cues like advertising to regulate appetite.

This book, like bitter herbs, is best consumed in small doses. It makes for an easy and enjoyable reading experience for those who peruse essay by essay. However, it seems repetitive to one sitting down to read it all the way through. The authors can’t help but repeat each other as their subject matter overlaps. The fact that Jews are forbidden from consuming blood because it represents the life of an animal is mentioned so many times it could be used as a drinking game.

The editors’ decisions on what to cover and what to leave out of this book also raise questions of balance. Why write about the community farming movement in North America without at least mentioning Israeli kibbutzim? Why include not one but two essays about cooking fats — Crisco and peanut oil — and only one essay about an actual dish, cholent? Why adopt an international focus for the sections devoted to history and culture but focus only on North America for the final section on ethics?

Ultimately, “Feasting and Fasting” is best appreciated as a fascinating essay collection, but the lack of cohesion may leave some readers unsatisfied. PJC

Heroic Back Story

By Jesse Bernstein

“Young Heroes of the Soviet Union” Alex Halberstadt Random House

I

t’s appropriate that Alex Halberstadt’s new memoir, “Young Heroes of the Soviet Union,” is shaped in many ways by the labor of its characters.

One of his grandfathers was a bodyguard to Joseph Stalin; the other spent his life in laboratories dissecting small animals to try and learn about how they worked. His mother sold nearly everything she owned in order to move the two of them out of a Moscow housing block and to a three-room walk-up in Long Island City; his paternal grandmother designed dresses that she could spot being worn by the Soviet elite on television; and his father sold black market rock records, Wrangler jeans and other smuggled Americana to his capitalism-curious countrymen.

It’s a lot of work, being alive, and it’s a lot of work to stay alive, too. Sometimes your labor kills you through no fault of your own, and sometimes it sustains you, regardless of your own will. You might wake up one day, Halberstadt seems to say, and realize that your survival was an accident of history.

Then what do you do?

Serving Up Jewish Food History

By Sophie Panzer

“Feasting and Fasting: The History and Ethics of Jewish Food” Edited by Aaron S. Gross, Jody Meyers, and Jordan D. Rosenblum New York University Press

I

t seems almost too perfect for an author named Hasia R. Diner to introduce a book about eating.

“The connections between food and Judaism cannot be understood independent of the tectonic shifts in the social, political, and cultural histories that Jews lived through,” she writes in the foreword of “Feasting and Fasting: The History and Ethics of Jewish Food.” Each chapter that follows is an essay written by a different author about the religious and cultural significance of Jewish food.

According to Aaron S. Gross, the editors hope “that this book heightens our appreciation about how the most familiar act of eating is also one of the most profound acts of meaning-making.” In many ways, Gross and his co-editors Jody Meyers and Jordan D. Rosenblum succeed — “Feasting” clearly establishes the central role of food in Jewish religion, history, culture and philosophy.

However, the sheer scope of the topic leaves some sections feeling underdeveloped.

“Part 1: History” is divided into four chapter essays devoted to the history of

16 MARCH 20, 2020

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His answer is more labor. In his case, it’s the labor that Halberstadt, a journalist, understands how to do: Build a long, complicated story, encompassing the life and death of countries, regimes and families. He builds with memory.

Memory being, of course, some pretty fickle material to work with.

Over and over again, family lore and well-established facts of history are both exposed as constructions of convenience or

discretion. His Jewish grandfather, Semyon, is convinced of the evil of the number 19 by a series of horrible misfortunes involving it and, as a result, switches his birthday from 10/9 to 11/15. His Russian grandfather, Vassily, is able to see Stalin’s smallpox scars up close, the ones that were airbrushed out of official images (he sees his boss’ similarly suppressed behavior up close, too). Memory is constructed by the state as well as by the individual, Halberstadt learns and relearns, in the name of self-preservation.

The book is broken into three parts.

Halberstadt begins with his investigation of his Russian father’s family in the first section, and then conducts another one into his Jewish mother’s family. In the final section, he recounts his journey from the Soviet Union to New York City, where he struggles to construct a complicated identity. He’s Jewish enough to be accepted as a charity case at Jewish schools, but not Jewish enough to feel quite at home in them; he’s not American enough for his peers, and he’s too American for his family. He comes to realize that he’s gay as well, which adds another layer of complication.

Halberstadt is at his best when he is describing the private battles fought by his family members, at any scale. His descriptions of his KGB agent grandfather’s struggle with his own culpability in torture, repression and potentially genocide is given no more weight than that of his mother nearly bleeding out during an at-home

— BOOKS —

Courtesy of Random House

Reviews: Of heroes and herring

Headlines Seniors: Continued from page 6

St. Louis, an independent and assisted-living facility that also has a community center for seniors, has implemented many of these measures to get ahead of the disease. To protect residents, Covenant Place has closed the community center, which had 2,000 distinct visitors in the past six months.

“Because St. Louis wasn’t one of the early affected areas, there was a little bit of ‘Why are we worried about this?’” Denison said.

“So our position was, we want to work with you and keep you healthy. As each day goes by and there’s more in the news, I think there’s a greater understanding of why we were coming forward with the information and the recommendations, and why we’ve closed the programming and the classes.”

The homes do recognize that the protective measures also could be detrimental for their residents — particularly measures barring visitors. Denison said “seniors don’t do so well when they’re isolated,”

COVID-19: Continued from page 14

to understand unemployment compensations programs and those with reduced hours and lay-offs.

JFCS Counseling and Senior Services will continue to provide modified services.

Support groups will meet remotely or are being postponed. If you are not a JFCS client and need senior services, JFCS recommends calling AgeWell Pittsburgh at 412-422-0400.

For counseling services, call 412-904-5960.

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh All upcoming events, including Good Deeds Day, have been postponed or cancelled through the end of Passover, April 16. Additionally, Federation offices will be closed at least through March 25 and staff will work remotely.

The Federation has set up a special page on its website providing updates and information about the virus and the community: jewishpgh.org/coronavirus-resources.

“The Jewish Federation canceled events

and Covenant is making an extra effort to arrange phone calls for residents.

Hebrew SeniorLife is taking similar steps, and is hoping to record lectures and programming for its residents. The Rosses plan to have one or two neighbors over to their home at a time, but no more.

“This is really implementing a very major change in how we are,” Michael Ross said.

“Our clubs, large groups, evening entertainment, all of that is at least temporarily going to be going away. Not that we won’t remain friends, but it becomes much harder to live up to that. And we’re just moving into that phase now. And we’re doing it really all of a sudden.”

Some seniors are sanguine in the face of the sudden restrictions. Rita Shtull lives in the Summit, a Jewish retirement community in Seattle, in a state that has seen more than 30 people die from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Her family is worried.

“They think it’s difficult for me,” she said of her children and grandchildren. “They

think I’m lonesome. They think I’m bored.

They think I’m afraid.”

But Shtull says she’s OK. “I’m feeling quite fine about it all because my needs are being met,” she said.

“Otherwise I’m feeling well. I’m not aware of any cases in this building, so I have all my meals right in this room. So I feel quite fine.”

And some senior programming is going on as normal, at least for now. The Association of Jewish Aging Services still plans to hold its annual conference at the end of April.

“The health and safety of all members and guests is our highest priority, and we look forward to seeing you all there soon!” the association said in a statement.

Don Shulman, the association’s president, repeatedly declined to comment to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Atria, a senior home in the New York City suburb of Great Neck, Long Island, held Friday night services for residents last week, though this week’s are canceled. The volunteer leaders of the March 6 service, Belle and Elliott Gayer, disinfected the microphone with a wipe and distributed challah wearing latex gloves.

Before they entered the facility, staff asked the Gayers if they had been ill, traveled overseas or been in contact with anyone who was sick.

“Everybody feels protected,” Belle Gayer said. “They’re very calm and collected about it. They live day to day, and they’re very happy.”

That’s also Shtull’s attitude. She said she’s enjoying a novel, “The Last Watchman of Old Cairo,” and actually preferred some of the to-go options to the regular menu at the dining hall. She has plenty of relatives she can call on the phone.

The one thing she did miss this week was the holiday of Purim. The Summit typically decorates the halls and holds religious programs for residents. This year, because of the precautions, she could listen to the megillah reading only via livestream.

“Usually, in this building, for any holiday the building is buzzing with color and joy and music and crafts and activities,” she said Monday, the eve of the holiday. “And now everything is dead. Nothing, nothing at all.

Not a sign that it is Purim.” PJC

and activities out of an abundance of caution, keeping in mind the most vulnerable people in our community and the Jewish value of preserving human life,” said Adam Hertzman, the Federation’s director of marketing. “We are still working remotely and trying both to arrange some virtual gatherings and to help Jewish agencies cope with the disruption.”

Kollel Jewish Learning Center All classes and chavrusas have moved to phone-based study sessions.

through Zoom. Many classes and meetings have been moved online.

Check with individual congregations for program and service information or if you need assistance accessing their services online.

Some Orthodox congregations are still holding limited live services. As of press time, Shaare Torah was still holding daily minyans, but was making an effort to comply with preventative health recommendations, including limiting the number of attendees. Daf Yomi classes were continuing to meet in person, but others had moved to conference call.

Chabad of Pittsburgh closed after evening prayers on March 17. The center will remain closed until further notice.

Congregation Poale Zedeck has also canceled all minyans and live events at least through March 27. In an email sent to congregants on March 16, the congregation’s rabbi, Daniel Yolkut, also noted that he was “firmly opposed to any private minyanim being held at this time.” PJC

Jewish Residential Services Both supported living and families in transition programs remain in operation and are following the Office of Developmental Programs, CDC and Allegheny County guidelines. The Sally and Howard Levin Clubhouse is closed until further notice.

Schools Gov. Tom Wolf ordered all Pennsylvania schools to close for 10 days. Pittsburgh Public Schools will remain closed through at least March 27. Several neighboring school districts will stay inactive longer.

Community Day School, Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh and Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh are all closed and will remain shuttered through March 27, however, classwork was scheduled to resume at home on Wednesday, March 18.

JFunds The Hebrew Free Loan Association and the Jewish Assistance Fund are continuing their normal operations. If you are financially impacted by the outbreak, HFLA is offering interest-free financial bridge loans to residents of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington, Westmoreland and Armstrong counties. More information can be found at hflapgh.org/apply.

Synagogues Some Conservative and Reform synagogues remain open to essential office staff but have canceled in-person events, including religious services. Rodef Shalom Congregation is now livestreaming Shabbat services, as is Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, Temple Emanuel of South Hills and Temple Sinai. Congregation Beth Shalom is conducting virtual minyans

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

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Celebrations

Torah

Bat Mitzvah

Freedom through compassion

Feinman: Lillian Juliet Feinman is the daughter of Matthew and Sharon Feinman, sister of Madeline and Levi Feinman, and granddaughter of Alan and Sandra Hammer, and Larry and Sheryl Feinman. A seventhgrader at Community Day School, Lily is an avid basketball player and spends her summers at Emma Kaufmann Camp. She volunteers at the JCC Senior Center, and also spends time at Friendship Circle, where she is going through leadership programming as part of her bat mitzvah project. Lily will be called to the Torah at Congregation Beth Shalom as a bat mitzvah on March 21, 2020.

Birth

Hudson: Heather Abrams of Pittsburgh is overjoyed to announce the birth of her son, Remi Hudson, on Feb. 4, 2020. He is the grandson of Renee Abrams and the late Richard Abrams.

Remi Hudson is named in loving memory of his grandfather Richard, his great-grandmothers Ella Abrams and Mollie Melnick and his great-grandfather Henry Melnick.

Rabbi Doris Dyen Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei Exodus 35:1 - 40:38

T

his week we read two parshiyot: Vayakhel and Pekudei. We also complete the book of Sh’mot/Exodus with the blessing “Hazak, hazak, venithazek /Strength, strength, may we strengthen each other.” And we acknowledge this as Shabbat HaHodesh: the Shabbat before the start of the month of Nisan this coming week, bringing with it Pesach, Hag Heruteinu — the holiday that commemorates the freeing of the Jewish people from slavery. Our sacred texts herald this as a time of celebration, a time for fami-

together — from supporting each other — to achieve a common goal. In the parsha, that goal was building the mishkan ohel moed, the portable connection to the Holy Presence during our desert wanderings. The people were optimistic: Hearing Moses’ request for help, all members of the Israelite community gave unreservedly of their own resources and skills, moved by the principle of nadiv lev, the generous heart. In fact, they gave so much that they had to be told to give less!

How can the story of the mishkan still guide us in a challenging time? When we’re afraid, human instinct is to put our own needs first.

We rush to stock up on scarce supplies before someone else gets them. We hesitate to reach out to others. We’re in danger of losing spiritual

In the parsha, that goal was building

Engagement

Rosenzweig: Nanette and Larry Rosenzweig of Monroeville are pleased to announce the engagement of their granddaughter Arla Patrice Rosenzweig of San Francisco, California, to Zachary Aaron Zlotoff of San Francisco. Arla’s parents are Fred and Elise Rosenzweig of Los Altos, California.

Zachary’s parents are Mara and Stanley Zlotoff of San Jose, California. Zack’s grandmother is Anita Goldwasser of San Jose. Arla graduated from the University of California, Berkley and majored in cognitive science.

She is employed by Pinterest as a technical program manager.

Zack graduated from University of the Pacific and majored in mathematics and economics. He is currently employed by Walmart E-Commerce as a senior analytics manager.

Their wedding is planned for October 2020. PJC

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the mishkan ohel moed, the portable connection to the Holy Presence during our desert wanderings.

lies and friends to gather, and a time for inviting “all those who are hungry” to share a meal with us at our expanded seder tables.

Yet this year, the prevailing mood is anything but inclusive. Nations and communities everywhere are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Worldwide travel is severely disrupted. Schools have closed; synagogue services have been suspended; large gatherings of all kinds have been canceled or indefinitely postponed. Instead of looking forward to communal celebrations of freedom, most of us are feeling isolated and trapped, prisoners of the virus that threatens us all.

Psalm 121 says: “From where does my help come? My help comes from YHVH, maker of heaven and earth.” Where do we find that Divine help? Parshat Vayakhel offers a useful answer: in the power of community; the strength that comes from working

focus. Yet Vayakhel’s answer remains: Keep a generous heart. Can we collect what we need, but resist hoarding and instead be willing to share? Can we give to help others less fortunate? Vayakhel also models prudence: self-restraint in support of the community. Can we maintain the “social distance” our leaders suggest, so as not to put ourselves or others at unnecessary risk? The essential teaching this Shabbat is that in all times we are partners with the Holy Presence. The Divine help that leads to true freedom comes to us through the compassion and consideration we give each other. Hazak, hazak, venithazek!

Shabbat Shalom. PJC Rabbi Doris J. Dyen is the spiritual leader of the Makom HaLev chavurah. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association.

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Obituaries BLUMENFELD: Merle Lee Blumenfeld, age 81, of Dormont, on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Son of the late Henry and Margaret Blumenfeld. Husband of the late Estelle Blumenfeld. Stepfather of Ronald Romanoff and Marilyn (Stephen) Rago. Brother of the late Geraldine Manela Harris and Morton (surviving spouse Judith) Blumenfeld. Grandfather of Rachel Rago. Special friend of Lynne Gottesman.

Uncle of Allen (Lorelei) Blumenfeld, Daniel Blumenfeld and Alan (Helene) Manela and great-nieces and nephews. He attended Robert Morris Business School and served in the U.S. Army during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was employed by the USPS for over 40 years. He was a member of B’nai B’rith, Jewish War Veterans, both the Dormont and Squirrel Hill AARP chapters, NARFE and New Light Congregation.

Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment at Agudath Achim Cemetery, Forest Hills. Contributions may be made to New Light Congregation, 5915 Beacon St., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or National Kidney Foundation, 2403 Sidney St., #230, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. schugar.com DINKIN: David A. Dinkin, age 97, of Pittsburgh, passed away on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Beloved husband of the late Betty Dinkin (Brourman); loving father of Marc (Deborah) Dinkin, Rachael (Bruce) Rosen, Joel (Elena) Dinkin and Elliot (Laura) Dinkin; proud zeyda to many adoring grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and special companion to Edie Pearlman. David, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, graduated first in his high school and then attended the University of Pennsylvania and Graetz Hebrew College of Philadelphia.

After serving in WWII, and originally settling in Philadelphia, moved to Pittsburgh to work for the Brourman family business.

From there, he was fortunate to go on to his true love and passion, being the executive director of Tree of Life Congregation. While there, he gladly took on additional roles as principal of the religious school and acting rabbi. In his role, he not only effectively managed this flourishing congregation but actively participated in teaching children and adults. He was a true believer in the value of education, especially Jewish education and tutored countless students preparing

for their bar or bat mitzvah. Following his retirement, he then went on to work at the Jewish Community Center of Pittsburgh in multiple roles — ranging from accounting to education. After retiring from that position, he continued to deliver weekly lectures to multiple organizations covering a wide array of topics ranging from on current events, Jewish holidays and other topics. David was an accomplished pianist who loved classical music and was a longtime subscriber to the Pittsburgh Symphony. David loved to travel and led many trips to Israel during his tenure of executive director, even volunteering at an Israeli military base at age 82! Dave was a pillar in the local community and universally admired for his ease in communicating and identifying with people of diverse backgrounds. The current situation permits only a private family service and a memorial service planned later. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate to the charity of the donor’s choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com FRISHOF: Reaha Frishof (nee Rosenfield) passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2020.

Beloved wife of the late Henry Frishof. Dear sister of the late Annette (late Joseph) Wedner and the late Melvin (late Ella) Rosenfield.

Loving mother of Barry (Adrienne) Frishof.

Grandmother of Jodi (Michael) Polczynski and proud great-grandmother of Carli and Cameron Polczynski. Also survived by nieces and nephews. Graveside services and interment were held at Cneseth Israel Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com OAKS: Janis Oaks (nee Wesoky), on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, a resident of Laguna Woods, CA. Age 87.

Wife of the late Arthur Oaks.

Daughter of the late Samuel and Rhea Wesoky, sister of Sandra (David), the late Phyllis (Phillip) and the late Jerome Wesoky.

Survived by daughters Sarah (Michael) and Sheila (Douglas) and granddaughter Samantha, as well as nephews, nieces, cousins and friends. Services and interment were private. Donations can be made to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com PJC

Jewish Association on Aging gratefully acknowledges contributions from the following: A gift from ...

In memory of...

Anonymous ........................................................................Ethel Rogers Evan Adams...................................................................Marvin Adams Stewart Barmen ...................................................................... Abe Turk Helen and Donald Berman................................... Rose Lebowitz Bernard Dickter ................................................Sara Esther Dickter Jeffrey Feryus ................................................................... Isabel Glantz Shirley F. Grossman .......................................................Myer Farber Mary Jatlow .................................................................Joseph Sherwin Karen R. Jurgensmier .......................................Samuel Rosenfeld Ruth Kaiser..................................................................Samuel Ostfield Ruth Kaiser....................................................................Gerald Ostfield Ruth Kaiser............................................................. Elizabeth Ostfield Ruth Kaiser.........................................................................Jean Ostfield Beverly S. Marks................................................... Samuel Schwartz Janet & Don Moritz .......................................................Dorothy Katz Larry Myer .......................................................................David A. Myer David and Lynetta Neft...................Frances Schulman Snider Paul & Diane Pechersky .....................................Louis Pechersky

A gift from ...

In memory of...

Sylvia Pearl Plevin ..............................................................Betty Pearl Mr. & Mrs. Arthur J. Pollock & Family............ Isadore Pollock Mr. & Mrs. Arthur J. Pollock & Family....... Samuel Davidson Shirley E. Preny .............................................................Max Mallinger Shirley E. Preny ........................................................Esther Mallinger Shirley E. Preny .........................................................Jack I. Mallinger Joan Privman .............................................................Regina Margolis Harvey L. Rice .............................................................William Tapper Flo & Caryn Rosenthal ....................................Sara Ester Dickter Dorothy Samitz ...............................................Miriam W. Steerman Sandra Taxay Schanfarber .............................Dr. William Reiner Sandra Taxay Schanfarber .........................................Diann Taxay Patricia Green Shapiro......................................... Marty B. Kaplan Alvin and Judy Stein ........................................................... Sam Stein Stanley & Carol Lee Stein............................Isadore Mendelson Beatrice Taft (Loefsky) ................................................. Max Loefsky Harold C. Weiss ........................................................Samuel J. Weiss

THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday March 22: Freda Benowitz, Allen Cohen, Sonia Fogel, Verner William Friedman, Esther Glick, Max Glick, Anne Fierst Goldberg, Ann R. Klein, Joy Ellen Levin Leff, Leo Abraham Levine, Md, William J. Lewinter, Frank Mandel, Ethel Plesset, Julius Rosenfeld, Aaron Louis Shefler, Morris Simon, Anna Snitkin, Ida L. Weinthal, Sam Weiss Monday March 23: Harry Birnkrant, Sara Esther Dickter, Joseph Eisenberg, Nathan Handelman, Mayer Handley, Sidney Jay Israel, Oscar K. Light, Rory Sue Melnick, Belle G. Meyers, Samuel Ostfield, Rowena M. Rosenthal, Mary W. Roth, Isadore Herbert Rudick, Moses J. Sadowsky, Rose Schultz, Milton Schwartz, Beltran Shine, Bertha C. Talenfeld, Geraldine Wald, Ethel Zamsky Tuesday March 24: Rabbi A.M. Ashinsky, Pearl Cohen, Henry Dentel, Rita Serrins Glazer, Morris Harris, Hannah Hershman, Joseph Kleinerman, Edward Kornstein, Bella Lencer, Meyer Levine, Lena R. Mallinger, Morris R. Mandelblatt, Gussie Marcus, Joseph J. Reader, Nettie Ripp, Gertrude Rosenberg, Helen R.B. Sand, Samuel Schwartz, Jacob M. Stone Wednesday March 25: Eleanor P. Backer, Louis H. Broudy, Sam Cartiff, Adele Cherkosly, Edgar Danovitz, Maurice Gutmacher, Libbie Broida Hirsh, Sara Louise Leff, Selma B. Leuin, Max Loefsky, Michael Loffer, Evelyn Selkovits Marcus, Eleanor Silverstein, Rose Lieberman Solomon, Archie Steinberg, Anna Sarah Waldman Thursday March 26: Edna Anish, Herman Berliner, Morris Bloom, Rose Edith Donofsky, Philip Ellovich, Emanuel Epstein, Cecelia Feingold, George Fink, Audrey Green Frank, Joseph Glantz, Mary R. Goodwin, Bessie Halpern, Lilly Hirsch, Evelyn R. Johan, Marty B. Kaplan, Bernard Lieberman, Calvin Morgan, Hetty S. Numerosky, Sylvia Peris, Belle Pirchesky, Jacqueline Goodman Rubin, Alvin Schonberger, Anne Schwartz, Anne Simon, Judith V. Tucker, Benjamin Weiss Friday March 27: Philip Blau, Birdye Brody, Mollie Bucaresky, Louis Engelman, Meyer Goldfarb, Charlotte Gordon, Morris E. Greenberg, Maurice Edward Jacobson, Charles Kaufman, William S. Miller, Gerald E. Moskowitz, Sanford A. Rogers, Trudy Rosenthal, Charles E. Rosenthall, Bella Rosenzweig, Merle Arnold Sands, Fannie Singer, Ida Sissman, Morris L. Speizer, Eileen M. Swartz, Louis Weinberger, Louis Weinberger, Celia Weiner, Samuel Weiner, Zelda Hilda Zamsky Saturday March 28: William L. Birken, Belle Broder, Elsie Cohen, Dorothy Gross, Leon Hytovitz, Pearle N. Lenchner, Israel Marcus, Allan Jay Mellman, Joseph Melnick, Alvin Milligram, Celia J. Rubin, Leo I. Shapiro, Benjamin Thorpe

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20 MARCH 20, 2020

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Community It’s time to start the music

Just can’t wait to be king

In preparation for Purim, the Yeshiva Boys Elementary School had a talent show and costume parade.

p Nachi Hoen and Shaya Naiditch

p Cast members from Temple Emanuel of South Hills/Beth El Congregation’s Lion King inspired Purim shpiel gathered on March 8.

Photo courtesy of Leslie Hoffman

Let’s get physical t Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division Fitness Club traveled to SHAPE Training on March 2. Participants enjoyed donated juices from Clean Juice.

Photo courtesy of Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh

Better together and winning Community Day School 6th grader Mollie Kaplan won CDS’ Better Together writing competition after reflecting on her experience in the Better Together Program that brings together CDS middle schoolers and seniors at the Jewish Association on Aging for learning, sharing, and relationship building. Kaplan’s essay will be entered into a national competition.

p IZ Firtel

p Mendy Rudolph

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Photos courtesy of Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh

p Community Day School 6th grader Mollie Kaplan and Middle School Jewish Studies teacher Allan Dalfen Photo courtesy of Community Day School

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MARCH 20, 2020 21

Community Hot times in Havana at Big Night 2020 Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh celebrated Big Night: Havana Nights on March 7. Attendees enjoyed live music and dancing, tropical dishes and drinks, floor shows,

entertainment, a silent auction and games. Big Night, an annual event, serves as the JCC’s biggest fundraiser and supports scholarships that enable individuals of all backgrounds, abilities, religions and financial need to participate in JCC programs and services.

p Erica Goodman; Fara Marcus, division director of development and strategic marketing; William Goodman, JCC board chair

p Larry Gumberg, Ellen Terri Kaplan Goldstein, Ina Gumberg

p Adam Grodin, Allison Grodin, Rabbi Ron Symons, Sue Berman Kress, Doug Kress

p Big Night co-chairs: Front: Rachel Firestone, Geri Recht; Back: Jason Binder, Steven Recht Photos courtesy of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

Friday night is game night

Howdy and Happy Purim t The Jewish Community of Greater Pittsburgh hosted a Purim carnival, complete with games and prizes, at its Squirrel Hill and South Hills’ branches on March 8.

Photo courtesy of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

p Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division Game Night Club met for Shabbat dinner on March 6.

Photo courtesy of Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh

22 MARCH 20, 2020

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Community That’s not a hamantash

Art in Sharpsburg Dan Droz’s solo exhibition and opening reception was March 7 at Gallery 900. The event attracted nearly 300 people and featured more than 30 new sculptures by Droz.

p From left: Lou Weiss, Amy Weiss and Dan Droz

Photo courtesy of Lynn Rubenson

Regal raiment

p Rabbi Hazzan Jeffery Myers, left, Jeffrey Pollock, Michele Woltshock, Kris Kepler and Stacey Hausman dressed the parts for Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha’s Purim shpiel held at Calvary Episcopal Church on March 8.

Photo by Jim Busis

p Sauerkraut Saul and Mimsie Leyton celebrated at Rodef Shalom Congregation’s Purim Carnival on March 8.

Photo courtesy of Rodef Shalom Congregation

Machers and Shakers

Smiles and sunshine

Image courtesy of Ben Schachter

The Friendship Circle took its Sunday Circle program outside and enjoyed the warmer weather. Members walked to the JCC for its Purim Carnival, where attendees dressed in animal-themed outfits and had their faces painted. Members also ventured up to The Friendship Circle’s rooftop space and worked on crafts together.

File photo

Ben Schachter, professor of art at Saint Vincent College, received the Emma Lazarus Award for best billboard from Combat Anti-Semitism. The $5,000 prize, plus use on billboard, was awarded to Schachter for designing a billboard about anti-Semitism that enlists sympathy and wins viewers to oppose bigotry.

Meryl Ainsman was named a Woman of Influence by Pittsburgh Business Times for her communal involvements, including organizing the 2018 vigil at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum following the attack at the Tree of Life building. Ainsman is executive director of the Philip Chosky Charitable and Educational Foundation and board chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

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p Taking it to the roof

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p Happy Purim

Photos courtesy of The Friendship Circle

MARCH 20, 2020 23

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