May 8, 2020 | 14 Iyar 5780
Candlelighting 8:05 p.m. | Havdalah 9:10 p.m. | Vol. 63, No. 19 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
Ed Frim, passionate Jewish educator and innovator, has died at 61
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Cybersecurity is heightened concern for Jewish community By David Rullo | Staff Writer
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Adult Mini School, and as a space where high school students could enjoy supplemental learning through SAJS (School of Advanced Jewish Studies). During his nineyear tenure at the now defunct organization, Frim spearheaded several new community initiatives, including introducing a student-centered Reggio Emilia approach through the JECEI early childhood initiative, facilitating systemic change through the Congregational School Improvement Initiative, enabling career development through the Spertus College Master of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies, and introducing multisensory teaching through DVASH, a Hebrew curriculum. Most of those programs continue today through the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh or the Jewish Community Center of Pittsburgh. Frim’s commitment to growth was not merely focused on the organization, explained Cheryl Moore, who spent three years as president of the AJL and spoke almost daily to Frim during that time. He
n odd email appeared in the inboxes of many members of the Pittsburgh Jewish community earlier this month. The strangely worded subject line read “Shalom Aleichem” and the email seemed to come from one of several local rabbis. The text of the email was just three lines long with multiple punctuation and grammar mistakes: “Hi How Are You?/I Need An Assistance From You?/Please Let Me Know If You Get This.” It concluded with “Peace,” and the name of a local rabbi. Everything about the email seemed peculiar: the broken English, the poor grammar, the vague request, the use of the word “peace” to conclude the email. It did not seem like a message that any local rabbi would send to a congregation, although the outgoing email address looked legitimate. In fact, the email was just one of many phishing schemes found in communities across the country. It is an update on the old “Nigerian prince” email asking recipients for help. According to FBI Special Agent Mike McKeown, the emails now circulating — with their credible outgoing email addresses — show that “the fraudsters have become very good at crafting their emails. They’re focusing on individuals within an organization that can help them move money.” McKeown spoke as part of a cybersecurity webinar facilitated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh last week. In the type of email phishing scheme targeting Jewish Pittsburghers earlier this month, there is no immediate request for money. The email instead attempts to build a relationship with the person who receives it. After trust has been created, the fraudster will then ask for money. In the meantime, if
Please see Frim, page 14
Please see Cybersecurity, page 14
Keeping up with the 12 steps Page 3
LOCAL 50 years of help
Ed Frim plays the accordion at a USCJ conference in July 2018.
Jews assist at East End Cooperative Ministry Page 4
LOCAL Every penny helps Making a difference through United Way Page 5
By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer
E
d Frim, whose benevolent demeanor and inclusive spirit helped ensure access to Jewish education for generations to come, died on April 28. He was 61. After more than 20 years in Ohio-based nonprofit Jewish work, Frim relocated to Pittsburgh in 2005 to serve as executive director at the Agency for Jewish Learning. Charlie Saul, of Squirrel Hill, was on the subcommittee tasked with filling the position and recalled Frim as being perfectly suited to the task: “He seemed to be sensitive to the needs and interests of all sections of the community, and he certainly acted in that capacity.” In Pittsburgh, a city where residents often pride themselves on counting generational predecessors who occupied the same treelined streets, Frim found a way to not only enter the area and nourish its roots but plant the seeds for later growth. Frim’s arrival cemented the AJL as an organizational home for adult education, through teacher training and the Florence Melton
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