Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 9-25-20

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September 25, 2020 | 7 Tishrei 5781

Candlelighting 6:53 p.m. | Havdalah 7:50 p.m. | Vol. 63, No. 39 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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Wishing you a meaningful Yom Kippur A different

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL A new rabbi but a familiar face Rabbi Cheryl Klein takes pulpit at Dor Hadash Page 2

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, first Jewish woman to serve on Supreme Court, dies at 87

Please see Ginsburg, page 14

Please see Appeal, page 14

Rabbi Elisar Admon becomes Army chaplain Page 4

LOCAL  Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg participates in a discussion at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., Feb. 10, 2020. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images via JTA

R Squirrel Hill teen’s cakes for a cause Page 8

uth Bader Ginsburg, the first Jewish woman to serve on the Supreme Court and a tireless advocate for gender equality, has died at 87. A fierce jurist known for her outsized presence and outspokenness, Ginsburg died from “complications of metastatic pancreas cancer,” the Supreme Court announced on Sept. 18. She had survived multiple bouts of different cancers over the course of two decades, vowing that she was healthy enough to continue her work and at times returning to the bench shortly after hospital stays. Ginsburg’s death came on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, six weeks before the presidential election and at a time of intense political polarization. Four years ago, the Republican-held Senate refused to consider President Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, but Senate Majority

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Leader Mitch McConnell has said he will attempt to fill any spots that open up on the court while President Donald Trump is in office. He repeated that pledge last Friday night following news of Ginsburg’s death. Trump has already appointed two judges, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, during his presidential tenure. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the minority leader, released a statement warning McConnell to wait out the election. “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice,” said Schumer, who is Jewish. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.” McConnell used precisely the same words to justify delaying a Supreme Court nomination in 2016 following the death of Antonin Scalia, a conservative justice, much earlier in the election year than Ginsburg’s passing.

A mohel’s new mission

By Sarah Wildman | JTA

By Kayla Steinberg | Digital Content Manager

t’s the morning of the first day of Rosh Hashanah, and around 100 congregants arrive at Temple David. As they enter, they’re handed envelopes containing the “blue card.” They fold down tabs indicating the amounts of money they can contribute, and ushers collect the cards. Afterward, Temple David mails the remaining envelopes to those congregants not present for services. The annual High Holiday appeal is huge for Temple David: It accounts for about 10% of its annual income. And it’s no wonder why — the High Holidays draw regular minyan-goers and twice-a-year Jews alike. But for congregations around the world, the biggest fundraising time of the year poses new challenges due to COVID-19, prompting adaptations. This year, Temple David mailed congregants an extensive letter with a pledge card and return envelope, and Harvey Wolfe, the financial vice president, was scheduled to give a short talk at the morning Zoom service on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. “Most of our High Holiday appeal is a ‘thank you’ for the response of the 9congregation,” he said, previewing his speech. There’s an upside to the new structure. Since congregants don’t need to turn in the appeals on Rosh Hashanah itself, this year’s cards involve writing in place of tabs, which were a limiting factor. So, Temple David could put more items on the card, adding to the list of items people can dedicate, which includes a classroom and a leaf on the simcha tree. But this year also brings uncertainty. “I don’t have an anticipation,” said Adat Shalom Synagogue’s Rabbi Yaier Lehrer. “I have a hope that we will be successful. And that’s all I can do.” Adat Shalom’s usual pre-Yizkor request to donate after Yom Kippur will happen this year over Zoom. The Adat Shalom team is working to create an engaging service that fends off Zoom fatigue — otherwise, it fears

LOCAL

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High Holiday appeal

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JCC annual meeting

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Headlines Lay-led Congregation Dor Hadash hires its first rabbi: Cheryl Klein — LOCAL — By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

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abbi Cheryl Klein came of age at Congregation Dor Hadash. The Pittsburgher’s parents helped establish the Reconstructionist synagogue in Squirrel Hill with its 1963 charter. She became a bat mitzvah as a young woman there. And, for 33 years, she served as the cantor for the lay-led congregation, helping to lead services and provide congregants with counsel. On Oct. 1, Klein, a self-taught cantor who was ordained a rabbi four years ago by the nondenominational Mesifta Adath Wolkowisk, will take another step at the congregation, becoming Dor Hadash’s first-ever rabbi. The congregation’s board voted unanimously recently to bring Klein back to Dor Hadash as its rabbi for an eight-month contract, which ends in May, president Donna Coufal said. Klein had previously notified the board of her intent to leave the lay cantorial position shortly before the Oct. 27, 2018, shooting in the Tree of Life synagogue building where Dor Hadash was then located and holding services. Since the anti-Semitic attack, the deadliest in the U.S. to date, Dor Hadash has moved to Rodef Shalom, a Reform congregation in Shadyside. The need for a stable, guiding presence in light of so much trauma led the board to reach out to Klein for the new position, which dovetails with strategic planning around Dor Hadash’s future, its president said. “Clearly, we’ve been through a lot of

p Rabbi Cheryl Klein

Photo provided by Rabbi Cheryl Klein

changes — since the events of Oct. 27, since Cheryl stepped down as cantor, and since

COVID hit,” said Coufal. “This is sort of a win-win. We’re changing and she’s changing

and we both get to try things out. It’s an experimental time.” “It allows for an examination of the future of the congregation,” said Klein, a lifelong Pittsburgher who now lives in O’Hara Township. “I’m proudly, perhaps, a bridge to what was, what currently is, and what will be.” Coufal said the congregation will decide in May if it wants to continue with a rabbi, though both Klein and Coufal said services wouldn’t be much different than when Klein was serving as a lay cantor. “We’ll just see the benefits of partnering with someone with rabbinical knowledge, who can help in those ways,” Coufal said. “They are not looking for a traditional pulpit rabbi,” said Klein. Dor Hadash is at a pivotal point in its history. The congregation, one of the oldest Reconstructionist groups that exists in the U.S. today, boasts 150 families or about 200 to 300 members. But those members increasingly are getting older and congregation leadership has been tasked with working to increase membership among younger Jewish families in the area. That increase in numbers, oddly enough, is happening during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many families who attend Dor Hadash services via Zoom are being joined by new friends and new family, Klein said. Klein is excited, she said, by both the possibilities her new role presents and the challenges. “I do believe in the mission we’ve taken here,” she said. “And I’m happy to breath new spirit into it.” PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

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Headlines JCC annual meeting delivers status update, awards and the sound of the shofar — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

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o mark its 125th milestone anniversary, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh did something new: The organization, whose educational, recreational and social service efforts benefit thousands across the region, held its annual meeting online. Admittedly, it was COVID-19 that necessitated the decision to go digital, but in delivering its message through Zoom on Sept. 15, the JCC reiterated its commitment to finding innovative and meaningful ways to bring people together through a familiar framework. “When I assumed the role of board chair last September, I could not imagine what the second half of the year would look like,” said William Goodman, chair of the JCC’s board. As unexpected as the global pandemic was, there was comfort in knowing that whatever challenges arrived, the JCC’s mission statement — nurturing people and connecting community each day, through every age, and inspired by Jewish values — would serve as a guide, continued Goodman. Transitioning from March 14, when the

p JCC President and CEO Brian Schreiber delivers a status update during the annual meeting. Screenshots by Adam Reinherz

p JCC Board Chair William Goodman addresses attendees during the annual meeting.

JCC was open and running at full capacity, to March 15, when the community center began what would be weeks of closure, was challenging, explained Brian Schreiber, the JCC’s president and CEO. “Closing our facilities was among the most painful decisions I had to make in my 21 years here, but during the 10 weeks that

Pennsylvania and Allegheny County were in the red phase, we didn’t let that closure stop us from serving community,” he said. Whether it was providing more than 35,000 grab-and-go meals to seniors, livestreaming fitness classes throughout each day or hosting blood drives at the Squirrel Hill and South Hills facilities that netted 1,000 donations and

p JCC staffer Jamie Scott closes out the annual meeting with a shofar blast.

helped 3,500 local patients, the JCC continued its longstanding commitment to enriching life for its members and the community at large. This work was supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the United Way, and when it came time to Please see JCC, page 15

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Headlines With military training complete, Pittsburgh Rabbi Elisar Admon adds chaplaincy The new teletherapy from JAA. to his CV — LOCAL — By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

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Pittsburgh mohel recently has set sail on a new mission: bringing God to soldiers and soldiers to God as a chaplain with the U.S. military. Rabbi Elisar Admon graduated Sept. 3 from the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School at Fort Jackson after taking part in an extremely thorough, eight-week training program at the South Carolina fort. In recent years, Admon has performed brit milah on young Jewish boys throughout Western Pennsylvania. He started his path toward military service last year in November. Though Admon’s — and his peers’ — job after the COVID-abbreviated training is to counsel soldiers about their faith and religious beliefs, the group was treated no differently than other new officers who required training, he said. “They treat you like a private,� said Admon, who was born in Israel and became an American citizen in 2017. “They teach you how to march, how to stand in all of the positions, how to talk — all the basics of the Army.� Most days started with drills at 4:30 a.m. and extended with classes past 6 p.m. “They wanted us to know what our soldiers are doing during this time,� Admon said. “It was hard. We saw some long days.� On paper, the Chaplain Basic Officer Leader Course, as it is known formally, aims “to produce religious leaders that advise commanders, provide targeted integrated religious support to the Army family by demonstrating the core competencies to nurture the living, care for the wounded, and honor the fallen,� said Maj. Lou Foyou, a chaplain and the program’s course manager.

Additionally, the newly commissioned chaplains train in the fundamental skills required of troops — establishing a foundation in leadership, physical fitness, mental toughness and tactical and technical proficiency. “The strength of the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps is our diversity,� Foyou said. “Rabbi Admon, while attending CHBOLC this summer, shared a valuable lesson to his classmates on how to provide religious support across a diverse/pluralistic environment. His action embodies the essential values of the Chaplain Corps.� Admon’s graduating class was approximately 75 religious figures strong, with chaplains representing multiple faiths. He said he was one of only a few rabbis. Nobody else in his class — which was tightknit, in part because of the COVID-19 circumstances under which it operated — hailed from Pittsburgh or the Greater Pittsburgh area, Admon said. Now comes the work. Admon has been attached with the U.S. Army Reserves at the 316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in Coraopolis, part of a unit that counts among them some 9,000 officers and civilians, and reports up to Brig. Gen. L. Scott Linton, a New York native with a lengthy resume. Admon is one of the three chaplains serving the 316th. As a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, he expects to serve at least one weekend each month and two weeks at the end of the year. “It’s a good opportunity and it’s a good experience — I love it,� Admon told the Chronicle. “As a U.S. Army chaplain, I feel it: a mission to serve here, to help here — and not just Jews. We have the opportunity to help.�  PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

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p Rabbi Elisar Admon completes training to become an Army chaplain. JAA339_PJC_PT-FINAL.indd 1

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Photo by CHBOLC, class of 20-002

9/20/20 3:04 PM

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Headlines A person cannot be ‘canceled’: Aleph Institute’s Rabbi Vogel on forgiveness — LOCAL — By Kayla Steinberg | Digital Content Manager

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t was 1977, and Moishe Mayir Vogel had just come home to Manchester, England from his yeshiva in Israel. Late at night, the phone rang. On the other line was someone he knew who had just been arraigned by police. The next morning, the man’s face was plastered all over the media, and he was later convicted of his crime. Vogel, a teenager at the time, went back to his yeshiva and forgot about it, but when he came home a year later, his father said he was going to visit the man in prison. “I said, ‘Daddy, oy vey!’” Vogel recalled. “‘He did such a terrible thing. He brought such embarrassment to the Jewish community. Why are you going to visit him?’” His father explained that since that man in Manchester had plenty of time to repent, it was incumbent on others to assume that he did so. Ten years later, when the Lubavitcher Rebbe assigned Vogel to work with the Aleph Institute in Pittsburgh for his own “life sentence,” Vogel brought his father’s message with him.

In Pittsburgh, Vogel met Shlomo, an inmate at a medium security federal prison who he says is hardworking and outgoing. Vogel knows that Shlomo is serving time for murder but doesn’t see him for his past alone. As the executive director of the Aleph Institute, Northeast Regional Headquarters, Vogel helps Jewish inmates like Shlomo become productive members of society. The organization supports those with alcoholism and families undergoing trauma, too, but Vogel’s primary work is with inmates. Yom Kippur only comes once a year, but forgiveness runs through Vogel’s work yearround. Forgiveness can be elusive for the Jewish inmates — Shlomo can’t undo murder — but Vogel argues there’s no excuse for complacency. “They’ve still got to serve God wherever they are,” he said. “To go around saying ‘I’m a loser, I went and did X, I can never continue being a productive member of society’ is also inappropriate. The same evil inclination which drove him to do the ill in the first place is driving him to do the ill now, too.” Teshuva, commonly interpreted as repentance, literally means “return” — and that’s the meaning Vogel imparts to inmates. “Every human being, every Jew is a part and parcel of God,” Vogel said. “And he really wants to do good; he is by essence good. And

shouldn’t support someone who is perceived to have done wrong, manifesting often in mass shaming on social media — as misguided. “We’re fallible, we make mistakes,” he said. “No one is canceled. No human being is a product of a disposable society. “Don’t say, ‘There, that’s it, you’ve got an addiction, you’re over with.’ No! Take care of it. Whichever way possible,” Vogel continued. “A person who has cancer, we don’t say, ‘Boy, you’re canceled, it’s over with.’ No! We go into a cancer hospital p Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel at the Aleph Institute’s and try and take care of it, Jewish Chaplains Conference. Photo by Eliron Shkeidi and God gives the blessings.” Rabbis have a three-part job when he does something which is negative, at the prisons: Discuss Jewish topics like the holithat’s not him. That’s, as the rabbis explain, days; talk about prison-related logistics, like order a wind of folly. For Rosh Hashanah and forms for Passover meals; and meet one-on-one Yom Kippur, what God is saying is ‘Come with inmates for counseling and prayer. back, and be the person who you know “The COVID experience has brought you should be.’” drastic change to the prison system,” said Vogel believes that anyone can do teshuva. So he views “cancel culture” — the belief that you Please see Forgiveness, page 20

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University of Pittsburgh

Jewish Studies Program Fall 2020 Events

Calendar >>Submit calendar items on the Chronicle’s website, pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. Submissions also will be included in print. Events will run in the print edition beginning one month prior to the date as space allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon.

q SUNDAYS, SEPT. 27; OCT. 4, 11, 18 Join a lay-led Online Parashah Study Group to discuss the week’s Torah portion. No Hebrew knowledge is needed. The goal is to build community while deepening understanding of the text. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org.

q MONDAY, SEPT. 28

Friday, September 4th, 1:00 pm on Zoom Work in Progress Colloquium “Visual Narrative and Biblical Interpretation” Ben Schachter, Saint Vincent College & JSP Artist in Residence Thursday, September 24th, 5:30 pm on Zoom Lecture “’Warsaw’s Most Beloved Jew’: The Prewar and Postwar Celebrity of Lapek-Krukowski (1901-1984)” Beth Holmgren, Duke University Wednesday, October 7th, 8:00 pm on Zoom Film and Talk Dwelling in Traveling: Jews of Calcutta Director Subha Das Mellick and author Jael Silliman Friday, September 4th, 1:00 pm on Zoom Work in Progress Colloquium “Visual Narrative and Biblical Interpretation” Ben Schachter, Saint Vincent College & JSP Artist in Residence Thursday, September 24th, 5:30 pm on Zoom Lecture “’Warsaw’s Most Beloved Jew’: The Prewar and Postwar Celebrity of Lapek-Krukowski (1901-1984)” Beth Holmgren, Duke University Wednesday, October 7th, 8:00 pm on Zoom Film and Talk Friday, October 16th, 1:00 pm on Zoom Work in Progress Colloquium “The Pornography of Fools: Antisemitism and Sexual Fantasy” Aidan Beatty, University of Pittsburgh Sunday, October 18th, 2:00 pm on Zoom Annual Israel Heritage Room Lecture “The Making of Shtisel” Director and Co-Creator Yehonatan lndursky Monday, October 26th, 7:30 pm event on Zoom Book Launch by the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at University of Pennsylvania Bound in the Bond of Life: Pittsburgh Writers Reflect on the Tree of Life Tragedy, Edited by Beth Kissileff and Eric Lidji Moderated by Beth Kissileff and Steve Weitzman Panel with Barabara Burstin, Laurie Eisenberg & Adam Shear Monday, November 9th, 4:00 pm on Zoom Remembrance of Kristallnacht Tuesday, November 10th, 6:00 pm on Zoom Lecture: “Epidemic and the Marginalized of Society: A View from the Jewish Past” Natan Meir, Portland State University

To register for these virtual events, please visit jewishstudies.pitt.edu or our Facebook Page, University of Pittsburgh Jewish Studies Program. 6 SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

Break your Yom Kippur fast with a kosher and veganfriendly meal in Moishe House Pittsburgh’s backyard. To allow guests to eat six feet apart, attendance will be capped at five households/pods. Advance registration is required. 7:30 p.m. For more information and to register, visit facebook.com/moishehouse. pittsburgh. 7:30 p.m.

q MONDAYS, SEPT. 28; OCT. 5, 12, 19 Join Rabbi Jeremy Markiz in learning Masechet Rosh Hashanah, a tractate of the Talmud about the many new years that fill out the Jewish calendar at Monday Talmud study. 9:15 a.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org.

q WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30 Feeling holiday inspiration away from synagogue and community will be hard this year. So, preparation is needed. Join Rabbi Danny Schiff for Readiness: The Tishrei Holyday Seminars. Learn about Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, and what they each have to offer in this unprecedented year. All three sessions are just $18. 9:30 a.m. To register, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org. The Frick Pittsburgh presents a screening of “Jewish Memories of Pittsburgh's Hill District” at 7 p.m. A discussion will follow the film featuring director Ken Love, historian Barbara Burstin and Cantor Henry Shapiro. Free but registration is required. For more information and to register, visit thefrickpittsburgh.org/ Event-Documentary-Screening-and-Panel-DiscussionJewish-Memories-of-Pittsburghs-Hill-District.

q THURSDAY, OCT. 1 What are the foundational elements that make up the story of Israel, and what are some of the key questions that Israel contends with as it continues to grow and develop in a shifting regional and international reality? Find out during the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s “A Small Country & Some Big Questions — Israel from the 20th to the 21st Centuries” with Scott Copeland, vice president of education at Onward Israel. 12 p.m. Visit jewishpgh.org for more information and to register. The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh presents Survivor Speaker: Dr. Steven Fenves. During his talk, Fenves will discuss his experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenhald. Don't miss this virtual talk with one of the founding members of the Holocaust Center as it continues to celebrate its 40-year Anniversary. 3 p.m. To register, visit eventbrite.com/e/survivor-speaker-drsteven-fenves-tickets-121733499173.

q WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7 The Jewish Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh presents the film “Dwelling in Traveling: Jews in Calcutta” and a Zoom discussion with director Subha Das Mollick and author Jael Silliman. 8 p.m. To register visit, https://calendar.pitt.edu/department/ jewish_studies_program.

q T HURSDAY, OCT. 1; WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7; THURSDAY, OCT. 15 Joshua Andy leads Classrooms Without Borders’ book club discussion of “The S.S. Officer's Armchair.” Educators attending this program are eligible to receive Pennsylvania Act 48 continuing education credits. Book author, Daniel Lee, will join for a discussion at the conclusion. 7 p.m. For more information and to RSVP, visit classroomswithoutborders.org.

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q WEDNESDAYS, OCT. 7, 14, 21, 28; NOV. 4, 11 The 21st century is already 20 years old. In that time, the Reform movement has produced more responsa than any other non-Orthodox movement. What have these pieces taught us about 21st century Judaism? In 21 C Reform Responsa, Jewish Community Foundation Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff will examine two decades of responsa for their statements about contemporary Judaism. Six sessions for $30. 11 a.m. To register, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org.

q MONDAYS, OCT. 12; NOV. 9; DEC. 14 Join Classrooms Without Borders in Israel — virtually. Monthly tours with guide and scholar, Rabbi Jonty Blackman, via Zoom. 7 p.m. For more information and to register, visit classroomswithoutborders.org.

q TUESDAY, OCT. 13 Join the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Pittsburgh Holocaust Center for Preserving Holocaust History through Artifacts, Archives and Research, a live digital program, exclusive to the Pittsburgh community, featuring the Museum’s National Institute for Holocaust Documentation and its work to collect, preserve, and make accessible to the public this vast collection of records of the Holocaust and support the museum’s wide-ranging efforts in the areas of research, exhibition, publication, education and commemoration. 12 p.m. For more information and to register for this free event, visit hcofpgh.org.

q THURSDAYS, OCT. 15; DEC. 3; FEB. 18; MARCH 18; MAY 6; JUNE 17 We live in a time of multiple challenges. Controversial issues and struggles confront us daily. But the truth is that Jews have never desisted from addressing tough problems. In this year’s Continuing Legal Education Series, Jewish Community Foundation Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff will dive into a range of “tense topics” — difficult and troubling issues that are both powerfully emotional subjects and have substantive legal ramifications at the same time. Get up to 12 CLE ethics credits. With CLE/CEU credit: $30/session or $180 all sessions; without CLE/CEU credit: $25/session or $150 all sessions. 8:30 a.m. For more information and to register, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org.

q FRIDAY, OCT. 16 The Jewish Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh presents on Zoom a Work in Progress Colloquium “The Pornography of Fools: Antisemitism and Sexual Fantasy” with Aidan Beatty at 1 p.m. To register visit, https://calendar.pitt.edu/department/ jewish_studies_program.

q SUNDAYS, OCT. 18, 25; NOV. 1, 8, 15, 22; DEC. 6; JAN. 31; FEB. 7, 14, 21, 28; MARCH 7, 14 What does Jewish tradition have to say about God, Torah, mitzvot, suffering, messiah, Israel…? In this special course, Pittsburgh Rabbis on Jewish Belief, Jewish Community Foundation Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff will host 14 Pittsburgh rabbis, each teaching a session on fundamental aspects of Jewish belief. Fourteen sessions for $70. 10 a.m. For more information and to register, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org.

q MONDAY, OCT. 19 Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures presents Lee Gutkind, founding editor of Creative Nonfiction magazine. Gutkind delivers his new memoir My Last Eight Thousand Days: An American Male in His Seventies. To register, visit pittsburghlectures.org/lee-gutkind.

q MONDAYS, OCT. 19, 26; NOV. 2, 9, 16, 30; DEC. 7; FEB. 1, 8, 15, 22; MARCH 1, 8, 15 Most people associate the term “Haftarah” with opaque prophetic reading on Shabbat morning. This course, “Haftarah,” will attempt to make the opaque sparkle. Choosing selectively from the most interesting Haftarah portions, Jewish Community Foundation Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff will seek to imbue meaning in these powerful prophetic passages. Fourteen sessions for $70. 9:30 a.m. For more information and to register, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org.  PJC

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines Local rabbinic intern’s uncommon journey to the rabbinate — LOCAL — By David Rullo | Staff Writer

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trip to Israel changed the course of Rachael Houser’s life. The Sewickley native was working as an actor in New York, performing in various musicals and plays. A Birthright trip to the Jewish state when she was 23 caused her to rethink her career and consider becoming a Reform rabbi instead. During that trip, fellow tourists frequently asked her questions about Judaism, which she happily answered. At the end of the two-week program, the entourage’s tour guide told her she should be a rabbi. In Houser’s mind there was just one wrinkle to that plan: she had converted to Judaism and did not know if she would be accepted as a student at the Hebrew Union College. “I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I’ve only been Jewish for a couple of years, they aren’t going to want me; people who were born Jewish are so much better qualified,’� she recalled thinking. “My mother, who is still Catholic but very supportive, told me I might as well apply and have someone else tell me I wasn’t ready to do this instead of disqualifying myself.� Houser credits the Jewish community in New York for spurring her interest in the

p Rachael Houser first thought of becoming a rabbi during a trip to Israel two years ago. Photo by Becca Barrett

religion and fanning her desire to become a spiritual leader. “Judaism has great advertising,� she said. “It has such a wonderful system of rituals, values, sense of history and living your life focused on the community and not just the individual. Judaism really filled everything I need to feel I was living a moral and happy life.�

Houser first came in contact with Judaism through interfaith neighbors who invited her family to their annual Seder, which she attended beginning in elementary school through high school graduation, calling it her “favorite day of the year.� That early exposure to the religion helped her eventually decide to convert.

While continuing her day job of auditions, rehearsals and performing, Houser recalled feeling a gulf between the job she was doing to pay her rent and the work she performed as a Havurah and Shabbat Together teacher at the Marlene Meyerson JCC in Manhattan and through her participation in Mitzvah Day programs at Temple Emanu-El, where she was a member. “I knew I couldn’t be a performer anymore,� she said. “I wanted to find a job that really encompassed how much Judaism had changed me for the better and made me want to be a better participant in the world. That’s when the rabbinate opened up for me.� Houser, now 25, was raised Catholic. While she admits feeling a bit of what she calls “imposter syndrome,� she is certain that any gaps in her Judaic knowledge will be filled in during her five years of rabbinic training. At this point, she noted, none of her classmates are experts and everyone excels in some aspects of the rabbinate while drawing help and support from peers who are further along in other areas. Houser is one of four rabbinic students in her class who are converts to Judaism. Houser is currently serving as a rabbinic intern at Beth Samuel Jewish Center in Ambridge, but that wasn’t her original plan. Like most first-year rabbinic students, Please see Intern, page 15

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SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 7

Headlines Squirrel Hill teen creates sweet treats for tikkun olam — LOCAL — By David Rullo | Staff Writer

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lena Mayo is striving to make the COVID-19 lockdown a little sweeter. Like a fine confection, the Squirrel Hill teen has found the right combination of ingredients to craft the perfect treat: a dash of passion, a drop of philanthropy, the correct mix of sweet and savory and a healthy dose of good old tikkun olam. Several years ago, inspired by the baking shows she was watching on television, the self-taught baker decided to see if she could replicate some of what she saw. It turned out that Elena, now 16, had a knack in the kitchen and was soon expanding her repertoire beyond the typical birthday cake flavors she was making for family and friends, moving on to chocolate peanut butter, s’mores, carrot and Black Forest, all with the baker’s personal touches included. It was her father, Jonathan Mayo, a senior writer at Major League Baseball, who suggested Elena consider selling her cakes. “Quarantine seemed like a good time when I had nothing else to do,� Elena said. The junior at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts 6-12 explained that before school began a few weeks ago, and she had plenty of time on her hands, she was sometimes baking a cake a day, which allowed her to bake a total of 22 cakes for customers. Now that school has started, Mayo said she will only be baking on weekends. The cakes sell for $40, but the project is not just about profit: Half of the money Elena earns is donated to charity. “I really like the idea of being able to give back,� she said. The teen baker has long had a zeal for fundraising. She wants to help find a cure for pediatric cancer, so she began raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as her bat mitzvah project and has continued to do so for the last three years. Last year she raised nearly $31,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She allows her cake customers to direct where they would like their $20 donation to go. So far, there has been no clear-cut favorite. “I’ve gotten a bunch of different ones,� she said. She also bakes a lot of different types of cakes. “I make a lot of carrot cakes, which is fun

p Elena Mayo with one of her specialty cakes

p From top left, clockwise: carrot cake, chocolate raspberry cake, s’mores cake and lemon meringue cake Photos provided by Elena Mayo

celebrations IN THE

Photo provided by Elena Mayo

because you get a nice little arm workout while you’re making the cake,� Elena said. “I just got one of those culinary blow torches which I’ve been using as much as possible, which is so much fun. I’ve made a s’mores cake, a lemon meringue cake and a sweet potato praline meringue cake.� Family birthdays inspire Elena to try new recipes. The lemon meringue cake was inspired by a cake she made for her own birthday that had meringue cookies on the outside. “Those take a long time, though, so when people order a lemon cake, I usually make a meringue icing that I can torch,� she said. The sweet potato cake was made in honor of her mother’s birthday. “It was her first time making it,� said Sara Stock Mayo, co-leader of Kesher Pittsburgh, “so I told her to use me as a guinea pig. She experiments on us. I have to say, that lemon cake was awesome.� Next up for Elena is a coconut cake created for her grandmother’s birthday near the end of September. The Gen Z baker has updated more than just the idea of the traditional cake sale for charity. She has incorporated modern marketing techniques to get the word out, utilizing Facebook and text messages, along with tried and true techniques including word of mouth. Her father is happy to see Elena put into action the moral beliefs that have been taught to both her and her brother. “I think any parent wants to instill values in their kids that they take forth into the world as they grow into adulthood,� he said. “In this house, the concept of tikkun olam is probably at the top of that list. And so, seeing what Elena has done, not just with this but all her fundraising efforts, is a large source of pride.� Elena’s mother believes the model her daughter has created to give back with her cakes has helped the baker find her voice and passion. “What’s cool about this is it lets people pick their charity, but when people don’t pick one and she picks her own charity, it allows her to find things that resonate with her, whether it was different adoption and foster care agencies, mental health organizations, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice,� said Sara Stock Mayo. “Sometimes it was things that we talked with her about and sometimes it was things that she said, ‘Oh, this is what I care about.’�  PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Jewish podcasters take time to ‘Take A 20’ during “Good Will Hunting”; deciphering the marriage of professional sporting events and Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping”; By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer or, identifying a song that matches Tiger Woods’ first Masters win, but, for a variety ark Davidson and Josh Green of reasons, after reaching out to Davidson, weren’t the first to consider the the duo punted. intersection of sports, culture and Three years later, when Davidson and music. Whether it was the ancient Greek Green found themselves between profesceramicists who depicted citharists at the sional opportunities, they revisited the idea Pythian Games at Delphi, or Rolling Stone’s of launching a podcast. Earlier undertakreview of the 1993 collaboration between ings had given each of them vast insights hip hop artists Fu-Schnickens into sports, culture and music and basketball player Shaquille — Green had spent years as a O’Neal in “What’s Up Doc? television anchor and in public (Can We Rock),” the sports, relations and sports marketing, culture and music junction has and Davidson had dedicated been crisscrossed and analyzed more than a decade to the live for millennia. music industry as a booking Davidson and Green have agent and tour manager — but, now joined the fray through a as the podcasters explained, biweekly podcast titled “Take A being able to package a story or 20.” The two longtime friends, p understanding the intricacies of Josh Green who first met at Camp Young Photo provided by Josh Green spending months traveling with Judaea in New Hampshire, a band in a van isn’t necessarily spend each episode looking translatable into 50 minutes of back on the year 2000. compelling dialogue. Between the Summer Further challenging the idea Olympics in Sydney, Australia, of putting together a podcast season one of “Survivor,” and was the fact that they did not the St. Louis Rams and Super live in the same city. Davidson Bowl XXXIV, there is no is a resident of Pittsburgh’s shortage of material from Y2K. Squirrel Hill neighborhood; But, as listeners quickly learn, Green, though currently in the podcast isn’t really about the p New York City, is relocating Mark Davidson year 2000 specifically. The goal, Photo provided Mark to South Florida. Given the Davidson. distance, the two cultural rather, is to isolate moments from 20 years ago for contemporary analysis. cognoscenti committed to meeting online. When Green initially considered a 20-year As fate would have it, while Davidson retrospective on sports, culture and music, and Green were trying to understand a new it was 2017. Reflecting on 1997 may have medium and communications from afar, so involved a deep dive into Robin Williams’ Please see Podcasters, page 20 retelling of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series

— LOCAL —

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(IGH (OLIDAYS OF (OPE 0LEASE JOIN US s &REE AND OPEN TO EVERYONE

Yom Kippur Reawakening Monday, September 28 3-4 PM Dismantling Antisemitism and Racism: From Charlottesville to Pittsburgh Our event features the screening of Reawakening, the powerful documentary short about the Charlottesville Jewish community’s response to the 2017 Unite the Right white supremacist rally, followed by conversations inspired by the film. Panel ͻ ZĞǀ͘ WĂƵů ďĞƌŶĂƚŚLJ͕ EĞŝŐŚďŽƌŚŽŽĚ ZĞƐŝůŝĞŶĐĞ WƌŽũĞĐƚ ͻ DĂŐŐŝĞ &ĞŝŶƐƚĞŝŶ͕ ϭϬ͘Ϯϳ ,ĞĂůŝŶŐ WĂƌƚŶĞƌƐŚŝƉ ŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ ͻ <ŽŚĞŶĞƚ <ĞƐŚŝƌĂ ŚĂ>Ğǀ &ŝĨĞ͕ <ĞƐŚĞƌ WŝƚƚƐďƵƌŐŚ ͻ ůĞdžĂŶĚƌĂ ,ŽƌŽǁŝƚnj͕ Reawakening filmmaker ͻ ZĂďďŝ ZĂĐŚĞů ^ĐŚŵĞůŬŝŶ͕ ^ŝdžƚŚ ĂŶĚ /͕ ĂŶĚ ĨŽƌŵĞƌůLJ ŽĨ ŽŶŐƌĞŐĂƚŝŽŶ ĞƚŚ /ƐƌĂĞů͕ ŚĂƌůŽƚƚĞƐǀŝůůĞ ͻ ^ĂƌĂ ^ƚŽĐŬ DĂLJŽ͕ <ĞƐŚĞƌ WŝƚƚƐďƵƌŐŚ ͻ ƌ͘ :ĂŶĞ tĂůƐŚ͕ ůĂƌŝŽŶ hŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJ ŽĨ WĞŶŶƐLJůǀĂŶŝĂ Event is on ZOOM. For registration link and more information about the event: JCCPGH.org/event/high-holidays-of-hope

p Mark Davidson, left, and Josh Green, enjoy a basketball game between alma matter rivals George Washington University and Stanford University. Photo circa 2000 Photo courtesy of Mark Davidson

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Headlines State construction grant helps Rodef Shalom preserve future of its historic building — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

F

ew things last forever, and piping certainly isn’t one of them. Ever since scopes were placed beneath Rodef Shalom Congregation’s historic Shadyside building in 2010, the congregation has known that its more than 300 feet of terra cotta piping was problematic. For several years now, the 114-year-old corroding tube has ruptured and generated floods throughout the property. Members and staff of the Reform congregation realized that a costly and necessary fix was required; to save the building’s foundation, it had to reckon with a relic of its past. Located at 4905 Fifth Ave., Rodef Shalom has long been treasured by architectural experts and amateurs alike. Upon the building’s dedication in September 1907, The Pittsburgh Daily Post fawned over Rodef Shalom’s construction, form and details, writing, “One does not have to be a connoisseur or to understand the techniques of the adept masters in architecture and design, who conceived the whole magnificent affair, to appreciate it. The most subtle-minded on

p Drawings of Rodef Shalom by Palmer & Hornbostel

this subject are forced to stop and admire it for a moment at least.” Designed by Henry Hornbostel, a Columbia University graduate who studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris before indelibly shaping Pittsburgh’s landscape — and later teaching at Carnegie Institute

Courtesy of Matthew Falcone

of Technology — Rodef Shalom mirrored popular designs of the early 20th century. With its incorporation of yellow bricks, terra cotta flourishes, a double dome and scaling stained glass, Rodef Shalom, like other Beaux Arts American buildings, paid homage to the Italian Renaissance, but it was

also a 20th-century marvel in design. The congregation’s intention was to build a “beautiful, architecturally significant, and usable structure according to the highest standards of that time,” said Martha Berg, Rodef Shalom’s archivist. That standard included a strategically placed wastewater and sewage collecting system. Still in use today, and aesthetically situated out of sight, Rodef Shalom’s system employs interior downspouts that funnel rainwater from its roof down into the building and then underground into a sewer before transporting materials to the city’s system, explained Bob Rosenthal, Rodef Shalom’s building committee chair. The placement of the downspouts also demonstrated climate awareness, noted Matthew Falcone, Rodef Shalom’s senior vice president. Pittsburgh winters, and even late springs or early falls, are prone to freezes. For buildings with external downspouts, when water passes through at near-exterior temperatures, there can be a greater likelihood of ice dams and blockage. “When you have it run through the Please see Rodef, page 18

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

Sept. 25, 1917 — Poet Amir Gilboa born

The need for CARE does not stop during times of Crisis THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS IN YOUR OWN HOME We help our clients stay safe at home. We have implemented protocols to mitigate exposure to COVID-19.

Amir Gilboa, one of Israel’s leading poets, is born as Berl Feldmann in Ukraine. He makes aliyah in 1937 and fights in World War II and the War of Independence. His poems draw on his military experiences and biblical issues of morality.

Sept. 26, 2002 — Rabbi Warhaftig dies

Rabbi Zerach Warhaftig, a founder of the National Religious Party and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, dies at age 96 in Jerusalem. A native of Belorussia, he made aliyah in 1947.

Sept. 27, 1950 — Third Maccabiah games open Proud Collaborative Partner with the Jewish Association on Aging

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The Third Maccabiah Games, originally scheduled for 1938 but canceled by the British, begin in the 50,000-seat stadium in Ramat Gan with 800 athletes from 20 countries.

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Sept. 28, 1995 — Interim Palestinian deal is signed

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat sign the IsraeliPalestinian Interim Agreement, known as Oslo II, at the White House. It establishes the elected Palestinian Authority.

Sept. 29, 1923 — Golan given to Syria

Under borders drawn primarily by the United Kingdom and France after World War I, the new nation of Syria gains control of the Golan Heights. France blocks subsequent Zionist efforts to buy much of the Golan.

Sept. 30, 1986 — Mordechai Vanunu returns

Mordechai Vanunu, a nuclear technician who in 1985 leaked details about Israel’s nuclear program in Dimona, is brought back to Israel to face trial on espionage charges, of which he is convicted in 1988.

Oct. 1, 1947 — Nobel Laureate Aaron Ciechanover born

Biochemist Aaron Ciechanover is born in Haifa. He becomes one of Israel’s first Nobel laureates in 2004 when he shares the chemistry prize with fellow Israeli Avram Hershko and American Irwin Rose.  PJC

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Headlines — WORLD — From JTA reports

New York will erect statue in Brooklyn to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg

New York state will honor the life and legacy of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a statue in her birthplace of Brooklyn. Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement less than a day after Ginsburg died from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. A statement from Cuomo’s office said he would appoint a commission to select an artist and set a location selection process into motion. “Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg selflessly pursued truth and justice in a world of division, giving voice to the voiceless and uplifting those who were pushed aside by forces of hate and indifference,� Cuomo said. “As a lawyer, jurist, and professor, she redefined gender equity and civil rights and ensured America lived up to her founding ideals — she was a monumental figure of equality, and we can all agree that she deserves a monument in her honor.� He added: “While the family of New York mourns Justice Ginsburg’s death, we remember proudly that she started her incredible journey right here in Brooklyn. Her legacy will live on in the progress she created for our society, and this statue will serve as a physical reminder of her many

contributions to the America we know today and as an inspiration for those who will continue to build on her immense body of work for generations to come.� Cuomo also announced that landmarks across the state would be lit in blue in Ginsburg’s memory, since “Blue is the color of justice and was reportedly Justice Ginsburg’s favorite color.�

Jewish tennis player Diego Schwartzman scores stunning win

Apparently the 10th time is the charm: Diego Schwartzman stunned Rafael Nadal in straight sets on Saturday after losing his nine previous matches to the Spanish star. The Jewish Argentine tennis ace won 6-2, 7-5 in just over two hours in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open, which takes place on clay — Nadal’s best surface. Nadal is ranked No. 2 in the world; Schwartzman is 15th. “For sure, it’s my best match ever,� the Buenos Aires native said. “I played a few times against the three big champions in tennis. I never beat them until today. I’m very happy.� The following day, in the semifinals, Schwartzman defeated Denis Shapovalov, a Canadian born in Tel Aviv, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (4). He’ll face Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked player, in Monday’s final. Shapovalov’s parents were born in Russia and immigrated to Israel at the collapse of the Soviet Union before moving to Canada. His mother, a former Russian national

tennis team player, is Jewish, and his father is Russian Eastern Orthodox Christian. Shapovalov plays for Canada and does not identify as Jewish. If Schwartzman beats Djokovic, “two dreams,� as he calls them, will come true: winning a prestigious Masters 1000 level tournament, and entering the top 10 in the international rankings for the first time. Yet just by playing in the finals, he’s already made history: He is the shortest finalist ever, listed at 5-7 (he’s likely even shorter). Schwartzman has written about his family’s Holocaust history.

Florida will offer specialty license plate that supports Israel

Florida drivers can now show their support for Israel on their license plates. Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation that authorizes the creation of a “Florida Stands With Israel� specialty plate. The legislation authorized nearly three dozen specialty plates, according to Florida Politics. A portion of the revenue generated by sales of the Israel plate will benefit the first responder organization Hatzalah of Miami-Dade. The new license plates must have 3,000 pre-orders in order to authorize production. The Israeli-American Council said it will launch a community marketing campaign to reach the mandate. An open contest sponsored by the council — and technically coordinated by the co-sponsoring organization, Artists 4 Israel

— will decide on the design. The judges will include lawmakers and community leaders.

Honduras to move embassy to Jerusalem by year’s end

Honduras will move its embassy to Jerusalem by the end of this year, the Prime Minister’s Office in Israel announced. The statement Monday followed a telephone conversation the previous day between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez. Last year, Honduras recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and opened a commercial office in the city. The two nations and the United States had met earlier in the year in Brazil and issued a joint statement in which they agreed to strengthen political ties “and coordinate cooperation on development in Honduras,� as well as to “pursue a plan of action, which includes meetings in their three respective capitals, to advance the process of the decision to open embassies in both Tegucigalpa and Jerusalem.� Hernandez graduated from an Israeli leadership course from the Foreign Ministry’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, or Mashav, in 1992 at the beginning of his diplomatic career. “We hope to take this historic step before the end of the year, as long as the pandemic allows it,� Hernandez tweeted about the embassy move to Jerusalem. Honduras has the second-largest population of Palestinians in Latin America, The Times of Israel reported.  PJC

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STAFF CHANGES AT MARKS ELDER LAW ANNOUNCED This is one in a series of articles about Elder Law by Michael H. Marks., Esq. Michael H. Marks is an elder law attorney with offices in Squirrel Hill and Monroeville. Send questions to michael@marks-law.com or visit www.marks-law.com. This has been a year of transition at Marks Elder Law. We are pleased to announce the addition of Leslie A. Dutchcot, Esq. to our staff while also noting the retirement of Linda Law Carroll, Esq. after twelve years. Linda Law Carroll joined Marks Elder Law in 2008 and has served clients with dedication and skill for 12 years. Linda is a native of California and a graduate of Georgetown Law School. In our office she mostly handled estate administration, probate in nonprobate estates, inheritance tax and estate income tax issues, estate related litigation and estate planning. Known for her easy-going manner and talent in assisting clients to reach solutions in both routine and difficult cases, Linda will be missed. Linda said of retiring, “With my husband, Dan, I have been enjoying retirement. We have been doing a lot of reading, hiking, biking, and meeting up with two of their children who live in the area. Although enjoying the slower pace of life, I miss many aspects of my work. Most of all I miss the many wonderful clients who I met and worked with over the years and send my heartfelt regards to all.â€? Linda L. Carroll, Esq.

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SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 11

Opinion Ruth Bader Ginsburg, eshet chayil Guest Columnist David Wecht

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht first met Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1987, when she brought cookies to her Court where he was clerking for a different judge. The cookies were baked by her husand, Marty Ginsburg, but the wisdom in the conversation was all from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Wecht remembers. Here he reflects on her legacy.

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s his time grew short, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. recalled the words of an ancient Latin poet: “Death, death, plucks my ear, and says, ‘Live! I am coming.’” Death was surely coming for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Why, it was coming for years. At the end, her body was riddled with cancer. But, oh, how she lived! She lived long past the time when others had thought her done and over. And she lived a full life and a brilliant career, right until the very end. A woman of valor indeed. Like her biblical namesake, our mother Ruth, Justice Ginsburg was a woman of honesty, integrity, devotion, character. Brooklyn-born, Ruth Bader was the child of

“ I had three strikes against me. First, I was Jewish, and the Wall Street firms were just beginning to accept Jews. Then I was a woman. But the killer was my daughter

”

Jane, who was 4 by then.

— SUPREME COURT JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG an immigrant father and a mother born four months after her own parents arrived in the Goldene Medina. Raised without a hint of ease or privilege, the child Ruth saw “no Jews or dogs allowed” signs while on vacation, right here in our own commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She never forgot what it felt like to be an outsider. And she knew sadness: Ruth watched her mother die of cancer the night before Ruth was to give her high school graduation address. Life wasn’t easy. But Ruth was hardworking and determined. Finishing at the top of her law school class despite faculty discrimination against women (Harvard Law Dean Erwin Griswold

gathered female students and interrogated them as to why they’d claimed spots men could have used), she followed her beloved husband Marty Ginsburg to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Returning east with Marty after his military service, Ruth turned to an academic career after law firms rejected her notwithstanding her stellar record. “I had three strikes against me,” she remembered. “First, I was Jewish, and the Wall Street firms were just beginning to accept Jews. Then I was a woman. But the killer was my daughter Jane, who was 4 by then.” But Ruth leaned into the work, writing briefs and arguing cases that built the structure of

modern gender equality law. Every law student learns about the battles that Ruth Bader Ginsburg waged in the fight against sex discrimination, and the precedents she set affirming that equal protection of the laws means that women and men are to be treated equally. Califano v. Goldfarb, Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld, Frontiero v. Richardson, United States v. Virginia, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. Every judge knows her legacy. Every American is in her debt. Like many of the great jurists of all stripes — her dear friend Justice Antonin Scalia, her beloved predecessor Justice Louis Brandeis — her measure is assessed not only by her fine majority opinions for the Court (and there were many), but even more by her towering dissents and her wise concurrences. Ledbetter v. Goodyear, Bush v. Gore, Shelby County v. Holder, and on and on. Her work will be studied, cited, argued, discussed — and long after all of us are gone. Ruth Bader Ginsburg wore justice, literally, on her sleeve (well, on her collar, where the word “tzedek” was sewn). Her life was about justice. Her legacy is justice. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s story is a woman’s story. It’s a Jewish story. It’s an American story. And it’s a story that’s only just beginning to be told. Baruch Dayan Ha’Emet.  PJC David Wecht is a justice of The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Yom Kippur in recovery Guest Columnist Dionna Dash

This coming year, as I step gently into recovery, I hope the rest of me may be

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s September creeps on, the High Holidays remind us of the sweet taste of a new year and the chance to improve ourselves for the future. Many people begin to dread the annual Yom Kippur fast — 25 hours without food or water marking the promise to be a better person in the coming year. Yet I prepare for a different sort of promise — a covenant with myself to begin feeding my soul and my body, to recover from the disordered eating I’ve struggled with the past six years. Since high school, I’ve been lost in a cycle of bingeing and restricting, eventually leading to a year of “self-correction” by counting less than a thousand calories a day. I went from eating too much to eating not enough, from one side of the spectrum to the other. I was only ever too full or too empty; if I was merely satiated, I was not content. Fasting on Yom Kippur is traditionally intended to be an act of self-punishment as repentance for past sins or a quest for clear-headedness leading to enlightenment. For me, fasting on Yom Kippur will never again be about asking for repentance or seeking enlightenment, but will rather become a preparation for my real act of penitence and

12 SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

reborn — a renaissance of body, spirit and soul, my most holy, most personal, most worthy temples healing: choosing to break the fast safely. Two years ago, I would have broken my fast by eating too much at the break fast, mentally justifying it by thinking of how I hadn’t eaten all day. I would have lost all sense of control, only stopping when the embarrassment of eating so much in front of others overpowered my desire to have it all. Then I would have come home and eaten still more because I would not have felt whole until every crevice within me was filled, leaving no room for self-doubt or shame to dwell within. And that’s exactly what I did for five years. If I had broken my fast two months ago, I would have eaten nothing at the break fast, giving in to the voice in my head telling me that if I only made it a little longer without food it would be a perfect day, with zeros on all the registers and nothing to feel guilty for.

I would have reveled in the worried looks and accusatory questions of “Aren’t you hungry?” Then I would have come home and eaten still nothing because I would not have felt whole until there was too much empty space within me, opening an abyss to swallow the self-doubt and shame. And that’s exactly why I lost 15 pounds this past summer. Fasting is no longer a challenge when you’ve been willingly training for starvation, when being hungry has become your hobby. Hunger pangs have alternatively been white flags in the battle for my self-control and victory trumpets in a war of friendly fire. I have used them as permission to eat everything I had been restricting and I have used them as a source of twisted pride in just how much I could restrict. They have simultaneously been

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my salvation and my damnation, both the life vest keeping me barely buoyant and the waves calmingly pulling me under. This year, Yom Kippur for me is about revitalization and rebirth. Our fates are sealed in the Book of Life and it is decided who will live and who will die in the new year, but I know a part of me has already died over the past six years as I have abused my body and dimmed my soul. This coming year, as I step gently into recovery, I hope the rest of me may be reborn — a renaissance of body, spirit and soul, my most holy, most personal, most worthy temples. When I break my fast this year, I will eat to satiety, sealing my promise to properly nourish my body and soul in the new year. I will enjoy the company of those around me and be thankful that I have fresh, nutritious food to eat every day. Then I will come home and maybe eat more, or maybe not, because I trust my mind and my body and I know that I have no reason to doubt myself and nothing to be ashamed of. I have spent enough time fasting over the past six years to fill decades of Yom Kippurs. It is time for me to break my fast, once and for all.  PJC Dionna Dash, originally from Philadelphia, attends the University of Pittsburgh, where she studies communications and linguistics and serves as the vice president of Pitt Hillel’s student board. PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Opinion A year of mourning, before and during COVID-19 Guest Columnist Elinor S. Nathanson

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y beloved father always kept in his back pocket a special reddishbrown notebook in which he’d record his many scientific inventions, a list of his daily meals, and occasional drawings of whimsical cartoon bunnies. When he passed away on Nov. 22, 2019, I thought it only fitting to buy that same type of notebook to record the many synagogues around the country, perhaps even the world, where I’d recite Kaddish daily for my father over the next 11 months. Never would I have imagined that for about eight of those 11 months, I’d be reciting Kaddish day after day in my very own home as part of an online minyan taking place over Zoom. I’m not exactly sure how I seized on the idea of reciting Kaddish daily. I don’t recall any other close family members observing this tradition. But I’d had several friends who had recited Kaddish daily for their parents, and when my father passed away, I felt completely drawn to the practice both as a way of honoring him and maintaining our day-to-day connection. Saying Kaddish has given me something concrete to do throughout the yearlong mourning process — something that keeps my relationship with my dear father in the present and future, not just in the past.

When I gingerly walked into the evening minyan at Congregation Beth Shalom following the shiva period, it marked the first time I had ever attended a weekday, non-High Holiday synagogue service. Surveying the dozen or so congregants already assembled, I was surprised by the familiar faces: a friend who recently lost her mother; another friend’s husband who lost his mother last winter; and of course, the dear family of my beloved friend Leon Zionts who passed away just 12 days before Dad. We were an underground club of mourners, supported by the minyan regulars. And even if I felt baffled by much of the prayer service, I felt like we all spoke the same language — the language of mourning and remembrance. In those pre-COVID days, I made the most of my time out in the world, attending minyanim at any shul that fit into my schedule. My husband, son and I came to stay with my parents when my dad started home hospice, and we stayed on after he died, so my mother often joined me at synagogue. Beth Shalom’s evening minyan was our most regular spot, but we also attended an occasional morning minyan. On Shabbat, we often attended Temple Sinai, my parents’ lifelong synagogue. We also went to Shaare Torah, particularly on Fridays before Shabbat dinner, taking our place in the women’s section. Early on, I remember Rabbi Daniel Wasserman kindly taking note of my presence and, using his powerful voice, significantly slowing down the tempo of the Kaddish so I could keep up. Mom and I could hear Dad enthusiastically marveling at our devotion: “You’re going to

— LETTERS — Anti-Semitism on campus

Letter writer Linda Newman is correct that there have been some outrageous incidents perpetrated by white supremacists (“White supremacists pose most serious threat to Jews,” Sept. 18). However she ignores the fact that today the “teaching” of left-wing anti-Semitism has become de rigueur at most American universities. This fact is described in ominous detail in Professor Cary Nelson’s “Israel Denial: Anti-Zionism, Anti-Semitism & The Faculty Campaign Against The Jewish State.” This week, a convicted Palestinian terrorist, Leila Khaled, is celebrated as an invited speaker at San Francisco State University. An entire generation is being inculcated with left-wing anti-Semitism which is a real and growing threat to the continued existence of Jews in America. Richard Sherman Margate, Florida

say Kaddish again? You’re kidding!” One evening, my mom, my son and I even stopped into the Downtown Shul to say Kaddish before seeing a show at the Byham Theater. We quickly learned that Rabbi Stanley Savage knew my father’s father — pharmacist David Nathanson — and the rabbi regaled us with stories of “Dave’s store.” I felt a deep sense of connection and wonder. One day in February at Beth Shalom, a fellow mourner announced with tears in his eyes that that evening marked the end of his time saying Kaddish for his father. “I never expected to do this,” he told us. “And it’s just been so meaningful.” Recording this in my notebook, I added, “I squeezed his hand and later gave him a hug.” By early March, however, hugs and handshakes had been replaced by elbow bumps, which soon gave way to sheepish waves from an awkward distance. On March 12, Beth Shalom held its first socially distanced evening minyan, with members separated from each other by multiple rows. The next day, Beth Shalom announced that, in an abundance of caution, all daily minyanim would be moved to Zoom. Very early on, many people kept their cameras off, so the sense of community was dampened. Soon, though, the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly issued guidelines stating that we needed to be able to see each other’s faces on screen to count as a minyan. The first time I saw the face of congregational stalwart Ira Frank, I burst into tears. I deeply missed being in the same physical space with everyone. On March 22, when Rabbi Wasserman

sent out a heartbreaking email about the need to close Shaare Torah’s building, I wept on my husband’s shoulder. In those early months of the pandemic, I felt isolated and extremely anxious, and I had a very difficult time focusing on the prayers — but Beth Shalom’s daily evening minyan added a sense of stability to my days that proved invaluable. The minyan also provided me with an important new friendship. Marlene Cohen Behrmann, a fellow congregant who I’d never met before, lost her father exactly four months after I lost my dad. Because of COVID-19, however, Marlene was unable to fly to attend her father’s funeral in South Africa, and she became the first congregant to have an online shiva with Beth Shalom. Reaching out to Marlene after minyan one evening, I discovered that because the two of us were both in mourning in the midst of a pandemic, we understood each other in ways that other people might not. By sharing more about our fathers — and our fears about COVID’s potential impact on our mothers — Marlene and I were able to comfort each other and develop a deep friendship in the process. And that, of course, is the wisdom of Judaism. Jewish tradition helps provide a grounding sense of continuity, community and goodness. So life goes on, even after a parent dies, even in the midst of a plague.  PJC Elinor S. Nathanson is a writer/ performer and the proud daughter of Harvey C. Nathanson.

White House, again there were the words of “Now Israel is really in trouble from the other Arab states.” In the Democrats’ eyes, when Jerry Nadler announced the night of the 2016 election that he would see that President Trump is impeached, Jews agreed? Why are some unable to recognize the misconstrued words from the New York Times, Washington Post and Atlantic Monthly ... while considering them as the words from G-d Himself? Lastly, as President Trump remarked, “What kind of animal would, at the graves of our military heroes, speak disparagingly of these brave men and women?” Democrats speak of our president’s lies. Try the lies of the person who reportedly quoted him as saying such a horrible phrase. And, the worst part is that the media and some Jewish and non-Jewish citizens of America believe it. Shame on them. If you choose to vote for nice Joe Biden, are you prepared to have Kamala Harris as your president? Barbara B. Berns Palm City, Florida

Jewish Democrats brainwashed by media

So as not to be chastised for submitting this letter to the editor as a Florida resident, I was a Pittsburgh resident for 65 years and taught in the Squirrel Hill area for 30 years. The hate and the anger spewed by Democrats published in the “Letters” in this Jewish community newspaper is a shanda. To Republicans, it is as repulsive as the anti-Semitism arising in our country. My fellow Republicans and Christian friends find it, as well as I, an enigma as to why Jewish people refuse to give our president positive recognition for his great — yes, great —deeds for Israel. President Trump is the ONLY United States president to fulfill his promise of moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Instead of accepting plaudits from Jews around our country, the majority of the Jewish population admonished him. Most recently, when the UAE and Bahrain signed a peace treaty with Israel at the PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

We invite you to submit letters for publication. Letters must include name, address and daytime phone number; addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Letters may not exceed 500 words and may be edited for length and clarity; they cannot be returned. Mail, fax or email letters to:

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SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 13

Headlines Ginsburg: Continued from page 1

Ginsburg reportedly told her granddaughter Clara Spera in her final days: “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.” In her 27 years on the court, Ginsburg emerged not only as the putative leader of the court’s liberal wing but as a pop cultural phenomenon and feminist icon, earning as an octogenarian the moniker Notorious R.B.G. — a play off the deceased rapper Notorious B.I.G. She won liberal acclaim by penning blistering dissents in high-profile cases concerning birth control, voter ID laws and affirmative action even as she maintained a legendary friendship with Scalia, the staunchly conservative firebrand who died in 2016. Ginsburg was frank as well about the importance of Jewish tradition in influencing her life and career, hanging the Hebrew injunction to pursue justice on the walls of her chambers. “I am a judge, born, raised and proud of being a Jew,” she said in an address to the American Jewish Committee following her 1993 appointment to the court. “The demand for justice runs through the entirety of Jewish history and Jewish tradition.” Ginsburg was nominated to the nation’s highest bench by President Bill Clinton following the retirement of Byron White. In her Rose Garden nominating ceremony, Clinton lauded Ginsburg for standing with the “the outsider in society … telling them that they have a place in our legal system, by giving them a sense that the Constitution and the laws protect all the American people, not simply the powerful.” Ginsburg attributed that outsider perspective to her Jewish roots, pointing often to her heritage as a building block of her perspective on the bench. “Laws as protectors of the oppressed, the poor, the loner, is evident in the work of my Jewish predecessors on the Supreme Court,”

“ I am a judge, born, raised and proud of being a Jew. The demand for justice runs through the entirety of Jewish history

”

and Jewish tradition.

— RUTH BADER GINSBURG she wrote in an essay for the AJC. “The Biblical command: ‘Justice, justice shalt thou pursue’ is a strand that ties them together.” The Brooklyn native was the daughter of Nathan Bader, a Russian immigrant and furrier, and the former Celia Amster. She often noted that her mother was “barely second generation,” having been born a scant four months after her parents’ arrival from Hungary. Ginsburg was keenly aware of the Jewish immigrant experience and her own good fortune to be born on these shores. The Holocaust colored her perspective of the world and the law. “Our nation learned from Hitler’s racism and, in time, embarked on a mission to end law-sanctioned discrimination in our own country,” Ginsburg said at a 2004 Yom Hashoah commemoration at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. “In the aftermath of World War II, in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, in the burgeoning women’s rights movement of the 1970s, ‘We the People’ expanded to include all of humankind, to embrace all the people of this great nation. Our motto, E Pluribus Unum — of many one — signals our appreciation that we are the richer for the religious, ethnic and racial diversity of our citizens.” But while Ginsburg was fortunate to be born in the United States, even brilliant women in the 1950s had no easy path. Following her graduation from Cornell University, where she met her husband,

Martin Ginsburg. Ginsburg lived for two years in Oklahoma and experienced the setbacks that women faced at the time: She was demoted from her job at the Social Security Administration after her supervisor discovered she was three months pregnant. Two years later, Ginsburg was one of only nine women in her Harvard Law School class with about 500 men. She had a 14-month old daughter and had to battle the endless skepticism of her professors and colleagues. A well-known story has it that at a meeting of her female classmates with the law school dean, the women were asked why they deserved a spot taken from men. When Martin, a Harvard Law graduate, took a job at a New York law firm, Ginsburg transferred to Columbia. At both schools she served on the Law Review, and she finished Columbia tied for first in her class. Yet not a single law firm would hire her. Ginsburg eventually clerked for Judge Edward Palmieri and went on to teach law at Rutgers University. She created the Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union and was the first tenured woman to teach law at Columbia. Ginsburg quickly built a reputation for establishing gender parity before the law, arguing six major sex discrimination cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, winning all but one. In one of those winning cases, Weinburger v. Wiesenfeld in 1975, Ginsburg represented a widower left with a child in his care when his wife died in childbirth. The

Appeal: Continued from page 1

it will pay a price. “Our future is not just about the money; it’s also about connection,” said Lehrer. “You don’t regain the connections you lose. Every step along the way in a Zoom transmission is one you have to be concerned about. For every hour we will be transmitting on Zoom, there have been at least 10 to 15 hours of preparation.” While Adat Shalom will still have an appeal during its Yom Kippur service, Congregation Rodef Shalom decided to delay it, afraid that congregants might see donating as a prerequisite to attending services. “We don’t want that to get in the way of simply trying to be part of a community at a time like this when community is so important,” said Karen Brean, president of Rodef Shalom’s board of trustees. The congregation plans to mail the appeal after the High Holidays. Centered around philanthropy, the congregation’s appeal has 14 SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

p Adat Shalom’s sanctuary

four key areas: sustaining Rodef Shalom, feeding the hungry, social action/justice and critical community needs. “Yes, we are interested in the

Photo by Lisa Rothstein

sustainability of Rodef, but in these times, we’re really looking to the greater community,” said Brean. Rodef Shalom also usually runs a food

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

father requested the childcare benefits that a woman would receive if her husband died but which were then denied to men. “From the outset, she insisted that gender discrimination was not only an issue of women’s rights, demonstrating how using gender as a basis for different treatment was also harmful to men,” Judith Rosenbaum of the Jewish Women’s Archive said. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter named Ginsburg to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Her nomination to the Supreme Court was approved overwhelmingly by the Senate on Aug. 3, 1993. She took her judicial oath of office a week later, becoming only the second woman to serve on the court after Sandra Day O’Connor. As a Supreme Court jurist, Ginsburg continued her fight for gender equality. In 1996, she wrote the majority opinion in United States v. Virginia, which deemed the Virginia Military Institute’s policy of not admitting women unconstitutional. She also authored the dissent in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire, a pay discrimination case that would lead to the 2009 Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Though a critic of the landmark Roe v. Wade case that decriminalized abortion nationally, Ginsburg consistently argued for protecting the right to abortion. Late in her career, she emerged as a cultural icon. In 2013, law student Shana Knizhik started a Tumblr blog collecting all manner of Ginsburg fan art, from celebratory tattoos to coffee mugs, T-shirts and onesies. The blog spawned a 2015 book with the Notorious R.B.G. tag co-authored with Irin Carmon. “Justice Ginsburg more than earned her Notorious crown and the admiration of millions of people with her fearless advocacy for marginalized people and her stubborn belief that women are people,” Carmon said. “People felt moved to make fan art and tattoo her face on their bodies because she spoke for them when it mattered.” Ginsburg is survived by two children — Jane, a law professor at Columbia, and James, a music producer — and four grandchildren. Martin Ginsburg died in 2010.  PJC drive and a “blue jar” initiative — people take home blue mason jars and fill them with coins. In their place, Rodef Shalom is encouraging congregants to donate to food pantries. Like Rodef Shalom and Temple David, Beth El Congregation of the South Hills will mail congregants a card, and it will list opportunities for donating money and volunteering time. Beth El’s appeals are threefold. The High Holiday appeal and the Yizkor appeal go toward synagogue operations, while the Israel bonds appeal marks an investment in Israel. Beth El’s president, Susie Seletz, hopes the pandemic-prompted changes won’t lessen the appeals’ impacts. “We’re hoping that people do appreciate everything that the synagogue and leadership has been doing to try to stay connected and to offer them a real source of support and stimulation through COVID, and will show that in their gift,” she said. PJC Kayla Steinberg can be reached at ksteinberg@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines JCC: Continued from page 3

reopen, the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative, an arm of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, provided guidance and expertise to ensure optimal safety, said Schreiber. From a financial standpoint, while the Jewish Healthcare Foundation stepped in and delivered a special $2.5 million grant, many members also offered aid by donating dues throughout the closure, registering for new programs and sending notes of encouragement. Each effort was greatly appreciated by the organization’s staff and lay leaders, as it became clear that the pandemic’s fiscal repercussions could potentially uproot so much of the communal fabric, noted Schreiber.

Intern: Continued from page 7

Houser had planned to be in Israel studying at HUC’s Jerusalem campus. COVID-19 made that impossible. Instead, Houser moved back to Pittsburgh and reached out to the pluralistic synagogue to see if she could assist with any needs they might have, expecting to pack machzors for the High Holidays or possibly help teach Hebrew. Instead, the synagogue offered Houser an

“COVID hit people hard, and had a calamitous impact on our agency: shutting down millions in earned revenue; a deep reduction in full-time and professional workforce in early April, not all of which have been restored; and increased operating costs to sanitize and disinfect program areas, and conduct daily health screenings, on all who enter our facilities,” he said. “We have a long way to go,” Schreiber continued, “and the situation could even get more difficult — we just don’t know — but COVID cannot diminish our resolve to recover, rebuild and restore.” Along with updating members about the community center’s current state, the annual meeting featured the installation of new board members and a series of award presentations.

Stephen Tobe, an active volunteer with J Café and AgeWell Pittsburgh, received the Lillian Goldstein Senior Adult Volunteer Leadership Award. Todd Reidbord, principal and president at Walnut Capital, was given the S.J. Noven Koach Award in recognition of his outstanding service to the JCC. Journalist and media expert Margie Ruttenberg was given the Ida and Samuel Latterman Volunteer Mitzvah Award for her considerable efforts to disseminate the JCC’s message of Jewish values, kindness and social justice. Scott Seewald, senior counsel at Arconic Inc., and an active JCC board member since 2013, received the RogalRuslander Leadership Award. A presidential citation was given to Olivia Livingston, a decorated swimmer who trained with the JCC Sailfish and will continue her athletic

internship position, allowing her to head programs like the “Founding Mothers of the Torah” on Oct. 14 and to lead “A Torah Talk” on Oct. 16. Like so much else these days, most of what Houser does will be virtual as Beth Samuel’s synagogue building remains closed due to the pandemic. “We’re very excited to have her on board as our intern,” said Bill Snider, the congregation’s president. “It won’t be quite the same as having her in person given everything that’s happening, but we think she’ll add a lot to our virtual services and programs.”

Cantor Rena Shapiro, Beth Samuel’s spiritual leader, is excited to pass along some of the knowledge she has accumulated throughout her career. “I have decades of experience on the pulpit and Rachael is just starting out on her journey to the rabbinate,” Shapiro said. “I think the internship will afford her an interesting and, hopefully, useful perspective as she embarks on her academic career.” Shapiro hopes to serve as a mentor to Houser and feels that she can be especially helpful in one area in particular.

endeavors at top-ranked University of Louisville. Finally, Beth Goldstein accepted the Center for Loving Kindness’ Loving Kindness Award on behalf of her father, the late Bob Goldstein, a longtime JCC member whose kibbitzing and eucalyptus spray enhanced the center for decades. With recognition of the approaching holiday season, Jamie Scott, department director of the children/youth/family division and specialty camps director at the JCC, closed the meeting with the blowing of a shofar and well wishes. “Thank you for coming to our annual meeting,” said Scott. “We are wishing you a happy and healthy new year.”  PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

“Students take cantillation, how to chant the Torah,” Shapiro said. “I taught that at my seminary after I was ordained. That’s a forte of mine and she happens to be taking that right now.” Houser is appreciative of the opportunity she has been offered at Beth Samuel. “They have been so kind to me,” Houser said of the congregation’s membership. “They have been so supportive and want me to get involved. I feel so lucky.”  PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

CDS temporarily closes campus due to a positive COVID-19 case

C

ommunity Day School closed its campus at noon on Thursday, Sept. 17, after learning that someone who was last on campus on Sept. 11 had tested positive for COVID-19. The individual testing positive was instructed to isolate at home for a minimum of 10 days, according to an email distributed to the CDS community. CDS worked with the Allegheny County Health Department to ensure that those who

had direct exposure to the person who tested positive were contacted. A 14-day home quarantine is mandatory for those who were in close contact with the person. No nonessential visitors are allowed on the CDS campus from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., pursuant to a new policy implemented this year. Two professional development days scheduled for later this month were shifted to Sept. 21 and 22 to give staff planning time for the school’s first transition to a remote

learning environment. The CDS Early Childhood program was slated to reopen on campus on Sept. 23. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade were scheduled to move to remote learning beginning Sept. 23. The target date for reopening the CDS campus for those students is Sept. 29. “The health, safety and well-being of our community is our top priority, and we are carefully following our COVID-19

protocols with direct guidance from the Allegheny County Health Department and medical experts,” said Avi Baran Munro, head of school, in an email to the Chronicle. “We are in close communication with our entire school community, appreciate the partnership with our families, and wish a quick and speedy recovery to the individual affected.”  PJC — Toby Tabachnick

Charles Morris reopening delayed due to positive COVID-19 test of one staff member

C

ommunal dining at Charles Morris Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which had resumed on Sept. 8, has been put on hold after officials received word on Sept. 13 that a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing was performed and those who were in contact with that staff member were notified, according to Deborah Winn-Horvitz, president and CEO of the Jewish Association on Aging. On Sept. 14, the JAA began conducting “mandatory universal testing of all residents and staff at Charles Morris,” said WinnHorvitz in a prepared statement. That testing will continue through this week. If two weeks of successful universal testing with no positive cases occur, the JAA will be 15 SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

able to resume its three-step reopening plan at Charles Morris, incrementally lifting the COVID-19 restrictions which have been in place since March. The plan, implemented in accordance with requirements issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Department of Human Services, will lead to resumption of the entry of visitors and volunteers and to reinstate communal dining, activities and outings for residents. The JAA enacted Step 1 on Sept. 8, allowing the resumption of communal dining and social activities among five or fewer residents with safety protocols in place, including proper social distancing,

handwashing and mask wearing, according to a written statement from the JAA. Steps 2 and 3 will allow the inclusion of larger numbers of residents for communal dining and activities, with a maximum of 10 in Step 2, and more than 10 in Step 3. Outdoor visits between residents and a limited number of visitors will be permitted in Step 2; in Step 3, indoor visits will be permitted in designated neutral areas. Visitation is limited to residents who have not been exposed to COVID-19 and who have not had a positive test result for the virus in the past 14 days. All visitors will be screened prior to the start of the visit. The JAA will move to Step 2 if there is no new onset of COVID-19 cases for 14

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

consecutive days from the commencement of Step 1. Step 3 will begin if there is no new onset 14 days from the start of Step 2. The JAA’s Weinberg Terrace, Weinberg Village, and AHAVA Memory Care Center are now in the first of the three steps, involving communal dining. Step 2, involving outdoor visits, were scheduled to begin at those three communities in the middle of this week. “As we move forward, our vigilant procedures remain in place to protect the people we care for and our team at JAA remains committed to reuniting residents and their families as quickly and safely as possible,” said Winn-Horvitz.  PJC — Toby Tabachnick PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Life & Culture A make-ahead zucchini casserole to break the fast — FOOD —

p Chopped zucchini and onions By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle

I

t took me many years to get the Yom Kippur break fast down pat, and I’m happy to share a recipe for my zucchini and cheese casserole known as koosa b’jibn in the Syrian Jewish community. I make it a day in advance and it reheats nicely after Yom Kippur. It is satisfying, fresh and a welcome change from bagels and lox. In my family, we have the tradition to break fast on a dairy meal. This recipe is a peoplepleaser for young children and adults alike. I set out water, juice and pastries as soon as the fast ends, then immediately get coffee and tea brewing. I place the casserole into a cold oven set to 350 F, and let it warm up for about 20 minutes. It helps if you remove it from the

fridge about an hour beforehand, to warm up to room temperature. I serve this with bread and butter and a small green salad on the side. Because so many of us are having much smaller holiday get-togethers due to COVID-19, I created this recipe with a smaller group in mind. If you have a large family, simply double the ingredients and it will turn out beautifully. Ingredients: 1½-2 tablespoons olive oil ½ of a large sweet onion, diced 3 medium zucchinis, cubed, about 3-3½ cups 4 large eggs ½ pound shredded muenster cheese 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 2 tablespoons Parmesan or Romano cheese 1 teaspoon dried parsley ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F and place the baking rack in the upper third of the oven. Sauté the onion in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini to the onion and sauté about 10 more minutes. You want the onion and zucchini to start to soften but to still have some bite. That way, they won’t get too mushy while baking. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and

p Zucchini casserole

spices together. Pour the zucchini and onion mixture into a 9-by-13 ungreased baking dish. Stir the muenster and mozzarella cheese into the vegetable mixture, then fold in the egg mixture with a rubber spatula, making sure it spreads evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the casserole

Photos by Jessica Grann

starts to brown on the top. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or let cool completely before wrapping with plastic wrap and refrigerating. This recipe works well for brunch and for the holiday of Shavuot. I hope you enjoy it for years to come!  PJC Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.

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Life & Culture Offline and in synagogue: How Orthodox Jews learned about Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death — RELIGION — By Shira Hanau | JTA

S

hlomo Zuckier was walking out of his in-laws’ house Saturday morning to go to outdoor synagogue services when he saw the newspaper on the ground. Through the plastic bag, he could read the headline with the biggest story of the previous evening: Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died. Most Jews would have heard the news on Friday evening, not long after the 87-year-old Supreme Court justice passed away of complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. Many Reform and Conservative synagogues addressed the news in their Zoom services Friday night or Saturday morning. But for Orthodox Jews the news arrived differently. Some, like Zuckier, a postdoctoral fellow in Jewish studies at McGill University, learned about it from the newspaper, the way one would have heard news of that sort in an earlier era. Others heard from fellow congregants or neighbors over the course of the holiday. And still others found out when they turned on their phones or checked the news online after the holiday ended Sunday evening, a full two days after the rest of the world. While for some Orthodox Jews, particularly those with more progressive politics, the news of Ginsburg’s passing added to the emotions of Rosh Hashanah, for many it was just another important news story but with less emotional heft. That’s partially because of the way they found out, separated from the online news cycle and social media reactions, and partially because of the way they see their Judaism. “The whole thing was surreal,” Zuckier said of seeing the news in the newspaper on Rosh Hashanah and later seeing the posts about Ginsburg’s death on social media after the holiday ended. “But for me it didn’t define my Rosh Hashanah. I had other things to focus on.” Zuckier said some of that comes down to the way Orthodox Jews see politics and religion. “It’s not a right-versus-left thing,” he said. “I think it’s just to what extent you see politics as central to your religion.”

p Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks at an annual Women’s History Month reception hosted by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in the Capitol building in Washington, DC, in 2015. Photo by Allison Shelley/Getty Images via JTA

“ All Jews have had this horrible experience where we come out of a Shabbos or yontif [holiday] where we find out about something.

”

While for Reform and Conservative Jews, the Judaism Ruth Bader Ginsburg embodied, with her focus on social justice over traditional practice or dogma, represents many of their dearest values. Even her appearance cut a familiar figure, reminiscent of many a Jewish grandmother. But for many Orthodox Jews, for whom traditional practice is a more central focus, the type of Judaism she represented is less resonant. While for Reform and Conservative Jews, Democratic politics are often viewed as consistent with the Jewish value of social justice, for Orthodox Jews,

ADATH JESHURUN CEMETERY

— ELAD NEHORAI who have trended increasingly rightward politically over the past several years, the relationship between politics and religion is more complicated. And for haredi Orthodox Jews, many of whom do not consume popular cultural offerings like movies and documentaries, Ruth Bader Ginsburg never became the cultural icon she did in the rest of the liberal Jewish world, a status she only assumed there in recent years. “If a big rabbi had passed in the Orthodox world, that’s what we saw in the liberal Jewish world,” said Elad Nehorai, a politically progressive writer who has written extensively

about politics in the Orthodox community. And for many in the Orthodox community, Ginsburg’s politics were not the cause for celebration that they were for many Reform and Conservative Jews. Still, for some Orthodox Jews, particularly Modern Orthodox ones, her death was a serious blow. For Maharat Ruth Balinsky Friedman, a member of the clergy at Ohev Sholom – The National Synagogue in Washington, D.C., learning about the justice’s death right before Saturday morning services from a congregant left her feeling “deflated.” But she didn’t address it at services. “Our services were abbreviated,” she said, noting that her synagogue, like many Orthodox services, had shortened the service to minimize the amount of time people would be gathering in-person. Part of abbreviating the service was cutting out the sermons. But even if there had been a sermon, she said, addressing the news felt like the wrong fit during a High Holiday season that was already more emotional than a typical year. And with fewer people at services – and social distancing hampering the feasibility of side conversations in synagogue – many people would not have heard the news by the time services began. “I think it would be too tricky to deal with in shul and I knew some people would be hearing it for the first time,” said Friedman. For Nehorai, who lives in California, hearing the news before the holiday began on the West Coast left him feeling “gutted.” But after the holiday ended, he said, he was glad he had heard about it before beginning Rosh Hashanah. “All Jews have had this horrible experience where we come out of a Shabbos or yontif [holiday] where we find out about something … Yom Kippur last year was when we found out about the shooting in Germany,” Nehorai said of the attempted shooting at a synagogue in Halle, Germany. “I think we’re in this age when it’s very hard to process grief and trauma because so much of it is so online so we’re constantly reacting,” he said. “It was really helpful to have two days of none of that.”  PJC

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SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 17

Headlines Rodef: Continued from page 10

building, it’s just a little bit warmer and less likely to freeze up,” said Falcone. Since 2010, the congregation has repaired aspects of the system, but corrosion and increased rainfall continue to stress the piping and demonstrate a need for change, said Marlee Lyons, Rodef Shalom’s facilities and sustainability manager. In 2019, Pittsburgh recorded its highest precipitation total since 1836. The figure isn’t a one-off. According to Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protections, between 1958 and 2010, the Northeast United States experienced more than a 70% increase in the amount of precipitation from intense storming — and the wetness is slated to continue: By 2050, area precipitation is expected to increase 8%. When Rodef Shalom’s system was installed more than a century ago, the average rainfall was less than it is today. Between the increased precipitation and severity of storms, the system can’t keep up, said Falcone. With help from a $95,000 grant, however, a remedy is in sight. Several weeks ago, Pennsylvania Historical Museum & Commission, through its Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grants, awarded Rodef Shalom funds to replace 300 feet of piping with a new system that separates rainwater and sewage into two tubes for separate treatment, thus preventing overflow. Meeting various criteria, including its 1980 inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and nonprofit status, Rodef Shalom was eligible for the grant. Falcone, who serves on Rodef Shalom’s board of trustees and is president of Preservation Pittsburgh, a community-based advocacy organization, said the 50/50 cash matching grant is significant. Perhaps for those with a background in engineering or waterflow, Rodef Shalom’s $190,000 dollar sewer system rehab is exciting, but it’s not the type of building improvement that motivates some donors, said Falcone. “When you start talking about elements of a building that not only can’t be seen, but you wouldn’t necessarily want to have your name directly attributed to, it doesn’t really have that kind of lasting legacy appeal that I think some people look for,” he said. Throughout its history, Rodef Shalom

Torah has been a local caretaker — prior to the pandemic, congregations including Rodef Shalom, Dor Hadash, Bet Tikvah and Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha, regularly used the building — and this grant, which appreciates the severity of a threatened foundation, will enable Rodef Shalom to remain viable, as it has been for more than 100 years, said Lyons. Although the historic preservation of old

“ It now rests with the Jews of this community to continue the work that has begun so

”

gloriously.

— REV. J. LEONARD LEVY, FORMER RABBI OF CONGREGATION RODEF SHALOM buildings is an important value, so too is a commitment to appropriate maintenance and improvement, explained Falcone: “Dumping all of the water that comes off of our building into the sewer system is not good. It’s not good for us. It’s not good for the planet, and being able to look at it and take a bit more due diligence is absolutely the right thing to do.” Whether it’s greening Rodef Shalom’s sewer system, or incorporating native plantings that encourage urban wildlife, the congregation is following the recommendations of Rabbi Sharyn Henry, who during her 2019 High Holidays sermon encouraged listeners to become stewards of the property, said Falcone. It’s a lofty undertaking, but in doing so Rodef Shalom remains committed to the principles espoused by its forebears who dedicated the building more than a century ago, said Berg. “Decades from now will witness the real results of the step that has been taken today,” wrote Rev. J. Leonard Levy, Rabbi of Congregation Rodef Shalom, in the Sept. 12, 1907, edition of The Jewish Criterion, a precursor to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. “It now rests with the Jews of this community to continue the work that has begun so gloriously.”  PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Ha’azinu: Listen to your neighbors and the next generation Rabbi Aaron Bisno Parshat Ha’azinu Deuteronomy 32:1-52

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s we mark the first Shabbat of 5781, our Torah portion is Ha’azinu. The Torah’s penultimate portion contains Moses’ final oration to the Israelites and derives its name from the opening word of that valedictory: Ha’azinu! Listen! Poetically, Moses addresses his words to “heaven and earth,” but, of course, his sermon was intended for the entire Jewish people to hear and harken to. Indeed, Moses was speaking to both those in the “wilderness generation” who built the first sanctuary, as well as to those of us, here and now, who are responsible for congregational Jewry as it exists today, to say nothing of whether it will exist in another generation. So do I address this first-of-the-year d’var Torah to both our local congregations’ loyalists and leaders as well as to the future Jewish generations who will, in time, call our community their own. My friends, as we take our first tentative steps into this new year, we are aware of how much of the past year was erased; and we know well how much of our future is uncertain, if not upended. Indeed, a great many of the initiatives — for budgets and buildings, for schooling and staffing, and for the future of our respective congregations that our community’s leaders and I imagined only a few years ago, confidently set in motion eight to 18 months ago, and were counting on ever since — all are now in dire need of a radical reevaluation. After all, since March 2020, the coronavirus has exposed our weaknesses and has accelerated our decline, such that everything is now different across our landscape, and none of our prior expectations are any longer fully intact. But amid so much crisis and uncertainty, one thing has not changed. At least not yet. By and large, every single one of our congregations (here in Pittsburgh and across

the country, to be sure) still seeks to solve its own challenges … (wait for it) … solo. And this in spite of the fact that congregations, their boards and rabbis share the majority of these present challenges in common. Why would so many otherwise inclusive congregations pursue isolationist policy? Fear, I suspect — namely the fear that we are the only one who is frightened, who is hurt, and, ironically, we dare not admit our fear or our pain and therein exacerbate both. But, imagine what could happen if our collective community were to heed Moses’ exhortation and we were to engage a listening campaign among all those who love and lead our shteiblach. Yes, imagine what could happen if our community were to answer Moses’ call, “Ha’azinu,” by being curious enough about our neighbors to sincerely listen, to seek to learn, so as to better understand what hurts our friends, what together we fear, and what we desire in common. Imagine what could happen if members of one congregation were truly to listen to members of a neighboring congregation, so all might better appreciate and achieve their shared hopes and dreams for the future of this Jewish community. Above all else, Ha’azinu teaches that we must listen with a heart open to all people. We must listen with a mind open to those who feel and think differently. And we must listen with imaginations unfettered, such that we are in dialogue, as was Moses, both with those who are with us now, and, too, with the generations who will follow us, who are depending upon us, and who will, in time, lend their voices to the conversation we are enjoined to engage. May our entire community be blessed in 5781 by our listening. Shanah Tovah.  PJC

Rabbi Aaron Bisno is spiritual leader at Rodef Shalom Congregation. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association.

NOTICE OF HEARING ON PETITION TO APPROVE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE IN NON-PROFIT CEMETERY ASSOCIATION In Re: Petition of Anshe Lubovitz Cemetery Association to Approve a Fundamental Change, No 02-20-04143 in the Orphan’s Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Notice is hereby given that the Court has set a hearing on the Petition of Anshe Lubovitz Cemetery Association to Approve a Fundamental Change in the form of a transfer of the ownership and management of its cemetery and assets to the Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh. The hearing will be held in the Orphan’s Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny county Pennsylvania, 17th Floor Frick Building, 437 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219 on Thursday, October 29, 2010 at 1:30 P.M. prevailing time before the Honorable Lawrence O’Toole. Any interested person is invited to attend. Information may be obtained from Robert J. Garvin Esq., Goldberg, Kamin & Garvin, 437 Grant Street, Suite 1806, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219, ph: 412-2811119, Attorney for the Petitioner.

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Obituaries AVERBACH: Rhondda D. Averbach, age 84, of Upper St. Clair, formerly of Oakland, passed away on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. Beloved wife of 62 years to Donald Averbach. Loving mother of Shoshana (B or uch Berman), Nancy (the late David Friedman), Debra (Ran Bar-Mashiah) and Michael (“Sally”) Averbach. Cherished grandma of Amit, Rachel, Joshua and Daniel. Sister of the late Phillip Segall. Also survived by loving in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews. Rhondda was a longtime member of Beth El Congregation, where she sang in choir. She was an active volunteer at the synagogue, Upper St. Clair Library, St. Clair Hospital and numerous Jewish women’s organizations. She was a magnificent cook and loved to knit, crochet, needlepoint, read and spend time with family and friends. In lieu

of flowers, memorials may be made to Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, 1900 Cochran Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15228. Private service and burial arrangements entrusted to William Slater II Funeral Service, Scott Township. 412-563-2800. slaterfuneral.com MOTTSMAN: Diane Ruth Mottsman, age 65, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020. Beloved daughter of Evelyn and the late Richard Mottsman. Sister of Daniel Mottsman (Stephanie Edwards) and Paula (Gary) Brant. Aunt of Michael Brant and Lauren (Justin) Seltzer. Great-aunt of Samuel Seltzer. Special friend of Ellen Schall. Also survived by many friends and relatives. Services and interment private. Contributions may be made to Jewish Residential Services, 2609 Murray Ave., #201, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or Temple Emanuel of South Hills, 1250 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15243. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family-owned and -operated.  PJC

Jewish Association on Aging gratefully acknowledges contributions from the following: A gift from … In memory of … Anonymous ....................................................Barbara Berenfield

A gift from … In memory of … William Feldman ............................................Isadore Feldman

Anonymous......................................................................Leah Katz

Amy R. Kamin ......................................Sarah Deborah Kamin

Anonymous.................................................................Pesach Katz

Carole Kaufman ................................................... Albert Hendel

Ms. Abrams ........................................................... Phyllis Abrams Annette Alper.........................................................Maurice Alper Ronna and Harry Back .......................Ethel Shaffer Pariser Donald Berk......................................................Leo E. Berkowitz Dorothy Chajson .................................................. Flrence Rubin Phyllis Cohen .......................................... Judith Kochin Cohen Harry Davidson......................................... Gerald C. Davidson

Aaron Krouse ........................................Ida Magdovitz Krouse Aaron Krouse ......................................................... Selma Krouse Leona Levine ..........................................................Arthur Levine The Luick Family ................................ Howard “Butch” Luick Davine Morris ..............................................................Pete Pakler Faye Nickel........................................................Sylvia R. Melnick

Frank & Barbara DeLuce .................................Sandor Shaer

Barbara Rubin ..................................................Meyer Shepman

Sylvia & Norman Elias ....................................Fay Ruth Frank

Ellen Surloff............................................................Samuel Maryn

Sylvia & Norman Elias ........................ A. Barney Moldovan

The Rev. Marcia A. Tremmel...............Louis A. Livingston

Sylvia & Norman Elias ................................. Sadie Moldovan

Harold Unikel ...................................... Freda Unikel Bregman

THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday September 27: Max Berezin, Florence F. Blass, Ida K. Borovetz, Henry Browarsky, Michael H. Cohen, Ruth Geduldig, Donald L. Klein, Hyman Leipzig, Leonard Levine, Marie Morris, Sarah Finkel Moses, Samuel A. Myers, Beile Levinson Ofshinski, Ethel Shaffer Pariser, Esther Y. Podolsky, Abraham I. Rose, Jessie Ruben, Harry Shapiro, Abe Sobel Monday September 28: Louis Alpert, Allan H. Barnett, Eugene Brown, Louis Chotiner, Morris Cohenn, Ida Goldberg, Anna Halpern, Isaac Halpern, Eugene Rosen, Sylvia Rosenzweig, Alex Sherman, Freda Spokane, Minna B. Trellis Tuesday September 29: Charles Bahm, Herman Goldman, Ben A. Herman, Bernard Hoddeson, Jacob Jacobs, Ise Kramer, Frieda Miller, Benjamin Mossoff, Florence Rubin, Arnold Sommer, Lester H. Strauss Wednesday September 30: Max Danovitz, Max Dobkin, Hyman J. Dobkin*, Ruth P. Kamin, Sarah Kamin, Herman Lang, Mollie Levine, Rose Levine, Max C. Levy, Ruth O. Martin, Ida Osgood, Irving Leonard Podolsky, Estelle L. Schaeffer, Samuel Siegal, Alfred Supowitz, Rebecca Zeff Thursday October 1: Mollie Brand Amsel, Ruth Haltman Caplan, Gerald C. Davidson, Thekla Zimmern Gordon, Esther Mandell, Samuel Maryn, Michael Sattler, Morris Saxen, Jeanette Schutzman, Harry T. Weiner Friday October 2: Joseph Bowytz, Freda K. Unikel Bregman, Leah Breman, Dora Brody, Sadie Colton, Bess R. Escott, Laura Fletcher, Helen Goldfeder, Leana M. Herman, Harold Martin Lewis, Ben Markowitz, Celia Miller, Mollie Osgood, Dr. Gerald L. Ostfield, Elizabeth L. Ostfield, Md, Israel Raphael, Clarence Rosenberg, Bessie Ruth Roth, Albert Solomon, Henry Ziskind Saturday October 3: Beatrice Ash, Jacob Bennett, Max M. Bergad, Morris R. Cohn, Fannie Coon, Max Dine, Harry Dorsey, Jacob Florman, Bess Hansell, Millie Kanowitz, Morris Kempler, Selma Krouse, Pvt. Isadore Levy, Ernest Mannheimer, Katie Levine Marcus, Anna Mazer, Bella Olinsky, Alexander Sharove, Esther Simon, Max Staman, Anna Stein, Nathaniel Steinberg, Barbara Ruth Weisenberg, Louis Wesoky, Louis Aaron White, Milton Wirtzman

p As the sun began to set on the 3rd of Tishrei, hundreds gathered at the site of Yeshiva Boys School in Squirrel Hill to honor the life of Rabbi Ephraim Rosenblum, who passed away on Monday, Sept. 21. The crowd symbolically escorted the funeral procession as it began its journey to Montefiore Cemetery in New York for burial. Rosenblum was an integral part of Yeshiva Schools for more than five decades.

Photo by Gene Tabachnick

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Headlines Forgiveness: Continued from page 5

Vogel. Inmates are mainly isolated in their housing units to prevent the coronavirus from spreading across the compound. Rabbis currently can visit only one prison. And the inmates will spend Yom Kippur in their individual units instead of congregating in the chapel. But the Aleph Institute has found new

Podcasters: Continued from page 9

too was the world around them. As a result of COVID-19, communicating on screens became much more prevalent, and whatever mistakes the Jewish duo made early on in understanding each other’s nonverbal cues or body language, thousands of Zoom neophytes were experiencing similar pangs, noted Green. With practice, and in time, Davidson and Green remedied their shortcomings. The latter worked on his energy and elocution, and the former softened his dramatic mannerisms. Eight episodes in, the show is hitting its stride, said Davidson. “As we got more comfortable in just being ourselves, we really just naturally reverted to the cadence and rhythm of our friendship,” said Green. Their conversations “began to feel really similar to what we’d be doing if we were in the same room.” In a lot of ways, this echoes how it all began nearly three decades ago, noted Davidson. During the mid 1980s, Davidson and Green, two sports obsessed Jewish kids,

ways to meet inmates’ needs. It sent shofars to every prison in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, and one inmate at each location will serve as the designated ba’al tekiah. The inmates also will be given bagged lunches to save for the Yom Kippur break fast. And in place of discussing Jewish topics in person, the Aleph Institute produced educational videos that are played each week on a designated religious TV in every unit. “I’ve become all of a sudden proficient in Adobe Premiere,” said Vogel.

Meanwhile, Shlomo is a “role model” inmate, he said. He makes sure new Jewish inmates have what they need and are able to make phone calls. He prays. Jews and non-Jews alike look up to Shlomo, and prison authorities tell Vogel that Shlomo is a stabilizing force. “Should society let him out?” Vogel wonders. “I don’t know. We can never justify taking a life. Here’s an individual who is at a great place spiritually. Physically, he’s got his challenges — he’s got to bring Godliness into a very dark place.”

arrived at Camp Young Judaea. After their friendship developed, they decided to share their mutual passion with a slightly larger audience. As teenagers, the Generation Xers became involved in WCYJ, Camp Young Judaea’s radio station, and although the internet has an elephant’s memory, the earliest evidence of those audio efforts are untraceable. “We joke it was the lowest rated radio show ever,” said Green. Between its listener base of 45 people, and its reliance on a 50 watt signal, the co-hosted morning program was rudimentary at best. What it provided, however, was an early education in preparedness and delivery. “We took it so seriously,” said Green. Planning sessions the night before each show were dedicated to determining musical choices and conversational topics. The structured framework bolstered by youthful zeal enabled Davidson and Green to spend hours discussing shared interests, which led to decades of doing more of the same. Nearly 30 years later, the podcasters know they aren’t the first to recognize the evolution of sports, culture and music, or even the first Jewish sports obsessed kids to

continue examining these topics into adulthood. Davidson and Green are proud of their work, but freely admit that they aren’t expecting to displace media empires or sign lucrative contracts in the immediate future. In some ways, the podcasters are simply happy to build on years of past conversation and challenge themselves in the process — because as much as they’re reviewing the moments of 2000, they’re also looking back on themselves. No longer cassette-carrying Jewish campers, Davidson and Green are middleaged adults with families and responsibilities. But it’s this totality of experience that has influenced their understanding of changes in the world of sports, culture and music. Social media, for instance, has not only provided fans with greater access to athletes, but has given athletes a better means of disseminating their own values or building their brands, said Green. For example, athletes are speaking out on race-related issues in ways that may have been uncommon decades ago, noted Davidson. The podcast also features interviews, including one with Kristi Castlin, an American bronze medalist in the 100-meter

Taking things day by day is key, he said. “We wash our hands in the morning at the place we are,” said Vogel. “Not where we would like to be. Not where we were yesterday. And by the end of the day, we’ll take an accounting to see was it a good day, did we do right, and if not, where did we fail. And where can we improve? And only we know at the end of the day.”  PJC Kayla Steinberg can be reached at ksteinberg@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. hurdles at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, who discussed athletes’ abilities to advocate and potential fears of doing so; and Tamir Goodman, a former AmericanIsraeli basketball player labeled the “Jewish Jordan” by Sports Illustrated, who described the power of faith to carry one through life’s difficulties. Like they’ve done for more than three decades, Davidson and Green plan to keep the conversation going — the next episode welcomes Squirrel Hill resident and MLB. com writer Jonathan Mayo for a discussion on the “Subway Series” between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets — and, when January hits, are just as excited to discuss 2001 as the year prior. “That was one of the things that I liked about the idea, was that there wasn’t an endpoint,” Davidson said. “That if we’re able to find a rhythm, we can keep doing this as long as we’re having fun and enjoying it.” Take A 20 podcast is available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify and online.  PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 21

Community Rabbi on the roof

‘Mincha, Mincha’ t After the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel signed peace treaties on Sept. 15, Pittsburgher David Eisner, assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury, led mincha on the White House lawn. Eisner said he was chosen to lead the afternoon service because he is saying kaddish for his father, Milton Eisner. Screenshot from video by Karen Lehmann Eisner

p Prior to Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of Tree of Life * Or L’Simcha Congregation blows the shofar from the synagogue’s roof. Photo by Sandy Riemer

Friendship Circle Drive-by Fun The Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh held its first ever Welcome Back Family BBQ & Program

p Beginning the new year with smiles

Fair on September 16 in Schenley Park and on Zoom. At interactive drive-through stations, members learned about exciting opportunities and programs while playing games and enjoying entertainment.

p Buying pants online is always a toss-up

p Having fun with friends is more than a game

Photos courtesy of The Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh

Much to do at Temple David

p Preparation occurs for Drive-In Shofar Experience.

22 SEPTEMBER 25, 2020

p Even the rain can’t damper Shabbat in the park.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Photos courtesy of Temple David

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Community They’re back

After months away, families returned to the Temple Emanuel Early Childhood Development Center on Sept. 8.

Taking care of its own Temple Emanuel of South Hills volunteers prepared High Holiday care packages for members. Contents included a membership directory, a Book of Remembrance, a DIY tashlich kit, a Rosh Hashanah seder guide, High Holiday trivia cards and more.

p Donning masks and staying socially distanced, volunteers prepare for drive-by pickup on Sept. 13. Photos courtesy

p The Lutz family decorated its car in excitement.

of Temple Emanuel of South Hills

t Sandee Connors-Rowe helps assemble 500 High Holiday care packages at Temple Emanuel.

‘Get your machzors’

p Incoming ECDC Director Kate Louik is all smiles as students return.

p Volunteers from Congregation Beth El of South Hills hold a pre-Rosh Hashanah bag distribution and pickup.

Photo by Kelly Schwimer

Doing good in Monroeville t Chabad of Monroeville Partnered with The Monroeville Area Chamber of Commerce, Visit Monroeville and The Monroeville Foundation to distribute more than 1200 free masks to the community. Photo courtesy of Debbie Iszauk

p ECDC Director Iris Harlan greets students and helps them toward the parking lot health screenings. Photos courtesy of Temple Emanuel of South Hills

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PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 23

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