P I T TS B U R G H
November 24, 2017 | 6 Kislev 5778
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Candlelighting 4:39 p.m. | Havdalah 5:40 p.m. | Vol. 60, No. 47 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
Momentum mission to Israel inspires local mothers
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL No ordinary volunteer In retirement, Ronna Scoratow has turned helping others into a full-time job.
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filled to capacity,” said Altein, a member of the Lubavitch community. Requirements for participation were that participants (excluding city leaders) were not Sabbath observant, were “physically and emotionally healthy” and had children under the age of 18 years old at home, according to the JWRP. Participants paid for their own flights, deposits and tips. Everything else was covered by JWRP, the Israeli government and CWB. Given the stipulations and the fact that several of the Steel City’s inaugural cohort have children of roughly the same age, a few participants considered themselves acquaintances prior to the trip. But for those who were even initially strangers to one another, after spending multiple intensive days together, the group “really clicked, and everyone connected well,” said Adrienne Indianer, adding that “everyone was nice and friendly and wanted to meet other people.” During the Nov. 7-14 mission, the group visited “all the major touring spots,” engaged in “daily inspirational classes” and partic-
he young African-American man enters the tiny downtown store and from his pocket removes a silver chain bracelet and what might be a piece of a gold earring. He lays the jewelry on the counter and addresses the Jewish man across the counter, saying “Mr. Eddie. We spoke on the phone this morning.” Eddie Lowy, the owner of Banner Coin Exchange, greets the gentleman with a generous smile. Smiles come naturally to Lowy; they shape his “resting face” and seem to fade only those moments when he is gazing intently into his jeweler’s loupe, determining whether a given item is treasure or trash. This time it’s treasure. The bracelet, Lowy tells his customer, was made in China, but it is sterling silver. He tests the earring piece with acid and confirms it is made of 10 karat gold. Lowy presses a few keys on his adding machine and tells the young man that his trinkets are worth a total of $22.83. “I guess that was worth the trip down here,” Lowy says, and his customer agrees. “Yes, it was,” says the man, who is simultaneously giving a play-by-play on his cell to his girlfriend, telling her what price her pieces have fetched. Lowy checks and records the man’s identification — it’s clear he has laws to follow, and he is following them to the letter — and completes the transaction by paying his patron and tucking the jewelry away. The customer does not for a second doubt Lowy’s appraisal. After being in the business of coin and jewelry exchange for more than 37 years, Lowy has developed a reputation for honesty and integrity. His Google and Yelp reviews are uniformly outstanding, with customers writing that Lowy’s shop offers the “best price in town,” and that he is
Please see Women, page 16
Please see Lowy, page 16
LOCAL Federations’ full-court press
Pittsburgh’s participants are all smiles as they pose for a group photo at the Western Wall. Photo courtesy of Adrienne Indianer
Page 4 LOCAL Akko pride Manchester Bidwellmodeled center celebrates first year of operation. Page 5
Meet Eddie Lowy: buyer of rare coins, scrap jewelry, dental work By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer
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Pittsburgh’s delegation sounds off on JFNA’s Israel declaration.
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By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer
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fter spending eight days in Israel on a first-from-Pittsburgh “Birthright for Moms,” 10 women have returned spiritually rejuvenated. As part of the Momentum program of the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project, they will now spend the next year strengthening their bonds to Judaism and the Jewish state. Momentum, which began in 2009, caters to its demographic because “mothers are teachers, and they basically can strengthen Judaism and bring Israel into the family,” said Tsipy Gur, founder and executive director of Classrooms Without Borders, a local organization that partnered with the JWRP to make Momentum available in the Steel City. “When I first found out about it, I was like, I’m there,” said Julie Paris, who explained that she discovered the JWRP more than three years ago online after reading about Momentum. Once Chani Altein was selected as the city leader, word soon spread. “I told a few women and they told a few women, and before we knew it, we were
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