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March 23, 2018 | 7 Nisan 5778
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Candlelighting 7:17 p.m. | Havdalah 8:17 p.m. | Vol. 61, No. 12 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Former Wings guitarist to soar this weekend
CDS students participate in National Walkout
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One woman’s anger ignites grassroots activism By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer
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“Your voices are being heard at city government,” said the Democrat. “This shows you care. It shows that all lives matter. Not a lot of schools are doing what you’re doing.” While students from schools nationwide participated in the walkout, CDS was the lone Pittsburgh Jewish day school to offer an organized activity. Although similar action did not occur at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, Principal Rabbi Sam Weinberg explained that “students process tragedies in different ways, and when a horrific tragedy like the one in Parkland occurs it is important for our entire staff to be on the lookout for any grieving or distressed students. We are always there to listen and help our students in all aspects of their lives.” Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh did not return requests for comment. CDS Head of School Avi Baran Munro said that the walkout was student driven and that “this is the first time that Community Day School students have organized a demonstration like this.” “Kids across the country are being heard in ways that adults haven’t been,” she explained. “It’s inspirational. It feels like we built these
llen Katzen was “mad as hell.” Four days after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, in which 17 people were killed and another 17 were wounded when a former student opened fire inside the Parkland, Fla., school building, Katzen, 77, sent an email to 93 friends. Titled “mad as hell,” she wrote, “Dear friends, I am so angry about the school shooting in Parkland — and all other school shootings. I can’t stop thinking about all of the gun violence.” The Squirrel Hill resident had just returned from seeing “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” an award winning film which stars Frances McDormand as a determined mother who rents multiple billboards in an effort to challenge the town’s local police chief, played by Woody Harrelson, and address her daughter’s unsolved murder. After explaining that the movie had spurred a thought, Katzen closed her email with the words, “If you have a better idea — let’s get together and brainstorm and DO SOMETHING! I can’t stand what our country has become.” It was clear that “she was mad as hell,” said Laurie Moser, a recipient of Katzen’s message. What transpired next, though, was that “everybody rallied. It was really interesting; it was grassroots at its best.” Days after the email was sent a group of eight people gathered in Katzen’s home and crafted a three-pronged approach. Step one involves advertisements in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle and the Pittsburgh PostGazette, designed to “raise some awareness and activate some people who are mad as hell and don’t know where to channel that anger.” “The hope is that we’ll be able to put that into some positive action,” said Moser, 70. Step two is to “support local students who
Please see Walkout, page 24
Please see CeaseFire, page 24
Lawrence Juber will help honor Rabbi Mahler. Page 4 LOCAL If no recount, Lamb by a nose Democrat edges out Saccone in nail-biting finish. Page 6 PASSOVER Modern-day plagues
Rabbis sound off on contemporary challenges. Page 18
Orelle Magnani, Dori Catz and Madison Zunder protest gun violence.
Photo courtesy of Community Day School
By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer
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s students around the country took part in nationally organized walkouts sparked by last month’s murder of 17 people at a Parkland, Fla., high school, more than 50 young adults at Community Day School in Squirrel Hill headed outdoors last Wednesday to offer voice, silence and solidarity with those seeking legislative attention on gun reform. “Good morning and thank you all for being here. Being out here as a community sends a strong message to our elected officials that mass shootings are not right,” eighth-grader Talia Rosen told students, staff, parents and friends who gathered outside the Gary and Nancy Tuckfelt Keeping Tabs Holocaust Sculpture on CDS’ campus. “We have all walked out here today to show our politicians what it really means to take action,” echoed fellow eighth-grader Ada Perlman, who along with Rosen organized the local student walkout. Attendees were encouraged to take a moment of silence to “commemorate all the victims that have been lost in such horrifying gun massacres,” explained Perlman. Among those present at the CDS walkout was City Councilman Corey O’Connor.
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Headlines Local college students enjoy in-depth view of Israel — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer
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f experience is the best education, then 11 local college students got the lesson of a lifetime, spending an intensive week in the Jewish state as part of the Israel Ambassadors Program. Students from Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh recently returned from their alternative spring break journey, which according to Josh Sayles, director of the Community Relations Council at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, was about showing students “all of the perspectives of Israel.” Sayles arranged for the young travelers to learn from individuals representing varying walks of political and religious life. “We heard from a lot of really interesting speakers,” said Brian Burke, a junior at the University of Pittsburgh. Presenters included “right-wing and leftwing” Israelis, Arabs and Palestinians, said Sayles. “The goal is really to get them to hear all sides of the argument, and to do so in an educational way, which will really strengthen their connection to the land of Israel.” One enlightening moment actually arrived when a portion of the trip fell through, said Burke. “We were supposed to go to Ramallah [one] day, but because of security concerns we weren’t able to go,” he explained. Instead of scrapping the experience completely, the Palestinian guide who was supposed to lead the tour ended up meeting the group in Jerusalem. “We also heard from a Palestinian pollster,” added Burke, a political science major. “He’s a Ph.D., and he dived into the political views
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today, whether it’s support for the PLO, Hamas or Mahmoud Abbas or the future peace process. It was a really unique perspective to hear. You don’t often get into the nitty gritty details of what people think and you don’t often hear what people on the ground think.” Sayles said it doesn’t matter whether or not the trip alters students’ perspectives on political causes. “We don’t care if they end up leaning to left, right or center, as long as they support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish democratic state and take what they learned from the trip and bring it back to campus and make it a more Israel-friendly environment,” said Sayles. This was the third iteration of the Israel Ambassadors Program. Previous trips occurred in August 2015 and December 2016. Upon their return, participants are expected to implement a campus oriented activity. “All of these students agreed to have a yearlong commitment and put together their own projects, and collaborate not only with each other but with other Jewish and non-Jewish groups on campus to make it a safer place to love Israel,” said Sayles. Burke said that although he has yet to flesh out the details, he is planning on doing “something connected with politics or views of the [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict.” Another student was considering creating a podcast, while yet another participant was “talking about telling the story of Israel through art and photography,” said Sayles. “We will sit down with the students over the next couple of months and make sure that the projects are the best they can be.” “The knowledge and enthusiasm that these students are bringing back to campus will make a significant impact on how Israel is understood and perceived on campus,” echoed Dan Marcus, executive director and
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CEO of the Hillel Jewish University Center in Pittsburgh. “We are tremendously grateful to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the generous donors that have made it possible for Hillel JUC students to participate in this highly sophisticated Israel program.” This was Burke’s fourth time traveling to Israel. But in contrast to those prior visits, what the program provided was an opportunity to “go into more depth,” as well as “dive deeper into the issues,” he said. Brenna Rosen, a fellow participant and junior at the University of Pittsburgh, agreed. “Last year I went on Birthright — in December 2016, it was very touristy,” said the applied developmental psychology major. But, “I am interested in conflict politics and human rights.” What the trip afforded was the ability
to “take a closer look at those things and see a side of Israel that you don’t see in Birthright. It was more investigative and more learning.” “Some people like walking around, and hiking is all well and good, but being able to hear from journalists or politicians or people who work at NGOs was really cool,” said Burke. In addition to fresh perspectives, organizers wanted to offer the students little-seen parts of the country. So whether it was showcasing advances in farming, the country’s handling of LGBT rights or developments in business and technology, said Sayles, “in a week we gave them a microcosm of all of the wonderful things that Israel has to offer.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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p Participants pose for a photo during a graffiti tour in the Florentin neighborhood of Tel Aviv. Photo courtesy of Brian Burke
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Headlines Former Wings guitarist to soar at Temple Emanuel this weekend — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer
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orld-renowned Jewish guitarist Laurence Juber credits two very different men as influencing his eclectic career: former Beatle Paul McCartney and the late Sherwood Schwartz, creator of “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Brady Bunch.” Juber worked with McCartney as the lead guitarist of Wings. As for Schwartz, Juber married his daughter, Hope, which exposed the English-born musician to an entirely different brand of creativity. Juber will be performing a free concert at Temple Emanuel of South Hills on Saturday evening, March 24, in honor of Rabbi Mark Mahler’s impending retirement this June after having served as the congregation’s spiritual leader for 38 years. Having grown up in England in the 1960s, Juber was naturally a Beatles fan, so when the opportunity arose for him to work with McCartney, he grabbed it. He was working as a studio musician on a TV show in London when he was tapped to join Wings.
“Denny Laine, who was in Wings and had previously been in the Moody Blues, he was a guest on the show and liked my playing,” said Juber, speaking by phone from his home in Los Angeles. “He suggested me to Paul, and I went about six months later and did an audition and I fit the suit.” The timing he said, coincided with the death of his father. “It was a very interesting time for me because my father passed away March 18, 1978, and a month later was when I was asked to join Wings,” Juber said. “So, I went from losing my father to being in a situation with an artist who was a mentor, and not exactly a father figure, but who kind of filled that gap for me, except from a musical point of view rather than a family point of view.” Juber has fond memories of Linda McCartney, who he described as “a very interesting person with a lot of unappreciated talents.” Linda McCartney, who was Jewish, was the daughter of Lee Eastman, an attorney in New York specializing in entertainment law who had changed his last name from Epstein. “It was ironic that the Beatles’ manager was Brian Epstein,” Juber noted. “And then you had this Epstein family that became such a fundamental part of Paul’s business in the ’70s post-Beatles.”
Juber learned a lot about working together as a couple from the McCartneys. “They set a standard for me,” he said. “My wife Hope and I work together. We have a number of stage musicals. I’ve produced plays for her. She produces my albums. I’ve scored TV movies she has written. We have a very synergistic creative relationship, and that was something I saw with Paul and Linda.” Until Juber worked with the former Beatle, his ambition was to be a studio musician. But additional avenues of creativity were unlocked during his time with Wings. “Even though I went to London University and studied music, it was never on my radar to be a songwriter and a composer,” said Juber, who has won two Grammy Awards. “Working with Paul really fired up that part of my creativity, and that’s when I started to compose. “Specifically, because guitar was so much my focus, I composed for solo guitar. Later I got into movies and Please see Guitarist, page 7
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Concerned About Gun Violence?
Headlines Lamb the apparent winner, Saccone remains silent good character,” while Trump referred to Saccone as “an extraordinary person.” According to both Trump and Biden, the By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer contest represented something more than two men fighting for one seat. ssuming that his opponent does not “Beyond the vote it’s very important mount a recount, Democrat Conor to remember this, the other opponent, Lamb will represent Pennsylvania’s [Saccone’s] opponent, is not voting for us. 18th Congressional District after winning He can say all he wants, there is no way he by the slimmest of margins in last week’s is ever voting for us ever, ever, and he can be electoral contest. nice to me, and he is, but there’s no way he’s With 100 percent of the 593 ever voting for me,” said Trump. precincts fully reported, Lamb “Take a look at what’s possessed more than 600 votes happening. People are realthan Saccone, according to The izing the bill of goods they Associated Press, leading the have been sold. People are Democrat to declare victory the angry,” noted Biden. day after the March 13 special While reporters and strategists election. But with several have begun debating the political hundred absentee and proviconsequences for Trump of the sional ballots left to be counted, vote, House Speaker Paul Ryan Saccone, who was sitting on a (R-Wis.) was less convinced of nearly-impossible path to the its implications. “This is somecurrent Congress, has refused thing that you are not going p Conor Lamb to concede. More than 221,000 File photo to see repeated because they total ballots were cast. didn’t have a primary,” he told CBS News reported that reporters. “They were able to the GOP is considering both pick a candidate who could a recount and “lawsuit over run as a conservative, who ran perceived irregularities” in the against the minority leader, who contest, which was spurred by ran on a conservative agenda. the Oct. 21, 2017, resignation You will have primaries in all of of former Republican Rep. Tim these other races and the primaMurphy in a sex scandal. Pennries bring them to the left so I sylvania law does not mandate a just don’t think this is something recount for federal races. you’re going to see a repeat of.” While it is unclear what Nearly $30 million dollars Saccone will do, he has been p Rick Saccone were spent between Demogathering petitions to run File photo crats and Republicans in the in the newly-drawn 14th special election. On March 2, Congressional District. Meanwhile, Lamb is WESA.FM reported that Lamb had raised proceeding as if he’s heading to Capitol Hill. “more than $3.3 million in the first seven He retweeted a New York Times post weeks of 2018,” a figure “almost five times “calling it in his favor,” and wrote on Twitter, the $703,000 Saccone reported.” Nonethe“We did it. From the bottom of my heart, less, those figures paled in comparison to a thank you. I’m so grateful to everyone who March 13 report from NPR, which stated, made this possible. I’m proud of what we “More than $10 million has been spent to accomplished last night. I’m proud to be a support Saccone, about twice as much as has Western Pennsylvania Democrat. And I’m been spent for Lamb.” ready to get to work for the people of #PA18.” Ultimately, there was a clear message in For many across the nation, the the special election, said Ryan. “Both candiLamb-Saccone race represented a potential dates ran as conservatives, ran as pro-gun, referendum on President Donald Trump. In pro-life, anti-Nancy Pelosi conservatives, 2016, Trump heavily won the district, a point and I think that’s the takeaway we see here.” that he referenced during his recent Pitts“If Paul Ryan believes that this was an burgh visit. While speaking to rally-goers in election about Nancy Pelosi then he is Moon Township on Saturday, March 10, the going to be in for a real shock in November Republican president implored his audience when he loses dozens of seats,” said attorney to “go out on Tuesday and vote like crazy.” Clifford Levine, who apart from serving Such high-profile instruction mirrored as a 2008 and 2012 delegate for President that of former Vice President Joe Biden, Barack Obama at the Democratic National who visited Lamb supporters at the Carpen- Convention, was a member of Obama’s ters Training Center in Collier Township campaign finance committee and a Pennsylon Tuesday, March 6. While pointing to the vania representative of the former president Democratic candidate, Biden said, “Get out on election law. there and work, help this man win.” Lamb “will set a national tone that a The election asked voters from Pittsburgh’s constructive approach to working together southern suburbs to select between Saccone, is really what the American people a U.S. Air Force veteran and former faculty want,” said Levine. member at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and Lamb, a Marine and former federal Please see Election, page 7 prosecutor. Biden called Lamb a “man of
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Headlines Guitarist: Continued from page 4
television composing.” When Wings folded, Juber moved to New York, where he met Hope. “She was from L.A., and we ended up getting engaged and I moved to L.A.,” he said. “It was a very different kind of show business family on her part because her dad was Sherwood Schwartz, who created ‘Gilligan’s Island’ and ‘The Brady Bunch.’ There was this weird nexus of pop culture coming from Beatles-Wings to Gilligan-Brady, and Hope being a comedy writer, taking after her dad. This was a very different kind of creative environment to be working in.” Juber describes Sherwood Schwartz, who died in 2011, as his “other father.” “That was an amazing thing for me, to have him as a mentor as well,” Juber said. “To have Paul McCartney on one side, and Sherwood Schwartz on the other in terms of life experience is pretty amazing.” Juber has worked on myriad shows and films, including, “Pocahontas,” “Good Will Hunting” and “Dirty Dancing.” He has also written songs for Hope’s comedy rock and roll band, the Housewives. And, at the request of his late father-in-law, Juber and Hope wrote songs for the musical version of “Gilligan’s Island,” which recently had its premiere in Australia, and “The Brady Bunch” musical. Although he has come to be a prolific composer, Juber still identifies primarily as “a musician who plays guitar.” Mahler, who has made the guitar a “fundamental part of his rabbinate” — playing the instrument each week at Temple Emanuel on Friday nights — used his “rabbinic prerogative” in urging the congregation to bring in
Election: Continued from page 6
Such sensibilities are among the reasons why Jamie Forrest and other members of Bend the Arc Pittsburgh, a local affiliate of the progressive Jewish movement, supported Lamb’s campaign. “We worked with Jews and other supporters in the 18th District to phone bank and canvass on behalf of Conor Lamb, who represented to us the values of honesty, integrity and morality that we wish to see in Washington,” said Forrest. “His victory is a signal to us that we are not alone in this desire, and that there will likely be a wave of candidates like Lamb who are able to win elections this fall by running campaigns that focus on issues grounded in empathy and decency.” Those traits are really what drew voters to Lamb, said Levine. “Conor Lamb ran a very positive campaign and he is of the belief that government can offer very positive solutions and serve the population as a whole … and that’s very different than the Republican perspective.” Joshua Friedman, another member of Bend the Arc Pittsburgh, was among a group of three canvassers who traveled to the Robinson area two days prior to the
Murray Avenue Kosher Juber for its annual musical event sponsored by the Temple’s Diskin Music Fund. “Great guitarists today abound,” Mahler said. “Some of them play athletically, one hand flying across the neck and the other hand frantically picking, notes cascading from the guitar. Their listeners go ‘Wow!’ Some of them play melodically, each note precious, each note pitch perfect and in harmony with every other note. Their listeners go ‘Ahhh!’ Laurence Juber plays the guitar both athletically and melodically. His listeners go ‘Wow!’ and ‘Ahhh!’ simultaneously, for which there is no adequate word.” Juber, Mahler said, is “one of the greatest Jewish guitarists, and one of the finest in the world.” While Juber invited Mahler to either sing or play along with him as he performs the Beatles’ “In My Life,” Mahler has declined, “out of respect for his musicianship.” Juber’s concert at Temple Emanuel will feature pieces from the Great American Songbook, Beatles’ songs, works by Jewish songwriters, and some of his own compositions. “It’s funny, because the rabbi asked me about putting some kind of spotlight on Jewish composers, and I started to go through my repertoire, and it dawned on me that the majority of things that I do that aren’t my own compositions, other than the Beatles songs and a few others — British rock writers — pretty much everything else is by Jewish composers anyway,” Juber said. The guitarist speaks especially highly of one particular Jewish songwriter: his daughter, Ilsey Juber, who has composed songs for Beyoncé, Train, and Drake, to name just a few. “Hashtag prouddad,” he said. PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
election. Friedman estimates that the trio knocked on 120 doors. “We got a lot of positive responses,” he said. “We organized seven phone banks, two of which were held down in Mt. Lebanon, the rest were in Squirrel Hill. We made over 2,000 calls and spoke to around 250 voters,” added Forrest. For “such a close election,” in many ways it was “decided” by the Jewish community, said Jon Tucker, a local point person for the Republican Jewish Coalition. “Rick Saccone made a big mistake on not running on his own merits,” said Tucker, who pointed out that as the RJC does not endorse candidates, he was speaking for himself. He “tried to run on the coattails of the executive branch. A lot of independent thinkers, myself included, didn’t like that.” In a message to supporters, the Jewish Democratic Council of America said that the “election was a reminder of the impact we can have in shaping our country’s future. While we celebrate this victory, we refuse to lose sight of the ultimate goal of taking back congress this November.” In November, Lamb will face incumbent GOP Rep. Keith Rothfus in the redrawn 17th Congressional Distrct. PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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Calendar q TUESDAY, APRIL 10 The Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s 2018 Spring Event will feature Elad Shippony and “The Wandering Israeli” at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, preceded by a pre-reception for Lion of Judah Society, Lion of Judah Endowment members or Pomegranate Society. The presentation of the Natalie Novick Woman of Philanthropy Award will be given to Elaine Krasik. There is a charge. Contact Mia Alcorn at malcorn@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5222 or visit jfedpgh.org/spring-event for more information and to register. >> Submit calendar items on the Chronicle’s website, pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. Submissions will also be included in print. Events will run in the print edition beginning one month prior to the date. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon. q FRIDAY, MARCH 23 New this year at Congregation Beth Shalom is Hod veHadar & Pizza Dinner at 6 p.m. Instead of the spaghetti dinner, fill up with pizza and beer. Welcome the Shabbat Queen with melodies, singing, and a full dinner of hametz. Visit tinyurl.com/HodvehadarDinner to RSVP. The charge is $15/adult, $8/child (6-17 years old), and free for 5 and under. Speakeasy Shabbat from 7 to 10 p.m. at Moishe House. Come by for a roaring good time complete with services and dinner. 1920s-themed costumes encouraged. Contact moishehousepgh@gmail.com for the address and to RSVP. q SATURDAY, MARCH 24 Temple Emanuel of South Hills at 1250 Bower Hill Road will hold a free concert from 7 to 9 p.m. with Laurence Juber, two-time Grammy winner and former lead guitarist for Paul McCartney’s Wings. The concert is free, but registration is requested at templeemanuelpgh.org/ event. Contact Leslie Hoffman at lhoffman@ templeemanuelpgh.org or 412-279-7600 for more information. q ORDERS DUE SUNDAY, MARCH 25 GIFT volunteers are preparing 200 “Passover to Go” seder kits for local Jewish seniors who are homebound, in the hospital or assisted living and could benefit from a Passover to Go kit. GIFT’s mission is to make sure no senior feels separated from the community because of age and inability to leave home or a facility. All food items follow kosher dietary restrictions for Passover. GIFT, founded in 2015 by Rochel Tombosky, is a nonprofit organization that creates purposeful programming, advocates for seniors, and combats ageism to help seniors maintain their independence in a healthy way. Order kits at giftpgh.org or call 412-4015914. There is no charge for the kit, but a $25 suggested donation is listed on the GIFT website. q SUNDAY, MARCH 25 Rodef Shalom Sisterhood Movie Night will screen “Bagels Over Berlin,” directed by filmmaker Alan Feinberg, who will attend and
8 MARCH 23, 2018
introduce the film at 7:30 p.m. “Bagels Over Berlin” is a documentary that tells the story of the Jewish young men who joined the U.S. Army Air Corp just as the United States was entering the war against Hitler and Germany. Through interviews with 30 Jewish war veterans the film reveals the anti-Semitism and discrimination these young airmen encountered as well as being in the military branch with the highest mortality rate in the first part of the war. The film is entirely in English and open to the community at no charge. Light refreshments will be served afterward along with an informal discussion with the director. Contact Rodef Shalom at 412-621-6566 for more information and to RSVP. q MONDAY, MARCH 26 Moishe House Trivia Night from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Social, 6425 Penn Ave. Is your head filled with useless fluff you thought would never be useful? Come to bar trivia to put that knowledge to good use. Contact moishehousepgh@gmail.com for the address and to RSVP. The Beo String Quartet will perform at 8 p.m. for the Concert Series at Rodef Shalom. Based in Pittsburgh, Beo performs at concert halls and music festivals across the country, presenting a mix of innovative new music and standard classical repertoire, often combined with fun stuff incorporating pop/ rock songs and live electronics. Concerts are presented with entertaining and informative commentary. “Glass Blue Cleft” by Max Duykers will be the featured work. The concert also includes quartets by Beethoven and Shostakovich. This is the only Pittsburgh appearance of the Beo String Quartet this season. The program is free and open to the community with a reception to meet the artists after the concert. Visit beostringquartet.com for more information. q THURSDAY, MARCH 29 Carbfest Potluck from 7 to 9 p.m. at Moishe House. Looking for something to do with your chametz before Pesach? Come for a carbfest potluck with pizza and bread; you’ll bring whatever chametz you need to get rid of. Contact moishehousepgh@gmail.com for the address and to RSVP. q SATURDAY, MARCH 31 Temple David in Monroeville will host a second Passover seder, led by Rabbi Barbara Symons, at 6 p.m. Food for Thought will be catering the
event. The cost is $36 for Temple David members, $54 for nonmembers, $18 for children 12 to 18 and free for children under 12. For additional information or to make a reservation contact 412-372-1200 or stanb@ templedavid.org, or visit templedavid.org. The deadline is Monday, March 26. Temple Emanuel’s second night of Passover family seder will be at 6 p.m. led by Rabbi Mark Mahler and cantorial soloist Dr. Charles Cohen who will tell the story from the Haggadah. Temple Emanuel’s in-house catering department will prepare the seder. Special dietary needs can be accommodated if stated on the reservation form. RSVP at templeemanuelpgh.org/ event/seder2018 by March 21 or contact the Temple office at 412-279-7600 for more information. Walk-ins cannot be accommodated. The cost ranges from $20 to $42. Attendees are encouraged to bring a canned good to donate to SHIM’s food pantry or make a donation to Mazon, a Jewish Response to Hunger. From Broken to Whole: A Communal Pesah Seder will be held at Congregation Beth Shalom from 6 to 9 p.m. The charge is $50 for each adult; children 7 to 17 are $25.00 each; and under 7 are free. Visit tinyurl.com/ bspesah2018 to register. q TUESDAY, APRIL 3 The Jewish Women’s Center of Pittsburgh will hold its 25th annual women’s Pesach seder at 6 p.m. The JWC introduced the concept of a women’s seder to the Pittsburgh Jewish community in 1993. The first Haggadah was written by members of the JWC and continues to be enhanced each year with relevant readings and timely commentaries. In addition to placing Miriam’s Cup together with Elijah’s Cup, the seder includes songs, music, and text from the Torah about the women who played a vital role in the history of the Jewish people. Call 412-422-8044 by March 28 for additional information and to reserve a place. q WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 Rabbi Barbara Symons of Temple David will be discussing “My Name is Asher Lev” by Chaim Potok at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Monroeville Public Library. This is an interactive discussion intertwining growing up, Judaism and the world of art. q FRIDAY, APRIL 6 TO APRIL 14 The Seton Hill University Theatre Department, in partnership with the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education, will hold performances of “Letters to Sala” at its Performing Arts Center on Harrison Avenue in Greensburg. Visit setonhill.edu/tickets or call 724-5522929 for more information. q SUNDAY, APRIL 8 Temple Sinai’s Rummage Sale will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale will have housewares, kids’ items, sporting goods, crystal, jewelry, art, small furnishings and more. Proceeds benefit the Nathan & Hilda Katzen Center for Jewish Learning. Visit templesinaipgh.org/rummage-sale for more information.
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Women of Reform Judaism Atlantic District Pittsburgh Area Sisterhood Day will hold a lunch and panel discussion about human trafficking from noon to 2 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Speakers include Alison Hall, executive director of PAAR; Liz Miller, chief of adolescent and young adult medicine at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and professor of pediatrics at UPMC School of Medicine; and Brad Orsini, community security director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Attendees are invited to bring travel sizes of shampoo, conditioner, soaps, toothpaste, toothbrushes, K-cups, instant creamers, paper coffee cups with lids, and nonperishable food snacks to be used at PAAR’s drop in center for victims of trafficking. This is a women only event. There is an $18 charge and lunch is included. RSVP to Shirley Tucker at 412-420-3411. q MONDAY, APRIL 9 Rabbi Alex Greenbaum and Beth El Congregation will host a lunch and presentation with Michael Walter, Nationality Rooms tour coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hear how the Nationality Rooms came to be, the principles that guided their design and interpretation, and how they are used today. There is a $6 charge. Visit bethelcong.org for more information. The Women of Temple Sinai invite the community to learn about Tapas & Easy Appetizers with Barbara Gibson at 6:30 p.m. Anyone age 16 and older is welcome. The cost for this class is $10. RSVP by Friday, April 6. Visit templesinaipgh.org/wots-cookingclass-6 to RSVP and for more information. q WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 The Waldman International Award Ceremony will be held at the East End Cooperative Ministry, 6140 Station St. at 6:30 p.m. The Waldman International Arts and Writing Competition allows students in grades six to 12 to submit original art and compete for academic scholarships. There are categories in creative writing, visual arts and short film. The theme for 2017-2018 was Children in the Holocaust, 1933-1945. Participants come from across Allegheny County and from Israel. Israeli winners are brought to Pittsburgh to meet American winners and tour the city. Visit hcofpgh.org/waldman2 for a full list of winners and to register for the event. The 30th annual Westmoreland County Yom HaShoah Interfaith Service will be at 7 p.m. at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Latrobe. q THURSDAY, APRIL 12 Community Day School Middle School invites the community for a Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration from 8:45 to 9:30 a.m. at the Gary and Nancy Tuckfelt Keeping Tabs: A Holocaust Sculpture on the CDS campus. The event will include lighting of remembrance candles by local Holocaust survivors and their families, as well as a flag-lowering ceremony. The theme will be “The Power of Words,” focusing on the impact that words had in the Holocaust and subsequent genocides and how the words that we choose shape both our views and history. Please see Calendar, page 9
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Calendar q THURSDAY, APRIL 19 The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Israel & Overseas presents Yom Ha’atzmaut from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh. Celebrate Israel’s 70th independence day. Play, dance, sing, eat and celebrate with the Pittsburgh Jewish community. q FRIDAY-SUNDAY, APRIL 20-22 Temple David will hold an Art in Residence Weekend with “The Seventh Day: Revisiting Shabbat,” a fine arts exhibition that addresses the ever changing and life enhancing merit of the celebration of Shabbat. The exhibition explores, through a 21st-century perspective, the meaning of Shabbat. Temple David will host a wine and cheese reception from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for this exhibit from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Museum, New York. Curator Laura Kruger will explain the exhibit. Contact carolg@templedavid.org or visit templedavid.org for more information. Donations will be accepted at the door. q SUNDAY, APRIL 8 The community is invited to attend “Lost Worlds Found” at 10:30 a.m. at the Senator John Heinz History Center. Pittsburgh-based photographer David Aschkenas will tell stories behind a selection of his work focusing on photographs of the grand synagogues and Jewish cemeteries of Europe and his ongoing documentation of Pittsburgh. Aschkenas’ work will be complemented by students from the University of Pittsburgh as they present new research about Western Pennsylvania Jewish history. Their work stems from professor Rachel Kranson’s “Jews and the City” course, which follows the migration of Eastern European Jews to urban centers around the world, including Pittsburgh. This program is free and open to the public but does not include museum admission. An open house with student researchers will begin at 11:30 a.m. Contact Eric Lidji at eslidji@heinzhistorycenter.org or 412-454-6406 for more information. Visit tinyurl.com/ y9fs2vu4 to register.
Calendar: Continued from page 8 Keynote speakers will be Rup Pokharel, who came to the United States as a refugee from Bhutan and is now the service coordinator for Jewish Family and Community Services in Pittsburgh, as well as Leslie Aizenman, director of JFCS Refugee and Immigrant Services. Contact 412-521-1100, ext. 3207 or Jenny Jones at jjones@comday.org to reserve seating. The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh will present its Yom HaShoah Commemoration, 20 Years of “Flares of Memory,” at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh Katz Auditorium on Darlington Road. The program will honor local survivors and their families and will include selections from the Center’s publication, “Flares of Memory.” The event is free and open to the community; registration is encouraged. Visit hcofpgh.org/yom-hashoah or call 412-9397289 for more information and to register. q SUNDAY, APRIL 15 Beth El Congregation will host South Hills Genealogy Day, a free day of genealogy programming from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1900 Cochran Road, with demonstrations and discussions of online resources for researchers at the beginner and intermediate levels. Attendees can also enjoy All-You-Can-
virtually every bagel in New York City. Even into the 1950s, all members were Jewish and the minutes of its meetings were taken in Yiddish. Local 338 was merged out of existence in 1971, the victim of refrigeration, changing tastes and most notably the introduction of the automated bagel baking machine, but it left behind an absorbing story — one of assimilation, of technology’s disruptive impact and the decline of trade unionism. RSVP at templeemanuel@ templeemanuelpgh.org or 412-279-7600. Visit templeemanuelpgh.org/event/422brunch for more information. Tim Crain of Seton Hill University will give a lecture from 2 to 4 p.m. on the current rise of anti-Semitism and racism as part of the Festival of the Jewish Arts. The program, at Seton Hill University, is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and is free and open to the public. Contact 724-834-0560 or office@ceigreensburg.org for more information and to register.
q SUNDAY, APRIL 22
q SUNDAY APRIL 22-29
Temple Emanuel invites the community to a free brunch from 10:30 a.m. to noon sponsored by the Larry Miller Caring Community with guest speaker Barney Horowitz, former head of the National Labor Relations Board’s Albany office, who will present “Bagel Bakers Union, Local 338: A Remembrance.” For more than half a century, the craftsmen of Bagel Bakers Union, Local 338, made
Members of the Pittsburgh Jewish community will travel on a Volunteer Mission to Israel in northern Israel’s Galilee region. The City of Karmiel and the Misgav Region are looking for volunteers seeking an adventure. Contact Amy Cohen at 412992-5245 or acohen@jfedpgh.org for more information and to register. PJC
Eat the Pancake Festival in the next room until 1 p.m. Reservations are required by registering online at bethelcong.org/events/ south-hills-genealogy-day or email SouthHillsGenealogyDay@gmail.com. Beth El Congregation will host an annual All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Festival from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Brunch includes special toppings and eggs with pancakes for $8/adults, $5/ children ages 4-12. Visit bethelcong.org for more information. The Friendship Circle will hold Friends All Around Looking Forward from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom. The evening will include strolling dinner, silent auction and senior student recognition. Visit fcpgh.org to RSVP. q TUESDAY, APRIL 17 Chabad of the South Hills will hold a lunch for seniors with a presentation on senior health at noon. There is a $5 suggested donation. Call 412-278-2658 for more information and to register. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Israel & Overseas will hold a ceremony to honor the soldiers who gave their lives in defense of the State of Israel and to honor victims of terrorist attacks from 8 to 9 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, Katz Theater.
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PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE
MARCH 23, 2018 9
Headlines She’s the first Jew and woman to lead group working to separate religion and government — NATIONAL — By Josefin Dolsten | JTA
N
EW YORK — Though Rachel Laser is the new executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, she prefers a different term for the cause for which she now advocates: separation of religion and government. That difference may be subtle, but it speaks to the significance of the prominent public advocacy’s choice to hire Laser, the first non-Christian to serve in the position. “I appreciate that ‘separation of church and state’ is a term of art, but as a Jewish person it doesn’t always work perfectly for me as a shorthand,” she said earlier this month. Laser, 48, is also the first woman to head the Washington, D.C.-based group. She started last month after the previous director, Barry Lynn, a United Church of Christ minister and leader of the religious left, retired in November. The Chicago native and lawyer has worked for a handful of progressive organizations, including the Reform movement’s Religious JC Opn compass_Eartique 2/28/17 10:32 AM11Page 1Rachel Laser is the new executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Photo by Rick Reinhard p Please see Separate, page
This week in Israeli history
We’re taking hearing aid technology in a whole new direction.
Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty is signed at the White House in Washington.
— WORLD — Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
March 23, 1914 — Zion Mule Corps is created
Rabbi Raphael della Pergola, the Grand Rabbi of Alexandria, Egypt, administers the oath of allegiance to approximately 500 volunteers for the Zion Mule Corps, known officially as the Assyrian Refugee Mule Corps.
March 24, 1993 — Ezer Weizman is elected Israel’s 7th president
March 27, 1839 — Allahdad: Forced conversion of Jews in Mashhad, Iran takes place
The tensions between the local Shiite population and Jews erupt in the northeast Iranian city of Mashhad.
March 28, 1932 — First Maccabiah Games open in Tel Aviv
Ezer Weizman is elected president by the Knesset on the second ballot in a narrow vote of 66 to 53.
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March 25, 1950 — Saudi minister tells State Department it will never recognize Israel
Shaikh Yusuf Yassin, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, states that “Arab states would never agree to any working relationship with Israel.”
March 26, 1979 — Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty is signed The last stop you’ll make in successful hearing aid use
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Squirrel Hill ~ 2703 Murray Ave ~ 412.422.8006 ~ eartique.com 10 MARCH 23, 2018
Sixteen months after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s historic visit to Jerusalem and Knesset address, the
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The first Maccabiah Games, an international Jewish Olympics, open in Tel Aviv.
March 29, 2002 — Operation Defensive Shield is launched
In September 2000, following the breakdown of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians at Camp David, the Palestinians launch the Second Intifada. Operation Defensive Shield is an Israeli military operation devised to curtail violence associated with the Second Intifada. PJC
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Headlines Separate: Continued from page 10
Action Center, Planned Parenthood and the National Women’s Law Center. Her work has centered on fighting for issues such as women’s rights, LGBTQ equality and promoting interfaith relations. Laser said she is taking on her new role at a critical point in fighting to keep religion and government separate. “We’re witnessing an alarming moment in American history, where our country’s top leaders are failing to honor America’s promise to separate religion and government,� she said. The most pressing issues today, she said, are federal policies and laws allowing discrimination against LGBTQ people and denying access to reproductive health care on the basis of religion; the promotion of religion in public schools; and the religious discrimination issues surrounding President
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“I entered that work with fear and trepidation, and I ended that work convinced that there is remarkable space to bring unusual bedfellows together,� she said. Laser also helped build bridges between Jews and other religious communities as deputy director of the Religious Action Center, where she led interfaith campaigns related to issues such as gun safety and LGBTQ equality. At Americans United for Separation of Church and State, she hopes to forge similar bonds, and specifically wants to focus her outreach on the evangelical Christian and African-American communities. Laser said being a member of a religious minority motivates her to fight for separation of church and state. “Undeniably as a person from a religious minority, Jewish, I think I feel the importance of separation of religion and government deep in my soul. I have been that person who feels not seen, when it’s assumed that everyone is the culturally dominant religion,� she said.
THEY SEE FUN. WE SEE CONNECTIONS.
“ I think my enjoyment of diving deeply into dissecting and clarifying ideas comes from in certain ways our culture’s history of Talmudic study, and I think this
�
job definitely requires a lot of that.
Daily excursions and 5-day getaways. Register by the week. Grades 5-9. Questions: Lewis Sohinki, 412-697-3537 or lsohinki@jccpgh.org. Register: Katie Whitlatch, kwhitlatch@jccpgh.org or 412-697-3540.
— RACHEL LASER
Donald Trump’s executive order to ban citizens of six Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Her group signed onto an amicus brief — along with the Anti-Defamation League and the National Council of Jewish Women, among others — in a case before the Supreme Court about a Denver-area baker who refused on religious grounds to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Americans United calls it a “shabby attempt to turn religious freedom into a device to harm others by treating them like second-class citizens.� Americans United is wary, too, about a new policy that allows the government to use taxpayer money to rebuild houses of worship damaged in hurricanes and other disasters. That puts her organization on the opposite side of religious groups like the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and Agudath Israel of America, which think the new policy guidelines pass constitutional muster. Laser grew up in a Reform Jewish home in Chicago. She said her parents were “ ’60s people, dedicated to social justice for all,� and made sure their children were surrounded by people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and different sexual orientations. “That face of America was inscribed into my DNA starting in my youngest childhood,� she said. Building bridges between communities in the U.S. is something she values. Laser worked previously as cultural program director at Third Way, an organization that unites progressives and centrist evangelicals, where she fought to build consensus on issues such as reproductive health, LGBTQ equality and torture.
Laser, who has three children with her husband Mark Davies, an appellate intellectual property attorney, draws inspiration from Judaism. The family belongs to Adas Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Washington. “I think that I have values that are very deeply informed by my Judaism, which are about equality and fairness and justice: ‘Justice, justice you shall pursue,’� she said, citing a command in Deuteronomy 16:20. “I think my enjoyment of diving deeply into dissecting and clarifying ideas comes from in certain ways our culture’s history of Talmudic study, and I think this job definitely requires a lot of that.� Though Americans United for Separation of Church and State’s core membership used to be politically conservative (its founders were wary of government support for Catholic schools), today the cause is largely viewed as a progressive one, Laser said. She wants to change that. “I don’t think it’s intuitive anymore to a lot of Americans that what separation of religion and government is about is freedom of religion, is your ability to believe what you want to believe and to practice your own faith or to choose no faith,� she said. Laser hopes to bring together people from different sides of the political spectrum and show that finding common ground is not a sign of weakness but of strength. “I believe that you can agree respectfully not to agree on certain things and at the same time find places of strong agreement and overlap,� she said. “And this issue of separation of religion of government, which is rooted in freedom of religion, is one of them.�  PJC
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MARCH 23, 2018 11
Headlines Thanks to a Communist legacy, more women are in charge of Jewish groups in FSU — WORLD — By Cnaan Liphshiz | JTA
F
or a man to gallantly open a door for a female stranger is neither common nor universally appreciated in Ukraine, where gender salary gaps used to be illegal and female tank crews fought the Nazis. Throughout the former Soviet Union, the communist revolution instituted far-reaching gender equality at a time when women in some Western countries, including the United States, were not yet allowed to vote. Indeed, the first time that International Women’s Day, which is March 8, was declared a national holiday was in the Soviet Union, in 1918. It was later adopted by the United Nations in 1975, but it remains to this day a bank holiday in several post-communist countries. (It’s also the only day when holding a door for a strange woman on the street or giving her flowers is guaranteed not to invoke any negative reaction.) With the collapse of communism, so did government enforcement of gender equality in the workplace, resulting in Western-style wage gaps. Although overshadowed by its
p Anna Grigolaya, left, with her son and daughter
grim human rights record and repressive state machinery, communism’s feminist agenda seems to have had a particularly strong and lasting effect in unexpected
Photo courtesy of Anna Grigolaya
places — including on the leadership of the sizable Jewish minority of the former Soviet Union, or FSU. In Europe today, the only national Jewish
communities with female presidents — there are three among more than 20 — are from FSU countries. A woman also presides over the Jewish community of Warsaw, Poland. The dominant role of women in leadership of Eastern bloc communities is especially pronounced in the FSU operations of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, or JDC. Both the regional directors for Eastern and Central Europe of JDC are women, with other women heading Jewish community centers and other key facilities for JDC across the region — including Kiev, Odessa, Budapest and beyond. This reality is only partly rooted in communism, according to Anna Grigolaya. She’s a 42-year-old mother of two from the city of Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine, who works as JDC’s resource development manager in that region, which has more than 100,000 Jews. Women, she said, stepped up to lead Jewish communities in the East not only because they were roughly as educated and experienced as men by the time the Soviet Union had collapsed, but also because “they were the keepers of Jewish tradition when it was suppressed.� Please see Women, page 25
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Headlines Trump administration backs PLO in terror lawsuit, angering conservatives — NATIONAL — By Ron Kampeas | JTA
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ASHINGTON — The Trump administration sided with the Palestine Liberation Organization in a terrorism lawsuit that the Supreme Court may soon consider, drawing an angry rebuke from conservatives, including one of its most steadfast Jewish community defenders, the Zionist Organization of America. In 2015, a federal jury in Manhattan ruled in favor of American victims injured in six terror attacks that occurred in Israel between 2002 and 2004, handing down a $656 million decision against the PLO. An appellate court overturned the decision a year later. Solicitor General Noel Francisco supported the appellate court’s finding in a Supreme Court filing last month, mostly on technical grounds. The Trump administration’s argument “hurts the American terror victims, aids and comforts terrorists, and makes them less concerned about facing consequences for their hideous actions,” said a March 7 statement by Morton Klein, the ZOA president, and Susan Tuchman, the director of its Center for Law and Justice.
The Supreme Court will say by March 29 whether it will consider the appeal by the litigants in the case known as Sokolow v. Palestine Liberation Organization. The lead plaintiff, Mark Sokolow, said in an interview that he was shocked by the solicitor general’s filing. He noted that the Obama administration had intervened on behalf of the PLO in 2015, persuading the Manhattan District Court to substantially lower the bond — usually the equivalent of the judgment, in this case $656 million — which allowed the PLO the resources to file its appeal. The Obama administration argued then that the award would cripple the ability of the Palestinian Authority to function, thus posing a risk to U.S. interests in the region. “We did not think anything along those lines would come out of this administration,” Sokolow said, citing President Donald Trump’s invocations of “America first” when it comes to foreign policy. Trump has gone much further than the Obama administration in using American funds to pressure the Palestinians to hew to U.S. policies. His administration has frozen $65 million in transfers to the United Nations relief agency assisting Palestinian refugees and their descendants. It backs a bill in Congress that would cut U.S. funding
to the Palestinians until the Palestinian Authority stops paying the families of Palestinians who attack Israelis and Americans. (The Obama administration withheld funds commensurate with the payments to Palestinian attackers; the bill Trump backs would cut almost all funding to the Palestinians.) On the other hand, Trump is deeply invested in a bid led by his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Sokolow, his wife and two of his daughters were injured in a Jerusalem suicide bombing in 2002 that killed an 81-year-old man. His fellow plaintiffs are families of victims of terrorist attacks in Israel that killed 33, including several Americans, and wounded over 450. Their suit argued that the late PLO Chairman Yassir Arafat had paid attackers and their families. They were suing under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which allows American victims of international terror attacks to sue for damages in the United States. Francisco’s filing touched on issues of preserving the executive branch’s prerogative to intervene in such cases in order to protect American foreign policy interests — the core argument of the Obama and Bush administrations’ interventions in the lawsuit, which
was launched in 2004. But most of it turned on technical constitutional arguments. The PLO is entitled to due process, the solicitor general argues, because it qualifies as a “person” under U.S. law. The filing also says that the presence of two PLO offices in the United States does not meet the test of establishing the PLO as a legitimate U.S. target for litigation, and that the terrorists would not have necessarily known that some of the casualties were American. The latter claim mitigates another application of U.S. law that allows lawsuits against entities that deliberately target U.S. interests. The legalities drew special ire from critics of the filing. “The United States has in effect assented to the jurisdictional hurdles imposed by the Second Circuit, which will prevent many if not most victims of international terrorism from suing to hold their terrorist attackers accountable,” the ZOA said. In October, Republican and Democratic lawmakers in both chambers of Congress urged the solicitor general to support Sokolow’s appeal. Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) initiated a letter in the U.S. House of Representatives signed by 67 Republicans and Democrats. Please see Terror, page 25
Yom HaZikaron
Israel’s Memorial Day service hosted by The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Honoring soldiers who gave their lives in defense of the State of Israel and victims of terrorist attacks.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018 Ceremony will begin promptly at 8:00 pm Jewish Community Center 5738 Forbes Ave. Squirrel Hill Katz Auditorium
FREE
For more information or to make a request for special accommodations, contact Emily Bernstein at 412.992.5247 or ebernstein@jfedpgh.org
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Come and enjoy a spectacular party for adults and kids who are planning teen celebrations! Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Quinceaneras, Sweet 16’s, Graduation Parties
SUNDAY, APRIL 15• 1–5 p.m. Westin Hotel and Conference Center, Downtown
Sample the best in: DJ Entertainment, Food, Drinks, Desserts, Favors, Games & Activities, Props, Décor, and Rentals. The New Vendor Showcase is not-to-be-missed! Enjoy a schedule of several different DJ’s performing in the Party Room. To register and for more details visit: www.mitzvahbashpgh.com THIS EVENT IS FREE! Event produced by
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MARCH 23, 2018 13
Headlines — WORLD — From JTA reports
Lauder, in rare criticism, rebukes Netanyahu Ronald Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, said Israeli government policies threaten the country’s democratic character and even its existence. Openly breaking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an op-ed published Monday in The New York Times, Lauder also pressed hard for a two-state solution — a significant stance because the cosmetics billionaire has the ear of President Donald Trump, who is about to unveil a Middle East peace proposal. Trump has said he is agnostic about whether two states is the preferred outcome for Israel and the Palestinians, and Netanyahu over the past year has retreated from endorsing two states. Much of the column was an excoriation of Netanyahu’s policy in terms more commonly heard on the pro-Israel left, including the argument that Israel cannot be both a Jewish state and a democracy unless it relinquishes control of the lives of the Palestinians living in the West Bank. “The Jewish democratic state faces two grave threats that I believe could endanger its very existence,” Lauder wrote. “The first threat is the possible demise of the two-state solution. I am conservative and a Republican, and I have supported the Likud party
since the 1980s. But the reality is that 13 million people live between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. And almost half of them are Palestinian.” Lauder alluded to his closeness to Trump and to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and implicitly chided Netanyahu for his repeated claims that the only thing obstructing peace is Palestinian recalcitrance. “President Trump and his team are wholly committed to Middle East peace,” Lauder said. “Contrary to news media reports, senior Palestinian leaders are … ready to begin direct negotiations immediately.” Lauder also objected to the control that the Orthodox in Israel have over a range of issues including marriage and organized prayer at the Western Wall. “By submitting to the pressures exerted by a minority in Israel, the Jewish state is alienating a large segment of the Jewish people,” he said. “The crisis is especially pronounced among the younger generation, which is predominantly secular.” Lauder was close to Netanyahu for decades, backing him during his first run for prime minister in 1996 and defending him in Diaspora arenas. Over the past several years, there have been signs that they have grown apart, stemming from Lauder’s refusal seven years ago to block a report unflattering to Netanyahu and his wife Sara that was broadcast on an Israeli television channel in which Lauder had a part ownership stake. Lauder, chairman emeritus of the Estée
Lauder cosmetic empire and president of the World Jewish Congress since 2007, has also been one of the most consistent voices of support for Trump in the Jewish community. The two have been friends since the 1980s, when they both emerged as influential moguls on the New York political and social scenes. In 2001, Lauder, then chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, drew sharp criticism from the body’s constituent groups when he appeared at a rally in Israel against the then government’s proposed peace plan and its concessions to the Palestinians. Israeli bill seeks punishment for foreigners refusing gets The Knesset passed in a first reading draft legislation that would expose to legal action in Israel Jewish non-citizens who refuse to grant their wives a divorce. Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, last week celebrated as “extremely significant” the Knesset’s passing last week in a first reading of an amendment to the law on the rabbinical courts. If it passes a third reading, the bill would extend the courts’ jurisdiction to any Jew who is found to be withholding unjustly his consent to a divorce. Led by the government and opposition lawmakers, the legislation could lead to the fining and imprisonment of Jewish tourists while in Israel and is part of an escalation in judiciary practices against recalcitrant
husbands, which is occurring amid growing criticism over gender discrimination in Orthodox Judaism. In Orthodox Judaism, a marriage cannot be undone unless the man consents to a get — the Hebrew word for divorce. Rabbinical courts, which in Israel function as family courts, cannot force a man to give his wife a get but they can impose harsh punishments, including jail time, on any party the judges determine are unjustly withholding a get and turning women into what is known in Judaism as agunot, or “chained” women. But these powers in rabbinical courts run by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate are currently limited to Israeli citizens, said Goldschmidt. “The thought behind extending the jurisdiction to non-Israelis is that in today’s world, Jews, and especially observant ones, are tied to Israel. If they want to avoid legal trouble there, they will unchain their wives,” Goldschmidt, who has lobbied for the new legislation, said. The proposed measure is particularly effective when it comes to Jews living in Europe, which has more than 1 million Jews, Goldschmidt suggested. “Today among Jews in Europe, everyone has relatives in Israel, or they’re thinking they might be moving there or forced to move there,” Goldschmidt added. In 2017, Europe provided Israel with more than half of its immigrants under the law of return for Jews. Immigration from France and Ukraine and several other European countries is increasing amid growing expressions of anti-Semitism. PJC
Preparing for Passover… Clean & Cook Sell Hametz Buy Matzah DONATE TO THE JEWISH ASSISTANCE FUND Passover — a busy time of year as we prepare to gather around the Seder table with family and friends. Some families in our community struggle to meet their daily needs: food, clothing, shelter, transportation, medical/dental and utilities. The Jewish Assistance Fund helps local Jewish families during the holidays and throughout the year. Please add a tax deductible donation to your Passover Checklist. Visit us at www.JewishAssistanceFund.org Need help? Call 412.521.3237 (All inquiries are confidential)
Wishing you and your family a Happy Passover! 14 MARCH 23, 2018
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Headlines
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Headlines Mike Pompeo as secretary of state may affect Middle East — NATIONAL — By Ron Kampeas | JTA
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ASHINGTON — Like the rest of the world, Rex Tillerson got the news of his firing on Twitter. “Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service!” was the only reference to the now-outgoing secretary of state in a tweet President Donald Trump posted at 8:44 a.m. March 13 that also announced Tillerson’s nominated replacement, CIA director Mike Pompeo, and Pompeo’s replacement at the intelligence agency, Gina Haspel. In an extraordinary statement, Steve Goldstein, the undersecretary for public affairs, tweeted: “The secretary did not speak to the president and is unaware of the reason” he was fired. (Later that day, Goldstein also was dismissed.) Trump, leaving the White House, told reporters, over strong winds, the reason for axing Tillerson: “I actually got along well with Rex, but really it was a different mindset, a different thinking.” Of Pompeo, Trump said, “We’re always on the same wavelength.” He added: “I’m really at a point where we’re getting very close to having the Cabinet and other things that I want.” What does the departure of Tillerson and the elevation of Pompeo tell us about where Trump’s “wavelength” is when it comes to what matters to Israel and American Jews? Tillerson and Trump have tussled about a number of things — whether Russia is a reliable partner (Tillerson thought not, for Trump the jury is still out); whether to negotiate with North Korea about its nuclear weapons capability (Tillerson recommended it; Trump at first knocked Tillerson down, but now seems ready to follow that path). Notably, however, the reason Trump singled out in his impromptu White House lawn news conference was the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. “We got along, actually, quite well but we disagreed on things,” Trump said of Tillerson. “When you look at the Iran deal, I think it’s terrible, I guess he thought it was OK. I wanted to either break it or do something, and he felt a little bit differently.” Tillerson was one of the Cabinet-level officials staying Trump’s hand on the Iran deal, advising him to stick with what he saw as a bad agreement and amend it. Iran is hewing to the narrow parameters of the agreement, and the thinking by Tillerson and others, including Defense Secretary James Mattis, was that the United States would lose the leverage to persuade allies to pressure Iran by other means should Trump seek to kill the deal. Pompeo, a Republican congressman from Kansas before assuming his CIA role, opposed the deal, which trades sanctions relief for a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program. One rationale for the pact advanced by the Obama administration, which brokered the agreement, was that the only alternative was a military strike, which Obama 16 MARCH 23, 2018
p Mike Pompeo smiles at a moment of levity at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
officials believed would not necessarily kill Iran’s nuclear program and lead to open-ended war. “In an unclassified setting, it is under 2,000 sorties to destroy the Iranian nuclear capacity,” he said in 2014. “This is not an insurmountable task for the coalition forces.” Mark Dubowitz, the director of the Foundation of Defense of Democracies, a group that favors amending the deal, said on Twitter: “For those Europeans (and Americans) who think Trump is not serious about walking away on May 12th if there’s no agreement to fix the Iran nuke deal, I give you Exhibit A: his soon-to-be Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.” Trump must consider by May 12 whether to continue to waive sanctions on Iran, a key element of the deal. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), an opponent of the deal in 2015 who now believes it is the best vehicle to contain Iran, expressed alarm at Tillerson’s departure. “Secretary Tillerson’s firing is symptomatic of President Trump’s inability to take independent advice from his advisors,” Cardin said in a statement. “While Secretary Tillerson and I may have disagreed on many policy issues, it was apparent — particularly when it came to North Korea and Iran — that he gave the president an unvarnished look at the realities and the importance of diplomacy in critical situations.” After some equivocation during his candidacy over whether he would be “evenhanded” when it comes to Israel and the Palestinians, Trump as president has made it clear he favors Israel. “It’s fair to say I don’t have any disagreements” with Trump on Israel issues, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week during a visit to the nation’s capital. A keystone of Trump’s policy on Israel
policy has been his recognition late last year of Jerusalem as its capital. The decision risked his efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian talks, but it seems to be very personal. The Washington Post reported that a framed copy of Trump’s remarks recognizing Jerusalem hangs in the office of Ivanka Trump, his Jewish daughter and a top adviser to her father. Tillerson as secretary of state tried to slow down the Jerusalem process, to little avail. Once Trump recognized the city as Israel’s capital, Tillerson endeavored to make clear that the embassy would not move anytime soon. Vice President Mike Pence, who backs the move, said it would move in 2019. Then the Trump administration said it would happen in May. Pompeo as a congressman had high praise for Netanyahu and made his support for Israel a central point on his campaign website. Ivanka Trump’s husband, Jared Kushner, is taking the lead in shaping Middle East policy for his father-in-law. Tillerson, for the most part, left Kushner alone. One area in which Tillerson intervened, however, was in Kushner’s enthusiastic backing for Saudi Arabia in its attempts to isolate Qatar. The Saudi regime, and Kushner’s new BFF, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, targeted Qatar for its defiance of Saudi leadership in the Gulf. But Tillerson, noting Qatar’s role as a U.S. ally and host to a major U.S. military base, said he wanted a “calm and thoughtful dialogue” to resolve the clash between Qatar and its neighbors. Long before the “Make America Great Again” red hat became popular, Pompeo spoke bluntly about the threat of radical Islam in Trumpian ways. As a congressman, he repeatedly chided Muslim leaders for not condemning Islamist terrorist attacks in ways that often rankled Jews, who are
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sensitive to collective blame. In many cases, however, Muslim leaders had in fact condemned the attacks. In 2015, Pompeo appeared at a “Defeat Jihad Summit” with figures known for their broadsides not just targeting Islamists but all Muslims. In 2016, he called on a mosque in his district to cancel a speech by an American Muslim speaker who decades earlier had appeared in a video singing support for Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group. Pompeo chided the mosque for scheduling the appearance on Good Friday. The mosque soon started receiving threats and canceled the event, although it was not clear if Pompeo’s news-making release had a role in spurring the threats. When Pompeo first ran for Congress in 2010 as part of the Tea Party wave, his campaign recommended on Twitter an article that referred to Pompeo’s opponent as a “turban topper” who “could be a muslim, a hindu, a buddhist etc who knows.” The campaign removed the tweet and Pompeo apologized to his opponent. “With the appointment of former CIA Director Mike Pompeo as secretary of state, President Trump is playing right into the hands of the radical anti-Muslim movement in the U.S. and abroad,” the Southern Poverty Law Center said in a statement. One possible difference: Pompeo is skeptical of Russia. Much of the speculation Tuesday was that Trump fired Tillerson because the secretary of state forcefully said that the assassination attempt in Britain of a former Russian spy was “clearly” the work of Russia, while Trump has equivocated on the matter. According to this narrative, Trump wants folks who would alienate Russia off his team. Trump has said that Russia could be an ally in combating Islamist terrorism, and has chafed at the notion that Russia intervened on his behalf in the 2016 election. The U.S.-Russia relationship is the one aspect of Trump’s foreign policy that troubles Israelis, who are concerned that Trump will defer too much to Russia in shaping the outcome of the Syria civil war. Russia’s de facto ally in that war is Iran, Israel’s deadliest enemy. Pompeo is a Russia hawk. He repeatedly has endorsed the intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russians tried to intervene in the election on Trump’s behalf (although he also said, incorrectly, that the report concluded that the Russian intervention did not have an effect; the report stopped short of any conclusion to that effect). “The Russians attempted to interfere in the United States election in 2016,” he said as recently as last week on “Fox News Sunday.” The Axios news site recalled that during his confirmation hearings as CIA chief, Pompeo was skeptical, to say the least, of Russia’s utility as an anti-terrorism ally. Russia, he said, had “reasserted itself aggressively, invading and occupying Ukraine, threatening Europe, and doing nothing to aid in the destruction and defeat of ISIS.” PJC
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Headlines Israel is the star at a national security conference in Mississippi — WORLD — By Ben Sales | JTA
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ILOXI, Miss. — A homeland security conference took place in a southern Mississippi town with an Air Force base and a shipbuilding yard. Among those in attendance were the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard; a general from India, the world’s secondlargest country; and representatives from Taiwan and South Korea, a U.S. ally in a key trouble spot. But Israel was the star. The International Homeland Defense and Security Summit, organized by the state government, was held Tuesday in this Gulf Coast city far from any Jewish population center, in a state the local Israeli consul visits only twice a year. But representatives of 16 Israeli companies attended, along with a delegation from its Defense Ministry and arms industry. And speakers, especially Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, couldn’t stop talking about it. Bryant credited a national security conference he spoke at in Israel in 2016 as the inspiration for this one. One of the first pictures he showed during his speech was of him grinning with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“If there’s anyone that knows about homeland security, it’s the Israelis,” he said at the start of his address opening the conference. “They have a tough neighborhood they live in.” The admiration went beyond the governor. Paul Zukunft, the Coast Guard commandant, said of Israel that “there’s no better example of a country that finds itself in the bullseye.” A panelist said “Israel is literally our anchor in the Middle East.” Israelis spoke on two panels, and at a news conference the governor invited a few Israeli officials to stand alongside him and some U.S. military officers. The Israeli delegation featured companies specializing in security technology. They were there to expand into the U.S. market and introduce themselves to local officials and private companies. One tool, Smart Shooter, promises to make guns more accurate. Another, Magal Security Systems, is a border security sensor system that’s used on Israel’s northern and southern frontiers. A third, Beeper, is a surveillance system — already deployed by the Israeli military and police departments in Baltimore and Houston — that can pinpoint where a gun is fired and instantly take video of who fired the weapon. While there are no hostile borders in Mississippi, Magal has already done work there and elsewhere in the United States
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securing the perimeters of prisons, power plants and Secret Service sites. It’s played a role in securing 80 percent of Israel’s borders, as well as some borders in Europe, the manufacturer claims. “I don’t think they suffer from any illegal movement on the border,” said Saar Koursh, CEO of Magal. “But for us, securing Mississippi’s critical sites is definitely an opportunity, and besides that, collaborating with the industries doing projects out of Mississippi as well.” Israel Aerospace Industries has two facilities in Mississippi. The threats discussed in Mississippi were a far cry from those in Israel, where militant groups aim missiles across a border, terrorists try to infiltrate from the barely self-governing territory next door and at least one regional rival threatens annihilation. Instead, discussion focused on the Gulf Coast’s maritime economy. Panelists talked about boats ferrying drugs, migrants and weapons across the water. They discussed natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina — its effects are still visible here — and how climate change could exacerbate future storms. They talked about the area’s military presence and how manufacturing equipment like drones can boost the state. But the governor said there’s still plenty of opportunity for Israelis to do business in the state. Bryant pointed to the border tech they have developed, from sensors to surveillance,
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as a way to secure the coast without a physical barrier. He has made supporting Israel a priority of his administration, visiting three times since he took office in 2012. “What we can learn from the real world experience, unfortunately of having someone on your border in a threatening manner, can be very beneficial here in the United States of America,” the governor said at a news conference. “Israel has shown the world that you can secure a border with the use of technology as well as the new advanced structures that we see being used here.” Israel and Mississippi also share cultural similarities, said Lior Haiat, Israel’s consul general for the region, who is based in Florida. Its population of fewer than 3 million makes it intimate like Israel. And the high percentage of soldiers and veterans makes military service a familiar and appreciated part of life, as it is in Israel, where there’s a mandatory draft. “It’s very similar because Mississippi is a very small place where work is very centralized,” Haiat said. “The governor knows all of the key players personally, and he personally opens the door for Israeli companies.” In his closing speech at the conference, Bryant said: “Should there come a day when there will be a threat, and it will, we will have friends around the world. We are preparing ourselves in the event that that terror attack does occur.” PJC
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Headlines Local spiritual leaders look at Ten Plagues through a modern lens — PASSOVER — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer
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ith its emphasis on storytelling and recounting the narrative of the exodus, Passover is a holiday that invites recollection. But doing so, say local rabbis, needn’t prevent finding modern applications to the ancient story. The Ten Plagues befell the Egyptians, of course, but all of today’s society is also experiencing paramount misfortunes, said Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel, executive director at the Aleph InstituteRabbi Moishe Northeast Region. Mayir Vogel “A day doesn’t go by, File photo whether it’s drugs or other ills of society, and we are affected by it. We live in a troubled society. There are serious medical, emotional issues, in every walk of life.” Rabbi Levi Langer, who as rosh kollel and dean of the Kollel Jewish Learning Center heads a space immediately adjacent to the Aleph Institute in Squirrel Hill, said that the takeaway of the plagues is “to stay focused on our purpose in life, so that
God doesn’t have to send us reminders.” “These days, we’re pounded incessantly by digital and other intrusions, and it’s so difficult to retain the awareness that our energies have Rabbi Levi to be directed to Langer File photo living a meaningful life,” he explained. “Each of us has got God-given talents, and these are meant to be used productively.” Rodef Shalom Congregation’s Rabbi Aaron Bisno agreed. “The mandate for us in the Passover story is to see ourselves in the narrative as if we went out Rabbi Aaron Bisno File photo of Egypt and to tell the story to our children, it’s to recognize that in every generation we have the responsibility to liberate ourselves from what enslaves us, from what constrains us, from realizing our best selves and the world in its ideal,” said Bisno, the congregation’s senior rabbi. “The plagues that we experience today are largely of our own making; they include the way in which we have organized our society, our culture and our politics. Some of these plagues can be seen in the way we speak
of our rights rather than focusing on our responsibilities, the way in which we cling to our privilege and fail to recognize the experience of others.” Such inability to empathize is contrary to the Passover story, explained Rabbi Ron Symons, senior director of Jewish Life at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Rabbi Ron “We Symons File photo Pittsburgh. recite the Ten Plagues at the heart of the seder, and as we witness our victory we lessen our joy by remembering their defeat by dipping our finger in the cup of wine.” Added Symons, “From my perspective the greatest lesson that the plagues bring us is the lesson of compassion for people who are on the other side of the issue.” Too often, we fail to see others, even those immediately before us, echoed Bisno. “I would suggest that the political climate that we find ourselves in is the result of the plague of arrogance and closed mindedness and a lack of empathy and respect for others. This creates a situation in which we are more concerned about what any one of us stands to lose as opposed to working to create a society where everyone can do better, where everyone can enjoy the same degrees of
respect and dignity and safety.” Symons bemoaned “a world where civil discourse has lost its place in our community.” “Perhaps we have to learn the lesson of dipping our fingers in the wine to remember that there is humanity on every side of every conflict,” he said. A similar sentiment can be found in the Passover resources offered this year by American Jewish World Service: “As we read the Ten Plagues, we spill drops of wine from our cups, mourning the suffering the Egyptians endured so that we could be free. This year, as these drops spread across our plates, let us turn our hearts toward the millions of people around the world suffering today’s plagues of hatred, prejudice, baseless violence and war.” Bisno added some more modern plagues to the list. “As I look around,” he said, “the plagues that come immediately to mind are being highlighted by the conversations we are having around guns and the issues the #MeToo movement has called to our attention, and the ways in which our government is failing us because of the corrupting effect of money and special interests. “Passover,” he added, “comes to teach that it is up to each of us to be part of liberating ourselves from … the modern day Egypt and plagues we live with.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
Wishing you a joyous Passover! From the Staff and Board of the
18 MARCH 23, 2018
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Headlines How is this haggadah different from all others? — PASSOVER — By Lauren Rosenblatt | Digital Content Manager
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hen you open up most haggadahs, you are likely to read something in the introduction about how the story of Passover is one of the most widely known — and widely told — stories of Jewish history. It’ll be followed by something about how there are more variations of the haggadah than any other Jewish text. Such assertions don’t seem to be wrong. An Amazon search for “haggadah” returns more than 2,000 results. Art Scroll, a leading seller for the Orthodox Jewish community, has 40 options. One Pittsburgh Judaica site, judaica.com — affiliated with the Pinskers store in Squirrel Hill — has nearly 100. A quick walk through a local bookstore, Amazing Books, reveals five different options published from the 1970s to ’90s. Each version of the classic book strives to answer the question: How is this haggadah different from all others? Some market the illustrations that accompany the text as their own works of art. Others focus on the languages the book offers, from English and Hebrew to Spanish and Russian. Others boast about cost and durability of the book itself — which can often fall victim to wine stains or horseradish residue as the pages are turned and
p Some Passover books used by staff of the Chronicle.
discussed during an altogether messy meal. Still others draw connections between the story of Passover and current events, linking to social justice causes or pushing a political agenda. (Amazon lists a political parody about President Trump as one of its best sellers.) Lastly, some haggadahs focus on the fun — notably, there’s a Harry Potter-themed Hogwarts haggadah and “Haggadah in Another Dimension,” which celebrates the holiday through the use of 3-D images. With so many options, the task of choosing
Photo by Lauren Rosenblatt
which haggadah you will use for your seder certainly is daunting. To add another layer to the already confusing labyrinth of available haggadahs, there are websites, such as haggadot.com, where you can design your own. Add in family traditions passed down over the generations and the task becomes twice as overwhelming. I have used the same haggadah each year, a beautifully illustrated version from the Central Conference of American Rabbis that my grandparents seem to have in
never-ending supply. A colleague of mine said his family still uses the same version that his great-grandparents used around their seder table. After researching all the available options to choose from, I regret to report that I did not discover the secret to choosing the right haggadah. What I did find, though, is that despite all the differences, they all have a common goal: to tell the story of Passover in a way that is meaningful to its readers, whether that’s through connections to feminist issues and the Black Lives Matter movement or to Israel or to a beloved world of wizards. “In each generation, every individual should feel personally redeemed from Egypt. Therefore, each of us must tell about the personal Exodus in a language that we understand, in the metaphors we use and with the knowledge we have acquired,” reads the foreword of the “Metsudah Linear Passover Haggadah,” published in 1993. “This haggadah seeks to enable this generation of Jews to tell about the Exodus.” So when deciding which haggadah to use, after spending countless hours looking at all the available options of course, focus on one question — and one follow-up — for yourself as well: How is this seder and the people that are celebrating with me different from all others? What message do I want them to take away and how can my haggadah help get that message across? PJC
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Opinion The children’s march — EDITORIAL —
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wo opposite approaches are emerging in response to the school walkouts and demonstrations that followed last month’s mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., in which a man admitted murdering 17 people at his former high school. One is the “and the children shall lead them” response, which argues that adults somehow need the innocent honesty of children — particularly the survivors of the killing — to tell the nation how to solve the problem of gun violence. At its extreme, this faux naiveté is a cynical tactic to advance the gun control agenda. But this cynicism pales in comparison to the chutzpah of the opposite approach. On his Fox News show last week, Tucker Carlson asked why kids who are “too young to be
buying guns” should be allowed to “make [his] gun laws.” This bit of pro-gun sophistry was a transparent attempt to change the subject, and really made no sense. And yet, the students protesting gun violence, despite their feared unripe understanding of policy, have managed to upend the conversation, which for years has returned to and been stopped by the question of gun rights. The student protesters have found an equally compelling problem that needs solving. Having turned this from a gun rights issue into a safety issue, the school-age protestors have reminded Americans, many of whom are parents, that the safety of children needs to be considered carefully in any conversation about guns. And that is so not just in the relatively rare occurrences of mass school shootings, but also in the daily outrage of gun deaths around the country.
Thousands of students from schools across the United States participated in the 17-minute school walkout on March 14 — one minute for each life taken at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The protest captured the national spotlight. But for some Jewish students and Jewish schools, the decision of whether to walk out became complicated because of the organizers’ ties to bigotry against Jews and LGBTQ individuals. Some Jewish students and schools chose not to participate because the protest had initially been planned by the Women’s March movement, whose co-chair Tamika Mallory attended an anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ speech by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan just last month. The student protests against gun violence continue, with the March for Our Lives taking place in Pittsburgh and other cities around the country on Saturday, March 24.
Will the walkouts and marches lead to change when it comes to gun violence? Since the massacre at Columbine in 1999, when Bill Clinton was president, the nation has been wrestling with how to protect its school children from guns. Now, many of those children are marching, walking out and lying down to bring more attention to the issue, and to plea for change. Schools have thus had to grapple with behavior that at once disrupts the order of their institutions, but is at the same time a walking, marching lab experiment in American democracy and nonviolent protest. As the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. approaches, such protests are a reminder of how much change can be made through a determined yet peaceful approach, and the magnitude of the work that still needs to be done. PJC
We need to pursue justice for our children Guest Columnist Cristina Ruggiero
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’m sure many of you saw the images or watched video of students across the country who staged a nationwide school walkout to protest for gun regulations and in honor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting victims on March 14. As adults, we say we want to protect our children, so we don’t allow them to walk home alone from school. We put blocks on their phones so they don’t see disturbing or inappropriate
content. Or we make them check in with us regularly when they aren’t in our presence. We try to provide them every advantage and opportunity to succeed. But we have failed to provide them safety in the one place they go every day, for at least six hours a day, without our supervision. These children are afraid. They are scared for their lives. And they have had enough. Enough of going to school with the fear they might be victims of a massacre. Enough of being traumatized by active shooter drills in their classrooms, where they have to be quiet and hide in the dark for an hour. They do not want guns and armed personnel in their schools. They want to be safe. And last week, they were willing to get
suspended, to break through locked doors, to be threatened with detention in order to express their First Amendment rights to stand up for their safety. And these students will continue to organize, mobilize and stand up for their lives on March 24. Many of you in our community support children in a myriad of ways: through service, volunteering or financial support. NCJW works on behalf of children every day through our community service programs, from the Children’s Rooms in the Courts and Project Prom to the Back to School Store. As a community, we need to do more. We must show our children that we want to protect them and care for them. We need to do it in the one way that most of them cannot, given their youth — we need to
pursue justice through our vote. Now you may say, “I already do vote.” But you need to become a single issue voter. Children’s safety. What does that mean? That means in every election, every time you vote, you need to consider, “Will my vote make children safe?” From now on, for every person you vote for, you need to be able to say with certainty, “With this vote, I am pursuing justice for those who cannot do so for themselves; I am making children safe.” Don’t fail them. As the Torah says, “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” PJC Cristina Ruggiero is the executive director of the National Council of Jewish Women-Pittsburgh Section.
Fact, faith or fantasy Guest Columnist Simone Shapiro
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recent letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle expressed some surprising statements regarding the actions of someone who was running for office. I am not interested in taking a position endorsing or opposing anyone, only in respectfully clearing up some misconceptions. The letter writer claimed that the politician in question was attempting to “legislate in [favor of] Christianity.” Her proof was that he had sponsored a resolution declaring 2012 the “year of the Bible.” However, the resolution makes no reference to Christianity, to any other religion or to any particular version of the Bible. Rick Saccone, who lost to Conor Lamb in last week’s election, explained that the 2012
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resolution “recognizes the significant impact the Bible has had on our country. It in no way inhibits anyone from believing in any faith or no faith.” For us, as Jews, the Bible means the scroll that we read aloud from every week in synagogue. We study it and we attempt to live by it; some of us believe it is the word of God, while others see it as simply a book of great stories promoting good morals. But there is no denying that from its inception the Bible was recognized as Jewish. Of course, this 2012 Pennsylvania resolution was not the first “year of the Bible” legislation. In 1983, then President Ronald Reagan declared that year as “the year of the Bible” in America. The biblical connection with the United States goes back to the founding of the country, as the Founding Fathers were well versed in the Bible. As the second “proof ” of Saccone attempting to “legislate in Christianity,” the letter writer offered up his supporting an initiative to “get public buildings … to post ‘In God we Trust’ on the walls.” Again, I have to point out that trust in God is one
of the core beliefs of Judaism. Called in Hebrew bitachon, trust or faith in God is one of the most fundamental commandments in Judaism. Perhaps more relevant to the general population of the United States, if we turn over our paper currency and read what is written there, we see the exact same phrase that now causes such consternation when someone like Saccone wants it on a public building. The phrase was first used on paper money in 1957 and prior to that on silver and gold coins starting from 1865. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved a joint resolution of Congress declaring “In God we trust” to be the national motto of the United States. Saccone is also vilified for co-sponsoring a bill preventing a foreign legal system — Sharia law — from superseding the laws of the United States. But the bill merely prevents a “tribunal” from considering a “foreign legal code or system which does not grant the parties affected by the ruling or decision the same fundamental liberties, rights and privileges granted under the United States
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Constitution and the Constitution of Pennsylvania.” Of particular concern to the bill is the protection of “due process, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press and a right of privacy or marriage as specifically defined by the Constitution of Pennsylvania.” The bill simply affirms the primacy of the laws of the Constitutions of the United States and of Pennsylvania. Anti-Sharia laws protect and safeguard the supremacy of the American legal system. A dozen states have enacted legislation upholding American law as the law of the land for all people living here. In conclusion, we should remember that Passover is approaching. Known in Hebrew as z’man cheirutanu, the season of our freedom, we must be vigilant to protect and maintain the freedoms that have been granted to us as Jews and to the rest of the population by the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the rule of law. PJC Simone Shapiro lives in Squirrel Hill.
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Opinion AIPAC won’t win back progressives until it faces hard truths about Israel Guest Columnists
Jeremy Jill Jacobs Ben-Ami
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t its annual policy conference, AIPAC made a high-profile, widely discussed bid to bring progressives back into the fold. Those efforts revealed that the organization’s leaders understand that their particular brand of Israel politics is losing support — but that they still may not understand why. “The progressive narrative for Israel is just as compelling as the conservative one,” AIPAC’s president, Mort Fridman, declared in his opening remarks. He assured progressives that “we are partners in this project.” Over the four-day event, Democratic elected officials and Israeli opposition leaders addressed plenary sessions with titles such as “Foundations of Pro-Israel Progressive Activism.” Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm declared that Israel is a “progressive’s paradise,” citing important achievements like the country’s universal health care and strong record of support for women’s rights. As progressives who have dedicated our lives and careers to the future of the State of Israel, we agree that there is a compelling progressive narrative for Israel. The argument that “Israel’s security cannot be fully ensured and a promise cannot be fully realized until she is at peace with all her neighbors,” which AIPAC’s CEO Howard Kohr shared with the crowd during his welcoming remarks, is one that we have each made time and again. Sadly, the current reality of Israeli government policy does not reflect or advance this vision of a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people. Instead, it imperils it. The Netanyahu government has dedicated itself to entrenching and justifying a military occupation that results in daily violations of the human rights of Palestinians while undercutting the prospects for the two-state peace agreement that AIPAC claims to support. The current government of Israel has endeavored to erase all distinction between the democratic State of Israel and the territory it occupies in the West Bank without any objections from AIPAC. This government is carrying out a steady assault on democracy — attacking human rights defenders as traitors, passing laws that restrict free speech and stepping up discrimination against non-Jewish minorities. Like previous Israeli governments and despite promises to the contrary, this one condones policies that restrict the religious freedom of non-Orthodox Jews, including limiting the right of Conservative and Reform rabbis to perform marriages, conversions and
divorces, and arresting those who attempt to take part in egalitarian or women-led prayer at the Western Wall. This is the reality that instills fear and frustration in so many American Jews over Israel’s present and future. It’s the reality that drives a growing number of progressives away from the pro-Israel cause. AIPAC steadfastly refuses to acknowledge or address this reality. Instead of acknowledging the real threat that occupation, settlement expansion and anti-democratic legislation pose to Israel’s security and fundamental character, AIPAC has made it its mission to defend or provide cover for virtually every policy and action of the Netanyahu government. AIPAC ignores the fact that Israel’s current policies toward the Palestinians do not advance peace, but rather exacerbate conflict. Yes, AIPAC does say that it supports a two-state solution, as Kohr reiterated during the conference. But real support for two states means telling hard truths about what it will take to achieve this vision and criticizing actions by all sides that undermine it. It means no longer defining pro-Israel advocacy as unquestioning support for the policies of the Israeli government. It means admitting that neither the U.S. nor Israeli governments today actively supports or endorses the two-state solution — and challenging them to change course. It means recognizing that while Palestinian leaders also shoulder responsibility for the ongoing conflict, blaming them exclusively for every impasse is misleading and wrong. AIPAC should also be willing to confront Israel’s critics with powerful arguments, not work to penalize legitimate forms of dissent. The organization’s current approach to the BDS movement involves intense advocacy for federal legislation that, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, would violate the First Amendment by suppressing legitimate freedom of speech. How is battling the ACLU supposed to win back progressives? This legislation, for which AIPAC delegates lobbied in Washington, D.C., on March 6, also problematically collapses the distinction between Israel and the occupied territories. AIPAC selected #ChooseToLead as its tagline for this year’s conference. But real leadership requires telling one’s members hard truths that they would prefer not to hear and confronting problems that are not easy to solve. Like AIPAC, we also celebrate and promote Israel’s many incredible accomplishments and achievements. But this moment requires more than this. It requires working to ensure that the existential threats of occupation and conflict do not imperil or undermine these successes. Only that kind of work will ever convince progressives that AIPAC truly shares their values and goals. PJC
— LETTERS — Nothing political about child safety CTeen president Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky is quoted as saying that his group tries to avoid “political issues like the gun control campaign” (“Parkland students begin to heal at Jewish conference in New York,” March 16). Although the phrase “gun control” is highly charged and has come to be seen by some as a desire to eviscerate the Second Amendment, I fail to understand how acting to facilitate effective, universal background checks and keeping weapons of war out of the hands of the homicidal is a partisan matter. Student assemblages following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre are inaccurately characterized by the media as protests of gun violence. No potential killer is going to look at the students and say to himself, “Oh, these students are upset, so I will suppress my desire to kill them.” The student gatherings are protests of foolhardy policies and laws which have made it easy for slaughter to be perpetrated in American schools, a phenomenon which is unique to our highly armed country. The protests should be seen as what they are: a noble and courageous call to action to our elected officials to finally address public safety even if it means that they must propose sensible, reasonable policies which conflict with the aims of the gun manufacturers’ lobby, the National Rifle Association. May the wisdom of our young people penetrate the minds and hearts of those who are responsible for ensuring our rights to pursue life, liberty and happiness. Oren Spiegler Washington, Pa. 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:
Letters to the editor via email: letters@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org Address & Fax: Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 5915 Beacon St., 5th Flr., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Fax 412-521-0154
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Jeremy Ben-Ami is the president of J Street. Rabbi Jill Jacobs is the executive director of T’ruah.
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Life & Culture Daniel Bruhl talks about playing a German bad guy in ‘7 Days in Entebbe’ — FILM — By Ben Sales | JTA
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n “7 Days in Entebbe,” which hit theaters last weekend, Daniel Bruhl plays a German leftist terrorist tortured by the fact that he’s hijacking a plane full of Jews and taking them prisoner. The movie, about the 1976 Israeli rescue operation that freed the mainly Jewish and Israeli hostages of a hijacked plane in Uganda, focuses on the conflicted experiences of the two Germans — played by Bruhl and Rosamund Pike — who allied with Palestinian terrorists to hijack the Paris-bound plane. Even as they hold Jews at gunpoint, the two insist they are “humanitarian” activists fighting against fascism. But the parallels to their German forebears are clear. “Germans killing Jews,” an associate of his says. “Ever thought about that?” At another point, Bruhl’s character, Wilfred Bose, insists, “I’m no Nazi.” That last line applies just as well to how Bruhl, who was born in Spain and grew up in Germany, sees his career. The actor, 39, had his breakout role in the 2003 film “Goodbye, Lenin!” about East Germany at the end of the Cold War, and met American audiences six years later playing a Nazi sniper in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds.” He’s been cast as a Nazi, or a civil servant under the Nazis, or a supervillain from a Nazi family, in at least five films. In “Entebbe,” he plays a German bad guy grappling with how to avoid looking like a Nazi. And in an interview, Bruhl made clear that he doesn’t want those roles to define him. “I’ve done so many different things,” he said. “Looking back, there’s a body of work which is very diverse. Fortunately, I can say I’ve done many different things. I wouldn’t have liked to be typecast and limited to that. When I decided to take these parts it was always out of an interest in period projects, in history.” The multiplicity of Nazi roles, Bruhl said, is a natural consequence of being a German actor in an industry that keeps churning out
p Rosamund Pike and Daniel Bruhl in a scene from “7 Days in Entebbe.”
Photo by Liam Daniel/Focus Features
p Daniel Bruhl, left, was introduced to a broad American audience in “Inglourious Basterds.” He’s shown here in 2009 with co-stars Brad Pitt and Diane Kruger. Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
May this Passover bring you peace, happiness, love and every blessing! Councilwoman-Elect Erika Strassburger
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World War II movies. But it also has to do with his interest in playing out historical events. In addition to films about World War II, the Entebbe raid and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Bruhl was in “The Carpenter’s Pencil,” about the Spanish Civil War, as well as dramas set in Franco’s Spain and 1970s Chile. His mother is Spanish. “I’m always interested in history,” he said. “It’s important to read about history, to analyze history, to also understand where we are right now. I’m not Swedish or Finnish, or I’m not from India, so being a GermanSpanish actor, of course I’m participating in projects that deal with the history of my countries. … I want to understand where I come from. This is what drives me.” Bruhl does historical research to prepare for those roles. For “Inglourious Basterds,” a revenge fantasy that cared little for historical accuracy (the movie has — spoiler alert! — a Jew machine-gunning Hitler in the face in 1944), Bruhl took courses with a sniper. For “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” a Holocaust drama based on a true story, he and co-star Jessica Chastain met with the titular zookeeper’s daughter. And for “Entebbe,” Bruhl read up on the German far-left activists of the 1960s and 1970s, including Revolutionary Cells, the urban terrorist group that conducted the Entebbe hijacking. He also met with survivors of the raid. The period when the hijacking happened resonates for Bruhl, who was born two years later and heard his parents talking about the leftist groups. “I just wanted to go back in time and dig a little bit further and get into the mindset of a person who was taking the decision to not only be politically active, but to go that extra step and be a radical and join a mission in which a left-wing German terrorist is hijacking a plane with Jewish passengers,” he said. “It’s still so unbelievable. That made me curious to do some more research.” “7 Days in Entebbe,” directed by Brazilian José Padilha, departs from the traditional narrative of Entebbe that’s been enshrined in Israeli lore. “Operation Thunderbolt,” the 1977 movie about the operation, tells a Please see Entebbe, page 23
Wishing you joy and many blessings at Passover and throughout the year!
Mayor William Peduto
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Life & Culture Netta Barzilai is ready to ‘Toy’ with Eurovision viewers — MUSIC — By Marcy Oster | JTA
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srael has a new musical secret weapon and her name is Netta Barzilai. Barzilai, 24, won its “The Next Star” reality singing contest last month and the right to represent the country at the 2018 Eurovision song contest in May. She won the hearts of the judges and of Israelis watching at home using a looper, which allows her to layer multiple vocal sounds on top of each other. Barzilai sprinkles in some speaking and rapping for good measure — and loses herself in her performances. She may forego the looper for Eurovision, however, at least judging by a video released this week. Last week, Israel’s Eurovision Committee
Entebbe: Continued from page 22
heroic saga starring Israeli soldiers. In that movie, and in the Israeli popular imagination, the hero is Yoni Netanyahu, the brother of the current Israeli prime minister, who was killed in the raid. But “Entebbe” alternates mainly between the hijackers and an Israeli political drama centered on Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres, who at the time were prime minister and defense minister, respectively. Much of the dialogue between Peres and Rabin, who is played by Israeli A-lister Lior Ashkenazi, is a heavy-handed discourse — performed in heavily accented English — on the need to negotiate for peace. The end credits trace the two men’s lives after 1976 and note that the peace process is inactive now — as if to draw a comparison between a hostage negotiation with a terror group and final-status talks between two recognized governments.
announced that Barzilai will sing “Toy” by Doron Medley and Stav Beger — the songwriting team who penned Israel’s last two Eurovision entries — after clips of the song and music video were leaked to social media. Barzilai’s enthusiasm for her singing is infectious. She has a wide smile and deep dimples, likes to wear her abundant dark hair in big styles and flashes clothing in bold colors. She is also quite comfortable in her own skin. “Look at me, I’m a beautiful creature,” she sings at the beginning of “Toy” following a series of quirky vocal sounds and what can best be described as a clucking chicken. “I’m not your toy. You stupid boy” is the refrain of the song, which also gives a nod to Wonder Woman, who is portrayed these days by countrywoman Gal Gadot. (“Wonder Woman don’t you ever forget, you’re divine and he’s about to regret.”) “Toy” has caught on in Israel and around
The part that does feature the Israeli army’s rescuers focuses on an ambivalent soldier and his girlfriend, a dancer whose performances are, for some reason, interspersed with scenes of the raid. (The choreography is by famed Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin.) Yoni Netanyahu plays a bit role in this version and is unceremoniously killed as the operation is beginning. The movie is most engaging as it explores the dilemmas of the Bruhl and Pike characters, whose dynamic — conflicted man and zealous woman on a violent ideological mission — is familiar to any fan of “The Americans.” The movie humanizes them, telling their backstories, showing how they were trained and, ultimately, how they break down during the escalating hostage crisis. But it’s hardly ambiguous in judging them: They are villains in this story. For Bruhl, that’s not a problem. As with much of his work, it’s another way to delve into history, however messy it may be. “That ongoing conflict is important, espe-
p Netta Barzilai will represent Israel in the Eurovision contest.
Screenshot from YouTube
the world, and betting sites give it 3-1 odds to win. Some have said Israel will place in the top five, as high as second place. (The oddsmakers do not appear to be taking politics into consideration, however, and Eurovision
is incredibly political for a music contest.) In recent years, the Israeli Eurovision judges have shown a preference for songs with lyrics in English, likely thinking that they would be more palatable to the international voting public. This year is no different — Barzilai’s song is almost completely in English, with a phrase or two of Hebrew thrown in so no one will forget its country of origin. It’s a bit of a shame: Some of the beauty of the international contest comes out through hearing songs in the native tongues of the participating countries Add to that, the three Israeli songs that have won the contest — “A-Ba-Ni-Bi” in 1978, “Hallelujah” in 1979 and Dana International’s “Diva” in 1998 — were written in Hebrew. Barzilai will perform “Toy” in Lisbon in the semifinals on May 8, hoping for a chance at the finals on May 12. The winning country hosts the next year’s contest. PJC
p Lior Ashkenazi, right, as Yitzhak Rabin in “7 Days in Entebbe.”
Photo by Liam Daniel/Focus Features
cially for younger generations, to take a step back, and look at the ’70s, look at the situation back then,” he said. “It can help you understand the current situation a little bit
better, to remind yourself of the positions of what historically, politically was behind such a mission … to not show an easy black-andwhite picture of the conflict.” PJC
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Headlines Walkout: Continued from page 1
problems, and hopefully they’ll fix them.” Apart from offering prepared remarks, the eighth-grade organizers led the group in song. The biblical verse from Exodus 15:2, Ozi v’zimrat Yah vay’hi li lishuah, “The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation,” was repeatedly chanted, as well as Matisyahu’s “One Day.” Throughout the demonstration, students held signs proclaiming various messages. One poster had the words “thoughts and prayers” crossed out and replaced with “policy and change.” Other signs read, “Our thoughts and prayers happen during shacharit, not when it’s too late,” “It could have been me,” and “I feel lucky to go to school … not to come home alive.” The signs were made during school hours, explained Munro, who added, “We believe that education has to connect with realworld problems and that students must learn that they have a voice and the power to take action.” Similar messaging appeared at walkouts nationwide, including the familiar expression, “Never Again.” The phrase had been adopted by Never Again MSD, which uses the hashtag #NeverAgain, a group organized by student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland. While “never Again” is the Jewish Defense League’s motto and has been the call to remember the Shoah’s atrocities, employing
p The CDS walkout was planned by the students.
Photo courtesy of Community Day School
the term is not problematic, said Lauren Bairnsfather, executive director of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh. “For decades the phrase ‘Never Again’ has been associated with Holocaust remembrance, where it is imbued with optimism,” she said. “It is part of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh’s mission to empower students. It is in the spirit of optimism and not appropriation that the students have adopted the phrase ‘Never Again.’” At CDS, once the singing was complete and additional remarks were made, including those sent from Harrisburg by state Rep. Dan Frankel (D-District 23), the students
solemnly marched back toward the building. Although the majority of middle schoolers participated in the walkout, several had opted to remain inside where rooms were designated for writing condolence cards, attending a study hall or engaging in Jewish texts and reflection. “Five students chose to participate in the other activities,” said Jennifer Bails, director of marketing and communications at CDS. Offering students a variety of options made sense, explained Munro. “We have a diverse community and not everybody is comfortable with these expressions, so that’s why we planned for alternatives.”
CeaseFire: Continued from page 1
are going to take part in the marches locally and in D.C.,” said Elliott Oshry, 73. This Saturday, March 24, is a national day of scheduled student and activist led rallies to end gun violence. The Washington, D.C., demonstration, which is expected to welcome 500,000 people, has been organized by survivors of the Parkland shooting. Sibling marches are scheduled at more than 700 sites worldwide, including one at the City-County Building in downtown Pittsburgh. “A part of us has raised the money to charter the kids to go to D.C.,” added Oshry, a member of Katzen’s group. The final step is to “identify for the public a list of local and national elected officials who accept money [from the National Rifle Association] and refuse to enact humane legislation,” explained Katzen. We want the politicians to know “that they work for the electorate and not the NRA, and they have to pay more attention to what we want more than what the NRA wants,” said Oshry. “We hope the outcome is that we can get legislators elected who believe in gun control, to stop the sale of assault weapons, to raise the age limits, to have better background checks that include gun shows,” added
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p CeaseFirePA supporters rally at the state Capitol in 2013.
Photo courtesy of CeaseFirePA
Moser. “And not only do we want to elect people who want to do that, but push the needle on people who are [already] in office.” Since sending out her initial email and convening a small committee, Katzen’s supporters have grown. A second email, titled, “Enough is Enough,” reached a larger audience. In it, Katzen explained that she and a small group will be meeting a representative of CeaseFire PA, a statewide organization that works with leaders to “take a stand against gun violence.” “They looked to us as a resource and to
advise them on how best to maximize their efforts,” said Rob Conroy, CeaseFire PA’s director of organizing. “I gave them information and let them dictate what they wanted their message to be.” It is a pretty clear message, said supporters. “Enough is enough,” said Moser. “We can’t lose another child or another person to this kind of violence.” What distinguishes Katzen and her group of likeminded septuagenarians is that for most of them this is their first run at grassroots activism.
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What CDS students were not made aware of was the connection between national walkout organizers, who are members of the Women’s March movement, and Louis Farrakhan, the noted anti-Semite and Nation of Islam leader. As reported in Haaretz, several Jewish day schools and students “didn’t participate.” “It’s the latest fallout from the controversy involving Women’s March co-chair Tamika Mallory, who attended a virulently anti-Semitic, anti-LGBTQ speech by … Farrakhan last month, and the Women’s March leaders who didn’t apologize for her actions in a subsequent statement,” reported the Israeli newspaper. “The connection with the Women’s March did not come up during the speeches that morning or in any communications from the students about their intentions to walk out,” said Bails. “Our hope is that we are empowering our students with the knowledge, critical thinking skills, discernment, and Jewish values to make nuanced decisions wherever complex issues intersect and can’t be neatly identified with one extreme or another,” said Munro. For the eighth-grade organizers, the message was much simpler. “I think it’s really important for students to feel safe when we go to school,” said Perlman. Added Rosen, “It’s sad we had to have this in the first place.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
“We think it’s the time,” said Bob Katzen, 77. “The students took the lead. We empathize with them and we think we should seize the moment. They created something, and if we don’t seize the moment we’re missing something.” “We can’t let the energy of the students’ response to the shooting go by,” echoed Oshry. In the four weeks since Ellen Katzen initially sent her email, the group has raised more than $7,000. Pledges and donations ranging between $50 and $1,000 dollars have been received, she said. Similarly, professionals with expertise in law, advertising, community activism and fundraising have aided logistics. The “turnaround” has been tremendous, said Moser, who although co-founding Pittsburgh’s Race for the Cure more than 25 years ago delineated the two bottom-up endeavors. “With Race for the Cure we knew that there was going to be research” and other elements that would slow the process, she said. “There’s an urgency about this that I haven’t felt before. “Look at the statistics. We are losing 17 here and 50 something in Las Vegas and Columbine and Sandy Hook and all the schools that don’t get registered because of gun violence,” she added. “It gets on the fifth page and it shouldn’t be on any page.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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Headlines Women: Continued from page 12
In the absence of synagogue-based spiritual life in the former Soviet Union, “Jewish life happened at home, at family events,” Grigolaya said. In the domestic sphere, which is dominated by women in many societies, “women were the guardians of Judaism” in the absence of rabbis, she suggested. “So naturally when communism ended, women took up key positions in the effort to rebuild Jewish community life from scratch,” she said. Grigolaya’s parents used to take her as a child to the home of her grandparents, where the family would have Passover seders. However, to avoid persecution, no one told
Terror: Continued from page 13
Rice is Sokolow’s representative in the House. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who helped author the 1992 Anti-Terrorism Act that underpins the plaintiffs’ case, initiated a letter signed by 23 senators of both parties. Grassley a year ago joined a number of other senators in filing an amicus brief in the case; the House has also filed an amicus brief.
her that they were having a seder, or even that she was Jewish, Grigolaya recalled. “Only much later I realized what those strange dinners were, where my grandparents would read a book that I didn’t find interesting as I waited until they’d decide we’re finally allowed to eat,” she said. Women’s centrality to JDC’s eastern operations began immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union, according to Asher Ostrin, the organization’s senior executive for international affairs. Becoming a JDC staffer then was a “risk,” he said, because it was a foreign operation whose inner workings were largely unknown in the region and one that is dependent on foreign funding. Women, who had already “predominated in work settings like medicine, education, and social services,” Ostrin said, rose to the
challenge “despite its risks.” They possessed “the talents and skills, were less risk averse in their career choices, and displayed a passion, and bravery, for creating Jewish life that was hard to find at that time,” he added. In the post-communist age, wage gaps in Ukraine, Russia and other countries quickly went from nonexistent to pronounced. Following Ukraine’s 2013 financial crisis, the gap jumped from a disparity that was slightly lower than the 27 percent in the United States to 41 percent in 2015 for the same level positions, according to the news portal Rabota. With the loosening of the rule of law after communism, a massive industry of human trafficking and sex work developed in several post-communist countries, whose victims are almost exclusively women. Countries like Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova are
preferred destinations for sex tourists, with local pimps sending other women to the Middle East and Europe to work as sex slaves. Meanwhile, the rise of Muslim extremism in some parts of the former Soviet Union has resulted in the resurgence of phenomena that were suppressed during communism, including nighttime curfews for some women, honor killings, child marriages and female illiteracy. But this resurgence of inequality has been relatively mild in FSU Jewish communities, where women mostly are expected to study and excel professionally. “I do feel to a large extent equal in my professional life and my Jewish community,” Grigolaya said. “And from what I see in the world today, I think this is extremely fortunate.” PJC
Lawmakers have yet to weigh in on the solicitor general’s filing, but cries of outrage are already reverberating in conservative media, usually a redoubt of Trump support. Joel Pollak, a top editor at Breitbart News, in an exclusive interview with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions asked about Francisco’s filing. “The question some of [the plaintiffs] have raised is why the Trump administration is taking the opposite side from them — why it’s fighting their attempt to claim damages from the Palestinian government.
Is there any prospect of a change in that policy?” Pollak asked. Sessions seemed caught off guard. “Those present very difficult legal questions,” he said. “And our team is working on it. So I will have to get back with you on the status of that case.” Brian McNicoll, a columnist for the conservative Townhall website, chided Sessions and Francisco. “Doesn’t it seem like the administration of the most pro-Israel president in a gener-
ation might be interested in winning justice for Americans injured or killed by terrorists?” he asked. James Glassman, a top State Department official in the George W. Bush administration, wrote in an op-ed for The Hill that siding with the PLO in this case would not help advance the peace process. “In fact, it is counterproductive,” he said. “Imposing actual, financial costs on those who use and support terrorism is the right way to achieve peace.” PJC
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Celebrations
Torah
Engagement
Gratitude, the ultimate Jewish value
Linderman/Mark: The engagement of Mallory Linderman and Daniel Mark is happily being announced by the couple’s parents, Dr. Martin and Ronna Mark of Louisville, Ky.; Jon K. and Erika Linderman of Springfield, Ohio; and Steven and Patricia Gast of Columbus, Ohio. Daniel is a 2014 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree from the College of Business Administration. He is currently completing his MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. Mallory is a 2014 graduate of the University of Dayton, and is a 2016 graduate of Chatham University where she earned her doctorate in physical therapy. She is currently working at Allegheny General Hospital. The couple will be married in 2019. PJC
The Readers and Writers Workshop
bread added, he shall offer along with his thanksgiving sacrifice of well-being.” Gratitude is a core Jewish value. This can be affirmed by all Jews, no matter what expression of Judaism they practice or profess. This value is so profoundly ingrained in Jewish thought that the thanksgiving offering is named by the Sages as the only sacrifice that will continue into Messianic times: “R. Pinchas, R. Levi and R. Yochanan said in the name of R. Nachman of Gllia: In the time to come all sacrifices will be annulled, but that of thanksgiving will not be annulled, and all prayers will be annulled, but that of thanksgiving will not be annulled.” For Shabbat Hagadol, the Great Shabbat reminding us that Pesach is right around the corner, I hope that we can set aside our powerful and authentic disagreements about Jewish values supporting our positions on everything from Israel to gun control to
Rabbi James Gibson Parshat Tzav | Leviticus 6:1-8:36 Shabbat HaGadol
O
ne thing that is bound to get a wry smile or raised eyebrow from a rabbi is someone’s impassioned appeal on behalf of a political position because of “Jewish values.” The problem with this phrase is that it is so ambiguous as to convey no specific or significant information whatsoever. I have heard people declare with utmost confidence that Judaism supports everything from the right to choose abortion to the right to bear arms based on “Jewish values.” In the discussion, that person will recite a particular verse, Talmudic ruling or Midrashic teaching to support her or his position.
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E S T A T E
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Shutzberg, Bessie, deceased of Pittsburgh, PA. No. 01201 of 2018. Irwin Shutzberg, Co-Extr., 1945 Del Prado Ct., Allison Park, PA 15101 or Jean Jacobs, Co-Extrx., 1 Deer Spring Lane, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
But most serious students of Judaism know that verses from the Tanach mean what our Sages interpret them to mean, that Talmudic rulings are the result of argumentation and discourse, that Midrashic insights are often matched with contradictory ones in the same volume. So are there any values we can claim to speak to all of us as Jews? This week’s Torah portion, Tzav, gives us some guidance: “This is the ritual of the sacrifice of well-being, that one may offer to God: If he offers it for thanksgiving, he shall offer it together with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, unleavened cakes with oil mixed in, unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of choice flour with oil mixed in, well soaked. This offering with cakes, of leavened
abortion. I hope and pray we affirm that gratitude is the profoundly transcendent Jewish value that should move our hearts at this season of our liberation. For what are you thankful? It is our task to name it and claim it. If you are thankful for someone in your life, tell them. If you are thankful to God for your blessings, thank God! If you are thankful for our people, despite trouble and tsuris, give thanks! Gratitude — it’s the Jewish value we can all agree on. Happy Shabbat Hagadol! PJC Rabbi James A. Gibson is the senior rabbi at Temple Sinai. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association.
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Obituaries FARBER: Seymour Farber, age 97, of Pittsburgh, died peacefully on March 18, 2018. He was born and raised in Greensburg and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in engineering. At Pitt he met his wife, Yetta Slutsky. During the War they lived in Ft. Worth, Texas, where they both worked at a factory that manufactured the Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress.” Seymour was a longtime furniture and appliance dealer in Pittsburgh. He was best known as the discount mattress king of Pittsburgh. He worked well into his 80s and would still make the occasional delivery when needed. His many close friends were called “aunt” and “uncle” by his children, so his nieces and nephews number in the many dozens. His final years were spent happily at Weinberg Terrace with his wonderful friend, Harriet Lewis. He was preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Yetta, and brothers Wilt and Al. He is survived by his children, Janie Moravitz (Edward), Alan, and Kathy Mills (Nigel), grandchildren, Molly Tomasi (Nate Paris), Jed, David and Jack Farber, Rebecca and Oliver Mills, Jonathan Dane (Kelly) and great-grandchildren, Graham and Harley Tomasi. The family is grateful for the years of care provided by his caregivers, including Mindy Johnson, Vernetta Howard, Zelda Butler and Katelyn McGinnis, as well as Linda and Emilee from Sivitz Hospice. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Yetta Farber Early Childhood Fund at Adat Shalom Synagogue, 368 Guys Run Road, Cheswick, PA 15024. FINKELSTEIN: Thelma Finkelstein, on Sunday, March 11, 2018. Beloved wife, mother, Nana and best friend passed away in her loving home surrounded by her family. Beloved and cherished wife of 64 years to Arthur; loving mother of Judy Kramer (Howard), Jay Finkelstein (Megan) and Jill Eidelman (Gary). Loving and devoted Nana of Justin (Eva), Stacy, Scott, Zachary, Seth, Taylor, Sara, Joshua and Eric. Thelma’s greatest joy in life was her family. Per her wishes, the funeral and shiva were private. The family requests contributions in her memory be made to the University of Pittsburgh for sepsis research. Please call Anne Immekus at 412-647-2434 or mail a check to her attention at: Forbes Tower, Suite 8084,3600 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. G R E E N B E RG : On Wednesday, March 14, 2018, Linda Greenberg, 72, of Squirrel Hill lost her 21-year battle with primar y progressive multiple sclerosis. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. Born April 5, 1945 in Buffalo, N.Y. to Hyman and Betty (Katz) Fudeman, Linda was a kind and giving teacher whose career began in New York as a special needs educator. Her passion for teaching shifted
to the arts, where she spent many years as a successful studio potter in Philadelphia, sharing her love for ceramics with students of all ages. Having always been interested in travel and cross-cultural understanding, Linda’s professional work transitioned to international education. She worked at the International Visitors Center in Philadelphia, as well as the Experiment in International Living. After moving to Pittsburgh in 1990, she began her own agency finding spots for college graduates abroad in work settings or language study. Her office was on the second floor, and when she began to experience neurological symptoms in 19971998, she retired. Linda enjoyed many trips to Europe for business and pleasure both alone and with her husband. Later, they learned a lot together about how to deal with a progressive and devastating neurological disease, giving it the good fight by taking advantage of adaptive technology such as a voice-operated computer. In addition to traveling, her passions were gardening and language: she loved playing Scrabble and doing crossword puzzles. Linda enjoyed a loving, 47-year marriage to James, a pediatric anesthesiologist at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Together they raised Jenna, a cantor specializing in Jewish choral music in Dayton, Ohio, and Jeremy, a successful contract manager in Philadelphia. “Safti” loved her grandchildren, Ranon, Elior, Raya, Clyde, and Matan, who turned her house into a circus whenever they visited. Linda and James will be perpetually grateful to the amazing caregivers who helped her do all the many things she could no longer physically accomplish: Krystal, Julia, Cleo, Rachel and the wonderful nursing and rehabilitation sciences students on whom she depended. Her warmth, spirit, and soul survive her interment at Penn Forest Natural Burial Ground. Professional services by D’Alessandro Funeral Home and Crematory Ltd., Lawrenceville. Memorial contributions may be made to the Center for Assistive Technology (http:// www.upmc.com/Services/rehab/rehab-institute/services/cat/Pages/default.aspx) at the University of Pittsburgh or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Pennsylvania Keystone Chapter (https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Chapters?chapters=6545). HARRIS: Jerome Harris, age 93, beloved husband of the late Zippora Harris, happily married for 60 years; loving father of Julie (Dr. Bruce Bergelson) Harris and Lisa (Thomas) Quinn; cherished Zaide of Lauren and Daniel Bergelson, Sarah (Nicholas) Gutwirth and Samuel Quinn; treasured uncle of many nieces and nephews. Jerome was a highly respected dentist in Pittsburgh for many years. Private services arranged by Shalom Memorial Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to PAWS Chicago or the Alzheimer’s Association. For information and condolences 847-255-3520 or shalom2.com. Please see Obituaries, page 29
www.pittsburghjewishchronicle.org 28 MARCH 23, 2018
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Obituaries Obituaries: Continued from page 28
HELFER: Ja ck Helfer, who grew up in Squirrel Hill and was a longtime resident of Wilkins Township, passed away on March 12, 2018, in Florida, where he received exceptional care at the Sunrise Health and Rehabilitation Center. He was 88 years old. After Jack graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School, he immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving his nation as a corporal in the 1st Cavalry Division in Korea and Japan during the Korean War. Jack maintained his pride of being a Korean War veteran throughout his life, visiting the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., and frequently wearing hats and pins denoting his service. When he returned from the war, Jack married his high school sweetheart, Charlotte Cooper (of blessed memory), to whom he was wed for 64 years before she passed away in September 2017. He also entered into the family business, David I. Helfer Jewelers, learning the jewelry manufacture trade from his father. Jack eventually ran the company in the Clark Building in downtown Pittsburgh for more than 45 years before retiring in 2008 and turning it over to the next generation of his family. Jack had an active social life outside of work. He and Charlotte were inseparable at theater and musical events, impressive dance partners, and a remarkable doubles team on the tennis court. In Wilkins Township, he served as a volunteer fireman, a Cub Master for Boy Scouts of America, and a member of the Recreation Board and Arts Council. He also was a member of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, avid Steelers and Pirates fan, a member of several bowling leagues, and a member of the Congregation Beth Shalom Men’s Club. More recently, he and Charlotte enjoyed an active life in Florida at the Wynmoor, the Pennsylvania Club, Lefty’s Sports Bar and the Jewish Liberal Temple. Jack was preceded in death by Charlotte and their granddaughter, Dana (of blessed memory). He is survived by his three children (and their spouses), Farrel (Nancy), Ira (Kathy), and Bryna (Lewis); three other grandchildren, David, Sarah and Emily; and three great-grandchildren, Annabella, Aria and Dante. Jack made a point of sending flowers to all the women in his family on Valentine’s Day each year. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. HOLLANDER: Sylvia Goldberg Roberts Hollander of Squirrel Hill on Monday March 12, 2018. Beloved wife of the late Seymour “Red” Hollander and the late Bernard Friedman. Loving and devoted mother of Mark L. Hollander, Barry (Carrie) Hollander of Charlotte, N.C., and Janet Reiter. Stepmother of Scott (Mary), Craig (Judy) and Gary (Ruso) Friedman. Grandmother of Lauren and Seth Reiter and Jenna Hollander. Cousin of Gayle, Myra, Craig
and the late Barbara Block. Best friend of Ingabord Hamovitz. She was a graduate of Robert Morris University and had a 25-year career with MetLife. She was a devoted Pittsburgh sports fan and a great friend to many. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. Contributions may be made to New Light Congregation Sisterhood, 5898 Wilkins Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. HOROWITZ: Isadore (“Iz or Izzy”) L. Horowitz, age 91, originally of Rochester, Pa., then Pittsburgh, left us on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. As a young man, Iz joined the military and served in World War II in the Army Air Corps stationed in the Asian Pacific where he served his country as a corporal, specializing in communications. Iz then returned to the U.S. and attended Geneva College to study engineering. He worked for many years as a draftsman at Dravo Corporation in Pittsburgh. After retiring, he went on to become an Amway associate and operator of his own business. Isadore was commander of the Jewish War Veterans Post 785 for more than 40 years. He was active in his faith, attending regular religious services at Ahavath Achim Congregation as well as Beth El Congregation. He participated in assisting with operations at Ahavath Achim, including helping to set up the sukkah for many years. Izzy is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Rose Ann (Tisherman) and Harris Tishermen of Ft. Myers, Fla. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Pearl (Lowe) and Shirley (Schwartz). Iz is also survived by nieces, nephew and cousins. A graveside service was held in New Light Cemetery. William Slater II Funeral Service entrusted with arrangements. LEVIN: Leona Lieberman Levin of Washington, D.C., formerly of Pittsburgh and Pompano Beach, Fla., passed away on March 6, 2018, at the age of 96. Beloved wife of the late Irwin B. Levin. Cherished mother of Terri (Alan) Cohen, Stuart (Lori) Levin and Barbara (Michael) Abrams. Sister of Faye Schwartz and the late Mildred Lieberman, Morris Lieberman and Sidney Lieberman. Sister-in-law of Hope Lieberman and Barbara Lieberman. Beloved grandmother of Adam Cohen, Stephanie Cohen, Lauren (Rony) Abrams Kravel and Brett Abrams. Great-grandmother of Evan, Ryan and Aidan Cohen, Levi Kravel and Bodhi Cohen. Leona taught business education in the Pittsburgh Public Schools and was a guidance counselor at Schenley High School. In Florida she was a very successful realtor. Services and interment were held at Star of David in North Lauderdale. Memorial contributions may be made in Leona’s memory to Capital Caring Hospice, 50 F Street NW, Suite 3300, Washington, D.C. 20001 PJC
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In memory of...
Edna & Elmer Judd .............................................. Louis Meyer Karen R. Jurgensmier ................................... Sylvia Rosenfeld Denise Kaiser ..................................................... Bertha Kaiser Harriette Libenson.............................................. Abe Katzman Sally & Tim Litman ............................Julia & Arthur Goldsmith Howard M. Louik.............................................. Rita Faberman Larry & Maxine Myer ................................ George Zeidenstein Joyce Offerman.............................................. Gary Braunstein Ethel Sisselsky ............................Departed Zamores & Apters Tobi E. Smith ................................................. Freeda Solomon Violet Soffer ..........................................................David Gusky Rae Solomon ........................................................ Pearl Braun Linda Tashbook .............................................. Beatrice Nathan Howard Troffkin ................................................. Frieda Troffkin Alan Wallie ......................................................Lawrence Wallie Claire & Morris Weinbaum ...................................... Anne Levy Arlene Wolk .............................................. Helen & Albert Wolk Robert & Susan Zohlman............................... Jacob Goldman
THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday March 25: Harry Balber, Julia Baroff, Morris Cohen, Eva Cooper, Harry Fisher, M.D., David Frank, Jean Katzman, Larry J. Klein, Anna Leff, David Levy, Pearl Baskind Sadowsky, Rose Lieberman Solomon, Rody S. Verk Monday March 26: Milton Alderman, Eleanor K. Brody, Philip Ellovich, Benjamin Geduldig, Dora Himmel, Dorothy Leah Katz, Anne R. Levy, Samuel Miller, Betty Pearl, Israel Pick, Adele Prizant, Fannie Serbin, Ida Shrut, Sidney A. Uram Tuesday March 27: Celia Apple, Annette L. Smith Bergsman, Helen Harris Berman, Louis Cohen, Eva Diamond, Mervin B. Feldman, Florence Glick, Gertrude N. Hoffman, Nathan H. Isaacs, Sophia E. Israel, David Kalson, Louis Meyer, Charles E. Rosenthall, Bella Rosenzweig, Morris Schwartz, Nettie Silverberg Wednesday March 28: Steven Beck, Goldie R. Broida, Irving Cowen, Nathan A. Davis, Abraham Glanz, Ruben Heller, George Lurie, Jr., Ruth G. Martin, Hyman Miller, Roberta Morrison, Catherine Neiman, Louis Plesset, Jennie Volkin Thursday March 29: Ella Bails, Freda Berkovitz, Dr. Albert B. Berkowitz, Ida Cohen, Freda Gordon, Milton Kelsky, Rosa Klawansky, Esther Kramer, Rosalind Light Kraus, Isadore M. Pollock, Ruth Rosenstein, Julius A. Rudolph, Jacob Segal, Leonard Herbert Shiner, Mel Weinberg, Meyer Young, Helen Zeff Friday March 30: George Apple, Sam Astrov, Morris A. Berman, Gerda Bloch, Nathan Breakstone, Dorothy L. Fisher, Bennie Ginsburg, David Philip Gold, Morris H. Goldenson, Saul Katz, Louis K. Landau, Sara Gluck Lewinter, Abe Mallinger, Jan Steuer Mandell, Eva Perlow, William Wolf Shamberg, Ida R. Thompson Saturday March 31: Jacob Barniker, Gary Allen Braunstein, Rubin Dafner, Ida Dobkin, Esther W. Gottesman, Saul Kuperstock, Sara R. Levy, Rebecca Marks, Louis Nathan Morris, Rose Myers, Harry Saxen, Rebecca Schulman, Melvin Sherman Shapiro, Libby Sherman, George Simon, Freeda Solomon, Robert Charles Solomon
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PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE
MARCH 23, 2018 29
Community Machers & Shakers
At Temple David
In celebration of her military service and Women’s History Month, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Elaine H. Berkowitz will be honored at the Pennsylvania Commission for Women’s Female Veteran’s Day celebration, which will be held at the Governor’s Residence, in Harrisburg, on March 28. Berkowitz served in the United States Army Reserves for 38 years and had four deployments. Photo courtesy of Elaine H. Berkowitz
Temple David’s Weiger Religious School went bowling at Miracle Lanes in Monroeville to raise money for the organizations they are supporting this year and asked for sponsors by the pin or by the game. In addition to participating in a mitzvah, the kids also had fun.
Lion Lunch and Learn On Thursday, March 8, at a Lion Lunch and Learn at a private home, Rabbi Danny Schiff, Jewish Community Foundation Scholar, led a discussion that examined modern technology through the lens of Jewish values. The Lion Lunch and Learn series consists of three events each year for women who are Lions of Judah — women who have made a specific endowment to fund the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Campaign. Also at the Lion Lunch and Learn, OneTable Pittsburgh Hub Manager Lianne Sufrin (in red sweater) told attendees about OneTable, a Shabbat dinner program for young adults. Pittsburgh is now one of 10 “hub cities” that host OneTable programs, to empower Jewish young adults to build community by creating their own authentic Shabbat dinner experiences. One Table is supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Jewish Life and Learning Division and the Jewish Community Foundation.
p Isaac Sloan, Josh Goldberg and Sammy Sloan decide who’s bowling first.
p Sylvie Casher, CJ Keough, Jessica Raithel, Aidan Pechersky and Nate Goldberg take a break while the pins reset.
Photos courtesy of Temple David
At Temple Sinai
Photos courtesy of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh
t Women of Temple Sinai members Susan Gluckman, Diane Rudov, and Lynn Magrid Lazar make matzah brittle.
p Rev. Cornell Brooks, former NAACP president, was the keynote speaker at a workshop for religious leaders on Friday, March 16. From left: Rev. Dr. John Welch, Rev. Liddy Barlow, Rev. Cornell Brooks, Rabbi Jamie Gibson of Temple Sinai, Rev. De Neice Welch, Rev. Rodney Lyde and Rev. Richard Freeman Sr.
Photos courtesy of Temple Sinai
30 MARCH 23, 2018
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Community Pi Day celebration
‘Alice in Wonderland Jr.’
On March 14 Community Day School Middle School joined in the nationwide celebration of Pi Day, as students participated in activities including digital Pi scavenger hunts, advanced equation solving, Pi poetry writing, and other fun math challenges. Pi is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — that is approximately 3.14159. Math teacher Leslie Frischman organized the annual CDS Pi Day celebration, and of course, it culminates with a delicious slice of apple or cherry pie for each student.
From March 14 to 18, Community Day School took a trip down the rabbit hole with the Middle School spring musical production of Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland Jr.,” which marked a homecoming for director and CDS alumna Jessica Savitz (Class of 2006). A cast of nearly 30 students performed to record crowds in the Miriam and Paul Kossis Performing Arts Center at CDS as they brought to life this delightful adaptation of the classic Disney film based on the madcap adventures of Lewis Carroll’s famous heroine. Savitz has a bachelor of fine arts degree in theater performance from Ohio University, with directing credits at Stage 62, Greensburg Civic Theatre, and South Park Children’s Theatre.
p Yan Sher
p From left: Ada Perlman, Madison Zunder, Leah Heym (all dressed like Alice), Carly Caplan (next to Alice), Nadav Gilboa (green glasses), Jackie DeWitt (rainbow hat), Dori Catz (10/6 top hat), director Jessica Savitz
p Mayan Harris-Gershon and Middle School teacher Jackie Goldblum
Photos courtesy of Community Day School
p From left: Aaron Grant, Madison Zunder, Ada Perlman, Dori Catz
Photos courtesy of Community Day School
Magevet tours Pittsburgh Magevet, Yale University’s Jewish, Hebrew and Israeli a cappella singing group, performed two concerts this past weekend in Squirrel Hill. Magevet’s repertoire spans modern Israeli pop and Renaissance choral pieces to Yiddish folk tunes and Zionist classics. The ensemble is devoted to spreading Jewish music to the far corners of the globe and is one of the nation’s premier a cappella singing groups. The Friday concert was held at Temple Sinai as part of its Shabbat dinner. The Sunday concert, attended by more than 300 people, was sponsored by four East End congregations: Beth Shalom:Derekh, Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Light*Or L’Simcha. Two of the a cappella singers who performed were from Pittsburgh.
u Magevet, whose name is the Hebrew word for towel, was rewarded with Terrible Towels by Myron Cope’s daughter.
Photo by Jim Busis
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MARCH 23, 2018 31
PASSOVER
FLAVORS OF
Prices effective March 29 through April 11, 2018. Items available at participating locations while supplies last.
PRODUCE
All Purpose Russet Potatoes
Golden Delicious or McIntosh Apples 3 lb. bag
Fresh Horseradish Root
99
¢
2
lb.
7
$
FOR
2
3
29
Empire Kosher Fresh Whole Frying Chicken
lb.
5
49 lb.
Manischewitz Passover Matzo Meal
lb.
Empire Kosher Frozen Hen Turkeys
bunch
2
3
59 lb.
Manischewitz Matzo Ball Soup 4.5 to 5 oz., selected varieties
2
16 oz.
5
$
FOR
2
7
$
FOR
Save up to $1.49 on 2 with your
Save with your
KOSHER WINE
99
Plus all state and local taxes. Not all items and retails available in all areas.
Yehuda Gefilte Fish
Manischewitz Matzo Macaroons
ea.
24 oz., selected varieties
10 oz., selected varieties
4
6
99
49
ea.
Save up to $1.00 ea. with your
bunch
No antibiotics or added hormones, Product of Australia
99
Organic Red Beets
Fresh Curly or Plain Parsley
Thomas Farms Free Range Lamb Shanks
ea.
Save up to $1.20 ea. with your
99
¢
ea. Kedem Concord Grape Juice
64 oz., selected varieties
Carrots bunch
17AD32055_PJC_0323.indd 1
32 MARCH 23, 2018
1
99 ea.
Yehuda Matzo 5 lbs., selected varieties
8
99 ea.
Save up to $3.00 ea. with your
7
49
ea.
Manischewitz Concord Grape or Blackberry 750 mL
Bartenura Moscato d'Asti 750 mL
Please visit our stores for additional selections of fine kosher wines.
Save up to $1.70 ea. with your
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3/14/18 12:04 PM
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