Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 4/13/2018

P I T TS B U R G H

April 13, 2018 | 28 Nisan 5778

h

Candlelighting 7:39 p.m. | Havdalah 8:40 p.m. | Vol. 61, No. 15 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Shabbat, a celebration in art

Jewish community security director extends training to Muslim group

Age-Friendly action plan focuses on inclusion of older adults in community life

Temple David exhibit explores the many meanings and expressions behind the holy day.

By Lauren Rosenblatt | Digital Content Manager

L

Page 2

lots of other organizations, first responders and government officials. Training faith communities such as the Muslim community is a win-win because it improves their security awareness and practices while fostering the cooperation that can be critical in early identification and communication of threats to the Jewish community as well.”

Orsini had met MAP president Saima Sitwat about a year ago, when she was doing research for an article she was writing for publicsource.org about security concerns in local faith communities.

Sitwat explained the motivation for writing that article.

“Right after the [presidential] election — not just the Muslim community — it looked like everyone was scared,” Sitwat told the Chronicle, noting in particular the many threats that were made against the Jewish community at that time.

There has been a recent marked increase in religiously motivated hate crimes against both Jews and Muslims. Last year, the FBI

aura Poskin grew up visiting her grandparents in the town of Ebensburg, about an hour outside of Pittsburgh. One of the few Jewish families in the town, they made themselves a fixture of the community, opening a clothing store, sponsoring a Little League team and hosting interfaith dialogue discussions.

But, as they aged, Poskin watched it become harder for them to leave home and be active in the community. Her grandfather wasn’t even able to get his favorite omelet from a local breakfast spot because it was just too difficult to get there.

“It’s a shame for him because it was a community he loved and suddenly he couldn’t leave his house without relying on other people,” she said. “And a shame for the Ebensburg community that they couldn’t tap into this resource.”

In Pittsburgh, where Poskin works with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging and is the director of Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, older adults often have the same storyline, struggling to make their way around the city, connect with other members of the community or find the resources they need so they can comfortably age in place.

Building on years of work to make the city more inclusive for older adults, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County launched the Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh Action Plan in October, an outline of areas for improvement guided by two years of collecting resident feedback. Just over six months in, the project has made strides in improving the walkability of the city and

Please see Mosque, page 16

Please see Aging, page 16

LOCAL New offerings at area camps

Institutions continue focus on experiential learning.

Page 3 LOCAL Holocaust survival on film

Documentary filmmaker presents at Rodef Shalom.

Page 4

$1.50

 Jewish community security director Brad Orsini talks to local Muslims.

Photo courtesy of Brad Orsini

By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

P

ittsburgh’s first director of Jewish community security is expanding the scope of his services, providing preparedness and emergency training to the local Muslim community as well as to Jews.

Former FBI official Bradley Orsini has been raising safety awareness and offering emergency training in the Jewish community since he was hired by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh at the beginning of 2017, his position financed through a fund within the Federation’s Jewish Community Foundation. On Friday, March 30, Orsini conducted his first “security/active shooter/situational awareness training” at a mosque for the Muslim Association of Greater Pittsburgh (MAP) since assuming his position.

Neither Orsini nor the Federation is charging MAP for his services.

“Security for the Jewish community does not rely on the Jewish community alone,” explained Adam Hertzman, director of marketing communications for the Federation. “It requires cooperation and openness between Jewish institutions and

keep your eye on PittsburghJewishChronicle NATIONAL

Changes at Conservative orgs

THEATER

Getting sober with ‘The Jews’

MUSIC

Spin Doctors front man in town

Headlines Art of Shabbat to be showcased at Temple David — LOCAL —

By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

A

t first glance it may not be obvious how the late artist Will Barnet’s painting “Sunday afternoon in Gramercy Park” relates to the Jewish notion of Shabbat. The piece simply depicts an older man watching a small child play on a park bench.

But Laura Kruger, curator of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Museum in New York, sees the images in the painting as representing a defining experience of Shabbat: sharing the day with others, multi-generationally.

“Yes, you could celebrate Shabbat with peers so that you are all the same age — but you are really encouraged by Shabbat to be with people of all generations,” said Kruger, who will be coming to Temple David in Monroeville the weekend of April 20 as its artist-in residence, along with an art exhibit from the HUC-JIR Museum titled “The Seventh Day: Revisiting Shabbat.”

The exhibit features the work of dozens of international artists exploring the sanctity of the Sabbath through provocative works of art from a 21st century perspective.

“Rather than having a scholar-in-residence, we have an artist-in-residence to help people of all ages connect to the subject matter of Shabbat,” said Rabbi Barbara Symons, spiritual leader of Temple David.

“The youngest child as well as the oldest adult can look at a piece of art.”

The congregation has been participating in activities leading up to the weekend — which is part of Temple David’s 60th anniversary celebration — exploring the intersection of art and Shabbat, according to Symons,

P I T TS B U R G H

SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org 410-902-2308 TO ADVERTISE Display: advertising@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org 724-713-8874

P I T TS B U R G H

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Email: newsdesk@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org BOARD OF TRUSTEES Evan Indianer, Chairman Andrew Schaer, Vice Chairman Gayle R. Kraut, Secretary Jonathan Bernstein, Treasurer David Ainsman, Immediate Past Chairman

Gail Childs, Elizabeth F. Collura, Milton Eisner, Malke Steinfeld Frank, Tracy Gross, Richard J. Kitay, Catia Kossovsky, Andi Perelman, Amy Platt, David Rush, Charles Saul GENERAL COUNSEL Stuart R. Kaplan, Esq.

2 APRIL 13, 2018

including various Jewish food tastings they’re old and they’re young, and the reading of Chaim Potok’s “My they’re black and they’re Asian, Name is Asher Lev.” they are from other continents, “We’ve been building up toward they’re more robust, they’re this,” Symons said. “Shabbat is founmore fragile, they are from dational to what Judaism is. We want different religious points of others to come in and think about it, view, they are certainly Jewish, and to think about their own practice.” and they are certainly equally The weekend will commence with sexually balanced. In this sense, a Shabbat dinner on Friday night it is the family of mankind.” and a preview of the exhibit, as well The exhibit includes art works as a presentation by Bruce Berman, a based on Sabbath texts, and local architect, designer and cabinetritual objects. maker, who created the ark, lectern, “The celebration of Shabbat is Torah stand and recognition board a very visual and tactile experiin Temple David’s sanctuary. A wine ence,” Kruger said. “It involves and cheese reception with Kruger will humans, foods that are celebe held on Saturday night, followed bratory like challah, wine that by a program for religious school is celebratory, it involves doing students on Sunday. physical things — it is not just a Kruger said that her remarks reading and reciting holiday. It’s Saturday night will center on the “gift about what our religion holds as of Shabbat to humanity.” the substance values of being a “It is one of the exceptional concepts Jew. Sharing things with other of human behavior, that given a time people, being with other people.” of peace and reflection we will come The exhibit “will be meanto the realization that some of the most ingful to anybody that has an meaningful aspects of life are those of interest in Shabbat,” said Carol connecting with others — a time to Gordon, who along with her listen and hear of the needs as well as husband, Bob Gordon, is coorthe energy of people around us,” she dinating the weekend’s events. said. “Life has always been filled with The exhibit will include a duties to be fulfilled and distractions p Torah mantle designed by local David Wander’s “Creation, Shabbat Menorah.” to be assessed. However, it is within the Photo provided artists Louise Silk and Leslie silence and calm of Shabbat that we can Golomb, and will be open to contemplate larger relationships and actions. intergenerational activities.” the public on Sunday and Monday from 2 “It is less about rituals to be performed, Shabbat, Kruger stressed, is a time for to 5 p.m., April 22-23. Students from area and more about outreach and connections reflection and sharing.

Catholic schools are scheduled to view the to one another,” added Kruger. “Hence the “I would point to the Judy Chicago piece exhibit on Monday. PJC focus on a family meal, about sharing bread called ‘Rainbow Shabbat,’ and it is a table Toby Tabachnick can be reached at — challah — wine, as a means to relax, with people of different iterations,” Kruger music in the form of songs of celebration, of explained. “They’re men, they’re women, ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

h

5915 Beacon St., 5th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Main phone number: 412-687-1000

Subscriptions: 410-902-2308

Jim Busis, CEO and Publisher 412-228-4690 jbusis@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org EDITORIAL Joshua Runyan, Editor-in-Chief 215-832-0744 jrunyan@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org Angela Leibowicz, Community/Web Editor 412-687-1047 aleibowicz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org Toby Tabachnick, Senior Staff Writer 412-228-4577 ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org Adam Reinherz, Staff Writer 412-687-1000 areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org Lauren Rosenblatt, Digital Content Manager 412-228-4547 lrosenblatt@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

h

ADVERTISING Phil Durler, Senior Sales Associate 724-713-8874 pdurler@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org DEVELOPMENT Barry Rudel, Development Officer 412-215-9157 brudel@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

PRODUCTION Jeni Mann, Director Rachel S. Levitan Art/Production Coordinator BUSINESS Bill Sims, Director of Circulation 410-902-2315 Devorah Neuman, Circulation subscriptions@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org 410-902-2308 Published every Friday by the Pittsburgh Jewish Publication and Education Foundation 5915 Beacon St., 5th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Phone: 412-687-1000 FAX: 412-521-0154 POSTMASTER: Send address change to PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE, 5915 BEACON ST., 5TH FLOOR PITTSBURGH, PA 15217 (PERIODICAL RATE POSTAGE PAID AT PITTSBURGH, PA AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES) USPS 582-740

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle become the property of this publication, which is not responsible for the return or loss of such items.

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle does not endorse the goods or services advertised or covered in its pages and makes no representation to the kashrut of food products and services in said advertising or articles. The publisher is not liable for damages if, for any reason whatsoever, he fails to publish an advertisement or for any error in an advertisement.

Acceptance of advertisers and of ad copy is subject to the publisher’s approval. The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle is not responsible if ads violate applicable laws and the advertiser will indemnify, hold harmless and defend the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle from all claims made by governmental agencies and consumers for any reason based on ads appearing in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines Summer camps push new programs for 2018 — LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

P

ittsburgh may have as many summer camps as it has bridges. With both day and overnight experiences tailored to interests ranging from robotics to climbing, the region offers a summer of opportunity.

This season, several area camps are touting novel additions.

“With our expansion, we have a new wet lab. It’s much like a high school style lab with gas and water,” said Katie Brunecz, Carnegie Science Center’s senior manager of out-ofschool learning.

The laboratory, which is part of the PPG Science Pavilion scheduled to open in June, will be primarily dedicated to two topics: biotechnology and environmental science. While “DNA Detectives” introduces methods for using DNA “in a functional way,” “Investigating our Environment” allows campers to explore water quality, collect soil samples and perform surveys, explained Brunecz, who noted that both week-long camps are for ages 12-14.

At Chatham University, although the music and arts day camp is celebrating its 55th anniversary, a fresh experience has been planned. Scheduled for Aug. 6-10, “Travel Pittsburgh Camp” promises to

p Students at Chatham Day Camp immerse themselves in an art project.

Photo by Olivia Ciotoli

With its focus on “instilling leadership and p Children at James and Rachel Levinson Day Camp tend the chickens as part independence in our campers,” trips to recogof a summer camp program of experiential learning and fun. nizable places like Kennywood, Skyzone

Photo courtesy of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh and Fun For All will be utilized to further “promote your child’s understanding of the university to be student centered as opposed personal growth, explained Weinberg. city,” explained Alicia Danenberg, Chatham’s to being camper centered,” said Danenberg. “Developing leadership skills is a continual What “Travel Pittsburgh Camp,” affords process that happens when you least expect director of camps and special programming.

While the experience will enable rising is an extra week of Chatham summer camp, it. The adventurous fun-filled days of summer fifth- through ninth-graders to depart from complete with the same drop-off and pickup camp create experiences and environments the university each day and enjoy some of at the university that parents are already through which these skills are developed.

“Counselors encourage skill development, the city’s best haunts, it also permits the used to, she added.

Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh will be and model these values day in and day out,” Shadyside site to return to its regular state.

“Each year parents want their kids to offering similar styled excursions for campers he added. “Campers learn what a true leader continue coming to camp, but that week is entering fourth- through eighth-grade, noted when we are starting to really transition the Rabbi Sam Weinberg, the school’s principal.

Please see Camps, page 17

HOW WE INVEST As part of our financial literacy program, our fourth graders develop money management skills through immersive classroom exercises in which they earn a fictional salary and track credits and debits in weekly ledgers.

They also create, advertise and sell an original product on campus, learning principles of marketing, sales and economics.

How will you invest in your child’s future?

BECAUSE “HOW” MATTERS PK-12 • Four Campuses

SHADYSIDEACADEMY.ORG/VISIT

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

OPEN HOUSES APRIL 21 – MAY 3

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

APRIL 13, 2018 3

Headlines Pennsylvania premiere of ‘Nana’ brings promising filmmaker to Pittsburgh — LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

A

fter Alaska, North Dakota and France, moviemaker Serena Dykman made her way to Pittsburgh. Between April 8 and 12, Dykman visited four schools, one theater, a library and even a house of worship, all with the purpose of sharing her 2016 documentary film, “Nana.”

“This has never been screened in a synagogue,” Dykman said prior to the April 8 showing at Rodef Shalom Congregation. “It’s an honor to screen it in such a beautiful place.”

Dykman’s Steel City tour was facilitated by Classrooms Without Borders, an organization founded and directed by Tsipy Gur. After discovering the feature documentary, which centers on three generations of one family’s response to the Holocaust, Gur decided to expose Pittsburgh’s students, educators and public to the young filmmaker, explained Melissa Haviv, CWB’s assistant director.

Gur’s decision to welcome Dykman was less a courtesy to a neophyte than a communal gift to learn from a burgeoning talent. At only 25 years old, the New York University Tisch School of the Arts graduate

has collected more than 40 awards in the past three years. Her films (“The Doorman,” “Bed Bugs & Company” and “Welcome”), which span multiple formats and genres, have been selected in more than 80 film festivals globally, including the Cannes Film Festival.

But it is the work of “Nana” that has captured Dykman’s recent attention. Shot in March 2015, the 100-minute work took less than a year and a half from “idea to finished product.” Since then, Dykman has been incessantly touring and promoting the film, which not only tells her grandmother’s survival story, but also Dykman and her mother’s grappling with this familial truth.

“The goal is to get as many people as possible to see it,” she said before noting that her Polishborn grandmother, Maryla Michalowski-Dyamant, “went to schools tirelessly” to tell her story of survival from Ravensbruck, Malchow and Auschwitz, and to advocate against intolerance. Michalowski-Dyamant died when her granddaughter was 11 years old. “‘Nana’ is my effort to bring her back to the classroom,” said Dykman. “I made the film so it would get to the youth and schools. It’s the whole reason why I did this.”

Though highly personal in its presentation and narrative construction, “Nana” does not exclude those outside its immediate family tree.

p Serena Dykman, prior to her address at Rodef Shalom Congregation.

Photo by Adam Reinherz

“The trauma of the Holocaust is always present,” explained Dykman. “It’s with us whether we talk about it or not.”

The ability of films like “Nana” lies in offering viewers an “easy way in” to an unspeakable tragedy, she added. “There’s something about recorded testimony. The medium of film captures a survivor’s story like no other. It’s a great way to keep the memory alive and make it attainable to most people.”

“Nana” has made its way along the festival circuit, netting prizes at the St. Louis International Film Festival, the Fargo Film Festival, the Palm Beach International Film Festival, the Mexico International Film Festival, the

Chagrin Documentary Film Festival and the Harlem International Film Festival. With each viewing, the documentary generates greater discussions on trauma, memory and generational obligations. Such is the reason why Dykman’s work is so forceful, said Gur. “As the population of survivors decrease, the responsibility of teaching the lessons of the Holocaust passes to the second and third generations,” she said. “Serena has picked up the torch and continues her grandmother’s mission to bear witness and fight intolerance.”

There is a recognizable heaviness to the work, and the documentarian hopes that the character of “Nana’s” star is not lost.

“My grandmother had a great sense of humor. Despite what she lived through, she had a positive outlook. She felt that life was worth living,” said Dykman. “The film is not supposed to be a downer. It’s supposed to be a call to action and to enjoy life a little bit more.”

After wrapping up its Pennsylvania premiere, “Nana” will enjoy its theatrical release on April 13 at Cinema Village in New York City. The date was specifically chosen to “coincide with Yom Hashoah,” said the filmmaker. PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh presents

A NIGHT OF JEWISH LEARNING EARNING FREE & OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2018 10 P.M. - 1 A.M. JCC Squirrel Hill Community-wide Jewish learning with well-known local rabbis and thinkers

TEEN TIKKUN FOR GRADES 6-12 JCC 2ND FLOOR 9:45 P.M. jfedpgh.org/Shavuot

4 APRIL 13, 2018

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines Jacob A. Cohen, a gigantic life in a tiny place — HISTORY —

By Eric Lidji | Special to the Chronicle

S

andy Creek, Pa., is not New York City.

It is a sliver of Penn Hills occupying the valley that separates Longue Vue Club from Green Oaks Country Club. It is the epitome of smallness. Jacob A. Cohen saw that as a plus. In the advertisement seen here and in others like it, he described his store as the best in the world “for the size of the town.�

Cohen was a born promoter. There is no “Fifth & Broadway Avenues, Sandy Creek, Pa.,� as he claims here. But the intersection of Sandy Creek and Verona roads roughly mimics the extreme angle in Manhattan where Fifth Avenue intersects with Broadway, and so he borrowed the name.

That well-known Manhattan intersection is the location of the Flatiron Building. Cohen also had a “Flatiron Building,� not a glorious architectural marvel but a modest triangular outbuilding that he named after the famous Manhattan skyscraper, just as he had done with the famous Manhattan intersection.

In a whimsical profile in George Thornton Fleming’s “History of Pittsburgh and Environs,� Cohen revealed the sequence of events leading him from his native Poland to the outskirts of Pittsburgh. As a child, he stood

beside a closed gate Nose & Throat Drops blocking the road into (35¢) to Lysol (25¢). He his village and opened boasted about his invenit for travelers in return tory, his connections and for a small toll. He used his prices. He bought these coins to buy a stash a team of horses, and of hog bristles, which he later a truck, and made sold to shoemakers to deliveries throughout finance a peddling operthe farmlands that now ation. A year of peddling comprise the eastern around Poland earned suburbs of Pittsburgh.

In back he had a storehim enough for ship fare to America, a train ticket room, a kitchen and a to Pittsburgh, a Turkish dining room. An elevator bath, a new outfit led up to a second floor and $1.75 in supplies. with 12 rooms. A few years after starting his He was just 13. store, Cohen married He started peddling p Jacob A. Cohen was a Bessie Rosenson, who throughout Lawrencev- marketing whiz and used ille and expanded his advertisements such as this one had immigrated to Pittsterritory over the next to promote his business and tell burgh from England as a child. Together they eight years to include his life story.

Image courtesy of Rauh Jewish History most of Allegheny Program & Archives had eight children. They called them the “8 Little County. He saved enough to start a modest store in Sandy Cohens,â€? which also became the name of the Creek in 1896. He rebuilt the store several store’s in-house brand. Their eight baby faces times, culminating in a massive 20-room, adorn the top of this advertisement. three-story brick building with the aforeContinuing to the third floor, the elevator mentioned triangular outbuilding. opened onto a hall with a stage and a dance Cohen put the entire building to use. The floor. The town used the hall as a polling first floor was his store. His advertisements place during elections, making Cohen’s store list dozens of products and prices, everything a center of both commercial and civic life in from Sunsweet Prune Juice (10¢) to Dills the tiny Sandy Creek.

The Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives has two of Cohen’s posters. Both contain biography and philosophy, alongside pricelists. The photograph at the center of this poster shows Istanbul (then Constantinople). Cohen snapped it in the early 1920s, during a cruise to Europe and the Mediterranean, including pre-statehood Israel.

Other photographs from the trip adorn the flipside of this poster. Cohen wrote a caption for each photograph, offering thoughts about the destination and its relevance to Jewish history.

Cohen’s communal instincts ran deep. He donated to the Jewish Home for the Aged throughout his life and went to live at the Home in 1950, after selling his building and retiring. (His wife died in 1934.) He remained at the Home until his death in 1966.

The old building stood until 2008, when it was destroyed in a fire, as Toby Tabachnick reported at the time in this newspaper. Also lost in the fire was an engraved nameplate bearing Cohen’s name. Today, the advertisements and photographs kept in the archives are the only testimony of Cohen’s knack for making a big life in a small town.  PJC Eric Lidji is the director of the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives at the Sen. John Heinz History Center. He can be reached at eslidji@heinzhistorycenter.org or 412-454-6406.

This Yom HaAtzma’ut, celebrate red, white, and blue.

This Yom HaAtzma’ut, celebrate red, white, and blue.

Honorary Chairs Paula Garret and Fern Schwartz

0RQGD\ $XJXVW ‡ *UHHQ 2DNV &RXQWU\ &OXE -RLQ XV IRU D IXQ ILOOHG FR HG GD\ RI JROI WHQQLV VZLPPLQJ GLQQHU DQG PRUH WR EHQHILW WKH &HQWHU IRU :RPHQ

&DPS 1&-: &KDLUV %DUE *LQVEXUJ +LODU\ 6SDW] 'HEELH /HY\ *UHHQ 0LWFKHOO /HWZLQ

Magen David Adom, Israel’s largest and premier emergency medical response Magen David Adom, Israel’s largest and premier emergency medical response agency, has been saving lives since before 1948. And supporters like you provide agency, has been saving lives since before 1948. And supporters like you provide MDA’s 27,000 paramedics, EMTs, and civilian Life Guardians — more than 90% of MDA’s 27,000 paramedics, EMTs, and equipment, civilian Life Guardians more they thanneed.

90% So of them volunteers — with the training, and rescue— vehicles them volunteers — with the training, equipment, and rescue vehicles they need.

So as we celebrate Israel’s independence, make a difference in the health, welfare, and as we celebrate Israel’s independence, make a difference in the health, welfare, and security of the Israeli people with your gift to MDA. Please give today. security of theAdom, Israeli people with your to MDA. Please medical give today.

Magen David Israel’s largest andgift premier emergency response agency, has been saving lives since before 1948. And supporters like you provide MDA’s 27,000 paramedics, EMTs, and civilian Life Guardians — more than 90% of AFMDA Midwest Region themCommercial volunteers — withSuite the training, equipment, and rescue vehicles they need. So AFMDA MidwestAvenue, Region 3175 101 3175 Commercial Avenue, Suite 101 as we celebrate Israel’s independence, make a difference in the health, welfare, and Northbrook, IL 60062 Northbrook, IL 60062 • midwest@afmda.org Toll-Free 888.674.4871 security of the Israeli people with your gift to MDA. Please give today.

Toll-Free 888.674.4871 • midwest@afmda.org www.afmda.org

5HJLVWHU DW ZZZ QFMZSJK RUJ RU E\ FDOOLQJ PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG  

www.afmda.org

AFMDA Midwest Region 3175 Commercial Avenue, Suite 101 Northbrook, IL 60062 PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE Toll-Free 888.674.4871 • midwest@afmda.org www.afmda.org

APRIL 13, 2018 5

Calendar q MONDAY, APRIL 16 South Hills Jewish Pittsburgh invites the community to celebrate Israel’s 70th birthday. The celebration will include activities, an Israeli-themed dinner and crafts, face painting and live DJ, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the South Hills Jewish Community Center, 345 Kane Blvd.

There is no charge. Visit southhillsjewishpittsburgh. org/Israel for more information. >> 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.

with almost 50 different neighborhood associations, religious institutions, and nonprofit organizations to have more than 900 volunteer spots all across Pittsburgh.

Visit jfedvolunteer.org/good-deeds-day-2018 for more information and to register.

q FRIDAY, APRIL 13

MoHo Does Good Deeds Day from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year, Moishe House will be sponsoring two sites with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Volunteer Center. Lunch at the house is first. Visit tinyurl. com/moishehousegooddeeds to register.

Moishe House projects will be at Observatory Hill and the New Hazlett Center for the Performing Arts. Contact moishehousepgh@ gmail.com for more information.

Moishe House goes to Jurassic Park after Dark at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History at 7 p.m. Learn more about dinosaur museum specimens with docent-led tours.

Watch “Jurassic Park” with our dinosaur expert and pick his brain about the likelihood of Jurassic Park becoming a reality. Proper identification is required, and all guests must show ID at the door. Tickets will cost $5 for the first 15 who sign up, $15 after that.

Contact moishehousepgh@gmail.com for more information. q SUNDAY, APRIL 15 The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Volunteer Center will hold Good Deeds Day, an international celebration of doing good.

This year the Volunteer Center is partnering

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. Reservations are required at bethelcong.org/events/ south-hills-genealogy-day or email SouthHillsGenealogyDay@gmail.com.

The South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM) Holocaust Observance, “Miracle of Music: Giving Voice to the Oppressed” will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Emanuel. Clergy from Temple Emanuel, Beth El, St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church will participate in the service. The Clarion Quartet, a group of Pittsburgh Symphony musicians, will perform; the service will also include a Remembrance of the Righteous Gentiles and a Survivors Tribute. There is no charge. Visit templeemanuelpgh.org for more information.

Beth El Congregation will host an annual AllYou-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 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

Castle Shannon Blvd. The program is free, but registration is required at 412-531-1912.

Hadassah Greater Pittsburgh will present Sally Lipsky, author of “Beyond Cancer: The Powerful Effect of Plant-Based Eating,” at 7 p.m. at the office at 1824 Murray Ave. There will be a discussion and question and answer period. The community is welcome. RSVP at 412-421-8919.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Israel & Overseas Commission 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. q TUESDAYS, APRIL 17-MAY 8 The Work of these 49 Days: Text Study with the Kirtan Rabbi, part of the Weeks of Jewish Flourishing, at 7 p.m. The programs are April 17, Becoming Matzah; April 24, Journey of the Soul; May 1, World-to-Come Now; and May 8, Mysteries of Mourners’ Kaddish. See a complete schedule at rodefshalom.org/weeks. q WEDNESDAY APRIL 18

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.

JFCS Career Development Center will hold the final Women’s Networking Series on “Ease Your Way into the Workforce: How Do Staffing Firms Work?” from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library 16

Author Sharon Dilworth will read from her new work, “Two Sides, Three Rivers,” at 1:15 p.m. at Temple Sinai. Dilworth is the author of two other collections of short stories and two novels. Her new book is a collection of stories that take place in Pittsburgh. Sharon has won a National Endowment for Fiction grant, a Please see Calendar, page 7

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

6 APRIL 13, 2018

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Calendar Calendar:

q FRIDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 20-23

q MONDAY, APRIL 23

AARP Squirrel Hill Chapter 3354 will hold its monthly meeting at 1 p.m. at Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha, located at Shady and Wilkins avenues. There will be bingo sponsored

by Juniper Village. Everyone is invited; membership is not required. Refreshments are served after the meeting. Contact Ilene Portnoy at 412-683-7985 for more information.

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 to 10 p.m. on April 21 for this exhibit from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Museum, New York. Curator Laura Kruger will explain the exhibit. An open house will be held Sunday and Monday from 2 to 5 p.m.

Contact carolg@templedavid.org or visit templedavid.org for more information.

Donations will be accepted at the door.

Temple Emanuel will host a free Movies & Munchies at 1 p.m. The movie will be “The Yankles,” a 2009 film about a washed up ex-baseball player who helps an Orthodox Yeshiva baseball team.

Contact Paula Altschul at 412-2797600 or library@templeemanuelpgh.org for more information or to RSVP or visit templeemanuelpgh.org/event/moviesand-munchies-4/.

q THURSDAY, APRIL 19

q SUNDAY, APRIL 22

Need to unwind? Do you knit or want to learn? We have you covered, from beginners on up. Be a part of the NA’AMAT Needle Nuts at 10:30 a.m. at Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha, 5898 Wilkins Ave. The cost is $15 per class.

RSVP by April 18 to naaamatpgh@gmail.com.

Congregation Beth Shalom Sisterhood Torah Fund Brunch will be at 10:30 a.m. This year’s honoree is Judy Adelson, the rebbitzin. Judy and Rabbi Seth Adelson came to Pittsburgh nearly three years ago. Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Judy has continued her career in the arts, is a parent volunteer at Community Day School where their two children attend, and is a volunteer at Beth Shalom.

Torah Fund raises money for the Conservative and Masorti Movement’s educational institutions, supporting the education of future rabbis, cantors, educators and scholars who serve as gifted leaders and innovators of the Conservative Movement.

There is a $20 charge. Visit bethshalompgh. org/events-upcoming for more information and to RSVP. Spouses, guests and the community are invited to attend.

Continued from page 6 Pushcart Prize in Fiction and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Grant. She is the director of the creative writing program at Carnegie Mellon University and lives and writes in Pittsburgh. There is no charge to attend.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Israel & Overseas Commission present 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.

Israel Independence Day, Yom Ha’atzmaut, is the national day of Israel commemorating the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. The day is marked by official and unofficial ceremonies and observances. A celebration will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for teens in eighth to 12th grade in the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, Robinson Building.

The celebration is co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh and The Center for Loving Kindness.

Shalom Pittsburgh Young Adult Division will celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut with barstyle trivia from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, Levinson Hall. Test your Israel knowledge and enjoy free drinks. Contact Sara Spanjer at sspanjer@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5237 or visit tinyurl.com/shalompittsburgh to RSVP. NA’AMAT Pittsburgh Council will hold its third Thursday Martini and Mahj at Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

All skill levels and ages are welcome. Bring your mahj set if you have one. RSVP to naamatpgh@gmail.com. q THURSDAY-SUNDAY, APRIL 19-22 National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section will hold its Spring Thrift and Designer Sale at its store, Thriftique, 125 51st St. Proceeds benefit NCJW Pittsburgh projects that support women, children, and families, including the Back 2 School Store and Project Prom. There is no charge. Visit ncjwthriftique.com for hours and more information. q FRIDAY, APRIL 20 A Very Hungry Caterpillar Shabbat from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Moishe House. Dinner will follow Kabbalat Shabbat services in the living room. Contact moishehousepgh@gmail.com for more information.

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.”

RSVP at templeemanuel@ templeemanuelpgh.org or 412-279-7600.

Visit templeemanuelpgh.org/event/422brunch for more information.

Mitzvah Day at the Howard Levin Clubhouse Garden, located at Community Day School, 2742 Beechwood Blvd. (next to the baseball field), will include cleaning up the garden, mulching, weeding and planting. Shifts are 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. At noon there will be a free pizza lunch. The Howard Levin Clubhouse is part of Jewish Residential Services. RSVP at 412-422-1850 or JPawlowski@jrspgh.org.

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 724834-0560 or office@cei-greensburg.org for more information and to register.

The Jewish Sports Hall of Fame will hold its 2018 Induction Ceremony & Banquet honoring inductees Barry Berman, David Brinn, Jonathan Mayo and Beverly Mermelstein at 5 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation. David Dinkins will be the recipient of the Manny Gold Humanitarian Award and Sherree Hall will be the recipient of the Ziggy Kahn Memorial Award. Contact Alan Mallinger at 412-697-3545 for tickets and more information.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Moishe House Town Hall from 7 to 9 p.m.

Do you have a brilliant idea for an event, a suggestion for how we could do things better, or feedback on something we did really well? Maybe you just like free dinner?

Join us for Moishe House’s first town hall.

Dinner and discussion guaranteed. Contact moishehousepgh@gmail.com for more information. q TUESDAY, APRIL 24 Chabad of the South Hills will hold its annual Women’s Event at 6 p.m. with guest speaker Lieutenant Commander Laurie Lans, U.S. Navy. Lans has served tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf and throughout the world. Lans will talk about her time in war and the people she met along the way, all while keeping kosher and lighting Shabbat candles in remote parts of the world. She and her husband, Moshe, were deployed together.

The evening will include salad and dessert bars, auction and raffle prizes and tips on neurobiology/relaxation, aromatherapy and nutrition.

The cost is $18 for prepaid reservation by April 20, which includes three raffle entries, and $25 after April 20. Visit chabadsh.com or contact 412-512-2330 or batya@chabadsh. com to RSVP and for more information. q THURSDAY, APRIL 26 The Howard Levin Clubhouse/Jewish Residential Services will hold a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the Clubhouse from 5 to 8 p.m. at 2621 Murray Ave. Tickets are $10 per adult and $7 per child in advance or $12 at the door (limited availability). Takeout meals are available. All proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the Howard Levin Clubhouse, a program of Jewish Residential Services that supports adults with mental illness. The deadline to RSVP is April 20th.

Contact Zara Sayles at the Howard Levin Clubhouse at zsayles@jrspgh.org or 412-4221850 for more information or to RSVP.

The unveiling of permanent wall plaques representing each of the inductees and a reception will follow the induction ceremony.

The public is welcome to attend. Contact Jamy Rankin at jpcjamy@aol.com or 313-6002822 for more information. q FRIDAY, APRIL 27 Temple Sinai will hold a Matzoh Ball Gumbo Young Adult Shabbat Dinner with chef Steffi and other young adults on a culinary tour of the historic Jewish south. This complimentary four-course dinner will be hosted at Temple Sinai. Services (optional) start at 7 p.m.; dinner begins at 8:15 p.m.

RSVP is required. Email Steffi Wright at Stephanie.Wright@Chatham.edu by Sunday, April 22 at noon to register.

Visit templesinaipgh.org/matzoh-ballgumbo-young-adult-shabbat-dinner for more information. q SATURDAY, APRIL 28 ​ Pittsburgh Allderdice will hold its annual Dragon Spirit Party, which is Allderdice’s largest fundraiser. The evening includes light fare and drinks, silent auction, raffle baskets and a live auction. Mingle with other Allderdice parents, teachers and administrators. The money raised at this event will go toward enriching the academic programs by providing essentials and extras to students. ​Visit tinyurl.com/ PittsburghAllderdice to purchase tickets. q SUNDAY, APRIL 29 The Holocaust Center and Community Day School will co-sponsor the annual Walk to Remember at 11:30 a.m. This event brings together Holocaust survivors and their families, honors the survivors and educates the public about the legacies of local survivors.

Participants walk the perimeter around CDS six times to memorialize the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust. This is a family friendly event, and light refreshments will be served.

The event is free for Holocaust survivors and college/university students (with valid student ID), $18 for individuals, $36 for a group of two to four, and $50 for a group of five or more.

A Wet Hot Moishe House Summer Camp from 1 to 4 p.m. Come on over for friendship bracelets, singing circles and screening of “A Wet Hot American Summer.” P.S.: there will be an ice cream bar. Contact moishehousepgh@gmail.com for more information.

The third annual Community Day School Art Show will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and guests will have the opportunity to experience original and inspired artwork from all CDS students. The CDS all-purpose room will be transformed into an art gallery where students will perform live instrumental music.

Refreshments will be served, and the event is open to the community.

The Yasher Koach Celebration of Rabbi Jamie Gibson’s 30th anniversary with Temple Sinai will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. for an evening of fun and entertaining festivities and dinner catered by Big Burrito. Dress is party casual. Visit templesinaipgh.org/celebrate30 for more information and to RSVP.

The Alumni and Friends of Pittsburgh Allderdice High School’s annual Hall of Fame will be at 7 p.m. in the Allderdice auditorium.

This year’s distinguished alumni being inducted are Devra Davis, founder and president of the Environmental Health Trust; Brenda Ekwurzel, director of climate science at the Union of Concerned Scientists; Michael Himelstein, composer, lyricist, and producer; Tereneh Mosley, fashion designer who specializes in collaborations with Maasai artisans from Kenya; and Jackson Wright, emeritus professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University.

Temple Emanuel will hold an Evening of Celebration Gala on Sunday, June 3 to honor Rabbi Mark Joel Mahler upon his retirement after 38 years of dedicated service to Temple Emanuel and the community. This special evening will include dinner and entertainment. Proceeds benefit the Rabbi Mark Mahler Rabbinic Chair Fund. Visit templeemanuelpgh.org/event/gala or call the office at 412-279-7600 for more information or to RSVP. PJC

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

q RSVPS NEEDED BY MAY 1

APRIL 13, 2018 7

Headlines Spending bill includes big boost for Jewish groups seeking security money caust survivors living in the United States today, with an estimated 30,000 living in poverty,” said William Daroff, the Washington director of JFNA,

By Ron Kampeas | JTA in a statement.

“By doubling funding levels to $5 million, he omnibus spending bill approved the program now will be able to provide

by Congress last month and signed immediate support to ensure that Holointo law by President Trump more caust survivors are able to live in dignity than doubles spending for security grants and comfort for the remainder that have been overwhelmingly of their lives.” tapped by Jewish institutions.

The $1.3 trillion bill includes Also wrapped into the omnibus is the Taylor Force Act, which $60 million for the security slashes funding to the Palestinians grants, up from $25 million last until the Palestinian Authority year. More than 90 percent of the stops payments to families of grants have been used to harden Palestinians killed or arrested security at Jewish institutions during attacks on Israelis. since the nonprofit security grant Taylor Force was an Amerprogram was launched in 2005. ican who was murdered by a Nathan Diament, the Palestinian terrorist in a stabbing Washington director of the p A view of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images attack in Tel Aviv in 2016.

Orthodox Union, one of the Palestinian officials say that only a small lead advocates for the grants, said a spike Monsey, in upstate New York, as an example JFNA praised the inclusion in the omnibus portion of the targeted money goes to violent in threats on Jewish institutions over the of an area with a high Jewish concentration bill of $5 million for the Holocaust Survivor attackers, and that much of the money last year drove the increase. According to that until now has not been able to access the Assistance Program, double the amount of serves as a welfare program for Palestinians the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic existing program. previous years. incidents in the U.S. in 2017 increased by Also advocating for the security grants The program partners with Jewish insti- who are imprisoned by Israel, many 43 percent over 2016, not including a spate over the years were the Jewish Federations tutions to deliver assistance to elderly Holo- without charges.

U.S. funding for the Palestinians currently of bomb threats carried out against Jewish of North America and Agudath Israel caust survivors. institutions by a Jewish man in Israel. of North America.

“There are approximately 100,000 Holo- stands at about $260 million a year. PJC

— WORLD —

T

“We didn’t have to educate members of Congress that the past year has seen an increased set of threats and activity,” Diament said in an interview.

Of the $60 million, $10 million for the first time will go to areas outside major metropolitan areas. Diament said that will allow Jewish institutions outside such designated areas to apply for the funds. He named

Insuring Our Community

The bill also includes $175 million over the next 10 years to improve security at schools, a provision that was accelerated after the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Fla. The bill funds training in violence prevention, police-school coordination and crisis intervention, and will be extended to private and parochial schools as well as public schools.

This week in Israeli history

April 17, 2006 — Rabbi and historian Arthur Hertzberg dies

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

Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, a leading scholar and Jewish communal and religious leader, passes away from heart failure at the age of 84.

April 13, 1948 — Hadassah medical convoy massacre takes place

Arab forces ambush a medical convoy en route to Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus, Jerusalem. Seventy-nine people, mostly doctors and nurses, are killed in the attack.

April 18, 1933 — YMCA building is inaugurated in Jerusalem

April 14, 1976 — David Elazar dies

David Elazar, who served as chief of staff of the IDF in the early 1970s, passes away at the age of 50 following a heart attack.

Your Local Donegal Agent Since 1963!

Together, Wagner Agency and Donegal provide insurance solutions for individuals and businesses in the Pittsburgh area.

Stop by or call the Wagner Agency and discover the value of Donegal for your auto, home and business insurance.

April 15, 1940 — Israeli Olympian Yossef Romano is born in Libya

Weightlifter Yossef Romano, one of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered at the 1972 Munich Olympics, is born in Benghazi, Libya.

April 16, 1988 — PLO militant Khalil al-Wazir is killed in his home in Tunis 5020 Centre Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213

3510 Route 130 Irwin, PA 15642

www.wagneragency.com • (412) 681-2700

PLO leader Khalil al-Wazir, the architect of a number of notorious terrorist attacks against Israelis, is killed

by Israeli special forces in his home in Tunis.

The Jerusalem YMCA, still operational today, is opened by General Edmund Allenby in front of an overflow crowd.

April 19, 1949 — Rabbi Stephen S. Wise passes away

Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, a stalwart of American Zionism and the Reform movement, passes away at the age of 75. PJC

AUTO • HOME • BUSINESS 8 APRIL 13, 2018

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines National Geographic’s first Jewish editor-in-chief opens up about racism in the magazine’s past — WORLD —

By Josefin Dolsten | JTA

T

he editor-in-chief of National Geographic Magazine made waves when she admitted that the magazine’s past coverage was tinged with racism. “For decades, our coverage was racist. To rise above our past, we must acknowledge it,� Susan Goldberg wrote in a letter for the magazine’s April issue, which marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.

The letter forced readers and staff to grapple with the legacy of the magazine, which has been reporting on the world’s far-flung peoples and places since 1888 and has reflected — and been a reflection of — all the cultural changes, and prejudices, since then.

But Goldberg also made waves in 2014 when she became the first woman — and, incidentally, the first Jew — to serve as editor-in-chief of a magazine that has often stumbled in reporting on women and Jews. “It was a place with a lot of white men,� she said, referring to the magazine’s beginnings as the journal of the National Geographic

p Susan Goldberg is National Geographic Magazine’s first female and Jewish editor-in-chief.

Photo courtesy of National Geographic

Society, an elite club of academics, philanthropists and adventurers interested in travel and exploration.

Even an otherwise sympathetic article on the Jews in the July 1919 issue suggested that their persecution by Christians “increased their intense activity, their cunning in business, in order that they might live at all against such opposition, and it produced in

them the traits that are now made the basis for denouncing them.�

In her letter, Goldberg details how she enlisted John Edwin Mason, a scholar of African history and the history of photography at the University of Virginia, to critically examine the magazine’s past.

He found that the publication largely ignored the lives of African Americans in the United States until the 1970s, while also covering people of color outside the country in a way that perpetuated stereotypes.

Natives were pictured “as exotics, famously and frequently unclothed, happy hunters, noble savages — every type of clichĂŠ,â€?

Goldberg wrote.

In a phone interview last week Goldberg, 58, said she was not surprised by Mason’s conclusions, pointing out that racism in the magazine had been written about previously, including in a book by Robert Poole.

Some of Mason’s most egregious findings did shock her, like a 1916 article on Aboriginal Australians that called them “savages� who “rank lowest in intelligence of all human beings.� “It’s very difficult to read something like that,� she said.

Goldberg said the issue of race is especially important in light of recent events, such as

the white supremacist and neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Va., last year. “After Charlottesville, if it wasn’t already clear, it became even more clear that we have a very fraught situation going on in the United States with regard to any kind of discussion around race,� she said.

The April issue launches a series of articles on race, which will continue through the end of the year, but Goldberg felt it important that the magazine first look inward. “I just really didn’t see a way to do an entire issue on race, and then spend the year covering race if we didn’t look into our history as well,� she said. “I just didn’t think we would be credible.�

Goldberg, who identifies as a Reform Jew, grew up in Ann Arbor, Mich., the granddaughter of immigrants from Eastern Europe who came to the country in the beginning of the 20th century and settled in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods in Detroit. “These neighborhoods were really so ghettoized that my mother, who was born in the United States, in Detroit in 1927, went to kindergarten when she was five years old [and] she didn’t speak English, she only spoke Yiddish,� Goldberg said.

Please see Geographic, page 17

Murray Avenue Kosher

We’re by your side so your loved one can stay at home.

1916 MURRAY AVENUE 412-421-1015 • 412-421-4450 • FAX 412-421-4451 PRICES EFFECTIVE SUNDAY, APRIL 15-FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2018 Candle Lighting Time Friday, April 13, 2018 • 7:39 p.m.

MEAT SPECIALS

TAKE-OUT SPECIALS

MONDAY DINNER SPECIAL

Whole Fryer

269 LB

$

SHABBOS SPECIAL 2 Roasted Chickens 1 Qt. Chicken Soup 4 Matzo Balls

Pepper Steak Rice • Salad

Serves 4

Home Instead CAREGivers can provide a variety of services. Some include:

279 LB

$

• Companionship Care

JASON’S BREAD CRUMBS $ 59

24 OZ

.

WEDDING SOUP $ 59

• Meals & Nutrition

9

• Transportation

QT

.

• Household Duties

U

EMPIRE GOURMET TURKEY BREAST $ 59

• Respite Care

7

.

• Hospice • Care Support Services PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG  

HomeInstead.com/567 Each Home Instead Senior CareÂŽ JVERGLMWI SJ½GI MW MRHITIRHIRXP] S[RIH ERH STIVEXIH ÂŒ ,SQI -RWXIEH -RG

Serves 4

$29.99 WEEKLY SPECIALS

3

• Personal Care

Sun. - Wed. • 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Thurs. • 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Fri. • 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Salad • Garlic Bread

529 LB

412.646.1257

STORE HOURS

Spaghetti & Meatballs

$

Call for a free, no-obligation appointment

43.99

$

TUESDAY DINNER SPECIAL

Ground Turkey

SM

Serves 4

$45.99

Cut-up Fryer Whether you are looking for someone to help an aging parent a few hours a week or need more comprehensive assistance, Home Instead can help.

1 Kugel • 2 Pints Salad • 2 Mini Challahs

LB

HOMEMADE SALADS & SOUPS DELI PARTY TRAYS

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

CALIFORNIA DELIGHT WHOLE OR CUT BABY CORN $ 35

1

15 OZ

.

ENCHILADA CASSEROLE $ 99

9

LB

.

SHOR HABOR SMK TURKEY BREAST $ 25

9

.

LB

BENZ’S CHUNK LITE TUNA $ 39

1

5 OZ

.

DIJON CHICKEN LEGS $ 79

6

LB

.

GOLDEN TASTE MARINATED EGGPLANT $ 99

6

.

LB

We Prepare Trays for All Occasions UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF VAAD OF PITTSBURGH

HAOLOM STRING CHEESE $ 19 . 6 OZ

4

ISRAELI COUSCOUS $ 99

4

.

LB

BATAMPTE HALF SOUR PICKLES ¢

40

EA

CATERING SPECIALISTS DELICIOUS FRIED CHICKEN WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES.

APRIL 13, 2018 9

Headlines — WORLD — From JTA reports

Corbyn calls for review of arms sales to Israel British Labour Party head Jeremy Corbyn called for a review of arms sales to Israel in a message condemning its “illegal and inhumane” actions against Palestinians protesting on the border with Gaza.

The message was read last week at a demonstration in support of the Palestinians outside of the prime minister’s office on Downing Street and posted on Corbyn’s Facebook page.

“The killing and wounding of yet more unarmed Palestinian protesters yesterday by Israeli forces in Gaza is an outrage,” the statement said. “They have a right to protest against their appalling conditions and the continuing blockade and occupation of Palestinian land, and in support of their right to return to their homes and their right to self-determination.

“Firing live ammunition into crowds of unarmed civilians is illegal and inhumane and cannot be tolerated.”

Corbyn added: “The U.K. government must support the U.N. Secretary-General’s call for an independent international inquiry into the killing of protesters in Gaza and review the sale of arms that could be used in violation of international law.”

The message came a day after nine Gaza Palestinians, including a journalist, were killed during demonstrations at the border

10 APRIL 13, 2018

with Israel, the second consecutive Friday of so-called March of Return protests.

Some 10,000 tires were burned during the protests, the Israeli army said, as some protesters threw rocks and firebombs at Israeli soldiers and attempted to damage and cross the border fence into Israel. The army said it used live fire and riot control methods to stop protesters from breaching the fence.

Corbyn did not mention the Hamas terrorist organization, which runs Gaza.

Corbyn called Hezbollah and Hamas his friends in 2009 and said it was an honor to host representatives from those terrorist groups in Parliament. In 2016 he said he regretted making those remarks.

His statement came days after Jewish community leaders agreed to meet with Corbyn to talk about anti-Semitism in his party and after he attended a Passover Seder organized by a left-wing Jewish group that openly calls for Israel’s destruction.

Jerusalem neighbors resist security upgrades for new US Embassy Some Israelis who live near the site of what is slated next month to become the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem have asked the country’s Supreme Court to block the security changes deemed necessary by the United States.

A group of residents from the Arnona neighborhood, in the southern part of the city, have complained that a planned 13-foot-high stone security wall will obscure their view to

the east. They also say a planned escape road is digging up a picturesque hillside.

The residents, who already have to deal with security patrols and bright security lights around the current building, which serves as the U.S. Consulate, are angry that they are not being consulted about the changes, Hadashot News reported Monday.

Israel’s National Council for Planning and Construction last month waived the usual rezoning approval and construction permits for the work in turning the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem into the embassy.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon signed off on the official zoning and permit waiver for the building. The waiver is valid for three years. The area’s current zoning would not have allowed the wall or the escape road.

The left-wing NGO Ir Amim has joined the residents in their petition to the Supreme Court.

U.S. Ambassador David Friedman and some staff will begin working out of the consular section beginning in May. In the second phase, by the end of 2019, an annex on site will be constructed for a more permanent working space for the ambassador, staff and a classified processing site. The third phase, the site selection and construction of a new embassy, will take up to nine years.

Leader of Reform movement’s rabbinical arm to retire Rabbi Steven A. Fox, the head of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, will retire next year.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Fox and CCAR President David Stern made the announcement on Monday. Fox will leave in June 2019 after 13 years as CEO. CCAR is the rabbinic arm of the Reform movement, the largest in America.

Fox, 64, strengthened the organization’s governance, renewed its financial stability and built up its senior leadership team, the CCAR said in a statement.

He also oversaw the creation of the CCAR Lifelong Learning/Continuing Professional Education program, which provides Torah and professional development classes to Reform rabbis. He developed major new streams of funding to expand these and other CCAR programs.

The statement noted that CCAR Press, the publishing arm of the organization, has grown during Fox’s tenure. After a period of seven years in which only one book was published, CCAR Press now maintains a publishing program of six to 12 books a year.

“It is with mixed emotions that I announce my plans to retire from the CCAR in 2019,” Fox said. “We have accomplished much in these years together. Now is the moment for the CCAR leadership to consider the future direction of the Conference, to affirm our mission in bold new ways, to assert our leadership role in the Reform Movement and broader community, and to consider new avenues to add value to our members’ lives, focusing on all rabbis no matter where or how they serve, with a new chief executive to lead at the helm.”

A search committee has been appointed to find Fox’s successor. PJC

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines Conservative Judaism’s leadership turns over — NATIONAL —

By Ben Sales | JTA

A

s Passover arrived, leaders of the Conservative movement were engaged in their own exodus.

The CEOs of the movement’s rabbinic and congregational umbrella groups are both stepping down. This month, for the first time in years, there will be a contested election for one of the top lay leader positions of its rabbis’ association.

The wholesale changes add more uncertainty — and opportunity — to a religious denomination already in flux. Conservative leadership says it’s just normal professional turnover and that major ideological changes are not around the corner. But for Conservative rabbis who want to see a policy shift, particularly on interfaith marriage, this could be an opening.

How to engage interfaith couples has long roiled Conservative Judaism. Nearly one-fifth of American Jews identify with Conservative Judaism, a centrist movement that aims to bridge traditional Jewish observance with modern societal norms. More traditional movements, like Orthodoxy, prohibit intermarriage. More liberal denominations conduct intermarriages. Some Conservative rabbis have felt caught in the middle.

Conservative Judaism prohibits officiating at, attending or otherwise celebrating an intermarriage, but a number of Conservative rabbis want some or all of those rules to change.

Some want to perform intermarriages. Others want to ritually recognize them in synagogue.

Still others want to at least attend intermarriages (and already do, despite a formal but rarely enforced ban on the practice). And some want the rules to stay exactly as they are.

“Rabbis trying to service congregants might become more liberal in terms of how they address intermarriage,” said Rabbi Charles Simon, who last year retired after 35 years as head of the Conservative men’s club association, about the leadership change. “They feel this is their calling. They feel it’s important.

They feel they’re making Jewish families.

There’s potential in the gap that might arise, where we see rabbis being more independent.”

Nearly everyone interviewed for this article — leaders, rabbis, external observers — named intermarriage as a key challenge facing the movement. Rabbi Steven Wernick, who announced March 29 that he will step down after nine years as the CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, an umbrella group, said that intermarriage is the biggest challenge facing his successor.

Also stepping down next year is Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, CEO of the Rabbinical Assembly, the Conservative rabbis’ group.

Wernick and Schonfeld have both held the top professional positions at their respective institutions since 2009, and their contracts both expire in 2019. Schonfeld did not respond to requests for comment.

“There’s tension in how we deal with intermarriage as a centrist movement,” said Wernick, who plans to move into a pulpit role.

“This is not a black-and-white issue for us, and there’s good logical arguments on both

sides of the debate that we have to work with.”

Until now, the movement did seem to see intermarriage as, more or less, a black-andwhite issue. An open letter sent last year by its four major institutions — Wernick and Schonfeld’s, plus its two major rabbinical schools — asserted that while the movement wants to welcome interfaith couples, the blanket ban on rabbis performing intermarriages would stand.

“We affirm the traditional practice of reserving rabbinic officiation to two Jews,” the letter read, adding that the movement’s leaders “are equally adamant that our clergy and communities go out of their way to create multiple opportunities for deep and caring relationships between the couple and the rabbi, the couple and the community.”

But change is still in the air. A handful of rabbis have left the movement in order to perform intermarriages, and a larger group has complained that the ban on attending intermarriages alienates them from friends and family with non-Jewish spouses. Last year, the United Synagogue voted to allow its congregations to accept non-Jewish partners as full members.

Now, one of the rabbis who has agitated for a policy shift has been nominated by the Rabbinical Assembly to be its next vice president.

Rabbi Stewart Vogel of Woodland Hills, Calif., has long sought ways to include intermarried couples. He announces their anniversaries at Shabbat services, and has honored them at synagogue functions at least as early as 2003.

In a statement, Vogel wrote, “I have no intention of trying to change the standard on officiating” intermarriages.

Nevertheless, Vogel’s nomination has prompted another rabbi, Felipe Goodman of Las Vegas, to challenge Vogel for the spot, as the Forward first reported. Goodman feels that too much focus has been put on the issue

by Conservative leaders. He opposes allowing rabbis to ritually recognize intermarriages.

“If we start to play that game, the lines will start to become blurry very, very soon,” Goodman said. “We need clear lines.”

He added: “I’m obviously worried, yes. I’m worried the movement could be moving in that direction, and I want to do what I can to make sure it doesn’t.”

Rabbi Debra Newman Kamin, who next month will be installed as president, the top lay position, of the Rabbinical Assembly, said the R.A.’s position on officiating is not changing.

She acknowledged that the movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is debating whether to amend the ban on rabbis attending intermarriages, but said last year’s open letter on officiation was clear.

“That letter, we thought, really was a definitive statement,” she said. “Given that everything that’s coming out publicly has restated time and time again that we’re not changing the standard on officiation, I’m surprised that our membership seems to think that that is something that is changing.”

The anxiety over the officiation ban stems in part from fears about the movement’s future as a whole. Studies have shown that the number of Conservative Jews in the United States has shrunk from more than a third of Jewish families in 1990 to less than a fifth. The number of synagogues affiliated with Conser-

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

vative Judaism, once the dominant denomination, has also fallen.

In inteviews, rabbis listed a raft of complaints with Conservative umbrella institutions: They aren’t responsive enough to synagogues outside New York. They don’t engage rabbis enough. They aren’t sufficiently sensitive to the challenges faced by Conservative congregations outside the United States. They haven’t invested enough in their youth programming.

“It’s never easy to maintain the middle,” said Rabbi Jason Miller, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld speaks in Israel. a technologist and part-time p Photo courtesy of Julie Schonfeld pulpit rabbi from the Detroit area.

“People today are choosing the extremes, whether it’s politics or religion. In terms of waving the banner of Conservative Judaism that followers throughout North America can be proud of, that has been a failed effort.”

Wernick offered a number of reasons for optimism. He is proud of United Synagogue Youth, the movement’s youth group, which brought hundreds of kids to last week’s marches in Washington, D.C., and New York advocating p Rabbi Steven Wernick is stepping down gun control. And he said the United from his position as CEO of the United Synagogue’s strategic plan is trans- Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

Photo by Mike Diamond Photography forming the group from a membership association into a platform for a vibrant, “It’s an authentic and dynamic Judaism. It’s committed and innovative Judaism. authentic because it’s a commitment to tradiUnited Synagogue also recently hired tion and ritual. But it’s dynamic because of Rabbi Gil Steinlauf to create an Innovation its willingness to reshape it for modernity.”

Lab for Conservative Judaism.

But some rabbis say that the movement In her letter announcing that she was needs to be more open-minded in accepting stepping down, Schonfeld said she had the multiplicity of Jewish families, whether helped the Rabbinical Association become they have two Jewish partners or not. Rabbi more responsive to its members. She is Adina Lewittes, who left the Rabbinical also proud of the association’s Lev Shalem Assembly in 2013 to perform intermarriages, series of prayer books, beginning in 2010, said the movement needs to think more seriwhich offer fresh translations, an array of ously about change. commentaries and readings meant to appeal “I think the intermarriage question is today’s to diverse audiences. most urgent issue that is challenging the move“How do you become a network of people ment’s sense of cohesion,” Lewittes said. “This who have shared goals and shared practices is an historic opportunity. And I really hope around a centrist Jewish religious movement that it’s taken because I think the Conservative that values Jewish ritual as a meaningful movement has a lot to offer in today’s world — framework for Jewish experience?” asked a world that is struggling to understand how to Wernick, offering the question that has stay rooted even as we move toward growing guided the organization’s planning process. complexity and diversity.” PJC

WE USE THE POWER OF TRUE CAR, KELLY BLUE BOOK & AUTOTRADER TO SET A GREAT LOW PRIC PRICE ON YOUR FAVORITE NEW TOYOTA.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

KennyRossToyota.com | 855-314-7458

See dealer for details.

APRIL 13, 2018 11

Opinion Appoint the anti-Semitism envoy — EDITORIAL —

T

he Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism and the position of special envoy were created by an act of Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2004. Over the past several years, levels of anti-Semitism have gone up appreciably around the world, including in the United States.

But despite these upsetting developments, the Trump administration has still not filled the special envoy position, and the office to monitor anti-Semitism remains unstaffed. When asked about this recently, a State Department spokeswoman stated that combating anti-Semitism remains a “priority,” but she would not commit the White House to filling the position.

We’ve been down this road before. Last summer, Jewish groups across the nation urged the administration to fill the special envoy position. A few months later, in January of this year, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that a special envoy would soon be named.

But nothing happened. At least until last week. It now seems that the pressure to appoint the special envoy is mounting.

p The scene after a march in Paris in memory of Mireille Knoll, the 85-year-old Holocaust survivor murdered last month in her home in what police believe was an anti-Semitic attack.

Photo by Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images

In an open letter to Secretary of State-designate Mike Pompeo, Reps. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) and Chris Smith (R-N.J.) pushed the issue, arguing that appointment of a special envoy “is now more important than ever.” They went on to assert that “the longer

this position remains empty, the more likely the U.S. commitment to combating the modern-day scourge of an ancient evil is called into question. … U.S. leadership in the fight against anti-Semitism is essential, even more so now, and we cannot shirk the

responsibilities that rest on our shoulders as a world leader.”

Lowey and Smith were supported by ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt, who in an open letter to the president pointed to the alarming growth of anti-Semitic assaults around the world, and urged the appointment, arguing that the special envoy is “America’s voice on anti-Semitism around the world.”

It is worth noting that this is all taking place days before Yom Hashoah, which in our community will be commemorated at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh on April 12. Many view the Holocaust as a singular event, whose evil and barbarity should serve as warnings against letting such genocide happen again.

But the Holocaust also serves to instruct on the danger that anti-Semitism itself poses to the world. Those who resort to blaming the Jews — an increasingly common but surprising occurrence in the “enlightened” 21st century — are not rational actors.

This is why it must be fought globally; antiSemitism infects our world, and is as detrimental to those professing it as it is to us in the Jewish community.

The special envoy position was created with bipartisan support, and remains a bipartisan cause. It should be filled now. PJC

The simple answers are the wrong ones in Gaza Guest Columnist Michael Kaplow

C

lashes between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza tend to be the most hotly contested aspects of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. Positions that are already hardened become even more so in the red hot Gaza forge, as Israel faces off against an actual terrorist group while casualty numbers — including civilian ones — mount terrifyingly fast and in a one-sided fashion on the Palestinian side. The fight over who is right and who is wrong is not a productive one, paling in comparison to the importance of coming up with solutions to avoid more fighting in Gaza.

Yet until people on both sides of the partisan divide are willing to accept some easily observable truths that challenge their own positions, the fight over who is right and who is wrong will drown out all else.

To my friends and colleagues on the left: The Friday protests are not peace marches.

The August 1963 March on Washington did not have galabaya-clad men throwing Molotov cocktails. Gandhi’s salt march did not feature burning tires and bullets across a border fence. If the 5 percent of violent actors abuse the 95 percent of peaceful ones to wreak havoc, you cannot just pretend that the 5 percent do not exist and do not take up the bulk of the oxygen.

There are many peaceful protesters, and then a non-trivial group of ones who are there for nefarious purposes and nothing more. If the ones who truly want to engage 12 APRIL 13, 2018

in a mass act of protest and send a message to Israel and the wider world are unwilling to rein in the troublemakers in their midst, then they lose the moral high ground that they want to occupy but are unwilling to insist upon.

There is a border fence between Israel and Gaza. Unlike the security barrier in the West Bank, the route of which does not stick to the 1949 Armistice Green Line, the Gaza barrier is built precisely upon the line agreed upon by both sides in the Oslo II agreement in 1995. Israel has withdrawn all of its soldiers and citizens from Gaza and does not claim the territory for itself. Attempts to tear down the fence or cross it to get into Israel illegally are not legitimate forms of protest, but criminal acts.

Every country in the world has the right to police its own borders, and the vast majority that do would act precisely as Israel does if large numbers of people were trying to tear the border fence down.

The majority of those killed have not been good guys, freedom fighters or human rights activists. They were known terrorists, identified by Israel and proudly claimed by Hamas itself. No deaths should ever be celebrated, and that includes these, but let’s be clear about who these people were and what their aim was. Young men carrying AK-47s and grenades, shooting as they rush the fence, are not sympathetic figures and they deserve nobody’s sympathy. Israel makes plenty of mistakes and does plenty of things wrong, but killing terrorists in the midst of violent acts is not one of them.

To my friends and colleagues on the right: Israel is not an innocent blameless actor, thrust into the furor surrounding it through no fault of its own. Consider the odds of

every single one of those wounded being a terrorist or someone affiliated with a terrorist group in the context of a gathering of 20,000 to 30,000 people, and you’ll realize immediately that there is zero chance that Israel has not shot or injured completely unarmed and innocent people.

The fact that this is a lark compared to what goes on, say, in Syria does not make it beyond reproach. It also doesn’t matter that Hamas put Israel in the untenable situation in which it found itself, since this does not absolve the IDF from acting with the utmost care not to kill or even harm civilians who are in the way. Hundreds of injuries not only looks terrible; it is terrible.

The claim that the IDF is the most moral army in the world is unsupportable. Not only is this impossible to measure or prove, there is no reason to think that the IDF is an exception to the rules governing war that have lasted through centuries of time and space. Crimes happen in war, and that Israeli soldiers do things that they aren’t supposed to does not make them worse than anyone else. It makes them exactly like everyone else.

Repeating a completely indefensible and evidence-free platitude like a broken record not only harms your general credibility, it makes Israel’s foes work extra hard to demonstrate that your position is nonsensical and rub it in your face. It also creates an impossibly high standard that can never actually be met, setting Israeli soldiers up for certain failure. The “most moral army in the world” talking point is both substantively and tactically foolish, it convinces nobody, and every time it is repeated it does more than anything else to shift the conversation on to Israel’s sins rather than its opponents’ ones.

The fact that there are no Israelis in Gaza

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

does not mean that Israel has no responsibility for what goes on there. Israel controls Gaza’s airspace, enforces a blockade of it from the sea and controls the border on two of the three remaining sides. Israel has contributed to a staggeringly awful humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and Israel’s political leadership has used Hamas’ presence there to punish nearly 2 million people while avoiding having to make any hard decisions.

You can talk all you want about rockets, but Hamas has not fired a rocket in 14 months, and yet Israel has conceded nothing while every day the chances of an explosion increase. There is a reason that a majority of the cabinet in the most rightwing government in Israel’s history, along with near unanimity among the IDF leadership, support building Gaza a seaport and airport and ending its isolation from the rest of the world, yet Prime Minister Netanyahu sits on his hands. If tens of thousands of Palestinians indeed rush the fence and try to obliterate it on May 15, it really will represent Israel’s biggest crisis since the Yom Kippur War, despite being avoidable with some policy changes toward Gaza that may now be too late.

None of this is as straightforward as it appears to those who are passionate about these issues, and if we at least take a small step in acknowledging that, perhaps it can lead to solutions rather than loud and drawn out arguments. Solutions to the Gaza problem are desperately needed, since neither Israel nor the Palestinians benefit in any way if Friday after Friday continues in the same manner. PJC Michael Koplow is the policy director of the Israel Policy Forum.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Opinion The Jews of Morocco — a road in disrepair?

Guest Columnist Delilah Picart

“W

atch your step!” I shouted over my shoulder to the 20 people behind me, as we made our way through a tight alleyway to the disengaged synagogue in the Jewish neighborhood of Fez, Morocco. The path had dislodged cobblestones, muddy and crooked, and the locals looked at us from their shops or from above, out their windows. I assisted one of our Pittsburgh travelers over the unsteady trail, mindful of the native eyes watching us. The stares were curious, not malicious. We never felt unwanted or in danger.

The synagogue was refurbished and modest, but there was no community to attend; it was now a tourist attraction for traveling Jews or the adventurous tourist off the beaten path. Sadly, most of the synagogues and old Jewish neighborhoods were off the beaten path and hard to find. The Moroccan Jewish Museum (the only Jewish museum in the Arabic world) was in a quiet middle class neighborhood, away from tourist spots and

hotels. The shuk in Marrakesh had signage in Arabic and phonetic Hebrew, but these Jewish shops were in the center of the shopping area. You had to know about it to find it.

Morocco is home to 33 million people, yet less than 3,000 are Jewish. Before the founding of Israel in 1948, Morocco had 300,000 Jews.

The predominant religion is Islam, yet Muslim children can attend private high school with Jewish children. Forced conversion is illegal, but it’s not encouraged to choose your own religion. Moroccans are polite; they will hold conversations with you, but religion is personal.

It doesn’t need to be discussed. Judaism is tolerated, and both religions exist in peace.

“Watch your step!” I said once again, a few days later, this time in the tight tunnel-like alley of the medina, the labyrinthine streets that hold 10,000 stalls filled with food, copper, clothes, jewelry and such. We arrived before lunchtime, when the streets are quiet and almost empty; the only other active tourists were the hundreds of stray feral cats.

Again I held the arm of the same Pittsburgh traveler, guiding them around the grate with questionable grey, murky liquid seeping up.

The Moroccan Jews we met were warm, kind and so excited to see us. They welcomed us into their modest home, offered us tea,

dinner and so many sweets! They told us, with tears in their eyes, of how their children have left for university, opportunity, (democracy), and they have no desire to return.

They love Morocco, but they can’t return.

The diminished community and lack of economic opportunity has kept at least two generations of Moroccan Jews away from Morocco. We saw young people; we heard third graders singing in Hebrew. Yet when they get older, they choose to make aliyah, or they go to university in Europe, Canada or the United States, and they don’t return.

“Watch your step!” I shouted, as a few of our Pittsburgh travelers were on stage with a belly dancer, shaking and thrusting her hips, making our group laugh and clap. We were in a restaurant eating traditional Moroccan food, listening to the four musicians play a fast upbeat song. We were surrounded by intricate blue mosaic tile, in a three-story atrium, with the most beautiful ceiling I’ve ever seen.

Every meal was at least four courses. It was never less than two hours long. At this establishment, we were served wine, otherwise, alcohol was not typical with our meal.

“Watch your step,” my mantra on the precarious streets and alleys in the big cities of Morocco, is also my phrase to all American

Jews. Right here in Pittsburgh, some of us can see the road, and we know where the potholes are. We are able to drive around and save ourselves. But on a larger scale, isn’t it our right as Jews to help those who can’t see the potholes? Don’t we have an obligation to look over our shoulder and warn the ones behind us of what lies ahead? Don’t we have a responsibility to lend a hand and help others over the potholes that life presents, be it death of a loved one, or the dissolve of a community?

I don’t know how to rebuild the Moroccan Jewish population. I know community is built one person at a time. And opportunity is built one idea at a time. I know there is a rich Jewish Moroccan history, but it was related to us by a local Moroccan man, Muslim by faith, not a Jew. Perhaps this is how they return — by sharing their history with people, leading tours, and talking about the importance of faith and family, home and remembrance.

Watch your step, Pittsburgh. Watch your step. PJC Delilah Picart is an actress, advocate and playwright. She is currently participating in the communitywide Shavuot-shpiel of the Book of Ruth, and she is the stage director for the JCC Summer Performing Arts Camp.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

March of Return nothing more than terrorists’ plaything Guest Columnist Sarah Stern

O

n March 30, coinciding with the start of Passover, the former and current Hamas prime ministers in Gaza, Ismael Haniya and Yahya Sinwar, organized what they called the “March of Return.”

Although this had been dubbed by many news outlets throughout the world as a peaceful demonstration, these two Hamas leaders told their followers to “infiltrate the border,” that doing so will “mark the beginning of the liberation of all of Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea,” i.e. all of Israel.

This was not intended, as many media outlets had described it, “to eliminate the economic suffering in the Gaza Strip,” but rather to eliminate the sheer existence of the Jewish state.

At least 30,000 protestors, many known terrorists of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Qassam Brigades, came to the border with Israel with explicit instructions to penetrate the fence and thereby create a security and demographic nightmare for the Jewish state.

The objective was to remain there until May 15, the English anniversary of Israel’s Independence Day, which the Palestinians and many in the Arab World dub al nakba, “the Day of the Catastrophe.” May 15 is also, not coincidentally, the day that President Trump and his team have designated for the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

This “march” was not a peaceful demonstration reminiscent of the sit-ins of Selma, Ala. The protestors sought to storm the border with lethal intent, hurling firebombs, rocks and burning tires at Israeli soldiers. In at least two cases, they fired bullets directly at troops on the other side. And unfortunately, it resulted in the fatalities of 17 Palestinians, who have consistently been manipulated by their leaders to despise the state of Israel.

Considering the inflammatory potential of the situation, the IDF has got to be commended for training their young men and women to act with such amazing discipline and restraint.

It is also important to remember that Gaza is not under Israeli occupation. In 2005, in a heart-wrenching, politically divisive move, the Israeli government decided to uproot any remnant of a Jewish presence in Gaza and

withdrew to the pre-1967 lines, giving the Palestinian people there total independence.

Jewish philanthropists actually bought the greenhouses to give to this “nascent Palestinian state.” Some rabbis wanted to leave the synagogues in Gaza, arguing, “After all, we all pray to the same God.” Many of my friends who were for the Gaza withdrawal explained to me, “This will finally prove to the world just how far Israel is willing to go for peace.” Do you think the world remembers any of this today?

As soon as the blue and white flag was lowered, and the IDF closed the gate, those greenhouses and synagogues, as well as any other vestige of Jewish life, were all destroyed in a heightened display of hate-infested anarchy and mayhem. And then in 2007, after a bitter internecine war between Fatah and Hamas, Hamas, an organization that was created specifically to achieve the imminent destruction of the State of Israel, took over Gaza.

The result of the magnanimous gesture of the Gaza withdrawal was that more than 10,000 missiles rained down on Israel, provoking Israel to fight three wars: Cast Lead in 2008, Pillar of Defense in 2012, and Operation Protective Edge in 2014. With each successive war the range of the rockets was extended. By now, the Palestinians in Gaza have missiles that can reach all of Israel’s main population centers. And just in case the missiles do not do the trick, those living in Gaza have been assiduously digging underground tunnels.

Yet there are many powerful voices in Washington who have not learned the lessons of the Gaza withdrawal. They want a precipitous withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, and try to delude themselves into thinking that that will solve the problem.

They are looking at today’s impasse with the Palestinians and want to seize upon a solution, any solution, not realizing the lessons of the Gaza withdrawal. These people choose to willfully blind themselves to what Palestinian leaders say to their own people in Arabic, and prefer not to entertain the notion that in today’s volatile Middle East, power changes hands very quickly.

The recent actions of Hamas, which could step in for the Palestinian Authority at any moment, should provide a wakeup call to everyone. PJV Sarah N. Stern is the founder and president of the Endowment for Middle East Truth.

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

Website address:

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

APRIL 13, 2018 13

Life & Culture Spin Doctors front man to do solo South Side show — MUSIC —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

C

hris Barron, Spin Doctors front man and solo artist, will perform a one-man show at Pittsburgh’s Club Cafe on Saturday evening, April 21. For the Jewish musician, whose prior acts include “Saturday Night Live,” Woodstock ’94, England’s Glastonbury festival and gracing the cover of Rolling Stone, the opportunity to appear in a venue that holds somewhere shy of 200 is a welcome turn.

“I love coming into rooms and just banging out some tunes on the acoustic and telling stories and being really close to the people, it’s a lot of fun,” the singer said.

Barron’s stripped down show will boast a sequential playlist from his newest album, “Angels and One Armed Jugglers,” followed by several Spin Doctors favorites. Latter ditties will likely include those that catapulted the rock band to worldwide acclaim more than two decades ago.

Between 1992 and 1994, Spin Doctors cracked Billboard’s mainstream top-40 four times, and the group’s hit “Two Princes” held the number one spot for seven weeks.

Nearly 25 years later, the band still tours with its original members — upcoming billings include co-headlining WhistleStop Weekend on May 4 in Huntsville, Ala., with Survivor, and a separate act two weeks later at Waukegan, Ill.’s Genesee Theater.

“I love the Spin Doctors, we’ve been together for such a long time and the whole thing with playing in a band is the camaraderie of it,” said Barron, 50.

What life as a solo artist affords though is the chance to venture back to the beginning and find new purpose in the profession.

“How I started out initially as a young person getting into music was in songwriting, and I immediately sort of got into

are highly evidenced by his recent endeavor, less known are the largely unrecorded notes from his childhood.

Barron — born Christopher Barron Gross — grew up in “this great big Jewish family.” “It was a huge presence in my life,” he said. “My dad went to Hebrew school, all my aunts and uncles did, and then my grandparents — and I had a lot of great uncles and aunts — they would all practice and their parents had come over from Russia.”

Barron’s uncle, Lennie Sogoloff, owned the iconic Lennie’s on the p Chris Barron plans to mix things up as a solo Turnpike, a jazz club guitarist.

Photo by Jesse Dittmar located on Route 1 in the art form, if you will, of being a dude with Peabody, Mass. During its run from the a guitar and playing, getting a song across mid-’50s until 1972, Lennie’s on the Turnall by myself,” he said. And while the “power pike hosted such live acts as Duke Ellington, and glory of getting up on a stage with loud Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and a then-unguitars and drums and base” provides a known opener by the name of Jay Leno. particular adrenaline rush, “right now I’m Apart from hearing top notch talent, really into the solo thing, though not to the patrons could enjoy “these big overstuffed exclusion of the other.” sandwiches,” explained Barron. “You Since its 2017 release, “Angels and One could get a roast beef sandwich and a ham Armed Jugglers” has been favorably received. sandwich, and my grandmother used to Rob Ross of Popdose.com called the bake the roast beefs, and she used to bake album “thoughtful and melodic,” writing the hams too.” that “it has an emotion but doesn’t get The musician’s kosher-keeping fawning or weepy.” great-grandmother would often frequent Sylvannia Garutch of Elmore Magazine the spot and ask her daughter whether the similarly considered it “an enjoyable collec- ham was baked on the same dish as the roast tion of tunes that is communicative and beef. Invoking the tone of his grandmother, visionary in its wide styles and settings.”

Barron finished the tale: “‘I would say, ‘No “I always tell my wife that if it ever gets out mother.’ But then she would look at me and there what a decent writer I am, I could be say, ‘But I really didn’t know.’” famous,” Barron ironically remarked.

Family history and experiences, even While the singer’s compositional talents devoid of formal practice or education,

helped craft Barron’s identity.

“There’s something so deep and pervasive about being Jewish,” he said.

“The thing about being Jewish and the thing about being a part of an oppressed people is that nobody gives a s--- whether I went to Hebrew school. When they come for the Jews they’re not going to be asking me whether I was bar mitzvahed or not.

“I think growing up Jewish, you know what’s happened to us over the years, and you know that it’s more than just — I think it’s more than just keeping kosher,” he added.

“I’m sure a lot of Orthodox Jews would think this is just total hogwash what I’m saying right now, but in my mind, we’re all in this together no matter what, no matter what side of the practicing spectrum you’re on.”

Such mentality has led Barron to feel a kinship with those from all walks of life.

“To the best of our abilities everybody should just get off their bulls--- and find a way to get along,” he said. “My heart is full of love. I’m a lucky person. I’m glad that I’m the person I am and have been given this talent for writing and communicating.”

Listeners of “Angels and One Armed Jugglers” will recognize these sentiments on the album. So too should South Side audiences, even those initially confused by a successful rock band member’s decision to go it alone.

Said Barron: “If I heard the guy from the Spin Doctors was coming to town and playing solo acoustic I really wouldn’t know what to expect. I would probably think some silly guy in a floppy hat was going to be up there and doing some silly tunes.

“So I would just like to thank everybody who comes out in advance for taking a punt, and if they don’t think they got a good show just come and see me and I’ll give you your money back.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Business & Professional Directory GARDEN AND HOME GARDEN & MAINTENANCE

HOUSEKEEPING

AUTOS WANTED

CHAIR RESTORATION

724-287-7771 BUYING VEHICLE$ CAR$ TRUCK$ VAN$ SUV$ GOOD BAD WRECKED CA$H DENNY OFF$TEIN AUTO $ALE$

CANE & ABLE. Hand and pre-woven cane chairs, rush sets & More. Reasonable rates. Pick up & Delivery Charyl 412-655-0224.

CHAUFFEUR

ELECTRICIAN

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

TRAVEL AGENT

Affordable Chauffeur

Mendelson Electric, LLC

The Taj Mahal

Exclusive Discounted Business Class Tickets

We will drive you and/ or your vehicle to or from any U.S. city

Please contact Marc Mendelson at mendelsonelectric@gmail.com or 412 521-7652 for an estimate or an appointment.

HILLEL JEWISH UNIVERSITY CENTER IN OAKLAND is seeking a Director of Development.

Please see the full posting and apply at www.hilleljobs.com with resume and cover letter.

AUTOS WANTED

Text 412.996.7747 for price quote

14 APRIL 13, 2018

CHAIR RESTORATION

Ready to help you with your residential and light commercial electrical contracting needs!

PA ID 040523

HOME MAINTENANCE

Spruce up your yard on a one-time or regular basis; clean out house, basement, painting. Reliable service, with references. Call Scottie at 412-310-3769.

HOUSEKEEPING

LOVELY CLEANING LADY WILL DO ALL YOUR HOUSECLEANING NEEDS PERFECTLY! PLEASE CALL: Sharome 412-354-1007

Taj Mahal is hiring for weekend part-time help in kitchen prep and dining room servers for restaurant & catering needs. Flexible hours.

Please call: 412-364-1760 or email us at: takeout@tajmahalinc.com

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

FIND IT IN THE BUSINESS SERVICES TUTORING SERVICE TUTORING SERVICES

Convenient, Personalized, One-On-One Learning

TO EUROPE AND WORLDWIDE Easy to arrange.

35 years experience

Call me at 412-884-0543 or email me your info at joann.uts@gmail.com

MATH & SCIENCE • SAT & ACT PREP 412-352-6596 •

www.FoxChapelTutoring.com

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Life & Culture City Theatre production looks at ‘getting sober with The Jews’ you just accept these are the ways things are — LOCAL — and things will be revealed as time goes on.

But, I was so relieved when these guys were

By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer excited by places where things didn’t line up, because that meant we could delve into it, we laywright Sean Daniels, a self-de- could figure it out,� he said. scribed “recovering Mormon,� strugThrough all his other attempts at sobriety, gled for years with alcoholism, trying Daniels had not before been exposed to this everything from outpatient therapy and method of recovery. rehab to attending “hundreds of AA meet“Honestly, I don’t know what part of that ings.� But it wasn’t until he was advised to is being Jewish, except that my anecdotal “get sober with The Jews� that Daniels finally information is that they had a completely could beat his addiction. different take on it than I had encountered,�

His autobiographical struggle with alcohol he said. “Since then, I’ve learned there are — and ultimate redemption — is humorously other organizations that are based in science. and poignantly depicted in his play, “The Don’t get me wrong. I still go to AA meetWhite Chip,� running at the City Theatre on ings. I have nothing against them, but why Pittsburgh’s South Side now through May 6. would we not make all the information we “The White Chip� recounts Daniels’ have possible out there available?� journey through alcoholism, beginning The play features a cast of three, with one with his first sip of beer as an adolescent actor playing Sean, and two who repreMormon to his associasent the other characters tion with a group of Jewish and influencers in his life. men in Jacksonville, Fla., Though autobiographical, whose emphasis on the Daniels has chosen not to importance of asking quescast himself in the show. tions and science saved his “I’ve done the smart thing, career, his relationships and which is when you appear on maybe his life. stage, hire a skinnier, funnier Literally referring to person to play you,� he said. themselves as “The Jews,�

This is the second time the group was comprised the play has been produced, of former New Yorkers who after a successful run p Sean Daniels gathered each Thursday to Courtesy photo in Lowell, Mass. focus on sobriety. But not Daniels has had his writing without first eating. produced and developed at Actors Theatre “Whoever hosted it each week put together of Louisville, New York Stage and Film, the most amazing spread — I don’t know if Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Theatrical feeding a lot is very Jewish, but it definitely Outfit, and Dad’s Garage, and is the Artistic felt that way,� said Daniels. “And to be honest, Director of Merrimack Repertory Theatre. they were the best meals I had the entire He is aiming to move “The White Chip� time I was there. Every Thursday they would to an off-Broadway theater following its work to out-do each other on the spread. It Pittsburgh run. felt like a real celebration every time they got In the show — as well as in his life — together, which set the atmosphere for the Daniels had trepidation that getting sober type of evening it was going to be.� might negatively affect his creativity, but The men placed an “emphasis on ques- those concerns turned out to be for naught. tioning, and an emphasis on ‘if you don’t “I was so worried that part of what made have questions, ask why you don’t have me a successful artist was alcohol, and that questions,’� Daniels continued. “It’s such a something would be lost, and 100 percent different way of going about it than every the opposite is true,� he said. “In fact, looking other 12-step program I had been in, which back at the shows I did while sloshed, I’m were really just about accepting a higher embarrassed by the work I did because power — and most people picked God or there is a level of attention and details and Jesus as their higher power.� long days that when you’re drinking, you As a “recovering Mormon, I couldn’t do can’t put into it. organized religion,� he said, adding that “My work has never been better, and I’ve The Jews’ emphasis on the science behind had more success in the six years since I recovery was for him one of the keys got sober than I did in the 20 years before to getting well. that,� he added.

While The Jews were never “dismissive Still, although he has not had a drink in of any religious bent, they just knew there more than six years, Daniels’ struggle with is also a scientific attachment to it, and that alcohol remains part of his life. you can know and appreciate both; that you “I don’t think you ever get completely over can know and understand science and have it,� he said. “I don’t by any means have the a spiritual life,� Daniels explained. same urges I had six years ago, but it is like The approach followed by the Jewish something I have to continually work on to group differed a lot from the Mormonism in make sure it stays that way.�  PJC which Daniels was raised.

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at “Mormonism is a lot based on faith,� he said. “There are parts that don’t line up, but ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

P

the Art of Aging

on Stage with

Megan Hilty Monday, May 14, 6pm August Wilson Center Downtown Pittsburgh

Star of Broadway’s Wicked Tony Award-nominated Noises Off and NBC’s Smash

thank you to our sponsors

SMASH - $10,000 +LJKPDUN ‡ 5LFKDUG 5DXK

BOMBSHELL - $5,000 *LDQW (DJOH )RXQGDWLRQ ‡ *UDQH 5[ 1DQF\ DQG :RRG\ 2VWURZ ‡ 3- 'LFN 6LON 6WHZDUW 'HYHORSPHQW *URXS &DUROH %DLOH\ DQG $QGUHZ 6WHZDUW -DQH +HSQHU DQG /HRQDUG 6LON ‡ /LQGD DQG 6WHYH +DOSHUQ +LODU\ 7\VRQ DQG &KDUOHV 3RUWHU 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL - $3,000 &RKHQ *ULJVE\ 3 & ‡ +HQGHUVRQ %URWKHUV ,QF 5DH *D\OH DQG 0LWFKHOO 3DNOHU ‡ /RXLVD DQG -DPHV 5XGROSK ‡ 7UL 6WDWH &DSLWDO %DQN ‡ 830& DQG 830& +HDOWK 3ODQ ‡ 9HUWLFDO 6ROXWLRQV 'HERUDK :LQQ +RUYLW] DQG %UXFH +RUYLW] GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES - $1,800 5XWK DQG 6FRWW $SWHU ‡ %HWV\ DQG 0DUF %URZQ 6\OYLD DQG 1RUPDQ (OLDV ‡ 7KH )DLUPRQW +RWHO IHDWXULQJ WKH IO 0RGHUQ $PHULFDQ 5HVWDXUDQW .DUHQ DQG -DFN )ULHGPDQ ‡ +RPH ,QVWHDG 6HQLRU &DUH ‡ 'LDQH DQG -RKQ .DW] ‡ /\QHWWH DQG 6WDQOH\ /HGHUPDQ ‡ $QQH DQG 0LFKDHO /HYLQ /LWWOHV 6KRHV ‡ (QLG DQG (UURO 0LOOHU ‡ 'HOLODK 3LFDUW DQG 7RGG 5RVHQIHOG &)3 ‡ 6DJH $JH 6WUDWHJLHV ‡ -DQLFH )DOOHU 6FKHUPHU DQG /HODQG 6FKHUPHU ‡ -RDQQH DQG %HQ 6LPRQ WICKED - $1,000 %DNHU 7LOO\ 9LUFKRZ .UDXVH //3 ‡ %LJ %XUULWR 5HVWDXUDQW *URXS ‡ 0DUVKD DQG 0DUN %RRNPDQ $UOHQH DQG :LOOLDP %UDQGHLV ‡ %XFKDQDQ ,QJHUVROO 5RRQH\ 3 & ‡ *DLO DQG 1RUPDQ &KLOGV / 0 &RONHU &R ,QF ‡ ,QD DQG /DUU\ *XPEHUJ 6WHIL .LUVFKQHU DQG *LO 6FKQHLGHU ‡ .2336 0HGLFDO ‡ (OOLRWW 6 2VKU\ ‡ 2[IRUG 'HYHORSPHQW &RPSDQ\ ‡ 3LWWVEXUJK -HZLVK &KURQLFOH ‡ -XG\ 7REH ‡ :HVWPRUHODQG 0HGLFDO (TXLSPHQW &RPSDQ\ NOISES OFF - $500 6XVDQ DQG -DPHV %URZQ ‡ 3DXOD *DUUHW DQG -DPHV )HUULVH ‡ &DURO DQG 7HG *ROGEHUJ &DU\O DQG ,UYLQJ +DOSHUQ ‡ -DQLFH DQG 0LWFKHOO +RIIPDQ ‡ -DQH DQG %XG .DKQ &DUROH DQG 'DQLHO .DPLQ ‡ -XGL DQG 0DQQ\ .DQDO ‡ 6XH %HUPDQ .UHVV DQG 'RXJ .UHVV ‡ -DQH DQG 0LFKDHO /RXLN 0RVDLF :HDOWK &RQVXOWLQJ ‡ %DUE DQG /HV 3DUNHU ‡ 3LWWVEXUJK 2UDO 6XUJHU\ ‡ 5DOSK 6FKXJDU ,QF )XQHUDO &KDSHO ‡ /LQGD DQG -LP 5RVHQEORRP ‡ .DUHQ DQG 7RQ\ 5RVV &DU\Q 5XELQRII DQG &UDLJ 'XQKDP /LVD 6WHLQGHO DQG 5DEEL 6WHSKHQ 6WHLQGHO 6WUDVVEXUJHU 0F.HQQD *XWQLFN *HIVN\ 6XVDQ :ROI

buy tickets now at artofagingpgh.com for information, call 412-420-4000 x3264 or email sburke@jaapgh.org

proceeds benefit JAA’s Free Care Fund

$ VSHFLDO WKDQN \RX WR 3LWWVEXUJK &XOWXUDO 7UXVW PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG  

JAA_PJC-FINAL.indd 1

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

4/9/18 12:01 PM

APRIL 13, 2018 15

Headlines Mosque: Continued from page 1

released data showing that Jews were the chief target of religiously motivated hate crimes, and that despite constituting just 2 percent of the American population, Jews were subject to 54.4 percent of those types of attacks.

But the “greatest increase in religious-based crimes was those against Muslims,” according to the Anti-Defamation League. Crimes against Muslims increased 19 percent from 2015 to 2016, and Muslims were the victims of 24.5 percent of religiously-motivated crimes, the next highest total after Jews.

With more than 100 children in MAP’s Sunday school and worship services held each Friday night, Sitwat described a “big security concern” in her community.

After learning what Orsini was doing for the Jewish community, Sitwat asked

Aging: Continued from page 1

increasing opportunities for older adults to get involved in the arts community, but officials are still addressing issues such as housing, transportation and intergenerational connections.

“Right now, we live pretty siloed from one another as far as age goes. … You grow up with this cohort of people and unless you’re intentional about it, you don’t really move outside your age comfort zone,” Poskin said.

“The whole point is to make our community more inclusive and respectful of all ages.”

In Pittsburgh, about 28 percent of Jewish adults are 65 years or older, according to the 2017 Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Community Study, released in February. Of that population, several respondents reported that more services were needed for seniors.

Groups like SWPPA and AgeWell Pittsburgh, a collaboration between the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, Jewish Association on Aging and Jewish Family and Community Services that is facilitated by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, have been working for several years to make the city more inclusive for older adults.

In September 2015, Pittsburgh and Allegheny County joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, a network of cities dedicated to making their cities more accessible and inclusive for older adults. The AARP network is part of the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities and Communities Program.

Pittsburgh is the only city in Pennsylvania that has launched an action plan, according to Poskin.

The plan has three main tenets: access, including issues such as housing and transportation; connection, focusing on the social environment for older adults; and innovation.

Since its launch, Poskin said they have focused on improving crosswalks for older residents, such as lengthening stoplights, giving pedestrians a head start before cars get a green light, and changing intersections to not allow any right turns on red. They 16 APRIL 13, 2018

if he would speak with her community, located in Gibsonia.

“Our objective was to have Brad come out now and talk to us from a preventative point of view,” Sitwat said.

The decision was made at Federation “that of course we are going to offer training and presentations on what we are doing in the Jewish community for any religious organization, because we want everybody to be safe,” Orsini said.

Orsini presented an introduction to security tactics at MAP, “how we do it in the Jewish community,” he said, including “pre-incident, post-incident, situational awareness, see something-say something, and a full view of what we’re doing to secure the Jewish community — taking that blueprint and putting it in the Muslim community.”

Orsini’s MAP presentation drew about 45 participants, according to Sitwat, who said that she was pleased with the turnout, particularly in light of the fact that many members of her community were out of

town because of spring break.

“Everyone there felt that this was much needed,” she said, adding that Orsini’s presentation was more akin to “starting a conversation” about security than active training. MAP will be organizing actual security drills with the Northern Regional Police Department. Orsini has offered to help with those drills.

“It was very gracious of him, and we are grateful for our friendship and partnership,” Sitwat said.

Orsini has been given discretion by the Federation to determine where and for whom to provide security training.

“It’s part of what I do for the community,” he said. “Just as two weeks ago the Quaker Valley School District asked me to come and talk to their school board on a panel on school safety with Dr. Jack Rozel, who’s in charge of the re:Solve Crisis Network. It’s the same thing, just offering the services to the entire community.”

Orsini also has received requests for

personnel training from additional schools in the area.

“My primary duty is to the Jewish community,” he explained. “But if I can do it, I will do it.”

He is also organizing “a communitywide civil rights symposium” in May, to which he will invite the FBI and the United States Attorneys’ office.

“That’s going to be not just for the Jewish community, but for any religious organization — or anybody in the community — and we are going to discuss hate crime versus hate speech and provide examples of hate crimes that were prosecuted here in Pittsburgh,” Orsini said.

In addition, he is hoping “to bring mental health first aid training in our community to de-escalate situations and to see what we can do to identify situations and get people the services they need if they pose a threat.” PJC

have also worked with the city government to encourage “inclusive design” when planning new construction projects. For example, Poskin said, buildings should not have a lip or raised step outside of an entrance.

Despite the improvements in walkability, Jordan Golin, president and CEO of Jewish Family and Community Services, said transportation remains an issue for many residents.

“Pittsburgh has a lot of activities that are really for all generations, all kinds of things happening that seniors should be able to take advantage of, but transportation is often a problem,” he said.

AgeWell Pittsburgh launched the AgeWell Rides program three years ago to connect volunteers with older adults who need assistance. Though Golin said volunteerism to assist older adults in the Jewish community has increased over the past several years, the program still struggles to find enough manpower to meet the demand of residents in the far-reaching outskirts of the city and suburbs.

About 38 percent of the Jewish population of adults aged 65 or older live in the suburbs, according to the Jewish Community Study.

“We found that seniors, even though they are able to ride public transportation for free, often can’t make it to the bus stop, and many seniors have limited income. So as a result, they end up isolated in their homes,” Golin said.

That social isolation can lead to increased depression and a decrease in overall health, said Amy Dukes, the director of Memory Care Operations at the JAA and a member of the initial Age-Friendly committee.

To combat that social isolation, the Age-Friendly Action Plan focuses not just on transportation but also on fostering connections among older adults and between older adults and the rest of the community.

“We really think a multigenerational approach is how we’re going to make a difference,” Dukes said, adding that faithbased organizations are in a position to help older adults connect with other members of the community because they reach a large cross-section of the community and can easily create programming within congregations.

In Pittsburgh, 36 percent of adults over 65

said they were involved in the Jewish community and 33 percent said they were connected, according to the Jewish Community Study.

The Jewish community is uniquely situated to encourage intergenerational programming, Poskin said, because of the sense of “wanting to connect what’s in different generations and pass down traditions. It’s a common thread that I think the people in the Jewish community really understand and resonates with them.”

The Action Plan has another year and a half of implementation, during which agencies will continue to address the 30 action items identified in the plan. From there, they will evaluate their work through a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh School of Public

Health before starting the cycle all over again.

“The more our community talks about how our seniors are living and the supports that are needed, the more likely it is that new initiatives will develop,” Golin said, adding that the results of the community study reinforced the importance of making sure older adults were able to participate in the community.

“That’s the whole hope behind the Age-Friendly plan,” he said. “It’s a lens to help focus the community’s efforts, to help strengthen the community’s efforts.

I think it’s our obligation to rise to that challenge.” PJC

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Lauren Rosenblatt can be reached at lrosenblatt@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

The late Robert Frankel to be honored

by City Theatre — LOCAL —

C

ity Theatre has announced the recipients of the 2017-18 Robert M. Frankel Awards: community leaders David E. Massaro and the Massaro Family, and artist Robert C.T. Steele. City Theatre will celebrate the honorees, recognized for their outstanding commitment to new play creation and support, at its spring benefit event, The New Do, on April 20.

Robert M. Frankel was board president at City Theatre for two consecutive terms from 1988 to 1993 and remained a lifetime board member until his passing on Sept. 17, 2017. Frankel’s dedication and service to the cultural landscape of his city has made his name synonymous with leadership in the arts. In 1994, City Theatre created the Robert M. Frankel Awards with a focus on honoring artists and patrons of the arts associated with City Theatre programming.

“As City Theatre looks forward to our

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

next chapter — both in terms of artistic leadership and in plans to renovate our South Side cultural campus — we wanted to make sure we give proper recognition to those that built this theater, both on stage and off, from its inception,” said the theater’s managing director, James McNeel.

“Mr. Frankel epitomized this vision, and the award established in his name further honors the countless individuals who share in his passion for City Theatre, the arts, and Pittsburgh.

“Quite frankly, we — and so many organizations in town — would not be here today without them,” McNeel continued. “And while we had decided to elevate the visibility of the Frankel Awards to be included in our spring benefit prior to Mr. Frankel’s passing, obviously his loss to our community last year warrants his legacy to be celebrated, and this was by far the most fitting way we could do that.” PJC — Toby Tabachnick

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Childs ThankYou 1_Layout 1 4/9/18 4:09 PM Page 1

Headlines Camps: Continued from page 3

looks like when observing their counselors, how they interact with both kids and adults, and how they communicate. This opportunity allows campers to see themselves as a valuable part of a community and encourages them to take on leadership roles as well.”

Creating such occasions for maturation is key to the camping experience, agreed Lewis Sohinki, director of the James and Rachel Levinson Day Camp at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh.

“The mindset with our staff is to really look deeply at all of the programs that we are offering and instilling these values to make sure that our campers are growing,” said Sohinki.

We have a “consistent theme that we are going to run through all of our camps,” and that is “connections, values, growth and fun,” said Cathy Samuels, JCC’s senior director of development and communications. “Those four concepts come together to prepare children for life.”

As an example of the messaging at play, Sohinki referenced a revamped midot system, which praises positive behavior.

Whether it is by placing their names on a board, having an opportunity to raise a flag or participate in special activities, “campers get a sense of what it means to be a great person,” said the director.

Although commendations, public encour-

Geographic: Continued from page 9

Growing up, her family celebrated Jewish holidays but was “probably more culturally Jewish than religiously Jewish,” she said. She was involved in the Habonim Labour Zionist youth movement, and at the age of 17 she lived for six months on a kibbutz in southern Israel.

Though she describes the experience at Kibbutz Grofit as “a fantastic thing to do as a very young woman,” she said it made her realize that she did not want to immigrate to the Jewish state.

“The lives of the women on the kibbutz were to my way of thinking kind of constrained. You didn’t have a world of choice. This was a small kibbutz in the middle of the desert, right on the border of a bunch of other countries, and it just made me realize that it wasn’t going to be the lifestyle for me,” she recalled.

Instead, she set her sights on pursuing a journalism career in the United States. She enrolled at Michigan State University but dropped out to accept a job as a full-time reporter at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. She later returned to Michigan State to pursue a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Throughout her career, she has been the first woman in many of her positions, including as managing editor of the San Jose Mercury News, editor-in-chief of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and executive editor of Bloomberg News’ Washington bureau.

She joined National Geographic as executive editor in January 2014, and succeeded Chris Johns as editor-in-chief a few months later.

agement (and two new high ropes courses) are some of the innovations planned for the day camp, similar attention to personal advancement is being stressed at Emma Kaufmann Camp, the JCC’s overnight division.

“One thing we are doing is changing the way we structure the daily schedule; we are giving campers more choice in what they like to do,” said Rachael Speck, EKC’s director of communication and alumni engagement.

“We believe that by giving them more choice and being able to self-select more of their activities it will improve their self-esteem and independence and that sense of self-reliance. When you take it back to growth, we think that these are all important factors.”

In previous summers, EKC campers were only permitted to choose one chug, or hobby, per session, said Speck. “Now they get to choose two per week.”

So whether they select horseback riding, wakeboarding or learning to survive outdoors as a hobby, or simply spend the summer enjoying the West Virginia site’s new disc golf course, there is a greater instruction that is being imparted.

“People grow exponentially through a process of experiencing and trying new things — it kind of takes you out of your comfort zone — so we always want to be providing new opportunities, to learn new skills whether they be sports skills or life skills,” said Samuels. “Camp is phenomenal.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Goldberg’s letter drew both praise, from those who lauded her for looking critically at the magazine’s coverage of race, and criticism, from others who wondered why it took the magazine so long to do so and said the letter did not go far enough in addressing the issue.

“I can’t explain why other editors haven’t done this directly. I’m not criticizing them in any way. What I will say is we’re in a moment of reckoning as a society, as a country, where people are willing to look back at actions of themselves or their organizations and lay out maybe a lot of really great history but [also] some things that weren’t so good,” she said.

The magazine also plans to focus on Muslims, Latinos, Asian Americans and Native Americans. Though the magazine examines racism and other forms of bigotry there are no plans at the moment to look into anti-Semitism, she said.

“That’s not to say in the future that we wouldn’t, but we don’t have anything that we’ve planned right now,” she said.

Goldberg, who lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Geoffrey Etnire, a real estate lawyer, said that since starting her position, her “biggest push” has been to increase gender, ethnic and racial diversity on the staff. Currently about a quarter of the staff are people of color.

“I just don’t think that you are going to end up with authentic stories if you’ve only got an all-white staff, and a majority male staff, and that is what it was,” she said. “We’ve been working very hard to change it. We’re not there yet, but we’ve been making a lot of progress.” PJC

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Thank you To Our Family and Friends,

Thank you so much for the ads, donations and sponsorships in honor of our recognition by the Hillel Jewish University Center’s Campus Superstar 2018.

Your efforts helped us to raise over $300 thousand dollars to enhance the lives of Jewish students visiting our region’s colleges and universities each school year.

To everyone who orchestrated the most memorable evening.

THANK YOU! We are grateful for your love, support and friendship!

Gail and Norman Childs

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

APRIL 13, 2018 17

Celebrations

Torah

B’nai Mitzvah

The character of Aharon, the greatest kohain

Adam Bisno, son of Rabbi Aaron and Dr. Michelle Bisno, became a bar mitzvah on Saturday, April 7 at 10:30 a.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Adam is a seventh-grader at Shady Side Middle School. He enjoys baseball, math and loves to watch “Impractical Jokers” and “Shark Tank.” In the summer, he attends URJ Camp Coleman.

Rebecca Gerse will celebrate her bat mitzvah on Saturday, April 14 at Temple David. Celebrating with Rebecca are her parents, Debbie and David Gerse, and her older brother, Scott. Grandparents are Harriett Caninzun and the late Mervin Caninzun and Martha and Richard Gerse. Becca’s interests are acting at Theatre Factory and Albright Dance Stars with jazz and tap.

Joseph Kitchen will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday, April 14 at Congregation Beth Shalom. He is a seventhgrade student at Community Day School where he plays soccer, basketball and baseball and runs track. He enjoys spending time with his friends and family, going to Camp Young Judaea in Wisconsin in the summers, and playing video, board and card games. He also likes to collect rocks, gems and coins. He has two siblings. Naomi is in ninth grade at Pittsburgh Allderdice and Benjamin is in third grade at CDS. His parents are Rona Kaufman and Jimmy Kitchen. His grandparents, Nechama and Shlomo, Kaufman, live in Philadelphia; and Jin Webber, Harold Kitchen and Linda Poole live in Arizona.

Avi Remes, son of Dahlia and Andrew Remes, will become a bar mitzvah Saturday, April 14 at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills. Grandparents are Shoshana Caplan of Israel and the late Harold Caplan; Rachelle and the late Matthew Remes; and great-grandmother is the late Elaine Naddell all of Scotland.

Jackson Rullo, son of Kim and David Rullo of Dormont, will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday, April 14 at Temple Emanuel of South Hills. PJC

18 APRIL 13, 2018

Rabbi Shimon Silver Parshat Shemini Leviticus 9:1-11:47

O

n the eighth day, after the seven days of inauguration, Moshe called to Aharon and his sons, and the Israelite elders. He said to Aharon: “Take a calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, unblemished, and offer them before Hashem. Then you (Aharon) shall speak to the Children of Israel, saying: ‘Take a goat for a sin offering and a calf and a lamb for a burnt offering,’ etc.”

We can easily understand why the first offerings had to be brought as atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf. We also understand why Aharon had to atone for his part in the sin before beginning service as the kohain gadol. But why is it specifically Aharon who must instruct the Israelites about their sin offering? Why would Moshe not be the one to instruct them, as usually happened? There seems to be a lesson for us here. It is about Aharon, his character, and maybe his qualifications to serve.

Later in the parshah, immediately following the death of Aharon’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu, Moshe apparently consoles him with the words, “[Hashem said], ‘With those close to Me shall I become sanctified!’”

The implication is that Moshe considered the sons of Aharon to be among the greatest of Israel, despite their having been punished by G-d with death for an obvious major sin.

Moshe found some merit in the punishment. And Aharon was silent! Rashi says he received reward for remaining silent. Why? Should he have complained? He had just been consoled by Moshe! What should he have responded? It is also a bit surprising that Moshe immediately consoled him. Do we not learn that one should not console his fellow when the corpse is lying there in front of him?

The Israelites were no doubt somewhat surprised that Aharon was chosen to serve as the High Priest. After all, was not the Golden Calf of his making? Do we not say that the adversary cannot become the advocate? Was Aharon personally truly so holy and great and fit for the job? To answer these questions, Aharon was instructed to atone with the sin offering. This placated the people. But then, when his sons were punished with death, the questioners were once more aroused. “Why were these two sons unfit for service?” In their minds, the old questions came back. These were Aharon’s boys, weren’t they?

When one sees his children go astray, he feels the pressure. He senses the accusations; people question him and what he must have done to bring up such children. He feels compelled to do one of two things. Either he will try to justify them or make excuses for them. Or he will claim that what they do is not due to his influence, but that they are adults who make their own decisions. “They did not learn this from me!” All of this comes from personal partiality. The parent tries to salvage his own reputation.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Aharon was always known for loving peace and pursuing it. To make peace, one needs to negate the self. One must be totally impartial, to risk humiliation and to ignore personal attacks on one’s reputation. By doing this, one removes any vestige of mistrust and being upset with his fellow.

Once he feels this way within himself, he is ready to influence others to do the same. The Torah says that Hashem tells Moshe, when he chooses him to lead, that his older brother Aharon will not harbor jealousy. Rather: “He will see you, and in his heart, he will rejoice!”

A kohain serves as a liaison, either an agent of Hashem to the people or an agent of the people to Hashem. He is not serving as an independent free agent. It is most important that he does nothing to further his personal agenda, to seek honor for himself or his family, or to manipulate matters to bring him glory and greatness.

When the events that led to the Golden

A kohain serves as a liaison, either an agent of Hashem to the people or an agent of the people to Hashem. He is not serving as an independent free agent.

Calf took place, Aharon should have remained silent. When he saw that Chur was murdered by the mob, he was a little worried about further bloodshed. He was worried about himself, as well. That was when he spoke up and said: “Whoever has gold, let him remove it.” True, it was a situation of pikuach nefesh, danger to life. However, there was a tiny element of partiality. For that, he needed to atone before he could approach the service of kehunah.

Part of his atonement was that he himself would speak to Israel, instructing them about their offerings. This way he would atone for having spoken to them about the gold.

When his sons died and Moshe said something to find some sort of merit with them, this was a test. Aharon could have agreed.

Or he could have protested that indeed they sinned, and they were punished, but that they did not learn this from him. Had he responded in either of these ways, it would have contained a small measure of partiality.

Therefore, he said nothing. And for this, he was rewarded. With his reaction, Aharon proved that he was the greatest and the most highly qualified kohain. PJC Rabbi Shimon Silver is the spiritual leader of Young Israel of Greater Pittsburgh. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Obituaries ABRAMS: Harry Abrams died peacefully at his home in Oakland, Calif., on March 25, 2018, at the age of 98. Born to Sonia and Isaac Abramovitz in Ukraine on August 3, 1919, he immigrated to the U.S. when he was 4 years old. Harry was the beloved husband for 68 years of Leatrice (Lee) Abrams, who preceded him in death last year. He was the cherished father of daughters Ilene Abrams (Rick Ayers), Sally Abrams (Lynne Eggers) and Miriam Abrams; devoted Zeyde of Sonia Abrams, Max Abrams, and Esther Robinsun-Abrams, and sweet great-grandfather of Ada and Everett Abramoss. He was pre-deceased by his brother Lou Goldberg. Harry was an entrepreneur and started a few businesses, including Hydro-Nucleonics, selling water softeners; he was also a leading sales engineer for The Gage Company. After “retiring,” Harry launched a career in real estate, which he continued until he left Pittsburgh at age 93. He was committed to a life of helping others, leading the AARP free tax preparation service at the Squirrel Hill Library for many years, driving people to the polls at election time, and numerous other generous efforts. Harry was truly beloved by friends and family alike for his unwavering positivity, multitude of jokes (often with a Jewish theme - and more than likely a pun), generosity, and most importantly, a deep love and gratitude for all. He would often say he was “the luckiest man in the world” because of

his family and friends. Harry was always supportive and enthusiastic about his family’s endeavors, no matter how offbeat, asking for updates and cheering us on. Five years ago, Harry and Lee left their many friends and extended family in Pittsburgh and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to be with their daughters and grandchildren who had been living there for about 40 years.

Shortly after moving to their new home at an assisted living residence, he launched a current events discussion group. While they missed their life in Pittsburgh, Lee and Harry delighted in being together with children and grandchildren, and were thrilled with the birth of two great-grandchildren. After a short decline, primarily since Lee died last year, Harry passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his daughters. Donations in Harry’s memory can be made to Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay at jfcs-eastbay.org ECKSTEIN: Barbara B. Eckstein, loved and loving wife of James A. Eckstein (deceased), died April 7, 2018. Artist and accomplished flower arranger, Barbara was a master judge, popular lecturer, and teacher of floral design.

Combining natural plant material and her inventive ceramic vessels, her arrangements could “sculpt space” with flowers. Barbara was a former docent at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, a member of numerous flower arranging organizations, and an instructor at Carnegie Mellon University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She

will be missed by her loving children, John, Sue and Tom Eckstein, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Graveside services and interment were held at Emanu-El Israel Cemetery in Greensburg. Contributions may be made to Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden, 4905 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. FRIEDBERG: Natalie Herrup Friedberg, on Tuesday, April 3, 2018.

Beloved wife of the late Dr. Michael A. Friedberg, loving mother of Sue (Dr. Dean E. Kross) Friedberg and the late Beth Friedberg. Sister of the late J. Lester (Florence) Herrup, Grandmother of Gil and Margaret Kross. Her life was enriched by beloved nephews, nieces, their children, and many wonderful Roth family cousins and dear friends. A life-long proud Pittsburgher and Squirrel Hill resident, Natalie attended Colfax School, Taylor Allderdice High School and Carnegie Institute of Technology, from which she graduated with a BFA in interior design. She was an accomplished interior designer sought after for the warm and inviting spaces she created. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. Contributions may be made to Carnegie Mellon University, PO Box 371525, Pittsburgh, PA 15251, or Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, 234 McKee

Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (designate to Dr. Michael A. Friedberg Memorial Endowment Fund), or to a charity of the donor’s choice. schugar.com KURMAN: Celia Miller Kurman, age 95, formerly of East End, Pittsburgh; most recently a resident of Schenley Gardens in Pittsburgh, passed away peacefully on April 5 at Harmer Village in Cheswick after a short illness. She was born May 26, 1922, in Pittsburgh to the late Minnie (Malka nee Glauberman) and Abraham (Avrum) Miller.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Charles Kurman, stepsons Philip and Marshall Kurman, sister Sarah (nee Miller) Davidson and brother Bernard and wife Rose Miller. She is survived by her loving stepdaughter Cindy (nee Kurman) Barrie and son-in-law, Lee of Chicago; stepgrandson Jeffrey Fienberg of Cooper City, Fla.; niece Maxine Miller and husband Jim Martin; nephew Larry Miller and wife Barbara, of Pittsburgh, and loving great and great grandnieces and nephews. Celia was much loved by her family, friends and the community. Her spirit will live on in all of us. Graveside services and interment were held at B’nai Israel Cemetery. Donations may be made to Arts for Autism Foundation, Pittsburgh Chapter, afapgh.org/. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com Please see Obituaries, page 20

Please consider the Jewish Burial Grove at Penn Forest Natural Burial Park.  Sanctified for Jewish Burial by Rabbi Stephen E. Steindel.  Woodland natural burial among our trees.  Located in Verona PA — 13-miles from downtown Pittsburgh.  No burial vaults used.  Only biodegradable coffins or shrouds allowed.

 Time payment plans available.  No extra fees for Sunday burials.  Tents and chairs provided for graveside services at no extra cost.  We work with all funeral homes.  We honor all Jewish burial practices.

 Currently adding 112 additional grave sites.

Call 412-265-4606 for tour appointments or other information or email Laura@PennForestCemetery.com.

All prices on our website: www.PennForestCemetery.com/pricing.

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

In memory of...

Anonymous ................................................... Bessie Averbach Anonymous ........................................................Sylvia Gerson Anonymous .........................................................Mollie Kalson Anonymous .......................................................Samuel Morris Anonymous .........................................................Philip Rogers Gertrude Adams................................................Marvin Adams Marlene Alpern ..................................................... Sylvia Shaer Edwin Azen ........................................................ Maurice Azen Marc M. Bilder................................................Shirley M. Bilder Maurice Bourd ...................................................... Anna Bourd Ann L. Coffee .....................................................Macy L. Levin Dr. & Mrs. Howard Cohen & Family ..............Mollie Bucaresky Dr. & Mrs. Howard Cohen & Family ..................Dorothy Fisher Pauline Dobkin ................................................. Dora Sussman Dr. Gloria Y. Golden .........................................Maier Krochmal Danny & Sharon Greenfield ............................Celia Greenfield Ruth Haber ...........................................................Bertha Miller Frances Harmon ............................................ Samuel Portnoy

A gift from ...

In memory of...

Audrey Hatfield .................................................. Bertha Lieber Gertrude Hostein & Bernie Hostein ....................Bella Hostein Sally L. Kamenear ......................................... J. Bernard Block Jeff Kaplan ...............................................................Ida Cohen Jeff Kaplan ............................................................. Rose Stern Steven M. Katz .................................... Lillian Goodman Smith Harold & Cindy Lebenson ....................................... Dora Stein Mary B. Marks .................................................Florence Cohen Susan Melnick.................................. Dorothy Natterson Maas JoAnne Persons ......................................Bertha & Wolf Kaiser Harvey L. Rice ........................................................... Max Rice Ronna & Jeff Robinson ..................................... Esther Leipzig Ferne Borof Shire & Bernard Shire ...................... Morris Borof Alan Stolzenberg ......................................... Irving Stolzenberg Margie, Irvin, Raziel & Avital Ungar ...... Sara Sachs Goodman Judith Waldman .................................................. Paul Mainzer Charles & Gail Weisberg .................................... William Lewis Minnie Zavos .........................................Mary & David Sinaikin

THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday April 15: Blanche Epstein, Alfred Gordon, Harry Greenberg, Fannie Horowitz, Tillie G. Kubrin, Joseph Lederer, William Lewis, Edward Mermelstein, Hanna W. Pink, Annabelle M. Topp, Florence P. Wedner, Louis Zacks Monday April 16: S. Abel Alterman, Louis Berman, Florence Cohen, Lillian Finn, Bertha Goodman, Harry M. Greenberger, Sidney Greenberger, Sadie Klein, Frederick Knina, Stanley Slifkin, Karl Zlotnik Tuesday April 17: Elias Bloomstein, William Bowytz, Samuel Broffman, Mollie Goisner Dugan, Milton E. Golanty, Anna Goldblum, Celia Greenfield, Eva Korobkin, Reba Lazar, Anna Miller, Sarah Offstein, Rose Orringer, Martha Rosen, Bella Siegal, Eva Grossman Willinger Wednesday April 18: Louis Americus, Isadore Berman, Hyman Caplan, Edith Pichel Davis, Isadore Abraham Frand, Lea S. Golomb, Ida Greenberg, David L. Gusky, Arthur Samuel Herskovitz, Max Hochhauser, Dora Berman Horwitz, Sam Lurie, Celia Marcus, Sadie Mullen, Lee Calvin Plevin, Dolores K. Rubin, Philip L. Silver, Phillip Tevelin

Now is the time to make the right decisions for you and your family. As preplanning specialists, we can make certain that all of your wishes are carried out and that you spend only what is needed.

We’d like to answer any questions you might have. Call us today to find out what you can do to make all of the right decisions.

D’Alessandro Funeral Home and Crematory Ltd. “Always A Higher Standard”

Daniel T. D’Alessandro, Spvr.

Thursday April 19: Bella H. Cohen, Paul Leipzig, Abe I. Levinson, Saul Mandel, Louis M. Myers, Morris B. Pariser, Wolf Shoag, Joseph M. Swartz, Louis Wolf, George Zeidenstein Friday April 20: Max Azen, Gilbert Bernstein, Julius H. Cohen, Sonia Firestone, Herman Frankel, Lena Sanes Goldman, Barbara Gross, Solomon Hahn, Shirley Lebovitz, Donald Lester Lee, Harriet Berkowitz Linder, Harold Leo Lippman, Sam Littman, Moss A. Ostwind, Hilda Stern Press, Samuel Raphael, Dr. William Reiner, Carl Rice, Goldie Rosenshine, Rev. Meyer Schiff, David Shussett, George Teplitz Saturday April 21: Hettie Bildhauer Bloom, Harry Broff, Katie Elpern, Lottie Fleisher, Arthur Goldsmith, Jack Goldstein, Joseph Goldston, Sam Goldston, Beate Gruene, Pearl Katz, William Kliman, Selma Neiman, Imre Neubauer, Jacob Schulman, Sidney Yecies, Rose C. Zapler

4522 Butler St. • Pittsburgh, PA 15201 • (412) 682-6500 • www.dalessandroltd.com PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

APRIL 13, 2018 19

Obituaries Obituaries: Continued from page 19

MITCHEL: Roy David Mitchel, son of Benjamin and Gertrude, born in McKees Rocks, Pa., on September 26,1919, passed away peacefully in Greenfield, Mass., March 31, 2018, with son Ira and daughter-in-law Mary by his side. Roy was predeceased by sister, Violet Mae Kaplan, and his beloved bride of 65 years, Paularuth Friedman Mitchel. He is survived by sons Gershon H. Mitchel of Pittsburgh, Ira S. Mitchel (Mary) of Greenfield, Mass., and Jodi Mitchel Tolman (Jay) of Cohasset, Mass.; as well as grandchildren Benjamin (Monique) and Joshua Mitchel, Alex Mitchel (Ashley) and Beth Schneider (Michael), and Charlie Jarboe (Julie) and Chloe and Jack Tolman.

Great-grandchildren include Ellie, Lexi, Noah and Samantha Mitchel, and Madison Boudreau and Jake Schneider. Roy received his education in Stowe Township and worked in several jobs prior to entering the Air Corps as a radio operator on the B17 Bomber, honorably completing four years of service

from February 1942 to December 1945.

Several years after completion of his service, Roy became a scrap metal broker with Tube City Iron & Metal where he spent 28 years as a buyer of raw materials for Pittsburgh’s steel mills. Roy was an active member of B’nai B’rith and served as his chapter’s president for many years. He was president of the Ahavath Achim Society and instrumental in securing the land for their Kennedy Township cemetery’s use in perpetuity. Roy and Paularuth retired to Florida in 1986 and loved retirement living at Huntington Lakes in Delray Beach. While in Florida, he served as president of the Pittsburgh Club for nearly 15 years. Sometime after Paularuth’s death in 2010, Roy and Rose Mandel, also of Delray Beach, became loving companions. It was a comfortable fit as Rose and husband, Izzy, who died some years earlier, and Paularuth and Roy had been longtime and very close friends. Roy Mitchel was simply a beloved man with an indomitable spirit, tender heart and a tremendous love of life. His children believed he would live forever but, alas, he was only human. Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside on Sunday, April 15, 2018, at 10 a.m. Visitation one half hour prior to service

(9:30 am - 10:00 a.m.). Interment Ahavath Achim Cemetery, Kennedy Township. In lieu of flowers, friends and family are invited to make donations in Roy‘s memory to the cause or charity of their choosing.

MORRIS: Jerry Morris, age 87, on Monday, March 19, 2018. Husband of Carol Ann Leseman; father of Lorraine, Bruce (Charlene), and Debi (Nick W) Bickel; Zaydie (Zay) of Nick S. (Jenna) and Sean Bickel, Adam (Rachael) Morris, and Rachael (Greg) Beatty; brother of Elaine McGinnis of Maryland. Also survived by nieces and nephews and one great-great-nephew. Graveside services were held at Beth Abraham Cemetery, Carrick. Professional services trusted to the care Of D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd., Lawrenceville.

SEIAVITCH: Lloyd Karl Seiavitch, on Saturday morning, April 7, 2018, Lloyd Karl Seiavitch, 67, of Squirrel Hill, passed away unexpectedly. Lloyd was born April 13, 1950, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and remained a lifelong resident of Squirrell Hill. Lloyd’s death was due to

natural causes. Joan E. “Joni” Lampl-Seiavitch, his loving wife of 27 years, was at his side. Lloyd’s greatest joy was his companionship with Joni and their mutual love of travel.

Lloyd’s life included the company of a closeknit group of friends, all of whom will miss him dearly. Lloyd was the son of the late Ann (Schwartz) and Robert Seiavitch and brother of the late Myron Savage and the late Stuart E. Savage. Lloyd was a home improvement contractor and operating as Consolidated Window and Remodeling, Inc. He was wellknown for his sarcastic humor and sense of irony. He made everyone feel welcome in his presence. Lloyd was close to his adopted Lampl family consisting of his father-in-law Richard “Dick” Lampl (Elaine), and in-laws Robert O Lampl (Jeannine Schemm), Thomas Lampl (Lisa), Patricia Ann Holupka (Gary) and Edward Lampl (Valerie Matteo) as well as a few dozen nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews. Services were held at Ralph Shugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue, Shadyside. Interment Homestead Hebrew Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Friendship Circle, 1922 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or Animal Friends, 562 Camp Horne Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237. PJC

The Original Our Only Location At

2145 BRIGHTON ROAD • PITTSBURGH, PA 15212 • 412-321-2235 Serving the Jewish Community Since 1924

SEND OBITUARY NOTICES AND REQUESTS FOR MORE INFORMATION TO obituaries@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Contact the Chronicle at obituaries@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org for specifications.

THE DEADLINE FOR PUBLICATION IS NOON MONDAY.

Real Estate REALTOR

THINKING OF SELLING?

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

5125 Fifth Ave.

SHADYSIDE CARRIAGE HOUSE

2 & 3 Bedrooms Corner of Fifth and Wilkins Spacious 1500-2250 square feet JOANNE AVERCH REALTOR® (412) 398-5306 CELL (412) 363-4000 X521 OFFICE (412) 363-7551 FAX joanne.averch@pittsburghmoves.com

”Finest in Shadyside”

412-661-4456

www.kaminrealty.kamin.com • Unique Hidden Gem • Totally Updated • Heart of West Shadyside • For the Discriminating Buyer

REAL ESTATE SERVICES 5996 Centre Avenue, Suite 301 Pittsburgh, PA 15206

$1,700,000 Happily shown at your convenience by appointment.

ETTA GOLOMB RE/MAX REALTY BROKERS

Cell 412-725-6524 Office 412-521-1000 ettagolomb@yahoo.com

20 APRIL 13, 2018

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Real Estate FOR SALE

FOR SALE

POINT BREEZE • $420,000 • OPEN 1-3 SUNDAY, APRIL 15 • 325 RICHLAND LANE Unique town home/condo in converted mansion on 2+ acres. Enjoy 3 br, 2.5 baths, 2 car int. garage. Wonderful open flr plan with 10’ ceilings, wood burning fireplace in great room.

Swimming pool & tennis court. Do not miss this rare opportunity.

SQUIRREL HILL • $900,000

WHY RENT FOR THE WINTER WHEN YOU CAN OWN! FLORIDA • BOCA RATON/DELRAY BEACH AREA 5 BEDROOMS • 6.5 BATHROOMS • 4423 LVG SQ FT • $849,900 PRIVATE BACKYARD • 1ST FLOOR MASTER FANTASTIC VALUE! JUST REDUCED! Lowest price 4400 + square foot home in Addison Reserve! White, bright and ready to move in. All new in 2015/16: pool resurfacing, central vac, all new LED lighting, 119 gallon hot water tank, 2 new A/C units and garage floor resurfacing. Kitchen has all new appliances, 48’’ refrigerator and double ovens. Cul de-sac location on the golf course with a serene tropical oasis buffer between the yard and fairway. Totally private. Addison Reserve is a Platinum Club of America and is the recipient of the coveted Emerald Award. Home to 717 luxury single-family homes situated on 653 lushly landscaped acres. https://vimeo.com/221012644 | WWW.ELLIMAN.COM/RX-10342576

New Listing! Contemporary in one of Pittsburgh’s finest locations. Enjoy soaring ceilings, sunken living room and Two master baths in master suite, another bedroom area with Jack and Jill suite huge two story windows, enormous room and bath over a very large two car garage. Governors driveway. Very dramatic home in a private location.

SQUIRREL HILL • $469,000 G Wonderful large 4 br, 3.5 bath home DIN with an gourmet kitchen, 1st flr family rm. Attached PEN has cathedral ceilings and an enormous walk-in closet. garage to the first floor. Master suite Convenient 2nd flr laundry.

SHADYSIDE • $1,990,000 Spectacular Brandon Smith 6 br mini G manse home on desirable street. Home has been DIN meticulously restored. Enjoy magnifi PEN cent wood and marble flrs, detailed moldings, floating staircase, antique brass fixtures. Enormous windows and French doors. Private garden with large terrace and fountains. 3-car garage. Incl. is an adjacent parklike lot.

SQUIRREL HILL • $299,000

FLORIDA • BRAEMAR ISLE - BOCA HIGHLANDS 2 Bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms • 1500 SF • BEACH CLUB • UNIT 804 $495,000 • UNIT 315 $385,000

NG

DI large family room and fireplace. Open living/dining room, Must See! 3 bedroom, 2 full baths with PEN eat-in kitchen and wonderful yard. Enjoy the bonus of a 2-car integral garage.

UNIT 804 Ocean and Marina views right off the large East facing balcony. Unit is ready for your renovations! UNIT 315 Partial Pool views large South facing balcony. Both units Sold AS-IS. Full size washer and dryer in each unit. All impact glass windows and sliders.

Community has tennis, boat docks, outdoor grills, private Ocean Beach Club (included) with pool, clubhouse, kitchen and bathrooms.

Valet in Season, 24-hour security concierge and fabulous new GYM facing the Intracoastal! Great LOCK-UP and GO apartment for seasonal owners!

SUSAN BRODY earns internationally recognized achievement for performance in luxury real estate.

Earning both the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS) and The Million Dollar Guild designations, Susan Brody is recognized for experience, knowledge, and expertise in milliondollar and above residential properties.

JILL and MARK PORTLAND RE/MAX REALTY BROKERS 412.521.1000 EXT. 200 412.496.5600 JILL | 412.480.3110 MARK

SUSAN BRODY

ELLIMAN.COM

Realtor Associate 444 East Palmetto Park Rd Boca Raton, FL 33432 O: 561.405.8571 | C: 561.405.8571 Susan.Brody@elliman.com

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

Call Me For All Of Your Real Estate Needs!

Maureen States Associate Broker/Owner

Cell: 412 377-7775 Office: 412 241-4700 ext. 11 maureenstates@neighborhoodrealtyserservices.net Put nearly 4 decades of proven experience to work for you!

Get the best of customer service and make the process easy.

CALL ME NOW! GET THE RESULTS YOU DESERVE!

Condominiums for Sale Bellefield Place Balcony with Wonderful View of City Sophisticated 2 bed plus den.

Spacious kitchen, 2 exceptional baths and great closets.

24 hour security & interior and valet parking included. $599,000

5100 5th Avenue

Wonderful Location near Universities & Hospitals Former 3 bedroom converted to spacious 2 bedroom. Movein condition, lovely kitchen & large living room. 24-hour security and indoor parking.

Price upon request.

Call Tamara Skirboll at 412-401-1110 or Cheryl Gerson at 412-401-4693 Cheryl Gerson | REALTOR® Coldwell Banker Squirrel Hill Cell Phone: 412-401-4693 Cheryl.Gerson@PittsburghMoves.com 5887 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh PA 15217

SHOWCASE YOUR PROPERTIES EVERY WEEK IN THE PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Metropolitan

Sophisticated Living Very upscale 1 bedroom and large bonus room, which can be used for study, guest room or den. 2 baths. Stunning kitchen open to dining and living room.

Most special private patio.

24-hour security, 2 car parking, large exercise facility, party and wine room. $765,000

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Contact Phil Durler to schedule your advertising

pdurler@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org 724-713-8874 advertising@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

APRIL 13, 2018 21

Community CDS model seders The model seders at Community Day School were filled with laughter, joy, singing, learning, reading and, of course, lots and lots of matzah.

p CDS first-graders Sammy Rutherford and Arthur Katz get ready to dip their celery in the saltwater symbolizing the sweat and tears of slavery.

p Third-graders retell the story of Passover through an original musical play performed in Hebrew for students in younger grades. Front: Daniella Babichenko; second row, from left: Elisheva Yogman, Zoe Freyberg, Ariella Tseytlin, Sam Berman and Jessica Levin

p Fourth-grade students Roni Pishoto and Liron Ohayon sing the Four Questions at the CDS Intermediate School model seder.

p Sophia Babichenko and Ava Velazquez enjoy their first taste of matzah during the kindergarten model seder at CDS.

22 APRIL 13, 2018

p Third-grade student Jordan Block prepares to read from his Haggadah during the CDS Lower School model seder. Photos courtesy of Community Day School

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Community Passover with Chabad More than 200 Jewish students celebrated Passover in grand family style in the O’Hara Student Center at the University of Pittsburgh on March 30. Hosted by Chabad House on Campus and the Hillel Jewish University Center, students who stayed on campus for the holiday had their Passover needs taken care of. Through the efforts of students, staff and administrators, the seder included 600 bags of homemade shmurah matzah, several cases of wine and grape juice, a three-course festive meal catered by Yehudah Cowen, and lots of “Dayenus” as Rabbi Shmuli Rothstein, director of Chabad at Pitt, led the crowd in enthusiastic singing and holiday spirit.

p From left: Rabbi Shmuli Rothstein, Sam Weber and Dan Lapidus

Machers & Shakers q Yehudah Cowen, left, Elegant Edge caterer, with Dan Marcus, Hillel Jewish University Center executive director Photos courtesy of Chabad House on Campus

Passover seder at Charles Morris Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Rabbi Jeremy Markiz from Congregation Beth Shalom has been selected for the Rabbis Without Borders program, the Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership initiative that helps rabbis innovate using Jewish wisdom as a source for well-being.

Markiz will be part of the eighth cohort for the competitive rabbinic fellowship program. Rabbis Without Borders spans denominations, geography and experience. When choosing the rabbis for the network, selection is based on those rabbis most committed to serving people wherever they may be: affiliated or not, Jewishly educated or not, with Jewish connections or none. These rabbis share their Torah in pluralistic, innovative ways grounded by a sense of service to all.

Photo by Toby Tabachnick

Residents and their families enjoyed a Passover seder served by the Jewish Association on Aging in the dining rooms of the Charles Morris Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Eric Kresh, left, whose father Norman is a resident and Bob Mushinsky, JAA’s director of resident care, share a moment (and some matzah) during the festivities.

At a special convocation in New York City on March 12, Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey S. Myers of Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation received an honorary doctorate in music from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in appreciation of his years of devotion and service to the Jewish community. Myers graduated from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America as one of the first cantor/educator graduates and previously served congregations in New York and New Jersey.

Photo courtesy of Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation

Photo courtesy of Jewish Association on Aging

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

APRIL 13, 2018 23

KOSHER MEATS

• All-natural, corn-fed beef — steaks, roasts, ground beef and more • Variety of deli meats and franks • All-natural poultry — whole chickens, breasts, wings and more Available at select Giant Eagle stores.

Visit GiantEagle.com for location information.

Alle Kosher 80% Lean Fresh Ground Beef

6

99 lb.

Price effective Thursday, April 12 through Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Available at 17AD32056_PJC_0412.indd 1

24 APRIL 13, 2018

and PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

4/6/18 2:07 PM

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG