Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 7/27/2018 by Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

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July 27, 2018 | 15 Av 5778

Candlelighting 8:22 p.m. | Havdalah 9:25 p.m. | Vol. 61, No. 30 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Allderdice and Pitt grad could be Juneau’s chief executive

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New caterer brings ‘elegant edge’ Caliban Books to Beth Shalom owner charged in epic library heist By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

course, he was tapped to intern at the Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong, where he worked alongside the luxury hotel’s executive chef. “I have always kept kosher, so I couldn’t necessarily taste the food, but I picked up worldclass methods of cooking there,” said Cowen. While in Hong Kong, the young chef also catered between 40 and 200 Shabbat meals each week for traveling executives, as well as corporate lunches and other events. Cowen’s experience in the food industry also includes running the former Pinati Kosher Mediterranean Grill on Murray Avenue and working for a kosher caterer in Brooklyn, for whom he handled a busy wedding and b’nai mitzvah schedule and catered three meals a day for 800 participants at a Passover retreat in Atlanta. But when he finally decided to make Pittsburgh his permanent home a few years ago, he took a position preparing meals at Weinberg Terrace, a personal care community in Squirrel Hill. It was there that Cowen’s skills as a chef caught the attention of many community members, who began asking

ohn Ezra Schulman, the owner of Caliban Books in Oakland, was charged with stealing more than $8 million of rare books and other publications from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Also charged in the heist — the details of which are described in a 54-page criminal complaint that reads like a treatment for a caper film — is former Carnegie Library archivist Greg Priore, 61. The scope of the library thefts “ranks it among the world’s largest losses to date,” according to the complaint. Schulman, 54, was charged on July 20 with several counts of theft, receiving stolen property, dealing in the proceeds of illegal activity, criminal conspiracy, forgery and deceptive or fraudulent business practices. The charges against Priore include library theft. The two men turned themselves in at City Court downtown, and both were released on their own recognizance after their arraignment. Schulman’s shop deals in rare books as well as paperback fiction, poetry and philosophy. He declined to speak to the Chronicle and directed inquiries to his attorney, Albert Veverka. “We will review the charges and look at the complaint and dissect it,” Veverka said. “We don’t yet know the full scope of the allegations. There are varying offenses relating to theft and stolen property. We will see what they are alleging and proceed from there.” A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 1, but Veverka said that it is unlikely it will proceed on that day because of the breadth of the charges. Caliban Books, which Schulman has co-owned with his wife, Emily Hetzel since 1991, remains open for business, and the court has placed no restrictions on his movements, Veverka said, adding that the magistrate determined that he is “not a flight risk.”

Please see Caterer, page 16

Please see Library, page 16

If elected, Saralyn Tabachnick, currently unopposed, would be first Jewish mayor in 80 years. Page 2 LOCAL Minyan? There’s an app for that Synagogues embrace technology to draw a quorum. Page 4 NATIONAL Study gets renewed focus

Documentary explores controversial work with triplets. Page 6

 Judah Cowan is now the in-house caterer at Beth Shalom.

Photo by Toby Tabachnick

By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

udah Cowen has always had an interest in food — a serious interest in food that he has nurtured and cultivated in diverse locales throughout the world. Now, as the new in-house caterer at Congregation Beth Shalom in Squirrel Hill, Cowen is expanding the reach of his “elegant edge” in culinary skills to Pittsburgh’s greater Jewish community. Cowen, 31, launched his catering company — called Elegant Edge — in 2013 from the kitchen of B’nai Emunoh Chabad in Greenfield. His reputation as a skilled chef quickly led to an expanding demand for his services, which had him searching for a larger kitchen. As Beth Shalom was in the market for a new in-house caterer, joining forces with Cowen was a “good shidduch,” said Debby Firestone, president of the congregation’s board of directors. Cowen, originally from Hartford, Conn., began his culinary studies promptly after his high school graduation, when he left for Israel to train at the Jerusalem Culinary Institute. After completing the yearlong

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Headlines Pittsburgher could be Alaskan capital’s first Jewish mayor in more than 80 years — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

f the locals warm to one of the “frozen chosen,” then Juneau may have its first Jewish mayor in more than 80 years. Last month, Saralyn Tabachnick, a 31-year-resident of the capital city and a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School and the University of Pittsburgh, filed papers with the state’s Public Offices Commission. If Tabachnick’s upcoming bid is successful she would become Juneau’s first Jewish mayor since Isadore Goldstein, an Iditarod Gold Rush miner, left office in 1937. In a telephone interview from Juneau, Tabachnick, 61, explained that her campaign rests on a foundation established years prior. After receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees from Pitt, Tabachnick headed west in 1985 for a job in Seattle. There, she noticed a newspaper posting for a Juneaubased offering. The job was to be a “counselor for children that had been abused, and that was my training in Pittsburgh,” she said. So in 1987, the Squirrel Hill native joined AWARE, a shelter that provides services for women and children of Southeastern Alaskan communities “who have been subject to domestic or sexual violence.” Fifteen years later, Tabachnick became the organization’s director. At that point “AWARE was primarily providing intervention services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and over time we have grown,” she said. A prevention department staffed by nine professionals, expansion into gender-inclusive services and the construction of 12 units

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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, Cátia Kossovsky, Andi Perelman, David Rush, Charles Saul GENERAL COUNSEL Stuart R. Kaplan, Esq.

2 JULY 27, 2018

p Saralyn Tabachnick is the director of AWARE in Juneau.

Photo courtesy of Saralyn Tabachnick

of transitional housing have highlighted Tabachnick’s leadership. “Of course I have done none of this alone,” she said. Stakeholders, community members, “individuals who have ideas and commitments often coming with different perspectives and working toward a common goal” have collaborated to “get the job done. And I would like to bring that to the city and borough of Juneau.” While the election for Juneau’s mayor is slated for Oct. 2, candidates have until Aug. 13 to file. As of now, Tabachnick is the only candidate to declare for the nonpartisan contest. According to KTOO Public Media, incumbent Mayor Ken Koelsch, whose term

began in March 2016, has not indicated whether he will seek re-election. Tabachnick, though a political neophyte, said her experience at AWARE, which stands for Aiding Women in Abuse and Rape Emergencies, has “really set the stage for this next step.” “I have been at a job that’s been familiar, successful, and worked with a great team. Though I don’t know what will come up every day, I know that I will pretty much be able to handle it,” she explained. “In this new realm things are new to me so I’m really learning a lot and I have a learning curve, and it’s kind of fun to challenge myself in this way. … In life, sometimes, it’s important to

challenge ourselves, which I think helps us grow, and it doesn’t always come easy.” Tabachnick noted that the past four years have provided ample opportunity to derive lessons from difficulty; during that time the Juneau resident lost her brother, Kenny, and her parents, Gladys and Norman, all members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. (Tabachnick is the sister-in-law of Chronicle senior staff writer Toby Tabachnick.) “I kind of want to give a shout out to my partner Swarupa Toth,” said Tabachnick. “It’s been incredibly helpful and important to have her support and have her by my side and reassurances, and it’s really meaningful.” Tabachnick retains a strong connection to the Steel City through family and friends. On visits back she often takes in a Pirates game at PNC Park, “because Pittsburgh has one of the most beautiful stadiums in the country,” or uses the time to “get a little bit of information on how Pittsburgh is changing and growing because that’s always interesting,” she said. There are similarities between a city whose economic reliance on steel gave way to education, health services and technology, and Juneau, a city whose founding on gold and mining eventually ceded to tourism, transportation and trade, she explained. “I love both places. Part of it is the cities, and part of it is me and feeling invested in a place I call home. “My roots to Pittsburgh and my roots to Judaism are significant parts of who I am and they inform a lot of my values and beliefs,” she added, “and I feel very grateful to have them and to carry them forward in this next phase of my life.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Day schools welcome budget increase to EITC program — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

ittsburgh’s Jewish day schools and the families who count on them were given a boost by the 2018-2019 Pennsylvania state budget, as an additional $25 million dollars was designated toward the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. The program, which now totals $160 million dollars, incentivizes businesses to donate to designated school scholarship funds by awarding tax credits for such gifts, thereby enabling eligible families to receive financial aid towards non-public school education. The increase to EITC is one of several highlights to the new $32.7 million dollar budget signed last month by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. In Pittsburgh, Jewish day school professionals celebrated the announcement of a budgetary increase to the program. “It shows the commitment from the state to investing in private school education, which is a very positive sign for us,” said Rabbi Chezky Rosenfeld, Yeshiva Schools’ director of development. “Programs like

p CDS fifth graders Maya Smith, left, and Jordan Sampson work to build and program robots they designed using upcycled materials and Hummingbird Robotics Kits through the school’s Arts and Bots program.

Photo courtesy of Community Day School

EITC are extremely valuable for the sustainability of day schools in Pittsburgh.” Bari Weinberger, chief financial officer of Community Day School, agreed. EITC is “a significant part of our budget,” she said. “A good percentage of our students are eligible,” as more than 60 percent of students qualify for tuition assistance under the program. According to the program, eligible families

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are those whose maximum annual household income is $85,000 (an increase of $10,000 from the previous budget’s amount) plus approximately $15,000 for each child in the family. “EITC funds enable the day schools to meet more scholarship needs, invest in ourselves and qualitatively improve our programs to ensure desired student outcomes,” said Avi Baran Munro, Community Day School’s head of school.

The program is “definitely very significant,” echoed Rosenfeld. “We get substantial money from EITC and rely on that to cover basic necessities in our school.” Between 2015 and 2016, 30,469 scholarships (in an average amount of $1,673) were awarded due to EITC, noted EdChoice, an organization that supports the school choice movement. Each year, representatives of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh work with members of the three Jewish day schools to promote the EITC program, said Adam Hertzman, Federation’s director of marketing. In working together, the schools have collectively received more than $5 million dollars to apply toward families seeking financial assistance. “There is a real partnership between the three day schools and the Federation that makes this successful,” said Munro. Added Dan Kraut, CEO of Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, “It’s a great program that has allowed all three day schools to increase in their enrollment and make a Jewish education available for all of Pittsburgh’s kids.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Congregations turn to social media to make a minyan — LOCAL — By Lauren Rosenblatt | Digital Content Manager

n the Fourth of July, Rabbi Chezky Rosenfeld received a request for help forming a minyan. Rosenfeld said he gets requests like this often, but this one had an additional stipulation: They had to plan around the fireworks display. Rather than picking up the phone and calling a long list of people to form a spontaneous late-night minyan, he posted in a few different groups on WhatsApp, a social media messaging service. “Within minutes, we had another 10 people committed,” Rosenfeld, the director of development for Chabad Lubavitch of Western Pennsylvania and Yeshiva Schools, said. In the Pittsburgh Jewish community, many congregations are turning to social media as a faster way to spread the word, particularly about gathering for a minyan. According to Jewish law, there need to be 10 people present to form a minyan, which is necessary to recite several prayers, including the Mourner’s Kaddish. While guaranteeing enough people for a minyan is not a new problem, congregations are increasingly turning to social media platforms — like GroupMe, WhatsApp and Facebook — to replace traditional methods of soliciting

individuals by knocking on doors, making phone calls and flagging people down on the street. “The access to information is much easier just on your phone,” Rosenfeld said. “There’s so much not good stuff that happens on social media. We’ve got to use it as a tool to do good, things like making a minyan for

someone, which 10 years ago would have been a lot harder to do, or impossible.” In the Chabad community, Rosenfeld said, there are several WhatsApp groups tailored to specific interests, including a group for women, for community updates, for questions about religious services and for classes at the schools. Chabad leaders have

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found that people are more likely to notice a WhatsApp notification than an email, so much so that when someone asks a question in the WhatsApp forum people sometimes respond with a “screenshot from an email sent out five minutes before,” he said. Similarly, congregants at Congregation Beth Shalom have a GroupMe message for the evening minyan. If they are short of people, someone will send out a message asking who is available. The people who respond vary, but they are nearly always able to achieve a minyan, said Marissa Tait, director of youth programming at Beth Shalom. “Not every night is easy to get 10 people. This way it can just happen,” she said. “If you know that it’s more of a need, you’re more apt to assist.” Rabbi Seth Adelson had the idea to start the group after his previous congregation on Long Island implemented a similar strategy. For the past six months, the congregation has been growing the list to use as another tool to ensure the survival of the evening minyan. Beth Shalom is the only nonOrthodox synagogue to offer an evening minyan every night in Pittsburgh. According to Adelson, the number of regular “minyan-goers” has decreased, and the app helps them to “pretty much guarantee” they will gather at least 10 people. Please see Minyan, page 17

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Calendar Savarese has served as the host of the World Affairs Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Global Press Conferenceâ&#x20AC;? on KQV radio and has worked for AP Radio and National Public Radio. There is a $6 charge. Visit bethelcong.org for more information and call 412-561-1168 to make a reservation. q SUNDAY AUG. 12 Temple Emanuelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bereavement Support Group meetings will be at 10 a.m. The group, which is open to anyone who is experiencing grief following loss, is led by Jamie Del, LCSW and Naomi Pittle, LCSW, who both have experience in grief counseling. RSVP to Leon at leonsteineresa@verizon.net if you plan to attend. The Bereavement Support Group welcomes previous and newly bereaved adults to attend. Meetings are held at Temple Emanuel, 1250 Bower Hill Road.

q SUNDAY, JULY 29 The National Council of Jewish Women Pittsburgh Sectionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Back 2 School Store (B2SS) will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Kingsley Association, 6435 Frankstown Ave. At B2SS elementary school students from prequalified families shop for brand new clothing, shoes, outerwear and school supplies at no cost. While the children select their items with a volunteer personal shopper, parents visit the Resource Room to connect with local organizations and agencies for assistance with health care, parenting, financial literacy, career development and other social services. Visit ncjwpgh.org/projects/back2-school-store for more information on volunteering, donating and sponsoring. >> Submit calendar items on the Chronicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 as space allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon. q SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

JULY 28-29

The kick-off weekend for Beth Shalomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Solar Initiative begins at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday. Learn how the Congregation can help the environment and reduce expenses by adopting modern energy efficient practices and how you can do the same in your home. Also learn about clean solar energyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in powering Pittsburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Climate Action Plan 3.0, how co-ops can help homeowners install solar power at below market rates, and about Beth Shalomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans to install a solar roof. With help, the congregation can become the first religious organization in the region to go solar and cut its greenhouse emissions. The weekend is free. RSVP to adulteducationcbs@ gmail.com. Visit bethshalompgh.org/eventsupcoming for more information.

q FRIDAY, AUG. 3 Shalom Pittsburgh and the Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh will hold Family Friday at the Frick Shabbat from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Frick Art & Historical Center. Bring a picnic or enjoy the food trucks. Challah and grape juice will be provided. Look for the Shalom Pittsburgh station for giveaways and other fun. There is no charge. Contact Meryl Franzos at mfranzos@ jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5204 for more information.

q THURSDAY, AUG. 16 The annual Jewish Heritage Night at PNC Park begins at 7:05 p.m. as the Pirates take on the Chicago Cubs. This year, there will be an optional pre-game kosher BBQ in the Picnic Park. The food will be provided by Smokey Natâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (a project of Shaare Torah Congregation), which is under the supervision of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh. For more information, and for ticket prices, see Pirates.com/JewishHeritage. q SATURDAY, AUG. 18 Move Forward Through the Power of MuSic, the annual MuSic for MS Music Festival to help end multiple sclerosis forever will be from 3 to 10:30 p.m. at Hartwood Acres. There is a charge, but free tickets are

q SATURDAY-THURSDAY, AUG. 4-9 The Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Summer Learning Program at the Kollel Jewish Learning Center, 5808 Beacon St., is a weeklong program with two teachers giving three classes a day. There is no charge. Contact Stacie Stufflebeam at 412-214-7973 or stacie@kollelpgh.org or visit kollelpgh.org for more information. q MONDAY, AUG. 6 First Mondays with Rabbi Alex Greenbaum, with lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring guest George Savarese presenting â&#x20AC;&#x153;Russian Roulette,â&#x20AC;? Putinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s war on the United States.

celebrations IN THE

available to anyone living with MS. Visit MuSicForMS.org/tickets for more information. Shalom Pittsburgh will hold its eighth annual Apples and Honey Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Waterfront Town Center. The community is invited. Contact Meryl Franzos at mfranzos@jfedpgh.org or visit shalompittsburgh.org/apples-and-honey-fallfestival for more information. q MONDAY, AUG. 20 Camp NCJW at Green Oaks Country Club in Verona will be held to benefit the Center for Women beginning at 11 a.m. and will include a co-ed day of golf, tennis, swimming, dinner and more. The Center for Women was launched in 2013 in partnership with the Jewish Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Foundation with the mission of helping women in transition to achieve financial stability and independence. The CFW offers internship and mentoring programs, career coaching, financial coaching and a variety of workshops and that have served more than 1,500 women. Visit ncjwpgh.org/events/camp-ncjw for more information. q DEADLINE WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 7 The Jewish Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Foundation 2018 call for proposals is offering two programs: small grants up to $10,000 to fund innovative programs that impact women and girls; and start-up grants between $2,500 and $5,000 to fund pilot programs and small nonprofits working to improve the lives of women and girls. For more details, visit JWFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at jwfpgh.org; or contact Judy at jcohen@ jwfpgh.org or 412-727-1108.â&#x20AC;&#x201A;PJC

q SUNDAY, AUG. 19 The Beth Shalom Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Milt Eisner at an Israel Bonds and Congregation Beth Shalom program at 10 a.m. David Eisner, former chairman and president of JTA/70 Faces Media and the Jewish Education Project, will be the guest speaker. A $100 minimum Israel bond purchase per person in 2018 purchased for Congregation Beth Shalom is required to attend. The event will be held at Beth Shalom; reservations are required. RSVP By Wednesday, Aug. 15 to Adrienne Indianer at 412-3625154 or Pittsburgh@israelbonds.com. Visit bethshalompgh.org/events-upcoming for more information.

SPECIAL OCCASIONS DESERVE SPECIAL ATTENTION The more you celebrate in lifeâ&#x20AC;Ś the more there is in life to celebrate! SEND YOUR SIMCHAS, MAZEL TOVS, and PHOTOS TO: announcements@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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Headlines Debunked Jewish experiment gets renewed focus â&#x20AC;&#x201D; NATIONAL â&#x20AC;&#x201D; By Liz Spikol | Special to the Chronicle

HILADELPHIA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Imagine itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your first day of college and, as you walk toward your dorm, students smile at you, greet you fondly, hug you and welcome you back, even though youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been here before. Sounds like a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Twilight Zoneâ&#x20AC;? episode, right? Yet this is what happened to Bobby Shafran in 1980 when he arrived at Sullivan County Community College in New York to start his freshman year. Even more bewildering: People were calling him â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eddy.â&#x20AC;? When he got to his dorm room, another student asked an unexpected question: Was he adopted? Yes, Shafran answered. When was he born? July 12, 1961, he said. The new friend was apoplectic. Shafran, he said, had an identical twin, and his name was Eddy Galland. It sounded impossible, but when the two crammed into a phone booth and called Galland, who had attended Sullivan County the year before, Shafran heard his own voice talking back to him. He drove to the Galland family house on Long Island that night and embraced the long lost brother he had never known. The story of their reunion was covered

in New York newspapers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one of which found its way to David Kellmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house. When Kellman saw the photos of Shafran and Galland in the paper, he realized that the boys werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t twins after all â&#x20AC;&#x201D; they were triplets. And Kellman was the third. So begins the incredible story told in the documentary â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three Identical Strangersâ&#x20AC;? by Tim Wardle, now in theaters. (Warning to those who plan to see it: Major spoilers ahead.) Using dramatic recreation, archival footage and plenty of interviews, Wardle tells how the three boys, who had been adopted from a Jewish adoption agency in Manhattan, were unwilling participants in a bizarre experiment. The agency, Louise Wise Services, was working with Jewish psychiatrist Peter Neubauer, a student of Anna Freud who had fled the Nazis in his native Austria. From 1951 to 1985, he headed up the Child Development Center of the New York Jewish Board of Family and Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Services, and it was there he collaborated with the adoption agency on a long-term experiment in which twins and triplets were separated at birth, then placed in Jewish families with disparate living conditions and parenting styles. None of the adoptive parents were told that their children had siblings, or that some had been born to biological parents with mental illness. In the case of the triplets, the experiment started before the boys even arrived; all

p â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three Identical Strangersâ&#x20AC;? tells how three boys were unwilling particpants in a bizarre experiment. Photo courtesy of the production company

three families had adopted single girls from Louise Wise years before. When the boys were adopted, the adoptive parents were told to expect regular visits from Neubauerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s researchers as part of an uncontroversial study about adoption. They all agreed. When the boys first met at 19, however, the study was still secret, and its full contours are not revealed in the film until later. First,

Wardle documents the early years: While the six parents reeled from the news, their three handsome, curly-haired boys went from â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Today Showâ&#x20AC;? to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Phil Donahue,â&#x20AC;? attesting to their uncanny similarities: They all smoked Marlboros! They all wrestled in high school! The media darlings moved into a Please see Experiment, page 17

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Headlines Survivors will see increased funds from Claims Conference — NATIONAL — By Dan Schere | Special to the Chronicle

olocaust survivors around the world will receive $564 million in social welfare services in 2019 following negotiations last month between the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and the German government. This is an $87 million increase from last year. The annual negotiations took place at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial and Museum June 14 and 15, said Washington attorney Stuart Eizenstat, a former ambassador to the European Union and one of the lead negotiators at the conference. Other results of the negotiations included a $200 million increase in funding for home care and pensions. And the required length of time child Holocaust survivors must have lived under a false identity to be eligible for child survivor payments was reduced from six to four months. Stuart Eizenstat, center, was a lead negotiator for the Conference on Jewish “We are now entering the final phase of p Material Claims Against Germany at its annual negotiations with the German the life of survivors, therefore there was a government. Photo courtesy of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims sense of urgency to make sure the 400,000 Against Germany remaining survivors lived out their final years in dignity,” Eizenstat said. of the Holocaust. More than $70 billion Last year, Jewish Family & Children’s The Claims Conference began nego- has been awarded to 800,000 Holocaust Service of Pittsburgh received a grant in tiating with the German government in victims in 66 years, according to the Claims excess of $205,000 from funds controlled JC ReSound 3 guysbasketball FIN_Eartique 7/24/18 11:22 AM Page 1 1952 as a source of reparations for victims Conference website. by the Claims Conference.

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Eizenstat said that before the negotiations, he and other Claims Conference representatives took German officials on a tour of home care facilities in Maryland to show them the needs of aging Holocaust survivors. He said this year’s German delegation was entirely new, due to gains in last year’s elections by the nationalist Alternative for Germany Party. “As a result of the new coalition, we had a new finance minister named Olaf Scholz who didn’t know anything about our issue, so this was a real concern,” Eizenstat said. The negotiations lasted six hours, but ultimately were successful, he said. Because this German coalition was younger than past years, he said, they needed an appreciation of the history of World War II. “We said to them, this may be the last German government and the last American administration that deal with survivors in a meaningful way,” he said. “I’m negotiating with second and third generations of Germans who weren’t even born during the war, and I’m impressed that after all these years they feel an obligation to do justice.” PJC Dan Schere writes for the Washington Jewish Week, an affiliated publication of the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle.

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Headlines Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticizes Israel for ‘the occupation of Palestine’ — NATIONAL — By Charles Dunst | JTA

EW YORK — Democratic congressional candidate Alexandria OcasioCortez decried the “occupation of Palestine” during a television interview. Appearing July 13 on PBS’ “Firing Line,” Ocasio-Cortez, 28, also described herself as “a firm believer in finding a two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, upset 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley in last month’s primary in New York’s 14th Congressional District, which straddles Queens and the Bronx. Although she has commented infrequently on foreign affairs, in May she called the killing of Palestinian rioters by Israeli troops at the Gaza fence a “massacre.” On “Firing Line,” host Margaret Hoover asked Ocasio-Cortez “What is your position on Israel?” Ocasio-Cortez responded, “I believe absolutely in Israel’s right to exist.” She added: “I am a proponent of a two-state solution.” The candidate said her previous position on the Gaza clashes “is not a referendum on the State of Israel.” “The lens through which I saw this incident, as an activist, as an organizer — if 60 people were killed in Ferguson, Missouri, if 60 people were killed in the South Bronx, unarmed, if 60 people were killed in Puerto Rico — I just look at that [Gaza] incident more through just, as an incident, and to me,

it would just be completely unacceptable if that happened on our shores,” she said. “Of course the dynamics there, in terms of geopolitics … is very different than people expressing their First Amendment right to protest,” Hoover replied. Israel and its supporters have noted that among those killed in Gaza were members of the Hamas terrorist group, which encouraged its followers to breach the border fence. Hamas has acknowledged that at that May demonstration, 50 of the 61 killed were its members. “Yes,” Ocasio-Cortez conceded, adding, “But I also think that what people are starting to see at least in the occupation … of Palestine [is] just an increasing crisis of humanitarian condition and that to me is just where I tend to come from on this issue.” When Hoover, a former aide to President George W. Bush, asked OcasioCortez to clarify what she meant, OcasioCortez paused and answered: “I think what I meant is like the settlements that are increasing in some of these areas in places where Palestinians are experiencing difficulty in access to their housing and homes.” After Hoover asked Ocasio-Cortez to expand on her comments, the candidate said: “I am not the expert on geopolitics on this issue,” and “I just look at things through a human rights lens and I may not use the right words. … Middle Eastern politics is not exactly at my kitchen table every night.” Her comments on Israel have prompted criticism from the right and left. “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is doing a great service. Her argument is twofold: Israel a colonizing occupier of Palestine, and that she

p Congressional nominee Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigns for New York attorney general candidate Zephyr Teachout. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

doesn’t know anything about the conflict,” wrote Seth Mandel, op-ed editor of the New York Post, on Twitter. “Accurate: those who think this have no idea what they’re talking about. At least she’s honest.” The Republican Jewish Coalition tweeted: “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez bashes Israel while admitting she is clueless about what is going on there. She simply toes the far-left, radical agenda. Elected Democrats are endorsing this when they endorse her.” Asad Abukhalil, a professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus, lamented that Ocasio-Cortez’s comments about a two-state solution and

support for Israel’s right to exist are “a sign that you have become an already mainstream Democratic candidate.” “‘Israel’s right to exist’ is a euphemism for Israel’s right to occupy Palestine,” Abukhalil added. “@Ocasio2018 should have known that.” Although the Democratic Socialists of America endorses the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, Ocasio-Cortez has not discussed her position on the boycott. Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has called Ocasio-Cortez the “future of our party.” PJC

Israeli police question Conservative rabbi for performing a marriage — WORLD —

Conservative rabbi in Israel was awakened by police early in the morning July 19 and taken in for questioning over performing an illegal marriage ceremony. Rabbi Dov Haiyun of Haifa was taken to a local police station by two officers at 5:30 a.m. for questioning after the Haifa Rabbinical Court filed a complaint against him for conducting a marriage ceremony of a couple in violation of state and religious law. One member of the couple is Jewish but born out of an extramarital affair, making her a mamzeret and unable to marry according to Jewish law. According to a 2013 law, it is illegal to perform a marriage ceremony in Israel outside of the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate. The Chief Rabbinate would not have allowed such a marriage to take place. Haiyun said in a post on Facebook that Haifa’s Orthodox rabbinical court “filed a complaint against me for performing weddings.” “Iran is already here,” he said in the post written from the police station. He urged

8 JULY 27, 2018

his followers to share the post. Haiyun has been officiating in Israel at non-Orthodox weddings for decades, according to reports. Police said they arrived at Haiyun’s home after he failed to heed a summons to appear for questioning earlier in the week. He was released hours later after he said he would return to the station for questioning on July 23, the Times of Israel reported, citing a police spokesperson. He later was informed that he did not have to appear and would be summoned again if the need arose. The cancellation of the summons came after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit ordered police to halt their investigation until they determine if Haiyun committed a criminal offense. The wedding ceremony in question took place two years ago, Haaretz reported. Rabbi Mikie Goldstein, president of the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly in Israel, called it “unthinkable that a rabbi in Israel should be arrested for officiating at a Jewish wedding ‘according to the law of Moses and Israel.’ “And it is unthinkable that the state should dictate to its citizens how to believe, how to

fulfill mitzvot or how to live their religious lives,” he said in a statement. Haiyun is the spiritual leader of Moriah Congregation, the oldest Conservative, or Masorti, synagogue in Israel, which was founded in 1954. He is the director of the Midreshet Schechter network of adult education programs. Later in the day, Haiyun was a featured speaker at a pre-Tisha B’Av study session with secular, Reform, Conservative and Orthodox scholars at the president’s residence in Jerusalem hosted by President Reuven Rivlin. “It is unpleasant to be dragged out of bed for an investigation into the existence of a Jewish wedding ceremony conducted according to the Laws of Moses and Israel,” Haiyun was quoted as saying in a Facebook post by Rabbi Yitzhar Hess of the Masorti movement. “I am not an offender. I am not a murderer. I am not a criminal. It is hard for me to think of a less Jewish act to occur on the eve of Tisha B’Av. The police were dragged in to be the janitor for the Rabbinical Court. It is a sad day for democracy in Israel.” Itim, an organization that seeks to reform Israel’s Chief Rabbinate-dominated marriage policy, said it was outraged by what it called

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

the first time Israeli police have sought to enforce the 2013 law. “Israel has a moral and legal responsibility to respect Jewish practice,” Rabbi Seth Farber, the director of Itim, said in a statement. “If the rabbinate would commit itself to solving problems of those who can’t get married rather than engaging in public relations to promote its version of orthodoxy, Jews would be more connected to their Jewish lives and to Israel.” Farber noted that the incident came on the same day that Israel’s Knesset passed a law, opposed by many Jewish groups in the Diaspora, defining itself as the nation-state of the Jewish people. “The timing of this could not be worse,” he said. “At a time when the liberal movements in the United States are feeling disenfranchised, this unprecedented incident will further alienate Jews from Israel.” In a touch of irony, Haiyun’s questioning comes three weeks after Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted an English-language video to Facebook advertising different ways to get married in Israel — including in a ceremony outside the Chief Rabbinate, which would be against the law. PJC — JTA

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Headlines â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WORLD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; From JTA reports

Stone dislodges from Western Wall, crashes down on platform for egalitarian prayer A large stone dislodged from the egalitarian section of the Western Wall and crashed down on one of the platforms designated for mixed prayer. The incident on Monday morning came less than a day after the prayer platform, known as the Ezrat Yisrael near Robinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arch at the southern end of the wall, was filled with worshipers for the fast of Tisha Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Av. One woman is seen praying at the wall several feet from where the stone fell in video footage of the area. She does not appear to have been hit. The smaller of the sectionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s platforms, on which the stone fell, was closed until further notice. Experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority were called to the scene to examine the area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a wake-up call â&#x20AC;&#x201D; we must check the entire Western Wall, both parts, so that heaven forbid there is no disaster in the future,â&#x20AC;? Yitzhar Hess, the head of the Masorti movement, tweeted, along with footage of the stone falling. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is an unusual and most rare incident that has not occurred for decades,â&#x20AC;? said Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, the rabbi of the

Western Wall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fact that this powerful incident happened a day after the 9th of Av fast, in which we mourned the destruction of our temples, raises questions which the human soul is too small to contain, and requires soul-searching.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thank the creator for preventing a major disaster,â&#x20AC;? he also said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The professional authorities will investigate the incident.â&#x20AC;? Tzipi Livni named opposition leader in Knesset Tzipi Livni will replace Isaac Herzog as opposition leader in the Knesset. Livni, head of the Hatnua Party, and Avi Gabbay, head of the Labor Party, made the announcement on Monday afternoon at a news conference. The two parties make up the Zionist Union faction in the Knesset. Herzog gave up his seat in the Knesset in order to become head of the Jewish Agency; he takes up the position on Aug. 1. Gabbay cannot serve as opposition leader since he does not have a Knesset seat. As part of the deal that makes Livni opposition leader, she agreed that her Hatnua party will run in the next elections again with Labor. Her party currently has five seats of the Zionist Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 24. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will build the Zionist Union into a bloc that will replace the current government and work for the citizens,â&#x20AC;? Gabbay and Livni said in a statement. Her nomination must be supported

by more than half of the opposition Knesset members, which number 54, and be submitted to the speaker of the Knesset for approval. Livni previously served as opposition leader from 2009 to 2012 while leader of the Kadima Party. Israel evacuates hundreds of civilian Syrian humanitarian volunteers Israel rescued some 800 members of a Syrian humanitarian organization and their families from southern Syria. The members of the Syrian Civil Defense, more commonly known as the White Helmets, were evacuated overnight July 21 and transferred through Israel to Jordan, according to Reuters. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Following an Israeli Government directive and at the request of the United States and additional European countries, the IDF recently completed a humanitarian effort to rescue members of a Syrian civil organization and their families,â&#x20AC;? the IDF said in a statement. The statement said that the Syrian civilians were evacuated from the war zone in southern Syria â&#x20AC;&#x153;due to an immediate threat to their lives.â&#x20AC;? The IDF said that the â&#x20AC;&#x153;transfer of the displaced Syrians through Israel is an exceptional humanitarian gesture.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The civilians were subsequently transferred to a neighboring country. Israel

continues to maintain a non-intervention policy regarding the Syrian conflict and continues to hold the Syrian regime accountable for all activities in Syrian territory,â&#x20AC;? the statement said. A Jordanian foreign ministry spokesman confirmed to Reuters that the civilian workers were transferred to his country. Jordan agreed to a request by Britain, Germany and Canada to give the White Helmet workers temporary asylum until they can be settled in western countries on humanitarian grounds, the spokesman said. The White Helmets are sponsored by humanitarian groups mainly in the United States and Canada and work in Syria to provide food, psychological support and other assistance. The group says it has saved over 114,000 lives and has lost the lives of 204 White Helmet volunteers since its founding in 2014. Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s army has been providing food, medical care, tents and clothing to the tens of thousands of refugees who have poured in to the border area amid the fighting in the southern part of their country between troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad and rebel forces, as part of Syriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seven-year civil war in which approximately 500,000 people have died. But Israel has said it will not allow the refugees to enter Israel. Israel has remained largely neutral in the war in Syria, which is largely fought along sectarian lines.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; PJC

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Headlines American sees split over nationality law â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WORLD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; By Jared Foretek | Special to the Chronicle

he head of the umbrella organization Jewish Federations of North America returned from Israel empty handed last week after a last-ditch effort to stop passage of a controversial bill that critics say discriminates against Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arab minority and will further strain the relationship between progressive American Jews and the Jewish state. Jerry Silverman said he met with officials in the Prime Ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office and members of Knesset to discourage passage of the so-called nation-state bill. The Knesset, as Silverman predicted, passed the bill. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We strongly suggested that this would not play well,â&#x20AC;? Silverman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That it would ignite and give fuel to the pro-BDS movement, and not play well in our younger generations who are so committed to social justice and equality.â&#x20AC;? Silverman was referring to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it â&#x20AC;&#x153;a law of the highest importance to ensure the core of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence as the nation-state of the Jewish people.â&#x20AC;? As passed, the bill became a Basic Law,

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p Jerry Silverman, president of the Jewish Federations of North America

Photo courtesy of the Jewish Federations of North America

with semi-constitutional status. Its central tenet is that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. This is uncontroversial, leading critics to say such a law is unnecessary because no one disputes the premise. The Likud-sponsored legislation also enshrines as the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s symbols â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hatikvahâ&#x20AC;? as the national anthem, the blue-and-white flag with the Star of David, the seven-branch menorah as the

While being ranked #34 in Pennsylvania CZ`'PSCFT is truly an honor, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m QFSIBQT NPTU QSPVE UIBU JU SFĹ&#x2014;FDUT NZ commitment to addressing the full range of my clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs and helping them BDIJFWF XIBUĂ T NPTU`JNQPSUBOU Who you choose to work with as a wealth manager has never been more DSJUJDBM * IBWF UIF FYQFSJFODF BOE BDDFTT to global resources you need to help you pursue what matters mostâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;for today, UPNPSSPX BOE GPS HFOFSBUJPOT UP DPNF Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m honored by the trust that is placed JO NF CZ NZ DMJFOUT FWFSZ EBZ "OE * look forward to continuing to serve with EJTUJODUJPO Are you getting the advice you need to HJWF ZPV DPOĹ&#x2013;EFODF GPS ZPVS GVUVSF 5PHFUIFS XF DBO Ĺ&#x2013;OE BO BOTXFS -FF 0MFJOJDL Managing Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Wealth Management 8BMOVU 8FBMUI .BOBHFNFOU (SPVQ 6#4 'JOBODJBM 4FSWJDFT *OD 5600 Walnut Street Pittsburgh, PA 15232 412-665-9914

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10â&#x20AC;&#x192;JULY 27, 2018

state symbol and the Hebrew calendar as the official calendar. These have been Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s symbols since independence. But critics see other changes from precedent as discriminatory toward Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arab minority. Arabic, which since 1948 has been an official language alongside Hebrew, has been downgraded to a â&#x20AC;&#x153;special language.â&#x20AC;? Another clause, since amended, would

have given constitutional heft to segregated communities. That clause was criticized by President Reuven Rivlin and the attorney general. The new wording says that developing Jewish settlements is in the national interest. Critics say that could be the legal basis for second-class status of Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arab citizens. Amir Fuchs, head of the Defending Democratic Values Program at the Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem, said there is no need for a law declaring Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s status as the nation-state of the Jewish people. The bill is a cover for right-wing politicians to marginalize the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ethnic minorities, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a supporter of this being a nationstate, everyone is,â&#x20AC;? Fuchs said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sending a message as if thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a real dispute in Israel about whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the nation-state of the Jewish people, when there is none.â&#x20AC;? Silverman said that while in Israel, he expressed his concerns about the language and settlements clauses. These would not affect Jews in the Diaspora directly. But another clause would. It states that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the state will take action to maintain the connection between the state and the Jews of the Diaspora.â&#x20AC;? Silverman called the wording patronizing and said that it would impede efforts Please see Law, page 17

This week in Israeli history

Basel Plan â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the first official blueprint for the establishment of a Jewish Sstate in Palestine.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; WORLD â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

July 30, 1980 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Israel passes basic law on Jerusalem

July 27, 1656 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Baruch Spinoza is excommunicated from Jewish community Baruch Spinozaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideas about Judaism are rejected by the Amsterdam Jewish community, eventually leading to his excommunication. He goes on to become one of the most important philosophers of the Jewish Enlightenment, which seeks to reconcile the world of Jewish faith with secular, empirical reality.

July 28, 1845 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Reform rabbinical conference ends in Frankfurt

In 1950, the Knesset passes a law that states, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whereas with establishment of the State of Israel, Jerusalem once more becomes the capital.â&#x20AC;? In 1980, the Knesset elevates the law to a basic law, giving the political status of Jerusalem increased legislative weight.

July 31, 1988 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; King Hussein of Jordan officially disassociates from the West Bank King Hussein of Jordan announces his intention to politically disengage from the West Bank, leaving the PLO to fill the political vacuum.

Thirty-one rabbis meet in Frankfurt am Main for a two-week assembly. The assembly ultimately decides that while Jewish law allows prayer in any language, it is necessary to recite certain prayers â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including the Barchu and Shema â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in Hebrew.

August 1, 1955 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; First Israelis move into Dimona

July 29, 1849 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Zionist intellectual Max Nordau is born in Hungary

August 2, 1923 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Shimon Peres is born in Belorussia

Max Nordau is born Simon Maximilian Sudfeld in Pest, Hungary, to an Orthodox Jewish family. Nordauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most notable contribution to early Zionism is the

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In the south of Israel, the development town of Dimona is populated entirely by Mizrahim (Jewish immigrants from Arab lands). It receives municipal status in 1969.

The only politician in Israeli history to hold the positions of both president and prime minister, Shimon Peres is born in Belorussia to Yitzchak and Sara Perski.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; PJC

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Opinion Walking away from Birthright Palestinians. In reaction, the protesters were released from their Birthright groups, lost their deposit money and were liable for the e don’t know whether the walk- cost of their return airfare. outs from two recent Birthright Those who walked out said they had not trips were an aberration or a sign gone on the trip planning to abandon it. of things to come. In either case we believe That’s a claim that is difficult to accept, since the orchestrated incidents, the first in the all of the protesters were members of the lefthistory of the free, 10-day trip to Israel for wing group IfNotNow, which opposes Israel’s college-age Jews, is worth discussing — if presence in Judaea and Samaria and wants only to call out the tactic of what appears the organized Jewish community to join their to be an increasingly spoiled subset of our opposition. Among other things, IfNotNow community’s left flank. stages demonstrations, including against In both instances, one in June and one Jewish federations, to protest Israel’s policies. this month, a handful of Birthright partici- And since Birthright has been in business for pants decided to protest the itinerary of their close to 20 years and its free trips have become tour by setting off on their own to meet with a rite of passage for young Jewish adults, it strains credulity for protesters to claim that they didn’t know visits to Palestinian areas would not be a part of their tour. In fact, they knew the itinerary before they stepped onto the plane. So, while we can understand the attraction to Birthright’s free, fun and safe environment, maybe a better choice would have been for the protesters to go on one of many other organizations’ alternate trips that focus on the Palestinian situation. Because, p An IfNotNow pamphlet targeting Birthright participants. Photo by Ariel Tidhar as many critics have rightly said,

— EDITORIAL —

p Thousands of young Jews attend a Birthright mega event.

Photo by Yossi Gamzo Latuba

the people who pay for Birthright get to set the agenda and call the shots. Perhaps those who walked out naively thought they could change Birthright from within during their 10 days in Israel. Indeed, we can understand their desire to sit down with Palestinians to hear what they have to say. But that’s not what Birthright’s organizers want to do, and if the protesters don’t like it, they shouldn’t go on the trip. Interestingly, it has been reported that the border that Birthright won’t step across is absent on the maps that it gives to trip participants. Whether by oversight or by

design, that has been interpreted by some that as far as Birthright is concerned, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is over and there should be no negotiated resolution. We think that argument goes too far, notwithstanding what appears to be Birthright’s rightward leanings — even as Birthright maintains that it is not political. Birthright’s mission has always been to ensure the Jewish future by strengthening Jewish identity through connection with Israel. Young people looking for geopolitical perspectives should look for a different tour. PJC

In 1934, an American professor urged that Jews be civil — to the Nazis Guest Columnist Angus Johnston

t the annual convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis in June 1934, the assembled religious leaders were confronted with questions that especially resonate for Americans in the Trump era: How should we approach those who oppose us and are working against our interests? Should we resist with all the tools at our disposal, even to the point of sacrificing civility? Or should we instead — as the rabbis were urged — cultivate goodwill and foster friendship across ideological lines? If the questions feel contemporary, however, the specific context in which they were asked provides a startling reminder of the contingency of history. For the adversary the rabbis were encouraged to attempt to cajole and enlighten was Adolf Hitler. The speaker who made this suggestion was Henry Cadbury, a professor at Bryn Mawr College. “By hating Hitler and trying to fight back,” Cadbury declared in remarks that opened the convention, “Jews are only increasing the severity of his policies against them.” If Jews instead would educate Nazis

12 JULY 27, 2018

about Judaism’s “ideals” and “appeal to the German sense of justice and the German national conscience,” Cadbury continued, the Nazis might well be brought around. Urging Jews to adopt a “live and let live” posture, he said that even nonviolent resistance campaigns such as boycotts were “not the way to right the wrongs being inflicted on the Jewish people.” His views were summed up in a New York Times headline that today reads like grim parody: “Urges Good Will By Jews For Nazis.” Cadbury’s speech provoked outrage among the gathered rabbis, who declared in an official statement that they, along with “all the enlightened forces of mankind,” were committed to resisting Nazism “to the utmost.” Their resistance, they said, was “not prompted by any ill will or hatred of the German people, but by an inescapable moral compulsion.” While “moral persuasion” had its place, they said, it must be “supplemented by every manner of nonviolent resistance calculated to bring an end to the [Nazi] regime.” Rabbi Samuel Shulman, one of the signers of the statement, summed up the prevailing sentiment at the convention: “If we do not resist evil, we go along with it.” Few among us would call for dialogue with Nazis today, of course. (Though “few” isn’t “none,” and certainly there are still those who urge patient engagement with the “alt-right” and white supremacists in

the spirit of the approach recommended by Cadbury.) The lesson of this exchange, rather, should be that history, while it is being lived, is contingent and murky, and the moral clarity we possess when assessing the past can be denied at times to even the wisest of us when grappling with the present. Henry Cadbury was not a bad or a stupid man. A Quaker, he was a co-founder of the American Friends Service Committee, and he would give the acceptance speech when the AFSC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947 for its work with war refugees, Japanese-American internees and others. So why was he so unable to see? Cadbury’s position was in part theological, arising from his pacifism, but that was not the entirety of the story. Hitler had been in power for barely a year when Cadbury spoke, and while the Nazi persecution of Jews and others was well underway by then, the Second World War and the Holocaust were half a decade or more in the future. American public opinion on Nazism was by no means settled in the mid-1930s: Two years after Cadbury’s speech, it’s worth remembering, the United States would send a full delegation to Hitler’s Berlin Olympics, despite impassioned calls from antifascists for a boycott. It’s easy to believe that you know which side of a historical debate you would have been on once the debate has been resolved. But when you go back in history and see

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what people were saying in the moment, when they didn’t know how the story they were living in would end, long-resolved disputes spring suddenly back to life. In the United States today, the opponents of the Trump administration are re-creating the argument between Cadbury and the rabbis. Debates over tactics and rhetoric, over resistance and civility, recapitulate those of the summer of 1934 with a precision that borders on the uncanny. And of course the fact that Cadbury was wrong then does not mean that his ideological heirs are wrong now — that’s not how history, or analogy, works. But if the arguments of the rabbis do not prove today’s advocates of “civility” wrong, their historical perspective should at least give us — all of us — pause. We are all, particularly those of us who, like Cadbury, are not directly targeted by oppression, inclined toward overconfidence in our opinions and toward a belief that what has saved us in the past will save us in the future. We now know that Cadbury was wrong because Nazism was worse than he was able to imagine it being, and because it would soon become far worse than he could imagine it becoming. We would do well to take that knowledge to heart. PJC Angus Johnston is a historian of American social movements. He teaches history at the City University of New York.

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Opinion Emails from my father Guest Columnist Matthew Litman

y father has this daily routine: Every morning at work, he searches for the word “anti-Semitism” in Google’s News section. On any given day, he says, emphatically banging on the kitchen table, there can be millions of results. This morning, as I write this, the top results are an article about Poland’s rising anti-Semitism, a piece about what recently-passed writer Philip Roth had to say about anti-Semitism, and an article about Muslims and Jews coming together for an Iftar meal in the United Kingdom. The headlines could be worse. But for my father, the fact that there are any results at all, let alone millions, is a tragedy in and of itself. I went to a K-12 private Jewish day school and graduated in 2015 — 13 years in which I was sheltered from any instance of anti-Semitism. It was only when I went to college, when distance between my home life and college life grew, that I began to receive these emails from my father: Links to articles about hate crimes against Jews, opinion pieces with anti-Semitic overtones or undertones, a member of Congress or Parliament saying something vaguely or overtly anti-Semitic. There was no subject line, no text except for the links themselves. Sometimes I would get multiple emails in a day. It was easy to imagine my father quite comically, eyes darting from left to right, sweat dripping onto his keyboard, sending me these emails in some fugue state. I thought he was being paranoid, nitpicky, and it was easy to laugh because I had never experienced anti-Semitism and wasn’t aware of any major groups or persons who condoned that kind of behavior. For some time, I treated my father’s emails like spam, rarely opening them at all. And as I seldom responded, the emails stopped coming by winter of my sophomore year. But a year later, after I’ve watched Louis Farrakahn at a February rally claim the Jews are “the mother and father of apartheid” and that “when you want something in this world, the Jew holds the door,” after German rappers Kollegah and Farid Bang received an Echo award (Germany’s equivalent of a Grammy) for lyrics like “My body is more defined than those of Auschwitz inmates,” after self-proclaimed “white racialist” and Holocaust-denier Arthur Jones garnered 20,000 votes in his Illinois primary, and after a Washington, D.C., councilman claimed on video that the weather was controlled by the Rothschilds, I see my father’s emails for what they really were. They were warnings. These were things my father had seen before, things he had read as a kid in the white nationalist newspaper that circulated in his neighborhood, things he had heard walking on the sidewalk, things his parents, who both survived the Holocaust hiding in forests and barns, had told him about. Every email he sent

was a nudge. He was trying to get my attention, trying to warn me: This is how it starts. Lately, I see myself acting similarly to my father, flagging things I find problematic, like a stranger at a club coming up to a friend wearing a Jewish star and saying, “Shabbat shalom,” or various comments on Instagram and Facebook under coverage of the protests and military action in Gaza. More and more, I feel less safe for being a Jew and a Zionist. I can recognize when Jewish figures generalize or say something hate-filled and offensive, I can criticize Israel’s policies and its use of force, but how do I reason with someone who thinks I control everything, who thinks I’m inherently wealthy, that my grandparents were better off as corpses than survivors? When we take stock in our country and its current policies, we see families separated at the border, children detained inside a renovated Walmart miles from their parents, a travel ban imposed on people from certain countries. It’s not hard for me to imagine Jewish boys and girls in their stead. I used to be ambivalent about anti-Semitism, but in a larger and much scarier sense, I was ambivalent about hate. And I recognize there’s a privilege in that; I wish all people were so lucky. But today, you simply can’t be ambivalent. There’s just too much hate around. I took this year off from school and subsequently found myself home for the High Holidays after more than two years away. My dad led services in our synagogue for Yom Kippur; he chanted from the Torah and gave little speeches here and there. There was a certain fervor about him, a kind of glow that rubbed off on you. How safe he must have felt there, on the bimah, surrounded by friends and family, able to practice his religion freely without fear of judgment or punishment. The weekly occurrences of anti-Semitism he so devoutly read about were far from his mind. Only prayer, and something like gratefulness. Since then, I often find myself imagining my father living in 12th century Poland, in the midst of a period known as paradisus judaeorum (Latin for “paradise of the Jews”). He’d still have the same hunched-back walk, the same wide smile, but his stubble would have grown into a long, peppered beard and on his head would rest a tall black cap. He would be the rabbi of a small village, and on his morning walk to synagogue, people would ask him all sorts of questions, beg him for advice, and he would patiently answer everyone, scripture and Talmudic verse running like water from his mouth. I think he would have been happier there, steeped in tradition, and witness to one of the purest realizations of the Jewish faith, to an era where safety for Jews was something promised and given out and ensured. Part of me wishes he could’ve experienced that. Because everyone deserves to witness their own paradise, to know what it’s like to be truly and irrevocably free. PJC After spending two years at New York University, Matthew Litman will be attending Brown University in the spring. His work has also appeared in Allegory Ridge.

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— CORRECTION — Correction

In “Policing methods changing under leadership of Jewish commander” (July 20), Zinna Scott was misidentified as Zinna Smith. The Chronicle regrets the error. PJC We invite you to submit letters for publication. Letters must include name, address and daytime phone number; addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Letters may not exceed 500 words and may be edited for length and clarity; they cannot be returned. Mail, fax or email letters to:

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JULY 27, 2018 13

Life & Culture Fish taco fiesta — FOOD — By Keri White | Special to the Chroncile

ince visiting one of my newly discovered favorite restaurants, I have craved Mexican food nonstop. Fortunately, I was able to satisfy said cravings in my own kitchen with some epically good fish tacos and appropriate sides. These dishes are all pretty simple to make, especially if you use a food processor for the pico de gallo and slaw. Purists would recoil at the notion of a shortcut for pico de gallo — the authentic version involves a painstaking amount of uniform chopping — but I’m not that kind of cook. This menu works well for a crowd. It is easily upsized, and you can mix different types of proteins — chicken, steak, tofu — for the tacos. It lends itself to a casual buffet just as well as a sit-down dinner. Olé! Fish Tacos

Serves four

I headed to the market in search of mahi mahi, which is my usual choice for fish tacos, but they did not have any. I pivoted to halibut, which is expensive, but its flavor and texture are spectacular. Any grillable, firm-fleshed fish will work here — snapper, bass, grouper, etc. Just avoid delicate fish like flounder and sole because they will fall apart. 1 pound halibut or mahi mahi cut in 1-inch strips 2 tablespoons mild oil, such as vegetable or canola 2 tablespoons chipotles in adobo sauce (mash chipotles if whole) Juice of 1 lime 1 teaspoon honey 1/2 teaspoon salt To serve: tortillas, guacamole, slaw, sour cream, salsa, etc.

Pico de Gallo

Makes about 21/2 cups

Translated as “beak of the rooster,” this sauce offers a fresh, spicy kick to just about anything. With tomatoes at their peak these days, it’s a great time to make a batch. If you and your crew are not fans of spice, you can decrease or eliminate the jalapeno. 2 large, ripe tomatoes (approximately 2 cups chopped) 1 small onion (approximately 1/2 cup chopped) 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (approximately 1/4 cup chopped) Juice of 1/2 lime 1/2 jalapeno pepper, approximately 1 tablespoon, chopped finely (seeds removed for milder flavor, or included for more kick)

1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Mix all the ingredients and allow them to sit at room temperature for an hour or more. Fiesta Slaw I have offered versions of this slaw in previous columns. It works well with a variety of cuisines, particularly complementing Mexican and Latin flavors, as well as Chinese and Asian dishes. This slaw makes a wonderful topping for the fish tacos, and the leftovers are great as a side dish with a future dinner or atop a sandwich at lunch. It keeps for about a week in the fridge so doubling a batch may be a good idea. If chopping is not on your agenda, you can run the cabbage, onion and cilantro through a food processor. The pieces will be more uniform and smaller, which is just fine. Making this several hours (or a day) early is ideal; it allows the cabbage to absorb the flavors and soften up a bit, and it allows the cook to check something off the to-do list ahead of time. 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2

head green cabbage, sliced in ribbons small onion, chopped bunch cilantro, chopped cup plain yogurt (I used

2 percent because that was in the fridge, but any type is fine) 1/2 cup mayonnaise Juice of 1 lime 1 tablespoon pickle juice or white vinegar 1 teaspoon Sriracha 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Mix all the ingredients and allow to sit for several hours or overnight. Dessert My inclination with this meal is to keep it super simple. We served a selection of cookies brought by a guest; this was perfect given the informality of our gathering. If you want to stay in the Mexican theme and are going for a casual vibe, paletas, aka Mexican popsicles, would be a great end to this meal. In their traditional form they are made with fresh juice and contain chunks of real fruit. If you are feeling motivated, flan is another traditional option. PJC Keri White writes for the Jewish Exponent, an affiliated publication of the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle.

Photos courtesy of iStockphoto.com

In a shallow bowl, mix the oil, adobo, lime, salt and honey. Place the strips of fish in the marinade and turn to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Heat a well-oiled grill to medium high. Place the fish on the grill, cover and let it cook for 3 minutes. Flip the fish and cook for another 2-3 minutes until done. (If you are unsure, cut a thick piece — if it is opaque throughout, it is done; if it’s still translucent, leave it on for another minute.) Serve as desired with taco fixings.

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Life & Culture Sacha Baron Cohen’s newest character is an Israeli gunslinger taking aim at pro-Israel conservatives — TELEVISION — By Ron Kampeas | JTA

ASHINGTON — Sacha Baron Cohen is back, and he is taking aim at a strain of “pro-Israel” thought that has both delighted and unsettled many American Jews: the unconditional love engendered by the country among deeply conservative Americans. In “Who is America?,” a show that made its debut July 15 on Showtime, the British Jewish comic returns with the shtick that made him famous — disguising himself in order to prank the famous and not-so-famous. Having created Borat (a dimwitted Kazakh journalist) and Ali G (a dimwitted hip-hop journalist), Cohen now rolls out Israeli Col. Erran Morad, a purported terrorism expert. In the first show, Cohen as Morad dupes a few current and recent politicians, as well as gun rights activists, into supporting an initiative to arm toddlers. The gun rights activists, Philip Van Cleave and Larry Pratt, endorse Morad’s “Kinderguardian” program. So do Trent Lott, the former Republican senator from Mississippi; Reps. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.); and former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.). (Van Cleave stars in a Barney-like instructional video in which he sings a variant of “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”: “Aim at the head, shoulders, not the toes, not the toes.”) Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) acquits himself well: “Typically, members of Congress don’t just hear a story about a program and indicate whether

p Sacha Baron Cohen at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., in 2016

they support it or not,” he tells Morad. The entire segment appears to have taken advantage of the targets’ pro-Israel sympathies. Walsh told CNN that Cohen had fooled him into participating by telling him that he was “getting an award from some Israeli TV station because I’m a great supporter of Israel.” For a segment that did not air, Roy Moore — whose bid for a Senate

“ Satire or not, I’m afraid the American public is going to be left with the impression that we are, in fact, gun fans when the truth is our gun control is a million times

”

stricter than in the U.S.

— ALLISON KAPLAN SOMMER

seat in Alabama fell apart over old allegations of soliciting minors — also said he had fallen for the Israel-award thing. Walsh said he had been asked to read a story off a teleprompter about a 4-year-old Israeli who grabbed a gun and subdued a terrorist. Walsh said he thought, “Well, this is kind of crazy, but it is Israel, and Israel is strong on defense.” Cohen apparently intended the segment to be an exposé of zealous support for gun ownership, although it could be seen as an example of blind support of everything Israel. In real life, gun rights activists have frequently — and often erroneously — cited Israel as an example of a country with few restrictions on gun rights. In fact, restrictions on gun use and ownership in Israel are far-reaching. David Frum, a Jewish conservative who writes for the Atlantic magazine, tweeted that Cohen “repeatedly takes advantage of people’s affection and respect for the State of Israel to deceive and humiliate them.” Allison Kaplan Sommer, an Israeli American who writes for the liberal Israeli daily Haaretz, was critical, too. “Yes, your satire was outrageously on point and Col. Erran Morad was spot on,”

Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

she wrote on Facebook, addressing Cohen. “Still — bad enough that Israel gets demonized for the things it actually does — you have to go and make horrifying fake stuff up? Satire or not, I’m afraid the American public is going to be left with the impression that we are, in fact, gun fans when the truth is our gun control is a million times stricter than in the U.S.” Another Israeli writer, Noga Tarnapolsky, thought Cohen’s blows landed on two worthy targets: “Sacha Baron Cohen deployed the weirdo fetishization of Israel & Benjamin Netanyahu personally among right-wingnuts in an utterly clarifying way,” she tweeted. “How Bibi became a cult-like object for the gun rights people is beyond me.” Cohen, for sure, is a shock comic. But he is also a satirist, and one intimately acquainted with Israel: He speaks Hebrew, grew up in a Zionist youth group and spent summers there. His mother was born in Israel and he has family there. It appears on early evidence that Cohen’s target is not “pro-Israel” per se, or even “right-wing pro-Israel,” but a strain of Israel support that imagines Israel as its own distorted reflection — and not what it is. PJC

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Headlines Caterer: Continued from page 1

him to cater private events. That led to the launch of Elegant Edge. “I saw there was an opportunity to bring culinary experiences from throughout the world to Pittsburgh,” he said. “I started off slow, and then business began to grow by word of mouth until I outgrew B’nai Emunoh.” As of July 1, Cowen is “the exclusive caterer” at Beth Shalom, he said, with “the right of first refusal” to cater all events at the synagogue, whose main kitchen is now under supervision of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh. Being under the Vaad allows Beth Shalom to serve a greater pool of community members, according to Firestone. “We are looking forward to our facility being rented more often,” she said.

Library: Continued from page 1

In addition to the shop at 410 S. Craig St., Caliban Books has a warehouse in Wilkinsburg that is associated with its online sales. Accessible by appointment only, the Ross Avenue site holds approximately 150,000 books, half of which are not indexed. Caliban has clients from around the world, employee Seth Glick told the Chronicle in an interview in April 2017. “If you have a computer, you can buy a book from us,” Glick said, “and we can pop it in the mail, and you can have it in two weeks no matter where you are.” The criminal investigation against Priore and Schulman was launched on June 22, 2017, based on a complaint from the administrator of the Carnegie Library, who said that numerous rare books, atlases and folios that had been housed in the William R. Oliver Special Collections Room were either missing or vandalized. The items were discovered missing during an appraisal by Pall Mall Art Advisors. Some of the damage, according to the complaint, “consisted of images, maps and/ or plates having been torn or cut from their respective book, atlas or folio, often rendering the remaining item worthless.” Pall Mall’s review found that 320 items were missing from the collection, and another 16 had been “diminished” or vandalized by removing a portion of the original item. The “retail replacement” value of the items that are missing or diminished totals in excess of $8.1 million. Priore was appointed to be the sole archivist and manager of the Oliver Room in 1992 and held that position until he was placed on leave in April 2017. He was ultimately terminated on June 28 of that year. According to the complaint, several of the items missing were discovered to be sold or advertised for sale by or through Caliban Books. Among the missing books was “De la France et des Etats-Unis,” a 1787 first edition signed by Thomas Jefferson and listed for sale online for $95,000.

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“ I think the kosher world has grown tremendously in the past 10 years.” — JUDAH COWEN

Vaad supervision of its main kitchen allows for increased inclusivity, according to Beth Shalom’s senior rabbi, Seth Adelson. “We are a congregation that is dedicated to the value of community; it is one of the three key values indicated in our mission statement,” he said. “Our commitment to community is further enhanced by making

sure that catering at our big events meets the Vaad’s kashrut standard. That way, everybody can come to Beth Shalom and feel welcome.” Beth Shalom’s smaller kitchens remain under Adelson’s kashrut supervision, he said. The synagogue’s social hall can accommodate between 350 and 400 people with the dance floor open, said Michelle Vines,

Beth Shalom’s events coordinator, and the building has additional spaces that can be used for entertaining. Cowen is also available to cater events held at other locations while preparing the food at Beth Shalom’s Vaad-supervised kitchen. “I think the kosher world has grown tremendously in the past 10 years,” Cowen said. “And I think having the experience of education in the field and training throughout the world — seeing different businesses and methods of cooking — gives me an edge, hence the name, ‘Elegant Edge.’” Beth Shalom’s central kitchen, which is currently used for meat, will be redesigned this summer to include separate spaces for the preparation of dairy and pareve dishes. PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

need of money, would take an item from the Oliver Room and offer to sell it to Schulman. Priore told investigators that he believed the last time he sold an item to Schulman was in December 2016, because he knew that an appraisal of the Oliver Room would occur in 2017. After telling Schulman about the upcoming audit, the two men spoke about “trying to cover things up,” according to the complaint. Priore estimated that, over the years, he sold several hundred items to Schulman from the library, and that Schulman paid him somewhere between $40,000 and $50,000. But after reviewing Priore’s bank account records, investigators say they found he received 56 checks from Caliban totaling $117,700, plus several large cash deposits totaling $17,000. Priore told investigators: “I should have never done this. I loved that room, my whole working life, and greed came over me. I did it, but Schulman spurred me on.” A search of the Caliban warehouse revealed many items stolen from the Oliver Room, as well as numerous sales receipts of items sold by Caliban, including receipts for scores of items that matched the list of items stolen or “cannibalized” from the Oliver Room. Investigators also found items stolen from the Oliver Room at Schulman’s Squirrel Hill residence. A Carnegie Library employee, Jennifer Jarvis, told investigators that in the early 2000s, while she was working in the closed stacks area of the library, she saw Schulman looking at books with Priore, although she knew that area was closed to the public. She said she “heard the two discussing plates that were inside of a book and how much they would be worth p An example of the rows of books allegedly pilfered at the Carnegie Libary. individually if removed from the book,” and Photo provided by Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office said that she was “shocked” by the discussion. Some of the stolen items have been recovThe complaint refers to email correspon- Schulman would then sell online through ered, the complaint states, due to the efforts dence of Priore indicating that he was having Caliban, the complaint states. Priore would of Pall Mall, the District Attorney’s Office, difficulty paying his children’s tuition at the be paid by Schulman up front, generally with “and the art collecting community.” The Ellis School and at Duquesne University, as a Caliban check, but sometimes by cash. From recovered items have an estimated total well as the rent for his apartment. time to time, Schulman would call Priore and value $1,152,100. PJC Priore told investigators that he began to request a specific item from the Oliver Room, Toby Tabachnick can be reached at work with Schulman in the late 1990s, selling and Priore would comply and supply that him items from the Oliver Room, which item. There were also times when Priore, in ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Minyan: Continued from page 4

“We should use all the tools at our disposal to help us keep Jewish tradition, to help people fulfill obligations for daily tefillah (prayer),” Adelson said in an email. “GroupMe is just one more tool that helps us do what we do better.” The attendance for any minyan can vary based on a number of factors, particularly things like the weather, the time of sundown and the Steelers’ schedule. Rabbi Daniel Wasserman, of Shaare Torah Congregation, said he uses Facebook and email to notify people of any change in the minyan schedule, whether because they need a few more people or because they changed the time to

Experiment: Continued from page 6

Manhattan apartment together and became fixtures on the New York nightlife scene, with a cameo in Madonna’s first film, “Desperately Seeking Susan.” They opened a restaurant called Triplets and hosted bacchanalian dance parties into the wee hours. Wardle documents all this animatedly, so viewers get caught up in the feel-good energy. Still, it’s not entirely surprising when it all goes downhill. The fallout becomes clear as the boys become men and try to live normal lives. As babies, they had banged their heads against their cribs. As adolescents, they were “disturbed,” as Shafran puts it. As adults, they muddle through in different ways, tortured by what-ifs, especially after they are interviewed in the ’90s by investigative journalist

Law: Continued from page 10

to encourage religious pluralism in Israel, particularly at the Western Wall. “This language has the ability to be interpreted by the courts and could be used as a filter to block any type of pluralistic petitions by any individual organization that is trying to advance pluralism in the state of Israel,” Silverman said. Last week, Union for Reform Judaism President Rabbi Rick Jacobs released a statement “vehemently” opposing the legislation, calling it a “grave threat to Israeli democracy.” “It is a 180-degree turn from Israel’s Declaration of Independence, which enshrines freedom and democracy for all Israelis,” Jacobs’ statement read. “It hurts the delicate balance between the Jewish majority and Arab minority, and it enthrones ultra-Orthodox Judaism at the expense of the majority of a pluralistic world Jewry.” Guy Ziv, a professor at American University’s Center for Israel Studies, said that the Netanyahu government’s move to the religious and political right has been domestically popular so far. But he warned that it will further strain the relationship

accommodate the sports games. The two platforms, he said, work in “concert because some people check Facebook eight times a day and email once a day, and some people check email eight times a day and Facebook once a week.” Wasserman also routinely turns to Facebook when holding a funeral for someone who did not have any family or friends in the area. He will post the information of the service and ask that people attend, both to form a minyan and to show support for a member of the community, even if they did not know the deceased. When somebody has passed away, Wasserman said, “each and every member of the community” has a responsibility to help. Facebook offers another tool to remind people of that responsibility.

“Using social media for that sensitizes people,” he said. “Social media has its pitfalls … but I see the power that it has to help people, to do chesed for somebody, to do kindness for somebody. I see time and time again where somebody will post and somebody else will hear.” For some, that awareness comes once they are in need of fellow community members to say Kaddish and observe a yahrzeit. Then they want to return the favor. “People were there when I had to say Kaddish for my parents,” said Mindy Shreve, a member of the religious services committee at Beth Shalom. “So you appreciate the need for it and want to be able to do the same for other people.” While social media has not completely replaced traditional phone calls and house visits, and is not used on Shabbat in any

circumstances by those who are Shabbatobservant, it has given people another way to make a minyan — whether for a funeral or any evening service — a priority in their schedule. “I think it’s something that other communities struggle with,” said Debby Gillman, another member of the religious services committee at Beth Shalom. “They resolved it by not having it every night. The fact that we have it every single night [at Beth Shalom] is an amazing thing but it’s going to take a longer-term commitment by more people to maintain it. “Ideally, we wouldn’t need the [GroupMe], but I think the reality is it’s helping bridge the gap.” PJC

Lawrence Wright for a New Yorker article exposing Neubauer’s research. One of the triplets, Eddy Galland, was especially haunted, having been placed with a dysfunctional adoptive father who, the film implies, physically abused his son. After years of mental illness, Galland died by suicide in 1995. Neubauer’s study was discontinued in the early ’80s and he never published any results. This latter fact tortures not only the triplets but other participants, who Wardle also interviews. What was the point of all this, they wonder. Since Neubauer’s death in 2008, access to the data pertaining to the study has been controlled by the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services, and the film shows Kellman calling the agency in an unsuccessful attempt to get records. The film ends with a note saying that since production ended,

the Jewish Board has provided Shafran and Kellman with selected records, though the brothers have said in subsequent interviews that those records were heavily redacted. Director Tim Wardle is holding out hope that the Jewish Board will make all the records public. As he told Vice last week, “The Jewish Board has the power to release all the data and make it transparent, which hopefully they are going to do.” Asked to comment about Wardle’s remarks, a spokesperson for the Jewish Board provided a statement: “We recognize the great courage of David Kellman, Robert Shafran, their families and all individuals who participated in the film, and we are appreciative that this film has created an opportunity for a public discourse about the study. The Jewish Board does not support or condone Dr. Neubauer’s study, and we deeply regret that it took place. We’re committed

to developing a stronger relationship and continued, open communication with Mr. Kellman and Mr. Shafran and other individuals included in and impacted by this study. “For many years, The Jewish Board has been, and will continue to be, committed to providing individuals identified as part of the study access to their records in a timely and transparent manner. To date, we have provided records to all individuals who were subjects of the study who have sought them. Because of confidentiality laws, as well as the recognition of the enormous human impact of this study, access to records has been extremely narrow, to protect the privacy of individuals who have not given permission for their information to be shared.” PJC

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

Liz Spikol writes for the Jewish Exponent, an affiliated publication of the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle.

between progressive American Jews and Israel. “The biggest problem with the bill is that it’s racist,” Ziv said. “It talks about separating Jewishonly communities, it relegates the Arabic language. … You have to see it as part of a series of bills that are populist and nationalist in nature, that are tinged with racism and that undermine Israeli pluralism.” Silverman said he was hopeful that growth in the Reform and Conservative movements in Israel will create a grassroots push for religious equality. But he admitted that being a voice for religious pluralism in the Knesset is frustrating. “When you have ultraOrthodox parties in the Knesset that are publicly saying that they will do everything they can to not recognize non-Orthodox streams of Judaism, it’s a challenge.” PJC Jared Foretek writes for the Washington Jewish Week, an affilp Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seated second from left, leads a Likud faction iated publication of the Pittsburgh meeting days before the Knesset passed the so-called nation-state bill. Photo by Miriam Alster/Flash90 Jewish Chronicle.

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JULY 27, 2018 17

Celebrations

Torah

Engagement

Is it OK to nudge G-d? Rabbi Mendy Schapiro Parshat Vaetchanan Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

Byers/Sindler: Ross Sindler and Stacie Byers are happy to announce their engagement. Ross is the son of Norman Sindler and the late Marilyn Sindler. Stacie is the daughter of Joseph Byers and Myra Mervis Solazzo. Ross is the grandson of the late Morris and Rose Sindler and the late Andrew and Minnie Cohen both of Pittsburgh. Stacie is the granddaughter of the late Joseph “Babe” Byers and Martha Rose Byers and the late Norman and Tema Mervis, both of Pittsburgh. A 2020 wedding is planned. PJC

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e all have such moments. Some of us have them more often; others experience them once in a lifetime. Moments when an issue never quite understood becomes clear and makes perfect sense; moments when our previous perspectives are challenged, resulting in a radically new understanding of the subject at hand — they’re otherwise known as “Aha!” or “Eureka!” moments. For me, really understanding the first word of this week’s Torah portion was such a moment. In last week’s Torah portion, G-d informs Moses that due to his sin of hitting the rock, he would be barred from entering the land of Israel. This week’s Torah portion, Vaetchanan, begins with Moses imploring G-d to alter the verdict and allow him to enter the land. Rashi comments that the term “implore” is one of the 10 terms the Torah uses to refer to prayer. It connotes an appeal to G-d’s mercy to grant an undeserved favor. According to the Midrash, Moses prayed 515 times to have the decree annulled. This is derived from the numerical value of the Hebrew word vaetchanan, “and I implored.” Moses spared no effort in beseeching G-d, and was ultimately granted permission to merely observe the land from a distance. Thus it is written, “Ascend to the top of the cliff and raise your eyes westward, northward, southward and eastward, and see with your eyes, for you shall not cross the Jordan.” This multitude of prayers seems to be, frankly, inappropriate. Moses had justifiably forfeited his right to enter the land of Israel because of his shortcomings; wasn’t it both audacious and excessive to compose 515 prayers? Indeed, G-d’s response is precisely that “it is too much for you! Do not continue to speak with Me further.” For many of us, praying to G-d is quite a difficult task, stemming from a feeling of distance and “disconnectedness” due to the chasm that exists between creation and Creator. G-d is almighty and omnipresent, while we are mere humans with limited intellect, prone to error. This reality compounds the challenge we face in trying to feel close to G-d. And when we do muster sufficient courage

to approach Him with our requests, any negative response is met with disenchantment, and we resign ourselves to the final verdict without resorting to additional prayer. It is as if we are dealing with a king whose edicts are final with no ifs, ands or buts. Evidently Moses had an entirely different approach. He perceived prayer as an island in time, when G-d makes Himself accessible to each and every one of us. It is a time of closeness when we can spend some intimate moments together; nothing else exists besides the Creator and oneself. Rather than perceiving G-d’s unlimited nature as distant and uncompromising, prayer teaches us that it can be seen as an unparalleled opportunity. It is precisely because of His omnipresence that He can listen and communicate to every one of us on an individual level. With this perception, even when we feel that our prayers and requests “weren’t fulfilled” we can feel comfortable in continuing our dialogue with Him. Isn’t this what a merciful father would expect from an only son or daughter? Moreover, the feeling of intimacy in prayer isn’t just part of the ambiance, while the actual request is the point of the exercise. Quite the contrary; intimacy and closeness are the very essence of true prayer, while fulfillment of one’s request is “merely” the natural outcome. Compare this to the close and loving relationship between parent and child — that in and of itself is the greatest assurance that the child’s requests and needs will be fulfilled. In Moses’ eyes, composing many prayers was the natural response of a child to his loving parent. There were many reasons why his prayers were not accepted, but G-d’s major objection was that prayer must be done in a respectful and controlled manner. Ultimately G-d is not only our father but our king as well, and we must act accordingly. This insight into the true nature of prayer was truly a defining moment for me, helping me appreciate prayer for what it really is: a magnificent gift from G-d. We should open our hearts and minds to internalize this important message of a close and regular relationship through prayer. Statistics show that those who pray regularly live healthier, longer and more fulfilled lives. There is only one way to find out! PJC Rabbi Mendy Schapiro is the director of Chabad of Monroeville. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh.

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Obituaries COHEN: James Cohen, on Sunday, July 15, 2018, beloved husband of Bonnie Cohen; kind and caring father of Daniel (Laura) Cohen and Josie (Ron) Schwartz; proud grandfather to Ariel and Coby Schwartz and Lacey and Jesse Cohen. James was a graduate of The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He went on to become founder of Broadway Auto Parts, The Garage at Broadway and R N R Custom Wheels and Tires. Jim adored his wife Bonnie and his family. He was a selfless man, committed to his wife, family, career and friends. His sense of humor was his most endearing quality. He faced all of life›s challenges including his health issues with great strength and bravery, never complaining. Burial was private. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. 412-621-8282. Contributions may be made to Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, 5001 Baum Blvd., Suite 635, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 or Veterans Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15240. FLASH: Herbert Flash, age 79, of Point Breeze, beloved husband of Phyliss (Freedman) Flash for 54 years, passed away peacefully while surrounded by family, on Monday night, July 16, 2018. He is also survived by his three children, Barbara (Alan) Todtenkopf, Dr. Jeffrey (Shayna) Flash and Stephen Flash; his seven grandchildren Andrew, Mathew, Jodi and Justin Todtenkopf, Zachary, Jacqueline and Brandon Flash; his two sisters, Gertrude (Flash) Dorfman and Sylvia (Flash) Lenoff; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and friends. He was predeceased by his parents Sarah (Levine) and Samuel Flash. Herbert lived a life centered around family, charity, volunteer work, community, and enjoyed golf. He graduated from Schenley High School, and then graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. After his service in the U.S. Navy, he met, and fell in love with, his wife, and ran his own pharmacy for over 25 years. They raised their three children in Point Breeze. He adored, and loved, all of his immediate and extended family, instilling in them a strong work ethic and sense of charity. Graveside ceremony was held at Homewood Cemetery. Arrangements were entrusted to the Gesher Hachaim Jewish Burial Society. Donations may be made to either the JAA (Jewish Association on Aging) 200 JHF Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15217, or to a Parkinson’s disease charity of your choice. GOLDBERG: Margaret [Peg] Goldberg, a long-term resident of Greensburg, died on July 13, 2018, in Boulder, Colorado, where she had resided for the past 10 years. She was born in 1922 and had been preceded in death by her beloved husband, Milton Goldberg. They were members of Congregation Emanu-El Israel for many years. She is survived by four children: Theodore (Carol) Goldberg, Tim (Jill) Gordon, Laurel Conroy and Samara (Henry) Neri, and by eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She lived a long and active life and will be dearly missed. Funeral arrangements were private. Contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice. NOVICK: Dr. Howard Alan Novick, on Friday, July 20, 2018. Beloved husband of the late Dr.

Jodi Shensa Novick. Beloved father of Jason (Samantha) Novick and Hilary Novick. Son of the late Ivan J. and Natalie Novick; brother of William E. (Faye) Novick and the late Phyllis N. (Stephen) Silverman; uncle of Nathan Novick, Natalie Silverman and Alexa Silverman. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment B’nai Israel Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a Jewish charity of the donor’s choice. schugar.com ROBBINS: Marjorie Wolfe Robbins, age 89, on Tuesday, July 17, 2018. Beloved wife for 52 years to the late Albert H. Robbins. Devoted and loving mother of Stephen Robbins of Akron, Ohio, Marsha (Larry) Mandel of Scranton, Paul Robbins of Indiana Twp., Jan (Steve) Brody of Upper St. Clair and Susan (Mark) Hein of Potomac, Md. Proud and cherished grandmother of Melissa (Harris) Von Essen, Daniel (Rebecca) Mandel, Alex (Chiara) Mandel, David, Joel and Jessica Robbins, Marley and Drew Hein and Maura and Aaron Brody. “GG” of Jordan and Eliza Von Essen. Cousin of Lois M. Sherry. Marjorie graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Education and also received a master’s degree in Special Education. She taught in the city schools for ten years and taught at Community Day School for 18 years. She was a life member of Hadassah and a longtime volunteer at St. Clair Hospital. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment private. Contributions may be made to American Diabetes Association, 300 Penn Center Boulevard, Suite 602, Pittsburgh, PA 15235 or Family Hospice and Palliative Care, 50 Moffett Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15243. schugar.com SPERLING: Esther (Slavkin) Sperling, age 85, of Mt. Lebanon, died on Sunday, July 22, 2018. Esther was the beloved wife and inseparable companion for 64 years of Mitchell Sperling, loved mother of Gerri Sperling (David Slesnick) and Larry Sperling (Lourdes Bufill); adored grandmother of Elana Slesnick; and treasured aunt of niece Deborah Slavkin Arnold and nephews David Slavkin, Alan Schrader, Glenn Schrader and Mark Schrader. She is also loved and survived by great-nieces and nephews, cousins and dear friends. Esther was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Jennie Slavkin, brother Milton Slavkin and niece Diane Slavkin Benson. She was a past president of Temple Emanuel’s Sisterhood and co-chair of its gift shop. A teacher by training and by calling, Esther taught school for over 30 years, primarily with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, taught GED classes for almost 15 years after her retirement from the AIU, and taught religious school at Temple Emanuel in Mt. Lebanon. She also taught her children, granddaughter, nieces and nephews invaluable life lessons that they cherish. Esther was the matriarch of a widespread but close knit extended family, who loved and revered her so much. Words cannot express how much she will be missed. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment was in West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. Contributions may be made to the Rabbi William Sajowitz Endowment Fund at Temple Emanuel, 1250 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15243, or to a charity of your choice. schugar.com PJC

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

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Anonymous .................................................Ethel Kanselbaum Anonymous ........................................................... Jean Serbin Renée Batten ........................................................Ella Herman Thelma Blumenfeld ...................... Marion Jessica Blumenfeld Joel Broida ......................................................Julius S. Broida Debra Byer ................................................Samuel S. Lewinter Patricia Cohen....................................................Nathan Fisher Mrs. Richard Gladstone ...............Meyer & Charlotte Charapp Sarah Glick ............................................................Morris Glick Laura Goldsmith..................................Hinda Kuhl Rubenstein Sylvia Graditor...................................................Louise Ziskind Ruth Haber ........................................................... Simon Miller Marjorie Halpern ....................................Zelda Glantz Chasick Mary Jatlow....................................................... Nathan Glantz Aaron M. Kress.................................................. Frank J. Kress Lawrence F. Leventon .................................... Selma Leventon Vivian & Allan Levine .......................................... Dorothy Wein Elaine Levine ................................................... Eva Ruth Emas

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Gene Lisker ........................................................George Lisker Mary B. Marks .................................................... Donald Baker Mary B. Marks ........................................................ Sam Baker Howard & Shelley Miller ......................................... Isreal Miller David Neft .........................................................Ethel Borovetz Cherie & Bill Noonan ..................................James & Anna Bell Cherie & Bill Noonan ...................................Aimee & Ed Felser Cherie & Bill Noonan .......................... John & Elizabeth Felser Marc Rice ................................................................Rhea Mark Florence Shapiro ............................................... Sarah Shapiro Elaine & Leroy Supowitz ......................................Paul A. Love Mitchell Toig ............................................................Pearl Beck Mitchell Toig ........................................................... Morris Toig Edris & David Weis ................................. Mildred Tannenbaum Scott Wirtzman ............................................ Adolph Wirtzman Scott Wirtzman ...............................................Annie Wirtzman Susan Wolf ............................................... Sara Wolf Bernstein Minnie Zavos .........................................Mary & David Sinaikin

THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday July 29: Rae Graff Friedland, Jacob Friedman, Helen Goldberg, Diana D. Gordon, Robert Green, Anna Greenberg, Herman Jacobs, Rae Labovitz, Morris Lebovitz, Robert Shapiro, Ruth Zeligman Monday July 30: Sarah Bales, Adam Chotiner, Abraham Endich, Anna Friedman, Eva Greenberg, Rebecca Gusky, Annetta Marks Horwitz, Marvin Klein, Isadore Mandelblatt, Tzivia Marbach, Milton Morris, Freda Barnett Safier, Eleanor Ruth Simon, Louis A. Skeegan, Harry Winsberg, Esther M. Wyner, Harry Zerelstein Tuesday July 31: Julius S. Broida, Meyer Coon, Bernard S. Davis, Irwin Sowie Fein, Lester A. Hamburg, Lois Hepps, Herman Hollander, Bessie Perr Miller, Esther Patkin, Theodore Somach, Gilbert Stein, Edward Stern, Rebecca Supowitz, Bella Weiner, Renee Weinstock Wednesday August 1: Earl Barmen, Esther Caplan, Harriet L. Cohen, Rebecca Lebenson, Morris Sherrin, Joseph Siegman, David P. Zelenski Thursday August 2: Liza Canter, Elizabeth Cohen, Leonard Ehrenreich, Dr. Morris H. Glick, Esther F. Horelick, Bertha Klein, Harry Lipser, Harry H. Marcus, Rhea Mark, Sophie Masloff, Merle M. Pearlman, Gussie Sacks, Morris Schwartz, Herbert Sternlight, Rose Zweig Friday August 3: Pierson Caplan, Meyer David Elovitz, William Flom, Fanny Kramer, Mary Lang, Hazel Pinsker Lemelman, Albert P. Levine, Zelman Lee Moritz, Tillie K. Morris, Irene I. Posner, Mollie Rothman, Samuel Selkovits, Gabe Shapiro, Melvin Tobias, Eva Ulanoff, Rabbi Hugo Unger, Sarah Wesely, Helen Zeidman Saturday August 4: Sarah Aronson, Irwin George Berman, Nathan Corn, Milton David Daniels, Abraham Herman, Ida Garber Hytovitz, Samuel S. Lewinter, Leon Loibman, Morris Middleman, Hazel Rose Newman, Samuel Simon, Harry Suttin, Leah Wekselman, Samuels Zionts

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Headlines Prominent Jewish philanthropist questioned by Israeli airport security after visiting Palestinian areas — WORLD — By Ben Sales | JTA

EW YORK — A prominent Jewish philanthropist says he was aggressively questioned by Israeli airport security after going on a Jewish tour of Palestinian areas of the West Bank. Meyer Koplow, chair of Brandeis University’s board of trustees and a longtime donor to pro-Israel causes, was delayed for 30 minutes by a security agent at Ben Gurion International Airport July 15 before being allowed to board his flight. Koplow’s visit to Israel included a trip to the West Bank with Encounter Programs, a nonpartisan organization that brings Jews to Palestinian areas to meet Palestinians and see their society firsthand. He believes he was called for questioning after security personnel found a brochure in his luggage titled “This Week in Palestine,” which he had picked up in a Bethlehem hotel lobby. Agents had placed a note in the same pocket of his luggage informing him that the bag “was opened for the purpose of carrying out a security check.” Koplow was questioned by a security agent for 10 minutes in the departure hall, after which he was told to wait and eventually allowed to board his flight. “The best way I can describe it is a badgering form of questioning where before you finish giving one answer, you’re being asked the same question again as if what you said is not credible,” Koplow said. “She asked what purpose could possibly be served by people visiting the territories. She asked that several times.” (Full disclosure: This reporter was a participant on the same Encounter tour that Koplow attended last week. Participants left Israel separately, and this reporter was not at the airport while Koplow was questioned.) Koplow said he appreciates Israeli personnel checking luggage for the purposes of security, but he feels that

p Meyer Koplow, left, accepts an award from American Friends of The Hebrew University in 2016.

Photo courtesy of screenshot from YouTube

the questioning he experienced “goes a level beyond that.” “I applaud the careful security, including examining people’s luggage,” he said. “But not for materials that they’re taking with them out of the country that aren’t in the nature of what you would call classified materials. Why would you do that, other than to send a message that the government doesn’t welcome your engaging in any kind of inquiry?” Koplow was disturbed as well by “the manner of the continued implication that I wasn’t telling the truth or all of the truth,” he said. He added that describing his past involvement with Jewish and Israeli causes did not change the tenor of the interrogation, which was conducted in public view. In addition to his position at Brandeis, Koplow is a board member of the UJAFederation in New York and has served as the president of his synagogue, Young Israel of New Rochelle. He said that he has given millions of dollars to Israeli causes. “The most disturbing question she asked

me, and she asked me more than once, was what was I going to do with the information I learned in the territories?” Koplow said. “What business is it of security at departure as to what I’m thinking or what I might say?” Koplow subsequently spoke with Dani Dayan, Israel’s consul general in New York, who apologized for the incident while justifying the questioning on security grounds. “We intend to continue with a clean sheet even if it means paying a price on other fronts,” Dayan wrote in an email to Koplow on Tuesday. “That price includes sometimes our image being damaged. The total and complete security of our aviation and its passengers is and will continue to be our first priority. All other considerations are subordinated to that.” But Dayan wrote he regretted how Koplow was treated. “I wish to express once more my sorrow for the inconvenience and embarrassment caused to you,” he wrote. “I hope your next departure from Ben Gurion Airport will be more pleasant.”

Koplow said that the incident will not deter him from visiting or engaging with Israel in the future. His story first appeared in a Twitter thread about the incident written by his son, Michael Koplow, policy director at the Israel Policy Forum, a group that advocates for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The younger Koplow wrote that his father’s story “is a perfectly sad microcosm of everything wrong with the way Israel treats information as a threat and American Jews as objects of suspicion.” “We have moved from Israel being worried about tangible security threats, to treating BDS advocates and protestors as if they are security threats, to treating any evidence of basic engagement with Palestinians as security threats,” Michael Koplow wrote, using an acronym denoting the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel. “Simple information is treated as dangerous.” PJC

Toomey co-sponsors bipartisan resolution to protect Iraqi Jewish artifacts — NATIONAL —

n an effort to help protect a trove of Iraqi Jewish artifacts, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), along with Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), introduced a bill to keep the collection in America rather than return it to Iraq. Known as the Iraqi Jewish Archives, the collection of 2,700 books, religious texts and civic documents were recovered by U.S. soldiers from the basement of Saddam Hussein’s secret police headquarters in 2003. Because the

20 JULY 27, 2018

archive was in a badly damaged state upon discovery, the United States and the Coalition Provisional Authority signed an agreement whereby the United States would restore the material and then send it back to Iraq. In addition to preserving the archive, since 2013 the National Archives and Records Administration has displayed the collection throughout the country for the benefit of scholars, citizens and the Iraqi Jewish diaspora. The collection is set to return to Iraq in September 2018, despite the fact that only a few Jews live in Iraq today. The Senate resolution calls on the United States to renegotiate the agreement with the

Iraqi government to allow the archive to remain in America for a longer period of time. “In 2014, I introduced a resolution with Sens. Blumenthal and Schumer calling on our government to keep this priceless archive in the United States,” Toomey said in a statement. “That resolution passed the Senate unanimously. It makes no sense for this material to return to Iraq when the vast majority of Iraqi Jews and their descendants live in the Diaspora. I hope that the Senate swiftly approves our resolution to once again urge the State Department to keep these artifacts in the United States.” The Jewish artifacts “still belong where they

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can be preserved and accessed by the Jewish community and scholars, not returned to Iraq,” Schumer said in a statement. “These invaluable cultural treasures like a prayer book and Torah scrolls belong to the people and their descendants who were forced to leave them behind as they were exiled from Iraq. The State Department should make clear to the Iraqi government that the artifacts should continue to stay in the United States.” In addition to Toomey, Schumer, and Blumenthal, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is also co-sponsoring the bipartisan measure. PJC — Toby Tabachnick

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Community Jewish Motorcycle Alliance

Men’s night out with the Jewish Federation

In June, the Jewish Motorcycle Alliance held its 13th International Ride to Remember in Cleveland, which included some 200 motorcycles and 300 people in attendance. The annual event is held in various locations throughout the United States, to raise money for local Holocaust Memorials. This year’s recipient was the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. The Pittsburgh Chapter, The Mazel Tuff BC, was well represented at the event. The Mazel Tuff BC gets together for rides weekly to destinations throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia (mostly to food destinations). Jewish riders in the Greater Pittsburgh area interested in joining the club can contact Sally at sjlevenson1@gmail.com or Bill at attorneybill1964@yahoo.com for more information.

p The Men’s Philanthropy Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh kicked off an evening of learning and fellowship at The Clemente Museum, Lawrenceville on Wednesday, July 18. In the foreground examining memorabilia are from left: Bob Katzen, Steve Latterman, Larry Schwartz and Jimmy Wagner. Men’s Philanthropy provides outreach and engagement opportunities for men of all ages. p The Mazel Tuff Biker Club members in their club jackets and shirts

p Following a tour at The Clemente Museum, the men moved to Maggie’s Farm Rum in the Strip District. From left: Shofar Society chair Steve Latterman joined Bruce Rollman and Roger Zimmerman. The Shofar Society is a recognition society for men contributing $5,000 or more to the Jewish Federation’s Community Campaign. p From left: Club members Sam Frank, Todd Levine, Bill Braslawsce, Liz Pelesky, Miriam Levenson, Sally Levenson, Todd Levenson and Wendy Levenson

p Loaded up and ready to roll

22 JULY 27, 2018

p Following a presentation by the Jewish Federation’s director of community security, from left, facing the camera are Bob Katzen, Todd Miller and Rand Werrin socializing at Maggie’s Farm Rum Distillery. Photos courtesy of Sally Levenson

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Photos courtesy of Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh

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Community CDS in Israel

t While visiting Ascent of Safet, students braided and decorated their own challot to get ready for Shabbat.

Each spring the graduating eighth-grade class of Community Day School travels to Israel together for two weeks as the capstone learning experience of their Hebrew and Jewish studies curriculum. The trip does not signal the end of students’ Jewish education, but rather the beginning of their lifetime commitment to their Jewish heritage. Twenty CDS graduates made the journey together in June with middle school social studies teacher Chaim Steinberg and Tzippy Mazer, head of lower School and Hebrew and Jewish studies.

p Community Day School students all together

Photos courtesy of Community Day School

p At the De Karina boutique chocolate factory, established by Karina Chaplinski, a third-generation chocolatier whose family made aliyah from Argentina in 2003 to the Golan Heights.

p Camel ride in the Judean Desert

Girls’ night out

p NA’AMAT Pittsburgh’s Mahj Night is taking l’dor v’dor (from generation to generation) seriously by teaching children and grandchildren the art of the game played by the wise women who came before us. The best part is that they love playing mahj and keep coming back. From left: Noa Pinkston, Elena Mayo and Hannah Mormer loved learning and winning at the July 12 Mahj Night. Mahj Night is held the third Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. in the Tree of Life * Or L’Simcha lobby. Photo courtesy of NA’AMAT Pittsburgh

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p The St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants two games to one in a three game series to win the Squirrel Hill Baseball Division 3 World Series. Pictured are members of the St. Louis Cardinals after their 12-2 victory on July 11. Congratulations to all players. Top row from left: Joe Young, Luke McCartney, Ryan DeLuca, Andres Hurkmans, Coach Ritt Pitcher, Alex Pitcher and Ben Szymarek. Bottom row from left: Tahara Reinherz, Gus Passerrello, Ethan Jacobson and Connor Joyce. Photo by Michele Passerrello

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JULY 27, 2018 23

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