Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 9/21/2018 by Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

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NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Holocaust survivor encourages ‘taking action’

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Rabbi carries on family’s 90-year Mac Miller, etrog tradition — in Italy global rap icon, remembered as genuine, appreciative friend

Ervin Staub knows the importance of being an active bystander.

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

S etrog, and was dismayed to find the only ones available were from Israel. (The Calabrian variety of etrog is particularly prized in Chabad-Lubavitch circles, preferred over other strains of the fruit.) “You couldn’t get one from Italy in the United States,” Altein recounted. “So, my great-grandfather told his friend, ‘Next year, I’ll have one for me and one for you.’” Jacobson was true to his word. He contacted a rabbi serving the Lubavitch community in Poland, who began shipping them from Italy to the United States at Jacobson’s request. A contact in Calabria continued to ship them to America in the years that followed. In the 1950s, the kashrut of the Calabrian etrog became uncertain, as there was a question of whether the farmers there were grafting different species of trees together. So Jacobson, at the behest of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, went to Calabria along with a second witness to ensure that the etrogs were indeed kosher. By the 1960s and 1970s, other rabbis from Italy joined Jacobson in checking the etrogs

tatements shared over stadium speakers, television sets and screens last week — from the likes of Elton John, Drake, Future, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliott, Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar, John Mayer, Ellen Degeneres, Chance the Rapper and Wiz Khalifa — sounded the knell of Mac Miller, the homegrown Jewish musician who died Sept. 7. That a 26-year-old from Point Breeze, widely known for elevating Blue Slide Park beyond Henry Clay Frick’s wildest imaginations, could command such attention is no surprise. The stage was always his. Friends recalled the dugouts and diamond at Stan Lederman Field, even the amphitheater at Emma Kaufmann Camp in Morgantown, W.Va., when remembering Miller. Everything Malcolm James McCormick, his legal name, represented to the millions who loved his music — a goofy lyricizing guy whose titanic talent was only overshadowed by his genuineness — he was to those who knew him. “To think that I grew up with this kid is crazy,” said Mark Pattis, a childhood friend. They met around the age of 6, when “we played in the same baseball league. I believe he played catcher,” said Pattis. “And he was small for a catcher. His hat never fit, it was always coming down over his eyes and his ears.” But that pint-sized player with a facestretching smile had colossal presence, said Ben Cohen, a fellow teammate in Squirrel Hill Baseball. “You have those guys in the dugout that are making everyone laugh and are always grabbing people’s attention, probably taking people’s attention away from the game,”

Please see Etrog, page 15

Please see Mac, page 15

Page 2 LOCAL Scribe welcomes real scribe

 Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s Rabbi Yisroel Altein inspects etrogs in Calabria, Italy. Photo courtesy of Rabbi Yisroel Altein By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

Rabbi Hershel Pfeffer has spent a lifetime with pen in hand. Page 3 LOCAL Belief in ‘ability to heal’ Psychiatrist’s transformative treatment spurs patient to write a book. Page 5

any of those observing the holiday of Sukkot procure their etrog sight unseen, ordering the citron from their congregation as part of a set along with a lulav and taking little note of its provenance — not that there is anything wrong with that. But there are also those Jews who, in search of the perfect etrog, go the extra mile. For Rabbi Yisroel Altein, spiritual leader of Chabad of Squirrel Hill, and the three generations of familial rabbis who came before him, that extra mile is actually more like 5,000 miles — all the way to Calabria, Italy. For 91 years, Altein’s family has not only been getting their etrogs from Calabria, but also has been instrumental in ensuring that those citrons are indeed kosher and importing them to sell to others around the world who prefer the Italian-grown fruit to those grown in Israel or elsewhere. The Alteins’ etrog story began in 1927, when Yisroel Altein’s great-grandfather, Rabbi Yisroel Jacobson, first immigrated to New York from Russia. Prior to Sukkot, he went to one of his friends to buy a Calabrian

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Headlines Psychologist, Holocaust survivor encourages ‘taking action’ — LOCAL — By Lauren Rosenblatt | Digital Content Manager

rvin Staub knows the importance of being an active bystander — a phrase he uses to distinguish someone who “takes action when action is needed.” To exemplify that importance, he points to a few examples: a nurse in Turkey during World War I who took photos of Armenians as they were being killed, eventually exposing the genocide there; a soldier in Vietnam who witnessed the killing of innocent civilians and proceeded to spread awareness about the situation; a Christian woman who worked for his family in Hungary and helped Staub and his sister survive the Holocaust. “Sometimes a single person can make a huge difference,” he told a group of about 80 people gathered at the Heinz History Center last Thursday night. The only way to make that difference though, he continued, is to “speak up and take action.” Throughout his career, Staub, a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has studied what makes people help others, what makes people harm others and what steps can be taken to prevent and later recover from horrific incidents like genocide. His work has taken him across the country to help police departments and educators and around the world to promote healing and reconciliation in places like Rwanda, Burundi and Congo. In Pittsburgh, he spoke about his research and the lessons that his studies offer today at an event hosted by the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh and sponsored by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, as well as working with the police department to discuss the

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state of policing and community relations in the city and hosting a workshop for teachers and other professionals on the best way to raise students to be caring and active bystanders. “This is a man whose life experience is beyond anyone else’s,” said Lauren Bairnsfather, the director of the Holocaust Center. “He has brought this message of hope. He says there are things Lauren Bairnsfather, left, director of the Holocaust you can do, genocide p Center of Pittsburgh, with Ervin Staub, a Holocaust is preventable.” survivor and researcher who studies what makes In researching the people help one another and how to reconcile after origins of genocide, Staub genocide. Photo by Melanie Friend Photography/ Courtesy of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh created what he called a “continuum of destruction,” or small steps that lead to violence That early action can be especially diffithat are often easy to ignore individually. cult in strenuous times — the same type of At the same time, he continued, there is a pressures that can contribute to violence in natural process of trying to justify what has the first place. People like to put on a “poker been done and, usually, other social factors face,” Staub said, as if they don’t notice what that play into the violence, such as economic is happening around them so they don’t turmoil or social upheaval. have to feel responsible. That leads to a type To demonstrate the natural escalation of domino effect, where when people see of violence, Staub described one experi- that others are not reacting, they decide not ment where subjects were assigned to be to react either. either a teacher or a student. The teachers To test how likely people were to react were instructed to give the student an elec- based on social cues from people around tric shock when they made a mistake. As them, Staub described another experiment the experiment continued, the teachers in which the participant heard sounds of increased the level of shock on their own. distress from the next room and then one “One of the things about violence is that of three responses from the person sitting it evolves. It’s not that one day everything with them — along the lines of “let’s not is normal and then there’s genocide,” Staub worry about that,” “that sounds bad,” or said. “If there is early action and early steps “that sounds bad, you should go check to inhibit [the violence] then it’s more likely what’s going on.” to be successful.” When prompted to check what was going

on, the participant got up to help each time. “We cannot take action without awareness,” he said. Similarly, today, “we have to do our own thinking, our own analysis, and find what we think are the core issues and then find allies.” For Veronica Edwards, a member of the school board representing District 9, Staub’s lessons were important because they exemplified a new way to look at old issues that still haven’t been resolved, including discrimination and violence in schools. Now, Edwards said, they must figure out how to “use the power we already have to affect change and make sure that change affects everybody.” “The [lecture] just brought it all home, that we still have a lot of work to do,” she said. Staub first began this line of research after working with a professor at Stanford University who was studying “rescuers,” or people who put themselves in danger to help others. It “clicked” that he wanted to study what made people be kind to others. It wasn’t until later that the influence of his past — the people who had helped him survive the Holocaust and eventually escape Hungary — kicked in, he said. Now, coming up on 80 years old, Staub continues to research and spread the message of what he has learned, hoping to inspire people to take that first step, something he said he doesn’t see enough of right now. “I want people to become more aware,” he said after his lecture. “To become more knowing, to not close their eyes to what’s happening around them, to be more concerned about others, to be more active.” PJC Lauren Rosenblatt can be reached at lrosenblatt@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Scribe meets its namesake in local rabbi — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

ever before was the name of Scribe more denotative than the day the Shadyside stationery boutique invited Rabbi Hershel Pfeffer to display his hand-written creations. In a corner of the small retail space, perched above a stand beside the sofer himself were Pfeffer’s handwritten documents. Mezuzahs, ketubahs (marriage contracts) and other materials, each individually constructed, revealed the nonagenarian’s artistry. “He’s very talented,” said Miriam Reichman, a Squirrel Hill resident who attended the Sept. 5 program. “It takes a skilled hand to do that,” echoed Paul J. Shapiro, of Mt. Lebanon, upon seeing the master and his makings. Pfeffer possesses an exhaustive catalog of more than a half century’s worth of work in his Squirrel Hill home; a mere sampling was brought to the Shadyside shop. Within Scribe, one of Pfeffer’s works showcased bluebirds and colorful wildflowers adjacent to Hebrew text, while another item displayed dates, pomegranates, wheat, barley, grapes, figs and olive oil — the seven species of agricultural products listed in the Bible — alongside the text of a ketubah.

The pieces reveal just a glimpse of Pfeffer’s accomplishments, said his daughter, Neshi Pfeffer, who pointed to a drawing her father made of the first Lubavitch rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. Pairing Pfeffer and a store specializing in stationary, invitations and other gifts was a match made in heaven, said Sara Hargreaves, Scribe’s proprietor. “Neshi came into the store and said, ‘My dad is a real scribe,’ and I about fell on my face because I’ve been looking for a real one p Rabbi Hershel Pfeffer, left, enjoys a moment in for a long time.” Scribe. Photo by Adam Reinherz Scribe hosts regular practiced the craft for decades. But while events in the spring and fall. While previous engagements have featured sketching letters has long been his vocation, calligraphers and designers, “we have never as a child it was merely for amusement. “For fun, I used to write the aleph bet,” he had a true scribe before,” said Hargreaves. Compared to the other talented people the said. When he would finish, Pfeffer would store has hosted, “he is a true artisan” with a show the creations to his mother, a Polish tradition guiding his every move, she added. native who raised him on Canon Street, Pfeffer came to Pittsburgh upon the a now nearly forgotten road in New York advice of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi City’s Lower East Side. Menachem M. Schneerson. As it pertains to “She used to criticize me in the beginning safrut, or the Jewish scribal arts, Pfeffer has — ‘This should be longer. This should be

shorter.’ — because she knew,” recalled Pfeffer. “She was brought up in a house [where] they were all sofrim and her father too.” Eventually, after stints as a shochet (ritual slaughterer) and a Hebrew school teacher, Pfeffer joined the family business, as it were. He decided to pursue it because so many scribes were slaughtered during the Holocaust, and there was a need in Pittsburgh. More than 50 years after having decided to follow his family’s calling, Pfeffer remains committed to the work. Whether he is checking the parchments within a pair of tefillin, or the text of a sefer Torah, Pfeffer does it all while seated at his dining room table. “It’s the only table big enough,” said his daughter. The trade has busier seasons — summer is a popular time for weddings — but Pfeffer has been pleased with the journey. As for the Shadyside event, which treated visitors to complimentary kosher wine and snacks while they perused Pfeffer’s art and possible purchases within the store, he said he was “surprised” by all of the recent interest. It was a sentiment he shared slightly before offering an insight into a fiscal reality quite familiar to many artists: “I didn’t become a millionaire,” he said. PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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chronicle their thoughts — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

East End readers should enjoy references to recognizable places — while speaking before a crowd, Seekings is quoted as saying, “I have got one woman, in Squirrel Hill, who lives on a fixed income. So, when I bring the delivery, she just makes cookies. And you know what … that seems like fair pay to me.” Prominent personalities, like Rodef Shalom Congregation’s Rabbi Aaron Bisno, also appear. In the book, Bisno is present for a spirited discussion between Seekings, Rogal and others on “Why do Jews drink seltzer?” The discussion spills over into side conversations on whether there is truly a “seltzer/Semitic connection,” the presence of “seltzer” as a “code word for ‘Jewish’” in literature, “the significant presence of Jews in the seltzer trade,” Eastern European Jewish

or those with a drop of interest in seltzer, author Barry Joseph has crafted an awfully crisp text. “Seltzertopia: The Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary Drink” pours readers a tall glass of history, practicality and fun. Its 304 pages include everything from how seltzer developed — Joseph Priestley, an 18th-century English minister, is largely credited with discovering a means of manufacturing carbonated water — to the rise, fall and recent comeback in seltzer’s contemporary relevance, to even classic drink recipes. (Sam Edelmann’s Egg Cream and Very Berry Ade were both intriguing enough to lead this reviewer down the internet’s rabbit hole of confounding seltzer concoctions, although yogurt and mint doogh does sound tasty.) That so many pages are dedicated to a beverage with basically one ingredient is a feat on Joseph’s part. As he explained in the opening pages, “Seltzertopia” bubbled out of a 2004 piece he wrote for The Forward in which in about 650 words, he essentially described the process of pushing down four times on a SodaClub machine — Soda-Club and SodaStream, which is headquartered in Lod, Israel, merged in 1998, with the latter brand last month garnering headlines after being acquired by PepsiCo for $3.2 billion — thereby introducing carbonation and transforming water into seltzer. Joseph’s piece, which he in retrospect admitted was driven by a desire to “get the appliance for free from the manufacturer,” was noticed by Carolyn Starman Hessel, executive director emerita of the Jewish Book Council, who p “Seltzertopia” includes everything Courtesy photo encouraged him to devote an entire about seltzer. book to the effervescent subject. After 14 years of research, “Seltzertopia” is “dietary habits,” and finally, the singularity Joseph’s magnum opus. of long ago seltzers possessing a stamp indiOn a whole, it is a sparkling take on all cating their kosher status as opposed to things seltzer. And though some readers other available beverages. Ultimately, Joseph may find the sheer vastness of material a ends the passage by writing, “It turns out the bit dull — Joseph writes that the book “uses question is backward. It should not be, Why one simple product, seltzer, to unpack a do Jews drink seltzer? Instead, the question broad swath of world history” — the book should be, Why doesn’t everyone else?” never falls flat. In fact, for Steel City readers, But even apart from its ability to make “Seltzertopia” is like a window to a familiar you feel like a local yokel, “Seltzertopia” world. Much of the book follows Pittsburgh offers a refreshing treat. Between the history Seltzer Works: from its 19th-century start and personalities shared, Joseph has tapped through its 2009 sale by Evan Hirsh, David the topic like none before. Carbonated Faigen and Paul Supowitz to John Seekings water may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and Jim Rogal, and up to the present day but “Seltzertopia” is definitely something challenges of operating a business in which to drink to. PJC the machinery is antiquated, the siphons Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz are limited and injuries appear more easily @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. attained than profits.

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Headlines Chabad psychiatrist ‘transforms’ life of local author — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

hen Tova Feinman first met Dr. Yaakov Guterson in 1995, her future was dim. In the throes of serious mental illness — including post-traumatic stress disorder and severe bipolar 1 disorder — Feinman’s doctors had arranged for her to be sent to Mayview State Hospital for intensive treatment. The post-partum depression that commenced after the birth of her daughter in 1990 had triggered the other illnesses, as well as memories of a traumatic childhood defined by sexual assault and abuse. But Guterson, who had just completed his psychiatric residency at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, was not about to give up on Feinman. “Dr. Guterson told me, ‘I believe in your ability to heal,’” she recalled, noting that it was those words that gave her the courage to confront her illnesses and that launched a doctor/patient relationship now in its 23rd year. Feinman, a Boston native who has lived in Pittsburgh since 1987, chronicles her journey of recovery, and her relationship with Guterson, in her book, “Teacup in a Storm: Finding My Psychiatrist” (Trigger, Aug. 2018). “For 22 years he and I struggled through my childhood trauma, sexual assault and severe bipolar 1 disorder,” she said. “The book pulls back the curtain that shrouds the psychiatrist/patient relationship and explores the potential of that relationship to transform a destroyed human being.” Her book, she said, is both a story of transformation and a guide on how to build a good psychiatric relationship. It is structured on lessons she learned through her relationship with Guterson, such as how to make the doctor/patient relationship more productive through sharing information, garnering trust, and not expecting perfection.

p Tova Feinman tells a local group about her experiences with depression.

p Left, Dr. Yaakov Guterson; right, Tova Feinman.

Both Feinman and Guterson are part of Pittsburgh’s Chabad community. Judaism, Feinman noted, has “played a pivotal role” in her healing. While spirituality is a core element of many addiction recovery programs, it is too often overlooked in psychiatric treatment, according to Guterson. “When someone comes to my office and I ask them what their purpose in life is, what is their mission, so many people struggle to answer,” he said, adding that it is imperative to answer those in order to heal. Guterson guided Feinman “from being disposable to being transformed,” she said. “He definitely saved my life, and he saved my daughter’s life. Because of his skill and patience and his belief in me, I could parent my daughter.” Feinman wants to share her story about the imperative of finding a good psychiatrist, and working on developing that relationship, “to help others look at their own mental health issues and not be afraid of the stigma,

and to encourage them to reach out for help.” Many people believe that mental illness “is something they need to hide, and they don’t seek out treatment,” she said. “But treatment is available.” The stigma of mental illness can be even more challenging in Orthodox communities, Guterson said, because there is the fear that it will be more difficult to find spouses for children who have sought treatment. “Families worry that it will affect the ability of the child to get married, so sometimes the family will not seek treatment,” he said. “This is not a good idea, as it does come out eventually, and it can have profound effects.” In recent years, though, Guterson has seen some increased willingness for Orthodox families to seek treatment. “The stigma has lessened, but it is still there somewhat,” he said, adding that more and more rabbis have been sending patients to him of late.

Photos provided by Tova Feinman

Feinman’s book is an asset to the corpus of books on mental health, Guterson said. “There are many books written by mental health professionals who are trying to describe mental illness, but Tova has gone through the worst of the worst, and she is able to express it from the patient’s perspective,” he explained. “She allows you to get inside her head and understand what a manic episode is all about.” While she still struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and PTSD, Feinman said she is now “doing really well. I’m still in treatment, and the PTSD and OCD will always be a part of who I am. But I’ve got a good therapist, so I can deal with it so much better.” She is now working on a second book, a guide to how to parent with mental illness. “I have always believed in her, and she has made incredible strides,” Guterson said. PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Calendar no charge but reservations are required. Visit classroomswithoutborders.org/events/show. php?195 for more information and to RSVP. Following Browning will be German Studies Association Arts Night: An evening of learning and fun from 7 to 11 p.m. Visit classroomswithoutborders.org/events/show. php?194 for more information and schedule. Beth Shalom’s Scotch, Wine & More in the Sukkah will be held with musical toast by Executive Director Hazzan Rob Menes beginning with minyan at 7 p.m. followed by drinking at 7:30 p.m., sponsored by Beth Shalom Men’s Club. All adults 21 and older are welcome. Other drinks and snacks will be available. A professional bartender will give brief lessons on properly mixing drinks. The event is free; no RSVP required. Donations are always welcome. Visit bethshalompgh. org/events-upcoming for more information. q WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26 The Beth Shalom Sisterhood Book Club will meet to discuss “The Female Persuasion” by Meg Wolitzer at 7:30 p.m. at a private home. Call the Beth Shalom office at 412-421-2288 for the address and visit bethshalompgh.org/eventsupcoming for more information.

Chabad of the South Hills will hold a Soup in the Sukkah Women’s Event at 7:30 p.m. with guest Yolanda Willis, who as a child was hidden in Greece during the Holocaust. There is no charge. RSVP to batya@chabadsh.com or 412-344-2424 and visit chabadsh.com for more information. q SATURDAY, SEPT. 29

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

Wine and Wisdom in the Beth Shalom Sukkah will be from 8 to 9:30 p.m., hosted by Beth Shalom, Moishe House and J’Burgh/ Shalom Pittsburgh. Join Jewish young adults to enjoy an evening in the Sukkah to sip on wine and share words of wisdom. Contact moishehousepgh@gmail.com for more information.

q EVERY WEDNESDAY EVENING

q SUNDAY, SEPT. 30

Heal Grow and Live with Hope, NarAnon meeting from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Beth El Congregation, 1900 Cochran Road; use office entrance. Newcomers are welcome. Call and leave a message for Karen at 412-563-3395.

Temple Emanuel’s Bereavement Support Group’s next meeting will be on Sept. 30 at 9:30 a.m. The group is led by Jamie Del MS, NCC, LPC and Naomi Pittle, LCSW, who both have experience in grief counseling. Please RSVP to Leon at leonsteineresa@verizon. net. The group welcomes previous and newly bereaved adults to attend. Meetings are held at Temple Emanuel, 1250 Bower Hill Rd.

q SUNDAY, SEPT. 23 Help MoHo build and decorate a sukkah from 3 to 8 p.m. at Moishe House all afternoon, then enjoy a festive dinner around 6 p.m. There will be building stations, cooking stations and crafting stations. Contact moishehousepgh@gmail.com. q WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26 Chabad of the South Hills will hold a lunch and musical holiday program for seniors in the sukkah at noon. The building is wheelchair accessible. There is a $5 suggested donation. Call 412-278-2658 to preregister and visit chabadsh.com for more information. q THURSDAY, SEPT. 27 Classrooms Without Borders will present a lecture on “Ordinary Men and Remembering Survival” by author, educator and historian Christopher Browning at 4:45 p.m. at the Wyndham Grand Hotel at 600 Commonwealth Place. Browning’s research focuses on Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. He has written extensively about three issues: Nazi decision making and policymaking regarding the origins of the Final Solution; the behavior and motives of various middleand lower-echelon personnel involved in implementing Nazi Jewish policy; and the use of survivor testimony to explore Jewish responses and survival strategies. There is

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q WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3 Applications for the Immigrant Workforce Program are due Wednesday, October 3. The program prepares immigrant and refugee job seekers to succeed in the job market and the workplace by offering help with resumes, networking and interviewing, as well as individualized vocational English training aimed at building contextualized workplace fluency along with employment-focused technology skills, including how to apply for jobs online and an introduction to Microsoft Office applications. The program will begin on Monday, Oct. 8, and will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m., ending on Wednesday, Dec. 5. All sessions will be held at the Global Switchboard in Lawrenceville. Free parking and onsite child care will be provided. The program is free for those who qualify. Please contact Robin Farabee-Siers at rfarabee-siers@jfcspgh.org or 412-5863773 to apply. Women of Temple Sinai and the Falk Library Committee invite the community on a trip to the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives at the Heinz History Center from 10 a.m. to noon with an optional lunch afterward at Lidia’s restaurant. Eric Lidji, the Rauh Jewish

History Program & Archives director, will offer an overview and highlight family pictures, papers and artifacts donated by Temple Sinai member Barb Siegel. These items date back to her great-great-grandparents. Lidji has described the collection as “one of the most thorough and vital pieces the Archives has received.” There will be free admission to the Archives. RSVP to Susan Cohen at susan_k_ cohen@yahoo.com or 412-363-7745 by noon on Tuesday, Sept. 26. Spaces are limited. (Please specify if you are joining the group for lunch.) Visit templesinaipgh.org/triprauh-jewish-history-program-archives-offsite for more information. The Jerusalem Quartet is holding a concert in partnership with the South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM) at the Carnegie Music Hall at 7:30 p.m. Attendees who bring a nonperishable food item will receive free access to any upcoming Chamber Music Pittsburgh concert. Visit http://www. chambermusicpittsburgh.org/our-concerts/ series/subscription-series/jerusalem-quartet for more information. Temple Emanuel is offering Read Hebrew America Crash Course Level 1 on Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30 p.m, Oct. 3 through Nov. 14. The class, taught by Melinda Freed, is free and open to the community. To sign up, call the office at 412-279-7600 or email templeemanuel@templeemanuelpgh.org. q EVERY THURSDAY,

BEGINNING OCT. 4

The program Better Choices, Better Health is a workshop for adults to interact with people with similar conditions and concerns about health issues. Participants will brainstorm, make weekly action plans, set goals and problem solve to meet those goals. Participants will receive a companion book, “Living a Healthy Life with a Chronic Condition.” The group will meet for six consecutive Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Temple David, 4415 Northern Pike, Monroeville. To sign up, call Temple David at 412-372-1200 and ask for Beverly. q TUESDAY, OCT. 16 The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh will host the exhibit “Stitching History from the Holocaust,” on loan from the Jewish Museum Milwaukee. The exhibit features reconstructed dress patterns from Hedy Strnad, a woman whose talent was cut short by the Holocaust. Helen Epstein, a journalist and author, will talk about Jewish women in the fashion industry. Registration is $10 and is free for survivors and students (with valid ID). q TUESDAY, OCT. 9 Hadassah Greater Pittsburgh and Temple David Sisterhood are hosting local author A.J. Funstuff to discuss her new book at an event about breast cancer awareness at Temple David at 6 p.m. The cost of the event is $10. Send a check to reserve your spot by Oct. 3 to Hadassah, 1824 Murray Ave., 15217, or call 412-421-8919. q EVERY WEDNESDAY EVENING,

BEGINNING OCT. 10

Melton Pittsburgh 2018-19, an international organization for adult Jewish learning, will begin classes on Wednesday, Oct. 10. The classes are sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. To register, visit oundation.jewishpgh.org/melton-adult-

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education. For more information, contact Jan Barkley at jbarkley@jfedpgh.org or 412-697-6656. q THURSDAY, OCT. 11 Chabad of the South Hills will host a Torah and Tea for Women at 1701 McFarland Road at 7:30 p.m. The event will look at “Eishet Chayil-Women of Valour,” the age-old wisdom of King Solomon sung as a tribute to Jewish women. Hot tea and refreshments will be provided. Visit chabadsh.com for more information. q MONDAY, OCT. 15 Temple Emanuel will host a downtown lunch and learn featuring Rabbi Don Rossoff and a conversation on current events from noon to 1 p.m. Free and open to the public. Bring your own lunch. For more information, locations and to register, contact Temple Emanuel at templeemanuel@templeemanuelpgh.org or 412-279-7600. q WEDNESDAY, OCT. 17 Chabad of Squirrel Hill will host “Sweet Beginnings,” a kick-off event for the Love and Knaidels program, which brings women together to cook for others in need. Women will make two pans of rugelach, one to bring home and one to donate, at the event, which will be held at 7 p.m. at Chabad, 1700 Beechwood Boulevard. Admission is $18 per person; a table of 10 can be purchased for $180. Reservations are required by Oct. 14 at chabadpgh.com/sweetbeginnings. Squirrel Hill AARP will feature the New Horizons Band of Greater of Pittsburgh following their general meeting at Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha, 5898 Wilkins Ave., at 1 p.m. The band’s repertoire includes standards, sing-alongs, patriotic, folk, swing, jazz and holiday music. Attendees are asked to bring donations of used eye glasses, cell phones/ chargers, new travel size toiletries and caps for men and women who are undergoing cancer treatments. Items will be donated to the Veterans Administration, Children’s Hospital Cancer Center and Family House. For more information contact Marcia Kramer, 412- 731-3338. PJC

q SUNDAY, SEPT. 30 Community Day School and PJ Library Pittsburgh will host S.T.E.A.M. Senses of Sukkot on Sunday, Sept. 30 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at CDS at 6424 Forward Ave. in Squirrel Hill. Children ages 2-5 and their families are invited to explore the wonder and beauty of Sukkot through science, technology, engineering, art and math (S.T.E.A.M.). At the free event, children will explore the gooey insides of deconstructed gourds, create and share a friendship fruit salad, navigate a hay bale maze, build a kidsize sukkah with recycled materials and much more. RSVP at comday. org/sukkot. For questions or more information, contact Sarah DeWitt at sdewitt@comday.org or 412-521-1100, ext. 2114.

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Headlines Genesis Prize funds groups looking to close Israel’s stubborn gender gap — WORLD — By Sam Sokol | JTA

EL AVIV — Hundreds of women, representing dozens of organizations, sat in the auditorium in this city’s Yitzhak Rabin Center listening to speaker after speaker stand and deliver paeans to feminism. In response, the women clapped raucously. Their enthusiasm was understandable. Representing some 37 organizations dedicated to the advancement of women, they were celebrating their shares of a $1 million grant from the Genesis Prize Foundation and the Kahn Foundation. Chosen by the Genesis Prize’s 2018 laureate, actress Natalie Portman, the theme of “advancing women’s equality” is shining a spotlight on the gains here in women’s empowerment as well as the challenges still facing women in all sectors. The announcement of the grantees earlier this month acknowledged both sides of the issue. In a recorded message, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who recently received a lifetime achievement award from the Genesis Prize Foundation, said she was “pleased and proud of contributions that will be made to organizations

p A panel at a Genesis Prize women’s empowerment event including, from left: Daphna Hacker, head of Gender Studies at Tel Aviv University; Amanda Weiss, CEO and founder of the Bible Lands Museum; Hamutal Guri, CEO of the Dafna Foundation; Aliza Shenhar, ex-rector of Haifa University and ex-ambassador of Israel in Moscow; and journalist Lucy Aharish.

Photo courtesy of the Genesis Prize Foundation

that are doing great things to improve the lives of women and girls, and particularly of bringing together communities — Arab Israelis, Jews, Bedouins — all Israeli women. I think women can contribute a great deal to achieving, some day, a lasting peace.” The organizations chosen focused variously on Jewish women; the Arab, Bedouin and Druze sectors; and the LGBT community. Portman, citing her political differences with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, chose not to attend a ceremony

earlier this year awarding the Genesis Prize, a partnership between the Israeli government and private sector that honors individuals for their commitment to Jewish values, heritage and Israel. Following the Portman decision, Genesis said it remained committed to donating the $1 million in prize money to the cause she had chosen. The foundation received 220 applications from Israeli NGOs; another $2 million will be given away in the United States in a matching program offered by philanthropist Morris Kahn.

The full list of Israeli grantees ranged from Ajeec Nisped, which guides Arab high school graduates toward university and the workforce, to Katef Le Katef, a support program for single mothers, to She Codes, The Organization for Gender Equality in Tech. “Grants announced today cover all geographies, all social strata, and all ethnic and religious groups in Israel, including Jews, Arabs, Christians, Druze and Bedouin,” Sana Britavsky, deputy CEO of the Genesis Prize Foundation, said in a statement. “This is a systemic, across-the-board effort to support the women’s movement in Israel over the next two years.” The director of one of the grantees, the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute’s Center for the Advancement of Women in the Public Sphere, said that while superficially things appear to have become better for women in Israel, a closer look reveals persistent inequalities. Hadass Ben Eliyahu said gender inequality has persisted at similar levels since the early 2000s, when her center launched its Gender Index measuring 74 indicators in 12 areas of Israeli life. The center aims to fill in gaps in gender research, such as comparing women’s salaries with men’s over time. Without such data, Ben Eliyahu said, there was a lack of context in women’s studies research and a Please see Genesis, page 20

Stitching History from the Holocaust Opening with Guest Speaker Helen Epstein Tuesday, October 16 at 6:30 pm Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh (826 Hazelwood Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15217) The Holo Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh is proud to host the exhibit “Stitching History from the Holocaust," on loan from the Jewish Museum Milwaukee. This exhibit features reconstructed dress pat patterns from Hedy Strnad, a woman whose talent was tragically cut short by the Holocaust. Joining us will be Helen Epstein, a journalist and author of Children of the Holoca Holocaust Holocau and Where She Came From: A Daughter’s Search for her Mother’s History, who will talk about Jewish women in the fashion industry. $10 registration; free for survivors and students (with valid ID) Learn m more and register at http://hcofpgh.org/stitching-history/, or call 412-939-7289 Dress Design Sketch by Hedy Strnad from the exhibit Stitching History from the Holocaust Courtesy of Jewish Museum Milwaukee

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Headlines 1939 phone book could be key to unlocking millions in Polish Holocaust restitution payments — WORLD — By Cnaan Liphshiz | JTA

ARSAW — In the small park behind the only synagogue in this city to have survived World War II, Yoram Sztykgold looks around with a perplexed expression. An 82-year-old retired architect, Sztykgold immigrated to Israel after surviving the Holocaust in Poland. He tries in vain to recognize something from what used to be his childhood home. “It’s no use,” he says after a while. “To me this could be anywhere.” Sztykgold’s unfamiliarity with the part of Grzybowska Street where he spent his earliest years is not due to any memory loss. Like most of Warsaw, his parents’ apartment building was completely bombed out during the war and leveled, along with the rest of the street. His former home is now a placid park that is a favorite hangout for mothers pushing baby carriages and pensioners his age. The dramatic changes in Warsaw’s landscape have bedeviled efforts for decades to obtain restitution for privately owned properties like Sztykgold’s childhood home,

making it difficult for survivors like him to identify assets that may have belonged to their families. But for many restitution claimants in the capital, identifying assets will become easier thanks to a recent breakthrough with an unlikely source: the establishment of a firstof-its-kind searchable database. Users need only type in the name of their family to obtain a complete overview of all the assets they may claim under a new restitution drive in Warsaw. It’s a high-tech tool only made possible thanks to the recent discovery of an unpublished phone book from 1939. The World Jewish Restitution Organization, or WJRO, set up the database in December 2016. It allowed a relative of Sztykgold to get the first definitive list of the assets the family had in Warsaw before the war, when they headed a real estate empire. The database allows users to check whether their family owned any of the 2,613 properties that the City of Warsaw said that year it would reopen for restitution claims. Especially in Sztykgold’s case, the database had “a huge role,” he said, because the only adult from his family who survived the genocide was his mother, who “had only partial knowledge of what her family owned.” “Bits and pieces, really,” Sztykgold said last

week during a restitution-related visit to his place of birth. During the visit, Sztykgold also got a rare chance to examine the key that led to the groundbreaking database: a yellowing proofing copy of a phone book of sorts from 1939. It was never published because the directory was being prepared when the Germans invaded Poland. Crucially, the phone book, or registry, contained information that allowed genealogist Logan Kleinwaks of Washington, D.C., to find the names of the owners of thousands of assets, including approximately half of those 2,613 properties that Warsaw said it would reopen to claims. Poland, where 3.3 million Jews lived before the Holocaust, is the only major country in Europe that has not passed national legislation for the restitution of property unjustly seized from private owners by the Nazis or nationalized by the communist regime, according to the WJRO. Instead of passing legislation, Polish authorities and courts handle restitution claims on a per-case basis. Dozens of such cases have been resolved in recent years. Several Polish property owners said that there is no way of knowing how many of the claims are by Jews. As it carries out its controversial new restitution drive announced in 2016, Warsaw

84th Year of the Sisterhood’s (WRS)

Solomon B. Freehof Book and Author Series Thursday, October 4 | 10:30 a.m. Helen Faye Rosenblum, Writer, Teacher, and Community Reviewer will review: “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” by Ottessa Moshfegh

Sunday, November 4 | 7:00 p.m.

Panel discussion based on the book: “My Own Words” by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. The Panel will be moderated by Lynn Cullen, Author, and Radio Talk Show Host. The panel consists of: Rabbi Sharyn Henry Rabbi Danielle Leshaw Rabbi Jessica Locketz Rodef Shalom Congregation

Staged at Trinity Cathedral, Downtown A World Premiere Theatrical Experience including dinner by the celebrity chef of the week

Based on the book by Peter Ackroyd Directed by Karla Boos 412.362.1713 • www.quantumtheatre.com Jewish Chronicle Ad.indd 1

8 SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

Please see Restitution, page 20

Women of Rodef Shalom

poetic. license.

Sept. 14 – Oct.28

periodically releases a few dozen addresses of properties from its list that had been claimed during communism but whose status has never been resolved. The city does not release owners’ names, although it presumably has at least some of them from stalled restitution claims filed for each of the 2,613 assets. Critics of this practice say it deprives claimants of crucial information necessary to gain compensation. Advocates say it is designed to minimize fraud. Once a property is reopened for restitution, claimants have six months to file a second claim. It is an unreasonably short period of time, according to WJRO. But for people like Sztykgold, who don’t even know which addresses their families used to own, the entire 2016 process is irrelevant. Or, at least, it used to be until Kleinwaks “matched addresses announced in 2016 with the names of the owners” who are indicated in the 1939 registry, he said. Today, the copy is kept in the vaults of the Central Military Library, which in 2014 bought it for about $3,000 from a book collector at an auction. The library then scanned the book and published the scans online. Kleinwaks, who had heard about the auction and was

Q theater that moves you.

Temple Emanuel

This Panel discussion is co-sponsored by the Faith Weinstein Book and Author Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Refreshments will be served before the Thursday morning review and immediately following the Sunday evening Review. These book reviews are free and open to the public. No reservations are needed. Everyone is welcome. Teri Cowan, Karen Hochberg, Ellen Primis, Co-chairs

Quantum Theatre 8/27/18 4:31 PM

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Teri Cowan • WRS President

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Headlines Rahm Emanuel will leave a city — and Jewish community — divided about his legacy as mayor — NATIONAL — By Ben Sales | JTA

s Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel prepares to exit City Hall after eight years in office, his Jewish supporters tout his commitment to helping people and his record of economic development in the city. His Jewish detractors, meanwhile, call out his closing of dozens of Chicago public schools and scandal in the city’s police department following the killing of an African-American teen by a white cop. But they agree on one thing: The fact that he was the city’s first Jewish mayor was a non-issue either way. He hasn’t faced significant anti-Semitism, nor do his Jewish backers say they support him because of his religion. “We’re living in an era where a city that has many different ethnic groups and minorities, and people feel very passionately about their group, can elect a white Jewish mayor,” said Rabbi Asher Lopatin, who led Emanuel’s Orthodox synagogue, Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation, for his first two years as mayor. “Deep down, we can put our differences behind us.”

p Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, with wife Amy, announces that he will not seek a third term at a City Hall news conference.

Photo by Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/TNS via Getty Images

Not that Emanuel has ever tried to downplay his Judaism. He was raised in an involved Jewish family, with an Israeli father, and has remained active in Jewish circles as an adult. When he announced Tuesday that he wouldn’t seek a third term, Emanuel paid homage to his Jewish background. “I want to thank my grandfather, who at the age of 13, took an enormous chance a century ago by immigrating here from Eastern Europe, fleeing the pogroms, to meet a third cousin he did not know in a city whose name he could not pronounce,” Emanuel’s

announcement said. “In four congressional runs on the North and Northwest Sides — and in two races for mayor — you cast aside old history and voted for a Jewish kid with the middle name Israel.” In deciding to leave after two terms, Emanuel surprised a city with a history of strongman mayors. Emanuel, who stepped down as White House chief of staff for President Barack Obama to run in 2011, won re-election in 2015, though he was forced into a runoff. And he’s had a contentious tenure. Emanuel expanded the city’s pre-kindergarten and lengthened its school day, but also led the largest bout of school closings in Chicago history and confronted a teachers’ strike. He renovated the city’s riverwalk, began an expansion of the airport and oversaw a spike in construction downtown, but gun violence has continued to plague the South Side. And his announcement came in the shadow of a murder trial of a policeman who shot Laquan McDonald, an AfricanAmerican teen, in 2014. The fallout from the shooting prompted a federal investigation of the Chicago PD, which found a pattern of discrimination. “With respect to the beautification of the

city, the day-to-day workings of the city, the mayor has done an outstanding job,” said Rabbi Capers Funnye of the Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation on the South Side. Nevertheless, Funnye said he would grade Emanuel’s performance as a B- or C+. “The issue that overrides everything in the African-American community is the lack of trust between the African-American community, by and large, in Chicago and the police department,” said Funnye, who is AfricanAmerican, adding that “I don’t know that anyone else could necessarily do a better job.” Emanuel, 58, was born in Chicago to Jewish parents, including a father who served in the Irgun, a paramilitary Zionist militia in prestate Israel. His first, middle and last names are all Hebrew. He attended Jewish day school as a child and, in 1991, volunteered for a few weeks as a civilian on an Israeli army base. His brother Ezekiel is a prominent physician and bioethicist. Another brother, Ari, is a top Hollywood agent. After serving in the Clinton White House in the 1990s, Emanuel was elected to Congress from Chicago’s North Side in 2002. He earned a reputation for pugnacity, and eventually rose Please see Chicago, page 20

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

Sept. 21, 2008 — Olmert resigns

Facing charges of corruption and financial improprieties, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resigns. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, his replacement as the Kadima party leader, is unable to form a new government, so elections are held in February 2009.

Sept. 22, 2000 — Yehuda Amichai dies

Photo by David Eldan, Government Press Office

Yehuda Amichai, the poet laureate of Jerusalem, dies of lymphoma at age 76. His poetry has been translated into more than 40 languages.

Sept. 23, 2003 — Simcha Dinitz dies

Simcha Dinitz, whose long career as a diplomat included serving as Israel’s ambassador to the United States from 1973 to 1978, dies at age 74. He played a key role in securing U.S. weapons for Israel during the Yom Kippur War in October 1973.

Sept. 24, 1950 — Operation Magic Carpet concludes

Operation Magic Carpet, the airlift of Jews from Yemen to make aliyah. Nearly 50,000 Yemeni Jews are flown to Israel during the 15 months of the operation, also known as On Eagles’ Wings.

Sept. 25, 1917 — Amir Gilboa born

Amir Gilboa, one of Israel’s leading poets, is born Berl Feldmann in Ukraine. He makes aliyah in 1937, serves with the British army in World War II, and wins the Bialik Prize in 1971 and the Israel Prize in 1982.

Sept. 26, 2002 — Rabbi Warhaftig dies

Rabbi Zerach Warhaftig, a founder of the National Religious Party and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, dies at age 96 in Jerusalem. Before making aliyah, he was part of a delegation that in 1940 asked Chiune “Sempo” Sugihara, the Japanese consul to Lithuania, to issue exit visas for Jews; Sugihara defied his government and helped save thousands of Jews.

Sept. 27, 1950 — Third Maccabiah Games open

The Third Maccabiah Games, originally scheduled for 1938 but canceled by the British, begin in the 50,000-seat stadium in Ramat Gan. The first games held in an independent Israel draw 800 athletes from 20 countries. PJC

Two planes carrying 177 Jews to Israel are the final flights of PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

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JC ReSound Family_Eartique 5/23/17 10:03 AM Page 1

Headlines

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— WORLD — From JTA reports

Vandals smear pig entrails at office of Australian lawmaker

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The district office of an Australian member of Parliament whose wife is Jewish was targeted by racists who threw pig’s entrails at the front door. The early Wednesday morning attack last week on Mike Kelly’s office followed less than two weeks after an attack on another of the Labor lawmaker’s offices. In the first attack, the far-right Antipodean Resistance group plastered swastika stickers on the door. The second attack took place in the New South Wales city of Queanbeyan, located just 10 miles from Australia’s capital, Canberra. The swastika attack occurred in the coastal town of Bega, 135 miles from Queanbeyan. “The series of attacks directed at my electorate offices are evidence of the need for constant vigilance and the confrontation of extremist groups in our country,” Kelly, a colonel in the military who served in the Iraq War and a former military attorney, said. Kelly, who is married to Shelly Sakker Kelly, also served in Somalia, East Timor and Bosnia. In 1993, he was awarded the Chief of the General Staff Commendation. Orthodox teen wins ‘Chopped’

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An Orthodox, kosher-keeping teen won a “Chopped” championship. Rachel Goldzal, 13, of

Staten Island, won the episode that aired on Sept. 4, beating two 12-year-olds and a 10-year-old. She was 12 when she filmed the Food Network cooking reality show in the spring. She is the first kosher champion in the show’s history, which includes more than 450 episodes. Her win earned her a check for $10,000. There have been other kosherkeeping contestants in the past. Goldzal is in the eighth grade at the Jewish Foundation School of Staten Island. The preteen chefs were required to create an appetizer, a main dish and a dessert in three 30-minute rounds and to include four random, pre-selected ingredients per course. Producers worked with Goldzal and her parents to make sure that all the ingredients were kosher and gave her new pots, pans and utensils to use, VIN reported. They also made sure that she would not have to mix meat and dairy products. She was very open with the judges about being an Orthodox Jew and about keeping kosher. She told them that between Shabbat and all the holidays on the Jewish calendar she cooks “all the time.” She said she learned how to cook by watching her grandmother and mother. She also was enrolled in the culinary program at her summer camp, Camp Nesher in Pennsylvania. She worked with a private chef ahead of the competition as well. The teen said that she wants one day to work as a private chef in a kosher kitchen, as opposed to opening a restaurant like many competition winners. PJC

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Help seniors live safe, independent lives AgeWell Pittsburgh is a collaboration of three agencies that benefit from Jewish Federation support. The goal of AgeWell Pittsburgh is to enable seniors to continue living safely and independently at home and to participate in the community. Over 10,000 older adults and caregivers have been directly impacted by AgeWell Pittsburgh services since the program began, improving their quality of life. Jewish Federation provides funding through

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Involve families in quality Jewish education with their young children The Pittsburgh Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative (JECEI) promotes positive change through three core components: quality early childhood education, engaging families in meaningful Jewish living and learning experiences, and shared leadership. JECEI brings in the entire family through Jewish thinking and dialogue in the community of the early childhood center. The Jewish Federation’s Community Campaign funds this in an early childhood center. * Squirrel Hill JCC Early Childhood Development Center is a Pittsburgh JECEI school

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Inspire Jewish identity and connections with Israel Partnership2Gether aims to increase a sense of Jewish identity and peoplehood and to create bridges between Pittsburgh and Israel. Pairing the Pittsburgh Jewish community with the Israeli city of Karmiel and the adjoining region of Misgav, in Israel, allows Jews in the paired regions to participate in cultural, educational and social exchanges. This engages members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community in activities that foster meaningful connections to Israel, develops leadership and forges lasting bonds between Pittsburghers and people in Pittsburgh to work with the sister cities, works with volunteers and finds host families. PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

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The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh presents

Join with Women’s Philanthropy as we explore

ST. PETERSBURG & RIGA JUNE 16 - 23, 2019

OPTIONAL EXTENSION TO MOSCOW JUNE 23 - 26, 2019 • In St. Petersburg, explore the Hermitage Museum, housed in the lavish Winter Palace.

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For more information: jfedpgh.org/russia-with-love Questions? Please contact Rachel Lipkin at rlipkin@jfedpgh.org or 412.992.5227. Mission Chairs

Laura Dinkin • Teddi Horvitz

Today. Tomorrow. Together.

14 SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

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Headlines Etrog: Continued from page 1

and seeing to their distribution, including Altein’s grandfather, Rabbi Mordechai Altein. While Mordechai Altein has not been traveling to Calabria since the 1990s, his son, Rabbi Leibel Altein, has taken over the family business of seeing to the production and exporting of Italian etrogs, and his grandson, Yisroel Altein is now helping as well. Last month, Yisroel Altein went to Calabria for the first time to check out the enterprise, as he is now overseeing sales and “making sure that customers have what they need.” Seeing the etrog orchards firsthand was “very fascinating,” Altein said. “I grew up with my etrog coming in a box. Seeing an actual orchard and seeing how to get the good

etrogim — some stay on the trees because they are not beautiful — was very interesting.” While the Calabrian etrog looks a lot like an Israeli etrog — the Israeli etrog’s color is a more vibrant shade of yellow — members of the Chabad-Lubavitch community have long preferred to recite the blessing of the Four Species on ones grown in Calabria. The late Schneerson, in fact, insisted that followers of the movement continue the tradition, which purportedly began during the Jews’ wandering in the desert following their exodus from Egypt. “According to the Alter Rebbe,” said Altein, referring to Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad movement, “when Moshe was in the desert and needed an etrog, God sent messengers on a cloud to get them from Calabria.” Calabria, Altein explained, is the “choicest

of land,” according to the Torah, and the Talmud suggests that God bequeathed that land to Isaac’s firstborn son, Esau, designated as the inheritor of earth’s richness in the Book of Genesis. The Alteins’ etrog export business is relatively small, said the Pittsburgh rabbi, although it “may be the oldest.” They export about 2,500 etrogs each year from Calabria to businesses with retail customers throughout the world, including in Europe, Canada and Argentina. The Calabrian etrogs are pricier than those grown in Israel; “a decent etrog” from Italy will start this year at about $120, according to Altein. In contrast, a lulav and etrog set containing an etrog from Israel can be purchased from Amazon for $30. Last year, because of crop-damaging Italian frosts, the Calabrian etrogs were going

p Zach Cohen and Mac Miller pose in a June 2011 photo taken at Emma Kaufmann camp.

p Aaron Maisel, Ben Cohen and Malcolm McCormick (aka Mac Miller)

for as high as $500 apiece. For most Jews, though, reciting the blessing over an Israeli etrog is fine, Altein stressed. “It is obviously clear that an etrog from Israel is 100 percent kosher,” he said. “This is a custom in Chabad to have one from Calabria, but even in Chabad communities, some use etrogrim from Israel. And there are some Calabrian etrogrim that actually were planted in Israel.” Whether choosing a citron from Israel or from Italy, though, there are many Jews who are notoriously picky when it comes to selecting an etrog, Altein noted. “One person wants larger, one person wants cleaner,” said Altein. “Trying to satisfy an etrog customer is not an easy task.” PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Mac: Continued from page 1

said Cohen. “He was a good athlete, but a better entertainer. “He was on the bimah at my bar mitzvah and said a prayer,” added Cohen, whose service was held at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Fox Chapel. Aaron Maisel, who knew the rapper from their time at EKC, also remembered a 13-year-old Miller attending his own bar mitzvah, which was held in Harrisburg. “It was fun,” said Maisel. “He was having the time of his life, this shaggy haired kid wearing baggy clothes. We were dancing with people, having a good time, dancing with girls. We were young.” “At 13-years-old he was cooler than anyone I had ever met,” echoed Jeremy Goldman, a former camp program director, “and I was about 31 at the time.” A former camp director, Sam Bloom, said Miller’s early talent was on display during those summers. “People say he got his start at Shabbat Concert, our talent show on Saturday nights,” said Bloom. “If it wasn’t, it was darn close to where it began.” According to Goldman, “whenever it was his turn to do his act, he brought the house down.” “I once told him, my favorite song was ‘Send Me on My Way’ by Rusted Root. He was like, ‘I got you bro.’ And Saturday night there it was, as if Rusted Root was playing live at camp.” Melanie Cohen, a former camp operations director, noted that Miller clearly had a musical gift. “He just had to listen, he didn’t need the sheet music,” said Cohen. “He was able to listen once and play a song. He had such potential.” Around the age of 15, after multiple years of attendance, Miller told Bloom that he would not be returning to EKC and instead would be focusing on his craft. Miller continued to nurture the bonds he had with fellow campers, however. In 2012, when Reuben Mitrani, a fellow EKC alum, unexpectedly died after a brain hemorrhage, Miller — already a celebrity — “dropped everything and flew to Harrisburg to be at Reuben’s funeral,” said Rachael Speck, the camp’s current interim director. “I think that speaks volumes

Photo courtesy of Zach Cohen

to the type of guy Malcolm was. Fame didn’t change him.” “I picked him up at 7:30 a.m., and he had to fly back to California at 1 p.m. for some shows,” recalled campmate Zach Cohen. “Whatever was going on in California, he just wanted to be present for Reuben and his family and all of us.” By early 2013, Miller had created “REMember,” a lyrical masterpiece of deconstructed grief, and REMember Music, a record label imprint which eventually signed with Warner Brothers Records. The capitalized spellings of both endeavors was a nod to Reuben Eli Mitrani. Miller spoke about his late friend in an interview with The Catalyst, the independent student newspaper of Colorado College, that year. Mitrani was “100 percent genuine and kind. He was very respectful to everybody and treated everybody fairly. He was funny and just someone you could always count on to be a true friend and lend an ear,” Miller said. “I used to send him all my music to get his opinion on it. … We had a very close crew that met at Emma Kaufmann Camp and remained in touch and very close throughout the years.” That group typically gathered, whether in Morgantown or Miller’s Point Breeze backyard, around a bonfire. “To a degree it was kumbaya,” said Maisel.

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Photo courtesy of Aaron Maisel

“Malcolm was on the guitar: He’s going to sing and we’re going to sing with him. But where else do you get to do this, hang out and be around the people you love?” Eric Johnson, a camper who met Miller around the age of 5, when their mothers arranged playdates for the pair, recalled the rapper as a friend who never forgot where he came from. “Even if years had passed since you had seen him last, he had this appreciation for you,” said Johnson. “There were three of us from Allderdice who were in Amsterdam, and we noticed that Malcolm coincidentally had a concert. We bought tickets and sent him a text letting him know Pittsburgh would be out in the crowd tonight. “We had very low expectations from the text,” added Johnson. But instead of a shout out during the concert, Miller did one better. “What he did was announce to the entire audience in the middle of the show that he had received a message from his friends from back home and wherever they were, to meet him backstage afterward. It was great.” Backstage, Miller told his friends that he was “really excited to get a little slice of Pittsburgh in Amsterdam,” said Johnson. “He wanted to know what we were doing there, what we were up to. It was really genuine.” Processing Miller’s passing has tried those who knew him. An official cause of death has been deferred pending additional investigation, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. “He didn’t have to die, especially so

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p Mac Miller wears a yellow EKC sweat band

Photo courtesy of Emma Kaufmann Camp

young,” said Melanie Cohen. “I understand the struggle he went through and there’s help out there.” Six years after losing Mitrani, “and then losing a friend like this makes you question things,” said Zach Cohen. “I don’t know if we’ll ever have the answers. It kind of punches you in the gut when you realize he’ll never be there again.” “While his music was obviously a big deal to a lot of people, and I loved everything he put out, him as a person was unmatched,” Ben Cohen said. “There’s not going to be a day I don’t think about him.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 15

Opinion A second look at Rutgers anti-Semitism charge — EDITORIAL —

n reopening a probe of anti-Semitism at Rutgers University, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights may find in a 2011 incident at a pro-Palestinian event a violation of the civil rights of Jewish students. Or, like the Obama administration’s 2014 probe of the same facts, it may find the case for anti-Semitism too weak to pursue. One change since 2014 is that the Education Department now uses the State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism, which includes some types of anti-Israel activity, like holding Jews collectively responsible for Israel’s actions. We support the State Department standard and see nothing wrong in taking another look at the case. At issue is a complaint against the university over a 2011 event held on campus by a pro-Palestinian group. The event was to be free with a suggested donation. But according to the complaint, organizers charged Jewish students $5 to attend while letting others in for free. The university investigated the event

p The Old Queens building at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

before the Office for Civil Rights got involved. According to the OCR report, the $5 fee was imposed a half hour before the event began and was instituted “to control the number of attendees since the number

of attendees was larger than anticipated.” Witnesses corroborated that “both Jewish and non-Jewish attendees were required to pay the fee for entry.” Finally, “OCR found no evidence that any Jewish individuals who

paid the fee were denied” entry. New in the current probe, led by Kenneth Marcus, the education department’s assistant secretary for civil rights, is an email that was redacted in the earlier investigation. Sent by an event organizer, it says, “We need to start charging because 150 Zionists just showed up!” but that “if someone looks like a supporter, they can get in for free.” Presumably Marcus will look into whether this is the smoking gun to prove anti-Semitism at the event and imputing it to Rutgers. “Zionist” can be a code word for “Jew,” and the conflation of Jews with Israel can be construed as anti-Semitic, according to the new definition. But whether this email had any influence on the fee charged, which seems to have been applied equally to Jews and non-Jews, Israel supporters and opponents, is an open question. The 2014 report did a nuanced job in weighing the evidence in this and other charges of anti-Semitism at Rutgers. The new investigation will focus only on evidence already collected, but will weigh it under a different definition than was in existence four year ago. It will be interesting to see whether that change affects the result. PJC

‘BlacKkKlansman’ recalls the possibilities, then and now, of a black-Jewish alliance Guest Columnist Marc Dollinger

n a dramatic scene, word reaches local officials that the leader of a militant black organization coming to town is intent on stirring up trouble. An undercover operation ensues when an African-American attends the event, taking copious notes and reporting his findings back to his Jewish colleague. In this moment, it seems, the black-Jewish relationship stood strong. Racists and bigots, no matter what side of the racial or religion divide, will face blacks and Jews working together in pursuit of justice. It sounds like an early scene from Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” when AfricanAmerican detective Ron Stallworth (played by John David Washington) surveils a speech by Black Power founder Stokely Carmichael. Instead, it’s the true story of a 1959 speech by Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad at a mosque in Newark, N.J. Years before the events in the movie, in which a black detective and his Jewish partner go undercover to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan, the American Jewish Committee joined with African-American civil rights leaders to investigate the threat posed by Muhammad and his call for black militancy. Even as Jewish leaders concluded that Muhammad’s speech proved more anti-white than anti-Semitic, the episode painted a picture of blackJewish cooperation that anticipated the partnership between Stallworth, Colorado

16 SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

Springs’ first black police officer, and the detective who in the film is called Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver). On the surface, Lee presents a classic tale of black-Jewish cooperation. In this understanding of interracial relations, two historically oppressed groups joined forces to confront the racism and anti-Semitism of the Ku Klux Klan. Jews, committed to the mandates of prophetic Judaism, reached across the divide and leveraged their religious ideals to demonstrate the equality of all Americans, regardless of racial status. In the civil rights movement that predated the events of the film, Jews comprised a majority of white volunteers and offered generous funding to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and his allies. Most contemporary news reports and even historical accounts offered this idealistic and filiopietistic analysis. The black-Jewish story line of “BlacKkKlansman” offers a needed challenge to that simplistic historical understanding. Even as Lee and script writers David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel and Kevin Willmott treat the Jewish detective sympathetically, they are careful not to fall into the trap, so prevalent in much of the historical literature, of moving white Jews into the center of what was a movement created and led by African-Americans. Instead, Stallworth enjoys agency. He is the one who finds an ad in the local paper advertising a meeting of the KKK. Despite the racism within his police department and in the community at large, he launches an investigation, determining its course throughout the film. In a break from the classic interracial motif of more-powerful Jews helping less-powerful

blacks, “BlacKkKlansman” places Jewish detective Zimmerman, as well as the other white police officers in his unit, in supporting roles. Stallworth, acknowledging white privilege as he impersonates Zimmerman’s voice in telephone calls with the KKK, lobbies his Jewish colleague to impersonate him in faceto-face meetings with Klansmen. By redefining the black-Jewish relationship in this more Afrocentric way, Lee corrects a historical literature that all too often marginalized African-Americans in their own social justice movement. He takes an approach similar to “Selma” director Ava DuVernay, who was unfairly criticized by many Jewish viewers when she did not include an iconic image of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel in her movie. Lee and his team go a step further in rebalancing the black-Jewish relationship by showing the ways that Stallworth inspired his Jewish colleague to strengthen his own religious identity. When Zimmerman downplays his Star of David necklace, remarking that he did not identify strongly as a Jew, Stallworth pushes back. And when he asks, “Why you acting like you ain’t got skin in the game?” Zimmerman realizes that his Jewishness matters. Later in the film, he faces virulent anti-Semitism from members of the KKK when he is told to take a “Jew lie detector test” and to lower his pants to see if he had been circumcised. Zimmerman’s heritage mattered; it took his African-American colleague to wake him up from his Jewish slumber. My own research has shown how, taking their cues from the Black Power movement, young Jews were indeed inspired to seek a more serious engagement

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with their ethno-religious identity. The deepest evidence of this film’s investment in exploring black-Jewish relations comes from the surprising fact that the real detective Zimmerman was not Jewish. Lee and the creative forces who wrote and produced the film, including “Get Out” director Jordan Peele, took license to frame this story in black-Jewish terms. With this decision, they offer a 21st-century re-creation of the postwar civil rights alliance. “BlacKkKlansman” teaches us that in a nation so fraught with racism and anti-Semitism, blacks and Jews offered a model of cooperation built on equity and respect between communities. In a riveting conclusion — I won’t detail it here for those who have yet to see the film — Lee connects the history of white supremacy and the KKK to the contemporary political climate. With heart-wrenching cinematic detail, viewers are left to wonder how much progress has been achieved since the emancipation of African-Americans in the mid-19th century. Yet in his crafting of a renewed blackJewish relationship that demonstrates the ways in which Jews learned, grew and benefited from their interactions with blacks, Lee offers a model of hope. With this reframe, we have a vision for blacks and Jews, as well as for other communities, to rally once again. PJC Marc Dollinger holds the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair in Jewish Studies and Social Responsibility at San Francisco State University and is author, most recently, of “Black Power, Jewish Politics: Reinventing The Alliance In The 1960s.”

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Opinion Why a former Israeli military intelligence chief stands with the Druze Guest Columnist Amos Yadlin

srael’s new “nation-state” law, which is widely viewed here as clumsy, unnecessary and unwise, must be amended. That’s why I was proud to join tens of thousands of Israelis on Saturday night in a peaceful, unifying protest led by the Druze community. I came to this city’s Rabin Square to stand with the Druze, with whom I fought to protect the State of Israel. But I also came to celebrate Israeli democracy; the public’s commitment to equality and democratic values; our independent media; and our country’s bedrock guarantees for free speech and the right to protest. It was a quiet, dignified rally, with representation from across our diverse society. In contrast to the ill-advised vote in the parliament last month, this Saturday night rally displayed “Israeliness” at its best. Israeli flags fluttered in the square and everyone sang “Hatikvah,” our national anthem, at the end of the rally. As the initial storm over the new law subsides, any level-headed assessment reveals that its principal damage has been to stir up negative public discourse — in Israel and abroad. But make no mistake: The Jewish state’s democratic foundations remain vigorous, deeply rooted and incredibly resilient.

The law touches on sensitive issues that David Ben-Gurion and the founders preferred not to decide. These matters require time, sensitivity and the broadest possible consensus. They cannot be decided haphazardly, especially hours before a parliamentary recess, and they most certainly should not be decided by the barest of majorities (in this case, 62 Knesset members voted in favor and 55 opposed). The new law does not go far enough in protecting minority rights and upholding the principle of “equality” of all citizens, although this is enshrined in other legal tenets. Due to these flaws, the new law does not command legitimacy. It stirs negative emotions and polarizes the public debate. It alienates parts of the Arab sector and has strained the special bond with the Druze community, which serves in the Israeli military. Moreover, the law has damaged ties with the Jewish Diaspora, especially in the United States, which Israel can ill afford. In a world increasingly defined by images, the new law creates bad optics and plays into the hands of Israel’s adversaries, who are already predisposed to single out Israel in the international arena. The law must be amended in ways that align it fully with Israel’s Declaration of Independence, which states that the country “will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture.” Article 4 must be amended to restore

I hope rabbis take heed No doubt a huge segment of our community cheered the masterpiece essay of Jan Zauzmer (“Dear rabbis, take a stand in your High Holiday sermons,” Sept. 7). Zauzmer recites many among the laundry list of President Donald Trump’s flaws and outrageous actions and statements that we have seen in just one and a half years. He is a president who takes the wrong path at virtually every fork in the road and who, even on the rare occasions when he does something right, causes the accomplishment to be minimized and to fade into the background by taking to Twitter to rail against and demolish his perceived foes. I am hoping that our religious leaders will follow the lead of an articulate writer of character, compassion and basic human decency to make crystal clear to their congregations that our nation is on the wrong path, that this path is anathema to Jewish values and that especially this year, we must exercise our right and duty to vote so as to stanch the bleeding. I continue to be stunned that among a community of honorable people, a people which advocates for social justice, whose credo is tzedakah and to repair the world by helping one person, there remains any support for a leader of the free world whose watchwords are hatred, intolerance, stereotyping and scapegoating. We ignore the sage words of Zauzmer at our own peril and that of our once-great and admired nation. Oren Spiegler South Strabane Township We invite you to submit letters for publication. Letters must include name, address and daytime phone number; addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Letters may not exceed 500 words and may be edited for length and clarity; they cannot be returned. Mail, fax or email letters to:

Letters to the editor via email: letters@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org Address & Fax: Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 5915 Beacon St., 5th Flr., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Fax 412-521-0154 Website address:

law argued that it was time to further enshrine the state’s Jewish character, and this set off an unfortunate competition among certain factions for narrow, populist political gain. Although the measure tilts the balance toward the Jewish identification of the state, it does not override the many checks and balances that infuse Israel’s democracy, including the sacred principle of equality. And don’t think for a minute that some minority political leaders are not using this ill-advised law to grandstand and pursue their own political agendas. The fallout from the law obscures many new, positive developments, including soaring rates of Arab advancement in higher education and in the workplace, including for women. There is much more that needs to be done to ensure greater opportunities for peripheral populations — Arab, Bedouin, Druze and even Jewish — but this misguided law does nothing to nullify or erase the enormous strides that our society has taken toward a truly shared society. This was a case of political “friendly fire,” a self-inflicted wound. But the understandable consternation should not be exaggerated or misinterpreted as undermining Israel’s democratic traditions, which remain strong and resolute. PJC Amos Yadlin, Maj. Gen. (ret.), a former head of Israeli Military Intelligence and one of the country’s best known defense and foreign policy experts, is executive director of the nonpartisan Institute for National Security Studies.

So that’s what the High Holidays are for!

— LETTERS —

the standing of Arabic as one of the state’s official languages. Although the focus of less attention, Article 6, which deals with ties between Israel and World Jewry, should also be amended to underline the strategic value of these relations and to enshrine the principles of partnership, peoplehood and unity. An amended law should be passed by a larger majority in the Knesset and should be written in flexible and broad terms that reflect the dynamic nature of Israeli society. But the sky is not falling. Israel’s democratic character is safeguarded through myriad, overlapping mechanisms, including a wide body of quasi-constitutional legislation, an independent judiciary, a vibrant civil society and one of the world’s most freewheeling media sectors. Moreover, Israeli democracy is resilient and has flourished despite our country’s long and intense struggle for security and peace. Far lesser security and political challenges have seriously damaged democratic life in other countries, Turkey being just the latest example. Democracy has many models. The United Kingdom, a well-established democracy, lacks a written constitution. The U.S. has just two political parties and winner-take-all elections. Israel, unique among democracies, has a low electoral threshold and rules that allow even the narrowest of constituencies to gain representation in national politics. Over many decades, Israel built up a body of quasi-constitutional law that judiciously reinforced and routinized the country’s democratic institutions. The supporters of the new

Apparently, I must be mistaken about what I am supposed to be doing at High Holiday services (“Dear rabbis, take a stand in your High Holiday sermons,” Sept. 7). I was under the impression that I go to listen to the word of God as given to the Jewish people through His Torah. I also thought that I am supposed to pray to God, seeking atonement for the sins that I have committed, and praying for His blessings in the year ahead. I did not understand that the real reason I am to go is to hear my rabbi condemn President Donald Trump. I guess it is important to have rabbis chastise a president who stands behind Israel and condemns Palestinian intransigence and terrorism. I guess it is important to condemn a president who recognizes Israel’s right to choose its own capital city and, in accordance with U.S. law, moves the U.S. Embassy there. I wonder why Jan Zauzmer did not ask rabbis to condemn former President Barak Obama, who supported the United Nations as it rebuked Israel and supported the Palestinians, created a chasm with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and provided millions of dollars in U.S. financial support to the Palestinians. I guess I missed it, too, when she asked the rabbis to condemn President Jimmy Carter for saying that Israel’s policies in the West Bank were actually worse than apartheid South Africa. I guess I don’t understand politics at all. But I guess it is my rabbi’s job to explain it to me on the High Holidays. Michael Roteman Pittsburgh

Correction The Aug. 24 article, “JHF series focuses on ‘imaginative’ community designed for older adults,” incorrectly stated the number of people the Jewish Family and Community Services Squirrel Hill Food pantry serves. The Pantry serves 1,200 people each month. The Chronicle regrets the error. PJC

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SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 17

Celebrations

Torah

Bat Mitzvah

Transmission of Torah values through the soul of poetry

Gabrielle Jayne Keough, daughter of Arin and Ryan Keough, will become a bat mitzvah on Saturday, Sept. 22 at Temple David in Monroeville. She is the granddaughter of Patricia Cluss and Jeffrey Herman, Bonnie and the late Norman Levine, and Elizabeth and Clifford Keough. Gabby is a seventhgrader at Franklin Regional Middle School, and her interests are basketball and creative arts and crafts. PJC

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Rabbi Shimon Silver Parshat Ha’azinu Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52

arshat Ha’azinu is known as a shirah, a song or poem. The Torah has another famous shirah, the “Shirat Hayam,” better known as “Az Yashir,” the song or poem of the Red Sea. In these sections, the text of the Torah is written as justified columns of words, occasionally interrupted with spaces to separate passages. The Talmud, in Megillah 16b, says that “Shirat Hayam” is written in the Torah as a brick wall, with interlocking bricks. One line has two longer “bricks” of words on the two sides. The next line has two shorter “half-bricks” on the sides, with a longer brick in the middle. Between the bricks, there are empty spaces. In the Scroll of Esther, the “song” relating the downfall of the 10 sons of Haman is written in two long thin columns. This is because the wicked should not be able to stand up — a tower of single bricks will topple. An interlocking wall, on the other hand, has strength. If so, why is it that the song of Ha’azinu is written in two parallel columns, with a space (gutter) going down the length of the shirah? There is no interlocking. What is the difference between “Shirat Hayam” and Ha’azinu? Why is Ha’azinu like the song of the wicked? Rabbeinu Nissim (Gerona, 1320-1376) answers: Ha’azinu includes a passage about the downfall of the wicked. In addition, the two columns are not made up of short bricks, but long bricks, with a shorter space. This does not fully answer the question. Why would it not be interlocking as well? It is quite obvious that “Shirat Hayam” is all about the joy and exultation felt when Israel experienced the revelation of the Shechina, the Divine Presence. They felt the warmth and closeness of Hashem and were inspired to song. Ha’azinu, however, is a poem of rebuke. Moshe is about to take leave of Israel, and he warns them about what lies ahead. If they misbehave, terrible consequences will result. He actually records the type of misbehavior. But then why is it called a shirah, which usually means a more positive type of song? The power of poetry and song is greater than that of ordinary prose or conversation. Both serve to connect two people. Conversation communicates logical thoughts and ideas. Song, poetry and art communicate on a much deeper level. The two souls communicate. What cannot be expressed with mere words can be expressed through these media. Internal feelings, moods and emotions can be communicated. We say in the section of Shabbat and yom tov prayer known as “Nishmat,” “All the insides and kidneys will sing to Your Name,” because song comes forth from the innermost parts of the body. Hidden thoughts, even unknown feelings, can be passed from one soul to the other. Even if one does not even understand it himself — even if neither side understands — the message is passed on, and it rests inside until the time will come that it will make sense or will be felt.

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This passage of Torah was given in poetic form. This quality is greater than the quality of regular Torah. It is Torah studied as a song. It can penetrate many barriers between the two parties. At the Red Sea, Moshe and Israel, and in many ways Hashem Himself, were all able to come together on a very internal and deep level. The song is an expression of this joining of the souls. The interlocking pattern shows this connectivity. The spaces show that there really does exist a distance between Israel and Hashem, but there is also a connection. The middle bricks break the barriers. In Ha’azinu the theme is indeed rebuke. But the purpose is to connect the new generation with the old. The central verses are “Remember the [history of] the days of the world. Make

The power of poetry and song is greater than that of ordinary prose or conversation. sure to understand the years of each generation. Ask your father so that he will relate [the history] to you, and your grandfather, that he may say it to you!” The later generation will not have witnessed the events witnessed by the earlier generations. They will never be able to see them visually. Only if their fathers somehow are able to convey the feelings and experiences, will they ever gain any insight into history. Even then, they will never fully understand it. This is why the introduction of this song calls on the Heavens and Earth to testify. There will come a time in the future that a generation will be totally ignorant of the great experiences, they will not understand them, or they will not believe them! Rebuke implies two parties on opposite sides, with a space or barrier between them. In addition, there is a generation gap. Through the medium of poetry, they can come together and understand each other. Their souls can communicate and connect. Moshe realized that after he departed there would be a distance between himself and Israel. There would no longer be that connection. Through this shirah they would be able to relate to him until the end of time. Every single Israelite, in every generation, can relate to the soul of Moshe through song in a way that he does not even understand. The soul is connecting to the soul. This song embodies the power of mesorah, transmission of the Torah. PJC Rabbi Shimon Silver is the spiritual leader of Young Israel of Greater Pittsburgh. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh.

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Obituaries BELKIN: David Belkin, 88, of Murrysville, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, September 10, 2018. Beloved husband of the late Estelle Belkin; loving and devoted father of Richard, Glenn and Randi (Sam) Lichtenstein; proud grandfather of Matt, Ryan, Jacob and Daniel; brother of Arnold, Jack and the late Edgar Belkin and Eleanor Bernstein; and uncle of many nieces and nephews. He was the son of the late Morris and Rebecca Belkin, and a longtime Pittsburgh-area pharmacist. Funeral private. Arrangements by the D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd., Lawrenceville. dalessandroltd.com

and Abigail; and adoring great-grandmother of Levi. Sister of Milton (Sarita) Eisner and Behney (Elyse) Eisner. Ruth Ann was born and raised in Pittsburgh by her parents Lena (Diamond) and Clarence Eisner. Ruth Ann was kind, caring and compassionate. She loved spending time with family, especially holiday gatherings around the dinner table. Ruth Ann will be greatly missed. Services and interment private. Contributions in Ruth Ann’s memory can be made to Hillman Cancer Center, 5150 Centre Avenue, Suite 1B, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 or a charity of the donor’s choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com

HALLE: Ernest Michael Halle, age 85, of Highland Beach, Fla., formerly of Scott Twp., Pa., passed away peacefully on Monday, September 3, 2018. Beloved husband of Ruth (Stein) Halle; loving father of Steven (Joanne) Halle, Howard (Amy) Halle and Jennifer Halle; proud grandfather of Alex Benjamin Halle; brother of the late Marianne Sufrin. Graveside services were held at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, 826 Hazelwood Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or 412 Food Rescue, 6022 Broad Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Professional services trusted to D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd.

LIVINGSTON: Carolyn Livingston, on Friday, September 14, 2018. The following quote that was so eloquently written by Carolyn to be placed on the family headstone lists the family legacy. “A lifetime of enduring love, romance, devotion, passion and so much laughter enjoyed and shared. This belongs to Carolyn and Marty. Their legacy: Best sons — Leo and Mitchell, endearing Ellen, joyful grandsons — Samuel and Adam Paul, all to carry on our heritage of family love, humor and good times together.” She was the daughter of the late Isadore and Pearl Rosner; sister of the late Loretta Hull, Ruth Marks, Stanford Rosner and Mildred “Dolly” Rosner. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Tree of Life Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation Livingston Fund, 5898 Wilkins Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. schugar.com

HERSCH: Bradley Hersch, on Friday, September 14, 2018. Beloved husband of 41 years to Marilyn Hersch. Devoted father of Max Hersch (Alison) and Steven (Xinlei) Hersch. Cherished son of Morton and Gloria Hersch. Brother of Russell (Roz) Hersch. Loving “Papa” to Kali Hersch. Also survived by extended family and friends. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Ahavath Achim Cemetery, Kennedy Twp. Contributions may be made to Bugles Across America, buglesacrossamerica.org or Hillman Cancer Center, 5115 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232. schugar.com KLEIN: Ruth Ann (Eisner) Klein, passed away peacefully on September 13, 2018. Beloved wife of 63 years to Eugene Klein. Loving mother of Cary (Kathy) and Amy (Jack) Silverman; proud grandmother of Joshua (Sam), Julie (Evan), Andrew, Jessica

TERKEL: Dr. Frederick J. Terkel, passed away on September 11, 2018. Beloved husband of Helene Terkel; loving father of Amy (Dan) Mandel, Heidi (Barry) Daitch and Marcy (Eric) Mercer; cherished grandfather of Michael (Marin) Mandel, Nicole (Phillip) Tenzel, Carly Daitch, Julie Daitch, Joshua Mercer, Samantha Mercer and Alex Mercer; dear brother of Marshall (Marlene) Terkel. Dr. Terkel was born and raised in Pittsburgh where he graduated from University of Pittsburgh undergrad and medical school. He was a family physician with a private practice and affiliated with Shadyside Hospital for over 35 years. He and his wife Helene were married for 62 years. The family would like to give special thanks to Trustbridge Hospice for their extraordinary care. Donations may be made to the Trustbridge Hospice Foundation (trustbridgefoundation.org). PJC

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

In memory of...

A gift from ...

In memory of...

Anonymous ............................................................Meyer Rosenthal

Harry & Lisa Levinson ........................................... LeeAnn Levinson

Marion Brooks................................................Florence M. Supowitz

Mrs. Alvin Mundel ....................................................Alvin S. Mundel

Hyla & Sandor Caplan.............................................Louis Sadowsky

Rona Mustin ..........................................................Bessie Ruth Roth

Rita K. Cohen ............................................................. Ethel I. Krauss

Joan Pettler .......................................................Eleanor Wolk Pettler

Carol M. Crook ...........................................................Ruth O. Martin Eileen Fox.................................................................... Israel Samuel Bruce Goldberg..............................................................Bessie Roth Lucille C. Gordon & Corrine C. Denmark ......Mary Levinson Cohen Paul N. Herman .............................................. Leana Meyer Herman Jean Horne................................................................... David Cohen Marian & Charles F. Jacobs .............................Ruth Klein Fischman

Joan Pettler .............................................................. Isaac W. Pettler Shirley Preny ........................................................Beloved Departed Sylvia Reznick ..........................................................Emery P. Kubrin Sylvia Reznick ................................................................. Dave Miller Marc Rice .........................................................Aaron Joel Schwartz Simma & Lawrence Robbins ......................................... Sam Nadler

Harvey Klein .................................................................Edward Klein

Mrs. Jeanne F. Schimmel..................................... Ruth K. Fischman

Aaron Krouse .................................................Ida Magdovitz Krouse

Claire & Morris Weinbaum ..........................................Allen Lebovitz

Aaron Krouse ..............................................................Selma Krouse

Andrea Whitehurst ..........................................Sara Cukerbaum Bull

Marjorie Landay ..................................................Sylvia Rosenzweig

Carole Wolsh ........................................................... Estherita Cohen

THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday September 23: Joseph Bowytz, Freda K. Unikel Bregman, Leah Breman, Dr. Jacob Brodie, Dora Brody, Loretta Brody, Sadie Colton, Bess R. Escott, Laura Fletcher, Helen Goldfeder, Leana M. Herman, Sarah Lefton, LeeAnn Levinson, Harold Martin Lewis, Celia Miller, Mollie Osgood, Dr. Gerald L. Ostfield, Elizabeth L. Ostfield, MD, Israel Raphael, Clarence Rosenberg, Bessie Ruth Roth, Albert Solomon, Henry Ziskind Monday September 24: Beatrice Ash, Morris R. Cohn, Max Dine, Jacob Florman, Bess Hansell, Millie Kanowitz, Morris Kempler, Selma Krouse, Pvt. Isadore Levy, Ernest Mannheimer, Katie Levine Marcus, Anna Mazer, Bella Olinsky, Esther Simon, Max Staman, Anna Stein, Nathaniel Steinberg, Barbara Ruth Weisenberg, Louis Wesoky, Louis Aaron White, Milton Wirtzman Tuesday September 25: Jack Bergad, Cecilia Weis Bluestone, Frances Sylvia Brown, Ann Colker, Annette Klee, Charles Kovacs, Bernard S. Labbie, Sadie Moldovan, Joseph Moskovitz, Samuel H. Richman, Louis M. Sachs, Aaron Joel Schwartz Wednesday September 26: Leo Berkowitz, Gilbert B. Cramer, Iris Cummings, Murray Feiler, Rose Fisher, Jack Hirsch, Joseph Louis Hochman, Rose Isaacson, Sophia Korsunsky, Sam Nadler, David Nathaniel Racusin, Walter Jacob Robins, Clara Rosenfeld, Myer Shapiro, Ben Shrager Thursday September 27: Ida M. Breman, Sam Chizeck, Judith Kochin Cohen, Alexander J. Goodwin, Lillie Levy, Shirley Watchman Loefsky, Selma Luterman, Esther Mallinger, Rose L. Miller, Sarah Mormanstein, Lena Newberg, Sadye Breman Novick, Rose Cohen Rattner, Mollie Robins, Joseph Scott Friday September 28: Allan H. Barnett, Dr. Elliott Brodie, Allen A. Broudy, Fannie Sulkes Cohen, Shachny Grinberg, Jeanette Gross, Rebecca Herman, Anita Lois Hirsch, Pauline Klein, Paul G. Lazear, Clara M. Oberfield, Harry Pearl, Melvin N. Rosenfield, William Sable, Tillie Scott, Hyman Shussett, Jacob Soffer, Samuel Supowitz Saturday September 29: Harry Americus, Jacob Feigus, Ruth Klein Fischman, Harry Girson, Samuel W. Gould, Albert Halle, Jacob Samuel Kuperstock, Jack H. Mar, Samuel Moskowitz, Nathan Osgood, Anna Paris, Eli J. Rose, Anna Rosenfeld, William Rosenstein, Bertram W. Roth, Essak Weiner

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SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 19

Headlines Genesis: Continued from page 7

subsequent lack of reliable hard data for use by activists and policymakers. “It’s important because if you just see the situation of women, you will see great improvements over the years,” she said. However, despite advances, women have yet to catch up with men — and in the case of the salary gap have actually fallen behind over the past two years. While the rate of women earning university degrees has increased dramatically — “women are now more educated than men in Israel,” Ben Eliyahu said — this has not translated into greater equality in the workplace. “Look at the Cabinet,” she said, referring to the government’s circle of ministers. “There will never be more than four or five women ministers.” Other indicators have been more positive. According to a 2015 Treasury report, Israeli women have entered the workforce at a faster rate than their counterparts in the Organization for Economic Cooperation

Restitution: Continued from page 8

eagerly awaiting access to the book’s content, then used software he developed to build an owners’ database from the phone book, matching it with the 2,613 addresses. So far, the City of Warsaw has reopened only about 300 of the restitution claims from the list of 2,613, and not one of the claimants has received compensation. Kleinwaks said he does not know how many people are using his database to mount claims. He has reached out personally to more than a dozen families whose names he found, he said, and some of them have subsequently initiated restitution work. None of the Sztykgold family’s assets — there are over a dozen of them — have been reopened for restitution. But the Sztykgold family is already doing the footwork — locating birth certificates, building a family

Chicago: Continued from page 9

to become chair of the House Democratic Caucus. In 2009, he departed Congress to serve as Obama’s first chief of staff. While living in Chicago, Emanuel would attend services at Anshe Sholom and was an outspoken supporter of Israel. Steve Nasatir, president of the Jewish United Fund, Chicago’s Jewish federation, praised Emanuel as having done a good job in a difficult position. “There’s no question that there was a sense of community pride in having a Jewish mayor elected in Chicago, coming from a family that was connected to the Jewish community,” Nasatir said. But Nasatir said the federation’s relationship with this mayor wasn’t much different from its relationships with Emanuel’s predecessors — whether the powerful Richard 20 SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

and Development. At the same time, the average monthly salary for an Israeli woman was 7,666 shekels ($2,100) versus 11,219 ($3,100) for men. Some 62,880 women were in senior managerial positions versus 100,835 men, according to the Gender Index, and men were five times more likely than women to be CEOs. This is something that another of the grantees is trying to change. Jasmine trains women to serve as members of corporate, public and NGO boards. Only 21-23 percent of members of corporate boards in Israel are women, according to Smadar TzalalichinSabo, who volunteers at the organization. “Only 4 percent of small businesses are owned by women,” she said, “and in the Arab sector it’s even smaller.” While women have yet to reach full equality in the Cabinet, when it comes to national politics as a whole, “you can definitely see an improvement,” said Chen Friedberg of the Israel Democracy Institute. Female representation in the female has increased dramatically, from 12 woman legislators in the late 1980s to more than 30 today. “It’s not 50 percent yet, but it’s a nice

improvement,” she said, adding that while the haredi Orthodox parties still ban females from their electoral lists, many other parties are now or have been headed by women. One of the most discussed examples of gender inequality in Israel is the Chief Rabbinate’s control over marriage and divorce issues. Women are unable to unilaterally divorce their husbands and require a writ of divorce known as a get. Women are also prohibited from serving on rabbinical courts, creating a power imbalance. Genesis awarded grants to a number of groups working in the haredi sector, including Kemach (Movilot) and Mati, which support haredi (and in the case of Meti, Arab) women in the workplace; We Power, offering advocacy training for underprivileged Orthodox and Arab women; and Women and Their Bodies, which educates Arab and Orthodox women on sexuality, reproductive health and reproductive rights. “We have tremendous civil rights and women are achieving top positions, but individually there are areas where a woman does not have control over her life,” said

Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll, co-founder of Chochmat Nashim, an organization that “combats extremism and the erasing of women in Orthodox Jewish society.” (It was not a grantee.) “You have a situation where a woman can be a Supreme Court justice but can’t get a divorce. It’s a big dichotomy.” However, she said, while it is happening slowly, change is occurring. While women cannot sit on religious courts, they have started appearing on the committees that appoint rabbinical judges and to appear in religious courts as advocates. “It’s a big change, but it’s not enough yet,” Keats Jaskoll said. Overall, Ben Eliyahu cautioned that the situation is too complicated to be measured by one or even several yardsticks. “There are different kinds of indicators that can show improvement, but the overall picture is very stable and that is the [index’s] strongest finding,” she said. “People think that everything is much better now and we don’t need all these feminists, but when we look at the hard data it’s not true. The gap persists and remains stable.” PJC

tree, proving they are the only heirs and many other bureaucratic chores — so that when their assets are reopened, they would have a hope of making the six-month deadline. Gideon Taylor, WJRO’s chair of operations, said it was “a very positive step” by Polish authorities to purchase and make available online the 1939 registry. “But Poland has to now follow through and make that information actionable for heirs, instead of introducing procedure that make it more difficult to reclaim properties,” he said. Unlike her husband, Liora Sztykgold, 77, can’t even use the WJRO database to find out whether her parents had any assets that are being reopened for restitution. An orphan who was left in the care of a Catholic convent, she knows neither her birth name nor her date of birth. “It’s not about money,” said Liora, who has two children with Yoram. “Of course, we’d

like to leave more to the grandchildren. It’s about achieving a measure of justice.” Poland has returned communally owned properties worth many millions of dollars to Jewish and Christian organizations, among others. But it has resisted calls to pass legislation on privately owned properties. In Warsaw, attempts to achieve justice on restitution are complicated, messy and feature many non-Jewish claimants. About half of the 2,613 assets on the list being reopened were probably owned by non-Jewish Poles, according to Kleinwaks. But “there is a general unwillingness to touch the issue,” according to Konstanty Gebert, a Jewish journalist for the Gazeta Wyborcza daily. This is largely because of corruption scandals plaguing it, he said but additionally, “Many Poles feel the entire nation suffered under Nazism and communism, and that it’s wrong for only a few to get restitution.” Then there are cases like that of Krystyna

Danko, a non-Jewish woman who risked her life to save Jews during the Holocaust. She was forced out of her home at the age of 100 after the building where she had been living for decades on the ground floor was returned in 2016 to restitution claimants from Paris. (The claimant, Emilia Radziun, who owns a supermarket in the French capital, has told the Polish media that she is not Jewish. She did not reply to attempts to reach her.) Now Danko lives in a public housing building on the sixth floor, where her wheelchair barely fits the rickety elevator. Her son, Wojciech, says that his mother, who is nearly 102, went blind during the weeks of the move from the stress involved. “What happened to my mother wasn’t just, but I understand the Jewish perspective of seeking justice through restitution,” he said. “I think we need legislation and a compromise because the way this is going isn’t good for too many people.” PJC

Daley, who served for more than two decades, or Harold Washington, the city’s first African-American mayor. “Our relationship with the mayors over the last 40, 50 years, from my perspective has been always outstanding,” he said. “Our relationship with this mayor was very, very good and if there’s a difference, it’s just because you happen to talk to someone who’s a Jew.” His Jewish allies said Emanuel’s religion would express itself in the priorities he advanced, like trying to make the city more prosperous and improve its education system. “He’s a very good man, he’s a committed, passionate man,” Lopatin said. “I know how deeply committed he is to doing good in society and making a difference.” But that feeling is far from universal among Chicago Jews. Liberal activists say he didn’t help the schools, he gutted them. And they say his focus on economic develop-

ment didn’t extend to the African-American communities of the South Side. “Rahm was the furthest thing we’ve ever had from a Jewish leader, from a Jewish mayor, in the city,” said Tamar Manasseh, a Jewish activist who runs Mothers Against Senseless Killing, an organization combating gun violence on the South Side. “Rahm espoused no Jewish values whatsoever. He had a connection to a Jewish mother, but not to a Jewish God.” Judy Levey, executive director of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, a Chicago social justice group, said she was excited initially to have a Jew in City Hall. But she said the mayor has not met the group’s expectations when it comes to helping the city’s immigrants, reforming its police department and boosting its poor neighborhoods. “We looked forward to working with Mayor Emanuel on issues that reflect our Jewish values, such as immigration and police accountability,” Levey wrote in an

email. “While Mayor Emanuel worked successfully to bring white collar jobs and investment to the city, he was much less successful at addressing the deep economic disparities and disinvestment that continue to plague Chicago’s neighborhoods.” Whatever his legacy in Chicago, a few people said that they were surprised by Emanuel’s decision to forgo a third term. But Rabbi Jack Moline, who has been described as Emanuel’s rabbi, says Emanuel saw himself serving only two terms when he started, and that he wouldn’t be surprised if Emanuel returns to politics after a short break. “He has a lot of talent and he has the kind of energy that is necessary to make a difference in the values that he and I share,” said Moline, now the president of the Interfaith Alliance, a liberal religious advocacy group. “I expect that there is another place for him to express that, although I have given up predicting what Rahm Emanuel is going to do.” PJC

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SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 21

Community Friendship Circle kicks off a new season

Private schools cross country meet Students from Community Day School, Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh and St. Edmund’s Academy competed in a cross country meet on Sept. 13 at Bartlett Street Park. The meet was the first of the season for many of the the private school students and a chance to run off some summer rust.

p Teen leadership board members Ayala Rosenthal, Macey Levick, Emily Pressman, Natalie O’Connor, Andrea Holber and Sydné Ballengee with teen member coordinator, Hayli Firtell, at Friendship Circle’s teen program orientation and signup.

p Ilyssa Bails and Abigail Naveh smile as they prepare with their CDS teammates.

p Friendship Circle kicked off the New Year by picking apples at Simmons Farm. A picnic lunch was enjoyed afterward where they celebrated Sydney Smith and Spencer Dennis’ birthdays.

p Avi, Mendy and Adina Waren, Carly Caplan, Madison Zunder and Daisy Vazquez pick apples together. Photos courtesy of Friendship Circle

22 SEPTEMBER 21, 2018

p Akiva Weinkle, Aaron Grant, Jay Ross Szczypinski, Adam King, Daniel Levin, Jonah Rosenberg and AJ Tannenbaum of CDS

p Hillel Academy’s Dov Gelman shows grit as he nears the finish line.

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Photos courtesy of Community Day School

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Community JCC 123rd Annual Meeting The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh held its 123rd Annual Meeting on Sept. 6 at the JCC in Squirrel Hill. Prior to the meeting, JCC President and CEO Brian Schreiber was surprised with a celebration of his 20 years of service at the JCC; recognition included a proclamation by the City of Pittsburgh declaring the day as Brian Schreiber Day. Also speaking at the reception was Jonathan Mayo, who shared his experiences of the journey behind the creation of the award-winning 2017 documentary, “Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel.” He was joined by a surprise guest, and catcher for Team Israel featured in the film, Ryan Lavarnway, who has been called up to play with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The film was shown at the JCC Annual Meeting following the reception.

p Ryan Lavarnway (left) and Jonathan Mayo: “The experience of getting to play for Team Israel was a life-changing experience for me,” said Ryan Lavarnway, catcher for Team Israel featured in the film “Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel.” Lavarnway, who grew up in a nonobservant home, added that “being embraced by the whole Jewish Community as part of Team Israel helped me in finding the connection to Judaism in myself.”

p Brian Schreiber (right), JCC president and CEO, presents the RogalRuslander Leadership Award to William Isler. p Jay Latterman (center) with Ida & Samuel Latterman Volunteer Mitzvah Award recipients Scott Seewald (left) and Josh Farber

Macher & Shaker For the seventh year in a row, Jewish Family and Community Services was among the winners of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s annual “Top Workplaces Award.” Each year, the Post-Gazette surveys employees from across the region by having them fill out extensive questionnaires about their place of work. The survey addresses areas including connection to mission and goals, employee engagement, leadership and company direction.

AARP begins Fall season

p Brian Schreiber (left) with S.J. Noven Koach Awardee Scott Leib

t AARP Chapter #3354 began its new season by meeting at Tree of Life * Or L’Simcha on the corner of Shady Ave. and Wilkins Ave. in Squirrel Hill. Entertainment for the day was Patsy Cline Tribute Singer Cathi Rhodes, who invited members of the audience to join in the fun. Refreshments were served and a good time was had by all.

Photos courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

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SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 23

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