Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 3-1-19 by Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

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March 1, 2019 | 24 Adar I 5779

Candlelighting 5:53 p.m. | Havdalah 6:53 p.m. | Vol. 62, No. 9 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Startup charter company offers luxury travel to New York

JFilm festival showcases comedies, dramas and documentaries from around the world

Murray Avenue Kosher expands into former Smallman Street Deli

FlyLouie bypasses hassle of big airports.

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

Page 2 LOCAL Teenagers agitate for change

Pittsburgh sends 19 socially conscious teens to BBYO bash.

 A scene from ‘To Dust’

Photo provided by Sara Blue

Page 3 LOCAL

By Toby Tabachnick and Adam Reinherz

Embracing Holocaust education

Bethel Park teacher is dedicated to preserving history for her kids. Page 4

$1.50

Film opens its 26th annual festival on March 7 at the SouthSide Works Cinema with the Pittsburgh premiere of “The Unorthodox,” a humorous romp through the formation of an Israeli political party. The opening will be followed by an after-party. The festival will continue through March 17, showcasing 21 Pittsburgh premieres ranging from a light-hearted documentary about a culinary journey through Montreal to a drama about a religious Israeli’s existential struggle for redemption while balancing life in a dichotomous world. The 11-day festival is complemented by a variety of supplemental programming, including visiting filmmakers, guest speakers and collaborative events with other local organizations. The films come from around the world, including Hungary, Israel, Canada and Denmark. Reviews of six of the films follow. For a

complete schedule and to view trailers, go to filmpittsburgh.org/festivals/jfilm-festival.

‘The Unorthodox’

(139 minutes) March 7, 7 p.m. at SouthSide Works Cinema Followed by an after-party catered by Tallulah’s. OPENING NIGHT. This politically charged underdog story, loosely based on the 1980s grassroots founding of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party, kicks off the JFilm Festival with a humorous take on a provocative subject. “The Unorthodox” is told from the perspective of Yaakov Cohen, a Sephardic father and printer by trade who is moved to action when his daughter is expelled from a prominent Ashkenazi school. Tired of taking a back seat to his Ashkenazi compatriots, Yaakov, his rabbi and a plucky friend form a ragtag team motivated by the pursuit of

or weeks, dark paper has covered the windows at 1912 Murray Ave. Behind the now opaque glass rests the former site of Smallman Street Deli, a Squirrel Hill haunt which for 13 years served Reubens, Rachels, latkes and grilled cheese. Prior to its closing, Jeff Cohen, co-owner of Smallman Street Deli, said the decision to cease operations in Squirrel Hill and focus on the company’s Strip District eatery, was due to “timing” and convenience. “The lease was up … and in the end we felt it was easier to concentrate on the one store due to the fact that our main plant was here.” Occupying the deli’s former space is an equally familiar neighborhood institution. Murray Avenue Kosher, which was Smallman Street Deli’s neighbor at 1916 Murray Ave., is expanding, said Beth Markovic, a co-owner of the kosher grocery store. “It’s coming along, we still have a way to go,” she said. Markovic was not certain as to when renovations will be complete. “There’s no firm time frame,” she said. “If anybody has ever remodeled they know things take longer than expected.” Murray Avenue Kosher has been cooperating with the Allegheny County Health Department and Pittsburgh’s building inspectors as work continues, added Markovic. Customers and community members are excited about the expansion. Rabbi Daniel Wasserman of Shaare Torah Congregation called it a “win-win” for the store and its patrons. “Murray Avenue Kosher is investing in the community and sees stability here,” he said, “and for the community the store owner is

Please see JFilm, page 22

Please see Deli, page 24

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Headlines FlyLouie offers welcome adventure in commuting — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

tartup air service FlyLouie is now offering flights between Allegheny County Airport (AGC) and Westchester County Airport (HPN) outside of New York City, giving Pittsburgh-area commuters a new way to handle the stress of commuting bypassing Pittsburgh International Airport altogether and traveling amidst the luxury of private aviation. Days prior to departure on one of the company’s flights last week, two Jewish women, Julia Takeda, FlyLouie’s CEO, and Emily Marks Kirshenbaum, who oversees the company’s revenue and growth strategy, were in the Steel City describing FlyLouie and its by-the-seat charter options for short-haul travel. The idea is born of inconvenient travel, explained Takeda. Between the mass consolidation of the four major carriers, the number of daily commuters and the underutilization of planes, “the data brought us to Pittsburgh,” she said. When Takeda first arrived here in August, she found a “vibrant city with all these reasons to come to.” Complicating matters were expenses and commercial practices, explained Kirshenbaum. “It costs more for me to get to Pittsburgh than it did to go to London from New York on premium economy.” What FlyLouie does is restore dignity to travel, she added. Passengers can arrive 15 minutes before departure, park for free and walk onto the plane without any of the “hassles” commonly experienced. FlyLouie customers avoid security lines and bag check, are able to bring mid-sized dogs for free and can change names and dates “free

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of charge.” Date-change requests a car in the air. It’s very comfortable can be made “on a space availfeeling. It’s cozy and very conveable basis up until 12 hours nient. I didn’t have to wait to get on before departure,” and passenger and don’t have to wait to get off.” name changes are possible “up “For me the convenience is the until four hours before deparbiggest thing,” said Alan. “This is ture,” according to the website. a great product.” Placing “customers first” By comparison, a return means valuing travelers’ time, commercial flight from New York’s said Takeda. “We can practiLaGuardia Airport to Pittsburgh cally guarantee people on-time International offered a decidedly takeoff and on-time landing.” different experience. A car service On average, patrons will save through New York traffic and “about two hours per trip,” she construction at the airport arrived said. “You can take the inconat 10:50 a.m. for a 12:47 p.m. flight. veniences of all commercial Then came TSA security screening, travel and can throw them a flight delay, gate changes and, p Passengers on the flight to Westchester, N.Y. out the window.” finally, a 1:12 p.m. departure. (It Photo by Adam Reinherz FlyLouie began operating 16 landed in Pittsburgh at 2:56 p.m.) weekly flights between Pittsburgh the co-pilot, described the features of the King The commercial flight cost and New York on Jan. 7. Air 350 turboprop. Inside the twin engine $554.30. Fly Louie’s cost $537. “People really want to see us succeed,” plane were eight seats, plus two in the cockpit. “I flew 80 percent of FlyLouie’s flights this said Kirshenbaum. “We are excited to be in Traveling on the flight to Westchester past summer,” said Ireland. (Fly Louie offers Pittsburgh and want to have long term rela- were David Alan of David Alan Clothing, a seasonal service between New York and tionships” with the parties here. Pittsburgh-based premier concierge bespoke Nantucket from Memorial Day Weekend “We’re thinking of making our hub in menswear company; Darin DiNapoli, an through Labor Day Weekend.) His biggest Pittsburgh,” said Takeda. Emmy Award-winning director, editor, takeaways were the company’s “safety Takeda’s great uncle, Lou, emigrated from producer and motion graphics artist; record” and “quickness.” Europe in 1919, built a business in South Chancelor Humphrey, who captures lifestyle There is no doubt FlyLouie provides Dakota and enabled family members to and creatives “from Pittsburgh and beyond” on “convenience,” but most impressive may travel to the United States. Instagram at @KeepPittsburghDope; and the be the customer service, said Alan. On “Lou led the way,” she said. He helped captain, Justin Ireland from Danbury, Conn. the morning of his flight from Pittsburgh, “create a life and safe passage.” Moments after boarding, the flight departed. the clothier arrived at the airport and was Last week, a 22-minute Uber ride from Bottled water, white chocolate macadamia nut uncertain which hanger to go to. He called Squirrel Hill to West Mifflin deposited a CLIF Bars, roasted salted peanuts, smoked 1-833-FLY-LOUIE. Takeda answered and passenger at Allegheny County Airport almonds, plain potato chips and Pamplemousse walked him through where to go. approximately 20 minutes before the sched- LaCroix were among the many items at hand. “To me that’s what startup mode is,” uled 8:35 a.m. FlyLouie departure. Instead USB outlets were available beside the leather having the CEO be the customer service of snaking through a crowded terminal, the seats for easy charging access. hotline, said Alan. PJC passenger arrived mere steps from the plane, “I have never ridden on a private jet before,” Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ presented identification and was offered coffee, said DiNapoli, although the King Air is not a water and snacks. Chris Poole, who served as jet. “Overall, riding on this airline is like taking pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Teens at BBYO international convention urged to use their voices for social change — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

ittsburghers offering perspectives on the tragedy of the Tree of Life murders took center stage at BBYO’s 95th international convention, held Feb. 14-18 in Denver, Colo. The convention, which brought together more than 5,000 Jewish teens, speakers and community leaders, was branded “Our Turn,” a reference to teens taking up the imperative of social action — including working toward the prevention of gun violence. The Pittsburgh delegation included 19 teens, Lindsay Migdal, regional director of BBYO’s Keystone Mountain Region, Brian Dunn, a member of Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha and art director of Now This, and Meryl Ainsman, chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Ainsman was the recipient of the BBYO International Stand UP Award in recognition of her service to the Jewish community. The convention’s Friday morning plenary session “was all about standing up and taking action,” said Migdal. Speakers included those from the Pittsburgh delegation who talked

p Pittsburgh sent 19 teens to the BBYO international convention. Photo provided by Marla Werner

about the Oct. 27 massacre and its aftermath. “I think for [the speakers], it felt very nice to have a community of people from over 30 countries hear about Pittsburgh firsthand,” said Migdal. The speakers shared “moments of hope and did not just focus

on the tragedy.” The theme of the weekend “and the message to teens was they have the power to take action: If you don’t like something, do something about it,” Migdal said. “Their voice matters, and teens have a lot of power

in this day and age.” Other speakers at the international convention included Frank DeAngelis, the former principal of Columbine High School, Knesset member Rachel Azaria, Samantha Fuentes, a survivor of the shooting in Parkland, Fla., Sarah Hurwitz, former head speechwriter for first lady Michelle Obama, comedian Chelsea Handler and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). Evan DeWitt, a senior at Pittsburgh Allderdice High School and co-president of KMR, said his role at the convention, in addition to helping with logistics, was to be the “main face of Pittsburgh internationally” and also a “representative of our Jewish community that has suffered so much these past months.” “I needed to field questions, discuss with people how they felt and speak when our movement leaders asked for it,” he added. “This led to me and my friend Kaylee, a younger Pittsburgh teen, to speak in front of the order about our experiences following the shooting.” While at the convention, DeWitt “felt that the greater BBYO IC community was standing in solidarity with Pittsburgh,” he said. “Although it was, and is, a difficult Please see BBYO, page 21

Trivia Contest

Saturday, March 16 7-10 PM $18 for unlimited games, hors d’oeuvres, desserts, soda, and two drink tickets for wine, beer, or our signature adult concoction, “Adar You Kidding Me” Cocktail! (Must be 21 or over — ID required.) Hidden Harbour gift card for BEST COSTUME!

Purim fun for the kid at heart! 5505 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 (412) 421-9715•www.TempleSinaiPGH.org RSVP to Rebekah Malkin at (412) 421-9715 ext. 121 or Rebekah@TempleSinaiPGH.org Temple Sinai is an inclusive community that embraces, supports, and values all people, regardless of ability or needs, to participate in every aspect of our Reform Jewish synagogue life. For more information or to request an accommodation, contact Judy Rulin Mahan at (412) 421-9715 ext. 110 or judy@templesinaipgh.org.

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Headlines Bethel Park teacher inspired by Holocaust seminar in New Jersey — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

eigh Ann Totty returned to her post as an English language arts teacher at Bethel Park High School a few weeks ago inspired to delve deeper into the history of the Holocaust with her 10th-grade students. One of 19 middle and high school teachers from seven states selected to participate in the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous’ 2019 Advanced Seminar, Totty said she is now better equipped to “confront the questions that the students might have” regarding this dismal period of world history. The lectures she attended by renowned Holocaust scholars such as Christopher R. Browning, professor emeritus of the University of North Carolina, Joseph Benatov of the University of Pennsylvania, and leading British Holocaust education expert Paul Salmons will inform her teaching of Holocaust literature such as Elie Wiesel’s “Night” and “Maus” by Art Spiegelman. Totty favors selections of literature demonstrating “the great perseverance” of the human spirit so often evident in writings

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Holocaust educators who previously attended the JFR Summer Institute for Teachers at Columbia University. “These educators have shown a tremendous commitment to teaching the Holocaust in their schools,” said JFR executive vice president Stanlee Stahl in a prepared statement. “By attending this intensive, graduate level program, they have gained an even greater understanding of the history of the Holocaust, which will increase their effectiveness in the classroom and enable them p From left: Holocaust survivor Howard Chandler, to mentor other educators who Bethel Park teacher Leigh Ann Totty and Hedy teach the subject.” Chandler (Howard’s daughter) in Krakow, Poland, Totty is an Alfred Lerner in 2016 during a Classrooms Without Borders summer study tour. Photo provided by Leigh Ann Totty Fellow, having attended the JFR Summer Institute in 2008. She was recommended related to the Holocaust, she said. The Advanced Seminar, a three-day for that program by the Holocaust Center academic program, was held Jan. 19-21 at the of Pittsburgh, and has been participating Hilton Newark Airport hotel in Elizabeth, in various JFR continuing education N.J. In addition to Pennsylvania, educators programs since then. Those programs are typically limited to came from Alabama, Florida, New Jersey, Minnesota, Georgia and Delaware. The relatively small groups, which is “part of program was open to Alfred Lerner Fellows, the allure,” Totty said. “I have an incredible

connection with my colleagues, and we influence each other.” To prepare for the seminar, Totty was required to do “extensive reading,” she said, and while at the conference, the schedule was “packed.” The Holocaust, Totty noted, is “an extensive subject,” and the JFR programs help her to hone in on specific aspects that she can then relay back to her students in the South Hills. “I have a great appreciation for JFR, the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, and Classrooms Without Borders,” with whom she traveled to Poland in 2016, she added. Each of these organizations has provided opportunities to expand her knowledge of the Holocaust. The JFR education program, which provides education programs for middle and high school teachers across the United States and Eastern Europe, has worked with more than 600 educators, providing “a firm grounding in the history of the Holocaust and the subject of rescue,” according to JFR’s website. “These teachers are now in a position to teach their peers as well as generations of students about the Holocaust.” PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pitttsburghjewishchronicle.org.

WHY SCREEN-FREE AT EKC?

On average, American children and adolescents spend more than 7.5 hours each day using an electronic device. A multi-year study of 50,000 high schoolers, led by noted author/researcher Jean Twenge, showed unequivocally that the happiest kids use electronic devices less than an hour per day, and that teens who spend more time in face-toface interaction with friends are happiest. So how and where can we distract our kids from their screens while giving them the best opportunities to grow into good people? Send them to camp, of course! At EKC, we encourage campers to more fully engage in relationships, activities and the beauty of their surroundings. Therefore we have a screen-free policy that allows campers to truly “unplug.” While a few weeks at camp is not the only answer to the growing screenaddiction problem, camp can be a great break for kids. Breathing fresh air, connecting face-to-face and not worrying about the “likes,” and what they might be missing, allows kids to relax, be themselves and enjoy what’s right in front of them. —Rachael Speck, EKC Associate Director PLEASE JOIN US ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28 • 4-6

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A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION ON TEEN MENTAL HEALTH Jean Twenge will present more of her research findings about teens and screen use. LEARN MORE: 412-697-3550

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Headlines Diary ‘rescued from the ashes’ details life in Warsaw Ghetto — LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

scar Swan was a Slavic language and literature doctoral student in Berkeley, Calif., in the early 1970s when he was approached by Leokadia and Józef Schmidt with an unusual request. The Schmidts, friends of the parents of one of Swan’s colleagues, wanted Swan to translate the detailed diaries that Leokadia had kept during World War II, including the time they were enclaved in the Warsaw Ghetto. As far as part-time gigs go, it was a good one. Not only did the job provide some extra cash to the young doctoral student, but the story Swan was translating was mesmerizing, filled with intrigue, improbable tales of escape and several brushes with death. Swan translated the journals as requested in 1972, but through the years he forgot about the manuscript, and lost track of Leokadia and Józef. Swan, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh since 1974, was contacted in 2017 by one of the Schmidts’ sons, Marian, eliciting help in finally publishing the diary. Swan learned then that Józef died in 1975 and Leokadia died in 1980. “Rescued from the Ashes” was published this past January, on the 74th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau

p Oscar Swan

Photo by Toby Tabachnick

concentration camp. Swan has been told the book is a “page-turner.” That the diary itself survived the Holocaust also is improbable. The Schmidts recovered it after the war from beneath the ashes of a shed where they hid in Warsaw while their infant son was being cared for in a Catholic orphanage. Leokadia then tucked the diary away in a drawer, where it remained for a quarter century until 1972, when the Schmidts were ready to have their story translated into English. The diary tracks the Schmidt family through the eyes of Leokadia, then a 28-year-old housewife. It covers their time confined to the ghetto in 1942, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1944, the Schmidts’ incredible evasion of a roundup to Treblinka,

on the very last day of the occupation of Poland.” Leokadia’s account of her family’s wartime experiences is “extremely important,” Swan stressed. “This was written when things were happening, and not from retrospect 20 or 30 years later,” as are many memoirs. “It’s very objective.” As an eyewitness, Leokadia’s real-time perceptions recorded during the war add a significant contribution to the historical record, according to Swan. “People who have the right to express an opinion are those who lived through it, not the sons of those who were there,” he said, alluding to Poland’s recently enacted law prohibiting speech accusing Poland of complicity in the Holocaust. The diary, he noted, portrays Poles in an “objective light,” and shows that often it was not necessarily anti-Semitism that motivated them to turn Jews over to the Nazis. “To tell the truth,” Swan said, “people were more interested in turning [Jews] in for money, and not because they were anti-Semitic. In one case, the husband was arrested, and then they gave him advice on how not to get caught the next time. It wasn’t your ‘mother’s milk’ anti-Semitism.” PJC

and their ultimate survival despite a number of “neardeath” experiences. The first-person account demonstrates how unlikely it was for a Jew to make it through the war alive in Warsaw, according to Swan. The Schmidts survived due to their ability to pay bribes — Leokadia years earlier had received a large insurance settlement after being in a train crash — help from others, and on “what Mrs. Schmidt repeatedly calls the intervention of divine providence,” Swan said. After the war, the Schmidts eventually left Europe and found their way to Phoenix, Ariz., by way of Venezuela. Although they and their two sons survived, all of their other close relatives were murdered by Nazis. The diary, Swan said, “is written very simply,” by a person with a high school education and not a “university type.” “There was no way to make it world class literature,” he acknowledged. Still, the story itself is gripping. “Toward the end, it is so unbelievable you would think they made it up,” Swan said. “At the end, they are finally arrested out in the countryside, and they are put into a Gestapo prison to be shot the next day. At that point, the Soviet army came through and released the prisoners. They went through three years of war, and were scheduled to be executed

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

Photo by Rafi Ben Hakun, KKL-JNF

Peduto also planted an olive tree in memory of the victims of the Tree of Life shooting. “I have a long history with the Tree of Life congregation; I knew some of the victims personally,” Peduto said in a press release. “Unlike 80 years ago, when Jews were murdered, when synagogues were destroyed and businesses were shattered, when the community called this time, the police didn’t turn their back, they ran in to help. “Politicians didn’t look the other way or try to hide, they stood up and said never again,” he said. “And business leaders and community leaders gathered as one and said ‘an attack against one is an attack against us all.’” PJC — Adam Reinherz

Peduto visits Jewish state

ittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto visited Israel last week as part of the 33rd International Mayors Conference. The event gathers global leaders with Israeli high tech, energy and cyber companies and urban development experts to discuss smart, sustainable and secure cities focusing on urban development in the 21st century. While in Israel, Peduto visited the Western Wall and placed prayers from several families of the victims of the Tree of Life massacre. Additionally, the mayor visited the 9-11 Living Memorial Plaza created by Keren Kayemet LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), as well as the headquarters of the Jewish National Fund, where a second memorial was made weeks after the Oct. 27 killings.

p Mayor Peduto visits a JNF forest.

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Headlines Road to healing goes through Charleston — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

ebi Salvin was among seven members of New Light Congregation who traveled to Charleston, S.C., earlier this year to pray and march during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Salvin’s decision to participate was driven by a search for “healing,” she said. “For me, being around people who went through the same thing — so they understand how you feel and what you’re going through, because words just really can’t even begin to cover what you’re going through when you lose a loved one to murder — I knew that it would be good for me.” Salvin is the twin sister of Dr. Richard Gottfried, one of 11 Jewish worshippers killed in the Oct. 27 shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue building. Prior to the trip, Salvin and other New Light members learned from someone unfortunately familiar with violence committed in a religious setting. During a January visit to Pittsburgh, Polly Sheppard described how in 2015, a white-supremacist killed nine African-Americans at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. Sheppard survived the 2015 shooting, and

 Members of the New Light Congregation delegation to Charleston are joined by others during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade.

Photo by Brandon Fish of the Jewish Federation of Charleston

during her Pittsburgh address recounted how after the murderer opened fire on those nearby, he passed her over and said, “I’m going to leave you here to tell the story.” Sheppard’s visit to Pittsburgh impacted Salvin, as did the weekend in Charleston. During the trip, Salvin and others visited Mother Emanuel and participated in services led by the Rev. Eric S.C. Manning. In the midst of the Sunday prayers, Manning invited the Pittsburgh delegation to approach the front. When the group neared the altar rail, congregants from Mother Emanuel embraced the group in a collective hug. The physical and emotional bond was

palpable, said Salvin. “As a Jew, sitting in a Christian church, I don’t follow Christianity so [the service] is not going to have the same meaning for me as it would for a Christian,” she explained. “But being in the room with people who were there to support you in a religious setting, because the massacre happened in a synagogue, to me — the way we were welcomed, we were honored, we were mentioned, that they wanted to stand with us in solidarity — that’s what I mean powerful. “Being around people who have experienced what you have experienced starts the road to healing, and I say that because it’ll

be eight years … that I lost my only child,” she added. “When he died there were people who have also lost children who came, and they talked to me, they told me about their experiences, and I call them my fellow path walkers. They got me through the initial horror of losing my only child, so when I talk about profound loss I have had some experience with it.” Salvin was accompanied on the trip by her husband Don Salvin, sister Carol Black and sister-in-law Peg Durachko. Since returning, the group has reflected on their journey and one experience in particular. While in Charleston, Salvin reconnected with relatives she hadn’t spoken to in years. It is a practice that has been repeated since her brother was killed nearly four months ago, with cousins, distant relatives and bygone friends all reaching out. Peg, my sister-in-law, told me, “Well that’s Rich trying to reunite everybody,” said Salvin. “That’s just part of who he was. He loved life. He loved his family. He loved what he did,” she said of her murdered brother. “People looked up to him and admired him, and he did it in a very unassuming way. He was just one great guy, and I feel very fortunate to have not only been his sister but his twin.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Calendar >> 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. q FRIDAY, MARCH 1-

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s traveling exhibition Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race will be at the Heritage Discovery Center in Johnstown. The exhibition examines how the Nazi leadership, in collaboration with individuals in professions traditionally charged with healing and the public good, used science to help legitimize persecution, murder and ultimately, genocide. Admission to the entire Heritage Discovery Center will be free every Saturday during the exhibition in order to maximize the number of people who see it. Visit jaha.org for more information. q SATURDAY, MARCH 2 JCC Big Night University, the 13th annual Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh’s fundraiser, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit the JCC Annual Fund. Visit jccpgh.org/donate-support-jcc/bignight-2019 for more information. q SUNDAY, MARCH 3 Join the Youth Department and the Beth Shalom Men’s Club to watch the Pitt Women’s Basketball Team vs. Louisville, at 1:45 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center, 3719 Terrace Street. Cost is $5, with tickets to be paid for and picked up in advance at Beth Shalom. RSVP by Feb. 8 to Marissa Tait at youthdirector@bethshalompgh.org. Chabad of the South Hills will hold its annual Jewish Comedy Night to bring time to laugh, heal and remember, at 7 p.m. at the Music Hall at the Carnegie Free Library, 300 Beechwood Ave. in Carnegie. The evening features Sarge, a singer, comedian and piano savant. Enjoy wine, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. The charge is $25 for the early bird special, which includes priority reserved seating, and $36 without. For more information and to RSVP visit chabadsh.com or mussie@chabadsh.com or 412-344-2424. q MONDAY, MARCH 4 Beth El will host the fifth evening of the Speaker Series with Rabbi Danny Schiff discussing Israel’s Nation State Law, A Loving Critique at 7 p.m. The series is free and starts with a wine and cheese reception. Visit bethelcong.org to make a reservation. q WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 6-APRIL 17 Caregivers Aging Mastery Program will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, the second floor meeting room in the Robinson Building. This program is not only for caregivers, it is for everyone who wants to learn more about the need to care for the caregiver by focusing on the health and wellness areas in the Aging Mastery Program. The program is open to the community. The cost is $70. Contact Marsha Mullen at 412-339-5415 or mmullen@jccpgh.org to register and for more information. q THURSDAY, MARCH 7-

SUNDAY, MARCH 17

Film Pittsburgh announces the full lineup

for the 26th Annual JFilm Festival — 11 days of international Jewish-themed films, guest speakers, and visiting filmmakers. This year, the Festival returns to SouthSide Works Cinema. The lineup features 21 narrative and documentary films from 11 countries, all of which are Pittsburgh premieres — including the world premiere of “Back to Maracanã.” The Festival opens with “The Unorthodox,” at 7 p.m. followed by an after-party catered by Tallulah’s. To purchase tickets and view schedule information, visit FilmPittsburgh.org. q FRIDAY, MARCH 8 Jewish Family and Community Services will host a program to remember and honor the victims, survivors and first responders of Oct. 27, 2018. San Francisco artist Rabbi Me’irah Iliinsky will present framed prints of her painting, “The Tree of Life is Weeping,” to representatives of Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha, New Light and Dor Hadash congregations and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Prints will also be presented to the victims’ families, to the survivors and to the injured police officers. The original framed painting will be presented to JFCS in recognition of its continuing caring support of the Jewish community. Rabbis and representatives of the three congregations and Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert will be participating. Attendance is by invitation only. q SATURDAY, MARCH 9 Shalom Pittsburgh Parents will have a night out at Games N’ At, located at 2010 Josephine St., South Side. Play throwback video games like Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong and PAC-MAN. From 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., $10 per person includes one-hour unlimited play plus wine, beer and corkage fees. The facility is open until 1 a.m. Visit jewishpgh.org/event/ parents-night-out for more information. q SUNDAY, MARCH 10 “Out of the Shadows and into the Heart,” what Chevra Kadisha can mean to you, with remarks by Dan Leger, Stefanie Small and Rabbi Daniel Wasserman will be held at 10 a.m. at the Jewish Community Center, Levinson Hall. Temple Emanuel of South Hills will hold Bagel Bites: Sunday Brunch at 10:30 a.m. at 1250 Bower Hill Road with Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Foundation Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff. The program is free and open to the community. Visit templeemanuelpgh.org/ event/bagel-bites-brunch to RSVP. Classrooms Without Borders will present Jonty Blackman for a lecture and a Poland seminar meeting and get-together from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Blackman will lecture on Polish and Lithuanian Jewry before the War. Food/light refreshments will be served. There is no charge but reservations are required. RSVP at classroomswithoutborders. org/events/rsvp.php?222. Children ages 3-12 are invited to an afternoon of pre-Purim fun, from 1 to 2:15 p.m. at Chabad of Squirrel Hill, 1700 Beechwood Blvd. Children will bake festive hamantashen to take home and to donate and will enjoy a special ventriloquist/ puppet show following the baking activity. The cost is $10 per child; reservations are required by March 7 at chabadpgh.com/kidscooking. The New Community Chevra Kadisha of Greater Pittsburgh will hold its 14th annual Adar 7 dinner. The kosher dinner will be held at Temple Sinai. San Francisco artist Rabbi Me’irah Iliinsky will present her illustrated book,

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“Mapping the Journey: The Mourner and the Soul.” A commemoration to honor the memory of Jerry Rabinowitz, z”l, a longtime member of NCCK, will be observed. To conclude the program, Iliinsky will honor NCCK by presenting its members with her painting, “The Tree of Life is Weeping.” The painting will be housed on a rotation basis in the homes of members. q MONDAY, MARCH 11 Beth El Congregation’s monthly lunch program with Rabbi Alex Greenbaum will include guest Edd Hale discussing “The Great Castle Shannon Bank Robbery,” based on research of court documents, period newspapers and an eyewitness interview. Lunch is at 11:30 a.m. and the lecture starts at noon. There is a $6 charge. Call 412-561-1168 to make a reservation. Beth El Congregation will host the final evening of the Winter Speaker Series with Dr. Karen Wolk Feinstein at 7 p.m. She will discuss “What is Jewish Healthcare and how do you build a foundation around it?” This evening is free and starts with a wine and cheese reception. Visit bethelcong.org to make a reservation. q WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13 Women are invited to an afternoon of food for body, mind and soul at Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s ladies’ lunch and learn from noon to 1:15 p.m. with lunch and a lesson on the Kabbalah of time presented by Leah Herman at 1700 Beechwood Blvd. The cost is $18; reservations must be made by March 12 at chabadpgh.com/lunch. “Ten Matchboxes” will be performed from 7 to 8 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation. A poor teacher, 10 empty matchboxes and the ability we all have to use our imagination is the setting for Janusz Korczak’s story of decency, honor and the acceptance of each other’s differences. Israeli actor and teaching artist Amichai Pardo of the Orna Porat Theater will star in this performance, which is suitable for ages 8 and up. The performance is sponsored by Classrooms Without Borders. There is no charge. Visit classroomswithoutborders.org/ events/show.php?216 for more information. q THURSDAY, MARCH 14 Chabad of Squirrel Hill will host a Loaves of Love event for women from 7 to 9 p.m. at 1700 Beechwood Blvd. Amy Weiss will lead participants in challah-making, and Sue Berman will demonstrate Purim challah shapes. The cost is $10; reservations are required by March 12 at chabadpgh.com/lol. q THURSDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY,

MARCH 13,14,16

A Revival of “Hadassah, A Persian Musical,” including a new song and all-new staging will be held at the Jewish Community Center, Katz Theater. This is a “Hamilton”themed community Purim Shpiel to stand up to hate and collectively increase the community’s joy. Tickets are on sale at HadassahRevival. Eventbrite.com — and ticket sales benefit Tree of Life * Or L’Simcha, New Light, Dor Hadash and the JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry. q SATURDAY, MARCH 16 Temple Sinai will hold an adult Purim carnival with games, prizes, trivia, food and adult drinks from 7 to 10 p.m. The best costume will win a Hidden Harbor gift card. The cost is $18. Register in your Temple Sinai account or RSVP to Rebekah Malkin at Rebekah@TempleSinaiPGH. org or 412-421-9715, ext. 121. (Must be 21 or over

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— ID required.) Visit templesinaipgh.org/adultpurim-carnival-0 for more information. Beth El Congregation will hold a Casino Night from 7:30 to 11 p.m., starting with dinner and live music followed by games. The cost is $40 per person. Enjoy a 50/50 raffle, prizes and silent auction. Visit bethelcong.org or call 412-561-1168 by March 10 to RSVP and for more information. q SATURDAY, SUNDAY MARCH 16-17 The Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania will hold its annual orchid show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday at The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh, 1635 McFarland Road in Mt. Lebanon. The show is open to the public. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. Visit oswp.org for more information about the event schedule. Contact Sheila Nathanson at 412-343-9457 or Gary VanGelder 412-638-9756 for event-related questions. q SUNDAY, MARCH 17 Temple Sinai will hold a family Purim carnival with games, food and prizes from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $10 and free for children 3 and under; children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. There will be costume contests with prizes for the best Purim-related costume and most creative costume and family kite design competition inspired by the Mary Poppins Purim Shpiel. Decorate a kite to adorn the shpiel stage with prizes for the most creative kites. Contact Debbie Haber at 412-421-7039 or DHaber@ TempleSinaiPGH.org for more information or visit templesinaipgh.org/family-purim-carnival. The South Hills Jewish community will kick off Purim at the South Hills Jewish Community Center with activities, food and lunch from 12:15 to 2:30 p.m. Lunch and admission are free and games and activities at an additional cost. Unlimited game bracelets are available for $8 through Sunday, March 10 at the South Hills JCC and online. Beginning March 11, bracelets will be $10 (at the JCC, online or at the Carnival). Register for the Carnival and purchase your all-you-can-play bracelets at jccpgh.formstack. com/forms/shpurimcarnival. Bracelets will be available for pickup the day of the Purim Carnival at a special Will Call window. When registering, purchase the number of bracelets you would like as well as indicate the total number of people coming. All attending will need to be registered to receive a ticket for lunch. Visit southhillsjewishpittsburgh.org/ purim19 for more information. q MONDAY, MARCH 18 A symposium on the intersection of antiSemitism and the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause will be held in the Duquesne University Union Ballroom at 6:30 p.m. The program will consist of a panel discussion and Q&A followed by a reception at 8 p.m. The program is free and open to the community. Registration at eventbrite.com/e/symposiumon-anti-semitism-and-the-first-amendmenttickets-56020170839 is appreciated, but tickets are not necessary. q TUESDAY, MARCH 19 Chabad of the South Hills will hold a prePurim lunch for seniors at noon at 1701 McFarland Road, including hamantaschen and a musical Purim program. Call 412-278-2658 to preregister and visit chabadsh.com for more information. There is a $5 suggested donation. Please see Calendar, page 8

MARCH 1, 2019 7

Calendar Calendar: Continued from page 7 Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Security Director Brad Orsini will provide hands-on training from UPMC trauma surgeons from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Stop the Bleed is a national awareness campaign and callto-action intended to cultivate grassroots efforts that encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. There is no charge. Visit jewishpgh.org/event/stop-the-bleed-training for more information and to register. Ashton Applewhite, a voice in an emerging movement dedicated to dismantling ageism and making age a criterion for diversity, will be the Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures speaker at 7 p.m. at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave. There is a $10 charge. Applewhite is the author of “This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism.” Visit pittsburghlectures.org/lectures/ ashton-applewhite for more information. q WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 The Squirrel Hill AARP Chapter will hold a meeting in the Falk Library, second floor at Rodef Shalom Congregation, at 1 p.m. The chapter nominating committee will present its slate of officers to the membership for approval. Marsha Stern will give a health report on the importance of home safety and Barry Werber will give a legislative report. Naomi Herman, creator of the blog themindfulfiles.blogspot. com, will address the topic of the Responsibility of Living and Leaving for organizing important

information for families. If Pittsburgh Public Schools are closed due to inclement weather the meeting will be canceled. Refreshments will be served following the meeting. Contact Marcia Kramer at 412-731-3338 for more information. South Hills Purim at the Castle: Party like it’s 357 BCE at the Court of Beth El from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Make your own Purim costume accessories, dinner, activities and Megillah reading. There is no charge. Visit bethelcong.org/events/purimparty for more information and to RSVP. Party with a Purpose: Celebrating Refugees and Immigrants, a Jewish Family and Community Services Young Adults Committee event, will be held to raise money and awareness about JFCS’s Refugee & Immigrant Services at VooDoo Brewery, 205 E 9th Ave. in Homestead from 6 to 8 p.m. One dollar per drink will go to support local refugees and immigrants. Learn more at tinyurl.com/JFCSParty. q THURSDAY, MARCH 21 Chabad of the South Hills and South Hills Jewish Pittsburgh are co-sponsoring Purim in the ‘Burgh, Celebrating Pittsburgh Pride at the South Hills JCC, 345 Kane Blvd. with the Megillah reading at 4:30 p.m., activities beginning at 5 p.m. and dinner at 5:45 p.m. The cost is $10 per individual and $18 per family. Contact Mussie@chabadsh.com or 412344-2424 or visit chabadsh.com/Purim for more information and to RSVP before March 7. Kesser Torah Grand Purim Seudah will be held at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh beginning with the Megillah reading at 4:45 p.m., and the grand Purim seudah at

5 p.m. with activities for the family. Grilliance will provide dinner. The cost is $18 per adult and $10 per child. Visit paypal.me/KetherTorah to RSVP by March 10 and specify for Purim Seudah. Your payment is your reservation. Contact Rabbi Yossi Capland at 502-807-7004 for more information.

than 1,100 Nazi war criminals to justice. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Tree of Life. Visit trustarts.org or contact 412-4566666 for tickets and more information.

Chabad of Pittsburgh will hold Purim Fest at Dave & Buster’s at the Waterfront from 5 to 8 p.m. and will include the Megillah reading, arcade and dinner. The cost is $15 for adults and $10 for children. Visit chabadpgh.com/ purimfest for more information and to RSVP.

The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh’s next Generations Speaker Series guest will be Susan Hawkins, the daughter of survivors from Hungary and Ukraine. She will tell her parents’ story of loss and survival through concentration camps, hiding and emigration. She will also discuss her own recent journey of traveling back to Hungary and Ukraine years later, and retracing some of the places where her family lived. The program begins at 7 p.m. at 826 Hazelwood Ave. Visit hcofpgh.org/generationsspeaker-series for more information.

q SATURDAY, MARCH 23 Shalom Pittsburgh of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh will hold its Young Adult Purim Party at 8 p.m. Visit shalompittsburgh. org/event/jfed-young-adult-purim-party for more information and to RSVP. q SUNDAY, MARCH 24 Congregation Beth Shalom’s Derekh Speaker Series will host Idra Novey, author of “Those Who Knew,” at 10 a.m. as part of a series of talks by authors from across the country made available through the Jewish Book Council. There will be a book sale and author signing at the end. Visit bethshalompgh.org/ speakerseries for more information. q TUESDAY-THURSDAY, MARCH 26-28 Performances of the play “Wiesenthal (Nazi Hunter)” written by and starring Tom Dugan will be held at the August Wilson Center, 980 Liberty Ave. Simon Wiesenthal, a Holocaust survivor, was responsible for bringing more

q WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27

q THURSDAY, MARCH 28 The Jewish Association on Aging’s Amy Dukes, director of memory care operations, will present “Healthy Living for the Brain & Body” at 7 p.m. at the South Hills Jewish Community Center. There is no charge. Visit southhillsjewishpittsburgh.org/ healthy for more information. q SATURDAY, MARCH 30 The Great Temple Sinai Bake Off will have seven of the best Temple Sinai bakers compete for the winning spot. Sample the creations and vote for “The People’s Choice” winner from 6 to 9 p.m. The $20 charge will include appetizers, dessert, two drinks and the competition. RSVP to Kate Passarelli at klpassarelli@verizon.net by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26. Visit templesinaipgh.org/ BakeOff for more information. PJC

Murray Avenue Kosher

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Resolution

SUSAN L. WOLF WHEREAS, Susan L. Wolf has been a most loyal, member of Ladies Hospital Aid Society (LHAS) of Western Pennsylvania since 1952; WHEREAS, Susan L. Wolf served as the 24th President of LHAS from 19821984;

Candle Lighting Time Friday, March 1, 2019 • 5:53 p.m.

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WHEREAS, Susan L. Wolf dedicated herself to a life of volunteerism in our community; THEREFORE, so we, the Board of Directors of LHAS convey this memorial tribute, with love and sorrow, to her family and friends;

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Our heartfelt sympathy is extended to her beloved family whose loss we share. She will sorely be missed. May the name of Susan L. “Susie” Wolf be forever as a blessing.

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8 MARCH 1, 2019

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Headlines — WORLD — From JTA reports

Argentina’s chief rabbi brutally beaten in home attack The chief rabbi of Argentina was brutally assaulted by a gang who broke into his apartment early Monday morning. Rabbi Gabriel Davidovich was hospitalized with serious injuries, including nine broken ribs, according to the Jewish political umbrella DAIA President Jorge Knoblovits. “We know that you are the AMIA (Jewish center) rabbi,” the assailants shouted before beating Davidovich. His wife was home during the attack, which happened at approximately 2 a.m. in the Jewish neighborhood of Once in the Argentine capital. The attackers restrained her and stole money and belongings from the apartment. The attack was a “brutal anti-Semitic aggression,” DAIA said in a statement issued Monday night. The statement, which was signed by Knoblovits, said the attack “is framed on the anti-Semitic events that are taking place in different European countries, which threaten coexistence and democratic values.” A statement issued by AMIA condemned the attack but did not specifically call it anti-Semitic. Davidovich has served as chief rabbi since 2013. The office of the rabbinate is located in the AMIA building in Buenos Aires.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement issued Tuesday morning sent wishes for a quick recovery to the rabbi and his wife. “We must not let anti-Semitism rear its head. I strongly condemn the recent acts of anti-Semitism and call on the international community to take action against it,” Netanyahu said. The World Jewish Congress said it was “shocked and incensed by the brutal attack.” “It is not yet clear whether this was a targeted crime of hateful anti-Semitism or a barbaric criminal act, but we trust that the authorities will continue to do everything in their power to determine the motive and bring the perpetrators to justice,” its CEO, Robert Singer, said Monday. $464 million more paid out to victims of Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme Another $464 million has been paid out to victims of Bernie Madoff ’s $19 billion Ponzi scheme, bringing the total distributions in the case to more than $12 billion. The new payout to 880 former Madoff clients began on Feb. 22 with checks ranging from $429 to $66 million, Bloomberg reported, citing the office of trustee Irving Picard. The total distributions equal about two-thirds of each allowed claim, Picard said. Clients who suffered certified losses of as much

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

March 1, 1922 — Yitzhak Rabin born

Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s fifth prime minister and the first born in the Land of Israel, is born in Jerusalem. He serves in the Palmach in the pre-state era, leads the defense of Jerusalem during the War of Independence, is the military chief of staff during the 1967 Six-Day War, and spends five years as Israel’s ambassador to the United States before becoming prime minister for the first time in 1974.

March 2, 1977 — First woman on high court

Israeli President Ephraim Katzir appoints Miriam Ben-Porat and Shimon Asher to the Supreme Court. Ben-Porat becomes the first woman to serve not only on Israel’s highest court, but also on the highest judicial authority of any nation with a common law system.

March 3, 1939 — Mufti rejects Arab state

The mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husayni, rejects a British proposal to severely limit Jewish immigration while working toward the establishment of a single state of Palestine with an Arab majority and a Jewish minority. He opposes any plan that results in a continuing Jewish presence in the Land of Israel.

March 4, 1987 — Pollard sentenced to life

Jonathan Pollard, who pleaded guilty to espionage charges in June 1986, is sentenced to life in prison for spying on the United States for Israel in 1984 and 1985 while serving as a Naval Intelligence Service analyst. The U.S. government argues that Pollard’s spying has done tremendous harm to U.S.-Arab relations and diminished U.S. influence over Israel, and he receives the maximum sentence.

as $1.49 million will have been paid in full after this 10th distribution, according to the report. Picard has been working to claw back the fake profits earned by Madoff investors. Madoff, a Jewish New Yorker, and his investment firm swindled billions of dollars from tens of thousands of investors from the early 1970s until his arrest in 2008. The uncovering of the Ponzi scheme revealed the tens of billions of dollars in fake profit that victims believed they had earned through Madoff. Many prominent Jewish nonprofits also suffered big losses, with Yeshiva University taking a $140 million hit, Hadassah $90 million and Elie Wiesel’s foundation losing $15 million. In 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 federal felonies and is serving a 150-year sentence in a North Carolina federal prison. He also was ordered to forfeit nearly $171 billion. Bari Weiss writing book on anti-Semitism The New York Times opinion editor and Pittsburgh native Bari Weiss is working on a book about anti-Semitism. “How to Fight Anti-Semitism” will address the “alarming rise of antisemitism in this country and in Europe,” as well as offer solutions, the Jewish writer posted Monday on Twitter. Weiss said the book will be released in September. She is also working on another book, part of the same deal for Crown Publishing,

called “The New Seven Dirty Words.” Since starting at The Times last year as Op-Ed staff editor and writer, Weiss has risen to prominence for her commentary on issues such as Israel, the #MeToo movement and cultural appropriation. Her writing often criticizes what she sees as hypocrisies among progressives, which has earned her both praise and vilification. Israeli lunar lander misses scheduled maneuver due to computer glitch The Israeli spacecraft Beresheet failed to execute a scheduled maneuver required to put it on a trajectory to the moon. Engineers in the control center discovered that during the pre-maneuver phase scheduled for Monday evening, the computer reset unexpectedly and automatically canceled the maneuver, SpaceIL said in a statement. The spacecraft will remain in its current orbit until the next scheduled maneuver and remains on schedule due to several buffer days built into the engineers’ plan. It successfully completed its first engine burn on Sunday afternoon, moving the spacecraft farther from the Earth and closer to the moon. It will travel around the Earth in progressively larger orbits, eventually entering the moon’s orbit and touching down for a landing there. The lunar lander is expected to touch down on the moon on or around April 11. PJC

Name: Greater Pittsburgh Community Fo Width: 5.0415 in Depth: 6.75 in Color: Black Ad Number: 2362_1

Empty Bowls Dinner

March 5, 1891 — Blackstone petitions for state

William Blackstone, a Methodist lay leader, evangelist and wealthy real estate investor, submits a petition to President Benjamin Harrison and Secretary of State James Blaine that calls for creating “a home for these wandering millions of Israel” in Palestine.

March 6, 1948 — Clifford opposes State Dept.

Clark Clifford, a trusted adviser to President Harry Truman, writes two detailed memorandums in which he argues for U.S. support of the partition of Palestine and the lifting of an arms embargo imposed on Jewish forces there. He is standing in direct opposition to policy staff and leadership of the State Department.

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Two seating times: 1-3:30 P.M. Q 4-6:00 P.M. Rodef Shalom Q 4905 Fifth Avenue Q Oakland $20 in advance Q $25 at the door The annual Empty Bowls dinner serves up a simple meal of soup and bread as a reminder that too many people throughout our region are facing hunger with “empty bowls”. The event features artisan pottery for guests to take home, soups from local restaurants, children’s activities and an auction featuring artwork.

Purchase tickets at pittsburghfoodbank.org – click on Get Involved, Featured Events.

March 7, 1977 — Rabin, Carter meet

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Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and President Jimmy Carter meet in Washington to discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace. PJC

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MARCH 1, 2019 9

Headlines An extremist rabbi’s legacy is again haunting Israeli politics — WORLD — By Ben Sales | JTA

n the 1980s, Israel’s right and left fought three fiercely close elections over the direction of the country, splitting the vote so evenly in one case that they were forced to share powers. Throughout it all, however, the Likud and Labor parties agreed on one thing: Rabbi Meir Kahane, the right-wing extremist, was unfit to serve in Israel’s parliament. Kahane called for Arabs to be expelled from Israel, and his Kach party had a history of harassing Israeli Arabs. Before coming to Israel, Kahane was the leader of the militant Jewish Defense League in New York City. Kahane served time in prison both in the United States and Israel. When Kahane was elected to the Knesset in 1984, despite widespread opposition, the other legislators responded by walking out of the parliament en masse whenever he rose to speak. American Jewish groups also frequently spoke out against him. “This dangerous phenomenon will pass because no public figure or member of Knesset supports it,” Likud Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir once said about Kahane, according to Haaretz. Shamir also called Kahane a “dangerous character.” More than three decades later, times appear to have changed: The current Likud prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has pushed for Kahane’s ideological successors to run for Knesset. Fearing that Israel’s right wing will lose power, Netanyahu orchestrated a merger between Jewish Home, a religious Zionist party, and Jewish Power, an extremist right-wing party led by Kahane’s disciples. The merger will increase the united party’s chances of gaining enough votes to enter Knesset. It’s unclear whether any of Jewish Power’s candidates will win election or what influence they might have if elected. But several major American Jewish groups, as well as Israeli public figures, are opposing the move as an endorsement of the extremism once rejected by previous Israeli governments. “I never thought I would see this day,” Yossi Klein Halevi, an American-Israeli author who was a follower of Kahane in his youth and now stridently opposes the ideology, told i24 News. “Every society has its fringe fanatics. But what Prime Minister Netanyahu has done, because he’s desperate, because he’s in an increasingly tight political race, is open the door to evil.” A chorus of centrist and liberal American Jewish organizations opposed the merger this week. The Reform movement, the AntiDefamation League, the American Jewish Committee and several other groups called the encouragement of Jewish Power an unacceptable condoning of extremism. On Friday, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobby, seconded the American Jewish Committee’s condemnation and noted that it has a

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policy of not meeting with Jewish Power. Centrist Jewish organizations, especially AIPAC, usually hesitate to criticize Israel on internal politics. “The views of Otzma Yehudit are reprehensible,” read a statement by the American Jewish Committee, a large, centrist pro-Israel group, using the party’s Hebrew name. “They do not reflect the core values that are the very foundation of the State of Israel.” The statement went on to say: “Historically, the views of extremist parties, reflecting the extreme left or the extreme right, have been firmly rejected by mainstream parties, even if the electoral process of Israel’s robust democracy has enabled their presence, however small, in the Knesset.” Those same groups opposed Kahane’s activities in the United States and Israel in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. In the United States, Kahane’s group militantly protested on behalf of Soviet Jews, including bombing Soviet diplomatic missions in New York. After serving time in the U.S. for violating probation after making a firebomb, Kahane moved to p Rabbi Meir Kahane at a New York news conference, Aug. 31, 1984 Israel, where he went to prison Photo by Gene Kappock/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images for violating an order barring him from entering the largely Palestinian be interpreted as acquiescence to Kahane’s urging of Likud. Kahane was assassinated city of Hebron. expressions and actions.” in New York in 1990, and two years later, Despite legislative efforts to ban his Kahane’s defenders, meanwhile, said he was the Israeli Supreme Court barred successor party, Kach, it won one seat in the 1984 only saying out loud what was unspoken in parties from running. Israeli elections — enough to get him into right-wing politics: that by rejecting autonomy But are the present-day parties run by Knesset. He used the position to advocate for Palestinians, the right had either to support Kahane’s followers the same? Israel’s Central for expelling Arabs from Israel and other- the expulsion of Arabs or commit to the Elections Committee has said no — that wise disseminate racist statements. He was permanent control of a restive population. they in fact can run. In 2012, the committee condemned by parties across the spec- Speaking in New York City in 1984, Kahane rejected a petition to ban Power to Israel, trum, as well as Israel’s Chief Rabbinate and said that “no Arab wants to live in a Jewish a far-right party led by Michael Ben-Ari, American Jewish groups. state” and called expulsion a quid pro quo for who leads this year’s Jewish Power. And “There can be no hesitation, no ambiguity, the mass expulsion of Jews from Arab coun- Ben-Ari did previously serve in the Knesset, no equivocation in voicing our rejection tries following Israel’s independence in 1948. from 2009 to 2013. and condemnation,” Marshall Grossman, a In 1988, Kahane was suspended from the Regardless, Ben-Ari will only be elected Jewish community leader in Los Angeles, Knesset for swearing at an Arab member this year if his party wins enough votes said in 1984. Kahane “violates both the and waving a noose at him. That same year, to have five seats in Knesset. And if that letter and the spirit of Israel’s declaration of with Kahane’s party poised to win more than happens, he will be the lone representative of independence, which accords freedom and 10 seats in elections, it was banned from his ideology in the body — just like Kahane equality of citizenship to all people regard- running due to its racist platform — at the 35 years ago. PJC less of race and religion.” Israeli government officials also tried to block Kahane with legal and legislative tools. Israeli accused of rape returned to Pittsburgh for trial Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek proposed an Moshe Journo, an Israeli man accused authorities, and was arrested by Israeli police anti-racism bill to bar Kahane’s speeches. The Knesset House Committee removed of raping a teenage girl 15 years ago and on a federal U.S. warrant in December 2017, Kahane’s franking privileges, which allowed who has been evading apprehension by according to WTAE. Last week, Journo was apprehended by him to send mail for free. The attorney authorities since 2004, has been caught and general urged the Knesset to pass a resolu- returned to Allegheny County, according to agents of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and the Allegheny County sheriff ’s office tion effectively barring Kahane from Arab the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Journo was 39 and living in Beechview in Israel. They returned to Pittsburgh with population centers. The police minister looked for ways to prevent Kach rallies when he was arrested for the alleged rape Journo on Feb. 21. He is being held in the of a 15-year-old girl at a tanning salon in Allegheny County Jail and will be prosefrom taking place. “I feel that this phenomenon is shameful, Dormont. Authorities failed to seize his cuted by the state of Pennsylvania, the FBI disgusting and dangerous,” the attorney passport, and soon after his arrest, he posted told the Post-Gazette. Bail was denied as he awaits a preliminary general, Yitzhak Zamir, told the Knesset bond and fled the United States. Journo was charged with rape in 2006. He hearing, according to WTAE. PJC in 1984. “A silence by the Knesset, or — Toby Tabachnick taking no stand at all on the issue, could was located in Israel by the FBI and local PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

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A PROGRAM OF

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MARCH 1, 2019 11

Headlines The Robert Kraft prostitute scandal is another PR headache for the ‘Jewish Nobel’ prize — NATIONAL — By Josefin Dolsten | JTA

ith the announcement in January that it had picked Robert Kraft as its 2019 laureate, the Genesis Prize seemed poised for a calmer year. Last year the foundation that awards the “Jewish Nobel,” as it’s called, picked actress and director Natalie Portman as an example of someone who provides “inspiration to the next generation of Jews through their outstanding professional achievement along with their commitment to Jewish values and the Jewish people.” The selection backfired, however, when

p Robert Kraft attends SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIII Radio Row in Atlanta in Feb.

Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Portman refused to attend the prize ceremony in Israel because of her objections to the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu would have handed out the prize, which is given jointly by the Prime Minister’s Office, The Genesis Prize Foundation and the Jewish Agency for Israel. Portman was able to keep the honor, but the $1 million in prize money, which recipients are expected to donate to causes of their choice, was distributed instead by the foundation to women’s empowerment programs of their choosing. Meanwhile, the year before, the prize ceremony was canceled after the 2017 winner, artist Sir Anish Kapoor, said it would be “inappropriate to hold a festive ceremony” in Jerusalem with the civil war in Syria raging so close by. For this year’s selection, Kraft seemed like a safer choice when the foundation announced its choice last month. The New England Patriots owner, who with a net worth of $6.6 billion is the 79th richest American, according to Forbes, is a generous giver to Jewish causes. The 77-year-old businessman is close with Netanyahu, having attended the prime minister’s 2015 speech to a joint session of Congress about his opposition to a nuclear deal with Iran. Kraft

is close, too, with President Donald Trump, who in turn has forged a strong working relationship with Netanyahu. Kraft had previously launched the Israeli Football League and the Passport to Israel program, which provides subsidies for students in the Boston area to travel to Israel. He and his late wife, Myra, would often take Patriots players to Israel in the offseason. The Genesis Prize Foundation said at the time that Kraft was given the award for having “spoken out publicly and donated generously to organizations combating prejudices, including anti-Semitism and the de-legitimization of the State of Israel,” and that he would be giving the money to initiatives fighting anti-Semitism, prejudice and attempts to delegitimize Israel. But things again didn’t go as the foundation wished. On Friday came news that Kraft is being charged with soliciting a prostitute in Florida, one of about 100 men charged in a human trafficking investigation in Martin County. The charges concern visits by Kraft to the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in the city of Jupiter, near where he keeps a home. Jupiter Police Chief Daniel Kerr told WPTV that there is video evidence of all the men who are being charged. A spokesperson for Kraft denied the allegations.

“We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further,” the representative said in a statement issued to media outlets. It was not immediately clear what would happen to this year’s award or the prize ceremony, which is scheduled for June. The investigation involves a number of massage parlors in Florida that, according to law enforcement, were used for prostitution and human trafficking. Although Kerr said there is video evidence of Kraft patronizing a massage parlor on two occasions, the legal machinery could grind on for months. As of Friday afternoon, a photograph of Kraft and congratulations to him and the New England Patriots on their sixth Super Bowl win earlier this month was still the main image on the Genesis Prize Foundation home page. The Genesis Prize Foundation did not return requests for comment. The Genesis Prize was founded in 2013 by a team that included three Russian-Jewish businessmen — Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven and German Khan. Past recipients include former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, violinist Yitzhak Perlman and actor Michael Douglas. PJC

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Headlines Trump’s anti-Semitism envoy assures American Jewish leaders that the president is committed to protecting Jews — NATIONAL — By Sam Sokol | JTA

ERUSALEM — The State Department’s new envoy on anti-Semitism addressed American Jewish leaders gathered for a conference here, and praised President Donald Trump for his commitment to fighting that bias. Elan Carr appeared to charm delegates of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, who hosted the envoy Feb. 21 toward the end of their annual four-day trip here. But a number of leaders remained skeptical of Trump and his commitment to battling anti-Semitism, despite the vigorous applause Carr received when he spoke of the administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and declared that anti-Zionism is a form of contemporary anti-Semitism. Trump remains divisive in the wider Jewish community, earning praise for his support of Israel and opprobrium for rhetoric that his critics say has stoked racism. Carr, 50, a Hebrew-speaking former Los Angeles prosecutor who served with the U.S. Army in Iraq, was named as the special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism earlier this month. The post, which was held by Ira Forman under President Barack Obama, had sat empty for the first two years of the Trump presidency despite protests from lawmakers and Jewish groups. “My office was created by law and designed to protect the Jewish people throughout the world. Think about that,” Carr said. “The world’s greatest power is focused, by law and design, on protecting the Jews. It’s something not to be taken for granted.” Carr declared that the president “could not be more passionate about the issue” of fighting anti-Semitism and had “spent considerable time speaking about anti-Semitism in his State of the Union address.” In the Feb. 5 address, Trump referred to anti-Semitism as a “vile poison” and a “venomous creed,” and introduced survivors of the October shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Carr, who was in Israel to meet with government officials and members of civil society, also praised Secretary of State Mike

p Elan Carr, left, speaks to delegates of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organization in Jerusalem last month. Photo by Sam Sokol

Pompeo, saying that Pompeo “couldn’t be more determined” to wipe out the “disease” of Jew hatred. “Pompeo speaks about this at every opportunity and is passionate about it,” Carr said. “It’s the business of this administration and of the United States to fight anti-Semitism.” Carr was adamant that the White House would “not ignore any part of the ideological spectrum” and would go after anti-Semitism “regardless of the ideological clothing in which it dresses itself,” from ultranationalism on the right to left-wing anti-Zionism. Some Jewish groups belonging to the Presidents Conference, an umbrella representing a range of political ideologies, have been concerned that a Department of Homeland Security program on countering violent extremism was shifted during the Trump administration to focus solely on Muslim extremism and not white nationalism. Among the threats Carr cited were traditional forms of anti-Semitism such

“ The world’s greatest power is focused, by law and design,

”

on protecting the Jews.

— ELAN CARR

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as “statements of government officials who call us internationalist outsiders who subvert society” and attacks by those who say that Jewish advocacy for immigrants is a threat to America. The gunman charged in the Pittsburgh shooting was reported to have railed against Jewish support for immigrants’ rights. “Anti-Semitism is a human sickness and rots to the core every society that embraces it,” Carr said. Several high-profile American Jewish leaders who attended Carr’s speech lauded the new envoy even as they expressed reservations regarding the president who appointed him. Given the sensitivity of the matter, none of them agreed to speak on the record. “You have to give credit where credit is due,” one prominent figure said. “We can be critical and we should be, and we need to be critical, but when we can give credit to an administration and its appointed official we should be able to do so. This is a good appointment and the Jewish community has and will support it. It’s unfortunate it took two years to do it.” One well-known national Jewish official, speaking of Carr’s relatively late appointment, said that the early days of the Trump administration were marked by a degree of chaos that saw very few positions being filled. He pointed out that there are still countries to which the United States has not sent ambassadors. Moreover, he said, Pompeo made the issue a priority, as opposed to his predecessor, Rex Tillerson, Trump’s first secretary of state. The Jewish official, intimating inside knowledge of the matter, also said that

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another candidate had strung along the State Department for a number of months before backing out and forcing it to relaunch the process. In June 2017, Tillerson appeared to question the need for an anti-Semitism envoy — a position mandated by Congress — saying the fight against anti-Semitism may be more effective without one. Another Jewish official in praising Carr said he had many fans in the organized Jewish community, but reservations remained regarding the Trump administration’s approach. “He’s a decorated veteran, a committed Jewish leader and a real mensch,” the official said. “However, many of us are very concerned about Carr’s appointment being used as a diversion to excuse or distract from over two years of President Trump’s anti-Semitic dog whistles. I hope this is the start of something new. Carr and Trump will need to prove that there is a new attitude across the board before we kiss their rings.” Asked about the concerns regarding the long hiatus between anti-Semitism envoys, Carr said he believed that there were “a number of reasons.” “There were a number of candidates that were looked at and a number of internal adjustments at the State Department that Secretary Tillerson made, and then when Secretary Pompeo came aboard he’s made this a huge focus of his,” Carr said. “I just couldn’t be more impressed with his determination and I’m thrilled that I was chosen to carry the banner of the United States while fighting for the safety of the Jewish people.” PJC MARCH 1, 2019 13

Headlines As Israel’s Arab political coalition splits, its supporters have more choices and less power — WORLD — By Sam Sokol | JTA

ERUSALEM — The big Israeli election news is the forming of new factions: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brokering a deal with a far-right group inspired by the late extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane, the center-left challengers Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid forming a joint list to break the right wing’s hold on the government. But one sector of the electorate is facing the opposite trend: The Arab parties in Israel have split into two competing groups. The rupture is raising worries that an already disenfranchised minority will lose what little clout it has in the nation’s parliament. As the deadline neared this week for submitting electoral lists to the Central Elections Committee, four Arab parties comprising the Joint List fractured. Hadash is now running with the Arab Movement for Renewal, or Taal. The more religious Raam, or United Arab List, has allied itself with the secular nationalist Balad. Nearly 1.9 million, or 20 percent, of Israel’s nearly 9 million citizens are Arabs. In the 2015 elections, the newly formed Joint List managed to win 13 seats out of 120 in the Knesset with a boost in Arab voter participation to 64 percent — a significant rise over the 55 percent of Arabs who came to the polls only two years earlier, said Arik Rudnitzky, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute. Netanyahu took note: In the run-up to the vote, he warned that Arabs were “voting in droves,” remarks that were widely condemned as racist. But like similar splits on both the Jewish right and left, political infighting cleaved the Arab parties. In January, Taal leader Ahmad Tibi announced that he was pulling out his party for an independent run. Rudnitzky said this was primarily caused by Tibi’s belief that Taal deserved more spots on the combined parties’ electoral list, “demanding three of the first 12.” Knesset seats are awarded based on each list’s percentage of the overall vote. Following Tibi’s defection, the primary question was whether the remaining three parties could maintain a cohesive alliance. At the heart of the crisis was representation: Knesset seats were supposed to rotate among the constituent parties, leading to bitter arguments and internal dissension. Negotiations continued until the last minute, with Hadash leader Ayman Odeh publicly pushing for unity. Hadash is a leftleaning joint Jewish-Arab faction incorporating Israel’s old Communist Party. “The right wing wants to see us divided, and our answer should be to run together — against racism, against incitement, against the policy of ‘divide and conquer,’” Odeh said during the final days before the party split. Polling by the Israeli Democracy Institute and others shows that a majority of Israeli Arabs are proud to be citizens, but nearly all

14 MARCH 1, 2019

p Mohammed Darawshe (left) of the Shalom Hartman Institute and Thabet Abud Rass of the Abraham Fund Initiatives

Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

feel that they suffer discrimination when it comes to housing, education and economic opportunity. Last year’s law defining Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and demoting the status of the Arabic language inflamed tensions among the country’s Muslim, Christian and Druze citizens. “Our focus and primary interest is the good of the Arab public, a persecuted national minority, especially after the nationstate law and four years of such an inciting, extreme right-wing government,” Odeh said. “In times such as these, especially in light of the splits that now characterize the entire political map, it is important to preserve the Joint List and not lose any single vote — from the Arab public and all the democratic forces we represent.” Odeh noted that the Joint List was the third largest party in the Knesset after 2015 and attracted a record number of votes. “The split creates a sense of desperation,” he said. “Our main goal is to topple the right-wing government, and to do so, we must join forces.” However, Odeh was unable to prevent the split. Instead of one Joint List there are now two smaller alliances. In a statement sent to the media on Thursday evening, Odeh made the best of Hadash’s alliance with Taal, warning that “while the Kahanist right is united, we must make sure that no voice is lost.”

Former Joint List spokesman Sami Ali said he is worried about the future. “There is concern that the people who wanted the Joint List to continue will punish the Arab parties by staying home from the polls,” he said, adding that “it’s impossible to know exactly what the ramifications will be.” Mohammad Darawshe, an expert on Jewish-Arab relations at the Shalom Hartman Institute, said that if the centerleft parties court the Arab voters aggressively, they possibly could take enough of a bite from the Arab parties’ support to prevent some of them from reaching the 3.5 percent vote threshold needed to enter the Knesset. That could undermine Arab leverage in a political system that depends on alliances. Thabet Abu Rass, co-director of the pro-coexistence Abraham Fund Initiatives, said that Netanyahu had already begun dusting off the rhetoric he used in the 2015 election when he charged that rivals Gantz and Lapid were “”relying on Arab parties” who want to “destroy” the State of Israel. “In Israel, incitement against Arabs has become a ticket for winning an election,” Abu Rass said. Among Jewish Israelis, meanwhile, there is a widespread negative perception of Arab politicians and voters driven by the Hebrewlanguage media’s coverage of lawmakers such as Azmi Bishara, who fled the country

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after being accused of spying for Hezbollah, and the recently retired Hanin Zoabi, who endorsed Iran’s nuclear weapons program and said that “we cannot agree with the notion of a Jewish state.” “There is a perception among Jews that Arab [members of Knesset] focus more on cross-border issues. That’s not true,” Abu Rass said. “The majority of their time is spent on internal issues, but for the Hebrew press this isn’t the story. It’s about Arabs causing problems for Jews or being primitive [and] killing wives. The papers are not interested” otherwise. According to polling conducted by the Abraham Fund in January, 29 percent of Israeli Arabs see ending the occupation as a key issue, while 28 percent cited revoking the nation-state law as a priority. Some 61 percent of those surveyed said they would vote for a true Jewish-Arab party that tried to appeal to both sectors if one competed in the election. However, despite the infighting that split the Joint List, former spokesman Ali said his community will “continue to struggle for our identity and our full citizenship.” “Israel needs to be a state of all its citizens and not one that prefers one nation to another and passes all sort of racist laws,” he said. “We need to work together in the Knesset on combating the delegitimization of the Arab sector.” PJC

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MARCH 1, 2019 15

Opinion An unholy alliance — EDITORIAL —

hat are we to make of the announced alliance between Israel’s Jewish Home party and Otzma Yehudit? And how much of the blame for the move is to be borne by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish Power”) is comprised of racist followers of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane and the heirs to the Kach political party. That’s the same Kach that was declared an illegal terror organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union more than two decades ago, and which had been viewed by most as an irrelevant group of hateful fanatics who were not likely to meet the required threshold of votes in the upcoming national elections on April 9 to elect anyone to the Knesset. Enter Netanyahu, who is reported to have brokered a deal between Otzma Yehudit and the weakened Jewish Home in an effort to support his right flank and bolster his chances for reelection. In the process, Netanyahu supposedly promised those involved in the merger safe seats in the Knesset and ministries in his next coalition government. The criticism of the move from respected, pro-Israel commentators, clergy of almost all streams, and prominent Jewish groups in

p Michael Ben Ari, leader of the Otzma Yehudit party, is seen outside the Israeli Elections Committee last month. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

the center and on the left has been near-deafening, with the accusation of “cynical” being the most charitable description of Netanyahu’s creation. But, Netanyahu does know how to

count votes and he seems to be a master at voter manipulation. Indeed, on the eve of his last election in 2015, he whipped up a frenzy among his base by announcing, “Arab voters

are heading to the polling stations in droves,” securing victory by exploiting hatred of a significant segment of Israeli society. This is not the Zionism that most of us signed up for, and we are troubled to see the prime minister of Israel cavorting with racists. We share the view of the multitude of Jewish organizations that have issued angry and accusatory statements over the move, and with Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, who tweeted: “Bolstering one’s political strength with those who profess racist views should be unthinkable.” Even AIPAC and the American Jewish Committee got in on the action, issuing very rare public rebukes of the Israeli prime minister. Notably absent from the quick and fierce criticism of the unholy alliance is the American Jewish center-right and far right. That silence is disappointing. We have witnessed divisive, toxic politics close up, and understand how destructive it can be. Through their silence and acquiescence our brothers on the right ignore at their peril the serious threats and consequences posed by the promotion of a hate-filled agenda. For us, while we remain fervent Zionists and supporters of the state of Israel, we cannot pretend we don’t see the spreading stain caused by demagoguery and pandering to the basest emotion there is: fear of the other. PJC

Beyond inclusion — the Jewish community acts to advance disability policy Guest Columnist Aaron Kaufman

hen I was born with cerebral palsy, my parents knew that I would encounter obstacles that neither they nor my peers had to navigate. Aside from the frustration that inevitably results from navigating an inaccessible world, having a visible disability means I also feel a constant need to prove myself and added pressure to excel and disprove societal biases about people with disabilities. I felt this pressure at school, I feel it now at work, at the theater and even on my weekly trips to the grocery store, where I am met with averted eyes and looks of pity. However, living with a disability has also helped me channel this frustration into a fruitful career at the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), where I help lead the Jewish community’s efforts to advocate for and with people with disabilities — including our annual Jewish Disability Advocacy Day, where Jews with disabilities and our allies converge on Capitol Hill. This event, which brings together 16 MARCH 1, 2019

professional and lay volunteers from across the Jewish Federation system and beyond, is one crucial way of ensuring that we don’t just talk about disability acceptance and inclusion in our places of worship or inside the Jewish community. Instead, we actively lift our voices and fight for change. At this year’s Jewish Disability Advocacy Day on Feb. 26, advocates urged Congress to pass two key bills that will help disabled Americans live independent lives without fear of bankruptcy due to medical costs. One of the major reasons why I’ve been successful as a lobbyist and disability self-advocate is that I have a measure of financial security thanks to my Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Account. ABLE Accounts allow people with disabilities and their families to establish tax-advantaged savings and investment plans. These accounts ease financial strain for people with disabilities by allowing them to withdraw their own tax-free savings to pay for costly disability-related expenses. Thanks to my ABLE Account, I have money set aside for disability-related expenses, such as mobility devices and various therapies. Currently, to be eligible for an ABLE account, one must receive a disability diagnosis prior to age 26. While many Americans, like myself, are diagnosed with a

disability early in life, millions of Americans with disabilities are prevented from accessing this critical financial tool because their diagnosis came later in life. Due to this age cutoff, adults who acquire their disability later in life, such as individuals with spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and multiple sclerosis, are barred from this essential program. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act (S. 817/H.R. 1874 in the last Congress) would raise the age cutoff to 46, ensuring that more than 6 million Americans can achieve financial stability and access to essential disability-related health services. For the past three years, I have worked with disability rights lobbyists, advocates, and self-advocates to urge Congress to reauthorize the bi-partisan Money Follows the Person (MFP) program, which is in jeopardy. MFP is one of the longest-running and most successful demonstrations in Medicaid. Thanks to this program, more than 88,000 people with physical and intellectual disabilities, mental illness and senior citizens in 47 states have transitioned from institutional settings back into home- and community-based services. As a result of MFP, thousands of participants who need long-term services and support can successfully transition from institutions back to

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their own homes and communities. Despite its success, MFP expired in September 2016, leaving states scrambling to use their own funds to continue these positive efforts to integrate seniors and people with disabilities into the community. The efforts of the disability rights and advocacy community have not gone unnoticed. Last month, the Medicaid Extenders Act of 2019 was signed into law. While a good first step, this legislation only extends MFP until March. We must continue to advocate for a long-term solution. This is why we are focusing our energy on advocating for the bipartisan, bicameral EMPOWER Care Act (S. 2227/H.R. 5306 in the last Congress). At the heart of these two programs is a commitment to caring for all members of our community. To me, being Jewish is about the bonds of connection that help uplift all members of our community — and way beyond that. Jewish Disability Advocacy Day will demonstrate the power that this community can have when we think beyond awareness and acceptance alone, and work to make inclusion a reality for millions more people throughout the country. PJC Aaron Kaufman is a senior legislative associate at the Jewish Federations of North America.

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Opinion Trump repeats mistake of Obama’s “peace processors” Guest Columnist Stephen Flatow

ast U.S. administrations invested so heavily in fruitless attempts to facilitate Arab-Israel negotiations that American envoys came to be known as “peace processors” — that is, they were so focused on maintaining the appearance of a “process” that they couldn’t face up to the obvious fact that the Palestinian Arabs just don’t want peace. In other words, for the Obama administration and its predecessors, process was more important than peace. Is the Trump administration repeating Obama’s mistake? U.S. envoys Jason Greenblatt and Jared Kushner have announced that they will soon be heading back to the Mideast for yet another round of diplomacy concerning their not-yet-revealed “peace plan.” The administration’s persistent courtship of the Palestinian Authority is puzzling precisely because it seems to be at odds with the statements of senior U.S. officials and envoys. After the murder of Israeli Rabbi Raziel Shevach a year ago, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, rightly pointed out that Palestinian Authority “laws will provide [the killers] financial rewards. Look no further to why there is no peace.” The Palestinian Authority responded by calling the American ambassador a “son of a dog” and demanding that he be added to the U.S. “global terror list.” In an address last September, Friedman remarked that “since 1994, the United States has thrown more than $10 billion in humanitarian aid to the Palestinians,” yet “we found that these expenditures were bringing the region no closer to peace or stability, not even by a millimeter.” In December, the ambassador tweeted: “The Pal Authority maintains laws that will compensate these terrorists and their families for their heinous acts. The PA can be a political body OR a sponsor of terror, not both.” It’s pretty obvious which one of those the Palestinian Authority has chosen. White House envoy Jason Greenblatt likewise has shared some blunt words about the Palestinian Authority. In a Dec. 3 tweet, he wrote that it was “absurd” that it “now tries to defend Hamas & terrorism by undermining a condemnation of Hamas at the UN. It’s time to speak the truth.” And in a Dec. 11 op-ed on FoxNews.com, Greenblatt wrote: “The Palestinian Authority continues to reward terrorists and their families and fails to condemn Palestinian terrorist attacks against Israelis. It also defends Hamas, an unrepentant terrorist organization.” Just last week, Greenblatt tweeted to a P.A. spokesman: “You’re doing nothing [for peace]. You can’t claim to want peace and also try to sabotage the potential for an agreement.” Greenblatt also accused the

Palestinian Authority of wanting “only benefits and no responsibilities” from its relationship with the United States. Meanwhile, two congressmen have just managed to pry loose from the U.S. Government Accountability Office a previously classified report on schools in Palestinian Authority areas. The 65-page report states that the P.A. school curriculum uses “militaristic and adversarial imagery, and preaches the values of resistance.” Even math equations are “problematic,” the report found, citing math problems based on the numbers of Arabs allegedly killed by Israelis in various conflicts. I guess that would be something like: “One glorious Palestinian martyr viciously murdered by Israeli Nazis while trying to liberate Palestine, plus two heroic Palestinian fighters savagely

Running after the Palestinians with armloads of cash has never brought peace, and never will. slaughtered by Israeli criminals while battling against the evil occupation, equals what?” Yet U.S. envoys Greenblatt and Kushner are on their way back to the region in order to tell Arab representatives about “the economic portion of the U.S. peace proposal for Israel and the P.A. … which is expected to include a combination of aid and investment to help the Palestinian people,” an unnamed U.S. official told Reuters. Translation: The Trump plan includes the United States and others pumping billions of dollars into the corrupt terrorist P.A. regime and the Palestinian state that the plan reportedly will propose to establish. Talk about throwing good money after bad! One of the most reprehensible images of the pre-Trump Middle East “peace process” years was that of then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright taking off her high heels so she could run after Yasir Arafat down the hallway when he stalked out of the negotiations over some triviality. John Kerry’s diplomatic efforts, while not involving high heels, followed the same approach. And yielded the same results. The Trump administration needs to learn from its predecessors’ mistakes, not repeat them. Running after the Palestinians with armloads of cash has never brought peace, and never will. PJC Stephen M. Flatow, an attorney in New Jersey, is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995.

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Headlines BBYO: Continued from page 3

subject, everyone focused on the positives of the experience. We looked at how our communities came together and supported each other, as well as discussed the rise in anti-Semitism and how to combat it.” During her speech at the plenary, Kaylee Werner, a sophomore at Fox Chapel Area High School and president of her BBG chapter, emphasized “the action and the good that came out of the tragedy that took place [at the Tree of Life synagogue building],” she said. The focus was to “celebrate what’s to come and not dwell on the sadness of what’s happened. It was all about moving forward.” The impact of thousands of convention attendees joining in global Jewish solidarity that weekend was epitomized for Werner in one brief moment when an Argentinian girl she did not know came running over to her and gave her a hug “just because we were both Jews in a room together.” Werner, whose family formerly was

 Kaylee Werner

Photo courtesy of Marla Werner

affiliated with Tree of Life, has already begun to take action toward social change with her establishment of a nonprofit organization called Gunday Monday. Thanks to funding from a donor “wishing to remain anonymous,” the teen group will be working to engage adults in conversation about gun

violence prevention. “Our mission is to provide a constant platform for teens to demand changeable action on common sense gun violence prevention from adults,” Werner said. The plan is to get adults’ attention by “invading their space on Facebook.” “The whole idea is that adults are having conversations on Facebook and teens are on Instagram and Snapchat,” Werner said. “We’re having a hard time getting our message across, so we want to invade their space on Facebook. Hopefully, the adults will make the decisions we need.” The project will launch on Monday, Sept. 16, when “all of my peers around the country will invade Facebook, and ‘friend’ every adult in their life and post images and statistics,” she said. “The concept is we will do it every Monday until there is change.” Werner has met with Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, who offered his support to the initiative, she said. The project already has a Facebook page, more than 500 followers on Instagram, and leadership input from several other teens from around the country. Gunday Monday is

also working in collaboration with other gun violence prevention organizations, including Moms Demand Action, March For Our Lives and The Student Walkout, Werner said. At least for the time being, Gunday Monday is not promoting any specific legislation regarding gun reform. “The whole point isn’t specific legislation” said Werner. Instead, it is to force adults to address the fears of their children, and the fact that they are feeling “unsafe.” “We want to lead the conversation in the right direction,” she stressed. “One of the things I am most proud of as we move toward the launch of Gunday Monday is the collaboration that has occurred through individuals with different driving motivations to stop gun violence,” Werner said. “There are teens involved in the movement that are moved to action because of street violence, fears of mass shootings, suicide prevention and domestic violence. Our movement represents all kids and all of our fears.” PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines JFilm: Continued from page 1

justice into entering the cutthroat and sometimes shady world of Israeli politics. Yaakov is played by Israeli actor Shuli Rand with passion and sensitivity as his character is swept up in the quest for power in a realm clearly out of his league. The film transitions effortlessly from light-hearted romp to serious — and even tragic — social commentary. “The Unorthodox,” by Israeli television writer Eliran Malka, was a crowd-pleaser in Israel. It opened the Jerusalem Film Festival in 2018, marking the first time a film by a debut filmmaker held that distinction. In addition to delivering a compelling storyline enhanced by the outstanding comedic timing of its actors, “The Unorthodox” is supported by a great musical score that includes Israeli pop songs of the period, as well as the unexpectedly yet appropriately injected “How Deep Is Your Love” by the Bee Gees. — Toby Tabachnick

‘Redemption’

(104 minutes) March 9, 3 p.m., and March 17, 1 p.m. at SouthSide Works Cinema From the outset of this poignant film, we see that its protagonist, Menny, is a conflicted soul. Against a soundscape of mood-setting melancholy rock music, “Redemption” opens with the Orthodox Menny having his photo taken for what we later discover is matchmaking purposes. He forces himself to smile for the photographer, but his timing is off for every shot. His plight is soon revealed: A widower who works in a supermarket, Menny is a single parent with a 6-year-old daughter who is battling cancer. The last hope for Geula, whose name is Hebrew for “redemption,” is an expensive experimental treatment that Menny cannot afford. Desperate to get the necessary funds, Menny reaches back into his prior life for help; before he became religious, he was the lead singer in a popular rock band. Figuring there is good money to be made playing Orthodox weddings, Menny gets the four-man band back together. The ensuing wedding gigs not only pay the medical bills, but eventually lead to the promise of new rock shows at a secular club. The success of the reunited group is accompanied by further challenges for Menny. He finds himself straddling two worlds — music and religion — both of which have or can fill his life with meaning, but which are not necessarily compatible. His struggle is in

p A scene from ‘Redemption’

22 MARCH 1, 2019

p ‘Back to Maracanã’ makes its world premiere in Pittsburgh. Photo provided by Film Pittsburgh

figuring out which one can save his daughter. The film won the Audience Award and the prize for Best Music at the Jerusalem Film Festival last summer, and for good reason. The music is excellent, as are the performances of the entire cast. Of particular note is Emily Granin, who plays Geula with remarkable grace and insight. Moshe Folkenflik, as Menny, conveys his character’s conflicted emotions with subtle and nuanced expression. Joy and responsibility, practicality and spirituality — the film may not definitively answer wherein redemption lies, but that may be the point. — Toby Tabachnick

‘Back To Maracanã’

(90 minutes) March 9, 5:15 p.m., and March 12, 5:30 p.m. at SouthSide Works Cinema The March 9 screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Jorge Gurvich. Running throughout “Back to Maracanã” is the protagonist’s passion for soccer, but the film’s action occurs far from the pitch. Director Jorge Gurvich’s 2018 movie introduces viewers to Robert, a divorced 40-year-old who in 2014 finds his way to Brazil with his father and son. The trio travels throughout the country in “a hotel on wheels,” seeking to follow team Brazil’s quest for World Cup glory. While Robert and his father (Samuel) are soccer enthusiasts, the youngest member of the clan (Itay) is uninterested in the beautiful game. Amplifying Itay’s preteen angst is knowing his mother is also in Brazil with her German boss and boyfriend. Gurvich uses health and fiscal complications to push the plot. Accordingly, when past dealings and future plans become apparent,

Photo provided by Film Pittsburgh

the characters are quickly forced to realize time is running out. Robert and the others recognize achieving civility and respect while navigating intergenerational relationships is akin to putting a ball in the net — a simple task complicated by surrounding realities. Such awareness is at the heart of “Back to Maracanã,” a film which makes its world premiere in Pittsburgh. Those interested in Gurvich’s narrative goals, or where he found the movie’s vintage motorhome, can score a chance to speak with the director during a question and answer session following the March 9 screening. Sports enthusiasts know who won the 2014 World Cup, but as “Back to Maracanã” demonstrates, life’s lessons are less familiar. Gurvich’s gift is reminding viewers that surprises abound even in expected outcomes, and we often learn more from losing than we ever do from winning. — Adam Reinherz

‘Chewdaism: A Taste of Jewish Montreal’

(62 minutes) March 10, 11 a.m. at SouthSide Works Cinema Followed by bagel brunch catered by Smallman Street Deli. Comedy duo Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman, creators of the web series “YidLife Crisis,” are eaters. Such is evidenced by “Chewdaism: A Taste of Jewish Montreal,” an hour-long documentary capturing two comedians devouring their way through six Montreal settings. Among Batalion and Elman’s single-day ingestions are bagels with cream cheese and lox, all-beef salami and all-beef bologna sandwiches with mustard served on pressed flat rolls, smoked meat sandwiches, pickles and coleslaw, gooey chocolate babka,

a spread of Sephardic salads and Moroccan fish with peppers and coriander, mint tea and chebakia (a pastry of Moroccan origin), massafan (Iraqi flourless cookies), pitas, hummus, potato knishes and couscous. Purposefully, the calorie-laden trek takes Batalion and Elman on a pursuit of food and history in humorous style. Through engagements with quirky natives and food connoisseurs, the entertainers hear stories of generational struggles, observe neighborhood shifts and discover innovations in Montreal’s Jewish life. Aiding the cultural narrative is Zev Moses, executive director of the Museum of Jewish Montreal, who accompanies Batalion and Elman through much of the film dishing historical insights as the comedians deliver punchlines and fodder. With food as their prop, Batalion and Elman provide a satisfying perspective on “The City of a Hundred Steeples.” Montreal’s Jewish history reflects a familiar migratory account of initial Ashkenazi arrivers, later Sephardic comers, urban exodus and return. Sandwiched between meeting the Montrealers who shape that tale and watching two Jews chew are delightful nuggets of dialogue both deadpanned and earnest. In one scene, as a babka oozing with chocolate is unfolded, someone says, “That’s the soul of the Jewish people.” Later on, a restaurateur remarks, “For the life of me, you cannot have a good meal without having a couscous.” Unlike a smorgasbord of Jewish cuisine glutinously consumed, “Chewdaism” is an easy and enjoyable film to digest. Although there is much stacked on the documentary’s cinematic plate, in only the best way are viewers left hungry. — Adam Reinherz

‘Why the Jews?’

(70 minutes) March 10, 1 p.m. at SouthSide Works Cinema This film will be preceded by “Footsteps of My Father.” This captivating documentary by Catholic filmmaker John Curtain takes a look at the vast accomplishments of the Jewish people throughout history, and in interviews with notable figures asks: “Why the Jews?” Prominent voices such as Alan Dershowitz, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Dr. Ruth Westheimer and the late Shimon Peres weigh in on how a people that make up just 0.2 percent of the world’s population could comprise 22 percent of Nobel Prize winners, 33 percent of Academy Award-winning Please see JFilm, page 24

p A scene from ‘Chewdiasm: A Taste of Jewish Montreal’ Photo provided by Film Pittsburgh

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Celebrations

Torah

B’nai Mitzvah

The glory of the Sabbath Gabriel Isaac Felman, son of Amy and Bill Felman, will become a bar mitzvah at Adat Shalom during Shabbat morning services on Saturday, March 2. Grandparents are Doni and Leonard Felman and Alice and Sam Heller.

Miranda Grace Larson will become a bat mitzvah on Saturday, March 2 at 10:30 a.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Miranda attends Ryan Gloyer Middle School in the Seneca Valley School District. She is an active seventh-grader with many hobbies and interests. She volunteers in her school library and is a contributing writer for the school newspaper. She is learning to play the piano and she loves to sing, act and dance in community musical theater productions. Miranda also sings with the Pittsburgh chapter of HaZamirPrep, a preparatory program of HaZamir, an international Jewish teen choir. Miranda is most passionate about soccer and is a fierce goalkeeper. She is training with the PA West Olympic Development Program and one day hopes to be a professional soccer player. For Miranda’s bat mitzvah project, she has organized a fundraising campaign in her school district to raise funds for the Injured Officer’s Fund established by the Pittsburgh Fraternal Order of Police. The donations will directly support the health care costs of the police officers injured in the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue building. Miranda is the daughter of Jacqueline Haber Larson and Duane Larson. PJC

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Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Parshat Vayakhel Exodus 35:1-38:20

he portion of Vayakhel opens with the command to keep the Sabbath. This raises once again that fundamental question of the very strange order of the last five portions of the book of Exodus: Sanctuary, Sabbath, golden calf, Sabbath, Sanctuary. Thus the Torah commands us first to create a Sanctuary, to establish a center of the sacred, which is after all the purpose and ideal of a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. But the sacred can easily be profaned — as history in modern life can testify — with holy wars, Iranian Khomeini-ism and fanatical stone-

The genius of Judaism lies in its ability to maintain the future ideal as an ever-present reality of our daily lives. throwing and book burning. Hence, in the middle of the construction of the Sanctuary (the first two portions, Terumah and Tetzaveh, are dedicated to the Sanctuary) comes the travesty of the golden calf (the portion of Ki Tisa), which serves as an eloquent warning to subsequent generations not to pervert, or idolify, the holy. It then becomes perfectly logical, or rather psychological, to now return and conclude with the positive message of the Sanctuary as the Torah does in its two concluding portions of Vayakhel and Pekudei. And the Sabbath is the beacon of light which teaches the essence of Judaism, preventing its perversion into a golden calf of idolatry. The Sabbath is the most central pillar of our faith. It is no accident that the very first

law which was given to the Israelites after the splitting of the Sea of Reeds — before the revelation at Sinai — was the Sabbath. The first law explained to a would-be convert is likewise the Sabbath. In all of my experience in attempting to expose Jews who have wandered far afield from their faith to the glories of their Jewish heritage, I have found that there is no more powerful introduction to returning to Judaism than the Sabbath experience. And how does the Sabbath accomplish this? Certainly the delightful glow of the Sabbath candles, the warmth of the Kiddush wine, the familial and congenial togetherness of delectable Sabbath meals replete with angels of peace, praises to women, blessings of children, songs of holiness and words of Torah, all contribute to the creation of a special and unique day dedicated to physical relaxation, spiritual creativity and existential well-being. But the Sabbath is more than that. It contains the essence of the Jewish ideal, the purpose for which we were chosen by God, and the mission which has the power to unite all of us in the pursuit of a common historic goal, the meaning of vayakhel. The genius of Judaism lies in its ability to maintain the future ideal as an ever-present reality of our daily lives. In this way we can never forget what we are striving to accomplish, nor can we allow ourselves to become cynically disillusioned as to the possibility of our attaining it. Hence each workaday week of frustration and sadness is climaxed by a Sabbath — a taste of the World to Come, a glimpse into the longed-for period of peace and harmony. Each Sabbath reminds us of the pure taste of the Sanctuary, and prevents us from descending into the depths of golden-calf materialism and idolatry. PJC Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is the chief rabbi of Efrat.

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Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation names interim executive director

illiam (Bill) J. O’Rourke, an experienced local business executive, will become Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation’s interim executive director, according to a press release. In this position, O’Rourke will manage day-to-day business operations of Tree of Life and serve the congregation during and through the period that includes finalizing the search and selection for a permanent executive director, a process that is already underway by Nonprofit Talent of Pittsburgh. O’Rourke is a former vice president at Alcoa and worked at U.S. Steel Corporation and Joy Manufacturing Company. He serves on the Ethics Advisory Board and teaches ethics at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Business, and has been an active board member of numerous civic, charitable and religious organizations. Sam Schachner, TOL*OLS’s president, praised O’Rourke’s background and demeanor as qualities that will help the

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congregation in the days ahead. “He is a tremendous individual and will really help us put ourselves in the right position where our board is doing what a board should do and we will have an administrative staff in place to move forward,” said Schachner. “I really think he’s going to help us help not only our own congregation but deal with our felt sense of responsibility to the other congregations who leased space from us as well as the community as a whole.” O’Rourke will be “serving a congregation that is grateful for all of the support we have received from far and wide in the aftermath of the Oct. 27 tragedy, and will be a welcomed addition throughout our recovery and our return to vibrancy, currently underway,” added Schachner. Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation is temporarily conducting services and business operations at Rodef Shalom Congregation. PJC — Adam Reinherz MARCH 1, 2019 23

Headlines Deli:

JFilm: Continued from page 1

not taking the customer for granted and is constantly seeking to improve.” Leslie Itskowitz, who has supported Murray Avenue Kosher for decades, was equally effusive. “We are very fortunate that they are expanding,” she said. “My understanding is there are going to be more options for takeout.” Markovic would not say what exactly will fill the expanded store, and said “things are fluid.” Itskowitz hopes to see more Israeli products, as well as “different kinds of chicken, salads and kugels.” She mentioned a recent visit to Aroma Market, a kosher market and caterer in Boca Raton, Fla. Apart from possessing abundant parking spots, Aroma’s large aisles, cleanliness and vast selection of products and takeout provided an unparalleled experience, she explained. Itskowitz understands space constraints restrict the ease of parking in Squirrel Hill, but hopes Murray Avenue Kosher can deliver similar customer satisfaction. “I am very grateful to have this store, and I think it’s important to support them and have always done so,” she said. Perhaps a renovated store will enable people to understand “keeping kosher is not a limitation or a burden,” added Itskowitz. “Keeping kosher has boundless options and opportunities. We lack nothing. Our foods are delicious, healthy, traditional and tempting, and reminiscent of bygone years; there’s lots of nostalgia.” Despite declining to give any specifics regarding the expanded store, Markovic offered a morsel of information consistent with Itskowitz’s sentiment. “The potato salad will remain the same,” she said. PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

p Murray Avenue Kosher, which was Smallman Street Deli’s neighbor at 1916 Murray Ave., is expanding.

Courtesy of Film Pittsburgh Adam Reinherz

Continued from page 22

p ‘Why the Jews’ examines why the Jews have positively impacted society in disproportion to their numbers. Photo provided by Film Pittsburgh

directors, and 40 percent of world chess champions. Curtain, whose father was a Holocaust survivor, underscores the Jews’ contributions to science, medicine, social justice and the arts by flashing scores of names and photos that, when viewed in rapid sequence, are striking: Mahler, Einstein, Kafka, Proust, Dylan, Streisand, Chagall, Roth, Sontag and Steinem, for starters. Theories examined in the film as to why the Jews have positively impacted society in such disproportion to their numbers vary. Sacks postulates that it is the Jews’ emphasis on education, while the non-Jewish political scientist Charles Murray theorizes that it is an innate advanced intelligence. The story of the Jewish people, Murray submits, is the “story of a persecuted people who finally got a chance, and wow, look what they did.” Others argue that history has necessitated that Jews, to ensure their survival, become risk-takers, leading to their proclivity to creativity and innovation. Westheimer, whose entire family was murdered in the Holocaust, notes that after her life was saved by the Kindertransport, she felt an “obligation to make something of myself.” Sacks points out that “Jewish accomplishment is the other side of the coin as why people hate Jews.” Others in the film examine the age-old anti-Semitism that has followed the Jewish people from century to century, some theorizing that Jewish accomplishments are a constant reminder to other

p Matthew Boderick plays Albert in ‘To Dust’

people of their own lack of accomplishments. “The constant mistake Jews make is they think that other people will always celebrate success,” Sacks says. While the film never fully answers its titular question, it nonetheless provides a thoughtful exploration of the immeasurable and persistent contributions of the Jews to the world at large. — Toby Tabachnick

‘To Dust’

(92 minutes) March 16, 8:30 p.m. at SouthSide Works Cinema This screening will be followed by a Film Schmooze led by Jedd Hakimi, University of Pittsburgh. “To Dust” may not be for everyone. Dark humor, a heavy dose of the macabre, and, OK, outright sacrilege imbue this otherwise tender tale of grief, devotion and friendship. Let’s put it this way: If you appreciated the sensibilities of the 1971 film “Harold and Maude,” make it a point to see “To Dust,” a winner of the Audience Award at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. At its core, “To Dust” is a buddy film, and true to that genre, it pairs an unlikely duo on a quest filled with madcap yet ultimately meaningful adventure. Here, the odd couple is comprised of Shmuel, a haredi cantor from upstate New York, and Albert, a bungling science teacher at a community college. Shmuel, played with soulful conviction

Photo provided by Sara Blue

by the Budapest-born Géza Röhrig, has just buried his young wife who died of cancer, and is left to raise two young sons. He is tortured with vivid imaginings of his wife’s corpse decomposing, convinced that her soul is suffering in the process, and becomes obsessed with finding out exactly how long it will take for her body to return to dust. He seeks out answers in the secular world, eventually eliciting help from the unassuming and often-stoned Albert, played by a hysterical Matthew Broderick. Much of the film is laugh-out-loud funny, such as the scene where Albert finds himself suffocating a large stolen pig with a plastic bag so that Shmuel can use the animal to replicate the burial of his wife and monitor its decomposition, or when Shmuel’s sons, convinced their father’s increasingly strange behavior is caused by a dybbuk, perform an exorcism through their father’s big toe while he is asleep. At times, “To Dust” teeters on the verge of folklore or fable, yet never loses touch with the relatable, real-life emotions of its protagonist. While we probably can’t identify with Shmuel’s commitment to this particular quest, most of us can relate to the feelings driving it. Parts of the film are gruesome, yet it manages to be simultaneously beautiful. Its unflinching look at physical death complements its bold confrontation of the deep pain, sadness, and hopefully, the ultimate healing following the loss of a loved one. PJC — Toby Tabachnick

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Obituaries FETTMAN: Dr. Francine Fettman, born on May 5, 1937, in New York, passed away on Sunday, February 17, 2019, at age 82. She is survived by her husband Irwin and children Karen and Eric. She was a mother, wife, teacher and therapist and all who knew her will remember her empathy, passion, desire to help others and love for her family and friends. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Temple Ohav Shalom. To offer condolences or to read more about her amazing life, please visit brandtfuneralhome.com. LIEBERMAN: Sherman Lieberman passed on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the age of 93. Preceded in death by his beloved wife Shirley. Loving father of Marvin (Susan), and Ronna and adoring grandfather of Jeanne. Born in Oakmont, Pa., he later made his home in Stanton Heights and Squirrel Hill. He graduated Carnegie Mellon University after proudly serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Both he and his wife enjoyed their time volunteering together, mostly with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for nearly 30 years. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Jewish Community Center, 5738 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or Our Clubhouse (formerly Gilda’s Club of Western PA), 2816 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. schugar.com REBB: Evelyn (Kuperstock) Rebb on Thursday, February 21, 2019. Beloved wife of the late Martin Rebb; daughter of the late Anna and Jacob Kuperstock; loving mother of Jan and Edward Korenman and Barry Rebb; sister of the late Milton (late Jeannette) Kuperstock, late Saul (surviving spouse Doris) Kuperstock and late Albert (late Betty) Kuperstock; Bubbe to Alicia Korenman, Phillip and Patricia Korenman and Jamie and Jeffrey Antunes; Bubbe to great-grandchildren, Andrew and Nathan Korenman. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank all of her wonderful and loving caregivers. Evelyn was a longtime employee for over 50 years at Arthur Moser Associates. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Adath Jeshurun Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Sivitz Hospice, 200 JHF Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or Temple Sinai, 5505 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. schugar.com

STAIF: Eliezar Staif. It is with deep sadness that I am forced to announce the sudden death of my husband of 31 years, Eliezar Staif, on February 11, 2019. I and my five children Joseph, Danielle, Emily, Shani and Katherine are all overwhelmed with grief and shock at his untimely and sudden passing. Eli’s funeral was held on February 17, 2019, at Neve Hada Cemetary New Funeral in Hod Ha Sharon, Israel. Karen Barasch Staif, daughter of Shirley R. Barasch and the late Ronald Barasch of Mt. Lebanon. WEINBERG: Shirley J. Weinberg age 85, wife of the late Alvin Weinberg; mother of Lisa (Dr. Mitchell) Antin; grandmother of Jeremy (Laura) Weinberg, Jonathan (Abby) Weinberg, Justin (Amanda) Weinberg, Joshua Weinberg; Benjamin (Rachel) Antin, and Jason (Rachel) Antin; great-grandmother of Jacob Weinberg, Juliet Weinberg and Adam Antin; sister of Robert (Janis) Shaughnessy; passed peacefully surrounded by family on February 19, 2019. Special thanks to her dear friends Katie Yablonsky, Tom Hunter, and Paula Francis. She will be missed by her dog, Oliver. Burial at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alvin Weinberg Father and Son Learning Program at the Kollel Jewish Learning Center in Squirrel Hill. Professional Services trusted to D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd., Lawrenceville. dalessandroltd.com

Name: JAA Width: 5.0415 in Depth: 6.75 in Color: Black Jewish Association on Aging gratefully acknowledges contributions from the following: Ad Number: 1747_1 A gift from ...

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Bernard Dickter ........................................ Sara Esther Dickter

Marion & Morris Riemer.......................................Esther Covel

Marcia Frumerman ............................................ Philip Ellovich Rhoda & Jay Gefsky .........................................Hyland Gefsky Mrs. Hirsch ...................................................Edward J. Levine Mr. Kaplan ............................................................ David Stern Charles Katz ..............................................................Carl Katz Joel Kauffman..............................................Haimen Kauffman

Marion & Morris Riemer........................................Ralph Covel Marion & Morris Riemer.....................................Mollie Ganelin Florence & Caryn Rosenthal ............................ Sara E. Dickter Esther L. Schwartz ................................... Helen S. Latterman Owen Silverman .............................................. Vera Silverman

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Rabbi Samuel & Lynn Stahl ..........................Markus Sherman

Vivian & Allan Levine .......................Leo Abraham Levine, MD

Beatrice Taft .......................................................Max Loefsky

Mr. & Mrs. Milton Lewis ......................................Harriett Kopp

Jerold & Judith Yecies ............................................Ann Yecies

Kitty Litman ....................... Avrom Yitzhak Ben Aaron Reuven

Jerold & Judith Yecies ....................................... Robert Yecies

THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday March 3: Freda Benowitz, Allen Cohen, Sonia Fogel, Verner William Friedman, Esther Glick, Max Glick, Joy Ellen Levin Leff, Leo Abraham Levine, MD, William J. LeWinter, Frank Mandel, Henry Louis Rosenburg, Julius Rosenfeld Monday March 4: Harry Birnkrant, Sara Esther Dickter, Nathan Handelman, Mayer Handley, Oscar K. Light, Belle G. Meyers, Samuel Ostfield, Rowena M. Rosenthal, Mary W. Roth, Isadore Herbert Rudick, Moses J. Sadowsky, Milton Schwartz, Bertha C. Talenfeld, Rachel Verk, Ethel Zamsky Tuesday March 5: Henry Dentel, Rita Serrins Glazer, Morris Harris, Hannah Hershman, Joseph Kleinerman, Edward Kornstein, Bella Lencer, Samuel Lewis, Morris R. Mandelblatt, Gussie Marcus, Helen R.B. Sand, Samuel Schwartz, Jacob M. Stone Wednesday March 6: Eleanor P. Backer, Louis H. Broudy, Sam Cartiff, Adele Cherkosly, Edgar Danovitz, Libbie Broida Hirsh, Sara Louise Leff, Max Loefsky, Michael Loffer, Evelyn Selkovits Marcus, Archie Steinberg, Harry Volkovitz, Anna Sarah Waldman Thursday March 7: Samuel Bails, Molly D. Bloch, Louis Cohen, Isadore Dektor, Ida Goldberg, Jacob Horewitz, Martha Trachtenberg, Ann Yecies Friday March 8: Milton Abes, Leonard M. Friedman, Dr. Edward Kaplan, Joseph Rosenthal Saturday March 9: Samuel Barasch, Milton I. Freedman, Dorothy Goldstein, Lee Radbord, Bertha Rosenfeld, Pauline Zalevsky

WEISS: Jane (Cofsky) Weiss on Friday, February 22, 2019. Beloved wife of Dr. Robert F. Weiss. Loving mother of Adam J. (Kelly) Weiss and Eric S. (Valerie) Weiss. Sister of Myrna (Larry) Cohen and Heidi Cofsky. Grandma of Bennett Thomas Weiss. Aunt of Jodi Schwartz and Josh Cohen. Jane was a devoted mother of her three golden retrievers, Luke, Cody and Brady, as well as her two granddogs, Kevin and Bono. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Homewood Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Humane Animal Rescue, 6926 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15208 or Wounded Warrior Project, P. O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675-8517. schugar.com PJC

SEND OBITUARY NOTICES AND REQUESTS FOR MORE INFORMATION TO obituaries@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. THE DEADLINE FOR PUBLICATION IS NOON MONDAY.

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Community PJ Kids Repair the World In coordination with Repair the World, PJ Library held the first of a two-part series, PJ Kids Repair the World: Hunger in our Community. The series will culminate in a trip to the South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM) food pantry on March 24. At the Feb. 10 session, children 8–12 years old and a parent engaged in text study and discussion about hunger and then designed and decorated a canvas tote bag. They will fill their tote bags with nonperishable foods over the course of the next month to bring to SHIM.

u Shana and David Cowles

Photo courtesy of PJ Library

Dr. Jeffrey Cohen honored Dr. Jeffrey K. Cohen, president of Allegheny General Hospital, received an honor from the Florida Holocaust Museum on Saturday, Feb. 9, for the hospital’s treatment of the Tree of Life synagogue building shooter. Cohen is a member of the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation and lives across the street from the synagogue. The Saturday morning of the shooting, he was working at home and offered his assistance to law enforcement, EMS and other first responders on the scene when the incident unfolded. He personally knew many of those who lost their lives or were wounded in the assault that day. According to the Florida Holocaust Museum, the shooting at Tree of Life was a horrible attack on humanity and could not be ignored. Photo by Agostini Photography - pjagostini.com Photo courtesy of The Florida Holocaust Museum

Friendship Circle get together

The Friendship Circle hosted Family Fun Day, an inclusive event focused on families of children ages 8 and younger. This year’s theme, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and the January session focused on “Being Thankful.” The morning started with making thank you

cards for the local first responders, followed by an entertaining music circle and a reading of the book “The Giving Tree.” The day included a visit from the local fire department, and members gave the firefighters the cards they made, asked questions and went inside the fire truck.

p Children and their families gathered together to experience friendship and community in a fun and educational setting.

p Visiting with the local fire department

26 MARCH 1, 2019

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Photos courtesy of Friendship Circle

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Community Yeshiva Schools

Mayim Bialik speaks at Ignite Summit

Master LEGO builder Yitzy Kasowitz visited Yeshiva Schools in February. Kasowitz, the founder of jbrick.com, designs Jewish-themed building sets made from LEGO bricks. His work has been and is currently on display around the country at museums, retail stores and LEGO enthusiast conventions.

Mayim Bialik was the keynote speaker at the Hillel Jewish University Center award-winning Ignite Summit. The Ignite Summit is a weekend of Jewish celebration and student led learning. Now in its fourth year, more than 300 students participated in this year’s Summit.

p Yeshiva Girls School students have the opportunity to meet Yitzy Kasowitz and examine his Bais Hamikdash (Holy Temple) model built completely out of LEGO bricks.

p Emma Shapiro, Mayim Bialik and Rachel Kaffey

p Yeshiva Boys School students crowd around Yitzy Kasowitz’s model of the Holy Temple. Photos courtesy of Yeshiva Schools

p Steven Field, Mayim Bialik and Aaron Black

Siyum at Poale Zedeck

p The Poale Zedeck chumash class with Rabbi Daniel Yolkut just completed Sefer B’raishit after eight years of study. The siyum was celebrated at the home of Leslie Itskowitz. Photo courtesy of Leslie Itskowitz

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p Leah Berman Kress, Mayim Bialik, Brenna Rosen and Alyssa Berman

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Photos courtesy of Hillel Jewish University Center

MARCH 1, 2019 27

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