Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 3-12-21

March 12, 2021 | 28 Adar 5781

Candlelighting 6:06 p.m. | Havdalah 7:05 p.m. | Vol. 64, No. 11 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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COVID-19 one year later: From hardship to hope

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MARCH 12, 2021 1

Headlines More collaboration, fewer buildings?

Jewish Pittsburgh post-COVID — LOCAL —

By Toby Tabachnick | Editor

A

s Jewish Pittsburgh begins to emerge from a year of lockdown — a year of Zoom holidays and Zoom weddings and Zoom shivas — community leaders are thinking about the future. Longstanding communal challenges, like a surplus of physical space and limited collaboration among organizations, have been underscored since “coronavirus” became a household word.

To be viable going forward, many say, Jewish Pittsburgh — and the American Jewish community more generally — will need to think about serious communal changes.

“I think that Jewish lay leaders and professionals need to be open to what we are learning

about Jewish life right now from this unique experience and period of time,” said Rabbi Amy Bardack, director of Jewish Life and Learning for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

“We need to be noticing what is happening.”

One question that needs to be addressed, Bardack said, is “what weaknesses in our systems did the pandemic bring to light?

There are certain trends in Jewish activity — Jewish affiliation prior to last March — that have only intensified or gained momentum because of the pandemic.”

Those trends were documented in the 2017 Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Community Study, conducted by researchers at Brandeis University, which found only 19% of Jews in Pittsburgh were paying members of brickand-mortar congregations, and that there was a declining enrollment at part-time religious schools.

 AgeWell Pittsburgh has received national recognition for its collaborative model in bringing services to older adults.

Photo by Kathy Poth

“Those trends are being magnified,” Bardack said.

With declining institutional affiliation, the community’s current structural framework may not be sustainable.

“Institutions have for probably 150 years thrived as being silo, independent and entrepreneurial,” explained Steven Windmueller, emeritus professor of Jewish communal service at HUC-JIR/Los Angeles, who has written extensively on the need to reevaluate the current Jewish communal structure.

“And the modality of where we are and what we will need is going to be a different model.

It’s going to be collaborative, it needs to be very much more focused on the communal or the collective interests.”

Community leaders need to ask, “What do Jews as consumers and as participants and as stakeholders require?” Windmueller said.

“And I think it begins with that premise of this shift in how we see ourselves in relationship to others and other institutions. What all of this means is we are going to have to learn to play in the sandbox together, nicely, creatively, consistently.”

There is an “urgent” need to start the process of interorganizational communication and collaboration now, said Rabbi Aaron Bisno, senior rabbi of Rodef Shalom Congregation.

“The numbers are numbers,” Bisno said.

“Facts are facts. We can’t wish them away.

The entirety of our community will lose for our being not able to see beyond our own immediate emotions and interests.

“The urgency of this moment is a result of patterns and trends that have been with us for a while now,” Bisno continued. “For at least a decade, we have been able to identify or articulate them. But the future came very slowly, then it came all of a sudden with regard to how this last year unfolded. And

if we are still trying to meet 2021 challenges with 2019 thinking and strategies and plans, then we are seeking to perpetuate a reality that doesn’t exist anymore.”

Too much real estate

For several years, community leaders have known that the Pittsburgh Jewish community is “overbuilt,” said Jeffrey Finkelstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. A facilities study commissioned by the Federation back in 2013 showed a surplus of underutilized space in Pittsburgh’s Jewish institutions.

Following a year of social distancing, when many Jewish institutions operated virtually, Finkelstein wonders if some community funds supporting all the brick-and-mortar facilities could be better spent.

Several institutions, like day schools, the Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Association on Aging, naturally will continue to require brick and mortar buildings. “But let’s face it,” Finkelstein said. “We have excess physical space in the Jewish community, and all of that costs money to maintain. And my contention is, should we be thinking about spending that money on providing services as opposed to paying for roofs and heating and stuff like that? So the question is, is there a willingness to talk about sharing that space?”

With more space-sharing, funds could be invested “in achieving what each of our organizations want to achieve,” Finkelstein said.

“So, synagogues, let’s say, want to connect more people to Judaism, mostly through a religious, spiritual lens. If they had more resources, and weren’t paying for big buildings — which some are — could they hire another outreach director, someone else to do programming Please see Collaboration, page 14

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Headlines Reclaiming robust in-person community: Orthodox Jewish life post-pandemic

 Chani Altein, Etti Martel and Alice Sahel-Azagury before the pandemic

Photo courtesy of Chabad of Squirrel Hill

— LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

D

uring the past year, members of Pittsburgh’s Orthodox Jewish community have balanced

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religious practices with pandemic restrictions. Whether sitting distanced from friends at abridged in-person services, or limiting the number of participants at burials, religious expression has reflected new realities. As vaccines becomes more accessible and COVID-19 infection rates decline, though, the community is preparing

 Fruits, each in individual plastic package

for post-pandemic life.

For months, Rabbi Daniel Wasserman, of Shaare Torah Congregation, has urged congregants to return to services. Through regular email communications and use of the #showupinshul hashtag, Wasserman has worked to welcome those into a building that briefly shuttered last March following

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Photo by worklater1 via iStockphoto.com

Gov. Tom Wolf ’s lockdown orders.

“All of my efforts are to get people back in shul,” said Wasserman. “Shul never should have closed. Of course you have to modify it — make people safe, take efforts to make it safe — but people need to be in shul.”

Please see Orthodox, page 20

MARCH 12, 2021 3

Headlines Membership and revenue down for some Pittsburgh congregations — but only slightly — LOCAL —

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

D

espite a year of disruption and tumult caused by the pandemic, local Conservative and Reform congregations have generally been able to maintain most of their membership, collect dues, fundraise and even get a little work done on their buildings.

Ken Turkewitz, Beth Shalom’s interim executive director, said before the pandemic started, the congregation had about 600 members; now it has 588. Most of the attrition was not caused by the pandemic, though; instead it was due to more typical circumstances, like relocating.

Membership at Temple Emanuel of South Hills also has remained relatively stable, said Leslie Hoffman, the congregation’s executive director. And Temple Sinai has only experienced a 3% loss of membership since the beginning of the pandemic, even with the retirement of its longtime rabbi, Jamie Gibson.

A mass exodus from synagogue life due to COVID-19 has not occurred, but congregations also are not seeing an increase in new members.

“Anywhere I’ve worked — and this is

 Congregations have had to be creative in their fundraising efforts during the pandemic. Here, Beth Shalom’s peer-to-peer fundraising event, ‘Shlep-a-thon,’ featuring members lapping around the synagogue.

Photo courtesy of Kristin Zappone

my 15th year of doing this — if 30 people resign, a synagogue gets 30 new members,” said Drew Barkley, Temple Sinai’s executive director. “We’re not getting the new members we had in the past.”

Beth Shalom, too, has added fewer new members in the last year, said Turkewitz. It’s hard for families to decide to join a congregation when they are unable to come into its

building or participate in activities in person.

The Conservative congregation has, though, attracted some new members through its daily Zoom minyans.

“Our minyan numbers are up from what they were,” Turkewitz said. “We’ve even had a few people who belong to other synagogues become associate members because they’re coming to our minyan, felt a

connection and wanted to be a part [of Beth Shalom] in some way.”

Temple David in Monroeville has gained a few members, said Rabbi Barbara Symons, the congregation’s spiritual leader. The new additions are mostly local residents who are sending their children to the congregation’s religious school, which is held virtually.

“These are people who have been with us on Zoom and have found a way to feel connected to the cycles of Jewish life as well as online learning,” Symons said.

Temple Sinai’s religious school was impacted by the slow trickle of new members most congregations are experiencing, said Barkley. In a typical year, there would be six or seven new families joining the school, but this year, “registration is about 60 to 65% of what it would normally be.”

Although enrollment is down, attendance is up.

“I’m happy to say we continue to get incredible reviews for what we’ve accomplished, in our school and in the way we’re doing it and how we’re doing it,” Barkley said.

Adat Shalom’s religious school also has been well attended, said the congregation’s rabbi, Yaier Lehrer.

“There have been some bumps along the Please see Congregations, page 15

Temple Ohav Shalom presents a virtual concert with

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Let There Be Love 7 pm, Saturday, March 20, 2021 $18 | To register, scan QR code or go to http://qrco.de/bbzMQ6 Scholarships available | 1SPDFFET GSPN UIF DPODFSU BVDUJPO BOE SBGnF TVQQPSU 5FNQMF 0IBW 4IBMPN Featuring

Soloist & MC Sara Stock Mayo Co-Leader Kesher Pittsburgh Community Outreach, Rotunda Collaborative (former B’nei Israel)

Leading Havdalah Rabbi Amanda Russell Congregation Beth Sholom San Francisco

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To view, scan QR code or go to http://qrco.de/bbzMfw

Donations are always appreciated at templeohavshalom.org For more information, call Temple Ohav Shalom at 412.369.0900 Concert registration

4 MARCH 12, 2021

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Headlines Jewish Pittsburgher creates virtual ‘one-stop shop’ for LGBTQ community — LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

J

eff Freedman noticed there was an absence in Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ community, so he decided to do something about it.

Over the years, there were webpages and Facebook groups offering pockets of resources and information, but there really wasn’t a unified virtual home for members of the local LGBTQ community and their allies, said Freedman, 60.

“There’ve been a couple publications that have popped up to kind of fill that need,” he continued, “but they just quickly kind of fade out, unfortunately.”

Five months ago, the situation changed when QBurgh (qburgh.com) launched.

The “one-stop shop,” which intentionally went live on National Coming Out Day, offers a website, podcast and social media presence for residents of Western Pennsylvania.

Along with operating as an informational hub for upcoming programs and services, QBurgh hosts a bevy of reading materials, including local news, recipes and reviews.

Recent articles run the gamut from a first-person account by Pittsburgh make-up artist Brett Glam — about helping two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster prepare for last week’s Golden Globes — to an interview with state Rep. and Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Ed Gainey. A regular column, titled “#Choices with Momma Kyle,” by Pittsburgh native Kyle Leotsakos, provides advice regarding relationships and dating during the pandemic. The site also hosts QWellness, a monthly newsletter supported by QBurgh and Central Outreach Wellness Center, a Western Pennsylvania medical clinic specializing in “culturally competent care.”

QBurgh’s diverse material is a credit to the site’s many freelancers, said Freedman.

“We’re asking writers to write about the stories that they want to tell, so a lot of our writers are writing from the heart,” said Freedman. “A lot of writers are writing how they feel, and about their experiences, and we’re grateful for them to share those experiences with everyone.”

Freedman, who created QBurgh with Jim Sheppard, has authored one piece and hosted a podcast episode, but said his efforts are more focused on spreading information about QBurgh’s existence.

In that way, the work mirrors his nearly 40 years of activism, explained Freedman.

“I feel that everything I’ve done before has brought me to QBurgh,” he said.

Since the 1970s, Freedman, a resident of Pittsburgh’s Arlington neighborhood, has participated in Pride events. He is a past chair of Pittsburgh’s PrideFest and the EQT Equality March, and a Delta Foundation of Pittsburgh board member.

Currently a member of Bet Tikvah congregation, Freedman celebrated his bar mitzvah decades ago at Congregation Ahavath Achim (The Carnegie Shul), and was confirmed at Temple David in Monroeville, but, he said, “my Jewish identity wasn’t a big part of my life growing up. It certainly became more of an influence and more of an identity, as well as being gay was an identity to me.”

QBurgh is attracting a wider audience each day, Freedman said, and he hopes users “enjoy reading it as much as we are having a good time producing it and making it happen.”

Freedman welcomes story pitches and reader involvement.

“If anybody feels like they would like to engage with QBurgh, please reach out,” he said. “We’re always happy to help answer any questions and just be there for people.” 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 also will 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 SUNDAY, MARCH 14

What does Jewish tradition have to say about God, Torah, mitzvot, suffering, messiah, Israel? In this special course, Pittsburgh Rabbis on Jewish Belief, Jewish Community Foundation Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff hosts 14 Pittsburgh rabbis, each teaching a session on fundamental aspects of Jewish belief. 10 a.m. For more information and to register, visit foundation. jewishpgh.org.

Sidekicks help the superhero get the job done and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh needs your help! Join the Super Sunday Sidekick, an extra day to make phone calls and raise money for Jewish Pittsburgh. Sign up for one of two sessions beginning at 10 a.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/event. q SUNDAYS, MARCH 14, 21, 28;

APRIL 4, 11

Join a lay-led Online Parashah Study Group to discuss the week’s Torah portion.

No Hebrew knowledge is needed. The goal is to build community while deepening understanding of the text. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org. q MONDAY, MARCH 15

Most people associate the term “Haftarah” with opaque prophetic reading on Shabbat morning. This course, Haftarah, will attempt to make the opaque sparkle. Choosing selectively from the most interesting Haftarah portions, Jewish Community Foundation Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff will seek to imbue meaning in these powerful prophetic passages. 9:30 a.m. For more information and to register, visit foundation. jewishpgh.org.

q TUESDAY, MARCH 16

Join Classrooms Without Borders for a weekly book discussion of “Hitler’s Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields” and “Nazi Wives: The Women at the Top of Hitler’s Germany” with Dr. Josh Andy.

4 p.m. classroomswithoutborders.org/naziwomen-book-club The Jewish Pittsburgh History Series, sponsored by Rodef Shalom Congregation, will feature a presentation by Eric Lidji, Rauh Jewish Archives director at 7 p.m. The topic will be Rodef Shalom members who were prominent in Pittsburgh’s early social action movement. No charge to attend. For details and to register, follow the Jewish History Series link at rodefshalom.org.

Save the date for another delicious evening with Pittsburgh native, chef Michael Solomonov. Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh for a free event to see Solomonov’s award-winning culinary skills in a Passover cooking demonstration. 8 p.m.

To register, visit jewishpgh.org/event. q TUESDAYS, MARCH 16-JUNE 1

What is the point of Jewish living? What ideas, beliefs and practices are involved?

Melton Course 1: Rhythms & Purposes of Jewish Living examines a variety of Jewish sources to discover the deeper meanings of Jewish holidays, lifecycle observances and Jewish practice. Cost: $300 per person, per year (25 sessions), includes all books and materials. For more information and to register, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org. q WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17

Beth Shalom Congregation’s Derekh Speaker Series welcomes Janice Kaplan to discuss “The Genius of Women: From Overlooked to Changing the World.” 7:30 p.m. Free.

For more information, and to register for the Zoom event, visit bethshalompgh.org/ speakerseries.

The Women of Temple Sinai invite you to their March cooking class. Guest bakers Susan Cohen, Laura Arnold and Carolyn Schwarz will share their favorite Passover cookie recipes. 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Register at templesinaipgh.org for Zoom link.

Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division’s young adults book club. The book “Last Chicken in America,” a collection of short stories of Russian-Jewish immigrants who live in Squirrel Hill, will be discussed. Feel free to join the chat even if you have not read the book. 8 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/event.

q MONDAYS, MARCH 15, 22, 29;

q THURSDAY, MARCH 18

APRIL 5, 12

Join Rabbi Jeremy Markiz in learning Masechet Rosh Hashanah, a tractate of the Talmud about the many new years that fill out the Jewish calendar at Monday Talmud study. 9:15 a.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org.

hosts Jewish comedian and founder of the Steel City Arts Foundation Steve Hofstetter.

He will discuss the role of comedy in society.

6:30 p.m. For more information and to register visit jewishpgh.org/event.

OneTable for Virtual Shabbat Dinner and Game Night. 6:30 p.m. For more information, including how to receive a $10 Giant Eagle gift card for dinner, visit jewishpgh.org/event.

Join Classrooms Without Borders for “Collective Memory & Remembering the Journey: An Interactive Spoken Word Exploration” with Kaleidoscope. 7 p.m.

For more information and to register, visit classroomswithoutborders.org/vilna-shulcollective-memory.

q FRIDAY, MARCH 19-MARCH 22

Join the 10.27 Healing Partnership and Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife for Jewish Style R&R — Rachamim and Resilience.

This series of weekly interactive workshops will be an opportunity to engage in classes that will build on Jewish values, core concepts of resiliency, and mindfulness tools as a way of expanding our resiliency toolbox in this next year. This program is being offered at no cost and is open to all ages. 7 p.m. For more information, visit 1027healingpartnership.org/events.

Join 2 For Seder for a free session with tips for hosting a virtual 2 for Seder. The short Zoom class will provide structure, ideas and activities to engage all your guests, with a focus on special guests who are joining a seder for the first time. 7 p.m.

For more information and to register, visit 2forseder.org. q THURSDAYS, MARCH 18, 25

Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh for the four-part series Forward Focus, exploring religious diversity in Israel.

12 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishtogether.org/forwardfocus.

The University of Pittsburgh Jewish Studies Program presents the four-part series “Shazam! Jewish Biblical Texts Transformed by the Power of Pictures,” featuring artist-in-residence Ben Schachter.

7:30 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishstudies.pitt.edu. q THURSDAYS, MARCH 18; MAY 6;

JUNE 17

Jews have never desisted from addressing tough problems. In this year’s CLE series, Rabbi Danny Schiff will dive into “Tense Topics of Jewish Law.” Each topic raises significant concerns in our contemporary lives. With CLE/CEU credit: $30/session or $150 all sessions; without CLE/CEU credit: $25/session or $125 all sessions. 8:30 a.m.

For more information, including a complete list of topics, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org/ continuing-legal-education.

Rabbi Barbara Symons will discuss the book “The Lost Shtetl” by Max Gross.

The discussion will be held at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. Register at tdoffice@ templedavid.org or call 412-372-1200.

q FRIDAY, MARCH 19

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Men’s Philanthropy division

Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division and

Join the National Council of Jewish Women for their Thriftique Spring Designer Sale.

125 51st St. Hours: 10 a.m,-5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. ncjwpgh.org q MONDAY, MARCH 22

Join Moishe House for “Climate Action from the Jewish Perspective.” Local climate activist Anna Bailes will teach about the Jewish perspective on climate crisis, and some tools we can use to fight it. 7 p.m. facebook.com/moishehouse.pittsburgh In a time of chaos and uncertainty, join Temple Sinai to hear Rabbi Karyn Kedar speak on Finding Spiritual Depth in a Flattened World. 7 p.m.

For more information and to register, visit templesinaipgh.org. q WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24

Join Jewish Residential Services via Zoom for “How the Organization, Hope Grows, Provides Care for the Caregiver,” a discussion with Lisa Story (founder and executive director of Hope Grows) to learn more about Hope Grows and stress management. 4:30 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jrspgh.org/education.

Join Shawn Brokos, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh director of community security, and Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, for “The Fine Line Between Resiliency and Fear.” Learn about how the brain works under fear and what we can do to make the safest possible decisions for ourselves and those around us.

6 p.m. For more information, visit jewishpgh. org/organizer/10-27-healing-partnership. q WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7

Join Temple Sinai for guest speaker Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels. Free and open the public. 1 p.m. For more information and to register, visit templesinaipgh.org.

Beth Shalom Congregation’s Derekh Speaker Series welcomes Talia Carner.

Carner will discuss “The Third Daughter: A Novel” 7:30 p.m. Free. For more information and to register for the Zoom event, visit bethshalompgh.org/speakerseries.

The Women of Temple Sinai invite you to their April cooking class. The guest cook is Lynn Magid Lazar. 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Register at templesinaipgh.org for Zoom link. PJC

www.pittsburghjewishchronicle.org 6 MARCH 12, 2021

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Headlines

 Noah Aronson

its anniversary festivities for an extra year.

One way the members are honoring their synagogue is by bringing back some familiar faces for the concert. Pittsburgher Sara Stock Mayo and former Pittsburgher Rabbi Amanda Russell will lead the warm-up

band and the Havdalah service, respectively.

Mayo, an educator and activist who co-leads Kesher Pittsburgh, has previously worked at both Temple Sinai and Ohav Shalom. Russell worked at Ohav Shalom and Congregation Beth Shalom before moving west to serve

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www.marks-law.com

Please see Ohav, page 15

as a rabbi for Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco.

“Amanda is an amazing voice and an amazing spiritual presence, and we’re really

the charitable giving.

We highly recommend that you review the beneficiary designation in all your retirement accounts and trusts to ensure your beneficiary can maximize their use of your bequest.

Planning with tax-free life insurance, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) directly from an IRA to a charity, or time-tested gifting strategies may be valuable substitutes or solutions too.

We highly recommend that you review the beneficiary designation in all your retirement accounts and any trusts intended to receive retirement money to ensure your beneficiary can maximize their use of your bequest.

At Marks Elder Law, we help people every day with issues like these. I invite your questions and feedback. Please let me know how I can help you and your family.

member, national academy of elder law attorneys

michael@marks-law.com

Michael H. Marks, Esq.

MARCH 12, 2021 7

leslie@marks-law.com

Leslie A. Dutchcot, Esq.

We help families understand the strategies, the benefits, and risks involved with elder law, disability and estate planning.

With the increasing costs of long-term care, having the help of a legal professional when planning for your family’s future can help you make better decisions that can result in keeping more of your money.

helping you plan for what matters the most

For large estates and retirement accounts, another option is the Charitable Remainder Trust. It produces a stream of income for your beneficiaries and lets you stretch out the period of tax free growth over a longer period of time, similar in that way to an old stretch IRA plan.

In the future, the remaining principal goes to the charity, but the tax savings, compared to having paying tax on it all after only 10 years and seeing the principal shrink sooner instead of later, can offset or even pay for the expense of

Photo by Daniel Silbert

Musician Noah Aronson to headline Ohav Shalom fundraiser — LOCAL —

By Dionna Dash | Special to the Chronicle

A n upcoming concert hosted by Temple Ohav Shalom will not only offer the whole community a chance to come together to hear Jewish musicians, but will also celebrate 50 years since the founding of the Allison Park congregation.

“Let There Be Love,” which will be held virtually on Saturday, March 20, features a performance by experimental musician Noah Aronson. The event, which begins at 7 p.m., will also include a Havdalah service, a raffle and a silent auction, all of which are open to the entire Pittsburgh Jewish community.

“When we first had the concept for the concert, we wanted to include the broader Jewish community in Pittsburgh,” said Shara Taylor, an organizer of the event. “We don’t just want to celebrate our shul, we want to celebrate the support of the whole community. We all exist on each other’s shoulders, and it’s important to continue to have that cohesiveness, and that breadth and depth of tradition here.”

Ohav Shalom’s 50th anniversary was actually in December 2019. The celebrations were truncated by the start of the pandemic in March, so the congregation is extending SPONSORED CONTENT

There are exceptions. You can still treat the account as a stretch IRA and make withdrawals over your whole life span if you are:

• • • • •

A surviving spouse; Disabled or chronically ill, as defined; Not more than 10 years younger than the deceased IRA owner, for example a sibling or non-spouse partner; A charity or charitable trust, or A surviving minor child (not grandchild!) of the deceased IRA owner gets a partial exception, an additional extension for 10 years past the age of adulthood in your state.

Otherwise, the result of this new tax law is that an inherited IRA is much less valuable to the beneficiary than before.

What can you do? How can you avoid this problem, reduce the tax bill, and maximize the value of the IRA that will be inherited?

First, it’s important to allocate particular kinds of assets to particular kinds of beneficiaries to get the most benefit for the recipients. For example, qualifying charities don’t pay tax on such funds. If you have charitable intentions, leaving retirement funds to charity avoids the tax shrinkage an individual recipient must pay. Or, if you are leaving an inheritance both to your spouse and directly to your children, leaving retirement plan money to a spouse ordinarily gives them the best opportunity to defer taxation.

4231 Murray Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15217

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Another approach is to convert traditional retirement plans to Roth IRA accounts. If it’s the right move at the right time for you, it means prepaying the tax on the IRA now – an exception to the rule that you almost always

want to pay tax later, not sooner – but then never having to pay tax again on that money, OR on its expected future growth. When and how to do a Roth conversion isn’t my area of expertise and I can’t advise you, but if it’s a sound decision for you, it’s a way to save taxes in the long run during your own lifetime. (If you inherit a Roth IRA you still have to take it all out before 10 years, but you don’t have to pay taxes on it.)

THE SECURE ACT IS A BIG TAX INCREASE ON YOUR RETIREMENT SAVINGS This is one in a series of articles about Elder Law by Michael H. Marks., Esq. Michael H. Marks is an elder law attorney with offices in Squirrel Hill and Monroeville.

Send questions to michael@marks-law.com or visit www.marks-law.com.

TThe so-called SECURE Act imposed a big tax increase on your retirement asset after you pass on. Effective January 1st last year, it changed our estate planning practices.

We usually think of wills and trusts as the estate planning tools we use to leave an inheritance behind for others, but beneficiary designations are a crucial element of planning, too. The SECURE Act is an acronym that stands for “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement.”

But that title is misleading. While it included some help for your retirement accounts and savings in IRA’s, 401k’s etc., the Act also includes a new tax increase to beneficiaries.

Prior to the passage of the Act, the beneficiary could create a “stretch IRA,” and enjoy the benefit of tax-deferred growth in the account spread out over their entire lifetime. Investments that aren’t subject to tax every year along the way grow more.

Paying tax on the growth shrinks both the account value now, AND reduces future growth and income from the smaller starting point. Stretching out the IRA tax deferral is golden.

Now, under the SECURE Act, the general limitation (with exceptions) is that a beneficiary of inherited retirement account often must take out all the money and pay tax on it within 10 years.

That’s a huge difference. That means you pay tax on the whole amount much sooner, and the IRA can do its tax-deferred growth magic for a much shorter period of time.

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Headlines The challenges, and benefits, of starting a family during the pandemic — LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

P

rior to their daughter’s birth, Robyn Engel and John Secreto packed a bag with clothing, face masks and other staples of modern travel. As they headed to St. Clair Hospital’s Family Birth Center, they also brought along a car seat for their new baby.

“The doctor made clear to us that once you’re in the hospital you can’t leave,” said Secreto, 49.

Pregnancy and delivery can be stressful under the best of circumstances. Managing both in a pandemic-laden world is something else entirely, said Secreto: “There’s no preparation for that.”

The pandemic caused the Dormont Jewish couple to miss some of the typical joys of pregnancy.

“John didn’t get to go to any of my doctor’s appointments other than the 20-week ultrasound and then the delivery,” said Engel.

Secreto would drive Engel to the doctor, but usually just stayed in his car waiting for text updates, he said.

“Sometimes it was more difficult than others,” he said. The experience taught him to adapt and “do the best you can.”

Almost three months since their daughter, Mina, was born, the new parents are balancing sleepless nights with learning on the fly, all while worrying about potential exposures and viral spread.

“Even if this wasn’t a pandemic, it would have been a complete paradigm shift,” said Engel.

“Thank goodness we have a backyard,” Secreto said. “We’ve been able to engage with friends on our terms.” *** Natasha Berman’s son is almost nine months old.

Nearly 18 months ago, when Berman, 34, became pregnant, neither she nor her husband imagined her pregnancy would be filled with countless pandemicrelated calculations.

Had there not been COVID, they probably would have been able to get more physical support, said Berman: “We don’t have family in this immediate area and that has been particularly tricky.”

Small favors new parents could ask of others before the pandemic — like help with the baby during a shower or nap — are no longer so simple.

Berman’s mother came to town for a few weeks after delivery, but “for the most part, it’s just been me and my husband,” said the Squirrel Hill resident.

Berman appreciates the extra time her young family has spent together, but said managing their schedule has required “coordination.”

As a genetic counselor at Children’s Hospital, Berman sees patients mostly in person.

“I’ve been dealing with exposures at work, and as anyone who works in health care knows, there are risks,” she said.

Berman was vaccinated on Dec. 28. Her 8 MARCH 12, 2021

 Hannah, Palmer and Andrew Krasnow

Photo courtesy of Andrew Krasnow

 Lauren and Aaron Ruben hold a onesie with the words “social distancing fail.”

Photo by Ericka Lias

husband still hasn’t been immunized, and in order to reduce the possibility of infection, she’s assumed responsibility for things like grocery shopping.

As vaccinations continue, and warmer weather arrives, Berman grows more optimistic about the future. The winter was “not ideal for those of us who have dogs and children,” she said, but it “is what it is and we’ll have spring again.” *** Palmer Krasnow was born Feb. 1, 2021.

Her parents, Andrew and Hannah Krasnow, of Shadyside, got married last year and soon began planning to start a family.

“We’re both happy that we didn’t wait until this is over because no one knows when it will be,” said Andrew, 38.

Although the pandemic disrupted many of the Shadyside couple’s plans — including shifting what was supposed to be a large wedding into a smaller 20-person affair — the Krasnows are pleased they continued “moving on with their lives.”

“It’s been nice to do all of this during the

pandemic,” said Andrew. “Although COVID is terrible, we tried to make the best of a terrible situation.”

“The biggest negative is not being able to spend as much time with our family once Palmer arrived, and also worrying about her getting it,” said Hannah, 31. “I think the biggest pro, in a selfish way, is the timing worked out for us.”

Andrew agreed, but said he understands why others might delay major life choices during a pandemic.

“I think every person has the right to take this as seriously as possible,” he said. “I get both sides of it.”

For Andrew, however, age helped clarify matters.

“I’m 38 years old,” he said. “I’m coming from a different place than someone who is 25.” *** Lauren and Aaron Ruben met on JSwipe in 2017.

“We knew quickly from dating that we wanted to move in together, get married and

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have kids,” said Lauren, 35.

After the South Side residents tied the knot in November 2019, they decided to try to get pregnant. Then, just a few months later, the pandemic set in.

“We weighed our options, and we asked each other if this is going to stop us from what we want for our family,” said Lauren.

Lauren got pregnant last July; since then, the couple has balanced remote employment (Lauren is a senior merchandise planner for Rue 21, Aaron is a project manager for Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney), doctor appointments and time together.

“Before all of this, when we were working these schedules from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., we were getting home and rushing for dinner,” said Aaron, 40. “In today’s world, sometimes you feel like ships passing in the night.”

Working from home has been helpful, said Lauren.

“During the first trimester when I was sick, I got a bed desk and could throw up when I wanted to,” she said. “I don’t have to worry about maternity clothes — it’s been Costco pajamas.”

There are definite advantages to a pandemic pregnancy, like spending more time together, designing a nursery and preparing a registry, but there is also the flipside, explained Aaron: “There’s just the stuff you have to deal with, being hypervigilant about everything.”

Since the start of Lauren’s pregnancy, the Rubens haven’t seen many friends or family members.

“I probably leave the house a maximum of three to four times a month, and that’s for doctor’s appointments and really important errands or picking up food,” said Lauren. “If you’re pregnant you’re more at risk, and for me it’s really tough because I’ve only seen my mom once since November. My mom hasn’t been able to experience this with me.”

Lauren’s mother lives in the South Hills, and was one of 80 people who attended a Zoom baby shower for her daughter.

Aaron said he’s spent many of his wife’s doctor appointments waiting in the car, and, although he’ll be permitted to join Lauren during delivery, he was told to expect a “draconian” environment upon arrival at the hospital.

“Her mother can’t come in and you can’t really leave once the baby is born,” he said.

Even with all of the hospital and self-imposed restrictions altering the pregnancy and birth experience they thought they would have, the Rubens are well aware of their blessings.

“Obviously, in the scheme of things, with everyone dying of COVID, and people saying goodbye through FaceTime, it really puts it in perspective,” said Aaron.

“Throughout this process sometimes it’s hard to maintain a positive attitude — my friends haven’t seen me pregnant, I’ve seen my mom only once — it’s isolating and hard, but what helps us as a couple is telling each other one thing we are grateful for or something that we loved during the day,” said Lauren. “It’s really cheesy, but it helps.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines ‘A significant step’: Progressive Jews react to citizenship of non-Orthodox converts in Israel — LOCAL —

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

L

ocal Conservative and Reform community members are pleased with the recent Israeli Supreme Court decision granting citizenship to those who converted to Judaism under non-Orthodox auspices in the Jewish state.

“I think it’s a significant first step in recognizing the validity, legitimacy and authority of a non-Orthodox understanding of Jewish identity,” said Rabbi Aaron Bisno, senior rabbi of Rodef Shalom Congregation.

The March 1 Supreme Court ruling ended a legal battle begun in 2005 when 12 people who converted under the Reform and Masorti movements petitioned the court seeking citizenship. The decision was postponed for 15 years, while the court gave the government time to resolve the issue through legislation.

“This is a good thing,” Congregation Beth Shalom Senior Rabbi Seth Adelson said. “I think that it is very important for the future of the Jewish world for the State of Israel to acknowledge Conservative and Reform converts.”

While the decision affects a small number

world in Israel, vis-à-vis government ministries and funding,” Bisno said.

Israeli Orthodox reaction to the decision was swift. Aryeh Deri, a founder of the Shas Haredi religious party, called the decision “a mortal blow to the Jewish character of the state.”

The question of Jewish identity has become an issue in the upcoming March 23 elections for the Knesset. Israel’s two largest Orthodox political parties released ads attacking Reform Jews. One featured dogs in kippahs that were claiming they were now Jews. Another claimed that  Israeli Supreme Court Justice Esther Hayut in 2017

Photo by Judiciary of Israel licensed under CC BY SA 4.0 African asylum seekers would become Jewish of people — it is estimated that only 30 to through Reform conversion.

“Israeli society is grappling with the 40 non-Orthodox conversions occur in the country each year — Bisno said the ruling tensions between a government that recognizes different streams of Jewish life and an is significant.

“It reopened the question of who is a Jew, ultra-Orthodox agenda that represents a which has been used as a wedge issue between fundamentalism that is an absolute aberrathe Orthodox rabbinate and non-Orthodox tion in Jewish history and is trying to squash

other expressions of Judaism,” said Temple Emanuel of South Hills Senior Rabbi Aaron Meyer. “The divide between secular and haredi are growing increasingly larger and there needs to be a reconciliation.”

Part of the angst felt by Meyer and other progressive Jews stems from restrictions non-Orthodox converts continue to face in Israel. The powerful Orthodox establishment oversees life-cycle rituals like weddings and funerals. Because the Chief Rabbinate does not recognize liberal conversions, non-Orthodox converts cannot marry in Israel. Members of the Reform and Masorti movements often travel outside the country to be wed.

For Bisno, the ruling reopens the debate of those rights, now that Israel’s Law of Return applies to those who were converted by non-Orthodox rabbis inside the country.

“It’s the camel’s nose under the tent as far as the Orthodox are concerned,” he said.

Past Supreme Court decisions already mandated that Israel recognize Jews who converted under non-Orthodox movements outside of the country, provided they live in recognized Jewish communities. Despite those rulings, some progressive Jews have said they continue to face difficulties emigrating to the Jewish state.

Please see Progressive, page 15

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MARCH 12, 2021 9

Headlines — WORLD — From JTA reports

With 41% fully vaccinated, Israel begins reopening

With millions of Israelis already vaccinated and infection rates in the country steadily dropping, Israel began to reopen this week, ending its third lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic. The reopening comes as 41% of the country has been fully vaccinated and 55% have received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

The reopening is not complete, with a mask mandate remaining in place and continued capacity restrictions and distancing requirements for gathering places like restaurants and event halls. But fully vaccinated Israelis will benefit from “Green Passports” attesting to their immunity status, which allow them to dine indoors and to gather in greater numbers than those who have not been vaccinated.

According to the new rules, restaurants can reopen at 75% capacity indoors for vaccinated Israelis while unvaccinated people can be served at restaurants outdoors. Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, which has been kept largely closed since January, will also allow 1,000 people to enter the country per day, with the number set to increase to 3,000 later this week, according to the Times of Israel.

Israel’s vaccination campaign has already had an impact since it began in December.

According to Eran Segal, a computational

biologist at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, Israel has seen a 71% reduction in deaths and 55% fewer cases since the country’s mid-January peak.

The country has been vaccinating at the fastest rate of any country in the world, though Palestinians in the West Bank have not been included in the country’s vaccination campaign. Israel’s military announced last week that it would begin vaccinating Palestinians who live in the West Bank and work in Israel.

And as the country reopens, it is unclear if infections will remain low. After the infection rate increased slightly on Friday, Nachman Ash, Israel’s coronavirus czar, said the country could still head into a fourth lockdown if necessary. Ash also noted that the country will need to vaccinate 2 million more Israelis before the country reaches herd immunity, according to the Times of Israel.

In three weeks, Israel heads to the polls for the fourth time in two years. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign has emphasized his role in returning the country to normal. The prime minister posted a photo to Facebook this week showing him drinking coffee with Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion at an outdoor cafe.

‘It isn’t Jewish’: Israel’s Sephardic chief rabbi on Reform conversions

One of Israel’s chief rabbis said Reform and Conservative Jews “have nothing” and that Reform conversions are not Jewish.

The comments, made by the Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef and published by Israeli media, come after Israel’s Supreme Court recognized Reform and Conservative conversions that take place in Israel in a decision last week. The decision was celebrated by non-Orthodox groups but derided by haredi Orthodox Israelis, who do not recognize non-Orthodox conversions as valid.

“What is Reform conversion? It isn’t Jewish,” Yosef said, in a video published by Kikar Hashabbat.

The court ruling enables those who convert to Judaism under Reform or Conservative auspices in Israel to become citizens under Israel’s Law of Return, which allows any Jew who wishes to live in the country to become a citizen. While the decision became a lightning rod in a long-standing debate over the Orthodox rabbinate’s control over matters of religion in Israel, the scope of the decision is relatively narrow as it deals exclusively with conversions taking place in Israel.

The majority of Reform and Conservative conversions performed outside of Israel have been recognized for decades, though converts often have to jump through bureaucratic hoops to prove their status.

Yosef also said he would not require a woman seeking a divorce from a man who converted with the Reform movement to obtain a religious divorce.

“If a Reform convert comes to me after marrying a Jewish woman, I’ll send her away without a divorce. She doesn’t need a

divorce, the marriage is invalid. Her husband is not a convert,” he said.

Yosef ’s comments in response to the Supreme Court ruling were not his first to denigrate the Reform movement. In response to calls for Israel’s chief rabbinate to open its examinations for rabbinic ordination to women last summer, Yosef compared the women seeking to take the exams to the Reform movement, which he said “falsified the Torah.” Yosef has also called immigrants to Israel from the former Soviet Union “Communist, religion-hating” gentiles.

eBay removes Nazi toys from marketplace

The online auction giant eBay has removed at least 15 Nazi-themed toys — including SS guard figurines and play Nazi tanks — from its listings.

The toys violated eBay’s policy against products that promote hate or violent ideologies, according to the Jewish News.

Among its prohibited items are anything that promotes anti-Semitic stereotypes, as well as “historical Holocaust-related and Nazi-related items, including reproductions, any item that is anti-Semitic or any item from after 1933 that bears a swastika [and] media identified as Nazi propaganda.” Nazi German coins are an exception.

Other online retail giants, including Amazon and Etsy, also have removed items promoting anti-Semitism and conspiracy theories following public backlash. PJC

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

March 12, 2004 — Poet Natan Yonatan dies

Natan Yonatan, one of Israel’s greatest poets, dies at age 80. A native of Kyiv who grew up in Palestine, Yonatan almost immediately gained recognition after he started writing poetry in 1940.

March 13, 1881 — Czar Alexander II Is assassinated

Czar Alexander II of Russia is killed by a bomb in St. Petersburg. The response to the killing includes anti-Jewish pogroms. His successor, Alexander III, enacts new restrictions on Jews and sparks mass emigration.

March 14, 1972 — Black Panthers steal milk

Israel’s Bl ack Panthers, who seek equality for S ephardi and Mizrahi Jews, steal crates of milk meant for wealthy Jerusalem neighborhoods and hand them out in poor neighborhoods to protest poverty.

10 MARCH 12, 2021

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March 15, 1972 — Hussein proposes federal plan

In a radio address, Jordan’s King Hussein proposes a Jordanian-Palestinian federation encompassing the West Bank and Jordan under his monarchy with a regional capital in East Jerusalem and a national capital in Amman.

March 16, 1722 — Constitution for Jewish Berliners

Berlin’s Jewish community is reorganized under a new constitution after Prussian authorities issue statutes regulating the community. The Aeltesten Reglement reinforces Jewish communal autonomy.

March 17, 1992 — Knesset passes Basic Law on human dignity

The Knesset enacts the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty. Concerns about conflicts with Jewish law had long blocked such a statement of support for core human rights among the laws that operate as a constitution.

March 18, 1974 — OPEC lifts oil embargo

OPEC lifts the oil embargo it had placed on the United States in the fall of 1973 for resupplying Israel during the Yom Kippur War. The embargo quadrupled gasoline prices and produced long lines at U.S. gas stations. PJC

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MARCH 12, 2021 11

Opinion Community reflections on a year like no other

A

t the Chronicle’s first editorial meeting after the country began to shut down in March 2020, one of the many things discussed was the fate of our weekly community calendar. How would we fill that page with lists of events when everything was canceled? And, if everything was canceled, what would replace those stories that featured previews

or recaps of our Jewish organizations’ and congregations’ programs?

Within days, it was clear that we needn’t have worried. It took no time at all for Jewish Pittsburgh to pivot, finding ways to create engaging programming through unconventional means, like Zoom, which, weirdly, have now become conventional.

Adult education classes went online. Guest

The contradictions of time

With the distribution of vaccines now well underway, a flicker of light has emerged at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel.

We are optimistic that our community, our world, will soon see much better days.

We reached out to several community members to reflect on the past year and to share their hopes for the future. Their thoughts appear below. PJC

Pittsburghers have stepped up

Stacie Stufflebeam

For the past year, time has taken on a different meaning. In some ways we don’t feel the passage, and in other ways it seems endless. Most of the time, dates don’t register and each day just seems to blend into the next.

But for me, there are some notable exceptions. Two weeks ago, I received my second COVID vaccination; seven months ago, my brother Marc (z’l) passed away from COVID; one year ago, my husband started

speakers appeared online. Even annual galas went online. The Chronicle’s pages covering Jewish Pittsburgh have been filled.

One word that can accurately describe Jewish Pittsburghers is “resilient.” But the truth is, life this past year has been really hard for most of us. The losses felt by too many of us have been deep, heartbreaking, tragic.

Dan Gilman working from home; and it has been 16 months, one week and five days since we last saw our youngest son, who was here from Israel on leave from the IDF. I know that we’re not the only ones unable to see our loved ones, but for those of us with children in Israel there is a difference. Not just the time zone difference, which can play havoc with finding the right time to talk. Not just the actual distance and time it would take to get there. No, for those of us who are not Israeli citizens but want to see our kids living in Israel, we simply can’t because Israel’s borders are closed to us.

And while they are protecting the country with multiple lockdowns and airport closures, and are leading the world in vaccinating their population, all I want is to be allowed in.

Until then, I have no choice but to subsist on WhatsApp voice notes and video calls until Israel opens again.

I can’t wait to be able to go back to Israel, a place I love. But even more so, I miss my sons so much I can’t wait to be able to hold them and hug them. It’s just way past time. PJC Stacie Stufflebeam is the executive director of the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation.

The stresses of beginning a rabbinate during COVID

COVID-19 has affected every aspect of all of our lives. It has taken far too many lives and changed the way we engage with our families, friends and communities. This pandemic has been difficult for us on all levels — personal, professional and municipal. It has shined a light on the inequities that we have always known were there and have been working to address, but are now exacerbated by this crisis.

Yet this crisis has allowed a chance for reflection. We have had the opportunity to

look at our systems and ensure that they are benefitting everyone and truly serving the needs of our most critical communities. Isolation from extended family, work and support systems is challenging enough without having to worry whether you’ll be able to feed your family, if you’ll still have a job, if you’ll be able to make your rent or mortgage payment, if you’ll have the ability to take time off or have insurance if you or someone you love gets sick. The City of Pittsburgh and Mayor’s Office has worked to address all of these needs and more to ensure a safe, effective and equitable response to the pandemic for all. Because, although these times are so trying for us all, our actions now reveal the values of our city.

Pittsburgh has showed us that neighborliness and friendship are critically important right now. Pittsburghers have stepped up, once again, to help each other. I’m not surprised, but incredibly proud. We have more work to do, but our response will be focused on building back by continuing to help each other, support our critical communities, prioritize equity and protect our neighbors, because it’s the right thing to do. PJC Dan Gilman is chief of staff in the Office of Mayor William Peduto.

Rabbi Howie Stein

When I interviewed for my position as rabbi at Temple B’nai Israel in November 2019, I had the opportunity to meet many congregants. I met with the search committee, I circulated among the tables at Shabbat kiddush, and I then met with congregational leaders to finalize my contract.

None of us could imagine that when I started my position last June, virtually all contact 12 MARCH 12, 2021

would be through a screen. There have been opportunities for innovation, though, as we have blended longstanding traditions and the deep desire for human contact with the distanced reality of the pandemic and the use of technology that was new to many of our congregants.

The aspect of our current situation that has affected me the most is being unable to visit congregants who are homebound or ill. While most congregational activities have shifted to Zoom smoothly, those who do not have access to the technology are left out, and it is those congregants I miss the most (despite not knowing them). Similarly, I have seen the real pain of grieving families (and have experienced this personally), not being able to host in-person shiva gatherings to mourn their loved ones and be comforted by the presence of family and friends. It is a real challenge to me to maintain a pastoral presence when I am wrestling with the same stresses. The past year has brought immense challenges, and I, like so many others, am trying to raise my eyes to the proverbial hills rather than crying out from the depths. PJC Rabbi Howie Stein is the spiritual leaders of Temple B’nai Israel.

What we’ve gained from COVID-19 Mollie Kaplan

Last year, the world lost a myriad of things: weddings, bat/bar mitzvahs, family members, field trips, vacations and more.

All gone. But it’s also important to talk about the things we’ve gained from COVID — the life lessons, experiences and skills we all have now.

COVID came at us when we least expected it. We were going to school/work, hanging out with friends and going shopping without

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a mask. Then, suddenly, masks became a trend and Zoom became popular. The teachers who had taught their whole careers in person had to learn how to adapt to the new guidelines. Instead of playing sports and hosting birthday parties, students spent their whole day at home … for months.

The thing is we did this. We adapted. Now pretty much everyone can start a Zoom meeting and learn geometry from their bedrooms. People have learned to not take simple things for granted anymore. We have learned that keeping close to our friends and family is more important than ever. We have learned that in the most devastating times, we can get through it.

Throughout everything, we have found ways to get by under even the most grueling circumstances. We have even found a way to make something beautiful out of something terrible. COVID may have taken away things we will never get back, but it has also given us things we will never lose. PJC Mollie Kaplan is a seventh-grader at Community Day School.

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Opinion One year

The benefits of being grounded

Rabbi Mordy Rudolph

How does one make sense of this year?

There are two ways to look at it, the personal and the professional — which, in my case, is the communal.

Personally, there were certainly difficult days, days when we hoped that people we cared about would be healthy, and days when we hoped we would get by with our kids home and in online school (sometimes) while entertaining our preschool age daughters and managing The Friendship Circle.

There was so much to be grateful for. Our school stayed open (fortunately) and we learned a lot about ourselves — and even the quietest nooks for Zoom calls. Exercise took on new meaning; it centered days that would otherwise have felt like an endless loop.

Then we have the professional side. On day one of the shutdown, we huddled together as a staff and discussed how our mission at

Malori Asman The Friendship Circle was as critical as ever.

We pride ourselves in connecting those who would not otherwise be connected, and so this was just an additional challenge to that mission. We committed ourselves as a team to carry out that mission to the best of our abilities, whether through virtual events, or drive-through activities and drive-in movies.

We were going to need to constantly adapt to ensure that our members remain connected throughout this craziness.

Our staff continues to amaze with their creativity, commitment and spunk; I know we’re not the only ones in the community to be blessed by the energy of so many wonderful young folks, but it is something we should all be grateful for.

If we are hoping that 2022 looks like 2019, we are missing out on much of what is to be gleaned from the past year. We had planned on involving ourselves in the world of mental and behavioral health, and the pandemic has heightened the urgency for serious commitment.

As my dad likes to say about the difference between the chicken and pig when it comes to bacon and eggs (I know, this isn’t super rabbinic): The chicken is involved, the pig is committed.

Coming out of the pandemic, we are committed. We all can connect with others best when we are our own best selves. The past year has tested us all, but we nonetheless look forward to being better people, not despite the pandemic, but because of it. PJC Rabbi Mordy Rudolph is the executive director of the Friendship Circle.

During each of the past 20-plus years, I have spent more than 100 days traveling the world.

It’s a lifestyle I love, and luckily I married a wonderful man who supports my desire to explore. Bringing travelers to exotic destinations, experiencing cultures different than our own and delving into Jewish communities past and present is my driving force. It gives me great pleasure to open the eyes and the hearts of my travelers, bringing them to a world beyond their own. When I’m not leading trips to far away locales, I spend the majority of my day creatively trip-planning.

And then COVID hit. Day after day, week after week, month by month … here I sit, waiting for the world to safely welcome me and my travelers once more. It’s not easy — the world is my office. Whether traversing the granite mountains in Patagonia,

Shira Wiesenfeld

Rabbi Cheryl Klein

Esa eynai el heharim, me’ayin yavo ezri: “My eyes ascend to the mountains and I ask, ‘From where will my help come?’”

Singing the 121st psalm during the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on new meaning as most congregations continue to gather using a virtual platform. Judaism beckons us to seek refuge in times of trouble in both the embrace of HaShem and of our fellow human beings.

The needs of our Dor Hadash congregants run deep: those who are health compromised; those who struggle with unemployment and its financial burdens; those who continue to deal with PTSD from the massacre of Oct. PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Rabbi Cheryl J. Klein serves Congregation Dor Hadash.

Malori Asman is the owner of Amazing Journeys, which specializes in Jewish group travel.

Lessons learned

Spiritual leadership during the time of COVID-19 27, 2018; those who live alone and are lonely; those who are coping with the dynamics of family life where time together is 24/7.

Others have been emotionally impacted by the death of loved ones and the absence of the physical embrace of family and friends to console them at funerals and shiva.

Lifting the spirits of people through song on Shabbat is a truly bonding experience, where, for just a couple of hours in the week, the cares of the world can recede allowing the heart and mind to take in a breath of pure gladness. Reciting the names of those in need of healing through the Mi Sheberach prayer, reminds us just how blessed we are when we have our health.

Jews have a long history of dealing with adversity and we have been quite resourceful in developing coping skills and plans of action to move forward. When we commit ourselves to the Jewish values that command us to cultivate community by acting on behalf of its needs, to take measures to safeguard life (pikuach nefesh), to raise awareness of human rights and workers’ rights, to seek justice for marginalized populations, we then become vessels of spiritual goodness who profess hope. PJC

snorkeling around the Galapagos Islands or looking for wildlife in the savannah of Africa, I am very much at home outside my home. And now I am homebound.

Staying in one place means finding ways to better myself and my community. I have taken many online classes, have arranged “tours” on Zoom for clients, Shabbat Zooms with family and happy hour Zooms with cousins, high school friends and sorority sisters. I have organized a neighborhood coat drive, volunteered at 412 Food Rescue and established a monthly food drive at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills. I took on a leadership role for the presidential election and Georgia Senate races, all while waiting this out. In addition, I make sure to exercise two to three times a day to stay in shape for the time when I am traveling once more, and to keep myself healthy.

There’s another positive side to all of this: I am grateful for the days I have been able to spend with my local family — my husband, my two daughters and their husbands, and my four grandkids. We have mostly “bubbled” together during all of this and have enjoyed lots and lots of family time.

It’s a rare treat for me and one that I have cherished, being home for Shabbat dinners, birthday celebrations, a New Year’s Eve party and backyard barbeques. PJC

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I led a very fast-paced life. Each day consisted of over eight hours in school, several in-person events or meetings, a workout at the gym, and many hours of homework. My life was so hectic that my friends joked it was impossible to make plans with me.

Last March, I was a junior in high school and never expected the bizarre turn life would take. I was forced to revamp all my plans. Before I could wrap my head around the new reality, my school switched to virtual classes, and my college entrance exams were postponed.

I had to quickly adapt my extracurricular

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

activities to the COVID-19 world. As co-president of Bnei Akiva of Pittsburgh and on the Teen Leadership Board at The Friendship Circle, it was difficult to transition from in-person to virtual events. It is sad that children are missing out on the fun of face-to-face activities, but I am encouraged by impressive online attendance and engagement. I miss teaching Zumba classes live, but for now, Zoom is a much safer option.

While there has been much darkness throughout the pandemic, I have been lucky to experience many positive things as well. My outstanding teachers and the staff members at Hillel Academy have worked hard to provide a superior, safe, in-person education despite the circumstances. I have been blessed with more time with my immediate family, though I miss visits with my grandmothers. I have learned the importance of self-care and relaxation as a result of spending less time outside the house.

Next year, I hope to spend a year in Israel furthering my Jewish learning, an opportunity for which I am most thankful, especially after this difficult year. I will aim to appreciate every new learning and growing experience and integrate the lessons COVID-19 has taught me: Family time is precious, slowing down can help you better define and reach your goals, and a little impromptu dancing can really lift the spirit. PJC Shira Wiesenfeld is in 12th grade at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh.

MARCH 12, 2021 13

Headlines Collaboration: Continued from page 2

to connect with families or seniors, et cetera?

Those are the kinds of questions I think about.”

Several local Jewish organizations and congregations are already sharing space, at least to some extent. One example is New Light Congregation’s relocation to Congregation Beth Shalom’s building following the Oct. 27, 2018, massacre. New Light, as well as Congregation Dor Hadash, had been tenants at Tree of Life until it was shuttered after the attack.

Beth Shalom’s relationship with New Light “has been good for us and worked out quite well,” said Rabbi Seth Adelson, senior rabbi at Beth Shalom. “I think that while we are all attached to our buildings and our individual identities, it’s worth noting that our identities as congregations are not based on the bricks and the mortar. I’m hoping in the coming years that congregations will look at each other and say, ‘Hey, perhaps we could be in deeper relationship such that we might be able to save everybody some money and use our space more efficiently.’”

Since the Oct. 27 massacre, Tree of Life, as well as Dor Hadash, have been housed in Rodef Shalom’s building. The concept of sharing physical space is not new to Tree of Life, said its president, Carol Sikov Gross.

Sharing facilities is “something Tree of Life had been working on prior to Oct. 27,” she said.

“That’s why we had the metropolitan model and we had rented space to Dor Hadash and New Light and had other things going on in our building. We were already repositioning and moving ourselves in that direction.”

Tree of Life is determined to continue that modality by rebuilding its own facility to provide space for other Jewish institutions, serve as a hub of wider communal activity, and be “a center for building bridges,” hosting educational activities and symposiums, Gross said.

“That’s what our congregation wants and we think that’s also what the community, the city, the country, the world needs to see — that hate will not win,” she said.

But not all organizations may be willing or ready to share space, Bardack said.

“I think it’s very sensitive and it’s up to each community, but there is a feeling like your organization is a home, and the home is associated with the building,” she said. “And I think there’s a lot of emotions around that — less for offices and schools and more for synagogues where multiple generations have been part of it. Even with plaques, with loved ones’ names on seats and on walls. It’s hard to give that up. It’s emotional.”

Generally, people “are protective of the organizations they have worked so hard on behalf of, both as volunteers and as participants as well as supporters with their finances,” said Rabbi Jamie Gibson, rabbi emeritus of Temple Sinai. “I think the culture of our area is one to retain things as they have been as much as possible. And now they can’t be.

“I would like us all to see, not how we can do more with less, but how can we be smart about what physical spaces we need to serve the congregants we have and to use those spaces to be able to launch creative initiatives of outreach in the community,

14 MARCH 12, 2021

 The Jewish Assistance Fund, Hebrew Free Loan Association, SOS Pittsburgh of Jewish Family and Community Services, Squirrel Hill Food Pantry, Jewish Scholarship Services and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Israel Scholarships/Passport to Israel partnered to form JFunds to streamline the process for clients seeking assistance.

Photo by Jim Busis

from Squirrel Hill to Mt. Lebanon to Wexford,” Gibson added.

Mandate to collaborate

Several successful community collaborations are already happening, but there needs to be more, local leaders said.

Examples include the Joint Jewish Education Program for grades K-8 run, by Rodef Shalom and Beth Shalom; AgeWell Pittsburgh, in which the JAA, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and Jewish Family and Community Services, with the help of the Federation, serve older adults; and JFunds, a network of Jewish financial support services.

“You don’t always have to merge to think about a different way to do business and serve populations,” said Brian Schreiber, president and CEO of the JCC. Schreiber noted an increase in collaborations in the last several years, and thinks the pandemic will be “an accelerant” to creating others.

There are both aspirational and practical matters — like financial sustainability — that are at play when considering collaboration, or mergers, Schreiber said. “Ideally, you want to be thinking about the aspirational side before it becomes a financial prerequisite to get something done.”

With the decline of institutional affiliation, it is imperative for organizations not only strategize internally about sustainability, but to reach out to one another, said Ron Symons, founding director of the JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness and Civic Engagement.

“This is a very scary time because we don’t know yet what the [pandemic’s] impact on the institutions is going to be,” said Symons. “Long term, we don’t know how people are going to spend what might be more limited funds, or what might be more limited social time.

“I think everyone is looking out for their own institutions,” Symons continued. “But

we have to do this with two sets of glasses on. One is, how do each of these institutions strive and thrive in the traditional ways of engagement. But when we take off those glasses, and put on the other set of glasses and we think about the ecosystem of the entire Greater Pittsburgh Jewish community, I think we have a responsibility to be talking to each other about how it is that we do that even better across institutions. That is synagogue to synagogue, that’s agency to synagogue, that’s agency to agency.”

Competition between community organizations needs to end, Bisno stressed.

“There is no dishonor in recognizing that there was a time to spawn more congregations and now is the time — there is a season to every purpose under heaven — to gather together,” he said. “There are a lot of threats out there. We don’t need to be scaring each other. It’s choppy waters. The world is a scary place and the uncertainty is higher now — or we are more aware of it now — than ever. We don’t know the roadmap forward quite, but we are better if we do it together.”

Starting the conversation

While there is a general consensus that community-wide conversations about shared visions need to start happening, it is not clear how those conversations should be initiated, or when.

“I think it’s evolving,” Windmueller said.

The timeline for the dialogue, “depends on how quickly folks come to some of the a-ha moments, the reality moments that where we are is not where we need to be.”

The landscape is changing quickly, noted Gibson, “especially when it comes to synagogue identification of what does it mean to belong. What does it mean to retain one’s membership during a pandemic? What does it mean to have people who now associate with a synagogue over Zoom and want to be members in Panama City, Florida? And what does it mean when the people right down the

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

block who’ve been members may say, ‘I don’t know if I really feel that connection anymore, given that it’s two-dimensional.’ These are really hard questions, and I don’t have strong answers except to say that we’re all interested in creating a path forward for our community, realizing that not every institution is going to emerge intact in its present form.”

To facilitate interorganizational conversations, “I’m looking for the convener,” said Gibson, who pointed to the Federation or the Wexner Foundation as prospects for filling that role.

The Federation “potentially could take a lead,” said Finkelstein, “if there’s a willingness on the part of others to come to the table with open minds.”

At the moment, though, “our institutions are still in the heat of COVID,” Finkelstein noted.

“And it’s hard to plan for the future when you’re trying to put out the fire. So, I don’t think it’s exactly the right time to start convening on these discussions. It’s the right time to be having some quiet conversations for sure.”

In imaging Jewish Pittsburgh’s future, it’s helpful to think in terms of “aspiration and inclusivity and dreaming,” said Dan Marcus, executive director and CEO of Hillel Jewish University Center, who works to engage Pittsburgh’s college students. “Dreams can also be very practical. As we look forward, the question is how can we bring the voices together and how can we create that safe space for the big dream, the big aspiration?

As we hear about those passions, that can be a roadmap to what we want to be and achieve.”

At this point, said Bisno, no one can predict “the endgame.”

“I just know we can’t afford to pretend that tomorrow is not different than yesterday, and we need to approach it with a different mindset,” he said. “If you don’t care who gets the credit, you can get a lot more done.” PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewshchroincle.org.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines Congregations: Continued from page 4

way as students go from learning all day in public school to Zoom religious school, but we’ve done OK,” Lehrer said. “Attendance has been good, as has participation.”

While dues collection for some congregations has been down, the decrease at most congregations is not as drastic as once feared, mirroring what is happening in the Reform movement nationally, said Barkley, who cited a recent survey by the Union of Reform Judaism in which 69% of respondents said they experienced a small decline in dues.

Revenue also has been down for

Ohav: Continued from page 7

glad that the virtual nature of the concert allows her to join us,” Taylor said.

This online experience means that Aronson, the main attraction of the night, will also get to join from the comfort of his own home in New York City. While Aronson has never been to Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Jewish community has been impacted by his music.

“Bringing in Noah was a no-brainer, since we were already using his version of ‘Barchu’ from his ‘Am I Awake’ album in our weekly services, and his song ‘Let There Be Love’ during our High Holy Days services,” Taylor said. “Our congregation is all about participation through music, and his music is very accessible.”

Aronson, who describes his sound as “honest and authentic,” has been inspired by the Jewish spaces in which he performs, he said.

“My music is influenced by everything and everyone around me,” Aronson told the Chronicle. “Every piece of music I’ve heard in my life has seeped into what I create, and my music is very much a product of what I’ve received. My father was a cantor, so I’ve always had the sound of the synagogue in me.”

While his music often is derived from Jewish scripture, Aronson has also dabbled in electronic dance music, and says his next album will be entirely based off of vocal loops. In 2019, he created “The Movement Movement,”

Progressive: Continued from page 9

The Union of Reform Judaism welcomed the recent Supreme Court decision.

“Today the Court has affirmed the reality that the Jewish people are stronger because of the contribution of Reform and Conservative Movements and their commitment to bringing more Jews into the Jewish community,” read a statement issued by the URJ. The Conservative/Masorti movement’s Rabbinical Assembly called the decision “not swift justice, but sweet and righteous just the same.”

Pittsburgh native Rachael Houser, a rabbinic student at the Hebrew Union PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

congregations due to the loss of room rentals and catering for b’nai mitzvah and other celebrations. That, along with the inability to host traditional fundraising events, has forced congregations to become creative.

Temple Emanuel created a monthlong fundraising campaign called “Keep the Light Shining” which culminated on Giving Tuesday, Hoffman said. The fundraiser helped to fill in the gaps created by lost revenue, including room rentals.

In January, Beth Shalom hosted Shlep-a-thon, an outdoor peer-to-peer fundraising event where members ran laps around the building.

Fundraising overall has been more difficult, including annual High Holiday for which he composed EDM tracks to inspire movement and dance in prayer services.

“Growing up, I had to daven every day, and the kinesthetic moments of prayer always resonated with me the most,” said Aronson, who serves on the faculty of Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion’s Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music in Manhattan. “Intentional movement within a spiritual practice is increasingly essential for me. It allows people to be more expressive in the fullness of their experience, and it expands the possibility of prayer.”

As for performing virtually during the pandemic, Aronson said he’s actually been able to find more blessings than he expected.

“There’s an intimacy to a Zoom performance that might not be possible on a stage or a bimah,” he said. “It’s more like one-onone-on-one rather than just a sea of people, and I always try to connect with people on that personal level.”

That intimate connection is what Aronson will be striving for at the “Let There Be Love” concert.

“I try to be present in every moment, whether I’m performing for five or 500 people,” he said. “l always have the same intention and am grateful just to be in that moment with the audience, because it’s all beautiful. I’m so looking forward to it.”

More information about the “Let There Be Love” community concert can be found at templeohavshalom.org. PJC Dionna Dash is a writer living in Pittsburgh.

College/Jewish Institute of Religion, was converted through the Reform movement.

She currently serves as a rabbinic intern at Beth Samuel Jewish Center, and was last in Israel in 2019. The Supreme Court decision, she said, is the next step toward acceptance, and is empowering for all converts, whether they live in Israel or are part of the Diaspora.

Temple Emanuel of South Hills member Mary Cothran converted in the United States 22 years ago. The Israeli Supreme Court’s decision was only fair, she said, since converts from outside the country have already been allowed citizenship.

“If any place in the world should provide freedom of religion, it’s Israel,” she added. PJC

appeals, which had to be done virtually, “so the numbers have come down somewhat,” said Symons.

If there is a silver lining to local synagogues sitting mostly vacant the past year, it might be that needed or postponed work could be done with a minimum of disruption to members. That included not only technological upgrades for the Zoom services and classes, but also needed construction.

Barkley has scheduled work on Temple Sinai’s roof, and some “HVAC work that was long, long overdue,” he said.

Adat Shalom has been able to concentrate on security upgrades funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh over the last year.

In the end, COVID-19 may be responsible for more than building upgrades and finding new ways to stay connected. It may also cause local synagogues to rethink what membership means, said Temple Emanuel Senior Rabbi Aaron Meyer.

“Terms associated with synagogues, like ‘membership’ and ‘dues,’ are modern innovations in response to unique historical circumstances,” Meyer said. “As these circumstances change, we are quite overdue in the need to reexamine the funding structures and exclusivist membership models we have long taken for granted.” PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh reopens

Y

eshiva Schools of Pittsburgh resumed in-person instruction Monday following a two-week closure due to an outbreak of COVID-19 among at least 45 students.

“Based on advice from our medical advisors, we are comfortable restarting in person,” said Rabbi Chezky Rosenfeld, director of development for Yeshiva Schools.

The school shifted from in-person to virtual instruction on Monday, Feb. 22,

after community members reported positive cases among students, parents and staff, according to Rosenfeld.

Based on Gov. Tom Wolf ’s recent announcement that teachers would be prioritized to receive the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Rosenfeld said he was “optimistic we will soon have a lot of our staff vaccinated.” PJC — Toby Tabachnick

GIFT readies Passover to Go kits for those in need

G

IFT (Giving it Forward Together), a local nonprofit, will be offering its Passover to GO kits again this year, providing Jewish assisted living residents and the homebound with items they need to celebrate the holiday.

“One shouldn’t underestimate the importance of a holiday kit,” said Rochel Tombosky, GIFT’s founder, in a prepared statement. “They aren’t just a kind gesture — they have an incredible positive effect on the mental well-being and quality of life of those receiving them.”

The free kits include a prepackaged kosher meal; handmade matzah; a seder plate (with all the seder contents); and a large print Haggadah.

Kits will be assembled adhering to COVID-19 safety precautions and volunteers will be delivering them to homes and facilities around Pittsburgh. Volunteer opportunities for assembly and delivery will take place March 17-22.

Passover to GO kits are available

while supplies last.

“Now, during the pandemic, the need is greater than ever before,” said Tombosky.

“Typically, this is a holiday focused on family or friend gatherings. Most of the recipients don’t have the ability to make a Passover seder.”

Kits will be delivered to 400 Pittsburgh seniors, people who are immunocompromised or have special needs, according to Tombosky.

Donations helped to make Passover to GO possible, she said.

“GIFT is committed to ensuring that each kit finds a blessed recipient,” said Batsheva Williamson, GIFT board president. “One may not be able to celebrate at a family gathering, but these kits are our way to show that we care. It’s like a loving hug.”

To order a kit for someone who meets the Passover to GO requirements, or to volunteer, send an email to giftpgh@gmail.com, or call 412-401-5914. PJC — Toby Tabachnick

www.pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

MARCH 12, 2021 15

Life & Culture ‘Chopped’ rabbi shows the joy of kosher cooking

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

R

abbi Hanoch Hecht — a Chabad emissary living and working in Duchess County, north of New York City — remembers the video clip his mother showed him some seven years ago at her home in Crown Heights.

The video showed a young, aspiring chef, with a shaved head and a shaved face, competing on a Food Network show and saying he left Chasidism, in part, because he could not experience pleasure through food.

The video stunned Hecht.

“Every flavor God created on the prohibited side, he created one on the permitted side,” Hecht told a virtual audience at an event hosted by Chabad of Western Pennsylvania on March 8. “This statement [the Food Network chef] said, of kosher being limiting, is not true.”

Hecht studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and eventually made it onto Food Network himself. He was the first rabbi to appear on the network’s show “Chopped” and competed against a priest and a nun-in-training on a special episode titled “Leap of Faith.” During the March 8 program, Hecht told his audience that he appeared on “Chopped” to counter the earlier chef ’s statements about kosher cooking and religiosity.

Monday’s event featured Hecht preparing a red wine Spanish sangria — complete with cognac and quartered blood oranges — as

well as fresh “Pesach cookies” made from almond flour he ground in a food processor, husks and all. The recipe for the cookies can be found in his book, “Kabbalah of Food.”

“Our job is to enjoy and celebrate the physical world,” Hecht told participants via

Zoom. “Pleasure is a thing we need to experience to elevate the world.”

He said the debate about the physical experience of eating kosher food is not new. But he remains steadfast in his opinion that kosher food can be done well.

“When it comes to food, there are many, many laws that guide us,” he said. “But when we actually eat, we have to enjoy it.”

Rabbi Mendy Schapiro, who leads Chabad of Monroeville, said several Chabad centers around the Pittsburgh region were hosting pre-Passover programs and the idea of joining together to host the Hecht event was to help make pre-Passover shopping an educational experience.

“The program typically includes information about kosher food and the Passover ‘twist,’ along with sharing Passover recipes and insights,” Schapiro told the Chronicle.

“Rabbi Hecht is someone who offers the full package. He is a chef with lots of cooking experience, he has recently authored a book on the Kabbalah of food and, to add to the appeal, he has competed on a well-known

 Rabbi Hanoch Hecht

cooking show, ‘Chopped.’”

The Chabad event was positioned as a special treat because “people are starting to be more selective on their Zoom event participation,” Schapiro said.

“The community programming has to be presented in a way that it checks off all the boxes,” he said. “As we prepare for Passover, we wanted to present exactly that — a fun, educational Passover foods program with a great speaker.”

The “Chopped” episode “Leap of Faith” in which Rabbi Hecht competed will air on Food Network on March 30 at 3 p.m.

It also is available on streaming services such as Hulu. PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

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MARCH 12, 2021 17

Celebrations

Torah

The kiyor

Bar mitzvah Jacob Aryeh Fischbach is the son of Yael Silk and Jordan Fischbach, older brother of Natanel Fischbach, grandson of Janice Davidson and John Thomas, Lee and Marnin Fischbach, Carol and Jerry Hait, and Mark Silk. After years of trying, he finally convinced his parents to get a puppy, and Ella joined the family in October 2020. Jacob is an instrumental major in the seventh grade at CAPA and plays the trumpet. He enjoys learning jazz, cooking and playing Dungeons & Dragons. He has been an enthusiastic camper at Camp Young Judaea in Wisconsin since the fourth grade.

In December, Jacob completed a year of Repair the World’s Peer Corps program. Jacob will become a bar mitzvah at Congregation Beth Shalom on Saturday, March 13.

Brayden Lewinter, son of Daniel and Julie Lewinter and grandson of Dorothy and Samuel Greenfield, Janice and Mitchell Hoffman and Neil and Evelyn Lewinter, will become a bar mitzvah on Thursday, March 18 at Congregation Beth Shalom. Brayden, a seventh-grader, plays ice hockey for the Pittsburgh Predators AA 2008 birthyear team. When he’s not on the ice, he likes to participate in outdoor activities such as soccer, fishing, camping and bike riding. Brayden also enjoys visual arts and likes to illustrate with colored pencil, as well as game online with friends. In school, he excels at academics and has taken a liking to science and history. PJC

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Rabbi Shimon Silver Shabbat HaChodesh Parshat Vayakel-Pekudei Exodus 35:1 – 40:38; Exodus 12:1-20

T

he commandment to make a kiyor, washing station, is positioned after Parshas Terumah and Tetzaveh, which detail the construction of the Mishkan, its vessels and the priestly vestments. The instructions on building a kiyor are in Parshas Ki Sisa (30:17-21), sandwiched between the mitzvah of the half-shekel toll and the mitzvah to concoct the anointing oil and the incense. One could explain this as a statement about the function of the kiyor. It is not a vessel used in the actual service. Rather, it is used to prepare for service. However, if that were true, why is there a need to construct a specific vessel for this? It would be sufficient to instruct all those who serve to wash their hands and feet before service. Indeed, if one washes from another one of the klei shareis, the vessels in the Temple, he fulfills his duty.

Why would there be a special mitzvah to do so from the kiyor? Why are there such specific instructions on the construction of this incidental extra vessel? It must be copper, must be shiny, must contain enough water for at least four men.

In this week’s parshas, we are taught that Betzalel was “in the shadow of G-d” because he had divine inspiration in his order of construction. First, he made the Mishkan, and only then did he make the vessels to be housed inside it. Then, he constructed the outer altar which would be placed right outside the Mishkan, and then the chatzer, outer enclosure. If the kiyor is really an extra, why did he need to construct it before the chatzer (38:8)? It could have been made last, after everything else, just as the commandment to make it is last.

Furthermore, later on in the parshas, when Moshe was told how to erect the Mishkan and arrange its keilim, the kiyor is also to be placed in position before the chatzer is erected (40:7). Then a special commandment is given to anoint the kiyor (40:11), something that very few vessels merit. Most of them are included in a collective commandment. Finally, in narrating the actual arranging, a dedicated section details placing the kiyor before erecting the chatzer (40:30-32). This all points to a more significant role for the kiyor than a simple washstand.

Let us examine the mitzvah to wash hands and feet. One could really ask, why would they not wash before entering the chatzer? Why wait until one is deep inside “between the mizbaiach and the Mishkan”?

Furthermore, if they left the courtyard, the kohanim would need to wash on their return. This indicates that it is the entry into the chatzer that requires this preparatory handwashing. If so, one would expect it to be like tevilah, immersion, which must be done before coming into the enclosure.

It is clear that kiddush yadayim veraglayim, washing the hands and feet, is required specifically once one has entered the enclosure and finds himself in this holy presence. He has been more elevated than with the immersion of his body. Having entered the enclosure, and his entire body

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and being having become surrounded by the sanctity, he is now on a level that requires more. Kiddush yadayim veraglayim is more than purification or immersion. It is for the honor and respect of the service.

To elaborate, the Chinuch explains the mitzvah of tevilah in a mikvah. One immerses his whole body in a body of water, for water was the first thing created. With his ritual purification he becomes like a newly created being. Kiddush yadayim veraglayim has a similar effect. However, this is not for the whole body. The hands and feet function in a way that distinguishes the human from the animal. Upon entering the courtyard, his elevated quality of humanity is refreshed. The ultimate goal of mankind is to come as close as possible to Hashem. This takes place in the proximity of the Mishkan, Hashem’s abode in this world. When one’s physical body, his superior humanity, and his mental presence come into the enclosure of the Shechinah, the divine presence, he is elevated to the highest possible level a human can reach. In this sense, his body is renewed, and he needs kiddush yadayim veraglayim as a result.

This can only take place after he enters the enclosure. Therefore, the kiyor is placed inside the chatzer, rather than outside the entranceway. The construction of the kiyor demonstrates this concept. It is a dedicated vessel inside the chatzer; it is constructed before the chatzer; it is placed in position before the chatzer. The kiyor is needed before the walls are erected to enclose the Shechina to show that the enclosure encompasses this special quality.

One who is distracted from his service must wash again. The kiddush yadayim veraglayim is more about the mental state, the concentration, and utilizing the superior human attributes in serving Hashem on such a high level. Indeed, the Torah uses the term “when they shall come close” they must wash. It is the kurvah, the coming close to Hashem, that requires this special washing of the hands and feet.

Nowadays, when we are more alert to washing our hands to prevent disease, we appreciate the concept of distraction and the need to focus on hand cleanliness. We understand this uniquely human asset, the use of our hands to prevent communicable diseases. This should stimulate a new appreciation of the superior spiritual nature of humanity. Psalm 26 discusses how one should separate himself from the company of the evildoers. In the middle of the psalm comes this verse: “I wash my hands in cleanliness [purity] and I circle Your altar, Hashem!” (Tehilim 26:6). Why is handwashing mentioned in this context? Because handwashing indicates mental and spiritual cleanliness and the superiority of humanity.

“The evildoers around me do not recognize or acknowledge this superiority. They do not appreciate my high standards or the lofty levels to which I aspire. I, on the other hand, understand the distinction between myself and the animals, and I relate to this by washing my hands before circling Your altar, Hashem!” PJC Rabbi Shimon Silver is the spiritual leader of Young Israel of Greater Pittsburgh. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh.

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Obituaries ALCORN: Terence Scott Alcorn, age 65, got out of washing the floors this week by passing away on March 3, 2021. He claimed to be born on July 23, 1955, but significant evidence points toward extraterrestrial origins. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in international agriculture and economics from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Architecture from the University of Buffalo. His career as a university lab architect lead to innovations in design such as making sure the rooms had doors and that the ventilation system moved hazardous fumes away from students. In his spare time, Terence found joy in skiing, woodworking, gardening, working with animals, and going to drag shows with his friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dilworth Leroy Alcorn and Elizabeth Charters Alcorn, and his sister-in-law, Jane (née Kilburg) Alcorn. He is survived by his wife, Hope Gelfand Alcorn; his daughter, Mia Louise Alcorn; his brothers, Paul (Shodie) Alcorn and Charles Alcorn; extended family and friends who loved him; and two pissed off cats, Wisp “Baby Girl” Alcorn and Charlie Bucket “Charlie B” Alcorn. Funeral services were held virtually on March 7, 2021, at 3 p.m. EST with Temple Sinai. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank or Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania. May his name be a blessing. Professional services by D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd., Lawrenceville. dalessandroltd.com DIAMOND: Dr. Edward J. “Ed” Diamond Jr., of Pittsburgh, passed away on Thursday,

March 4, 2021, at age 96.

Husband of 70 years to the late Edith A. Diamond, father of Dr. Edward J. Diamond III (Patrice) of Itasca, Illinois, and Kenneth J. Diamond (Elizabeth) of Mercer Island, Washington; grandfather of Jennifer, Laura, Steven, and Michael; great-grandfather of Shoshana and Eliana. Son of the late Dr. Edward and Blanche Diamond and brother of Patricia Seligson. Ed was born in Pittsburgh on April 29, 1924, and graduated from Shady Side Academy, Yale University, and Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He served in World War II and was awarded two Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster. Ed was the eye doctor for the Pittsburgh Pirates for many years. He loved his family and friends and was an avid golfer and bridge player.

At his request, remembrances in his memory may be made to The Chest Foundation, 2595 Patriot Blvd, Glenview, Illinois 60026. A private graveside service was held on Friday March 5, 2021, at Westview Cemetery. Arrangements

by John A. Freyvogel Sons, Inc. freyvogel funeralhome.com.

LIEBER: Elaine M. Lieber, on March 4, 2021. Elaine M. Lieber passed away peacefully at age 81. Beloved wife of the late Earl L. Lieber for 50 years. Loving mother of Alycia (partner Robert Kerwin) Lieber and Jay (JoAnn) Lieber. Devoted daughter of the late Saul and Lena Myers. Dear sister of the late Irma Myers. Doting Bubbie to Katelynn and Sarah Lieber. Sister-in-law of Manes and

Faygie Lieber of Israel. Graveside services and interment were held at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Contributions in her memory suggested to Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh and 365 Hospice Pittsburgh. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com PAVILACK: Glenda Pavilack died on Feb. 27, 2021, due to complications from COVID19. She was born in the Bronx, New York City, on Feb. 23, 1934, the daughter of Henrietta and Arnold Klein. Glenda was a graduate of the Walton High School, a prestigious school for girls. Upon graduation she went to work for the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) in New York City. At an engagement party in the Bronx for her brother, she met his fiancée’s first cousin, Ivan Pavilack. It was a match that lasted 60 years until his death in 2014. In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her brother and his wife, Lawrence and Temmy Klein. Glenda is survived by her children: Stuart (Rachel) Pavilack of Wheeling, West Virginia, Ronald (Laurel Tepper) Pavilack of Venice, Florida, Barbara Pavilack (Cobi) Melenik of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Richard (June) Pavilack, of Cincinnati, Ohio. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Melissa Pavilack (Robert) Kirker, Aaron Pavilack, Austin Pavilack, Brandon Pavilack, Jacob Pavilack, Eli Pavilack, and Joanne Melenik. Glenda was an active member for over 60 years of Temple Shalom, its Sisterhood, and

Hadassah. When her children were of school age, she was heavily involved with PTA groups.

SCHWARTZ: Faye Schwartz, on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Beloved wife of the late Samuel Schwartz. Beloved mother of Martin (Fern) Schwartz, Ferne (Kenneth) Oskie, Amy (David) Stangel and Andrew (Mary) Schwartz. Sister of the late Mildred Lieberman, Leona Levin, Morris “Moe” Lieberman and Sidney Lieberman. Also survived by eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and many loving nieces and nephews. Graveside services and interment were held at Tiphereth Israel Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Jewish Community Center, 5738 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com SIEGEL: Alice E. Siegel, age 100, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.

Beloved wife of the late Herschel L. Siegel.

Beloved mother of Ed (Barbara) Siegel and Steve (Linda) Siegel; devoted grandmother of Jamie Siegel, Lauren (Aaron) Applebaum, and Andy (Lauren) Siegel; loving GG of Liora and Micah Applebaum and Shayna and Toby Siegel. Services and interment private.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, 1 N. Linden Street, Duquesne, PA 15110, or a charity of your choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com PJC

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Who Gets What? A Guide to Tax-Savvy Charitable Contributions Reprinted with permission from Forbes.com where Jim is a regular contributor.

2200 Murray Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15217 412-521-2732 www.paytaxeslater.com

James Lange, CPA and Attorney Let’s address the decisions you make when crafting your estate plan and figuring out who gets what. What is the smartest solution for donations or inheritances that you leave to a charity after you and your spouse pass? The most fundamental idea to address is: what are the tax implications to each recipient if they inherit your money? By being very selective about who receives which type of money—whether Traditional or Roth IRAs, after-tax brokerage accounts, life insurance, etc.—you can dramatically cut the share that goes to the IRS and increase the amount going to your family.

In most cases, Traditional IRAs are going to be fully taxable to your heirs. After the SECURE Act killed the stretch IRA, income taxes will be due on your IRA within ten years after your death.

Inherited Roth IRAs have the advantage of being able to continue to grow for ten years after your death and then can be withdrawn tax-free. After-tax dollars and life insurance are generally

not subject to income taxes. All these different types of inheritances have different tax implications for your beneficiary—unless your beneficiary is a tax-exempt charity.

A charity recognized by the IRS as being taxexempt does not care what form of inheritance they receive. They never have to pay taxes on the money. So, a charity will look at bequests of Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, after-tax dollars, or life insurance in the same light. In sharp contrast, your heirs will face substantially different tax implications depending on the type of asset they receive after your death. Please note that we are only addressing income taxes, not estate or transfer taxes.

Imagine this: You want to leave $100,000 to charity after you and your spouse die. You have both Traditional IRAs and after-tax dollars. Who Gets What? In most of the estate documents we review, we see instructions directing that the charitable bequest come from after-tax funds— usually found in the will or a revocable trust. The problem is that your will (or revocable trust) does not control the disposition of your IRAs or retirement plans. By naming that charity as a beneficiary in your will or trust, you will likely be donating after-tax money to charity. The charity gets $100,000 so the “cost” of the bequest to your heirs is $100,000. Restated, the amount that your children inherit is reduced by $100,000 because you made that bequest to charity.

But what if you decide to leave $100,000 to charity through your Traditional IRA or retirement

plan beneficiary designation? It makes no difference to the charity because they get $100,000 tax free. If your heirs receive $100,000 from your IRA, they will have to pay taxes on the money.

Assuming your heirs are in the 24% tax bracket, that would be $24,000—leaving them with $76,000 after the government takes their share.

And the tax bite is even worse if your heirs are in a higher tax-bracket or live in a state that taxes Inherited IRAs. So, if you leave your Traditional IRA money to a charity that doesn’t pay taxes, you are in effect leaving your beneficiaries an extra $24,000! This is a simple tweak to your estate plan that can be very beneficial to your heirs.

Consider the purchasing power, after taxes, available to your beneficiary if you have $100,000 in a Traditional IRA and $100,000 of after-tax dollars, and we switch who gets what.

Scenario 1 •

Leave $100,000 to charity through your will or revocable trust and $100,000 to your heirs as the beneficiary of your Traditional IRA.

•

Impact on charity: $100,000 and pay no tax.

•

Impact on heirs: $100,000 IRA - 24% taxes = $76,000.

Scenario 2 •

Leave $100,000 to charity through your IRA beneficiary designations and $100,000 to your heirs in your will or revocable trust.

•

Impact on charity: $100,000 and pay no tax.

•

Impact on heirs: $100,000 and pay no federal tax.

This simple switch of who gets what saved this family $24,000!

Let’s imagine another scenario. Suppose your child is well off and, as a parent, you are totally comfortable with reducing his or her inheritance by $100,000. Does that mean you can leave even more money to charity? Yes! You could leave $131,579 to charity through your IRA or retirement plan beneficiary designation. The same tax implications apply. A $131,579 IRA bequest will only “cost” your child $100,000 ($131,579 times 24% = $31,579). If you left that $131,579 IRA to your children instead of charity, your children would have to pay $31,579 in taxes leaving them $100,000.

By switching who gets what, you accomplish one of two things: 1. You save $24,000 in federal taxes for your child, or 2. If you increase your bequest to the charity to $131,579, you still only remove $100,000 from your child’s total inheritance, and you increase the charitable gift by $31,579.

Who loses with this strategy? The IRS! You are giving the IRS a smaller piece of the pie. I think that all of us can safely agree that we want more money to go to our kids, more money to go to our favorite charity, and less money to go to the IRS. Investment advisory services provided by Lange Financial Group, LLC. Content provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be used or construed as investment advice. All information or ideas provided should be discussed in detail with an advisor, accountant, or legal counsel prior to implementation. Securities investing involves risk, including the potential for loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment plan or strategy will be successful.

Past performance may not be indicative of future results. Securities investing involves risk, including the potential for loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment plan or strategy will be successful, or that markets will recover or react as they have in the past.

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PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

MARCH 12, 2021 19

Headlines Orthodox: Continued from page 3

By definition, synagogue attendance is social and interactive, explained Rabbi Yisroel Altein, of Chabad of Squirrel Hill, and in recent months there’s been a growing desire to gather in person.

“As comfortable as it is to stay home, people want to go out,” he said.

In addition to limited in-person activities, Chabad of Squirrel Hill has used Zoom to transmit weekday learning programs and foster connectivity. Altein is comfortable with the software, he said, and expects it to remain a part of educational experiences even after the pandemic.

Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh also is likely to continue to use Zoom, in some capacity, post-pandemic, according to Yikara Levari, an assistant principal at the day school.

“For most cases, it’s not an ideal way to learn, but for those situations where a kid can’t come to school for a longer period of time, now we have the ability to continue that student’s learning to some extent,” she said.

Levari described a pre-pandemic situation in which a student had contracted mononucleosis and missed weeks of in-person instruction. A post-pandemic student in a similar situation wouldn’t necessarily need to play catch-up, or

work with teachers to create an individualized plan, now that it’s possible to use synchronous distanced instruction, said Levari.

The fate of extracurricular activities is less clear.

“I’d love to be able to say that things will go back to the way it was when we did our productions or Shabbatons, but I don’t know,” Levari said. During the past year, Hillel Academy has canceled school performances, eighth-graders’ trips to Washington, D.C., 12th-graders’ retreats, after-school athletics and other clubs.

Looking ahead to June 2021, “we have nothing planned,” said Levari. “The most we can think of now is camping with everyone with their own tents.”

Hillel Academy did take students ice skating in early February. Rink restrictions limited the number of participants, so the Jewish day school booked three separate sessions, and in order to ensure distancing during transportation, reserved additional busing.

Arranging extra transport and repeated rink time was costly, and it’s financially unrealistic to continue to do that going forward, said Levari.

“Usually, we would not have done that, but programming is becoming even more important,” she noted. “Kids are missing out on after-school activities and sports and

parties, so we understand.”

People are hoping to return to life as it was, but there’s a heightened sense of safety, and with it comes certain costs, said Deena Ross, of Deena’s Dishes and Creative Kosher Catering. During the past year, and even now, regardless of the order — whether for a Shabbat meal, bar or bat mitzvah or wedding celebration — “everything we do is individually packaged,” she said.

Ross doesn’t expect requests for additional wrapping to cease or a quick return to buffetstyle dining at public events.

Levari said she’s given thought to this both as an educator and as a parent. Apart from ordering individually wrapped items for school functions, her son’s bar mitzvah is next February, and although she would like him to have a party with friends and family, she cannot predict what the celebration will look like. During the past year, Levari has seen COVID-19 restrictions alter many families’ celebrations, especially when it comes to b’nai mitzvahs.

The disappearance of seat-packed sanctuaries or crowded social halls isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, she said. “There hasn’t been as much pressure on the kid and not as much financial pressure on the families.

I wonder if smaller-scale celebrations will become more regular.”

For Rabbi Yossi Berkowitz, director of

Kollel Konnections, a program of the Kollel Jewish Learning Center, the pandemic has offered numerous lessons, but the primary takeaway may be keeping present, he said. In order to establish boundaries between work, life and home, Berkowitz has worked toward increasing concentration. Whether paying closer attention to those around him, or putting away his phone during prayer, a year of social distancing has led to heightened focus — a practice and mindset he hopes to continue well into the future.

The psychological impact of the pandemic has been significant, according to researchers. The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies surveyed 15,000 respondents in 10 different Jewish communities, including Pittsburgh, about their experiences between May and July 2020.

Results showed there was a sense of isolation, said Raimy Rubin, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s manager of impact measurement. Those early-pandemic longings for connection may be a predictor of what life will look like afterward.

“The things that build relationships with other people, the things that provide a sense of community, those are the things that people will flock to,” said Rubin. PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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A Notable Personality • Bess Topolsky-Pittsburgh

“Sober, steadfast and demure” was the way Bess Toplosky was described at Fifth Avenue High School, and she lived up to that reputation for her entire life. Born in Skriva in present day Ukraine, Bess immigrated to America at the age of 9, grew up on Dinwiddie Street in the Hill District and attended the Miller Street School.

Her activism with labor causes started at an early age, and one of her first jobs was as a field director for the Jewish Labor Committee. She was a sixty-two year mainstay at the Pittsburgh office of the Jewish Daily Forward, starting as an office assistant and ending her career as managing editor.

Bess coupled her professional career with a lifetime of volunteer positions including Workmen’s Circle #45’s secretary and as the creator of the Joy of Yiddish Club at the JCC. She was recognized for her work in human rights by the City of Pittsburgh. This lifelong advocate for the labor movement, and for the continuation of Yiddish culture, Bess Topolsky passed away in 1996 and is buried in Workmen’s Circle #45 Cemetery in Shaler.

For more information about JCBA cemeteries, to volunteer, to read our complete histories and/or to make a contribution, please visit our website at www.JCBApgh.org, email us at jcbapgh@gmail.com, or call the JCBA office at 412-553-6469

THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday March 14: Edna Anish, Herman Berliner, Morris Bloom, Rose Edith Donofsky, Marjory S. Eiseman, Emanuel Epstein, Cecelia Feingold, George Fink, Audrey Green Frank, Joseph Glantz, Mary R. Goodwin, Bessie Halpern, Lilly Hirsch, Evelyn R. Johan, Marty B. Kaplan, Bernard Lieberman, Calvin Morgan, Hetty S. Numerosky, Sylvia Peris, Belle Pirchesky, Jacqueline Goodman Rubin, Alvin Schonberger, Anne Schwartz, Anne Simon, Judith V. Tucker, Benjamin Weiss Monday March 15: Philip Blau, Birdye Brody, Mollie Bucaresky, Louis Engelman, Meyer Goldfarb, Charlotte Gordon, Morris E. Greenberg, Maurice Edward Jacobson, Charles Kaufman, William S. Miller, Gerald E. Moskowitz, Sanford A. Rogers, Trudy Rosenthal, Merle Arnold Sands, Fannie Singer, Ida Sissman, Morris L. Speizer, Eileen M. Swartz, Louis Weinberger, Louis Weinberger, Celia Weiner, Samuel Weiner, Zelda Hilda Zamsky Tuesday March 16: William L. Birken, Belle Broder, Elsie Cohen, Dorothy Gross, Leon Hytovitz, Pearle N. Lenchner, Israel Marcus, Allan Jay Mellman, Joseph Melnick, Alvin Milligram, Celia J. Rubin, Leo I. Shapiro, Benjamin Thorpe Wednesday March 17: Elliott Alber, Joseph Brody, Elizabeth Cousin, Sara Goldstein Davis, Marvin G. Elman, Phillip Fenster, Freda Foreman, Marvin Kamin, William Katz, Ida E. Keller, Samuel Levinson, Sarah Markowitz, Jack Marks, Samuel Miller, Samuel Mines, Albert Schwartz, Harry Schwartz, Kania Sigman, Joseph Viess, Jacob Weiner, Sally Louise Weisman, Joseph M. Zasloff

JCBA’s expanded vision is made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Jewish Community Foundation

Chai

News for people who know we don’t mean spiced tea.

Every Friday in the

Thursday March 18: Alice Serbin Bogdan, Louis Caplin, Harold Erenstein, Aaron Friedland, Jacob Richmond, Rose Shrager, Irwin Silverman, Lazarus Simon, Esther Dena Stein, Jacob Steinberger Friday March 19: Matilda Beck, Sarah S. Berman, Anna F. Davidson, Sadie Farkas, M. Emanuel Heller, David T. Horvitz, Myer Klevan, Harriett W. Kopp, Sidney H. Lebovitz, Samuel Lichtenstul, Bessie Lundy, Philip Singer, Sarah Sontag, Sam Vixman, Bernard Winer Saturday March 20: Allen Stein Amdur, Louis Farkas, B. Joseph Green, Saul Guttman, Max Handelsman, Julia Hepps, Morris J. Klein, Arthur Kramer, Mildred Lebovitz, Helen Mermelstein, Rose Beck Nathanson, Isadore M. Peril, David Pollack, Kenneth Joel Rosen, Anna L. Rosenberg, Edward S. Sheinberg, William Shussett, Dr. Sidney A. Silverman, Tillie N. Sirocca, Abe Turk, Harry Weinberger, Louis Zamore

20 MARCH 12, 2021

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Life & Culture Fox Chapel teen to appear on ‘American Idol’ — TELEVISION —

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

A

scending Pittsburgh singer-songwriter Sloane Simon had other things on her mind when she joined a Zoom call in September to perform for an “American Idol” producer.

“I had just joined my school’s cheer squad and I almost didn’t do ‘American Idol,’” admitted Simon, 16. “It was the night before the first game of the year and I was afraid I wouldn’t make it.”

Spoiler alert: She made it.

Soon after the Zoom call, Simon, a Fox Chapel Area High School sophomore, flew to San Diego, California, to perform in front of the show’s familiar celebrity judges; the verdict on whether she gets a “golden ticket” and a pass to Hollywood Week will air on Sunday, March 14, on ABC. And, yes, she does appear in her Fox Chapel cheer gear in promotional photos for Sunday’s show. “[Auditioning] was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time,” said Simon, who performed an original composition called “Laurel Canyon” along with singer-songwriter Melanie’s staple “Brand New Key.” “I was hyped up … but I have never

 Fox Chapel teen Sloane Simon auditions for “American Idol” in San Diego, California.

The show airs Sunday, March 14, at 8 p.m. on ABC. Photo courtesy of ABC/John Fleenor

been more nervous.”

Simon picked up the guitar around age 9 and, by 13, was performing solo sets at Hollywood’s Viper Room and, closer to home, at the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts

Festival. Sarah Aziz, the Pittsburgh festival’s director, was captivated back then by Simon’s “mature voice” and her professionalism.

“When I heard Sloane, I didn’t know her age,” Aziz told the Chronicle in 2018.

“I just heard her and said, ‘Let’s put her on the acoustic stage.’ Then she filled out her bio, and my marketing director called me and said, ‘Did you know you programmed a 13-year-old?’”

The first original song Simon penned was “365,” a tribute to her mother, Robin, who was battling cancer. Simon’s mother not only beat the cancer, she flew to San Diego to support the younger Simon for the “American Idol” auditions.

Simon’s publicist said Simon had no idea how many people were auditioning for the “golden ticket” this season — COVID-19 kept everyone socially distanced and in separate rooms.

“We were tested [for COVID-19] a lot,” Simon said. “But we felt really safe.”

“The scariest part was the flight,” she added, laughing.

Simon is sly about details for her upcoming debut EP, saying only, “I have a few songs but I’m not spilling anything.”

She’s excited to talk, though, about the experience of auditioning on an international hit music show.

“It was just an amazing experience to be included,” she told the Chronicle. “It was a fantastic college essay.” PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

4 cups of wine, 9 picks for Passover — FOOD —

By Elyse Genderson | Contributing Writer

E

ach Passover, the list of fine kosher wines seems to get longer. The customary four cups of wine during the seder allows for variety and sharing during the celebration. If you’re looking to branch out from your old standbys, here are nine recommendations:

2016 Herzog Russian River Chardonnay, $38.99

Photo by barbaraaaa/iStockPhoto.com

This bold and rich chardonnay was fermented and aged for 15 months in a blend of French and American oak barrels. A rich, full texture with aromas and flavors of vanilla and toast. The terroir of Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley shines through, adding flavors of tropical fruits like mango in addition to lemon, apple and pear flavors. Pair it with roasted turkey.

2016 Tulip Just Cabernet, $24.99

From the Upper Galilee in Israel this deep garnet-colored wine offers aromas of red cherry, black pepper spice, blackberry and cocoa. Espresso and blueberry flavors burst from the glass. Full-bodied with a long luxurious finish. Pair with slow roasted brisket.

2016 Tulip White, $26.99

A blend of two aromatic grapes, PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

gewurztraminer and sauvignon blanc, this floral and complex white wine is just stunning. Tropical fruit flavors of lychee, pineapple and grapefruit are balanced by white peppercorn spice. Bright, fresh acidity lifts the pronounced fruit flavors. Pair with ceviche and spicy Asian dishes or enjoy as an aperitif.

2014 Teperberg Essence Malbec, $34.99

Essence Malbec comes from fruit from the Ayalon Valley which has a high diurnal shift in day to night temperature swings. This allows the fruit to ripen fully while retaining acidity.

This bold malbec shows off pronounced aromas and flavors of blackberry, blackcurrant, violets and black pepper. The delightfully firm tannins balance the bold fruit.

2016 Teperberg Impression Cabernet Sauvignon, $19.99

Deep garnet in color, this full-bodied cabernet offers a decadent bouquet of red cherries, blackberries, blueberries, dried herbs and garrigue. Pair with a hearty steak.

2017 Teperberg Impression Chardonnay, $19.99

A wonderfully full-bodied chardonnay with a luxurious creamy texture. Aromas and flavors of ripe red apple, prickly pear, lemon rind and toasted almonds. A long and decadent finish. Pair with roasted chicken or matzah ball soup.

2017 Terra Vega Sauvignon Blanc, $10.99

A crisp, aromatic and juicy Chilean sauvignon blanc. Bright and tart citrus and tropical fruit flavors shine. Pair with white flaky fish.

2019 Terra Vega Merlot, $9.99

Incredible value! This fruity and opulent merlot shows off the Chilean terroir. Ripe plummy aromas and flavors of black cherry and baking spice are balanced by juicy acidity and soft tannins.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

2014 Alexander Sandro, $29.99

Alexander Sandro is made at the Alexander Winery at Moshav Beit Yitzhak in the Hefer Valley near Netanya. The fruit for this wine comes from the northern Galilee region and it is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, with a touch of sauvignon blanc. Very expressive with aromas and flavors of ripe black cherries and red plums with supple, silky tannins. PJC Elyse Genderson is the vice president of Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, a wine and spirits store in Washington, D.C. MARCH 12, 2021 21

Member

appreciation WeeK M a r c h 1 5 - 21 General Locker Room Showers Open March 15! all week specials just for you!

Special Pop-in on site classes Monday, March 15

Thursday, March 18

7:15 am 9:15 am 6 pm

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• Free giveaways all week

Tuesday, March 16

• Personal Training Sale: Buy 6 half-hour sessions, get 3 free!

7:30 am 8:30 am 9:30 am 4:30 pm

• New and returning members get a 10% discount off their membership fee

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• Biggest Influencer Contest: Join our JCC Pittsburgh Fitness Facebook group and tag your sweaty selfie with #jccpghsweatyselfie to be entered for a chance to win a special prize!

6:15 am 7:15 am 9 am 6 pm

Group Power Group Core Launch Spinning Spinning

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Wednesday, March 17 Group Fight Spinning Group Blast Group Fight

JCC South Hills Interval Training with Elaine • Noon

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JCC South Hills Group Power with Evan and Elaine • 9 am

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Sunday, March 21 8:45 am 10am

Group Fight 90 minute Spin

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Rigorously Cleaned • Mask Mandate Enforced • Social Distancing Maintained 22 MARCH 12, 2021

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Community Purim prison visit

Macher and Shaker t Local teen Abby Rickin-Marks received NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Keystone Pennsylvania’s 2021 Youth Mental Health Leadership Award for her work with Jewish Family and Community Services, the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and Fox Chapel Area High School.

Photo by Abby Rickin-Marks

Hungry for a mitzvah p Dr. Avrohom Huebner and Yechiel Vogel went to a federal prison on Purim to read the Megillah. The incarcerated Jewish men and women had not been visited since last Purim, due to the pandemic.

Photo courtesy of Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel

Temple Sinai hosts drive-through Purim carnival

p As part of a “team sandwich” initiative, Temple Emanuel of South Hills members prepared, donated and delivered 500 sandwiches to help feed clients from three local organizations. Temple members Susan Hommel and Rikki Hommel coordinated the effort.

Photo courtesy of Temple Emanuel of South Hills

Carnival comes home In lieu of celebrating in person, families enjoyed the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh’ Snyder Family Purim Carnival at home.

p Louise Landis hands game pieces to a child on Feb. 28.

p Stickers are the best when you’re stuck at home. p This game is a blast.

p Steve Jurman and Bill Padnos grill hot dogs.

Photos by Arik Gorban

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Photos courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

MARCH 12, 2021 23

KOSHER MEATS

Empire Kosher Fresh Boneless Chicken Breasts

A l l - n a t u ra l p o u l t r y w h o l e c h i cke n s , b rea s t s , w i n g s a n d m o re All-natural, corn-fed beef steaks, roasts, ground beef and more Variety of deli meats and franks Available at select Giant Eagle stores.

Visit gianteagle.com for location information.

6

99 lb.

Price effective Thursday, March 11 through Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Available at 24 MARCH 12, 2021

and PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

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