Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 3-26-21

March 26, 2021 | 13 Nissan 5781

Candlelighting 7:21 p.m. | Light Passover Candles after 8:20 p.m. | Vol. 64, No. 13 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

Peduto and Finkelstein join global anti-Semitism summit

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Offering light in the midst of darkness

$1.50

Spiritual leaders offer perspectives on Passover 2021 Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

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is that an attack against one is an attack against all of us.”

Peduto was joined at the daylong summit by mayors from cities including Athens, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Louisville, Malaga and Toronto. The program, which was hosted by Frankfurt am Main, in partnership with the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement, enabled speakers and viewers to hear about tactics to fight hate.

Frankfurt Mayor Uwe Becker warned, “When Jews, our citizens, ask themselves if they will have a safe and secure future in our cities; when boys don’t like to wear kippot and decide to wear a baseball cap instead; when girls hide the Star of David on their necklaces … then it is not five to 12, but 10 past 12, and we have to push back… It’s up to us to act.”

Peduto stressed the importance of building a “feeling of community” in the fight against hate.

“The only way that you beat darkness is with light,” he said. “The only way that you beat hate is with love.”

Jeffrey Finkelstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, who also participated at the summit, credited Peduto and other western Pennsylvania

eder participants annually retell the same story, but the Exodus narrative may be more personal this year. After a 12-month stretch of pandemic restrictions, communal losses and the development and distribution of vaccines, local spiritual leaders are encouraging people to connect with Passover’s messages of freedom and hope.

Rabbi Barbara Symons, of Temple David in Monroeville, is emphasizing the latter.

“Whether we are sitting at the table in person with others or via Zoom, we are celebrating our past redemption and looking toward a future redemption by opening the door for Elijah,” said Symons. “Even if Elijah is not waiting on the doorstep, we continue on with our seder and on with our work repairing our world.”

Leading up to the holiday, Rabbi Jeremy Weisblatt, of Temple Ohav Shalom in Allison Park, has urged congregants to “not just tell what’s in the Haggadah, but to tell your story.”

Current losses of freedom — albeit far different from slavery — can help Haggadah readers imagine themselves fleeing Egypt, and help frame concepts of redemption, according to Weisblatt.

“We need to always look forward,” he said, but added, “I don’t think we can go through this holiday without acknowledging what we’ve been through.”

Prior to recently joining Kesher Pittsburgh as co-spiritual leader, Sara Stock Mayo spent years in public communal service. When the pandemic reduced opportunities to connect with others in person, Mayo focused on looking inward. That ruminative process, which she described as “clearing out the spiritual chametz,” offered insight.

“There are lots of things in our culture in general that we need to look at differently,” said Mayo.

Whether it’s innovating Jewish communal life or advancing spirituality, there’s room

Please see Summit, page 14

Please see Perspectives, page 14

Passover in prison Page 2

LOCAL ‘Written After a Massacre’

 Mayor Bill Peduto can be seen on the screen (middle row, far right) behind the hosts of the Mayors Summit Against Anti-Semitism on March 16, 2021.

Photo by Oded Karni

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

Daniel Borzutzky’s new poetry collection Page 5

LOCAL Diverse Passover customs

Recipes from around the world Page 10

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ittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto was among leaders from 21 countries who pledged to defeat anti-Semitism at the first-ever Mayors Summit Against AntiSemitism, held virtually on March 16, 2021.

Participants committed to making the summit the first step in establishing a longterm framework for defeating anti-Semitism, prejudice and hatred “I can tell you firsthand what it is like dealing with anti-Semitism,” Peduto said during the event. “I never expected that my city would be referred to as ‘the city of the most horrific anti-Semitic crime in the United States.’”

After recounting the events of Oct. 27, 2018, when a gunman murdered 11 people inside the Tree of Life building, Peduto shared how just moments after the shooting, and for months afterward, people of diverse faiths offered unyielding support.

“In Pittsburgh, we are very proud of our interfaith community: Christians, Muslims and Jews, working together in order to be able to find ways to bring about peace in our own community,” Peduto told moderators during the plenary session. “The trauma of that incident affected everybody, and what everyone in Pittsburgh understood

Illustration by girafchik123 via iStockphoto.com

Headlines Aleph Institute ensures those in prison aren’t forgotten on Passover — LOCAL —

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

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ast year, Passover was a disaster in the prison system, according to Rabbi Moishe Mayer Vogel.

“No one knew what to expect,” said Vogel. “No one knew what to do. It was the beginning of the nightmare.”

As executive director of The Aleph Institute-North East Regional Headquarters, Vogel is responsible for overseeing outreach to Jewish prisoners in 28 state prisons, 20 federal prisons and 60 county jails in Pennsylvania. Aleph also serves many additional facilities in Ohio and West Virginia.

Neither Aleph nor the prisons were prepared for the scourge of COVID-19, which prevented Vogel and his volunteers from visiting prisoners or assisting with seders in 2020.

This year, though, Aleph is prepared — despite the fact that the nonprofit’s volunteers and rabbis remain unable to host in-person seders at the facilities.

Holiday items like horseradish and dried eggs have been distributed in individual packages, allowing prisoners to have what they need for seders inside their cells, Vogel said.

The packages also include a packaged chicken bone from Murray Avenue Kosher to be used in place of a shank bone, which potentially could be used as a weapon.

Aleph makes sure the Jewish prisoners have a seder plate as well as access to an electronic workbook that includes a simplified Haggadah with the necessary prayers and blessing.

“It’s not the same as getting together with your coreligionists, sitting in the chapel and celebrating Passover together, but it is what it is — the nightmare it is,” Vogel said.

 Dr. Avrohom Huebner and Yechiel Vogel went to a federal prison on Purim this year to read the Megillah to incarcerated people.

Photo courtesy of Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel

Aleph also has distributed a calendar that includes a list of all the Jewish holidays, kosher laws, candle lighting times and words of inspiration and essays on a variety of Jewish topics.

Last year, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and individual community members helped offset the additional costs of providing supplies for individual seders.

Vogel ordered supplies for Passover 2021 last November and hopes to receive donations to help recoup the increased costs this year.

Though it may seem an ironic lesson to teach in a prison system, Vogel said the message of Passover is that of freedom.

“The freedom we received when we went out from Egypt was an eternal freedom,” he said. “We went from a slave mentality to a freedom mentality. Therefore, we have to know that wherever we are, we’re free, even in a prison system.”

Ultimately, Vogel said, everyone can bring more Godliness and light into the world — even in a dark prison.

“We might be imprisoned,” Vogel stressed, “but we’re not enslaved.”

 The Aleph Institute sent a calendar listing Passover, and all other Jewish holidays, to Jewish inmates.

Artwork provided by the Aleph Institute

Those type of messages have been difficult to deliver over the last year, although Vogel and other rabbis did what they could to reach Jewish prisoners. Since COVID-19 required the lockdown of all prisons, rabbis have recorded inspirational messages available for prisoners to watch, either on individual TVs they are able to purchase, or on group TVs dedicated to the service.

Vogel knows that those types of offerings are only stop-gap programs until he and his volunteers can visit the prisons again. That goal became closer in the federal prison system last month when Aleph representatives — including Vogel’s son — were allowed to read the Megillah on Purim in person.

Vogel is confident more COVID-19 restrictions will be eased at both the federal and the state levels soon.

“Our hope is that in a month or two, after the masses have been vaccinated, we will be able to go in and like the rest of society return to a level of normalcy,” he said.

The Aleph Institute hopes to recruit additional volunteers who can spend an hour a month visiting prisoners. Since all volunteers must be approved and trained before they can begin visiting prisons, Vogel urges those interested to reach out to him in the coming weeks so that visits may resume in May. “It is the biggest mitzvah in the Torah to take care of those we have to lock up,” Vogel said. “Unfortunately, sometimes we have to lock people up, but that doesn’t mean we forget them.” PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Day school staff on their way to full vaccination — LOCAL —

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

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ittsburgh’s three Jewish day schools all have taken giant leaps in upping the protection for their teachers and staff against COVID-19. Officials from Community Day School, Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh and Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh have confirmed that all or the vast majority of their building staffs have received vaccines to ward off the virus.

“What feels nothing short of an obvious miracle is that 100% of our Community Day School faculty and staff are now fully vaccinated for COVID-19, have a first dose of vaccine already, or have a vaccine appointment scheduled in the next few days,” Head of School Avi Baran Munro said in a March

12 email to parents. “I am thankful to the scientists, volunteers and funders who made this miracle possible for humankind and to our government leaders for prioritizing the essential role of educators in our society.”

CDS expects all of its staff to be immune against COVID-19 by mid-April, said Jennifer Bails, the school’s director of marketing and communications.

CDS’ accomplishment is primarily due to the work of three CDS staffers who, when they heard teachers had become eligible for the vaccine, spent a full weekend on their computers, scheduling appointments one by one, ensuring everyone on the roughly 90-person staff would get a shot in the arm.

“It was a lot of sitting in front of the computer and refreshing and refreshing,” laughed one of the staff members, who preferred to remain anonymous. “We didn’t do this for the attention.”

At Yeshiva Schools, “the overwhelming majority of our teachers have been vaccinated, which is a great, great accomplishment,” said Rabbi Yossi Rosenblum, CEO of Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh.

Most of Yeshiva’s staff received Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 shots through the Allegheny Intermediate Unit school consortium, Rosenblum said. That staff includes more than 100 people, most of them teachers.

“It’s very good because our teachers are in front of a lot of people,” Rosenblum said.

Hillel Academy staff — about 70 people — also received their Johnson & Johnson shots through the intermediate unit. Rabbi Sam Weinberg, Hillel’s principal and education director, said many on the staff who had not previously been vaccinated got the shot during a recent event at Obama Academy, a public school in Pittsburgh.

“Thank you to all the people who made this possible,” Weinberg said. “There’s

definitely a higher comfort with the shots.

But people are still being careful.”

Oriyah Sandefur teaches early childhood education at Community Day School.

She’s receiving her second dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on April 1.

After getting her first shot, “I just was filled with a lot of joy and gratefulness, gratitude,” she told the Chronicle. “I kind of felt like a small part of a whole … like I was contributing to getting us back to some sort of normalcy.”

Brian Gerard, who is in his second year as an English, social studies and STEM technology teacher at Yeshiva Schools, said his Johnson & Johnson vaccine makes him more comfortable in front of his students.

“It felt pretty good,” he said. “It’s another layer of security.” PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

In-person instruction halted for some Hillel Academy classes

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wo days prior to Passover vacation, multiple classes at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh transitioned from in-person instruction to virtual learning.

The decision, which affected students in pre-K, first grade and fifth through 12th-grade girls on March 22, followed

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four COVID-positive cases within two families, said Principal and Education Director Rabbi Sam Weinberg. On March 23, all students in grades K-12 transitioned to virtual instruction.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we decided it made sense to go virtual for two

days to make sure we can contain the spread of this virus as much as possible,” he said.

Hillel Academy’s Passover break runs from March 24 through April 5.

Following their Passover break, students in grades five through 12 will attend two days of virtual learning before returning to

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in-person instruction.

“We’re viewing it as a down payment for a COVID-free rest of the year,” he said. “We don’t want to lead to rolling closures and quarantines.” PJC — Adam Reinherz

MARCH 26, 2021 3

Headlines In-person community seder resumes at Chabad of Squirrel Hill — LOCAL —

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

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habad of Squirrel Hill will celebrate Pesach this year with an event signaling, perhaps, that the end of COVID-19 isolation is not as far away as expected: an in-person, community seder.

The pandemic caused last year’s community seder to be canceled, but Rabbi Yisroel Altein said the time is ripe for Chabad of Squirrel Hill to start dipping its toe into the in-person waters. He gauged community interest in the event and was pleased to schedule it, he said.

For those who cannot or choose not to attend, Chabad has alternatives, including free “seder kits” for those celebrating in their homes.

Quantity for the in-person seder remains an issue this year. The event will not convene the 150 or more people it does typically; Chabad is capping the March 27, 2021, seder at 50 participants. Quality, however, is a different matter, Altein stressed.

“In terms of quality, the demand is high,” he told the Chronicle. “The need for it? For people who have been alone for a year? We

determined there is a need.”

People at the indoor event, held at the Chabad of Squirrel Hill building on Forbes Avenue, will be seated in “family pods,” meaning they will only be partially unmasked and within close distance of those in their household, Altein said. Everyone else will remain socially distanced and follow all state and county health guidelines.

Religious gatherings are exempt from attendance restrictions placed on other gatherings, such as those at restaurants, according to Pennsylvania’s mitigation, enforcement and immunity orders, which were posted online March 3. When not eating, though, people at the seder will need to remain masked.

“This way, we’ll be able to keep people safe and distanced but, at the same time, we’ll be in the same room,” he said. “We’ll have the same seder. We’ll have the same experience.

And, hopefully, we’ll have the same joy.”

The first night seder starts at 8:30 p.m. on March 27. Those interested in registering could sign up through March 24 at chabadpgh.com/seder.

Dorit Sasson has been attending Chabad of Squirrel Hill seders for some 15 years, since she moved from Israel to Pittsburgh.

“When we lived in Israel, we’d participate

 Rabbi Yisroel Altein

in kibbutz seders and those were very, very communal,” said Sasson, who lives in Squirrel Hill. “Going to the Chabad seders was a way to help get back what we gave up when leaving Israel, but it also has a spiritual layer.”

Both Sasson and her husband are vaccinated against COVID-19; the decision to attend this year’s seder and return to some

form of seasonal normalcy was not difficult for them.

“There are safety guidelines in place, there are standards,” she told the Chronicle. “That made the decision-making much, much easier.”

Yafa Schnadower isn’t yet vaccinated against COVID19 and still plans to attend the March 27 seder in Squirrel Hill. Though her husband, who is pursuing his doctorate at Carnegie Mellon University, is getting his second COVID-19 vaccine dose the day of the seder, she said she is not worried about attending the in-person event.

“The rabbi told us it’s going to be a small seder File photo with lots of social distancing,” Schnadower said. “That helped us decide to go.”

Sasson echoed that. “[Altein] is going to hold the community’s best interests,” she said. “The seder should not be a lonely experience.” PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

As we spring from our narrow places to celebrate Passover 5781, we wish all of our friends a safe and healthy holiday.

Chag Sameach, The Rabbis, staff, and lay leaders of Rodef Shalom Congregation

This Passover, help us make it possible to celebrate another kind of freedom.

Freedom from a pandemic.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage around the world, there’s reason for hope. And no country has offered more hope for what life might be like again than Israel, which has led the world in immunizing its people.

Magen David Adom, Israel’s paramedic and Red Cross service, has played a major role in this success. MDA has treated tens of thousands of stricken Israelis, administered Covid tests to more than 4 million, and vaccinated Israel’s most vulnerable populations, including all its nursing home residents.

When you support Magen David Adom, your gift has an immediate impact in helping Israelis — today and every day.

Make a gift today. Pesach kasher v’sameach.

4 MARCH 26, 2021

afmda.org/passover

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Headlines Award-winning poet addresses Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in new book

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*Kosher meals upon request*  Daniel Borzutzky

— LOCAL —

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

Cover photography by Cecilia Vicuña cover design by Alban Fischer.

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ike many, Daniel Borzutzky can remember where he was when he got news of the shooting at the Tree of Life building.

The former Pittsburgher first got a text from a friend, then a call from his mother while he was at the gym.

Although Borzutzky now lives in the Windy City, teaching at the University of Illinois at Chicago, he grew up in Squirrel Hill near the synagogue. In fact, Tree of Life was his family’s congregation and where he became a bar mitzvah.

In the days following the attack, Borzutzky was devastated, he said.

Seeking an outlet for his emotions, he did what writers do. He wrote.

“To a certain degree, as a writer, I’m not sure that I have a choice about the things that affect me,” said Borzutzky, speaking by phone from Chicago.

“Of course, I have a choice about the things that I write. I don’t have a choice about the things that drive me to writing.”

His reactions, along with his thoughts on other mass shootings, violence at the border, the plight of immigrants, xenophobia and more inform his latest collection of poetry, “Written After a Massacre in the Year 2018.”

The dedication to the book lays bare Borzutzky’s feelings: “To the Tree of Life and Pittsburgh/ To the love that survives/ To Chicago and Santiago/ To the love that survives/ To those who migrate/ To the love that survives/ To those murdered by white supremacists/ To the love that survives/ To

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Photo by Patri Hadad

those murdered by the state/ To the love that survives/ For all of us we break and are broken.”

Borzutzky, the 2016 National Book Award for Poetry winner for his collection “The Performance of Becoming Human,” writes in a bare and immediate style free of artifice.

The imagery is clear and direct.

His poem “Managed Diversity” contains lines such as, “They keep coffins at the border for when the refugees get too far from home,” and “The cardboard box sleeps one kid comfortably.”

Later, in “Systematic Risk,” he writes: “It’s better to deprive/ a few million people of food/ than to pull the plug on the global economy.”

His writing might not garner him an invitation to speak before the International Monetary Fund any time soon, but its immediacy makes it attractive to both longtime readers of poetry and novices just dipping their toe into the genre.

Consider his use of alliteration in the poem “Written After a Massacre in the Year 2018”: “Marines medicate others and mix their milk with mononucleosis. Millionaires multiply in the machinery of mourning, manufacturing mausoleums for martyred Marxists in Mercedes.”

The simple — but not simplistic — writing, pulls you in.

Borzutzky counts Chilean poets Cecilia Vicuña and Raúl Zurita as influences. He has translated the latter’s work into English and calls the pair “my heroes in art” in the book’s dedication.

While in the current political climate it might not be surprising to find writers

www.tapestrysenior.com/moon 550 Cherrington Pkwy, Coraopolis PA 15108

Please see Poet, page 15

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MARCH 26, 2021 5

We emerge from fear and are freed by faith.

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 FRIDAY, MARCH 26

The JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness presents A Passover Dinner Party with Rabbi Ron Symons and Melissa Hiller. Joining the two will be several interfaith leaders. A lively dialogue will lead to welcoming Shabbat after watching a 30-minute prerecorded dinner party. All are welcome. Free 5 p.m. jccpgh.org/event/apassover-dinner-party

‘‘...and you should tell it to your children.’’

q TUESDAY, MARCH 30

Classrooms Without Borders, in partnership with Rodef Shalom Congregation and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, welcomes Wendy Lower, author of the book, “Hitler’s Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields.”

4 p.m. For more information and to register, classroomswithoutborders.org/wendy-lower. q TUESDAYS, MARCH 30-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 31

Learn more about how you can find healing and happiness right where you are and what holds you captive today from both a medical and spiritual standpoint when the Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh presents What Are You a Slave To? A Conversation Around Addiction in the Context of Passover. 7:30 p.m. jewishpgh.org/ event/what-are-you-a-slave-to q THURSDAY, APRIL 1

As we endure this crisis, we tell our children, “We are getting through it.”

We take comfort in our stories, song, food.

We recite the Haggadah, acknowledging that we are a free people.

And while we may feel we have been held captive, we are comforted by each other and the traditions that liberate us.

Classrooms Without Borders, in partnership with Rodef Shalom Congregation, Liberation 75 and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, is honored to welcome filmmaker Alice Agneskirchner with award-winning actor Tovah Feldshuh and Secretary General Hannah Lessing to convene a post screening discussion of “How the Holocaust Came to TV,” moderated by Dr. Michael Berenbaum.

3 p.m. classroomswithoutborders.org/howholocaust-came-tv The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh’s Education Outreach Associate, Emily Bernstein, interviews the 2020-’21 Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh’s Holocaust Educator of the Year James Lucot, Jr. Free. 3 p.m. For more information and to register, visit https://hcofpgh.org/events.

That’s Aging. Resolutely.

q FRIDAY, APRIL 2

Join Repair the World for “Who Is at the Table? Immigration and Refugee Justice in Pittsburgh,” a Shabbat dinner unpacking and addressing immigration justice in Pittsburgh.

Hear from local organizations working to fight for immigration justice and discuss how

jaapgh.org | 412-420-4000 200 JHF Drive | Pittsburgh, PA 15217

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3/17/21 9:05 AM

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immigration connects to the Jewish holiday of Passover. Panelists include Gisele Fetterman, Aweys Mwaliya, Ben Gustchow, and Rachel Vinciguerra. Free. 6 p.m. rpr.world/Pesach q MONDAYS, APRIL 5, 12, 19, 26

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. q MONDAY, APRIL 5

Join Beth El Congregation of the South Hills for First Mondays via Zoom. Rabbi Alex Greenbaum will discuss with Dr. Cyril Wecht his new book, “The Life and Deaths of Cyril Wecht: Memoirs of America’s Most Controversial Forensic Pathologist.” 12 p.m. bethelcong.org q TUESDAY, APRIL 6

Hadassah Midwest and the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest presents Excellence in Innovation, How Israel is Helping Tackle the World’s Challenges with Covid-19. Free 12 p.m. hadasssahmidwest.org/Innovation 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.

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.

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.

Congregation Emanu-El Israel and the Seton Hill Holocaust Center invite you to attend their Yom HaShoah Memorial Program. This year, the program will remember Shulamit Bastacky, a Holocaust survivor who recently passed away and was active in Holocaust education in Western Pennsylvania. 7:30 p.m.

For more information and to register, visit ceigreensburg.org. q THURSDAY, APRIL 8

Join the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh for their 2021 Yom HaShoah commemoration.

In keeping with their theme of “40 Years of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh,” this year’s commemoration will include photographs and mementos of the many commemorations the Center has held over the past 40 years. Free.

11 a.m. hcofpgh.org/events Classrooms Without Borders, in partnership with Rodef Shalom Congregation and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, is honored to welcome Ambassador John L. Withers II and survivor Howard Chandler as they discuss “Balm in Gilead: A Story from the War,” a moving tale of friendships forged between survivors and rescuers in the days after the Please see Calendar, page 7

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Calendar Calendar:

 SUNDAY, APRIL 18

war. 4 p.m. classroomswithoutborders.org/ balm-in-gilead

The Jewish National Fund welcomes stars of the Netflix series “Fauda” to its annual Breakfast for Israel. 10:30 a.m. Register for the free event at jnf.org/bfi.

 SATURDAY, APRIL 10-APRIL 25

 MONDAY, APRIL 19-MAY 31

Written by Leslie Lewis and Edward Vilga, with an uplifting message of forgiveness and compassion, “Miracle in Rwanda” is based on the life of New York Times Bestselling author Immaculée Ilibagiza. “Miracle in Rwanda” chronicles Immaculée’s dramatic experience of survival during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. 8 p.m. $10-25. hcofpgh.org/rwanda

Join Temple Sinai for “Making Our Days Count with Rabbi Karyn Kedar (via Zoom).”

Rabbi Kedar will discuss the period between Passover and Shavuot, called Omer. She will teach seven spiritual principles for the seven weeks of the Omer: decide, discern, choose, hope, imagine, courage, pray. These principles can offer a path from enslavement to freedom, darkness to light, constriction to expanse.

7 p.m. templesinaipgh.org

Continued from page 6

 SUNDAYS, APRIL 11, 18, 25

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.  TUESDAY, APRIL 13

Pittsburgh Chapter of Hadassah and Aviv Hadassah presents Build Your Own Board, with Board Mama, Robin Plotkin. Learn the art of charcuterie board making in this virtual class to create a kosher-style appetizer board.

Plotkin is an award-winning registered dietitian and nutrition communicator 7 p.m. $25. hadassahmidwest.org/AvivBoard

 TUESDAY, APRIL 20

The Jewish Pittsburgh History Series, sponsored by Rodef Shalom Congregation, will feature a presentation by Bob Rosenthal at 7 p.m. Rosenthal will discuss Rodef Shalom’s Building: Construction, Behind the Scenes, Oddities and What Was Where. 7 p.m. rodefshalom.org

Pittsburgh Chapter of Hadassah and Eleanor Roosevelt Hadassah presents A Mother’s Day Brunch Cooking Demonstration with Mimi Markofsky. Markofsky will re-create a few of her favorite brunch dishes, followed by a question-and-answer session. She is the chef/ owner of Mimi’s Just Desserts. $10. 7 p.m. hadassahmidwest.org/RooseveltCookingDemo  MONDAY, APRIL 26

Join Temple Sinai for “Teaching Children Resilience and Courage” with Rabbi Karyn Kedar. Explore three questions, three rules and one important myth that can help create a

foundation where children can find resilience and courage. Free. 7 p.m. templesinaipgh.org  THURSDAYS, 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/continuinglegal-education. PJC

Chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach from PPS School Board Director Terry Kennedy and family

 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21

Pittsburgh Chapter Hadassah and Hadassah Greater Detroit presents Wellness Wednesday Updates in Dermatology, with Dr. Karlee Novice, a virtual program. Novice is a boardcertified dermatologist and fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. $10.

11 a.m. hadassahmidwest.org/GDWW2021

Paid for by Friends of Terry Kennedy

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MARCH 26, 2021 7

Headlines Two young Pittsburghers prepare for international Jewish education competition — LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

T

rue or false: The biblical matriarchs and patriarchs are all buried together.

Who am I?: My tent’s doors were always open to guests.

Fill in the blank: This Chanukah story heroine has a seven letter name.

Middle schoolers Aviv Dobzinski and Ari Paris weren’t certain if they’d be asked these particular questions during last weekend’s JewQ Championship. What they did know for sure was how much they’ve enjoyed the preparation for the March 21 finale.

“It’s been really fun to learn about the Jewish culture,” said Aviv, 10.

“This is a great way to learn Jewish studies,” agreed Ari, 12. “And it’s not boring.”

JewQ is administered by Chabad Children’s Network and offers students in grades three to seven an introduction to various Jewish topics and a chance to demonstrate a mastery of material.

There are also great prizes, said Aviv and Ari. To date, Ari, a sixth-grader at Environmental Charter School, has received a trophy and a uniquely designed soccer ball. Aviv, a

p Rabbi Yisroel Altein presents Aviv Dobzinski with a trophy.

Photo courtesy of Anat Talmy

fifth-grader at Shady Side Academy Junior School, has received a trophy, slime and a popcorn machine.

The two are among a handful of students who began studying with Chani Altein,

p Ari Paris receives a trophy from Rabbi Yisroel Altein.

Photo courtesy of Julie Paris

co-director of Chabad of Squirrel Hill, shortly after lockdowns started last year. At the time, Altein was searching for a meaningful way to educate students on Zoom.

She saw an email about the competition and

decided to use the nearly 250-page textbook as a curriculum.

Interest in the competition grew, and Please see Competition, page 15

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Headlines

Pregnant Orthodox woman assaulted in London

A middle-aged man was filmed stalking and hitting a pregnant Jewish woman in London.

In the incident, the man is seen following the 20-year-old Orthodox woman in the early evening into a quiet street in Stamford Hill, a northern part of London with many Orthodox Jews. He approached her from behind, placed a cloth or pillow case over her head and assaulted her before walking briskly away. The woman sustained minor injuries.

The local Shomrim, a Jewish community neighborhood watch and emergency services group, published images of a person they said was the attacker and video taken from surveillance cameras, asking the public to help police identify the man, who appears to be white and older than 40.

Shomrim later removed the video, saying it was too violent to share and “triggering” to victims.

A statement from the metropolitan police said: “Detectives are investigating after a woman was assaulted in a Hackney street.”

They did not say whether they consider the incident a hate crime, according to The Jewish News of London.

reedom Bring Y F f ou lo P iva

iness, and Happ G o od ce, ea

Rabbi Jan Uhrbach was named interim dean of the Rabbinical School at The Jewish Theological Seminary, the first woman in the dean’s role in the history of Conservative Judaism’s flagship seminary.

When Uhrbach succeeds Rabbi Daniel Nevins in July, JTS will have women serving as deans of all three of its schools and as its chancellor. In addition, Cantor Nancy Abramson is director of the H. L. Miller Cantorial School.

Nevins announced last year that he is stepping down to become head of school of the Golda Och Academy, a day school in West Orange, New Jersey.

Uhrbach will serve as the interim Pearl Resnick dean of the Rabbinical School and dean of the Division of Religious Leadership, which encompasses both the Rabbinical School and Cantorial School, for the 2021-22 academic year.

Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz, in a letter to the “JTS Community,” said the seminary had begun a search for Nevins’ replacement and had spoken with “several impressive candidates,” but said the search committee felt that the “wisest course” would be to name an interim dean.

Uhrbach is founder and will continue

A newspaper serving the Orthodox community in New Jersey’s northern suburbs apologized for a satirical Purim article that joked about shooting Palestinians.

The article in the Feb. 24 edition of The Jewish Link carried the headline “100,000 Palestinians shot by Israeli soldiers.” The attempted joke was that the “shots” referred to COVID-19 vaccinations.

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and American Muslims for Palestine of New Jersey

criticized the paper for making light of violence against Palestinians.

“Suggesting the systematic murder of 100,000 people of an oppressed minority will never make for good comedy,” Selaedin Maksut, the executive director of CAIR-NJ, said in a statement, reports NJ.com.

“We apologize,” read a brief statement in last Thursday’s edition of The Link, which included a letter of complaint from the president of The Muslim Society of Bergen County. “It was offensive, in poor taste, and we regret it.” The article was removed from the online version of the paper. PJC

in ~ May this e t s Fes sen o t R

JTS names first woman as dean of rabbinical school

NJ Jewish paper apologizes for joke about shooting Palestinians

Yale and Ba r b ara

From JTA reports

as director of the Block/Kolker Center for Spiritual Arts at JTS, and has worked on several Conservative movement prayer books. She is the founding rabbi of the Conservative Synagogue of the Hamptons, in Bridgehampton, Long Island. JTS ordained its first woman rabbi in 1985.

~ alth He

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Passover Passover recipes show diversity of American Jewish experience — FOOD —

E

very year at Passover, families rejoice in reenacting both religious and cultural tradition — reading from the worn family Haggadah, using the seder plate Bubbe and Zayde got for their wedding, searching for the afikomen even though all the kids know Uncle Jason always puts it in the same place.

While we can easily make assumptions about what our own seders will be like, the worldwide Jewish experience is varied and colorful, and customs — especially when it comes to food — can diverge and surprise.

This year, given that Passover is already unusual due to the pandemic, we thought we’d talk to Jews from disparate backgrounds and hear about what Passover means to them.

Unsurprisingly, most people talked a lot about food — a passion for eating is apparently the one thing all Jews have in common.

From Yemen to Moldova, enjoy the sampler and accompanying recipes!

Yemen: Chicken soup for the soul

When Ronen Koresh was growing up in Israel, gathering for the Passover seder with his extended Yemenite Jewish family was an exciting occasion.

“We would get together at my

grandparents’ and family would join in from everywhere, and it was huge,” said the choreographer who lives in Philadelphia.

His grandparents followed traditions closely, from reclining on pillows throughout the meal to making sure the Haggadah was read in its entirety.

It was a long time for a small boy to wait for the festive meal, but it was worth it when his relatives brought out the food. In addition to symbolic Passover dishes like matzah, Yemenite soup was a seder table staple.

“A soup, in the Yemenite tradition, is pretty much a full meal,” Koresh said. “It’s either beef or chicken, and primarily what makes it so special is the spices.”

His mother and grandmother cooked the dish with hawaij, a blend of ground spices including black pepper, cumin, turmeric and saffron.

“So back then, actually, for my mom and my grandmother, and the family members who cooked, everything was made by hand,” he said. “So they were crushing spice, they had a special rock and they blended it themselves.”

Yemenite soup is usually served with flatbread, but diners crumble matzah into the broth during Passover.

— Sophie Panzer

Yemenite Chicken Soup Serves 4 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds) Kosher salt 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons hawaij, plus more for serving 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, sliced 4 garlic cloves, sliced 2 quarts chicken stock 12 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled 1 bunch ramps or scallions, sliced

Slice the chicken breasts from the bone and discard the skin; reserve the bones.

Season the breast meat generously on both sides with salt and 1 teaspoon of the hawaij, put it on a plate, and refrigerate.

Remove the drumsticks, thighs and wings from the carcass.

Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the chicken pieces (except for the reserved breast meat), breast bones and carcass. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.

Lower the heat to a simmer and add 1 tablespoon of the hawaij. Simmer for

about 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Transfer the thighs and drumsticks to a plate, cover and refrigerate. Simmer the soup for another 2 hours.

Pour the soup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean soup pot; discard the solids.

Place the pot over medium heat and add the reserved chicken thighs and drumsticks, along with the potatoes and the remaining teaspoon of hawaij. Bring it to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the reserved chicken breasts and ramps or scallions and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Remove the chicken breasts from the soup and gently pull the meat apart using two forks. Season the broth with salt and more hawaij if you like.

To serve, transfer the chicken thighs and drumsticks and potatoes to a platter. Divide the shredded chicken and ramps or scallions among four soup bowls, ladle in the broth and serve with the platter of chicken and potatoes.

Yemenite Chicken Soup from Zahav, © 2015 by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook. Reproduced by permission of Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

All rights reserved.

Please see Recipes, page 11

This week in Israeli history

Our Leadership

Wish you and your family a Happy Passover Offering financial assistance and a sense of relief in the face of mounting expenses Quickly, Confidentially, Contact Free, No Repayment

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March 26, 1979 — Egypt-Israel peace treaty is signed

March 29, 2002 — Defensive Shield is launched

Israel calls up 30,000 military reservists and announces Operation Defensive Shield after a brutal month of the Second Intifada.

During the 19-day campaign, Israel controls most West Bank cities.

Six months after signing the Camp David Accords, Eg yptian President Anwar Sadat, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and U.S. President Jimmy Carter sign the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty.

March 30, 1976 — 6 Israeli Arabs killed in land protests

March 27, 1839 — Jews are forcibly converted in Iran

March 31, 1979 — ‘Hallelujah’ wins Eurovision

A Shiite mob attacks the Jewish district of Mashhad, Iran, killing 30 to 40 Jews, burning the synagogue, looting homes and abducting children. The entire community of nearly 2,400 is forced to convert to Islam.

March 28, 1932 — 1st Maccabiah Games open

The first Maccabiah Games open with athletes from 18 countries (some sources say 14 or 21) in Tel Aviv. The Maccabi World Organization grows out of a federation of Zionist sports clubs established in 1903.

Protests over the planned seizure of about 1,500 acres of Arab land in the Galilee turn into riots in which six Israeli Arabs are killed.

Land Day is commemorated annually with demonstrations against land-use policies.

Israel’s Gali Atari and Milk & Honey win the Eurovision Song Contest with “Hallelujah.”

The contest is in Jerusalem because Israel’s 1978 entry, “A-Ba-ni-bi” by Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta, also won.

April 1, 1948 — Arabs block food convoy to Jerusalem

Nine Jews are killed and 17 others are wounded in an unsuccessful attempt to move a 60-truck convoy of food and other supplies to Jerusalem through Wadi Sarrar. It is the convoy’s second failure. PJC

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Passover Recipes: Continued from page 10

Preserving Moroccan traditions

For years, Abraham Azagury’s family read the Haggadah in Ladino, a language influenced by Spanish, Hebrew, Greek and Turkish. This week, Azagury, a resident of Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, will continue that family tradition — along with some adaptations his father instituted decades ago.

“My father’s parents, who were from Morocco, would read the entire Haggadah in Ladino,” Azagury said. But when Azagury was a child, his father would mix in English as well, to keep the kids interested.

Now that he’s a father, he’s finding ways to honor his Moroccan heritage and pass it on to his children. In addition to reciting “Mah Nishtana” and “Ha Lachma Anya” in Ladino, and telling the story of the Exodus, at the evening’s start Azagury will lift the seder plate above each person’s head and say, “Bibhilu yatzanu mi–mizrayim” (“in haste we went out from Egypt”).

Later, when recalling the 10 plagues, Azagury will mention each plague in Ladino, then pour wine into a bucket while his wife and children pour water into the same container. After 10 spills of wine and 10 spills of water, they’ll dump the liquid into the toilet, thereby discarding the negative association of the wine-water combination.

Azagury said he understands that customs should reflect not just history, but also the present. One of his father’s traditions, which is followed by some Moroccans, is avoiding fish and chicken throughout the holiday because those animals consume grain (chametz).

Azagury’s practice of avoiding fish and chicken ended the day he got married: “My wife said, ‘We’re not only eating potatoes on Pesach.’”

— Adam Reinherz

A dish that survived oppression in the Soviet Union

Polina Mirskiy’s early Passover memories are of smuggling matzah.

In communist Moldova, a country that had been part of the Soviet Union when

Mirskiy was a child, Jews weren’t allowed to practice their religion. She and her family would quietly celebrate a version of the holiday. They didn’t have elaborate seders complete with rituals, but they would have a special dinner with her grandparents, and they would have matzah.

“Everything was hidden,” said Mirskiy, owner of Amber Room Day Spa in Pikesville, Maryland. “It was everything quietly, but overall, that matzah — we all remember crunching it and having it there.”

Mirskiy’s father would bring flour to a synagogue in Kishinev, the capital of Moldova, where they would bake matzah.

They would pile boxes of it into their car and drive six hours to Ukraine, where Mirskiy’s paternal grandparents lived.

Her grandmother would do a lot of cooking with the matzah. One of her recipes was matzah babka, an Eastern European dish similar to matzah brei.

It’s a dish Mirskiy still makes for Passover, which she now celebrates with her family in Owings Mills, Maryland. She lives with her husband, Denis, whose family is from Belarus, and their three children, who are students at a Jewish day school. The children lead the family seder and teach her and her husband the Passover traditions, and she brings her family’s recipes.

“It br i ng s the ge n e r at i ons together,” Mirskiy said.

Here are two of Mirskiy’s recipes for matzah babka, one savory and one sweet.

— Selah Maya Zighelboim Matzah babka (savory) 8 pieces of matzah, broken into quartersize pieces 4 extra-large eggs, cracked separately, one by one to check for blood spots 2 cups hot water 1 tablespoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika ¼ teaspoon sugar ¼ cup neutral oil Optional: 1 medium onion, chopped and sauteed until golden brown

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Break the matzah into a large bowl, Please see Recipes, page 16

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Opinion

Life after COVID: Let’s remember what we missed Editor’s Desk Toby Tabachnick

O

n the evening of March 11, 2020, I was seated in a crowded Benedum Center, enjoying a production of “The Band’s Visit,” a musical that tells the story of an Egyptian band scheduled to perform a concert in an Arab cultural center in Petah Tikva, Israel, but instead mistakenly ends up in a tiny Jewish town called Bet Hatikva. The show, at its core, is about humans just trying to connect with other humans.

The next morning, I headed to my hometown in Indiana to attend the funeral of my best friend’s father. I had not seen her family in decades, and at the shiva house following the burial, there was a lot of catching up to do, and many hugs.

Just days later, the world shut down.

We all have stories like this, stories of the last time we did things we took for granted as routine, but now seem like fanciful luxuries. A play. A shiva. A simple dinner with

family and friends.

There is a famous story by the Russian writer Nikolai Gogol called “The Nose,” a bizarre satire about a St. Petersburg official whose nose leaves his face to start a life of its own. The official, who before the loss of his nose was haughty and self-centered, frantically tries to get his nose back, and is humbled as a consequence of having just a flat space on his face where his nose used to be. When (spoiler alert) the nose eventually does return to the official’s face, the reader expects him to have learned a lesson and be changed for the better. Instead, the

official reverts to his old ways once his face is again intact.

Last year, Passover came just weeks after our new reality set in. Shuls were closed, and we were told not to gather for seder with anyone outside our immediate household.

To share the holiday with others, we had to learn how to launch a meeting on Zoom.

This year looks very different. Some families, now vaccinated, are able to gather in person. And as we inch toward herd immunity from COVID-19, a return to our pre-coronavirus world is beginning to seem within reach. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Once we are again allowed to do those things which enrich our lives so much — from sitting in an audience to comforting mourners — let us never forget what life is like without those experiences.

has announced that live shows will resume in the fall. The CDC has said it’s safe to join indoors with non-family members who are vaccinated.

To analogize to the Gogol story, it looks like our nose will soon be returning to our collective face. The question is: How will we respond?

Will we eventually again take for granted the privilege of sitting in a theater or comforting a mourner? Or will we have learned what could be a valuable lesson from a year of social distancing and recognize moments of human connection for the blessings that they are?

I am hoping that going forward our appreciation for all those opportunities we missed this past year is enduring. Once we are again allowed to do those things which enrich our lives so much — from sitting in an audience to comforting mourners — let us never forget what life is like without those experiences.

Missing that nose was horrible. It’s going to be amazing to have it back. PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Jews must ensure that Asian Americans are heard Guest Columnists Dylan Adelman Shira Loewenberg

O

ne year ago, we addressed Jewish concerns and response to the violence and xenophobia directed at Asian Americans at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Our organization, the American Jewish Committee, all too familiar with discrimination and violence directed at our community and dedicated to the protection of all minorities, has long recognized that conspiracy theories and rhetoric often lead to deadly violence.

That we should speak out in condemnation of hate and in support of the Asian-American community was clear.

We hoped we wouldn’t need to say more.

But tragically, one year later, the problem has intensified.

On March 16, the nation witnessed a terrible flashpoint: a shooting spree in Atlanta left eight people dead, including six Asian-American women. Our colleagues in Atlanta and across the country joined the Asian-American community and others in condemning this horrific act of violence.

Regardless of the motives of the shooter, which are still being investigated, there is no

12 MARCH 26, 2021

denying that Asian-American women were the victims and that their murder reflects a rising public crisis and increasing — and legitimate — fears among Asian Americans across the country.

The Atlanta attacks were the latest in a year of unprecedented assaults on Asian Americans. Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition that documents anti-Asian hate and discrimination, recorded 3,795 reported hate incidents from March 19, 2020 to Feb. 28, 2021. This represents only a fraction of the real crimes against Asian Americans that for a variety of reasons go unreported. The New York Police Department recorded a 1,900% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020, and other cities in the U.S. posted similar statistics.

Asian-American women are targeted more than twice as often as men, and more than 125 reported cases have involved senior citizens. The rising numbers leave no room for denial that the prejudice and violence that Asian Americans face is real and worsening, and that Asian Americans are increasingly — and for good reason — afraid.

In AJC’s 2020 report on the State of Antisemitism in America, we found a stark contrast in perceptions of the threat of anti-Semitism by Jewish and non-Jewish Americans: 88% of American Jews saw anti-Semitism as a problem in the U.S. today, as opposed to 62% of the general public. And 82% of American Jews saw anti-Semitism increasing, whereas only 43% of the general public agreed with that perception. Most alarmingly, the poll findings indicated that

Jews themselves were not trusted as being legitimate arbiters of what is anti-Semitic, but that others are better equipped to define anti-Semitic rhetoric, motivation and acts.

Asian Americans are experiencing a similar phenomenon.

Many non-Asian commentators downplay or blatantly deny the xenophobia and racism and ensuing dangers to the AsianAmerican community. A dismissive attitude prevails, with claims of discrimination by Asian Americans, who, like Jews, have been viewed as a “model minority” thriving in this country, are frequently diminished or ignored, if not ridiculed.

American Jews know the frustration of rising anxieties falling on deaf ears. We must ensure that Asian Americans are heard, respected and supported. With thousands of discriminatory acts on record, including the last months’ multiple reports of violence against Asian Americans across the country, some caught on camera, there can be no denying that anti-Asian rhetoric and violence is a real and dangerous problem.

How can the Jewish community help?

First, we must ensure that all know how to report a hate crime, as a victim or a witness, and that we are equipped to accurately communicate that information to law enforcement and others. More accurate reporting underlines the gravity of the situation and the need for action, and it ensures accountability for perpetrators.

Second, we must urge elected officials to pass legislation that will support and protect

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minorities. AJC has spearheaded an effort, with over 150 Asian-American and other community organizations, advocating for Congress to pass the Jabara-Heyer National Opposition to Hate, Assaults, and Threats to Equality (NO HATE) Act. This legislation will improve hate crime reporting through state and local grants for law enforcement training, allowing for the creation of hate crime hotlines, increasing resources to liaise with affected communities and conducting public educational forums on hate crimes.

Third, we must continue to express solidarity with and truly listen to our friends and partners in the Asian-American community, including the many Asian-American Jews who are experiencing rising hate doubly.

Amplifying their voices and ensuring that their stories are heard is critical to garnering public understanding and support. Ask how you can be useful at an organizational or individual level, and act accordingly.

Jews understand that silence at times like these is complacency. We must not be silent.

We must not be complacent. American Jews will stand with Asian Americans as we have historically and into the future, not only hoping for but actively seeking a better future for all. PJC Dylan Adelman is assistant director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) Asia Pacific Institute. Shira Loewenberg is director of the American Jewish Committee’s Asia Pacific Institute. This piece was originally published by JTA. PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Opinion This Pesach we’ll celebrate the rebirth and renewal of Jewish life in the Gulf Guest Columnist Houda Nonoo

M

illions of Jewish families around the world will soon gather for Passover seders and discuss the themes of the holiday. We will tell our children the story of the exodus from Egypt, encourage them to ask the Four Questions, drink the four cups and more. For those of us in the Gulf, the themes of rebirth and renewal that are peppered throughout the seders will have a special meaning as we are seeing the rebirth and renewal of Jewish life in the Gulf.

This year, more than 1,000 Jews from the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – will celebrate Pesach. The newly established Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC) has been

working for the past month to arrange for matzah and kosher-for-Pesach food to be delivered throughout the GCC. In years past, we had a bare-bones selection of Pesach food.

However, in light of the resurgence of Jewish life here and with the numbers of Jews living and visiting reaching an all-time high, we now have enough demand to bring in even more products. This was part of the vision when we created the AGJC – our hope was to pool and share resources for the betterment of all Jews in the region and we are now seeing that vision become a reality.

Much of this new reality is due to the creation of the AGJC in February, which helped to create a network of Jewish communities and individuals living in the GCC and showed that there are many more Jews living here than previously thought. The response has been more than we could have anticipated. The week after the announcement of the Association, we held our first event – a virtual Purim celebration. More than 1,100 people joined us. Since then, dozens of Jews

in the region have reached out asking to join the AGJC and together, we are developing a framework for what Jewish life here can become.

There has been a great deal of interest in the new Beth Din of Arabia, which is in the process of being established to assist with Halachic issues pertaining to personal status, inheritance, and voluntary business dispute resolutions in the region. There have also been a number of inquiries about the Arabian Kosher Certification Agency that is in the process of being created to oversee kashrut (kosher certification) regionally using the same set of standards throughout all six Gulf countries, thereby making it easier for Jewish individuals to live in or travel around the region. All of these developments would not be possible without the rebirth and renewal of Jewish life in the GCC. For those of us in Bahrain, our community dates back 140 years to the late 1880s and it is very exciting to see Jewish life grow and flourish in our neighboring GCC countries.

For those of us in the UAE, we are proud to be the largest Jewish community in the Gulf and to be able to share resources – such as kosher food – with the Jewish communities in our neighboring countries.

This year, as we sit around the table for the seders and discuss the themes and symbolism tied to rebirth and renewal, we will do so thinking about all of the new possibilities for the rebirth of Jewish life in the Gulf. We are looking forward to celebrating Pesach together as the broader Jewish community in the region.

We hope to welcome you all to our seder tables next year. PJC Houda Nonoo served as Bahrain’s ambassador to the United States from 2008-2013.

She is the first Jew to be appointed an ambassador of Bahrain. The piece was co-authored

by Alex Peterfreund, a founding member of the Jewish Community of the Emirates and AGJC board member. This piece was originally published by The Times of Israel.

Oh, how I’ve missed shmoozing in shul Guest Columnist Nathan Jeffay

I

t’s more than a year since my last hit; since the glorious taste tickled my throat, leaving me more invigorated than anything else in the world.

My children are happy. It was a stinky antisocial habit, they say. I smell much better now. But I miss pickled herring.

The shops never stopped selling it, but it doesn’t taste right eaten outside its natural habitat: the communal kiddush, an institution that was halted abruptly when the pandemic struck.

I tried, right at the start of the crisis, tucking in at home, but it was a hollow experience, like eating birthday cake alone.

For me, herring is the taste of kiddush, best enjoyed surrounded by the clinking of whisky glasses, loud communal chatter and the shenanigans of (other people’s) kids trying to take all the cookies without anyone noticing.

I’ve missed kiddushes enormously. They epitomize a kind of social interaction we have all lacked during the pandemic. Many of us have done well at keeping talking to close family and friends. But the crisis has stripped away many of the encounters with those we know less well, or hardly know at all.

At kiddush, we share a greeting, a kvetch or a joke (ideally the same one told the previous week) with those we don’t see or speak to elsewhere. They are the sort of

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casual interactions that underpin our sense of community. They are the connections that make us more than a collection of friendship groups and help to meld us into an interconnected society.

Israel is a less cheery and less vibrant place with these dialed down. This is why for me the reinstitution of the kiddush — rumored to be happening in my community’s courtyard this weekend — is a bigger deal than the reopening of restaurants. At restaurant tables, family and close friends clink glasses; at kiddush gatherings we can encounter others and leave behind the insularity of lockdown.

An ode to happy herring experiences can seem out of place, or even trivial, in these times of very real crisis. Which is exactly why I offer it.

Israel’s turbo vaccination program will defend us against the virus. But for the nation to bounce back, and move on confidently and happily, we each need to start to make sense of the craziness we’ve lived for the last year.

The things you have found hard, or missed, may seem trifling, but identifying what they are, and giving a voice to them, is legitimate, and part of moving on. It’s part of recognizing just how unusual things have been. And it’s part of appreciating the new reality of reopening, green passes, and, yes, my herring habit. PJC Nathan Jeffay is the science and health reporter for The Times of Israel. He has been writing for Jewish and Israeli publications since 1997, and lectures widely on the topics he covers. This piece was originally published

by The Times of Israel.

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MARCH 26, 2021 13

Headlines

 Federation’s Jeffrey Finkelstein speaks during the March 16 event.

Screenshot by Adam Reinherz

 Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto speaks during the March 16 event.

Screenshot by Adam Reinherz

Summit: Continued from page 1

leaders — including former Islamic Center of Pittsburgh executive director Wasi Mohamed — with helping combat anti-Semitism.

During an afternoon session titled “Reaction — Healing in the Face of Trauma,” Finkelstein elaborated on the “deep relationships” local leaders share with Pittsburgh’s Jewish institutions.

These bonds, said Finkelstein, are evidenced by the “giant hug that we felt and continue to feel.”

Finkelstein explained how the Federation responded to both short-term and long-term community needs following the attack at the Tree of Life building. In addition to convening an Oct. 28, 2018, gathering for thousands at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, the Federation hosted a security briefing for Pittsburgh’s Jewish institutions “and hired armed guards for every single organization for about a month,” said Finkelstein: “The idea was resilience. We didn’t want people not showing up to our Jewish institutions.”

Pittsburgh’s 10.27 Healing Partnership, a collaboration of community, government and faith-based organizations, continues

to help community members heal from trauma, said Finkelstein.

“When it comes to resilience we went from an attack, as did Poway, right into a pandemic,” he said. “So, it’s been a nonstop cycle. Keeping people resilient and making sure that their mental health is as strong as can be has been a real priority in our community.”

Vera Jourova, vice president of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, vowed to make tackling anti-Semitism a priority.

“Anti-Semitism isn’t only a problem for Jewish people, it is a problem for European

society as a whole,” she said. “To complement member states’ efforts, the European Commission will present the first ever comprehensive European strategy on combating anti-Semitism and fostering Jewish life at the end of this year.”

Partners in the summit included the Jewish Federations of North America, B’nai B’rith International, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. PJC

As the holiday approaches, Rabbi Mendy Schapiro, of Chabad of Monroeville, has been thinking about the past year’s losses but also their relationship to the losses experienced thousands of years earlier.

“One thing that’s really interesting is that the original Passover was in quarantine,” said Schapiro. “Back in Egypt, God passed over every home and saved the Jewish people.”

Thousands of years ago, God instructed the ancient Israelites to follow certain holiday guidelines. This year, the Jewish people are

again being told to adopt particular Passover measures for safety’s sake, said Schapiro: “We should still drink the wine, eat the matzah and have the seder. It may not be ideal, it may not be a large community seder, but we definitely have to celebrate and be joyous and tell the story of the original Pesach.”

With the holiday rapidly approaching, and a realization that many will be experiencing it in isolation, Schapiro is trying to help area residents celebrate.

“We have close to 60 seder kits prepared

for the community,” he said. “We’re offering full dinners for people who are homebound.

We’re doing shmurah matzah delivery to 250 people in the eastern suburbs.”

It’s important to remember that providing food this time of year hits at the heart of Passover and a central Haggadah passage, said Schapiro: “All who are hungry should come and eat.” PJC

Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Perspectives: for future improvements — and although it’s difficult to envision what comes next, there’s also value in appreciating the present, she said.

Because of COVID-19, people now dwell in a “narrow space,” said Mayo, which sheds light on the Passover story, the experience of the Jewish people in Egypt, the meaning of the seder plate and the Haggadah’s questions — specifically why this night is different from all other nights.

Rabbi Ron Symons, of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh’s Center for Loving Kindness, is encouraging people to focus on personal growth and safety.

“This year, don’t rush to a premature freedom,” he said. “Continue to protect yourself in your social distancing, mask wearing and hand washing. As urgently as we want to be with other people, like the Israelites so long ago, soon we’ll make our way through the sea and find ourselves at Sinai.”

He touted two Center for Loving Kindness digital events to help foster the holiday spirit.

On March 26, Symons and fellow JCC staffer Melissa Hiller will host a pre-Shabbat dinner party with faith leaders from the Sikh, Christian and Islamic communities. On April 2, Symons will join Maggie Feinstein, of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, and Geraldine Massey, of the Center for Victims and The Center of Life, Hazelwood, for a Yizkor service memorializing the past year’s diverse casualties.

“We’ve lost lives, work, finances, learning opportunities, innocence and autonomy,” said Ron Symons.

14 MARCH 26, 2021

Photo by Inna Reznik via iStock

Continued from page 1

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Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Poet: Continued from page 5

grappling with immigration, workers’ rights and economic disparity, Borzutzky’s Latino roots run deeper than what is shown on cable news networks.

His family immigrated to Pittsburgh, via New York, from Chile, when his father came to the States to study medicine. His mother, a lawyer, earned her doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh and now teaches at Carnegie Mellon University.

Most of his family’s friends in Pittsburgh

Competition: Continued from page 8

each week Altein worked with students on topics including Jewish history, the Hebrew calendar, Tanakh and Jewish law.

The half-hour virtual meetups afforded 25 minutes of “hard and fast learning” and five minutes for fun, said Altein.

Beginning last November, the first of three age-appropriate tests was administered. Aviv and Ari excelled, and with each subsequent exam continued joining students worldwide in a quest to exhibit their knowledge. Prior

also immigrated from Latin America, he said.

“From Cuba, from Argentina, a few people from Chile,” he said. “At the time, it felt like we knew most of the Latin Americans in Pittsburgh. Of course, I’m sure that’s not true. But it felt like a very small community.”

As a result, the relationship between the United States and Latin America has always been a part of his writing, he said.

Both his Jewish and Latin American backgrounds had a connection to the shooting that took place at the Tree of Life building and are reflected in his new poetry collection. One of the reasons the shooter targeted that site was because of its relationship to

HIAS, a Jewish organization that provides humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees. In the 1970s, the nonprofit helped Borzutzky’s parents as they settled in the United States. The book is a reaction not only to the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, but also to the 2019 massacre in El Paso, Texas, where almost all 23 victims were Latino.

At the end of the collection in a piece titled “End Note, ” Borzutzky writes in prose that “we live in a country of massacre,” then addresses the murders of Oct. 27, 2018.

He lists the names of the 11 victims before quoting the poet Zurita: “The apocalypse is not when the world ends; it’s when one

single person is killed.”

Later, he lists the names of those murdered in El Paso. In a prescient line, Borzutzky also mentions anti-Asian violence.

While the book confronts dark events, Borzutzky believes it would be wrong to think of it as only a reaction to violence.

“I think the hope is that there is something hopeful about trying to create a work of art, even if it is in response to difficult, deadly violent things — and that hope gives people reason to live,” he said. PJC

to the final competition, the two Pittsburgh middle schoolers were excited to see how well they’d perform — even if the experience would be different from previous years.

As opposed to traveling to New York and taking the final test alongside fellow regional champions, Aviv, Ari and other contestants remained at home and submitted the timed quiz online.

While the results of the competition won’t be announced for a while, some positive outcomes are already apparent, said Rabbi Yisroel Altein, co-director of Chabad of Squirrel Hill.

“The kids learned so much,” he said. “It

was a tremendous opportunity.”

Throughout the year, the Alteins divided JewQ preparatory responsibilities: Chani Altein helped students prepare for the exams, and Yisroel Altein managed test scheduling and communications with Chabad headquarters.

The Jewish professionals are proud of Aviv and Ari for reaching the championship but also pleased that such impactful Jewish engagement could occur during the pandemic.

Each of the middle schoolers’ mothers agreed.

“It’s been a blessing for us over the past year,” said Ari’s mother, Julie Paris.

The program offered a “consistent Jewish

education ... and was effective, fun and challenging.”

Sunday’s results are an afterthought, said Anat Talmy, Aviv’s mother.

“This is the first time I felt Aviv was into Judaism,” she said. “I don’t care what place he gets in the competition. He wants to be engaged, he’s curious.”

And as a family, there’s been added benefit, continued Talmy: “Every time we want to know something about a holiday, we ask Rabbi Aviv.” PJC

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

Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Interfaith service marks one year since first COVID-19 death first COVID-19 death in the state. He noted that more than 24,000 Pennsylvanians were lost to the virus, and closed his statement looking to the future.

“Just as we got through the past year standing together, we will move forward together,” Wolf said. “Healing is possible and hope for a brighter tomorrow is on the horizon.”

While the service drew on elements of all the faiths represented, much of it was familiar to a Jewish audience, including readings from Psalms and Jeremiah and the Mi Sheberach sung by Myers.

The rabbi said he felt the service offered

the community a chance to recognize what it had experienced over the last year.

“I broadened my personal recognition — that I had been livestreaming from my living room for one year — to encompass what our entire community felt: a sense of loss that needed to be acknowledged, healing that all of us seek and renewal that hopeful days are before us.”

The service can be viewed in its entirety on the congregation’s Facebook page, facebook. com/treeoflifepgh. PJC — David Rullo

 Gov. Tom Wolf addresses the attendees of the commemoration service of the first COVID-19 death in the state of Pennsylvania, hosted by the Tree of Life Congregation.

T

he first COVID-19 death in the state of Pennsylvania was commemorated during an interfaith service hosted by the Tree of Life Congregation on Thursday, March 18.

The service included a mixture of thoughts, prayers and songs, as well as remarks from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf.

Included as part of the ceremony were: • Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers, Tree of Life • sOm Sharma, the Hindu-Jain Temple of Monroeville • The Rev. Liddy Barlow, Christian Associates of SW Pennsylvania • Dr. Sebnem Unlu, City of Bridges • The Rev. Karie Charlton, Third

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Screenshot by David Rullo

Presbyterian Church • The Rev. C. Matthew Hawkins, St. Benedict the Moor Parish • Rector Jonathan Jensen, Calvary Episcopal Church • The Rev. Vincent Campbell, Ebenezer Baptist Church • Bishop David Zubik, Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Two choirs also performed — the Hazamir HaSharon: The International Jewish Teen Choir and The Calvary Choir of the Calvary Episcopal Church.

During his prerecorded remarks, Wolf called the commemoration part of a “solemn day,” marking one year since the

Pittsburgh has new Jewish Penguin

p Defenseman Mark Friedman, 25, joined the Pittsburgh Penguins last month when the team’s general manager, Ron Hextall, claimed him from waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers. Friedman, originally from Toronto, is Jewish. Friedman was selected in the third round 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Flyers. Prior to becoming professional, he played for the Bowling Green Falcons for three seasons.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Penguins | Joe Sargent

MARCH 26, 2021 15

Passover Recipes:

being careful not to burn them) 2-3 tablespoons sugar ¼ teaspoon salt Powdered sugar and more of the preserves for topping

Continued from page 11

and pour the hot water on it. Let it soak for 2 minutes.

While the matzah is soaking, break and whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.

Add the salt, pepper and sauteed onions to the egg mixture. Mix and add it to the matzah and water bowl. Mix everything with a spatula.

Preheat a medium-size skillet (10 inches), add the oil and gradually add the matzah/egg mixture. Flatten the mixture with the spatula so it is even. Let it brown on one side on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes.

Oil a large plate or flat skillet lid that is a little larger than the skillet that you are using and cover the skillet with it. Quickly flip the babka on the platter and slide it back carefully onto the skillet again. You should have a nice crust on top.

Lower the heat and cover it with a lid for additional 5-7 minutes, until the eggs cook through.

Slide the cooked babka on a serving platter. Let it cool for a few minutes, slice it into triangles and serve warm or cold.

We serve this with a fresh cucumber, radish, green onion and chopped dill salad. It can be served with dairy, parve or meat dishes.

Sour cherry matzah babka (sweet) 8 pieces of matzah, broken into quartersize pieces.

2 cups hot water

 Sour cherry matzah babka 4 extra-large eggs, cracked separately, one by one to check for blood spots ¼ cup oil ½ teaspoon vanilla Optional: ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ cup sour cherry preserves (can be

Photo by David Stuck

substituted for any fruit preserves or honey) Optional: ½ cup pine nuts or chopped nuts of choice (for best flavor, heat up the nuts on a small skillet without oil, constantly mixing for a few minutes and

Break the matzah into a large bowl and pour the hot water on it. Let it soak for two minutes.

While the matzah is soaking, break and whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.

Add the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, preserves, pine nuts and salt into the egg mixture. Mix everything with a spatula.

Preheat a medium-size skillet (10 inches), add the oil and gradually add the matzah/ egg mixture. Flatten the mixture with the spatula to be even. Let it brown on one side on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes.

Oil a large plate or flat skillet lid that is a little larger than the skillet that you are using and cover the skillet with it. Quickly flip the babka on the platter and slide back carefully onto the skillet again. You should have a nice crust on top.

Lower the heat and cover it with a lid for additional 5-7 minutes, until the eggs cook through.

Slide the cooked babka on a serving platter. Let it cool for a few minutes, slice it into triangles, drizzle with some more of the cherry preserves, sprinkle some powdered sugar and more of the nuts and enjoy.

Serve it warm or cold with a side of fresh berries. It tastes delicious with honey as well. PJC

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16 MARCH 26, 2021

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

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Spend Passover with us 'SJEBZ .BSDI ¤ PM

A Time to Remember: A Passover Yizkor for All of Our Losses

RSVP: jccpgh.formstack.com/forms/passoverdinnerparty

'SJEBZ "QSJM ¤ PM

A Passover Dinner Party XJUI 4QFDJBM (VFTUT

:ŽŝŶ ZĂďďŝ ZŽŶ ^LJŵŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ DĞůŝƐƐĂ ,ŝůůĞƌ ƚŽ ǁĂƚĐŚ Ă ƉƌĞͲ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ ϯϬͲŵŝŶƵƚĞ ĚŝŶŶĞƌ ƉĂƌƚLJ ǁŝƚŚ ŽƵƌ ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ŐƵĞƐƚƐ ĂƐ they reflect on the wine, matzah and hope of Passover as seen through their own cultural and spiritual lenses. Then engage in a live dialogue about our reflections and questions. We will end ƚŚĞ ĞǀĞŶŝŶŐ ďLJ ǁĞůĐŽŵŝŶŐ ^ŚĂďďĂƚ͘ ͻ Valarie Kaur, Author, See No Stranger; Founder, The Revolutionary Love Project ͻ Imam Hamza Perez͕ ͲE ĞŶƚĞƌ Ăƚ ƚŚĞ /ƐůĂŵŝĐ ĞŶƚĞƌ ŽĨ WŝƚƚƐďƵƌŐŚ͖ ŽͲĨŽƵŶĚĞƌ͕ dŚĞ >ŝŐŚƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŐĞ DŽƐƋƵĞ͕ WŝƚƚƐďƵƌŐŚ͛Ɛ EŽƌƚŚ ^ŝĚĞ ͻ Rev. Darnell Drewery, The Center for Victims, Pittsburgh, PA; dŚĞ ^ŚLJŶĞ ǁĂƌĚƐ &ŽƵŶĚĂƚŝŽŶ ͻ Skyler Oberst͕ DŝůůĞŶŶŝĂů /ŶƚĞƌĨĂŝƚŚ džƉĞƌƚ ͻ Rev. Liddy Barlow͕ džĞĐƵƚŝǀĞ DŝŶŝƐƚĞƌ͕ ŚƌŝƐƚŝĂŶ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞƐ ŽĨ ^ŽƵƚŚǁĞƐƚ W

For more information jccpgh.org

Facebook Live Event (no RSVP needed): www.facebook.com/centerforlovingkindnesspgh As Passover draws to a close, we will gather to be reminded of our losses this past year and to remember our loved ones who died in years past.

You are welcome to light your yizkor candle as we begin our time together. ͻ Geraldine Massey, The Center for Victims; The Center of Life, Hazelwood, will help us understand the power of loss. ͻ ^ƉŝƌŝƚƵĂů >ĞĂĚĞƌ Sara Stock Mayo, Kesher Pittsburgh, will help us access our spirits through word and song. ͻ Rabbi Ron Symons, JCC PGH Center for Loving Kindness, will guide us in kaddish and other prayers. ͻ Maggie Feinstein, 10.27 Healing Partnership, will share how we can move forward into a resilient tomorrow. tĞ ǁŝůů ĞŶĚ ƚŚĞ ĞǀĞŶŝŶŐ ďLJ ǁĞůĐŽŵŝŶŐ ^ŚĂďďĂƚ͘

All are welcome, no matter your background PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

MARCH 26, 2021 17

Torah Uniquely humble Rabbi Mendy Schapiro Tzav | Shabbat HaGadol Leviticus 6:1 – 8:36

U

Blessings to you and your family on Passover!

Councilperson Erika Strassburger

nleavened — it’s what we are meant to eat at Passover.

We scrub and clean. We burn and sell. We expend all this energy to rid ourselves of leavened bread. But what is so terrible about chametz? And what is so special about matzah?

Adding a leavening agent to dough allows it to rise, disproportionately to its original state and mass. In short, it’s inflated. So, metaphorically, leavened bread represents an inflated ego. Unleavened matzah represents humility.

Rye, whole wheat, pumpernickel, sourdough and cinnamon raisin are just some of the many varieties and flavors of bread.

Matzah, on the other hand, is always made with just two simple and humble ingredients: flour and water. So, leavened bread represents an inflated, self-centered, ego, while matzah represents the same plain and humble offering every time.

At Passover, the time of our birth as a nation, it is important that we all focus on the very essence of our Judaism, which is the same for us all.

Newborn babies look more similar than not, although later on, each one of them will go on to develop its own distinct character traits and individual personality. At birth they seem to be almost identical, a simple yet powerful — and humble — soul. Likewise, at Passover we should focus on our similarities and humbleness, and even a seemingly insignificant amount of “leaven” can spoil this Passover spirit.

“Wait a minute,” you may wonder. “I consider myself to be an accomplished person with a successful career. I am dedicated to community service on a regular basis. Why the need for the extra dose of humility?”

Well, let us learn from the best: Moses.

Ask anyone who has studied the Bible to describe Moses and they will tell you that he was powerful, fearless, and holy. He began his career by attacking and killing an Egyptian slave driver to save the life of a fellow Hebrew. He single-handedly protected Yitro’s daughters from the collective harassment of the shepherds of Midian.

He returned to Egypt to challenge the mighty Pharaoh face-to-face, provoking the wrath of the deified emperor of an ancient superpower whose rule extended across the known world. Despite Pharaoh’s displeasure, Moses frequently reentered the lion’s den to rebuke the tyrant and to warn in harsh terms of one plague after another.

He led the Jews across a split sea and into a wilderness, with the goal of conquering a land filled with kings and their armies. He repeatedly rebuked the Jewish people for their rebelliousness — despite acknowledging that “a little more of this and they will stone me!” When he witnessed the worship of the Golden Calf, he made the toughest of all decisions: He shattered the tablets that he had received from G-d’s hand. Without hesitation, he cast them down the mountainside, shattering beyond repair the most sacred items known to mankind. He did this without consulting G-d, the Giver of the Tablets, or the Jewish people, the intended recipients.

After all that, Moses returned to confront G-d Himself, not hesitating to risk his own welfare in doing so: “Forgive their sin!” he demanded. “If not, erase me now from Your book that You have written!”

Later, Moses took on the rebellious Korach and personally led the nation in war against the two mighty giants, King Og of Bashan and King Sichon of the Emorites.

Yet, despite this all, the Torah presents Moses as the epitome of humility: “The man Moses was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

This year, Passover might be different than usual. Living through a pandemic has been a Passover of sorts for many of us. In some ways, we have been robbed of our talents and uniqueness. And, we have been reduced to equals in many ways.

Some see it as a harsh and brutal punishment to endure. And, make no mistake, to many it has been a time of loss and suffering.

As Jews, however, we are reminded annually that Pesach is an important time to return to our core. This humble beginning will lead to many great accomplishments. PJC Rabbi Mendy Schapiro is the director of Chabad of Monroeville. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh.

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Obituaries BERK: Marvin R. Berk, 90, of White Oak, died Monday March 15, 2021, at home surrounded by his family. He was born Oct. 11, 1930, in Pittsburgh, a son of the late Samuel W. and Lottie Berk. Marvin retired as the third-generation owner and operator of Berk’s Menswear, North Huntingdon, a business started by his grandfather in downtown Irwin in 1917 and currently owned and operated by the fourth generation of the Berk family. He was a longtime member and past president of the Norwin Rotary Club and actively involved in other civic organizations such as the Norwin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Township Association of Businesses. Marvin was instrumental in organizing the Foothills Football Classic, displaying the area’s top high school football talent as a way to give an opportunity for scholarship exposure and promotion of the Norwin area. He was a graduate of Irwin High School where he was class valedictorian, received a master’s degree from Penn State University, and served in the Navy during the Korean Conflict. He is survived by his wife Salessa (Citrenbaum) Berk; his children Jeffrey Berk and his wife Jane, David Berk and his wife Sheri, and Bruce Berk and his wife Debra; his grandchildren, Jordan, Justin, and Kyle Berk, and Spencer Gowen and Zach Gowen; and a brother, Alan Berk. Graveside services and interment were held at Beth Shalom Cemetery, Shaler. Arrangements were handled by the William Snyder Funeral Home, Irwin.

In lieu of flowers a contribution can be made in Marvin’s name to a charity of choice.

For online condolences please visit snyderfuneralservices.com.

BERMAN: Sanford W. Berman formerly of Steubenville, Ohio, passed away peacefully at age 89, on March 17, 2021, in Pittsburgh. The son of the late Minnie and Myer Berman, and brother of the late Alvin E. Berman, Sandy was born on July 13, 1931 in Pittsburgh, and graduated from Peabody High School.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 67.5 years, Claryne Cooper Berman; his loving children, Stuart Berman of Los Angeles, California, and Elyse (Marty) Eichner of Pittsburgh; adoring grandchildren Alanna (Salomon) Maya, Mia Berman, Scott (Tracy) Eichner, Adam Berman, Max Eichner, and Erica (Stephen) Pierce; and great-grandson Jacob Maya. Sandy was an active member of the Steubenville community, where he was a proud lifelong resident. He was formerly an insurance broker and real estate agent, president of both B’Nai Israel Congregation and Temple Beth Israel, and a 50-year member of the 32nd degree Freemasonry. Donations in his memory can be made to the New Riverview, 52 Garetta St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15217, part of the Jewish Association on

Aging. Arrangements entrusted to the Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated, schugar.com. Services will be private.

DORFZAUN: Richard S. Dorfzaun, on Friday, March 19, 2021. Beloved husband of Rhoda Dorfzaun. Beloved father of Joshua Dorfzaun and the late Aaron Michael Dorfzaun. Brother of the late Leon and Edward Dorfzaun.

Grandfather of Madison Dorfzaun. Uncle of Andrea Huffman and Cindi Dorfzaun. The Dorfzaun family wishes to thank Richard’s caregivers, Katie, Murph and Simona. Richard was an attorney at Dickie, McCamey and Chilcote, P.C. for 50 years. He was a devoted father and a conscientious attorney. Graveside services and interment private. Contributions may be made to Family Hospice, 310 Fisk Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201 or Temple Sinai, 5505 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com GOLDBERG: David H. Goldberg, age 79, of Boca Raton, Florida, passed away on Monday, March 15, 2021. Beloved husband of Susi Goldberg.

Beloved father of Robert (Rochelle Rich) Goldberg and Rochelle Goldberg Flowers. PapPap G to Samantha and Allie Flowers. Brother of the late Ethel Ann Goldberg and Saul Goldberg.

David was born to the late Samuel and Fannie Goldberg on Oct. 31, 1941, in Pittsburgh, where he lived most of his life.

After high school, he served in the Air Force, followed by a long tenure as a circulation manager for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He spent his life as a devoted son, nephew, husband, father and friend. Graveside services and interment were held at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Donations suggested to St. Judes or American Cancer Society.

Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com GOLDBERG: Ruben Goldberg, on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Beloved husband of the late Penina Goldberg. Loving father of Harold B. (Debra J.) Goldberg. Brother of the late Samuel (late Jeanette) Goldberg, the late Morris (late Sophie) Goldberg and the late Fannie (late Harry) Stein. Grandfather of Sara L. Goldberg, Jeremy J. (Lisa) Goldberg and Miriam R. (Seth) Harris. Greatgrandfather of Benjamin Harris and Zoe Goldberg. Also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. Services and interment private. Contributions may be made to Hadassah, hadassah.org. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

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

In memory of …

A gift from …

In memory of …

Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Belle Broder Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jacob Barniker Edward M. Goldston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Richard W. Brown Ms. Greenfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eleanor Granowitz Ms. Greenfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joseph Horvitz Milton Lewis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harriett Kopp Mary B. Marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Baker Mary B. Marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph Baker Sue and Jeffrey Pitler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lee Pitler Patricia Wolbe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morris O. Guttman Stephanie & Nicole Zinman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gary Zinman

THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday March 28: Jacob Barniker, Gary Allen Braunstein, Rubin Dafner, Ida Dobkin, Esther Gottesman, Esther Gottesman, Sara R. Levy, Louis Nathan Morris, Rose Myers, Harry Saxen, Rebecca Schulman, Melvin Sherman Shapiro, Libby Sherman, George Simon, Freeda Solomon, Robert Charles Solomon Monday March 29: Rae E. Abady, J. Bernard Block, Cernie Caplan, Sol Fox, Philip Hanauer, Sr., Herbert E. Hirsh, E. Abe Keizler, Samuel L. Krauss, Edith Tanzer Levendorf, Luella Mattes, Louis N. Miller, Esther Unitan, Harry Weisberger, Aaron Weiss Tuesday March 30: Betram I. Adler, Pearl Braun, Louis Cohen, Joseph Cooper, Samuel Davidson, Adolph Edlis, Erwin R. Glick, Bernard Gold, Saul Goldberg, Mildred Winer Grossman, Flora Klein, Jennie Peetler Kliman, Julius Lebovitz, Sophie Ida Meyers, Oscar Radin, Sadie Reznik, Ben Rothman, Jacob C. Tanur, Dora C. Weiss, Mollie Weiss, Mary Zoni Wednesday March 31: Harry Ellanovitz, Jennie Friedman, Bertha Kaiser, Philip K. Landau, Rebecca Marks, Dr. Edwin Sheldon Protas, Hannah R. Rubinoff, William Taper, Norman Weinberg, Helen Jaffe Wolk Thursday April 1: Fannie Ackerman, Harry Birnbaum, Ben Fleischer, Anne M. Flitman, Lillian H. Goldfield, Edward L. Gordon, Rachel Haltman, Sidney Lawrence, Jack Lundy, Fannie Pollock, Herman Aaron Rosenblum, Jacob Rubenstein, Matilda S. Strauss, Ferd N. Taub, Rose Tick, Bessie Rebecca Traub Friday April 2: Isaac Abramovitz, Sarah Balkman, Merle N. Berger, David D. Bernstein, Helen Lorinczi Braunstein, Philip Golden, Beatrice Hollander, Harry Kornstein, Harry Melnick, Edna Gertrude Rothman Richman, Tillie Pechersky Serbin, Joseph Sherwin, Andrew H. Spitz, Saul Stein, Harry Stevenson, Pearl Wishnovitz, Albert Abraham Wolk Saturday April 3: Nellie Baker, Solomon Balfer, Jennie Bergstein, Richard W. Brown, Joseph Cook, Sophie Glick, Philip Goldberg, Rev. Solomon Horwitz, Jennie Ruttenberg Joseph, Leona Kaminsky, Fanny Kaufman, Esther Kohn, Frank Leff, Alex G. Levison, Regina Margolis, Max Neiman, Ruth Paris, Diann Taxay, Mollie Wikes

JEWISH CEMETERY BURIAL ASSOCIATION O F G R E AT E R P I T T S B U R G H RESTORATION ✡ PRESERVATION ✡ CONTINUITY

A Notable Personality • Judge J. Quint Salmon-Beaver Falls

Judge J. Quint Salmon’s life was like his service on the bench…distinguished. Born in 1907 and raised in Beaver Falls, Judge Salmon was a graduate of Pitt Law School, staying devoted to it in the form of an endowed chair.

Appointed in 1970, and then elected to his first ten-year term in 1971 the Republican Salmon was Beaver County’s first Jewish judge. Into his 90’s, the Senior Judge could be seen at the Beaver County Courthouse working on cases and writing legal opinions, and was even perusing law reviews until his final days.

His judicial hallmarks included practical approaches to solving problems. Attorneys recall him as quick-witted, bright, fair, and compassionate. His early career in private practice included a great deal of pro bono work.

J. Quint Salmon was one of the first attorneys in Beaver County to represent black clients. He always gave back to the community that he loved, including a significant endowment left to the Beaver County Foundation.

Judge J. Quint Salmon passed away in 2009 at the age of 101 and is buried in the Agudath Achim Cemetery in Beaver Falls.

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

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Headlines Obituaries: Continued from page 19

LEIB: James Stephen Leib, age 79, of Longwood at Oakmont, formerly of White Oak and Seabrook Island, South Carolina, died on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.

He was born in McKeesport on August 6, 1941, and is the son of the late Max H. and Rose Freedel Leib. Jim obtained his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Washington & Jefferson College, then continued to the University of Pittsburgh for his master’s in industrial engineering. He had the vision to found a software company in 1969, aSa Applied Systems Associates, Inc., and was the president and CEO for 25 years. Jim wrote the company’s first software program, a shearing algorithm to efficiently cut steel and minimize scrap. Today, the company is the world’s leading provider of specialized software for the reinforcing steel (rebar) industry. Jim’s wife Miriam worked by his side as the office

manager for 25-plus years before she retired.

He was very proud of aSa and his family. His sons Mitchell and Scott began working at the company in the mid 1980s, and they have led the company since 1995. aSa was his passion.

He never wanted to retire and literally worked until the last day of his life. In addition to aSa, Jim served on the board of the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute. He was also board chair of the Seabrook Island Club, guiding the club through a major construction and renovation period. Jim is survived by his wife, Miriam Kendal Leib; sons, Mitchell (Michael Ferraro) Leib of Wilkinsburg, and Scott (Cindy Goodman-Leib) Leib of Pittsburgh; grandchildren, Elena of Berkeley, California, and Joshua of Pittsburgh; brother, Jere (the late Arlene) Leib of Fort Wayne, Indiana; also, several nieces and nephews. Graveside services were held Wednesday, March 17, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. at Elrod Cemetery in the Temple section on Center Street, Versailles Borough, with Rabbi Howard Stein officiating. Donations in Jim’s memory can be made to the CRSI Foundation or the Jewish Assistance Fund. Arrangements were provided by Strifflers of White Oak.

LIBENSON: Harriette R. Libenson, beloved wife, mother and sister, passed on Feb. 26, 2021, at the age of 91. She was at home in Coronado, California, surrounded by her sons and daughter. Harriette was born on June 10, 1929, in Sharon, Pennsylvania, to Louis J. and Fanny Rubenstein — charter members of the Pliskover Free Loan Association. She is predeceased by her husband of more than 64 years, Jerome M. Libenson. A first generation American, she was the youngest sister of Harold and Erwin Rubenstein and Ruth Spiegel. As a young girl, she would travel by train to spend summers in Pittsburgh with her grandmother and aunts, keenly observing the styles at the family’s women’s clothes store, Katzman’s on Fifth Avenue in McKeesport, learning secrets of baking and cooking, or simply shooting hoops. Harriette was a woman of elegance and style who enjoyed a lifetime of international travel, dining, the fine arts, athletics, collecting art, shopping and, most of all, sharing these experiences with her husband, children and extended family. After playing on a championship basketball team in high

school, Harriette graduated at the top of her class at Pennsylvania State University, taught fifth grade, was an accomplished realtor with the Howard Hanna Real Estate Company for many years and an active member in multiple community organizations. Harriette was a gracious host. Any invitee to her home, whether to enjoy a stuffed veal breast or some mundelbread, always knew they were in for a special treat.

She is survived by her sisters-in-law Joan Scheinholtz of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Betty Lou Rubenstein of Arlington, Virginia, and Maxine Libenson of WilkesBarre, Pennsylvania; sons Clark (Paulette) of San Diego, California, Ross (Susie) of Kensington, California, and daughter Sue of Haines, Alaska; two grandsons, four granddaughters and many nieces and nephews.

Burial was next to Jerome in San Diego.

Contributions may be made to the Jewish Family Services of San Diego, jfssd.org, the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh, jewishpgh. org, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Harriette will be remembered and missed by those who had the privilege to know her.

May her memory be a blessing. PJC

Chronicle awarded grant from Jewish Healthcare Foundation for COVID coverage

T

he Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle has been awarded a grant of $15,000 per year for two years by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation. The grant is in recognition of “the leadership [the Chronicle] is demonstrating in reporting on issues of importance to our community during the COVID-19 crisis,” according to a letter from the JHF confirming the grant.

“We thank you for your commitment to assuring that our region is informed of rapid developments during this pandemic, as well as the behaviors that they can embrace to maintain their own health and that of their family and neighbors,” the letter continued.

The Chronicle has felt the financial impact of the pandemic “as much as most other communal organizations,” said Jim Busis,

the Chronicle’s CEO and publisher.

“We’re trying to do more with less. In our case, that means giving the community vital information on the course of the pandemic and its impact on people and organizations here.”

Since March 2020, the Chronicle has published more than 550 items that include news about COVID-19, while “enduring the largest decline in advertising we’ve ever

seen,” Busis said.

“We’re grateful for the leadership role that the Jewish Healthcare Foundation has played for the community as a whole, and especially grateful for their helping us have the means to continue our complete coverage of COVID-19,” he added. PJC — Toby Tabachnick

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THIS PASSOVER, HELP ENSURE THAT EVERYONE’S CUP IS FULL. Many in Jewish Pittsburgh now face hardship because of COVID-19.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh is helping.

If you need assistance, find Jewish community resources at jewishpgh.org To learn about the impact of Jewish Federation support, visit jewishpgh.org/covid If your cup is full, please help others: Give to the Jewish Federation’s Community Campaign; visit jewishpgh.org/donate-now or call 412-681-8000.

22 MARCH 26, 2021

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Community In the garage

Pre-Passover celebration PJ Library hosted a virtual Passover celebration on March 21. Along with enjoying a home-based scavenger hunt, participants discussed the Passover story as well as holiday foods and rituals. t Danielle West, PJ Library coordinator for Pittsburgh, leads participants in a Passover “Would You Rather” game.

Screenshot by Adam Reinherz

Education and Sharing Day Mayor Bill Peduto proclaimed March 24 “Education and Sharing Day, Pittsburgh” in recognition of the crucial importance of ethical and moral education. Peduto cited the historic efforts of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, toward improving world education, and called upon “government officials, educators, volunteers and citizens” to reach out within their communities “and work to create a better, brighter and more hopeful future for all.”

p Despite cold rain forcing volunteers to work inside a garage, Passover-To-Go kits were assembled by volunteers of GIFT on March 18.

Photo by Kayla Pickard

Yeshiva supports student wellness After hundreds of phone calls, Yeshiva students, parents, faculty and volunteers raised more than $200,000 during its annual Charidy Campaign. Funds raised will support Yeshiva’s new Student Wellness Division and students’ emotional, social, academic, physical and spiritual needs.

p Rabbi Yisroel Altein, left, Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld, Rabbi Henoch Rosenfeld and Rabbi Yitzi Goldwasser join Mayor Peduto Photo courtesy of Rabbi Yitzi Goldwasser

Whatever floats your boat p Yeshiva Boys High School students make calls during the Charidy Campaign.

Photo courtesy of Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh

Almost learning in nature

p Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh second-graders build boats while studying buoyancy.

Photo courtesy of Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh

Macher and Shaker t Netta Dobzinski received the University of Pittsburgh Excellence in Biology Award at the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science competition.

Dobzinski, an Ellis School eighth-grader, won for her project “Effects of Printed vs. Electronic Ink on Memory and Comprehension.” Dobzinski received $75.

Photo courtesy of Anat Talmy

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

p Community Day School eighth-grader Jordan Snyder follows along during an outdoor math class.

Photo courtesy of Community Day School

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

MARCH 26, 2021 23

favorites en enjoy njoy p pa passover

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Items available at participating locations while supplies last.

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atz find t o Toffee sho he recipe

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Yehuda Matzo 1 lb.

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Yehuda Gefilte Fish 24 oz.

Molly's Bakehouse

selected varieties, available in select stores

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Passover-2021-PGH-10.25x13.75.indd 24 MARCH 26, 2021

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