Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 3-5-21

March 5, 2021 | 21 Adar 5781

Candlelighting 5:58 p.m. | Havdalah 6:58 p.m. | Vol. 64, No. 10 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

Pittsburgh Federation helps Ethiopian Jews make aliyah

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL A new face at Beth Shalom

Zoombombing on the rise

Rabbi Andy Shugerman named development director

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

A

Yisrael (Rock of Israel), through The Jewish Agency. The Pittsburgh Federation gives an unrestricted amount of money each year to The Jewish Agency — typically more than $1 million annually, according to Jeff Finkelstein, president and CEO of Pittsburgh’s Federation.

The recent group of olim (immigrants)

s Jewish Pittsburgh prepares to enter the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, communal professionals and law enforcement warn “Zoom-bombing” is on the rise.

The incidents — which typically are referred to Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh security leaders, local police and the FBI — involve unknown individuals joining preplanned or publicly advertised Zoom events to make anti-Semitic remarks, post racial slurs in the session’s chat window, or take over as host and air pornography or other disturbing images. There have been at least three incidents in Pittsburgh’s Jewish community in 2021.

“We have seen on the ‘darknet,’ where there are groups trolling for Zoom presentations related to Judaism or being hosted by synagogues and Jewish community centers — their goal is to get onto these platforms and scare people,” said Shawn Brokos, director of community security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. “It’s done to promote ideologies, but it’s also used for sport — ‘Let’s scare as many Jews as possible today.’”

Brokos pointed to a Feb. 12 incident where University of Pittsburgh educators were discussing sexual and American Jewish history on Zoom with academics from the University of Virginia and Brandeis University. At one point, the event was infiltrated and unknown persons posted anti-Semitic imagery including swastikas, as well as anti-Semitic rants.

“Nothing like this has ever happened to me before,” said Rachel Kranson, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh who organized and participated in the event. “My first reaction was utter shock. Obviously I was aware of the scourge of anti-Semitic, racist, white supremacist attacks across the country and around the world, but I had never seen this kind of vicious behavior in a scholarly setting.

“When the Zoom-bombers started to disrupt the chat, audience members

Please see Ethiopia, page 12

Please see Zoom-bombing, page 12

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LOCAL Sephardic Jewry celebrated at Hillel JUC

Traditions, culture and food Page 5

LOCAL Coming of age at the JAA

Intergenerational story filmed at Charles Morris

 Ethiopian Jews arrive at Ben Gurion Airport on Friday, Feb. 26.

Page 15

$1.50

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

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early 300 Ethiopian Jews flew into Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday, making aliyah and reuniting with family members who previously had immigrated to Israel.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh was among the agencies that funded the effort, dubbed Operation Tzur

Photos by Kim Salzman

keep your eye on PittsburghJewishChronicle LOCAL

Disability inclusion

LOCAL

Westmoreland Jews

FOOD

Spiced beef over hummus

Headlines Beth Shalom names first development director — LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

C

ongregation Beth Shalom has named Rabbi Andy Shugerman as its first development director.

Shugerman’s hire follows an extended search and fulfills the objectives established by the congregation’s strategic plan, said Debby Firestone, Beth Shalom’s president.

“This was one area we needed to enhance, and we’ve accomplished that and it means so much,” said Firestone.

Beth Shalom began looking for a development director in 2020, just after the pandemic began.

They met Shugerman in the fall.

“Rabbi Andy is very personable,” said Firestone. “He will enhance our mission and we’re very excited to welcome him into our community.”

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., and currently living in Brooklyn, Shugerman, 43, is the former executive director of Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, an arm of the Conservative Masorti movement.

Ken Turkewitz, Beth Shalom’s interim executive director, praised Shugerman’s leadership of the FJMC and said Shugerman’s “deep development background” will be an asset to Beth Shalom.

Shugerman has served as a development consultant and teacher at the Jewish Theological Seminary and director of major gifts at the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

“We have lots of priorities for our development director,” said Turkewitz. “There are a lot of different fundraising projects — our legacy circle, as well as other financial projects for the ongoing financial sustainability

“ Serving as a rabbi, teacher and fundraiser all flow one into the other. It’s all about

relationships and building relationships with

”

Jews and their Jewishness.

— RABBI ANDY SHUGERMAN, BETH SHALOM’S DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

of the synagogue.”

In his new role, Shugerman will address the needs of the congregation’s nearly 100-year-old building, while connecting to an evolving congregation.

“Our synagogue’s demographics are changing,” said Firestone. Given the number of younger families, it’s important to have “a younger person working in the capacity of development.”

There’s a certain novelty to having a congregational development director who is also a rabbi, but both Turkewitz and Firestone said Shugerman’s ordination is independent of his responsibilities at Beth Shalom.

“The fact that he is a rabbi is irrelevant,” said Turkewitz. “We were not looking for a rabbi. We were looking for the best person to do development work. He just happens to have semicha.

He is coming in to do a certain set of tasks.”

For Shugerman, “serving as a rabbi, teacher and fundraiser all flow one into the other,” Shugerman said. “It’s all about relationships

and building relationships with Jews and their Jewishness, which isn’t necessarily about their Judaism. There are plenty of folks who are, as you probably know in the Pittsburgh community, diehard Yinzers who don’t believe in God or aren’t particularly observant but love learning and love connecting with other Jews through learning and supporting the future of the Jewish people — and that future is through education and community building.”

Shugerman, a married father of one, will start his new job remotely on April 16. He has gotten to know Rabbi Seth Adelson’s essential work at Beth Shalom from Rachel Kranson, a Beth Shalom member and Shugerman’s sister-in-law.

“To see him serve as the rabbi for my extended family in Pittsburgh and to see him officiate my niece’s bat mitzvah, I really got a sense of how special he is in the life of the Beth Shalom community,” said Shugerman, adding that Adelson has a “great reputation” in the field.

“I have been really moved by his presence.”

 Rabbi Andy Shugerman

Photo courtesy of Congregation Beth Shalom

Shugerman said he’s extremely excited to aid both staff and lay leaders in the critical work at Beth Shalom and looks forward to developing new and meaningful relationships in the service of philanthropy.

“People want to support efforts that advance their interests,” he said. “When you build a relationship, and then you give somebody an opportunity to give money to a cause they want to see successful, is when they thank you,” said Shugerman.

“Being thanked for helping people to do that mitzvah is just priceless. It’s so much of the fuel that keeps me going.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Disability advocate frames conversation about inclusion in Pittsburgh — LOCAL — Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

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n both his career as a lawyer and as “a student of human nature,” inclusion specialist Matan Koch has learned “we always do a little bit better when we realize what the benefit could be for us and our community, rather than framing it in terms of what we’re doing for them, for those people, the ones that don’t have access.”

In celebration of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month and Jewish Disability Advocacy Month, Koch, director of RespectAbility California and Jewish Leadership at RespectAbility, joined representatives of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and Jewish Residential Services for a virtual conversation on Feb. 24.

Koch said he did not intend to provide all the answers during the program. Rather, his aim was to begin a conversation about Pittsburgh’s inclusivity.

“If I leave you all with one idea at the end of this talk, I want you wondering who you are not getting the benefit from precisely because they didn’t have the access to join you,” said Koch.

After brief introductory remarks from Matthew Keller, chair of Federation’s Aging and Human Needs Commission; Gerri Sperling, president of Jewish Residential Services; and a d’var Torah from Rabbi Danny Schiff, Federation’s foundation scholar, Koch discussed local inclusion.

“A truly inclusive community is one where we acknowledge certain facts,” he said. “We acknowledge that everyone might encounter barriers to feeling fully included in our community. Those barriers might be familial or socioeconomic or geographic, or they could be disability-related. And in either case, building an inclusive community is about finding out how to lower those barriers so that people can join.”

Koch suggested organizations and

congregations provide constituents with “low-hanging fruit,” including captioned videos and websites that are screen-reader accessible. Other tactics can be learned by visiting respectability.org, “where we give you seven hours of what I’ll call the easy stuff,” added Koch.

Each February, Jewish organizations worldwide mark Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month. Since JDAIM’s founding in 2009 by the Jewish Special Education International Consortium, advocacy, empathy and allyship have increased. Likewise, since the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, nationwide progress has been made in inclusion.

Even with these advances, considerable work remains, explained Koch.

“Even if we’re 10 times better than we were 10 years ago, now is not the moment to stop and pat ourselves on the back,” Koch said. “In terms of measurement, to me there’s only one measure that actually matters: How many Jews, with how many different disabilities, are participating in a meaningful way in our community? If we are anywhere less than everyone who wants to be participating to the degree that they want to, then we haven’t done enough. And the closer that we get to that aspiration, the closer that we are to where we want to be.”

Keller encouraged attendees to pursue inclusivity-related activism and shape the community’s future by participating in a Federation research project on young adults with disabilities.

As a follow-up to the 2017 Pittsburgh Jewish Community study, Federation is working with the University of Pittsburgh, Jewish Residential Services, Jewish Family and Community Services and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh on efforts to lower communal entry barriers.

“The results,” said Keller, “will be informative in shaping the future of inclusion in our community moving forward.” PJC

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

p Disability advocate and inclusion expert Matan Koch shares thoughts during the Feb. 24 program.

Screenshot by Adam Reinherz

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MARCH 5, 2021 3

Headlines

Revived Westmoreland Jewish Community Council readies programs for 2021 — LOCAL —

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

J

ews in Westmoreland County can look forward to expanded programming this year thanks to a revival of the Westmoreland Jewish Community Council.

“Part of our mission is to bring educational and cultural events to Jews that live in Westmoreland County,” said Rabbi Sara Perman, former spiritual leader of Congregation Emanu-El Israel in Greensburg. “We’re trying to reach out to both affiliated and unaffiliated Jews.”

Perman is part of the newly reconstituted Westmoreland JCC that once served as a primary vehicle for Jewish events in that area.

When Perman moved to Greensburg in the mid-‘80s to begin her tenure at Emanu-El Israel, the WJCC was part of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Federation staff member Janet Engelhart Gutterman lived in the community and helped create programs for the region.

“She actually served all of the smaller communities — Little Washington and Butler, all of those areas,” Perman said.

The organization’s programming included speaking engagements by Israeli diplomat Abba Eban and actor Theodore Bikel, a monthly luncheon speaker series for seniors, screenings with JFilm, kids’ programming and Mitzvah Day. Engelhart Gutterman eventually moved from Greensburg, becoming the first female executive director of the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island.

As synagogues in Latrobe and Mt. Pleasant closed and Jewish communities

 Rabbi Sara Rae Perman on a trip to China in 2019

contracted along the Mon and away from the city, Pittsburgh’s Federation no longer dedicated an employee to Westmoreland County, but continued to fund programs and services, including directing money for security upgrades at Emanu-El Israel, said Brian Eglash, the Federation’s chief development officer.

Westmoreland County Jewish community members, Eglash said, also have access to Federation assistance programs such as the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry and the Jewish Scholarship Service of Greater Pittsburgh, funded by Federation and administered by Jewish Family and Community Services.

The newly reorganized WJCC is getting ready to launch its first programs in several years, creating virtual events and featuring a

File photo

variety of local speakers.

On Sunday, March 21, at 11 a.m., the Westmoreland JCC welcomes Eric Lidji, director of the Rauh Jewish History Program and Archives at the Senator John Heinz History Center, to discuss the archive’s Jewish cookbook collection. The virtual program will also include a cooking demonstration of a Passover dessert featured in one of the cookbooks.

Perman said Lidji’s talk is emblematic of the sort of programming the Council intends to feature — educational and cultural programs that do not compete with any synagogue.

The Council also is working with the Holocaust Center at Seton Hill University to prepare a Yom HaShoah program. The event

will honor survivors who recently died, including Shulamit Bastacky.

On Tuesday, May 25, a member of the New Community Chevra Kadisha will discuss burial traditions.

There are also plans for an August picnic that will include the creation of a mosaic for the High Holidays.

“I’m really thrilled with the committee because they’ve been proactive and very involved,” Perman said.

The continuation of Jewish life in Westmoreland County is important to Loren Vivio, a member Emanu-El Israel.

She recently joined the Westmoreland JCC at Perman’s invitation. “[Perman] knows I have a great interest in keeping the Jewish spirit alive in this area,” said Vivio. “It’s very difficult, because there are very few Jewish people in the Mon Valley area.”

The pandemic has presented an opportunity for the WJCC to create virtual programming that does not require traveling, Vivio noted.

But she also is a realist.

“There are a lot of people attempting to do good things here, but for Jewish culture particularly, there’s no foundation for it right now,” she said.

Vivio thinks an organization like the WJCC — which combines areas like Monessen, Latrobe, Greensburg and even Washington, Pennsylvania — will have a broader appeal and be able to create better programming than any individual community.

“We can create a spark of interest here,” she said. PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Chronicle selected for Jewish Journalism Fellowship

T

he Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle has been selected to participate in the inaugural Jewish Journalism Fellowship, a yearlong program designed to help local Jewish news outlets thrive in the 21st-century media landscape. Through this program, the Chronicle hopes to serve readers in ways that are more sustainable and impactful, and that strengthen the fabric of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community.

A project of Maimonides Fund, the Fellowship will support a cohort of independent, nonprofit, local Jewish news organizations in strengthening their capabilities in the areas of audience development, organizational sustainability and Jewish community engagement.

The Chronicle was one of five publications selected for the first year of the program.

The other participants are: Cleveland Jewish News; J. - The Jewish News of Northern California; St. Louis Jewish Light, and TC Jewfolk. Participants will learn and apply digital best practices, new business models, revenue generation tools, and explore other

4 MARCH 5, 2021

solutions to common issues facing Jewish media and Jewish communal life.

“Jewish journalism has been under pressure for some time, and the pandemic has intensified that pressure,” said Jim Busis, CEO and publisher of the Chronicle. “While the Chronicle has made great strides in strengthening its digital services in the past few years, there remains a lot that we want to do to better serve the Pittsburgh Jewish community.

“We started to develop a relationship with the Maimonides Fund last summer, and were thrilled to be invited to participate in this program, the first of its kind,” Busis continued. “By working with some of the top digital media talents in the country, and a peer group of some of the best local Jewish newspapers in the country over the next year, we hope to greatly strengthen everything we do in the digital realm.”

The idea for the Fellowship came out of a desire to stem the tide of closures of local Jewish newspapers during the pandemic, according to Maimonides Fund President Mark Charendoff.

“We recognize the important role that

these publications play in keeping their local communities informed and connected, particularly in times of crisis such as during the current pandemic,” said Charendoff.

“We hope that this program will help each publication confront its own challenges in a supportive, peer-driven cohort, while also beginning a conversation on how to move the field of local Jewish journalism forward.”

While maintaining a Jewish communal focus, the Fellowship will draw from cutting-edge work being done in the field of mainstream local journalism and audience development, employing the programming model known as Table Stakes, which has been used by more than 100 local newsrooms across the U.S. and Europe to advance their work and impact. (The term “table stakes” comes from poker and refers to the seven things a media organization needs to do in order to be in the game of digital news. The program was originally developed by the Knight Foundation.)

Maimonides Fund has brought in change management expert and Table Stakes co-founder Douglas K. Smith to facilitate this

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

aspect of the program, in collaboration with Blue Engine Collaborative, a consortium of mission-first consultants and advisers with deep experience in supporting news organizations’ efforts toward digital transformation and long-term sustainability.

The Jewish Journalism Fellowship will infuse the Table Stakes format with programming specific to the concerns of local Jewish media professionals and the Jewish community. Together with its fellowship colleagues, Chronicle staff will learn from and with Jewish educators, journalists and thought leaders, and communal professionals, with the twin goals of enriching the content it delivers to its readers and exploring solutions to common challenges facing Jewish media and Jewish communal life.

Sessions for the Fellowship will take place via Zoom, with the possibility of in-person meetings toward the end of the year, depending on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic. PJC — Toby Tabachnick PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines Sephardic Jewry celebrated at Hillel JUC’s annual summit — LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

H

illel JUC students were given a taste of Jewish culture during a special Sephardic-themed Shabbaton last weekend, when hundreds of students enjoyed a deluxe Shabbat dinner to-go, Havdalah with Israeli maestro Yaniv Attar

and a cooking demonstration with chef and author Hélène Jawhara Piñer.

The multifaceted program gave nearly 300 students a chance to “learn and celebrate their Judaism,” said Dan Marcus, Hillel JUC’s president and CEO. In years past, the annual Ignite Summit has enabled students to circle around Shabbat tables, enjoy meals and hear from Jewish luminaries, including neuroscientist and actor Mayim Bialik and Israeli jewelry

p Tess McConnell, Eva Shterengarts and Ariella Levy distribute Shabbat 2 Go meals.

artist Ariel Tidhar. This year, even in the midst of the pandemic, “it was essential that we still had our annual Ignite Summit,” said Marcus. “It’s such a highlight of the year.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s summit was largely conducted online.

Shabbat dinner and dessert were available for Friday afternoon pickup, but written materials related to Sephardic Jewish life, culture and migration were posted online.

Havdalah and the cooking demonstration

p Julianna Asunction and Ariella Levy

were also shared virtually.

Ariella Levy, a University of Pittsburgh sophomore, began planning the weekend’s activities in November. As a Hillel JUC Ignite intern, and a Sephardi House Fellow, Levy worked with staff from Hillel JUC and the American Sephardi Federation to ensure students from diverse backgrounds could better appreciate the history and nuances of Sephardic Jewry.

Please see Hillel, page 13

Photos courtesy of Hillel JUC

Jewish Community Foundation

CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION with Rabbi Danny Schiff Underwritten by the Alan Papernick Educational Institute Endowment Fund

TENSE TOPICS IN JEWISH LAW Thursdays, 8:30–10:45 AM | Online via Zoom March 18: Privacy in Jewish Law COST WITH CLE/CEU CREDIT: $30 per class COST WITHOUT CLE/CEU CREDIT: $25 per class Learn more and see the full series at foundation.jewishpgh.org/continuing-legal-education or contact Patti at pdziekan@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5221.

This course is open to all; you need not be a legal professional to attend.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

MARCH 5, 2021 5

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 5 Shabbat Shelanu (our Shabbat) is a new 13-week program from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division for Pittsburgh families with children aged 0-3. Help your children learn about Shabbat and Jewish holidays while having fun and connecting with other families. Only 15 spots available. $72/family. 10:30 a.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/shabbat-shelanu.

Join the Jewish Studies Program, the School of Law and the Center for International Legal Education at the University of Pittsburgh for “Vichy Law, the Holocaust and the Dangers of ‘Incrementalism’ when Participating in a ‘System of Evil,’ presented by Richard H. Weisberg. 11 a.m. For more information, visit jewishstudies.pitt.edu. q FRIDAY, MARCH 5 – MARCH 8 The Zionist Organization of America: Pittsburgh is accepting applications for its Israel Scholarship Program. Open to local Jewish teens in qualified programs who will be a junior or senior in high school in September 2021. Three $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Applicants will be judged on their involvement in Jewish organizations, volunteerism and on an essay about Zionism and Israel. Applications accepted through March 8. For information and applications, please contact ZOA executive director, Stuart Pavilack, at stuart.pavilack@zoa.org or 304-639-1758. q SUNDAY, MARCH 7 Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh for the virtual bus tour, “The Secret Jews of Majorca Island.” The series will include “Medieval Majorca,” “Crypto-Judaism,” “Chuetas,” “Rebirth & Renewal” and “Taste of Spain.” 3 p.m. https://tinyurl.com/jewish-spain Screen the film, “RBG,” and discover the exceptional life and career of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Join a Zoom discussion with Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht, award-winning employment litigator Ann-Marie Ahern and Professor Jonathan Entin, a former law clerk of Justice Ginsburg and David L. Brennan, professor emeritus of law and adjunct professor of political science at Case Western Reserve University. Presented by Classrooms Without Borders. 4 p.m. For more information and to register, visit classroomswithoutborders.org/rbg.

Moishe House presents Grief Workshop (part 3): Smoke and Ancestors. In this final workshop, delve deeper into Yahrzeits, the anniversaries of loved ones’ deaths, and their relationship to candles.

7 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/ moishehouse.pittsburgh. q SUNDAY, MARCH 7-MARCH 9 Teaching the Holocaust is not easy. Let Classrooms Without Borders guide you with the best tools, strategies and resources. Holocaust Education Professional Development Symposium for Teachers. Register at liberation75.org. q SUNDAYS, MARCH 7, 14 What does Jewish tradition have to say about God, Torah, mitzvot, suffering, messiah, Israel? In this special course, Pittsburgh Rabbis on Jewish Belief, Jewish Community Foundation Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff hosts 14 Pittsburgh rabbis, each teaching a session on fundamental aspects of Jewish belief. 10 a.m. For more information and to register, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org. q SUNDAYS, MARCH 7, 14, 21, 28; APRIL 4 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

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community while deepening understanding of the text. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org. q MONDAY, MARCH 8 Temple Sinai presents “Getting Good at Getting Older,” a tour for all those of “a certain age” through the resources and skills needed to navigate the years between maturity (building careers/raising families) and frail old age. Free and open to the public. Register at templesinaipgh.org.

Beth El Congregation presents “Oy Joy Labs 2021: L’Chaim, L’Chaim — To Life!” Do you find yourself asking “Why?” and “How?” Are you eager to find a deeper meaning? Are you now the go-to person for family for answers? Are you trying to put into words “the reasons and what to do” for your children or grandkids in a home where there is Judaism and perhaps another religion? Join Beth El for this threepart series. 7 p.m. For a complete list of guests and to register, visit bethelcong.org.

Join Classrooms Without Borders in Israel — virtually. Monthly tours with guide and scholar Rabbi Jonty Blackman via Zoom.

7 p.m. For more information and to register, visit classroomswithoutborders.org. q MONDAYS, MARCH 8, 15 Most people associate the term “Haftarah” with opaque prophetic reading on Shabbat morning.

This course, Haftarah, will attempt to make the opaque sparkle. Choosing selectively from the most interesting Haftarah portions, Jewish Community Foundation Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff will seek to imbue meaning in these powerful prophetic passages. 9:30 a.m. For more information and to register, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org. q MONDAYS, MARCH 8, 15, 22, 29; APRIL 5 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 TUESDAY, MARCH 9 Treating Jewish jokes as text, From Sinai to Seinfeld invites students to analyze and interpret the evolving concerns, styles, rhythms, preoccupations and values of the Jewish people that lie buried deep in words that make us laugh as Jews, and that bond us as a people. $50 per person, includes all books and materials. For more information and to register, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org. q TUESDAYS, MARCH 9, 16 Join Classrooms Without Borders for a weekly book discussion of “Hitler’s Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields” and “Nazi Wives: The Women at the Top of Hitler’s Germany” with Dr. Josh Andy.

4 p.m. classroomswithoutborders.org/ nazi-women-book-club q TUESDAYS, MARCH 9 – 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 10 Joint J Street CLE and J Street Pittsburgh for an Israeli Election Zoom Conversation with Executive Director Nadav Tamir. 10 a.m. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/JStCLEPitt.

Classrooms Without Borders is honored to bring an exceptional team of leading historians, archeologists and scientists to dive deep into the science behind the film the “Good Nazi.”

4 p.m. For more information and to register, visit classroomswithoutborders.org/ science-of-the-good-nazi.

Join Moishe House for Jewish and Ancestral Healing Tradition. Morgaine Witriol, herbalist and founder of the Native Roots School of Ancestral Folk and Herbal Medicine will provide an overview of folk medicine and traditions, including cupping, amulets and medicinal plants. 7 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/moishehouse.pittsburgh.

q WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17

q THURSDAY, MARCH 11

Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division’s young adults book club.

The book “Last Chicken in America,” a collection of short stories of Russian-Jewish immigrants who live in Squirrel Hill, will be discussed. Feel free to join the chat even if you have not read the book.

8 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/event.

The Mishna, the Oral Law in written form, is one of the greatest works of the Jewish people.

In this survey course, Jewish Community Foundation Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff will provide a comprehensive overview of this singular, foundational work. Co-sponsored with Derekh at Congregation Beth Shalom.

9:30 a.m. For more information and to register, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org/mishna.

Join the Young Adult Division (over Zoom) to learn more about the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Mega Mission 2022. The mission will take place in Israel June 13-21, 2022.

7:30 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/event. q THURSDAYS, MARCH 11, 18 Join the 10.27 Healing Partnership and Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife for Jewish Style R&R — Rachamim and Resilience. This series of weekly interactive workshops will be an opportunity to engage in classes that will build on Jewish values, core concepts of resiliency, and mindfulness tools as a way of expanding our resiliency toolbox in this next year. This program is being offered at no cost and is open to all ages. 7 p.m. For more information, visit 1027healingpartnership.org/events. q THURSDAYS, MARCH 11, 18, 25 Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh for the four-part series Forward Focus, exploring religious diversity in Israel. 12 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishtogether.org/ forwardfocus. q MONDAY, MARCH 12 In a time of chaos and uncertainty, join Temple Sinai to hear Rabbi Karyn Kedar speak on Finding Spiritual Depth in a Flattened World.

7 p.m. For more information and to register, visit templesinaipgh.org. q SUNDAY, MARCH 14 Sidekicks help the superhero get the job done and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh needs your help! Join the Super Sunday Sidekick, an extra day to make phone calls and raise money for Jewish Pittsburgh. Sign up for one of two sessions beginning at 10 a.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/event. q MONDAY, MARCH 15 The Women of Temple Sinai invite you to their March cooking class. Guest bakers Susan Cohen, Laura Arnold and Carolyn Schwarz will share their favorite Passover cookie recipes. Free and open to the public. Register at templesinaipgh.org for Zoom link. q TUESDAY, MARCH 16 The Jewish Pittsburgh History Series, sponsored

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

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

To register, visit jewishpgh.org/event.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Beth Shalom Congregation’s Derekh Speaker Series welcomes Janice Kaplan to discuss “The Genius of Women: From Overlooked to Changing the World.” 7:30 p.m. Free. For more information, and to register for the Zoom event, visit bethshalompgh. org/speakerseries.

q THURSDAY, MARCH 18 The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Men’s Philanthropy division hosts Jewish comedian and founder of the Steel City Arts Foundation Steve Hofstetter. He will discuss the role of comedy in society. 6:30 p.m. For more information and to register visit jewishpgh.org/event.

Rabbi Barbara Symons will discuss the book “The Lost Shtetl” by Max Gross. The discussion will be held at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. Register at tdoffice@templedavid.org or call 412-372-1200.

Join Classrooms Without Borders for “Collective Memory & Remembering the Journey: An Interactive Spoken Word Exploration” with Kaleidoscope. 7 p.m. For more information and to register, visit classroomswithoutborders.org/vilnashul-collective-memory. q THURSDAYS, MARCH 18, 25 The University of Pittsburgh Jewish Studies Program presents the four-part series “Shazam!

Jewish Biblical Texts Transformed by the Power of Pictures,” featuring artist-in-residence Ben Schachter. 7:30 p.m. For more information and to register, visit jewishstudies.pitt.edu. q THURSDAY, MARCH 18; MAY 6; JUNE 17 Jews have never desisted from addressing tough problems. In this year’s CLE series, Rabbi Danny Schiff will dive into “Tense Topics of Jewish Law.” Each topic raises significant concerns in our contemporary lives. With CLE/CEU credit: $30/session or $150 all sessions; without CLE/CEU credit: $25/session or $125 all sessions. 8:30 a.m. For more information, including a complete list of topics, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org/ continuing-legal-education. q FRIDAY, MARCH 19 Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young Adult Division and OneTable for Virtual Shabbat Dinner and Game Night. 6:30 p.m.

For more information, including how to receive a $10 Giant Eagle gift card for dinner, visit jewishpgh.org/event. q FRIDAY, MARCH 19-MARCH 22 Join the National Council of Jewish Women for their Thriftique Spring Designer Sale. 125 51st St. Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. ncjwpgh.org q MONDAY, MARCH 22 Join Moishe House for “Climate Action from the Jewish Perspective.” Local climate activist Anna Bailes will teach about the Jewish perspective on climate crisis, and some tools we can use to fight it.

7 p.m. facebook.com/moishehouse.pittsburgh q WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24 Join Shawn Brokos, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh director of community safety, and Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, for “The Fine Line Between Resiliency and Fear.” Learn about how the brain works under fear and what we can do to make the safest possible decisions for ourselves and those around us. 6 p.m. For more information, visit jewishpgh.org/organizer/10-27-healingpartnership. PJC

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines Trump’s $3 billion Abraham Fund may be tapped out before staking a dime — WORLD —

By Tal Schneider | Times of Israel

W

hen the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain agreed to formalize their diplomatic ties with Israel last year, the decision came with a gilded signing bonus — a $3 billion fund that would funnel money into private sector-led initiatives meant to foster economic growth and cooperation in the Middle East.

Later, when Sudan and Morocco signaled that they too would establish relations with Israel, the $3 billion of U.S. taxpayer money was opened to them as well.

A statement announcing the fund on Oct. 20 called it “an integral part of the historic Right to left: Susan Pompeo, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Secretary peace accord” between Israel and the UAE p of State Mike Pompeo and aide Aryeh Lightstone at Ben Gurion Airport, Lod, with the support of the United States. on November 20, 2020.

Photo by State Department/Twitter via Times of Israel “It is a manifestation of the new spirit of friendship and cooperation between the a political appointee tapped by former Development Finance Corp, or DFC, the U.S. three countries, as well their common will to president Donald Trump’s administration government’s development bank, which was advance the region,” the statement continued. to manage the fund, has resigned and no set up in 2019 by combining the Overseas But less than five months later, the future replacement has been named. At the same Private Investment Corporation with of the fund is unclear. Conversations with time, questions have been raised as to the USAID’s Development Credit Authority. dozens of people reveal that while the transparency of the fund, headquartered in (The fund has no relation to the Abraham Fund Initiatives, a Jewish-Arab coexistence fund got off to a quick, if shadowy, start, Israel, and whether it had been politicized. it has languished with the entrance of the When the fund was announced, it was group based in Israel.)

JC ReSound Family_Eartique 3/1/21 2:38 PM Page 1 More than 250 applications were Biden administration.

Aryeh Lightstone, arranged as an arm of the U.S. International

submitted to the Abraham Fund from October to January, including from private firms and semi-public initiatives in the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Egypt and elsewhere in the region. Some were bilateral joint ventures.

Fifteen projects were eventually chosen and sent to the DFC in Washington for approval, according to sources.

An Israeli entrepreneur with close connections to former U.S. embassy officials in Israel said the Trump administration had supported the fund while still hoping to win reelection. Once it became clear that Trump would not be holding on to the White House, the bottom fell out of any expectations that the fund would continue to operate, the entrepreneur told The Times of Israel.

Lightstone, who had been a righthand man of former U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman, resigned on Jan. 20, the day President Joe Biden took office, as did Adam Boehler, also a political appointee (and former roommate of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner), who had headed the DFC. As of March 1, replacements had yet to be named for either position, nor has the Biden administration named a nominee to replace ambassador David Friedman, who also resigned on Jan. 20.

Please see Fund, page 13

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Headlines Israeli Supreme Court rules state must grant citizenship to non-Orthodox Jewish converts in Israel — WORLD —

By Ben Sales | JTA

I

srael must grant citizenship to Jews who converted to Judaism in Israel under non-Orthodox auspices, its Supreme Court ruled Monday, possibly igniting another round in the long-running government battle over who the state should recognize as Jewish.

The decision, written by Chief Justice Esther Hayut, comes less than a month before national elections.

Israel’s Law of Return offers automatic citizenship to anyone with at least one Jewish grandparent. The state also generally recognizes those who converted to Judaism under Orthodox standards.

Past Supreme Court decisions have mandated that the state also recognize Jews who converted outside of Israel under nonOrthodox authority, provided they live in a recognized Jewish community. Non-Orthodox converts, such as Conservative or Reform Jews, however, still often face hurdles in obtaining Israeli citizenship and are sometimes denied.

Monday’s decision extends the right to citizenship to those who converted to

“ Today Israel’s Supreme Court decided that Israel should be a national home for all

”

types of Jews.

— MICKEY GITZIN, THE ISRAEL DIRECTOR OF THE NEW ISRAEL FUND

Judaism under non-Orthodox auspices in Israel itself. The petition that spurred the court ruling was filed in 2005 but was postponed for more than a decade because the court wanted to give the government time to resolve the matter through legislation.

“The petitioners came to Israel and went through a conversion process in the framework of a recognized Jewish community and asked to join the Jewish nation,” Hayut wrote in her ruling, according to Haaretz.

Rabbi Gilad Kariv, a leading Reform rabbi in Israel and a Labor Party candidate for the Knesset, or parliament, called the ruling a

“foundational decision of the High Court” in a Facebook post.

Aryeh Deri, the head of the Sephardi haredi Shas party, wrote on Facebook that the decision was “misguided, very troubling, and will cause arguing and a difficult rupture among the people.”

Successive government coalitions, based on their political leanings, have attempted to either liberalize or narrow Israel’s conversion standards. But such efforts at reform usually fall flat. Haredi Orthodox politicians object to laws that would broaden the range of recognized conversions, while attempts to

make requirements stricter have provoked backlash from organizations representing American Jews, the vast majority of whom are not Orthodox. That has effectively meant that any change in conversion regulations comes from court decisions.

Once they become citizens of Israel, non-Orthodox converts still face restrictions. Several issues of personal status in Israel, including marriage and divorce, are controlled by the country’s haredi Chief Rabbinate. Because the Chief Rabbinate does not recognize non-Orthodox converts as Jews, they have no way to marry legally in Israel.

Others who obtain Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return but are not considered Jewish by Orthodox standards — such as immigrants with only one Jewish grandparent — similarly cannot marry legally in Israel. Legislation to address that issue has been stymied as well by haredi opposition in parliament.

“Today Israel’s Supreme Court decided that Israel should be a national home for all types of Jews,” said Mickey Gitzin, the Israel director of the New Israel Fund and a longtime Israeli activist for religious freedom. “It is a day to celebrate, even as the road towards equality for all — especially those who are not Jewish — remains long.” PJC

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

March 5, 1891 — Blackstone petitions president for Jewish home

William Blackstone, an American Methodist lay leader, submits a petition to President Benjamin Harrison that calls for creating “a home for these wandering millions of Israel” in Palestine.

March 6, 1975 — PLO attacks Savoy Hotel

An eight-man PLO raid hits the beach in Tel Aviv and attacks the Savoy Hotel. Sayeret Matkal commandos kill seven terrorists and capture the eighth. Three Israeli soldiers and eight civilians are killed.

March 7, 1977 — Rabin, Carter meet in Washington

perhaps Jordan; Carter prefers steps toward a comprehensive regional peace.

March 8, 1949 — First elected government is formed

David Ben-Gurion’s Mapai forms a governing coalition with the United Religious Front, the Progressive Party, the Sephardi and Mizrahi Communities, and the Democratic List of Nazareth after Israel’s first national election.

March 9, 1932 — Naharayim power plant opens

Pinhas Rutenberg and the Palestine Electric Co. open a hydroelectric power plant at Naharayim. It supplies much of the electricity in Palestine until its destruction by Iraqis during the War of Independence.

March 10, 1960 — Ben-Gurion visits Eisenhower

Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower meet for more than two hours at the White House on a range of issues while American Nazis and Arabs protest outside.

March 11, 1978 — 38 killed in coastal road massacre Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and President Jimmy Carter meet in Washington. Rabin suggests that Israel could pursue peace with Egypt and 8 MARCH 5, 2021

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Eleven Palestinians land on a beachhead north of Tel Aviv and carry out one of the worst terrorist attacks in Israel’s history, the Coastal Road Massacre. They kill 38 civilians, including 17 children, before Israeli police stop them in a shootout. PJC PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

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MARCH 5, 2021 9

Opinion The international COVID laboratory — EDITORIAL —

I

srael has vaccinated a higher percentage of its citizens against the coronavirus than any other country. More than half of the adult population has received the two inoculations. Still, about 40% of Israelis have not participated. Some worry about potential side effects; others don’t believe that the vaccines serve any useful purpose; and still others simply refuse to participate for different reasons. A recent survey found about 25% of Israelis who haven’t been vaccinated are not planning to do so.

With this mixture of good and bad news,

Israel’s Health Ministry last week announced adoption of a plan, similar to that used in a few other countries, that is designed to reward and conquer vaccine-phobic citizenry: The Green Passport, or Green Pass — a phone app for any Israeli who has been immunized or has recovered from COVID19. All one needs to do is show a Green Pass in order to gain access to the gym, the theater or restaurants, or to go to a sporting event or the swimming pool. All others will be banned.

To be sure, street-front shops, malls, markets, museums and libraries are now largely open to all Israelis after the most recent six-week shutdown. But not all places

are universally available. The passport is designed to be a form of reward for Israelis who have participated in the national inoculation program, and have received a green merit badge for doing so. And while Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said no one is obligated to be vaccinated, the government is clearly hoping that the benefits of the Green Passport will act as an inducement.

As with other aspects of Israel’s COVID actions, other Western countries are looking at the Green Passport as something of a test case. But few will be able to duplicate its potential success. Unlike many other countries, Israel has enough vaccine for all of its people. Its relatively small population

can be reached easily and in relatively short order. And its centralized health system enables the collection of compliance data on virtually all citizens.

Still, we wonder how confident Israelis will become as more people are able to flash the Green Passport. Masks and social distancing are still the rule. And the app has been criticized as being easy to forge. This has led to warnings from the government of “uncompromising punishment” for counterfeits.

We join the rest of the world in watching the roll-out of Israel’s Green Passport program, and applaud the effort to encourage all citizens to participate in the comprehensive vaccination effort. PJC

The Jewish muscleman who likely inspired the creators of Superman Guest Columnist Tzvi Sinensky

W

ith “Superman and Lois,” the newest TV series involving the character, premiering last week on the CW network, it’s a good time to recall that Superman was the 1938 brainchild of Jewish creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Many have suggested that the pair were inspired by their own Jewish backgrounds to create Superman as the paradigm of a hero who defended vulnerable populations from their enemies.

But there is reason to suspect that a more

specific encounter may have inspired them to craft the Superman persona.

The years 1923 and 1924 saw a phenomenon in the United States: tours by Siegmund Breitbart, known as “The Jewish Superman,” across North America. Breitbart performed in Cleveland and Toronto, Siegel and Schuster’s respective hometowns.

While it is nearly impossible to prove — there are no records of Siegel or Shuster mentioning Breitbart — there is reason to surmise that the strongman may have served as something of an inspiration. He wore a cape and was advertised as capable of stopping speeding locomotives.

Who was this man Breitbart, lauded during his lifetime as the strongest man in the world, The Iron King, Jewish Hercules and a modern-day Samson?

We are all in this together Guest Columnist Hannah Krohner

I

couldn’t help but listen to the two men in the row behind me, after all we were on an airplane. It was the first flight I had taken in almost two years, and I was terrified. After a year of being socially distant, crossing the street when seeing others walking toward me, being in a state of suspended and perpetual fear due to the pandemic, and the many arms of hardship that have sprung from it, I was suddenly in public again.

A year ago, as a social worker, I worked face-to-face with individuals, processing their emotions and experiences. But I hadn’t been in a room with another person outside of my family for any length of time since March 12, 2020. Once I was on the plane, I realized I was more anxious about the sudden violation of sharing physical space than I was prepared for. My mind was experiencing sensory overload with everything

10 MARCH 5, 2021

going on around me.

I have no idea what these two men looked like — I would never be able to identify them in a crowd — but their Southern drawls still rang in my ears hours later. Over and over I heard about the strict limitations they were expecting regarding accessing weapons and ammunition, and their anger with the shifting political climate.

As I sat there listening to them, I felt my own anger build. I thought of my hometown and the mass shooting that occurred there just over two years ago, the single most deadly act of anti-Semitism on American soil. The men’s words cut through my thoughts: “ … making it harder to get ammunition … there haven’t been any mass shootings for years … if you don’t count suicides … ” How did these men not know?

As they rattled on, though, my anger began to dissipate. I considered that perhaps they never met someone with a different perspective. I recalled President Joe Biden’s inauguration address, that America is divided in many ways, on multiple levels, all of which have been exacerbated by a global pandemic, a racial justice movement that has been building for decades upon decades,

Siegmund “Zishe” Breitbart was born to a family of locksmiths in Lodz (now Poland, then Russia) in 1893. In his autobiography, he reports that his family discovered his unusual strength when, at age 3, he extricated himself from beneath an iron bar that had fallen on him in his father’s store. By 4 he was casting iron in his family shop.

His early years were difficult. Expelled from a number of religious schools for using force against fellow students, Breitbart was captured by the Germans while serving in the Russian army during World War I. After the war he remained in Germany, subsisting on the money he earned by performing feats of strength at local markets.

It was at one such 1919 performance that the German Circus Busch, famed for featuring Harry Houdini and other top

performers, spotted Breitbart and brought him on board to perform its opening act.

Breitbart’s strongman routine, which had him dressed in hypermasculine costumes such as a Roman centurion, skyrocketed in popularity, and he quickly was moved from sideshow to main event. Notwithstanding the fast-rising tide of anti-Semitism in Germany and Austria, Breitbart, who often wore the Star of David while entering the circus ring, achieved a mass Jewish and non-Jewish following in Berlin, Vienna, Prague and Warsaw.

Breitbart’s act was based on his early experience working with iron. He bent rods into horseshoes, bit through chains and pounded nails into boards with his fist. He could

unprecedented rates of unemployment, poverty and constant fear. So often anger is the more comfortable response than fear, and I understand why.

Fear is often of the unknown, the other, the obscure. Anger over what the stranger does not know nor cannot comprehend is understandable.

At first, I wanted to yell and rage at those men, angry that they did not believe, or maybe could not begin to grasp, what gun violence looks like when it happens to you, to someone you know, in the city where you live — what it was like to be on the receiving end of a weapon, to be a victim of violence. I wondered if the denial of gun violence in our nation was a protective measure for each of them, as they spoke about firearms and their Constitutional rights in a proud and awed way. These men may never have sat down and spoken to someone who had different views on firearms and gun safety laws.

Then I realized I haven’t either.

I am someone who has been affected by mass gun violence, my city and place of worship scarred by the horrific attack of Oct. 27, 2018. I have lost someone to suicide with a firearm. I’ve even met someone who

survived a suicide attempt via a firearm.

Most of my conversations about gun violence have been with people who share my story, not those with a different narrative.

We are all in this together.

I worry that by keeping quiet that day on the plane, I let the divide between the American people deepen. If I continue to surround myself with people who have the same background, the same interests, the same experiences, the same sociopolitical views, how will I learn anything new? How will I learn about the other? How will I welcome strangers into my life, forge new connections, expand my community?

What if I had reached across the divide between us, our different personal and political beliefs, our different views on gun control and violence? What if I had opened the door for conversation between myself and the other? I want to do this, even though it is deeply uncomfortable. Sharing our experiences will help us unite. It is imperative. PJC

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Please see Superman, page 11

Hannah Krohner is a Pittsburgh native. She is a clinical social worker who practices in the Shadyside area.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Opinion In my ark …

Guest Columnist Jodie Goldberg

M

any of us have read the story of Noah and the Flood. In Genesis Chapter 8, we read that there was a flood, Noah built an ark, Noah took the animals two by two alongside his family into the ark and then there was a flood that decimated the world. While this series of events unfolds, seldom do we pay close attention to how the story ends.

We make the assumption that Noah was looking for land to get off the ark, but is that assumption correct? At the end of the story, we read in Genesis Chapter 8, verse 15, that God tells Noah to “Come out of the ark, together with your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives.” Why does God have to tell Noah to get out of the ark? Why doesn’t he just leave? You would think after 40 days and 40 nights with the same people, food, nightly rituals, that for Noah, it would have been enough (dayenu).

When this pandemic is all said and done,

Superman: Continued from page 10

draw chariots with his teeth. And his image undercut racial stereotypes about Jews. As musclemen were seen as representing the proud, strong German male throughout the opening decades of the 20th century, Breitbart was in effect also embodying quintessential images of German masculinity.

As Breitbart’s legend grew, he increasingly became the talk of each town in which he performed. One reporter noted that “Not only do gymnasia students and high school girls talk about him; even first graders know how strong Breitbart is.”

A tavern proprietor complained, “My tables are studded with holes because my customers test their strength by hammering nails into them with their open hands. All Viennese women are in love with this new Samson. Racial hatred, pride or prudishness — all of it is useless here.”

Capitalizing on his popularity in Europe, Breitbart spent much of 1923 touring the United States. Ultimately the Breitbart craze resulted in product endorsements, a starring role in the 1923 film “The Iron King” and a Breitbart physical health correspondence course in which subscribers received guides detailing Breitbart’s muscle-building and nutritional eating routines.

Breitbart’s career came to an abrupt end in 1925 when a stage accident involving a rusty nail led to a fatal case of blood poisoning. He was buried in Berlin.

Unfortunately, the Nazi destruction of Polish Jewry largely extinguished the rich oral legends that perpetuated Breitbart’s memory. But his legend has not fully disappeared. A 2001 movie, “Invincible,” featured a fictional account of his life. A children’s book titled “Zishe the Strongman” appeared in 2010.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

are we going to willingly “get off the ark” and re-enter the world that we once knew? In the past year, our lives were upended, and for many, this has not subsided. We are confined to our “arks,” restricted from many activities we enjoyed. Many people have and still are suffering immense pain and loss. This experience has changed us.

In my ark, I have learned that I no longer view settings in which human interactions occur in a binary manner, in which in-person experiences are “good” and online experiences are “bad.” Rather, I think about which platforms provide us “opportunities” and which ones offer “challenges.” In my ark, I have learned to adopt a family-centered approach—no longer prioritizing lavish parties or Broadway shows.

I put my family’s health and needs first. In my ark, I have found time to think not just about what show to watch next, but to ponder life’s big questions: Who am I? How can I make a difference in this world? In my ark, I have given familiar words a new meaning. I define “traveling” as a walk to the bakery, “adventure” as talking with an old friend I haven’t spoken to in years, and “community” as a chevruta (Jewish study partner) learning session over Zoom.When it is finally time to leave and

re-enter society, will we be ready? At this moment, it might be easy to say yes; yearning for a hug from a loved one and witnessing a live concert among thousands of other people might be some of the experiences we crave. I wonder if these moments will feel the same once we leave our respective arks. Will the only way to show appreciation for a musical artist be to physically show up for them in a crowded arena? Will we still need a hug from someone to know how much we are loved by them? If the answer is “no” to such questions, then maybe it’s more than our preferences that have changed, it’s our values.

Noah is not ready to disembark even when he sees that the land is dry and plants are growing. These symbols of renewal give us hope for a future that feels bright, and yet, Noah remains tethered to his newfound place of comfort. When we are experiencing our own symbols of renewal that could come in the form of a vaccine or herd immunity (and, some could argue, plain old sunshine), will we be bold enough to enter a changed world? I wonder if the anxiety of leaving will overwhelm us, or the death and destruction we witnessed will discourage us from re-entering society.

This time in the ark has been exhausting,

unfamiliar and foreign at times because it has forced us into a deeper relationship with ourselves. Before this experience, I would have been the first person to tell you that I know myself, my quirks, and, most importantly, the qualities I strive to embody. My time in the ark has tested my patience, and at times even my sanity, but has also revealed qualities I now deem essential to the person I want to become. Instead of eyeing perfection, I strive to be more nimble; instead of silencing emotions, I find time and space to acknowledge and explore them. I am learning to deploy empathy, center gratitude and institute rest as part of my daily routine.

These qualities we have learned are the same ones that we will need to walk off the ark.

As we look toward the future, may we not wait for God to call us outside, but find the strength to leave on our own with courage, dignity and renewed spirit. PJC Jodie Goldberg is a teen-engagement consultant at The Jewish Education Project.

She holds a dual master’s degree in Jewish education and Hebrew Bible from the Jewish Theological Seminary. This article was originally published by JNS.

Breitbart would become with Breitbart expected a tough guy. Instead, the general of a one-day he subsequently characterized The Iron King as “the embodiment of edelkeit.”

Jewish army in Palestine.

Similarly, the chief rabbi of the Orthodox But neither of these fully captures the story of Jewish Community (Adass Yisroel) in Berlin, Breitbart, who was more Dr. Esra Monk, saw Breitbart as a “modern than just a proud Jewish Samson the hero” who also possessed a strongman. He highly tender demeanor.

“It is greatly symbolic,” Monk declared in esteemed rabbis and Jewish intellectuals, and his 1925 eulogy, “that for a man who broke according to one report, chains, it was enough for one person’s good he amassed a substan- word to render his heart soft as butter.”

Like Clark Kent, Breitbart’s persona was tial personal library that contained 2,000 books far richer and more well-rounded than his on Roman history. He stage persona allowed. He was a mixture performed for a group of elements — brains, brawn, a gentle of Yiddish thinkers and nature and fierce Jewish pride. And he’s wrote a personal letter of still inspiring nearly 100 years after his  Siegmund Breitbart, who could pull heavy weights with support on their behalf. untimely death. PJC his teeth, was considered one of the strongest men in the world. Photo courtesy of U.S. Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons via JTA He met and performed Tzvi Sinensky is Rosh Yeshiva of the Gur personally on behalf of What do we make of this seeming paradox: the Radzhiner Chasidic rebbe and donated Aryeh program at Main Line Classical a Jewish superhero who at a time of rising 30 pounds of Passover flour to the rebbe’s Academy, director of the Lamm Heritage Archives at Yeshiva University, and a research anti-Semitism, and during an era when followers following the meeting.

Jewish men were derided as sissies, became Even more remarkable, “Zishe” (literally analyst at Burning Glass Technologies. He is a folk hero of able-bodied masculinity? sweet) was eulogized by numerous individ- pursuing his Ph.D. in Jewish philosophy and Some saw Breitbart as a sort of vindication uals as exceptionally sweet, highly emotional lives in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, with his of the then-German and Austrian embrace and filled with “edelkeit” (Yiddish for a wife and children. This article was orginally of male bravado. In this view, that he was sweet, caring person). One reporter who met published by JTA. also Jewish rendered him something of a freak to the average German, making him all the more compelling as entertainment on Correction In “Albert Veverka seeks seat on the bench” (Feb. 26, 2021), Albert Veverka’s name was the vaudeville circuit.

Others saw Breitbart as a model for the misspelled in the headline. The Chronicle regrets the error. new Zionist Muscular Judaism. A popular Yiddish saying went, “If a thousand We invite you to submit letters for publication. Letters must include name, address and daytime phone Breitbarts were to arise among the Jews, the number; addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Letters may not exceed 500 words and Jewish people would cease being persecuted.” may be edited for length and clarity; they cannot be returned. Mail, fax or email letters to:

Breitbart himself was a proud Jew and often Letters to the editor via email: letters@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

performed while flanked by the Zionist flag.

Address & Fax: Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle He refused to return to a Warsaw restaurant 5915 Beacon St., 5th Flr., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 that declined to play “Hatikvah” to greet

Fax 412-521-0154 him. He supported Zeev Jabotinsky’s idea of

Website address: pittsburghjewishchronicle.org a Jewish army. Legend has it that Jabotinsky and Breitbart hatched a plan in which PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

MARCH 5, 2021 11

Headlines Ethiopians: Continued from page 1

— whose ancestors were forced to convert to Christianity about a century ago, but who can trace Jewish lineage — is part of some 2,000 Ethiopian Jews approved to resettle in Israel by the nation’s government, Finkelstein said.

The resettlement also was aided, in part, by the Pittsburgh Federation’s COVID-19 relief funds, which have exceeded $7.6 million.

“The line from Jewish texts a lot of people cite is ‘Kol Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh’ — ‘all Israel is responsible, one for another,’” Finkelstein told the Chronicle. “Yes, we have a geography of Pittsburgh, but we have a responsibility to help people wherever they lie. It’s part of our DNA.” Pittsburgh’s Federation has been at the forefront of Ethiopian resettlement in Israel for decades, Finkelstein said. Local advocate Karen Shapira pushed some 20 years ago to launch an initiative to that end, which later flourished as the Ethiopian National Project, he said.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Pittsburgh’s Jewish Federation also was among the first to fund efforts to bring food, medicine and personal hygiene supplies to waiting Ethiopians in Gondar and Addis Ababa, the nation’s capital, said Brian Eglash, senior vice president and chief development officer of Pittsburgh’s Federation.

“This particular operation, we are extremely, extremely proud of,” Eglash said.

“It’s important both to get these people home [to Israel] and to reunite them with family, and to integrate them into Israeli society.”

Eglash said “although the situation has improved” for Ethiopians in Israeli society, “it is still not where it should be and there is still a lot more work to be done.”

For example, he pointed to poverty in the Jewish state. In 2005, roughly 60% of

 Ethiopian girl arrives in Tel Aviv.

Photo by Kim Salzman

Ethiopian Israelis were living below the nation’s poverty line. That number is now down to 33%, but still much higher than the Israeli national average of 19.1%, Eglash said.

Friday’s landing at the Tel Aviv-Yafo airport, though, was a time not for statistics but for celebration.

“Many of these new olim have been waiting for years to return to Jerusalem and reunite with their families, and you could see how overwhelmed they were with emotion when they stepped onto Israeli soil, bent down on hands and knees, and kissed

the ground,” said Kim Salzman, director of Israel and overseas operations for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

Salzman, who lives and works in Israel, greeted the immigrants at the airport with Isaac Herzog, the chairperson of The Jewish Agency, and Pnina Tamano Shato, the minister of Aliyah and Absorption, together with representatives from Federation representatives from around North America.

“Among those on the flight was the mother of 6-year-old Binyamin, who is awaiting a lifesaving heart surgery at Wolfson hospital,

Zoom-bombing: Continued from page 1

responded by inundating the chat with supportive comments so that people could no longer see the hateful words and symbols.”

Brokos is familiar with white nationalist groups positioning themselves to target and intimidate Jews and trying to spread their ideology. Before she joined the Jewish Federation, Brokos worked as an FBI agent in Pittsburgh and Newark, New Jersey, for 24 years. As a supervisory special agent in the FBI’s Pittsburgh office, she managed complex investigations involving hate crimes. She estimates at least one Zoombombing is reported by Jewish Federations around the country each week.

Rabbi Ron Symons, the senior director of Jewish life at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, was the victim of a Zoom-bombing on Jan. 13.

Symons and others were discussing Ibram X. Kendi’s book “How to Be An Anti-Racist,” when, 20 minutes into the presentation, unknown people “began spewing racist and anti-Semitic epithets,” Symons said. It happened again 20 minutes later.

12 MARCH 5, 2021

“ It’s done to promote ideologies, but it’s also used for sport — ‘Let’s scare as many Jews

”

as possible today.’

— SHAWN BROKOS, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SECURITY FOR THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER PITTSBURGH

“We have enough experience managing Zoom meetings that, within seconds, we were able to remove them and report them to Zoom,” Symons said.

“That type of, essentially, verbal abuse is disconcerting but we know, right here in our Jewish community, that sometimes it goes beyond verbal,” he added. “It gave us a taste of what the mandate is. We have to continue our mission. The goal is to keep spreading this message: ‘We all have to live together.’ That’s what it means to love your neighbor as yourself.”

Dozens of people experienced a

Zoom-bombing on Feb. 6 when New Light Congregation hosted a “Choral Torah” performance and Havdalah service on the virtual platform. More than 80 people were registered to attend, but New Light, which advertised the event on Facebook, was not aware it had to change a default password for hosting the event, said Stephen Cohen, the congregation’s co-president.

“About 18 minutes in, somebody took over as host and started showing porn,” Cohen told the Chronicle. “It took a good five minutes to figure out how to remove the

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

and a man who has waited 24 years to immigrate to Israel and reunite with his brother,” Salzman said. “The new olim are now headed to a hotel in Haifa, where they will stay for a two-week quarantine. After that, they will be housed in Jewish Agency absorption centers around the country, where they will learn Hebrew and be given the tools and knowledge needed to successfully navigate and integrate into Israeli society.” PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

person or people.”

“I guess the better lesson is you really need to understand the security features of Zoom if you’re going to put on a semi-public event,” Cohen added. “We learned our lesson. It wasn’t mean, somebody saying derogatory things or showing Hitler. Our reaction, right now, would be very different if it was something of that kind.”

In 2020, the Jewish Federation was made aware of four incidents of Zoom-bombing, all of them occurring after the COVID-19 pandemic in March forced businesses and congregations to use virtual platforms, Brokos said. Gemilas Chesed in White Oak and the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh were among those targeted.

To learn how to protect against Zoombombing, Brokos recommends going to zoom.us/trust/resources or zoom.us/ trust/security.

“Sometimes it’s the video, sometimes it’s the audio — we’ve seen both,” Brokos said.

“To actually figure out who did this is tough.

It falls to law enforcement because others cannot find who’s involved.” PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines Hillel: Continued from page 5

For many people on campus, there’s a misconception that Sephardic Jews reside solely in Israel or that “all Jews are white or from Europe,” said Levy. “There are Jews from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and it’s important to share their stories not only for diversity purposes but also for people to learn about their cultures.”

Danielle Kranjec, Hillel JUC’s outgoing senior Jewish educator, credited Levy with creating a multisensory experience authentically capturing Sephardic traditions.

Jamie Frame, a University of Pittsburgh senior, participated in the weekend with his roommates and friends. The five-person pod regularly celebrates Shabbat, but being able to do so with Sephardic overtones was a learning experience, explained Frame, who described himself as “coming from a very traditional, very Ashkenazi background.”

Between watching Attar’s Havdalah service and partaking in Piñer’s cooking demonstration, Frame gained a new appreciation for Sephardic Jews generally, and some childhood friends in particular.

“We have a whole bunch of Sephardi community members at our synagogue back

Fund: Continued from page 7

The lack of appointments likely reflects Washington’s pivot away from the Middle East and lack of enthusiasm for grabbing the Abraham Fund baton, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment, but Israeli officials speaking on condition of anonymity said they had the sense that the U.S. was cutting back investments in the region, though they lacked concrete information.

“They have no money for it,” one official said.

Hushed fund

Press officers for the DFC, which has continued to work under acting CEO Dev Jagadesan, a career bureaucrat, did not respond to several requests regarding details of the 15 Abraham Fund projects that had been submitted for approval to the agency.

However, The Times of Israel has learned that five of the projects were related to the energy sector, five were tied to food security and five were financing projects.

Projects had been evaluated by Lightstone and his small staff on the basis of whether they would promote U.S. foreign policy goals, could generate a return for U.S. taxpayers and would help host countries turn from recipients into donors, as well as align with the DFC’s economic constraints.

Unlike USAID, the DFC does not give grants but rather extends loans with the expectation of a return on investment. As of September 2020, it had three active projects in Israel totaling $580 million in investments.

In 2019, it also committed $480 million to two Egyptian projects regarding the transport of liquid natural gas from Israeli gas fields being developed by Noble Energy.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

 Lauren Taylor participates in a virtual food demonstration.

home in northern Virginia, but my interaction was always at synagogue,” he said. “I had heard how they lained Torah or led davening but had never seen them lead Havdalah or Dan Katrivas, head of the foreign trade department at the Israel Manufacturers Association, told The Times of Israel that he had tried to figure out how to submit projects to the Abraham Fund immediately after it was announced, but there was no transparency regarding the application process or criteria.

“I tried to contact the fund but it was not clear what their priorities were, what they were going to invest in,” he said. “They did not put out an official website or issue an official call for bids.”

He noted that U.S. transparency rules mean the information will eventually need to come out.

“They have an ethical code and will have to give answers to Congress,” Katrivas said. “But right now, the fact that it’s not clear how it’s run, how the money is going to be invested, and by what criteria, raises all sorts of questions.”

There is still no website for the Abraham Fund, and the website of the DFC, which lists active projects and publishes quarterly reports, only has official figures going up to the end of June. A fiscal year 2021 budget proposal, normally submitted in the spring of the year before, does not include the Abraham Fund.

Among the little information posted on the DFC website about the Abraham Fund is a single press release announcing that Uzbekistan was expanding its partnership with the Abraham Fund.

“Uzbekistan’s commitment of up to $50 million is a testament to the Abraham (Ibrahim) Accords and the fact that improved economic cooperation and connectivity is an objective shared by many, and one that will also bring prosperity to Uzbekistan,” the release reads. It does not include details on the nature of the participation and the reason why Uzbekistan sought to be part of the projects to be financed through the Fund.

An article posted on Entrepeneur.com in November noted that business between Israel and Uzbekistan was ramping up in

Photo courtesy of Hillel JUC

cooked with them.”

After following Piñer’s instructions on how to make fideos, Frame reached out to a Sephardic high school classmate and asked if

he knew anything about the pasta dish.

“He was like, ‘Of course I know that. My mom makes a delicious one,’” said Frame.

Zoe Levine, a Chatham University senior, also participated in the cooking demonstration.

“I am Ashkenazi, not Sephardi, and it was really interesting to learn about another aspect of Judaism,” said Levine. “This is a part of my people’s culture.”

Having students appreciate that Judaism encompasses more than the Ashkenazi experience is part of a larger goal, explained Levy.

“My takeaway is to keep going — this was only one event,” said Levy. “I’d like to see Sephardic Judaism integrated into other events as well.”

Whether that means creating a Sephardic heritage group, including more Sephardic music at Hillel JUC events or encouraging the organization to offer a broader menu when it comes to its Shabbat to-go meals, Levy has several ideas moving forward.

“Of course it’s great to have an event that’s centered around Sephardic culture,” she said, “but there won’t be major changes until we have it incorporated into the events we already have.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

p Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone, a senior aide to the US ambassador to Israel, speaks from the embassy in Jerusalem to an online conference of Christians United for Israel, April 30, 2020.

YouTube screenshot via Times of Israel

the wake of the Abraham Accords, listing possible deals for water technology, guns and secretive cyber-espionage systems.

A better return?

Lightstone played a key role in brokering the agreements between Israel and the Gulf states, according to administration officials, but he remained largely behind the scenes until the waning days of the administration, when he was named special envoy for economic normalization by the State Department on the last day of 2020.

His position, first as Friedman’s chief of staff and later as head of the Abraham Fund, had raised some concerns regarding his close ties to the Trump administration and lack of experience in the development aid world.

Some questioned whether it was appropriate for a political appointee to head an arm of the U.S. government’s foreign investment bank, which is normally apolitical.

Lightstone, whose relationship with Friedman goes back to his time as an official with the Orthodox Union, has close ties with

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Trump’s circle of Jewish advisers. Last year the Orthodox rabbi officiated at the wedding of Trump’s top immigration adviser, Stephen Miller, and Kate Waldman, an aide to vice president Mike Pence, which took place at the Trump International Hotel.

He declined to speak to The Times of Israel on the record, though in a recent interview with the Colorado-based Intermountain Jewish News he appeared to downplay the prospects of the Abraham Fund continuing to operate, instead talking up a women’s economic development forum that was announced days before he quit.

“I hope that whoever isn’t excited about Program A truly believes that Program B will grant a better return to our taxpayers and a more effective way to effectuate peace,” he said.

In November, a Trump administration told JTA that Lightstone is “an on-the-ground guy who gets things done,” and a “rainmaker.”

For now, though, it appears the Abraham Fund’s promises of making money rain down on the region have dried up. PJC MARCH 5, 2021 13

Life & Culture Spiced beef over hummus perfect for appetizer or dinner — FOOD —

By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle

S

piced beef with pine nuts (pignoli) over hummus is a staple in my home.

It tastes so flavorful and exotic to an American palate, yet it is easy to make and filling. Served with warm pita, it can be a fun appetizer or a main course.

Spiced beef with pine nuts is also called hashweh in Arabic. It’s one of those foods, like hummus, that goes beyond borders; everyone wants a piece of it.

My recipe for homemade hummus was derived from a recipe shared by my friend Sharon Cohen of Brooklyn, New York. Mine differs slightly, but what I love about cooking and sharing recipes is that you cook to your taste. If you love garlic or pepper, add more so that you’re happy. Sharon has this amazing trick of adding orange juice to the hummus, which prevents it from crusting over when sitting out.

With this recipe, you will never need or want to buy hummus again. If you’re in a bind for time, you absolutely can enjoy this beef recipe served over store-bought hummus, but I encourage you to try this version at least once. It’s worth an extra 10 minutes of time, and it is easily prepared while the beef is browning.

Both recipes are easily halved or doubled, so no matter if it’s for two people or for a party, you can adjust the amounts and have the same fantastic result.

Ingredients for spiced beef with pine nuts: 1.5 pounds ground chuck 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large, sweet onion, diced 4 teaspoons baharat spice (If you don’t have this spice, look online for a recipe to create your own.)

2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper flakes 1 teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste ½ cup pine nuts Ingredients for homemade hummus: 2 cans chickpeas ½ cup raw tahini 3 garlic cloves Juice from half a lemon 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste ⅓ cup ice cold water, about 3 ounces Olive oil, za’atar spice, sumac and pine nuts to garnish. Use them all, or use only what you prefer.

For the beef:

Sauté the chopped onion in olive oil over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the beef and brown well, turning and chopping with your spatula until the onions are very soft and translucent and the beef pieces are very small. This can take a solid 15-20 minutes. You don’t want the heat to be too high; lower the heat if you think the meat is cooking too quickly.

Stir in the salt, cumin, baharat spice and Aleppo pepper, then lower the heat and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Finally, add 14 MARCH 5, 2021

p Spiced beef with pine nuts over hummus, top; bourekas, bottom

in the pine nuts, cook for 2-3 minutes longer, and remove from heat.

For the hummus:

Rinse and drain the chickpeas. I suggest taking 5 minutes to remove the membrane layer from each piece. This may seem like overkill, and I am all about shortcuts, but I promise that this step will give you a really creamy hummus. The good news is this is a perfect job for a child.

In a food processor, mix the chickpeas, garlic cloves, salt and Aleppo pepper until nicely combined. It will appear thick and a little chunky.

Add in the tahini and process for another minute, then add the orange juice and process and mix for 1 minute more.

Slowly pour in the ice water through the hole in the lid of the food processor; the

color will lighten and the consistency will change. At this point I usually allow it to mix for another minute or two.

The hummus should be room temperature before plating it out. I like to use wide, low-sided soup bowls to serve. Take a small rubber spatula to scoop the hummus into the bowl, then smooth the hummus evenly around the bowl and up the sides so that it is about ¼ of an inch thick all the way around.

Add the warm beef in the middle of the bowl and serve immediately with warm pita if you’re serving it for dinner. You can garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley if you have it on hand; a little green livens up the presentation.

If you wish to make a large version of this for an appetizer, use a spatula to spread the hummus over a large platter before adding the beef.

This recipe tastes wonderful warm and also at room temperature.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Photos by Wade Grann

The hummus can be left out for hours without any hardening or crusting. If you want to use the hummus by itself, spread it at room temperature onto your serving plate. Use a spatula to make small indents or a design of your choice. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with pine nuts, Aleppo pepper, sumac, za’atar spice — choose one or all to your preference.

When I made this recipe, only two of us were at home and I had extra spiced beef left over.

My husband folded it into puff pastry, brushed it with egg wash and sesame seeds, and created bourekas out of it. Simply bake until golden brown using the temperature suggested on the back of the puff pastry package. We got a second but different meal out of the same basic recipe, and nothing went to waste. PJC Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Life & Culture Coming-of-age story filmed at JAA — FILM —

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

S

am Orlowski saw the LGBT community reflected in films and on TV but never recognized herself in the depictions.

So, she did something about it.

Orlowski, an aspiring Pittsburgh filmmaker, wrote, co-directed, edited and produced the 23-minute film “Thanks to Her,” a coming-of-age drama with intergenerational dialogue exploring sexuality and identity. The film, which has been viewed more than 625,000 times on YouTube since September, was shot partially at the Jewish Association on Aging’s Charles Morris Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Now, Orlowski and others are seeking funding to either make a second part or turn the existing short into a feature film.

“I, myself, am a member of the LGBT community and I’ve taken in lots of LGBT representations on TV and in movies,” Orlowski, who lives in Canonsburg, told the Chronicle. “Women aren’t treated as well in movies. They’re baited or one is killed off. I wanted a wholesome depiction … so I said, ‘I’m going to write this.’ It all started with me wanting to write a Sapphic story and it all branched out from there.”

Orlowski asked Sam McCoy, a film student who, like Orlowski, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019, to co-direct “Thanks to Her.” McCoy, who now lives in Brooklyn and works as a freelance camera assistant, was thrilled by the project.

“I had never directed anyone else’s piece and I was excited to bring it to life,” McCoy said. “Sam and I had a good relationship — we worked really well together.”

The film is a testament to their collaboration and the spark of Orlowski’s inspiration.

Hundreds of YouTube commenters have said how much they relate to the film’s two female leads. The strong reaction has surprised Orlowski.

“I posted it because I wanted people to see it — I just wanted to put it out there,” Orlowski said. “[My response] was, ‘What is happening? This is insane!’ It was 100,000 views, then 200,000. It was just insane.”

Carl Kurlander, who taught both Orlowski

p Scene from “Thanks to Her,” inside the former Charles Morris Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

and McCoy at Pitt, was their connection to the JAA. Kurlander grew up in Pittsburgh attending Rodef Shalom Congregation and Shady Side Academy. He moved West, then left a screenwriting career in Hollywood (“St. Elmo’s Fire,” “Saved By the Bell”) for what was supposed to be a one-year teaching sabbatical at the University of Pittsburgh in 2001.

One year became two, and two became 20.

“JAA was generous enough to let us shoot at Charles Morris,” said Kurlander, noting that doing so was “poignant” because the nursing and rehabilitation facility has since closed. “Now, it’s preserved in this touching story.”

Orlowski said she loved shooting at Charles Morris and interacting with the people and staff. She even left in a few cuts in which real-life residents are seen in the background for a flicker of fame.

“It was really beautiful [and] once we

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started shooting, everyone was so nice,” Orlowski said. “It was, ‘Oh my God, we couldn’t have found a nicer nursing home.’

We had a great time shooting there.”

McCoy agreed: “I will say I remember everybody at JAA being so welcoming and so happy we were there — it made the experience that much easier [and] it was the best space to work in.”

The JAA has championed the film and planned its Zoom premiere for March 4, hosted by Sue Berman Kress, Leah Berman Kress and Doug Kress. The film can also be viewed on YouTube.

“The goal of our event is to introduce the film to those who will benefit from its message of self-discovery, especially with the intergenerational connections it makes,” JAA President and CEO Deborah Winn-Horvitz said. “The bonus is that it was filmed at JAA, which is why we are so thrilled to help premiere it.”

Image provided by Sam Orlowski

The filmmakers have established a Kickstarter campaign to fund the next installment in the story, which Orlowski first wrote as a feature-length film. As of press time, they had drummed up about $11,000 of a $35,000 goal.

“Everyone who sees the short says, ‘I want more!’” Orlowski said. “There’s so much more and I want people to hear the full story.”

“It’s been such a great experience — I hope we can keep it going,” McCoy added.

“It deserves for the whole thing to be told.”

Kurlander remains a vocal supporter of the project.

“I’m hoping that some people will see the movie and get behind it,” Kurlander said.

“I’m always trying to get people to write from their experiences and for their voice … That said, I feel this is a really unique story.” PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

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MARCH 5, 2021 15

Life & Culture ‘’Til Kingdom Come’ investigates evangelical support for Israel — FILM —

By Sophie Panzer | Contributing Writer

I

t takes Yael Eckstein three days to get from her home in Israel to Middlesboro, Kentucky, but it’s a journey she is happy to make.

That’s because the city’s residents are staunch supporters of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, one of the largest organizations supporting humanitarian projects in Israel. At the time of filming, Christians had donated $1.4 billion to Israel through the fellowship. It was created by Yael Eckstein’s father, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who named her as his successor.

Middlesboro’s residents are not wealthy.

Their community is blighted by the decline of coal, economic recession and addiction. Yet they pool their small-dollar donations to the fellowship at their church under the guidance of the Bingham family, a local dynasty of pastors who preach that God will bless the nations who support the nation of Israel.

Director Maya Zinshtein zooms in on this relationship between evangelicals and Israel in her documentary “’Til Kingdom Come,” which screens online Feb. 26-March 5.

In the film, Yael Eckstein explains that the fellowship supports programs that offer aid to Israel’s most vulnerable populations, including minorities and Holocaust survivors, but Zinshtein probes the darkness behind the fervor of its donors.

Evangelicals, Pastor Boyd Bingham III says in the film, believe the return of Jews to the biblical land of Israel is crucial to bringing about the rapture, the second coming of Jesus Christ. It’s a period that will be marked by great “tribulations” in the region, including armed conflict, disease and natural disasters, which will culminate in the battle of Armageddon. Two-thirds of Jews will perish, and the other third will be forced to accept Christ as their savior.

“Tribulations” are key. Since the coming of Christ is supposedly heralded by upheaval in Israel, many of the film’s evangelical subjects react to news of violence in the region with eerie excitement.

“As I listen to news reports from Israel, I heard about the bombings and they were bombings even near children. When we see all of these things happening to the nation of Israel, it should give us all hope, that when we hear of these wars, we can look at and say that our redemption will begin,” an evangelical radio host says in an early scene.

The paradox of providing financial support for Israel while preaching the eventual downfall of the Jews clearly makes Zinshtein squirm, and she succeeds in making her audience just as uncomfortable as she is.

Zinshtein interviews Jewish leaders, many of them secular and progressive, who are alarmed by the role of Christianity in Middle East policy and see it as an erosion of the boundary between church and state.

She also speaks with Israeli correspondent Barak Rand, who says with the election of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in 2016 and the appointment of prominent evangelicals like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, evangelicals had the power to combine prophecy and politics. They advocated to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, he says, because they believed it was a step toward the rapture.

“This is political Christianity in which politics is a continuation of a prophetic vision,” Rand tells Zinshtein.

Evangelical involvement in the region also alarms some Palestinian Christians.

“When they look at the future, honestly, they see a horror movie, wars and Armageddon and battles. Their scenario is not one that will help us Palestinians and Israelis coexist,” said Rev. Dr.

Munther Isaac, who leads a congregation in Bethlehem.

Even Eckstein acknowledges the elephant in the room: “When the Christian community speaks about what they think is going to happen and what they envision, I agree with 99% of it. But the end is different. Only one of us can be right.”

Zinshtein’s research is exhaustive, and the sheer number of perspectives she obtains on the relationship between evangelicals and Jews is both overwhelming and necessary in such a multifaceted story.

Keeping track of the major players’ various political and religious motives and anecdotes makes for a dense viewing experience in a 76-minute film.

The director’s greatest strength is her ability to balance tough questions with the humanity of her subjects. From the pastor’s story of how faith helped him overcome a deadly illness to Eckstein’s relationship with her father and Rev. Isaac’s fear of increasing violence in his region, Zinshtein’s interviews convey that the personal is inseparable from the political, and every dollar donated extracts a hidden cost. PJC Sophie Panzer is a staff writer for the Jewish Exponent, an affiliated publication.

Families, Traditions, Connection These are what make Passover so meaningful..

During this time of no visiting, no gatherings, no social interaction or family get-togethers, you can bring warmth and smiles to your family, neighbors, friends, and community by sending Passover greetings through the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle.

Happy Passover!

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle will be deeply discounting ad space (for these greetings) in our pre-Passover Issues, March 19 and 26.

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16 MARCH 5, 2021

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MARCH 5, 2021 17

Celebrations

Torah

B’nei Mitzvah

Purim and Passover Rabbi Jeremy Markiz Shabbat Parah | Ki Tisa Exodus 30:11 – 34:35; Numbers 19:1-22

N Ross Benjamin Calig, Dylan Levi Calig and Alana Pearl Calig, children of Pamela Calig and Gregory Calig, will celebrate their b’nai mitzvah at Adat Shalom during the virtual Shabbat morning service on Saturday, March 6, 2021. They are all seventh-graders at Dorseyville Middle School. Older brother is Harrison Calig, grandparents are Kenneth Kantrowitz and the late Susan Kantrowitz and Claire Calig and the late Joseph Calig.

Rosemary Elia Kutz-Flamenbaum will become a bat mitzvah on March 6, 2021, at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Rosemary is in seventh grade at Shady Side Academy. While staying at home, she enjoys reading, baking and art — especially embroidery. During the summer you can find her swimming in the pool, floating in a lake, reading a book or playing with her dog. Rosemary also really enjoys camping and hiking with her family. One of her proudest achievements was climbing Cascade Mountain (one of the Adirondacks 46ers). She’s hoping to tackle another high peak this summer. During the school year, Rosemary works hard in school and enjoys it. She particularly likes math and social studies. Since Rosemary values education so much, she’s considering a future career as a teacher. She’s also interested in helping with projects that promote literacy.

Blake Charles Silverman will become a bar mitzvah on March 6, 2021, during Shabbat virtual services at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills. Blake is the son of Sheryl and Michael Silverman of Mt. Lebanon. He is the brother of Wyatt, Korey and Henry.

Blake’s grandparents are Marlene and Art Silverman, Lois Weissberg and the late David Weissberg. Blake is a seventh-grader at Jefferson Middle School. PJC

ow that Purim is over, we’ve begun to barrel toward Passover. In the Shulkhan Arukh 429:1, which begins the subject of Passover, we are instructed to start asking questions and learn about the laws of Passover. That is, the moment we’ve survived Haman’s onslaught and celebrated Esther’s victory, we turn to the central story of who we are as people.

Passover and Purim are opposing ends of our story, a story of freedom and commitment. If we look at the counting of the months, Passover is the beginning of the new year and Purim is the completion of our journey. At the same time, it also feels like we celebrate the end followed by the beginning.

In Passover, we begin the journey out into the wilderness, following God’s command.

The heartache and hardship of experiencing the Exodus are serious. The people leave their homes, the only lives they’ve ever known, for the possibility of living a life more intentional, more guided, and their own. They escape! They leave their past behind and enter a new life.

But life is not so easy for the Israelites. The moment they enter the desert, the internal struggle begins: intertribal strife, the golden calf, and finally the giving of the Torah. This moment, reflected by Shavuot — the next holiday after Passover — is celebratory, and a bit scary. After all of the trouble, we’ve finally received the Torah, but it’s not that simple.

In the Talmud, on Shabbat 88a, we’re taught about that Mt. Sinai moment: “Rabbi Avdimi Bar Hama bar Hasa said: ‘The [previously quoted] verse taught that the Holy Blessing One turned over the mountain like a tub and said to the [people]: if you accept Torah, good, and if not, this will be your grave.’” In this telling of the story, God threatened our people into accepting Torah. We know that someone coerced into accepting something is not liable for it. And yet, here we are.

This is where Purim comes in. “Rava said: ‘Despite this, the generation [that lived with] Ahashverosh accepted it [the Torah].

As it is written [in the book of Esther 9:27]:

“The Jews established and accepted,” they established what was already accepted.’”

Rava explains that despite the coercion that might have happened in the desert, the Jews accepted Torah anew upon their survival in Persia. This is the moment we just left last week, the full acceptance of the Torah at Sinai, generations later. And as we pass from this acceptance, we shift our attention back to the beginning.

This year is different. Purim and Passover last year were the threshold of Jewish holidays that separated our universe into pre- and pandemic. We’ve arrived back again to that moment.

But we’re not the same as we were.

When I begin to relearn the laws of Passover, as we’ve been instructed by the Shulkhan Arukh, I find myself thinking about the power of resilience — the power of our people to leave the known and enter the unknown and become stronger through the experience. It wasn’t easy, with bumps on the road, and perhaps a few threats.

But each day is a new opportunity. Each day can be our Purim moment of victory in the face of profound challenges. Each day can be our stepping into the journey out of our comfort zone and growing as human beings. Each day is a chance to climb the multitude of mountains we each face daily.

As I begin to relearn the laws of Passover, I think about the strength each of us has and I know we can hold out a little longer. In this week’s portion, Ki Tisa, which is all about the census and counting, we can count all of the blessings we have in the face of our challenges. As we sit at our tables again, separated from friends and family, we can know that we’ve been doing the right things despite the difficulties.

And so, as we live and relive the same days, we find ourselves beginning a new cycle. This pattern of entering the unknown, facing challenges, and finding victory is our story. It is the story we tell every year. It is the story we can tell each day. We too are the Israelites, we too are the Jews of Shushan. We are the Jews of Pittsburgh. PJC Rabbi Jeremy Markiz is director of Derekh and Youth Tefillah at Congregation Beth Shalom. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association.

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Obituaries LANGUE: Edwin D. Langue, on Monday, March 1, 2021. Beloved husband of the late Ellen (Baskind) Langue and the late Rita Perlow Langue. Beloved father of Jeffrey (Jill) Langue and Natalie Langue Leighton.

Stepfather of Charles (Judy) Perlow, Ellen (Jack) Kessler and Lori Perlow (Dan Kadish). Brother of Mickey Lubin and the late Lona Bess. Papa to Jordan Langue, Steven (Laura) Langue, Michael Langue, Scott (Aliza) Leighton and Molly Leighton.

Great-grandfather of Ellie Leighton. Also survived by seven step-grandchildren and three great step-grandchildren. Loving uncle to his nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank Mr. Langue’s caregivers Bernie Olzewski, Devin Klimko and the staff at Weinberg Terrace. Graveside services and interment private. Contributions may be made to Adat Shalom Synagogue, 368 Guys Run Road, Cheswick, PA 15024 or Temple Sinai of Summit, New Jersey, 208 Summit Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

resident of Pittsburgh who also lived in Atlanta, Chicago, San Diego, Baltimore and Rockville, Maryland. In addition to working in the family tavern in the Hill District and teaching physical education at Hillel Academy, he worked many years for both The State of Israel Bonds and the Jewish National Fund. He was an active member of Congregations Poale Zedeck and B’nai Emunah in Pittsburgh, and Ner Tamid in Baltimore. Harvey was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Eleanor Wishnovitz Schwartz. He is survived by his children, Sharon Horowitz (Alan); Jeff Schwartz (Milayna Subar); Ralph Schwartz (Marci Dickman); and Dov Schwartz (Revital Mashal). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Daniel, Eric (Tamar Feinkind), and Joel Horowitz; Ari (Tal), Yael (Avi Fagan), Rachel, Aviva, Hillel, and Kate Schwartz. Harvey was also blessed with three great-grandchildren: Shai and Ziv Schwartz and Lana Horowitz. Interment was at Garden of Remembrance Cemetery, Clarksburg, Maryland.

MAMOLEN: Howard Mamolen, on Feb. 27, 2021, unexpectedly. He was preceded in death by his parents, Emma and Ellis Mamolen and brother-in-law, Mervin Stewart, MD. Survived by his sister, Marcia Stewart, nephew, Andrew Stewart, and nieces Ellen (Jeffrey) Cohen and Carol (Ian) James, as well as great-nieces and nephews, in whom he delighted: Talia (Taylor) Brinkman, Paige, Elizabeth, Benjamin and Henry Cohen, Noah and Ellis James, and Emma, Zachary and Dania Stewart. Howard was a happy resident of Weinberg Village.

Funeral services were held on March 2, remotely through Ralph Schugar Funeral Home. Interment at Beth Yehuda Cemetery in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Charitable donations in his memory to JAA, 200 JHF Drive, Pittsburgh, 15217. Arrangements in Pittsburgh entrusted to Ralph Schugar Funeral Home. schugar.com

SNYDER: Charles (Chuck) Snyder, of Squirrel Hill, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, at the age of 91.

Chuck is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Sandra. Loving father to Andrea (Alan) Friedenberg and Howard. Proud Grandpa to Elisheva Friedenberg, Shayna (Moshe) Kwiat and Penina Friedenberg, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Herman and Eva Snyder, and sisters Lottie Snyder and Esther (Louis) Rubin. The family extends their deepest appreciation and thanks to caregivers Faye, Kaone, Shade and Lori, who helped take care of him for the last years of his life, and especially the past five months, and to the wonderful nurses, aides and social workers at Sivitz Hospice/JAA for their kindness, support and guidance. Graveside service and interment took place at Beth Abraham Cemetery.

Arrangements were entrusted to the Gesher HaChaim Jewish Burial Society. Donations in Chuck’s memory may be made to Gesher HaChaim Jewish Burial Society, 2303 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. PJC

SCHWARTZ: Harvey Schwartz, on Jan. 9, 2021, son of the late Rose Schwartz Bodek and the late A.J. Schwartz. A longtime

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

In memory of …

Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Martin Falk Anonymous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frances Light Feinberg Bernard Dickter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Esther Dickter

A gift from …

In memory of …

Louise McConaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Herbert Rothman Elaine McNeill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rory S. Melnick Linda & Jeffrey Reisner & Family . . . . Joanne Brodell Alpern

Sherwin Glasser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clara Goldhammer Joan G. Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bernice M. Israel

The Love and Rutman Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alan Cohen

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Andrea J. Sattler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Edward Oring

Charles M. Katz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carl Katz

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THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday March 7: Rose Bahm, Molly D. Bloch, Fay Seiner Cohen, Robert Davis, Edna Foster, Herman Frank, Hyland Gefsky, Mollie Gutkind, Bernice M. Israel, Carl Katz, Lena Brodie Lebovitz, Dora Leiber, Gershen Liepack, Harold Meyers, T/Sgt. Sherwyn W. Meyers, Paula Ruth Mitchel, Esther Rider, Isaac Rosenberg, A. Max Schmuckler, Lena G. Schwartz, Jack Isadore Slomoff, Paul Tabor Monday March 8: Joanne Brodell Alpern, Ann Goldstein Beck, Marvin Berman, Matilda Helfgott Brand, Herman B. Cohen, Benjamin B. Crone, Rabbi Abraham Feinberg, Jennie Fisher, Esther Gottlieb, Albert Gross, Joseph Harris, Yolan Katz, Sadie Klein, Kathryn Levenson, Lena Levinson, Dr. Herman Meyers, Mischa Mueller, Oscar Paris, William Rosen, Sarah Rothstein, Herman Samuels, Jennie Schoen, Frank Shapiro, Eugene Silverman, Isadore Smalley, Nathan Louis Stearns, Sarah Verbin, Albert Weinberg, Esther Wolovitz Tuesday March 9: Gertrude Alpern, Grace Bahm, Samuel Barres, Joseph Bleier, Belle Finkel, Fannie Friedman, Mary Gordon, Audrey Brown Green, William Horwitz, Edward J. Levine, Matthew Marcus, Herbert Meyers, Emanuel Morris, B.J. Mundel, Samuel Rosenfeld, Herbert Rothman, Audrey M. Seigworth, Bernard Beryl Sirota, Rosalind C. Solomon, Sophie Warmstein, Tillie Rosenberg Westerman, Dora Wilson, Harry Ziff Wednesday March 10: Freda Benowitz, Allen Cohen, Sonia Fogel, Verner William Friedman, Esther Glick, Max Glick, Anne Fierst Goldberg, Ann R. Klein, Joy Ellen Levin Leff, Leo Abraham Levine, Md, William J. Lewinter, Frank Mandel, Ethel Plesset, Julius Rosenfeld, Aaron Louis Shefler, Morris Simon, Anna Snitkin, Sam Weiss Thursday March 11: Harry Birnkrant, Sara Esther Dickter, Joseph Eisenberg, Nathan Handelman, Mayer Handley, Sidney Jay Israel, Oscar K. Light, Rory Sue Melnick, Belle G. Meyers, Samuel Ostfield, Rowena M. Rosenthal, Mary W. Roth, Isadore Herbert Rudick, Moses J. Sadowsky, Rose Schultz, Milton Schwartz, Beltran Shine, Bertha C. Talenfeld, Geraldine Wald, Ethel Zamsky Friday March 12: Rabbi A.M. Ashinsky, Pearl Cohen, Henry Dentel, Rita Serrins Glazer, Morris Harris, Hannah Hershman, Joseph Kleinerman, Edward Kornstein, Isadore Krouse, Bella Lencer, Meyer Levine, Lena R. Mallinger, Morris R. Mandelblatt, Gussie Marcus, Joseph J. Reader, Nettie Ripp, Gertrude Rosenberg, Helen R.B. Sand, Samuel Schwartz, Jacob M. Stone Saturday March 13: Eleanor P. Backer, Louis H. Broudy, Sam Cartiff, Adele Cherkosly, Edgar Danovitz, Maurice Gutmacher, Libbie Broida Hirsh, Sara Louise Leff, Selma B. Leuin, Max Loefsky, Michael Loffer, Evelyn Selkovits Marcus, Eleanor Silverstein, Archie Steinberg, Anna Sarah Waldman

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Four separate parcels within Southmont’s Grandview Cemetery, along with two more in Geistown make up the Johnstown Jewish Cemeteries. Dating back to 1885 when Grandview was formed, the Jewish Burial Association’s ground is in the oldest section of one of Pennsylvania’s largest cemeteries.

Directly next to Johnstown’s 1889 Flood Unknown Plot, it represents the early German Jewish community and Johnstown’s first families.

Rodef Sholom Cemetery in Geistown, just east of the city, was formed in 1906 as part of the first synagogue built in Johnstown. Abe Beerman, one of the American Jewish community’s leading benefactors is buried here as is Rabbi Daniel Lowy. Eleven influenza victims from 1918-19 are buried here, many of them children. Ahavath Achim Cemetery is nearby and formed in 1924 for a small Orthodox congregation. Ground is set aside within this cemetery for the indigent.

The Israel Isaiah Burial Society was formed in the 1920’s, and was given a large section in Grandview. The Glosser plot, representing Johnstown’s largest and most prominent family, sits at its center. Brothers Louis and Moses Glosser each were patriarchs to significant branches that made their marks in the Flood City.

Beth Zion’s section is adjacent to this parcel representing the area’s Reform congregation. A second Beth Zion plot also lies within Grandview’s extensive grounds.

All records are kept with the area’s remaining congregation, Beth Sholom in Westmont. The Johnstown Jewish Cemeteries became part of the JCBA in 2021.

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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PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

MARCH 5, 2021 19

Headlines Yeshiva Schools closed due to COVID-19

A

n outbreak of COVID-19 has temporary shuttered Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh.

More than 45 students recently have tested positive for the virus, confirmed Rabbi Chezky Rosenfeld, director of development for Yeshiva Schools. “Multiple families” have been affected, he said.

The school shifted from in-person to virtual

instruction on Mon. Feb. 22. No date has been set yet for resuming classes in person.

“The situation is fluid,” Rosenfeld said.

There have been positive cases among students, parents and staff, according to Rosenfeld, who noted that the recent outbreak was “mostly in the school community.”

“A lot of the elderly in the community have been vaccinated, at least to some

extent,” he said.

By closing the school, the hope is to “make the virus die on the vine and keep it from spreading,” said Rosenfeld. He was unaware of any “serious cases” or hospitalizations arising from the current outbreak.

Purim celebrations planned by various local Chabad centers were altered or canceled last week. Outdoor, in-person megillah readings

at Chabad of the South Hills were canceled, as were Shabbat services. A celebration planned

by Chabad of Greenfield, “Purim in the Street,” was canceled and replaced by two backyard megillah readings, according to a Facebook post by Rabbi Yitzi and Miri Goldwasser of Chabad of Greenfield. PJC — Toby Tabachnick

Pittsburgh’s Jewish communal professionals honored throughout week

P

rofessionals who have worked to strengthen Pittsburgh’s Jewish community during the pandemic are being celebrated during Jewish Communal Professionals’ Week, March 1-5, an initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

“At Jewish organizations in Greater Pittsburgh, professionals — Jewish and non-Jewish — have worked tirelessly for community members in need,” said David D. Sufrin, chair of the Jewish Federation’s board of directors, in a prepared statement. “Communal professionals take care

of parents and grandparents at Jewish Association on Aging, they supply food to those who reach out to Jewish Family and Community Services, they ensure that children at the three Jewish day schools get education as well as mental health support, they keep our synagogues open, working to keep us spiritually engaged. Communal professionals provide emergency loans through Hebrew Free Loan and Jewish Assistance Fund, and they do so much more.”

Jewish Communal Professionals’ Week will highlight examples of the work and

sacrifices the professionals have made to serve the community. For those efforts, the Federation “wants to say thank you in a very public way,” said Jeffrey Finkelstein, the Federation’s president and CEO. To celebrate these professionals, each Pittsburgh Jewish communal organization will honor staff in its own way, according to a Federation press release. Additionally, the Federation will supply all Jewish communal professionals with a digital coupon book of deals and discounts that apply to businesses throughout the city.

Other “surprises” will be rolled out as well by the Federation throughout the week.

“We always strive to be thankful to those who care for us, but during this week let’s make sure to show Jewish communal professionals our gratitude and appreciation,” Sufrin said. “What our communal professionals have done, and continue to do, allows Jewish Pittsburgh to rise from the pandemic tragedy and move forward as a strong and resilient community.” PJC — Toby Tabachnick

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SQUIRREL HILL • $179,000 • BEACON PLACE • Can Be Rented For $1350/Mo FOR SALE

FOR SALE

Are You Buying or Selling a Home?

Let Us Guide You Through the Process!

5125 Fifth Ave.

CALL THE SMITH-ROSENTHAL TEAM TODAY.

South Facing Balcony. Updated 2 bedroom, 1.5 Bath lots of storage and a pantry.

Convenient to shopping, restaurants, library and transportation. Occupant must be 62+.

See with Kate White 412-310-0765 JILL and MARK PORTLAND RE/MAX REALTY BROKERS 412.521.1000 EXT. 200

2 & 3 Bedrooms Corner of Fifth and Wilkins Spacious 1500-2250 square feet

”Finest in Shadyside”

412-661-4456

www.kaminrealty.kamin.com

412.496.5600 JILL | 412.480.3110 MARK

SHOWCASE YOUR PROPERTIES EVERY WEEK IN THE PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE Contact Phil Durler to schedule your advertising

Smith-Rosenthal Team

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Pittsburgh PA 15232 Shadyside Office | 412-361-4000

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MARCH 5, 2021 21

Community Bring your mask, it’s Purim time

Jewish Association on Aging celebrates

Rodef Shalom Congregation and Congregation Beth Shalom collaborated on an outdoor Purim carnival on Feb. 21.

p Rabbi Dovid Small reads the Megillah. p Participants enjoy classic games like ring toss.

p Weinberg Village resident Eleanor K shakes her grogger.

p If the past year has taught anything, it’s to keep looking up.

p Cotton candy and other prepackaged treats are all part of the Purim fun.

p Weinberg Village resident Ruth unmasks for a Purim photo.

Photos by Sara Forman

22 MARCH 5, 2021

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Photos courtesy of the Jewish Association on Aging

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Community Community Day School shares holiday lessons with next generation

p Early Childhood educator Rachel Makary and her fellow mouse, Eshel Demeter

p Sixth-grader Yuval Perel/Jake from State Farm reads the Megillah

p Sixth-grader Ariella Tseytlin shakes a grogger.

p Early Childhood educator Oriyah Sandefur is not dressed as Iron Man.

Photos courtesy of Community Day School

Beth Shalom goes Hollywood for Purim

p Dr. Jonathan Weinkle and Kermit the Frog join forces to read the Megillah at Congregation Beth Shalom.

p Batman impersonates Esther: “If this man is everything that you say he is, then this Photos by Sheldon Catz city needs me.”

Purim carnival at Temple Emanuel’s ECDC

p “If this isn’t fun, I’ll eat my hat.”

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

p It’s the inside that counts.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Photos courtesy of Temple Emanuel of South Hills

MARCH 5, 2021 23

KOSHER MEATS

Empire Kosher Fresh Ground Turkey

• All-natural poultry — whole chickens, breasts, wings and more

Sold in 1 lb. pkg.

• All-natural, corn-fed beef — steaks, roasts, ground beef and more • Variety of deli meats and franks Available at select Giant Eagle stores.

Visit gianteagle.com for location information.

4

49 lb.

Price effective Thursday, March 4 through Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Available at 24 MARCH 5, 2021

and

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG