Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 4-26-19 by Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

April 26, 2019 | 21 Nisan 5779

Candlelighting 7:51 p.m. | Havdalah 8:55 p.m. | Vol. 62, No. 17 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL New Jersey visits Pittsburgh

From bleak to beautiful, sidewalk gallery to replace tarps at Tree of Life

$1.50

Lorraine Mackler scales peaks for inclusion Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

of TOL*OLS, who has been involved with the #HeartsTogether project since its inception. Speculating that it will be at least two years before the building is restored, the three congregations decided to improve the appearance of its exterior to express gratitude to the first responders as well as “the neighborhood that has been so loving and so wonderful to us,” Eisenberg said. “We want to say, ‘thank you’ to well-wishers by taking something unattractive and making it beautiful.” The congregations are working on the project with the pro bono assistance of Troy Grossi at D&GG Advertising. While each of the three congregations is currently housed elsewhere (TOL*OLS and Dor Hadash are using space in Rodef Shalom, and New Light is in Beth Shalom), they remain active, continuing to host religious services, life-cycle events and a range of other activities. “An empty building with unseemly tarps is not reflecting the vitality and energy we have,” Eisenberg said, adding that by beautifying the building, the congregations are taking an active role in “not letting the perpetrator control our mission.”

orraine Mackler has climbed new heights, as well as a few rocks and some uneven terrain. The Squirrel Hill resident recently returned from Israel where she was among nearly 40 hikers and 70 cyclists to journey through the Negev in support of Camp Ramah Tikvah programs. Mackler, a former Ramah camper and counselor, who considers herself “more a croissant and cafe sort of person” than a serious adventurist, received 48 contributions totaling $3,366 for her weeklong hiking endeavors. Mackler’s fundraising efforts, along with those of other participants, helped raise more than $520,000 for the Ramah Tikvah programs. Now back in Pittsburgh, Mackler said that despite the taxing nature of the trip, she is happy to have participated, given the cause. “These programs and others like it are worthy of our support,” she said. Started in 1970, the Tikvah programs have provided Ramah’s Jewish camping experience to young adults with various intellectual, developmental and learning abilities. The programs in the National Ramah Tikvah Network are intended to meet the same goals as Ramah camps overall: build and strengthen connection to Judaism. Both kids with disabilities and those without have plenty of opportunity to interact at Ramah camps. When the Tikvah initiative began nearly five decades ago, the idea of inclusion was revolutionary, Mackler explained. “Growing up, you didn’t see special needs children being integrated,” she said. Now, because of this program and others like it, “you can’t tell a person, ‘We can’t include your child.’” Mackler’s husband and their four children all have deep ties to Ramah, and from personal experience, she said, she sees why integration is so vital. “I’ve seen for myself how important the

Please see Gallery, page 14

Please see Mackler, page 14

Congregants from the Garden State spend Shabbat with Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha. Page 2 LOCAL Regaining a sense of safety

 The fence around the Tree of Life building will soon project images of love Photo by Toby Tabachnick and hope.

Trauma specialists from Israel and locally talk about healing. Page 4 LIFE & CULTURE Abracadabra, Pittsburgh A new club showcases the Jewishinflected majesty of magic. Page 16

By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

he scene can be gloomy for those passing by the corner of Wilkins and Shady avenues: the Tree of Life synagogue building, uninhabitable, and surrounded by a chain link fence and dismal blue tarps. It is the site of the most violent anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history, and for now, its exterior is dreary. The three congregations that were housed inside know that their home’s current façade does not represent the joy felt there prior to October 27, 2018, nor does it represent what it could hold in the future. Determined to transform the grounds from bleak to beautiful, Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha, New Light and Dor Hadash have launched #HeartsTogether: The Art of Rebuilding, a campaign to solicit original artwork from youth between the ages of 13 and 17 from all over the world. The congregations will use that art to replace the unsightly tarps with windscreens, creating a sidewalk gallery filled with images representing love, hope and peace. After the massacre that left 11 dead and six wounded, the grounds of the Tree of Life synagogue building became a “a blight on the block,” said Laurie Zittrain Eisenberg, a board member

keep your eye on PittsburghJewishChronicle LOCAL

The Jews of Amiens, France

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Headlines Congregants from New Jersey spend Shabbat with TOL*OLS

p Left to right: Rabbi Inna Serebro-Litvak, Joan Rosen, Mara Newman, Sarita Felder, Rich Rosen, Howie Goodkin Photos provided by Michelle Goldson

— LOCAL — By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

n a gesture of solidarity — and to find comfort for themselves — 25 members of a New Jersey congregation traveled to Pittsburgh the weekend of April 12 to join members of Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha for Shabbat. News of the October 27 massacre “was devastating for us,” said Howie Goodkin, a past president of the Reform Temple Shalom in Succasunna, N.J., who organized the trip. After the shooting in Pittsburgh, which left 11 people dead and six wounded, the members of Temple Shalom — like so many other congregations around the

world — wanted to take positive action in response. Two days after the massacre, the congregation held a solidarity interfaith vigil attended by hundreds of people, according to Goodkin. The congregation also got to work planning a memorial to those Jews killed in Pittsburgh to be placed in the synagogue’s sanctuary. And on Friday, April 12, a group of congregants headed to Pittsburgh, along with their rabbi/cantor, Inna Serebro-Litvak. “We went to connect and to let them know they are not alone,” Goodkin said. Prior to the Friday night TOL*OLS service, held at Rodef Shalom Congregation, the Temple Shalom members visited the Tree of Life synagogue building, where they recited the Mourners’ Kaddish “to have some

p Howie Goodkin, Jill Goodkin, Marissa Goodkin, Rachel Flajsing

closure for ourselves,” Goodkin said. “I think all of us felt better.” In addition to services Friday night, the New Jersey group attended Saturday morning services with TOL*OLS, and sponsored the kiddish lunch. “It was just a great experience, just being part of a community coming together,” Goodkin said. “It was comforting to us,” he added, praising the warmth of the TOL*OLS congregants. “My expectations were high, but they were surpassed. It felt like they were neighbors to us.” The TOL*OLS congregants were “uplifted by the warmth and loving kindness expressed by Temple Shalom,” said Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers in an email. “Their desire to just be with us created a holy moment by their presence. The compassion of Rabbi

Inna Serebro-Litvak and the past president Howard Goodkin moved both congregations. We are thankful for the journey they made to Pittsburgh.” This is not the first time a caravan of congregants from another city has joined TOL*OLS for Shabbat since Oct. 27. In December, a group of Jews from Youngstown, Ohio, came here as well. Youngstown’s Congregation Rodef Sholom sponsored a kiddish luncheon following services, partially funded by the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation. “Will go back out [to Pittsburgh] at some point,” said Temple Shalom’s Goodkin. “We just want to be with great people.” PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnickpittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Rediscovering the Jews of Amiens — LOCAL — By David Rullo | Special to the Chronicle

ellowed from time, but in otherwise perfect condition, the 43 photo-identification cards that make up the bulk of the exhibit “Rediscovering the Jews of Amiens” tell the story of a group of Jewish men and women doomed to be forgotten if not for the research of South Hills native David Rosenberg. It’s the same story of Jews in countless European cities and small towns the Nazis controlled during World War II. Of the 43 cards, 29 people were arrested, deported and perished, and three died by illness, leaving just 13 who survived the war. “Rediscovering the Jews of Amiens” is on display now at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh and contains the photo identification cards and other documents that Rosenberg, a retired University of Pittsburgh archivist, discovered while doing research in Paris. The exhibit also features artifacts on permanent loan from the Friedman Family that were collected and “tell the history of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust in France,” according to Lauren Bairnsfather, director of the Holocaust Center. Rosenberg’s discovery reads like the beginning of a Dan Brown novel.

“I was on sabbatical in 1995, and during that time I went to services at a synagogue in Amiens (the capital of the department of Somme, about 90 miles north of Paris),” Rosenberg said. “I saw a memorial plaque listing the names of 49 people who had been deported from the department of Somme. I didn’t take it up at the time but noted there was something there.” After retiring from the University of Pittsburgh, he began going back to Paris to research the Protestants of the area and found a collection of more than 35,000 pages of letters and property dossiers relating to the Jews of Amiens. It would be another three years before he found the pictures in the exhibit. “By that time, I knew a lot about them.” He was also able to contextualize what happened in the area. “The documents tell a lot about the complicity of what happened. These documents tell you, for instance, who bid on Jewish houses. It’s not just about the Jews. You can contextualize it a little bit.” One of Rosenberg’s main research objectives was to have the citizens of Amiens and Sommes come to terms with the troubling aspect of the area’s past. He feels he accomplished that goal when the exhibit opened there at the University of Picardy Library on Jan. 8, 2019. Comments left by attendees attest to the importance of the information on display: “Terrifyingly concrete! It was in my street, my village; it was yesterday … and

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p 43 photo-identification cards make up the bulk of the exhibit “Rediscovering the Jews of Amiens” and tell the story of a group of Jewish men and women doomed to be forgotten if not for the research of South Hills native David Rosenberg. Photo by David Rullo

at the same time a bit today.” The mayor of Amiens wrote, “This period is so far away … and so near. How is it possible? Why such hatred? We are left with no words. …” Accompanying the photos at the Holocaust Center are letters from and about the Jews

living in Amiens. They express the heartbreak and hardship felt as the Nazis attempted to Aryanize the town. (Aryanization was the forced expulsion of Jews from Axis territory Please see Amiens, page 5

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APRIL 26, 2019 3

Headlines Dealing with lingering trauma in the wake of shooting — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

olidays, anniversaries and other occasions have sparked, reawakened or altered attitudes in the six-month period since October 27, 2018. While the community continues to experience myriad emotions, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and Jewish Family and Community Services recently welcomed representatives from the Israel Trauma Coalition to aid communal healing. Although the Israeli professionals visited Pittsburgh shortly after the attack, their return visit was critical given ITC’s “unique expertise,” said Rabbi Amy Bardack, Federation’s director of Jewish Life and Learning. “Typically, the Israel Trauma Coalition follows kind of a train-to-trainer model. They come in, they provide training to service providers, they leave and the service providers implement the interventions,” said Jordan Golin, JFCS’ president and CEO. “After October 27, because when they came our community was still in such a deep state of crisis, they did a little bit of that training but the service providers themselves, ourselves, we were still in a state of shock — we were still trying to process what was going on while delivering services to

p Some of the projects (or directives) that Angelica Joy Miskanin, a JFCS psychotherapist, has used with clients. Photos courtesy of Angelica Joy Miskanin

people who were in need — and so they were limited with how far they could go with us at that time.” During that initial visit, ITC professionals met with “different community organizations, they met with certain rabbis and met with different Jewish institutions. They met with some families and were really doing that direct support that was needed in kind of the acute phase of the recovery. This time around, this was much more of a planned training for different kinds of providers in the community,” Golin added. Bardack and Golin worked with ITC to prepare for the April 8-12 sessions, and although

determining logistics was one matter, assessing the community’s present state is another. “There are different needs within our community. People respond to trauma differently. They respond differently from one another, and they respond differently at different points in time, and some of that has to do with how close they were to the trauma,” said Golin. Family members, survivors, service providers, reporters and photographers have all experienced “symptoms of trauma,” Golin said. “There’s lots of people who were impacted by this. Now, some of them were impacted by it initially, they kind of got over it and they’re

doing pretty well now,” Goin said. “Then there are folks who thought they were doing pretty well, but things continue to come up that result in symptoms coming back — which suggests that they they haven’t really addressed what they’re struggling with — but it’s not something that they’re struggling with on a daily basis, it’s more on a periodic basis when something comes up in the news or something’s happening in the community they can find themselves feeling anxious again and experiencing symptoms again.” Angelica Joy Miskanin, a psychotherapist at JFCS, participated in the recent ITC training and regularly meets with clients impacted by the October 27 event. “The truth is that every person is responding very differently,” but a commonality is in how clients approached the holidays of Passover and Easter, she said. Whether it was having a big seder or event, and providing a “shared experience with a lot of people,” or “taking steps to make that experience more intimate,” individuals tried to “find ways to plan for this in a way that feels right for them,” said Miskanin. This season “tends to be a very powerful time” and “brings up so much for many people,” she noted. Golin agreed. “What we’re seeing across the community right now are a lot of people Please see Trauma, page 5

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Headlines in Squirrel Hill, but across the city and sometimes in some cases, even across the country can find themselves having a hard time dealing with the trauma of what happened even though they don’t have this personal connection to any of the victims,” Golin added. “And that’s OK, that’s real, that’s genuine, and there is help that’s available. We have in our city a lot of trained trauma therapists that are available to help people manage their symptoms.” That support is crucial. “I think a lot of people may feel the need to minimize how they’re feeling,” Miskanin said, “and it can be so helpful to have extra support in times like these.” JFCS is offering “all kinds of programs, support groups and other kinds of services, because different things help different people. Not everyone needs to see a professional therapist, but attending a support group or some kind of event might be helpful, or for some people it’s helpful to take action to become involved in some sort of cause where they feel they can do something with the experience that we’ve all been through. So just like the symptoms are different for everybody, the other solution is also different for everybody,” said Golin. Added Miskanin, “I would just say to the community that if they’re struggling at all, that their feelings are important, and there’s help and support available for them if they need it.” PJC

Trauma: Continued from page 4

who have been doing pretty well starting to have more symptoms — and that’s something we’ve been noticing, I’d say, since maybe four to five months after the shooting,” he said. “The numbers of people coming in for treatment kind of died down after the first few months, and now they’re starting to come back up again.” Along with anxiety, symptoms can include trouble sleeping at night; nightmares; preoccupied thoughts related to the shooting; worries about safety or the safety of loved ones; exaggerated startle responses, such as when one hears a loud noise and jumps; feeling unsafe; and looking over one’s shoulder or looking for exits when going to a public space. “I think it’s important for people to recognize that the reactions that they might be experiencing are normal reactions to a traumatic experience. We have a lot of people who struggle with their symptoms, because they didn’t have a personal connection to any of the victims and they feel guilty about struggling and about having symptoms. And I would love for the readers to understand that it’s completely normal to have symptoms related to a trauma, even in a trauma like this kind of situation — especially because people feel a very personal connection to it even if they didn’t know the victims,” said Golin. “This was an anti-Semitic attack in our community, and people who live in our community, people who are Jewish, not only

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and included the transfer of Jewish property to “Aryan” hands.) Take, for instance, a letter written to a French prefect from a hairdresser asking to be allowed to continue his profession: “A hairdresser’s assistant for the past 25 years, I am evidently in contact with the public and consequently I fall within the scope of these prohibitions and will therefore be forced to quit my employment. This is the only trade I know, and my health does not permit me to undertake jobs requiring manual strength — I have stomach ulcers and am under a doctor’s care. I have a son aged 9½ born in France who will require treatment as well.” Or, this letter written to the Somme authorities denouncing a Jewish doctor: “I take the liberty of writing to call your attention to the fact that Doctor Wajnberg, a foreign citizen, is a Jew and that he continues his visits, despite the prohibitions on foreign doctors to practice their profession.” Bairnsfather explained why this type of research completed by Rosenberg is so important: “Without this work, the history of the Holocaust in Amiens would be buried in an archive in Paris. Denial festers when archival materials are made inaccessible. I love that this exhibit thumbs the nose at would-be deniers.” At the heart of Rosenberg’s exhibit is the question of identity. The Jews in all of

p Photo identification cards David Rosenberg discovered while doing research in Paris. Photo by David Rullo

Nazi-occupied Europe were made to register, confront and at times deny their Jewish identity. As a result, most were forced to accept a death sentence in Auschwitz or other death camps. This, said Bairnsfather, is one of the reasons the exhibit is on display. “It is the practice of the Holocaust Center to preserve stories of individuals because we know that the story of one person is the most direct way to connect with a visitor to the Center, the most powerful way to preserve the memory of the Holocaust,” she said. “‘Rediscovering the Jews of Amiens’ restores the stories of a small town’s Jewish population. This is directly related to our mission.” Or, as Rosenberg puts it, recalling the words told to him by a friend and survivor from Amiens: “No forgiveness, no forgetfulness.” PJC David Rullo is a local freelance writer.

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Calendar q THROUGH SATURDAY, APRIL 27 q SUNDAY, MAY 5 Classrooms Without Borders will present From Israel to Pittsburgh: A Fun Day of Art and Celebration, in memory of Milton Fine, at the Children’s Museum from 2 to 7 p.m. with the F.I.N.E Israeli artist Asaf Elkalai as he kicks off his residency in Pittsburgh with a day of celebration and fun activities. There is a charge. Contact melissa@classroomswithoutborders.org or visit classroomswithoutborders.org for more information. >> Submit calendar items on the Chronicle’s website, pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. Submissions will also be included in print. Events will run in the print edition beginning one month prior to the date as space allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon. q THURSDAYS, APRIL 25,

MAY 2, MAY 16

Temple Emanuel will present Sacred Symphonies with Rabbi Don Rossoff. In this three-part class, participants will listen to and analyze three Biblically based modern compositions. No musical background is necessary and you are welcome to attend any or all of the sessions. April 25, 7:30 p.m., “Rhapsody by Ernst Bloch,” a study in leadership and power based on the book of Ecclesiastes; May 2 at noon – Symphony

#1 – Jeremiah by Leonard Bernstein; May 16 at noon, Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein. Bring your own dairy brown bag lunch; drinks and desserts provided. Contact the Temple office at 412-279-7600 or templeemanuel@templeemanuelpgh.org for more information. q FRIDAY, APRIL 26 Celebrate the sun and the flowers with all things “spring” from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Moishe House. We will have coily pasta, veggie spirals, slinkies and so much more. We will be welcoming Shabbat with services in the living room, followed by dinner in the dining room. Moishe House events are intended for young adults ages 22-32. Contact moishehousepgh@ gmail.com for more information.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s traveling exhibition Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race will be at the Heritage Discovery Center in Johnstown. The exhibition examines how the Nazi leadership, in collaboration with individuals in professions traditionally charged with healing and the public good, used science to help legitimize persecution, murder and ultimately, genocide. Admission to the entire Heritage Discovery Center will be free every Saturday during the exhibition in order to maximize the number of people who see it. Visit jaha.org for more information. q SUNDAY, APRIL 28 The Bereavement Support Group will meet at Temple Emanuel at 10:30 a.m. for previous and newly bereaved adults All are welcome. Contact the Temple office with any questions at 412-279-7600. Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence and CeaseFirePA will host “Looking Back, Marching Forward” on the six-month anniversary of the October 27, 2018, Tree of Life building shooting. At 1:30 p.m., community and faith leaders will speak at Temple Sinai, 5505 Forbes Ave. to honor the victims of the October shooting and talk about how to reduce gun violence. At about 2:30 p.m., the group will march to Schenley Park, where a tree will be planted as a symbol of the Squirrel Hill community’s continued hope and belief in the future. All are welcome to this free event. Visit squirrelhillstandsagainstgunviolence.org or

info@squirrelhillstandsagainst gunviolence.org for more information. Free tickets can be obtained at Eventbrite.com. Moishe House will hold a Clothing Swap from 2 to 5 p.m. Clear out your closet and get a whole new wardrobe for free. Bring the clothes you no longer wear and take home some new outfits. Clothes must be in good condition. People of all genders and sizes are welcome at this event. Moishe House events are intended for young adults ages 22-32. Contact moishehousepgh@ gmail.com for more information. A Community Conversation on Teen Mental Health will be held at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill from 4 to 6 p.m. with Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of “IGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood.” Twenge will speak about teens being addicted to their smart phones and social media. Contact Rachael Speck 412-697-3539 for more information and RSVP at jccpgh.formstack. com/forms/community_conversation. q WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 Chabad of Squirrel Hill will hold Ladies’ Lunch and Learn from noon to 1:15 p.m. at 1700 Beechwood Blvd. The class, on the topic of “The Kabbalah of Time: Seasons of Birth,” will be presented by Leah Herman. Registration required by April 30 at chabadpgh.com/lunch. Please see Calendar, page 7

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Calendar Calendar: Continued from page 6 The Waldman International Arts and Writing Competition allows students in grades six to 12 to submit original art and compete for academic scholarships. Participants come from across Allegheny County and Pittsburgh’s partner region in Israel, Karmiel-Misgav. This year’s Pittsburgh competition also features an extra category, an essay. The award ceremony, including Holocaust Educator of the Year, will be held at 7 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation, Levy Hall. There is no charge. Visit hcofpgh.org/waldman19 for more information.

Rabbi Don Rossoff of Temple Emanuel will discuss “Zionism and Israel: The What and Whys of the Jewish State and the Connections We Have” at 10:30 a.m. There is no charge. For more information or to RSVP, contact the Temple office at 412-279-7000 or templeemanuel@templeemanuelpgh.org. JFunds and PJ Library will present Making Cent$ of Tzedakah: A Penny Hunt with a Purpose from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at the Squirrel Hill Jewish Community Center. Parents and their children ages 4 to 10 will hear a heartwarming story and participate in activities to learn how tzedakah is practiced in our community. Free pizza lunch included. RSVP at tinyurl.com/pjmakingcents.

Zikaron BaSalon: Young Adult Holocaust Remembrance Day Program will commemorate the Holocaust in a personal way, among friends, family and guests, in an intimate atmosphere. Join the young adult community for an evening listening to the personal story of a Holocaust survivor at a private home in Squirrel Hill (address will be shared once you register). Dessert will be served. Visit jewishpgh.org/event/zikaronbasalon for more information.

The Jewish Sports Hall of Fame of Western Pennsylvania will host its 37th annual banquet and will induct Ross Gusky, Rob Ruck, Lenny Silverman and Jeff Weisband, along with the presentation of the Ziggy Kahn Award to Edward Gelman and Manny Gold Humanitarian Award to H. Arnold Gefsky. Student athletes will also receive the 2019 Nathan H. Kaufmann Scholastic Award. The banquet will be held at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Tickets are $70. Contact Alan Mallinger at 412-697-3545 for more information.

q THURSDAY, MAY 2

q MONDAY, MAY 6

Women of Rodef Shalom invite you to Hey Good Lookin’, Whatcha Got Cookin’? This event will feature wine and hors d’oeuvres in Aaron Court at 5:30 p.m., a cooking demonstration with chef Nikki Heckman of Bistro to Go at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. in Freehof Hall. The cost is $25 for members of Women of Rodef Shalom and $30 for all other attendees. Visit rodefshalom.org/ rsvp to RSVP and to register.

Beth El Congregation will host its First Mondays monthly lunch program from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with Rabbi Alex Greenbaum featuring guest Dennis Jett, founding faculty member and professor of international affairs of the School of International Affairs at Penn State University. Jett will discuss “Where American ambassadors come from, where they go and why they still matter in today’s globalized world.” There is a $6 charge. Visit bethelcong. org or call 412-561-1168 for more information.

This year’s Yom HaShoah commemoration program focuses on Women and the Holocaust, the Holocaust Center’s 2018-2019 program theme, and includes short readings from women’s diaries during the Holocaust. The main event is a candle-lighting ceremony honoring Holocaust survivors, rescuers, liberators and Righteous Gentiles. This year’s ceremony will honor first responders from SWAT, 911 operators, fire, EMS and the Pittsburgh Police at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, Katz Auditorium, 5738 Darlington Road. There is no charge. Visit https://hcofpgh.org/ yomhashoah2019 for more information. q FRIDAY, MAY 3 Chabad of Squirrel Hill will hold Loaves of Love, a morning of challah baking with a group of women, and learn from Sue Berman how to make key-shaped loaves, which are traditional for the first Shabbat after Passover. Registration required at chabadpgh.com/lol by May 1. There is a $10 charge. q SUNDAY, MAY 5 Beth Shalom Men’s Club will hold Lox & Learning with author Dorit Sasson as she discusses her book “Accidental Soldier: A Memoir of Service and Sacrifice in the Israel Defense Forces,” at 10 a.m. The event is free. Contact the office at 412-421-2288 or derekhcbs@gmail.com to RSVP. Visit bethshalompgh.org/events-upcoming for more information.

South Hills Celebrates Israel from 5 to 7 p.m. with free Israeli street food, dietary laws observed, at the South Hills Jewish Community Center, 345 Kane Blvd. Visit southhillsjewishpittsburgh.org/israel19 for a list of activities and more information. Kollel Jewish Learning Center will hold a community event featuring Rabbi Yisroel Miller at Embassy Suites Hotel, 535 Smithfield St. There will be a light buffet at 7 p.m. followed by the program at 8 p.m. The charge is $50 per person. Contact Stacie Stufflebeam 412-214-7973 or Stacie@kollelpgh.org for more information or to make reservations. “The Soap Myth” starring Ed Asner at Rodef Shalom Congregation at 7 p.m., takes place more than a half century after the end of World War II when a young journalist sets out to write an article about a cantankerous Holocaust survivor and his crusade regarding the Nazi atrocity of soap. Visit hcofpgh.org/soap-myth for more information and pricing. q TUESDAYS, MAY 7-JUNE 11 The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh is offering a program for adults, Better Choices, Better Health, for six consecutive Tuesdays from 12:30 to 3 p.m. in Room 2002. The workshops are informative, fun and interactive. By joining the workshop, you will be together with people with similar conditions and concerns as you. All workshop

participants get the companion book, “Living a Healthy Life with a Chronic Condition.” Light refreshments are provided throughout, with a graduation celebration at the end. Contact Amy Gold at 412-697-3528 for more information and to sign up. q MONDAY, MAY 13

Shalom Pittsburgh will hold a conversation with Rabbi Danny Schiff, Foundation Scholar, at 7:30 p.m. at a private home. There is no charge. Wine and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. The address will be given upon RSVP. Visit jewishpgh.org/event/a-conversationwith-danny-schiff/ for more information and to RSVP.

ZOA: Pittsburgh will hold the Charlene “Kandy” Ehrenwerth Memorial Lecture at 7 p.m. in the Eisner Commons at Congregation Beth Shalom. Guest speaker Jonathan Weinkle, MD is the author of the book “Healing People, Not Patients: Creating Authentic Relationships in Modern Healthcare,” in which he takes the core Jewish ideal that humans are created in G-d’s image and maps out the nuts and bolts of a healing relationship. There is no charge to attend, but reservations are requested and can be made at pittsburgh@zoa.org or 412-665-4630.

q SUNDAY, MAY 19

q TUESDAY, MAY 14

Chabad of the South Hills will hold a lunch for seniors at noon with a presentation on medications, hydration and sun protection by Comfort Keepers. There is a $5 suggested donation. RSVP at 412-278-2658 or barb@ chabadsh.com and visit chabadsh.com for more information.

Chabad of the South Hills will present Spa for the Soul, an evening of relaxation, depth, beauty and spirituality at 6 p.m. with guest speaker Sara Chana Silverstein, author of “Moodtopia: Tame your moods, De-Stess & Find Balance Using Herbal Remedies, Aromatherapy, and More.” The evening will include a light dinner, spa treatment, silent auction and raffle prizes. Visit chabadsh.com or call 412-344-2424 for more information and to register. q WEDNESDAY, MAY 15 Squirrel Hill AARP will host its meeting at 1 p.m. in the Falk Library at Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave. In addition to the general business meeting, election of chapter officers by the general membership will be held. In honor of Memorial Day, attendees and guests are asked to bring donations of large bottles of body wash, stick deodorant, denture adhesive and cleaners, body lotion, combs and brushes, belts, T-shirts with pockets, umbrellas, rain ponchos and gift cards, including bus passes. Donated items will be distributed to the local Veterans Administration. Bob Cahalan will present an audio-visual program celebrating Pittsburgh. Meetings are open to the entire senior population of the community. Refreshments will be served. Contact Marcia Kramer at 412-731-3338 for more information. The Derekh Speaker Series, a series of talks by authors from across the country made available through the Jewish Book Council, will feature The New York Times journalist Jonathan Weisman and his book “(((Semitism))): Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump” at 7:30 p.m. There will be a book sale and author signing at the end. Visit bethshalompgh.org/beth-shalomspeak-series-5779 for more information. q THURSDAY, MAY 16 Temple Emanuel and South Hills Jewish Pittsburgh present “An Evening with Dan Libenson” at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont at 7 p.m. Libenson is founder and president of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future and co-host of the Judaism Unbound podcast, which promotes creativity and innovation in American Jewish life. Visit templeemanuelpgh.org/event/DL for more information about times and ticket pricing.

Chabad of Squirrel Hill will hold a Kids’ Mega Challah Event from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at 1700 Beechwood Blvd. The afternoon of challah baking will also include storytelling and Jewish unity and is open to children from preschool through grade five, with a special Bat Mitzvah Club table for girls in grades six to seven. Registration required by May 13 at kidsmegachallah.com. There is a $10 charge. q TUESDAY, MAY 21

q THURSDAY, MAY 23 The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh will present Yom Ha’atzmaut: A celebration of Israel’s 71st Independence Day with international multiplatinum Israeli musician David Broza beginning at 4:30 p.m. with an Israeli food court, community fair and Israeli dancing followed by the concert at 6 p.m. This concert is being held on Lag B’Omer for the full inclusion of community members who are observing the laws of the Omer. In case of rain, the free concert will be at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Visit jewishpgh.org/event/davidbroza for more information and to register. Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures will present Michael Pollan and the Science of Psychedelics, at 7 p.m. at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall. Pollan’s best-selling “How to Change Your Mind” was named one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of 2018. Pollan is also the author of seven additional books, all of which were The New York Times best sellers. A longtime contributor to The New York Times Magazine, he is also a professor at Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. The $23 charge includes a paperback copy of “How to Change Your Mind.” Visit pittsburghlectures.org/lectures/michaelpollan for more information. q SUNDAY, MAY 26 The Prayer Practice and Learning Committee of Rodef Shalom Congregation invites the community on a bus tour of the Troy Hill and West View cemeteries from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Gain a historical perspective on Rodef Shalom in the Pittsburgh Jewish community. A few of our descendants who rest in our cemeteries include Rabbis Solomon Freehof and Leonard Levy, Barney Dreyfuss, Jacob Brunn and more. Everyone will have a chance to discuss or visit familial gravesites. Bring your own lunch. The cost is $30. Visit rodefshalom.org/rsvp for more information and to RSVP. PJC

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APRIL 26, 2019 7

Headlines Finkelstein honored with Israel Independence Day torch lighting

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; LOCAL â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

ewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh President and CEO Jeff Finkelstein will light a torch at Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 71st Independence Day ceremony next month, Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev announced on Monday, weeks after reversing her decision to do away with the Diaspora honor. Finkelstein will light the beacon reserved for a representative of Diaspora Jewry, an honor that was established in 2017, but one that Regev had flirted with dissolving altogether earlier this year. The announcement was a nod to the massacre suffered at Pittsburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tree of Life synagogue building on Oct. 27, the largest anti-Semitic attack in American history. Finkelstein is also credited with establishing a fund for the victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings last month in New Zealand, where 50 people were killed and over 50 were injured. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This connection with Jewish roots and emphasis on hope, mutual responsibility and love of humanity has enabled him to lead a unique healing process in Pittsburgh that is a symbol for the entire world,â&#x20AC;? the culture ministry said in a statement. Finkelstein represents â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the tree of life,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; the growing spirit of brotherhood and human togetherness, and the great soul of our

Diaspora brothers and sisters,â&#x20AC;? Regev said. Finkelstein has served as president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh for more than a decade. The Ruderman Family Foundation, which had criticized Regevâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to do away with the Diaspora torch, congratulated Finkelstein for the honor on Monday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jeff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership in the aftermath of the horrible Tree of Life shooting can serve as an inspiration for other Jewish leaders. The recognition by the Israeli government is an important reminder of the unbreakable bond uniting Israel and the American Jewish community,â&#x20AC;? it said in a statement. Regev reserved a torch for a Diaspora Jew at the ceremony starting in 2017, when honorees included Birthright Israel founder Michael Steinhardt (who now faces accusations of sexual harassment) and Simon Wiesenthal Center founder Rabbi Marvin Hier. Last year, American actress Mayim Bialik was chosen to light a torch, but declined because of her â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Bang Theoryâ&#x20AC;? commitments. Other candidates considered to light the torch included U.S. President Donald Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s daughter Ivanka, civil rights lawyer Alan Dershowitz and performer Barbra Streisand. The slot was never filled, and there was no Diaspora representative in the 2018 ceremony.â&#x20AC;&#x201A; PJC

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â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Times of Israel staff

S e r v i ce s

Nina Butler named JHF project coordinator for teen mental health initiative â&#x20AC;&#x201D; LOCAL â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

he Jewish Healthcare Foundation named Squirrel Hill resident and educator Nina Butler project coordinator for the 15217 Neighborhood-based Teen Mental Health Initiative. The initiative is a collaboration between JHF, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and Jewish Family and Community Services. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nina Butler is uniquely qualified to lead this initiative. She brings a wealth of professional experience, working directly with young people and on health and mental health issues,â&#x20AC;? said JHF President and CEO Karen Wolk Feinstein in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She will help us realize our vision of a neighborhood safety net for teens, building from the bottom up.â&#x20AC;? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death for teens nationwide. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Allegheny County,â&#x20AC;? JHF noted, â&#x20AC;&#x153;a third of hospitalized teens had a principal diagnosis of a mental health or substance-use disorder, and more than one in three county teens reported intentionally hurting themselves.â&#x20AC;? In response to such findings, and a determination

that teens in crisis were not receiving timely treatment, JHF founded its adolescent behavioral health initiative three years ago. JHF recently approved two grants â&#x20AC;&#x201D; both following the October 27 attack at the Tree of Life building â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to support the 15217 initiative: A $220,000 allocation was made to support staffing, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;a significant designation of funds was set aside to be used for programming for community education, navigation and support, and advocacy,â&#x20AC;? according to the organization. Given recent communal trauma, ensuring effective mental health treatments is key, explained Butler. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We must act with urgency to bring mental illness out of the shadows. In the aftermath of Tree of Life, that need is even greater within the 15217 community,â&#x20AC;? she said in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Within the last few weeks, two teens from Parkland and a father from Sandy Hook committed suicide. Teens, their families, their teachers and all who touch their lives, must learn to recognize red flags and where to turn for help. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thrilling that there is a coalition of organizations collaborating on this initiative as we strive to build a model that other communities can follow.â&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201A; PJC â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Adam Reinherz

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9 WORLD

Headlines Taiwanese delegation visits Pittsburgh and pays respects at Tree of Life — LOCAL — Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

aiwanese officials paid respects at the Tree of Life building during a visit to Pittsburgh last week. The delegation, which included Hsin-hsing Wu, minister of the Overseas Community Affairs Council, Republic of China, and Ambassador Lily L.W. Hsu, paused for silence, placed flowers and left 11 stones in the shape of a heart near the building’s Zittrain Gardens on April 18. “Today we are coming here to give our condolences on behalf of the Taiwanese community to those victims last year,” said Wu. “We don’t like hatred. Especially I know here in Pittsburgh, the Jewish community, is such a big strong community and the ethnic Chinese community also have a very close relationship with them and so we really feel that kind of solidarity at this time of great grief and time of trial,” echoed Hsu. The officials strongly condemned the shooting, which they found shocking. “We disagree with this kind of behavior. We think that the United States is a civilized society. People should respect each other and understand each other, and to use this

p Marian Lien of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition (second from right) joins Taiwanese officials, Jack Huang, Hsin-hsing Wu, Lily L. W. Hsu and Carol Lee outside of the Tree of Life building. Photo by Adam Reinherz

kind of violence on other people, on people in the community, we feel sorry about that,” remarked Wu. “The thing we all feel in this very everchanging, very turbulent time,” added Hsu, “is we need to learn how to live with differences, to try to understand and bridge those differences and try to have a dialogue, try to go back to what these cities are about — a multiple ethnic kind, maybe not a melting pot, but a mosaic kind of way, a very beautiful diversified society. And that is what this country is all about,” said Hsu. Marian Lien, Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition executive director, guided the officials throughout their three-day Pittsburgh

stay. Offering condolences was an essential portion of the trip, she explained. Prior to their arrival, the officials told Lien that between the fact that “Dor Hadash was so involved in refugee and immigrant populations” and that Pittsburgh’s Jewish community has demonstrated such an embrace of the Taiwanese-American community, “they wanted to come and pay respects,” said Lien. Hsu is based in New York and noted her Squirrel Hill visit will be of use moving forward. “Coming here for the first time to see the things personally, and thinking about how many people have been paying respect and sympathies to the event and showing their

solidarity with the Jewish community here, is really very touching,” she said. “New York, that is another big mosaic kind of society, and I think this kind of personal witness will help me to really share with my community back home, or back in New York, that we need to learn from this lesson.” After visiting Tree of Life, the delegation walked down Shady Avenue before heading toward Forbes and Murray avenues. The group admired the diversity of Squirrel Hill’s stores, and commented to Lien “how interesting it was to see this [mix] of some Jewish businesses sprinkled with Asian business sprinkled with Mediterranean businesses.” Lien noted, “This is a true slice of what harmonious existence in the United States should be looking like.” During their stay, the delegation also visited local universities and executives in hopes of identifying new means for economic and intellectual growth, explained Lien. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald tweeted a photograph of his meeting with the visiting cohort, and wrote, “We are excited about the opportunities for collaboration & cooperation.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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APRIL 26, 2019 9

Headlines — WORLD — From JTA reports

Israel offers assistance following bomb attacks in Sri Lanka Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed “deep shock over the murderous attacks against innocent civilians in Sri Lanka.” Netanyahu, in a statement released and tweeted on Sunday in the hours after the Easter attacks that left more than 200 dead, said that “Israel stands ready to assist the authorities in Sri Lanka at this difficult time.” He also wrote: “The entire world must unite in the battle against the scourge of terrorism.” At least 207 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in a series of bomb attacks that hit luxury hotels and churches across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. “The attacks in #SriLanka, including those at prayer celebrating #EasterSunday. are a despicable crime. We are all children of God; an attack on one religion is an attack on us all. #Israel sends condolences to the families of the victims and wishes for the recovery of the injured,” Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin tweeted in the wake of the attacks. The first six bomb blasts occurred at almost the same time on Sunday morning,

four in the capital of Colombo, and the others in the cities of Negombo and Batticaloa. A seventh took place hours later and an eighth, in a residential neighborhood, was determined to be a suicide bomb attack. About 35 of the victims were identified as “foreigners,” with American, British and Dutch citizens reportedly among the dead, CNN reported. Seven people were later arrested by Sri Lankan authorities in connection with the attacks. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks. Sri Lankan Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardena called the attacks terrorist in nature and blamed religious extremists. Some 70 percent of Sri Lankans identify as Buddhist. Less than 10 percent of the population identify as Christians. Israel’s Health Ministry orders airlines to vaccinate staff More than 250 El Al airlines crew members have been vaccinated against the measles after a flight attendant contracted the disease during a flight from New York. The flight attendant, 43, was hospitalized earlier this month with the measles. On Thursday, Israeli media reported that she was in a coma with suspected brain damage due to complications from the measles virus.

She had only received one shot of the measles vaccine, instead of the recommended two, the Times of Israel reported. A 10-year-old boy who also contracted the measles virus on a plane ride is hospitalized in central Israel on a respirator with suspected brain damage, according to reports. Israel’s Health Ministry ordered all local airlines to vaccinate their staff, especially those staff that come into contact with travelers, against measles. El Al set up a special clinic at Ben Gurion Airport in order to ensure that all staff get inoculated. The Health Ministry also called on Israelis to get fully vaccinated before flying out of the country. Many Israelis travel overseas during the Passover holiday. Some 3,600 cases of the measles have been confirmed in Israel between March 2018 and February 2019, according to the Health Ministry. Jewish comedian elected Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, a Jewish Ukrainian actor who on television portrays the country’s leader, is set to reprise the role in real life following the country’s presidential elections. President Petro Poroshenko conceded after losing the vote Sunday with exit polls showing Zelensky commanding a landslide

victory, with polling at some ballot boxes giving him more than 70 percent of the vote, The Associated Press reported. Zelensky, whose role on his prime time television show is of a teacher thrust to the presidency through an unlikely chain of events, was criticized for a vague campaign platform and having never held public office. But voters appeared to have cast aside those concerns in favor of a thorough sweep of Ukraine’s political leadership. Many Ukrainians do not believe that Poroshenko has done enough to eradicate the corruption that helped fuel the 2013 revolution that toppled the regime of Poroshenko’s predecessor. “I have grown up under the old politicians and only have seen empty promises, lies and corruption,” Lyudmila Potrebko, a 22-year-old computer programmer who cast her ballot for Zelensky, told AP. “It’s time to change that.” Zelensky, 41, became famous for his comic portrayal in a television series of a teacher who becomes president after a video of him denouncing corruption goes viral. Born in Kryvyi Rih, near Dnipro, to a Jewish family of scientists, Zelensky rarely speaks of his Jewish ancestry in interviews. But unlike some Ukrainian politicians widely believed to have Jewish ancestry, Zelensky’s campaign has neither disputed this nor attempted to camouflage it. PJC

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This week in Israeli history crowds. The five were convicted in 1970 of trying to hijack an airplane to escape the Soviet Union. Their story catalyzes the movement to free Soviet Jewry.

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10 APRIL 26, 2019

Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

April 30, 2003 — Peace roadmap issued

April 26, 1881 — Pogrom hits Kiev

Anti-Jewish violence after the assassination of Czar Alexander II sweeps into Kiev. Rioters loot and destroy Jewish shops and homes.

April 27, 1984: — Jewish Underground arrested

Fifteen members of the Jewish Underground, an anti-Arab terrorist group, are arrested after a two-year Shin Bet investigation. Twelve more are arrested in the following days in connection with a series of plots, including the murder of three college students and a plan to blow up the Dome of the Rock.

April 28, 1918 — AJC endorses Balfour

Six months after the Balfour Declaration, the American Jewish Committee issues a weak endorsement that reflects the postwar views of most American Jews, who either oppose or only vaguely support Zionism.

April 29, 1979 — Prisoners of Zion arrive Five former Soviet Jewish prisoners arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport, where they are welcomed by Prime Minister Menachem Begin and cheering

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The U.S., Russia, the EU and UN issue the Roadmap for Peace, a framework to achieve a permanent two-state solution. Israel lists 14 main concerns with the Roadmap but, like the Palestinian Authority, commits to it. Hamas rejects it. Talks make no progress.

May 1, 1987 — Tennis player Pe’er born

Shahar Pe’er, Israel’s highest-ranking tennis player of all time, is born in Jerusalem. A winner of five WTA tournaments and a two-time quarterfinalist in Grand Slam singles tournaments, she peaks at No. 11 in the world rankings in 2011.

May 2, 1921 — Writer Brenner slain

Writer Yosef Haim Brenner, a pioneer of modern Hebrew literature and a founder of the Histadrut labor federation, is among six people killed on the second day of violence between Arabs and Jews in and around Jaffa. Born in a shtetl in Ukraine in 1881, Brenner moved to Palestine in 1909. Brenner advocates Jewish salvation through labor and the abandonment of traditional ways. PJC

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Life & Culture Memories of Jewish magicians conjured with opening of downtown club

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of the 1900s came through Pittsburgh. We want to continue to honor that tradition in a really intimate setting.” By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer The tradition of magic — in Pittsburgh and beyond — has been new performance largely dependent on Jews, venue has appeared who not only have been downtown, just steps disproportionately repreaway from the spot where, sented in the field historiin 1916, a Jewish magically, but also levitated the cian named Erich Weisz art to thrilling new heights. — better known as Harry Allan Kronzek, a Jewish Houdini —performed his magician originally from spellbinding upside-down Pittsburgh but now living straightjacket escape. in New York, lectures on The intimate speak“Magical Jews: The Life easy-style club, called and Times of Great Jewish Liberty Magic, is devoted Magicians” at Jewish to the arts of prestidigitaC om mu n it y C e nt e r s tion and sleight of hand, and and other venues. The provides an entertainment author of several books experience that is a bit out on magic, including the of the ordinary. recently released “Grandpa The club seats only 68 Magic: 116 Easy Tricks, guests, is open Wednesday Amazing Brainteasers, and through Sunday, and features Simple Stunts to Wow the a single nationally or interGrandkids,” Kronzek noted nationally known magician that a list of the top 100 for weeks-long runs. The American magicians of the shows, which run about 60 20th century shows that 20 to 80 minutes, are recompercent were Jews, despite mended for adults over the the fact that Jews comprised age of 18, and the club has a only about 2 percent of the BBYO policy, with a $5 per total U.S. population. person corkage fee. One of the greatest Jewish “The Cultural District has p Vintage magic show magic “superstars,” according Courtesy photo to Kronzek, was Alexander a huge history with magic, posters. going back to 1916 when Herrmann (1844-1896). Harry Houdini actually did “During the 1860s, ’70s, his famous upside-down ’80s, ’90s, he was the most straightjacket escape right in front of us on famous popular entertainer in the United Liberty Avenue,” said Scott Shiller, vice pres- States, and many parts of the world,” Kronzek ident of artistic planning for the Pittsburgh said. “Theatrical magic at that time was huge. Cultural Trust when the opening of the club There was no radio, no TV, and people were was announced last December. “That was 100 moving from the country into the cities, and years ago when Pittsburgh had all the vaude- they had to have entertainment. So, there ville theaters — all of our historic theaters in the Cultural District started out as vaudeville Please see Magic, page 16 houses. And so all of the famous magicians

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APRIL 26, 2019 11

Opinion SJP at NYU — EDITORIAL —

ast week, the New York University chapter of the pro-BDS and anti-Israel group Students for Justice in Palestine received NYU’s President’s Service Award. According to NYU, the annual award goes to selected campus clubs and individuals to honor them for “commitment to civic engagement and service in local communities” or for “promotion of learning, leadership and quality of student life at New York University.” We know what SJP is and what it does. It doesn’t fill or promote any of the honorable traits NYU seeks to celebrate. SJP’s goal, in promoting what it calls pro-Palestinian actions on college campuses across America, appears to be the harassment of Jewish students and the delegitimization of Israel. In the process, SJP seeks to normalize its anti-Israel position among the wider student population. “We are thrilled to announce that we have been selected to receive a presidential service award at NYU,” the group wrote on its Facebook page on April 4. “Despite the pushback we have received from our institution, we agree that we have made ‘significant contributions to the university

p Students for Justice in Palestine was among dozens of student clubs and individuals to receive the award at NYU, but appears to have garnered the most attention this year. Photo by Sushi Olin/Flickr

community in the areas of learning, leadership and quality of student life.’ Anyway, New York University, divest from Israeli apartheid. Xoxo.”

By now there is a playbook for these kinds of campus skirmishes. On April 5, the proIsrael student group Realize Israel denounced the award. Then NYU alumnus Judea Pearl,

a computer scientist and father of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl, renounced the university’s distinguished alumnus award he received several years ago. “In the past five years, SJP has resorted to intimidation tactics that have made me, my colleagues and my students unwelcome and unsafe on our own campus,” Pearl wrote in a letter to NYU President Andrew Hamilton. “The decision to confer an award on SJP renders other NYU awards empty of content, and suspect of reckless selection process.” We agree. In December, SJP lobbied NYU’s student government to pass a resolution advocating for the university to divest from several companies that do business with the Israeli military. After the resolution passed, the school administration said it would not abide by it. That’s part of the playbook, too. During the weeks leading up to the April 17 award ceremony — which Hamilton did not attend — SJP and its members declined public comment, perhaps fearing exposure of their hate-mongering agenda. But you can bet they will make noise about the award. And that’s a shame, since SJP’s unrelenting hostility to Israel and repeated victimization of Jewish students on campus is inconsistent with the lofty goals set by NYU and its leadership. PJC

Donating blood is a mitzvah Guest Columnist Charles Wilcox “ Lo ta’amod al dam re’echa” — “do not stand by while your neighbor bleeds” — Leviticus 19:16

ctober 27, 2018, will forever resonate in our souls as one of the most tragic assaults against the Jewish community in Pittsburgh, as well as in the United States. This terrible event made us change the way we do things, and the way we think. It has made us aware of the need to express love more often within our families and community, to be prepared and to increase security. After so many vigils, so many tears and so many prayers, we are proving that we are indeed stronger than hate because we’re focused on strengthening the future. One of the ways we can strengthen the future is by donating blood. On the day of the massacre, people all over Pittsburgh lined up outside Vitalant (formerly Central Blood Bank) donation centers to donate blood on behalf of the injured. This act of generosity gave them purpose in the face of helplessness. But what many did not realize is that the blood already at the hospitals helped those injured at the Tree of Life building. This is because it takes about 48 hours to test, prepare and ship blood to hospitals. Of course, those who donated that day still 12 APRIL 26, 2019

p One of the ways to strengthen the future is to donate blood. Photo by roibu/iStockphoto.com

played a valuable role in saving lives, because there is a continuous, ongoing need for blood and blood products. For this reason, it’s crucial that our community blood supply is constantly replenished, so blood is available whenever patients need it. But this isn’t happening. The number of people donating blood in our community has declined by more than 50 percent over the past 10 years. In 2017, donors gave only 47 percent of the blood needed by area hospitals, forcing Vitalant to import the other 53 percent from blood centers outside of our community.

This alarming decline could lead to a community health crisis. If the unthinkable happens and another disaster occurs, blood must be available at the hospital for victims to survive. But equally important are personal disasters that occur every day, like cancer diagnoses, severe injuries and catastrophic accidents, and babies born prematurely who can’t survive without immediate blood transfusions. If blood is not available, hospitals may need to postpone or even cancel elective surgeries and other treatments. The only way to reverse this downward

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spiral is to shift the mindset of those in our community who are not blood donors, or who have gotten out of the habit of donating. Nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood, but less than 10 percent actually do. The No. 1 reason people do not donate blood is because they haven’t been asked. Please consider yourself asked. You have an opportunity to make a difference: • If you are able to donate blood, please do so. • Host a blood donation program with regular blood drives scheduled several times a year. Blood donation programs can take place at your workplace, a civic organization, synagogue or any other organization to which you belong. Vitalant offers a bloodmobile if you do not have the appropriate space. Call 412-209-7000 for more information. • Encourage your friends and family to visit a nearby blood donation center if you cannot host a blood donation program. • Spread the word about the need for lifelong blood donors via your personal social media. In closing, consider this statistic: Every day, 600 people in the greater Pittsburgh area must donate blood to ensure that hospital patients have the blood they need to survive. These patients are counting on you. PJC Charles Wilcox is the division president of Vitalant (formerly Central Blood Blank). To make an appointment to donate blood, go to vitalant.org.

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Opinion The world mourned for Notre Dame. But France still struggles to accept French Jews and Muslims Guest Columnist Elisabeth Becker

n April 15, Notre Dame burned. The grief wracked not only Paris and the French nation, but quickly reverberated around the world. Under the gaze of its crumbling gargoyle guards, Notre Dame has witnessed nearly a millennium of Parisian history. Its altar was a site for the weddings of kings and queens. Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor beneath its buttressed ceiling. In 1944, celebrations marked the end of the German occupation. Underneath the stories of heartbreak over a global architectural wonder scarred by flames, however, is a story of contemporary social fissures in France that reach far beyond an island on the Seine. The wounded cathedral reveals France’s deepest cultural rift: the divide between France and its religious minorities. Today, Notre Dame is both a working religious sanctuary and among the most visited tourist sites in the world. The banality of Catholicism in France allows the cathedral to be seen as alternatively religious and cultural, and therefore connected to both Christian and secular French identities. Still, the paradox of a cathedral rising as an icon of contemporary French national culture cannot be overlooked in a country where laïcité — the strict separation of religion and state — reigns. Christianity is an unquestioned part of European social life, whereas other religions are not. French secularism in the form of laïcité was enacted as law in 1905. It did not, however, resolve religion-based tensions. At the very same time, France became embroiled in the Dreyfus Affair, with the Jewish Capt. Alfred Dreyfus wrongly accused of espionage in a blatant, public act of anti-Semitism revealing deep national divides. Anti-Semitism has remained a part of French society since: Historically it has been linked to conservative movements, including those championed by the Catholic Church, and today is increasingly grounded in the far left and far right. France is home to both the largest Jewish (600,000) and largest Muslim (5.7 million) populations in Europe, the latter a result of large-scale postcolonial migration from Morocco and Algeria whose migrants arrived in France, like my Jewish mother, in the 1960s.

Today, laïcité appears in the news almost exclusively in relation to Islam. Beginning in 1989, a lasting controversy nicknamed “the headscarf debates” ensued, as Muslim girls were suspended or expelled from schools across the country for refusing to remove their headscarves. In 2004, all conspicuous religious symbols were outlawed in public schools across the country. In 2015, Sarah, a young girl from Charleville-Mézières, even made The New York Times after being suspended twice for wearing not a headscarf but a long black skirt — “an ostentatious sign” of her religious belief. In 2016, numerous beach towns in France banned burkinis, a body-concealing swimsuit. A dystopian moment involving police officers in Nice who forced a woman to remove her modest clothing was caught on camera. In 2017, the far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen built her campaign around demonizing Islam, comparing Muslim prayers to the Nazi occupation of France. She stood behind the “eat pork or go hungry campaign,” which pressures schools to stop offering alternative meals to their Muslim (and, arguably, Jewish) students. Jews are targeted as well by re-emerging ethno-nationalist discourses that cut across the political spectrum. Desecrated cemeteries and spray-painted swastikas have become increasingly common. In 2018, the same year that Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll was murdered in her Paris apartment, anti-Semitic incidents in France rose 74 percent. While anti-Semitism is largely blamed on France’s Muslim populace, both anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiment is stoked by politicians on the right and the left. Communist parliamentarian leader Andre Gerin sparked the debate that ultimately led to France’s niqab ban, citing “scandalous practices hidden behind the veil.” When I visited Paris in February, the Yellow Vests attacked Jewish philosopher Alain Finkielkraut in the center of the city. “Dirty Zionist, you’re going to die!” they declared. “France is ours.” Who are “we” and what is “ours” when many Muslims and Jews don’t feel secure in France? Notre Dame resides on an island in the center of Paris, between the right and left banks. The global solidarity that its partial destruction has invoked creates a powerful image as France — like much of Europe — grapples with rising discontent from both the left and the right. Its burning shines a light on a raw reality of contemporary French society: longing for redemption through a

stagnant, mythic past — and an enduring incapacity to include its religious minorities. The Jewish-German philosopher Walter Benjamin spent his last days wandering through 1940s Paris, a city that stole his heart but ultimately betrayed him, as he perished fleeing the occupation of the city by the Nazis. In his writings of the metropolis and beyond, Benjamin argued that every destruction unleashes the potential to construct something new. The scarred Notre Dame Cathedral, if not “ours,” is emblematic of human history — its crumbling and renovation, its unstoppable dynamism, that heartbreak can give way to

promise. And perhaps in this moment of reconstruction, France can forge a place in its culture for religious minorities: redemption sought through neither stagnancy nor division. PJC Elisabeth Becker is a sociologist and currently a postdoctoral fellow on the Religion & Its Publics project and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia. She is completing her academic book, “Unsettled Islam,” based on over 2.5 years of research in European mosques and has published in numerous mainstream outlets on religion and pluralism.

Correction In “Mike Doyle talks Israel, anti-Semitism and guns” (April 19), the story should have stated that Doyle met with former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert while visiting Israel. The story incorrectly stated that he met with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. The Chronicle regrets the error. PJC

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APRIL 26, 2019 13

Headlines Gallery: Continued from page 1

Immediately following the massacre, items and cards containing messages of comfort began arriving on the scene, and a makeshift memorial was quickly erected on the grounds of the building. “I had the feeling right after the event, when the makeshift memorial was growing, like there was positive momentum, that all these different communities were coming together,” Eisenberg said. “It seemed like such a shame to lose that.” The new project will afford people a way to “continue to contribute” by submitting life-affirming works of art, she explained. Images are to be uploaded online by May 31 at tolols.org/heartstogether, where specifications for submissions are detailed. Those works that are selected will be printed on the windscreens, surrounded by images of frames, to create a gallery-like look. Although not all images may be selected for the windscreens, all suitable works submitted will appear in an online gallery. “We think about those lost and injured all the time, and the people we lost were joyous, loving people who were in a place they loved, doing something that brought them pleasure and meaning,” Eisenberg said. “It is a more fitting tribute to them to project something meaningful.” Beautifying the property while it awaits reconstruction will help “bring back good memories,” said Stephen Cohen, co-president of New Light, which would have celebrated its

one-year anniversary in the Tree of Life synagogue building the week following the massacre. Many of his congregants have a sense of “homelessness” since their displacement after the attack, according to Cohen. The #HeartsTogether project will help them “to be able to say, this can be a beautiful place and until it reopens, it will be a beautiful place because the art, I suspect, will be beautiful, and that’s what makes it home.” For now, Cohen noted, “You can’t be inside; all you can do is drive by and wish for October 26. The windscreens will be an affirmation of moving forward. We have to deal in the present and create an image of what we want the future to be.” The project will also serve as an educational tool for the youth participating, said Ellen Surloff, immediate past president of Dor Hadash. It is imperative, she said, to “encourage youth from around the world to look forward to things like hope, beauty and love. The next generation has to be taught to prevent ideas of exclusivity going forward.” After being targeted during the “worst anti-Semitic attack in the history of the United States,” Surloff continued, the Tree of Life synagogue building “is a site of horror. But by putting out the messages of love, it’s really a great educational moment for that generation of students who participate from all over the world.” PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

p Lorraine Mackler was one of nearly 40 hikers who traversed the Negev in order to raise money for Camp Ramah’s Tikvah Program. Photo provided by Lorraine Mackler

Mackler: Continued from page 1

Tikvah program is. It’s not only crucial for families in the Tikvah program, but the integration of kids in camp allows typical kids to learn about all kinds of diversity,” she said. “Including everyone with different abilities and interests helps us understand everyone is made b’tzelem Elokim (in the image of God).” Mackler’s latest trip to Israel brought back more Ramah memories. “I was in Israel with Ramah in 1979 for the summer. It was very

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ritual-oriented,” she said. Returning 40 years later offered a similar vibe. “I expected and got a classic Ramah experience: There was amazing organization, everything was well-run and on message. There was an opening ceremony, tefilot relating to the places we were and explanations of the locations based on Tanakh.” Mackler praised the addition of history, geography, archeology, poetry and geology Please see Mackler, page 20

SEND THEM TO CAMP Camp is where children have the opportunity to build on becoming the best version of themselves. In his article Relationship Thinking In The World of Camping: Seven Questions Today’s Parents Ask (and One Answer!) Joe Rich, a well-known Canadian social worker, wrote that today’s parents are more discerning in providing meaningful summertime experiences for their children. They want to know how to get them off the couch, make friends outside of Facebook, limit screen time and help them become more resilient. According to Rich, the answer to all of these questions is simply, “Send them to camp.” As a product of Jewish camps myself, I am fortunate that my parents subscribed to the Joe Rich philosophy. Camp is where I made best friends who are still part of my life today. It’s where I learned to graciously accept wins and losses, where I discovered how to listen to others and where I became more self-confident. Camp was the driving force in what made my childhood awesome. If you want your child to have the opportunity to make friends, to feel safe with the choices they make, to try new adventures, to sometimes fail within a strong and nurturing support system and to laugh and cheer out loud—send them to a JCC day camp. Lewis Sohinki Director, James & Rachel Levinson Day Camp

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Life & Culture Review: “A Well-Read Woman: The Life, Loves and Legacy of Ruth Rappaport” — BOOKS — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

any people in the Washington, D.C., area still recall the late librarian Ruth Rappaport, but for those who weren’t privileged to meet the raconteur and opinionated bibliophile, firsttime author Kate Stewart has facilitated as close an introduction as possible. With heavy reliance on colleague and family recollections, Rappaport’s writings and her oral history at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Stewart crafts a narrative true to its alliterative title. “A Well-Read Woman: The Life, Loves and Legacy of Ruth Rappaport,” out next month from publisher Little A, provides enjoyable and sobering insight into the challenging and productive life of a 20th-century librarian. Born May 27, 1923, in Leipzig, Germany, Rappaport was 10 when the Nazi Party came to power. As a child, she witnessed many events that would foreshadow the horrors to come. She saw Hitler pass in an open-air vehicle, observed a book burning in Leipzig and later walked through the streets unnoticed during Kristallnacht. The latter was particularly haunting: Rappaport saw a group of elderly Jewish men ordered by Nazis to line up and face a wall. Then the Nazis shot a volley of bullets into the air. “It didn’t kill them. They just pretended to kill them all. And in some ways that was worse, because you heard the shots, opened your eyes and they were still standing,” said Rappaport in her USHMM oral history. The anecdotes and quotes Stewart has chosen for the book reveal a classic tale with modern overtones. Throughout her diary, Rappaport recorded dalliances with paramours — sometimes married men — and the struggle to be empowered and live a life free of degradation and sexual harassment. Stewart deftly shifts between Rappaport’s career choices and the double standard she faced as a correspondent for The Jewish Transcript and later as a librarian who, after tenures in Okinawa and Saigon, worked at the Library of Congress for 22 years. “She was so driven, so detail oriented, so outspoken and so judgmental of others she thought of as lazy or indifferent that she exasperated many people around her. However, if Ruth had been a man, she likely would have been admired for her strong leadership,” writes Stewart. The value of “A Well-Read Woman” is not merely its author’s attempts to highlight sexist practices, draw MeToo parallels or recount a survivor’s testimony, though Stewart does all that. Rather, the book provides a window into a librarian’s life

through the prism of a fellow professional, as Stewart is a third-generation librarian herself. Stewart pays homage to their shared profession by interspersing reflections on filing practices, her own work at the Library of Congress and the “rambling phone conversations” she and her mother shared on the subject of library budgets, all of which offer additional perspective. While the book isn’t quite as gripping as a spy novel, Stewart does do a fair bit of sleuthing, trying to “verify the stories” Rappaport recorded. She travels across the world to visit archives and review foreign manuscripts to shed light on a subject who, though born in Germany, educated in the United States and a resident of Israel during its independence, remained an outsider in each place. The journey of both subject and author is captivating, but never as enticing as the words of Rappaport herself. Stewart seems to recognize this and astutely allows Rappaport’s own

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Pittsburgh

The Hannah Kamin Annual

Lion of Judah Luncheon MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019 KIMPTON HOTEL MONACO 620 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

11:30AM

12:00 PM

REGISTRATION BEGINS

PROGRAM BEGINS

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER

Michelle Hirsch

Finding My Philanthropic Home

EVENT CHAIRS Ina Gumberg • Sandy Rosen • Marilyn Swedarsky language to shine, including things in the book like Rappaport’s autobiographical essay for admission to the University of California at Berkeley’s library school and her 2010 comments about the potential for another Holocaust: “Anti-Semitism is not dead. Sorry about that, but anyone who thinks it can’t happen here, I have news for you. It can happen anywhere, anytime. But I would not bet there would not be another.” These are evocative opportunities to better understand a compelling and complicated individual. Overall, “A Well-Read Woman” is an instructive read, illustrating the mesmerizing life of a truly unique individual. PJC

To RSVP or if you need accommodations for differing abilities, contact Julia Blake: 412.992.5222 or jblake@jfedpgh.org or register online at jewishpgh.org/lion-luncheon. This event is for women who are Lions of Judah, LOJE participants, or whose household commitment to the Community Campaign is $10,000 or more, or by special invitation. The Hannah Kamin Annual Lion of Judah Event has been generously endowed by the Kamin Family in Hannah’s memory and serves to remind us all of the power of women’s philanthropy.

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

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APRIL 26, 2019 15

Life & Culture Magic: Continued from page 11

were music halls, there were theaters, there was opera, and there was tons and tons of magic, and it was very competitive. “These were big illusion shows, and Herrmann just was the absolute greatest. He is the image — when you look at a poster of the archetypal pointy-beard, twinklein-the-eye kind of magician. That was his persona. He was a trickster. But he was also just brilliant. He did his act in six different languages, and apparently he was very, very witty. He was always on, he was kind, he was generous, he gave all his money away. When he died, he had a huge funeral in New York City at Temple Emanu-El, and it was like a day of national mourning.” A more recognizable name is Houdini. Born in 1874 in Hungary to a father who was a rabbi, Houdini immigrated to the United States with his family when he was a child, first to Wisconsin, and then to New York. He developed into a top athlete as well as a “pretty good magician,” said Kronzek. “He had enormous will, and by the time he was in his early 30s, he was the most famous, highest paid entertainer of any kind in the world. He promoted himself with his escape artist stuff. And he was also a crusader against phony mediums and spiritualists.” Another renowned Jewish magician in early 20th-century America was Horace Goldin, “whose real name was Hymie

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p Magician Lee Terbosic

Goldstein,” who became famous by sawing a person in half. Although he did not invent the effect, “he certainly exploited it, and he had wonderful versions of doing it. He was a very colorful character,” said Kronzek. Many other Jewish magicians took to the

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16 APRIL 26, 2019

Photo courtesy of Lee Terbosic

vaudeville circuit, which “was often Jewishowned, so there was networking going on and they could get jobs,” he explained. Why Jewish immigrants were attracted to the field of magic might be explained by some of the same reasons Jews were widely attracted to other performance genres, including theater, filmmaking and songwriting. “They did so, I guess, because they couldn’t become doctors or lawyers — or they were just very talented — but certainly the door was open,” Kronzek surmised. Jack Greenberg, a Jewish Pittsburgh native who has been practicing magic for 80 years, senses that Jews’ attraction to the field may be connected to the intellectual curiosity emphasized by their traditions. “Many of the greats of magic were Jewish,” noted Greenberg, who is 89, still performs for private events, and practices his craft three hours each day. “I suspect our faith encourages investigation, curiosity, resolution of puzzles and problems. It goes back to the Talmudic scholars who spent their time interpreting and arguing with one another. This is built into our faith — we’re raised to be curious and ask questions and try to resolve them. And that’s a part of magic. The art of magic relies significantly upon that feature.” Magic, he added, is an inclusive pursuit, which could help explain why so many Jews are drawn to it. “Birds of feather flock together,” he said. “There is some grouping involved here. There’s no rejection as you find in other pursuits. There’s encouragement of people of all faiths, of all colors, of all origins to get involved with magic.” Greenberg has been a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians — the “largest magical organization in the world” — for 75 years. Pittsburgh has had its own branch of the organization, called Tampa Ring 13, for 90 years. “Pittsburgh has a rich magical history,” noted Greenberg. “And there have been quite

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a few Jewish magicians.” He recalled, in the mid-20th century, “a past president of the organization that was widely known as a hypnotist in Pittsburgh, and he was a well-known lawyer, his name, I believe was Schmidt. He was quite successful and put on quite a few shows. That Schmidt fellow was Jewish and very active in Jewish affairs as well.” Then there were the Brodie brothers, Greenberg said. Elliot Brodie, who was known as “Steve,” was a dentist who was a hypnotist and also did mental magic. His magician brother David was a podiatrist. “They called themselves the foot-andmouth disease specialists,” said Greenberg. Ralph Schugar, a Pittsburgh mortician, also was an active magician at the time. Of course, there are still many Jewish magicians at the top of their craft today, including David Copperfield (born Steve Kotkin), Teller of the duo Penn and Teller, and David Blaine. Currently at Liberty Magic is magician Lee Terbosic, who is not Jewish, but who has spent a lot of time studying — and replicating — the work of Houdini. His 60-minute show “In Plain Sleight,” runs through May 12, and blends comedy, sleight of hand, illusion, mind reading, escape and storytelling. The show is immensely entertaining, and Terbosic, an internationally known magician and Pittsburgh native, is a natural and engaging performer. In November 2016, Terbosic accomplished Houdini’s upside-down straightjacket escape at the exact spot it was originally performed, 100 years to the day of Houdini’s feat. He also traveled to Britain and Hungary with Houdini’s great-grandnephew, George Hardeen, to create a four-part TV series “Houdini’s Last Secrets,” which premiered Jan. 6 on Discovery’s Science Channel, and is currently available on Amazon Prime. Houdini performed in Pittsburgh 13 times over the course of about 20 years, at the Davis Theater to sold out crowds, Terbosic Please see Magic, page 21

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Life & Culture Meet the Korean-American woman who leads the Jewish Renewal movement — RELIGION — By Josefin Dolsten | JTA

ooJi Min-Maranda rarely sees other Jewish people who look like her. “I often feel very isolated as a Jew of color living in the Midwest,” she said. Min-Maranda, who lives in Ann Arbor, Mich., with her husband and two children, was born in Korea but moved with her family to the United States at the age of 3. In her role as executive director of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, she may be the most visible person of color leading a Jewish religious organization. Though 11 percent of American Jews do not identify as white, according to the Steinhardt Social Research Institute’s American Jewish Population Project, there are few people of color in visible leadership roles in the community. “At my positional level, I don’t have peers,” Min-Maranda, 49, said in a phone interview last week. Min-Maranda, who has been leading ALEPH for a little over a year, wants to both increase the number of Jews of color that lead Jewish organizations and raise awareness in the wider community about Jews of different backgrounds. She recently participated in the

p SooJi Min-Maranda is among the few people of color in visible leadership roles in the Jewish community. Photo by J.D. Scott via JTA

#ShareHerStory campaign, an initiative by the Jewish Multiracial Network, Jewish Women’s Archive and Repair the World to amplify the voices of Jewish women of color. Min-Maranda was one of 10 Jewish women whose stories were highlighted as part of the Purim campaign. “I am a very strong believer in the power of telling stories,” said Min-Maranda, noting that as part of her conversion she adopted

the name Seeprah, the feminine singular form of the Hebrew verb meaning “to tell.” “The power of the story to humanize and bring people together at a very intimate level is extraordinarily powerful,” she said. “So I think the idea of sharing stories reduces barriers and increases connectedness.” At ALEPH, Min-Maranda is working on a range of projects, including engaging

people who may not know about Jewish Renewal, developing the next generation of Jewish leaders, creating a dual narrative training about Israel and the Palestinians for its rabbinical students and finding ways to welcome Jews of color. Jewish Renewal emerged in the late 1960s and ’70s as the counterculture movement was at its peak. Its draws on Hasidic and Kabbalistic teachings and music, centering those philosophies and practices within a progressive framework. ALEPH lists 52 organizations, individuals and synagogues in its directory of Jewish Renewal communities. The movement describes itself as combining “the socially progressive values of egalitarianism, the joy of Chasidism, the informed do-it-yourself spirit of the havurah movement and the accumulated wisdom of centuries of tradition.” Jewish Renewal emerged from the havurah movement, independent prayer and study groups that were lay-led and provided an intimate alternative to the more hierarchical synagogue structure. Prior to working at ALEPH, Min-Maranda served as the director of Temple Beth Emeth, a Reform congregation in Ann Arbor. Previously, she served as executive director of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, Please see Renewal, page 18

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APRIL 26, 2019 17

Celebrations

Torah

Bat Mitzvah

More than four questions

Zoe Elizabeth Sobel-Drum, daughter of Ari Sobel and Christina Drum of Upper St. Clair, will become a bat mitzvah on Saturday, April 27 at Temple Emanuel of South Hills. Zoe is the sister of Heather Ward and Makis Sobel-Drum. Grandparents are the late John and Margaret Teri Drum and the late Rabbi Richard Sobel and Judith Rosenthal Sobel. PJC

Renewal: Continued from page 17

a nonprofit that focuses on adolescent sexual health and parenting, and the Korean American Community Service in Chicago, which provides social services to the local Korean and Latino immigrant communities. Growing up, Min-Maranda’s family was not religious. She learned about Judaism in her late 20s when she started attending lectures about Judaism. The lessons she learned resonated deeply and a few years later she went through a formal conversation at a Reform synagogue in Chicago. Since then, Min-Maranda has found new ways of making Judaism her own by incorporating different philosophies that complement her practice, including meditation and yoga. “I became interested in mindfulness meditation and realized that it seemed empty without being anchored by my faith, so I was trained and studied Jewish mindfulness meditation,” she said. “From that I realized I needed to get more into my body so I did training in yoga to try to connect my mind and body.”

Making Jewish Renewal an inclusive movement is crucial to Min-Maranda. She remembers the challenges of applying for her first executive-level jobs in the Jewish community about a decade ago before starting as the director of Temple Beth Emeth. She said she faced resistance both due to her race and the fact that her husband is not Jewish, as well as not having grown up in and working in the Jewish community. “I had a lot of management experience obviously, but I didn’t grow up in a JCC, I didn’t run summer camps, I didn’t do youth groups,” Min-Maranda said. “I didn’t have all the normal resume for a traditional Jewish professional. I wasn’t welcomed with open arms. I faced a lot of resistance.” Though she initially became Jewish through the Reform movement, she believes Jewish Renewal is the only place she can fully embrace all her identities openly. “I am in and part of multiple identities simultaneously, and that’s what ALEPH has room for,” she said. “It’s the first place that I feel has the possibility of allowing me to be fully myself. We’re not there yet, but the possibility is there.” PJC

Federation raises more than $327,000 for victims in Christchurch

he Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh has raised more than $327,000, from more than 4,400 donors for its New Zealand Islamophobic Attack Emergency Relief Fund. “We opened this emergency relief fund in solidarity with the Christchurch and local Muslim community, after the Pittsburgh Muslim community was so helpful and supportive after the attack on our own religious institutions last year,” said Brian Eglash, chief development officer for the Federation in a prepared statement. “None of us here anticipated this incredible outpouring of support from around the world.” The Federation launched the fund on March 15, 2019, just hours after the attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The fund closed March 31, 2019, but the Federation anticipates additional donations from private fundraising efforts and foundations which may be combined with the donations to the Federation’s fund. “As a community who experienced an act of hate against our loved ones, we hope for healing for New Zealand as well,” said Jeffrey Finkelstein, president and CEO of the Federation, in a prepared statement. The Federation has formed a committee of volunteers that is vetting potential partners in New Zealand, and is working with a local resource in New Zealand to ensure that the New Zealand partners can meet standards of fiduciary responsibility. PJC

Rabbi Cheryl Klein Passover

a Nishtana, why was this Passover 5779 in Pittsburgh different from all other Passovers? Because this year we had many more than four questions. We were asking, “Why were our 11 beautiful souls taken from us at the hands of a semiautomatic weapon-wielding maniac who drank the Kool Aid of hate and fear rhetoric? Why have houses of worship the world over been denied the space for peaceful prayer and assembly at the hands of terrorists? Why do we have to remember one more Haman-like figure? When does our Pesach story ever get a good ending?” No seder is complete without discussing the meaning of three words, Pesach, matzah and maror. Pesach, the sacrificial lamb, took on new meaning this year as we remember those who died Al Kiddush HaShem, for the sanctification of God’s name while in holy sacrificial prayer. Matzah consumed this year makes us think about those having to flee for their lives, both here in Pittsburgh and the world over as anti-Semitism is on the rise. The maror conjured up the bittersweet feeling of how nice it was to gather with family and friends while agonizing over the emptiness of those who were not there to take their rightful place at the seder table. Bechol Dor v’Dor, in every generation, we as Jews are to feel as though we personally had come out of Egypt, so we are told in the Haggadah. We don’t have to physically be in the location where innocent lives are threatened to feel the pain of those who are subjected to a plagued society. We are blessed with a spirit of compassion, empathic wisdom and sage guidance to believe that we can do better to combat the ills that lie on the fringe of our communities. We must not

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and rituals, we strengthen our families and engage in bringing relevance and value to our miraculous history and existence. As the words of Isaiah (10:32-12:6) are read this Shabbat, let’s be invigorated by the vision of a time of hope and peace when out of the mighty trees in our midst that have been truncated by terror, a new sprout with the spirit of wisdom and insight, counsel and valor will arise which will set the standard for our society. This notion of a better world begins with each of us, one mitzvah at a time. Shabbat shalom. PJC Rabbi Cheryl Klein is cantor and spiritual leader of Congregation Dor Hadash.

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Obituaries B E N N E T T: Tilden Bennett on April 16, 2019, beloved husband of Pamela Handlovitch Bennett; son of the late Esther and Nathan Bennett; beloved brother of the late Burt Bennett (Mitzy); beloved father of Nathan Bennett (Jamie), Steven Bennett (Terri Gomez), and David Bennett (Mindy); beloved grandfather of Elizabeth, Greg, Bailey, Elijah, Lexi, Shayna, Eliana, Gabriela, and Isabela. Tilden grew up in Squirrel Hill, attended Valley Forge Military Academy, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and served in the United States Army. He started several businesses including real estate development and co-founder of DynaVox Systems. Under his guidance, DynaVox became a world-leading manufacturer of augmentative communication solutions. DynaVox Systems had a profound impact on his life as well as many others. He became a strong advocate for people with disabilities and the professionals and families that support them. He was active in Variety the Children’s Charity and Rotary International. His passion to support those in need was evidenced by his years of generosity. He took great pride in receiving the 1998 Pennsylvania Small Business Persons of the Year Award. Services were held at Beth El Congregation. Interment Tiphereth Israel Cemetery. Contributions may be made in his name to either: Variety the Children’s Charity (https://www.varietypittsburgh.org/) 11279 Perry Highway, Suite 512, Wexford, PA 15090 or Carnegie-Collier Rotary Club (https://www. ccrotary.org/), PO Box 153, Carnegie PA 15106. BRAUN: Dorothy F. Braun peacefully passed away surrounded by family at Shadyside Hospital on Saturday morning, April 13, at the age of 91 and 9 months, the same age at which her husband, Howard E. Braun, died four years earlier. Born July 13, 1927, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to parents Alex and Sarah Friedman, she and her brothers Emil and Julian loved growing up with dozens of cousins and friends within their Brownsville neighborhood. She met Howard in Brooklyn through his sister, Lora. Soon after marriage, they moved to Schenectady and San Jose, eventually settling in Pittsburgh in 1963. Dottie was a founding member of Congregation Dor Hadash and an active member of the Pittsburgh Jewish community. She was also a life-long Hadassah member, starting with Junior Hadassah. She was well loved by her family and friends. She was always very supportive of her family and encouraged them to pursue new adventures and grow as individuals. She is survived by children Steven and Rachel Braun, Michele Braun and Norman Bernstein, and Janet Braun; grandchildren Aviva and Justin, Eli and Alyce, Hannan, Molly and Alex, SarahJudith, Louis, Shira; and great-granddaughter Simone. Services were held at Homewood Cemetery Chapel, Pittsburgh. Please make memorial contributions to a charity of your choice. Professional services entrusted to D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory LTD., (Lawrenceville). dalessandroltd.com. DIZENFELD: Roberta “Bobbie” Dizenfeld, on Monday, April 15, 2019. Beloved wife of the late Mervin Dizenfeld. Beloved mother of Howard Dizenfeld of Springfield, Va., and Charles Dizenfeld of Richmond, Va.

Aunt of Dr. Ruth Stock Zober, Dr. Robert Stock and Dr. E. Lee Stock. Also survived by great-nieces and nephews and great-greatnieces and nephews. Graveside services and interment were held at Pliskover Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Pliskover Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 8237, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com EMMETT: Adam Joshua “A.J.” Emmett, 45, passed from this earth on April 11, 2019, from accidental drowning in Acadia National Park Bar Harbor, Maine. A.J. was born on July 26, 1973 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Mark and Paula Emmett. A.J. grew up a happy and mischievous kid who could often be found at the pool and tennis court in the Mews, where his family lived in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. He was adored by all for his friendly demeanor and precociousness. During high school A.J. became an avid mountain biker and skier. This was the beginning of a life-long love of outdoor sports and adventure. Though he spent some time studying psychology at Adelphi University and Northeastern, A.J. found that he was drawn to more earthly and physical pursuits. The summer after graduating from high school A.J. moved to Bar Harbor, Maine, to live with his older brother. He worked for Acadia Bike & Kayak and at Acadia Outdoors. He spent many days biking on the carriage roads, sea kayaking along the coast and learning how to climb with friends on the island’s many boulders and cliffs. That summer began A.J.’s life-long love of Mt. Desert Island/ Acadia, a place that he considered his home. After spending some time traveling and living briefly in Boulder, Colorado, near Seneca Rocks in West Virginia, in the Franconia Notch/White Mountain area of New Hampshire, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and in Joshua Tree, California, A.J. returned to Bar Harbor to live and work. A.J. was a skilled carpenter who worked on many building projects with his good friend Dave Lavelle, for many of the Island’s construction companies, with his own Ace Remodeling Company, and most recently for the Nelson F. Goodwin Company, a building contractor on MDI. A.J. was also a talented photographer, musician and an enthusiastic record collector. He was a beloved son, brother, and uncle. Adam is survived by his former wife Rebecca Hunter; mother, Paula Sokolow and husband Jerry Sokolow; brother Richard Emmett and his wife, Kimberly Lawson; nephews Aubrey and Levi Emmett; uncles Art Pumpian and his sons, Ryan and Jeremy; Gary Emmett and his wife Marianne, and their children Gillian, Ariel, Ilana and Issac; Sam Emmett and his wife Judy, and their children Brent and Debbie. He was predeceased by his father, Mark Lawrence Emmett. A Celebration of Life for A.J. was held in Ellsworth, Maine. Those who desire may make contributions in A.J.’s memory to the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Maine and Friends of Acadia. Arrangements by Jordan-Fernald Funeral Homes located at 1139 Main Street Mt. Desert, Maine 04660. Condolences may be expressed at jordanfernald.com

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THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS — Sunday April 28: Marvin Adams, Lillian Ethel Brown, Samuel Feldman, Anna Goldman, Sidney M Levine, Florence Rosenfeld Myers, Lillian Rogoff, Sylvia Rosenfeld, Jennie R. Rush, Jacob Sadwick, Solomon Stalinsky, Edith G. Steiner Monday April 29: Sarah Alpern, Benjamin Americus, Alter L. Baker, Morris Benjamin, Morris Bergstein, Sherry Hilda Berkowitz, Sadye Burnkrant, Arthur R. Cohen, Robert M. Colnes, Myer Farber, Louis Freedman, Abraham Goldberg, Ida Cohen Hahn, Pfc. Lee Robert Katz, Benjamin Paul Krause, Harry Levine, Fannie Mayer, Sadie Nadler, Sol Niderberg, Edward J. Pearlstein, Anita Closky Rothman, Ida K. Samuels, Dorothy Z. Sandson, Julius Schwartz, Freda Ferber Thorpe, Emma Winer Tuesday April 30: Isadore Ash, Jennie Breakstone, Sam Dizenfeld, Robert F. Glick, Zelda Glick, Sarah Harris, Celia Jacobson, Margaret Green Kotovsky, Sam Labovitz, Mildred Levine, Ethel Mallinger, Beatrice Blumenfeld Nathan, Morris Perelstine, Louis Rubin, William Sacks, Bess H. Strauss, Bertha Swartz Wednesday May 1: Sara Altman, Zachary Caplan, Lester Wolf Cohen, Philip M. Colker, Isabel Glantz, Adel Horwitz, Maier Krochmal, Joseph M. Lazier, Hyman Lederstein, Ben Levick, Nathan Levy, Isadore Mendelson, Rae Pariser, Leah Simon, Earl Roy Surloff, Isidor Weiss Thursday May 2: Shirley Bernstein, Fannie Caplan, Irene Elenbaum, Pearl Rebekah Friedman, Julia R. Goldsmith, Phillip Ruben, Betty Shermer, Beatrice P. Smizik, Frieda Troffkin, Lawrence Martin Wallie, Jacob Young Friday May 3: Israel Blinn, Morris D. Canter, Clara Esther Choder, Bennie Chotiner, Mollie S. Davis, Rebecca Fineberg, Lillian Forman, Rachel Hodes, Max Kalser, Albert Katzman, Sarah Kramer, Julian H. Rozner, Ida Schmidt, Henry Singer, Benjamin William Steerman, Irving M. Stolzenberg, Sylvan B. Sunstein, Belle Treelisky, Sara H. Udman, Morris S. Unger, David Whitman, Leroy L. Williams Saturday May 4: Joseph Abraham Abady, Jacob Ash, Joseph A. Block, Sarah H. Brodie, Jerome M. Brody, Selma Winograd Cohen, Max Felder, Mollie Fiman, Abraham Friedman, Jacob Goldman, Harry Hertz, Bella Hostein, Pearl Janowitz, Fae Greenstein Klein, Rose Lebowitz, Jacob Levinson, Morton (Bud) Litowich, Bessie Mallinger, Anna M. Oppenheim, Morris Pearlman, Evelyn M. Perlmutter, Meyer Schlessinger, Alvin Silverman

Please see Obituaries, page 20

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APRIL 26, 2019 19

Obituaries Obituaries: Continued from page 19

GARSON: Elaine Weinstein Garson of The Villages, Florida, formerly of Pittsburgh, peacefully passed away on April 10, 2019. She was preceded in death by her husband Robert Weinstein and is survived by her husband Aubrey Garson, son Orrin (Bonnie) Weinstein and Ellis (Randi) Weinstein. She is the grandmother of Robbie, Jared and David Weinstein. Donations in her memory can be made to the Chabad of the South Hills. GIBSON: Lois K. Gibson, age 92, of Minneapolis, passed away April 16, 2019, quietly at her residence due to complications from cancer. Born in Hudson, N.Y., she received her B.A. in journalism from the Ohio State University before moving to New York City with her husband, Larry. In 1966, she, Larry, and their children relocated to Minneapolis, where she became active in the local arts scene, DFL politics, women’s rights and Jewish organizations, particularly at Temple Israel. A champion of the arts, Lois served on the boards of the Minnesota Opera, the Goldstein Gallery, the Metro Council Arts Commission and Theatre de la Jeune Lune. In

the political arena, Lois ran for Minneapolis City Council, and for the DFL endorsement for the 5th Congressional District. She served on the DFL State Central Committee and 5th District Central Committee, and was chosen as a delegate and alternate to both Minnesota and National Democratic Conventions. She served on CLIC (Capital Long Range Improvement Commission) for Minneapolis. Deeply committed to her faith, Lois served as President of the Midwest Federation of Temple Sisterhoods and as a National Board Member of WRJ (Women of Reform Judaism). She also served as an officer and board member of the Temple Israel Sisterhood, and the National Council of Jewish Women. In 2012, she and Larry received the distinguished award for Outstanding Community Service and Service to Temple Israel. In her 80s, Lois turned to writing, publishing two mystery novels. Her ultimate goal was, “To leave this world a better place for my having been here.” Her legacy lives on through her extended family and the countless people whose lives she touched with her commitment to activism and boldness of spirit. Lois is preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Lawrence D. Gibson and survived by her sister, Jeannette Moller (Bill); Children: Stuart (Adrienne), Richard (Cheryl), James (Barbara), Mark (Kirstin) and Jessica Cook (John); Grandchildren: Elyse Ash (Brad),

Rebecca, Micah (Catherine), Avi, David, Sam and Paula; and great-grandchildren, Noa, Abby and Liora. Funeral services were held at Temple Israel, Minneapolis. In lieu of flowers, memorials to “The Gibson Family Reform Education Fund” at Temple Israel. Hodroff-Epstein 612-871-1234 hodroffepstein.com KLEIN: Olga Klein of Pittsburgh, age 93, died April 21, 2019. Survived by many nieces and nephews. Sister of the late Morris Klein and the late Judge H. Beryl Klein. Olga graduated from Aliquippa High School in 1943. Olga’s favorite hobby was attending, watching and listening to various sporting events. Olga was one of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ most loyal fans, attending hundreds of games over the last 80 years. She attended a Pirates’ game as recently as 2 years ago. Special thanks to Judy O’Connor, the late Mayor Bob O’Connor and the entire O’Connor family for their unwavering loyalty, support and friendship; and to the staff and residents of the Forward-Shady Apartments; and the staff at Community Life, who cared for Olga the last several years; and to her nephew, Judge Arnie Klein. Graveside services and interment were held at the Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association Cemetery, Shaler Township. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

MATTHEWS: Hannah (Polster) Matthews, age 101, of Oakmont, Pa., formerly of Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, April 2, 2019. Wife of late Dr. Jack Matthews. Mother of Rachel Matthews of Austin, Texas, and Rebecca Matthews and husband Jim Wallack. Grandmother of Eliana and Carina Wallack of Boston, Mass. Educator, environmentalist, community activist. Memorial contributions may be made to Nature Conservancy, EDF, PBS. Condolences may be left at mccabebrothers.com SHAPIRO: Lois (Field) Shapiro, on Wednesday, April 17, 2019. Beloved wife of the late David Shapiro. Loving mother Susan (Bruce) Feldman, Stephen (Debra) Shapiro and Judy (Eric) Rogalsky. Sister of the late Milton (late Edith) Field, late Joseph (surviving spouse Rose) Field, late Irene “Toby” (late Abner) Schepartz, late Phyllis (late Samuel) Stein and late Marilyn (late Stanley) Markovitz. “Nana” to Michael (Pam) Feldman, Seth Feldman, Justin Rogalsky, Benjamin Shapiro and Allyson Rogalsky. Great-grandmother of Claire Feldman. Also survived by nieces and nephews. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Kether Torah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Family Hospice at Canterbury Place, 310 Fisk Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. The family of Lois Shapiro would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Peter Tanzer. schugar.com PJC

Mackler: Continued from page 14

lessons, “and even a touch of Chassidut,” that were included along the way. Apart from the intellectual stimulation, “they took care of us as individuals and fostered relationships between people,” she said. “It was just like going to camp but with more autonomy.” On the first day of their expedition, Tuesday, April 2, following Shacharit and breakfast, Mackler and her fellow hoofers began in the Hatira Canyon, just outside the Yerucham Crater. The group then proceeded south and encountered wildflowers, canyons filled with water due to earlier rains and other beautiful sights, she recalled. Four days later, after having scaled ladders pressed against limestone and traversing large boulders, Mackler and the other travelers enjoyed a restful Shabbat in Mitzpe Ramon. After dinner Friday evening, they listened to a panel discussion from camp leaders and parents involved with the Tikvah program. Mackler said she heard “how crucial Tikvah is to their families.” “For many of these kids, this is the only Jewish program where they are participating

p The hikers pose for a celebratory photo.

like typical kids, but with the supports they require. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house,” she said. On Sunday, the group continued south and eventually ended in Eilat. Mackler was not present for the final get-together — she left

LEGAL NOTICE

early to attend a family bris in Beit Shemesh — but said she is proud of the overall accomplishment, even if it proved “more challenging than anticipated.” “I am a novice and haven’t hiked like this before,” she said. “But I want my

kids and everyone to see that everyone should be included. All of our children are precious.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

LEGAL NOTICE | TESTAMENTARY

Letita M. Pratt, Deceased of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania No. 02-18-04708 Executrix: Patricia A. Giron; 1319 Tenace Drive; Pittsburgh, PA 15228 or to Bruce S. Gelman, Esquire, Gelman & Reisman, Law & Finance Bldg., 429 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1701, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 20 APRIL 26, 2019

Photo provided by Lorraine Mackler

Estate of Sidney N. Busis, Deceased, of Pittsburgh, PA. No 021901974 of 2019. Co-Executor, Neil A. Busis, 6934 Rosewood St., Pittsburgh, PA 15208 Co-Executor, Richard J. Busis, 460 Wyngate Rd., Wynnewood, PA or to E.J. Strassburger of Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky Attys., Four Gateway Ctr., 444 Liberty Ave., Ste 2200, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

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Life & Culture Magic Continued from page 16

said, and in 1907, Houdini jumped off what is now the Andy Warhol Bridge. Terbosic, an artistic advisor to Liberty Magic, envisions the club as “a new home for Pittsburgh magic,” he said. “My vision

long-term is to have the level of talent remain at a very high place,” and to continue to bring in magicians from around the world. The club, which opened in February, has been consistently selling out each show. “People are intrigued by the art, and seeing it live,” Terbosic said. “People see magic usually on television or YouTube, but seeing it live is a different experience.” Although his current Liberty Magic show

is focused on sleight of hand and mental magic, Terbosic has performed several of Houdini’s escape stunts. In addition to the upside-down hanging straight jacket, he performed the underwater torture escape, buried alive, the bullet catch and the Carette escape, in which Houdini — and Terbosic — escaped from a Russian transport car, in handcuffs, in 24 minutes. All of these feats can be viewed on “Houdini’s Last Secrets.”

And Terbosic has something else up his sleeve: He is working on another stunt that Houdini performed while in Pittsburgh, although for now, Terbosic is keeping the details under wraps. He is aiming, though, to master it and perform it to crowds in Market Square in 2020. PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Community t Carnegie Mellon University Hillel was privileged to send 25 student leaders from across the CMU campus on an eight-day, high-level fact-finding trip to Israel. The trip, sponsored by the Maccabee Task Force, provides students with a sophisticated and holistic experience that goes beyond the headlines.

Photo courtesy of Hillel Jewish University Center

Dreaming Radically Youth Conference More than 25 high school students attended the conference from not only Fox Chapel Area High School, but also from Baldwin High School, Deer Lakes High School, Urban Pathways Charter School and Pittsburgh Allderdice High School. The program was held at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and was free to any high school student.

p Hadassah’s Carmel Chapter prepared and served dinner to those staying at Family House. From front to back: Kathy Bleckman, Zandra Goldberg and Susan Mazer Photo courtesy of Susan Mazer

p During the BBYO Regionals convention held April 5-7, a new regional board from Keystone Mountain Region BBYO was elected. From left: Kaylee Werner, Jeffrey Hertzberg, Maya Royston, Austin Forman, Niv Loberant, Justin Tannenbaum, Casey Lazear and Ian Caplan; not pictured Samantha Seewald Photo by Lindsay Migdal

22 APRIL 26, 2019

p Using a grant received from the Dreaming Radically Youth Conference, Fox Chapel Area High School sophomores Abigail Rickin-Marks and Suparna Agrawal offered a half-day workshop on promoting social justice in schools. The theme of the workshop was “Be the Change: Fight Discrimination in School.” According to Abigail, “High school students can make a difference and need to make our voices heard. Understanding the issues and joining together allows us to be the change we want to see.”

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Photo courtesy of Abigail Rickin-Marks

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Community Lest We Forget Local Holocaust survivors gathered at the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh to meet with German-Italian photographer Luigi Toscano. The survivors enjoyed socializing over lunch as Toscano photographed each survivor to include in the international project, LEST WE FORGET. The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh are partnering to bring this project to Oakland from mid-October to mid-November 2019. LEST WE FORGET is a series of outdoor exhibitions that presents large-scale portraits of Holocaust survivors that directly confront passersby, challenging viewers to face the past, both to ensure that history will never repeat itself, and to raise awareness of the hatred and bigotry present in society today. LEST WE FORGET has been displayed in high-profile locations around the world, including at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. u From left: Esther Falk, Solange Leibovitz, Luigi Toscano, Shulamit Bastacky, Lauren Bairnsfather, Holocaust Center director, Irene Szulman, Albert Farhy and Herman Snyder

Exhibit at Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh hosted an exhibit opening for local artist, poet and beloved community member Judy Robinson on April 9. During the standing-room only event, called “The Numbers Keep Changing,” Robinson read her poetry alongside corresponding paintings she created. The exhibit will be on display at the Holocaust Center through early June. Art prints of the displayed paintings are on sale, proceeds of which benefit the Holocaust Center’s educational mission. Call the Holocaust Center at 412-421-1500 for more information or to purchase a print.

p Judy Robinson standing in front of the focal point of the exhibit, a tribute to the victims of the Tree of Life shooting.

Photos courtesy of the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh

Machers & Shakers Former Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle intern and Point Park University graduate Andrew Goldstein was part of the Pittsburgh PostGazette team honored with a 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. The Post-Gazette was recognized for its coverage of the shooting deaths of 11 people and wounding of six others Oct. 27, 2018, at the Tree of Life building. Goldstein earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Point Park University. Goldstein supplemented his classwork by being part of The Globe, Point Park’s student-run newspaper. Goldstein also interned at the Post-Gazette while a student and was hired full time by the Post-Gazette after graduating. Goldstein said the team’s work on the Tree of Life story was “the greatest honor of my life.” Photo courtesy of Andrew Goldstein

Jeffrey Finkelstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, is a winner of the 2019 Fox Rothschild Outstanding CEOs and Top Executives Award, one of 15 honored for leadership and commitment to the community. Under Finkelstein’s watch, the Federation has raised more than $400 million to help people in need. Following the Oct. 27, 2018, murders at the Tree of Life building, Finkelstein played a major role in bringing together religious leaders for a memorial vigil for the victims that was held at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall, and he continues to work on helping to heal the community. Finkelstein and his wife Jennifer have two children, Tova and Joseph.

Jessica Stein, Community Day School and Pittsburgh Allderdice graduate, has been recognized by the Miami Beach Police for her service to the Special Victims Unit in her capacity as nurse director of the Mental Health Unit of Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Stern is the daughter of Jules and Jan Stein. She started her nursing career at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC before being recruited by Mt. Sinai Medical Center and moving to Miami. Photo courtesy of Jules and Jan Stein

Amallia Rascoe, USY president, is featured with Beth Shalom USY’s latest winning awards: Kadima Chapter of the Year, Best Jewish Education, Greatest Year Long Commitment to Israel, Best Social Action Program (thirdtime winner for Jews for Justice) and Best Jewish Holiday Program.

Photo courtesy of Congregation Beth Shalom

Photo by Josh Franzos

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APRIL 26, 2019 23

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