Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 5-31-19

May 31, 2019 | 26 Iyar 5779

Candlelighting 8:25 p.m. | Havdalah 9:33 p.m. | Vol. 62, No. 22 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Offstein ends bike rodeo The Butler native ends a 25-year-old tradition.

Page 2

LOCAL Celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut

The Jewish community celebrated Israeli Independence Day at Schenley Plaza Page 4 LOCAL Stepping down

Educator Tzippy Mazer has announced her retirement.

Page 5

$1.50

Sylvia Busis, matriarch, mentor Lights and communal steward, dies at 94 turned on for Tanzanian village thanks to Classrooms Without Borders

By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

I at what was then the Schenley Hotel, and officiated by Rabbi Benjamin Lichter of B’nai Israel Congregation. Sylvia and Sidney remained married for 71 years.

During that time, Sidney pursued a career in medicine while Sylvia earned a master’s degree in social work at Pitt. She became a medical social worker at Montefiore Hospital and held the position for a year at the University of Pennsylvania. Sylvia’s trajectory mirrored the era, and like many of her contemporaries her vocational identity was dwarfed by domestic expectations. Although her formal employment ceased with the birth of a child, Neil, in 1951, Sylvia, never bitter, repackaged the acuity and zeal that aided her academic success into an unwavering drive to support her husband, their four sons and the community she held dear.

As Sidney pursued otolaryngology and performed tracheotomies on children with polio at Pittsburgh’s Municipal Hospital, Sylvia raised four rambunctious boys.

After the youngest son, Bill, went off to college, Sylvia could have retired from her domestic duties

rene Samwel Chimwaga, a 17-year-old student at Maila Secondary School in Chamwino District, Tanzania, dreams of becoming a doctor. Her favorite subjects are physics, chemistry, biology and math.

Until a few weeks ago, though, it was difficult for Irene to study those subjects — or anything else — in the evening because her school had no adequate light source. During the national examination period, things got particularly difficult, as students and teachers had to prepare for those exams after dark using only the low light of kerosene lamps.

Now, thanks to a partnership between Pittsburgh-based Classrooms Without Borders, the Israeli non-profit Innovation: Africa and some local high school students from Shady Side Academy and Pittsburgh Allderdice, Chimwaga and her classmates now have the light they need to study and prepare as they wish any time of the day.

“I can walk even going to classes at night to study because the whole school compound is surrounded by light and my dream of being a doctor will be attained due to availability of light at our school,” Chimwaga wrote in an email.

More than 620 million people in Africa lack access to electricity, a challenge that is being addressed by Innovation: Africa through the installation of Israeli solar technology. Innovation: Africa hires and trains locals to construct and maintain the solar systems, providing employment opportunities in the region as well.

Innovation: Africa also installs solar pumps to help solve the water shortage by

Please see Busis, page 16

Please see Classrooms, page 16

 Sylvia Busis

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

S

ylvia Busis, a career volunteer whose contributions to Pittsburgh’s Jewish community signaled a singular passion and served as a beacon to proteges, died on Wednesday, May 15. She was 94 and lived most of her life in Pittsburgh’s East End. Born November 17, 1924, to Samuel and Anna Amdur, Sylvia grew up on Shady Avenue, just north of Fifth Avenue in Shadyside. As a young woman, first at Shakespeare School then at Taylor Allderdice, Sylvia’s penchant for learning and service was recognized. At the University of Pittsburgh, she was active in the Women’s Self Government Association, served on the yearbook’s editorial staff and as student congress president. It was also at Pitt that, prior to completing a degree in English, she met Sidney Busis.

As Sidney recalled in a 1993 recording with National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section, “In my view she was the prettiest girl in school and the brightest. She was a straight A student throughout college, and so we got married.”

The ceremony took place in June 1947

Photo courtesy of the Busis family

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Headlines Denny Offstein says goodbye to bike rodeo — LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

T

he wheels stopped spinning at Denny Offstein’s car dealership last month.

Used vehicles still line the lot, and customers can still buy their dream ride or a simple automobile for quick trips, but the chance to claim a free bicycle is basically gone.

Offstein, 72, will continue serving the community, but “The Bike Rodeo” is dead, he said.

For 25 years, Offstein, a Butler native and member of Congregation B’nai Abraham, collected bicycles, had them repaired, then hosted a one-day giveaway. He called it “The Bike Rodeo” and took pride in gifting children something their families could not otherwise afford.

After Offstein hosted his last rodeo on May 5, at an event that featured face painting, police and firefighter visits, crafts and balloons for kids, he remarked that since starting the enterprise decades earlier, he had donated bikes to two generations. Doing so has been important to the area given Butler’s economic realities, he explained.

Butler’s population is approximately 13,000. Its median household income is $30,266, and the poverty rate is 29.6%. In comparison, Pittsburgh’s population is about 2.3 million. Its median household income is $58,521, and the poverty rate is 11.8%.

Like other Rust Belt cities, Butler’s population and economy has slipped and, in many ways, the city which boasted 23,000 residents in 1950 is no longer recognizable to the septuagenarian.

Butler was a place where more than six decades ago, Offstein, 72, rode an “old-fashioned bicycle,” complete with balloon tires

and a basket, through the streets. The local store was somewhere to stop and purchase pop for a nickel.

“We had something simple,” he said. “We would ride around with the other kids and we would play tag. We had fun.”

Times have changed, and so too has Butler.

“The local store is gone. The local swimming pool is gone. The local movie theater is gone. The playgrounds are gone. And to see all the things that kids had fun with years ago are not here anymore, it is sad.”

Butler no longer resembles Offstein’s memories and neither do the children.

“You look around and all these kids are on their damn phone. These young people today, they don’t even know how to have a conversation. You try to have a conversation with young people, they don’t know how to speak to other people.”

It is why bicycles are so important, he explained. They are mechanisms for breaking that trend, offer a chance to explore, a path outdoors and an opportunity for freedom.

When a child has a bicycle “he can ride and go where he wants and be his own person, and he could have fun,” Offstein said.

“The biggest problem with kids today is they don’t know how to have fun. Everybody is on their computerized phones, and they’re looking down. What’s wrong with looking up? You know, the world is great.”

Offstein’s global optimism guides his philanthropy, explained Eric Levin, president of B’nai Abraham.

“Denny will do anything for anyone without asking for anything in return.” Whether it is the bike rodeo, serving on the neighborhood watch or keeping tabs on local politicians to ensure Butler has what it needs “to keep the kids safe,” Offstein is “just a good guy,” Levin said. “He cares about the area he lives in.”

Such is evidenced by his practices.

p Denny Offstein

Photo courtesy of Denny Offstein

Apart from giving away more than 1,000 bicycles, in years past Offstein collected and donated 500 coats, ran programs for area youth and in 2012 lent the city of Butler $10,000 to spearhead the purchase and training of two K-9 police officers. As the Chronicle previously reported, after a year’s worth of spaghetti dinners, car washes, T-shirt sales and “contributions ranging from $5 donations to five figure checks,” more than $100,000 was raised and Offstein’s interest-free loan was returned.

What propels Offstein to keep benefiting the area he has called home for most of his life (he briefly lived in Maxon Towers in Squirrel Hill) is a remembrance of origins.

Offstein’s mother, Minnie Sachs, was from Pittsburgh. His father, Lewis Offstein, was from Lodj, Poland.

“My dad came to this country in 1921,”

Offstein said. “He had two brothers and two sisters.”

Lewis’ family exodus from Poland was perilous. After having escaped the Cossacks — who came into Lodj and “killed Jews just for the hell of it” — Lewis’ parents and siblings stayed on the bottom of a ship. One of Lewis’ brothers died onboard.

“My dad instilled in me religious values and to give back to the community,” Offstein said.

Work ethic was also infused, as Offstein realized from his first job at his father’s junkyard.

“He gave me a five-gallon bucket, and said, ‘You should go out and pick up nuts and bolts and bring back the bucket, and when it’s full with nuts and bolts I’ll give you a nickel,’” Offstein recalled.

Lewis made sure his son understood certain priorities, like synagogue support and devotion.

There was also the need “to respect other people. You had to say, ‘Yes sir’ or ‘No sir,’ ‘Thank you,’ and work,” Offstein said.

Such sense of responsibility became a part of Offstein’s adulthood.

“I was married. I couldn’t have children, so we tried to do things for other kids,” Offstein said.

“The bike rodeo is by far the biggest event that he has been involved with and it is something that is just near and dear to him,” Levin said.

That is why there are mixed emotions about letting it go. Location, expense and Offstein’s age are among the reasons for its cessation.

Apart from storage space, land is needed to house the rodeo.

There is also the fact that “it just takes a lot of people, and people today aren’t volunteering,” said Offstein.

Please see Offstein, page 20

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Headlines Community celebrates Israel Independence Day with David Broza — LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

W

ith sun in the sky and music in the air, hundreds celebrated Yom Ha’atzmaut with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh at Schenley Plaza in Oakland last week.

The May 23 Israel Independence Day festivities included crafts and activities for children, a happy hour for young adults and a nearly two-hour performance from international multi-platinum Israeli musician David Broza.

“This is the one time throughout the year that the entire community comes together to celebrate Israel. And to do it with a legendary musician like David Broza is an honor and privilege for the entire community,” said Kim Salzman, Federation’s director of Israel and overseas operations.

Although the event was held weeks after 5 Iyar, the official date for Yom Ha’atzmaut, there was timely significance, explained Jeffrey Finkelstein, Federation’s president and CEO. “This year we are celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut on Lag B’omer (the 33rd day of the omer), which is one of the really happy days in the Jewish calendar,” he said. “In a year like this, we need more happy days.”

Despite a gorgeous evening in which

p David Broza, left, with Ari, Julie and Judah Paris.

families gathered on blankets and music lovers danced to Broza’s soothing beats, the cloud of Oct. 27 covers communal life, explained Cindy Goodman-Leib, Federation’s Israel program committee chair.

“This is such a wonderful opportunity for the entire community,” she said. “The energy to stand together really reflects that we are stronger together.”

Carol Kaplan of McMurray, Pennsylvania agreed.

Broza’s playing, with its Middle Eastern, Spanish and Cuban overtones, has a world music vibe, and “world music is for peace,” she said. “We need peace now more than ever.”

Photo courtesy of Julie Paris

Pittsburgh police estimated approximately 400 people attended the event.

Dispersed across Schenley Plaza, the crowd appeared to enjoy the affair. Though there were stations for T-shirt making, Israel trivia, sand art and writing letters to Israeli soldiers, the event was really about the music, Salzman noted.

“This is a concert more than anything else.

That’s why there are no bouncy houses to distract everyone,” she said.

Hearing the music is what encouraged one interested listener to cross Schenley Drive Extension after exiting the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

After hearing the familiar sound and observing a giant Israeli flag, Munmun Samanta was reminded of her two-year stay in the Jewish state. From 2017 and 2019, Samanta lived on the Haifa campus, while her husband was completing a postdoc at Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.

Experiencing those years in Israel caused her to rethink prior assumptions, she said.

Because of the media, everyone was worried about our safety, “but after being there you learn it’s a very safe country.” In fact, after going to Europe, “I felt that Israel was much safer than Europe.”

Apart from experiencing Haifa, Samanta recalled travels to Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Rosh Hanikra and Tel Aviv.

“Israelis are very cool people,” she said.

“In their culture there is an importance of family, and they value laughing and enjoying your day.”

From the looks of the many giggling children and the several free flowing dancers scattered across the grass, attendees appeared to be doing their best impersonations.

Whether it is hearing Broza’s voice and guitar playing, listening to his jazz flautist’s accompaniment or seeing so many people of different ages gathered here, this event is “overwhelmingly beautiful,” Kaplan said. PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines Longtime educator Tzippy Mazer to retire from CDS — LOCAL —

By Toby Tabachnick | Senior Staff Writer

F

orty-two years can bring about a lot of changes to an institution, but one thing that has remained constant at Community Day School has been the spirited and supportive presence of Tzippy Mazer.

Now, Mazer, who serves CDS as head of Hebrew and Jewish studies and head of lower school, has announced that she will be retiring in 2020.

It’s been an amazing run.

She is beloved by administrators, teachers and students alike, and the feeling is mutual. “It is very bittersweet,� said Mazer, who is planning to spend more time with her family when she retires. “I look forward to coming to school. I love the kids. They’re wonderful.

They have something new to offer you every single day. And the teachers are like a family to me. But just like with everything in life, there comes a point where change is good. It’s a new adventure and we will see where it leads.�

Mazer was born in Russia, moved with her family to Israel, then emigrated to Pittsburgh when she was in fifth grade. Her fluency in Russian, Hebrew and English, and her degrees in elementary and special education, provided a solid foundation for her career in the classroom.

She came to CDS in 1976 after teaching for two years at Hillel Academy. CDS had just opened its doors in 1972, at the old Hebrew Institute building at the corner of Forbes and Denniston avenues in Squirrel Hill.

When Mazer came to see the school, she knew that was where she wanted to be. “It was new, it was different, it gave me different opportunities,� she recalled. “It was an opportunity to work with different age kids, and to be on a kind of building block, because we weren’t sure which direction the school was going in yet. It was a community school. It was small. At that point, when I came to observe it, it only went up to fourth grade, and it was adding one grade at a time.�

She joined the school as a teacher, but took on more and more responsibilities as the years progressed. “It was Tzippy who approached me and asked me to agree to be considered as an applicant for the head of school position at CDS,� recalled Munro. “I asked her then if she would agree to be my partner as head of Hebrew and Jewish studies if I were to be selected as the next head of school.

Knowing that Tzippy’s attention to detail, organizational skills, and long tenure at the school would be complementary in areas I felt were not areas of strength for me, I felt more confident about taking on the headship of Community Day School. At the onset of the 2004-2005 academic year, my first act as head of school was to appoint her as head of Hebrew and Jewish studies.�

In 2014, Mazer took on the position of head of lower school as well. Having so many responsibilities at CDS was not daunting for Mazer because of her committed and supportive staff. “Enjoying the people you work with makes it a labor of love,� she said.

For 27 years, she has “mentored� CDS teacher Nancy Glick. “When any teacher appears at her door, Tzippy drops whatever she is doing and gives you her undivided attention,� Glick said. “She knows how to listen and give the best guidance, from helping a student, to effective advice on how to interact with each family in the way that is most effective for the child and the parents. All this Tzippy does with acceptance and an open heart and unflagging energy.�

Through her four decades at CDS, Mazer has witnessed lots of changes, improvements, and growth at the school. “My first year here, we celebrated the fifth-year anniversary of the school,� she recalled. “Our big celebration at the time was the fathers cooking a spaghetti dinner for everyone. So, we’ve come a long way since then.�

Although CDS has been “always great,�

Please see Mazer, page 7

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p Tzippy Mazer

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5/17/19 4:48 PM

MAY 31, 2019â&#x20AC;&#x192;5

Calendar >> Submit calendar items on the Chronicle’s website, pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Submissions will also be included in print.

Events will run in the print edition beginning one month prior to the date as space allows.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon.

welcome. The cost is $22/$12 for students with ID. Contact Susan Blackman at susan. blackman@verizon.net for more information or visit templesinaipgh.org/PrideSeder.

q FRIDAY, MAY 31

Community Day School will hold its annual Walk to Remember from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Meet Holocaust survivors and honor the lives forever changed by and lost to anti-Semitism in Pittsburgh, Poway and worldwide. All proceeds will fund Holocaust education at CDS and youth-focused outreach across the Pittsburgh area. This is a family-friendly event. Visit comday.org/walktoremember for more information.

Pittsburgh native Barbara Morris Stock, will discuss her novel, “Anything Is Possible: A Child’s Journey to America and Hope,” at 1 p.m. at the New Riverview Towers, 52 Garetta St. Told through the eyes of a 10-year-old child, this historical fiction is based on the story of the author’s family who immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe in the early 1900s. There is no charge.

The Butterfly Storytelling: Wandering and Wondering, based on the style of the The Moth, the popular themed storytelling event.

LGBTQ+ Jews and Allies will share stories about their lives at 8:30 p.m. All are welcome.

Contact Kate Passarelli at klpassarelli@ verizon.net for more information or visit templesinaipgh.org/butterfly-storytellingwandering-and-wondering. q SATURDAY, JUNE 1 The Pride Tribe and Women of Temple Sinai present the annual Pride seder from 7 to 9 p.m., which will take a form reminiscent of the traditional Passover seder, but will share stories and hardships of LGBTQ life, celebrate the freedoms that have been achieved, and explore freedoms not yet gained. LGBTQ individuals beyond the Jewish community and Allies of the LGBTQ community are

q SUNDAY, JUNE 2

Shalom Pittsburgh, PJ Library and JCC Camp 365 invite you to the free Shavuot Holiday Family Camp at the Frick Environmental Center from 10 a.m. to noon. Explore the outdoors and the holiday of Shavuot with a PJ Library story hike to Mt. Sinai, bug hunt with Frick Environmental Center Staff, yoga and crafts. The camp is most appropriate for children ages 3-8 years old. Contact Danielle West at Dwest@jccpgh.org or 412-339-5403 for more information.

Poale Zedeck will hold a Yom Yerushalaim Brunch at 10:30 a.m. in the Schwartz Social Hall with guest speaker Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom, an educator who has been on the faculty of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. He is also a former Pittsburgher. The cost is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Register at 412-421-9786 or at info@pzonline.org.

Pittsburgh native Barbara Morris Stock will

Young Peoples Synagogue will have a Shavuot Lunch & Learn beginning with services at 9:30 a.m. followed by guest speaker Rabbi Aaron Herman from Tzohar Seminary, then catered lunch. The cost of the lunch is $18, payable in advance. Reservations and payment can be mailed to Young Peoples Synagogue, PO Box 8141, Pittsburgh PA 15217.

discuss her novel “Anything Is Possible: A Child’s Journey to America and Hope” at 1:30 p.m. at the Squirrel Hill Carnegie Library.

Told through the eyes of a 10-year-old child, this historical fiction is based on the story of the author’s family who immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe in the early 1900s. There is no charge. The talk is appropriate for pre-teens and teens.

A panel discussion to address the issues and needs of Pittsburgh immigrants will feature Leslie Brier, Women of Reform Judaism U.N. representative, Monica Ruiz of Casa San Jose and Leslie Aizenman of JF&CS with moderator Rabbi Keren Gorban of Temple Sinai at 2 p.m.

Dessert reception to follow at cost of $18. RSVP by contacting susan.blackman@verizon.net or Susan Cohen, 412-363-7745.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh will hold a civil rights history information session prior to a mission exploring Jewish involvement in the civil rights struggle in America from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at a private home. The mission itinerary includes historic sites in Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham. Contact Becca Hurowitz at bhurowitz@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5226 for more information and to RSVP. q MONDAY, JUNE 3 Beth El Congregation of the South Hills will host its First Mondays lunch program from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with Rabbi Alex Greenbaum, featuring guest Todd DePastino, founder and executive director of the Veterans Breakfast Club, a nonprofit dedicated to sharing veterans’ stories with the public. Visit bethelcong.org for more information. There is a $6 charge.

Call 412-561-1168 with any questions. q TUESDAY, JUNE 4 Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award Dinner honoring Laura Shapira Karet, president and CEO of Giant Eagle, Inc. and featuring guests Bari Weiss, staff editor and writer, The New York Times, and her dad, Lou Weiss, will begin at 6 p.m. at the Omni William Penn Hotel. RSVP by May 24 jnf.org/ Pittsburgh. Contact Amy Cohen, director, Pittsburgh, at acohen@jnf.org or 412-521-3200. q WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5

q SATURDAY-SUNDAY, JUNE 8-9

Monday, August 19 • Green Oaks Country Club Join us for a fun-filled, co-ed day of golf, tennis, swimming, cards, dinner, and more to benefit the Center for Women.

Camp NCJW Chairs Jan Engelberg, Barb Ginsburg & Harry Wenkert

Register at www.ncjwpgh.org or by calling 412-421-6118.

6 MAY 31, 2019

Tikkun Leil Shavuot, a night of Jewish Learning, is free and open to the community from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill. Contact Jan Barkley at jbarkley@jfedpgh.org or 412697-6656 or visit foundation.jewishpgh.org/ organizer/jan-barkley for more information. q SUNDAY, JUNE 9 After the Community Tikkun Leil ends at 1 a.m., the learning will continue at the Jewish Community Center for young adults and anyone who wants to join. Hosted by the Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation. Visit jewishpgh.org/event/ young-adult-tikkun-leil-shavuot for more information.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

The Men’s Philanthropy Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh will hold an evening of brews with the boys at Hitchhiker Brewing Co. from 6 to 8 p.m.

The event will feature a brewery tour and networking opportunities. This event is open to the community. The $36 per person includes tour, beer mug and three drink tickets. Heavy appetizers will be served, dietary laws observed (excluding beer).

Visit jewishpgh.org/event/brewery for more information and to register or contact Josh Schuneman at jschuneman@jfedpgh.org. q THURSDAY, JUNE 13 Paint Night at the Sally and Howard Levin Clubhouse from 6 to 9 p.m is a fundraiser for Clubhouse training, social and recreational events that would not be affordable otherwise.

Cost is $50/person. Contact the Clubhouse to register (412-422-1850) or mail registration payment to Zara Sayles, c/o Sally and Howard Levin Clubhouse, 2609 Murray Ave., Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Reservations due by June 3; space is limited.

Sound of Jewish Music, bringing together hundreds of women from all parts of the Jewish community for an evening of joy and inspiration, will open with a dessert reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by the program at 7:15 p.m. The program features musical performers, dancers and speakers at Bellefield Hall, University of Pittsburgh, 315 S. Bellefield Ave. Visit SoundOfJewishMusic.com for more information and tickets, which are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. q MONDAY, JUNE 17 Yeshiva Schools annual dinner will be held at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. Visit yeshivaschools.com for more information. PJC q WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19

The Beth Shalom Sisterhood Book Club will discuss “Gateway to the Moon” by Mary Morris at 7:30 p.m. Contact Beth Shalom at 412-421-2288 for the location in a private home. Visit bethshalompgh.org/eventsupcoming for more information.

Honorary Chairs: Lynette Lederman & Marsha Marcus

q WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12

Squirrel Hill AARP will host its annual endof-the-season luncheon at noon, at the Comfort Inn Conference Center, 699 Rodi Road in Penn Hills. Following the lunch there will be installation of officers. Nick Fiasco will provide entertainment with “Sounds of Sinatra and Friends.” Call Marcia Kramer before June 10 at 412-656-5803 to make reservations. q THURSDAY, JUNE 20 The Beth Shalom Academic Book Club on “Solomon: The Lure of Wisdom” will be held in Squirrel Hill. The book reintroduces readers to Solomon’s story and its surprising influence in shaping Western culture, and also examines what Solomon’s life, wisdom and writings have come to mean for Jews, Christians, and Muslims over the past 2,000 years. A copy is available to borrow from Beth Shalom, at the front desk. Visit bethshalompgh.org/events-upcoming for more information. PJC

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Headlines Mazer: Continued from page 5

for their children, and then are bringing them here,” Mazer said. “We have several families, and it’s really funny to look at these parents who are all together, and say, ‘ Do you remember when you were in my class?’”

While it is not common for anyone these days to spend almost their entire working career at the same place, Mazer never felt the need to make a move.

“I think I got everything that I needed by being here,” she said. “It gave me personal growth. I was able to do things that I really enjoyed. I looked forward to coming to work every day. I like to keep very busy, and I think I can honestly say that I never, ever, ever get bored because there is always something unique and something that is happening. It’s home.”

Mazer will be transitioning to part-time next semester, before retiring after the end of the 2019-’20 academic year. She will maintain her duties as head of Hebrew and Jewish studies while the school conducts a search for her replacement. Andrea Erven-Victoria, the co-director of the Early Childhood Program at CDS, will take over as head of lower school.

“Tzippy will still be around part-time,” noted Erven-Victoria. “I feel fortunate to have her as a mentor, and know that I can always turn to that support and wisdom.

Knowing that I am going to be supported makes me feel more confident. I’m so excited about being at this school and being part of the amazing team they’ve built.” PJC

according to Mazer, “throughout the years, the big plus of the school is it always looked for ways to get better and better and better, to look at best practices, and look at the kids, and see what our students need, and really work with the teachers and train the teachers to give students what they need, realizing it’s not one size fits all.”

The school administration has also been willing to change along with a changing world, she said.

“The students we have now are not the same as the students that I had when I started, when computers were unheard of —they were these dinosaurs in a room,” Mazer noted. “These kids are used to being in a very fast-moving world where every single thing is at their fingertips. They can get any bit of information.

Recognizing that, you recognize what they need to learn is how to apply skills. And the best way is not by sitting and lecturing them, but by letting them experience and discover on their own. And that’s been the beauty of the school. We really do take the direction where we encourage our kids to be who they are.”

Highlights of her time at CDS include its popular biennial Hebrew song and dance festival, Zimriah, and the annual eighth grade trip to Israel, for which she regularly serves as chaperone.

“Another highlight is when former Toby Tabachnick can be reached at JC ReSound SurrondSound_Eartique 4/6/17 4:58 PM Page 1 students are coming here to look at the school ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Ladies Hospital Aid Society seeks descendants of founders — LOCAL —

I

n advance of its 120th anniversary celebration scheduled for this fall, Ladies Hospital Aid Society is hoping to locate descendants and friends of the organization’s 17 founding members to help “celebrate our legacy,” said LHAS President Carole Kamin.

LHAS had its start in 1898 when 17 women gathered to address the needs of the sick and the poor living in their neighborhoods, and the troubles facing the immigrant population. The lack of adequate medical care was of primary concern.

Then called the Hebrew Ladies Hospital Aid Society, the group collected 10 cents a week from each member and made arrangements with existing hospitals to pay ward rates for patients admitted under the hospital’s auspices. By 1908, the LHAS had founded Montefiore Hospital.

LHAS eventually raised more than $5 million for Montefiore Hospital. In 1990, it was sold to Presbyterian Hospital, and subsequently became a part of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center system.

LHAS expanded its mission and remains responsive to the changing health care needs of the Western Pennsylvania community, including the implementation of programs for the elderly and women’s health care. Since its founding, the group has raised more than $15 million and has volunteered several million work hours. It allocates more than $350,000 annually for research, community projects, educational seminars and social services.

The group is seeking new members as well as descendants of those original members, and can be reached at lhasoffice@gmail.com or 412-647-6106. PJC —Toby Tabachnick

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Headlines Al Sharpton admits to using ‘cheap’ rhetoric about Jews — NATIONAL —

By Ron Kampeas | JTA

A

l Sharpton appealed to Reform Jews for a united front in facing down anti-Semitism, racism and other forms of bias and acknowledged his role in stoking division, recounting how the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s widow reprimanded him for his “cheap” rhetoric.

The civil rights activist and pundit has reportedly privately expressed regrets to Jewish leaders for the incendiary rhetoric that helped fuel the Crown Heights riots in 1991. But Monday’s remarks at the Religious Action Center’s Consultation on Conscience in Washington, D.C., were the closest he has come to publicly acknowledging his role.

The invitation earned criticism for seeming to rehabilitate a figure at the center of a number of anti-Semitic clashes in the 1990s.

After the accidental killing of a black child in Brooklyn by a car driven by a member of the Lubavitcher rebbe’s entourage, African American protesters targeted religious Jews in the Crown Heights neighborhood.

Yankel Rosenbaum, a graduate student affiliated with Chabad-Lubavitch, was stabbed to death in the rioting. Sharpton also was accused of inciting the violent firebombing of a Jewish-owned clothing store in Harlem in 1995.

Without mentioning the Crown Heights riots specifically, Sharpton said he could have “done more to heal rather than harm.”

And he said that all the public criticism he received paled next to the rebuke from Coretta Scott King, who was known for her closeness to the Jewish community. It appears to be the first time Sharpton has publicly shared the tale.

p Al Sharpton speaks at the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center conference in Washington, D.C., in May. Photo courtesy of RAC

“One of the things she said to me, she said, ‘Al, the purpose of our movement has never been to just get civil rights for us, it’s to protect and stand for civil and human rights for everyone,’” he recalled.

“She said that ‘sometimes you are tempted to speak to the applause of the crowd rather than the heights of the cause, and you will say cheap things to get cheap applause rather than do higher things to raise the nation higher.’

“She said, ‘I know that you may not have done things you’re accused of, but you could have spoken out louder, if you are going to be in the King tradition and if you are going to be invested in your roots, and if you are going to be what we invested in you to be.’

“All of the editorials and the cartoons, and all that have raised various questions in my controversial career, never really impacted me like Mrs. King, who I grew up [with] in that movement, that had a gentle but firm way of correcting some of my excesses.”

Sharpton’s overarching message to the Reform gathering was that blacks and Jews must overcome past differences to confront an increase in bias against all groups, particularly under President Donald Trump. He noted his recent work with the Reform movement exposing U.S. government abuses against migrants on the border, as well as attacks on houses of worship.

“You cannot fight racism without fighting anti-Semitism,” he said.

Referring to white supremacists behind two recent deadly attacks on synagogues, as well as the 2015 mass shooting in a black church in South Carolina, Sharpton said, “Unless we stand up together against this blatant anti-Semitic spirit, then I don’t have the right to stand up when they go into Charleston.”

Rabbi Mordechai Lightstone, who runs social media for Chabad, the movement whose members were principally targeted in the 1991 riots, watched the livestream of the

speech and expressed his outrage on Twitter.

“The willingness to wash away our pain is so cruel,” he said. The Religious Action Center “needs to deplatform hate … Not give it a pulpit and whitewash it.”

Lightstone, who with his wife is also director of Tech Tribe, a Chabad center in Brooklyn, was tweeting in his personal capacity as a resident of Crown Heights, he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency Rosenbaum’s brother, Norman, wrote in a Washington Examiner op-ed that inviting Sharpton “sends a very dangerous and intolerable message to the anti-Semites among us.”

Rabbi Jonah Pesner, the Religious Action Center director, acknowledged the pain that Sharpton’s appearance must be causing others.

“That there are members of our Crown Heights family and our Chabad family that are in pain over this actually creates a lot of pain for us, and we’re sorry about that,” he said in an interview with JTA. “At this moment — when children are being separated from their parents at the border, and Jews are being murdered in the synagogues, and people of color are being gunned down in their churches, and people in mosques are being firebombed — we need to stand together, and Reverend Sharpton has stood with us these past couple of years.”

In the same interview, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said Sharpton’s role as an ally in this moment of increased bias and violence should be factored into understanding why he was invited to speak.

“There are many chapters in Reverend Sharpton’s life,” Jacobs said. “We are in a moment of urgency, and Reverend Sharpton has spoken up and has stood strongly with the Jewish community.” PJC

How Debra Katz became one of the nation’s top #MeToo lawyers — NATIONAL —

By Josefin Dolsten | JTA

F

ighting for the underdog has been a passion for Debra Katz for as long as she can remember.

Years before she would go on to win awards for her work as a civil rights attorney and represent Christine Blasey Ford in one of the nation’s most high-profile sexual assault allegations, Katz stood up for a different kind of victim.

“If there was a kid on the bus who was being bullied, I was the person who stood up for that kid,” she recalled in a phone interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency last week. “If somebody had their baseball cards taken, I was the one who demanded that the bully return them.”

Katz, 60, also knew she wanted to be a lawyer from a young age, but it was a case early in her career that narrowed her focus.

In the early 1980s, after graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School,

8 MAY 31, 2019

p Debra Katz, left, looks on as Christine Blasey Ford testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2018.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Katz landed a fellowship that allowed her to work on the landmark case Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, in which a bank teller named Mechelle Vinson alleged harassment at work. The case advanced to the U.S.

Supreme Court and led to the justices ruling to recognize sexual harassment as a category of workplace discrimination.

Since then, Katz has become one of the top lawyers of the #MeToo movement. Last

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

year she represented Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, then a nominee, of assaulting her when they were teens. The Jewish lawyer, who sat next to Blasey Ford during her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, describes it as “one of the greatest professional honors I’ve ever had.”

Her work with Blasey Ford and a range of other cases related to the #MeToo movement — she represented Irwin Reiter, who says he objected to Harvey Weinstein’s treatment of an assistant, and Chloe Caras, who accused celebrity chef Mike Isabella of harassment — propelled her name further into the mainstream.

“I’ve worked really, really hard on behalf of people for decades to try to get justice,” Katz said, “and it does feels like this is a time we can accomplish more and it’s very gratifying.

It also creates a sense of urgency with our work, where we feel that the world is looking.”

Katz, a founding partner of the Washington, Please see Katz, page 20

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Headlines PA state Rep. poses for photo with right-wing extremists — STATE —

By Erica Silverman

P

ennsylvania state Rep. Stephanie Borowicz posed for a photo with a member of the American Guard, a group the Anti-Defamation League characterizes as right-wing extremists, at a gun rights rally in Harrisburg on May 6. The photo of the representative surfaced in a tweet. In the photo, she smiles next to a couple of members of the Guard, who are wearing shirts with the group’s name and logo.

“It is irresponsible for state legislators to pose for selfies with white supremacists,” Anti-Defamation League Regional Director Nancy Baron-Baer said in a statement.

“ADL can confirm that the individual in the photo is connected to multiple rightwing extremist movements, and there is no excuse for anyone in a position of leadership in the commonwealth to appear to legitimize extremism.”

After there was outrage in reaction to the photo, and a call for an apology, Borowicz, who represents Clinton County and parts of Centre County, released a statement pushing back against the criticism.

“On any given day as a state lawmaker, I am frequently approached and honored to have my photo taken with individual constituents, groups and organizations, as are most of my colleagues,” she said in the statement, according to the Centre Daily Times. “We do not, nor should we, require ID or background checks as a condition for being photographed with the people of Pennsylvania — our constituents! The many

p State Rep. Stephanie Borowicz with American Guard members.

Photo by Sean Kitchen via Twitter

photos taken of me at this year’s Rally to Protect Your Right to Keep and Bear Arms are no different.”

The Guard describes itself as a right-wing populist movement, according to the group’s website, with a particular focus on restoring and strengthening the Bill of Rights, and with an emphasis that any interpretation of the Constitution should favor the states’ rights over the federal government.

The man to the right of Borowicz in the photo, who called himself “Rac Brewer” in correspondence, is president of the American Guard’s Florida chapter and says the group rejects bigotry and violence.

He noted that former member Augustus Invictus was rejected by the organization for

sympathizing with Nazis.

“Our governing documents are pretty clear; we are open to all races and both genders,” he said. “We have an organization as diverse as the nation we serve.”

Brewer pointed to Hussein Hill, president of the group’s North Carolina chapter, who is African American and gay, as an example of its diversity. But in a 2017 report, the ADL pointed out that Guard founder Brien James was “a longtime Indiana white supremacist who was one of the founders of the Vinlanders Social Club (VSC), a hardcore racist skinhead gang.”

In 2018, there was a significant increase in anti-Semitic incidents committed by white supremacists across the nation, according to

an annual audit released by the ADL. White supremacists have been responsible for the majority of extremist-related killings over the past decade, including nearly 80 percent of all extremist-related murders in 2018, the ADL reported.

Ariella Werden-Greenfield, associate director of the Feinstein Center for American Jewish History at Temple University, said the Guard is trying to take advantage of the political climate.

“In America, white nationalists and supremacists find in the current administration sanction to act upon their hateful and inherently fearful drives,” she said.

Borowicz is the first woman ever elected to represent the 76th District in the Pennsylvania House.

“There is still too much political correctness and unaccountable government intrusion infiltrating our daily lives,” she said, when she was sworn into office in January. But in late March, she found herself at the center of another rhetorical storm, after she faced criticism over her opening prayer for the 25th session of the state legislature on March 25.

During the two-minute address, she mentioned “Jesus” more than 13 times, ending with, “Every tongue will confess, Jesus, that you are Lord.”

The prayer took place just as the first female Muslim member of the Pennsylvania House, Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell of Philadelphia, was sworn into office.

Borowicz did not return requests for comment. PJC Erica Silverman writes for the Jewish Exponent, a Chronicle-affiliated publication.

What is anti-Semitism? The question divides a Jewish coalition — NATIONAL —

By Ben Sales | JTA

L

aunched in 2017, a weekly newsletter from a coalition of establishment Jewish and pro-Israel groups has been providing talking points on anti-Semitism and the delegitimization of Israel to a select list of Jewish influentials.

The Focus Project, according to its director of strategic communications, Scott Piro, provides “collective, nonpartisan guidance to members of the community who choose to subscribe to our list,” and that all partner groups have an “equal voice” in shaping the messaging.

Those partner groups are the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Anti-Defamation League — along with StandWithUs and The Israel Project, two groups known for their sharp-elbowed defense of Israel’s government and pushback against Israel’s critics.

Dovid Efune, the editor-in-chief of

The Algemeiner, a Jewish newspaper with an editorial stance generally seen as right of center, has advised the effort in a personal capacity, according to Piro.

But the newsletter’s language recently led the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, or JCPA, an umbrella group of local Jewish public policy organizations, to remove its name from the newsletter’s masthead, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency has learned from sources familiar with the matter.

JTA also learned from multiple sources that the decision, made in April, followed an internal conversation among JCPA leadership and a number of Jewish community relations professionals under the JCPA umbrella.

The decision reflected the discomfort of professionals who felt that the newsletter focused more on pro-Israel advocacy than anti-Semitism, and was too quick to call anti-Israel activity anti-Semitic.

The trigger for that conversation was a Focus newsletter on April 16 that called Airbnb’s scrapped boycott of Israeli settlements “anti-Semitic.” Professionals also felt that the newsletter was speaking in JCPA’s name, but

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p The Focus Project was launched in 2017 to provide “weekly talking points on timely issues regarding anti-Semitism and the de-legitimization of Israel.”

Photo by Getty Images/JTA Montage

not with its preferred tone or phrasing.

The JCPA, which advocates a two-state solution and mostly liberal positions on a range of domestic issues, seeks to build broad-based political and religious coalitions against efforts to boycott Israel.

Ben Friedman, the director of the Jewish

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Community Relations Council in Orlando, Florida, is one of multiple directors of JCRCs who feel the newsletter is focused on the left.

He said he inquired about the newsletter independently of other directors.

Please see Anti-Semitism, page 17

MAY 31, 2019 9

Headlines — WORLD — From JTA reports

Palestinians officially reject economic summit The Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization made it official: They will not be attending the Trump administration’s economic summit next month in Bahrain.

The Palestinians said they were not consulted on the plan to hold the conference in Manama as part of the overall peace proposal of the Trump administration.

In a statement issued last week, lead Palestinian peace negotiator and PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat said the decision to skip the meeting “is a collective Palestinian position, from President Mahmoud Abbas and the PLO Executive Committee to all Palestinian political movements and factions, national figures, private sector and civil society.”

“We reiterate that we did not mandate anyone to negotiate on our behalf. Those concerned and want to serve the interest of the Palestinian people should respect this collective position. Palestine’s full economic potential can only be achieved by ending the Israeli occupation, respecting international law and U.N. resolutions.”

The plan’s architects — Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in law and senior White House adviser, and White House Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt — are

calling the conference an “economic workshop” to encourage capital investment in the West Bank, Gaza and countries in the region.

The rest of the plan reportedly will be announced later this year.

In an op-ed that appeared Wednesday in The New York Times, Erekat wrote that a peace plan must address “the end of the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 and the preservation of the internationally recognized inalienable rights of the people of Palestine.”

“Unless the Trump administration’s plan addresses these issues head-on, it is a non-starter for the Palestinians,” he wrote. “It should be for the rest of the world, as well.”

Labor dispute threatens return of ‘Shtisel’ for third season A labor dispute is threatening the much-heralded return of “Shtisel,” the Israeli show about Haredi Orthodox Jews that became a surprise hit on Netflix. The show’s writer, Yehonatan Indursky, confirmed earlier this month that the show would get a third season, and that all the stars were on board.

But, the Jerusalem Post reported last week, the Israeli Actors’ Association has asked the cast not to sign a contract with the show unless they’re guaranteed more money.

“We cannot stand idly by when they are exploiting actors and earning money from selling series abroad on their backs,” Uri Reshtik, chairman of the Israeli Actors’ Association, said in a statement.

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He said that European and U.S. networks compensate their actors when local shows are sold to be aired abroad.

The show first aired in Israel in 2013 and only ran for two seasons, although its stars expressed a hope that it would be revived.

It was aired last year on Netflix with English subtitles and gained a loyal following.

Swedish prime minister condemns supporters’ ‘crush Zionism’ chants Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he would visit Malmo to discuss chants about crushing Zionism by supporters of his party at a rally.

The incident on a May 1 march for workers’ rights by the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League — a branch of Lofven’s party — prompted an outcry by Malmo’s Jewish community, whose members are often targeted with anti-Semitic attacks.

Lofven will “present the party’s position on what happened, which views as a serious incident,” his press secretary, Gösta Brunnander, told Expressen Wednesday.

The TV4 channel this week aired an item profiling Salomea, a young Jewish woman from Malmo, who spoke about living in fear in the heavily Muslim city. Her sister, she said, was assaulted at the age of 12 in a soccer field because she is Jewish.

Leading the rally was the former mayor of Malmo, Ilmar Reepalu. He has blamed the rise in anti-Semitism on Jews and advised them to distance themselves from Israel to

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The smashing of two car windows outside a Chicago synagogue was not a hate crime, according to local police.

A suspect has been arrested in the vandalism last week in West Rogers Park, a neighborhood with a large Jewish population.

It was among 14 similar incidents in the neighborhood that took place over the course of May. Police apprehended the suspect after finding him smashing windows, Alderman Debra Silverstein said in an announcement.

“As suspected, the vandalism does not appear to have been a hate crime,” her statement said.

The vandalism occurred at about the same time as an attempted arson attack on a synagogue in another Chicago neighborhood. PJC

June 3, 1948 — Ben-Gurion reports to provisional government

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

May 31, 1665 — Shabbetai Zevi declares himself messiah

Scholar Shabbetai Zevi declares himself the Messiah then carries his message to Syria and Turkey and gains many followers, including Jews from Europe. Ottoman officials arrest him in 1666 and give him the choice of conversion or execution; he converts to Islam, devastating his followers.

Facing growing tension with Egypt, Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol gives up the defense portfolio and appoints Moshe Dayan the defense minister. Dayan is valued for his military experience and for his ties to former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion.

June 2, 1990 — 3rd Tel Aviv Student Film Festival

The third biennial Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival at Tel Aviv University.

The 1990 winners include Denmark’s Niels Arden Oplev, later the director of the original version of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”

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Smashed car windows outside a Chicago synagogue was not hate crime, police say

This week in Israeli history

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remain safe during his tenure, which ended in 2013. Hannah Rosenthal, a former U.S. special envoy for combating anti-Semitism, said Reepalu’s words were a prime example of “new anti-Semitism,” wherein anti-Israel sentiment serves as a guise for hatred of Jews.

Following an outcry over the May 1 rally, Electra Ververidis, the head of the Social Democrats youth movement, apologized for “offending the Jewish congregation,” and pledged not to chant about crushing Zionism in the future.

Aron Verstandig, president of the Council of Swedish Jewish Communities, called Lofven’s visit “an important sign.”

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David Ben-Gurion, prime minister of the Israeli provisional government, reports on the status of the War of Independence. He accuses the British of assisting the Arab war effort, praises the resistance of Jerusalem residents and highlights the large number of arriving immigrants.

June 4, 2009 — Obama speaks in Cairo

President Barack Obama calls for “a new beginning” in relations between the U.S. and Muslim world during an address at Cairo University. Obama reaffirms the U.S. commitment to Israel and recognizes the desire for statehood among the Palestinians.

June 5, 1967 — Six-Day War begins

Israel launches a pre-emptive strike on the Egyptian air force, destroying 204 Egyptian aircraft within an hour. Ground troops roll into the Sinai, and what becomes known as the Six-Day War quickly expands as Jordan attacks Israel in the morning and Israel hits Syria’s air force in the afternoon.

June 6, 1967 — Eban addresses UN

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Abba Eban, gives an impassioned speech before the U.N. Security Council. He makes the case that Israel’s enemies took steps that were acts of war. “Israel has proved her steadfastness and vigor,” Eban says. PJC

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MAT 31, 2019 11

Opinion The lonely lone soldiers — EDITORIAL —

W

hen 19-year-old American-born Michaela Levit died in Israel by her own hand this month, she became another lone soldier in the Israel Defense Forces to die by suicide this year.

The death of Levit, who made aliyah in 2017, has raised more questions about how the IDF treats its lone soldiers — most of them young men and women who moved to Israel motivated by idealism and Zionism but who lack a family support system in the country.

There are an estimated 6,000 lone soldiers serving in the IDF, representing about 4 percent of active duty soldiers. Yet according to Why They Fell, a campaign to raise awareness on the issue, “the past year [lone soldiers] have accounted for 30 percent of all suicides.”

Critics contend that the IDF does not do enough to support its highly motivated but vulnerable lone soldiers. According to the Jerusalem Post: “Last year, a report by the state comptroller found that the IDF was not addressing the needs of lone soldiers adequately enough. While the report acknowledged that the IDF and the Defense

p Friends and family mourn at the funeral of American lone soldier Alex Sasaki, at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem in March 2019.

Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

Ministry have already begun to correct some of the failings raised in the report, the criticism raised several shortcomings relating to the treatment of lone soldiers during their service.”

The army says there is no “worrying trend” in lone soldier suicides. In fact,

according to Noya Govrin, the head of Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Lone Soldiers Program, the military has taken “major steps to improve how it treats lone soldiers,” including the creation of “a department dealing with lone soldiers, a call center with multilingual staff, and improved salary,

benefits and outside support.”

But critics say that’s not enough. Some complain that the whole lone soldier situation creates more problems than it’s worth.

Others cite the machismo-infused military environment as particularly unsympathetic to the needs of young, vulnerable foreign conscripts, who haven’t yet blended into Israeli society, but who are called upon to match up with those who have lived in the culture since birth and who have much needed familial support.

Our community applauds young Jews who make aliyah and join the army. We consider them selfless heroes who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the Zionist dream. While that respect and appreciation is deserved, we need to remember that lone soldiers are largely young people, buoyed by idealism, thrust into the military world of a foreign country, who have not had the time to acculturate, establish networks or healthy skepticism before entering a highly structured and intense institution where they lose their individuality.

We mourn every Israeli soldier lost. But there is a special, inconsolable pain for the loss by suicide of a lonely lone soldier. They deserve better. PJC

From Selma to Pittsburgh: Mission to South builds black-Jewish bridges Guest Columnists Josiah Gilliam Josh Sayles

B

ryan Stevenson, a noted lawyer and social justice advocate, spoke in Pittsburgh recently about his work in the criminal justice system, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and his Equal Justice Initiative. With his striking success in the civil rights field, often against long odds, his call to action was remarkably simple: Get proximate. The term speaks to the idea of being close, of stepping beyond comfort levels to foster new relationships, to familiarize oneself with history and to get involved in the present day to forge solutions.

On a warm and sunny afternoon several weeks ago, a Pittsburgh delegation of five African American and Jewish leaders gazed across the Alabama River from the town of Selma. Before us stood the Edmund Pettus Bridge still named after a man who was a Confederate general, United States senator and leader in the Alabama Ku Klux Klan.

The bridge drew national attention in March 1965 when it was the site of Bloody Sunday, when state troopers brutally attacked a group of 600 peaceful protestors attempting to march from Selma to Mongtomery.

We were there to walk across the bridge together, retracing the first few steps of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rep. John 12 MAY 31, 2019

Lewis, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and hundreds of others who, on their third attempt in two weeks, were able to safely make the 54-mile trek to Alabama’s capital that ultimately led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Fifty years later, Rep. Lewis would once again march across that same bridge, this time with President Barack Obama.

This was only one of our proximate moments during our civil rights mission to the South in late April, during which we traveled through Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham to learn together about slavery, the civil rights movement and the direct correlation between the centuries-long oppression of people of color in the United States and the disproportionately large representation of minority communities within the criminal justice system.

The mission was sponsored by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a national organization, and coordinated by Etgar 36, a Jewish nonprofit that runs educational tours.

Leaders from 13 cities around the United States joined the mission. Locally, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh provided a grant for five African American and Jewish leaders to participate with the intention of using our experience to strengthen solidarity and mutual understanding between our communities upon our return.

Perhaps the most powerful part of our three-day visit was Stevenson’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice, known informally as the Lynching Memorial.

Opened last spring in Montgomery, it honors the lives of the thousands of black people who were lynched in the United States

between the years of 1877-1950 by listing on monuments their names, the date of their death, and the county in which they were murdered. As we made our way through the exhibit, the monuments — each a heavy rusted metal rectangle slightly larger than the size of a person — were raised higher and higher off of the ground, emulating the process of a lynching from start to finish. It was a quietly haunting and somber experience as we moved through the space. The history and the pain were palpable, and the memorial had an eerily similar feel to internationally renowned Holocaust exhibitions.

Their likeness served as a stark reminder of the common purpose of justice and progress.

Where do we go from here? We will be working with our friends and colleagues — Rabbi Jeremy Markiz, Lindsay Powell and Rabbi Jeremy Weisblatt — who joined us on our journey to the South to build ties between the African American and Jewish communities in Greater Pittsburgh. The outreach we conduct, the programming we create, and the relationships we foster will be cross-generational and ongoing. We will highlight work that is making a difference and best practices from which we can learn. We will intentionally pursue coalition building across demographics, cultures and localities recognizing that none of us is smarter than all of us and that we can be more successful through our collective impact.

With the recent shootings of Antwon Rose II, at the Tree of Life synagogue building and in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the bombings in Sri Lanka, there is a sense of increased urgency as well as an emerging sense of opportunity for real relationships

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that extend beyond a show of solidarity.

Our local history here in Pittsburgh is filled with examples of leaders and communities working together. We stand both as allies in the work and also as engaged neighbors. We are encouraged to see so much activism and solidarity that is led and joined by younger generations. We will be all the more successful if we can bridge divides and work toward a common purpose. We believe this means pursuing equity in every sense of the word, with a special focus on marginalized communities who bear the brunt of so much of what we seek to change and improve. This means leading with empathy and making room for other voices. This means pairing on the ground community organizing with legislation at the local, state and federal level. This means seeking opportunities to support each other, to hold space for each other to learn from one another.

Following in the footsteps of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Rep. John Lewis across the Edmund Pettus Bridge was a powerful window into history. But it was also a stark reminder that the reverend, the rabbi and the congressman forged their relationship more than 50 years ago. As we strive to make Pittsburgh a more equitable place for all, we want our communities to be marching side-by-side in present day.

The burden will be lighter if we commit to this work and we carry it together. PJC Josiah Gilliam is the My Brother’s Keeper Coordinator for the City of Pittsburgh. Josh Sayles is the director of community relations for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. This piece is being published concurrently in the New Pittsburgh Courier.

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Opinion Conference encourages acting on shared values Guest Columnist Sara Stock Mayo

L

ast week, I had the honor to travel to Washington, D.C., (with 18 others from Pittsburgh-area Reform congregations) to attend the Consultation on Conscience, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism’s biennial social justice leadership conference.

Held over three days, the Consultation affords both professional and lay leaders opportunities to network, build community and engage in active dialogue culminating in an afternoon of advocacy on Capitol Hill.

This was my second time attending the conference, and I was inspired by the speakers and workshops offered and buoyed by the large gathering of more than 1,200 people from around the country — the largest group yet.

As a progressive Jew, I am guided deeply by my values to speak up for our community, as well as standing shoulder to shoulder with those in other communities who may not otherwise be heard. The main takeaway message was to translate our shared values

immigration reform.

Another featured speaker, Pramila Jayapal from Washington and the first Indian American in Congress, spoke about the role of Jewish organizers in the work of justice and the importance of bringing the “silenced majority” to the forefront.

Each speaker specifically mentioned the need to fight together against anti-Semitism and acknowledged the pain in our community, both due to the Oct. 27 attack and to the rising tide of anti-Semitism worldwide.

Ted Deutch a member of the House of Representatives from Parkland, Florida, said, “If there is anti-Semitism in a country, it means there is hatred and division, and it must be confronted. We know where anti-Semitism can lead if others remain silent or check out. We must all fight against racism and anti-Semitism together across lines of faith, race and political divides. As a country we are facing rising threats. It is too important that we don’t allow political division to get in the way of providing safety and security of our society.”

On the 100th anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote Act, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi addressed the crowd dressed all in white in a nod to the suffragettes.

“I used to talk in Europe about

As a progressive Jew, I am guided deeply by my values to speak up for our community, as well as standing shoulder to shoulder with those in other communities who may not otherwise be heard. into action in a very tangible way. The oft-repeated line of standing united with others in “radical solidarity” reinforced my desire to reach out and find places where we have shared goals and ideals.

One of the main highlights was witnessing extraordinary youth leadership. Student activists engaging in gun control, immigration reform and issues relating to climate change took the stage and spoke eloquently and passionately about the advocacy work of the next generation.

One such young leader was Matt Dietsch, co-founder of March for Our Lives, who said: “If you aren’t using your privilege as a resource for the people who are oppressed, you are part of the problem. Each of you has to do more for the people who aren’t in this room. We are prisoners of our own perspective.”

Another young leader was Elias Rosenfeld, a Venezuelan Jew who came to the U.S. seeking asylum with his mother and brother.

When he was just 11, his mother passed away. After receiving DACA status under the previous administration, his legal status is in question. He graduated at the top of his class and now attends Brandeis University, where he is required daily to check his legal status.

He has become a strong voice in the fight for

anti-Semitism,” she said. “The manifestation of anti-Semitism in our own country is just as challenging now.”

Conference workshops with specific Jewish content included one titled “AntiSemitism, White Supremacy and White Nationalism: Charting a Path Forward” and another titled “Jews of Color: What We Experience in Mostly Ashkenazi/White Congregations.”

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the conference is that we must all stand poised to act. In the words of U.S. Rep. Chris Coons of Delaware, “Justice isn’t an abstract concept — it’s a verb. It is only by acting that we do the things we are all called to do.”

Several RAC satellites have begun to work around the country in Florida, California and Texas as well as IRAC in Israel, and there is even some talk of starting a RAC, PA. If you want to know more about the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, visit its website at rac.org. PJC Sara Stock Mayo is the director of Ruach and Music at Temple Ohav Shalom and co-leader of the independent minyan Chavurat Shirah.

She is involved in social justice movements and is the managing director of Pittsburgh Playback Theatre.

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Headlines Sweet memories from my Pittsburgh pantry’s past ¾ cup flour 4 eggs 4 (1 ounce) squares of unsweetened melted chocolate 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 1 teaspoon of vanilla

— FOOD —

By Rosanne Skirble | Special to the Chronicle

I

want less stuff. Not that I don’t try. I gift on demand. I donate books to the library.

Towels, sheets, blankets to animal shelters and clothes, shoes and canned goods to collection drives. I recycle paper and plastic, and compost table and yard waste in a big green bin in my backyard. But it’s been tough to lower the clutter quotient. Like an ocean, at low tide, stuff goes out. At high tide, the space fills up. And the sea keeps rising.

Then there’s another problem.

I have letters, pictures, travel pamphlets, trip itineraries, maps, plus long-ago anniversary, graduation and birthday cards, not only mine, but from my parents and brother that I didn’t have the heart to toss after they died. In sorting through these Pandora’s boxes, I’ve given papers with historic value to museums in Israel and England, and to Jewish collections in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Now, should I revisit these memorabilia or let them go?

As my 97-year-old Aunt Charlotte Bluestone wisely advises, “You can bring back the past, but you can’t live there.”

On this day, with a will to rid, what rises to the top of my co-mingled family lore are 3-by-5 recipe cards (no box) all yellowed and stained by the ebb and flow of time. My mother, Paula Atlas, had stacks of these cards from her work, where she was a mastermind of mailing lists, first as the owner of a steel products company and later on an executive team that ran The Three Rivers Arts Festival. Each card had a neatly typed name and address. She’d arrange and rearrange the cards, sifting them to her purpose, and when no business purpose remained, she’d scratch out the address, turn the card over and write (or paste) a recipe.

Funny thing. I don’t remember my mother cooking at all. I shamefully admit I ate Oreo cookies for lunch in high school. Dinners were largely meat and potatoes, until my mother married Ralph Atlas, an Israeli, and Middle Eastern food with lots of grains and vegetables began to make its way into our lives. Her in-law-inspired tabbouleh was printed in The Carnegie Treasures Cookbook, a collection with a forward by James Beard, put together by the Carnegie Museum of Art. You can get a peek at it on the shelves in the museum gift store.

As I culled through the cards a few sweet memories surfaced: Aunt Jule’s (York) Shraft’s Icing, Aunt Nettie’s (Lieblich) Ginger Cookies and Aunt Charlotte’s Brownies. I decided to bring them back with an expert panel — two friends, w ho agreed to eat cookies, brownies, icing and tabbouleh for lunch. I added an asparagus wrapped in a prosciutto puffed pastry tart, a recipe I had clipped in the doctor’s office the week before.

Enough said. Here are the (sweet) recipes, and savory tabbouleh and their stories:

p Aunt Jule’s recipe for Shraft’s icing

(Great) Aunt Jule’s Shraft’s Icing

Aunt Jule was my grandmother’s sister.

She lived in the Morrowfield Apartments on lower Murray Avenue. The Morrowfield was built as a luxury hotel with a ballroom on the top floor, but I never saw it. I have no memory of Aunt Jule’s Shraft’s icing, only the lingering smell in the hallways of everybody’s chicken dinner. Aunt Jule’s icing is sweet like Aunt Jule, who babysat me on the telephone, giving my widowed mother some time to herself. I’d recommend putting the frosting on ice cream, cookies, in between the layers of a favorite cake or solo on a spoon. Schrafft’s (spelled similarly) began as a candy company in 1861 and later became a restaurant chain, which in its heyday after World War II had more than 50 locations in New York, but other places too. Hot fudge sundaes were popular with customers. Perhaps Aunt Jule tasted one. This is her recipe in my mother’s handwriting.

parchment paper and cooking at 350° for 10-12 minutes, and no longer unless you like cookies burned on the bottom.

Aunt Charlotte’s Brownies

Aunt Charlotte was among my mother’s circle of friends who stepped up and helped take care of my brother and me when our father died. She made brownies for birthdays, camp days and sick days. She didn’t need an excuse. I wanted to check the recipe, so I gave her a call. While her brownie fans have seriously multiplied over the years, she insisted that “she made good brownies,” is not to be written on her gravestone. With that promise, she walked me through the recipe.

2 sticks of softened butter 2 cups of sugar

Briefly, she says, “Mix all ingredients by hand in one bowl. Pour batter evenly into one large, or two small pans. Bake at 350° for 27 minutes or until a toothpick tester comes out clean.” She says the secret to moist brownies is to “take them directly from the oven and put them in the refrigerator.”

I’m not sure what effect that has on lowering the refrigerator’s temperature, but the brownies were moist.

Aunt Charlotte’s confection is worth a step back in time.

My friends eagerly consumed the revived recipes.

“I feel seriously full in such a lovely way — transported through my palette into childhood family stories,” says Wendy Miller from Kensington, Maryland, who brought along a cookbook that her sister had compiled, filled with family recipes, photos and quotes. The book is dedicated to her sister’s adult children with the hope that they will be able to share stories with their children to keep the family heritage alive.

I’m hoping to do the same with Aunt Jule’s Shraft’s icing, Aunt Nettie’s ginger cookies and Aunt Charlotte’s brownies, lone (and worthy) survivors of the paper purge. PJC Rosanne Skirble is a native Pittsburgher who lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she is a contributing writer for Montgomery Magazine and other local publications.

Aunt Nettie’s Ginger Cookies

Aunt Nettie wasn’t really an aunt, but she was Aunt Jule’s friend who lived down the hall in an apartment with furniture fitted with plastic. I stuck to the couch and didn’t like to sit there. I ate Aunt Nettie’s ginger cookies with a glass of milk at the table in the kitchen that didn’t have sticky seats. The recipe on the card is in Aunt Nettie’s beautiful script. It took me three times to get it right. I suggest using butter, not smashing down the ginger balls before baking, lining the pan with

p Aunt Nettie’s Ginger Cookies recipe

Photos by Rosanne Skirble

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MAT 31, 2019 15

Headlines Busis: Continued from page 1

knowing that her charge had been completed — her husband had become a respected physician in private practice and each of their sons had received an Ivy League education — yet Sylvia forged on, tackling each avocational endeavor as if life offered Phi Beta Kappa.

Among the many positions she held at the United Jewish Federation (now the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh), she oversaw the women’s division and became its campaign chair. She was a board member and president of the sisterhood at Rodef Shalom Congregation, her childhood temple, and served as docent there, explaining in detail the practices and makeup of the historic space.

“She even wrote the docents’ guide book,” recalled son Jim Busis, CEO and publisher of the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle.

She conducted interviews for the National Council of Jewish Women Pittsburgh Section’s Oral History Project, chaired the Disabled Israel Veterans Committee, worked on the boards of School of Advanced Jewish Studies and Montefiore Hospital and later led Hillel Jewish University Center.

“I have no doubt that if she had come along 20 years later she would have reached the top tier of Federation and Rodef Shalom as well,” said Jim Busis.

Howard Rieger agreed, noting that Sylvia and other women of her generation were restricted from holding such positions. “It was a shame because the community lost,” said Rieger, who

Classrooms: Continued from page 1

pumping water that is trapped below the ground in the aquifers in regions where there is drought and hunger.

In the past 10 years, Innovation: Africa has brought Israeli solar, agricultural and water technologies to more than 200 projects in 10 African countries. Each project is tracked live by Israeli remote monitoring technology.

The Pittsburgh fundraising campaign was initiated by Classrooms Without Borders as a way for student participants of past CWB trips to help improve the world.

When Tsipy Gur, executive director and founder of CWB, heard about the work of Innovation: Africa, “she immediately connected with their mission,” said Melissa Haviv, assistant director of CWB. “It’s a wonderful project to help support Israel, and beyond Israel, using Israeli technology to bring water and electricity to remote villages in Africa,” Haviv said. “It’s a way to connect our kids to Israel in a very unique and effective way.”

CWB alumni and their friends — Brock Glimcher, Maya Groff, George Grune, Gabriella Boyiadzis, Noam Pishoto and Olivia Rosenberg — joined forces with the Black Student Union at Pittsburgh Allderdice to raise $18,000 to bring electricity to the village. Michele Halloran, a teacher who advises the BSU, had traveled to Poland with CWB and was eager to get her group involved with the fundraiser.

More than 10 members of the BSU 16 MAY 31, 2019

served as president of Pittsburgh’s Federation from 1981 to 2004 and then went on to head Jewish Federations of North America. “She did great things, but imagine how great the community could have been.”

One of her greatest accomplishments, he added, was her mentorship of the next generation.

“She demonstrated perseverance in her volunteer career and acted as a catalyst for me to keep on going,” said Meryl Ainsman, Federation’s board chair.

Marlene Silverman, who served as campaign chair for the women’s division, chair of the women’s division “and all kinds of other jobs along the way,” called Sylvia “dependable and smart” and said she was a “mentor to me when I was getting started in leadership posts at the Federation.”

Committee meetings with Sylvia gave people of all ages a chance to appreciate her exterior beauty, inner charm and wisdom, recalled Bernice Meyers.

“It was just like things that came out of her mouth were pearls. You could always count on Sylvia when you were going around the room that her words would be very well thought-out and a gem,” said Meyers.

Sylvia recognized the value in early adoption of communal responsibilities and strove to get young people involved, explained Sharon Perelman, Federation’s Foundation associate director. She also recognized autonomy, and at a time when many women could ride on their husband’s coattails, Sylvia did not. Sidney was president or chairman of Federation, Jewish Family and Community Services and Rodef Shalom. “She kind of

did her own thing,” added Perelman. “She inspired so many women to give in their own name and be philanthropic in their own right.”

That is not to say that she and Sidney were not extremely close. Rabbi Sharyn Henry, of Rodef Shalom, recalled phoning their home many times and hearing both answer.

They were partners, too, in bettering Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, explained Dan Marcus, who feted the couple in 2017 at Hillel JUC’s Campus Superstar.

“Honoring Sylvia and Sidney provided inspiration and a lesson in how the commitment and actions of dedicated leaders can make a difference to the Jewish and wider community,” said Marcus, Hillel JUC’s executive director.

Of their many committees served, chairmanships and communal undertakings, perhaps none was more memorable than a single gift offered in 1967. Prior to the Six-Day War, as Arab nations declared an intent to eradicate the Jewish State, “My parents took out a $10,000 loan and immediately donated the money to Federation to give to Israel,” said Jim Busis.

“I thought of how completely connected Sid and Sylvia had been, and how beautiful that was, and what unfathomable heartbreak she must have endured when he died,” said Henry.

Sidney Busis died on March 22. Sylvia died seven weeks later.

“We’ve lost a wonderful community leader, a wonderful woman in our Jewish community,” lamented Meyers.

That Sylvia singularly modeled communal stewardship and offered genuine care was recognized decades before her demise.

participated, said senior Gia Gibson, president of BSU. “When we first heard about it, we were excited about it because Black Student Union’s goal is to bridge gaps between black and white students, students who come from money and students who don’t come from money, to empower students of color,” she said.

“This was a good opportunity to help people in need and show students at the Black Student Union —particularly the younger students — they can have a role in this world and help people.”

The BSU held a student versus teacher basketball game, for which hundreds of students bought tickets, and raised $1,300.

“Black Student Union worked so hard, and we were so excited,” Gibson continued.

“There are two African students in Black Student Union who just moved recently to America. We had those students to connect with, and to experience this through them — to be able to help their home, and to help them help their home. It was an amazing experience, and we bonded over it.”

George Grune, a friend of CWB alum Brock Glimcher, and a junior at Shady Side Academy, was eager to join the project once he took a look at the Innovation: Africa website, and saw that “the company had touched so many people in Africa already.”

He liked the idea of donating to a specific school, he said. “It was something I couldn’t pass up. It’s absolutely unbelievable. This project affected specific people.”

He was moved after reading the testimonial email from Chimwaga.

“I’ve always liked helping people,” Grune

said. “This is the first thing I’ve done with that kind of impact. It’s a feeling I want to have again.”

In addition to raising $18,000 for electricity, a single local donor contributed $50,000 to bring water to the village as well.

“You can just see the joy and the happiness on the faces of so many of these students,” said Genna Brand, director of communications for Innovation: Africa. “Over 300 students now have access to light in their school. It’s a basic human right and, unfortunately, they didn’t have it before, but they have it now, thanks to Classrooms Without Borders, who have been just such wonderful partners.”

For many of the communities that Innovation: Africa helps, the installation of electricity and water is their first introduction to Israel.

“We are very proud that we are not only

p Students at Maila Secondary School

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In a poem heralding “Sylvia’s Way,” the late Gertrude Caplan, a fellow Federation volunteer, recited on May 26, 1977: God gave you eyes, that see beyond, The safe domain of your existence, God gave you ears, that hear the cries Of those in need, of your assistance…

So let your heart, be filled with dreams That others dream along life’s highway, We’re glad you care: We’re glad you share For this is Sylvia’s Way. Let not your words, remain just words With noble thought, and good intention, A passing glance, a fleeting phrase, Just now and then, to sometimes mention, For you’ve achieved, what you believe By fitting deeds to what the words say We know you give, so others live, For this is Sylvia’s Way. Sylvia Busis is survived by her children, Neil, Richard (Judy Beck), Jim (Maureen Kelly) and William (Leslie Hall); her grandchildren, David (Catherine Blauvelt), Anne (z”l), Hillary (Michael Palmieri), Sarah (Matthew Cohen), Deborah (Mathew Levine), Samuel, Ethan, Hannah, Abigail, Adam, Daniel and Molly; and her great-grandchildren, Arthur, Joshua, Noah and Diana. She was the sister of Dorothy Grinberg (z”l) and Miriam Hershman. PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. using Israeli technologies, but we are very proud to be, in most cases, the first face of Israel that many of these communities see in Africa,” Brand said. “We work in very rural communities, and when they see us, we are very proud to say we came from Israel, and these villagers think their prayers have been answered. They welcome us with open arms, and share blessings with us. It’s an amazing feeling.

“In most cases, some don’t know exactly where Israel is, but if they have heard of it before, it’s usually from church, from the Bible. Many of them are very religious. So truly, when they see us and hear that we are from Israel, they are just over the moon with excitement and joy and praise, and it is such a beautiful partnership. PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Photo provided by Genna Brand

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Headlines Anti-Semitism:

“ The Focus Project tends to focus on,

Continued from page 9

“The Focus Project tends to focus on, really almost exclusively, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incidents that are of left-leaning origin,” said Friedman, speaking for himself.

“I think that’s a fair criticism.”

A JTA examination of all 63 newsletters that have gone out since mid-March 2018 found that about two-thirds focused on anti-Israel activity. The newsletters focused on anti-Semitism cited examples from both ends of the political spectrum, but significantly more often focused on left-wing examples, even at a time when one of its partners, the ADL, has been noting the rise of the kind of white nationalist extremism that led to deadly shootings at synagogues in Pittsburgh and near San Diego.

None of the Focus Project’s partner organizations agreed to speak on the record with JTA for this article. A few did not respond to multiple requests for comment made over the course of a week, including the ADL and Malcolm Hoenlein, the Presidents Conference’s executive vice chairman.

Piro, the initiative’s lead employee, provided brief responses to questions sent by email, and wrote that they were in the name of all of the initiative’s partner organizations. The initiative has no website or social media presence.

“The Focus Project develops and distributes weekly talking points on timely issues regarding anti-Semitism and de-legitimization of Israel,” Piro wrote to JTA in an email last year. “You should consider them a consensus view across an extensive spectrum of America’s Jewish community. We’ve covered Farrakhan … and the alt-right.”

(The ellipsis was in the original.)

Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, has often promoted anti-Semitism.

Although he also holds anti-feminist and homophobic views, his most prominent supporters are largely on the left. The alt-right emerged in 2016 as purveyors of white nationalism and frequent anti-Semitism.

This week Piro wrote that “[w]e do not aim to reach any one audience, or pursue any one agenda,” and that the newsletter addresses “topical issues that affect us all.” As examples of such issues, Piro cited “the rockets coming from Hamas into Israel, the riots along the Gaza border, anti-Semitic incidents, etc.”

The newsletter comes as Jewish organizations have been tracking the rise of anti-Semitism on the left and the right.

Several Jewish groups, including the Reform movement’s Religious Action Center, the National Council of Jewish Women and the ADL have testified or lobbied for stricter monitoring and enforcement of white nationalism.

Other groups, like the Zionist Organization of America, and commentators, like the conservative Dennis Prager, insist that the biggest threat is from the “new anti-Semitism,” which they describe as anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Israel activity. They regard the boycott Israel movement and pro-Palestinian activists on college campuses as the vanguard of the new anti-Semitism. The Focus Project newsletter has used the phrase “new anti-Semitism” at least five times.

While Jewish groups tend to say that

really almost exclusively, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incidents that are of left-leaning origin.

”

— BEN FRIEDMAN all forms of anti-Semitism need to be addressed, the national political climate is more polarized. Republicans are eager to call out Democrats on anti-Israel activity, and Democrats are just as eager to point out Republican tolerance for white nationalism.

Background conversations with people familiar with the Focus Project and its documents paint a picture of a project largely focused on tracking anti-Israel activity and offering pro-Israel talking points.

When it does track anti-Semitism, most of the subjects are on the left, although its analysis also strives for bipartisanship.

Three emails since March 2018 focus on U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, and one focuses on Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat — freshman Muslim-American lawmakers and supporters of an Israel boycott who have been accused of trafficking in anti-Semitic tropes. A March 13 newsletter in the wake of widely condemned remarks by Omar urges praise for the Democratic-led House of Representatives for a resolution condemning all forms of hate, but also warns that some elected officials “are making excuses for Rep. Omar or say she didn’t intend her remarks to be antisemitic – a troubling whitewash.”

It urged readers to share an “impassioned speech against anti-Semitism” by Rep. Ted Deutch, a Democrat from Florida.

The Focus email from March 27, 2018, was headlined “America’s Growing AntiSemitism.” The two examples it gave: a smear about the Rothschilds by Trayon White, a Democratic city councilman in Washington, D.C., and a joke about how Jews are awkward dancers from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also a Democrat.

Two additional links in the email sent readers to articles about anti-Semitism in the Women’s March, and praise of Hitler from R&B singer Erykah Badu.

That same week, and unmentioned in the newsletter, anti-Semitic fliers were found at the University of Minnesota that blamed Sens. Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer, both Democrats, for promoting gun control.

One topic the newsletter has not flagged since its launch are the subset of attacks on liberal Jewish financier George Soros by Republican candidates or right-wing activists that critics say end up fueling anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. For example, the newsletter made no mention of when Fox Business Network pulled a broadcast of “Lou Dobbs Tonight” in Oct. 2018 after a guest, Chris Farrell of the conservative group Judicial Watch, referred to the “Soros-occupied State Department.” Nor did the newsletter mention in the same month that an explosive device was placed in a mailbox outside

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of Soros’ New York home by a Florida man who targeted liberals and Democrats.

While the newsletter has not mentioned any of the anti-Soros examples, one of its backers — the ADL — has spoken out on the issue several times in the past year.

Last October, the ADL issued a position paper warning that “politicians and pundits repeating these unsubstantiated conspiracies [about Soros] essentially validate the same hateful myths propagated by anti-Semites.”

The ADL declined repeated requests for comment this month on the Focus Project.

Last year it sent a short statement to JTA saying that it had been “invited to help the Focus Project to frame up weekly talking points on issues affecting Israel and the American Jewish community,” and that ADL is “one of a number of organizations contributing to this effort, which is in a pilot phase.”

The ADL itself has been one of the strongest proponents of attacking anti-Semitism on all fronts. In January, ADL released a report showing that “extremist-related murders in 2018 were overwhelmingly linked to right-wing extremists.” In 2018, nearly half the incidents of harassment targeting Jewish institutions “were the work of known white supremacists or extremists,” according to the ADL. The ADL also has criticized Tlaib and Omar and closely tracks anti-Israel activity and boycott Israel movements.

In March, the ADL called on congressional leaders in both parties “to use your

positions of leadership to call out and reject any efforts to politicize the fight against anti-Semitism and unite in a bipartisan way to combat anti-Semitism.”

JTA was told by people familiar with the Focus Project that the intended audience for the Focus Project newsletter’s talking points is principally center-left Americans, who may be sympathetic to criticism of Israel, especially from the left. As of March, the newsletter had more than 1,000 recipients, the majority of whom were Jewish or pro-Israel professionals, or rabbis. They range from employees of Jewish federations to campus Hillels to staff at the Jewish fraternity AEPi. A style guide sent to the initiative’s member groups this year draws on the language of uncritical pro-Israel advocacy.

It recommends a range of terms deemed “pro-Jewish, pro-Israel” and that portray Israeli government policy in a favorable light.

Instead of “Israeli settlement,” it says, try to use “Israeli community.” Instead of “occupied territories,” use “jointly-administered territories.” Instead of “Gaza blockade,” use “Gaza security restrictions.” An earlier version suggested using the term “anti-Semitism” instead of “criticism of Israel,” though that was ultimately deleted.

Piro is technically employed by StandWithUs and at times has worked a few days a week from ADL’s Manhattan office.

“We are a very small group that uses borrowed space as available,” Piro wrote in an email to JTA. Friedman of the Orlando JCRC sees bias in the newsletter, but notes that the partner organizations themselves highlight anti-Semitism across the spectrum. Several Jewish leaders who receive the newsletter told JTA it does not inform their thinking on these issues.

“As long as JCPA and other organizations are speaking out against all forms of anti-Semitism, then what the Focus Project does or doesn’t might not matter as much,” Friedman said. “As opposed to if everyone was only speaking out against left-wing anti-Semitism, then we might say, ‘Hey, this is unbalanced.’ But on the whole, I don’t know that I feel that way.” PJC

Community/web editor, Angela Leibowicz, to retire from Chronicle

L

ongtime community/web editor of popular features in the paper for many years. the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, Leibowicz eventually took over managing Angela Leibowicz, is retiring from her the Chronicle’s website, the obituary section position at the newspaper, of the paper and the calendar, effective May 31, 2019. and expanded the Community Leibowicz began her tenure pages. She also designed some of at the Chronicle in May 2002, the Chronicle’s art for her own after working as a freelance columns and for the website. academic editor for several “For 17 years, Angela has been years. She was hired by the the heart and soul of this paper,” Chronicle’s then editor-insaid Jim Busis, CEO and publisher chief, Lee Chottiner. of the Chronicle. “Not only does Her position and duties p Angela she know everything about everyLeibowicz have morphed over the years. thing with regard to the paper, Photo courtesy of Although she was initially Angela Leibowicz but she knows everyone in the hired to edit the Simcha community, and everyone in the section of the paper, manage community knows her. We are community photos, and to proofread, she grateful for her years of selfless service, and soon began writing features and columns we wish her well in her future endeavors.” as well. Her “Cool Jews” column, in which Newly hired staff writer Dave Rullo will be she highlighted interesting members of the assuming her duties. community, earned her a Golden Quill award Leibowicz plans to remain in Pittsburgh. PJC from the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania.

Two food columns she authored were also —Toby Tabachnick

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MAY 31, 2019 17

Celebrations

Torah

B’nai Mitzvah

Engraving the Torah onto our hearts Rabbi Mendy Schapiro Parashat Bechukotai Leviticus 26:3-27:34

T Evan Cobb, son of Stacey and Jason Cobb, will become a bar mitzvah on June 1 at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills.

Grandparents are James and Cheryl Snyder of Upper St. Clair, and Lee and Janet Cobb of Cheektowaga, N.Y.

Evie Freed, daughter of Randy and Dini Freed, will become a bat mitzvah at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 1 at Congregation Beth Shalom in Overland Park, Kansas (a suburb of Kansas City). Evie is the granddaughter of Sam Shutzberg of Pittsburgh and the late Ettie Shutzberg, Valerie Freed and Ronald Freed. Evie attends Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. She enjoys art, video games, bike riding with her dad, and going to Herzl Camp in Wisconsin over the summer. Evie’s bat mitzvah project involved packaging food items and then delivering them to Jewish seniors in the community. She also helped in putting together birthday bags with the National Council of Jewish Women.

Jacob Ari Maglin, son of Alicia and Steven Maglin of Upper St. Clair, will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday, June 1 at Temple Emanuel of South Hills. Jacob is the brother of Justin and the grandson of Carol and Peter Kaplan and Alan and Judy Maglin, all of Pittsburgh.

Joshua Ari Valinsky, son of Jane and Buddy Valinsky, will become a bar mitzvah on June 1 at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Josh attends St. Edmund’s Academy where he plays on the basketball team. Some of his hobbies include baseball, basketball, collecting sneakers and reading. Josh also loves animals and hopes to adopt a dog soon. His bar mitzvah project is volunteering at the East End Cooperative Ministry cooking and serving food to the residents at the homeless shelter. He chose this because he enjoys cooking, and volunteering makes him feel good.

Benjamin Werner, son of Marla and Michael Werner will become a bar mitzvah at Adat Shalom during mincha/ma’ariv services on Saturday, June 1. Grandparents are Judith Tobe, Stephen Tobe, and Susan and David Werner. Great-grandmother is Phyllis Seidenstein.

18 MAY 31, 2019

Ella Werner, daughter of Marla and Michael Werner will become a bat mitzvah at Adat Shalom during mincha/ma’ariv services on Saturday, June 1. Grandparents are Judith Tobe, Stephen Tobe, and Susan and David Werner. Great-grandmother is Phyllis Seidenstein. PJC

he more a person ages, the more he or she experiences loss of memory.

I think the following scenario is quite common. Someone walks up to you and says, “Hey, Jerry! How are you? Wow, long time no see!”

While he’s rambling, you’re trying desperately to search your mind for some information that will help you remember who on earth the person is.

“Oh, come on, Jerry! You don’t remember me? We met a few years ago at the Pirates game, you know, we were talking about all the trades the Pirates made… remember?”

And you’re embarrassed to admit that you have no recollection of who he is or what he’s talking about. You then proceed with the silly excuses: “Sorry, I must be getting old.”

Memory is important for us personally, how much more so for Judaism. We might even say that remembrance is the most important subject to the Jewish nation.

Next week we’ll be celebrating the holiday of the Giving of the Torah, on which the Jewish nation received both the written Torah and the oral Torah — the part of the Torah that was not committed to writing. Rather, it had to be transmitted orally from memory.

But how indeed do we do that? What are the methods and techniques of not forgetting the Torah? Here are several.

Repetition: In the Shema that we say every day, the Torah commands us to teach the Torah to our children. The term that the Torah uses is “Veshinantam.” The root word of “Veshinantam” is “Shanein,” which means both “repeat” and “sharpen.” It refers to something you repeat again and again. Why does the Torah use this phrase? Because in order to remember the Torah, parents must “sharpen” it by repeating it to their children, again and again. In fact, there were Talmudic sages who had interesting customs when it came to study repetition. For example, Rabbi Chiya would review his studies every 30 days (Brachos 38b). Hillel, one of the most famous sages, said, “Who can be called a ‘servant of G-d’? One who repeats his studies one hundred and one times” (Chagigah 9b).

Stories are a good technique to help us remember things we learn from the Torah itself. The Torah wasn’t given to us as a dry book of rules, with each line containing one law after another. Rather, the Torah was written in the form of a story. For example, the Torah wanted to emphasize the gravity of “brotherly hatred” — so instead of writing how serious and prohibited fraternal strife is, the Torah tells us the story of Joseph and his brothers. And here we are, 3,000 years later, getting emotional every time we read the story of how Joseph was sold by his brothers. Countless movies, plays and books portray the story, a story that has succeeded in doing what hundreds of hours of lectures and speeches would never do.

Song is another method of remembering. In fact, the Torah is read in a song indicated by the

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Ta’amei HaMikrah, the cantillation notes. The way we read the Torah is not to just recite it, but rather, to chant it. If you look at any Chumash, you’ll notice one or two little symbols above or below each Hebrew word. These symbolize specific combinations of notes. By reviewing the Chumash text and memorizing the symbols, the Torah reader remembers which symbols to sing for which words when he reads the actual Torah scroll text.

One of the main reasons for this system is that, when you turn the entire Torah text into one giant song, it’s easier to remember. We experience this idea on a regular basis during prayers, such as the “Aleinu” prayer we say at the end of prayers, or the first paragraph of Birkat HaMazon, the Grace after Meals. What you sing, you remember because song connects to our emotions, and when we have an emotional reaction to something, it makes its

Memory is important for us personally, how much more so for Judaism.

We might even say that remembrance is the most important subject to the Jewish nation.

mark on the heart, and hence on our memory.

And that brings us to this week’s Torah portion of Bechukotai. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Rebbe of Chabad, explained that the root word of “Bechukotai” is also related to “Chakika,” which means “engraving” — as in etching letters into stone. The lesson is that just like an engraved letter becomes an inseparable part of the stone, so too must the Torah become engraved in our hearts until it becomes inseparable from our personalities.

But how do we accomplish that? How do we cause the Torah to be engraved within us?

That happens when we repeat Torah study, when we sing the songs of Torah, when we share the stories and connect to the Torah in an emotional way. Just as it is when you come across a concept that you strongly connect to emotionally, you remember it for decades to come, the same is true regarding Torah study. True, there are amazing intellectual insights in Torah, but what’s important is to connect Judaism with your feelings.

We must involve ourselves with our holy Torah with gusto and with feeling.

Torah study is something in which a Jew is emotionally involved.

And what is truly loved is not forgotten. PJC Rabbi Mendy Schapiro is the spiritual leader of Chabad of Monroeville. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh.

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Obituaries Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel Inc., family owned and operated. www.schugar.com

ARNOLD: Lawrence F. Arnold (Larry), born August 3, 1934, died peacefully on April 29, 2019, surrounded by his three devoted daughters; Jessica Mayerson, Stephanie Arnold and Alissa Block, and his seven adoring grandchildren, Jordan and Maddie Mayerson, Barrett, Baylor and Lily Rosenbaum, Rachel and Marcus Block who all commonly referred to him as “Zappy.”

Larry was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School and attended the University of Pennsylvania earning dual degrees in accounting and naval sciences from the Wharton School in 1956. Larry was a CPA and practiced accounting in Pittsburgh from 1959-1978 with the firms of Arnold, Kenzleiter and Levine and J. K. Lasser & Co. As a former Naval officer, Larry followed his heart and the call of the ocean moving to California in 1979. He lived in Los Angeles for 40 years. His love for the water drew him to the coast of Southern California where he spent his time swimming and cleaning the beaches. In 2008 Larry was certified as Los Angeles County’s oldest sworn-in lifeguard at the age of 75. If you would like to help carry on Zappy’s mission, the family requests donations to Healthebay.org.

GOLDBERG: Benjamin “Sonny” Goldberg, on Monday, May 20, 2019. Dearly beloved husband of Marlene Goldberg. Cherished father of Debra (Albert Jr.) Amelio, Mitcheal (Ilene) Goldberg and the late Edward Goldberg. Brother of the late Francis Lurie, Paul Goldberg, Celia Goldberg, Rose Mallinger and Sylvia Moidel. Adored grandfather of Nicholas, Anthony and Danielle Amelio and Zachary and Stephanie Goldberg. Also survived by many loving nieces, nephews and cousins. Services at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue. Shadyside on Wednesday at 2 PM. Visitation one hour prior (1-2 PM).

Interment Adath Jeshurun Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to Temple Sinai, 5505 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217.

KUNTZ: Leonard I. Kuntz, of Squirrel Hill, on Saturday, May 25, 2019. Beloved husband of the late Mildred H. Kuntz; beloved father of Stephen Kuznetsov and Leslie Mitchell (John Tallent); father-in-law of Judith Cohen; Zaydee to Joshua Kuznetsov; uncle of Walter Hineck, Joan Reisfeld, Susan Indovina, the late Aaron Lupovitch, the late Jana Talton, and Lyra Talton; great-uncle of Zachary Reisfeld and Lauren Indovina. Leonard was a longtime member of Congregation Dor Hadash, a resident of Weinberg Village, and a World War II veteran. Services and interment private. Contributions may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union, Weinberg Village, Congregation Dor Hadash or Beth Shalom Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. www.schugar.com LEHRMAN: Rosalie J. Lehrman, 79, of Pottsville, passed away on Saturday, morning May 18, 2019, in Abramson Center for Jewish Life, North Wales, Pa. Born in McKeesport, Pa., on December 24, 1939, she was the daughter of the late Albert and Virginia (Friedman) Neiman. She was a graduate of McKeesport High School and attended Penn State University and the University of Pittsburgh. Rosalie was a member of Oheb Zedeck Synagogue, where she was involved in Sisterhood and Hadassah. Rosalie worked at the family business, R X D Pharmacy, Pottsville, retiring in 2008. She was a strong supporter and volunteered at the Pottsville Free Public Library, which was very dear to her. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by daughter, Beth, in 2013 and sister-in-law, Arlene, in 1963. Rosalie is survived by her husband, Sylvan Lehrman, to whom she was married 59 years; son, Craig Lehrman, husband of Dana, of North Wales; grandchildren: Sam, Max, and Ava; sister, Debra Weinstock, wife of Ronald, of Boynton Beach, Fla.; brothers: Dr. Lee Neiman, husband of Reva, of Pittsburgh; Dr. Myles Neiman, of McKeesport; nieces: Sara, Tracey, Lauren, Gail, Sharon and Janet; and nephew, Merle. Funeral services were held at Lord-Bixler Funeral Home, Inc. with Rabbi Nachum Brand officiating. Interment in Tifereth Israel Cemetery, Mount Carmel.

The family requests contributions in Rosalie’s memory be sent to: American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123 or the Pottsville Free Public Library, 215 W. Market St., Pottsville, PA 17901 Arrangements by Lord-Bixler Funeral Home, Inc. is in charge of arrangements.

Online condolences may be expressed at lordbixler.com. PJC

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MAT 31, 2019 19

Headlines Offstein: Continued from page 2

It is similar to the paucity you see elsewhere, he continued.

“If you go to church, or synagogue, or you go to any community event and you see who is volunteering, it’s old people ... it’s a different world then when I was brought up. It’s a shame.”

Hausman: Continued from page 3

Apart from joining the May 13 program, Hausman participated in the National Conference of Shomrim Societies. Held on May 14, the opportunity allowed Hausman to share an additional message while he was in the nation’s capital.

“Whereas Rabbi Myers says we shouldn’t

Katz: Continued from page 8

D.C.-based firm Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP., will be honored Wednesday by T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights with its Raphael Lemkin Human Rights Award.

“Debra Katz brings to life the Torah’s insistence that every person is a creation in the image of God, and deserves to be treated with utmost dignity,” T’ruah’s executive director, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, told JTA in an email. “She has courageously lived out these values in defending women survivors of harassment and assault by powerful men.”

Jacobs also referred to Katz’s work on behalf of a woman accusing Jewish philanthropist Michael Steinhardt of sexual harassment. The megadonor and co-founder of Birthright Israel was accused earlier this year by seven women of propositioning them and making inappropriate remarks in professional settings. (Steinhardt, 78, has admitted to “boorish, disrespectful and just plain dumb” behavior, but he denies harassment.)

Katz represented Sheila Katz (no relation) in her complaint about Steinhardt relating

Both in Butler and its surrounding environs, life has changed, but perhaps the biggest thing today is people don’t have time, he said.

“Just to give you a little trivia, it takes a half hour to go pick up a bicycle, then you listen to the story about the history of the bicycle for a half hour, then you bring the bicycle back here to my place which is a half an hour of traveling time.”

That is 90 minutes.

“Then I have to store it. Then I gotta fix it. Then I got to guarantee it — the bikes I give away are guaranteed for life.” If the bike goes bad, “the kids can bring it back and get another one.”

In that way, and also because of the hundreds of bikes still remaining at his dealership, Offstein remains connected to the cause, even if the rodeo is done.

He said that he will continue helping the

community, and with his newfound time dedicate himself to two familiar endeavors: taking care of the business and supporting B’nai Abraham.

“I don’t have any health problems. I’m not sick. I do things,” he said. “God has been good to me. I have no complaints.” PJC

use the ‘H word,’ I tell everyone the words we abuse are ‘tolerate’ and ‘tolerance.’ We say we should tolerate other people, and I say that’s the wrong word. We should accept everyone.

I don’t tolerate you because you are black or tall or female or whatever. I just accept you for whoever you are,” Hausman noted.

Whether it is being joined by recognized faith leaders at the National Cathedral or speaking before a group of fellow Jewish government employees, there is a sense of

guilt that comes with each endeavor, he said.

“It makes me feel bad that I am getting all this credit. I just want to convey our message and I hope that I am doing a good job,” he said.

“It’s a horrible reason why we are doing this. We just want to help people move forward.” Part of that process is recognizing that “it’s OK to say you’re not OK. There’s a stigma about mental illness and we’re always afraid to say ‘I need help’ or ‘I don’t feel

good.’ Everybody needs a little bit of help and someone to lean on and talk to every once in a while.”

Maintaining such relationships is critical, Hausman continued.

“We need to make connections as a community to stay together and move forward.” PJC

to her work at Hillel International. A Hillel investigation into the allegations concluded that Steinhardt had harassed Sheila Katz and another woman.

As part of the investigation, Hillel decided not to accept a $50,000 donation from Steinhardt and removed his name from its board of governors. Sheila Katz has called on the Jewish community to take seriously such complaints as they happen.

The attorney echoed her client’s demand.

“It is important for the Jewish community to have a reckoning like every other community,” she said, “to ask the question of why he was permitted to behave like this and why did individuals who know better enable the behavior or excuse the behavior.”

Katz, who grew up in a Reform Jewish family in Woodmere, on New York’s Long Island, credits Judaism with her passion for helping people who have been victimized.

“It’s hard to describe this in any other way,” she said, “but those were values as a Jew that I was raised with, that we were strangers in a strange land, and we protect the strangers, and that has always been the guiding principle for me.”

That attitude has made Katz respected

— and feared. The Washington Post has described her as “the feared attorney of the #MeToo moment.” In 2007, she was named one of the country’s “Top 10 Plaintiffs’ Attorneys to Fear the Most” by Human Resource Executive Magazine.

“I think it means that when we show up in cases, corporations know that we’ve vetted the cases carefully, the cases are strong, and we’re going to fight like hell for our clients,” she said.

As Katz gained prominence representing Blasey Ford, she faced scrutiny from the right, which accused her of being a Democratic operative. And for the first time in her 35 years of being a lawyer, she faced anti-Semitic death threats. They forced Katz to have security at her home and office.

“All the threats began with ‘you’re a Jew,’” she said.

Her face appeared on anti-Semitic fliers on a number of college campuses blaming Jews for the allegations against Kavanaugh — he also denies them. Also, Katz says the FBI told her that her photo was among a number of images that appeared on the van of the man who sent explosive devices to CNN, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, George Soros and others.

The experience was “horrible and scary,” Katz said, as was the thought that “anti-Semitism is such a powerful force in the country right now, and I’m in the scope.”

Outside of work, Katz enjoys hiking. She lives on a farm in Barnesville, Maryland, with her wife and 17-year-old son, whose hobby of raising chickens recently caught the attention of Martha Stewart.

Katz also has a home in Takoma Park, Maryland, and belongs to Am Kolel, a Jewish Renewal community in Beallsville. She also attends synagogues in Washington, D.C., including the Orthodox Adas Israel and the nondenominational Sixth & I. Despite recent progress, Katz says there is plenty of work to be done in terms of fighting sexual harassment and assault. She sees a tension between the increased willingness of the public to take seriously allegations and the policies of the Trump administration to curtail women’s and reproductive rights.

“Both things are going on at once,” she said, “and it will be nice when those things converge, when we actually have an administration that cares about and is receptive to these issues and a society that is looking.” PJC

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

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

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21

Community Challenges for the future Rabbi Shlomo Silverman, director of Chabad of Carnegie Mellon University and the vice chairman of the Council of Religious Advisors at CMU, delivered the invocation to 10,000 people at this year’s commencement ceremony. The 11th year of Chabad of CMU ended on a high note. In light of the challenges that have faced the Pittsburgh community this year, Silverman gave the graduates a strong message to take with them into the real world: “Through our life challenges we can and will become stronger people and we will bring more light into this world. #PittsburghStrong #CMUStrong, we are strong when we stand united together for the good.”

Photo courtesy of Rabbi Shlomo Silverman

Old becomes new

Students from Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh joined elected officials and friends of the Jewish Association on Aging and the New Riverview to break ground on the renovations of two senior-living apartment buildings located along Brown’s Hill Road in Squirrel Hill.

The ceremony commemorated receiving a $17 million Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, launching a top-to-bottom renovation of the former Riverview Towers. Local elected officials who assisted with support of the project included Sen. Jay Costa, Rep. Dan Frankel, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Councilman Corey O’Connor. Partner organizations vital to the renovation included the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority and Enterprise Community Partners. The renovation reduces the number of units from 221 to 191 of which 151 will be affordable for residents whose income is 60 percent or less than the area median income. The remaining 40 percent will be lower-cost, market-rate units. A total of 42 units will be fully accessible. The construction is expected to take 16 months to complete. p Hillel Academy students break ground on the renovations

Photos by John Schiller

u Hillel Academy students, dignitaries and friends

Mega Challah success More than 100 girls and boys enjoyed an afternoon of challah baking and storytelling at Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s Kids’ Mega Challah Event.

p Ava Rofey

p Becky Raphael, Noa Raphael and Ayala Sasson

Photos courtesy of Chabad of Squirrel Hill

22 MAY 31, 2019

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Community Kollel secrets revealed

Still feeling groovy

The Kollel Jewish Learning Center’s Annual Event with featured speaker Rabbi Yisroel Miller was held on May 6 at the Embassy Suites downtown. The event was hosted by Chuck and Judy Perlow and Zev and Lieba Rudolph. Judi and Manny Kanal and Philip and Leah Milch served as co-chairs of the event. Miller spoke to a large, diverse audience about the “Secrets of the Kollel.”

Temple Sinai hosted a Shabbat evening service infused with songs from the ’60s and early ‘70s including music by Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Peter, Paul and Mary, Neil Diamond, the Youngbloods and more.

p From left: Dina Schon, Leah Milch, Judi Kanal, Manny Kanal, Philip Milch and Rabbi Doniel Schon

p Roger Rafson and Jake Epstein

p Chuck Mahan, Judy Rulin Mahan and Ben Wecht

p Rabbi Yisroel Miller (left) and Zev Rudolph

p From left: Rabbi Shimon Silver, Rabbi Daniel Yolkut and Rabbi Levi Langer

Photos by Eliron Shkedi

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p Josh and Jonah Lederer and Steve Jurman

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Photos by Dale Lazar

MAY 31, 2019 23

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