June 10, 2022 | 11 Sivan 5782
Candlelighting 8:32 p.m. | Havdalah 9:40 p.m. | Vol. 65, No. 23 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
A generation of young Jews sees Israel differently, but educators are responding
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL After pandemic pause, Birthright is back
Students strengthen connections to Israel and to each other.
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By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer “A Torn Emergence”
who also followed pro-Israel accounts.
year ago, Eli Marcus couldn’t avoid videos and posts denigrating Israel. As the Jewish state endured 11 days of rocket fire from Hamas last May, Marcus, 16, saw a bevy of anti-Zionist messaging. “It was all over the place,” he said. On Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, Marcus saw a deluge of content concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said he spoke with friends about numerous posts — including those repeating the mantra “Israelis are terrorists” — and tried learning more about the sentiments conveyed. What Marcus came to appreciate was that, especially on Instagram, the more pro-Israel accounts he followed, the more pro-Israel messaging he received. Intensifying the echo chamber were friends, he said,
Conversely, those with alternate feeds saw a different narrative. Jess Daninhirsch, 18, said she “distinctly” remembers that period and “how everyone was spewing their thoughts on the matter.” Daninhirsch largely used Instagram last summer and said her feed included so many posts “from different sides” that usage of the platform became “overwhelming.” “I didn’t know what to think,” she said. “I was still trying to do my own research.” Despite wanting to learn more about the conflict, Daninhirsch ultimately stopped commenting about it. “A lot of people were asking me things about Israel, and my opinion, and what I
or the third time in as many months, members of a Pittsburgh-area community woke to find antisemitic flyers distributed in their neighborhood. On Monday, May 30, Pleasant Hills resident Michelle Susa posted to the Facebook group “Jefferson Hills/Pleasant Hills/ Surrounding Areas-What’s Going On” that her family had found a flyer at the end of their driveway. Other neighbors responded to the post saying that they, too, received the hate message and posted photos of what they found. Like other flyers found in both Squirrel Hill and Mt. Lebanon recently, the doublesided messages were packed in a lunch bag filled with rice and included antisemitic messages penned by the hate group Goyim Defense League. It appears that several different messages were distributed as part of the hate campaign. Some Facebook group members posted images of a flyer with the familiar antisemitic trope that Jews control the media. Another post showed a flyer stating that “Every single aspect of the Ukraine-Russia War is Jewish.” A photo Susa posted included the statement that “Every single aspect of the Covid agenda is Jewish.” Susa — who is not Jewish — said that her husband found the flyer in their driveway when he went out around 11 a.m. to cut the grass. “That’s when I contacted Pleasant Hills police because I found it very inappropriate to pass out,” she said. “I looked around the neighborhood, and other people had them, too.” The Pleasant Hills resident said the flyers
Please see Israel, page 14
Please see Flyers, page 15
LOCAL Fertility support comes to Pittsburgh
Jewish Fertility Foundation launches with help of Federation.
Page 3
LOCAL
A The Manor Theatre turns 100.
Page 4
Hate group distributes antisemitic flyers in South Hills neighborhood By David Rullo | Staff Writer
Page 2
A century of films — and memories
$1.50
Painting by Jess Daninhirsch
keep your eye on PittsburghJewishChronicle WORLD
LOCAL Summertime fun
LOCAL Jerry Stahl on ‘the worst of humanity’
FOOD Life of pie
Headlines Students experience Birthright Israel with Chabad of CMU after two-year pandemic pause — LOCAL — By David Rullo | Staff Writer
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ax Wilmet called the Birthright trip he took with Chabad of Carnegie Mellon University last month one of the best experiences of his life. And he’s had some pretty great experiences. The behavioral economics major said he is half French and half American. He lived in New York City until the fourth grade, when his family moved to Shanghai. He stayed in China until he finished high school, then moved to Pittsburgh to study at CMU. He also has visited Israel twice previously. Despite having the type of passport stamps that might make one jaded, Wilmet couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for Birthright. “I loved the trip so much,” he said, “it would be a disservice not to speak about it.” Birthright excursions to Israel recently restarted after a two-year pandemic pause. Wilmet said the resumption was one of the reasons he decided to make the trip. “I haven’t been able to travel much during the pandemic, and the opportunity to go with friends to our Holy Land was like, all the stars lined up. Everything was pointing for me to go,” he said. Rabbi Shlomo Silverman, director of Chabad of CMU, led the trip, May 16-26. Silverman said he shared an incredible journey with the 30 students on the bus tour of Israel — eight were from CMU and the rest were from George Washington University, Penn State University and a few other schools. “I think the students had the trip of a lifetime,” the rabbi said. “The growth, appreciation of Israel, appreciation for being
Friendships were formed fast during Chabad of CMU’s Birthright trip.
Photo provided by Chabad of Carnegie Mellon
Jewish is a very transformative and powerful experience to go through in 10 days.” Silverman said the trip began in the north of the country and included different hikes, allowing the students to see the beauty of the land and visit some of the local wineries. The students were able to experience the mystical side of the country climbing the hills of Tzfat and spending Friday night at the Kotel. “That was probably a highlight for most of the students,” he said. “Being at the Kotel and dancing with thousands of people, just being proud of their Jewishness.” The trip also included a tour of the Old City, visiting Tel Aviv, shopping at “The Shuk” and more. Silverman said the trip included everything from entertainment to shopping to history to experiencing Tel Aviv at night. “It was definitely an eye-opening experience,“ he said. Some of the students, Silverman said, wanted to go to Israel on Birthright during
the last two years but couldn’t because of COVID-19 restrictions. To compensate, Birthright increased its age limit, allowing adults as old as 32 to take part. Experiencing the Jewish state is one part of Birthright’s equation, Silverman said. The other part happens when students return to their universities. “They feel empowered, and they understand what’s going on, especially with antisemitism,” he said. “They’re educated with what’s happening on the ground and know it’s not like the media says. I think it’s very powerful.” Technical writing and communications major Sarah Abrams said that before the trip she often felt powerless when being put in a position where she had to defend Israel. After learning about the country and meeting with a Jerusalem Post reporter, she feels better qualified now. Abrams said she also gained a deeper understanding of why Jews observe certain rituals.
“For example,” she said, “I observed Shabbat for the first time fully in Israel. I thought it was a really therapeutic experience, putting everything away for a day.” One of her favorite parts of the trip was visiting Masada. “We did some prayers, and I remember that I thought it was surreal the way they connected with me,” she said. “I remember singing a lot of songs in Hebrew school when I was younger. I really didn’t keep up with them, so, saying them on top of Masada when I was in this holy place was a really cool experience.” Wilmet found meaning in the connection between modern Judaism and its recent and ancient history. He said a trip to Yad Vashem was emotional, making for an impactful but tough day. “But also, seeing what Israel has gone through is unspeakable,” he said. “It really happened. And now we’re more resilient than ever. We saw a mikvah built 3,000 years ago. Our guide told us that when it was found a bunch of rabbis and scholars went to see if it was like today, if they followed the same principles. To make a long story short, it checked out.” And while the purpose of Birthright is to connect students with their Jewish heritage, Silverman said the trip also connected them to other Jews not part of the CMU community. “It really bonded everyone, and they’re keeping in touch in a WhatsApp group. Parents are able to keep up with what’s happening. Everyone’s connected. It was nice to be able to meet new people from different areas. It doesn’t always happen, but this time it worked out great,” he said. PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronice.org.
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Headlines Jewish Fertility Foundation comes to Pittsburgh to provide emotional and financial support — LOCAL — By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle
E
rika Schmitt was seeking to grow a family of her own. “I always wanted to be a mom. Life circumstances happened to be that as I got older, my path didn’t go that way,” said Schmitt, who grew up in Monroeville attending services at Temple David. “As I hit my late 30s, I said, ‘I really want to be a mom, even though I’m not in a relationship.’ I realized this is a path I wanted to take.” Schmitt’s path arrived at inner uterine insemination, or IUI, at an Allegheny Health Network fertility clinic. It took a few tries, and about six months, before she became pregnant. On Oct. 7, 2018, her daughter, Hadley, was born at West Penn Hospital in Bloomfield. Today, Schmitt is helping Jewish women like herself with fertility issues, through an organization she found on a Facebook parenting group. The Jewish Fertility Foundation (JFF), a nonprofit started in 2016 in Atlanta, announced it will open a Pittsburgh chapter, thanks to a multiyear grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh
will be JFF’s fifth location in the U.S., following an expansion trend kicked off by a 2019 pilot program in Cincinnati. Schmitt serves on the foundation’s Pittsburgh advisory board. The JFF’s mission is to provide financial assistance, emotional support and educational programming to Jewish individuals with medical infertility. To date, it has distributed 125 fertility grants, and 91 babies were born under its purview; total grants, loans and clinic discounts have exceeded $1 million, officials said. Pittsburgh’s Federation granted $30,000 to JFF for 2022-2023 and committed to funding the group for three years at this level, as long as it meets reporting goals and adheres to the grant agreement. “One of the benefits of Jewish Federation’s strong Community Foundation is the innovation our endowments enable,” Federation CEO Jeff Finkelstein said. “The Jewish Fertility Foundation is an excellent example of fostering this innovation, providing equitable access to fertility treatment, something that can be out of reach for too many in our community.” Elana Frank is JFF’s founder and CEO. She, too, has a fertility story. Frank made aliyah to Israel about 13 years ago and, while there, socialized medicine
p Erika Schmitt, who helped bring JFF to Pittsburgh, and daughter Hadley Schmitt
Please see JFF, page 15
Photo by LeeAnn K Photography
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Headlines The Manor Theatre turns 100 — with plenty of Jewish history — LOCAL — By Ethan Beck | Staff Writer
S Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh's Jewish Community Foundation
CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION with Rabbi Danny Schiff UNDERWRITTEN BY THE ALAN PAPERNICK EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE ENDOWMENT FUND
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ince its doors opened a century ago in the heart of Squirrel Hill, thousands upon thousands of films have played The Manor Theatre. The cinema maintains much of its original 1920s grandeur, but a lot has changed over the years: Renovations brought the theater up to four screens, the transition from 35mm film to digital projection took place in the 2010s and a bar was added in 2012. As movie houses across Pittsburgh have come and gone, The Manor Theatre has stuck around. And while The Manor continues to attract scores of Pittsburgh’s Jewish film fans, many of its regular patrons might not know that the theater’s Jewish history is so storied that it dates to cinema’s silent era. In celebration of turning 100 this past May, the theater held a film festival of movie classics from “The Godfather” to “Get Out.” The centennial opened with the first film The Manor ever played, entitled “Hail the Women.” And it was around that time that Beth Shalom Congregation started holding events at The Manor. On the pages of vintage copies of The Jewish Criterion, one of the Chronicle’s predecessor papers, notices can be found alerting Pittsburgh Jews that Beth Shalom’s Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah services would be held at the then-recently opened The Manor Theatre. A later edition of the Criterion includes a notice about a “jubilee gathering” to celebrate the contract for a Beth Shalom community center. That’s an example of how The Manor has served as the backdrop for some of Pittsburgh’s Jewish history — the building referenced in the article is the same one where Beth Shalom remains housed to this day. But The Manor’s connection to the Jewish community isn’t just historical or anecdotal. The past few years have seen films that center around Jewish stories, ranging from “Uncut Gems” to “Dough,” play at the theater. And
Pittsburgh’s JFilm Festival took place at The Manor in 2017, as the theater’s doorman Victor Vrabel pointed out. Vrabel thinks The Manor’s key to success has always been its “loyal patrons and its location in a strong residential section.” He noted that many of those regulars — such as former County Commissioner and Allegheny County Coroner Cyril Wecht and Robert Levin of Levin Furniture — have been highly active in Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. Plus, the theater’s intermittently been in Jewish hands since the Stern family bought it in the late 1960s. Aside from some ownership changes, it’s stayed with them since the 1990s and is still owned by Rick Stern. Stern largely attributes The Manor’s longevity to the Squirrel Hill community’s extensive support. “People in the neighborhood, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have really supported the theater and are very loyal to it when they have other choices of theaters to go to,” Stern said. “We obviously appreciate it. That’s why The Manor’s lasted so long.” Now that the theater is past its centennial, it’s trucking ahead with a summer of big releases, from “Top Gun: Maverick” to “Jurassic World: Dominion.” But even with a season of huge blockbusters, the theater is still faithful to smaller films. The upcoming “Cha Cha Real Smooth” — which opened this year’s JFilm Festival — was noted for its distinctive plot, as it follows a bar mitzvah party starter figuring his way through post-college life. Scenes of candle lightings and Kiddush blessings will be familiar to anyone in The Manor’s audience who spent weekends upon weekends going to bar or bat mitzvahs. “It was filmed in Pittsburgh, it’s a Jewishthemed movie, it’s rated well on Rotten Tomatoes, and if it’s gonna do well anywhere, it’s gonna do well at The Manor,” Stern said. “Cha Cha Real Smooth” opens on Friday, June 17. PJC Ethan Beck can be reached at ebeck@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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Headlines Lessons of summer internships: Logistics, confidence and the importance of a smile — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer
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he days of lifeguarding, mowing lawns and restocking videos at Blockbuster are over for some of Pittsburgh’s college students. Those rites of summers past are being replaced for many of today’s young adults with various professional internships and other types of work experiences. Sydney Holubow, a Carnegie Mellon University student, is part of the quality team at M. Holland Co., an Illinois-based international distributor of thermoplastic resin. Each day, Holubow speaks with fellow employees about client experience, sales and logistics. The goal, she said, is to “brainstorm ways their jobs can be simplified and errors can be prevented.” Holubow said she enjoys her job not only because of the work itself but because of her boss. “She is also a chemical and biomedical engineer, and it’s really nice to relate to her and talk about the classes I just finished up and the classes I am taking next semester,” Holubow said. Another benefit of the internship is
increased independence, she said. At school, for instance, there are often many people working on the same assignment at the same time. At the internship, however, “I’m the only one working on the project,” Holubow said. “It’s exciting but it’s also scary.” Ariel Bernhard, another CMU student, said that greater self-confidence is probably the most important gift she’s received from her Florida-based internship. “I’m gaining a lot of soft skills and the ability to talk to people of all backgrounds,” she said. Every day, from the time she clocks in at the Orlando theme park until the moment she leaves, “I’m switched on and want to help make people feel special,” she said. Doing so requires Bernhard to “be at the top of my game,” she continued. “If I am having a bad day, I have to put that aside and focus on others.” After graduating, Bernhard hopes to continue working for her employer, or another company that provides a “themed entertainment experience.” This internship, she said, has given her the tools to not only achieve those professional goals but to develop certain strengths. “I have learned a lot about myself, and I have confidence in myself to put my full self out there every minute of every day,” she said. Olivia Snyder said she, too, has learned
p Ariel Bernhard enjoys a day at an Orlando theme park.
much from her current gig. For the third summer in a row, the University of Pittsburgh student is working at American Eagle Outfitters at King of Prussia Mall. Snyder’s job requires everything from greeting customers and working the register
Photo courtesy of Ariel Bernhard
to helping people select appropriate attire, folding clothes and keeping the store clean. “All the things you expect from a retail worker,” she said. Please see Internships, page 15
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Calendar Submit calendar items on the Chronicle’s website, pittsburghjewishchronicle. org. Submissions also will be included in print. Events will run in the print edition beginning one a prior to the date as space allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon. q
SUNDAY, JUNE 12
Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Foundation for its spring/summer virtual learning experience with Rabbi Danny Schiff. Sessions include “The Rabbinic Grill,” “Antisemitism: A Brief History of Why They Hate Us” and “How the Bible Changed Ethics Forever.” For class times and schedule and to register online, visit foundation.jewishpgh.org/learning. Join Congregation Beth Shalom for its Sisterhood Torah Fund Brunch Honoring Dr. Lidush Goldschmidt. Goldschmidt is a longtime member of Beth Shalom, a former member of the board of trustees, and has been an active member of Sisterhood and Na’amat. 10 a.m. 5915 Beacon St. bethshalompgh.org. Join Congregation Dor Hadash for a hybrid screening of the documentary “A Kiss to This Land,” presented both on Zoom and in person. The film presents the oral history of seven Jewish individuals who immigrated to Mexico in
the early 20th century. 1:30 p.m. Location TBA. eventbrite.com/e/film-screening-akiss-to-this-land-tickets-344963694697. The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh welcomes Father John Neiman on what would have been Anne Frank’s 93rd birthday. Neiman first read Anne Frank’s diary when he was 10 years old. He will recount the story of his friendship with Frank’s father, Otto, and Miep Gies, as well as discuss the Holocaust. Q&A will follow. Presented both in person and online. 3 p.m. eventbrite.com/e/fatherjohn-neiman-tickets-311834905597. q
SUNDAYS, JUNE 12-JULY 17
Join a lay-led Online Parashah Study Group to discuss the week’s Torah portion. No Hebrew knowledge is needed. The goal is to build community while deepening understanding of the text. 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org. q
MONDAYS, JUNE 13-JULY 18
Join Congregation Beth Shalom for a weekly Talmud study. 9:15 a.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org. q
WEDNESDAYS, JUNE 15, 22
The new six-week Rohr Jewish Learning Institute course, The Values That Shape Judaism’s Civil Code, examines a
number of key legal issues that disclose fundamental ethical considerations that serve as the engine of Jewish civil law. Class offered online or in person at Chabad of the South Hills. $95 individual/$170 couple. 7:30 p.m. chabadsh.com. q
WEDNESDAYS, JUNE 15 -JULY 29
Bring the parshah alive and make it personally relevant and meaningful. Study the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman. 12:15 p.m. bethshalompgh.org/life-text. Join Temple Sinai to study the weekly Torah portion in its hybrid class available on Zoom. Open to everyone. Noon. templesinaipgh.org/event/ parashah/weekly-torah-portion-classvia-zoom11.html. q
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15
The Squirrel Hill chapter of AARP will hold its last meeting before its summer break at Rodef Shalom Congregation, Falk Library. Barry Werber will install new officers; entertainment will be provided by Cathi Rhodes. Refreshments will be served. 1 p.m. Call Marcia Kramer, 412656-5803, with questions. q
SUNDAY, JUNE 26
Rodef Shalom presents the seventh biennial Pursuer of Peace celebration.
Honorees include the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry, 412 Food Rescue and Just Harvest. The award recognizes the contribution of an individual or organization in pursuit of peace, promoting social justice, fostering interfaith understanding and/or encouraging humanitarianism. 5:30 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. Tickets can be purchased at rodefshalom.org. q THURSDAY, JUNE 30
Enjoy a kid friendly-event and explore the Biblical Garden at Rodef Shalom. The garden is tucked away on the Devonshire side of the building and there is ample parking in the parking lot. 1 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org/ events-1/storytime-in-the-garden. Join the Jewish Association on Aging (JAA) at its annual fundraiser, the Art of Aging, for an evening of food, art and community. Guests will enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres followed by a unique and energetic hour-long performance by speed-painting group, The 3 Painters. After the show, the paintings created on stage will be auctioned. Contact Ashley Crosby at acrosby@jaapgh.org or at 412-586-2690 for assistance. 6 p.m. Stage AE, 4000 North Shore Drive. artofagingpgh.planningpod.com. PJC
Interim head of German seminary vows changes — but not to replace rabbi accused of abusing power — WORLD — By Toby Axelrod | JTA
T
he interim head of Germany’s Abraham Geiger College rabbinical seminary said she is committed to a thorough investigation of the institution, which is wrapped in a cloud of controversy, and potentially to seeing it restructured. But Gabriele Thöne, a former government official who is steering the 23-year-old school while multiple investigations are underway, would not say whether she sees a place in the seminary’s future for its founder and rector, Rabbi Walter Homolka. Homolka has been on leave since early May, when allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power against him and another employee broke into public view. At a press conference last week organized by the seminary’s legal counsel, Thöne said it was important to determine whether any abuses of power were related to individuals or were a systemic problem. She said
her door was open to students and others who wish to lodge complaints. So far, she was aware of four specific cases, according to news reports. Two official inquiries are underway: The University of Potsdam, which houses the seminary, expects its investigation to conclude in August, while a newly announced probe by the Central Council of Jews in Germany — a funder of the rabbinical school — will likely conclude in early 2023. Several people told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency they had already spoken with one of the two investigative panels or were scheduled to do so in the coming weeks. The head of the Central Council said he remains concerned about the school’s operations in the wake of the allegations. “It is questionable whether the reorganization that has now been initiated at the Abraham Geiger College is suitable and expedient,” President Josef Schuster told the German Press Agency. “The previous rector is merely letting his offices rest and the people in responsible positions are the same as before. Under these circumstances, a
reorganization hardly seems possible.” Graduates of the seminary, which has ordained 41 rabbis working across Europe and beyond, issued a statement saying they were ready “to participate in the ongoing investigations” and offering to assist current students and members of Jewish communities “as interlocutors and pastoral counselors.” Signed by 22 rabbis, the statement said that this might be the time to “change processes, structures, modes of communication and staffing.” The alumni said they wanted to support their alma mater, which had “created opportunities for women, for people with different sexual orientations and for converts” to study for the rabbinate and be ordained. Meanwhile, a mystery is swirling around an open letter purporting to be from current students was distributed to media, including JTA, earlier this week. The letter called for Jewish leaders in Germany and abroad “to step up in this vital moment and save the future of Jewish leadership in the Liberal communities in Germany,” but some students whose names appeared on the letter
said they did not sign the document. Homolka, who has kept a low profile since the scandal broke, told the newspaper Die Zeit — in an article published last week — that “just because someone has responsibility and power does not mean they also abuse” their role. “Decisions were not made unilaterally at the college,” he said. “Consensus is the ultimate objective,” Homolka continued. “Also, in my role as chair of the Union of Progressive Jews in Germany, I have worked for years with four members of the board and a secretary general — majorities are important, as is inclusion of everyone.” That body issued its own statement last week defending Homolka and the seminary, “strongly condemning” a second report in Die Welt, the German newspaper that first broke the story, comparing the school to a “Potemkin village,” a façade behind which there is no substance. The seminary is “indispensable for the preservation and future of liberal Judaism in Germany, Europe and the successor states of the Soviet Union,” the statement said. PJC
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Headlines Pittsburghers prepare for summer with vacation plans and pools
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Mazel Tov on your high school graduation and best of luck on your next journey!
p The Swedarskys plan on staying cool this summer thanks to their new pool.
Photo courtesy of Aviva Swedarsky
— LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer
W
ith June here and temperatures nearing 90 degrees, Pittsburghers are turning their thoughts to summer. For several residents, hotter months and the end of school mean it’s time to travel. For others, though, June, July and August offer the opportunity to enjoy local attractions — even those in the backyard. Aviva Swedarsky said she and her family don’t have any exotic plans for summer 2022, but with so many open spaces and popular amenities nearby, they plan to make the most of Kennywood, Sandcastle and Moraine State Park. Western Pennsylvania has so many great things to offer people of all ages, Swedarsky said. Although she and her family are looking forward to beating the heat in neighboring parks and lakes, they have a new means of staying cool this summer: They recently installed an above-ground pool in their backyard. “It all started because someone gave us a pool, and it turned out that it had lots of holes in it,” Swedarsky said. “We had to throw it out, but once we got our hopes up we decided to buy another one.” With Swedarsky and her husband both working throughout the day, the 10-footby-16-foot pool is a perfect place for their kids to lounge during long summer afternoons, she added. Squirrel Hill resident Dr. Robert Davis is also looking forward to the summer and said his plans involve visiting Cancun with his wife and potentially taking a long weekend with his family. Davis isn’t alone. More than 80% of Americans plan to travel this summer — a 19% increase from this time last year — according to a survey from The Vacationer. For most people, the survey noted, COVID concerns are no longer a reason to stay home. Davis acknowledged recent jumps in PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG
COVID-positive rates — on May 10, the seven-day average in Allegheny County was 41 cases; by May 31, the seven-day average rose to 605, according to The New York Times — but said he won’t the let pandemic dictate every aspect of his life. “I’m still masking at work,” he said, “but I feel like I’m doing things I want in the community, and I’m not living in fear.” Moussia Kohanbash agreed, saying her family has already tested positive for COVID, and that they feel “protected” as summer comes along. Kohanbash said she understands that those at risk may be concerned about traveling to heavily populated areas, but encouraged people to consider more remote destinations, or perhaps renting a cabin, if they’re looking to get away. Smadar Parness said she’s reached a point where she feels she must return to pre-pandemic normalcy. “Even though there is a deterioration in the situation and cases are going up, we can’t just sit at home doing nothing,” she said. “We can take some precautions, and hopefully we’ll be OK.” With family in New York and Chicago, the Parnesses may be traveling both east and west this summer. Parness said she still masks when shopping indoors in Pittsburgh, and will likely mask indoors while traveling, but is “not concerned about outdoors.” Dr. Sheila Ghanooni-Posin plans on spending plenty of time outside this summer, especially when visiting Ocean City, Maryland. Ghanooni-Posin doesn’t swim in the ocean but said she enjoys walking along the beach and riding her bike nearby. After such a disruptive couple of years, she said, she hopes more people can experience the joy of travel. For those thinking about going away this summer, “my advice is always go for it,” she said. “Do something for yourselves. Do something for your families, your kids. Show them family time. Show them love. Show them support. Show them that we are getting through this.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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Headlines Author Jerry Stahl confronts ‘the worst of humanity’ in new book — LOCAL — By David Rullo | Staff Writer
T
he absurdity of the situation was not lost on Jerry Stahl. The writer had just emerged from Block 10 at Auschwitz, where Jews were tortured in medical experiments, when three teenage girls came running up asking for a selfie. If the scene sounds like something that might be staged in “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” it won’t surprise you to learn there is a Seinfeld connection. The girls had mistaken Stahl for actor Michael Richards, best known for playing Kramer in the long-running sitcom, created by “Curb” writer and star Larry David, and were excited to pose with the “actor.” “I’m thinking, ‘what the hell,’” Stahl recalled. “People are taking selfies at a concentration camp dressed like they’re going to Disney World. What’s the etiquette? What’s the proper response when somebody want to take a selfie with you at Auschwitz
p Jerry Stahl
and thinks you’re a celebrity you’re not?” The Pittsburgh-born Stahl grew up in Brookline, which he remembered as no picnic. “I was the only Jewish kid in a public elementary school of 800 kids. So, occasionally I got beat up for killing Jesus, which I don’t remember doing,” he said, exhibiting the deadpan humor that often exists in his writing when touching on painful or uncomfortable topics. Members of his family continue to live in Squirrel Hill and belong to Tree of Life Congregation. Consequently, he said, he felt connected to the massacre at the building on Oct. 27, 2018. And while Stahl might not be as famous as the actor who played Jerry Seinfeld’s eccentric neighbor, he has lived a celebrity-adjacent life. Robert Downey Jr. has optioned his latest book, and Ben Stiller played a character based on his life in the movie “Permanent Midnight,” which recounts his marriage and addictions while writing for some of TV’s best-known series including “Alf,” “Moonlighting” and “thirtysomething.” He’s also written for Mark Maron’s selftitled TV series, penned several novels, plays, short stories and movies including HBO’s 2011 film “Hemmingway and Gellhorn.” The Hollywood work is nice, Stahl said, but he considers himself a journalist. His work has been published in Esquire, Village Voice and Details, among other national publications. “That was pre-internet though,” he said, “so it’s almost like it’s never happened.” “Nein, Nein, Nein: One Man’s Tale of Depression, Psychic Torment and a Bus Tour of the Holocaust” is the author’s latest work. Written during the pandemic, it recounts a bus tour Stahl took through Germany and Poland in 2016. “Some books you write,” he said, “and some books write you. On one weird level, it’s
Photo courtesy of Jerry Stahl
almost a spiritual book about mental health or the lack thereof. I was very depressed and had this idea, ‘Why don’t you go somewhere where complete despair and depression is appropriate.’ Where is that more appropriate than a concentration camp?” Before even visiting Dachau or Auschwitz, Stahl said, he first had to confront the horror of a busload of strangers who may have not ever seen a Jew. The first night of the trip, he remembered, included a roundtable discussion where people discussed why they decided to take the tour. “For some, it was like, ‘I saw “Schindler’s List” and want to see the hotel where part of it was filmed,’” he said. The cottage industry of concentration camp tourism caused Stahl discomfort. “It’s grotesque,” he said. “The last thing I wanted to do was have a snack after I staggered out of the ovens.” In the introduction to “Nein, Nein, Nein,” Stahl writes that the pre-pandemic world now feels as relevant as distressed denim and LL Cool J. That being said, he sees a connection between former President Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler. “Did you know Hitler was considered an idiot, too?” he asked. “No one took him seriously in the beginning — therefore they just went along with him because, like Trump, they figured it was going nowhere.” Rather than stay and watch what he called a “white-nationalistic president,” Stahl decided instead to go on the bus tour and write a six-part online series for Vice Magazine, which became the starting point for his book. “Why stay in this country listening to mere Proud Boy-esque neo-Nazis when you could go to the source, to Poland and Germany, and experience the birthplace of actual Nazi-Nazis? How better to soak up fascist antibodies?” Other questions haunted Stahl during his tour. “I have always wondered at what point after a person is imprisoned do all the concerns — the ambition, the fear, the love, the insecurities, the regret — at what point do they disappear and just your survival takes over? It’s something I’ve always been
p Book cover
Image courtesy of Jerry Stahl
fascinated by. As I get older, those questions become more predominant,” he said. Stahl said he knows the book may be interpreted the wrong way, recognizing the dangers inherent in writing a funny book about an unfunny subject. The best advice he ever received, though, he said came from Jewish author Bruce Jay Friedman who told him, “If you write a sentence that makes you squirm, keep going because if it’s not dangerous, it’s not worth doing.” The trip, he said, changed his life. It also taught him an important moral. “The lesson here is, you are traveling to see the worst that humanity has to offer. On some level, you’re seeing humanity simply being human. That’s the last thing I expected but that’s how it was.” “Nein, Nein, Nein: One Man’s Tale of Depression, Psychic Torment and a Bus Tour of the Holocaust” will be published on July 5. Stahl will discuss the book with Ben Stiller at the 92nd Street Y on June 12. PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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Headlines — WORLD — Detroit church Father Coughlin founded hosts Jewish-Catholic relations event
The National Shrine of the Little Flower — founded by notorious antisemite Father Charles Coughlin — hosted on May 31 an event titled “The Jewish-Catholic Relationship: Past, Present, and Future,” a series of historical lectures co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Detroit and the local Jewish Community Relations Council, JTA reported. Jews and Catholics alike filed into the pews in Royal Oak, Michigan, to hear two academics, one Jewish and one Catholic, discuss the history of relations between the two faiths, most of it revolving around Catholic antisemitism. The choice of venue was deliberate. “There’s so much polarization in our society, we need this reconciliation in general,” Rabbi Asher Lopatin, executive director of the Detroit JCRC/AJC, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “What’s more powerful than for Jews and Catholics to come together in Father Coughlin’s church?” The pairing of organizations made for an interesting historical wrinkle: The Detroit JCRC/AJC was originally founded in 1937, and one of its first orders of business was to publicly oppose Coughlin’s broadcasts as antisemitic. Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Detroit
supported and protected Coughlin for the first decade of his broadcasting career, until 1937, when the death of the area’s bishop, combined with Coughlin’s escalating bad press, led the Vatican to appoint a new bishop who worked more aggressively to control the Radio Priest’s rhetoric.
Survey: Americans not paying attention to BDS movement
A Pew Research Center survey released on May 26 found that American adults are just not paying attention to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, JTA reported. A whopping 84% of adults surveyed said they have heard “not much” or “nothing at all” about the movement, which seeks to pressure Israel into changing its policy toward the Palestinians by promoting boycotts and economic sanctions. Only 5% of the surveyed adults — who were of diverse religious backgrounds — knew “some” about it, and only 2% strongly support it. Pew used an online panel to survey 10,441 U.S. adults from March 7 to 13, with the stated goal of better understanding Americans’ views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The margin of error for the full sample was 1.5 percentage points.
EV sales rise sharply in Israel
In the first five months of 2022, 5.2% of all cars sold in Israel, or 6,900 cars, were electric vehicles, compared to just 1.2% in the same
SAFEGUARDING YOUR PRESENT & FUTURE
period in 2021, Globes reported. Globes said the EV market would have grown faster if there weren’t delivery delays of Tesla cars because of COVID lockdowns in China. Car industry sources said there is a backlog of more than 12,000 orders for EV, which should comprise about 8% of new car sales. Israel will increase by 10% its purchase tax on electric vehicles starting in January. Those increases will apply to 2022 orders delayed beyond the end of 2022.
Hatzalah sues another Jewish ambulance service for trademark infringement
Chevra Hatzalah, the New York-based Jewish ambulance service, is suing another emergency medical service company in federal court for trademark infringement, JTA reported. Chevra Hatzalah, which was established in Williamsburg in 1965 and now serves Jewish communities around the world, claims in the lawsuit that Hatzalah Palm Beach, an unaffiliated Jewish ambulance service, “deliberately sought to promote a false association between Defendants and Chevra Hatzalah, representing themselves to the public as a ‘branch’ or affiliate of Chevra Hatzalah.” Isaac Hersh, the founder of Hatzalah Palm Beach, told the New York Post he believes that Chevra Hatzalah is also suing him because he has allowed women in his ambulance corps. Chevra Hatzalah Inc. does
Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
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In a first, Israeli government to pay Orthodox women to advise on Jewish law
In a first, Israel will pay 21 women to be advisers on Jewish law in the Orthodox community, a concept that has spread in the United States but that Israel’s Orthodox establishment has resisted. Matan Kahana, the deputy religious services minister, said in a release Thursday he will hire the women for “communities across Israel” this year, JTA reported. Women advisers on halacha, or Jewish law, have flourished in recent years in the United States, where there has been a demand among women for counseling on issues considered too sensitive to bring to a male rabbi. The rabbinic establishment in Israel has resisted the concept, saying that certification may be seen as a form of ordination, which is prohibited for women across almost all of Orthodoxy. Polling in Israel has nonetheless shown that there is a demand for the service among Orthodox women, and the institute founded by Rabbi Yehuda Herzl Henkin, who died last year, and his wife Chana to train and certify “Yoatzot Halacha” is based in Jerusalem. PJC — Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
This week in Israeli history — WORLD —
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not employ women. Hatzalah Palm Beach has since been renamed the Jewish Volunteer Ambulance Corp.
June 10, 1930 — Arab leaders admit failure of not cooperating
Jewish Agency official Frederick Kisch records in his diary that almost all Arab leaders acknowledge that they failed by refusing to participate in British talks about Palestine’s future.
June 11, 2013 — Google buys Waze
Google agrees to pay roughly $1 billion for the Israeli-based social-mapping service Waze, which developed from a program called FreeMap Israel. The appeal is Waze’s technology, not its user base.
June 12, 2014 — 3 Teens are abducted, killed
Three Israelis, ages 16 to 19, are abducted while hitchhiking near Alon Shvut in the West Bank and are shot dead. The two attackers are believed to be Hamas members. The bodies are found 18 days later.
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June 13, 1950 — Harari resolution ends constitution push
The Knesset adopts the Harari Resolution, sponsored by Yizhar Harari, which says Israel will adopt a series of Basic Laws instead of crafting a single constitution as promised in the Declaration of Independence.
June 14, 2009 — Netanyahu outlines demilitarized Palestinian state
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lays out his vision for a two-state Israeli-Palestinian solution. It includes a demilitarized Palestinian state and no Palestinian refugee return to the state of Israel.
June 15, 1970 — Refuseniks are arrested before stealing plane
A plot to steal a 12-seat commercial aircraft to escape the Soviet Union is foiled when 12 dissidents are arrested at a Leningrad airport. The case draws attention to refuseniks, who are Jews blocked from emigrating.
June 16, 1947 — Orchestra founder Bronislaw Huberman dies
Violinist Bronislaw Huberman dies in Switzerland at 64. A native of Poland, he founded the Palestine Symphony Orchestra in the 1930s and saved 90 Jewish musicians from Europe by giving them places in the orchestra. PJC PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG
Headlines 181 Ethiopian immigrants land in Israel as aliyah from African nation restarts — WORLD — By Amy Spiro | Times of Israel
J
ust over 180 Ethiopian immigrants landed at Ben Gurion Airport the afternoon of June 1, some after waiting decades to arrive in Israel and reunite with family members. The flight kicked off the resumption of immigration from the civil war-torn nation after more than a year following a series of delays. A second flight on June 2 from Addis Ababa was slated to bring a further 160 new immigrants, with more flights expected throughout the summer and fall. A government decision in late 2021 approved bringing 3,000 total new immigrants from Ethiopia to Israel. Jewish Agency officials say they are all slated to arrive by November. With many dressed in their most festive attire and overcome with emotion, the 181 new arrivals were greeted by a welcoming ceremony to mark the first aliyah flight from Ethiopia since March 2021, when Israel completed the first half of Operation Tzur Yisrael (Rock of Israel), which brought around 2,000 such immigrants. The immigration process was held up after the right-wing Israeli Immigration Policy Center filed an appeal against it with the High Court, which froze the measure as it deliberated. In March, the High Court rejected the petition, paving the way for the immigrants to begin to arrive. Almost everyone on board the June 1 flight reunited with family members, many of whom they haven’t seen in years. Zemenu Atalele finally got to see his mother, who moved to Israel 10 years ago. He traveled with his wife, Yeshihareg, and their three young children, ages 8, 3 and just over 1 year old — who have never met their grandmother. Teshager Gerem and Alemitu Belew’s two older daughters moved to Israel 17 years ago. Now, they and their seven adult children — ranging in ages from 17 to 35 — will be reunited with them in Israel. They will relocate from a one-room apartment in Gondar with sporadic electricity to one of 12 absorption centers around the country. There, all of the new immigrants will begin months of Hebrew language courses and other instructional activities as well as the process of formally converting to Judaism. Restarting such aliyah, the Hebrew term for immigrating to Israel, has been strongly pushed for by Immigration and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata — herself a native of Ethiopia — who was aboard the flight from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv. “When I look at these children and their parents and I hear their stories, their struggle is my struggle — and it must be the struggle of all Israel,” Tamano-Shata said in Addis Ababa on the evening of May 31 just hours
p Immigration and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata hands out gifts aboard an aliyah flight from Ethiopia on June 1. Photo by Amy Spiro/The Times of Israel
before the flight, noting that she fought hard with others in the government to approve the current operation. “We just need to do the right thing.” Since the conclusion of Operation Solomon in 1991, which saw the vast majority of the remaining Beta Israel community brought to Israel, sporadic government decisions have been made over the years to bring over groups of those left behind, often referred to as Falash Mura — those who converted to Christianity due to coercion or fears of persecution — who are not considered eligible for aliyah under the Law of Return. Since 1992, an estimated 40,000 such immigrants have been brought to Israel under the Law of Entry, with around 3,500 arriving in the past seven years. The debate over those who still remain behind is fierce — and the numbers heavily contested. Israel has repeatedly declared the end of Ethiopian aliyah in years past, but the issue has been reopened several times, most recently in the wake of the civil war in the Tigray region of the country which broke out in 2020. While Israel’s government teeters on the brink of collapse, Tamano-Shata vowed last week to work to implement other parts of the government decision from November, including providing final answers to those still waiting in Gondar and Addis Ababa, and establishing a committee to examine the eligibility of those without first-degree relatives in the Jewish state. “I have an agreement with [Finance Minister Avigdor] Liberman, that we will bring all those with first-degree [relatives] — he will find the money, the budget,” the minister said. “Once and for all we will end the saga and bring a solution.” But with little government stability and elections predicted to be on the horizon, it remains unclear what will happen following the immigration of the 3,000 people eligible.
On June 1, Uri Perednik, chairman of the Struggle for Ethiopian Aliyah, said despite the welcomed wave of new immigration, “the government of Israel still treats Ethiopian Jews as second-class Jews ... if they can bring over 20,000 people from Ukraine in a month, they can certainly bring half that from Ethiopia.” Under the current operation, those eligible for aliyah under the government decision are in order of priority: those with parents or children living in Israel; those with parents who moved to Israel and later died; those with siblings in Israel; and those with half-siblings in Israel. Individuals who qualify under one of those categories can bring with them their spouses and children, as well as any children over 18 who are unmarried. Each immigrant is approved for aliyah by the Interior Ministry, which — unlike with other immigration to Israel — approves each candidate one by one following an investigation into their status. Since 2014, the ministry only handles requests that have been submitted to it via a family member currently living in Israel. While the vast majority of the new immigrants view themselves as full members of the Jewish community, they have also all agreed — as part of the aliyah process — to undergo a 10-month conversion program upon arrival in Israel. Jewish Agency officials say close to 95% complete the program successfully — and only then do they receive an official Israeli ID and full citizenship. Those who do not retain permanent residency in the country. Funding for the immigration operation is split into two: The Jewish Agency — backed by its private donors — covers all costs of preparing the immigrants for aliyah and bringing them to Israel. Once the new immigrants land at Ben Gurion Airport, the government begins to
foot the bill. NIS 570 million ($170 million) was budgeted to fund the absorption of the immigrants in Israel, the majority of it going toward housing. Around 30 Jewish Agency employees — most of whom are themselves former Ethiopian immigrants to Israel — had been in Ethiopia for several weeks preparing the families for their impending move. Adane Tadale, the Jewish Agency’s head emissary to Ethiopia, said that since February he has been spending three weeks in the country followed by two weeks in Israel, overseeing all the preparations. The Jewish Agency has estimated that it will cost around $9.6 million (NIS 32 million) to fund its pre-aliya activities for the 3,000 approved new immigrants, which includes pre-flight health checkups and vaccinations, hours of training and preparation as well as the cost of the flights themselves. Yehuda Setton, COO of the Jewish Agency, noted that they have not yet raised the full amount, “but we work at the same time as we raise money.” During a conversation in Gondar a day ahead of the first flight, Setton said: “We are committed, and I’m pretty sure that world Jewry will raise the money.” The funding in question is slated to come mostly from the Jewish Federations of North America. A large delegation from Jewish Federations across the U.S. visited Gondar and Addis Ababa last week and flew to Israel with the new immigrants, as did representatives of and major donors to Keren Hayesod, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, the World Zionist Organization and other philanthropic foundations. “There is an unwritten and very powerful agreement that global philanthropy pays for aliyah, that aliyah is much more than the flight,” said Jeffrey Schoenfeld, chairman of JFNA’s Israel and Overseas Committee, while visiting Gondar. “That is an unwavering commitment by the North American Jewish community ... it’s been very powerful in the past, and it remains an absolute commitment.” JFNA originally pledged $5 million toward the current wave of Ethiopian aliyah, and later expanded that to promise $7 million. “We will find a way to raise the funds,” vowed Schoenfeld. But with 3,000 new immigrants slated to arrive in Israel in the coming months, the real work is yet to come, say Jewish Agency officials. “In my eyes, the immigration is the easy part,” said Avtamo Yosef, who heads up the Jewish Agency’s department of Ethiopian immigration. “The absorption is the complicated part.” Yosef, a native of Ethiopia who came to Israel as part of Operation Solomon in 1991, said it is critical that the assistance and framework the new immigrants receive in their first years in Israel “needs to be what the immigrants need, and not what we [already] know how to provide.” PJC
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Opinion I wholeheartedly support Israel. I want Israel to feel the same way about me. Guest Columnist David Rullo
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n a little over two weeks, I’ll be traveling to Israel as part of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s MegaMisson. I’m excited about the opportunity. It will be my first time in the country. I must admit, though, that the upcoming trip has me thinking a lot about my Jewish identity. For most American Jews, identity is a simple equation: I am Jewish because I was born Jewish. I am an American Jew because I was born in the country. I support Israel because I see value in the Jewish state. Israel supports me because I was born a Jew. Those sentences don’t require a lot of math. It gets trickier when I, or others who converted as part of the Reform or Conservative movements, examine our own identity. I am Jewish because I converted on July 19, 2013. I am an American Jew because this is where I converted, have built community and had my experiences as a Jew. I support Israel because I see the value in a Jewish state. Israel, however, seems confused about its support of me. In 2005, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that conversions performed outside the country were recognized as part of the Law of Return. Under this ruling, I can become a citizen of Israel — but my religious and future
life cycle rites there would not be recognized. Jews who had non-Orthodox conversions inside Israel, its Supreme Court decided in 2021, are Jewish in the eyes of the law and guaranteed citizenship. The Orthodox rabbis in charge there see it otherwise, however. Following the 2021 ruling, David Lau, one Israel’s two chief rabbis, said that Reform converts are not Jewish. “No ruling by the Supreme Court this way or that way will change this fact,” he said. Not to be outdone, disgraced Israeli politician Aryeh Deri, the country’s then Interior Minister, promised to amend the law so that only conversions according to Jewish law (as determined by the minister and his rabbinic colleagues) will be recognized by Israel. Many who are ultra-Orthodox in Israel believe that conversion is a religious matter that doesn’t concern the state. They believe the state cannot decide who is, or isn’t, Jewish. I appreciate the tension between a secular Jewish state and its relationship with the Orthodox rabbis who rule on religious issues. However, until my commitment to Judaism is accepted by both the state and the rabbis who help run the country — the years I’ve spent studying, my appearance before a beit din to defend why I wanted to convert, the religious services I’ve attended and my dedication to Jewish institutions — then I, and all liberal converts, are still only two-thirds of a person, despite the recent rulings of the Supreme Court.
Or, to put it another way, the attempt to divide the baby — recognizing us as Israeli citizens but not quite Jewish — is a failed attempt at a compromise. That isn’t too surprising. There are some here in America who don’t consider me a Jew either. For nearly the last decade I have had to confront many in the Orthodox community who do not see me as Jewish. They ask about my background, question my commitment and challenge my Reform conversion. Shockingly, this prejudice has usually come from rabbis. It doesn’t matter that I have served as a vice president of my temple, worked for both the Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, volunteered at Jewish events, raised my son Jewish — or that I work as a staff writer for the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, telling the stories of our community. Their equation is simple: I did not convert through the Orthodox movement, so I am not Jewish. The one person, it appears, who doesn’t question my Jewish status is the gunman at the gate. When someone comes to murder Jews, they don’t question conversions; they simply shoot to kill. What all but those who have converted don’t understand is that I’ve always felt Jewish, even if I didn’t know it. I certainly felt more connected to Judaism than to the ethnicities of my heritage: Italian, Czechoslovakian, Irish and German. Before I knew what it was, I was interested
in Jewish culture. My favorite writers, directors, actors and movies were Jewish. I enjoyed Jewish food, despite its scarcity in my small town, just several miles away from Squirrel Hill. And, as I began my journey to conversion, it was Jewish spirituality that attracted me, not the Christian religion my family has claimed. I’ve always felt Jewish; I simply didn’t know it until I became Jewish. I’ve also always been a strong supporter of Israel. The only thing that changed after my conversion was that I became a stronger supporter of the Jewish state, more Zionistic in my beliefs. I want Israel to feel the same way about me. I don’t think it does. Israel, it seems is from Venus and it thinks I’m from Mars. I am excited about my trip to Israel. I am anxious to learn about the land and meet the people. I feel a calling to see Israel. I am sure it will deepen my Jewish identity and connect me to the culture, religion and country. I hope it also allows Israel to see me as more than a tourist. That might be a bridge too far but there’s always hope. After all, as Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav wrote, “The whole world is a narrow bridge, and the main thing is not to be afraid.” PJC David Rullo is a staff writer for the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. He can be reached at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle. org. Follow his blog while he is in Israel at pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
An app that identifies trees and flowers is changing my life Guest Columnist Andrew Silow-Carroll
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have a linden tree in my front yard. Out back we have a magnificent pin oak that must be four stories tall, each of its lower branches as thick as the trunk of a normal tree. We have three northern white cedars on one side of the house, and three flowering dogwoods along the back fence. I can’t tell you how much pleasure I get from being able to name these plants. Not owning or planting them — for that you can thank the people who sold us the house. I mean naming them. I’ve spent most of my life in a taxonomic fog, barely being able to distinguish an oak tree from a cellphone tower. The only tree I could ever identify with confidence was a weeping willow. But earlier this year I downloaded the PictureThis app, which is this nifty tool that lets you point your camera at any shrub, tree or weed and learn its name. You’ve read stories about blind people given their sight back, the deaf child hearing the world for the first time. I am like this with plants now. To my delight — and my wife’s embarrassment — I run from plant to plant with my iPhone, shouting “That’s a sycamore! Here’s a sumac! Our neighbors have a Japanese zelkova!”
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The app lets you explore your new discoveries and find out the best way to feed and care for them. I am not interested — yet. But I am excited about the whole notion of naming things, and how this basic human impulse changes our relationship with the natural world. The more names I learn, the more the outdoors stops just being the background and becomes a text. The Torah understands how naming is basic to our humanity. In Genesis, God lets Adam pick names for the animals: “God formed out of the earth all the wild beasts and all the birds of the sky, and brought them to the Human to see what he would call them; and whatever the Human called each living creature, that would be its name.” (Genesis 2:19) Later commentators understood the impulse to name — and tame — nature as a defining human proclivity. The medieval Spanish commentator Bahya ben Asher suggests that it is our ability to name creatures that distinguishes us from the angels. “This is the meaning of Genesis 2:20: ‘Adam called the names of all the beasts,’” Bahya explains. “All these names Adam gave the beasts were not merely arbitrary names he chose to call them by, but they reflected the essence of each animal respectively.” In her 2009 history of taxonomy, “Naming Nature: The Clash Between Instinct and Science,” biologist Carol Kaesuk Yoon writes that “sorting and naming the natural world is a universal, deep-seated and fundamental
human activity, one we cannot afford to lose because it is essential to understanding the living world, and our place in it.” Well maybe, if you are a herbalist, a gardener or a biologist. But what does naming things mean to the rest of us — the workaday consumers who get their vegetables in the produce aisles, their medicines at a pharmacy and their nature fixes on Animal Planet? Yoon says it is all about noticing, of raising our consciousness of the flora and fauna that is right out there but that few of us really see. Without naming things, she writes, we are “losing the ability to order and name and therefore losing a connection to and a place in the living world.” A place that includes greenstem forsythias! Callery pears! Lily magnolias! I think of naming in terms of “ownership” — for good and ill. Some environmentalists insist that humankind’s toxic relationship with nature begins with Genesis, in which we are told to “fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.” To be a “master” or a “ruler” is very different from being a “partner” or a “steward.” Assigning a new name is a typical way of exerting control over the body of an enslaved person. But I also think of ownership in terms of taking responsibility. It’s easier to ignore the needs or desires of other creatures if you don’t know their names — if you don’t see them as individuals. And no, I am not going to call my linden tree “Barry” or my oak tree “Phil.” But
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with every name I learn, the world seems to snap more sharply into focus. That’s not “a tree”; it is now a particular tree, distinct and distinctive. I think naming things has also taken on a new importance during the past two years. The pandemic has shrunk our worlds and possibilities. Forced into tight loops of routine, we find the familiar becoming banal. Stare out the same window long enough and you stop noticing the view. Maybe that’s what Bahya was getting at when he said that Adam gave names that reflected “the essence of each animal respectively.” A name grants a creature its distinctiveness, and the namer the gift of discernment. Or, as Yoon puts it, to learn the names of things “is to change everything, including yourself. Because once you start noticing organisms, once you have a name for particular beasts, birds and flowers, you can’t help seeing life and the order in it, just where it has always been, all around you.” You can’t help seeing a cherry plum! A Montezuma bald cypress! A bed of dwarf crested iris! I am told there’s an app for identifying birds. I’ll probably get to it, one day. Right now, I have about all the clarity that I — and my wife — can stand. PJC Andrew Silow-Carroll is editor-in-chief of The New York Jewish Week and senior editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, where this first appeared. PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG
Opinion Chronicle poll results: COVID-19
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ast week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following question: “Have you had COVID-19?” Of the 268 people who responded, 26% said yes and 69% said no. Five percent said they weren’t sure. Comments were submitted by 65 people. A few follow.
Have you had COVID-19? 5%
Not sure.
26%
Twice after being vaccinated and boosted — both were bad cases.
Yes.
69%
I’ve been very, very careful and still wear a mask. I had all four shots (two main and two boosters) and, so far, so good. Numerous friends and family have had it but all were vaccinated and almost all cases were very mild
No.
gloves whenever I leave my house. I’m taking this disease seriously.
I am 80 years old. Still wearing a mask in all businesses. Avoiding (if I know) those who are unvaccinated. Only one booster shot so far. Hoping for the best.
Just about everyone I know has had COVID.
I recently had COVID-19. Everyone experiences different symptoms. I felt like I had a bad cold. I have to believe that having two vaccinations and a booster made my experience with COVID better than it could have been. Vaccination helps make the disease less threatening, but it doesn’t make you bullet-proof.
Not yet anyway. Every time it looks “safe” to
— LETTERS — Bardack’s bias
The Chronicle recently published an op-ed by Rabbi Amy Bardack (“Voting as a Jew is not only about Israel,” May 27). In this piece, she criticizes her fellow Jews for voting with a main issue in mind that may take precedence over other issues. Out of all of the many issues that Jews may feel it is important to vote for, she specifically criticizes Jews who vote in support of Israel as their main issue. She did not criticize any other topics that people may choose to support as their main issue — only the support of Israel. While she tried to appear objective in her critique, she also only criticized AIPAC for giving money to Steve Irwin, who was the only strongly pro-Israel candidate running in the election. She did not criticize the other PACs who poured money into Summer Lee, who is not a pro-Israel candidate and who was endorsed by antisemitic members of Congress like Rashida Tlaib. Rabbi Bardack also failed to mention that she is involved with the leadership of J Street and is an official cabinet member of that organization, which endorsed Lee. The bias in her article was also not very surprising as she recently wrote a different op-ed that appeared in the Chronicle and in other media whose main point was that Jewish organizations should be more inclusive in hiring people who “do not support the state of Israel” and who are “anti-Zionist.” Robert Davis Pittsburgh
Bardack’s op-ed disturbing on several counts
When I first read Rabbi Amy Bardack’s column, “Voting as a Jew is not only about Israel,” (May 27, 2022), I was deeply upset about negative comments about Israel. From an early age, Jews are taught to question everything. That might include which political candidate is better, what issues are more important and where charity is most needed. Rabbi Bardack begins by stating AIPAC spent millions supporting Steve Irwin in his campaign — implying monetary support for candidates was one-sided in this race. Salon.com reported on May 27 that Summer Lee “received almost $2 million of independent expenditure support herself.” Seldom do Americans vote for a candidate based on a single issue and we often rely on many factors in choosing who gets our vote. Jews are known to support many causes, issues and charities. It is appalling to have a rabbi tell us “Judaism is not ambiguous. Our top priority must be to address the needs of the people closest to us.” Who is she to tell us for whom to advocate? Whether we support issues that affect people in Pittsburgh, Israel, Ukraine, Puerto Rico or Haiti — those are our choices. The nonprofit for which I work does not make endorsements for or against any candidate. Nor do I vote in Pennsylvania’s District 12. However, I was certainly interested in the contest which included Irwin and Lee. On April 4, I attended the Community Relations Council discussion with Lee at her campaign headquarters in Swissvale. There were several issues about which she was vague or appeared to have limited knowledge — some were about Israel and some were about the U.S. When asked if Israel was an apartheid state she said, “I don’t necessarily know the answer to that” and “I don’t know that I am well-versed in the intricacies of this.” Come on, a bright, young woman, and a law school graduate — I’m sorry, I just don’t buy that. She also didn’t appear to know some of the workings of U.S. foreign aid and retail pricing of gasoline. I think she would have benefited from more time in the Pennsylvania House before running for the U.S. House. Twice Rabbi Bardack disparaged Israel, stating “Jews who live in Israel and the occupied PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG
peek your head up, a new surge comes along, and it is back to hunkering in the bunker.
I had two Moderna vaccines, one Pfizer and one Moderna booster. I wear a mask and
I am grateful I got COVID when it was a milder variant. I am ready to put it behind me and treat it like a seasonal flu. I will wear a mask when required, but I am enjoying life mask-free. I feel like it is only a matter of time before I get it. PJC — Toby Tabachnick
Chronicle weekly poll question:
Do you own a firearm? Go to pittsburgh jewishchronicle.org to respond. PJC
Palestinian territories,” and “Israel’s subjugation of the Palestinians ...” Frankly, that sounds like the pinnacle of Jewish anti-Zionism as described in a recent lecture by Foundation Scholar, Rabbi Danny Schiff. Rabbi Bardack knows as well as anyone that there has never been any other independent nation in Israel. Palestine was a geographic description no different than the Great Plains or Appalachia. The Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Ottomans and the British were imperial powers who ruled the land as a district of their vast realms. Stuart V. Pavilack, executive director Zionist Organization of America: Pittsburgh
Guns are not the problem
Benjamin Franklin famously said there are two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. We need to add to the list a third thing — the left’s call for gun control after every shooting (“Jewish community grapples with another mass shooting,” June 3). Here are a few questions to consider: 1. Why is it that we never talk about the root causes of these shootings, like mental illness and the lack of values being taught to our children? Add in the violence they are exposed to through many sources and the lack of attention from many parents. 2. When citing gun statistics, why does no one discuss the fact that there are many crimes foiled by lawful gun owners, or the rate per capita of gun deaths in the U.S.? Is it because it doesn’t fit the narrative to quote those statistics? 3. What is the first thing despots do when they want to exert absolute power (think Hitler, Castro, Mao, Kim and Lenin) over their population? They confiscate the weapons of the public. While it is sad that 19 children and 12 adults were murdered by raving lunatics in Uvalde and Buffalo recently, punishing law-abiding citizens for the actions of criminals is just as insane. What else is insane is the fact that many of these shootings occur in “gun-free zones.” Does anyone ever wonder why? Schools, military bases, post offices, Whole Foods and many shopping malls are gun-free zones. We have a Constitutional amendment that grants us the right to keep and bear arms. The well-regulated militia means well-trained and disciplined — not regulated by the government. It’s there to protect us from an overbearing government. Eliminating modern sporting rifles, certain magazines and enhancing background checks will never stop these incidents from happening. Addressing the root issues will prevent more of these shootings. It’s high time the media, the Chronicle included, do some research into the root causes of these incidents and be honest with the public as to why these things happen. It’s not because law-abiding gun owners acquire guns. Andrew Neft Upper St. Clair
We invite you to submit letters for publication. Letters must include name, address and daytime phone number; addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Letters may not exceed 500 words and may be edited for length and clarity; they cannot be returned. Mail or email letters to: Letters to the editor via email: letters@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org Address:
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Website address:
Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 5915 Beacon St., 5th Flr., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 pittsburghjewishchronicle.org/letters-to-the-editor
JUNE 10, 2022
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Headlines Israel: Continued from page 1
received had a lot of antisemitic undertones,” she said. “I didn’t feel comfortable talking about it except with family.” For young adults and those trying to parse the bristly history of Israeli-Palestinian relations, social media created more tension. Startling graphics, content and data seeking to sway users’ opinions were widely circulated. But as The Washington Post reported, many videos of last year’s attacks were taken “out of context.” A prominent example included a 21-second video posted to Twitter on May 10, 2021, of yarmulke-clad men dancing, singing and waving Israeli flags before the Western Wall as a fire burned near the Al-Aqsa mosque. The video received 15.5 million views, with an early explanation of the content indicating that Israelis were celebrating the flame-engulfed mosque — and a later explanation noting that Israelis were celebrating Jerusalem Day and that Palestinians had ignited a tree near the compound after releasing fireworks. As explanations of the video unfolded, more than 25,000 posts followed. Twitter users described the scene as one of “barbars,” “Nazis” and “Fascists celebrating their version of Kristallnacht.” Other Twitter users called the comments “lies” and “misleading.”
p Eli Marcus
Photo courtesy of Eli Marcus
p Jess Daninhirsch
Photo by Dina Leyzarovich
Shifting attitudes
Social media posts aren’t just digital screeds or senseless noise. Researchers and educators point to online activity as an indicator of societal trends and shifting attitudes. Even before the pandemic, teens spent more than seven hours a day on screens, not including time spent on school work, according to Common Sense Media. Pew Research Center reported that Americans aged 18-29 most commonly get their news from social media. Becca Hurowitz, president and CEO of Vibe Israel USA, said the demographic’s reliance on social media platforms, as opposed to news websites or print media, isn’t surprising. “This is where these kids live,” she said. “And whether we like it or not, they form opinions based on what they’re seeing.” Max Perry, 18, described last summer’s messaging as eye-opening. While he and his friends largely rely on Instagram for news, Perry said the majority of posts regarding Israel weren’t positive. Perry said he knows that “when you see something on Instagram it’s not always true,” but that he was perplexed why others responded differently to infographics and imagery about the conflict: “I was often confused when I saw some of my Jewish friends not supporting Israel the way I supported Israel.” Ultimately, Perry concluded that people’s opinions were shaped by their educational experiences. Attendance at BBYO’s International Kallah last summer and year-long participation in the organization’s Global Israel Fellowship gave him greater insight into the conflict. Conversations with Palestinians, educators and experts in the Middle East, made clear that “there are a lot of issues, and Israel 14
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Max Perry
Photo courtesy of BBYO
does play a part in some of those,” Perry said. “Israel could be doing a better job with how it’s handling the situation.” Perry’s understanding of the dynamic between Israel and the Palestinians has “evolved,” he said, but his commitment to the Jewish state remains the same: “I am a pro-Israel Zionist student, who will defend Israel, but I will acknowledge its problems.”
Educators’ response
Tsipy Gur, founder and executive director of Classrooms Without Borders, called on educators and members of the Jewish community to recognize younger people’s shifting attitudes toward the 74-year-old Jewish state. Hurowitz agreed, saying, “Generations prior to mine, and up to it, I think still look at Israel as David, and our kids are like, ‘No, Israel is Goliath.’” A Pew report last week echoed Gur and Hurowitz’s remarks when finding that U.S. adults under age 30 hold attitudes that are “as favorable toward the Palestinian people and government as toward Israel.” The sentiment represented a stark generational contrast; among those aged 65 and older, 78% feel favorably toward Israelis and only 47% feel favorably toward Palestinians. Ignoring the data is tantamount to failure, Hurowitz explained. “For us to not realize that that shift has happened means that we will never be able to have the conversations that will bring them back,” she said.
Liron Lipinsky, vice president of enrichment strategy at BBYO, said the organization has taken a twofold approach to helping young adults navigate the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. The first strategy is based on enrichment. Through education, dialogue and seminars, BBYO is providing “content” for teens to form their own opinions. “Our goal is not to tell teens what to think,” Lipinsky said. “Our goal is to help them figure out what to think.” BBYO’s second approach is helping teens create a sustainable connection to the Jewish state. “Young people’s relationship with Israel is going to change, because they will change and what they want from Israel and Israelis is going to change,” Lipinsky said. What’s imperative for teens to understand though is that “Israel is a real place, governed by real people, and some of the decisions are good and some are more challenging.” For the past decade, Alana Ebin has concentrated on helping Jewish teens strengthen their relationship with Israel. She serves as BBYO’s director of Global Israel Fellowship, and has worked as an educational consultant and director of Jewish enrichment for the organization and program director for Diller Teen Fellows. Ebin’s efforts have given her insight into young people’s mindsets. The larger Jewish world needs to understand that “we are no longer in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s,” she said. “We need to meet
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teens where they are at,” and that place is one of “doubt and questioning.” Among educators, the current thought is to “put it all on the table, the real drama, the real conflict that exists now and has existed for the last 74 years, so that we aren’t blindsiding anyone,” Lipinsky said. Taking this approach is a corrective, Hurowitz explained. “We were raised ‘rah-rah Israel.’ We raised our kids ‘rah-rah Israel,’ and then it became very abundantly clear that it’s challenging and not everything is perfect — and you can love a country without loving every single thing their government does — but we didn’t necessarily give our kids that much nuance,” she said. “We have unfortunately done a generation of kids a real disservice by not having more open conversations with them about Israel.” A step forward for older adults means being less adversarial when it comes to Israel and the Palestinians, Hurowitz explained. “We, as parents, can’t be like a bull in a china shop and be like, ‘You’re wrong. Israel’s right.’ It’s just not productive. Our kids don’t want to hear it. It’s not going to change their mind, and all it’s going to do is damage our relationship with them,” Hurowitz said. “We need to show our children that we’re empathetic to the Palestinian people who are suffering.” People feel passionate about the topic but it’s important to remember that especially when the country is in conflict, there are ideal ways to engage. If someone feels compelled to speak, Hurowitz suggests using direct messages or dialoguing privately. “Social media is too fast to make an impression,” she said. Quieter periods are a good time to educate younger audiences about the Jewish state, she said. “The values in Israel are very tied into progressive values here: sustainability, environmentalism, LGBTQ rights, the whole concept of coexistence. These are all things that resonate with the next generation, but they don’t know because we don’t talk about Israel in those ways.” Danielle Kranjec has worked with older teens and people in their early 20s for more than a decade. She said that by the time young adults reach college, many of them express anxiety and fear about talking about Israel. They feel as though they’re “going to be put to some litmus test.” In her role as director of campus initiatives at the Shalom Hartman Institute in North America, Kranjec recently studied with 43 students from more than 30 institutions. The group discussed the complexities of Jewish power, vulnerability, loyalty and solidarity, but one of the primary goals, Kranjec said, was to “investigate the term ‘Zionism.’” Seeing the words “Zionism” or “Israel” can be alienating for some young people, she said. “It’s hard for them to come into a conversation because they have this feeling that they’re meant to already have a fully formed opinion,” she said. And the fact that college students think they need to have concrete understandings of Israel and the Palestinians to comment on the topic “just is wild to think about. These are complicated issues that adults are working on and don’t have formed opinions on.” Please see Israel, page 15
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Headlines Flyers: Continued from page 1
were distributed on at least three streets in her neighborhood. She called the flyers “unsettling.” Shawn Brokos, community security director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, said she is unsure why the South Hills community was targeted but urged anyone who received a flyer to contact the police. “Any time you get more information, it helps put the pieces together,” she said. Brokos said the distribution of the flyers was part of a national campaign the hate group is conducting. The group, she said, attempts to be provocative to increase its profile and raise money, capitalizing on the current wave of antisemitism. GDL, she said, has not traditionally been a violent group but noted that it is, at times, confrontational. The danger, though, is when the group’s messaging provokes someone else to violence, she said. “GDL is not known to pose a threat, but if their propaganda gets into the hands of
JFF: Continued from page 3
picked up the tab for her IVF treatments, which, in some places, top $20,000. She had two boys there, now ages 11 and 9. In 2015, after leaving Israel for Atlanta and having a third child, Frank had a conversation with two female friends in a Jewish Community Center pool about the cost of having their babies. “I was shocked,” she said. “My friends
Internships: Continued from page 5
One of the advantages of working at a clothing store during the past three years is that it’s provided Snyder a firsthand look at the pandemic’s impact on shopping habits, inflation’s effects and the “Great Resignation,” she said. Although these insights may prove more valuable than a case study in an economics textbook, the most useful thing she’s learned, she said, is the importance of
Israel: Continued from page 14
Kranjec’s work with the Shalom Hartman Institute is often geared toward helping students ease anxiety, learn values about Israel and reach a more nuanced understanding of the conflict. “In many cases, I would say what we’re trying to do is to create a situation where students can learn without feeling that pressure, without feeling that they have to come to a conclusion, and to create a space where they can say, ‘My feelings about this, or my PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG
p Antisemitic flyers were recently distributed in bags of rice in Pleasant Hills.
Photo by Michelle Susa
p Hate messages blaming the Jewish community for the “COVID agenda” were distributed in Pleasant Hills.
Photo by Michelle Susa
over the last eight months. In September 2021, Tyrone Correll was arrested for simple assault, harassment and ethnic intimidation. Christian Williams was arrested on April 17 for making antisemitic comments and threats. On May 8, David Aul was arrested after choking a victim in a Murray Avenue store. On May 17, a white male in a red Dodge Ram with a landscaping trailer attached yelled antisemitic comments at Jewish community members. Aul was released on May 26 from UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, Brokos said, where he was transferred after his arrest for a psychiatric evaluation. The Squirrel Hill resident is back in the neighborhood and was seen by community members, Brokos said. “It was unnerving,” she said. “I didn’t get any reports of inappropriate or threatening behavior, but he was walking around Murray Avenue without a shirt on, so he was very noticeable.” Brokos said that anyone observing Aul exhibiting threatening behavior should move to safety and call 911 immediately. “His behavior can be erratic, and we have to be on the lookout for that,” she said. PJC
someone and inspires them to act in furtherance of their beliefs, that’s where the threat becomes reality,” Brokos said. One of the challenges for law enforcement, Brokos noted, is that these types of activities skirt the line of the First Amendment, making it difficult for police to investigate.
And, while it’s important to report any new information to the police and Federation, Brokos said that she didn’t think the current activity raised the threat level in the city — partially because there have been so many other antisemitic incidents
didn’t have the Jewish community behind them when they were going through this.” Shortly afterward, Frank launched JFF as “a community-focused organization” for Jews struggling with infertility issues. In cities where they are rooted, they build relationships with local Jewish federations and organizations that help with financial shortfalls like Hebrew Free Loan associations. In Pittsburgh, JFF will not have a physical location; instead, a staff person and team of volunteers — they are in the process of evaluating applications and seeking volunteers
— will work within the Jewish community. In some cities, a JFF staffer is based, physically, at the local Federation offices. Schmitt, a single parent by choice, is familiar with fertility issues. By day, she serves as the director of adoption and permanency at The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh, a Lemieux Family Center in Garfield. Her daughter Hadley is now 3½ years old. “The reason I’m willing to share my story and put it out there is I think it’s important fertility is talked about,” Schmitt said. “I think talking about it is important, as is the
Jewish connection, to raise a Jewish child to be part of the Jewish community.” “I feel really strongly about the support [JFF] offers,” she added. “Infertility is a hard process; it’s very emotionally taxing. For me, that really drove me into wanting to have the organization here, wanting some of these women not to be alone.” For more information, visit jewishfertility foundation.org. PJC
treating others with kindness. “People are not always the nicest,” she said. “Some people yell at me. They can be rude, and sometimes it’s a little annoying, but I have a ‘whatever happens, happens’ attitude.” Ultimately, what this means to Snyder is that, “I can control myself, not the other person. I can give them suggestions of what clothes they should buy but it’s up to them, and that translates into regular life.” Snyder is a linguistics major who enjoys teaching and languages. She said she’d love to work for Duolingo, a Pittsburgh-based
company that produces language-learning apps and provides language certification, or possibly get a job in government. She credits American Eagle with providing countless learning experiences and teaching her how to “manage myself in different environments.” College students have multiple options for spending their summers, Snyder said, but “retail is not the worst way to go.” There’s a lot to be gained from the experience, and there’s even something non-college students can learn from her time in the mall as well, she noted.
“Retail workers are workers, too,” she said. “When you go into a store, you probably don’t want to talk to them, but try and show a smile because it really does help. I’m up front greeting people, and a lot of people ignore me. I get that a lot of people don’t want to be helped, but sometimes I’m walked by and completely ignored, and that hurts a little. So even if you smile and acknowledge that we are human, that’s very nice.” PJC
ideas about this, are changing, are evolving.’ Where they’re open to the possibility of learning something new, of not being stuck in one particular set of ideas, or feel that they have to pick a side,” she said. After so many years of social media usage and exposure to messaging and concepts without appropriate conversational venues, getting students to appreciate subtlety is not only challenging but obligatory, she explained: “I see Israel’s role as essential to our sense of who we are as a people, and to not be able to grapple with that is to miss an essential part of Jewishness.” Ebin agreed, saying, “Israel is part and
parcel of the Jewish people — the land of Israel, now the state of Israel — and we need to strengthen that diaspora connection, and that’s not necessarily easy to do these days.” Providing teens with education and safe spaces for values-based conversations can provide a framework for considering Israel and the Palestinians not only now but when these same individuals reach college and hear claims of occupation or apartheid and potentially question the veracity of earlier teachings, Ebin said. There are going to be plenty of teens and college students who have negative views toward the Jewish state, and that’s all right,
Ebin continued. As educators and parents, the goal is simply to help young adults “be in relationship with Israel. Because when you have some relationship with Israel there is room for growth, and exploration, and maintaining our tradition of connecting to Israel for thousands of years. What worries me most is apathy and indifference.” Lipinsky agreed, saying, “If you’re still talking, then you still care. If you stop talking about it, then Israel is no longer at the table.” PJC
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David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. JUNE 10, 2022
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Life & Culture Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of Leonard Bernstein reignites Jewish representation debate — STREAMING — By Gabe Friedman | JTA
A
s Netflix released the first stills from the set of “Maestro,” Bradley Cooper’s upcoming biopic film about Leonard Bernstein, there was one thing most fans could agree about. Cooper looked utterly unrecognizable, especially in one image as an elderly version of the iconic Jewish conductor. But as legions of angry social media users pointed out on Monday, part of Cooper’s transformation involved a prosthetic nose, something that many found to be antisemitic — especially since Cooper is not Jewish. “There’s no reason to believe that the decision to wear a fake nose is a deliberately antisemitic act,” wrote James Hirsh, a co-host of the Menschwarmers podcast about Jewish athletes, in the Canadian Jewish News. “Cooper is presumably interested in exploring the life of a great composer whom he admires. A number of Jews are involved in the production. And the prosthesis arguably helps with the resemblance. “But this is Cooper’s third time portraying a historical figure on screen,” Hirsh added. “No prosthetics were used to play ‘American
p Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein on the set of “Maestro”
Sniper’s’ Chris Kyle or ‘Licorice Pizza’s’ Jon Peters. He didn’t use them to play the ‘Elephant Man’ on Broadway.” Hirsh was far from alone in calling out the prosthetic. Even though actors frequently adapt their bodies while playing historical figures,
Photo courtesy of Netflix
conversations about how many non-Jews play Jewish characters in Hollywood — and on what scale that should be allowed — have circulated for years. But the “Jewface” debate received a boost last year, especially after non-Jewish actress Kathryn Hahn was cast as the outspokenly
Jewish comedy pioneer Joan Rivers (in a series that was eventually dropped). Comedian Sarah Silverman made headlines by berating the casting, saying “Right now, representation f***ing matters” on an episode of her podcast. The Bernstein biopic discourse has been particularly charged since 2018, when Cooper and Steven Spielberg — who was first slated to direct “Maestro,” before it became Cooper’s directorial follow-up to his 2016 hit remake of “A Star Is Born” — beat out the actor-director team of Jake Gyllenhaal and Cary Fukunaga in securing the music rights from Bernstein’s estate. In talking about the Bernstein sweepstakes in an interview last year, Gyllenhaal — who like Spielberg is Jewish — mentioned Bernstein’s Jewishness in admitting defeat. “Sticking your neck out, hoping to get to tell the stories you love and that have been in your heart for a very long time is something to be proud of. And that story, that idea of playing one of the most preeminent Jewish artists in America and his struggle with his identity was in my heart for 20 some odd years, but sometimes those things don’t work out,” he told Deadline. Some fans resurfaced the possibility of a Bernstein played by Gyllenhaal in their swipes at the on-set images of Cooper. PJC
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The Art of Aging
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Life & Culture ‘Tehran’ pumps up the adrenaline in a show worth watching — STREAMING — By Alan Zeitlin | JNS
B
eing a Mossad operative in Iran isn’t a job for the faint of heart. Viewers get a sense of such intensity watching “Tehran” on Apple TV+, a show that will keep them on the edge of their seats. In Season 1, Israeli actress Niv Sultan proved as Tamar Rabinyan — a young Jewish woman born in Iran but raised in Israel — that she was able to hack almost any computer system, shoot anyone and happily risk her life for Israel. In the first episode of Season 2, she has to save the life of an Israeli pilot, Barak, who is to be taken from Evin Prison in the Tehran neighborhood of the same name to a hospital where they can hopefully get him out of the country. Tamara gets into hot water. She’s hoping to go to Canada with Milad (Shervin Alanabi), a man she might actually care for. But there’s work to be done. She has to make sure drug dealers don’t get him in trouble; to do that, she uses her seductive charms to impress a man who can lead her to a general and powerful figure Israel wants to be assassinated. She is given a weapon to use that will be untraceable, but as usual, there are complications. The New York Times correctly points out the show has elements of the Fox hit “24” with Sultan being like a female Israeli Jack Bauer and the FX spy show “The Americans,” which features Russian spies
posing as Americans. Tamar sees people who helped her and who she cared about executed by hanging and knows if she takes one wrong step, she will share that fate. Tamar’s nemesis, Faraz Kamali (Shaun Toub), head of investigations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is out for revenge after she shot him last season when a double agent ruined Israel’s plan to attack an Iranian nuclear reactor. The Israeli pilots were saved, even though the operation was a failure. Faraz has a wife who needs looking after, and though initially suspicious, he allows Marjan Montazeri — a top therapist, played surprisingly well by Glenn Close — to help his wife, Naahid. Since he isn’t depicted as merely a cardboard villain, Toub can show texture, as well as difficulty juggling his ego and his loyalties. Close’s acting is fantastic, and her character knows how to put the screws on people with delightfully devilish threats. And so she can be forgiven for not being able to pronounce the Hebrew “Ch” sound as she refers to the pilot’s last name as “Haim” instead of “Chaim.” (The dialogue is in Hebrew, Persian and English.) Sultan, once again is magnetic whenever on-screen — someone who has no problems dispensing of unsuspecting foes. Faraz has a protégé, Ali (played by the strong Arash Marandi), who proves to be extremely skilled. Faraz makes a stunning confession to Ali and a strange request. Sila Ommi is impressive as Naahid, a wife who understands that she’s usually second fiddle to her husband’s obligation to his work for the
p Glenn Close and Niv Sultan as Marjan and Tamar in “Tehran” on Apple TV+
Image Courtesy of Apple TV+ via JNS
government, but she would still like to make some sweet music with him.
‘One of best non-superhero female action characters’
The episodes are tension-filled and unpredictable though at times the audience will feel that Tamar (like Jack Bauer) is too arrogant and defies rules from superiors, seemingly getting out of any situation, no matter how precarious. Darius Homayoun is pitch-perfect as Peyman, the good-looking son of an important leader who plays tennis and thinks he may have met a woman who is worthy of dating him. There’s a scary
moment where it looks like Tamar has stolen his phone, and his charming smile of desire turns to a look of suspicion. Sia Alipour shows some fine acting chops as Vahid, a man who thinks his looks, fancy cars and an offer of a free gym membership should get him any woman. He has no qualms about planting drugs on an innocent person. The sixth episode has an epic stare-down between Tamar and Faraz, when Faraz gets an offer he’s not sure he can refuse. Sultan’s strength, Close’s cunning and Toub’s tenacity pump the show full of adrenaline and Please see Tehran, page 20
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JUNE 10, 2022
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Celebrations
Torah
Bat Mitzvah
The Gaon and the Maggid Liora Ruby Blitstein, daughter of Gidon and Dana Blitstein of Squirrel Hill and sister of Tali and Sivan Blitstein, will become a bat mitzvah at Temple Sinai on Saturday, June 11, 2022. Her grandparents are Alan and Tsiona Blitstein of Squirrel Hill and Ivan and Rosalyn Platt of Cleveland, Ohio. Liora is a student at the Environmental Charter School. Liora’s mitzvah project was a community gratitude wall and one-day street art installation on the corner of Forbes and Murray avenues. Additionally, she raised more than $2,000 to purchase a bench from the Pittsburgh Parks Department to be placed in an underserved area of the park.
Birth
Matthew Seth Goldstein and Samantha Taylor Darrow of Boca Raton, Florida, are pleased to announce the birth of their son Graham Wilder Goldstein on Jan. 31,2022. Grandparents are Michael and Ellen Teri Kaplan Goldstein of Pittsburgh and Frank and Karen Darrow of Parkland, Florida. Great-grandparents are Natalie Kaplan of Pittsburgh and Mollie and Harry Lipsitz of Parkland, Florida. PJC
Join the Chronicle Book Club!
T
he Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its June 12 discussion of “The History of Love,” by Nicole Krauss. From the publisher: “Leo Gursky taps his radiator each evening to let his upstairs neighbor know he’s still alive. But it wasn’t always like this: in the Polish village of his youth, he fell in love and wrote a book…Sixty years later and half a world away, fourteen-year-old Alma, who was named after a character in that book, undertakes an adventure to find her namesake and save her family. With virtuosic skill and soaring imaginative power, Nicole Krauss gradually draws these
stories together toward a climax of ‘extraordinary depth and beauty’ (Newsday).”
Your Hosts
Toby Tabachnick, editor of the Chronicle David Rullo, Chronicle staff writer We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, June 12, at noon. As you read the book, share your favorite passages on a Google Doc you will receive when you register.
What To Do
Buy: “The History of Love.” It is available at area Barnes & Noble stores and from online retailers, including Amazon. Email: Contact us at drullo@pittsburgh jewishchronicle.org, and write “Chronicle Book Club” in the subject line. We will send you a Zoom link for the discussion meeting. Happy reading! PJC — Toby Tabachnick
Krista M. Reitz, Deceased of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania No. 02-22-2529 Susan Kishpaugh-Delich, Co-Executor; 2272 Glen Haven Drive, Loveland, CO 80538, and; Bruce S. Gelman, Esq., Co-Executor; Gelman & Reisman, P.C., Law & Finance Bldg., 429 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1701, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 JUNE 10, 2022
T
here is a well-known story in which the Vilna Gaon asked the Dubno Maggid to give him constructive criticism (mussar) and to challenge him to reach even more lofty spiritual heights.
he needed to withdraw from everyday challenges and to retreat to a more spiritual climate. In this setting, he or she would take on certain customs and use the period to become more devoted to G-d through prayer and through Torah study. But the Nazirite period was meant to be temporary, and the ultimate goal was for the individual to return to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We are not meant to be
We are not meant to be hermits or monks, sitting alone on a mountaintop seeking spiritual bliss. G-d wants us to interact with His world and to inject a spiritual awareness into everything we do. The Gaon, Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (1720-1797), was the foremost leader of Ashkenazic Jewry in his day. Like any person, he felt the need for a colleague or mentor who could point out some areas in which he could improve his behavior and religious observance. So he asked the Dubno Maggid, Jacob ben Wolf Kranz of Lithuania (1741-1804), who was renowned for weaving his parables into Torah and instructive lessons. After careful consideration, he told the Gaon: “Leave your house of study. Go out into the world, into the public arena of life and action, and withstand the challenges of daily life, and there serve G-d …” The Dubno Maggid’s words came back to me as I read this week’s Torah portion of Naso. In it, we find the Nazirite (Numbers 6:1-8). The Nazirite was a person who felt
hermits or monks, sitting alone on a mountaintop seeking spiritual bliss. G-d wants us to interact with His world and to inject a spiritual awareness into everything we do. Our challenge is to strike the right balance between our personal Jewish religious observance and our outreach to the community we live in. We cannot merely cloister ourselves inside the four walls of the synagogue. Ultimately, our goal must be to use the spiritual truths of our heritage to shine upon and improve ourselves — and our community and world as well. Shabbat shalom. PJC Rabbi Eli Seidman is the former director of pastoral care at the Jewish Association on Aging. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association.
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Rabbi Eli Seidman Parshat Naso | Numbers 4:21 – 7:89
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Maurice H. Goldstein is buried in Beth Abraham Cemetery in Carrick. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Business Administration and the Pitt Law School, he was assistant district attorney for Allegheny County from 1942 to 1947 and a state assistant deputy attorney general from 1950 to 1951. He served five consecutive terms from 1954 to 1964 as a Pennsylvania State Representative from the Squirrel Hill and Greenfield districts. He then was appointed to the Unemployment Compensation Review Board. Mr. Goldstein continued to practice law until his death at age 88. For more information about JCBA cemeteries, plot purchases, to volunteer, to read our complete histories and/or to make a contribution, please visit our website at www.JCBApgh.org, email us at jcbapgh@gmail.com, or call the JCBA office at 412-553-6469.
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Obituaries P E C H E R S K Y: Eileen Pechersky, on Monday, May 30, 2022. Beloved wife of Dr. Jack Pechersky for over 50 years. Loving mother of Barbara (Jonathan) Thaler of Altoona, Pennsylvania, and Jennifer Wagner of Pittsburgh. Cherished sister and best friend of Marcia (Robert) Freeman and Iris Riemer. Adoring Mimi of Brett and Alex Thaler and Lexie and Andrew Wagner. Also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of treasured friends. Eileen was passionate in her work as a medical secretary, assistant preschool teacher at the JCC and the Children’s Institute, and as an incredible homemaker. But her greatest passion in life was her grandchildren and her family. As a testament to her love for her grandchildren she persisted through a terminal cancer diagnosis for 20 years to see them pursue higher education. Graveside service and interment were held on Thursday, June 2, at Homewood Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Family Hospice, 700 Bower Hill Road, Suite 1405, Pittsburgh, PA 15243, or the Hillman Cancer Center, 5115 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15232. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com
PREISS: Judith Weil Preiss died on May 28, 2022, at her home in Pittsburgh. She was born to Evelyn “Mei Mei” and Charles “Papa Charlie” Rosen on Sept. 2, 1937, in St. Louis, Missouri, and is survived by her younger brother Robert Rosen of Uruguay and pre-deceased by her late sister, Francis “Franny” Suess. She is also survived by her children and their spouses: Jennifer Preiss and Russell Kowalik of Pittsburgh; Jeremy and Tamara Preiss of Arlington, Virginia; and Jessica and David Lunken of Baltimore, Maryland; as well as her grandchildren, Rachael Tillman and her husband Ben Stephenson, Zachary Tillman and his fiancé, Shannon Vesely, and Eli Tillman, Madeleine and Ben Preiss, and Isabel, Talia, and Nadya Lunken. Judith Preiss was an avid reader and prolific artist who expressed herself best through her art of various mediums. She majored in silversmithing at Washington University in St. Louis. However, she focused on oil and acrylic painting and later expanded to different mediums, including clay sculpture. She was an active member of the “Art Divas,” a group of women who regularly gathered and frequently exhibited their artwork and did commissions. In the 1960s, her work was displayed at the Smithsonian museums and later appeared at juried and non-juried shows, including Art in the Park in Davis, California, multiple galleries in Michigan, and later in art shows
in Pittsburgh. Judith also worked at the University of California at Davis (UCD) as a scientific draftsman and later as a freelancer both at UCD and Michigan State University. As a second-grade teacher’s aide for nearly a decade at Davis Elementary school, where her children attended, she shared her talent and love of teaching, inspiring future generations to leverage their creativity. Judith was well-known for visiting her grandchildren, bearing lots of new art projects to do with them and spending hours with them teaching embroidery, knitting, sketching, painting and other crafts she regularly engaged in. She was also well-known for making friends everywhere she went, including friends who spanned multiple generations. Judith, over the years, regularly met her friends at the Jewish Community Center in Pittsburgh for aerobics and strength classes, and then followed by coffee. Services and shiva were held in Baltimore, Maryland. Another celebration of life memorial service will be held in Pittsburgh in late July. Those who wish to remember Judith in a special way may make gifts to the Pittsburgh Glass Center (pittsburghglasscenter.org/web/donateguest) or Gabby Giffords Courage to Stop Gun Violence (secure.actblue.com/donate/ giffords-website). Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com SLAVINGS: Rosalie Darling Slavings, age
78, of Bradenton, Florida, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2022. She was born in Pittsburgh on Jan. 25, 1944. In 1967, Rosalie “Rosie” and her first husband, Burton Mallinger, moved to the Washington D.C. area, where she had two sons, Jeffrey and Bradley. Rosalie and her family moved to Richmond, Virginia, in 1977. In 1987, Rosalie married Joe Slavings of Malden, Missouri, and they relocated to Ruther Glen, Virginia. Rosalie and Joe moved to Bradenton, Florida, in 2005, where she was an active member of Chabad. Even through her battle with cancer, she always had a smile and a kind word for everyone. Rosalie loved her pets dearly and, no matter what she was going through, always cared and asked about others’ children. She is preceded in death by her parents, James “Jimmy” and Anne Darling, as well as her brother Leon. She is survived by her loving husband, Joe; brother Marc and his wife Susan; late brother’s wife Nancy; son Jeffery; son Bradley and his partner Symeon and her children Izack and Cyrus; and grandchildren Aaron and Sarah. Services and interment were held in Bradenton. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Chabad of Bradenton. A service of Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com
Please see Obituaries, page 20
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The Well-Designed Life by James Lange, CPA/Attorney
I struck up a conversation with a vibrant old man walking along the beach in Santa Barbara. He told me that when he graduated from college, all his friends moved to where they found the best job. But he didn’t jump on that train. He thought about where he wanted to spend his life. He projected that if he took a job somewhere he didn’t really want to be, the chances were he would meet a woman, get married, and his future wife might not want to move away from family. Bottom line, if he moved to a city because it offered the best short-term job opportunity, he might get stuck there Instead, he held out for a job near Santa Barbara, where he wanted to spend his life. He got the job, he got married to a local woman, and he got the life he wanted. He has lived in California for more than 60 years. Well, we can’t go back in time and revisit all our decisions. But we can plan for the future. I think there is a good lesson to be learned from this man’s “life design.” How do we want to spend our time? Where do we want to spend the rest of our lives—or even a few months in the winter? I have practically pleaded with some clients to rent a place in Florida for a month or two in the winter. Once I even went on VRBO.com (vacation rental by owner) to show them how it worked and what they could rent. The couple said it sounded great and it would be good for his health. But they cried they couldn’t afford it. Nonsense! They absolutely could have. You probably can too. You might have another reason you don’t want to do
“ Assessing where and how you want to spend your time, and thinking about what might energize you, is a worthwhile endeavor... Is there some type of ‘life design’ change you could make? ” something like that, but if you are reading this column, you almost certainly can afford a VRBO for a month or two somewhere warm. The end of the story: The husband died. We don’t like thinking about it, but we must face the facts: we aren’t getting younger as time goes on. I am trying to learn a lesson too. I am enjoying the working snowbird life. With the pandemic limiting face-to-face meetings, I have become a frequent “Zoomer.” I can work from anywhere. This past year and tentatively in the future, I plan to spend winters in Tucson and summers in Pittsburgh. I’m concluding my winter cycling or in my case e-biking in the desert. I cycle about every day. Sometimes on the 110 miles of paved bicycle trails, sometimes up a gorgeous mountain called Mt. Lemmon, and recently on a beautiful 8-mile oneway loop in Saguaro National Park East. The sunrises and sunsets here are spectacular. My snowbird life allows me to spend more time where I want to spend much of my time—out-
doors. I have designed my life so I can comfortably spend a lot of time outdoors doing what I really love which is e-biking and hiking. My wife also loves hiking, and we go for a hike here in Tucson more days than we don’t. But I can still work here effectively with Zoom. In fact, business is better than ever, and I have a lot of good things in process. I start some days with a workout (three days a week with my Pittsburgh trainer on Zoom) and then spend the morning working. I then e-bike, and later meet my wife, Cindy, for a hike in the desert. I frequently work into the evening—an old habit. An e-bike ride up Mt. Lemmon is an all-day affair. It is about a 6,000+ foot climb and is considered one of the 10 most beautiful cycling roads in the country. It is about 25 degrees colder near the top and is a great place to escape the April heat in the valley. I usually stop at most of the scenic view areas on the way up. I take a private shuttle down because I don’t want to be constantly brak-
ing or cycling kamikaze-like downhill—my devilmay-care days are done! Cindy also prefers I take a shuttle. Biking up and shuttling down makes for a much more relaxed and frankly much safer day. Word-to-the-wise, you are much more likely to follow through on a plan if you pick some places and make reservations in advance. Take that under advisement. It can be like herding cats to get some of my friends to commit so sometimes it’s just Cindy and me and sometimes, just me. During a recent client review, a proud new grandmother was sharing news of her new granddaughter. She was beaming, rightfully so. She and her husband are about to retire and frankly, they don’t have a “design.” I threw out the idea of renting a place near their new granddaughter (I like to start by renting first) where they could spend winters in a warm place near family. They are outdoorsy too so there will be a double benefit to spending winters in a warm place. It was an idea that they hadn’t considered. Assessing where and how you want to spend your time and thinking about what might energize you is a worthwhile endeavor. Is there some type of “life design” change you could make?
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Obituaries Obituaries: Continued from page 19
SLESINGER: Sidney Slesinger, age 104. On Friday, June 3, 2022, formerly of West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. Beloved husband of the late Paula B. Slesinger. Son of the late Hyman Slesinger and the late Minnie Slesinger-Sable. Loving father of Joel B. (Marla) Slesinger of Robinson Township, Pennsylvania, and Steven I. (Ellen) Slesinger of Pittsburgh. Brother of the late Esther Sable. Grandfather of Matthew Slesinger, Courtney Slesinger and Benjamin Slesinger. Also survived by nephews. Sidney was a World War II veteran. He loved his family, drawing and painting. The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to West Hills Health and Rehabilitation Center for the tender loving care that was given to their father. Services and interment were private. Contributions may be made to UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation, 4401 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar
Headlines Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com. YOUNG: Elinor Ronda Shrut Young, on Monday, May 30, 2022. Born on Oct. 2, 1944, in Pittsburgh. Longtime library clerk at Allderdice High School, and a lifelong volunteer. Beloved wife of over 50 years to Nathan Young. Devoted mother to Mindy Young-Secunda and Jeff (Laura) Young. Doting Bubbie to Jake and Isabella Secunda, and Adeline and Evan Young. Loving sister to Racille (late William) Lazar. Treasured aunt and cousin to many. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Homewood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Mollie’s Meals care of the Jewish Association on Aging, 200 JHF Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com PJC
Tehran: Continued from page 17
makes viewers question whether or not their own loyalty would rest with their lives, the lives of their family members or the protection of their country. One can’t help but think of the real-life danger that exists for Israel in a region where so many actors want its demise — namely, Iran. Still, hope lies on the horizon for a more peaceful future. At the International Emmy Awards ceremony in November, “Tehran” received Best
Drama Series, becoming the first-ever Israeli show to win the award. “Tehran” offers one of the best non-superhero female action leading characters in quite some time. The writing is rich, and if some moments are slightly reminiscent of “Fauda,” that could be because head writer Moshe Zonder penned for that hit series as well. And since there are no real bullets here, “Tehran” is a terrific ride — one worthy of hopping on. Season 3 has yet to be announced, so take the time this summer to binge and catch up. PJC
This is Israel calling… Follow Chronicle Staff Writer David Rullo as he travels with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Mega Mission June 13-21. Dispatches from the trip will include photos, videos, personal reflections and of course the Chronicle’s award-winning reporting.
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FOX CHAPEL • $1,250,000 New Listing! A stunning electric gated lot greets you. Exposed aggregate & stamped concrete drive brings you to circular fountain surrounded by flowers, bushes & extra parking. The front lawn offers endless possibilities. Enjoy the magnificent rear grounds with a shed & doghouse. An electronic awning over a part of the huge rear patio provides shade on hot sunny days. Heated garage w/epoxy floor. The exquisite formal manse-like living room has a beautiful gas log fireplace. The dining room has French doors to the patio & rear yard. A gourmet kitchen w/heated floor with Wolfe, Miele, Subzero appliances and family room all lead to the manicured rear fenced-in yard. A stunning powder room for guests. Bonus first floor bedroom and full bath. The second floor boasts a huge master suite with a 13 x 13 room for clothing and an entire wall of closets. Hall bath has a heated floor. Whole house generator. This is the house of your dreams.
SHADYSIDE • $899,000 New Listing! Sophisticated, dramatic one of a kind townhome. Unique custom built. 4 levels. Starting in lower level enjoy great wine cellar, integral garage, storage with side room for all of your extra gear. First floor has a Great Room, kitchen, dining and living area and a beautiful 1/2 bath. This area leads to an unbelievable courtyard and luscious grounds with a sprinkler system. The courtyard is owned by this unit. The grounds are part of the common area. Next level has a rather large room with a whimsical full bath. Top floor has a great Master Area and Laundry. Smashing steel and glass staircase, dramatic lighting, terrific architectural details make this one of a kind! For the buyer that wants unique, bright, and sophisticated.
SQUIRREL HILL • $749,000 New Listing! This stately 5 bedroom brick home is superbly located in Squirrel Hill and directly across from Frick Park. Surrounded by mature landscaping and perennial gardens, you will have gorgeous views of nature from each window, the private rear patio and serene sun room. Elegant details throughout, hardwood floors, custom built-ins and charming window seats. Granite countertops and stainless appliances in the kitchen, complete with a lovely eat-in area overlooking the backyard. All 5 bedrooms conveniently located on one floor. Generous basement is partially finished with laundry and ample storage options. Easy commutes to nearby Universities, hospitals, Downtown, Shadyside, shopping and more. in the Colfax and Allderdice School District. See with Melissa Reich Rubinoff Realty/412-215-8056, Mark Portland/412-480-3110, Jill Portland/412-496-5600.
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SOUTH SIDE • $299,000 • ANGEL ARMS CONDO Smith-Rosenthal Team
Jason A. Smith & Caryn Rosenthal
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Jasonasmith@howardhanna.com Carynrosenthal@howardhanna.com
5501 Baum Blvd. Pittsburgh PA 15232 Shadyside Office | 412-361-4000
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New Listing! Sophisticated condo located in the Angel Arms Church. Enjoy a loft bedroom and bath and a main floor owner suite, in-unit laundry. Pet friendly. Wonderful balcony and building patios. Located near shops restaurants and night life. Close to universities and hospitals.
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PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE
JUNE 10, 2022
21
Life & Culture As American as pareve pies — FOOD — By Linda Morel | Contributing Writer
Pie Crust | Pareve
To use with all the pie filling recipes below: Equipment:
Regular size (4-cup) pie pan, not deep dish Preferably a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or an electric beater with firm beater attachments 1 pound large dried beans, such as chickpeas, or pie weights Rolling pin Ingredients: Nonstick vegetable spray 2 cups flour, plus more for sprinkling ¾ teaspoon granulated salt, not kosher salt ½ teaspoon sugar ¾ cup Crisco, chilled for 12 hours or more 3-6 tablespoons ice water
Coat the pie pan with nonstick spray. Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Reserve. With a soup spoon, scoop the Crisco into about 5 chunks. Place the chunks in the bowl of a stand mixer or a second large mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment or electric mixer’s firm beaters, beat the 22
JUNE 10, 2022
Photo by bhofack2 via iStock Photo
A
t the dawn of the 20th century, observant Jewish women made pie crusts and other pastries using rendered chicken fat as shortening! They actually fried chicken skins until yellow fat oozed into the pan — which sounds so savory and Old World. But this shortening complied with the kashrut laws, which forbid mixing dairy products and meat at the same meal. Because butter wasn’t an option for kosher housewives serving meat, what else could they do but turn to schmaltz, glistening chicken fat? In 1911, Crisco burst on the scene as an all-vegetable shortening. Procter & Gamble, its manufacturer, proudly promoted Crisco as a kosher food, one that performed as well as satiny butter but could be used freely with meat. As extraordinary as a one-day supply of oil that lasted eight days, the company boldly announced, “Crisco was the miracle for which the Jews have waited four thousand years.” Soon synonymous with superior pie crusts, Crisco became a life-altering, game changer for kosher bakers. Its grand entry into kosher kitchens made modern pie crusts feasible for assimilating Jewish women who wanted to remain observant while baking all-American pies. To this day, a slice of pie and its tempting crust are pictured on Crisco containers, indicating to consumers that the finest crusts start with Crisco shortening. Crust aficionados agree that Crisco produces the lightest, flakiest pie crusts, even more so than butter whose crusts are a bit brittle. Since its introduction, Crisco has been a liberator, an equalizer that offered kosher women the opportunity to make pareve pies that compete with the puffiest, most delicate crusts in America.
flour mixture into the Crisco, about ½ cup at a time, starting at a low speed and going to medium-high as the two are incorporated. Beat for about 30 seconds, or until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, beating in between each addition. When the mixture turns into chunks of dough, it is ready. You may not need all of the ice water. Form the dough into two balls. Roll them in your palms to get rid of as many seams or cracks as possible. Then, using your palms, flatten the balls into disks about 3-4 inches in diameter. Refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes before rolling. Preheat your oven to 450 F. To roll dough: Place parchment paper on the counter. Remove one dough disk from the refrigerator, and place it in the center of the parchment paper. Sprinkle a little flour on the rolling pin. Flatten the dough disk slightly with the rolling pin. Then, rolling from the center toward the edges, continue to flatten the dough. Do not roll back and forth, as the dough will tear. If it tears, you can fix it by pressing dough together with your fingers around the tear. Roll the dough into an amoeba-shaped circle about ⅛-inch thick, slightly larger than the pie pan. Place a piece of aluminum foil over half of the dough circle. Fold it in half, parchment paper and all. Turn it upside down, and place the semicircle of dough along the pie pan’s midline. Gently pull away the parchment and foil and nudge the dough into place. Fix any tears with your fingers. With another piece of foil, cover the dough, including on the pan’s edges. Gently press the foil into the shape of the pan. Pour the beans or pie weights into the foil liner. Move it into the oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the dough is turning golden. Remove the pie pan from the oven. Lift the
foil off the crust, and let it rest while you slice the fruit. The beans can be used again for pie crusts but not for cooking. Fill the pie with fruit from one of the recipes below. Remove the second disk of dough from the refrigerator and follow the dough-rolling directions above. Cover the fruit with the second circle of dough, which will be the top crust. Press the top crust into the bottom crust to seal them. Cut slits in a couple of places in the top crust. Apple spice pie filling | Pareve
Serves 8
5 baking apples, such as Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji or Pink Lady ½ cup sugar 1½ teaspoon flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon allspice ⅛ teaspoon cardamom ⅛ teaspoon salt 1½ lemon juice
Peel, core and slice the apples thin. Place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. With a wooden or silicone spoon utensil, gently mix them until well combined. Spoon the apple mixture into the crust-lined pie pan. Cover the apples with the top crust. Bake for 1 hour, or until the crust is golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes or more before serving. Mixed berry pie filling | Pareve
Serves 8 2 1½ 1½ ¾ 1½ ⅛
cups fresh strawberries fresh blueberries cups fresh raspberries cup sugar teaspoon flour teaspoon salt
PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Rinse the berries under cold water. Lay them out on paper towels to dry. Hull the strawberries, and cut them into halves or quarters, if they are large. Place all the berries in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. With a wooden or silicone spoon utensil, gently mix them until well combined. Spoon the berry mixture into the crust-lined pie pan. Cover the berries with the top crust. Bake for 1 hour, or until the crust is golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes or more before serving. Ginger peach pie filling | Pareve
Serves 8
1-inch fresh ginger root 6 peaches ½ cup sugar 1½ teaspoon flour ⅛ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons lemon juice ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Peel the ginger. Dice it and then chop it finely. Cut the peaches in half. Discard the pits, and peel them. Slice the peaches thin. Place the ginger and peaches in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. With a wooden or silicone spoon utensil, gently mix ingredients until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the crust-lined pie pan. Cover the peaches with the top crust. Bake for 1 hour, or until the crust is golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes or more before serving. PJC Linda Morel writes for the Jewish Exponent, an affiliated publication where this first appeared. PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG
Community Summer smiles and swim
Stemfest is the best fest
With Memorial Day now past, the Jewish Community of Greater Pittsburgh welcomed members back to its Henry Kaufmann Family Park in Monroeville.
Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh celebrated a year of STEM-related learning with Stemfest.
p Suzanne Staggenberg and Ellen Leger enjoy laps and socializing.
p Learning is a multigenerational enterprise.
p Lifeguards brace for a summer of keeping people safe.
Photos courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh
Friends all around The Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh hosted its annual “Friends All Around” event, welcoming more than 400 guests at Heinz Field. The event recognized Friendship Circle’s 2022 graduating class and celebrated another successful year of friendship and inclusion. The event’s 2022 theme “Here We Grow!” looks ahead to the organization’s bright future. The Friendship Circle is preparing to use its new space at 1926 Murray Ave. and provide employment opportunities for young adults of diverse abilities and a safe space for wellness support for local teens.
p Miri Shaw is all smiles as she presents her study of why people wear glasses.
Photos by Adam Reinherz
There was something in the air that night
p Friends All Around 2022 graduating class wave Friendship Circle Terrible Towels
Photos courtesy of The Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh
p Erin Klein, Talia Rosen, Madison Zunder and Annelise Hammer
PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG
p Sharon Davison and the JCC choir performed at Weinberg Village. Songs included “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” and Abba’s “Fernando.” Photo by Teddy Goldman
PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE
JUNE 10, 2022
23
KOSHER MEATS
• All-natural poultry — whole chickens, breasts, wings and more
Empire Kosher Fresh Boneless Chicken Breasts
• All-natural, corn-fed beef — steaks, roasts, ground beef and more • Variety of deli meats and franks Available at select Giant Eagle stores. Visit gianteagle.com for location information.
9 lb.
Price effective Thursday, -XQH through Wednesday, -XQH , 202
Available at 24
JUNE 10, 2022
and
PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE
PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG