Mcame together on Feb. 18 in prayer, grief, song and hope to mark 500 days since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and launched a war that has claimed thousands of lives.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacked the Jewish state, viciously murdering more than 1200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 251 people to Gaza. The terrorists used rape as a tool of war, slaughtered parents in front of their children and children in front of their parents.
Jews around the world have been mourning since then, and fearful for the fate of the hostages — those who remain in Gaza as well as those who have come home but have a long road to recovery.
“Five hundred days since hundreds of innocent people were brutally kidnapped from their homes and kept in tunnels, with 73 remaining today,” began Julie Paris, MidAtlantic regional director of StandWithUs, which sponsored the vigil along with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Israeli community. “Five hundred days of witnessing 27,000 missiles fired indiscriminately into Israel. Five hundred days of pain, of prayer, of helplessness, of screaming from the rooftops. Five hundred days of shock at the silence and open hostility of too many, but also of finding friends in unexpected
places. Five hundred days of finding our own voices. Five hundred days of a fragile Jewish
The vigil, held at the JCC in Squirrel Hill, drew Jewish community members and their allies from across Greater Pittsburgh, including several local politicians. Mayor Ed Gainey, Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor, City Controller Rachael Heisler, state Rep. Dan Frankel and City Councilmember Erika Strassburger were among the government officials who came to support their local Jewish community — a community which has been targeted with more than 300 acts of antisemitism since the beginning of the war. Both Pennsylvania senators, John Fetterman and Dave McCormick, sent messages of solidarity to be read to the crowd.
“My commitment in spirit, vote and voice for Israel and the global Jewish community is ironclad and unbreakable,” Fetterman wrote.
McCormick, in a message read by his Western Pennsylvania Regional Director Sam DeMarco, said that he and his wife, Dina, visited Israel in January 2024 “to see the devastation for ourselves.”
“We have been praying with all of you for the last 500 days for every hostage to come home safely,” he said.
The gathering drew rabbis from across the denominational spectrum, with many called to lead the crowd in prayer, remembrance and unity.
By David Rullo | Senior Sta Writer
Not On Our Dime, an anti-Zionist group, has submitted a petition to Allegheny County’s election division that, if approved by voters, would amend Pittsburgh’s Home Rule Charter and force the city to divest from doing business with Israel or any company that does business with the Jewish state.
The organization gathered more than 21,300 signatures — 9,000 more than the 12,459 signatures required for the referendum to be added to the May ballot.
The referendum faces several hurdles, including a review of the validity of the signatures gathered and possible legal challenges. If the referendum is passed, separate referendums approved by Pittsburgh City Council earlier this month — ordinances 1425 and 1426 — could render it illegal.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh is “deeply concerned” by the proposed anti-Israel referendum, which seeks to advance the “discriminatory and divisive Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions agenda in our city,” Jeff Finkelstein, the Federation’s president and CEO, said in a prepared statement.
The initiative, he said , is misleading, legally
Pittsburgh City-County Building Photo by Leepaxton at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rabbi Alex Greenbaum of Beth El Congregation of the South Hills (left) and Shaare Torah’s Rabbi Yitzi Genack lead a prayer for the hostages. Photo by Toby Tabachnick
Headlines
Minyan Makers builds community through service
— LOCAL —
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
Students at Community Day School pray daily; on Wednesdays, however, a small group of learners start the morning at a synagogue off-site. For nearly 10 years, CDS students have headed to Congregation Beth Shalom, and other nearby synagogues, to join local shacharit services.
Calling themselves “Minyan Makers,” the students are at least 13 years old or have had a bar or bat mitzvah.
Talia Block, 14, has participated in the program for the past three months.
“It’s a really good experience,” she said. Along with her classmates, Block helps adult synagogue-goers satisfy Beth Shalom’s attendance requirements for public prayer.
Minyan Makers literally help make the minyan (maintain a 10-person quorum), but there’s an added value, Block explained. It supports people in the community, and “you get to do more structured tefilot (prayers) than you might normally do,” she said.
“We have davening (prayer) here daily, which is an important part of any spiritual Jewish life, but then the Minyan Makers get the chance to do a more thorough davening with the local community,” Joe Brophy, CDS’ middle school rabbinics teacher and coordinator of middle school Jewish life, said. Brophy has overseen the Minyan Makers program for about three years. Part of his responsibility, he explained, is being a liaison between stakeholders.
Parents need to transport children. Synagogue-goers need to know the school’s calendar. Participating students must arrive on time, remain engaged throughout services and represent the Jewish day school positively.
Minyan Makers is “an exceptional program,” not just because of what it gives the students but the entire community, Brophy said. “It’s a really beautiful way of building relationships and seeing the continued value of Jewish
— they’re treated like grownups — and we have to adapt too,” he said. Wednesday’s service is a bit different from the service on other days: Whereas older adults typically lead davening at morning minyan, on Wednesdays students assume related responsibilities. Sometimes students recite Shema out loud; on other occasions,
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Having a Wednesday minyan that’s slightly different from other days is a testament to community, Frank said. “That’s what community is. Community isn’t a sterile service with no one there. Community is being around people — that includes everyone.”
Casey Weiss, CDS’ head of school, said the program’s purpose is “literally in the name itself: It’s to help make a minyan, it’s to help ensure there are 10 adults at a shacharit service. Minyan Makers encapsulates what we’re trying to do, which is have our day school be extended into the community.”
Years ago, before aiding Beth Shalom, Minyan Makers helped Tree of Life Congregation’s morning services. Participants made T-shirts bearing the words “Minyan Makers” and “Tree of Life.” Several of the shirts were retrieved from the Tree of Life building following the 2018 shooting.
Brophy said he has the items on display in his CDS classroom as a reminder to both students and parents about the importance of “building community.”
When students travel to a nearby synagogue and help with morning prayers, “they’re doing such an important mitzvah, and it’s also showing our students, many of whom don’t belong to synagogue, what it means to be part of a kehila, a synagogue community,” Weiss said.
Each Wednesday, following services, young participants enjoy an especially sweet aspect of Minyan Makers: breakfast.
Students are given donuts and other pastries, but the real treat is knowing Minyan Makers is “in some ways reinforcing the most Jewish act,” Weiss said. Helping people reach a quorum for public prayer is “literally building community.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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Photo courtesy of Community Day School
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By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
Jennifer Murtazashvili’s daughter made the disturbing discovery.
Washers inscribed with the phrases “F--- Israel” and “Zionists Eat S---” were left at the family’s home in January, only to be found by Murtazashvili’s 10-old-daughter, who was outside playing with her 7-year-old brother.
“She was very upset,” Murtazashvili recalled. “She brought them inside to my husband and said, ‘It’s not safe to be outside.’ So, she brought her little brother inside and we called the police and the Jewish Federation.”
“I think there are real opportunities for us to stand together, even when we have political disagreements because it is the dehumanization of the other that leads to violence.”
hatred,” she said.
And yet she refuses to allow fear to influence how she lives her life. Her husband, she said, comforted their daughter after the discovery of the washers, but they’ve continued to teach their children to be proud of their Jewish identity.
Murtazashvili has been not alone in experiencing antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023. Adam Kolko found washers with the same antisemitic messages in January. He alerted the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh police, both of whom “were extremely responsive,” he said. A few weeks later a “Stand with Israel” sign was stolen from his Point Breeze lawn.
The discovery was not the only antisemitic incident the family experienced that day.
Murtazashvili is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh and had been named a co-chair of the university’s new antisemitic working group. A story in The Pitt News prompted the anonymous antisemitic group Steel City Antifascist League — which has a history of publishing antisemitic and anti-Zionist posts and calls for violence — to publish an Instagram story calling Murtazashvili’s appointment to the position “immensely dangerous.” It labeled her a “proud Zionist,” something meant to serve as a pejorative.
The brief Instagram story got multiple facts wrong, including the name of Pitt’s Faculty Assembly President Robin Kear, whom it incorrectly said “acknowledged the university’s definition of Anti-semitism leaves room to conflate it to anti-Zionism,” something Kear never did, but was reported in The Pitt News as a concern among some faculty members in previous meetings.
The targeting of Murtazashvili is an odd choice, given her history.
The Pitt professor grew up attending Tree of Life Congregation, one of three congregations targeted on Oct. 27, 2018, in the most
violent antisemitic attack on U.S. soil. She is the founding director of the Center for Governance and Markets at Pitt and has a long history of building relationships with people of dissimilar backgrounds.
Murtazashvili volunteered in the Peace Corps beginning in 1997, spending time in Uzbekistan before becoming the democracy and governance officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development. By 2007, she was in Afghanistan.
“I worked on democracy and governance issues in Central Asia and Uzbekistan, in particular,” she said. “I was working to get human rights advocates out of the country and supporting dissidents and activists there. I was not welcome in Uzbekistan for about 12 years, so I pivoted my work to Afghanistan.”
She’s written two books on the Central Asian country and is working on a third.
She eventually joined Pitt, where she serves as a professor and the founding director of the Center for Governance and Markets. She continues to help Afghans resettle in Pittsburgh.
“My center has hosted up to a dozen scholars from Afghanistan and I just think of them as colleagues,” she said. “I think of them as the best and brightest of their country, who deserve an opportunity to
—JENNIFER MURTAZASHVILI
continue doing their work. I would host anyone from any part of the world, including scholars from Gaza.”
That work illustrates Murtazashvili’s fundamental belief in bridging divides, something she continues to do.
“I’ve had many conversations with my Muslim colleagues who went through very difficult times after 9/11,” she said. “I think that Jews and Muslims share a lot in common when it comes to bigotry and hatred. I think there are real opportunities for us to stand together, even when we have political disagreements because it is the dehumanization of the other that leads to violence.”
Murtazashvili saw the best in the Pittsburgh community after Oct. 27, 2018.
“Remember how many people came around and how many signs there were in Pittsburgh saying, ‘No Place for Hate?’”she asked.
She then noted that the recent uptick in antisemitism has shown the flip-side of that support.
“I think we’ve learned very quickly that it is a place that’s very welcoming, unfortunately, for a lot of hatred and has become a target, in a very macabre way, for a lot of
www.pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
Other Jewish community members have found washers at their residences and have had signs stolen from their lawns. The vandalism and attempts at intimidation are among a litany of offenses that have occurred since Oct. 7, 2023, including the harassment of Jewish day school students on their way to and from school. A masked individual dressed as a Hamas terrorist stood in front of the Manor Theatre last week holding a sign with an inverted red triangle, a symbol used by Hamas to mark Israeli military targets.
The same group that targeted Murtazashvili online has also created “wanted” posters of City Council members, Mayor Ed Gainey, Chronicle employees and other community members.
Despite the antisemitic screed on the washers left at her home, Murtazashvili refuses to back down or change her behavior.
“I am not scared of these people,” she said. “I am not deterred. I’m not changing anything. The last thing that I will let these cowards do is affect our day-to-day lives. What they did was a cowardly act. It wasn’t an act of bravery.” PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
— LOCAL —
Squirrel Hill resident targeted with hate
p Jennifer Murtazashvili
Photo by Aimee Obidzinski/University of Pittsburgh
p Washers with antisemitic messages
Photos courtesy of Jennifer Murtazashvili
Headlines
Pittsburgh Jewish community members react to Chautauqua controversy
By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
Harvey Wolsh has spent summers at the Chautauqua Institution for the last 50 years.
The community, located in south western New York state, is frequented by approximately 7,500 people each day during its nine-week summer season, and more than 100,000 attend public events each year, according to its website, which bills Chautauqua as an idyllic respite for “artists, thinkers, faith leaders, and friends dedicated to exploring the best of humanity.”
Wolsh, a former president of Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, and his wife, Carol, are entrenched in Jewish life at the enclave — he is the treasurer of the Everett Jewish Life Center and she is a former president of the Hebrew Congregation of Chautauqua. Antisemitism, he said, hasn’t existed in the community since it began allowing Jews to buy property in 1960.
“The first one was from Buffalo,” the Squirrel Hill resident said. “Since then, we’ve come to be maybe 20% of the population on any given day.”
That’s why Wolsh was surprised to learn of the controversy involving the Chautauqua Institution and its former director of religious programs, Rafia Amina Khader.
Khader, an interfaith activist, was hired in August 2023 to oversee summer programming related to religion, according to Jewish Insider.
The digital news source reported that earlier this year, Khader wrote an essay in “Interfaith America” calling Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack a “momentous day” and refused to condemn the terrorist organization.
It wasn’t the only contentious piece penned by Khader.
Before the start of the 2024 summer season, Khader expressed her thoughts in an essay, since deleted from her blog, about overseeing a new interfaith cohort.
Jewish Insider reported that Khader questioned whether taking part in the cohort meant she was giving up her commitment to the Muslim community by being in the same room as Zionists.
“I was nervous about how I would interact with the Jewish members of the
“In [Rafia Amina Khader’s] writing she says, ‘Well, I can’t separate my politics from my work.’ I’m sorry but if your role is to bring people together then you can’t do that.”
–BEN HANDEN
cohort,” she wrote, “knowing that at least one of them worked for a Zionist organization that has made very problematic outreach with the U.S. Muslim community.”
Concern was also raised about some of the speakers Khader selected for the institution, including a Palestinian whose opinion, according to Ben Handen, a longtime Chautauqua resident, was “very anti-Israel” and “disturbed a lot of people.”
A group of concerned Jewish leaders — including Rabbi Zalman Vilenkin of Chabad Lubavitch of Chautauqua, Leslie Adler and Esther Northman, the president and past president of the Hebrew Congregation of Chautauqua, and Peter Silberstein and Richard Spivak, the director and president of the Everett Jewish Life Center in
Chautauqua — met with the institution’s executive staff in September. The staff told the Jewish leaders that Khader would continue in her role. Another meeting was scheduled for January but never happened.
It was the publication of the “Interfaith America” essay, published in 2024, that became a bridge too far for many members of the Jewish community.
That essay not only called Oct. 7 a “momentous day” but contained suspect information about the toll of the war in Gaza.
In the essay, Khader said she had been counseled to condemn Hamas. She declined. Instead, she said her position at Chautauqua was “an incredible opportunity to do real change-making work.”
Chautauqua Institution President Michael Hill praised the essay in a Jan. 7 press release, since removed from the institution’s website.
Chautauqua Jewish leaders pushed for the removal of Khader. Their demands were met by emailed responses from Hill and Khader which apologized for any hurt caused but didn’t mention antisemitism, Hamas or Oct. 7.
The milquetoast reply prompted Jewish leaders to go public. By mid-February, Khader announced her resignation from the institution.
“There are many Jews that feel they’ve gone too far,” Wolsh said, before acknowledging that he wasn’t as bothered by the situation as some.
“But this certainly riled up the Jewish population,” he said.
South Hills resident Handen first visited Chautauqua 34 years ago. He owns a home there and enjoys spending time not only during its busy summer season but during off-peak periods in the fall and winter.
He said that he was surprised Khader didn’t grasp that her politics should be separated from her role as director of religious programs.
“In her writing she says, ‘Well, I can’t separate my politics from my work.’ I’m sorry but if your role is to bring people together then you can’t do that,” Handen said.
And while he understands the perspective of some, he didn’t think Hill’s response was all bad.
“He apologized and took responsibility,” he said. “It seemed like a better letter than the one I saw from the chairwoman of the board that was kind of mushy. Michael Hill’s letter seemed pretty straightforward. He said, ‘There’s a problem. This is unacceptable. We made a mistake. This is how we’re going to move forward.’”
Both Handen and Wolsh said they’ll continue to go to Chautauqua, viewing the incident as a one-time occurrence that doesn’t speak to the openness of the community.
Handen is taking one lesson from the incident as he moves forward, though.
“I need to stay on top of the things that go on there,” he said. “I need to get more involved. I just can’t take it for granted that everyone has the best intentions.” PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
p The Chabad Jewish House at the Chautauqua Institution
Photo by David Rullo
Headlines
A dybbuk comes to Pittsburgh
a simple Jewish folk story blown outward to contain all manner of religious, spiritual, mystical and mythical traditions.
By Eric Lidji |Special to the Chronicle
This is the first of a three-part series.
Alittle dybbuk visited the archive the other day, folded into an envelope.
A dybbuk is a Jewish spirit wandering between worlds, held back by unfinished business. This spirit was the program from a production of the S. Ansky play “The Dybbuk” by Habima Moscow Art Theater at the Nixon Theater in June 1927. It lists the cast and crew, and provides an act-by-act synopsis, both in Yiddish and in English.
“The Dybbuk” is a mystical play and its journey to the archive also had a note of higher ordination. A local woman had been cleaning her house in preparation for a move, and she found the program slipped between the pages of one of her late husband’s books.
Ansky was a restless spirit himself.
Questioning his religious upbringing in Vitebsk, he veered into the Haskalah, and then onto socialism and Russian populism.
The emerging Yiddish literary scene drew him back to Jewishness. He led the Jewish Ethnographic Expedition from 1912 to 1914, creating a massive archive of the folkways collected firsthand from Jewish villages throughout the Pale of Settlement.
In these folkways, Ansky sensed a new Torah. This is slightly less heretical than it sounds. “The Oral Tradition consisting of all manner of folklore-stories, legends, parables, songs, witticisms, melodies, customs and beliefs — is, like the Bible, the product of the Jewish spirit; it reflects the same beauty and purity of the Jewish soul, the same modesty and nobility of the Jewish heart, the same loftiness and depth of Jewish thought,” he wrote. These traditions could be the wellspring for a Jewish cultural revival.
“The Dybbuk” modeled this idea. It was
Ansky never saw “The Dybbuk” performed. As presented by historian David G. Roskies, Ansky wrote the play in Russian for the Russian public. A planned debut by the Habima Moscow Art Theatre was canceled amid the chaos of the Russian Revolution.
Ansky fled to Vilna disguised as a priest. He adapted the play into Yiddish for a debut by the Vilna Troupe in Warsaw in December 1920 but died a month before it opened. Hayim Nahman Bialik soon translated the play into Hebrew for the exiled but persistent Habima Players, who ultimately performed the play in Moscow in 1922.
An English adaptation came to America in December 1926 with a blockbuster run on Broadway. Even our local papers covered it, yearning for a production in Pittsburgh.
Could they have known what they were summoning?
With the exception of Purim shpiels, no Jewish play has had a more extensive legacy in Pittsburgh than “The Dybbuk.” Over the past century, it has visited here more than 25 times through readings, performances and screenings, including three of the most ambitious Jewish theatrical experiences ever produced by our community. No play has tugged at our Jewish spirit more relentlessly or more forcefully than “The Dybbuk.”
“The Dybbuk” in Pittsburgh Corinne Half was born in Chicago. She studied and then taught drama at Northwestern University before marrying a Homestead merchant in 1909 and moving here. She brought along her love of theater, arranging community plays and recitals for the Pittsburgh section of the National Council of Jewish Women and other local groups.
In late November 1926, three weeks before “The Dybbuk” opened at the Mansfield Theater on Broadway, Half staged an “interpretive
p The original Habima Players production of “The Dybbuk” was everywhere regarded as a stunning theatrical experience where the acting, sets, lighting, perfectly harmonized with the text of the play to create a stunning theatrical experience. The Jewish Criterion printed this production still from the third act to encourage local audiences to attend an upcoming performance in Pittsburgh in June 1927. Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project
p In the final days of the Yiddish press in Pittsburgh, the Jewish Indicator noted that the upcoming production of “The Dybbuk” was the talk of local Zionist and Hebrew circles and that all art lovers were expected to attend the production.
Image courtesy of the Rauh Jewish Archives
reading” for an NCJW luncheon at the Young Men’s and Women’s Hebrew Association on Bellefield Avenue in Oakland. She recited the entire play, performing all the characters herself, not only the erstwhile lovers Channon and Leah but also the righteous exorcist Rabbi Azrael.
Explaining the power of the play, she told the 200 women in attendance, sitting at tables decorated with chrysanthemums and autumn flowers, “In every human heart, acknowledged or unacknowledged, one finds a yearning for love and mysticism.”
A few weeks later, S. H. Clarke of the University of Chicago gave a one-person performance of “The Dybbuk” to an audience of more than 750 people at the YM&WHA. The Y Weekly reviewed it kindly, but Anne X. Alpern provided a dissent.
“There were those who in their enthusiasm went so far as to say, ‘Why it was better than seeing the play acted!’” she wrote. “Oh no. To one who hasn’t seen The Dybbuk on the stage this ancient legend would no doubt prove an interesting enough tale, full of poignant, haunting beauty. But one misses much of the essence of the play in hearing it read. This mystical romance melodrama, woven out of ancient legends and intense spiritual suffering was merely glimpsed in the reading. Seen on the stage in it is a play of strange fascination. The dusty synagogue dimly lighted by flickering candles, seedy bearded Jews at their prayers, the scrolls, the robes, the wailing chant of the mourners — all give the play a deeper meaning and a strong spirituality. Against this background the exquisite love motif — a love so strong that after death it can drive itself into another’s body — becomes a thing of moving, memorable beauty. The terror and intensity of the struggle between the Dybbuk, speaking through the frail body of his predestined bride and the old rabbi, and the final exorcism of the Dybbuk are unforgettable.”
The yearning for a full local production grew. The non-Jewish president of the Pittsburgh Center of the Drama League wrote a public letter in early 1927, calling on the Habima Players to bring their production of “The Dybbuk” to Pittsburgh. The Y Weekly
p To help local audiences understand the all-Hebrew production of “The Dybbuk,” Hendel Theater Enterprises printed a synopsis in English and in Yiddish.
Image courtesy of the Rauh Jewish Archives
echoed by calling on local Jewish leaders to help make this suggestion a reality. It worked.
H. Malkin and Hendel Theater Enterprises secured the Habima Players for a two-night run at the Nixon Theater during the first days of June 1927. A reception committee representing all the major Jewish organizations of the city at the time welcomed the troupe to town on Wednesday afternoon. That evening, the players performed H. Leivyk’s “The Golem.” The following evening, they performed Ansky’s “The Dybbuk.”
Why did the printed program have a synopsis in Yiddish and in English? Because the play contained neither language. The Habima Players performed “The Dybbuk” in Bialik’s Hebrew. As the local Jewish Indicator noted, “Though there were many in the audience who perhaps gave expression for the first time to the wish that they understood the Hebrew language, yet without understanding the words, one was moved beyond expression… The words, the gestures, the music — everything was deeply harmonious — and in all that burns the great wisdom that only art and talent can light. Does a symphony need words? Does sculpture need to be interpreted? Such is the Habima!”
Every Jewish source here described “The Dybbuk” as an expression of the Jewish spirit. Only the non-Jewish press connected the play to the times. An anonymous reviewer wrote in the Pittsburgh Press: “The pogroms of Prague, Bohemia, were brought home to Pittsburgh Jewry last week at the Nixon by those who lived amid similar ones in Russia, and who are now touring the American stage centers presenting two plays that make one grateful for the great tolerance of religious freedom in America.”
With that, the Habima Players left town. The play remained, as we’ll see. PJC
Eric Lidji is the director of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center. He can be reached at rjarchives@heinzhistorycenter. org or 412-454-6406.
Calendar
Submit calendar items on the Chronicle’s website, pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. Submissions also will be included in print. Events will run in the print edition beginning one month prior to the date as space allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon.
FRIDAY, FEB. 28
Join Chabad of the South Hills for a Community Shabbat Dinner. Enjoy a lively dinner with delicious food and great company. 5 p.m. $18; family max $45. Hampton Inn, Murtland Avenue, Washington, Pennsylvania. chabadsh.com/dinner.
Join Rodef Shalom Congregation and Thousand Bridges Opera Company following Shabbat services for the Look to the Light concert, a free recital inspired by the poetry of Langston Hughes to celebrate Black History Month, featuring soprano Alicia Jayourba with Jaime Cohen at the piano. 7 p.m. Free. rodefshalom.org/light.
SATURDAY, MARCH 1
Big Night is the JCC’s largest annual fundraiser, celebrating community and supporting vital programs. This year’s Big Night Olympics promises games, music, global cuisine and more — all for a great cause. A party with a purpose. 7:30 p.m. JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, 5738 Forbes Ave. bit.ly/bignight25.
SUNDAY, MARCH 2
Join B’nai Emunoh for its first Jewish community vendors and crafters fair. Handmade jewelry and pens, handcrafted leather items, crocheted alef beis letters, Hello Kitty items, Dead Sea products, beauty, health and wellness products and more. 11 a.m. B’nai Emunoh, 4325 Murray Ave.
Sharaka is bringing its authentic storytelling and mission of peacebuilding through shared humanity to Pittsburgh. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh welcomes your curiosity and questions while we grapple with a heartbreaking war in the Middle East. Free. 7 p.m.
JCC Squirrel Hill, 5738 Forbes Ave. jewishpgh.org/event/ sharaka.
SUNDAYS, MARCH 2–JULY 27
Join Chabad of Squirrel Hill for its Men’s Tefillin Club Services and tefillin are followed by a delicious breakfast and engaging discussions on current events. 8:30 a.m. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.
MONDAYS, MARCH 3-11
Join Chabad of Squirrel for Torah and Tea, a fourpart class exploring the story of Purim. 7 p.m. $18. Email calteiin@chabadpgh.com for the address. chabadpgh.com/tea.
MONDAYS, MARCH 3–JULY 28
Join Congregation Beth Shalom for a weekly Talmudstudy. 9:15 a.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org.
Join Temple Sinai for an evening of mahjong every Monday (except holidays). Whether you are just starting out or have years of experience, you are sure to enjoy the camaraderie and good times as you make new friends or cherish moments with longtime pals. All are welcome. Winners will be awarded Giant Eagle gift cards. All players should have their own mahjong cards. Contact Susan Cohen at susan_k_cohen@yahoo.com if you have questions. $5. templesinaipgh.org.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5
Enjoy a Ladies’ Lunch and Learn with Chabad of Squirrel Hill, an hour of nourishment for the mind, body and soul as we explore words of the heart for the month of Adar. Noon. $18/person 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/lunch.
WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 5, 12
Join Chabad of South Hills for Decoding the Talmud Get inside the story, substance and significance of the book that defines Judaism. 7:30 p.m. 1700 Bower Hill Road. To register, visit chabadsh.com.
“ e quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts.”
WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 5–JULY 29
Temple Sinai’s Rabbi Daniel Fellman presents a weekly Parshat/Torahportionclass on site and online. Call 412-421-9715 for more information and the Zoom link. Bring the parashah alive and make it personally relevant and meaningful with Rabbi Mark Goodman in this weekly ParashahDiscussion: Life & Text. 12:15 p.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org/life-text.
SATURDAY, MARCH 8
Families with young children are invited to spend Shabbat morning with Rodef Shalom at Shabbat with You. Drop in for a light breakfast, play date, singalong with Cantor Toby and a Shabbat activity with Family Center Director Ellie Feibus. 9 a.m. $5 per family. Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org/shabbatwithyou.
Congregation Beth Shalom’s Sisterhood Shabbat will honor Elaine Catz, Elisa Marlin and Carolyn Slayton. Casey Weiss, CDS head of school and former assistant principal at Hillel Academy, will be the featured speaker. If you would like to volunteer in the Sisterhood Shabbat service, please email Helen Feder at hrfeder@gmail.com. 9:15 a.m. 5915 Beacon St.
SUNDAY, MARCH 9
Join Chabad of Squirrel Hill at its Evening of Celebration, honoring Dr. Stanley Marks and marking the inauguration of its newly renovated building. 6 p.m. $150/person. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12
This March Squirrel Hill Lunch Bunch will meet at Jodee B’s. Please RSVP to Geri Linder by March 7 at (412) 421-5868.Noon. 3600 Ardmore Blvd, 15221.
Get ready for Purim with a Hamantash Bake at Chabad of Squirrel Hill. Fun for adults and children. 6 p.m. $12/person. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/ hamantash.
FRIDAY, MARCH 14
Join Chabad of the South Hills for Purim in the Palace, an animated Megillah reading and royal Purim feast.
Lee & Lisa Oleinick
Create your own magic potion and enchanted edible apples. 5 p.m. Adults $18; children $12; family max $54. 1701 McFarland Road. chabadsh.com/purim.
Celebrate Purim and join Chabad of Squirrel Hill for its Purim Feast. Enjoy a Megillah reading, music, crafts, entertainment and a Shabbat-style dinner. 5 p.m. $18/ adult, $10/child. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh. com/purimfest.
SATURDAY, MARCH 15
Tree of Life Congregation invites you to Casino Night. The evening will be filled with casino games, light bites, drinks and great company. There will be blackjack tables, a roulette wheel and craps table. Be sure to bid on wonderful ra e and silent auction items. Dealers on site to teach you any game you want to try. Bronze level $25; silver level $50; and gold level $75. 7:30 p.m. Rodef Shalom’s Freehof Hall. treeoflifepgh.org.
TUESDAY, MARCH 25
Sarah Abrevaya Stein presents Family Papers: A Sephardic Journey Through the Twentieth Century sharing her award-winning research on the Levy family and their displacement from Salonica, Greece, to cities around the globe. Free. 5:30 p.m. calendar.pitt.edu/ event/family-papers-a-sephardic-journey-through-thetwentieth-century.
THURSDAY, MARCH 27
Join Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s YAD Philanthropy for Free Throws & Field Goals Sports Trivia Night, its annual fundraising event with a sporty twist. Will your team come out on top and win the grand prize? Register now and find out. Open to young adults ages 22-45. Early Bird: $25/person (ends March 17). General admission: $36/person. 7 p.m. PNC Park, 200 W General Robinson Street. jewishpgh.org/event/ free-throws.
SUNDAY, MARCH 30
Join Chabad of Squirrel Hill for Jewish Gems, an afternoon of jewelry making and snippets of inspiration for women and girls. 1:30 p.m. $15/person. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/jewelry. PJC
Join the Chronicle Book Club!
The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its March 2 discussion of “10/7: 100 Human Stories,” by Lee Yaron, an Israeli journalist. Yaron’s account of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and their aftermath was named the book of the year at the 74th National Jewish Book Awards, making her the youngest author to win the honor. The Jewish Book Council, which sponsors the awards, said that “10/7: 100 Human Stories” provides “a vital window into the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how internal political turmoil in Israel has affected it, offering the narratives not of politicians or the military but of the lives of everyday people who lived tenuously on the border with Gaza.”
Your hosts
Toby Tabachnick, Chronicle editor
David Rullo, Chronicle senior staff writer
How it works
We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, March 2, at 1 p.m.
What to do
Buy: “10/7: 100 Human Stories.” It is available at area Barnes and Noble stores and from online retailers, including Amazon. It is also available through the Carnegie Library system.
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
Headlines
Air Canada to restart flights to Israel in June
Air Canada will resume service to Ben-Gurion International Airport in June, becoming the latest North American carrier to return to Tel Aviv after the Israel-Hamas war, the airline announced on Feb. 20, JNS reported.
The Canadian flag carrier will operate four weekly nonstop flights between Toronto and Tel Aviv starting on June 8, and will offer an additional direct weekly flight to and from Montreal in August.
United Airlines previously announced that it will renew daily flights to Tel Aviv from its hub at Newark starting on March 15, with a second daily flight beginning on March 29, becoming the first U.S. carrier to renew service to Israel.
The move by United — which offered the most flights to Israel of any U.S. carrier before the war — came after Delta Air Lines’ earlier announcement that it would renew service to Tel Aviv from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on April 1.
American Airlines remains the only North American legacy carrier that has not announced when it plans to restart service to Israel.
Marian Turski, Holocaust survivor and co-founder of Warsaw’s landmark Jewish museum, dies at 98
Marian Turski, a Polish-born survivor of Auschwitz who helped found the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, has died, JTA reported. He was 98. His death was announced Feb. 18 by the Polish magazine Polityk, where he worked as a columnist.
A journalist and historian who documented the past and present of Poland and its Jews, he served from 2000–2011 as chair of the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute in Poland, an initiator of the museum that opened to acclaim in 2013.
“Mr. Turski shaped the museum’s mission and ethos,” the American Friends of POLIN said in a statement. “A leading voice among the Museum’s founders, he understood that it must be a museum that stands in solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized, a key lesson he drew from Polish Jewish history and his experiences during the Holocaust.”
In January 2020, he drew international attention at the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, delivering a speech in which he warned that the Nazi death camp and the Holocaust did not “fall from the sky.”
“Do not be indifferent towards discrimination against minorities, harm and violation of human rights, violation against social contracts,” he said, suggesting “do not be indifferent” be regarded as the “Eleventh Commandment.”
“It was his mantra, including with respect to right-wing political forces in Poland which he did not hesitate to criticize publicly,” Menachem Rosensaft, founding chairman of the International Network of Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, recalled in a statement. “With his passing, the murdered victims of the Holocaust have lost one of their fiercest messengers and advocates.”
In January, Turski gave a speech at the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, where he warned against rising antisemitism. “We see in the modern world today a great increase in antisemitism, and it was antisemitism that led to the Holocaust,” he said.
Today in Israeli History
March 3, 1950 — Iraq allows Jews to leave
California school district halts ethnic studies courses following lawsuit over alleged antisemitism
A large school district in Orange County, California, will stop teaching ethnic studies courses that several Jewish advocacy groups say featured antisemitic content, JTA reported. The decision is part of a settlement reached this week in a lawsuit alleging the district illegally concealed the development of the courses from the public.
The settlement requires the Santa Ana Unified School District to refrain from teaching three courses — Ethnic Studies World Geography, Ethnic Studies World Histories and Ethnic Studies: Perspectives, Identities and Social Justice — until they undergo revisions through a transparent process that includes public input.
According to the three Jewish groups that filed the lawsuit — the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights, the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee — the resolution represents a victory for both the Jewish community and students’ education. However, they also pledged to remain vigilant against similar issues arising in other school districts.
“This case sends a message — not just in Santa Ana, but from coast to coast — that if school leaders proceed with implementing antisemitic curriculum and material in violation of the law, we will use the courts to protect the community,” James Pasch, the ADL’s vice president of national litigation, said in a press release announcing the settlement.
The fight at the Santa Ana school district is part of a broader battle that began years ago when California moved to require ethnic studies in high schools. As an academic
discipline historically considered to be aligned with pro-Palestinian activism, ethnic studies has at times raised concerns among Jewish advocacy groups wary of content that could be antisemitic or delegitimize Israel.
California officials initially considered endorsing a specific statewide model curriculum, but following intense debate over allegations of antisemitism and anti-Israel bias in that document, they abandoned that plan and instead allowed individual school districts to determine how to teach the subject. Rather than settling the issue, that decision shifted the conflict to local school boards across the state.
As part of the settlement, the district must apply special guidelines for controversial topics when teaching about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Lessons must be fact-based, include multiple perspectives and be presented impartially by teachers.
The settlement also outlines specific content restrictions:
“Materials that, for example, teach, state, or imply that the Jewish people do not have a right to self-determination (e.g., by claiming the existence of a state of Israel is a racist endeavor) or teach, describe, or refer to double standards by requiring of Israel a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation shall not be used unless taught through an appropriate critical lens,” the settlement reads.
Language in that paragraph closely resembles clauses of the International Holocaust R emembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, a widely adopted document favored by Jewish groups. Critics say the definition tars some legitimate criticism of Israel as antisemitism. PJC
— Compiled by Jarrad Saffren
Feb. 28, 1955 — Paratroopers raid Gaza
Some 50 Israeli paratroopers strike an Egyptian military camp in Gaza as a reprisal for repeated Arab attacks against Israeli civilians. Eight Israeli soldiers and 39 Egyptians are killed in Operation Black Arrow.
March 1, 1920 — Arab raiders attack Tel Hai
An Arab militia attacks the Jewish agricultural community of Tel Hai on the border between British-controlled Palestine and Frenchcontrolled Syria. Eig ht Jews are killed, including Joseph Trumpeldor.
March 2, 1977 — First woman is appointed to high court
President Ephraim Katzir appoints Miriam Ben-Porat and Shimon Asher to the Supreme Court. Ben-Porat is the first woman to serve on the highest court of Israel or any other country with a common law system.
The Iraqi government retracts a ban on emigration of Jews going to Israel. In response, Israel launches Operation Ezra and Nehemia, which flies out nearly 120,000 Iraqi Jews from May 1950 to January 1952.
p Jonathan Pollard pleaded guilty to espionage charges in return for a lighter sentence for his wife. U.S. Navy
March 4, 1987
— Pollard is sentenced to life in prison
Jonathan Pollard, who in June 1986 pleaded guilty to spying on the United States for Israel while serving as a Naval Intelligence Service analyst, is sentenced to life in prison. He is paroled in November 2015.
March 5, 1891 — Blackstone petitions president for Jewish home
William Blackstone, an American Methodist lay leader and evangelist, submits a petition to President Benjamin Harrison that calls for creating “a home for these wandering millions of Israel” in Palestine.
March 6, 1948 — Clifford opposes State Dept. on Israel
Truman adviser Clark Clifford writes two detailed memoranda in which he argues for U.S. support of the partition of Palestine and arms sales to Jewish forces, setting him in opposition to the State Department. PJC
Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
— ISRAEL —
p Joseph Trumpeldor died leading the defense of Tel Hai.
Event Planning
Event Planning
What to know when choosing an invitation
Guest Columnist
Yvonne Stein
Selecting your wedding or bar/bat mitzvah invitations is an important step in the event planning process that, unfortunately, sometimes gets waylaid. I always recommend that families or couples start looking for invitations at least five months before the event date, and visit an experienced brick-and-mortar shop rather than just ordering online. If you order online and there is a problem, the problem is your problem. If you order from a shop, the problem is the shop owner’s to correct.
You will need to know all of the details before you order the invitations: quantity of invitations (not number of people), date, time, place, food choices, reception information, etc. When calculating the quantity, order at least 10 extras. You will find that you need that buffer, and ordering even five more after the fact becomes cost prohibitive.
This is a time for a bit of diplomacy. Ask your parents whether or not they want their names on the invitations. “Daughter of,” “son of” and “with their
families” are some of the many ways invitations can be worded.
You will get a proof of the invitation before you approve the order for printing. This is the time to make whatever changes you want. You may want to change the font, fix some awkward wording or double-check the quantity. Be sure the invitation suits everyone involved. Once you approve the proof, your order is locked in.
how much postage is necessary. Square invitations cost more to mail. Don’t forget to stamp the response card envelopes as a courtesy to your guests. Mail the invitations at least two months before your event date, a little earlier if there are many out-of-towners or if you are having a “destination” event. Allow yourself plenty of time to collect
everyone’s address. This step always takes longer than expected. Some shops can print the addresses on the envelopes for you, providing a nice, finished look.
Remember, as far as your guests go, the invitation sets the stage for your beautiful event! PJC
Yvonne Stein is the owner of Invitations Plus on South Negley Avenue.
Photo courtesy of Pexels
When Elegance Matters...
As a dedicated event professional, I specialize in delivering exceptional event management services designed to ensure a confident, worry-free experience for my clients. I personally provide in-house linen rentals, including a unique custom cultural linen line, as well as specialty linens and event linens to elevate any occasion. As a master florist and colorist, I bring unparalleled creativity to floral designs, while my comprehensive décor services cater to all events, from intimate gatherings to grand celebrations. With expertise in event layout and design implementation, I transform visions into reality, crafting memorable and personalized experiences tailored to each client’s unique needs. I have worked with The Lupus Foundation, The Salvation Army, The SBA , The Children’s Institute and Dave & Buster's Waterfront to name a few. What sets me apart from other planners is I plan for all cultures in the Pittsburgh area.
• MWDBE certified, Pittsburgh Based, Minority and Woman Owned
• Decorating for All Occasions • Yoruba, Jewish, Latino, Asian, Egyptian, African American, and more
• Planning and Coordination Services from Beginning to End
Streamline your event planning with these 10 easy-to-follow steps Event Planning
host the event and truly enjoy the company of your guests.
1. Define your goals
There are many decisions to make and it’s important to start with clarity. Consider the best day of the week and time of day. How long will the event last and how many people are you inviting? Will children be included? Think about the type of food you want: a sit-down dinner, buffet, food stations, lunch or brunch?
Consider the drink options — an open bar, cash bar or a ticket-based system. What kind of atmosphere are you aiming for — formal, semi-formal, business casual or casual? Finally, decide whether you want decorations and the kind of ambiance you’re trying to create.
2. Choose the right venue
Select a venue that is convenient for your guests. How long will you have access to the space? If necessary, ask about additional charges for extending room time. Once you narrow down your options, arrange a meeting with the venue manager and take a tour. Be prepared with questions about the venue and its staff and make sure they align with your expectations. Look at online reviews and ask friends and family for recommenda-
Once you’ve chosen a venue and defined the type of event, schedule a food tasting to finalize your menu. Ensure that the food options meet the preferences of your guests and don’t forget to address any dietary restrictions or allergies.
4. Ask key questions
Before finalizing your venue, ask important questions. Is there a private space for the bridal party or a dance floor for a wedding reception? Does the venue offer dressing rooms? Are there A/V capabilities for slideshows or presentations? Is the venue accessible for people with disabilities? Inquire about a children’s menu, whether candles or confetti are allowed and if photo booths are permitted. If your event is outdoors,
confirm the contingency plan in case of bad weather. Understand any local rules or ordinances that could impact your event, such as restrictions on alcohol, gaming or raffles.
5. Set your budget
Know your budget and try to stick to it, even if small adjustments are needed. Clarify the costs upfront, including the deposit, final payments and when they are due. Find out what payment methods are acceptable and whether a contract is required. Determine if you need to purchase insurance coverage.
6. Understand what’s included
Be clear about what’s included in the cost of the venue. Does the price cover gratuities, and if so, what percentage? What services and items are provided (e.g., tables, chairs, linens, tableware, stemware)? Ask if there are any additional fees, such as a cleaning or janitorial fee.
7. Verify vendor policies
Different venues have varying policies on outside vendors. Some may provide suggestions for florists, bakers, musicians or other vendors. Ensure the venue provides adequate space for a band, DJ, and dance floor, if applicable. Additionally, confirm if they offer A/V equipment or a microphone for your event.
8. Parking and transportation
Make sure you understand the parking options. Is there street parking, a parking lot or a garage available? Will valet services be provided? Are there public transportation options?
9. Setup and decoration
Know when you can begin setting up the venue on the day of the event. For fundraisers, make sure you know when you can set up registration tables, silent auctions or raffle items. If you’re planning a cookie table or other displays, check when you can have items delivered and whether you’ll be setting up the display yourself or if the venue staff will handle it.
10. Designate a point of contact
Have a reliable contact person, before and during the event, who can answer your questions and handle any issues that may arise. This way, you can focus on enjoying the event rather than managing any unexpected concerns.
By following this checklist, you’ll be better equipped to manage every aspect of your event and create a memorable, enjoyable experience for you and your guests! PJC
Bill Laughlin is the banquet manager of LeMont Restaurant, where he has worked for 46 years. 412-431-3100 x211. LeMontPittsburgh.com
Event Planning
Bunny Bakes recipe of teamwork and respect delivers desserts and growth
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
Bunny Bakes, a Squirrel Hill-based coffee shop, offers not only sweet treats but communal betterment.
Since opening in November 2023, the store has had limited catering options. In recent months, as the business has grown, Bunny Bakes has increased the size and number of orders taken.
Operated by Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh, Bunny Bakes is predicated on maintaining a space that “aligns with our mission,” Friendship Circle’s Executive Director Rabbi Mordy Rudolph said.
The organization routinely hosts programs designed to bolster social connections for area youth and adults with “diverse abilities.”
Bunny Bakes extends this charge by helping adults with disabilities develop professional skills, Rudolph explained.
Inside the coffee shop, adults manage the register, greet patrons, organize items and help the bakers. A yearly paid training program, which is taking new applicants, enables participants to learn workplace safety, professionalism and teamwork.
Several Bunny Bakes employees are graduates of the program.
There aren’t enough positions in the bakery, so the hope is other local employers with “some kind of food element” will look to hire graduates, Rudolph said.
Jenna Johns is bakery manager at Bunny Bakes. On the day the Chronicle visited, Johns moved between the counter and a nearby table, overseeing operations while explaining a common feature of the business.
and it’s not just me as a manager thing — everybody, all of the staff members, do a very good job at that,” she said.
Mingling with customers and asking about orders is standard fare in food services. At Bunny Bakes, the practice has an additional purpose.
“It’s a means of keeping our adults connected to the community,” Rudolph said.
Several employees live in Squirrel Hill. Others reside in Fox Chapel and surrounding areas.
Staffing local residents creates a “community element,” Rudolph said. “It’s about working at your neighbor’s coffee shop.”
Mia Rymer, catering and sales manager at Bunny Bakes, said employees don’t merely don aprons and clock hours in the store. The business’ catering component requires adults
to travel offsite, set up tables and arrange baked goods according to customers’ specifications.
At a recent event, staff brought numerous materials for a cookie making demonstration and partnered with customers to create delicious desserts.
“The kids loved it,” Rymer said. Whether it’s Bunny Bakes’ training program or catering, these are means of “getting our employees out into the community,” Rivkee Rudolph, Friendship Circle’s director, said.
“Seeing our employees with disabilities being really successful, out and about, is really an important part of our mission but also a really important part of our business plan: being a model of what an inclusive business can look like, what a diverse employment group can look like, how our employees work together to support each other,” she continued.
When Johns and Rymer were hired, neither’s job description included language about “supporting people with disabilities,” Rivkee Rudolph said. Instead, Bunny Bakes employees are asked to be a “team player, and I think that’s a value all employers want their employees to have: to support one another — and that means supporting
your colleagues with or without disabilities. It’s about teamwork, and recognizing we all have strengths we bring to the table, and we’re a stronger team together when we work together and support each other.”
As their conversation with the Chronicle came to a close inside the packed coffee shop, the Rudolphs, Johns and Rymer pointed to a glass-protected counter with bourekas, brownies and cookies. Each of the staffers encouraged readers to consider Bunny Bakes for a future event.
“There’s been a lot of trial and error, but we keep improving the product,” Mordy Rudolph said.
In some sense, he’s referring to the pastries; in another, he means the operations.
“We chose this business because we wanted something where our adults could help with the production and the community could come in. We didn’t want to sacrifice one for the other,” he said. “We wanted our adults to be involved from beginning to end. And we want to engage more members.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
From weddings to bar and bat mitzvahs, milestone birthdays to anniversaries— our stunning venue sets the stage for your most cherished moments. With flexible spaces for ceremonies, cocktail hours, and receptions, we bring your vision to life with style and ease.
p Staff organize items inside Bunny Bakes.
Photo by Adam Reinherz
Event Planning
Chocolate lava cake
By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle
When I was asked to contribute something for this week’s event planning section, I knew immediately that I would share my chocolate lava cake recipe for two main reasons: It’s both decadent and effortless.
A lava cake is similar to a rich brownie with a warm, gooey center. This may seem like the kind of dessert you would order in a fancy restaurant but it takes less than 10 minutes to make at home. If you can bake a pan of brownies, you can easily make this delicious cake. You can prepare the batter before dinner and pop it into the oven as you’re clearing the table.
The key to this recipe is serving it hot, so the more organized your kitchen is, the better. I always serve this with fresh whipped cream and berries, so I prepare those and refrigerate both bowls so they are ready to go.
This recipe serves two. You can multiply it depending on your number of guests, but it’s nice to have a small recipe on hand for when you want to whip up something for someone special. This cake is so rich that I typically share one with my husband.
The batter is prepared in one bowl and then divided into ramekins for individual
servings. If you don’t own ramekins, you can use any small baking dish or bowl as long as it’s ovenproof. When I make a large batch, I use small Pyrex prep bowls as extra ramekins.
These cakes bake for 11-13 minutes and should be served shortly after removing them from the oven. The longer you bake them, the more solid their centers will be. You can experiment by baking one for 11 minutes and another for 12 to see which you prefer, but don’t bake for longer than 13 minutes or it will be baked completely through.
For this recipe, I only use dark chocolate chips, which are pareve. I prefer to use real butter, but you can use a good quality, natural-tasting margarine or vegan butter and serve the cakes with pareve whipped cream or ice cream if you want to serve them after a meat meal.
Ingredients:
3 ounces (just shy of a half-cup) dark chocolate or chocolate chips
2 ½ tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons sugar, plus ½ teaspoon per ramekin for dusting
1 large egg plus one egg yolk, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon good quality pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
2 ½ tablespoons flour
Preheat the oven to 400 F and place the wire rack in the middle of the oven.
Carefully microwave the butter and chocolate together, checking it every 30 seconds, or cook the butter and chocolate together on the stovetop using a double boiler method. Stir the butter and chocolate together very well once they are melted. I always do this on the stovetop, which allows me a few more minutes to measure the ingredients and prepare the ramekins.
Lightly grease the ramekins with butter or margarine before adding ½ teaspoon of sugar per ramekin.
Turn the ramekin on its side and turn it around so the butter is completely dusted in sugar.
Whisk the egg and egg yolk very well and set aside. (I suggest using pasteurized eggs since the center of the cakes will not be cooked through like a regular cake.)
Add the sugar to the melted chocolate and mix well. The chocolate will be hot to the touch.
Temper the egg mixture into the chocolate; that means pour it very slowly, about a teaspoon at a time, into the bowl of chocolate while constantly stirring. If you do this slowly, the egg will not curdle.
Once the egg is incorporated, stir in the vanilla, then stir in the flour and salt all at once and mix until the batter is glossy and well combined.
Divide the batter between the ramekins. They can rest on the counter for up to an hour if you want to prepare this before dinner.
Bake for 11-13 minutes. The top of the cake should look solid and pull away from the edges of the ramekin.
Let this rest on top of the stove for 1-2 minutes before turning out onto a dessert plate. I find it’s easier to use a folded kitchen towel rather than oven mitts to handle the ramekins. Lay the plate over the ramekin, using the towel to hold the ramekin while flipping, then lift off the ramekin to serve.
If you’re making more than two of these at a time, you can flip them all onto plates, but leave the ramekins over the cake until just before serving to keep in the heat. Serve plain or with whipped cream or ice cream. Fresh raspberries or strawberries add the perfect touch. Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC
Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.
— FOOD —
Chocolate lava cake
Photo by Jessica Grann
The Muslim world speaks: Hamas must meet its end
Guest Columnist
Qanta A. Ahmed
Though I am not Israeli, and I am not Jewish, the anguish of the Bibas family is mine. I am devastated by the return of the bodies, the babies’ remains separated from those of their mother, which Hamas withheld for a further day. These are the most agonizing events since that Oct. 7 day.
This unforgivable crime, perpetrated on infant Jews and their mother, clarifies to the world the depravity of Hamas and the Palestinian civilians who abducted them. That this act was only one amid thousands of acts perpetrated with zeal, ecstasy and abandon on Oct. 7 remains incomprehensible.
Walking through devastated home after home in October 2023, I followed the footsteps of the dead. I moved slowly, methodically, examining the scenes of murder, torture, sexual violation and abduction. Later, I spent hours with Dr. Chen Kugel and Dr. Nurit Bulbit at Abu Kabir (Israel’s National Forensic Center in Jaffa) where I witnessed autopsies of the murdered, and, as a physician, examined the anatomy of lethal, genocidal Islamism. Islamism does indeed have an anatomy writ large.
Its signature is carved deep in flesh wounds; charred black in furnaces of bones and teeth; imprinted in swollen wrists restrained, even in death, with electrical cables and zip ties; perforated in the peppercorn spray of gunshot wounds, tiny at entry, cavernous at exit; ripped asunder in the blasts of grenades and cascades of their shrapnel; handwritten in the bloodied calligraphy of frenzied stab wounds; chiseled deep in the murderous handiwork of the hatchet’s swing. Sometimes Islamism’s signature was legible only with radiology, the annihilation so absolute. But the seal is eternally the same: The silenced anatomy screamed of Islamism’s elimination of the Jew. No one spared. Mercy to no being. Neither woman, child, nor infant, not even countless animals, saved from Islamism’s barbarism. All, eradicated.
For Palestinians, this is a tragedy of staggering proportions. Oct. 7 stains the Palestinian
people with a broad brush, and permanently so. Your terror, your barbarity, your monstrous zeal leave a permanent brand not only on Israel and the Jew, but on each of you. Palestinian acts have stained even pristine Islam. You appeal for the world’s mercy, aid, intervention, humanity, yet you gather around the tiny Bibas coffins in a ghoulish display at the handover of the baby hostages inside coffins lined with propaganda. You cheer and gawk and parade, defiling even corpses of babies. Your hatred dehumanizes you and debases all of humanity.
kindergartens and homes of the Palestinians — and through all of them the tunnels. We have kept captive in the Gaza enclave any Palestinian civilian who might want to flee, save those who pay a princely sum to the Muslim war profiteers selling safe passage through Rafah. We have expertly empowered, lionized and aggrandized the intolerable.
Look at the harm it has done to mankind, to ourselves the Muslim Ummah, and to those we purport to beseech the world to support.
See the harm done to the innocent Palestinian,
Hamas and its civilian participants are punishable for the worst crimes against humanity in Islam, which are also seen as crimes against our Maker.
Hamas committed the unforgivable. Yet Hamas was not alone. Countless survivors and eyewitnesses, men, women, and even children have testified to me that Palestinian civilians sanctioned, supported and joyously participated in this atrocity. And because you are Muslim, you stain me.
For Muslims, Oct. 7 is a stain on us all. We have tolerated the intolerable. From Doha to Davos, pro-Islamist Muslims and their sycophants have described Hamas as resistance fighters and denied they are terrorists. I know so because well-healed Muslims have raged at me, rendered me pariah.
In lionizing Hamas, we have erased and denied their atrocities. Muslim queens have questioned the validity of the evidence of the evil, some, like Rania on CNN, others, like Sheikha Moza, in turning their gaze away. We have refused to acknowledge the atrocities even when the witnesses are Muslims like me. The refusal to witness has been unwavering, even when the victims — both the dead of Oct. 7 and the hostages — are themselves Muslims.
Instead, rich as Croesus, we have bankrolled sophisticated propaganda wars to demonize the Israeli and provide Hamas cover. We have manipulated and inverted the world’s empathy for the terrorist over the terrorized, even as it cowers among human shields of Palestinian civilians and then emerges in perfectly pressed uniforms to preside at ghoulish ceremonies for those they murder.
We have provided billions in aid knowing it flows to Hamas in the schools and hospitals and
future unborn generations of Palestinians and to the vanishing mirage of one-day Palestinian statehood alongside Jewish statehood that even the most optimistic now question.
Each act on Oct. 7 is abhorrent to Islam: Targeting the civilian, the woman, the elderly, the child, the infant, all are outside the bounds of Islam.
The violence, debasement and gratuitous mutilation of the Jewish person in life and even after death, the sexual violation of women, the taking of civilians as hostages and their maltreatment in captivity, all are profound violations of all Islamic values and a stain upon all Islam.
Hamas and its civilian participants are punishable for the worst crimes against humanity in Islam, which are also seen as crimes against our Maker. Those Muslims who support them are accomplices.
I am not alone in this sentiment, clerics at the highest level of my faith share exactly my sentiments. In reaction to Hamas parading bodies of the deceased hostages the leaders of Islam made their outrage public.
“What we saw today in Gaza is a disgrace to Islam, an act of blasphemy against Allah, and a sin that does not represent the followers of the Prophet, peace be upon him,” declared the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Abdul Aziz Al Sheikh.
“Hamas has brought shame to Islam on a level never seen before,” pronounced the Grand Mufti of UAE Grand Mufti, Ahmed al-Haddad
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have long outlawed the Islamist mothership, the Muslim Brotherhood, as has Egypt. They know it as
an imposter purporting to be doctrine when it is instead thinly veiled violent totalitarianism. They know Islamism perpetrates only harm to humanity.
For the Saudi Kingdom, custodian of the two holy cities in Islam and Islam’s spiritual epicenter, Islamist ideology is explicitly outlawed; no financing of Islamism is permitted; Islamist clerics are banned from preaching; Islamist ideology has been expunged from all textbooks in schools, colleges, mosques and elsewhere. Saudi youth is specifically safeguarded from indoctrination. The Kingdom has banned all violent and nonviolent Muslim Brotherhood ideology. Yet Oct. 7 was possible only because of the financial, military and strategic support of the Islamist Iranian regime paired with Qatari patronage. Billions were funneled into the Gaza enclave for Al Jazeera to whip up support through propaganda that is force-fed in an endless loop to billions of Muslims, and that amplifies pro-Islamist sympathies far beyond the Muslim world.
The statements of the Saudi and UAE Grand Muftis portend a gathering of apical powers in Islam in condemnation of all who favor Islamism over Islam. The Grand Muftis have tremendous authority, but their public condemnation is only possible with (and indeed signifies) the highest level of support of their monarchies. Condemnation of Hamas by the leaders of Islam will gain momentum. These condemnations explicitly direct the Muslim world away from an Islamism that, until now, continually grows stronger.
In the coming weeks as the Arab world meets the urgent task of a post-war Gaza, there will be increasing coordination not only to envision a government for Gaza without Hamas but to systematically deprive the Islamist machine of its lifeblood: Palestinian victimhood, Islamist antisemitism and cold, hard cash.
While the Jewish nation, the Jewish people and the Bibas family might begin their unbearable grieving, the time for Hamas to meet its Maker has arrived. It will be the Muslim world that ensures this. PJC
Qanta A. Ahmed, MD, is a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum, a life member, Council on Foreign Relations and an Honorary Fellow at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. This first appeared on The Times of Israel.
Even against beasts, the IDF must uphold its values
Guest Columnist
The decision to prosecute the soldiers accused of abusing a captured Hamas Nukhba terrorist is difficult but essential. Israel faces some of the most ruthless enemies imaginable — terrorists who, on Oct. 7, invaded its territory, slaughtered children and women, raped, tortured and murdered without mercy. In the eyes of most Israelis, these beasts deserve no sympathy. But precisely because the moral gulf between us and them is
so vast, we must ensure that we do not blur the boundaries that define us.
The IDF proudly claims to be “the most moral army in the world.” This is not an empty slogan — it is and must be a guiding principle, even under the most arduous of circumstances. A moral army is judged not only by its conduct on the battlefield but also by how it treats its prisoners, even when they are murderous enemies. The IDF must not become an army of vengeance. It fights to defend Israel’s citizens, to eliminate enemy forces, and to eradicate threats. But even this requires legal and moral restraint. Once Israel captures and detains terrorists, they fall under the jurisdiction of Israeli military and international law. This is not a matter of showing compassion
to our enemies. Morally speaking, they deserve the harshest retributive justice, and many Israelis would support capital punishment — sentencing them to death. But a civilized nation cannot afford to turn its soldiers into torturers, because the erosion of values and norms begins with small cracks that quickly expand into deep fissures.
Every society engaged in war — especially against an enemy that recognizes no human norms — faces moments when it must choose between an emotional response and a principled one. If we condone prisoner abuse, we will erode the fundamental values the IDF and Israeli society are built upon. The IDF has been operating under extreme conditions since Oct. 7. There is no doubt that those who
have witnessed Hamas’ atrocities firsthand, feel overwhelming rage toward the captured terrorists. But if we allow that rage to dictate a policy of cruelty and the meting out of “battlefield justice,” we will find ourselves sliding into a reality with no boundaries — where we risk losing our moral identity.
The IDF must demonstrate that even in the face of unspeakable horrors, it remains committed to its principles. This is not about leniency toward terrorists; it is about protecting the fundamental distinction between us and them.
This is not a call to throw the book at the accused soldiers. One hopes their trial will reveal mitigating circumstances or that their actions
Please see Friedman, page 17
Shuki Friedman
Opinion
Chronicle poll results: Daily media sources
Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an online poll the following question: “From how many different media sources do you get news on a typical day?” Of the 273 people who responded, 57% said “4 or more”; 42% said “1-3”; 1% said “0.” Comments were submitted by 73 people. A few follow.
Before the election, four or more. Now zero. I don’t want to have Trump nonsense clutter my day.
It’s important to look for a variety of sources, not just numbers. Reading three different sources that all echo each other (most of the mainstream media) is really only one source.
I usually just listen to or read the ones that agree with me. I can’t stand Fox and the lies they say.
I use about 15 different news sources daily.
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to sort fact from fiction. There is so much fake news, but the real news is unbelievable too!
Continued from page
were not as severe as initially believed. But the decision to prosecute them is necessary, because the IDF must establish clear boundaries: prisoner abuse has no place in Israel’s just war — it is a betrayal of it. This is what separates the IDF from the terror organizations it fights. This is what distinguishes Israel from its enemies. We fight to defeat the enemy, but we cannot afford to adopt its methods and norms. Beyond the moral issue, there are also
Unfortunately, most media sources I have experienced, for quite some time now, have proven themselves to be so flawed that I can’t bring myself to waste my time relying on them for accurate news. As such, the “1-3” media sources are those which I trust. All of
practical and security considerations. Mistreating prisoners can have dangerous repercussions for Israeli soldiers and civilians held captive by the enemy. If we justify the abuse of Hamas prisoners, what moral ground will we have to protest if, God forbid, IDF soldiers are subjected to similar treatment?
Certainly, the leaked footage of the alleged abuse caused significant damage to Israel on the international stage. In a world eager to condemn Israel, these videos became another weapon in the arsenal of those who seek to delegitimize its actions. The leak was not just a security breach
Op-ed decrying relocation of Gazans ‘ignores reality’
I read the opinion piece “My Jewish family was forced out of our homeland. We must not let Gazans suffer the same fate”(Feb. 14). In that article I recognized the love of a Jew for his fellow human being, resulting in the author’s empathy with the situation in Gaza. The expulsion of Jews from Muslim countries, which resulted in their loss of traditions and their assimilation into secular Israeli society was, and still is, a huge loss to our entire people.
However, I see no equivalence between the peace-loving productive Jews of Iraq and Tunisia to the radicalized and destructive population of Gaza. Believing there is a small evil governing body called Hamas who rules over an oppressed peaceful population of Palestinians is what we would like to believe. However, our soldiers have been there and testified to munitions in every hospital, school, mosque and home. Our hostages found no sympathy from Gazan civilians. Instead they tell of being spit upon by children.
Hamas was initially voted in by a majority. Polls today show they remain popular, as does the “resistance” of Oct. 7. Palestinians do not hide their objectives. Ask them. They chant them regularly. They have no wish to live side by side with a Jewish state. They wish to replace the Jewish state — by any means necessary.
There is precedent for post-war relocation and dispersion of violent populations, with some success stories. I wonder if that is even possible here, given that the violence is rooted in religious ideology, something I would think is much harder to eradicate. It is also clear that the surrounding Muslim nations, knowing full well the destructive nature of the Palestinians and their potential to destabilize their own countries, are refusing to take them in. So, the solutions are clearly not easy. But to say that the idea of relocation is cruel, and that the current population can remain and live with “security, dignity and self-determination” is to ignore reality and engage in wishful thinking. Israel can no longer afford to do that. In truth, Israel never could. Miriam Weiss Pittsburgh
In the face of depravity, choose life
How do we write about something so sad that no words can express the depth of sadness? How do we write about something so barbaric that no words can describe the depravity? Of course, we can’t. The tragic circumstances that we face at this time simply cannot be adequately described or explained. So we try to move forward. Slowly, but with purpose. Forward, and not backward. Even when there are no words or answers, we move on, forward.
The kidnapping and murders of 4-year-old Ariel and 9-month-old Kfir is more than heartbreaking,
these are more pro-Israel, by the way.
Since Trump was elected, I have tried to avoid CNN and most national news. But it’s hard to avoid.
I check left- and right-wing sources. The difference is scary — like not the same news.
We get several standard media sources and several Jewish/Israeli sources. We are news and politics junkies.
I try to find some that are “just the facts, please.” That means I avoid panels, slanted commentary and monologues.
I canceled our daily newspaper — too much money for too little value. I get news from social media.
More important than the quantity of one’s news sources is their diversity. If we never leave our comfort zones, we will never get the full picture nor an inside angle on “the opposition.”
— it was a self-inflicted diplomatic wound. Those responsible for it must be held accountable, just as the soldiers involved in the incident must face due process.
There is no moral confusion here: Our enemies are among the cruelest we have ever faced, and they deserve the harshest punishment. But precisely because of this, we must uphold our values. This is not about sympathy for terrorists; it is about safeguarding our identity as a society and as a military force.
The chorus of voices defending the accused soldiers and opposing their prosecution is
I do not read or watch any left-leaning media. Over the years, I have seen that they cannot be trusted to deliver accurate and honest news.
It’s trendy to bash “mainstream media.” And certainly some criticisms of it are valid. But much isn’t, and imperfect though it may be, it still provides good info and perspective — facts lost to ideologues (at both ends of the political spectrum) and whose “media sources” are comprised mostly or solely of social media. Confirmation bias looms large.
However you get your news media, local communal reporting like that in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle is vital to the future of the Jewish people. PJC
Compiled by Toby Tabachnick
Chronicle weekly poll question: Do you have or are you planning to buy an electric vehicle? Go to pittsburgh jewishchronicle.org to respond. PJC
The news overwhelms me. With so many lies emanating from the Trump White House, I try to limit my access to information and instead opt for music from my iPhone.
mistaken and dangerous. The IDF must fight terrorism with unwavering determination, but it must also preserve its character and its values. We must distinguish between resolute warfare and senseless cruelty. Upholding the law, morality, and military ethics is not a sign of weakness, it is the source of the IDF’s true strength. PJC
Dr. Shuki Friedman is the CEO of the Jewish People Policy Institute and a law lecturer at the Peres Academic Center. This first appeared on The Times of Israel.
but we can’t let it be soul-breaking, for then the barbarians will have torn down the gates (“Israel grieves as bodies said to be of hostages Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, Oded Lifshitz return from Gaza,” online Feb. 20).
There are actions we can take, which will be advanced by others, which are meaningful and should be embraced: Resolve disputes, take on more mitzvot, learn more Torah, commit more acts of gemilut hasadim (kindness to others), visit the sick, contribute more tzedakah. I’d like to add another. Those who seek to destroy us physically and emotionally need to know that they cannot succeed and that to the contrary, we only grow stronger. Perhaps even more so, we need to internalize and understand that as well. We need to choose life. I suggest and urge: Have more babies.
So for those of us capable of having a baby, no matter how few or how many you may now have, have a baby. Thought you were through? Have another. Unable to conceive and gave up? Hard as it may be, keep trying. Name the baby after Ariel, Kfir, one of those murdered on Oct. 7, or a soldier who has died on our behalf. Don’t wait. Now is the time. And as that child grows up, teach the child who he or she has been named after and let the child know that because of him or her, those who have died have not died in vain.
And for those of us who can’t fulfill this suggestion, let’s support those who can in whatever way possible — financially, emotionally, spiritually. Support fertility clinics such as the Jewish Fertility Foundation. Support the Jewish education of our children. Make sure we act as role models for our children to ensure not just Jewish continuity, but rather Jewish growth and strength. Let’s all be part of defeating the barbarians.
Charles H. Saul Pittsburgh
Charles H. Saul is a Chronicle board member.
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Headlines
Vigil:
Jeff Finkelstein, the Federation’s president and CEO, acknowledged that the coming week would be an “emotional rollercoaster” as more hostages were scheduled to be released and the bodies of some who “lost their lives at the hands of barbarian Hamas terrorists will be returned home.”
“It’s unthinkable, yet it’s reality,” Finkelstein said. “This has been what Jews have lived throughout history, celebrating in times of joy and standing together in difficult times. But through it all, it’s about being together. It’s about community.”
A short film depicting scenes of former hostages in emotional reunions with their families was screened, as was another film with images of those still held in Gaza.
Dean Aseef, an Israeli in Pittsburgh, spoke about hostage Alon Ohel, who grew up in Misgav, Pittsburgh’s Partnership2Gether’s sister region. Ohel, a gifted pianist who was abducted from the Nova music festival, is still held in Gaza. His family recently received word that he is alive but is severely injured, Aseef said.
Ohel was 22 when he was kidnapped. He is now 24.
After he was abducted, Ohel’s family set up a yellow piano in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, launching the “Yellow Piano Initiative” in support of the hostages. There are now more than 40 yellow pianos in 10 countries.
In August, Pittsburgh’s JCC installed a yellow piano with the message “You Are Not Alone.” That piano will remain in place until
Petition:
Continued from page 1
flawed and harmful to the city’s values of inclusivity and cooperation.
The Federation is working with the Beacon Coalition and StandWithUs to explore “all legal avenues to oppose this referendum, which unfairly targets the Jewish community and seeks to isolate Israel rather than foster meaningful dialogue and peace.”
“Pittsburgh has always been a place where diverse backgrounds come together to support one another,” Finkelstein continued. “We stand with our community, our elected officials and all those who reject efforts to sow division.”
Laura Cherner, Federation’s Community Relations Council director, said it’s not just the Jewish community that the referendum would harm.
“It has the potential to negatively impact the entire city,” she said. “The burden to address this harmful referendum should not just fall solely on the Jewish community. We hope that our partners and representatives in the public space will use their platforms to also amplify the harm of this referendum.”
Jeremy Kazzaz, executive director of the Beacon Coalition, said his organization is leading a review of the signatures collected by Not On Our Dime.
“We are just embarking on the process,” he said. “It takes time. We have trained a large number of volunteers. People in the community feel strongly about this.”
StandWithUs is partnering with the Federation to explore legal avenues available to oppose the referendum.
Julie Paris, StandWithUs’ Mid-Atlantic
Church of the Redeemer and pastor of St. Mary Magdalene Lutheran Episcopal Church, began her address by laying bare the truth of Oct. 7, its aftermath and its impact
“After the largest organized pogrom of Jewish people since the Holocaust, there was astonishing silence,” Hall said. “Yes, there were some statements released by religious, academic and political bodies, yet most seemed incapable of acknowledging that the deadly massacre of Jewish civilians was consummately wrong, as they accompanied each bland statement with caveats. And I’m afraid that these halfhearted equivocations remain and have shifted cruelly over these last 500 days toward derision, contempt, threats and violence, many which you have suffered with those same religious, academic, political and religious bodies and more, reasserting the ancient shape-shifting anti-Jewish tropes that cause you the impos-
Hall called out the “lack of moral clarity to name evil as evil,” and stressed that supporting the Jewish people does not imply a lack of support for Palestinian people.
“You remain in an impossible place,” Hall said, “and I recognize and grieve the wounds that you have suffered, both seen and unseen. And I remain a committed partner in healing existing places of intractable antisemitism together with people inside and beyond the Jewish community, so that we might have life together.”
Gainey told the Chronicle that he came to the event in support of “humanitarian rights.”
“At the end of the day, you want everybody to be free, and every day you want people to be home with their families,” he said. “And every day you want to make sure you’re praying for a better tomorrow than you have today.”
O’Connor, who has family in Israel, said it was important to be present at the vigil, not only to support Pittsburgh’s Jewish community, but because of “the tragedy that occurred 500 days ago.”
“You have to come out and show your support for the loved ones that are still being held hostage — especially as an elected official in the county, supporting our Jewish community the best we can.”
Following Aseef’s remarks, Nanette Kaplan Solomon sat at the yellow piano and, accompanied by Sarah Kendis on oboe, played “Tachzor” (“Come Back”). That piece was followed by “Habaita.” Joining Solomon and Kendis were Rabbi Seth Adelson of Congregation Beth Shalom on voice and guitar, Lina Horwitz on violin and J-JEP’s Rabbi Larry Freedman on drums.
The Rev. Canon Natalie Hall, rector at
regional director, said that Not On Our Dime has singled out Israel and made false claims about the Jewish state.
The question that would be added to the May ballot reads:
“Shall the Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter be amended to align Pittsburgh’s finances with the City’s moral standards by: (1) establishing a financial policy to divert funds from governments engaged in genocide and apartheid — such as the state of Israel — and corporations doing business with them; (2) implementing investment policies with goals to reduce arms production and promote human dignity; and (3) increasing transparency of City business relationships and investments?”
A press release issued by Not On Our Dime does not specifically mention Israel, but says that it is attempting to prevent Pittsburgh from doing business with “any government actively committing genocide, apartheid or ethnic cleansing.”
Its Instagram account takes a more focused approach, though, saying the group wants “to divest our city from Israeli war crimes.”
Not On Our Dime worked with several other anti-Israeli organizations in gathering signatures and promoting the petition, including Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Palestine Coalition, Pitt Apartheid Divest and the Steel City Antifascist League, which publishes calls for violence and violent imagery on its Instagram and Twitter accounts, as well as a separate hate-filled website.
A similar BDS effort was attempted at Pitt.
Students for Justice in Palestine tried to introduce a referendum asking university students if Pitt “should divest all financial holdings from companies enabling apartheid and genocide
“It should go without saying, but I will say it here for the record that I have yet to meet a Jewish friend or colleague here in Pittsburgh who seeks or celebrates the harm of any Palestinian person,” she said. “To vociferously support Jewish people here and in Israel, even these 500 days later, does not deny the humanity of Palestinians, because God grieves the loss of life in all creation, including Israel, a grief which knows no political boundaries.”
— including weapons manufacturers arming Israel.” It was ultimately rejected by the school’s Student Government Board.
Paris said the false claims of genocide “are part of a bigger picture to demonize and delegitimize Israel’s right to not only defend itself but simply to exist.”
She called the battle against the referendum “the fight of our lifetime,” and noted that if the referendum passes, it will paralyze the city.
At a public hearing on City Council’s counter-referendums, Councilmember Erika Strassburger, District 8, read a partial list of companies the city would be forced to quit doing business with if Not On Our Dime’s referendum passed. That list included: Amazon, Apple, Caterpillar, City Bank, Coca Cola, Dell, General Electric, Google, Alphabet, HP, IBM, Intel, JP Morgan Chase, McAfee, McDonald’s, Micron, Microsoft, Nestle, Oracle, Pepsi, Qualcomm, Siemens and Toyota.
Paris noted that the city would also have to enact cost-prohibitive regulations to ensure it wasn’t doing business with companies that do business with Israel.
The City Controller’s office, under Rachael Heisler, would be tasked with much of that work.
Heisler said that the city remains very concerned about how the proposal would affect city finances and operations.
“We are consulting with officials across City government about what the potential consequences would be. We will continue to explore all of our options as this process moves forward and focus on doing what’s right for City taxpayers,” she said in an email.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey is also concerned about the effects the referendum would have on the city.
Tree of Life Congregation’s Rabbi Hazan Jeffrey Myers, who led attendees in both “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah,” is a survivor of the antisemitic massacre that occurred in his Squirrel Hill synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018.
“It saddens me that we still are gathering 501 days later,” he said, “with no end in sight.” PJC
Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
“As I have stated before, I have serious concerns about the effect that the ‘Not On Our Dime’ campaign’s proposed referendum would have on City government’s ability to conduct basic functions if it is placed on the ballot and ultimately approved by the voters,” he said in an email.
Regardless of how one views the intentions of the campaign, he said, “it is clear that the proposed change would bring nearly every function of City government grinding to a halt by prohibiting the City from doing business with global companies, from Microsoft to Ford, upon which we rely on to perform administrative functions and provide core services.”
He noted that the referendum is causing alarm in the Jewish community, while “acknowledging the apparent strength of feeling among our residents who want to intervene on behalf of Palestinians, and believe that most Pittsburghers share this sentiment, alongside a commitment to combatting antisemitism.”
He said he does not believe that amending the Home Rule Charter is the right forum for addressing these challenges.
“Ultimately, both the Not on Our Dime referendum and Bill 1425, which protects against discrimination based on race, religion, national origin or affiliation with any foreign nation or state, are matters that are likely to be placed before Pittsburgh voters. I respect the democratic process and trust that the voters will make their voices heard,” he said.
Not On Our Dime filed a similar anti-Israel petition in August 2024, which it withdrew after thousands of signatures were found to be invalid. PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
p The Rev. Canon Natalie Hall, rector at Church of the Redeemer and pastor of St. Mary Magdalene Lutheran Episcopal Church, addresses the crowd. Photo by Toby Tabachnick
Life & Culture
Israeli scientists fuse ‘brain tissue’ and electronic chips to test autism treatment
By Sharon Wrobel | The Times of Israel
Israeli entrepreneur and investor Shmulik Bezalel has traveled the world and donated funds for research to find a treatment for his son Itay who has low-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Itay is one of 254 million children and adults worldwide struggling with neuropsychiatric disorders without a suitable treatment.
Recognizing the limited therapeutic options for neuropsychiatric disorders, Bezalel teamed up with serial entrepreneur Boaz Goldman and neuroscientist Dr. Nisim Perets, and in 2021 founded an Israeli biotech startup with the vision to generate a simulation of the brain and test the efficacy of drugs.
That startup, Itay & Beyond — named after Bezalel’s child Itay — is now developing a drug discovery and testing platform for psychiatric and neurological disorders such as autism, epilepsy and schizophrenia.
“The vision was to establish a system that will test how a specific drug would influence Itay’s ability to learn, improve memory, or be more social,” Perets told The Times of Israel. “The goal is to create a system to predict the efficacy of specific drugs on the functioning of cognitive and behavioral aspects.”
In what sounds like something straight out of science fiction, the Israeli scientists led by Perets have been working at a lab at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center developing human brain-on-chip technology with a simulation of behavioral output.
In the lab, Perets and his team grew brain organoids — tissue that resembles parts of the human brain — in a petri dish from a single cell extracted from urine samples of patients with autism and epilepsy, which was then reprogrammed into a stem cell.
The lab-grown brain tissue is transferred onto an electronic chip, which is connected to a computer. The tissue sits on a multi-electrode array and each electrode records and can provide stimuli to the brain organoids. As such, brain-on-chip technology provides the ability to measure electronic signals from living brain tissue grown in vitro.
“We look at the brain as a computational machine — like a computer, and not as an organ like the heart or the liver,” said Perets. “The core technology we developed, the claim to fame of our company, is that we decided to gamble on putting brain organoids on a chip, so that we could record and stimulate the electrical activity of the brain and not just the molecules.
“Using advanced AI technology and big data analysis, we can measure, study and provide insights into how brain organoids encode information and respond to stimuli, including different drug molecules,” he added. Perets, who holds a PhD in neuroscience from Tel Aviv University and a post-doctorate from Haifa’s Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, said that neural coding, or how the brain works and encodes information, is key to understanding what “goes wrong in the brain” of patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, Parkinson’s and schizophrenia.
interaction between the computer and the chip, the system can teach the cortical brain organoids simple tasks such as playing video games through a method called reinforcement learning.
“At the end of each video game we get a score. We then analyze it against the scores of other brain tissues that derived from healthy patients and those with disorders such as autism, or epilepsy, and search for drugs that can improve them,” said Perets.
The platform Itay & Beyond is developing aims to break a major deadlock in the development of drugs for patients with neuropsychiatric disorders, such as epilepsy, autism, dementia (including Alzheimer’s) and schizophrenia. When developing drugs, researchers try them out first on mice or rats and only then, if successful, on humans.
However, due to the significant differences between mice and human brains, these drugs often fail in human clinical trials, wasting years of costly development, Perets noted. Over the past two decades, only five new drugs were approved for neuropsychiatric disorders like autism and epilepsy, he said.
“One of the reasons that it is very difficult to develop drugs for neurological or psychiatric disorders is a poor efficacy prediction,” said Perets. “Most of the drugs tested on mice and rats have been found to be safe for humans, but to test the efficacy, it doesn’t extrapolate very well from mice to humans.”
In addition, the efficacy of new drugs is often validated only after phase 2 or phase 3 clinical trials, which can take 10 years and is very costly, he said.
Perets acknowledged that other scientists around the world are working to develop brainon-chip models to better understand brain disorders and develop new drugs but, he says, most of the focus has been on safety and not efficacy, “because it’s a much lower-hanging fruit.”
Itay & Beyond’s platform is geared to help pharma companies predict the efficacy of drugs based on human brain organoids to help them make decisions about pre-clinical testing as well as develop new drugs or treatments that could treat patients successfully.
The system is still in its infancy, but Perets said that the biotech startup already has
in Israel and Europe that use its technology as a decision support system as to whether they should advance clinical trials for drugs.
Perets said the startup is on the cusp of publishing its first peer-reviewed scientific paper together with Hadassah Medical Center. For the coming year, Perets and his team are continuing to work on retrospective and prospective clinical validation of the technology platform, which will also include
patient testing at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petah Tikva.
“Our main goal is to bring a new generation of drug testing methods to the world so that patients would not become the guinea pig, and to save money and frustration involved in trial and error,” said Perets. “The vision eventually is to have our own proprietary drugs for disorders like autism, epilepsy, and schizophrenia validated on our technology and sell them to pharma companies.” PJC
p Itay & Beyond scientists and researchers at a lab at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem
Let’s Celebrate Purim
1-3:30 pm
•DJ and Photobooth
•Inflatable Obstacle Course
•Bounce Castle
•Carnival Games and Prizes
•Face Painting
•Kona Ice Truck
•Bunny Bakes Hamantaschen
•$10 per child, $40 for a family of 4 or more
•Wear a costume and get 5 extra tickets!
•Bring donations to help pack our own Mishloach Manot
Register HERE! JCC Squirrel Hill 5738 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15217 Snyder Family Sunday, March 16
Sunday, March 16
two sessions available: 9:30-11:15 am & 10:45 am -12:30 pm
Inflatables • Games • Crafts & MORE costumes encouraged!
Life & Culture
Hillel Academy takes top prize in international Hebrew word challenge
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh first graders faced a scholastic challenge.
Amid a year of critical learning — first graders at Hillel Academy are typically tasked with developing English and Hebrew reading and writing skills, mastering basic math, time-telling and social competencies — students were asked to create a new Hebrew word.
The assignment, which stemmed from a global initiative spearheaded by the World Zionist Organization, required adherence to grammatical principles, according to first grade teacher Chen Ifergan.
Students couldn’t just mash letters together; there were rules to be followed, she said.
A Hebrew word is usually built from a root, called a shoresh. Prefixes, suffixes and vowel changes adapt each shoresh into new words.
Inventing a word requires understanding grammar, language usage and culture, according to Nitzan Barzilay-Zeff, recruitment and operations coordinator for WZO’s Department of Education.
Judges from the Academy of the Hebrew Language wanted a word that not only followed linguistic guidelines but was “suitable for students of any age,” Barzilay-Zeff said, speaking by phone from Jerusalem.
After hearing the referees’ requests, Barzilay-Zeff disseminated the educational charge to shlichim (emissaries) worldwide.
“Across the world, we oversee 260 people who teach Hebrew, Israel and Judaic studies in 110 schools,” she said.
Ifergan is one. Her husband, Rabbi Evyatar Ifergan, is another.
Since arriving in Pittsburgh two years ago, the Ifergans have “made learning come to life,” Hillel Academy Elementary School Judaic Principal Rabbi Oren Levy said. This project was “just another example.”
Included within the challenge was a need to document the process. As such, photographs were taken. Video was recorded. But the footage submitted didn’t just demonstrate pondering students. Judges wanted to see an additional component.
“There is a phrase in Hebrew — ochlim et ha’ivrit b’li melech — it doesn’t translate well but it sort of means ‘piece of cake,’” Barzilay-Zeff said. “The idea is that you can eat it, Hebrew, so easily it doesn’t need salt.”
As a nod to the figurative expression, students were asked to display their new words in the form of cookies. To ease the process, WZO sent colorful molds in the shape of Hebrew letters to
emissaries worldwide.
More than a month ago, Chen Ifergan received a set. She and her students opened the package and continued working.
She asked her pupils about their interests, she said, in an effort to “find a word that was relevant to them.”
Students considered Ifergan’s inquiry and began bringing in prized possessions. One item appeared more commonly in the classroom than others: squishies.
Sort of like a mashup between a marshmallow and a stuffed animal, the soft squeezable toys beloved by children are popular worldwide. The craze is so great that both The Week and The Independent have
dedicated articles to understanding how scores of adults are also fixated on the little foam playthings.
In Hebrew, there’s no translation for squishy or squashy: There’s m’icha, which means crushing or squeezing, but no real equivalent to describe the cherished toy. Ifergan’s students took the Hebrew word m’icha and added a suffix consisting of the Hebrew letters vuv and nun. Those two letters changed the base word m’icha into m’ichon
Creation wasn’t merely conceptual, though. With molds in hand, students flattened dough and cut each letter. The young learners then assembled their sugar
cookies and composed a corresponding rationale.
“We created the word m’ichon from a base and suffix,” the students wrote in Hebrew. “Many children in the world enjoy playing with the small toy. They love squeezing it and feeling its flexibility.”
Levy and Ifergan documented the process and sent the materials and explanation abroad — the cookies stayed in Pittsburgh.
Weeks later, WZO announced that 50 schools worldwide had submitted entries. Hillel Academy took top prize.
Judges from the Academy of the Hebrew Language, Israel’s leading authority on Hebrew language, complimented the young Pittsburghers for taking a word base, adding a suffix and “beautifully explaining” how the linguistic creation operates.
“Adding a vuv and nun to the end of the word is reminiscent of words for games like sivivon (spinner) and afifon (kite),” the judges wrote. “The word, m’ichon, is cute and fun and makes you want to play.”
Days after speaking with the Chronicle, Levy was set to travel to Israel for another engagement. Given the recent announcement, he now plans to stop at the WZO headquarters to receive a prize.
Barzilay-Zeff said she’s looking forward to meeting the educator, presenting him with a certificate and games for the students and hearing more about Hillel Academy and the Pittsburgh Jewish community.
Back in her first grade classroom, Ifergan said the students are excited about the win, and so is she.
“One of the reasons we came here was to teach Hebrew, and to increase the Israeli spirit in America,” she said. “Being able to teach about all the rules of Hebrew, and then winning this kind of contest with the class is extra special.”
“As Hillel Academy educators, we try to showcase to our students that real-world learning involves every subject,” Levy said. “The first graders just started studying Parshat Bereishit, where Hashem created the world with lashon hakodesh (holy language). It’s nice for the first graders to know that they also participated in creation — they were part of creating a word in Hebrew on their level.”
Educators appreciate that attention spans are short and students quickly shift to new interests. The hope, however, is “these connections last a lifetime,” he continued.
“Maybe some of these kids will one day move to Israel. Maybe they’ll have kids and those kids will use the word m’ichon. And maybe our students will remember that, back in Pittsburgh in 2025, they were the first ones to use that word, and they added it to the Hebrew language.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
p Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh first graders surround cookies spelling their prizewinning word, m’ichon, and some squishy inspirations.
Photo courtesy of Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh
p Chen Ifergan, right, works with students on the Hebrew language project.
Photo courtesy of Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh
Torah Celebrations
Bar mitzvah
Benjamin Aaron Friedman will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday, March 1, at Congregation Beth Shalom. Benji is a seventh grader at Community Day School, where he serves on Student Council and Tefilah Council and is currently rehearsing for the school play. He is the son of Alex and Rachel (Dub) Friedman. He is the grandson of Elaine Friedman and the late David Friedman of New Rochelle, New York; Stan and Alice Dub of Shaker Heights, Ohio; and Jean Golub of Pittsburgh. He is the brother of Josephine and Ethan Friedman. In his spare time, Benji enjoys playing tennis, following football, hanging out with friends, playing video games and attending Space Camp. For his mitzvah project, Benji has been collecting and donating used toys to immigrant children through Jewish Family and Community Services.
Engagement
It is with great joy that Barbara and Robert Thaw announce the engagement of their daughter, Rachel, to Rabbi Stephen and Lisa Steindel’s son, Avi. Currently residing in New York City, the couple delights in travel as well as spending time with family and friends. The Thaws and Steindels are thrilled to be celebrating an October 2025 wedding in their hometown. PJC
In this week’s parsha, Hashem instructs Moshe on the construction of the Mishkan, Tabernacle, and its furnishings. One would expect such a holy and sublime Sanctuary to be associated with the name of Hashem at least a few times. Yet, other than the very first passuk, there is no mention of Hashem’s name in connection to any part of the Mishkan. The first passuk simply says that Hashem spoke to Moshe. (Indeed, it is well-known that the name of Moshe does not appear in next week’s parsha. In this week’s parsha it occurs only once. Thus, it appears once in the entire two parshiyos.)
In modern times, we have no actual Sanctuary. We have shuls and batei midrash that are holy places. But the holiest objects we have are sifrei Torah, followed closely by tefillin and mezuzos. In general, holy items that must be treated with respect, even when they are worn out, are called colloquially “shaimos”. This translates literally as “names.” It is a reference to the sanctity of the names of Hashem within them. (Though “shaimos’ is used for items such as worn-out tefillin straps as well, these are really called tashmishei kedusha, attachments used with sacred items.) Why would the Torah omit any mention of Hashem’s names when discussing the ultimate holiness?
such holy items, he might be tempted to mention Hashem’s name all the time. This might include unnecessary utterances or uttering the Name in unclean surroundings. We avoid this at all costs. Were there to be multiple “shaimos” this would lead to a loss of sensitivity and maybe some levity. Therefore, the Torah omits Hashem’s name in the entire parsha.
However, there seems to be more to the picture here.
One could say that since this discusses Hashem’s “home,” this is setting an example of modesty and humility. Hashem does not mention His own name. But we find many examples of things that Hashem instructs us to do for Him that have multiple mentions of His name.
Perhaps the message is the opposite. Hashem asks us to make a special home for ourselves “so that I may dwell within them!” The purpose of the Mishkan as a repose for the Shechina, Divine Presence, is to create a space where we can feel His immanence right here in our earthly abode. It is for us more than for Him. Hashem needs nothing from us. He has the entire universe, everything that exists, that ever existed and that will ever exist. Every part of His creating the universe is to grant goodness. Why on earth (!) would He ask us to make Him some space?
Having that in mind, the instructions are not on the lines of “Build me a sanctuary! I would do it myself, but I am delegating it to you!” Rather, the instructions are: “Build yourselves a sanctuary, where you will make space for Me! You will allow yourselves to bring My presence into your midst! You are doing this for yourselves, for Yisroel!” By omitting His name, He is indicating that this is not for Him. It is for Yisroel.
This is the prototype for all Jewish homes. It is the prototype for every Jewish heart. It is about us. “Bilevavi mishken evneh — I shall build a sanctuary in my heart!”
We all have the capacity to make room for the Shechinah within our hearts. PJC
Perhaps this is an example of hesitating to mention the name of Hashem in vain. This is something so serious that we avoid ever uttering the name outside of tefilla and Torah reading. At all other times, we use the word Hashem — literally, “the Name.” When beginning a project that should be invested with sanctity, we say: “This is being done for the sake of Hashem, for the sake of the mitzvah of …, for the sake of the sanctity of … .” This is actually learned from our parsha. “They shall take for Me a terumah …, For Me, that is for My name.” It should have no other motivation other than for Hashem’s name!
If one is preoccupied by building
Rabbi Shimon Silver is the spiritual leader of Young Israel of Greater Pittsburgh. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabonim of Greater Pittsburgh.
BERGSTEIN: Melvin Stanley Bergstein, on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. Beloved father of Robin Bergstein Berman (Howard) and Gary Bergstein (Debra). Son of the late Eva Tepper Bergstein and Milton Bergstein. Cherished brother of David Bergstein and the late Larry Bergstein. Adoring grandfather to Tanner and Shane Berman, and Isabella and Spencer Bergstein. Longtime loving companion to Helen Fishbein, and predeceased by former wife and lifelong loving friend, the late Cynthia (Frand) Bergstein Horid. Also beloved by a niece, nephews, cousins and many dear friends. Melvin lived life large and embodied the spirits of generosity, passion, faith, loyalty and humor. He devoted his life to helping others, especially those who struggled with addiction, and was very proud of his 44 years of sobriety. He also held many interests, and was very entrepreneurial, while owning a pet store in his late teens to owning and operating the beauty salon Boutique Coiffures “back in the day.” Being then a professional photographer, before ultimately discovering his mission to help others as a drug and alcohol counselor, and then co-owner of two medical facilities. Melvin did things all the way, and with contagious energy. Graveside services and interment were held on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, at Homewood Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org). Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar
HARMON: Marshall Glenn Harmon, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend, passed away on Jan. 23, 2025, at the age of 79. Born and raised in Natrona Heights, Glenn enlisted in the Marine Corps at the age of 17. After completing basic training at Parris Island, he bravely served two tours in Vietnam. Upon returning home, he began his career at Allegheny Ludlum Steel Co., rising from mail clerk to metallurgist. Despite the challenges of a demanding work schedule, Glenn earned a degree in physical science from the University of Pittsburgh, attending night classes while balancing work and family responsibilities. Glenn went on to have a remarkable career at R.J. Lee Group, where he retired after 25 years as vice president of business development. His dedication to his work, leadership and innovative thinking left an indelible mark on the company and its success. Glenn’s life was defined by resilience in the face of adversity. In 1977, facing the toll of alcoholism, he sought help after being given an ultimatum at work. Glenn had his last drink on March 14, 1977. He became a source of hope, strength, and encouragement to countless individuals on their own paths to recovery. Glenn found new strength and purpose when he married Ethel Taube. Together, they raised four wonderful children: Dmitry, Sasha, Rena (Sam Oshlag) and Shimon. Glenn is survived by three cherished grandchildren: Meir, Coby and Remi Oshlag. He is also survived by Daniel, his son from his first marriage. His resilience, compassion and love will continue to inspire all who knew him, and his memory will forever be a beacon of strength and hope.
Contact the Development department at 412-586-2690 or development@jaapgh.org for more information. THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS —
Sunday March 2: Samuel Barasch, Henrietta Caplan, Ida Danenberg, Morris Finkelstein, Milton I Freedman, Abe I Friedman, Rose Goldenberg, Dorothy Goldstein, Carl Gussin, Sadye Judd, Jack Leff, Lena Lefkowitz, Aaron Mallinger, Bella W Marks, Solomon Neustein, Betty F Paull, Emanuel Perlow, Lee Radbord, Bertha Rosenfeld, Alice Shapiro, Miriam Silberman, Julius Silverman, Janina Winkler, Pauline Zalevsky
Monday March 3: Lewis Amper, Sarah Louise Bernstein, Esther Eisenstadt, Maurice Finkelpearl, Dorothy Frankel, Lena Friedman, Hyman Gerson, Alice Goodstein, Elizabeth Green, Ilse Halle, Ephraim Hurwitz, Gizella Kovacs, Saul Kurtz, Rose S Levine, Orin J Levy, Tillie Lipson, Max A Loevner, Jane Margowsky, Lucille R Mermelstein, Thelma Newman Racusin, Sam Osgood, Rev Samuel Rattner, Pearl R Rosenberg, Ida R Roth, Edward Schlessinger
Tuesday March 4: Joel Baum, Helen Buck, David Canter, Leonard Chotiner, Yetta Cohen, Raymond Friedman, Samuel Gescheidt, Joseph Goldstein, Saul I Heller, Emanuel Horewitz, Gus Kline, Elliott Kramer, Anna Kurtz, Jeannette G Kurtz, Ethyl Sapper Levenson, Lynette A London, Rose Mendlow, Charles Mervis, Solomon J Metlin, Yitzhak Nadler, Milton D Patz, David C Pollock, Lena Robin, Pincus P Rosenthal, Edward Schugar, Martha Shapira, Jack Steinfeld, Anna Tarshis, Donna Mae Zimring
Wednesday March 5: Abe P Bennett, Molly D Bloch, Esther Gardner, Lou Ann Krouse, Ella Levy, Harry Levy, Dr Yale S Lewine, Louis Luterman, Alyce H Mandelblatt, Benjamin D Miller, Esther Rudkin, Dorothy Schwartz, Max Shapiro, Frances B Sigal, Isaac W Solomon, Samuel Veinegar, Harry Zalevsky
Thursday March 6: Harry J Benjamin, Joseph Canter, Alec W Chinn, Gertrude Chizeck, Sara F Cohen, Florence Farkas, David H Goldberg, Rose M Hausman, Marvin Klein, Eugene Light, Sophia Podolney Krasik, Isaac L Rosenfeld, Charles Schwartz, David Stern, Raye Supowitz, Helen Weinberger
Friday March 7: Conrad Irving Adler, Bernard Berkman, Albert Farber, Samuel Farbstein, Frances A Feinberg, Dr Abraham Finegold, Israel Fireman, Fred Kalson, Charles Korobkin, Morris S Levine, Tillie Lippock, Joseph Miller, Harry B Orringer, M .D ., Harold B Pollack, Ruth Shatum, Myer N Shipkovitz, Harvey Simon, Phillip Weinberger
Saturday March 8: Ella Alpern, Sarah Baker, Samuel J Burke, Ruth Chell, Isadore Fleegler, Emil Glick, Bernard Golanty, Edward Green, Meyer Hart, Rosella B Horvitz, Harold Levine, Bessie R Levinson, Jay Calvin Miller, Abe Rader, Stanley E Rosenbloom, M .D ., Dorothy Rubin, Max Wikes, Rose Ziff, Shirley Zionts
HOLZER: Leslee Roth Holzer, on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. Beloved wife of Alan “Bucky” Holzer; loving mother of Jennifer (Paul) Marckisotto and Stacey (late Victor) Iagnemma; sister of Michelle “Miki” Roth and Hugh Roth; grandmother of Ashley, Gwen, Mara, Bryn and Victoria Iagnemma, Alexis (Jarrod) Schultz, Kaden and Ava Marckisotto. Services and interment private. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com
Obituaries
Continued from page 23
Barbara Welner, 98, survived the Holocaust to build a family and longtime residence in Pittsburgh. Smuggled out of the Lvov ghetto at age 12 by her doomed parents, Barbara spent over five years alone and on the run in the Ukraine, Poland and Germany. She survived on instinct and God’s providence, and after the war discovered an interest in nursing in a DP camp in Germany. She was transferred to England and there, went from a grade school war dropout to the valedictorian of her Wakefield nursing school class and the only winner of the top prize in three specialties in the school’s history. Barbara moved to Canada before eventually marrying Nick Welner, himself a Holocaust survivor who became a civil engineer, and moving to Pittsburgh, where a cousin, Cantor Moshe Taube, resided. Barbara was active in Parkway Jewish Center and Hadassah, wrote op-eds on issues relating to Jewish interest and Israel and with Nick raised four children who attended Hillel Academy: Alan, Sandra, Sarah and Michael. Three of the children eventually earned M.D. degrees. Sandra became a pioneer in the gynecologic care of women with disabilities, including her assistance in formulating the ongoing program at Magee Women’s Hospital. Michael is a nationally prominent forensic psychiatrist. Barbara maintained a nursing career of over 40 years that included a lengthy stretch at East Suburban Health Center. In more recent years, Barbara volunteered in Israel teaching and mentoring Russian and Ethiopian immigrant children in Netanya. Barbara is survived by Alan Welner and by Michael and Orli Welner, and three grandchildren. Graveside service and interment were held at Betty Rosenberg/Parkway Jewish Cemetery. Donations in Barbara’s memory should be made to GIOH Jerusalem, Colel Chabad, rehab for female soldiers at Sheba Hospital, or Keren Rachaim. Arrangements
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Life & Culture
Avoiding the Rabbinate, 3,000 Israeli couples married last year in Utah’s ‘Zoom weddings’
BETH SHALOM EARLY LEARNING CENTER
At Beth Shalom Early Learning Center, we recognize the importance of the early years in a child’s development and acknowledge the impact that a quality early education experience can have on a child’s future success. We believe that each child is a unique individual, who is continually shaped by their social and cultural environments.
By Rossella Tercatin | The Times of Israel
When Eilam Sher and his fiancee Vicky decided to get married, they knew they did not want to tie the knot through the Chief Rabbinate, though they were eligible to do so. Instead, they celebrated their wedding in September 2020 by holding a private ceremony in Israel that was not recognized in any way by the state.
They then planned to fly abroad, have a civil marriage in a foreign country, possibly Cyprus, and register their union at home, as many Israelis do. However, it was the height of the COVID pandemic, with flights scarce and travel a major challenge.
“I learned about the possibility of getting married remotely in Utah through Facebook groups of couples in similar situations and we decided to do it,” Sher told The Times of Israel over a phone interview. “We got married in January 2021 on a Zoom call with a Utah official, our parents, and a couple of friends who joined as witnesses. We were expecting a bureaucratic moment, but the officiator was very sweet, we opened a bottle of wine, and it felt good.”
In 2024, some 3,000 couples in which at least one spouse is Israeli got married through Utah’s video-conferencing system, according to new data released on Tuesday by Hiddush, an Israeli organization that aims to promote religious freedom and equality, which received the figures from Utah.
Of the total 27,000 marriage licenses issued by Utah, about a third were granted to foreign couples, with Israelis making up about 30% of the non-U.S. citizens using the system. The figure marked a significant increase from the previous period for which Hiddush received data, when some 637 couples were married within the Utah system during a 15-month stretch between 2020 and 2021.
Orthodox Jews who would like a more egalitarian ceremony are also denied alternative options.”
Regev noted that it is very hard to obtain an accurate picture of how many Israelis choose to marry abroad every year, as a significant percentage do not register their union in Israel or only do so years later.
The most recent data on Israelis marrying abroad and registering their marriage in Israel published by the Central Bureau of Statistics covers 2022, when some 9,200 overseas weddings were registered in the country. About 40% of those were celebrated in 2022 and the rest in previous years.
In addition, according to Regev, the country is witnessing a growing trend of couples cohabitating without getting married.
After Utah amended its state law in 2020 to allow online weddings, its Zoom weddings quickly became a popular option among Israeli couples. While the Interior Ministry tried to prevent the registration of such weddings, the Supreme Court ruled in March 2023 that the state of Israel is obligated to do so.
“Ever since the 1960s, the Supreme Court has systematically rendered aid to couples,” said Regev. “It’s clear to me that part of the reason why the court has done it is because the court is aware that no democracy denies its citizens the right to marry, and Israel does so.”
According to the Hiddush Annual Religion and State Index 2024, 67% of the public supports recognizing all types of marriages in Israel, including civil, Reform and Conservative.
“Israel has been struggling with the conflict between religion and state and religion and politics ever since its inception,” said Hiddush CEO Rabbi Uri Regev. “There is a clear gap between the founding promise etched in the Declaration of Independence for freedom of religion and conscience and the reality in which, ironically, Israel is probably the only democracy where Jews are being denied freedom of choice in terms of religious matters.”
Israel has no civil marriage due to the objection of religious political parties, but recognizes civil unions formed abroad.
Israeli Jews must marry through the ultra-Orthodox dominated Chief Rabbinate, Christians through their churches and Muslims via sharia courts.
The lack of options for civil marriage or a Jewish marriage not conducted by the Chief Rabbinate impacts hundreds of thousands of Israelis.
“There are people who either cannot marry in the country because they are not recognized as Jewish by the rabbinate, or who identify as secular and would prefer to get married in a civil marriage,” said Regev. “Reform or Conservative Jews cannot celebrate their weddings according to their system, and
The survey also found that most Jewish Israelis (69%) are unaware of the Utah option.
Sher said that he hopes that more people who wish to marry outside the Chief Rabbinate will learn about the possibility.
“Our experience was very positive,” he said. “We paid a few hundred dollars via credit card, and a month later, we received our marriage license in the mail. It is much cheaper than flying abroad, and the application process is easy. In the beginning, the state of Israel did not want to register us, but after the Supreme Court ruling, Utah marriages count as any other marriage abroad.”
“It is absurd that Israel does not recognize freedom of marriage,” Sher added. “I think many more Israelis will choose Utah weddings if they learn about it.” PJC
Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.
Vicky and Eilam Sher got married over video conference through the state of Utah in 2021. Courtesy photo via The Times of Israel
Community
Challah helpers
All the ingredients
In preparation of Kabbalat Shabbat at Community Day School, students transported challah for the Friday affair.
Hillel JUC hosted Challah for Change. The Oakland-based event enabled hundreds of students to braid challah for charity.
Emptying closets with care
Members of Pittsburgh NCSY organized a clothing drive and collected more than 1,000 donations. Rabbi Meir Tabak, director of the Pittsburgh youth group, will drive the items to Yad L “thousands of needy families across Israel.”
Beginnings of Big Night
Staffers at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh began preparing for Big Night. The March 1 program supports the JCC’s scholarship fund and organizational program costs.
Macher and Shaker
Pittsburgh artist Yafa Negrete was celebrated on Feb. 20 at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. Negrete was among a group of artists recognized during the second annual Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh Call for Diverse Art, a collaborative initiative seeking to “inspire dialogue and action through the transformative power of art, envisioning a more just and inclusive future for Pittsburgh.” Negrete’s piece, “Liora, My Sunshine,” was described by the artist as depicting “how me and my husband see my daughter and how sometimes society sees her. I would like to envision a more just Pittsburgh that is more patient with people with special needs, a city where they feel welcomed and included.”
p work “Liora, My Sunshine.”
Photo by Elisa Cevallos of South Breeze Photography courtesy of Yafa Negrete
p
Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh
