assover preparers are eyeing exorbitant expenses again this year. With eggs costing nearly $5 a dozen, many will need assistance in the weeks ahead. As the holiday approaches, several organizations and individuals across Pittsburgh are
Rabbi Chezky Rosenfeld, director of Our Giving Kitchen, encourages community members to visit the organization’s
“Open to the entire community,” the pop-up shop will be held at Shaare Torah Congregation on April 7 and feature fruit, vegetables and eggs for purchase at little to
Rosenfeld, who has run other holiday-related temporary food stores, acknowledged the financial strain families face this year may be greater than ever.
Even those whose incomes exceed the poverty line (approximately $32,000 for a family of four in Pennsylvania) “often struggle to pay the bills,” according to the
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research and policy institute.
“Pesach has always been a stretch for families in the Jewish community,” Rosenfeld said. “Especially now with prices being more astronomical, it’s important to help out those in need.”
More information about Our Giving Kitchen can be found at ogkpgh.com.
GIFT, another Pittsburgh-based organization, is offering free Passover-to-go kits. Eligible recipients include older adults, immunocompromised individuals and people with special needs.
The packages, which can be ordered for loved ones, include “everything you need for a seder and kosher meal,” according to organizers.
Additional information, including delivery details, is available at giftpgh.org/passover.
Cindy Goodman-Leib, executive director of Jewish Assistance Fund, encouraged Pittsburghers to consider JAF as the holiday approaches.
By David Rullo | Senior Sta Writer
he University of Pittsburgh’s Antisemitism Working Group has a clear focus, according to the group’s new chair, Kathleen Blee.
“It’s going to be a great, forward-looking committee, looking at how to make our campus safe and inclusive, and a place where all of our students can participate in student life fully and participate in education opportunities at the university fully,” she said. Blee is the former dean of Pitt’s Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences.
Paul Wallach, vice chancellor for health sciences education, and Jennifer Murtazashvili will serve as vice chairs.
Murtazashvili is the founding director of the Center for Governance and Markets and a professor at Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She was named as the co-chair of the working group when it was created in December 2024, and was believed to hold that role until university Chancellor Joan Gabel announced Blee’s appointment during a March 20 Senate Council meeting.
Blee said the change in leadership was due to the addition of Wallach, who will oversee what is commonly referred to as the “upper” campus and includes the medical school. Murtazashvili is now responsible for the “lower,” or non-medical, part of the campus. Blee said she’ll serve as a coordinator.
“It’s a good structure,” she said. “It gives us real breadth across the campus and a real diversity. The rest of the committee also provides a lot of diversity. It’s a good team.”
The remaining members of the group represent a cross section of Jewish life, on and off campus: Victoria Kotlyar, president
Misgav mayor comes to
Irving
Matzah grilled
Community Day School students hold boxes of matzah delivered by Rabbi Yisroel Altein on March 25. Photo courtesy of Community Day School
Headlines
Misgav mayor visits Pittsburgh, envisions stronger partnership
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
Danny Ivri wants to understand Pittsburgh and its Jewish residents. That quest led the New York-born Israeli, who serves as mayor of Misgav Regional Council, on a self-described “discovery tour.”
“This is a scouting trip to see who, how and when to connect to who, how and when, on either side,” he told the Chronicle last week.
For years, the Galileen-based politician has been linked to western Pennsylvania. As part of Parthership2Gether, a Jewish Agency for Israel program designed to foster connections among global Jewish communities, Misgav is Pittsburgh’s sister region (the partnership also includes Karmiel, a city in northern Israel, and Warsaw, Poland).
Despite the decades-long connection, Ivri had never before been to Pittsburgh. The elected official said he’d heard much about the city and the experiences of its Jewish residents from Israelis who traveled here and from Pittsburghers who visited Karmiel and Misgav.
But edification requires deeper engagement, he said, including learning what the Jews in Israel and the Jews in the Diaspora can do for each other.
Ivri, 68, spent the first 14 years of his life in Manhattan before moving to Israel with his parents. While only in Pittsburgh for two days at the time he spoke with the Chronicle, he already had observed some changes in Jewish perspectives.
When people made aliyah in the early 1970s, the “existential threat was palpable,” and Israel, for so many people, was “some sort of dream,” Ivri said. “That’s what people
Over the years, however, the character of association changed.
“Identification with the state of Israel has become a question of identification with the narrative of the state of Israel — the narrative of whether we are oppressed or oppressors, whether we are indigenous or colonialists, whether we are anything, whether the Arabs and the Jews are the same race,” Ivri said.
For generations, the latter “wasn’t the question,” he continued. “The Arabs and the Jews are the same race. They always were. There were always Jews in Arab lands. They weren’t considered non-Arabs because they were Jews. The whole issue of it becoming framed in terms of the American question — of privileged and underprivileged, of racial hatred and whatever — is new.”
Both for his own descendants and the future of the Jewish people, Ivri wants to improve Israel-Diaspora Jewish relations. It’s a task, he explained, that necessitates countering surging opinions.
On March 6, Gallup reported 46% of U.S. adults, 18 and above, express support for Israel — the lowest percentage of support in 25 years.
Similarly, 23% of those 30-49 years old told Pew Research Center last year their sympathies lie more with the Israeli people than with the Palestinian people; 17% said they had greater sympathy for Palestinians than with Israelis.
p Community Day School Head of School
thought. Maybe it was a non-realistic dream, but that’s what it was, a dream. And the process of becoming a state like everybody else, a state that has power, a perceived threat, a question of whether Israel is worthy of support because of things that it does — not things that are done to it — that’s a whole different reality.”
Ivri spoke of his children and grandchildren, and said he understands evolving attitudes toward U.S.-Israel relations.
“In my generation, the issue of involvement with Israel and the issue of involvement with Judaism and the Jewish community was identical,” he said. “Engagement with Israel was part of engagement with Jewishness.”
Pew also reported that 14% of those 18-29 years old said they were more sympathetic to the Israeli people; 33% said they were more sympathetic to Palestinians.
“I see that the needle has moved,” Ivri said. That isn’t to say hope is lost, though.
“The common ground has remained, and it is important to strengthen the common ground,” he said, before referencing
Please see Mayor, page 11
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Casey Weiss and Mayor Danny Ivri
Photo courtesy of Community Day School
Headlines
Irving Halpern, entrepreneur and community stalwart, dies at 98
By Deborah Weisberg | Special to the Chronicle
In his late 80s, Irving J. Halpern traveled to Washington, D.C., to see his grandson vie in a business plan competition as a student at George Washington University.
“He found tremendous excitement in the fact that I was so interested in running my own business while I was still in college,” said Jon Halpern, now 33, who would turn his winning idea into a successful company. “It was incredibly meaningful to me, now as much as then, that he wanted to be there.”
Irving Halpern was an active presence in the lives of his three grandchildren, two sons, and extended family and friends, offering encouragement and advice and leading by example until his death at age 98 at his Oakland home March 21.
“If I told him I was meeting someone on a certain day, he’d call at 5 p.m. to ask how ‘How’d the meeting go?’” recalled Jon Halpern. “If I missed his voicemail, he’d be very persistent in getting a call back. He wanted to be fully engaged in our lives.”
Following in the footsteps of his own father, Julius Halpern — a self-made immigrant who settled in Pittsburgh at age 17 — Irving Halpern graduated from Shady Side Academy and The Wharton School and became an entrepreneur across a broad spectrum of endeavors, including J. Halpern Company and Hi Ho Products toy manufacturing, TeleCheck financial services and Ellsworth Mews real estate development.
“I nicknamed him ‘the idea man,’ because he was always coming up with something new, whether it was a product or a creative way to solve a problem,” Jon Halpern said. “And that was well into his retirement.”
Five years ago, when cooking became challenging for Irving Halpern and Caryl, his wife of 70 years, he placed an ad in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle for someone to prepare and serve their meals, Jon Halpern recalled. “The one person who responded has been with them ever since, as a wonderful friend to them and everyone in our family.”
“That’s who my grandfather was: ‘I have an idea. How do I make it happen?’”
A sense of wonder drove much of Irving Halpern’s success, said his son and business partner Steve Halpern, 68. “My dad was very curious, and he was blessed with a good mind. He was a smart guy.”
Steve Halpern honed his entrepreneurial skills when he began working with his father on TeleCheck in his mid-20s and found him to be an ongoing source of inspiration.
“He was a builder and a designer,” Steve Halpern said. “He liked starting with a blank slate — with less formed things — and making something out of them.”
He expressed his creative bent in his private life as well, taking up painting, particularly watercolors, as a young man and becoming a collector of contemporary art. Through his wife and his son Jeff Halpern, both accomplished pianists, Irving Halpern cultivated a love of music.
Jeff Halpern recalled his father and
of the legendary guitarist/vocalist. “He was brought up on stage to perform ‘This Masquerade,’ which was his big hit. It was an exciting moment for my father and me that I got to accompany him.”
Irving Halpern was as pragmatic as he was imaginative, Steve Halpern said, “and he brought uncompromising integrity to every endeavor.”
In his eulogy at Rodef Shalom Congregation, Jeff Halpern cited honesty, fairness, loyalty, generosity and self-respect as the values that guided his father’s personal and business dealings.
“They have come into play the most for me as a father myself, with all that’s going on in the world,” said Jeff Halpern, 66, who works in the financial industry and lives in Weston, Connecticut.
His son Alexander Halpern, 21, and Irving Halpern share a Feb. 3 birthdate, which the Halpern family gathered to celebrate every year, typically at Irving and Caryl Halpern’s Palm Beach home.
Other special memories include Jeff Halpern’s bar mitzvah at Congregation Beth Shalom, a synagogue where Irving Halpern’s father was an early leader. The Halpern family’s history of philanthropy and community service dates to 1907.
“Irv was passionate about the local Jewish community and Israel,” said Federation President and CEO Jeff Finkelstein, who worked with Irving Halpern when he chaired the allocations committee.
“He was from one of the great generations of Federation leadership, who understood the importance of having an unrestricted annual campaign to support the core needs of the Jewish community.”
His head for figures was remarkable, Finkelstein said. “He was sharp as a tack.”
Grants to Federation have come from the
a longtime Foundation trustee, lauded her uncle’s “long, full life” and inspiring legacy.
“It’s the passing of an era,” she said. “It now falls heavily on us to continue with the values
Deborah Weisberg is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.
NO ONE SAVES MORE LIVES IN ISRAEL IN TIMES OF CRISIS.
There are many ways to support Israel and its people, but none is more transformative than a gift to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services system. Your gift to MDA isn’t just changing lives
Caryl and Irving Halpern
Photo courtesy of Steve Halpern
ballot, and passed, it would have forced the A deputy district attorney and supervisor a lot of folks that we deal with are from
Neft, too, has been influenced by his Jewish background and was a volunteer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Young
He is also a past president of the Allegheny County Bar Association and has dedicated time to many issues that are important
I was a chair for many years of what we call ‘Attorneys Against Hunger,’” he said. “The campaign has raised over $3 million for hunger
Neft said he opened the program up to both the Pittsburgh Greater Pittsburgh ask Force and what was then the Kosher Super Pantry, now the JFCS Squirrel
“I did that because those were two organizations that were doing things that obody else could do in terms of hunger
Neft said he’s also worked to make the legal and judicial systems fair for everybody, which he said goes along with the Jewish notion of repairing the world. He was appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s disciplinary board and has served on the Allegheny County Bar Association’s gender
Headlines
OIC-Mizrachi representatives encourage Pittsburghers to vote in World Zionist Congress elections
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
Aformer Ohioan and New Yorker trav eled to Pittsburgh via Israel in hopes of securing western Pennsylvanian votes in the World Zionist Congress elections.
Ari Bar Shain and Josh Hyman urged an audience at Congregation Poale Zedeck on March 27 to vote for the Orthodox Israel Coalition.
Directing attendees to a nearby printed QR code, Shain and Hyman told Pittsburghers that registration is easy and important.
“In 1897 Theodore Herzl founded the World Zionist Congress to give a voice to Diaspora Jewry about the future of Zionism and the future of Jews in Israel,” Hyman said. “Today, that World Zionist Congress still exists. They’re in charge of over a billion dollars a year in money that is dedicated to causes, both in Israel and outside of Israel, including land developments for Jewish people, education and other nonprofit causes. The Orthodox Israel Coalition, which we’re here representing today, is one of the organizations that is working for seats in that governing Congress.”
p Ari Bar Shain wants Pittsburghers to support OIC-Mizrachi.
Five years ago, the OIC received second place in voting and was able to direct “some
“Raising
Shain and Hyman both served in the Israel Defense Forces and said the OIC has supported them and fellow soldiers.
Among the OIC’s values are aiding “lone soldiers and religious lone soldiers, as well as miluim (reservist) families and families of bereaved soldiers,” Hyman said. “They also work to support combating antisemitism on campus abroad as well as [aid] shlichim (emisaries) in North America.”
The efforts complement Shain’s other endeavors, the former Clevelander explained.
“I direct a program supporting religious lone soldiers in the army through an organization called Tzalash, and there are multiple soldiers from Pittsburgh who I have known over the years,” he said. “When I’m not doing that, I’m wearing my uniform serving the country in a different capacity.”
Founded in 2013, Tzalash provides spiritual support and resources to IDF soldiers during their military service.
Shain recalled several Pittsburghers he met through Tzalash, as well as those he befriended years earlier while attending Camp Stone, a Religious Zionist-affiliated camp, in Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania.
Before departing Poale Zedeck and heading to Cleveland with Hyman for another address, Shain implored attendees to seize a democratic opportunity.
“We came here to ask you to please support the OIC-Mizrachi slate in the World Zionist Elections,” Shain said. “Mizrachi and the [OIC] slate are supporting the Religious Zionist institutions that strengthen our communities, both in Israel and abroad.”
The ongoing election enables Jews worldwide to choose a party that “reflects their beliefs,” according to OIC-Mizrachi representatives. Voting for this slate “helps safeguard the Jewish character of the state of Israel and ensures the continuity of the Jewish people.”
Poale Zedeck’s Rabbi Daniel Yolkut, a member of the OIC slate, mused that given the speakers’ visit to an Orthodox synagogue on a Thursday evening most attendees likely had their phones in hand throughout the program: “Whatever your personal feelings of being on your phone during a speech…if you want to go and vote while you’re listening — to strike while the iron is hot — I’m sure you will not offend them.”
Ballots may be cast online at azm.org/ elections through May 4. PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
the Roof on the Rotunda”
A Celebration of
Community and Culture! hosted by the Bloom eld-Gar eld Corporation May 15, 2025| 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
• Robert Fragasso, CFP Board Emeritus®, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Fragasso Advisors
• DS Kinsel, Co-Founder BOOM Concepts & Cultural Agitator/Creative Entrepreneur
• Carla Frost, Vice President & Corporate Responsibility Officer, KeyBank
Honorees:
• Robert M. Jones Jr. – President & CEO of Brothers and Sisters Emerging, Coach of Garfield Gators Football
• Senator Jay Costa, Pennsylvania
For information on the event or to confirm your sponsorship reach out to Cathy Green Samuels at 412-848-8529 or email cathygreensamuels@gmail.com
If you were a member of the B’nai Israel Congregation please let us know.
Votes in the World Zionist Congress Elections determine the outcome of more than $1 billion. Photo by cottonbro studio via Pexels
Photo courtesy of Ari Bar Shain
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.
SATURDAY, APRIL 5
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, sing along with Cantor Toby and a Shabbat activity with Family Center Director Ellie Feibus. 9 a.m. $5 per family. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org/ shabbatwithyou.
SUNDAY, APRIL 6
Join Chabad of the South Hills for the Great Matzah Bake-o . 3 p.m. 1700 Bower Hill Road. chabadsh.com/matzah.
SUNDAYS, APRIL 6, APRIL 20
The Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh presents “Help! I got my DNA Results, and I’m Confused!” with Gil Bardige. Join the thousands of genealogists who have been successful with Bardige’s methodologies. He will share an expanded version of his processes and techniques to prioritize matches, to get organized and feel like you can accomplish something and know what to do next. 1 p.m. $10. pghjgs.org/eventdetails/help-i-got-my-dna-results-andim-confused-w.
SUNDAYS, APRIL 6–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.
MONDAY, APRIL 7
Join us at the 10.27 Healing Partnership for a dedicated hour of guided creative letter writing to someone who has made a positive di erence in your life. Writing and art supplies will be provided. 1:30 p.m. Free. Jewish Community Center of Pittsburgh, Room 316, 5738 Forbes Ave. 1027healingpartnership.org/writing-lettersof-gratitude.
MONDAYS, APRIL 7–JULY 21
Join the 10.27 Healing Partnership for Roll for Insight: Community-Building Role-Playing Games. Meet every other week to connect and grow with new friends through playing tabletop role-playing games designed to inspire emotional depth. They will use RPGs to explore the intersection of identity, emotional resiliency and games, to fight isolation and disconnection, and to meet new people and form friendships. Free. No experience required. 16 and up. 5:30 p.m. Jewish Community Center, 5738 Forbes Ave. 1027healingpartnership. org/rpg-club.
MONDAYS, APRIL 7–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, APRIL 9
Join Chabad of the South Hills for a Pre-Passover seniors lunch and holiday program featuring a presentation on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Wheelchair accessible. 1 p.m. suggested donation. Call 412-278-2658 to register. 1701 McFarland Road.
Join the Holocaust Center for a Generations Speaker Series talk by Hedda Sharapan, a descendant of survivors originally from Lithuania. Hedda will share a heartwarming Holocaust story about a father and son. This program is part of a series of events in 2025, commemorating the 80th anniversary of liberation and in observance of Genocide Awareness Month in April. 6 p.m. Chatham University Shadyside Campus, 0 Woodland Road. eventbrite.com/e/generations-speaker-serieshedda-sharapan-tickets-1.
WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 9–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 APRIL 12
Chabad of Squirrel Hill invites you to celebrate Passover with a gourmet community Passover meal, meaningful traditions and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. 7:30 p.m. $25/Adult; $15/Child. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.
TUESDAY, APRIL 22
Chabad of Squirrel Hill is pleased to welcome
Menahem Kalmanson, recipient of the 2024 Israel Prize for civilian heroism. Kalmanson will present “In Search of My Brothers.” 7 p.m. $10. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/hero
THURSDAY, APRIL 24
Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, is the day set aside to remember the approximately 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh invites you to this year’s Yom HaShoah Commemoration featuring a performance by student musicians from Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, impactful poetry readings and a candle lighting ceremony, along with other traditional elements. 7 p.m. Free. Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave. eventbrite.com/e/2025-yom-hashoahcommemoration-registration-1226927.
SATURDAY, MAY 3
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, sing along with Cantor Toby Glaser and a Shabbat activity with Family Center Director Ellie Feibus. 9 a.m. $5 per family. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom. org/shabbatwithyou.
THURSDAY, MAY 15
Chabad of Squirrel Hill presents Unity Challah Bake, a challah-making workshop for men and women. Make a beautiful and delicious heart-shaped challah and enjoy a bu et of assorted challah and dips. 7 p.m. $15; 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/lol.
THURSDAY, MAY 22
Join Chabad of the Squirrel Hill for Sip and Paint Night. Enjoy Israeli wine, desserts and good company while creating a beautiful painting of Jerusalem. 7 p.m. $25. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/paint. PJC
Join the Chronicle Book Club!
The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its May 4 discussion of “Jews Don’t Count,” by David Baddiel. From Amazon.com: “‘Jews Don’t Count’ is a book for people who consider themselves on the right side of history. People fighting the good fight against homophobia, disablism, transphobia and, particularly, racism. People, possibly, like you.
It is also available through the Carnegie Library system.
Email: Contact us at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org, and write “Chronicle Book Club” in the subject line. We will send you a Zoom link for the discussion meeting. PJC
— Toby Tabachnick
"It is the comedian and writer David Baddiel’s contention that one type of racism has been left out of this fight. In his unique combination of close reasoning, polemic, personal experience and jokes, Baddiel argues that those who think of themselves as on the right side of history have often ignored the history of anti-Semitism . He outlines why and how, in a time of intensely heightened awareness of minorities, Jews don’t count as a real minority: and why they should.”
Your hosts
Toby Tabachnick, Chronicle editor
David Rullo, Chronicle senior staff writer
How it works
We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, May 4, at 1 p.m.
What to do
Buy: “Jews Don’t Count.” It is available at some area Barnes and Noble stores and from online retailers, including Amazon.
Headlines
Suspect arrested for Beaver Borough antisemitic vandalism
The Beaver Borough Police Department announced that a man was arrested for painting red swastikas on the side of a residential building near the area of Fifth Street and Sharon Road.
According to a March 30 Facebook post created by the police department, the man arrested was a “disgruntled contractor who specifically tagged the property due to a business dispute” and was not part of a larger threat to the community.
The swastikas painted on the building were reported on March 28. They were derided by many community members and quickly painted over. The police and the Beaver County commissioners each offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible. Beaver County Crime Stoppers offered an additional $500 reward.
Shawn Brokos, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh community security director, said it is unknown why the suspect chose to paint swastikas on the building but said the community is not at risk.
“It was done in anger and haste, and he [the suspect] has already apologized for it,” Brokos said. “I don’t think that this is directed at the larger Jewish population and there is no reason for concern.”
Brokos said the Beaver Borough Police Department deserved to be recognized for “what was an exceptional response.”
“They were outraged and determined to find out who did this,” she said. “They were very clear that this is not representative of Beaver.”
Anyone who notices suspicious activity is urged to report it to the Federation at jewishpgh.org/form/incident-report. PJC
David Rullo
Do you have a tried-and-true dish that comes with an interesting origin story? If so, we want to hear from you!
Submit recipes along with their backstories to newsdesk@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org, and write “Recipe” in the subject line. Please include a photo of the dish. You may see your submission as part of our new column “Savoring Stories.” PJC
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.
MONDAY- FRIDAY 8AM
Photo by Jill Wellington via Pixabay
Headlines
‘Literal torture’: Former Gaza hostages tell of harrowing captivity on ‘60 Minutes’
By JNS Sta
Yarden Bibas, whose wife and children were murdered by Hamas terrorists, on Sunday discussed for the first time the horrors of captivity in Gaza, speaking to CBS’ “60 Minutes” along with former hostages Keith Siegel and Tal Shoham.
Bibas said he chose an American news outlet for his first interview because he wanted the White House and U.S. President Donald Trump to hear his plea to bring a stop to the fighting in the Gaza Strip. Israel resumed airstrikes on March 18 after a two-month ceasefire.
“Please stop this war and help bring all the hostages back,” Bibas said.
He described being held in Hamas tunnels during airstrikes. “You’re afraid for your life. The whole earth would move like an earthquake, but underground,” he told “60 Minutes.”
Bibas was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas invasion of southern Israel. Some 1,200 people were killed, mostly civilians, and 251 taken hostage, of whom 59 are still held in Gaza, both living and dead.
Bibas remained in captivity for 484 days.
He was freed on Feb. 1, having lost 33 pounds. Abducted separately were his wife, Shiri, and two sons, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months old.
Their terrorist captors subsequently murdered Shiri and the children, and then claimed they died in an Israeli airstrike.
When Hamas returned the bodies of Kfir, Ariel and, supposedly, Shiri on Feb. 20, it was discovered that the body of Shiri was that of
an unidentified woman. Hamas eventually returned Shiri’s body after public pressure.
“They were murdered in cold blood,” Yarden said. “They [his captors] used to tell me, ‘Ah, doesn’t matter. You’ll get a new wife. Get new kids. Better wife, better kids.’”
Bibas’ best friend, David Cunio, whom he has known since the first grade, remains in captivity. Last month, his family said they
had received news from a recently released captive that he was alive.
“I lost my wife and kids. Sharon must not lose her husband,” Bibas said of Cunio’s wife. Sharon and her then 3-year-old twin daughters were also kidnapped but they released in November 2023 as part of the first ceasefire deal.
Keith Siegel, 65, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, was held by Hamas for 484 days. He said he saw cruel abuse by Hamas terrorists.
“I witnessed a young woman who was being tortured by the terrorist. I mean literal, you know, torture, not just in a figurative sense. They made you watch it. Yeah, I saw sexual assault with female hostages,” he told “60 Minutes.”
Siegel said his situation worsened after his wife, Aviva, was released during the November 2023 ceasefire. “The terrorists became very mean and very cruel and violent,” he said. “They were beating me and starving me.
“They would often eat in front of me and not offer me food,” he said.
For showers, captives were given half a bucket of cold water once a month, with a cup to pour it over themselves.
Their heads and private parts were shaved. Siegel surmised the terrorists did this to
Please see Hostages, page 11
Yarden Bibas, 34, Shiri Bibas, 32, and their children, then-9-month-old Kfir and 4-year-old Ariel, were abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Courtesy photo via The Times of Israel
Headlines
Nearly a quarter of Americans raised Jewish have left the religion, survey says
Almost one in four U.S. adults raised Jewish do not identify as religiously Jewish anymore, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, JTA reported.
The study, published last week, surveyed “religious switching” around the world, and found that significant percentages of people raised in religious homes in the United States and internationally are now religiously unaffiliated. Smaller numbers have converted to another religion.
Among Americans raised Jewish, 17% now describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated. An additional 2% now identify as Christian while 1% now identify as Muslim. An additional 4% identify with another religion or didn’t answer.
The survey also found that 14% of Jewish adults in the U.S. had converted into the religion. Of that population, half were raised as Christians while most others grew up religiously unaffiliated.
In contrast to the U.S. findings, survey data from Israel found that 100% of those raised Jewish remained Jewish as adults, and only 1% of the adult Jewish population had converted. Virtually all Israelis raised Muslim also still identify as Muslim in adulthood.
The rate of religious switching among Jews has remained constant: The data reflected just a slight change since the last survey of its kind in 2014, where 75% of U.S. adults raised Jewish said they still identified as such.
Child marriage banned in Washington, D.C., after push by Jewish advocates
New legislation banning child marriage in Washington, D.C., was signed into law last month following advocacy by a coalition including Unchained At Last, a Jewish-led organization that opposes underage marriage, JTA reported.
The act establishes the marriage age as 18 in Washington, D.C., with no exceptions. It was signed by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and became law recently following a 30-day congressional review.
The law closes loopholes that allowed children aged 16 or 17 to be married with parental consent. According to data collected by Unchained at Last, 110 minors in D.C. were married between the years 2000 and 2023.
“Thank you, D.C., for standing up for girls and banning an archaic human rights abuse that destroys girls’ lives," said Fraidy Reiss, founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, in a press release.
Reiss, who is a survivor of what she describes as a forced teenage marriage in a haredi Orthodox community, has been a staunch advocate for ending child marriage nationwide. The press release said her group worked with the Washington, D.C. Coalition to End Child Marriage, which also lists Unchained at Last among its partners.
The capital now joins a tally of 13 states and two U.S. territories that have banned child marriage outright. Ten more have laws pending that would eliminate the practice.
After announcing LGBTQ club, Yeshiva U president says Pride values ‘antithetical’ to the school Days after Yeshiva University announced
Today in Israeli History
Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
April 4, 1968 — Jews re-establish presence in Hebron Moshe Levinger and several other Israelis pretending to be Swiss tourists check into a Hebron hotel to establish the first permanent Jewish presence in the city since the 1929 massacre of 67 Jews.
April 5, 1999 — M-Systems patents USB flash drive Kfar Saba-based M-Systems applies for a U.S. patent for the USB flash drive, which can store 8 megabytes, five times the memory of most floppy disks. IBM begins selling the drives after the patent is granted.
M-Systems’ USB flash drive revolutionized
April 6, 1923 — Justice Netanyahu is born
Shoshana Netanyahu, Benjamin Netanyahu’s aunt, who in 1981 becomes the second female Israeli Supreme Court justice, is born in Danzig (now Gdansk, Poland). Her family makes aliyah when she’s 1.
April 7, 1977 — Maccabi Tel Aviv wins European basketball title Maccabi Tel Aviv wins its first European
that it would recognize a club supporting LGBTQ students, its president said the values espoused by a typical “Pride” club are “antithetical” to the school, JTA reported.
R abbi Ari Berman also claimed that the Modern Orthodox school’s decision to allow an LGBTQ club, after years of fighting in court not to recognize one, did not represent a reversal. He apologized for how t he school had initially communicated the announcement.
“I deeply apologize to the members of our community — our students and parents, alumni and friends, faculty and Rabbis — for the way the news was rolled out,” he wrote in an email to students last week. “Instead of clarity, it sowed confusion. Even more egregiously, misleading ‘news’ articles said that Yeshiva had reversed its position, which is absolutely untrue.”
For years, in keeping with Orthodoxy’s prohibition against homosexual relations, Y.U. fought in court to avoid giving official recognition to the YU Pride Alliance, a student LGBTQ group. In 2022, the school announced its own group to support LGBTQ students, which Pride Alliance leaders rejected.
Last month’s announcement said all litigation had ended and that the students would run a new Y.U.-approved group called “Hareni.” The student leaders celebrated the decision, and advocates for LGBTQ Orthodox Jews said the announcement was a significant step for queer recognition in Orthodox spaces.
Berman’s letter countered both of those ideas. He framed the new club as a continuation of the group founded by the administration in 2022, rather than the Pride Alliance. And he rejected the idea that Orthodoxy approves of LGBTQ clubs.
In UK and Australia, lawmakers are trying to curb protests outside of synagogues
The British government is pushing to let police block protests in front of places of worship, following a similar move earlier this year by Australian lawmakers, according to JTA.
The new measure in England, part of a policing bill currently moving through Parliament, would give police in England and Wales the ability to control the route and timing of protests that take place around places of worship, the Guardian reported.
The U.K. home secretary, Yvette Cooper, told a Jewish group last week that the provision is aimed at curbing protests outside of synagogues. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have held regular rallies during the IsraelHamas war that began in 2023, and some of the routes have passed synagogues on Shabbat.
The initiative comes after organizers of a pro-Palestinian protest planned in January for a Saturday in London fought police orders to move away from a synagogue. C ooper’s proposed amendments to the UK’s crime and policing bill would grant the police powers to enforce such orders.
Similar restrictions also came to New South Wales, an Australian state, with the passage of a suite of laws that, in part, criminalized protest outside of places of worship.
Reception to the New South Wales legislation was mixed, with some critics citing potential free speech concerns. PJC — Compiled by Toby Tabachnick
basketball championship by defeating the two-time defending champions, Mobilgirgi Varese of Italy, after upsetting the Soviet team CSKA Moscow in the semifinals.
April 8, 1960 — U.N. head protests Egypt’s seizure of Cargo
U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold for the first time publicly criticizes Egypt for confiscating Israeli cargo on ships using the Suez Canal. Israel conditioned its 1956 withdrawal from the Sinai on the freedom of navigation.
April 9, 1921 — President Navon is born
Yitzhak Navon, elected Israel’s fifth president in 1978, is born in Jerusalem to a family that has lived there for three centuries. He fights with the Irgun and Haganah and serves in the Knesset. He dies in 2015.
By Kobi
April 10, 2002 — Suicide bomber kills 8 on Haifa bus
Eight passengers on a commuter bus in Haifa, including the 18-year-old niece of Israel’s U.N. ambassador, are killed in a Second Intifada suicide bombing claimed by both Hamas and Islamic Jihad. PJC
p Israel’s thenpresident, Reuven Rivlin, joins the fifth president, Yitzhak Navon (left), at a launch event for Navon’s autobiography in Jerusalem on June 24, 2015.
Gideon, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0
Headlines
"We provide financial help for the western Pennsylvania Jewish community for pressing expenses," she said. "Assistance is timely, confidential and with no repayment."
More information is available at jafpgh.org.
Like others in the community, Rabbi Yisroel Altein of Chabad of Squirrel Hill is striving and driving to ensure Pittsburghers have necessary items for a meaningful holiday.
While speaking with the Chronicle, Altein was en route to Community Day School to deliver 200 boxes of handmade shmurah matzah to families at the Jewish day school.
The special unleavened bread, which arrived in Pittsburgh via New York, is made from grain that was guarded from contact with water since the time of harvest. Rabbinic literature encourages Jews to eat shmurah matzah at the seder because the bread is round, handmade and similar to the matzahs baked by the ancient Israelites in the Passover story.
Altein’s March 25 delivery wasn’t a one-off; apart from the 200 boxes delivered to CDS,
Working Group:
of Chabad at Pitt; Olivia Shaw, president of Hillel at Pitt; William Carter, former dean of the university’s law school; Rachel Kranson, director of Jewish Studies; Officer Justin Reck from the University of Pittsburgh’s Police Department; Diego Holstein, professor in the Department of History; and, Barton Branstetter, professor of radiology, otolaryngology and biomedical informatics.
Included in the group are ex-officio members Laura Cherner, director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Relations Council; Rabbi Danny Schiff, the Federation’s Gefsky Community Scholar; and Kevin Washo, senior vice chancellor for university relations and Gabel’s chief of staff.
Blee said the group hasn’t met yet, but the immediate goal is to frame the state of antisemitism at Pitt in a national and regional context and consider opportunities to partner with community organizations and initiatives to foster an inclusive, safe environment on campus.
Working with community groups is important, she said, given that Pitt’s campus is located in Oakland and has porous borders, which she said is one of the university’s biggest strengths but presents a unique set of challenges.
“Then we’re going to take a good look at our own programs and procedures and support systems for combatting antisemitism,” she said, “and really think through, as a committee, what opportunities there might be to improve the development and
he plans on distributing another 300 cartons before the holiday begins April 12. He is also helping to find Pittsburghers a place to celebrate the Exodus from Egypt.
“We have a community seder that is highly subsidized — and it’s not just for people who
can’t afford — it’s for everyone to have a place to go,” he said.
The Chabad of Squirrel Hill communal seder, which will occur the first night of Passover, costs $25 per person, but the fee is optional, Altein said. Additionally, “anyone
who needs assistance, we will give them money to help buy food for a seder or we’ll help them find a place to eat.”
More information is available at chabadpgh.com.
While community members are working to provide adults and children with Passover options, Rabbi Henoch Rosenfeld is focusing efforts on one particular local demographic: young professionals.
Rosenfeld, the director of Chabad Young Professionals of Pittsburgh, is encouraging individuals to attend the organization’s subsidized seder on April 12.
“Generous sponsors” are ensuring people have a place to go, he said. “If anyone is in need they should reach out.”
Information is available at cyppitts burgh.com.
Echoing a sentiment shared by several other Jewish professionals, Rosenfeld said he’s happy directing Chronicle readers to matzah, resources or a seder. The takeaway, he continued, is that “financial means should not be a barrier to celebrating Pesach.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
implementation of new things, to change our enforcement.”
The goal, Blee said, is to create a model university, something that presents “a big, complicated puzzle” requiring the participation of a diverse group of individuals like those invited to take part in the working group.
There is no timeline for the group to finish its work or a mandated date when the committee will end, she said.
Blee is an expert on far-right extremism and has written several books on hate,
including “Inside Organized Racism: Women and Men in the Hate Movement.” And while many campuses are experiencing antisemitism stemming from far-left progressive movements, Blee said Pitt’s working group will explore hate and antisemitism regardless of its source.
“We’re charged with looking at the state of antisemitism at Pitt more broadly,” she said. “We are looking at this as a holistic phenomenon, not parceling it out and only studying one particular kind.”
While there has been a lot of talk since
“We’re charged with looking at the state of antisemitism at Pitt more broadly. We are looking at this as a holistic phenomenon, not parceling it out and only studying one particular kind.”
–KATHLEEN BLEE
President Donald Trump’s election about antisemitism on college campuses, Blee said politics haven’t entered the sphere of the working group.
“We’re focused on how to improve things at Pitt and not getting involved with national politics,” she said.
The antisemitism working group was created after several Pitt students were physically attacked and anti-Israel protestors allegedly vandalized property and assaulted police officers while illegally encamping on the campus.
Last month, the Antidefamation League gave the university a “D” in its Campus Antisemitism Report Card. PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
F or home delivery, c all 412-687-1000, ext. 2
p Finding an economically friendly way to celebrate Passover in Pittsburgh should not be a question this year. Photo by cottonbro studio via Pexels
p The Commons Room of the Cathedral of Learning serves as a major study and event space for the University of Pittsburgh and its students.
Photo by Brian Donovan, via Wikimedia Commons
Headlines
Mayor:
Continued from page 2
Partnership2Gether. “That has to be the value. What is the partnership for if not to strengthen the common ground?”
Whether through sports, culture or discussion, Ivri believes shared experiences between American and Israeli Jews will reap a better future for both.
“It can be done in all kinds of ways, but it can’t be done quickly,” he said. “It has to be tended and developed. It has to be watered.”
Ivri is spending his time in Pittsburgh listening, learning and seeking allies.
After arriving on March 25, he toured Rodef Shalom Congregation, visited the Rauh Jewish Archives & History Program at the Heinz History Center, met with leadership from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, spoke with college students at Hillel JUC and heard from the shinshinim
He also was slated to meet with mayoral candidate and Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor and visit Community Day School, the Sally and Howard Levin Clubhouse, JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry and Shaare Torah Congregation, then return to Rodef Shalom for services with Tree of Life Congregation.
Candidates:
Continued from page 4
Both Neft and Zur believe a judge’s role is to look beyond the offense a criminal might commit.
“I think it’s incumbent upon a judge presiding over a case to figure out, if they can, what is driving the criminal behavior,” Zur said. “We know that mental health issues, drug addiction, probably fuel the overwhelming majority of criminal behavior we see in Allegheny County, so I think it’s important to try and see what we are dealing with.”
His view on bail is similar. He agrees with the district attorney’s policy not to ask for cash bail, believing someone shouldn’t be adversely affected by their financial status.
“We look at cases to determine if an individual is a danger to the community, and if that person is a danger to the community, then it’s
Hostages:
Conversations with Pittsburghers won’t just reveal “what the challenges are,” he said, but will allow Ivri to return to Israel with an ability to speak to colleagues in the Galilee and “somehow think of who to connect to who.”
Misgav’s population is less than 10% of Pittsburgh’s. The former’s 22,000 residents live in 35 “small communities, including six Bedouin villages,” according to the Jewish Federation.
“Most people in the Pittsburgh Jewish community have no idea how lives are lived in our diverse communities or in
most of our diverse communities,” Ivri said. “Maybe they know one, but they still don’t really know what’s going on.” The reverse is also true, he continued: “Certainly in Israel, knowledge of what’s going on in Pittsburgh, the challenges of Pittsburgh and being an American Jew, very few people are familiar with.”
Ivri is eager to change the narrative and said he wants to revisit Pittsburgh in six months with representatives from Karmiel and Misgav.
“I want to choose people that I come back with that will be relevant, that have
“Judges are in a unique position. They don’t really engage in policy, but they can develop resources to fix a problem that may be present in a given case.”
–BRYAN NEFT
appropriate that there would be no release,” he said. “Otherwise, if it’s a non-violent offense, then there are conditions that could be imposed such as house arrest.”
Neft, too, believes that it is important to consider all circumstances in a case.
“You don’t want to keep someone in jail unnecessarily, but you have a duty to protect the public from whatever is going on,” he said. “So, you have to be able to gauge all of those factors to be able to come up with what may be a just result.”
Continued from page 8
amuse themselves. “I felt humiliated,” he said.
Siegel said his spirit was completely broken in captivity. “I felt that I was completely dependent on the terrorists, that my life relied on them, whether they were going to give me food, bring me water, protect me from the mob that would lynch me.
“I was left alone several times, and I was very, very scared that maybe they won’t come back and I’ll be left there,” he said. “Maybe that was a way for them to torture me in that way, in a psychological way, make me think, ‘OK, should I escape? Should I not escape? Should I try to escape?’ But I’m pretty sure they knew I wouldn’t dare to do that, because I needed them,” he said.
Tal Shoham, 40, spent 471 days in Gaza.
He had been kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri during a family visit. He had seen other hostages in captivity, including Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Evyatar David, best friends who were kidnapped while attending the Supernova music festival.
The parents of Dalal and David joined Shoham on “60 Minutes.”
Shoham had previously informed the parents that he had seen their children in Gaza. Of Dalal, he said, “One moment he’s partying at the Nova. The second moment he’s in the worst place in the world. And it took him, I think, five or six days just to stop crying, to start to realize that this is the reality now.”
Ilan Dalal, Guy’s father, said, “It’s important for us to know exactly what’s going on with our children.”
On Feb. 22, Hamas published a propaganda video showing Gilboa-Dalal and
That same philosophy extends to each attorney’s thoughts on juvenile justice.
Neft said there should be resources available to help provide stable environments for juveniles who commit crimes while helping to rehabilitate them.
“If they did the crime, they have to atone for that in some way, shape or form,” he said. “When we talk about restorative justice, we have to make sure people pay their dues and that we involve the community and victims in decisions to bring about a favorable result.”
David at a ceremony for the release of others from captivity in Gaza.
Hamas forced the two men to watch the ceremony from inside a vehicle as hostages Eliya Cohen, 27, Avera Mengistu, 39, Hisham al-Sayed, 36, Omer Shem Tov, 22, Omer Wenkert, 23, and Shoham were released.
“Looking at their scared, frightened faces, begging to come out, wanting to be like their friends who got released, it is very hard to see your son begging for his life, asking to come out,” Dalal’s father told JNS at the time.
Shoham told “60 Minutes” that one of the “toughest things” he heard from the two was when they asked whether they wouldn’t be better off killing themselves to put an end to their suffering.
“They are not children but from time to time I felt like a father,” said Shoham.
“60 Minutes” reported that Shoham and
something to do with what we can give value to,” he said.
Ivri envisions coming to Pittsburgh with experts in social services and bereavement, as well as professionals who specialize in caring for older adults and outreach to the young.
His first visit to Pittsburgh was about deepening the relationship and “facing the challenges,” he said. Next time it will be about “enlarging the circles of knowledge of how people live their lives.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
Zur said the juvenile system is primarily meant for rehabilitation rather than punishment, something he supports.
“Each case needs to be analyzed individually, and you have to look at the facts — a person’s history — and then make a determination on what the best response to whatever the conduct is,” he said.
Neft and Zur both believe their experience qualify them for the role of judge and urge voters to evaluate each candidate based on their capabilities and skill. The Allegheny County Bar Association rated both candidates as “highly recommended.”
The primary election takes place Tuesday, May 20. There are 22 candidates running for judge in the Allegheny Court of Common Pleas primary, including several incumbents. Voters can choose up to eight candidates. PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
the others “were mostly confined into a narrow tunnel …, beaten every day and made to share minute amounts of pita, rice and water.”
“Sometimes the water tastes like blood, sometimes like iron. Sometimes it was so salty that you could not drink it. But you don’t have anything else,” Shoham said.
“You don’t need too much to stay alive. You can eat only one bread every day, and if you have, like, 200 milliliters [about 7 ounces] of water every day, you will stay alive,” he added. Shoham said the hostages found ways to make deals for more food. One terrorist liked back rubs. So in exchange, they would receive food — “different food, meat … a can of tuna … some beans,” he said.
Siegel, who attends vigils and protests on behalf of the remaining hostages, said, “In a way, you’re still there. Your mind is still there.” PJC
p Mayor Danny Ivri, fourth from right, meets with college students at Hillel JUC. Photo courtesy of Hillel JUC
p Mayor Danny Ivri visits Pittsburgh on March 27.
Photo by Adam Reinherz
To rob the dead: How the Palestinian cause seeks to steal the Shoah
Imagine them: the survivors.
Their faces hollowed by hunger, their wrists inked with numbers, their language orphaned from the world around them. They emerge not into welcome, but into indifference. From the crematoria of Poland and Germany, from the pits of Ukraine, from the train yards of Hungary — yes. But also from the alleyways of Tunis. From the rooftops of Aleppo. From the streets of Baghdad, Cairo, Tripoli and Sana’a. Jews in Europe were murdered by industry; Jews in the Arab world were erased by decree, by fire, by mob.
The Shoah did not end at the gates of Auschwitz. It echoed in the Farhud pogrom in Iraq in 1941. It stained the Jewish quarter of Tripoli in 1945. It roared through Aden and Casablanca and Damascus — where Jews were not only neighbors but natives, not guests but citizens, nonetheless turned into exiles.
We must state this plainly: The Holocaust was global. The ideology that Jews did not belong — anywhere — was not confined to Hitler’s Europe. It found fertile ground in the Arab world, stoked by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who met with Himmler and broadcast Nazi propaganda in Arabic. It metastasized into a campaign of ethnic cleansing — a Nakba of the Jews — that would uproot over 850,000 Jews from
Arab lands in a single generation.
These Jews, too, carried no privilege. They arrived in Israel not with power, but with loss. They fled burning synagogues, plundered homes and unmarked graves. They were not colonizers. They were the colonized who refused to die quietly.
The Shoah is not theirs to steal. And Israel is not theirs to unmake.
And now, somehow, they are the accused.
In the great moral farce of our time, the descendants of Holocaust survivors and Mizrahi refugees alike are being cast not as the healed, but as the guilty. Israel, we are told, is the new Nazi regime. Gaza is the new Warsaw. Zionism is racism. And the Jewish story — ancient, fractured, miraculous — is reduced to a postwar accident, a colonial apology, a Western indulgence.
This is not criticism. This is not activism. This is the theft of memory in service of erasure. Because those who chant “genocide” today are not simply misinformed. They are strategic. They understand that if Israel can be portrayed as a product of Holocaust guilt, it can be dismissed as illegitimate. And if the Shoah can be detached from Jewish identity — if it can be reclaimed by others as metaphor, as weapon, as theater — then Jewish nationhood can be painted as theft.
This is why the narrative has shifted. Israel is no longer the survivor, but the aggressor. Jews are no longer the displaced, but the oppressors. The Holocaust is no longer a Jewish wound,
but a globalized banner under which even those who dream of a Jew-free Middle East can march in righteous indignation. But here is what they do not understand. Israel was not born from the Holocaust. It was born despite it. The Shoah did not create Zionism — it vindicated it. It proved what we already knew in Warsaw and Fez, in Berlin and Baghdad: that Jews without sovereignty are Jews without safety.
Zionism did not begin in 1945. It began in the Psalms. In exile. In yearning. It was the quiet defiance of a people who, through every forced conversion, every medieval expulsion, every yellow badge and ghetto wall, clutched a single idea: Next year in Jerusalem
When the Jews returned home — yes, home — they came not with vengeance, but with rebuilding. Not with empires, but with tools. They did not come to colonize, but to resurrect.
And now, in the great inversion, they are accused of recreating the very evil they fled.
To say this plainly: The claim of genocide against Israel is not just false — it is obscene. It is a desecration of language, of memory, of morality. It mocks the gas chambers by equating them with air strikes against terrorists who use children as shields. It hijacks the image of the Jewish ghetto to whitewash Hamas tunnels and rockets. It renders the Shoah meaningless by universalizing its horror
Jolene Ben Ari: The best of both worlds
Last week, I was invited to a city council meeting to take part in a panel about immigrant services. I was excited for the opportunity to exchange ideas in order to benefit future immigrants, and I’m a big fan of being asked my opinion, so I happily attended. After a few shared anecdotes and questions regarding how best to help new immigrants adapt to life in Israel, one of the Israeli women leading the panel asked, “Are you motivated to become Israeli?”
I spend a lot of time thinking about my experience as an immigrant, but this question gave me pause. I collected my thoughts and answered her in Hebrew. “It brings me tremendous joy that my children are Israeli, but I grew up somewhere else, with a completely different language and culture. It doesn’t matter how good my Hebrew is or how motivated I am to change, I don’t think I will ever be Israeli, and I’m not sure that’s my goal.”
She nodded politely and moved on. But the question kept nagging at me. Am
I Israeli? Am I an American who’s motivated to become Israeli? I’m motivated to learn the language and to interact with Israelis. I’m motivated to function well in Israeli society. And while I try to avoid embarrassing my children with the sheer American-ness of my being, I am not ashamed of who I am, nor am
to care about whatever existential epiphany you’re having.”
A flow of customers began heading toward the shelter, interrupting this heartfelt and highly imaginary exchange. It seemed irresponsible not to go along, and so I abandoned my coveted position and hustled off.
Immigrants are not a problem to be solved or an issue that needs fixing.
I trying to become someone else (except for Amy Poehler. I am actively trying to become Amy Poehler).
I was pondering this very thought while standing in line at the supermarket on a Thursday afternoon. Suddenly I heard the siren — the Houthis were at it again, and I had 90 seconds to run to a bomb shelter. But here’s the thing — I was next in line, and I did not want to spend 10 minutes in a safe room only to lose my spot. The cashier didn’t look like she wanted to leave either. I raised my eyebrows at her, as if to say, “Am I doing this?
Am I ignoring this siren because I simply can’t be bothered? I am so freakin’ Israeli!!” She shrugged in response, as if to reply, “My shift lasts until 5, and I’m not paid enough
I was back in the supermarket the following week, when the butcher admonished me that I hadn’t yet ordered meat for Pesach. “I’m still getting organized, I’ve got plenty of time!” I told him. Because I am a very good Israeli — I cannot plan more than two weeks ahead.
And when my son tells me that on his vacation he and his friends are going to hike 75 kilometers (46.6 miles) from the Mediterranean Sea to the Kinneret, an American parent might worry about such an ambitious, unsupervised adventure. But not me! Slap some socks and sandals on my feet and call me Tzvika, because I am the Israeli-est Israeli that ever was.
But just when I start to get cocky about my butterfly-like transition, my son texts me a
and stripping it of its Jewish soul.
And it is not accidental. It is purposeful. It is an act of moral vandalism, of history rewritten in reverse.
Because if Israel is a Nazi state, then Jewish victimhood is nullified. If Jews are today’s oppressors, then their claims to land, safety, and identity can be dismantled. And if the Holocaust no longer belongs to the Jews, then the very foundation of Israel can be pulled from beneath its feet.
But they forget — the land was not a gift. It was not compensation. It was the one place we always returned to. When Babylon burned, we whispered of Zion. When Rome conquered, we remembered Jerusalem. When Europe murdered us and the Arab world expelled us, we did not conjure a nation. We came home. And now, those who could not prevent our survival seek to shame it. To shame a nation of refugees for refusing to be stateless again. They will not succeed.
The Shoah is not theirs to steal. And Israel is not theirs to unmake.
We, the children of both exodus and ash, of Torah and trauma, will not surrender our history. We will not forget who we are so that others can pretend we were never here. We are here. Alive. Returned. Rooted. And we remember everything. PJC
Catherine Perez-Shakdam is the executive director of the Forum of Foreign Relations, a former research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society and a consultant for the UNSC on Yemen, as well an expert on Iran, terror and Islamic radicalization. This article first appeared on The Times of Israel.
picture. He is smiling broadly and standing next to someone I don’t recognize.
“Lookin good!” I text back.
“You don’t know who that is, do you?” Turns out, it’s a major Israeli celebrity. But I have no idea. Because just like that, I am very, very American.
I am American when I mistake the word (snack foods) for (compensation), thoroughly confusing everyone in the conversation about work benefits. For the record, both are important points to focus on when negotiating a contract.
And I am American when I resolve only to patronize businesses that communicate by WhatsApp, because somehow the act of dialing a phone makes me forget every Hebrew word I have ever learned.
I felt particularly Israeli this past Friday when I visited a pre-Pesach fair not far from our house. Israeli fashion, jewelry and artwork were on full display. Women were trying on sparkly headscarves, matching them with flowery dresses and telling each other how great they looked. Popular Israeli songs blasted over the loudspeaker and we all sang along to Hanan Ben Ari.
But then the soundtrack changed. And
Guest Columnist
Catherine PerezShakdam Guest Columnist Kally
Chronicle poll results: Ending relationships due to antisemitism
Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an online poll the following question: “Since Oct. 7, 2023, have you ended a relationship because the person expressed antisemitic views?” Of the 252 people who responded, 71% said no and 29% said yes. Comments were submitted by 77 people. A few follow.
On TikTok I’ve unfollowed everyone who added the Palestine flag to their user name. I also unfollowed all my previous friends who repeat their words.
I needed to block on Facebook one of my art teachers and a friend I made at the university. It’s still painful.
I think the Jewish community and others have propagandized and weaponized the notion of antisemitism to challenge uncomfortable issues and freedom of speech. We rarely, if ever, come out against Islamophobia or the rights of Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank.
Fortunately no one I know has expressed such views. I no doubt would end a relationship with anyone I suspect is antisemitic.
the unmistakable twangy chords of “Jolene” were heard across the venue. I laughed out loud, certain that Mr. Ben Ari and her majesty Dolly Parton have never before coexisted in the same playlist. And while the Israelis around me scratched their heads at this unfamiliar tune, the Americans in the crowd did not miss a beat. We kept right on singing,
There are stupid people in America — at least 77 million of them. When one of these idiots started screaming in my face “From the river to the sea” I smiled and asked them “Which river and which sea are you referring to?” Of course, they couldn’t answer and just said “Any river and any sea.” At that point I realized that I couldn’t have any type of relationship with this person. You just can’t argue with stupid.
imploring Jolene not to steal our man.
And then I understood that if being Israeli means not knowing the words to Jolene, I don’t want to be right.
So this one goes out to the hybrids, the ones who sing over-confidently to both Dolly and Hanan (because you only think you know all the words to Hanan’s songs, but you are mortifying your children as we speak). Immigrants are not a problem to be solved or an issue that needs fixing. We are a special fusion of old country wisdom
The most disheartening part of my relationships post-10/7 is to lose or end relationships and friendships because of people’s views when I am feeling like I need support and want people around me to support me. Instead, it seemed the majority of people I knew were suddenly making vastly inaccurate and harsh assumptions about my beliefs and my ties with Israel. No one seems to ask me anymore what I think; they just assume since I am Jewish and wear Jewish jewelry and talk about my Jewishness that I must feel one specific way about current events. It is heartbreaking. And I am only 22.
I have not ended any relationships. But as a psychologist clients have had difficult conversations with me. They have had to reconcile my considerably different perspective with theirs, but in the end all decided to continue with the therapeutic relationship. I’ve never had to deal with such issues in my practice before, and that goes back close to 50 years. We live in interesting times, don’t we?
Fortunately, this hasn’t happened to me. However, some local politicians, through their inaction or active anti-Israel views, have lost my support or further confirmed it.
and new world customs that gives us a bumbling charm, not unlike that of Amy Poehler.
The state of Israel is currently tearing itself apart over its own identity. Those of us who have come from afar, whose identities are also in flux, and who never forget how lucky we are to be here, we can be part of the path forward. We have different ideas of how things could be and should be. We have talents and ideas that are sure to get lost in translation, but we keep trying because we are full of pluck and grit!
I quit my work union because of the antisemitism. I also resent people who have not said a word about 10/7 or the hostages and suddenly advocate for Mahmoud Khalil.
Not an individual but a group. After 40 years as an ACLU member, I quit when the ACLU PA newsletter published a photo of a staff attorney wearing a keffiyeh. When I inquired with both the national and state offices as to the meaning of doing so, I received no response from either via phone or email. I did not renew and joined the League of Women Voters and National Council of Jewish Women instead.
I ended a lot of relationships in my lifetime due to antisemitism. And I am not Jewish.
I know plenty of people who are antisemitic, but I continue to be in dialogue with them even though I doubt I will ever be able to change their perspective. PJC
— Compiled by Toby Tabachnick
Chronicle weekly poll question: Do the seders you typically attend incorporate modern or creative elements (e.g., themed seders, contemporary rituals)? Go to pittsburgh jewishchronicle.org to respond. PJC
We love the people we used to be, because they sacrificed to get us where we are. We are in no rush to say goodbye to them. We are Dolly and we are Hanan. We are Jolene Ben Ari, the best of both worlds. Please compensate us with snacks. PJC
Kally Rubin Kislowicz grew up in Pittsburgh, and made aliyah from Cleveland to Efrat in 2016. This article first appeared in The Times of Israel.
Pesach spending: 5 excuses that cost us more
Afew years ago, I found myself standing in a packed mall the week before Pesach, arms overloaded with last-minute gifts, clothes and enough food to feed a small army. The stress of holiday prep was overshadowed by a nagging thought — why was I spending so much? Wasn’t Pesach about freedom, not financial strain? That year, I decided to change my approach, and since then, my family has enjoyed meaningful, budget-friendly holidays without sacrificing the joy of celebration.
Gift giving: Thought over price
Gift-giving is a beautiful tradition, but you don’t need to overspend to make it meaningful. Whether it’s an afikomen prize for the kids, a hostess gift, or something special for a spouse, setting a budget in advance is crucial. Instead of defaulting to expensive gifts, consider thoughtful, sentimental options: a framed family photo, a meaningful book with a handwritten note, or a homemade treat with a heartfelt card. These gifts often leave a lasting impact — without leaving a hole in your wallet.
New holiday clothes? Shop smart Before rushing to buy new outfits, take a moment to go through your closet. You might be surprised at what you already have. If new purchases are necessary, timing is everything — end-of-season sales and “buy one, get one free” deals are lifesavers,
especially for families with multiple children. A little planning goes a long way in keeping clothing costs down.
Hosting without the financial burden
Pesach meals are about bringing people together, but they can also bring staggering grocery bills. If you’re hosting, don’t hesitate to ask guests to contribute — whether it’s dessert, wine, or a side dish. If you’re a guest, offer to take part in the expenses or host the next gathering. Sharing the financial load makes celebrating together more sustainable.
Affordable Chol Hamoed adventures
Chol Hamoed is the perfect time for family outings, but entertainment doesn’t have to be costly. Instead of heading to malls or
expensive attractions, embrace the beauty of spring with hikes, bike rides, or picnics. Many communities offer free holiday events — take advantage of them! If a paid activity is on your list, search for coupons or group discounts before booking.
Pesach is a time of renewal and reflection, and financial stress shouldn’t overshadow its meaning. By planning wisely and prioritizing meaningful experiences over unnecessary expenses, we can truly embrace the spirit of the holiday — freedom, in every sense of the word.
Wishing you a chag sameach — one that’s joyful, meaningful, and financially stress-free. PJC
Sharon Levin has a master’s degree in public policy and is a certified group facilitator. She has worked for Paamonim since 2009. This article first appeared on The Times of Israel.
Guest Columnist
Sharon Levin
Life & Culture
Matzah grilled cheese
By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle
Ithought long and hard before submitting a Passover recipe this year. I usually publish a dessert or fancier meat option for the seder but this year I decided that a simple, family-friendly weekday recipe would be the most helpful thing I could offer. My kids get bored with matzah pizza day
after day, and there is only so much cream cheese, egg salad or tuna salad one can offer. A few years ago I started making these little sandwiches and they seemed to hit the spot for my entire family.
I’m sharing an easy filling recipe for the sandwich but the real gift is the general technique. Once you get that down, the possibilities are endless. You can stuff these with just about any filling imaginable as long as it’s appropriate for Passover. I’ve made cheese breakfast blintzes, mashed potato
Quart of matzo ball soup (2 matzo balls)
Quart of broth
Quart of chicken soup (no matzo balls)
Extra matzo balls
Chopped liver
Potato pancakes
Homemade ge lte sh
Horseradish
Charoset
Potato kugel - small (feeds 4-5)
Potato kugel - large (feeds 8-12)
Beef brisket (with potatoes and carrots)
Apricot chicken breasts
Stu ed cabbage
Last day to place orders is Sunday April 6th
No changes a er April 8th
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with cheese, tuna melts, spinach and feta, and even ground meat with spices.
Ingredients:
4 sheets square matzah
1 egg lightly beaten
Oil or butter for pan frying
Cheese filling:
1 cup shredded cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon matzah cake meal
Pinch of salt
Lay out a thin, clean kitchen towel and run each square of matzah under the tap for 10 seconds per side. Stack the damp matzah onto the towel and gently wrap the towel around the matzah so that it’s completely covered.
The matzah must rest for 25-30 minutes before you make the sandwiches. I’ve rushed it and had a crumbly mess, so learn from my mistakes and wait it out.
Mix the filling ingredients in a small bowl. You can use any grated cheese. The kosher cheese blend from Costco is affordable and convenient, so that’s what I tend to use. Adding an egg and a little bit of matzah cake meal helps bind the cheese filling so it doesn’t run out of the sandwich when it melts. If you try this with a meat filling, keep in mind that it shouldn’t be wet or too oily, and strain off extra liquid before filling the matzah.
Whisk one egg and put it into a separate dish. Once you assemble the sandwiches you will coat the sandwich in the egg for a few seconds on each side before pan frying.
Machine-made/boxed matzah has perforated lines running through it. Position the matzah so the lines are running vertically as you’re looking down at the counter. Imagine the matzah having 4 squares per piece if that helps visually. There will be a line running right through the center of the matzah. Take clean kitchen shears and gently cut up the middle line to the mid-center point of the matzah. Imagine each corner has a number from 1 to 4. Start in one bottom corner next to where you cut the seam of the matzah. It doesn’t matter if you start on the left side or the right side. Sometimes a corner of the matzah will tear;
if that happens, piece it back together and try to start with that corner because the filling and loose matzah will get turned up and sealed into the second fold.
Each sandwich will hold about 3 tablespoons of filling. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the first quarter and 1 tablespoon in the opposite diagonal corner, which would be the third square. Let’s say you’re starting with the bottom lefthand quarter. Gently spread and pat down 2 tablespoons of filling. Fold the filling quarter up to the top and match the edges as best as you can. Then fold it right to seal the third quarter that has the extra tablespoon of filling, before folding it down to complete the sandwich.
Dip this into an egg mixture for a few seconds on each side. If there are any tears in the matzah the egg mixture will help seal it together.
Fry these like you would any sandwich — over medium-low to medium heat and with a tablespoon or two of oil or butter in the pan. Cook about 2 minutes per side or until gently browned and remove from the pan.
The matzah itself is pretty flavorless so sprinkle a little sea salt over each side of the cooked square.
Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
One of these usually fills me up but a hungry person might eat two. You can also cut each square diagonally to make triangle-shaped halves; kids love them this way.
These are also good at room temperature, so you can send them in a packed lunch; there is no need to reheat.
If they feel a little greasy, serve them in a napkin. It makes the kids happy to hold something in their hands that feels like a sandwich.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and warmed in the oven on a baking sheet.
This recipe makes 4 matzah squares and it’s easy to make a larger batch.
I hope this recipe gives you new options to serve over the holiday and I encourage you to get creative.
Chag kasher v’sameach! Enjoy and bless your hands. PJC
Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.
p Frying matzah grilled cheese
Photo by Jessica Grann p Matzah griled cheese
Photo by Jessica Grann
• Registration
Volunteers Needed!
August 3-8, 2025
• Airport Greeters
• Food Servers
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The JCC Maccabi Campus Games is an Olympic-style event for Jewish teens that inspires Jewish pride, connection and a sense of personal achievement through sports, community service and socializing.
• Activity Assistants
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• Volunteers must be 18 or older
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For more information, please contact Lynn Zelenski, Co-Director lzelenski@jccpgh.org
Life & Culture
Jewish director debuts film version of ‘antisemitic’ UK play as Jew-hatred hits record high
— FILM —
By Robert Philpot | The Times of Israel
LONDON — The American-Israeli director of a new film version of a controversial “antisemitic” play has strongly defended the production and appealed for people to approach it with an “open mind” and “put aside their preconceptions.”
Omri Dayan told The Times of Israel that British playwright Caryl Churchill’s 2009 play “Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza” is a “humanistic political piece of art.”
“I really hope that this film can reintroduce this piece to people in a way that they maybe haven’t seen before,” he said. “I hope that it can help people, like it’s helped me… understand what it means to be Jewish, learn about our history, learn about our humanity and try to improve ourselves, because that’s what art’s about.”
The film premiered in London on March 31 and will be screened elsewhere in the U.K. and in New York in April.
But campaigners against antisemitism have attacked the decision to produce a film version of the short drama, in which an anonymous Jewish family discusses what to tell their daughter about key moments in Jewish and Israeli history. The play’s seven brief scenes stretch from early 20th-century pogroms through the Holocaust, the birth of the state of Israel, the 1967 Six Day War and Second Intifada, and conclude with the 2009 Gaza war.
“I’m not surprised at all,” Dave Rich, director of policy at the Community Security Trust, said of the decision to release the film at a time when antisemitic incidents in the U.K. are at record levels.
“In an atmosphere in which antisemitism has become thoroughly normalized in progressive politics, we should not be surprised that an antisemitic play, and in particular this antisemitic play, is revived,” said Rich, author of “Everyday Hate: How Antisemitism is Built into Our World.”
Churchill’s original play was first staged at London’s Royal Court Theater in February 2009, just weeks after the end of Operation Cast Lead.
Operation Cast Lead was a three-week conflict between armed Palestinian terror groups and the Israel Defense Forces in 2008-2009 that Israel said was aimed at stopping Palestinian rocket fire into the country. Thirteen Israelis and over 1,100 Palestinians were reportedly killed.
The play immediately attracted fierce criticism from leading British Jews and communal groups, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews. It termed Churchill’s work “horrifically anti-Israel” and claimed it went “beyond the boundaries [of] reasonable political discourse.”
In a letter to the Daily Telegraph, a number of prominent British Jews, including actors Maureen Lipman and Tracy Ann Oberman, businessman and philanthropist Mick Davis, and academic Geoffrey Alderman said the play “demonizes Israelis by reinforcing false stereotypes” and was “historically inaccurate,” noting its failure to reference Israel’s post-1967 offers of “land for peace,” the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, and the Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza which precipitated both the 20082009 war and several later conflicts.
The play also attracted mixed reviews from
theater critics.
“‘Seven Jewish Children’ isn’t art, it’s straitjacketed political orthodoxy. No surprises, no challenges, no risks. Only the enclosed, fetid, smug, self-congratulating and entirely irrelevant little world of contemporary political theater,” wrote The Sunday Times’s Christopher Hart, accusing Churchill of a “ludicrous and utterly predictable lack of even-handedness.”
Churchill was given the prestigious European Drama Award in 2022. The decision was later reversed when the Germany-based jury responsible for the decision was made aware of her support for the BDS movement, which the German parliament has designated as antisemitic. A statement at the time explaining the U-turn also cited “Seven Jewish Children,” noting it “can also be regarded as being antisemitic.”
All in the family
Dayan first discovered the play during a visit to Israel in 2022 when members of his family were discussing the controversy surrounding Churchill’s withdrawn drama award. “I felt myself drawn to the piece,” he said. “It has such a concise and poetic and yet deeply understanding and thought-out language, which not only encompasses the historical, but also the collective psychology.”
Filming on the project was conducted in August 2023, and Dayan recruited both his father, writer and director Ami Dayan, and grandmother, actor Rivka Michaeli, to appear in it. He describes their participation as “a joy… a wonderful experience and collaboration.”
“This dialogue between generations and between family members is a huge part of what shaped my life, and it’s also what usually draws me into a story,” he said. “So it felt very natural and almost a given that they should be part of telling the story. It helped me tremendously in creating that atmosphere of a family, of the warmth that we feel, [and] the unconditional love.”
At the time of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terror onslaught on southern Israel, the film was in the late stage of editing.
“The terror of that day, the horror of that day… shook me,” Dayan said. “From a personal perspective, I needed to step back from everything at that time. I didn’t want to be reacting from such a raw emotional place.”
Some 1,200 people in southern Israel were slaughtered that day and 251 kidnapped to the Gaza Strip, amid acts of horrific brutality that included sexual assault, mutilation and torture.
After a break of a few weeks, the young director returned to the editing room.
He says little was changed in the final cut.
“The sad thing is that the last shot of the film is alluding to the fact that there will be
more chapters to this story,” Dayan said. “That was a very intentional thing I was doing when we were filming it, but we had no idea that we’d be living through that chapter as we’re releasing [it].”
At the same time, he said, while the film was shot before Oct. 7, “it looks like it was filmed as a reaction to [it], because we’ve been knowing the path that we’re going down for so long, and yet we’re not doing anything to change it.”
Not an attack on Jews, merely critical of Israel
The original play — which Churchill allows to be staged without the payment of royalties if a collection for the U.K. charity Medical Aid for Palestinians takes place — went from writing to performance in under a month.
“I wrote it last week,” the playwright told The Guardian days after the January 2009 ceasefire. “It’s only a small play, 10 minutes long, but it’s a way of looking at what’s happened and to raise money for the people who’ve suffered there.”
Churchill has staunchly defended the play, arguing in 2022 it was about “families wanting to protect children and wondering what to tell them about terrible things, a pogrom, the Holocaust, finally the bombing of Gaza.”
Churchill claimed: “It is critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians; it is not an attack on all Jews, many of whom are also critical of Israeli policy. It is wrong to conflate Israel with all Jews. A political play has made political enemies, who attack it with slurs of antisemitism.”
Dayan dismissed the notion that rising levels of antisemitism in the U.K. and internationally make it a poor time to release the film.
“I think that it’s more important now than ever to show the world that we as the Jewish people… [are] not the same as Israel,” he said. “Judaism and Israel… are not the same thing.”
But more than that, Dayan believes, it is crucial to “stand up for what we believe as a Jewish people.”
“We’ve gone through these atrocities and we know what it feels like to be discriminated against,” he said. “We’re going through it now. And yet we still stand for humanity because that’s what it means to be Jewish and to have gone through these things.”
The London-based filmmaker argued that art critical of Israel is too often labeled as antisemitic.
“This creates a smokescreen that hides voices of opposition to Israel, both in Israel and outside,” Dayan said, “when there’s real antisemitism happening [now] and we need to put the focus where it deserves and not on a piece of art that’s calling for our humanity.”
‘It’s pure gaslighting’
Critics, however, remain unconvinced by defenses of Churchill’s work.
“I think it is such an important example of the double standard and innate suspicion that the weathermakers of progressive thought bring to their treatment of Jews,” said Rich. “There is no way on earth that Caryl Churchill’s response to Islamist violence would have been to fantasize about what she imagines Muslim parents teach their children, or that the Royal Court would have put on such a play, or that the Guardian would have produced its own version.”
“But where Jews are concerned, we are treated as some kind of alien group to be poked and prodded like some kind of anthropological-psychiatric study,” he said. “And of course, we are then expected to believe that when they say ‘Jewish’ they are just criticizing Israel. It’s pure gaslighting.”
The closing scene, set against the backdrop of war in Gaza, Rich said, features a monologue containing “a combination of antisemitic tropes”:
“Tell her they want their children killed to make people sorry for them,” says a family member. “Tell her I’m not sorry for them, tell her not to be sorry for them, tell her we’re the ones to be sorry for, tell her they can’t talk suffering to us. Tell her we’re the iron fist now… Tell her they’re animals living in rubble now, tell her I wouldn’t care if we wiped them out… tell her we’re chosen people, tell her I look at one of their children covered in blood and what do I feel? Tell her all I feel is happy it’s not her.”
Dr. David Hirsh, chief executive of the London Center for Antisemitism, is similarly critical of the play, saying it “portrays Jews as indoctrinating their children to be indifferent to non-Jewish suffering and it gives the impression that this neurotic practice is the cause of the persistence of conflict between Israel and its neighbors.”
“Jews have long been accused of murdering non-Jewish children,” Hirsch said. “Today, it is considered legitimate to accuse Israel of executing a deliberate plan to murder non-Jewish children by the thousand. The blood libel is back.”
At the time of the play’s first performance in 2009, British novelist Howard Jacobson condemned it as “a hate-fueled little chamber-piece.”
“Once you venture onto ‘chosen people’ territory — feeding all the ancient prejudice against that miscomprehended phrase — once you repeat in another form the medieval bloodlibel of Jews rejoicing in the murder of little children, you have crossed over,” he wrote in The Independent newspaper. “This is the old stuff. Jew-hating pure and simple.”
Dayan believes the notion that the play contains antisemitic tropes is “completely outrageous.”
“I really encourage people to move past that initial discomfort we all have,” said Dayan. “Unfortunately, anything that touches Israel and Palestine is inherently political nowadays… but it’s also something that we need to challenge. We’re talking about a piece that is all about nurturing and protecting the next generation.”
“It’s talking about the pain that we as Jewish people have gone through and it’s tackling that and I hope that we can learn to use these traumas not to lessen our humanity, but to widen it,” he said. PJC
p A still from Omri Dayan’s film version of the 2009 Caryl Churchill drama “Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza” Photo by Chantal Richardson via The Times of Israel
Life & Culture
Alex Edelman brings his new comedy show to Pittsburgh: Expect Pesach jokes and big laughs
By Toby Tabachnick | Editor
In the last year, Alex Edelman won both a Tony and an Emmy for his show “Just For Us.” The show had an extended run on Broadway and aired as an HBO special. Not bad for a young Jewish day school alum.
Inspired by a meeting of white nationalists that Edelman attended in New York several years ago, “Just For Us” examined serious questions of identity and assimilation. It was also really funny.
Winning both a Tony and an Emmy was, “surreal,” Edelman said, speaking by Zoom from his home in New York. “It was very crazy, very cool, just discombobulating in some ways. You know, you never expect to write something and for it to have that type of effect. It was so special.”
Raised Orthodox in Boston, the 35-year-old entertainer infused “Just For Us” with lots of Jewish humor, but the show appealed to a wide demographic. Edelman has a frenetic physical energy, which is pure joy to watch, even when he is riffing on heavy topics such as racism and antisemitism.
He is bringing his new show, “What Are You Going to Do,” to the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland on April 17. So far, the tour is scheduled to hit just 13 cities. Edelman specifically earmarked Pittsburgh as one of his stops. While he has cousins who live in Squirrel Hill, he said, he has never before performed here.
“Pittsburgh is known as a pretty good comedy city,” Edelman said. “I’m very excited to go.”
When asked if his new show will be as Jewish as “Just for Us,” the comedian
By Ben Sales | JTA
It’s official: The three Jewish coaches who entered the NCAA men’s basketball tournament as top seeds have all made the Final Four.
The fourth men’s team has a player who was once part of Israel’s national youth squad. And in the women’s tournament, Jewish coach Lindsay Gottlieb’s USC faced UConn Monday night, with UConn now headed to the Final Four.
All three Jewish-coached men’s teams won their Elite Eight matchups over the weekend, sending them to the final stages of March Madness. On Saturday, Todd Golden’s Florida beat Texas Tech, and Jon Scheyer’s Duke beat Alabama.
Then, on Sunday, Bruce Pearl’s Auburn beat Michigan State. That win came two
“shows are reflections of who you are. So, I guess the last show was Jewish, because there was a lot of stuff about Jewish identity and stuff like that. And there’s some stuff here about identity and Judaism as well. So sure, let’s call it Jewish.”
Like “Just for Us,” the new show will include jokes and stories about Edelman’s
days after Auburn beat the University of Michigan and its star Jewish player, Danny Wolf, in a showdown on Shabbat.
The last Final Four team, Houston, also has a Jewish connection: guard Emanuel Sharp is the son of Derrick Sharp, who played for Maccabi Tel Aviv for more than a decade. The younger Sharp was born in Israel and was part of its under-16 national basketball team.
Scheyer and Golden also played in Israel, and Pearl has taken his Auburn team on a trip there. Pearl also spoke about IsraeliAmerican hostage Edan Alexander in a postgame press conference earlier in the tournament.
Auburn plays Florida on Saturday, April 5, guaranteeing that at least one Jewish coach will get to the championship game. Duke and Houston play on the same day. The last Jewish coach to win the tournament was Larry Brown, who led Kansas to the title in 1988. PJC
“A crucial component of the show is other people,” he added. Unlike his previous show, though, “those other people probably won’t
“Just For Us” saw Edelman darting around the stage with an energy reminiscent of the late Robin Williams. While he did not formally block “What Are You Going to Do,” he anticipates this show being pretty physical as well.
“I do this job because I enjoy it, and when you enjoy something, that expression
comes up physically,” he said. “And I think it’s an underrated element of stand-up. You know, some of my favorite comedians, especially comics my age, are very physical. Mike Birbiglia is very physical. Cat Cohen, Chris Fleming. I love the physicality of good stand-up.”
He admires a host of contemporary comics, but also was influenced by some of the old-time greats, he said, including Joan Rivers, Phyllis Diller, Alan King, Richard Pryor and Billy Crystal.
He hopes “What Are You Going to Do” will appeal to a wide audience.
“I think that good Jewish art appeals to everyone, right? Like, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ is not just for Jews. Everyone loves ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’ Jewish audiences were half of the audience for ‘Just For Us.’”
As the show will be in Pittsburgh during the week of Passover, “the audience will get some Pesach material,” Edelman said. “Some strong jokes about how Sefardis can eat lentils and beans and we can’t.”
“It’s a funny show,” he said. “It’s filled with jokes and stories. I’ve very carefully picked the first 13 cities to go to and I really hope people come, because it is Chol Hamoed Pesach and I know people will be busy with the chag, but it will be very nice if people came.”
Edelman’s connection to Pittsburgh goes beyond his cousins in Squirrel Hill. His mentor was the late baseball entrepreneur Larry Lucchino, an Allderdice grad. Edelman worked for Lucchino at the Boston Red Sox when he was a teenager and they never lost touch. Lucchino also introduced him to Mineo’s pizza, which he calls a “guilty pleasure.” PJC
Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
p Alex Edelman
Photo by Peter Garritano
p Head coach Jon Scheyer of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates after cutting the net following a victory against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Elite Eight round of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament at Prudential Center on March 29, 2025, in Newark, New Jersey.
Photo by Lance King/Getty Images
“servant leadership,” which is more mission-focused, more results-focused, with less yelling. Let’s look at the first word of the parasha: קְרָ֖א Vayikra. “And He called … .” The root and means “to call, cry out, proclaim.” Big words, dynamic words, powerful words. It shows a kindness and a great love that God would announce Moses this way. Rashi says that word shows affection. Now, let’s face it, if God is addressing you in this way, it is pretty clear to everyone that you and God are tight. Nobody would dare push back against you. But Moses, another commentator offers, didn’t want this. There is another word used for other prophets, Bilaam for one, that uses the rootקרה . Can you see how that is similar? In Numbers 23:4 that word is used to mean God “happened upon” Bilaam, or “encountered” or even “communicated reluctantly.” All of this is decidedly low-key and not anything like God calling forth to Moses.
God calls and Moses answers. Very top-down. But there is another form of leadership called “servant leadership,” which is more mission-focused, more results-focused, with less yelling. Let’s look at the first word of the parasha: קְרָ֖א Vayikra. “And He called … .” The root for the word God used isקרא and means “to call, cry out, proclaim.” Big words, dynamic words, powerful words. It shows a kindness and a great love that God would announce Moses this way. Rashi says that word shows affection. Now, let’s face it, if God is addressing you in this way, it is pretty clear to everyone that you and God are tight. Nobody would dare push back against you. But Moses, another commentator offers, didn’t want this. There is another word used for other prophets, Bilaam for one, that uses the rootקרה . Can you see how that is similar? In Numbers 23:4 that word is used to mean God “happened upon” Bilaam, or “encountered” or even “communicated reluctantly.” All of this is decidedly low-key and not anything like God calling forth to Moses.
Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26
for the word God used isקרא and means “to call, cry out, proclaim.” Big words, dynamic powerful words. It shows a kindness and a great love that God would announce Moses this Rashi says that word shows affection. Now, let’s face it, if God is addressing you in this way, is pretty clear to everyone that you and God are tight. Nobody would dare push back against But Moses, another commentator offers, didn’t want this. There is another word used for prophets, Bilaam for one, that uses the rootקרה . Can you see how that is similar? In Numbers 23:4 that word is used to mean God “happened upon” Bilaam, or “encountered” or even “communicated reluctantly.” All of this is decidedly low-key and not anything like God calling forth to Moses.
for the word God used isקרא and means “to call, cry out, proclaim.” Big words, dynamic words, powerful words. It shows a kindness and a great love that God would announce Moses this way. Rashi says that word shows affection. Now, let’s face it, if God is addressing you in this way, is pretty clear to everyone that you and God are tight. Nobody would dare push back against But Moses, another commentator offers, didn’t want this. There is another word used for other prophets, Bilaam for one, that uses the rootקרה . Can you see how that is similar? In Numbers 23:4 that word is used to mean God “happened upon” Bilaam, or “encountered” or even “communicated reluctantly.” All of this is decidedly low-key and not anything like God calling forth to Moses.
Rabbi Larry Freedman
Parshat Vayikra Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26
Moses didn’t like to be called in such a fancy way. Jacob ben Asher (died c. 1340, Spain) in his commentary suggests that Moses wanted to be introduced with more humility, without such fuss, like Bilaam. God instead insisted on proclaiming Moses with great love. Well, Moses really couldn’t say no to God but he could still make his point.
Moses and the power of servant leadership: A lesson from Leviticus Rabbi Larry Freedman
Rabbi Larry Freedman
Parshat Vayikra
Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26
Moses didn’t like to be called in such a fancy way. Jacob ben Asher (died c. 1340, Spain) in his commentary suggests that Moses wanted to be introduced with more humility, without such fuss, like Bilaam. God instead insisted on proclaiming Moses with great love. Well, Moses really couldn’t say no to God but he could still make his point.
TParshat Vayikra
Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26
Moses and the power of servant leadership: A lesson from Leviticus
Moses didn’t like to be called in such a fancy way. Jacob ben Asher (died c. 1340, Spain) in his commentary suggests that Moses wanted to be introduced with more humility, without such fuss, like Bilaam. God instead insisted on proclaiming Moses with great love. Well, Moses really couldn’t say no to God but he could still make his point.
Moses didn’t like to be called in such a fancy way. Jacob ben Asher (died c. 1340, in his commentary suggests that Moses wanted to be introduced with more humility, without such fuss, like Bilaam. God instead insisted on proclaiming Moses with great love. Well, really couldn’t say no to God but he could still make his point.
Spain) in his commentary suggests that Moses wanted to be introduced with more humility, without such fuss, like Bilaam. God instead insisted on proclaiming Moses with great love. Well, Moses really couldn’t say no to God but he could still make his point.
In the Torah text when you go to the word
In the Torah text when you go to the wordויקרא you will see that the א is small, about half the size of a regular letter. If you are not paying attention and miss that little א you might read the word as that other word for “happened upon.” And if you do spot the small א you catch you might read the word as that other word for “happened upon.” And if you do spot the small
There are those who think that leadership and hierarchy entail, by definition, yelling and screaming and threatening. Some think that beating down everyone is the way to elevate the leader. That is one way. It’s a pretty bad way to do things but it is a popular method by those who don’t care about subordinates or who think short-term gains are better than long-term success. We have an interesting suggestion of a better way from Moses as we start the book of
In the Torah text when you go to the wordויקרא you will see that the א is small, about half the size of a regular letter. If you are not paying attention and miss that little א you might read the word as that other word for “happened upon.” And if you do spot the small א you you will see that the
In the Torah text when you go to the wordויקרא you will see that the א is small, about half the size of a regular letter. If you are not paying attention and miss that little א you might read the word as that other word for “happened upon.” And if you do spot the small א you catch is small, about half the size of a regular letter. If you are not paying attention and miss that little
In the Torah text when you go to the wordויקרא you will see that the א is small, about half the size of a regular letter. If you are not paying attention and miss that little א you might read the word as that other word for “happened upon.” And if you do spot the small א you catch you catch the message that Moses was in effect saying, “Thank you for the great honor of being called in such a way but let’s not make a big fuss over it, shall we?”
here are those who think that leadership and hierarchy entail, by definition, yelling and screaming and threatening. Some think that beating down everyone is the way to elevate the leader. That is one way. It’s a pretty bad way to do things but it is a popular method by those who don’t care about subordinates or who think short-term gains are better than long-term success. We have an interesting suggestion of a better way from Moses as we start the book of Leviticus.
There are those who think that leadership and hierarchy entail, by definition, yelling and screaming and threatening. Some think that beating down everyone is the way to elevate the leader. That is one way. It’s a pretty bad way to do things but it is a popular method by those who don’t care about subordinates or who think short-term gains are better than long-term
There are those who think that leadership and hierarchy entail, by definition, screaming and threatening. Some think that beating down everyone is the way to leader. That is one way. It’s a pretty bad way to do things but it is a popular method who don’t care about subordinates or who think short-term gains are better than success. We have an interesting suggestion of a better way from Moses as we start Leviticus.
One would think Moses wouldn’t object to anything God says. It’s a pretty clear hierarchy. There’s God, who is God, and there’s Moses, who is very much not God. Therefore, . But there is another form of leadership called focused, more results-focused, with less yelling.
We have an interesting suggestion of a better way from Moses as we start the book of
One would think Moses wouldn’t object to anything God says. It’s a pretty clear hierarchy. There’s God, who is God, and there’s Moses, who is very much not God. Therefore, God calls and Moses answers. Very top-down. But there is another form of leadership called “servant leadership,” which is more mission-focused, more results-focused, with less yelling.
One would think Moses wouldn’t object to anything God says. It’s a pretty clear hierarchy. There’s God, who is God, and there’s Moses, who is very much not God. Therefore, God calls and Moses answers. Very top-down. But there is another form of leadership called “servant leadership,” which is more mission-
Let’s look at the first word of the parasha:
Vayikra. “And He called … .” The root for the word God used is
Let’s look at the first word of the parasha: קְרָ֖א Vayikra. “And He called … .” The root “to call, cry out, proclaim.” Big words, dynamic words, a great love that God would announce Moses this way. Now, let’s face it, if God is addressing you in this way, it is pretty clear to everyone that you and God are tight. Nobody would dare push back against you. But Moses, another commentator offers, didn’t want this. prophets, Bilaam for one, that uses the rootקרה . Can you see how that is similar? In Numbers 23:4 that word is used to mean God “happened upon” Bilaam, or “ “communicated reluctantly.” All of this is decidedly low-key and not anything like God calling forth to Moses.
One would think Moses wouldn’t object to anything God says. It’s a pretty hierarchy. There’s God, who is God, and there’s Moses, who is very much not God. God calls and Moses answers. Very top-down. But there is another form of leadership “servant leadership,” which is more mission-focused, more results-focused, with Let’s look at the first word of the parasha: קְרָ֖א Vayikra. “And He called “to call, cry out, proclaim.” Big words, a great love that God would announce Now, let’s face it, if God is addressing you is pretty clear to everyone that you and God are tight. Nobody would dare push back There is another word
Let’s look at the first word of the parasha: and means “to call, cry out, proclaim.” Big words, dynamic words, powerful words. It shows a kindness and a great love that God would announce Moses this way. Now, let’s face it, if God is addressing you in this way, it is pretty clear to everyone that you and God are tight. Nobody would dare push back against you.
means “to call, cry out, proclaim.” Big words, dynamic words, powerful words. It shows a kindness and a great love that God would announce Moses this way. Rashi says that word shows affection. Now, let’s face it, if God is addressing you in this way, it is pretty clear to everyone that you and God are tight. Nobody would dare push back against you. But Moses, another commentator offers, didn’t want this. There is another word used for other prophets, Bilaam for one, that uses the root
But Moses, another commentator offers, didn’t want this. prophets, Bilaam for one, that uses the rootקרה
Moses wasn’t interested in great bombastic fuss over his position. He wanted something more subtle. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t aware of his position or appreciate his place of authority. It means that his focus wasn’t on himself, it was on his people. Moses was a servant leader, someone who accepts the responsibility of leadership in order to help the people. Servant leaders are strong and will hold people accountable for the sake of advancing the mission because advancing the mission helps the people. Servant leaders might get paid a lot, they might have a nice office, they might get great perks, but they never forget that they are in that position of leadership in order to help people. Servant leaders care about their workers, care about their customers. Servant leaders have the humility to know that bold action is not for self-aggrandizement but to uplift
Numbers 23:4 that word is used to mean God “happened upon” Bilaam, or “encountered” or even “communicated reluctantly.”
. Can you see how that is similar? encountered” “communicated reluctantly.” All of this is decidedly low-key and not anything like
Moses didn’t like to be called in such a fancy way in his commentary suggests that Moses wanted to be introduced w such fuss, like Bilaam. God instead insisted on proclaiming really couldn’t say no to God but he could still make his point.
Moses will continue to be strong and brave as we go forward but it is always in the service of his people, our people. May more of us learn to be humble in our leadership, to be bold and strong for the sake
23:4 that word is used to mean God “happened upon” Bilaam, or “ “communicated reluctantly.” All of this is decidedly low-key and not anything like God calling forth to Moses.
Moses didn’t like to be called in such a fancy way in his commentary suggests that Moses wanted to be introduced w such fuss, like Bilaam. God instead insisted on proclaiming really couldn’t say no to God but he could still make his point.
All of this is decidedly low-key and not anything like God calling forth to Moses. fancy way. Jacob ben Asher (died c. 1340,
In the Torah text when you go to the wordויקרא half the size of a regular letter. If you are not paying attent read the word as that other word for “happened upon.” And if you do spot the s
Rabbi Larry Freedman is the director of the Joint Jewish Education Program. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish
. Jacob ben Asher (died ith more humility, Moses with great love.
you will see that the א is ion and miss that little s that other word for “happened upon.” And if you do spot the small
In the Torah text when you go to the word half the size of a regular letter. If you are not paying attent read the word as that other word for “happened upon.” And if you do spot the s
Moses and the power of servant leadership: A lesson from Leviticus
Rabbi Larry Freedman
Parshat Vayikra
Obituaries
Alex Botkin was born on Oct.16, 1948, in a refugee camp in Hohenfels, Germany, the only child of Nada and George Botkin. He and his parents came to the United States in 1949 and first settled in North Carolina, later moving to New York and then finally moved to Pittsburgh when he was 13, where he lived the rest of his life. Alex is survived by his high school sweetheart, Mimi Botkin, his two daughters, Ellen Botkin (Ben Chloros) and Kira Harris (Todd Harris), and his grandchildren Elijah, Nicholas and Aurelia. Alex was incredible at building, fixing and creating, and later in life became a skilled woodworker and built an entire studio in his garage that he shared with friends old and new. Alex peacefully passed away at home with his family around him on March 24, 2025. He is dearly loved and is deeply missed by all who knew him. Services were held at Temple Sinai. Interment Temple Sinai Memorial Park. The family asks that you kindly contribute to Hello Neighbor, a Pittsburgh-based organization dedicated to supporting refugee and immigrant family resettlement. Donate at helloneighbor.io/donate. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com
GARBER: Cheryl Cieply Garber, unexpectedly, on Friday, March 28, 2025. Beloved daughter of the late Lillian and Morton Cieply. Cherished sister of Flora Calgaro (Lou) and Burt Cieply (Heather). Also survived by nieces and nephews Gavin, Shayna, Eric, Alex and five great-nieces and nephews. Cheryl was a dedicated volunteer at Elfinwild Volunteer Fire Company for decades. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Tree of Life Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, The Morton Cieply Memorial Fund, 107 Woodland Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15232; Animal Friends, 562 Camp Horne Road, Pittsburgh, Pa 15237; or Elfinwild Volunteer Fire Company, 2807 Mt. Royal Boulevard, Glenshaw, PA 15116. schugar.com
GOLDSTEIN: Marjorie Ellen Goldstein, born April 11, 1959, passed away peacefully on March 26, 2025. She was a loving mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and friend, whose warmth and kindness touched the lives of all who knew her. Margie’s love for life was evident in her many passions. She cherished the sun and the sand, spending many happy years in South Florida, where she embraced the warmth and beauty of the beach. Her adventurous spirit led her to a career as a flight attendant, allowing her to explore the world and experience diverse cultures. Travel remained a constant source of joy for her throughout her life. Family was the cornerstone of Margie’s world. She was a devoted mother to Evan (Megan) Goldstein, Jamie (Mike) Wolf and Max Goldstein, and a doting grandmother to Josie, Dylan, Silas and Logan. Her grandchildren brought her immeasurable joy, and she treasured every moment spent with them. She also adored her granddog, Bode. Margie was predeceased by her beloved mother, Carolyn Riesberg, in 1996. She is survived by her father, William Riesberg, and her four sisters, Laura, Barbara, Andrea and Jennifer, all of whom will miss her dearly. When she wasn’t traveling or spending time with her family, Margie could be found in her kitchen, baking delicious treats for those she loved. Her baked goods were a testament to her nurturing spirit and her desire to bring happiness to others. Services were held at Temple Emanuel of South Hills. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Margie’s honor to Sivitz Hospice. Margie’s gentle soul, infectious smile and unwavering love will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. Her memory will live on in the hearts of her family and friends, a reminder of the joy and love she shared with the world. Professional services trusted to D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd., Lawrenceville. dalessandroltd.com
HARRISON: Mary Amson (Abrahamson) Harrison, May 29, 1929 - March 29, 2025. Mary Amson (Abrahamson) Harrison, age 95, died peacefully at her home in Aspinwall,
Pennsylvania. A refugee from the Holocaust, she arrived in Pittsburgh in 1939 at the age of 10 from Germany, with her mother, Tola Amson, and older sister, Lilly Ruth Amson. Her father, Robert Amson, had arrived in the United States a year before. Despite the hardships of war, she maintained close ties to family in her native land and the city of Hamburg, Germany, a cherished tradition that her children and grandchildren have maintained. Mary built a life centered around family. She was married for over 50 years to the late Roland Harrison, who predeceased her in 2004. She was a lifelong advocate for the psychological and emotional well-being of children and a champion of disadvantaged minorities. She worked with emotionally challenged children at Camp Deer Creek of Indianola, Pennsylvania. And in the late 1960s, she worked on the Oral History Project of the National Council of Jewish Women. She was the beloved mother of Ross (Mahnaz) Harrison, Lee (Cindy) Harrison and Leslie (Greg Roody) Harrison. She is also survived by her nephew Gary (Krista) Kanel, and grandchildren: Arash (Ashley) Arabasadi, Jason (Amy) Funk, Samantha Miller, Hermine Harrison (Martin) Höcker, Harrison, Nicole and Dylan Roody, Jonathan (Tara) Harrison and Rachael Harrison. She is also survived by great-grandchildren: Shane, Landon and Addison Funk, Anni and Levi Höcker, and Amsen and Lulu Arabasadi. Services were held at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Interment West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation, where Mary was laid to rest beside her beloved husband, Roland. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Mary’s memory to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), continuing her lifelong commitment to justice and human rights,
Please see Obituaries, page 20
Jewish Association on Aging gratefully acknowledges contributions from the following: A gift from ... In memory of...
Claryne C. Berman
Lois Fishman
Joan Israel
Elaine McNeill
Maxine & Larry Myer
Sylvia Pearl Plevin
Gloria and Arthur Pollock & Family
Robert Rosenstein
Nathan Young
Sanford W. Berman
Frank Levine
Sophia E. Israel
Rory S. Melnick
David A. Myer
Betty Pearl
Isadore Pollock
Ruth Rosenstein
Ida Shrut
Contact the Development department at 412-586-2690 or development@jaapgh.org for more information. THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS —
Sunday April 6: Sol Bennett, Bernard Berry, Samuel L. Case, Ralph Herny, Mollie Liff, David A. Myer, Leah J. Rosenberg, Rose Rosenthal, Max Rotter, Louis A. Schwartz, Allan Robert Shine, Sam Stein, Samuel J. Weiss
Monday April 7: Harry Balber, Julia Baroff, Louis Cohen, Morris Cohen, Eva Cooper, Harry Fisher, M.D., David Frank, Steven David Harris, Jean Katzman, Larry J. Klein, Anna Leff, David Levy, Charles E. Rosenthall, Pearl Baskind Sadowsky, Rody S. Verk
Tuesday April 8: Milton Alderman, Benjamin Geduldig, Dora Himmel, Dorothy Leah Katz, Anne R. Levy, Betty Pearl, Israel Pick, Adele Prizant, Fannie Serbin, Ida Shrut, Sidney A. Uram
Wednesday April 9: Beatrice Alter, Celia Apple, Annette L. Smith Bergsman, Helen Harris Berman, Eva Diamond, Mervin B. Feldman, Florence Glick, Gertrude N. Hoffman, Nathan H. Isaacs, Sophia E. Israel, Dora Jacobson, David Kalson, Louis Meyer, Marlene Pearl Rosen, Morris Schwartz, Nettie Silverberg, Leon Spiegel
Thursday April 10: Steven Beck, Goldie R. Broida, Irving Cowen, Nathan A. Davis, Abraham Glanz, Ruben Heller, George Lurie, Jr., Ruth G. Martin, Hyman Miller, Roberta Morrison, Catherine Neiman, Louis Plesset, Jennie Volkin
Friday April 11: Freda Berkovitz, Dr. Albert B. Berkowitz, Ida Cohen, Freda Gordon, Milton Kelsky, Rosa Klawansky, Esther Kramer, Rosalind Light Kraus, Isadore M. Pollock, Ruth Rosenstein, Julius A. Rudolph, Jacob Segal, Leonard Herbert Shiner, Mel Weinberg, Meyer Young, Helen Zeff
Saturday April 12: George Apple, Sam Astrov, Morris A. Berman, Gerda Bloch, Nathan Breakstone, Dorothy L. Fisher, Bennie Ginsburg, David Philip Gold,Morris H. Goldenson, Saul Katz, Louis K. Landau, Sara Gluck Lewinter, Abe Mallinger, Jan Steuer Mandell, Eva Perlow, William Wolf Shamberg, Ida R. Thompson
Obituaries
Obituaries:
Continued from page 19
and/or the church of Pat Hickman, one of several of her loving caregivers: Manna From On High Ministries, 416 Franklin Street, East Pittsburgh, 15112. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com
WILLIAMS: James DeWolf Williams, 92, passed away peacefully on March 23, 2025. Jim was the son of the late Leroy and Estelle Klein Williams, loving husband of Susan Strauss Williams, proud father of James DeWolf Williams Jr. and the late Jill Ann Williams, stepfather of Nan Elizabeth Strauss, brother of the late Susan Williams Workman, former husband of Carol Spear Williams, and adoring grandfather of Gillian Estelle Williams, Oliver Henry Strauss Sahlman, Sebastian Robert Strauss Sahlman and Reed Alexander Strauss Sahlman. Jim was
“Di
a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School and Yale University. He also did graduate work at the business schools of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. He spent most of his career at his family business, J.A. Williams & Company, where he served as president. After selling the business, Jim enjoyed a second career in the corporate travel industry. Jim was an active member and on the Board of Governors of the Yale Club of Pittsburgh, and was a member of the Yale Club of New York and Rodef Shalom Congregation. A gentleman to his core, Jim loved his dear friends, his dog Teddy, Yale University and a lively party. He enjoyed extensive travel and delighting others with his magic tricks. Jim appreciated the finer things in life, everything from his collections of antique biscuit tins and opaline glass to a gourmet meal — desserts most of all. But he loved nothing better than his family. Jim will be deeply missed by all of us who knew him. Services were held at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Interment West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. Contributions in his honor can be made to a charitable organization of the donor’s choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com PJC
For many, Passover planning begins the day they sift through bags of Purim goodies. Then faced with the inevitable panic, especially this year, when seder falls on a Saturday night, they have to get organized.
Israelis usually do not have to deal with two-day holidays, but that’s what makes this year different from most all other years. Outside Israel, Jews get a three-day holiday bonanza.
JNS consulted with professional organizers and event planners to help readers get a leg up this year for Passover cleaning, shop ping, and getting ready for the eight-day matzah-fest.
Organizing a seder for 20? Hosting guests? Managing cleaning and Passover may feel impossible, but according to Batsheva Reinitz, an event planner for B7events who lives in Efrat, breaking the tasks down into steps will make it more manageable.
Decluttering
“Instead of writing lists,” she suggests, “work backward. Create a timeline and task breakdown. Begin with the day you will set your seder table. The earlier I set my table, the less pressure I feel. It feels like I’m finished and there is just one less thing to worry about.”
Karen Furman, a home organizer and decluttering expert who calls herself
“The Klutter Koach,” says, “Take photos. What do your cabinets look like prePassover? What do they look like after the kitchen is turned over? Photograph where you are stashing things, as relying
on memory leads to misplaced items.”
She refers to the photos when flipping the kitchen back after Passover. She also recommends labeling everything: cookware — indicating meat, dairy or parve; the cabinets.
“Things shift around for Pesach and by habit one tends to go where things usually are,” she explains. “No need to delay your morning coffee because the mugs, coffee and sugar are in a different place.”
Miriam Gold, a professional organizer at Jerusalem-based Gold Standard Organizing, suggests using the evening of Bedikat Hametz (the Search for Leaven) that takes place the Thursday before Passover this year, as your timeline final point, then working on “menus first, then shopping, then cooking. Schedule each step to stay on track.”
One of the first steps, she asserts, is to “declutter.”
“Decluttering first makes cleaning much easier — once the clutter is gone, all that’s left to do is clean. Organize your kitchen and pantry. Move hametz into bins and designate a space for kosher-for-Passover food. If possible, create a permanent storage area for Passover essentials.”
“Don’t bother with spring cleaning,” Reinitz advises. “That creates anxiety. Just search for food. Bedrooms generally shouldn’t have food in them, so clean them first. Figure out when you need to have the house ready to host guests and get the guest rooms done. I always shop for dry goods early. This includes packaged Passover products. That way I’m out of the stores well before the stores become impossible.”
One area at a time
The key is to not take Passover cleaning so seriously, according to Penny Hirsch Rabinowitz of Penny & Co. Events.
“Break the cleaning down into room segments,” she says. “If you tackle one area at a time for no more than one hour you will be in great shape before Pesach. Kitchen: Let’s say all dairy dishes and pot drawers/shelves on X day. It’s the actual starting that makes people anxious!”
Rabinowitz is a huge fan of paper goods, she adds, because they are so beautiful today. “You can have a different color scheme for every meal and people ‘excuse’ it on Pesach.”
Reinitz said that she shops in two shifts. Dry goods early on, then within the final week for dairy foods, chicken, meat, fish and vegetables so the food will be fresh. She does her fresh food shopping locally instead of going to the chaotic large stores.
“Even if you do not turn over early,” she says, “there are ways to freeze chicken or make meatballs and freeze them ahead in aluminum tins well before Passover. Put a clean table cover down, wear gloves and do your work in a staging area where there is no leavened products nearby. Freeze them in special bags indicating they are kosher for Passover.”
Gilda Posner, president of event planning company Epic Events Israel, suggests starting early, “cleaning one room at a time, getting your children to help you.”
“Stick to cooking the basics and focus on healthy. Lots of vegetables and salads do not need to be made ahead,” she explains. “To decorate your table, buy some nice flowery plants that can last all Pesach and create a lush, elegant design to your table.”
“If your mains are cooked than the side dishes are just roasted vegetables,” Reinitz said. “Anything you can freeze ahead, do. Plan to eat outside on Shabbat. Have one little hametz corner for that last week if your children can’t live without cereal or bread.”
Since the war began, it is harder to find help in the home in many neighborhoods in Israel. Reinitz suggests that teenagers love to make money for schlepping and moving things and can be good at helping do harder tasks like taking apart the kitchen.
“A staging table where you store your Passover dry goods is helpful,” she says. “Use that table for staging at the seder as well, for grape juice, wine and matzah. Wash your vegetables and have your seder foods ready by Thursday, in Ziplock bags so you can access them easily on Saturday night.”
She takes one full day before Passover to do all the baking and freeze the cakes and cookies. “That will free you up from the kitchen for trips on Chol Hamoed [the intermediate days of Passover],” she says.
“Set realistic goals and update your lists as you go,” Gold suggests. “Reuse it next year.”
Klutter Koach’s Furman puts hers in an online document.
“Title one of them ‘Pesach 2025 To-Do List’ and the other ‘Grocery List for Pesach 2025.’ The moment Pesach ends, change the year to 2026 and then edit the list. Add all the items for next year and make notes. How many boxes of matzah were needed? Cans of tuna? Cartons of eggs? Note if a certain product needs to be reduced or increased. Are additional kitchen items needed?”
Finally, Posner advises: “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Focus on the people and loved ones around you. Get out of the house and go on some nice walks and hikes to de-stress and stop and smell the roses. Remember, if you missed something this year, there is always next year.” PJC
Photo by Jep Gambardella via Pexels
Community
Making memories with a mascot Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh hosted YAD Philanthropy Free Throws & Field Goals Trivia Night. The March 27 event was held at PNC Park.
Raising voices in Harrisburg
Teens from the PA Youth Advocacy Network, a program of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, held a press conference at the State Capitol on March 24 to highlight the urgent need for early intervention and prevention services for youth.
Taking concerns to the top
Members of The Beacon visited Harrisburg on March 24 to advocate for excused mental health days from school, funding for community-based organizations to support teen mental health and the creation of a Mental Health Youth Council to give teens a seat at the legislative table.
Small start to Passover
All the necessary ingredients
Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh kindergarteners prepared for Passover by setting up an imaginative seder complete with matzah, grape juice and holiday treats.
Community Day School hosted a grandparent challah bake. The intergenerational event enabled participants to leave with loaves of love.
p Yael Idler, Pirate Parrot and Jay Idler
p Maxwell Briskman Stanfield, Meredith Zebrowski and Craig Bainbridge
Photos by Joshua Franzos
p State Rep. Dan Frankel is joined by members of the PA Youth Advocacy Network while discussing the need to promote youth mental health services.
Photo courtesy of Jewish Healthcare Foundation
p
p
Photo courtesy of Community Day School
p of the PA Youth Advocacy Network
THURSDAY
6:15 PM March Begins
4:30 PM: Family Activities,
Beth Shalom Ballroom
Community March for Israel to JCC From Beth Shalom • 5915 Beacon St.
Israeli-Themed Activities (before the march)
HaShayara Israeli Band Live Concert (after the march)
Katz Performing Arts Center • 5738 Darlington St.
Light Refreshments & Israeli Wine
REGISTER TODAY: jewishpgh.org/occasion/yom
TUESDAY, APRIL 29
8:00-9:30 PM Yom HaZikaron
Israel’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror
Katz Performing Arts Center 5738 Darlington Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Come together as a community to honor fallen soldiers and victims of terror at our Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror) ceremony.
* Bring photos of loved ones who gave their lives defending Israel for our candle-lighting ceremony
