Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 1-13-23

Making religious school ‘personal’: J-JEP continues to grow

Bring out the bokser, it’s Tu B’Shevat season

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

When Adam Resnick moved to Pittsburgh about 9½ years ago, the public policy researcher for the RAND Corp. quickly enrolled his infant son, Asher, in Congregation Beth Shalom’s Early Learning Center.

The decision to send Asher — and eventually his brother Judah, now 7 — to J-JEP, the Joint Jewish Education Program, came just as naturally.

“It’s a terrific program,” Resnick told the Chronicle. “The proof is in the pudding. When we pick up the kids, they run down the hallways — and they enjoy the projects they’re working on.”

Asher and Judah better watch out; J-JEP has big plans for 2023.

Rabbi Larry Freedman heads J-JEP, a collaborative, pluralistic religious school by Rodef Shalom Congregation and Congregation Beth Shalom that is open to all K-12 students in greater Pittsburgh.

The mission of the program, according to its promotional materials, is to provide “innovative, experiential learning that will inspire and prepare students to engage meaningfully in Jewish life.”

Freedman hasn’t always worked in an educational space. A New York state native, he was an associate rabbi/educator at Pittsburgh’s Temple Sinai congregation for 10 years, starting around 1996, and also worked in a pastoral capacity for a small congregation of 150 households in Newburg, New York, about 60 miles north of Manhattan.

Then, he heard about J-JEP, which now has an enrollment of about 130 children.

“This opportunity came up, the job presented itself — and I love doing education,” Freedman said. “I said, ‘I’ve got to get back to that.’”

2023 presents a lot of opportunities

By Adam Reinherz | Sta Writer

Educators and spiritual leaders are planting the seeds for a meaningful Tu B’Shevat. The Jewish holiday, which celebrates the birthday of trees and promotes ecological awareness — often through eating figs, dates and other fruit — begins the evening of Feb. 5.

Though weeks remain until carob lovers can officially rejoice, Pittsburghers are already preparing.

On Feb. 2, Chani Altein, co-director of Chabad of Squirrel Hill, and Sue Berman Kress are hosting a Tu B’Shevat-inspired event.

Kress is a master challah baker who has previously taught community members how to make holiday-themed bread. Altein is an author and Jewish educator. The two women are partnering on what Altein billed as a fun educational evening: While Altein shares lessons about Tu B’Shevat, Kress will instruct participants on creating grape-shaped challah.

Grapes, Altein noted, are one of seven biblical species — the other six are wheat, barley, figs, olives, dates and pomegranates.

Tradition teaches that there are several ways to celebrate Tu B’Shevat, but one holiday custom is eating and enjoying “at least some of the seven species that Israel is praised for,” Altein said.

p Dried fruit and nuts are typically eaten on Tu B'Shevat.

Photo by Chic Bee via Flickr

p J-JEP students celebrate Chanukah.

Photo courtesy of Rabbi Larry Freedman

AIPAC’s gathering this week is focused on how to elect pro-Israel candidates in 2024

By Ron Kampeas | JTA.org

WASHINGTON — With a new right-wing government in Israel raising alarm bells among many in the United States, the timing seemed ripe for a gathering by AIPAC, which regularly convenes bigwigs to talk about the U.S.-Israel relationship. But the group’s conference this week in Washington is focusing not on that relationship but on American electoral politics.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s “Political Leadership Forum” this week is closed to the press. But it offers the latest signal of how the group’s activities have evolved from the days when its policy conferences were feel-good affairs that sought to elevate pro-Israel policy above nitty-gritty politicking.

The forum is bringing in “1,000 of our top political leaders to strategize for the 2024 election cycle,” an AIPAC official told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

It is the lobby’s first major gathering in Washington since the COVID-19 pandemic descended on the United States three years ago, just as the group was holding its 2020 conference. In the intervening years, AIPAC announced the establishment of two political action committees, ending a policy that had for decades been sacrosanct of keeping out of direct electoral politics.

“The meeting is an opportunity to review the results of the 2022 election and to inspire and equip our top activists as they prepare for the 2024 elections,” the official said. “They will hear from AIPAC leaders and top political practitioners about the political landscape the pro-Israel movement faces, and what they

can do to continue and deepen their political involvement. As always, they will see how increased political involvement is an invaluable part of our efforts to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

AIPAC’s political action committees include a conventional PAC, AIPAC PAC, which relies on smaller donations, and a Super PAC, United Democracy Project, which has unlimited spending power. Together, the PACs raised over $50 million. The success rate was high, with UDP’s preferred candidates prevailing in eight of the 10 races it involved itself in, and AIPAC PAC backing 342 winners out of 365.

That made AIPAC a force to be reckoned with in a shifting political landscape, but directly backing candidates also exacted a price at a complicated time in the history of U.S.-Israel relations. Liberals faulted AIPAC for backing more than 100 Republicans who would not certify Joe Biden’s presidential election even after a deadly insurrection aimed at keeping Congress from doing so.

Conservatives wondered why AIPAC was backing Democrats who backed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal so reviled by AIPAC.

A theme of the get-together this week was how to navigate that polarized environment. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, joined Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, to discuss maintaining bipartisan support for Israel, at a time when a vocal Israel-critical minority maintains a degree of influence among Democrats. “We are working to make sure that the U.S.-Israel relationship remains bipartisan and durable,” Gottheimer said. Gottheimer and Fitzpatrick co-chair the bipartisan Problem-Solvers Caucus.

There was policy as well, with a video conference address by Israel’s freshly elected prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and

one in person by Lloyd Austin, the U.S. defense secretary. Netanyahu suggested in his remarks that differences with Democrats over Iran policy were no longer as sharp as they were when Netanyahu faced down President Barack Obama in 2015 over the Iran nuclear deal. (AIPAC’s opposition to the deal at the time spurred a similar fly-in of top activists in a failed bid to quash it in Congress.).

“It’s time to close ranks between Israel and the United States — and others,” Netanyahu said of the Iran issue. “And I look forward to discussing this issue with President Biden and his team. I think there is more of a meeting of the minds today than there has ever been.”

President Joe Biden initially sought to revive the deal, which former President Donald Trump quit in 2018, but those plans are moribund because of Iran’s deadly repression of pro-woman protests and its support for Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is carefully monitoring the moves made by

Netanyahu’s new government, formed in coalition with right-wing extremist parties. The government is seeking to diminish the country’s judiciary, and some of its leaders are aggressively pursuing the annexation of the West Bank — a move that the Biden administration opposes.

Neither Netanyahu nor Gottheimer addressed Israel’s current political climate in the partial remarks that were released by their offices.

AIPAC shuttered its springtime policy conferences, which attracted more than 15,000 people, after its conference in March 2020 drew unwanted attention because two of the conference-goers appeared to be spreaders of the then-unfamiliar COVID-19 virus. It has created a structure of videoconferences and smaller local get-togethers as a substitute and has not scheduled large gatherings even as other groups have resumed their prepandemic conventions Still, it has not counted out reviving the conferences. PJC

Jim Busis, CEO and Publisher 412-228-4690 jbusis@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

EDITORIAL

Toby Tabachnick, Editor 412-228-4577 ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

Andy Gotlieb, Contributing Editor

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Evan H. Stein, Board Chair Gayle R. Kraut, Secretary

Evan Indianer, Immediate Past Chair Gail Childs, Dan Droz, Malke Steinfeld Frank, Seth Glick, Tammy Hepps, Cátia Kossovsky, David Rush, Charles Saul

GENERAL COUNSEL

Stuart R. Kaplan, Esq.

Adam Reinherz, Sta Writer 412-687-1000 areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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p Rep. Steny Hoyer speaks during the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2019.

Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images via JTA.org

Meet the Millers: Drumming up communal strength through music therapy

By Adam Reinherz | Sta Writer

Stephanie Miller doesn’t only march to her own drum, but she helps others beat theirs as well.

Miller and her husband, Robert Miller, own Music for Life of Pittsburgh, a company that facilitates drum circles, provides vibroacoustic harp therapy and performs music for special events.

Since 2011, Stephanie Miller has worked as a music specialist at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh. Along with providing age-appropriate musical experiences for children at the JCC’s Early Childhood Development Center, she helps members welcome Shabbat by playing music on Fridays in the Palm Court of the Squirrel Hill branch.

These engagements have given her a greater connection to the Jewish community — a bond strengthened after Oct. 27, 2018.

Following the heinous attack at the Tree of Life building, the newly created 10.27 Healing Partnership approached the musical duo.

“They reached out to us to provide services to help with processing the trauma,” Stephanie Miller said. “Our services fit really well with the mission of 10.27.”

For more than a year, the Millers have facilitated free drum circles, which are open to the public.

“We just create a space where people can come and express how they’re feeling in the moment,” Stephanie Miller said.

“As trained drum circle facilitators, both Bob and I are there to help, guide and facilitate, but really we’re not telling people what to do,” she continued. “We’re just there to help deepen the experience and get feedback from everyone attending what they want to get out of it. Sometimes people are more in a meditative relaxing state. Other times [people] need to just let off some steam.”

By relying on rhythms created with the use of drums, shakers and squeaky toys, “we try to meet everybody’s needs, and we can do that, which is pretty neat, and support each other,” she added. “It’s been really nice to see how the community has evolved and grown, and we keep growing, so it’s been a lovely experience of community and support.”

Ranissa Davidson, program manager at the 10.27 Healing Partnership, called the Millers the “most empathetic nonjudgmental people” she has ever encountered. “They have a warmth about them that invites you to step out of your comfort zone that may feel very new or scary.”

The drum circle has been “such an incredible service for anyone who has been brave enough to try it,” Davidson continued. “Stephanie and

Bob welcome you in, make you feel safe and give you a platform to express yourself without using any words.”

Neither Stephanie Miller nor Robert Miller is new to the music scene. As a child, Stephanie Miller played piano and flute. Robert Miller played piano and percussion. During their undergraduate years at West Chester University, the Millers pursued related passions. Robert Miller studied voice and graduated with a B.S. in music education. Stephanie Miller graduated with a B.S. in early childhood and elementary education and minored in music.

In refining their craft, both Stephanie Miller and Robert Miller pursued further education. Stephanie Miller enrolled in the Music for Healing and Transition Program and graduated as a Certified Music Practitioner. After a two-year stint teaching elementary school music, Robert Miller studied music therapy at Radford University and wrote his master’s thesis on “The effects of toning on perceived and physiological measures of stress in college students.”

The work aligns with a growing field of research.

Several studies suggest that physiological changes occur during music therapy sessions. University of Wisconsin health psychologist Shilagh Mirgain noted, “Music helps reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure and cortisol in the body. It eases anxiety and can help improve mood.”

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine found that “group singing improved quality of life and voice strength and clarity in patients with Parkinson’s disease.”

Davidson said she’s amazed by the healing that occurs during a drum circle session: “You don’t realize it, but you end up walking into this healing cathartic space.”

Along with facilitating sessions at the 10.27 Healing Partnership, the Millers provide additional musical therapies throughout the region. Robert Miller is certified in The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music and uses “music and spontaneous imagery as a tool for personal growth and exploration.” Stephanie Miller performs live harp music during restorative yoga sessions and offers vibroacoustic harp therapy, which requires “using a mat and vibration of the instrument to help people relax and feel better,” she said.

Stephanie Miller started playing the harp after taking an elective with professional harpist Gloria Galante in college.

“The arts are important — I hope that gets out there — because here was an elective that really essentially became my career,” she said.

“If I hadn’t had that experience, I don’t know where I would be. This is a unique life path and I recognize that and without it, I may not have met all the people from not only the Jewish community but other communities that we’ve had the honor and pleasure to serve throughout Pittsburgh, and wherever we practice our musical services.”

Stephanie Miller said she remains forever grateful for her education and the opportunities it afforded.

“It’s nice to be able to give back and have relationships with people I may not have known,” she said.

“I’m not Jewish, and it’s been wonderful to learn more about Judaism and get more involved in the community,” she said. “I’ve been so welcomed, probably more than anywhere else. And I just can’t imagine not being a part of the community. I am just very thankful that I’m able to help those I work with, and am friends with, and support them in the community with whatever’s going on and, in particular, with the terrible tragedy that took so many away from us. It’s just been wonderful, really.” PJC

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

p Stephanie Miller and Bob Miller

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Miller

p Bob Miller and Stephanie Miller join community members during a drum circle session.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Miller

Rachmanus recognized in Pittsburgh with award and memory

The Rachmanus Rule is now a two-page document stipulating expectations of players, coaches and spectators at the Maccabi Games.

Adam Reinherz | Sta Writer

There are a lot of losers in youth sports. That’s why the JCC Maccabi Games instituted the Rachmanus Rule, which calls for players, coaches and spectators to embody Rachmanus (compassion) and emulate what the Talmud considers godly characteristics.

The rule was an outgrowth of a mismatched sporting event, typified by poor sportsmanship and a competing desire to combat the obdurate decisions of adults. In 1984, members of the Pittsburgh JCC Maccabi basketball team traveled to Detroit. The Pittsburgh squad faced a larger, more talented group, from Baltimore. As the game developed, it became clear that the Pittsburghers had no chance of winning.

Lenny Silberman, the Pittsburgh delegation head, told the Chronicle that he asked the opposing coach to demonstrate a little compassion. Silberman was rebuffed and the Baltimore team, though greater in talent and size, continued pressing and running up the score.

The absurdity of the experience climaxed when Pittsburgh’s David Levine was pitted against a significantly taller opponent. Despite the disparity in height and ability, Levine refused to concede and continued battling on every play.

That relentlessness and unwillingness to fold established who the clear winner was that day,

Silberman noted.

The 1984 Maccabi Games ended. The players returned to their respective cities. Ten years later, Silberman took a job with the JCC Association of North America, becoming the continental director of the JCC Maccabi Games.

In that position, Silberman was given the platform to change the tenor of the Maccabi Games. During the next five years, he worked to infuse the youth sports experience with a spirit of Rachmanus. While winning remained a valued goal, demonstrating compassion and sportsmanship became similarly estimable aims.

“Rachmanus includes displaying good sportsmanship, respecting your opponents and the officials, and exhibiting appropriate behavior are also important components of Rachmanus,” according to Maccabi Games materials. “The level of competition at the Games varies considerably due to delegations from varying city size and delegations fielding teams with younger players. Although several sports have mercy rules, blowing out a much weaker team for the sake of scoring points or getting runs across the plate is contrary to the spirit of the Games and shows a lack of rachmanus.”

Former Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh staffer Alan Mallinger headed the Pittsburgh delegation of the Maccabi Games for 21 years.

The Rachmanus Rule, according to Mallinger, makes the Maccabi Games a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

“It’s no fun for kids from a small city to get blown out by 60 points,” he said. “With Rachmanus, it’s just more fun.”

Mallinger retired from the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh in November. His departure spurred former athletes, their parents and Mallinger’s colleagues to lavish praise on someone who embodied the best of the Maccabi Games experience.

“For decades, Alan has been a treasured and

IT’S EASY TO CREATE A TESTAMENTARY TRUST

is is one in a series of articles about Elder Law by Michael H. Marks., Esq.

Michael H. Marks is an elder law attorney with o ces in Squirrel Hill and Monroeville. Send questions to michael@marks-law.com or visit www.marks-law.com.

Do you want to legally protect your family when you are gone, but are afraid that it will be a di cult and complicated e ort? It’s easy to create a Testamentary Trust, a very e ective and available estate planning tool to protect your loved ones and their future.

When you read the word “Trust” you might think it’s only for rich folks, or too complicated for ordinary families. Not true! A Testamentary Trust is a trust that’s included in your Last Will and Testament, that only comes into e ect later, when your Will comes into e ect – that is, when you die – and only if it’s needed at that time.

e word trust describes a broad range of uses and applications, but generally, you can use a trust to put someone in charge of money or property for the bene t of someone else. You might utilize a trust, for example, to:

•Protect an inheritance for minor children and young adult bene ciaries;

•Pay for education;

•Establish a Special needs trust for a bene ciary with a disability or special needs;

•Save taxes; or

•Supply charitable bene ts or give to charity.

In comparison to a Testamentary Trust, you might start a trust that comes into existence now, during your lifetime, a so-called “Inter Vivos” Trust (meaning “while alive”). A common example is a Revocable Lifetime Trust or so-called Living Trust. In addition to the purposes listed above, an additional bene t is that a lifetime trust usually helps to avoid

probate upon your passing. Completely implementing a lifetime trust now, though, is generally more work.

A Testamentary Trust that comes into e ect under a valid Will is simpler and easier to create now, and involves less work now. e comparative disadvantage is that assets passing under your Will to go into your Testamentary Trust do go through the probate process later. Probate is not a horror or a nightmare (despite what you may hear or read). It’s most o en just a clerical, legal paperwork process, though it does take resources – time, energy and money – along the way.

Here’s some Trust Terminology: you would be the trust Creator, Settlor or Grantor. e Trustee is whoever you appoint to be in charge – someone you have con dence in, someone you … trust. e bene ciary is whoever the trust is established for, who will bene t from the trust.

A trust arising under your Last Will and Testament comes into e ect only if it’s needed. For example, suppose someone with young children writes a Will that leaves their estate in trust for the bene t of the children when the parents are both gone. However, if years have gone by and the kids are grown adults, then the trust is no longer needed and the children may ordinarily inherit directly, outright and free of trust instead.

BUT if the kids are still young when both parents are gone, it’s crucially important to create trust arrangements to protect the kids’ inheritance. Put someone you choose and select and trust in charge of their inheritance for some period of time in order to help and assist them while they age and mature, till they can handle it themselves.

Who should you choose as trustee? Most of my clients tend to appoint a trusted individual family member to serve as Trustee, such as a brother or sister, a parent or a trusted friend, etc. I do o en like to see Co-Trustees appointed, both to share the work and the emotional

burden, and mostly just because it can be true that two heads are better than one. I don’t usually like to have an older child appointed as Trustee for a younger child because it may lead to resentment and anger by the younger child against the older sibling that can poison the relationship.

When there are no close, dependable individuals to rely on (or to stand by as backup or successor Trustee), I o en help my clients to nd skilled, knowledgeable, caring professional trustees or trust companies to serve. (Yes, their services cost something, but if you’re not there yourself, it’s a needed service, and you get what you pay for in life.)

Also, note that for a Testamentary Trust under your Will, you yourself can’t serve as the Trustee, because when your Will comes into e ect you will have passed away! (and that’s why you need a trustee in the rst place, to make decisions that you would make yourself if you were still present).

valued leader, exhibiting deep passion and commitment to ensure the success and continuity of the JCC Maccabi Games — one of the greatest Jewish peoplehood building projects of our time,” Samantha Cohen, vice president of programs and talent management for the JCC Association of North America told the Chronicle. “As a parent of three JCC Maccabi athletes and a longtime coach and delegation head, we will forever be grateful for the key role that Alan played in ensuring that thousands of Jewish teens from Pittsburgh

To create a valid trust, all you need (and I’m paraphrasing generally from o cial Pennsylvania law here) is a written trust statement or agreement, made with the mental capacity to make a sound decision and with the intent to create a trust, signed by the trust creator or on their behalf, with identi able bene ciaries, assigning duties to the Trustee, and with assets in the trust.

It’s important to specify the purpose of the trust and other details of what you intend – the who, what, where, when, why, how much, how o en, etc. - but also not to try to control future events too speci cally in advance. Let your trustee do the job under the circumstances in the future.

At Marks Elder Law, we help people every day with issues like these. I invite your questions and feedback. Please let me know how I can help you and your family.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Michael H. Marks, Esq. michael@marks-law.com member,

p Thomas Levine, center, congratulates an opponent during the Maccabi Games. Photo courtesy of Dory Levine

p Thomas Levine, left, and Alan Mallinger during a presentation of the Alan Mallinger Award Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

Florida school board cancels Paula Vogel’s ‘Indecent,’ a ‘queer Jewish love story’ about a censored Yiddish play

LGBTQ teachers and students and causing school districts to alter policies.

By Philissa Cramer | JTA.org

In 1923 in New York, a Yiddish play that featured the first lesbian scene on a Broadway stage was censored for being indecent. In 2023 in Florida, a play about the first play has been canceled for the same reason.

For many involved in the new play, including its Pulitzer Prize-winning Jewish playwright and the Florida high schooler cast in a lead role, the déjà vu is alarming.

“The 100-year anniversary of Sholem Asch’s ‘God of Vengeance’ being shut down on Broadway is the same week that our production of ‘Indecent’ would have opened,” said Madeline Scotti, the student who first drew attention on Instagram to the censorship by her local school board of the “queer Jewish love story” in which Scotti had been cast. “One hundred years — 100 years — and we are still fighting the same injustices that Sholem Asch and his company did.”

Scotti is a student at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida, where students had been planning to perform Paula Vogel’s “Indecent” this spring — until officials told them on Thursday, the first day of rehearsals, that their show could not go on.

Scotti attributed the censorship to Florida’s new law limiting classroom instruction and discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity — what opponents call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Vogel said she, too, was first concerned about homophobia — then added other worries as she heard from people in Jacksonville.

“Parents who live in the community have written to me and said, ‘There is rising antisemitism in our community,’” Vogel told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Sunday. “I very much think that what the school board may not be able to express is their concern about presenting a play that shows how censorship is the first step to the Holocaust.”

Vogel’s 2015 play is about the 1923 Broadway debut of “God of Vengeance,” a play written in Yiddish by Sholem Asch that includes perhaps the first romantic kiss between two women on an American stage. In “Indecent,” the actresses who play the lesbian characters in the Asch play are depicted as lovers off stage. The plot picks up after “God of Vengeance” is shuttered and its cast briefly imprisoned over obscenity charges. “Indecent” follows the stage manager who returns to Eastern Europe, disheartened by what happened in America, and is ultimately murdered by the Nazis.

Students at Douglas Anderson all had permission to act in “Indecent,” and they had put on other shows portraying sexuality in the past: “Chicago” last year, and “Rent” before that. But conditions in the state changed last year when Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, signed the Parental Rights in Education Law into effect, stoking fear among

The board in Duval County has defended the law, drawing a lawsuit from parents and advocates over what they said was its enforcement and arguing in court last fall that the district should be allowed to implement the law while litigation pends.

“Tonight during rehearsal our company was notified that the school board is shutting us down not because of but related to the ideals stated in the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill,” Scotti said in the video. “‘Indecent’ is a story about how detrimental censorship is, about how its damaging effects can ruin a nation and a community. I don’t need to point out the irony.”

Duval County Public Schools officials denied that the decision to cancel the production had anything to do with the law.

“‘Indecent’ contains adult sexual dialog that is inappropriate for student cast members and student audiences,” the district said in a statement. “It’s that simple. The decision has no relevance to any legislation but is rather a function of our responsibilities to ensure students engage in educational activities appropriate for their age.”

Vogel said she believes the show’s contents are appropriate for teenage audiences — and that she would have permitted changes to the show’s display of sexuality. She volunteered that a school production of “Indecent” could feature the two women holding hands, rather than kissing, in a tweak she likened to removing profanities from some of her other award-winning works. “The judgment by the board that this is too mature for high school students is absolute nonsense,” she said.

The censorship in Jacksonville is the latest in a string of incidents in which works with Jewish themes or about the Holocaust have been ensnared in efforts to limit schoolchildren’s exposure to ideas that some parents oppose.

School reading materials are under increasing scrutiny amid conservative parent groups’ pressure to remove ideas they define as “critical race theory” and “gender ideology.” Books about Jews have gotten caught in the dragnet, including in a Tennessee district that removed the Holocaust memoir “Maus” from its curriculum, a Texas district that briefly removed an adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary and a Missouri district that briefly removed history books about the Holocaust.

Florida is a front line in this new culture war. In Walton County, in the state’s Panhandle, the children’s book “Purim Superhero” was among dozens of titles removed from shelves last year in response to parents’ protests; its main character has two fathers. And the Duval County district kept a diversity-themed collection of children’s books that included a book about Shabbat from students for more than a year. Two candidates supported by the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a group leading the censorship push, won spots on Duval County’s seven-member school board in November. PJC

Does

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Submit calendar items on the Chronicle’s website, pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. Submissions also will be included in print. Events will run in the print edition beginning one month prior to the date as space allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon.

FRIDAY, JAN. 13 – FEB. 28

ZOA Pittsburgh is now accepting applications for its Scholarship to Israel Program from any local Jewish teen who will be a junior or senior in high school in September of 2023 and is participating in a qualified, structured, study trip to Israel. Applicants will be evaluated on their involvement in Jewish organizations, volunteerism and on an essay about Zionism and Israel. Three $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Applications will be accepted through Feb. 28, 2023. For information and applications, please contact ZOA Executive Director Stuart Pavilack at stuart.pavilack@zoa.org or 304-639-1758.

TUESDAYS, JAN. 17– MARCH 7

Join Temple Sinai for a weekly Talmud class with Rabbi Daniel Fellman. Noon. On site and online. For more information and for the Zoom link, contact Temple Sinai at 412-421-9715.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18

All Pittsburgh seniors are welcome to attend the January meeting of the Squirrel Hill AARP. Learn about Rob Rudy and his mother, Sharon, who co-founded Outreached Arms — a nonprofit that meets the needs of people with food insecurity. Please bring new or clean used men’s, women’s and children’s winter clothing and toiletries to donate. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call President Marcia Kramer at 412656-5903. 1 p.m. Falk Library, 4905 Fifth Ave.

of the South Hills, 1701 McFarland Road or Zoom. chabadsh.com/civicrm/event/info.

SUNDAY, JAN. 29

The Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh and the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center presents “Share and Share Alike: The Rules of Genealogical Privacy” with Judy G. Russell. Register online. Free for JGS-Pittsburgh members; $5 for general public. 1 p.m. For more information, contact the Rauh Jewish Archives at rjarchives@ heinzhistorycenter.org.

Join Temple Sinai and award-winning author Lisa Barr on Zoom to discuss her book, “Woman on Fire.” 6 p.m. Free. Register at templesinaipgh.org/event/ LisaBarr.html.

will read poetry and prose that is challenging and self-critical, gaining insights into the Jewish national psyche. 9:30 a.m. $160.

jewishpgh.org/event/israeli-literature-as-awindow-to-israeli-society/2023-02-07.

WEDNESDAYS, FEB. 8 – MAY 24

Registration is now open for “Melton Core 1: Rhythms and Purposes of Jewish Living.” This 25-lesson course will take you through the year’s cycle — the life cycle traditions and practices that bind us together. Explore not just the what is and how is of Jewish living, but the why is that go with them. 7 p.m. $300 per person, per year (25 sessions), includes all books and materials. Virtual. foundation.jewishpgh.org/melton-core-1.

SUNDAY, FEB. 12

SATURDAY, JAN. 14

In celebration of the birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Tree of Life Congregation and Ebenezer Baptist Church will worship together on Unity Weekend. Join Tree of Life’s Shabbat morning service and Ebenezer’s Sunday morning service. 9:45 a.m. Tree of Life is located at Rodef Shalom, 4905 Fifth Ave. Ebenezer Baptist is located at 2001 Wylie Ave. treeoflifepgh.org/event/ unity-weekend.

SUNDAYS, JAN. 15 – FEB. 12

Chabad of Squirrel Hill presents the six-week program Jewish Children’s Discovery Center. Children will explore captivating stories of our heroic Jewish fathers and mothers and bake delicious desserts that relate to each one. 10:30 a.m. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. $75. chabadpgh.com.

SUNDAYS, JAN. 15 – MARCH 5

Join a lay-led online Parashah study group to discuss the week’s Torah portion. No Hebrew knowledge needed. The goal is to build community while deepening understanding of the text. 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org.

MONDAYS, JAN. 16 – MARCH 6

Join Congregation Beth Shalom for a weekly Talmud study. 9:15 a.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org.

MONDAYS, JAN. 16 – MAY 15

Understanding the Torah and what it asks of us is one of the most important things a Jew can learn. But most Torah classes begin in Genesis and never finish the first book. If you want a comprehensive overview of the whole Torah, Torah 1 is the course for you. In the first year of this two-year Zoom course, Rabbi Danny Schi will teach Genesis, Exodus and the first half of Leviticus. In the second year, he will complete Leviticus and cover Numbers and Deuteronomy. $225. 9:30 a.m. foundation.jewishpgh.org/torah-1.

Classrooms Without Borders is excited to share its new series: America and The Holocaust: A Series of Colloquies. The new PBS Documentary U.S. and the Holocaust has sparked debate over America’s response to one of the greatest humanitarian crises of the 20th century. In each of our six-part series Michael Berenbaum will explore this complicated debate. 4 p.m. cwbpgh.org/event/america-and-the-holocausta-series-of-colloquies.

THURSDAY, JAN. 19

Join Chabad of South Hills for Women’s Challah Bake, Knead Connect Inspire. 7 p.m. 1701 McFarland Road. $15. chabadsh.com/bake.

Join NCJW for a Working Mom Support Group, for mothers who work outside the home. Facilitated by group therapist Cortney Seltman, there will be snacks, tea, support, a babysitter and a chance to vibe with other moms like you. This event is for anyone who identifies as a mom. Free. 7 p.m. 1620 Murray Ave. ncjwpghevents.org/upcoming-events.

SATURDAY, JAN. 21

Join Temple Sinai for a special concert with musician Eliana Light. Great for all ages. Free and open to the public. Registration required. 7 p.m. templesinaipgh. org/event/ElianaLight

WEDNESDAYS, JAN. 25; FEB. 8, 22

Hadassah Greater Detroit invites you to Beyond Shtisel: A Closer Look at the Hasidic World, a four-part virtual series learning about di erent Hasidic communities, discussing some provocative issues, and viewing videos of Hasidim in their home environments. Gain an understanding of what the life of Hasidim is really like. 7 p.m. $10 per session or $35 for all four sessions. hadassahmidwest.org/GDShtisel.

WEDNESDAYS, JAN. 25-MARCH 2

Join Chabad of the South Hills for Book Smart, a sixpart page-turner that courses through Judaism’s most important titles and the authors who inscribed them. From the Five Books of Moses to the 63 tractates of the Talmud, Book Smart proves that we are called the People of the Book for a reason. 7:20 p.m. At Chabad

Antisemitic harassment in Greenfield

Agroup of juveniles has harassed Jewish community members in the Greenfield neighborhood, asking if they are “fake Jews” and swearing at them, according to Shawn Brokos, director of community security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Two separate incidents were reported to the police, but because the suspects are juveniles, charging them with crimes is “challenging,” Brokos said. Nonetheless, she added, it is crucial to report these types of incidents to law enforcement.

Brokos said it is unclear whether the suspects are affiliated with the Black Hebrew Israelites,

“a fringe religious movement that rejects widely accepted definitions of Judaism and asserts that people of color are the true children of Israel,” according to the Anti-Defamation League. The movement made headlines when Kanye West posted Israelite memes on his Twitter account on Oct. 9, and on Oct. 27 when NBA star Kyrie Irving posted a link to a movie, “Hebrews to Negroes,” which advanced the Israelite theology. On Nov. 21, hundreds of Israelites demonstrated outside the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, chanting, “We are the real Jews.”

The community is urged to call 911 if they are victims of antisemitic harassment, Brokos said.

“That is the mechanism for notifying police — it’s not just for emergencies,” she said. PJC

— Toby Tabachnick

MONDAY, JAN. 30

Join Beth El Congregation of the South Hills for an evening with award-winning author and expert on antisemitism Jud Newborn. He will discuss the topic “The White Rose Anti-Nazi Resistance and Heroes Today in the Fight for Democracy.” The event will begin with a wine and cheese reception, followed by the lecture. Virtual options are available. 7 p.m. 1900 Cochran Road, 15220. Free. forms.gle/xeMTmZ3ZBfQqshzh9.

SUNDAY, FEB. 5

In Media Bias Against Israel, the award-winning Canadian Israeli journalist Matti Friedman examines undue focus and distorted coverage of Israel in modern media. 10 a.m. Zoom. $12. jewishpgh.org/ event/media-bias-against-israel-with-matti-friedman.

The Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh and the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center present: “Researching Your Roots with LitvakSIG.” Join Carol Ho man who will survey Litvak genealogical records available online. Free for JGS-Pittsburgh members; $5 for the general public. Noon. heinzhistorycenter.org/event/jgs-pittsburghpresents-researching-your-roots-with-litvaksig.

FRIDAY, FEB. 17-SATURDAY, FEB. 18

Join the National Council of Jewish Women for the first Repro Shabbat since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Stay tuned for details on their weekend packed full of events. jewsforabortionaccess.org/reproshabbat.

SUNDAY, FEB. 26

TUESDAYS, FEB. 7 – MAY 2

In Israel Literature as a Window to Israel Society, Rabbi Danny Schi will facilitate an encounter with Israeli society through the pens of Israel’s leading writers, discovering voices that are original, contemporary and honest. This 10-part Melton course takes you on a literary journey o ering a fresh examination of the ever-relevant issues faced by Israeli writers. Together, learners

Answer the call, come and be part of something Super. Represent your favorite Jewish Pittsburgh agency at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Super Sunday. The organization with the most participants will receive $1,800. Join your fellow fundraisers in person or from your home. There will be three sessions beginning at 9:30 a.m. 2000 Technology Drive. For more information and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/event/ super-sunday. PJC

Join the Chronicle Book Club!

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its Feb. 5 discussion of “Waking Lions” by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. The novel was a joint winner of the prestigious 2017 Jewish Quarterly Wingate literary prize. From the New York Times: “Eitan Green, the protagonist of the Israeli author Ayelet Gundar-Goshen’s novel ‘Waking Lions,’ is a respected neurosurgeon who has been forced by a professional dispute to relocate from Tel Aviv to Beersheba, a desert town where dust is everywhere, ‘a thin white layer, like the icing on a birthday cake no one wants.’ Speeding through a remote area in his S.U.V. late one night, he hits an Eritrean man walking by the roadside. And when he decides that the victim is beyond help, he impulsively flees the scene.... ‘Waking Lions’ is a sophisticated and darkly ambitious novel, revealing an aspect of Israeli life rarely seen in its literature.”

Your

Hosts: Toby Tabachnick, editor David Rullo, staff writer

How and When:

We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, Feb. 5, at noon.

What To Do

Buy: “Waking Lions.” It is available from online retailers including Barnes & Noble and Amazon (new and used editions). There are also several copies available in 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.

Happy reading! PJC

Tabachnick

Toby

Oman, once thought to be next Abraham Accords signer, criminalizes relations with Israel

By David I. Klein | JTA.org

Just a few years ago, Oman was expected to be next in line after Morocco, Sudan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to sign onto the Abraham Accords normalization agreements with Israel.

On Dec. 30, the country’s parliament voted to criminalize any relations or interactions with “the Zionist entity.”

While the exact details have not been made public, the new law seems to be broadly applied.

“The brothers, Your Excellencies, looked at the development taking place, whether it was technical, cultural, economic or sports, and proposed additional amendments that include severing any economic, sports or cultural relations and prohibiting dealing in any way or means, whether it was a real meeting, an electronic meeting or something else,” said Yaqoub Al-Harithi, vice president of the Omani parliament, about the bill, according to Oman’s WAF news agency.

The sultanate at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, where the Indian Ocean meets the Persian Gulf, was for a long time closer with Israel than other states in the region were. Oman never took part in any war with the Jewish state and established unofficial trade relations with Israel in the early 2000s. Omani Sultan Qaboos Bin Said welcomed three Israeli prime ministers to his country: Yitzhak Rabin in 1994, Shimon Peres in 1996 and Benjamin Netanyahu in 2018. Rabin’s visit was the first by an Israeli prime minister to a Gulf nation.

Under Qaboos’ leadership, Oman carved a niche for itself as the Switzerland of the Middle East, able to deal simultaneously with countries such as Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Yemen, all while maintaining a sense of neutrality. The country has been an important middleman in everything from the Iranian nuclear talks to Yemeni Civil War negotiations.

So what happened?

Sultan Qaboos, who was the longest reigning ruler of the Middle East’s oldest independent state, died in 2020 with no heirs. Rulership passed to his cousin Haitham Bin Tariq.

Though Sultan Haitham, upon his inauguration, announced that he would follow in his predecessor’s peace-making footsteps, he has moved closer to Iran, which funds military activity throughout the region.

While Saudi Arabia opened its airspace for Israeli flights earlier this year, Oman has held out on opening its own, blocking the most direct route for some flights from Israel to Asia. In doing so, Oman has received pressure from President Joe Biden’s administration to open its skies.

However, the developments Al-Harithi is referring to in his statement could include the rise of Israel’s new right-wing government, which has already provoked anger well beyond the Middle East. “What also potentially fuels this is a recent call by a number

of Arab countries, including the UAE, to go to the United Nations and condemn Israel over the recent rise of [Itamar] Ben-Gvir,” Nir Boms, the director of the Program for Regional Cooperation at the Moshe Dayan Center of Tel Aviv University told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Protesting Israel “remains one of the few unifying factors in the Arab world,” Boms said.

For more Islamist-leaning factions across the region, “The issues around Israel are coming to a point where they need to have a counter-reaction and come back to a boycott policy,” he added.

Another reason may be fear of Iran, which is conducting military exercises off of Oman’s coast and is reeling from months of domestic protest.

“The last thing Muscat wants is for the Gulf to become a battlefield with attacks on western shipping, resulting in the closure of the Straits of Hormuz,” said Tom Gross, a British journalist and Middle East expert. “Oman, like Qatar, is trying to calm Iran. Their message is: ‘We are not the ones rushing to form relations with Israel so don’t take it out on us.’”

Despite the bill, Gross thinks that Omani relations with Israel will continue as they always have, under the table.

“The Omani vote was primarily designed to appease the Iranian regime. There is a feeling in intelligence circles that the counter-revolutionary uprising in Iran has passed the point of no return and as a result the regime in Tehran may try to externalize its domestic problems,” Gross said. “Meanwhile, relations with Israel will likely continue, albeit more quietly.” PJC

p Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al-Said, right, meets with Omani Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Muscat, Oman, on May 21, 2020. Qatari Foreign Ministry/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images via JTA.org

US Orthodox group launches campaign against New York Times yeshiva coverage

By Luke Tress | The Times of Israel

NEW YORK — A leading Orthodox group this week launched a campaign pushing back against New York Times coverage that has criticized the local Jewish religious school system.

The campaign from Agudath Israel of America, an umbrella group, aims to provide an alternative narrative on the Orthodox community to the general public.

The New York Times in recent months has published a series of high-profile articles that are harshly critical of the schools, known as yeshivas. The coverage has said the yeshiva system deprives children of secular education, exploits public funding, contributes to poverty and mistreats students, among other allegations.

A recent article said yeshivas were taking advantage of a policy designed to make special education more easily available by siphoning off funding for other purposes.

Many Chasidic Jews, including community leaders, have decried the Times’ reporting as defamatory and accused the newspaper of placing undue scrutiny on the Chasidic community out of bigotry or political considerations. Proponents also argue that government meddling is an infringement on religious protections.

Agudath’s new campaign, called Know Us, calls the coverage a “smear campaign” and says the articles “present a grossly distorted picture of our yeshivas and our way of life.”

“They disparage our way of life writ large — everything from the way we educate our children, handle marriage, divorce and custody disputes and even the way we support our families while holding fast to our faith and traditions,” Agudath said.

The campaign includes a website, social media outreach, billboards, a white paper report and an informational video. The first billboard was put up next to the Lincoln Tunnel into Manhattan, and others will appear at Times Square and near The New York Times building.

Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, the director of government affairs for Agudath in Illinois, said the coverage has affected Jewish communities across the U.S.

“The New York Times is not just read by people in New York, it’s read by people across the country and it impacts Orthodox people,” he said. “We want the broader society to get to know us. Most bigotry and hate or bias is borne out of ignorance.”

“Most people don’t interact with Orthodox Jews on a regular basis. In fact, many have never met an Orthodox Jew, so their entire impression of what our community is like is what they read in print media, on TV, in movies,” he said. “It’s a very far from [an] accurate picture and it creates misconceptions and it feeds into false narratives.”

Agudath argues the yeshiva system is the foundation of successful communities,

saves public funds overall because parents pay tuition while still paying taxes, and has lower rates of abuse than public schools.

front-page investigation that was also published in Yiddish. The newspaper’s editorial board also published a piece arguing for yeshiva reform.

on the system and have been prominently featured in the newspaper.

In October, a major yeshiva admitted in U.S. federal court it had defrauded the

It says the coverage unfairly singles out the yeshiva system, leaves out alternative viewpoints and yeshiva advocates, uses unreliable sources and contains inaccuracies. The Times has said it interviewed hundreds of people for its coverage, including 175 current or former yeshiva students or employees, and based its figures on public data.

At least one member of Agudath’s leadership has met with New York Times editors to discuss the coverage.

The campaign also attacks Yaffed, a New York nonprofit that advocates for yeshiva reform and contributed to The New York Times reporting. Critics have said the articles mostly focus on the viewpoints of people who have left the community, while the overwhelming majority of its members support the yeshiva system.

Agudath’s campaign also links the critical coverage to climbing antisemitism in the U.S. and criticizes coverage of Jewish summer camps, last year’s gubernatorial race, polio and a positive article about religious diversity in New York City that omitted Orthodox Jews.

The first article in the series was a major

Soroka said Agudath launched the campaign at this time due to the ongoing “relentless barrage” of articles against the system and community.

The coverage has prompted joy and relief in opponents of the system, who see it as a long-needed focus on the system and argue that change has been impeded by political considerations.

The article series, and New York State’s moves to regulate yeshivas, have sparked fierce backlash in Orthodox communities, though.

The yeshiva issue was a central factor, along with crime, in pushing many Orthodox voters to support Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor. Zeldin played up his Jewish background and support for yeshivas throughout the campaign, generating widespread support in Chasidic communities, but lost the election to Democrat incumbent Kathy Hochul.

The debate has mostly focused on ultra-Orthodox yeshivas, not on Modern Orthodox schools, which provide more secular education.

Other recent events have also put pressure

government of millions of dollars, including by misappropriating funds designated to feed needy children.

Also in October, New York State officials for the first time ruled that a yeshiva was violating the law by not providing sufficient secular education.

In September, the state finalized rules that will boost oversight at yeshivas and other non-public schools and require them to provide a minimum level of secular education in four core areas. The move came after a years-long process that preceded the New York Times series. A group of yeshivas and supporting organizations have filed a lawsuit against the state, seeking to overturn the new rules.

New York state officials have been mostly quiet on the issue during the recent controversy.

As of 2020, there were around 160,000 students studying at about 450 yeshivas in New York state. Yaffed has projected that by 2030, 30% of Brooklyn schoolchildren will be ultra-Orthodox, nearly all of whom study in yeshivas or related religious schools. PJC

p The New York Times building in New York City, May 13, 2019

Photo by Luke Tress/Times of Israel

“We want the broader society to get to know us. Most bigotry and hate or bias is borne out of ignorance.”

–RABBI SHLOMO SOROKA

Judge slashes Charlottesville penalties by 90%

The judge in the civil case brought against the organizers of the 2017 white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia, that resulted in the death of a protester has slashed the penalties awarded to the victims, JTA.org reported.

Victims in the case, brought by two Jewish attorneys who have made it their mission to hit neo-Nazis in their bank accounts, are entitled to $2.35 million, not the $26 million that a jury awarded, Judge Norman Moon ruled on Jan. 3.

Moon’s ruling was expected because he hewed to a Virginia law that caps punitive damages at $350,000, The Washington Post reported. The jury in the case, which wrapped up in November 2021, had awarded $24 million in punitive damages.

Moon left in place $2 million in compensatory damages meant to replace lost wages and other expenses associated with being a victim, bringing the total owed the victims to $2.35 million.

Romanian city council votes down plan to remove bust of pro-Nazi government o cial

Watchdogs in Romania slammed an administrative unit of Bucharest’s city council for refusing to dismantle a bust honoring Mircea Vulcanescu, who served

as a finance minister in the country’s pro-Nazi government during World War II, JTA.org reported.

On Dec. 28, Sector 2 of the city council voted down a resolution to remove the monument from Saint Stefan park in the Romanian capital. The resolution, which attracted national attention, was initiated by a local councilor from the centerright National Liberal Party and failed to be adopted as a majority of councilors abstained.

Parliament member Antonio Andrusceac, of the far-right and nationalist Alliance for the Union of Romanians party, was present at the vote and accused the Elie Wiesel Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania — a public institution that has long championed the removal of monuments honoring Nazi figures and collaborators — of “rewriting Romanian history and demolishing the cult of its heroes and martyrs.”

Lithuania passes law allocating nearly $40 million for Holocaust survivors

Lithuania’s parliament passed a law last week to set aside more than 37 million euros ($38 million) as restitution for Holocaust survivors and their heirs, JTA.org reported.

Ingrida Šimonytė, Lithuania’s prime minister, introduced the bill in the Seimas, Lithuania’s national legislature in Vilnius, on Nov. 15, proposing to nearly double the money the government had already set aside for restitution claims in a country where

Today in Israeli History

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

Jan. 13, 1922 — Zionist leader meets with Harding

Nahum Sokolow, the president of the World Zionist Congress’ Executive Committee, meets with U.S. President Warren Harding for nearly an hour during a U.S. tour to raise money for Jewish settlement.

Jan. 14, 1925 — Rabbi Carlebach is born

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, one of modern Judaism’s most influential composers but the subject of abuse allegations, is born in Berlin. He starts a moshav near Tel Aviv when he settles in Israel in 1977.

Jan. 15, 2014

— Israel joins CERN as full member

Jan. 16, 2003 — Space Shuttle launches with Ramon

The space shuttle Columbia launches with Israel’s first astronaut, Ilan Ramon. A piece of foam damages a wing on liftoff. As a result, Columbia disintegrates on re-entry Feb. 1, killing all seven crew members.

Jan. 17, 1930 — High commissioner calls for end of Jewish home

Sir John Chancellor, the British high commissioner, sends a 90-page dispatch to the Colonial Office that enumerates Arab grievances and urges an end to efforts to establish a Jewish national home in Palestine.

Jan. 18, 1906 — Bezalel art school opens

90% of its Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Today only 5,000 Jews remain in the country.

The World Jewish Restitution Organization called it “an important step to providing a measure of justice to Lithuanian Holocaust survivors and their families for the horrors they suffered during World War II and its aftermath.”

Over a decade ago, the parliament passed legislation to allocate 36 million euros, then worth about $72 million, for a “Good Will Foundation” that funds projects to benefit the country’s Jewish population. The money was considered restitution for communal property seized from Lithuania’s Jewish community under the Nazi occupation.

The present bill would allow survivors and their heirs to apply for restitution for personal property as well, while continuing to fund the Good Will Foundation.

Israeli car thefts double

Car thefts in Israel have more than doubled in the last year, according to insurance company data, JNS.org reported.

Between 1,200 and 1,300 cars were stolen in December alone, a 100% increase over the same month in 2021. The price of spare components has risen sharply due to supply chain interruptions and a shortage of new autos, increasing the demand for stolen parts.

Ninety-five percent of stolen autos wind up in the Palestinian Authority.

The average cost of a stolen car is 24,00025,000, requiring insurance companies to pay out more than $31 million each month

and more than $366 million a year.

Insurance rates have risen 10% due to increased theft, an insurance executive informed Globes. However, data from the digital insurance service Wobi suggests that the rise could be closer to 20%.

Tel Aviv had the most car stolen, accounting for 10% of the total, followed by Petah Tikva (9%), Jerusalem (6%), Beersheva (5%) and Netanya (4%).

Massive trove of prewar Jewish artifacts unearthed in Poland

Construction workers renovating an old tenement house in Lodz, Poland, unearthed a surprising find: an untouched cache of hundreds of Jewish artifacts believed to have been hidden in advance of the Nazi occupation of the city, JTA.or reported.

The trove — which included menorahs, kiddush and ritual washing cups and items from everyday life, all wrapped carefully in newspaper — was buried next to a building just beyond the ghetto in which Lodz’s Jews were imprisoned during the Holocaust. Only about 10,000 Lodz Jews survived until the end of the war, out of a prewar population of about 230,000.

Before World War II, Lodz, one of Poland’s major industrial centers, was one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe, numbering over 230,000 or 31% of the city. Almost all of them were killed by the Nazis during their occupation of the city from 1939 to 1945. PJC

— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb

By Laurent Egil, CERN

A flag-raising ceremony at the Geneva headquarters of the European Organization for Nuclear Research marks Israel’s status as the 21st full member of the 60-year-old physics research organization known as CERN.

Forty women, chosen from 400 applicants, begin studying painting, drawing and tapestry at the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts in Jerusalem. The school aims to find a visual expression for Jewish independence.

Jan. 19, 2010 — Hamas military leader is assassinated

Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior Hamas military commander, is suffocated in his hotel room shortly after arriving in Dubai. A police report blames a “professional criminal gang.” The Mossad is suspected. PJC

— WORLD —

p Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman represents Israel at the flag-raising ceremony at CERN on Jan. 15, 2014.

p Israel’s first astronaut, Israeli Air Force Col. Ilan Ramon, kept kosher and observed Shabbat during his mission aboard the space shuttle Columbia.

School: Continued from page 1

for J-JEP. Armed with 30 newly enrolled students — the largest class of new students in recent memory — the program is looking to build on its bedrock of Jewish education.

“We talk a lot about ‘Why?” and how [Jewish learning] can be personally useful,” Freedman said.

But J-JEP is about more than Hebrew learning or lessons on the state of Israel, however successful those are. Other electives focus on subjects like cooking and the arts, both with Jewish angles and influences, and Freedman said those are areas where he hopes to focus in the coming year.

“We are working on doing what we do better and gaining the trust of the kids and the parents,” he said. “Too many parents had pretty — let’s face it — lousy religious school experiences when they were growing up. The goal of this program is to do it right and make it personal … we

Tu B’Shevat:

Continued from page 1

“During the times of the Temple, Tu B’Shevat played an important role with agricultural mitzvot and the early form of taxation,” noted Rabbi Aaron Meyer of Temple Emanuel of South Hills.

The Torah states, “When you enter the land and plant any tree for food, you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. Three years it shall be for you, not to be eaten.”

Subsequent biblical verses indicate that during the fourth year the fruit was to be offered to the Temple priests and, that finally, during the fifth year, the fruit could be enjoyed by the farmer.

Tu B’Shevat, Meyer explained, was the “birthday of the trees,” and a day on the calendar that helped farmers determine the

Award: Continued from page 4

and across the globe have had the opportunity to create lifelong friends, strong Jewish identity, and experience the transformative magic of JCC Maccabi.”

Jason Kunzman, chief program officer at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, told the Chronicle his understanding of Mallinger’s relationship to the Maccabi Games solidified in 2017.

Kunzman had just accepted a position with the Jewish Community Center and traveled to Albany, New York, for the Maccabi Games with the Pittsburgh delegation.

“What I saw was remarkable: the way ‘Mal’ moved from venue to venue; the way he handled each and every situation that was brought to his attention; and, quite honestly, the red carpet treatment, the way he was treated by colleagues around the country and the world, was truly amazing,” Kunzman said. As a parent whose child was competing in his first Maccabi Games, “I had this unbelievable sense of calm and comfort knowing that [my son] and the rest of the delegation was being tended to by the love and compassion by Alan Mallinger.”

Freedman and others are doing through J-JEP.

“The kids are having a positive experience,”

age of their plantings relative to the multi-year biblical process.

“In more modern days, Halutzim — early pioneers leading to the formation of the state of Israel — reclaimed Tu B’Shevat as a form of Jewish Arbor Day, planting trees and celebrating the connection between human beings and the natural world,” Meyer said.

Rabbi Barbara Symons of Temple David said that she and her religious school students have been tracing the history of Tu B’Shevat from its references in the Mishna through modern times.

“It is important to see and contextualize the evolution of all of our holidays and practices,” Symons said. “It roots them in our history while opening the door to innovation and contemporary meaning.”

There is a longstanding tradition to celebrate Tu B’Shevat with customs and joy,

Because of the pandemic, last summer was the first opportunity for Pittsburghers to return to the Maccabi Games.

Kunzman told the Chronicle that those years away from the Games afforded perspective.

Online programming, vaccine clinics and countless activities for seniors and youth reaffirmed the JCC’s commitment to the community during trying times.

More recently, however, there was a push to “get back to basics,” Kunzman said.

Staffers began considering the relationship between the Maccabi Games and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh.

“When you look at the underlying principles of the JCC Maccabi Games, where the Rachmanus Rule is emphasized, it’s pretty simple: good sportsmanship and fair play. The question for us was how can we, as the JCC and community, support those principles of fair play and good sportsmanship in the most explicit way possible?” Kunzman said.

In answering that question, JCC staffers leaned on the legacy of their beloved former colleague.

“We came up with an award, and who better to name it after than one of our most tenured employees, someone whose pride and love was Maccabi during his career at the JCC,” Kunzman said.

recruiting and retaining great teachers,” he added.

Those teachers frequently teach Hebrew

explained Rabbi Shimon Silver of Young Israel of Pittsburgh.

In recognition of the holiday, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, some people eat 15 fruits — including bokser, or the fruit of the carob tree. There are also people who recite a paragraph of Psalms before eating each fruit. And some people, Silver continued, study a mishna about a fruit and then eat a fruit.

While many Tu B’Shevat practices involve fruit or other biblical species, the day is also marked by omitting the Tachanun prayer during morning and afternoon services.

“Tachanun represents penitence,” Silver said. “On days associated with celebration, it is considered intrusive of the spirit of the day to practice penitence, abstinence and to eulogize the dead.” This is based on a “Scriptural requirement of joy and rejoicing.”

Weeks ago, members of last summer’s Maccabi Games delegation gathered inside the gym at the JCC’s Squirrel Hill branch.

An announcement was made that moving forward, each year, a player from the Pittsburgh delegation who best embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and compassion will be recognized with the Alan Mallinger Rachmanus Award.

“It was totally unexpected, and I’m humbled by it,” Mallinger told the Chronicle. “Maccabi is very meaningful to me, and Rachmanus is really a part of that.”

As the award was announced, a young athlete from Squirrel Hill stood beside Mallinger. The teenager, Thomas Levine, traveled to San Diego and used his time at the Maccabi Games to not only compete in soccer, but aid delegation heads and be a role model to the youngest members of the Pittsburgh group.

Upon receiving the Alan Mallinger Rachmanus Award, Levine, 14, told the Chronicle, “I feel a big sense of pride that this legend is with us in this beautiful award and that [his name] carries on through everything that Maccabi and the JCC does. I think it’s really special.”

“When they told us Thomas was going to win this award it was really fitting,” Levine’s mother Dory Levine (a former Maccabi Games participant) told the Chronicle. “He went out of his way

and Judaica at area shuls or teach by day at schools like Community Day School.

“The level of professionalism is exceptionally

Practicing customs and studying about the holidays are important ways to rejoice. So, too, is reviewing the calendar, Silver said.

After all, 30 days after Tu B’Shevat, it’s Purim. PJC

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

to make his teammates feel like a team. He really made everybody feel special.”

There was another reason why winning the award was meaningful.

Thirty-eight years before it was presented, Thomas Levine’s father, David Levine, played in the Maccabi Games. Now a successful business owner and an active community member, David Levine was once a diminutive teenage basketball player who faced a larger, more talented opponent and recognized that winning and losing isn’t always tallied by the score.

The Maccabi Games, and youth sports in general, have an incredible ability for individuals to step up and demonstrate integrity, sportsmanship and compassion, Silberman told the Chronicle.

“I was honored to be with David and Dory in San Diego last summer watching Thomas play soccer. We were sitting on the sidelines and the story of the Rachmanus Rule came up,” Silberman said. “When I think about the journey of David to Thomas, it has really come full circle, and to have Mal’s name on the award, it’s Mal’s DNA. It’s what Rachmanus is all about.” PJC

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

p Date palm Photo by Randall Niles via Flickr

Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

p J-JEP students collected 300 cornstalks for the sukkah at Rodef Shalom. Photo courtesy of Rabbi Larry Freedman

“The kids are having a positive experience,” Resnick said. “I, as a parent and as a board member, support that — it’s a real Jewish experience.”

– ADAM RESNICK

Justice minister sounds death knell for Israel’s inadequately protected democracy

Guest Columnist

David Horovitz

Unveiling proposals to “reform” Israel’s judiciary, Justice Minister Yariv Levin last week sounded the death knell for our thriving but inadequately entrenched democracy.

A Likud ally of newly returned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the hardline coalition that took office only last month, Levin described his plan as bolstering democracy, strengthening the judicial system and “rebalancing the three branches of government.”

In fact, the proposals he unveiled, which he said were merely the “first stage” of a “long overdue” overhaul, almost entirely remove the capacity of Israel’s top court to protect any and all Israelis against excesses and abuses by any governing majority.

At the heart of his reform, Levin said, was for the Knesset to legislate an “override clause,” under which the justices of the High Court will be radically constrained in seeking to nullify legislation and government decisions they find to be discriminatory, undemocratic and/ or in contravention of Israel’s quasi-constitutional Basic Laws.

Once his proposals become law, he declared, the High Court will be explicitly prevented from deliberating and ruling on those Basic Laws, and will only be able to strike down Knesset legislation by a panel of all the court’s judges and with an undefined “special majority.” What’s more, he

specified, the Knesset would be able to re-legislate a law blocked by the court, with the support of just 61 MKs in the 120-seat house. Only if all 15 judges unanimously agreed to strike down a law would the Knesset be barred from re-legislating it in that term of parliament. (Many members in today’s opposition might support an override clause, but a carefully weighed one, in which a substantial proportion of opposition votes would also be needed to re-legislate a law blocked by the court.)

Levin also proposed reconstituting the panel that chooses the justices in the first place, with a change to the selection committee that, again, gives ultimate power to the political majority of the day. As things stand, “judges choose themselves, in back rooms,” he claimed inaccurately.

Levin argued that the justices had brought this neutering upon themselves, by overreaching and intervening untenably in the work of Israel’s elected politicians. (The top court has struck down 22 laws in the 75-year history of the state.) The court’s increasing involvement in government decisions and Knesset legislation “have brought public faith in the court system to a historic low, undermined governance and harmed democracy,” he charged.

In fact, the court has filled a vital role in protecting democracy given the limitations and peculiarities of the Israeli system.

While Levin distinguished in his remarks between the executive and the legislature, presenting them as two separate branches of government, in Israel, they amount to the same thing. A like-minded governing majority — such as the 64-strong coalition Netanyahu now heads — can push any legislation it wishes through

parliament. Furthermore, Israel has no constitution, no bill of rights, no second parliamentary chamber. The High Court is thus the only brake.

The importance of that role has only been underlined in recent days, with the ascent of Netanyahu’s right, far-right, and ultra-Orthodox coalition, whose members’ various agendas include proposed legislation that could allow service providers to refuse clients, customers, patients, etc., if they felt this was required by their religious beliefs — an instance of ostensibly legalized discrimination that the High Court, unshackled, could be relied upon to resist.

Tellingly, Levin unveiled his proposals on the eve of a High Court hearing on the legality of Arye Deri, the leader of the coalition’s ultra-Orthodox Shas party, returning to ministerial office. Deri negotiated a suspended sentence less than a year ago in a plea bargain for tax offenses that the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court accepted only on the understanding that he was retiring from public life.

Israel’s attorney general told the court earlier Wednesday that she could not defend Deri’s appointment as interior minister, health minister and deputy prime minister because it was “unreasonable in the extreme.”

Among the proposals unveiled by Levin was to simply cancel the notion of “reasonableness” as a legitimate legal test.

Netanyahu chose not to be present alongside Levin when he unveiled his revolutionary plan. But the prime minister stands to be a principal beneficiary.

Netanyahu is on trial in three criminal cases, denies wrongdoing in all of them, and insists that he has been framed, in

part by the state prosecution.

Some of his coalition allies are pushing for legislation to retroactively remove from the criminal code the “fraud and breach of trust” charge common to all three cases, and to provide retroactive immunity for a serving prime minister for alleged crimes committed while in office — a so-called “French law.” Since Israel has no term limits for its political leader, unlike France, such legislation would protect Netanyahu for so long as he remains in power.

The High Court could ordinarily be relied upon to thwart that kind of legislative abuse, as well. Under Levin’s proposals, it would likely be both unwilling and unable to do so.

Underlining the core flaws and disingenuousness in Levin’s presentation is the fact that, with those 64 votes, what he unveiled last week as proposals to be “deeply” discussed in the Knesset can, in fact, be rammed through into law almost instantly should the coalition so choose.

Indeed, the Netanyahu-led coalition swiftly changed elements even of those misleadingly named Basic Laws in a legislative blitz last month in order to meet the demands of some of its constituent parties before it took office.

Opposition leaders rushed to label Levin’s proposals as “a political coup.”

That might sound curious, given that the people allegedly staging it are already in power. But that’s the point: Once these “reforms” are instituted, the people in power need never relinquish it. There will be no other branch of government to resist them. PJC

David Horovitz is the founding editor of The Times of Israel, where this first appeared.

The Pope Benedict I knew: A keeper of his faith with a deep respect for Judaism

Rabbi David Rosen

Iwas first introduced to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later to become Pope Benedict XVI, in the late 1980s when he was visiting Jerusalem. Teddy Kollek, mayor of Jerusalem, was eager for me to meet with the cardinal, telling me that I would discover a very different person from the image portrayed in the general media. He was so correct.

That image was in no small part the result of Pope John Paul II having made him the head of the Vatican Office for Doctrine and Faith, to enforce orthodox Catholic teaching. In addition, the fact that Ratzinger was a shy man with a professorial background and attitude often led people to see him as aloof and even cold.

He could not have been more different. I discovered a man of warmth and humor whose company was enjoyable and stimulating. Most significant for me was the discovery of the depth of his respect for Judaism and the Jewish people, something that always impressed me in the course of more than a dozen encounters with him when he was Pope, most of which were in my capacity as the American Jewish Committee’s

international director of interreligious affairs.

He always reiterated his commitment to continuing the path of his predecessor in advancing Catholic-Jewish relations, and he highlighted the unique relationship between Christianity and Judaism.

Benedict XVI, who died Dec. 31 at age 95, was the first pope to ever invite Jewish leaders both to the funeral of a pontiff, and above all, to the celebration of his own coronation at which I was privileged to be one of those present.

Already during the first year of his pontificate, he received many Jewish delegations and notable individuals, including the chief rabbis of Israel and the chief rabbi of Rome. In receiving the latter, he declared, “the Catholic Church is close and is a friend to you. Yes, we love you and we cannot but love you, because of the Fathers: through them you are very dear and beloved brothers to us.”

The last time I met him personally was well after he had demonstrated his genuine and impressive humility in stepping down as pontiff and devoting himself to study and prayer. I visited him at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican gardens. While he was physically weak his mind was still lucid.

We spoke in particular about the positive treatment of the Jewish scriptures in the work of the Pontifical Theological Commission that dealt with this subject, and which was published

under his imprimatur. At that time, I recalled our first conversation in Jerusalem when he said to me, “your duty as a believing Jew is to be true to Torah, and everything that is holy for you must have theological meaning for us.”

I said to him, “You know there are many of us who see religious significance in the return of the Jewish people to its homeland.”

“Of course, I know,” he replied. “We must also view it as a sign of God’s fidelity to His covenant with the Jewish people that has sustained you, even if we cannot attribute to it the same theological meaning as you might.”

Cardinal Ratzinger was a member of the papal commission that ratified the Fundamental Agreement between the State of Israel and the Holy See, establishing full diplomatic relations between the two. It was my great privilege to have been part of the Israeli negotiating team that concluded that agreement.

One of Ratzinger’s closest Israeli friends, the late professor Zvi Werblovsky of Hebrew University, told me that the cardinal phoned him from Rome to express his joy and congratulations on the agreement, declaring it to be a fulfillment of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council declaration of 1965 that revolutionized the Church’s teaching and approach towards Jews and Judaism.

During Benedict’s papacy a couple of serious

crises in Jewish-Christian relations emerged relating to the Society of Saint Pius XII and to the wider provision of the Latin Mass and its text. These crises, as much a result of church governance mismanagement as anything else, were followed by clarifications that emphasized the Vatican’s commitment to Nostra Aetate; its unqualified rejection of antisemitism as a sin against God and man, and a complete disavowal of proselytization of Jews.

Unfortunately, they still did not completely repair the damage to Benedict XVI’s papacy. Nevertheless, Benedict explicitly and sincerely strove to continue to advance the paths of his predecessor, especially regarding the relationship between the Church and the Jewish People.

In repeating his predecessor’s dramatic gestures of going to the great synagogue in Rome; of paying homage in Auschwitz to the victims of the Holocaust, and of making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where he paid respects to the state of Israel’s highest national civic and religious authorities, Pope Benedict institutionalized such steps, demonstrating the sincerity of Catholic-Jewish reconciliation for the Church as a whole. PJC

Rabbi David Rosen, the former chief rabbi of Ireland, is the American Jewish Committee’s international director of interreligious affairs. This column first appeared on JTA.

Guest Columnist

Chronicle poll results: Israeli government

Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following question: “What do you think of the new Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?”

Of the 258 people who responded, 58% said “I don’t like it overall”; 19% said, “Cautious — wait and see how they act”; 19% said “I like it overall”; and 4% said they didn’t know or had no opinion. Comments were submitted by 80 people. A few follow.

Don’t complain if you live abroad.

I think his day has past. He is lucky not to be in jail. His view of the Palestinian issue is not in line with reality

It makes me afraid for the status of my citizenship since I am a convert. I have been a citizen of Israel since 2010, and it worries me they could take it away. This really affects a lot of how I relate to my chosen faith at this point. I certainly don’t feel wanted.

Any government that discriminates against women, gays, and Diaspora Jews

does not display Jewish values. And that does not even take into account the treatment of Palestinians.

Netanyahu is a Macabee. So proud of his courage and strength.

— LETTERS —

J Street’s unanswered questions

In his column “J Street and what it really means to be pro-Israel” (online, Jan. 5), J Street’s president, Jeremy Ben-Ami, states that, “I would be glad to meet publicly with those who disagree and discuss civilly our views of US-Israel relations, Israel’s future, and the organization I lead.” Pardon me if I doubt his honesty. On April 19, 2021, I wrote Mr. Ben-Ami and asked him the following questions. He never responded. I ask them again. Let’s see if he is a man of his word.

My letter was headed “Trying to understand your position on Israel and the Palestinians.” Dear Jeremy, J. Street is being stomped on by many Jewish commentators and web sites that claim that its support for Israel is a pretense, that its prime consideration is the welfare of the Palestinian Arabs. Before jumping aboard, I would be honored if you would take the time to answer some questions that would make your position clear.

Do you accept that Jews are the aboriginal people of Israel, formerly Judea, formerly Judah, formerly Israel?

Do you have a problem with the existence of a Jewish state whose national anthem relates to Jewish yearning?

Would you agree that the official position of Gazan Palestinians and many in the PA is to bring an end to Israel?

Would you agree that Omar Barghouti, the founder of BDS stated that Israel must be euthanized?

What is your position on the IHRA definition of antisemitism?

Israel has made a number of peace offers to the Palestinians including one that was brokered by Bill Clinton, actually signed by the parties and then abrogated by Yasser Arafat. Why do you think the Palestinians refuse all offers, and if they continue doing this, what hope is there for peace?

Do you believe that Israel is responsible to vaccinate Arabs living outside of Israel in self-governing areas? If so why?

Do you believe that Zionism is an oppressive system of subjugation or the yearning of diaspora Jews to return to the land form which their ancestors were forced to flee? Are the two explanations compatible?

Would you agree that people who are reluctant to overtly smear Jews do so by

Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle Poetry Contest

Our readers are invited to submit poems to the Chronicle’s Poetry Contest. Winning entries will be published in our Feb. 3 issue. The theme is women in the Torah.

Three winners will each receive a $54 gift card to Pinsker’s Books and Judaica, supplied by an anonymous donor. All submissions must be received no later than Jan. 18.

Guidelines:

Poems must be submitted to newsdesk@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. Please type “Poetry Contest” in the subject line. The poem must be in a Microsoft Word file. No PDFs or handwritten entries will be accepted.

• One submission per author

• Must include the author’s name, address, phone number and email address

• Poem should reflect the theme of women in the Torah

• Unpublished poems only PJC

Netanyahu secured the Abraham Accords, an incredible achievement. Good to see him back in charge.

This government is the worst thing that has happened to Israel in 40 years.

Until we live under a daily existential fear, I believe we have no right to judge Israel’s choice of leadership.

Scary, dangerous; fearful they will deliberately provoke violence against the Arabs.

The far right is a disaster for Israeli democracy, as it is for America. I am no longer proud of Israel.

Netanyahu has sold his soul to the far-right religious extremists. I am very fearful that positions taken by this government will force many American Jews and other supporters of Israel to make painful decisions that will threaten Israel’s future.

Will wait and see what policies come out of this government, but it is looking grim.

I did not vote for them. However since I’m an Israeli, I need to recognize that they are my government. Nevertheless, I hope that the opposition can take them down sooner than later.

I believe continued provocative actions by the right-wingers in his government will enable Bibi to pressure and make a deal with the more moderate liberals in the Knesset and thereby dump the right-wingers from the government.

Let us ignore the rhetoric and hype, and judge them by their actions. PJC

— Toby Tabachnick

Chronicle weekly poll question: Is the COVID era over? Go to pittsburghjewishchronicle.org to respond. PJC

substituting the word “Zionist”?

Thank you so much for responding to my questions. Sincerely yours,

Maccabees Appropriated?

Larry Shapiro Calgary, Alberta Canada

In the Jan. 6 edition of the Jewish Chronicle, Rabbi Rick Jacobs cites the determination of the Maccabees for the Reform movement’s fight against the new Israeli government’s turn to the right. This analogy seems ironic.

The Maccabees were not only fighting against the evils of the Greco-Syrian regime but against Jews that were assimilating and reforming the religious practices of the day. The Maccabees were religious zealots more closely tied to the groups Rabbi Jacobs is calling out against -- the nationalists and ultra-Orthodox.

The Maccabees would more closely align with Netanyahu’s government than the American Reform movement. His analogy is an example of appropriation.

Israel in a democratic election formed a new government. Hopefully his liberal movement’s fight for the Israel they love and desire leads to a fair and equitable Israel and not in their zealous pursuit an Israel we all lose and mourn by empowering her enemies.

Rocky Wice Pittsburgh

Questioning Ben-Ami’s love for Israel

I agree with Jeremy Ben-Ami on just one thing: We shouldn’t let the far-right define what it means to be pro-Israel (“Don’t let the far-right define what it means to be ‘pro-Israel,’” online, Jan. 4).

But, even more, we shouldn’t let anyone like Ben-Ami define what it means.

Ben-Ami professes to love Israel and to be pro-Israel, but look at what he and J Street actually do and say when he’s not claiming to be pro-Israel. Almost all J Street’s lobbying efforts have been in opposition to the Israeli government. It hasn’t mattered whether Israel has had a right-wing or left-wing government.

If you believe a loved one is making a serious mistake, you speak directly to your loved one, perhaps with others; you don’t write op-eds in The New York Times criticizing that person. If Ben-Ami loved Israel but thought it was making some mistakes, then he would be directly lobbying Israelis and Israeli leaders; he would not constantly be writing harshly critical op-eds in The New York Times and whatever other newspapers would publish him.

There’s certainly no shortage of harsh and unfair criticism of Israel. All Ben-Ami does, as he must know, is alienate Israelis, make them less likely to pay attention to what he says, and give more ammunition to Israel’s many enemies.

He complains about the mantra “J Street is many things but it’s not pro-Israel.”

By his words and by his actions, Jeremy Ben-Ami has demonstrated its truth.

Alan Stein Netanya, Israel

We invite you to submit letters for publication. Letters must include name, address and daytime phone number; addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Letters may not exceed 500 words and may be edited for length and clarity; they cannot be returned. Mail or email letters to: Letters to the editor via email: letters@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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Website address: pittsburghjewishchronicle.org/letters-to-the-editor

Culture

Ari Shaffir makes his way in comedy

By David Rullo | Sta Writer

Talmud-quoting comedian Ari Shaffir doesn’t necessarily see himself as descended from the Jewish comedians who started in the Borscht Belt and dominated comedy for most of the 20th century.

“I’m associated with it,” he said when asked about the influence of Jewish comedy on his work before noting that he mostly saw himself as racially Jewish.

Shaffir, who spent time studying at Yeshiva University before earning an English degree from the University of Maryland, illustrated the point with a story, saying that during the pandemic, he spent time in Ecuador.

Later, when he was in Mexico with his partner, he walked past a bar playing a World Cup game featuring the Central American country.

“I’m not Ecuadorian, but we both sat and watched because there is a connection there,” he said.

The explanation belies the comedian’s recent stand-up special, titled “Ari Shaffir: Jew,” where he discussed Adam and Eve, dietary laws, Chanukah and even his loss of belief in God while in Yeshiva at Jerusalem. It also ignores his upbringing in a family of Jewish-Romanian descent whose father was a Holocaust survivor.

Rather than Brooks or Allen though, the comedian mentioned Sam Kinison, Dave Chappelle and Andrew Dice Clay when discussing influences and comedy history, despite through lines that might not necessarily be obvious.

“Ozzy Osbourne said one of his biggest influences was the Beatles, and it’s like, ‘What?! The Beatles!’ But then you realize, they’re both high-level musicians, and he’s latching onto something that’s not the genre of music. Maybe it’s their storytelling or their lyrics, but there’s something there,” he said.

Kinison’s influence, Shaffir said, was his conversational style and the ability to laugh at things people normally wouldn’t laugh at, like necrophilia, for instance.

That willingness to find humor in areas where others are uncomfortable is a hallmark of Shaffir’s comedy. Following the death of Kobe Bryant, Shaffir wrote an impolite tweet about the basketball player that created controversy and caused at least one of his stand-up performances to be canceled.

Shaffir is a frequent guest on Joe Rogan’s podcast, whom he opened for in the early 2000s. He has also created his podcast, “Skeptic Tank,” where he has discussed issues including mental health, suicide, rape and prison. He also co-hosted the sports podcast, “Punch Drunk Sports.”

He said people often are offended by things that they take out of context. As an example, he said listeners will become offended that Joe Rogan will interview Republican senators without noting that he also interviews Democratic senators.

“When you lose context,” he said, “you definitely lose comedy,” noting the stage is integral to stand-up and often a performer will say something not meant to be taken literally.

The former Yeshiva student and English major said that it’s important to apply the type of logic found in the Gemara and literature to statements made on stage.

A triple threat, Shaffir is a skilled stand-up comedian, a podcast host and has even acted. The stage is his first love, calling the other media vehicles hobbies.

“The worst part about acting is you have to be around actors to do it who are the worst,” he said. “You talk about the insides not being promoted and watered. There’s no reason to be a good person in the acting world, or even human. It’s just self-absorbed and beauty based. They value being famous over being a good person. Like, they’ll miss their dad’s funeral for an audition. They’re trash,” he noted with a laugh.

The comedy landscape has changed, he noted from the previous decades. In the ’80s, few comedians were able to play huge venues like Madison Square Garden. Today, many sell out similar venues. In the ’90s, television made household names out of comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano and Tim Allen.

“Superstars on TV are done,” he said, “but there’s so many guys who own houses, and that just wasn’t a possibility before when you were either Ray Romano or a road-lifer barely getting by, having an apartment and dying at 70 with a heart attack.”

Still, he said, comedy is as big as it ever was and, despite those that protest comedians

and show hosts, both provide an outlet to find humor in the darker parts of life.

“Podcasts and comics are the only ones making rape jokes anymore or AIDS jokes and really going for it and being dirty,” he said. “When you can’t get it anywhere mainstream because someone might lose their job, then they come to us.”

Shaffir is looking forward to bringing his new stand-up routine to Pittsburgh, a city he joked, he appreciates for its casual acceptance that everyone is fat.

“It’s like doughnut, yeah! You have French fries and garbage on top of your salads,” he said before noting that Pittsburgh is a cool city like Nashville, Tennessee, or Austin, Texas, without the street cred.

“Pittsburgh is still in a golden age of being artsy, and the Los Angelenos have not come yet,” he said.”

Shaffir headlines the Improv Comedy Club from Jan. 12-15. PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

Understanding what it means to be pro-Israel

Yitzhak Rabin understood Israel’s security needs better than J Street’s Jeremy Ben-Ami can ever hope to (“Don’t let the far-right define what it means to be ‘pro-Israel,’” online, Jan. 4). During the

War of Independence (1948-1949), Rabin commanded the Harel Brigade, which deployed on the Jerusalem front. He served as O.C. Northern Command (1956-1959); as chief of operations and deputy chief of staff (1959-1964); and as chief of staff (1964-1968), commanding the IDF during the Six-Day War.

Rabin was keenly aware that political conditions in the Arab world can change rapidly. This requires that Israeli security

must be based on more than a snapshot of the situation at some specific time.

Perhaps Mr. Ben-Ami does not recall that in his last speech before the Knesset, PM Rabin was very clear about Israel’s security needs: “The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six-Day War. We will not return to the June 4, 1967, lines ... The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan

Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.”

Israelis — not what Ben-Ami calls the pro-Israel American majority — are the only people who can legitimately determine which policies will best ensure Israel’s future. It is Israelis, not American Jews, who will bear the consequences of whatever decisions are made.

Understanding this reality is what it really means to be pro-Israel.

Julia Lutch Davis, California

p Ari Shaffir headlines the Improv Comedy Club from Jan. 12-15.

Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Improv

Tuscan white bean dip

By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle

If you’re looking for a new dip, this recipe is fantastic because it can be mixed up in under 5 minutes. It’s yummy served with pita chips or with challah on Shabbat.

This is a great option if you’d like something different from hummus or are avoiding sesame. It has all of my favorite things — herbs, garlic, lemon, salt and a little dash of spice.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of dip and is easily halved if you’d like to make a smaller portion.

Ingredients:

2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1-2 garlic cloves

¼ cup olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¾ teaspoon sea salt

A dash of cayenne pepper

Rinse and drain the canned beans, and put them in the food processor or blender.

Add the garlic. I add 2 whole cloves, but I suggest adding just 1 clove if you’re looking for a milder taste.

Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and oregano to the beans and process it for a minute or so until the ingredients are well blended. The skin is left on the beans so the consistency won’t be silky smooth like hummus.

Using the pour chute, add the lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and blend it for another minute or so.

Remove the lid and blade from the food processor or blender bowl. Add a dash or two of cayenne pepper, and mix it in by hand.

You can serve this in a regular bowl, and garnish it with parsley to add some color. It also looks really nice topped with a little extra olive oil and sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley or oregano. Add a dash of cayenne or Aleppo pepper for color.

I have had a few questions about why I always write “bless your hands” at the end of my recipes, and I’d like to explain. The phrase comes from a blessing used in Sephardic homes — “ bendichas manos ” is how one says it in Spanyol, which most people think of as Ladino. Spanyol is the Spanish language that was spoken in many communities for centuries. If you speak Spanish you will understand

it, but it’s a much older dialect than modern Spanish. It basically became the language spoken by the Jews of the Ottoman Empire. It’s a really special language and a lot of effort is being given to reviving it so that it’s not lost.

The one who prepares the food gets a blessing before and afterward so that

their meals turn out pleasing to them and their loved ones.

You put a lot of effort into making food with your heart, and you deserve both a blessing and gratitude for it.

Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.

Top Myths and Misconceptions about Working with a Professional Event Planner

By Shari Zatman

Do you have an upcoming event but don’t know where to begin with all the planning – especially if you’re thinking about handling it on your own?

Hiring a professional event planner can offer a great deal of assistance and expertise (and, ultimately, make your life easier leading up to a special occasion). However, many people – especially those who are new to the world of event planners – can be nervous about taking those next steps. But don’t fear! Event planners are here to help.

During my nearly 25 years as a professional event planner, I’ve heard my fair share of misconceptions about working with event planners. Sometimes, this misinformation can prevent people from hiring one when they truly need the support. To help put you at ease, let’s debunk these common myths and misconceptions:

MYTH: Anyone can plan an event, so I don’t need a professional. Whether you are planning a wedding, mitzvah, party or corporate event, there are a lot of details to coordinate – so many that it’s easy to end up feeling overwhelmed rather quickly. Even if you enjoy being involved in the planning, you may not be prepared to coordinate all of the logistics involved in delivering an event that lives up to the size and scope you have in mind. Professional event planners will help establish your priority items and map out with you the order in which to tackle the items on the to-do list. With guidance from an event planner like me, you’ll be able to identify, develop and curate your vision.

MYTH: If I hire an event planner, I won’t get to be involved. Working with an event planner does not mean you don’t get to be involved with the planning of your own event (unless you choose not to be part of the process). From the beginning, we’ll discuss how much you would like to be part of the planning and your availability. We’ll identify your priorities, the things you enjoy doing and what you’d rather leave up to the experts to handle on your behalf. Think of an event planner as your advocate and as an extension of you to help keep the planning of your event going smoothly.

MYTH: Party planning isn’t that hard, so I can do it all myself. Depending on the size, scale and scope of your event, planning may occur over many months or even years. Hundreds of hours can be dedicated to preparing for just one event. Do you have those extra hours in your schedule to devote to party prep? If not, your event planner will take over tasks to alleviate you from working all of these hours on your event all by yourself. After all, you can’t be in two places at once, especially when it’s time for the big day. Planners will be on site for your event to get set up and to direct and manage all of the little details so you can be an active participant and guest at your party – rather than working and stressing behind the scenes.

MYTH: I can’t afford an event planner.

Event planners offer different options for a range of budgets. If full-service planning and design is not a fit for your needs and budget, there are consulting services that can be charged on an hourly basis where we focus on your priority planning items and where you need the most assistance. The goal of an event planner is to put you at ease. Yes, it’s an investment, but it’s one that will pay off not only in time saved but also happy memories made when you’re able to bring to life an event you love.

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p Tuscan white bean dip

Photo by Jessica Grann

& Culture

In Turkey, a festival revives a jewel of the Sephardic world and aims to break stereotypes

By David I. Klein | JTA

IZMIR, Turkey — Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, Prague has been a popular tourist destination for both Jewish travelers and others interested in Jewish history. The Nazis left many of city’s synagogues and Jewish sites relatively intact, intending to showcase them as the remnants of an extinct culture — and that allows the Czech capital to provide an uncommon look into the pre-war infrastructure of Ashkenazi Europe.

Could Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, become a Sephardic counterpart, in terms of history and tourism? That’s the goal for Nesim Bencoya, director of the Izmir Jewish Heritage project.

The city, once known in Greek as Smyrna, has had a Jewish presence since antiquity, with early church documents mentioning Jews as far back as the second century AD. Like elsewhere in the Ottoman Empire, though, its community grew exponentially with the influx of Sephardic Jews who came after their expulsion from Spain.

At its peak, the city was home to around 30,000 Jews and was the hometown of Jewish artists, writers and rabbis — from the esteemed Pallache and Algazii rabbinical families, to the musician Dario Marino, to the famously false messiah, Shabbetai Zevi, whose childhood home still stands in Izmir today.

Today, fewer than 1,300 remain. The establishment of the state of Israel, coupled with a century of economic and political upheaval, led to the immigration of the majority of Turkish Jewry.

“From the 17th century, Izmir was a center for Sephardic Jewry,” Bencoya told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “We can’t recreate that, but we cannot forget that either.”

Celebrating in the former Jewish quarter

Bencoya, who is in his late 60s, was born in Izmir but spent most of his adult life in Israel, where he led the Haifa Cinematheque, but he returned to Izmir 13 years ago to helm the heritage project, which has worked to highlight the culture and history of Izmir’s Jewish community.

Over nine days in December that included the week of Hanukkah, thousands attended the annual Sephardic culture festival that he has organized since 2018. The festival included concerts of Jewish and Ladino music, traditional food tastings, lectures on Izmir’s Jewish community, and — since it coincided with Hanukkah and also a Shabbat — both a menorah lighting ceremony and havdalah ceremony were conducted with explanations from Izmir’s leading cantor, Nesim Beruchiel.

This year’s festival marked a turning point: it was the first in which organizers were able to show off several of the centuries-old synagogues that the project — with funding from the European Union and the local municipality — has been restoring.

The synagogues, most of which are clustered around a street still called Havra Sokak (havra

being the Turkish spelling of the Hebrew word chevra, or congregation) represent a unique piece of cultural heritage.

Once upon a time, the street was the heart of the Jewish quarter or “Juderia,” but today it is right in the middle of Izmir’s Kemeralti Bazaar, a bustling market district stretching over 150 acres where almost anything can be bought and sold. On Havra Sokak, the merchants hock fresh fruits, and hopefully fresher fish. One street to the south one can find all manner of leather goods; one to the north has markets for gold, silver and other precious metals; one to the west has coffee shops. In between them all are other shops selling everything from crafts to tchotchkes to kitchenware to lingerie.

Several mosques and a handful of churches dot the area, but the synagogues revive a unique character of the district that had been all but lost.

“The synagogues here were built under the light of Spain. But in Spain today, there are only two major historic synagogues, Toledo and Cordoba, and they are big ones. You don’t have smaller ones. Here we have six on one block, built with the memory of what was there by those who left Spain,” Bencoya said.

Those synagogues have been home to major events in Jewish history — such as when Shabbetei Zvi broke into Izmir’s Portuguese Synagogue one Sabbath morning, drove out his opponents and declared himself the messiah (he cultivated a large following but was later imprisoned and forced to convert to Islam). The synagogue, known in Turkish as Portekez, was among those restored by the project.

Today, only two of Izmir’s synagogues are in regular use by its Jewish community, but the others that were restored are now available as exhibition and event spaces.

Educating non-Jews

Hosting the festival within Izmir’s unique synagogues has an additional purpose, since the overwhelming majority of the attendees were not Jewish.

“Most of the people who come to the festival have never been to a synagogue, maybe a small percentage of them have met a Jew once in

their lives,” Bencoya said.

That’s particularly important in a country where antisemitic beliefs are far from uncommon. In a 2015 study by the Anti-Defamation League, 71% of respondents from Turkey believe in some antisemitic stereotypes.

“This festival is not for Jewish people to know us, but for non-Jews,” Bencoya said. Now, “Hundreds of Turkish Muslim people have come to see us, to listen to our holidays and taste what we do.”

Kayra Ergen, a native of Izmir who attended a Ladino concert and menorah lighting event at the end of the festival, told JTA that until a year ago, he had no idea how Jewish Izmir once was.

“I know that Anatolia is a multicultural land, and also Turkey is, but this religion, by which I mean Jewish people, left this place a long time ago because of many bad events. But it’s good to remember these people, and their roots in Izmir,” Ergen said. “This is so sad and lame to say out loud, but I didn’t know about this — that only 70 years ago, 60% of this area here in Konak [the district around Kemeralti] was Jewish. Today I believe only 1,300 remain. This is not good. But we must do whatever we can and this festival is a good example of showing the love between cultures.”

“I think it’s good that we’re respecting each other in here,” said Zeynep Uslu, another native of Izmir. “A lot of different cultures and a lot of different people. It’s good that we’re together here celebrating something so special.”

Izmir’s history as a home for minorities has not been all rosy. At the end of the Ottoman period, the city was around half Greek, a tenth Jewish and a tenth Armenian, while the remainder were Turkish Muslims and an assortment of foreigners. In the Greco-Turkish war of 1919-1922 — remembered in Turkey as the Turkish War of Independence — the Greek and Armenian quarters of Izmir were burned to the ground after the Turkish army retook the city from the Greek forces, killing tens of thousands. A mass exodus of the survivors followed, but the Jewish and Muslim portions of the city were largely unharmed.

Izmir is not the only city in Turkey which has seen its synagogues restored in recent years. Notable projects are being completed in Edirne, a city on the Turkish western border near Bulgaria, and Kilis, on its southeastern border near Syria. Unlike Izmir, though, no Jews remain in either of those cities today, and many have accused the project of being a tool for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government to assuage accusations of antisemitism, without actually dealing with living Jews.

Losing Ladino and a ‘quiet’ mindset

Bencoya lamented that he is among the last generation for whom Ladino — the Judeo-Spanish language traditionally spoken by Sephardic Jews, but only spoken by tens of thousands today — was at least a part of his childhood.

“When you lose language, it’s not only technical, it’s not only vocabulary, it’s a whole world and a way of thinking,” Bencoya said.

The project is challenging a local Jewish mentality as well. Minority groups in Izmir, especially Jews, “have for a long time preferred not to be seen, not to be felt,” according to Bencoya.

That mindset has been codified in the Turkish Jewish community’s collective psyche in the form of a Ladino word, “kayedes,” which means something along the lines of “shhh,” “be quiet,” or “keep your head down.”

“This is the exact opposite that I want to do with this festival — to be felt, to raise awareness of my being,” Bencoya said.

One way of doing that, he added, was having the festival refer to the community’s identity “as Yahudi and not Musevi!” Both are Turkish words that refer to Jews: the former having the same root as the English word Jew — the Hebrew word Yehuda or Judea — while the latter means “follower of Moses.”

“Yahudi, Musevi, Ibrani [meaning Hebrew, in Turkish] — they all mean the same thing, but in Turkey, they say Musevi because it sounds nicer,” Bencoya said. “To Yahudi there are a lot of negative superlatives — dirty Yahudi, filthy Yahudi, and this and that. So I insist on saying that I am Yahudi, because people have a lot of pre-judgments about the name Yahudi. So if you have prejudgments about me, let’s open them and talk about them.”

“I am not so romantic that I can eliminate all antisemitism, but if I can eliminate some of the prejudgments, then I can live a little more at peace,” he added.

So far, he feels the festival is a successful first step.

“The non-Jewish community of Izmir is fascinated,” Bencoya said. “If you look on Facebook and Instagram, they are talking about it, they are fighting over tickets, which sell out almost immediately.”

Now, he is only wondering how next year he will be able to fit more people into the small and aged synagogues.

“For Turkey, [the festival] is very important because Turkey can be among the enlightened nations of the world, only by being aware of the differences between groups of people, such as Jews, Christians, others, and Muslims,” he said. PJC

p The Bikur Holim Synagogue is one of the few still functioning in Izmir. Photo by David I. Klein

Jewish boxer to be inducted into New York Boxing Hall of Fame

By Alan Zeitlin | JNS

Dmitriy Salita remembers fighting for respect in the ring. His record speaks for itself; he fought professionally from 2001 to 2013 with a record of 35-2-1 and 18 knockouts.

The former Brooklyn resident will join friends and fellow former pugilists Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi in being inducted into the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame on April 30. Salita’s name will be etched in history along with Jewish fighters such as Benny Leonard and Maxie Rosenbloom.

“As a Ukrainian immigrant coming to America to make my dreams come true and an Orthodox Jew who did not fight on Shabbos, it’s a great honor to know I’ll be inducted into the Hall of Fame with my friends Zab and Paulie,” Salita told JNS. “There were people that doubted I could succeed. I worked hard, and I didn’t listen to anyone who said I couldn’t achieve my goals.”

Salita said he shares the honor with the late Jimmy O’Pharrow, the coach who trained him at the Starrett City Boxing Club in Brooklyn.

O’Pharrow once told this journalist that Salita was “disciplined and listened” and had a strong work ethic. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 85.

Salita said O’Pharrow was the greatest mentor he could have asked for and there was a

great mutual respect.

“I learned a lot of lessons from boxing and I learned balance both in the ring and in life, not to get too high or too low and stay even,” Salita said. “I never let emotions control me inside or outside of the ring. I have to give credit to my coach Jimmy O. This award is for me and for him.”

Tough Jews

Salita said one of his goals was to show that Jews can be tough, which he backed up by winning the New York Golden Gloves (in 2001, at 139 pounds) and the WBF junior welterweight world title (in 2008) as well as other titles. Refusing to fight on Shabbos helped give him balance, he added.

In 2010, Salita became a boxing promoter. He is the president of Brooklyn-based Salita Promotions. This past September, he was named Promoter of the Year by Ring 10 VBA, a nonprofit organization that helps former professional boxers in need of financial assistance.

One of his fighters, the undisputed female light middleweight champion Claressa Shields, is considered to be the pound-for-pound best female fighter by ESPN and The Ring magazine. She avenged her only loss — as an amateur — by beating Savannah Marshall in England. Shields is undefeated as a pro, and there will be a rematch between the two women.

“I didn’t expect to win Promoter of the Year at such a young age,” said Salita, 40. “I knew

from the beginning that Claressa was a special fighter and a special person. I would love to see her fight in Africa or the Middle East. She is the [Muhammad] Ali, [Michael] Jordan, or whatever you want to say, she is the greatest.

Is Salita the first Promoter of the Year who has not cursed during a conference?

“I think so,” he said with a laugh.

Salita saw promoting as a great opportunity after losing a title shot to WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan in England in 2009. He founded Salita Promotions and said that rather than a detriment, wearing a yarmulke works in his favor because fighters respect authenticity.

Make no mistake. Salita is a nice guy but not a pushover. At a press conference in November

for his fighter Jermaine Franklin, who was to fight British heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte, Whyte pushed Salita.

“I pushed him back,” Salita said. “I’m not gonna stand for that.”

Luckily, they didn’t trade punches.

Salita has a stable of more than 25 fighters, including heavyweight Otto Wallin, who gave Tyson Fury, the current WBC heavyweight champion, a run for his money in a strong showing.

He said he is troubled by antisemitism, racism and any type of hate.

“I try to live by example, and I think people should treat each other fairly and with respect,” Salita said. “I think it’s important to be proud of who you are.” PJC

Photo courtesy of Dmitriy Salita

Bar Mitzvah

Gabe Lubowsky is the son of Aviva and Noah Lubowsky, brother of Hannah Lubowsky, and grandson of Dee Selekman, Howard Selekman and Steven and the late Susan Lubowsky. In seventh grade at Falk Laboratory School, and Community Day School prior, Gabe enjoys playing hockey, ultimate frisbee, soccer and percussion.

Gabe will celebrate becoming a bar mitzvah on Shabbat Parashat Shemot at Congregation Beth Shalom on Jan. 14, 2023. PJC

German zoo gets $26 million from widow of animal-loving Holocaust survivor

By David I. Klein | JTA.org

The zoo in Cologne, Germany, has gotten its first check from the $26 million gift promised by the widow of a Holocaust survivor who credited the city’s residents for saving him during the war.

Elizabeth Reichert willed the funds to the Cologne Zoological Garden in 2017 in honor of her husband Arnulf, who died in 1998. Both Reicherts were born in Cologne and met during World War II, when Elizabeth was part of the local anti-Nazi resistance network and Arnulf, a German Jew, was in hiding with the network’s help.

“They only survived the war in Germany thanks to the help of courageous people from Cologne, who offered hiding places to the Jew Arnulf Reichert,” the zoo said in a statement in German this week.

Though they moved to Israel and, after five years, America after the war, Arnulf and Elizabeth maintained affection to the city for the rest of their lives.

“We were born in Cologne and we remember forever Cologne,” Reichert said in 2017.

In the United States, they settled in New Jersey, where the couple started and ran a successful pet wholesale business. They never had children. Reichert chose the zoo out of all institutions in Cologne because of her and Arnulf’s love of animals.

“Arnulf wanted to give the money someplace where it would do good,” Elizabeth Reichert said in 2017 when she announced the planned

Awaiting Moshiach

The Torah portion of Shemos describes the exile and oppression of our ancestors in Egypt, as well as the beginning of the exodus. G-d instructs Moshe to inform the Jewish people that they will be freed and to approach Pharaoh with this message.

Moshe seems to be a reluctant messenger. He claims to be unworthy of this important mission, and says, “I beg you O’ G-d, please send the one you send.” The simple understanding of this request is that he was asking that his brother, Aaron, who was already a leader of the people, be sent.

The transformation that took place came through Divine revelation. It, therefore, could not be permanent. Any change that does not come through intense personal effort is bound to fade. It was inevitable that the people who were “dragged” out of Egypt would not be permanently transformed. Indeed, shortly after they received the Torah some of them reverted to idolatry with the golden calf.

The purpose of this exile is to give us the chance to be the ones to cause a transformation, within ourselves and in the world. Only when we, through our own effort, make the world a more G-dly place will that impact be everlasting. It is not easy — indeed, the difficulty is what makes it work — but we have the strength and the tools.

gift. “When you think about leaving money, memories play a major role.”

Reichert died in February 2021, at the age of 96, and it was not until recently that her estate was settled and funds could be disbursed.

The zoo reported that it had received the first payment from the trust, of more than $700,000 dollars, and said it expected annual disbursals to top $1 million in the future. The gift, a zoo official said in 2017, was unusual in Germany where large philanthropic gifts are rare and would be used to improve the zoo for animals and visitors alike.

The zoo said it is planning to name its South American section after Arnulf Reichert.

Reichert had been giving a monthly donation of over $7,000 since announcing the gift. But her giving to the zoo goes all the way back to 1954, when she and Arnulf donated a soft-shelled turtle they brought from the Jordan River to Germany by boat on a nine-day journey, feeding it cold cuts of meat along the way.

Cologne’s zoo is not the first in Europe to be associated with Holocaust survivors. Zookeepers in Warsaw sheltered 300 Jews from the Nazis inside the zoo, in a dramatic story that was the subject of a novel and then a 2017 movie adaptation starring Jessica Chastain. PJC

The Midrash however tells us that Moshe’s request was different. Moshe knew that he would not be the one to lead the Jewish people into the land of Israel. He knew that even after being set free, the Jewish people would suffer from further exile. He asked G-d, “Why? Why send me, which will mean future suffering for the Jewish people? Instead, send Moshiach, who will bring about an exodus that will not be followed by any suffering.” Moshe, in his deep and abiding love for the Jewish people, did not want us to experience another exile. He begged G-d to bring a redemption that would be complete, that would not be followed by any further pain.

Today, we find ourselves in the exile that Moshe begged we be spared. Every day we pray to G-d that we be redeemed. But even more important, every day we work to prepare the world for redemption. And it is that work that will make the future redemption different than the past.

When the Jews were taken out of Egypt, it was not in their own merit — they had sunken so low spiritually that if they would have stayed even a moment longer, they would have been beyond rescue.

While G-d did not grant Moshe’s request, G-d did not turn him down completely. We are told, “Moshe was the first redeemer and will be the final redeemer.” He was not able to bring about the final redemption at the time, but he was the messenger to give us the tools to make it happen. The Torah that Moshe brought us, and the mitzvos it contains, are our path toward bringing G-d’s presence into the world. When we do a mitzvah, whether it is putting on tefillin, lighting Shabbos candles or keeping kosher, we transform ourselves and the world around us. And when it is hard, but we choose to do it anyway, the transformation is that much deeper and more permanent.

I write these words from Eretz Yisroel, our eternal homeland. It is my fervent prayer that by the time they are printed, you will all have been brought on the clouds of glory to join me, with the coming of Moshiach! PJC

Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld Parshat Shemos Exodus 1:1 - 6:1

Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld is the rabbi at the Lubavitch Center and the executive director of Chabad of Western Pennsylvania. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh.

Every day we pray to G-d that we be redeemed. But even more important, every day we work to prepare the world for redemption.

Irina Schmidt/Adobe Stock

BONIME: Joy Black Bonime, on Sunday Jan. 8, 2023. Beloved wife of the late Richard L. Bonime. Loving mother of Avram (Claire) Bonime and Jason (Treci) Bonime.  Sister of Barry Black, Brian Black and the late Barbara Beran.  Adoring grandmother of Ivy and Louisa Bonime. Loving aunt to Sarah Steinberg, Andrew Beran and the late Emily Landau. “Remember, to let her into your heart, then you can start, to make it better.” Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment private. Contributions may be made to Mario Lemieux Center for Blood Cancers, c/o Hillman Cancer Center, 5115 Centre Ave., 4th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105. schugar.com

SHIFLET: Isabel Soltz Shiflet, passed away peacefully on Jan. 8, 2023, at the age of 101. Born to Reuben and Eva Soltz, Isabel grew up in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh and was a proud graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School, class of 1939. Isabel traveled the world as an army wife, living for several years in Germany, Italy and army bases throughout the United States. After returning to Pittsburgh, Isabel passed the civil service exam and worked for 35 years as an executive secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. With her vivacious energy and outgoing personality, she was truly the queen of her office, and was known for organizing popular social events, particularly her festive “Bagel Bashes.” Upon her retirement in 1986 she entered a second career as a volunteer. She devoted countless hours to the development office of the JCC at Forbes and Murray and as an assistant in arts and crafts at what was then the Jewish Home for the Aged on Brown’s Hill Road. Isabel could often be seen walking up Murray Avenue wearing one of her signature hats. She greeted everyone she met with a smile and knew the names of all the people who worked in the places she frequented. She was a fervent Steelers fan and a lifelong Democrat. At the age of 75, Isabel received her first computer and used it to make hundreds of custom greeting cards for friends and family. She embraced email and video chat as new ways to keep in touch. She never forgot a birthday and enjoyed creating her yearly photo postcard. The family historian, she documented every event with her camera. She was an avid knitter and crafter, always focused on giving to others. Her enthusiasm for living spanned generational differences, and she had many friends of all ages. She remained close with her high school girlfriends and met them every month for lunch well into their 80s. Isabel is survived by her beloved brother, Morton Soltz; her loving children Marsha Shiflet (Bob Santoro) and Zelda Lee Mason (Peter Hamlin); her adoring grandchildren Rachel Mason (Sharón Friedner) and Michelle Rubenstein (Isaac), and three great-grandchildren. The oldest of her generation, she is also survived by many cousins and their families. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Shaare Torah Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Isabel Soltz Shiflet Senior Adult Endowment Fund at jccpgh.org or to Good Shepherd Community Care Hospice of Massachusetts, 160 Wells Ave., Newton, MA 02459. schugar.com

SIROWITZ: Herbert Sirowitz, age 91, of Pittsburgh, passed away peacefully surrounded by family. Son of the late Rae and Louis Sirowitz. Loving husband to Anne of 56 years. Father of Julie (Nicole) and the late Randi Joy, and Robert. Grandfather of Blake and Riley. Also survived by nieces and nephews Janet (Robert), Melissa (Aris), Andrew, Diana (Jake), and Phillip. Herbert loved bike riding, playing tennis, vegetable gardening and reading. He was an avid Mets, Giants and Penguins fan. Herbert was a retired partner of Deloitte and prior to his career served in the Coast Guard during the Korean War. A funeral service was held at Beth El Congregation. Interment in Beth El section of Mount Lebanon Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the charity of your choice. Arrangements entrusted to William Slater II Funeral Service, Scott Twp. slaterfuneral.com

STEIN: Barbara (Friedman) Stein of Morristown, NJ, formerly of Pittsburgh, on Dec. 25, 2022. Beloved wife of 64 years to Sanford “Pat” Stein. Loving mother of Steven Stein (Abby Landau) of West Caldwell, NJ., Susan (Philip) Goldstein of Haverford, Pennsylvania, Larry (Dayna) Stein of Red Bank, New Jersey. Loving bubbie to Danielle (Alex) Litton, Alexandra Stein, Netanya (Kuti) Greiff, Ezra Goldstein and Eden Stein. Great-bubbie to Yaakov and Leba Litton. Graveside services were held at Beth Israel Cemetery, Cedar Knolls, New Jersey. Those wishing to honor her memory are encouraged to perform a random act of kindness PJC

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Susan

Dora Zeidenstein

Contact the Development department at 412.586.3264 or development@jaapgh.org for more information. THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS —

Sunday January 15: Hyman Cohen, Bessie Coltin, Jack Ginsburg, Jesse B. Guttman, Cecile G. Kluger, Tinnie Lange, Dr. Emerson N. Milligram, Ruth Friedman Oshry, Nathan Ripp, Ralph Hyman Rosenthal, Abe Sambol, David Silverstein, Abraham Teplitz, Freda Winerman

Monday January 16: Helen Bloom, Perry S. Brustein, Arthur Cohen, Ella R. Finn, Lottie Gerber, Dr. Hyman D. Goldberg, Rhea Golden, Ruth S. Harris, Miriam Kaufman, Janet Martin, Rebecca Podietz, Louis Schwartz, Isaac Sunstein, Manuel Joseph Topp, Jack E. Wise

Tuesday January 17: Morris J. Ackerman, Abner Crumb, Martin Falk, Lillian Adlow Friedberg, Dr. Robert Stanley Goldbloom, Nell Schechter Greenberger, Marc Alan Hersh, Esther Horvitz, Rose Jacobson, Julius Kertman, Harry Lazier, Murray S. Love, George Marcus, Mary Zweig Miller, Mark H. Rossen, Lena Weinstein, Marian Weiss, Meyer Weiss, Ida Finkel Williams

Wednesday January 18: Jeremias Becker, Simon Beigel, Leon Bluestone, Oscar Bluestone, Max Boodman, Israel Chaiken, William G. Dubin, Fanny Frankel, Harry Friedman, Irving Friedman, Herbert A. Gold, Frances Kendal Haberman, Isadore E. Lample, Max T. Levine, Anna Lewis, Sol Lieber, Alvin Lippard, Joseph Littman, William Lubow, Mendel Miller, Dorothy Cottler Richman, Berel Louis Sachs, Dorothy B. Schneirov, Rose Serbin, Louis (Happy) Solomon, Lena Star, Caro Talisman, Abe Zwang

Thursday January 19: Samuel Bernstein, Rose Schwartz Bodek, Pauline Caplan, Renee Cohen, Nathan Dektor, Leroy D. Fienberg, Freda Florman, Arthur W. Fried, Zola S. Heller, Sylvia Kalmick, Max Kalson, Pearl Klein, Jack Lange, Marcia Lieberman, Rita Marks, Byrde Marlin, Nellie E. Rudolph, Harry Selkovits, Samuel Solow, Sarah Rachel Teplitz, Morris Vinocur, Dora Zeidenstein

Friday January 20: Ruth Boimel, Abraham J. Epstein, Max Levenson, Esther Mallinger, Julia Mankin, Rose H. Mirskey, David Newman, Eugene Neil Reuben, Rae Solomon

Saturday January 21: Philip Backer, Bernard Bigg, Aaron H. Braunstein, David Dugan, Louis Fineberg, Abraham J. Friedman, Sam Gerson, Harry Glick, Nathan Greenberg, Frances S. Winsberg Gusky, Samuel Harris, Sarah Kallus, Betty Lenchner, Jacob Linder, Violet Semins Paris, Minnie Pecarsky, Bea Perer, Charlotte Rubin, Ben Scolnik, Jacob Shapiro, Dr. Bernard J. Slone, Jennie S. Solomon, Ann Tergulitza, Freda Venetsky

Jewish Association on Aging gratefully acknowledges contributions from the following: A gift from

In memory of...

Anonymous Martin Falk Anonymous

Harry L. Steinberg Anonymous

Eleanor Goldberg Toker Paula W. Callis Meyer Weiss

Sherry Feldstein

Leona Ruth Broad

Sheila Reicher Fine Lillian Cook

Stephanie Flom

Peter Oresick

Stephanie Flom William Flom

Elinor & Ivan Gold Herbert A. Gold

Robert & Kathleen Grant Harry B. Harris

Gail & Fred Greene David Silverstein

& Fred Greene Bessie Perman

& Fred Greene

William Randall Greene

Penn Lupovich Rita Lupovich

& Joyce Mandelblatt Abner Crumb

Middleman

Katie Middleman

& Maxine Myer

Esther Nathanson

Joseph & Miriam Bachrach

& Mark Orringer Sadie Liebling

& Mark Orringer Dr. Harry Orringer

Herbert Shapiro Clara Deutch

Patricia A. Spokane Dorothy Schneirov

Why Israel’s new right-wing leaders made plastic plates inexpensive again

By Deborah Danan | JTA.org

TEL AVIV— Devora Zien’s tiny apart ment in Bnei Brak runs like a factory, but, she admits, not a very smooth one. With 12 mouths to feed three times a day, single-use plasticware is a basic neces sity, she says. So when Israel’s then-Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman increased taxes on disposables in 2021, Zien said she was “in total shock.”

“For me, it’s more important than bread and milk,” she said. “It’s about survival. I can’t stand in front of the kitchen sink all day washing dishes — and where would I put a dishwasher even if I could afford one?”

Liberman’s tax on disposable dinnerware, as well as another set of taxes he imposed as finance minister on sugar-filled soft drinks, were viewed by many ultra-Or thodox Israelis as unfairly targeting their lifestyle and cynically using health and environmental considerations to single out their community.

This week, after Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was sworn in, Liberman’s successor, Bezalel Smotrich, in his first move as finance minister, signed orders repealing the tax hikes on disposables and sugary drinks.

Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers hailed the move, as did many in the broader haredi population. Images made the rounds on social media of haredi men celebrating the decision by drinking Cristal Mint, a low-in-price, high-in-sugar soda, from disposable plastic cups. Beyond the relief felt by members of the community, there was also a sense that the balance in Israel’s cultural war is once again tipping in their favor.

MK Uri Maklev of the haredi United Torah Judaism party, said the tax reversal underscored the new government’s policy of “working for the citizens and not against them.”

Israel is either the world’s top or second-biggest consumer of disposable tableware per capita, depending on the analysis, making the goods a natural target for environmental activists. And the taxes were projected to bring in $350 million annually to the country’s treasury, no small amount. That’s nearly twice, for example, what the city of Jerusalem spends each year on sanitation.

But the disposables were Liberman’s only target for environmental taxes, which came

Tree of Life Cemetery—Sharpsburg

An initial group of sixteen members met in the home of Gustavus Grafner to form Etz Chaim. en called by its Hebrew name, the Tree of Life was chartered in 1865 and acquired land for use as a cemetery during its rst year. Located on Kittanning Pike northeast of the town of Sharpsburg, Pittsburgh’s third oldest Jewish cemetery holds 1350 graves, many from the region’s earliest families. Originally an Orthodox congregation, most of the early members were from Eastern Europe.

Like many Pittsburgh cemeteries it sits on a steep hillside, and is situated just below O’Hara Township’s Meadow Heights Park. As the congregation moved from its founding on Fourth and Ross, to Grant, to Oakland’s Cra Avenue, and to Shady and Wilkins in the 1950’s, and developed a Memorial Park in Franklin Park at that time, the Sharpsburg cemetery stands as a testimony and tangible connection to the Tree of Life’s early and proud history. It is still an active cemetery.

Features of note include numerous preserved family section markers and monuments, a 1985 War Veteran’s Memorial, and the largest collection of nineteenth century Jewish graves in Western Pennsylvania.

A recent restoration funded by an exceedingly generous and caring donor and in cooperation between the Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha and the JCBA has taken place in 2022, and will continue.

as he sought to address Israel’s high cost of living by cutting taxes on other goods. And no environmental activist himself, Liberman is well known for his fierce criticism of Israel’s haredi sector, which he says contributes too little to the country through work and army service.

“The only thing that matters to him is sticking his finger in our eye,” said Devora’s sister-in-law Yael Zien, a media personality who advocates on behalf of Israel’s haredi population. She went on to cite Liberman’s widely condemned statement that he would send haredi Jews on “wheelbarrows straight to the dumpster.”

“You can’t compare your average, secular, two-car family that orders takeaway, with the haredis. We also host far more family functions than any other sector,” Zien said. “Why not raise taxes on a second car? Or flights overseas?”

“Haredim are actually more green than anyone else. We buy less clothes, we don’t fly abroad, and our communities rely heavily on gmachim and passing things on,” she said, referring to the free-loan establishments that provide anything from baby bottles to evening gowns.

Though the taxation touched on a sensitive nerve and was viewed by both sides as another round in the cultural war between secular and Orthodox Israelis, when the dust settled, it turned out that both sides may

T.A.H.S.

actually agree on some important issues.

Despite saying she reacted with “ecstasy” to Smotrich’s moves, Zien is not entirely opposed to reinstating the taxes, but this time with cooperation from the affected parties and a multi-pronged approach.

Addressing the sugary drinks, Zien believes that the government should have taken steps in parallel to raise awareness in haredi society about the danger of diabetes and not just enforce acts that could be interpreted as punitive.

Meanwhile, environmental activists, who had marveled at the taxation on plastic dishes, are willing to admit that Liberman might have paid too little attention to the needs of haredi communities.

Yael Gini, community director at Sustainable Development Goals Israel, noted that tax hikes are just one way to combat waste, and not necessarily the most optimal. Targeting businesses or public places with a blanket ban on disposables, as France enacted this week in what activists are calling a watershed moment, might have been a more prudent first step, she said.

“It’s a shame it came to this. This isn’t sectorial but it feels like it is. [Politicians] turned it into something political and the haredim are right about that,” said Gini, formerly a program director at Greenpeace.

“But [the haredim] need to understand, it’s not an us-versus-them situation,” she said, adding that the environmental impact of Israel’s use of disposables is “a disaster for everyone.”

PJC

For more information about JCBA cemeteries, to volunteer, to purchase plots, to read our complete histories and/or to make a contribution, please visit our website at www.JCBApgh.org, email us at jcbapgh@gmail.com, or call the JCBA o ice at 412-553-6469

JCBA’s expanded vision is made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Jewish Community Foundation

“Haredim are actually more green than anyone else. We buy less clothes, we don’t fly abroad, and our communities rely heavily on gmachim and passing things on.”

– DEVORA ZIEN

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In Netflix’s ‘You People,’ Jonah Hill is a Jewish guy who finds love with a Farrakhan follower’s daughter

By Andrew Lapin | JTA

Were Jews the “OG slaves”? Can American slavery be compared to the Holocaust? And who gets the last word on Louis Farrakhan?

These questions have spurred very serious debates over time — and now will be getting a raunchier take in the new Netflix comedy “You People” that hits streaming Jan. 27.

Starring Jewish funnyman Jonah Hill, who also co-wrote the script with “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris, the film stars a visibly tattooed Hill as Ezra, a young Jewish man who falls in love with Amira, a Black woman played by “Without Remorse” actress Lauren London.

In a new trailer for the movie that opens with a scene shot at the Skirball Cultural Center, a Jewish institution in Los Angeles, Hill’s Jewish parents, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and David Duchovny, seem to immediately bless the union following some awkward comments about hair and rappers.

It’s Amira’s parents, Akbar and Fatima

(played by Eddie Murphy and Nia Long), who prove a tougher sell — particularly once Akbar, who says he identifies as “Muslim,” tells them he is a follower of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, whose antisemitism is longstanding and well known. If Murphy’s character is following in the long tradition of adopting zany antics to try to prevent a marriage, it’s not clear in the trailer, where he tells Ezra’s mother that his hat was a gift from Farrakkhan.

“Are you familiar with the minister’s work?” Murphy asks Louis-Dreyfus. “I’m familiar with what he said about the Jews!” she replies.

Other awkward moments abound in the trailer, including a dinner-table argument about comparing slavery to the Holocaust. (“Our people came here with nothing like everybody else,” says Louis-Dreyfus’ character, to cringes.) It’s all in a day’s work for Barris, whose series of sitcoms are known for prompting uncomfortable conversations about race and culture, and who — in the recent aftermath of antisemitism controversies involving Kanye West, Kyrie Irving and Dave Chappelle — has found quite the moment for a “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner”-style comedy about Black-Jewish relations.

An earlier trailer for “You People,” featuring only Hill and Murphy, made no references to the film’s Jewish content. The new trailer’s density of Jewish jokes is sure to fuel an ongoing debate over “Jewface,” or whether it is appropriate for non-Jewish actors to be cast

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IT’S EASY TO CREATE A TESTAMENTARY TRUST

is is one in a series of articles about Elder Law by Michael H. Marks., Esq. Michael H. Marks is an elder law attorney with o ces in Squirrel Hill and Monroeville. Send questions to michael@marks-law.com or visit www.marks-law.com.

Do you want to legally protect your family when you are gone, but are afraid that it will be a di cult and complicated e ort? It’s easy to create a Testamentary Trust, a very e ective and available estate planning tool to protect your loved ones and their future. When you read the word “Trust” you might think it’s only for rich folks, or too complicated for ordinary families. Not true! A Testamentary Trust is a trust that’s included in your Last Will and Testament, that only comes into e ect later, when your Will comes into e ect – that is, when you die – and only if it’s needed at that time.

e word trust describes a broad range of uses and applications, but generally, you can use a trust to put someone in charge of money or property for the bene t of someone else. You might utilize a trust, for example, to:

•Protect an inheritance for minor children and young adult bene ciaries;

•Pay for education;

•Establish a Special needs trust for a bene ciary with a disability or special needs;

•Save taxes; or

•Supply charitable bene ts or give to charity.

In comparison to a Testamentary Trust, you might start a trust that comes into existence now, during your lifetime, a so-called “Inter Vivos” Trust (meaning “while alive”). A common example is a Revocable Lifetime Trust or so-called Living Trust. In addition to the purposes listed above, an additional bene t is that a lifetime trust usually helps to avoid

probate upon your passing. Completely implementing a lifetime trust now, though, is generally more work. A Testamentary Trust that comes into e ect under a valid Will is simpler and easier to create now, and involves less work now. e comparative disadvantage is that assets passing under your Will to go into your Testamentary Trust do go through the probate process later. Probate is not a horror or a nightmare (despite what you may hear or read). It’s most o en just a clerical, legal paperwork process, though it does take resources – time, energy and money – along the way. Here’s some Trust Terminology: you would be the trust Creator, Settlor or Grantor. e Trustee is whoever you appoint to be in charge – someone you have con dence in, someone you … trust. e bene ciary is whoever the trust is established for, who will bene t from the trust.

A trust arising under your Last Will and Testament comes into e ect only if it’s needed. For example, suppose someone with young children writes a Will that leaves their estate in trust for the bene t of the children when the parents are both gone. However, if years have gone by and the kids are grown adults, then the trust is no longer needed and the children may ordinarily inherit directly, outright and free of trust instead.

BUT if the kids are still young when both parents are gone, it’s crucially important to create trust arrangements to protect the kids’ inheritance. Put someone you choose and select and trust in charge of their inheritance for some period of time in order to help and assist them while they age and mature, till they can handle it themselves.

Who should you choose as trustee? Most of my clients tend to appoint a trusted individual family member to serve as Trustee, such as a brother or sister, a parent or a trusted friend, etc. I do o en like to see Co-Trustees appointed, both to share the work and the emotional

burden, and mostly just because it can be true that two heads are better than one. I don’t usually like to have an older child appointed as Trustee for a younger child because it may lead to resentment and anger by the younger child against the older sibling that can poison the relationship.

When there are no close, dependable individuals to rely on (or to stand by as backup or successor Trustee), I o en help my clients to nd skilled, knowledgeable, caring professional trustees or trust companies to serve. (Yes, their services cost something, but if you’re not there yourself, it’s a needed service, and you get what you pay for in life.)

Also, note that for a Testamentary Trust under your Will, you yourself can’t serve as the Trustee, because when your Will comes into e ect you will have passed away! (and that’s why you need a trustee in the rst place, to make decisions that you would make yourself if you were still present).

as Jewish characters. While Hill is Jewish – the star recently petitioned to drop his legal last name, Feldstein, because he has never used it professionally — his on-screen parents are not. But Duchovny and Louis-Dreyfus do have Jewish fathers, as does London. PJC

To create a valid trust, all you need (and I’m paraphrasing generally from o cial Pennsylvania law here) is a written trust statement or agreement, made with the mental capacity to make a sound decision and with the intent to create a trust, signed by the trust creator or on their behalf, with identi able bene ciaries, assigning duties to the Trustee, and with assets in the trust.

It’s important to specify the purpose of the trust and other details of what you intend – the who, what, where, when, why, how much, how o en, etc. - but also not to try to control future events too speci cally in advance. Let your trustee do the job under the circumstances in the future.

At Marks Elder Law, we help people every day with issues like these. I invite your questions and feedback. Please let me know how I can help you and your family.

p David Duchovny as Arnold, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Shelley, Jonah Hill (writerproducer) as Ezra, Lauren London as Amira, Eddie Murphy as Akbar and Nia Long as Fatima in “You People” Photo by Parrish Lewis/Netflix

Michael

Community

Disney day at AHAVA

Solidarity and spirit in Phoenix

Celebrating Shabbat

Still tasty

p Chana Saul demonstrates her love of the outdoors.

p Batya Minsky inspects the snow.

Photos courtesy of Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh

Residents were greeted by a princess during Disney day at AHAVA Memory Care Center Of Excellence.

Photo courtesy of Jewish Association on Aging

Pittsburghers participated in the International Lion of Judah Conference, a gathering of dynamic, philanthropic Jewish women, and celebrated 50 years of building flourishing Jewish communities worldwide.

Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh staffers celebrate Shabbat.

p Seeking sanctity

Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

Temple David congregants enjoyed a store-bought latke taste test.

p The season is always right for a latke.

Photo courtesy of Temple David