Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 2-24-23

FBI informs public on violent extremism before trial of accused synagogue shooter

Holocaust Center executive director departs; organization continues as part of Tree of Life

By David Rullo | Sta Writer

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh convened a public meeting with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday, Feb. 15, to discuss violent extremism, hate crimes and matters related to the upcoming trial of the man accused of murdering 11 Jews in the Tree of Life building in 2018.

The two-hour discussion, held at Rodef Shalom Congregation, was attended by more than three dozen community members and was led by FBI Supervisory Intelligence Analyst John Pulcastro, Staff Operations Specialist Madisyn Moore and Supervisory Special Agent Tim Swanson. Shawn Brokos, the Federation’s director of community security, hosted the event.

Moore started the conversation by noting the importance of behavioral indicators over ideology in preventing violent extremism. People can slide from one extreme to another, she said, from white supremacy to supporting ISIS, for example.

While television shows like “Criminal Minds” have popularized the myth that an

expert can predict if a person will become a violent extremist by analyzing behavior, Moore said there is no profile for people who will commit an attack — particularly when it comes to juveniles, who frequently commit acts of violence.

The goal, she said, is preventing one attack, or one person at a time from becoming radicalized.

Community-based solutions are often the first step in stopping someone from becoming radicalized, she said, as personal relationships can facilitate the communication necessary to sway a person from becoming an extremist.

The FBI agent stressed the concept of “dialogue, not dispute.” This method is important, she explained, because often those on the path to becoming radicalized will withdraw from normal social interactions and exist in an echo chamber that reinforces their thoughts and ideas. These echo chambers, she said, are usually found through social media sites, gaming portals, encrypted messenger applications and other direct online communications channels,

By Adam Reinherz | Sta Writer

Following the Feb. 16 announcement that Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh Executive Director Lauren Bairnsfather is leaving her position, colleagues and friends congratulated the Jewish professional and told the Chronicle about Bairnsfather’s achievements and ability to direct the Holocaust Center toward a promising future.

The Holocaust Center, previously overseen by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, recently came under the auspices of Tree of Life, a nonprofit dedicated to the elimination of antisemitism.

Nick Haberman met Bairnsfather days after she became executive director in 2015. The two worked on a project implementing Act 70, a 2014 piece of Pennsylvania legislation that “strongly encourages school entities” to teach students about the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations. Haberman followed their project by creating an educational initiative called LIGHT (Leadership through Innovation

p A team of FBI agents and Shawn Brokos addressed violent extremism in advance of the synagogue shooter trial slated to begin April 24.

Photo by David Rullo

p Lauren Bairnsfather joins artist Luigi Toscano at the opening of “Lest We Forget” at University of Pittsburgh on Oct. 17, 2019.

Photo by Hector Corante, courtesy of Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh

Headlines

A conversation with Israeli diplomat Itay Milner

— LOCAL —

By David Rullo | Sta Writer

Itay Milner, spokesperson and consul for media affairs at the Israeli Consulate in New York, was in Pittsburgh Feb. 20-21, speaking at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, meeting with residents at Concordia of the South Hills and talking with students in the Mt. Lebanon School District. Before his discussion at Beth El, Milner sat down with the Chronicle.

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

You are the spokesperson and consul for media affairs at the Israeli Consulate. What does that mean?

I’m a career diplomat; I’m not a politician. I’m not appointed by politicians. I have a career in diplomacy, not in media or any specific issue. I’m in charge of the relations between the Israeli government and U.S. media. That includes all of the legacy news outlets: CNN, MSNBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal; also a lot of new emerging outlets, independent writers, people that write on Substack, people that write blogs, TikTok influencers, Instagrammers, Twitter and all of those areas.

A lot of antisemitism and anti-Israeli rhetoric exists in some of the new platforms. How do you combat that?

We’re seeing it all the time. We get a lot of hate mail. Every day, I’m starting by reading a lot of those hateful comments and people wishing for my death and the death of Israel. What’s important to understand is this hate we see online can be used or be abused in real life. No one knows it better than the

community here, in which the deadly attack on the Tree of Life was made by a person who was brainwashed by things that he read online. It is also true in Israel. Just two weeks ago, we had an attack on a synagogue. The attacker was not affiliated with any terrorist group. He was a lone wolf. He was influenced by things that he read online. We come at it with positive agenda. We are creating relations with American influencers that can put some positive agenda towards Judaism and towards Israel. We are creating our own content. And we are in touch with the authorities and some of the tech industry companies to make sure that hate and incitement isn’t tolerated.

Since the formation of the new governing coalition in Israel, many in the American Jewish community have expressed concern about its direction. Should they be?

The election was two months ago, one of five elections that we have had over the past four years. The majority of Israel elected this government. One can argue whether it’s a large majority or slim majority, but it’s the majority. This government has its own agenda. Many of the issues that they’re promoting are changes in internal Israeli law and the judicial system. I don’t think that’s an issue that reflects on U.S./Israeli relations. It’s something substantial, but it’s mainly substantial for Israelis and for Israel, not for foreign policy.

One issue concerning to the Diaspora community is proposed changes to the Law of Return. Do you think that will happen?

This is a very, very, very sensitive issue. It hasn’t changed since it was legislated. I don’t think it will change anytime soon. There are already members of this coalition objecting,

some of them are very influential, like the chairman of the Knesset, Amir Ohana. I highly doubt something substantial will be changed with the policy of the Law of Return.

Do you believe the Israeli government will reach a deal with Saudi Arabia?

I think it’s high on the list of priorities. And I think that the fact that Iran is posing such a threat towards Israel and Saudi Arabia — yesterday, it was published that there is evidence Iran enriched uranium to 87%. That will push both sides to cooperate. Saudi Arabia is the crown jewel of the Abraham Accords — if it happens.

Is Israel more secure because of the Abraham Accords, or does Iran represent too large of an existential threat?

It’s all dependent on if Iran gets nuclear capabilities. As long as they do not have nuclear capabilities, we can cope with the threat. Even if they have it, we can cope with it, but it will change everything. Iran is sponsoring terrorism in all of the Middle East. It’s sponsoring Hezbollah, Hamas, some of the foes of Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Israel has helped relief efforts in Turkey. Do enough people know that?

Bad news sells more than good news, and conflict in Israel will always get much more media attention than issues such as providing humanitarian aid or search-and-rescue to Turkey. My job is to make it the other way around. What’s important is that we saved 19 people, and I think that the Turks appreciate it. It’s a very positive step with our relations with Turkey that have already experienced a revival over the past year. PJC

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p Itay Milner

Photo courtesy of the Israeli Consulate

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The history of a Yiddish press on exhibit at Pitt

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

Anew exhibit at the University of Pittsburgh shines a light on the importance of the Yiddish press in America — and the historical significance of one of its landmark publications.

The exhibit — which runs at least through April and is open to the public whenever the library is open — focuses on the history of the Forward, or “Forverts,” which started as a socialist Yiddish daily paper in 1897 and, at its peak in the 1920s, had a subscription base that rivaled The New York Times. Today, it is a digital publication available in Yiddish and English.

“While there were many Yiddish-American dailies in operation at the turn of the 20th century, the popularity of the Forverts — and the fact that it remains in operation over 125 years later — make it a uniquely important institution in American Jewish history,” said Rachel Kranson, director of Jewish studies at Pitt.

“A newspaper like the Yiddish Forverts is an essential primary source for historians,” she added, “particularly for those of us who want to understand the perspectives, aspirations and frustrations of the nearly 3 million Jewish immigrants who came to the United States from Eastern Europe at the turn of the 20th century.”

People visiting the exhibition “will see Jackie

Kennedy holding up a copy of the Forward, animation characters created by the Fleischer studios, Lower East Side residents in a matza riot, everyday life in Algeria, Mandate Palestine, the Upper West Side of New York, and the ball fields and boxing rings of America,” added Chana Pollack, archivist for the Forward. “And the unforgettable woman newspaper seller on the Lower East Side,”

This exhibit, titled “Pressed” (it’s called “Ayndruk” in Yiddish, a portmanteau made up of “in” and “print”) was originally put

together by Pollack and Nancy Johnson, the curator at the Eldridge Street Synagogue in New York City. After being displayed at that synagogue, the exhibit is making Hillman Library on Pitt’s Oakland campus its first traveling location.

The exhibit is on display on the first floor of Hillman Library and is co-sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh’s Jewish studies program and the University of Pittsburgh library system.

“For me at the museum, working with the Forward on an exhibition made sense

since the synagogue’s early congregants would have read this newspaper, which was produced in their Lower East Side neighborhood and written in their language, Yiddish,” said Johnson, curator at the Museum at Eldridge Street, which is based at the New York shul.

“We chose a variety of images to show the wide range of topics covered by the paper and the wide range of interests held by its readers,” Johnson added. “These interests show a community interested in local and worldwide issues, everything from the Lower East Side to Jewish communities in Africa. And they show immigrants acclimating to a new environment and culture, enjoying Yiddish theater and also the American obsession, baseball.”

The archives of the Forward still contain several thousand press plates.

“[The plates] seem to be animated as if they contain deep-held secrets of life long ago and far away,” Pollack said.

“Looking at these images, it’s easy to imagine yourself in a noisy, clanging, hot, dusty, dangerous press room where your Yiddish news was being generated and where, at the end of a day or a week or a month, all those now old, unnecessary metal pieces of type and press plates were re-melted to be used again,” she added. “Somehow, miraculously, ours survived, and we’ve been preserving them and now they’re

Please see Press, page 10

p Part of the exhibit showcasing the Forward, or “Forverts,” at the University of Pittsburgh Photo by Michael Thompson, Hillman Library

The start of something new

at a time when clergy were among the celebrity class.

By Eric Lidji | Special to the Chronicle

Bishop Henry Codman Potter arrived in Pittsburgh by train the morning of Nov. 4, 1904. He was several hours late, “owing to a wreck,” as the local press explained.

Coming from the east, he stopped briefly in Greensburg, where he had started his career in 1857. Greensburg was a village back then, and its Episcopalian population barely amounted to a congregation. In the half-century since, it had quintupled in size.

Codman was also bigger. He was bishop of New York, the largest Episcopalian diocese in the country, and he had become one of the most prominent religious figures of his day. He hoped to indulge the nostalgia of his long journey through life, but he was disappointed. His modest church and rectory had been replaced with grander structures.

Sometime late morning or early afternoon, Potter finally arrived at the home of Bertha and Enoch Rauh on Bartlett Street in Squirrel Hill. He attended a small luncheon at the house at 1 p.m., catered by the Union Restaurant. Attending were a select group of the leading religious, business and cultural figures of Pittsburgh. Following lunch, there was an open house reception from 3 to 5 p.m., attended by some 500 leading figures of Pittsburgh society. This was likely the first large Jewish social event in Squirrel Hill.

Codman came at the personal invitation of Bertha Rauh to deliver a talk on behalf of the National Council of Jewish Women–Pittsburgh Section. He was one of the best-known clergymen in the country,

Codman was outspoken on current issues, particularly the inequities of the Gilded Age. At the time of his lecture in Pittsburgh in early November 1904, he was among the most discussed and debated public figures in the country, owing to a recent controversy.

It was the type of controversy that neatly encapsulates the mood of the country at a particular moment, a controversy so heightened and prevalent that it acquires a moniker for easy reference. In this case, the controversy became known as “The Subway Saloon.”

Earlier in the year, Bishop Potter had started a tavern. It was located in the Bowery, at Bleecker and Mulberry, near a planned entrance to the subway. His idea was to fight the abuses of alcohol through control, rather than abstinence. By sidestepping the pressures of profit, a church-run bar might create an atmosphere where working people could dine and drink without the risk or the consequences of imbibing alcohol to excess.

Having a glass of wine with dinner is unremarkable today, but that was a more temperate era than ours. The backlash was immediate and soon became widespread. You likely already know the contours of the debate. The balance between allowance and abstinence is perpetual throughout every era of American life, just with different vices.

The debate helped the National Council of Jewish Women. It brought attention to a five-part lecture series Rauh had arranged for late 1904 and early 1905. Following the initial talk from Bishop Potter would be Dr. Toyokichi Igenaga on “The Russo-Japanese War — And After,” then suffragist Florence Ward Howe Hall on “The American Woman

of the Twentieth Century,” then Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones on “The Three Reverences,” and finally Jacob Riis delivering his famous lecture “How the Other Half Lives.”

Of this group, only Riis remains well known today. In their day, though, these were some of the most prominent speakers around, talking about the most pressing issues of the day: industrial warfare, egalitarianism, global peace and economic inequality.

The Subway Saloon fits here. And yet, Rauh invited Potter to town before the tavern was created, and she asked him to speak on a different subject altogether.

Bishop Potter rested for a bit after the reception. He dined with the Rauhs that evening and then left for the Carnegie Music Hall, where he was scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. After introductions from Mrs. Rauh, Bishop Potter spoke for 45 minutes. The title of his lecture was “The Lecture Bureau.” He lectured about the history of lecturing.

Specifically, he discussed the network of American lyceums and literary societies that emerged in the decades before the Civil War. This speaking circuit brought the greatest minds of the age into every town in the country, allowing ideas to filter through society directly, from person to person, rather than through the intermediary of print.

Bishop Potter considered these lectures to be a form of literature. In fact, he considered them to be the highest form of literature, placing them atop a literary hierarchy rising from the daily press, to the elite magazines, to great books. He felt that lecturing surpassed all these printed forms because it had “the largest personal note.”

By personal, he meant that the lecturer

brought all of themself to the lecture, not only their ideas and opinions and arguments but also their essential qualities as a person, as well as their physical presence on the stage before an audience. Potter concluded by turning to the box where Rauh was seated and congratulating her for attempting to revive this tradition in Pittsburgh. “I believe that the work you are doing is one which will be most effectual in uplifting the intellectual standard of your community,” he said.

The lecture series was among Rauh’s first big initiatives as president of the National Council of Jewish Women–Pittsburgh Section. Since its founding 1894, the local section had focused largely on educational work within the Jewish community: the Columbian Kindergarten, study circles, the poorly named Mission School (which evolved into the Irene Kaufmann Settlement House) and the Sisterhood of Public Service.

The lecture series was different. None of the speakers were Jewish. None of their topics were Jewish, either. And yet all the topics were relevant to the Jewish community.

Rauh’s subsequent initiatives shared that vision, aiming Jewish concerns outward to encompass all of society. Consider Penny Lunches, which provided affordable meals for children in the public schools — needed for Jewish children, needed for all children.

Starting this undertaking the way she did shows her particular genius for social change — before the programs, before the initiatives, there were people talking to people. PJC

Eric

Lidji is the director of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center. He can be reached at rjarchives@heinzhistorycenter. org or 412-454-6406.

p Almost three years after hosting Bishop Henry Codman Potter in Pittsburgh, Bertha Rauh was continuing to send small gifts to her friend. In a letter from December 1907, he thanked her for the gifts and added, “…best of all is the assurance that my friends in Pittsburgh have not forgotten me — as most surely, I have not forgotten them.”

Image courtesy of the Rauh Jewish Archives

p Cover of the local Jewish Criterion, promoting an upcoming talk by Bishop Henry Codman Potter at the Carnegie Music Hall, arranged by the Columbian Council, which later became the National Council of Jewish Women-Pittsburgh Section Image courtesy of the Rauh Jewish Archives

Calendar

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

FRIDAY, FEB. 24 – FEB. 28

ZOA Pittsburgh is 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. For information and applications, contact ZOA Executive Director Stuart Pavilack at stuart.pavilack@zoa.org or 304-639-1758.

SUNDAY, FEB. 26

Answer the call and be a 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. 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.

SUNDAYS, FEB. 26 – MARCH 26

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.

SUNDAYS, FEB. 26 – DEC. 4

Join Chabad of Squirrel Hill for its Men’s Tefillin Club. Enjoy bagels, lox and tefillin on the first Sunday of the month. 8:30 a.m. chabadpgh.com.

MONDAY, FEB. 27

Scott Benarde spent six years combining his love of Judaism, journalism and rock ‘n’ roll to research and write “Stars of David: Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Jewish Stories,” about how Judaism influenced popular music and the people who created it. Hear Benarde talk about his book at Temple Sinai. Free and open to the public. 7 p.m. Register at templesinaipgh.org.

MONDAYS, FEB. 27 – MARCH 27

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

MONDAYS, FEB. 27 – 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.

TUESDAYS, FEB. 28 – MARCH 28

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.

TUESDAYS, FEB. 28 – 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 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-a-window-to-israelisociety/2023-02-07.

TUESDAYS, FEB. 28 – DEC. 26

Led by a certified yoga teacher, yoga class at Temple Sinai is welcome to all levels. No experience necessary. 16 and older. $15. Register at templesinaipgh.org.

WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 1 – APRIL 19

Participate in weekly gentle yoga with a skilled and caring yoga instructor experienced in traumainformed care. Experience an hour of gentle and calming yoga and learn yoga you can do at home and in stressful situations, including while seated.

3 p.m. 10.27 Healing Partnership suite inside the Squirrel Hill JCC. Facilitated by Susie Balcom and open to everyone. Register here: https://forms.gle/ JQtgrutJyByaMM5K6.

WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 1 – 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.

WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 1 – DEC. 27

Temple Sinai’s Rabbi Daniel Fellman presents a

weekly Parshat/Torah portion class on site and online. Call 412-421-9715 for more information and the Zoom link.

MARCH 2 – MAY 17

In the new 10-part Zoom course, “Sacks: To Heal a Fractured World,” Rabbi Danny Schi will explore “To Heal a Fractured World,” Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ book on the nature of Jewish responsibility for the broader world. Students will be invited to read this pivotal book and to discuss its contents in order to arrive at a better understanding of the views of Rabbi Sacks on the goals and vision of Judaism. 9:30 a.m. $145 for all 10 sessions. jewishpgh.org/event/sacksto-heal-a-fractured-world/2023-02-2.

THURSDAY, MARCH 2

Women are invited to bake challah-tashen filled with caramelized onion, roasted garlic or chocolate ganache at Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s Loaves of Love $10. 7 p.m. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.

THURSDAYS, MARCH 2, 23; APRIL 13, 27

This bimonthly Refaeinu healing circle is led by Sara Stock Mayo, a spiritual leader, trained drama therapist, musician and poet. The space will be open to anyone who seeks to create community in shared healing rituals, Jewish texts and music, art making and embodied wellness practices. 10.27 Healing Partnership Suite, JCC of Greater Pittsburgh. 7 p.m. To register, visit forms.gle/pAJoXvNXSJ9Ks3ow9.

THURSDAYS, MARCH 2; APRIL 6; MAY 4; JUNE 1

Join local clergy from Jewish and Christian backgrounds for the Christian Jewish Dialogue, a monthly discussion exploring topics of similarities and di erences. Noon. Rodef Shalom Congregation. rodefshalom.org.

SUNDAY, MARCH 5

Get into the Purim spirit with Chabad of Squirrel Hill with Kids in the Kitchen. Make festive hamantashen to take home and share. 1 p.m. $10. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.

Gather with other teen girls to bake desserts for Squirrel Hill’s Giving Kitchen at Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s Teen Cooking Club. 3:30 p.m. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.

MONDAY, MARCH 6

Join the 10.27 Healing Partnership in the South Hills for Arts in the Community, a collaborative series of therapeutic art workshops with JFCS. This artbased mindfulness program is free and open for all who are interested. The group will explore ways making art can help regulate the nervous system, promote playfulness and imagination, and connect us more deeply to our bodies, emotions, thoughts and

worldviews. Attendees will come together in community as we explore di erent art mediums, share our personal experiences, and reflect on how art can influence us all. South Hills JCC, 345 Kane Blvd. Register at forms.gle/qPu933puGg5fQQK2A.

TUESDAY, MARCH 7

Join Chabad of the South Hills for Purim at the Circus. Enjoy an animated Megillah reading, bu et dinner, circus entertainment, live music, hot pretzel bar, popcorn and cotton candy. Come dressed in your favorite costume. $18 per person $50 family maximum. 5 p.m. 1701 McFarland Road. chabadsh.com/purim.

Join Chabad of Squirrel Hill and celebrate Purim with a grand Purim Party featuring a stilt-walker show. There will also be a Megillah reading, delicious dinner and prizes for anyone dressed up. Fun for the whole family! $15/adult, $10/child 5 p.m.

THURSDAYS, MARCH 9, APRIL 20, MAY 18

Join the JCC Bu alo for monthly virtual readings as part of the Jewish Poetry Series. Hosted by Philip Terman and Baruch November. Each month will feature di erent Jewish poets reading selections of poems that include but are not limited to Jewish themes, values and ideas. 7 p.m. Free and open to the community. jccbu alo.org/events/2023/02/09/ arts-and-culture/virtual-jewish-poetry-reading-series.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15 –DEC. 20

Join AgeWell for an Intergenerational Family Dynamics Discussion Group, geared toward anyone who has children, grandchildren, a spouse, siblings or parents. Family dynamics is a fascinating topic and whether you have family harmony or strife, these discussions are going to be thought-provoking and helpful. Led by intergenerational specialist/ presenter and educator Audree Schall. Third Wednesday of each month. Free. 12:30 p.m. jccpgh. org/app/uploads/2023/02/JCC-South-Hills-SeniorsNewsletter-February-2023.pdf

THURSDAYS, MARCH 23 – APRIL 27

Many are concerned that democracy is under threat. That reality raises a critical question: What does Judaism have to say about democracy? What is the attitude of Judaism to majority rule, to defending minorities, to the separation of religion and state, to kings and courts? In “Is Judaism Compatible with Democracy?” Rabbi Danny Schi will delve into what our texts have to say about the structure of government from a Jewish viewpoint. Cosponsored and o ered in conjunction with Temple Sinai. $55. 9:30 a.m. Temple Sinai, 5505 Forbes Ave. jewishpgh.org/event/is-judaism-compatible-withdemocracy/2023-03-23. PJC

Oldest copy of Hebrew Bible headed to auction this spring

The oldest complete copy of the Hebrew Bible as we know it today is about to go on sale — and it could well become the most expensive book or document ever sold, JTA.org reported.

Written by a single Jewish scribe on 400 pages of parchment about 1,100 years ago, the Codex Sassoon is estimated to fetch $30 million to $50 million when it is sold by Sotheby’s auction house this May.

Before then, the book is embarking on a worldwide tour that includes stops in London, Tel Aviv and more. Those who view it will lay eyes on one of only two known ancient manuscripts comprising almost the entire Hebrew Bible — along with the Aleppo Codex, which is incomplete after hundreds of pages went missing in the 20th century.

“Now that the Codex has been definitively dated as the earliest, most complete text of its kind, it stands as a critical link from the ancient Hebrew oral tradition to the modern, accepted form of the Hebrew Bible that remains the standardized version used today,” said Richard Austin, Sotheby’s global head of books and manuscripts.

The Codex Sassoon is named after the book collector David Solomon Sassoon, who acquired it in 1929 for 350 British pounds,

the equivalent of about $28,000 today, when it resurfaced after 600 years.

New Israeli law strips citizenship from convicted terrorists paid by the Palestinian Authority Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, voted overwhelmingly to strip citizenship from people who are convicted of terrorism and receive a stipend from the Palestinian Authority, JTA.org reported.

The bill passed 94-10 on Feb. 15, with opposition coming from some Arab lawmakers. The lopsided vote in favor of the measure stands in stark contrast to other more controversial proposals from Israel’s right-wing government that have come amid a recent escalation in terror attacks. According to the law, any Israeli citizen or resident who is convicted of a terrorism charge and receives financial support from the Palestinian Authority, which governs some Palestinian areas of the West Bank, can be deprived of their citizenship and deported to either the West Bank or Gaza.

Israeli press reports did not specify how many people the law may apply to. Because Jews convicted of terrorism do not receive Palestinian financial support, the law will not apply to them.

In first, Polish priest sentenced on charges of spreading antisemitic hate speech

A Polish priest with a long track record of antisemitic comments has been sentenced

to community service after being convicted of insulting Jews and inciting hatred against them, in what his critics say is a landmark case, JTA.org reported.

Father Michał Woźnicki, a Catholic priest from the city of Poznan, must perform 30 hours of community service a month for the next six months, according to the order handed down by a judge earlier this month.

Woźnicki was on trial for comments made during a sermon in October 2021. “Jews in the world have assumed the role of a leech, a tick, a body that lives on the host’s body, swells, leading the host’s body to death, moving on to the next one,” he said, according to Polish media. He also said that Jews were in league with the devil and responsible for spreading sexual impropriety in Poland.

Woźnicki is already facing sanctions from the church because of his record of controversy, and he delivered the sermon online because he was suspended from his pulpit.

Survey: 4 in 10 American Jews felt less secure last year, higher than in 2021

Four in 10 American Jews felt less secure in 2022 than in 2021, according to an American Jewish Committee survey, a 10-percentage point rise from when the same question was asked a year earlier, JTA.org reported.

In addition, the survey found that more than a quarter of respondents were personally

targeted by an antisemitic remark or attack over the past year. Nearly a quarter avoided wearing or carrying things that would identify them publicly as Jewish. Both numbers were similar to the previous year’s survey.

The survey, released on Feb. 13 and conducted from Sept. 23 to Nov. 8, 2022, asked 1,507 respondents who identified as Jewish whether they feel more or less secure than a year ago or the same. The portion of respondents who replied less secure was 41%; those feeling that their status was about as secure were 55% and those feeling more secure were 4%.

Israel joins ‘oil exporters club’ with first-ever crude sent to Europe

Israel has shipped its first crude oil abroad, British-Greek hydrocarbon exploration and production company Energean announced on Feb. 14, JNS.org reported.

The oil shipment is part of a multi-cargo marketing agreement with Vitol, a Swissbased multinational energy and commodity trading company, “the first of a new source of East Med energy to reach Europe,” the company said.

Energean began extracting hydrocarbons from the Karish gas field off the northern Israeli coast on Oct. 26, 2022, a day before Israeli and Lebanese leaders signed a United States-mediated maritime border agreement. PJC

— Compiled by Andy

Gotlieb

Feb. 27, 1928 — Ariel Sharon is born

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

more details.

Feb. 24, 1942 — Soviet sub sinks struma

Thinking it is an enemy ship, a Soviet submarine sinks the refugee transport SS Struma in the Black Sea. Only one of the 769 Jewish refugees survives. The British had denied them visas to Palestine.

Feb. 25, 1928 — Tel Aviv sees first soccer derby

Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv hold the first match in the city’s oldest soccer rivalry, a 3-0 home victory for Maccabi. Maccabi wins the rematch on Hapoel’s home field a week later, 2-1.

Feb. 26, 1973

— Kissinger, Egypt’s Ismail secretly meet

In Armonk, New York, Egyptian National Security Adviser Hafez Ismail tells his U.S. counterpart, Henry Kissinger, that Egypt is willing to negotiate directly with Israel under U.S. mediation.

Ariel Sharon, Israel’s 11th prime minister, is born in K’far Malal. He serves in the army from the War of Independence through the Yom Kippur War and oversees the first war in Lebanon as defense minister.

Feb. 28, 1942 — Justice

Dorit Beinisch is born

Dorit Beinisch, who in 2006 becomes the ninth president of Israel’s Supreme Court and the first woman in the post, is born in Tel Aviv. She also becomes Israel’s first female state attorney in 1989.

March 1, 1920 — Arab raiders attack Tel Hai

An Arab militia attacks the Jewish agricultural community of Tel Hai on the border between British-controlled Palestine and French-controlled Syria. Eight Jews are killed, including Joseph Trumpeldor.

March 2, 1977 — First woman is appointed to High Court

President Ephraim Katzir appoints Miriam Ben-Porat and Shimon Asher to the Supreme Court. Ben-Porat is the first woman to serve on the highest court of Israel or any other nation with a common law system. PJC

p Justice Dorit Beinisch speaks at her swearing-in ceremony as the Supreme Court president Sept. 14, 2006. Avi Ohayon, Israeli Government Press O ce

p National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger (left) speaks with President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State William Rogers (right) on Feb. 23, 1973, two days before secretly meeting with Egypt’s Hafez Ismail.

The holy and the broken — getting up after sitting shiva for my dad

Jodi Rudoren

So you get up from shiva and walk around the block. Or, in my case, up the block and into a public garden. It is February, so there are no flowers, but it is 52 degrees under full sun, a remarkable morning to be up and outside and on a walk.

There is a toddler in the garden with his caregiver, and there is our little posse — six middle-aged mamas and one of their husbands, the friends with flexible enough schedules to stay after the minyan, after the bagels and the babka, to take this walk with me.

We sit for a week, and then we get up and take a walk. There does not seem to be a clear written source for this custom, but it is a simple one with a strong metaphor — or, as we Jews tend to prefer, a couple of them. The walk signals that we mourners are reentering society, or at least the next, less intense phase of our mourning; the friends walk with us to ease our transition. And, for those inclined to the mystical, we “accompany the soul on its path,” as the Chabad website puts it.

In any case, you get up from shiva and take a walk and then you’re back in the house, alone with all that babka.

You remove the sheets that have been covering the mirrors, and gather up the snapshots of your Dad that you’ve scattered on the coffee table. You consolidate the platters of pastry that people brought, put what’s freezable into the freezer. You’re not quite sure what to do with the black scarf you tore at the funeral and have wrapped around your neck every day since, so you leave it on top of the low chair you’ve been sitting in, and then you sit down somewhere else.

My father lived a life that wildly exceeded his expectations, and had what can only be

described as a good death. He was 82, which is hardly old these days, but not young, either; when he turned 60 he’d told my mom he hadn’t expected to live even that long. Dad grew up poor in the Dorchester section of Boston and didn’t go to college and became a kosher butcher and said that being a grandfather — Papa was his preferred term — was the role he relished most. He and mom would have celebrated 60 years of marriage in March. After Dad decided to go into hospice, we were able to gather what he’d dubbed the

reminded me of how Dad boarded the buses taking guests home from my wedding and made them circle the block a few times to keep the celebration going. A woman we’d never met told my sister how for years Dad helped her husband, who’d lost the use of his arm to a stroke, wrap tefillin at morning minyan.

How my parents met at a deli where he was a counterman and she took coffee breaks from her job at the phone company. How he took us girls shopping for underwear for camp when Mom had cancer in the 80s. How

Team Shabbat dinner was about walking home from Kol Nidre services when I was about 8 years old. I loved coffee as a kid, and was always trying to get special permission to have some. So when Dad mused about having coffee and cake when we got home, the trademark twinkle in his eye not visible in the dark, I begged to be allowed a cup. “You can have whatever I have,” he quipped. It wasn’t until we got inside that I remembered it was a fast day, and realized that he — and therefore I — would be having neither cake nor coffee.

Rabbi Samuels had described the postshiva mourning period, the first month and the first year, as one of dislocation. The world keeps spinning, and yet it is not the same for us mourners. He suggested that when we go to synagogue, maybe don’t sit in our regular seats.

Home Team — mom, me and my two older sisters, our husbands, and the seven grandkids — for a final Shabbat dinner. From his hospital bed in the dining room where he had hosted so many holiday feasts, Dad recited kiddush, blessed the children and had a few bites of gefilte fish. By Sunday, he’d stopped even drinking the strawberry milkshakes that were sustaining him. He died early Tuesday, Feb. 7, the 16th of Shevat.

At the funeral, Rabbi Benjamin Samuels of Shaarei Tefillah — the breakaway Orthodox shul my dad helped start 40 years ago — taught from Pirkei Avot, the Sayings of the Fathers. Who is rich? A person who is satisfied with their portion — or, as some translations put it, someone who rejoices in their lot. Rabbi Samuels nailed it with that one. Dad liked big portions, don’t get me wrong, but he reveled in what he had. He felt full, and he told us clearly he was ready to go.

So we spent the next week sharing stories — and hearing stories. A college friend

he taught the grandkids to play gin rummy.

And then we got up from shiva and took a walk.

The sidewalk between my house and the garden up the block is uneven, some of the slate pieces cracked. That seemed apt, almost poetic. We are unsteady as we get up from shiva, broken from our loss, but we can still make our uneven way in this cracked world.

My father was not a person prone to going for walks in public gardens, or going for walks at all, really, except to and from shul on Shabbat mornings. One of the stories we had told Rabbi Samuels before the funeral was how Dad was inspired to return to regular synagogue-going as a young father when he saw an acquaintance walking home from services at Nantasket Beach one Saturday holding his kids’ hands. Soon that was us, sometimes in matching dresses my mom made, sometimes fighting a little over which two would get to hold his hand.

One of the stories I told at our final Home

Dislocation can refer to the displacement of a bone at a joint, or discontinuity in the lattice structure of a crystal. “Disruption of an established order,” is one definition. Another: “disturbance from a proper, original, or usual place or state.”

My strong, stoic mother said more than a few times in these last few weeks, “it is what it is.” She is right, of course, and so is Rabbi Samuels. What it is is dislocated — disrupted, disturbed, broken like the sidewalk, but yes, still spinning.

Shiva is like a cocoon. You are enveloped by the community, surrounded by love and stories and photo albums and babka. But when it ends, you don’t emerge a butterfly; you emerge dislocated.

It’s three days since I got up. I have said Kaddish at three different online services. And this morning, I went out again for a walk, along the cracked sidewalk and into the garden without flowers, thinking of him. PJC

Jodi Rudoren is editor and chief of the Forward, where this first appeared. To get the Forward’s free email newsletters delivered to your inbox, go to forward.com/newsletter-signup.

American JCCs are failing to nurture connections between Jews. They can learn from their European counterparts.

Guest Columnist

Madison Jackson

Growing up in a suburb of Cleveland, I never thought of the JCC as much more than a gym. While many of my Jewish friends who lived near the JCC would spend hours there after school working out, my family and I lived a 20-minute drive away and thus chose to join a gym that was cheaper and closer to home.

The Conservative synagogue we belonged to was where we made our Jewish connections, celebrated Jewish occasions and ate Jewish food. For years, it didn’t occur to me that maybe there were other Jews in the Cleveland community I could interact with outside of a denominational wall.

So when I visited the JCC in Warsaw,

Poland, in 2018, while interning at the American Jewish Committee Central Europe office, I had no idea what to expect.

and wherever else I traveled, including to Barcelona, London and Helsinki, I made it a point to visit a JCC.

pressured to adhere to any specific practice.

JCCs can provide an alternative connection to Judaism beyond the religious aspect. And yet, American JCCs often seem to fall short when it comes to this Jewish community connection.

I was swept away by their incredible weekly kosher all-you-can-eat Sunday Boker Tov Brunch. Polish Jews of all ages gathered at JCC Warsaw to form community. I loved the way this JCC and others were playing a large role in the revival of Jewish life in Europe. I was inspired by the communities the JCC and its members helped build. From that point on, for the rest of that summer,

European JCCs were places to explore Jewish culture across boundaries, without the limitations of official affiliations. It was powerful to meet people from backgrounds different than my own whom I otherwise may never have met. These interactions allowed all of us to discover new perspectives and ideas about Jewish life without feeling

In Europe, the JCC is the first place many individuals go when they discover that they may have potential Jewish ancestry. After speaking with a rabbi or JCC director, they often want to explore what it means to be Jewish. Many JCCs in Europe are also opening Jewish community preschools — and often they are the first Jewish preschool many cities have had since before the Holocaust. European JCCs frequently serve as the headquarters for Jewish student groups and Jewish senior citizen clubs.

Please see Jackson, page 9

Guest Columnist

JCCs can provide an alternative connection to Judaism beyond the religious aspect.

We are unsteady as we get up from shiva, broken from our loss, but we can still make our uneven way in this cracked world.

Chronicle poll results: In-person religious services

Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following question: “How often do you attend religious services in person?” Of the 295 people who responded, 35% said “occasionally for a holiday, simcha or yahrzeit”; 24% said “weekly”; 21% said “rarely or never”; 13% said “monthly”; and 7% said “daily.” Comments were submitted by 48 people. A few follow.

We have begun to livestream services from the Central Synagogue in New York (Reform) on Friday evenings, and have found these services to be not only enjoyable, but also enlightening and thought-provoking. We have not found any services in Pittsburgh to be as enjoyable and spiritual as these services.

We Zoom due to COVID concerns. Weekly, holidays and yahrzeits. Elderly and health concerns.

It’s difficult to have faith in any of our religious leadership. I have moved over the past several years from Orthodox all the way to Reform. None of the rabbis inspire any strong religious feelings within me.

Chabad of Squirrel Hill and Chabad of Greenfield offer amazing programs on Saturdays and on weekdays. Since my kids go to a non-Jewish school, we consider it important to participate in all their activities.

I grew up attending services at B’nai Israel on Negley Avenue. As a young wife and

mother, I went to shul every Sabbath with my spouse and children. However, since returning to Pittsburgh 20 years ago, I have not found a synagogue that resonates with me. Praying, however, remains an integral part of my life.

We don’t attend religious services anymore in the Pittsburgh area because the clergy and most members are too liberal and woke for us. Politics has no place in the synagogue, and many clergy have made it their mission to advance the liberal agenda. We are fed up and disappointed at the same time.

My attendance at religious services has changed since COVID. Sometimes, I livestream instead since it is easier and safer.

I don’t consider myself religious anymore, and my preferred way to observe Shabbat is to stay at home reading and relaxing.

Every other week. We live in Pennsylvania but drive to Ohio for services. We call ourselves the “Wandering Jews.”

As a Jewish male who is above the age of bar mitzvah, I am obligated to attend minyanim daily barring other circumstances.

Attending less, but doing active Jewish learning more outside a congregational setting.

COVID changed everything. It is a shame. It is easy to Zoom the services.

Not as much as I should but more than I would prefer.

I sing in Temple Sinai’s choir. I go to three services per month.

I have to admit, since COVID restrictions, I find it much more relaxing watching from home. PJC

— Toby Tabachnick

Chronicle weekly poll question: How concerned are you about the East Palestine train derailment and its impacts? Go to pittsburghjewishchronicle. org to respond. PJC

I was so in awe of the way JCCs in Europe served as a hub for the whole Jewish community that I wanted to be part of the JCC movement back home. A few years after my summer living in Warsaw, I began working full time as the Jewish life and culture program associate at the JCC in Cleveland. Yet I couldn’t help but notice that the majority of the people who entered the building made a beeline for the workout facility. Most people who came through the doors never connected with someone new, or with something specifically Jewish. I observed this same pattern at JCCs in other American cities where I have lived like Binghamton, New York, and Pittsburgh.

Frequently, the high cost of membership at JCCs keeps the community apart when JCCs should bring people together. In fact, the JCC movement started in 1854 in Baltimore specifically to help ensure Jewish continuity and provide a place for celebration outside of the synagogue environment. To truly bring a community together, that would mean people of many different backgrounds: young and old, employed and unemployed, students and retirees, and Jews from all denominations. But not everyone can afford the high membership rates, and I struggle to understand why JCCs can’t provide greater financial assistance or subsidize those marginalized individuals who would benefit the most from Jewish community.

Joining an American JCC is often not only expensive, it also is not allencompassing. On top of a membership fee, there are typically additional charges for attending group exercise classes or certain Jewish culture programs and

events. In my hometown, the 2011 Greater Cleveland Jewish Population Study found significant economic vulnerability, with 36% of Greater Cleveland Jewish households “just managing.” For singleparent households, that rose to a staggering 58%. “Just managing” does not usually leave room for a JCC membership.

The community development coordinator at JCC Krakow, Joanna Fabijańczuk, told me that their membership dues are symbolic. Even without membership, any Jewish individual who lives in Krakow can attend the JCC’s weekly Shabbat dinners and other activities, including yoga, Polish classes and choir. If you want to go to an activity at JCC Krakow, they’ll find a way to make it work.

As with other JCCs outside the U.S., the JCC Krakow has a small gym and sauna, but no one joins it for the gym, Fabijańczuk said. They join for the community.

JCCs in the United States can learn something from that. One idea could be for JCCs to host more Shabbat meals that are open to all. Sharing food, sitting together, relaxing and talking builds community in ways that rushing in to work out and leave does not.

Another idea from the JCC in Budapest, Hungary, is a mentorship program for young adults, who are sometimes left out of conventional outreach efforts. In exchange for volunteering for the Jewish community, young adults received free access to all aspects of the JCC (though beginning in 2023, the program started charging a small amount to participate).

JCCs in America are doing great work — hosting Jewish book and film festivals, summer camps and preschools. I only wish that all Jews, regardless of financial status, were able to participate in what

they have to offer. What is the point of calling it a community center, if much of the community is left out?

PJC

Madison Jackson is an MFA student in creative nonfiction writing, with a

concentration in travel writing, at Chatham University. She is passionate about global Jewish life and lives in Pittsburgh. This story first appeared in the Forward. To get the Forward’s free email newsletters delivered to your inbox, go to forward.com/ newsletter-signup.

Nikki Haley lacks integrity, consistency

In “Nikki Haley is the first Republican to Challenge Trump” (online, Feb. 14), the subtitle is “A favorite of the pro-Israel establishment.” She may be, but she is not a favorite of those who value and emphasize consistency, honor and integrity.

Before his presidential campaign caught fire in 2016 and he became the de facto leader of the Republican Party, Haley appropriately condemned Donald Trump as unsuitable for the office (and he proved it at every turn). She subsequently praised Trump and joined his administration as United Nations ambassador.

Haley promised Trump in 2021 that if he were to run for president again in 2024, she would not challenge him. That changed when Trump lost some of his luster and became toxic for many who had formerly supported him. Haley now smells blood in the water and has jumped into the race, rendering her word meaningless.

Haley stated in her campaign kickoff speech that ours is not a racist country, and that we must stop our “self-loathing.” I wonder if she followed the sentencing of the young white supremacist who murdered 10 Black shoppers and employees at a Buffalo supermarket. How about the man who slaughtered nine Black Bible study participants in Haley’s own state, the killer of 23 Hispanic individuals at an El Paso Walmart store and, of course, the slaughter of 11 innocent worshippers at the Tree of Life building, gunned down because the killer believed they were linked to a laudable organization which resettles immigrants.

It may be too broad to classify the United States as a racist country, but there is and always been a strong undercurrent of it, a phenomenon which has been exacerbated by leaders who have been proud to bring their bigotry into the mainstream and to associate with bigots.

A disingenuous Nikki Haley may be able to fool many voters. I do not believe she will hold sway over a majority of thoughtful Americans.

Oren Spiegler Peters Township

Headlines

FBI:

Continued from page 1

rather than the previous means of magazines or books like “The Turner Diaries.”

By the time someone has become radicalized, Pulcastro noted, it is usually too late for community intervention. At that point, the agents said, reporting is the best and most important tool available to the community.

Moore urged anyone who might have concerns about a person’s behavior to contact local law enforcement, the FBI and Brokos.

Whenever someone begins speaking in threatening phrases that start with, “I am going to …” it is time to report that person to law enforcement, she said. A person should

Bairnsfather:

Continued from page 1

in Genocide and Human rights Teaching).

Bairnsfather helped grow the initiative “from just one school to a program with more than 10,000 students in five Southwestern Pennsylvania counties that have access to a trained LIGHT Coordinator,” Haberman said.

Bairnsfather relied on “traditional and nontraditional approaches” to create and bolster relationships with other organizations, including Yad Vashem and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, as well as the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, 1Hood Media and Prime Stage Theater.

“Lauren saw the best way to combat antisemitism is to be an ally — to help combat all forms of hate for all groups of people,” he said.

CHUTZ-POW! Project Coordinator Marcel Walker worked with Bairnsfather for six years after she hired him at the Holocaust Center.

During their time together, Walker said he often marveled at her ability to facilitate challenging conversations with various stakeholders.

“The Holocaust is an extremely difficult topic to discuss in depth — it’s going to target emotions for a lot of people,” Walker said. “Lauren as an academic understands that; she understands the facts of it. But Lauren as a person, and as a professional, knows how to talk about that really difficult subject matter — sometimes with people who are directly affected by it, like survivors and their families — but she also facilitates conversations geared toward healing and towards broader community understanding.”

Along with welcoming differing perspectives, Bairnsfather was committed to building a dedicated team at the Holocaust Center, Walker said.

Jackie Reese worked with Bairnsfather for five years and described her as a role model

Press:

also be reported if they begin deviating from normal conduct, isolating themself, become preoccupied with violence, begin studying other attacks or if something simply feels off.

Swanson, focusing on civil rights and hate crimes, said that half of the hate crimes committed in Pennsylvania are race-related and a quarter are associated with religion. He played through several scenarios illustrating the difference between free speech protected by the Constitution and actions that were elevated to the level of a hate crime, usually because of an overt or implicit threat.

Hate crimes, Swanson said, are underreported; less than 3% of Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies provided data in 2021 to the FBI Crime Data Explorer. And victims of hate crimes often don’t report the incident, he said, because they are embarrassed

and someone who advocated for her staff while embodying the best of “female leadership.”

“From a managerial role, Lauren was very good at creating a team and letting people grow within their position,” Reese said.

After joining the Holocaust Center as a marketing and education associate, Reese later served as manager. Last month, she left the Holocaust Center to become the inaugural chief of staff of the new Tree of Life. She credited Bairnsfather with serving as the “bridge” between the Holocaust Center and Tree of Life.

The mission of the Holocaust Center has evolved over the years, Jewish Federation President and CEO Jeffrey Finkelstein said.

“When the Jewish Federation started the Holocaust Center decades ago, we envisioned it as a place for Holocaust survivors in our community to get the support and connection they needed,” he said. “Over time, that mission has evolved as the need for Holocaust education became more apparent and more important. Dr. Bairnsfather played a critical role in evolving the mission and in making the Holocaust Center successful.”

After the Oct. 27, 2018, murder of 11 Jews inside the Tree of Life building, Bairnsfather had to “navigate that and rework the vision of what it meant to be a Holocaust Center in this city,” Reese said. “Lauren did so much in making the Holocaust Center become a part of Tree of Life.”

Barbara Shapira, board chair of the Holocaust Center, credited Bairnsfather and Tree of Life Rabbi Jeffrey Myers with fostering the partnership.

Shapira said that after the massacre, the two communal figures spoke about the Holocaust Center and Tree of Life creating “something that was much bigger than both of those organizations.”

“Then it began to develop, and it became

or because there is a language barrier — something the FBI tip line, 800-CALL-FBI, is prepared and able to handle.

Swanson then pivoted to the upcoming trial of the accused synagogue shooter.

“I can not say at this time that there are any threats,” he said but noted that he expected tensions to increase as the trial date approached.

While reporting no details on the security plans in place, he said the region is prepared to deal with any threat and urged anyone who sees anything they consider suspicious to report the activity by calling 911 and notifying Brokos. Brokos said that there also is an incident reporting form on the Federation’s website for non-immediate concerns.

The community, Brokos said, has an excellent security network in place, calling the

relationships “critical.”

Several of those in attendance asked questions about when to report behavior outside of their synagogues. The law enforcement officers’ message was simple and clear: If you see something that concerns you, call 911.

“Last evening’s presentation was part of our ongoing efforts to better prepare the community for the upcoming trial so we can be as informed as possible and ready for anything that may happen,” Brokos told the Chronicle. “It was designed to educate the community on current threats we’re seeing, what to be aware of and most importantly how to report, so we can protect one another as a community.” PJC

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

she wrote. “As part of that effort, I am writing a book exploring Jewish identity, racism, and antisemitism.”

Carole Zawatsky, CEO of the new Tree of Life, said Bairnsfather remains a valued partner and friend as the new nonprofit continues its “REMEMBER. REBUILD. RENEW.” campaign to end antisemitism.

“I know she’s always on the other side of the phone,” she said.

Zawatsky acknowledged there’s concern about the Holocaust Center’s future following the departure of its executive director.

Continued from page 4

yours, too, to see and dive into the deep treasures of our archive.”

Kranson’s grandparents — Holocaust survivors from Poland who moved to New Jersey — were avid readers of the Yiddish Forverts.

“During my childhood, it was the only non-Hasidic Yiddish newspaper left in print,” Kranson said. “The Yiddish banner of the paper

brings me right back to their house in Atlantic City — I even remember the smell of the pages. When I started studying Yiddish in earnest when I was in college, I would read Forverts to my grandmother; my grandfather had already passed. She would correct my accent because the Lithuanian accent I learned from my instructor did not sound like her Polish-Yiddish dialect. And she would translate the sections I could not yet understand.”

There also are some great learning moments

much, much, bigger than even anybody would have thought of at the time,” she said.

Bairnsfather helped bring in Daniel Libeskind as an architect to create a new national institution, museum, educational center and memorial. Studio Libeskind’s involvement with Tree of Life commanded international attention, but Bairnsfather also created a bond with Chatham University, Shapira said. The Holocaust Center benefits from its relationship with the university and the many academics there, she added.

For the past eight years, Bairnsfather has used her position, and background as a historian, to build relationships with organizations, artists and educators, Shapiro said.

“There is something about her that is no frills,” she added. “It’s just passion and intelligence and kindness in her collaborations that make people want to work with her.”

Bairnsfather did not reply to multiple requests for comment.

Her Feb. 16 announcement, which was sent via email and shared on the Holocaust Center’s social media channels, indicated that Bairnsfather will conclude her tenure on Feb. 28.

“I am looking forward to new opportunities to bring history to life and to illuminate the lessons of our past to inform our future actions,”

nestled in the exhibit. The “text and context” lab on the third floor of Hillman Library has a working 1890s-era printing press, the kind of equipment that early editors of the Forverts would have used. On March 2, students from Kranson’s “Jews and the City” course are going to read historical articles from the “bintl brief” section of the Forverts – bintl brief, or “bundle of letters,” was the advice column section — write six-word headlines, then print out their headlines on the 1890s printer.

“The Holocaust Center is beautifully poised for its next chapter with its strong staff, and we will continue to work together moving forward,” she said.

Shapira agreed and said the Holocaust Center will “absolutely not disappear.”

“We will remain the Holocaust Center,” she said. “We will have our advisory board. We will have a chair of the organization. We will continue to do our commemorative programs, create exhibitions, do our educational outreach with the LIGHT program and try to become a really stellar pillar in educating kindergartners through 12th graders.”

Shapira said the Holocaust Center has not yet determined whether it will hire a new person to join its team.

“At the moment, we are going to just do business as usual, and we will fill in,” she said. “We have every intention of keeping the Holocaust Center strong and vibrant. We have the staff right now to do that, and the help with being under the larger Tree of Life organizations that has additional resources.

“There should be a lot of gratitude toward Lauren for getting us to this point,” she added, “but we have a long way to go.” PJC

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

“This is going to give them hands-on knowledge of what it was like to typeset and print out a newspaper at the turn of the 20th century,” Kranson said. “The staff of the lab say that it will take about 45 minutes for my students to print out their six-word headlines — compare that to the thousands of words that the original Forverts printed out each day!” PJC

Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

p Lauren Bairnsfather shakes hands with Gov. Tom Wolf. Photo courtesy of Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh

Event Planning

A bar mitzvah party to remember

Marcus Ost, son of Dr. Michael Ost and Dr. Ulka Sachdev, celebrated becoming a bar mitzvah at Rodef Shalom Congregation, followed by a party on Feb. 5, 2022, at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh. The event planner and event designer was Shari Zatman of Perfectly Planned by Shari. PJC

Invitations:

• Nota Bene Fine Paper Boutique

Music:

• Glyde Productions

Rentals:

• All Occasions Party Rental

Linens:

• Lendable Linens

Balloons:

• Funk Balloons

Dessert bar:

• Bella Christie Sweet Boutique

Photographer:

• Lynne Goldstein Photography

Photos by Lynne Goldstein Photography

Event Planning

After a pandemic postponement, these Pittsburghers finally tied

Andrew Exler and Kari Semel met in January 2017 at a BBYO staff conference. After a year of courting long-distance, in 2018 Kari moved from Louisville to Pittsburgh to begin work on her MSW. The couple got engaged on Dec. 22, 2019, and after a COVID postponement, finally married on June 11, 2022. PJC

Professions:

• Andrew owns his own marketing agency and is the director of digital marketing and partnerships for ISRAEL21c

• Kari is the assistant director at Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh.

Ages today:

• Andrew: 31

• Kari: 29

Hometowns:

• Andrew: Pittsburgh

• Kari: Cleveland, Ohio

Wedding venue:

• Cleveland Renaissance Hotel

O ciant:

• David Kaplan, friend

Wedding colors:

• Blush, charcoal, black

Vendors:

• Videographer: Just Hitched Films

• Photographer: Rachel Rowland

Photography

• Dress: Brides by the Falls

• Ketubah: Ketubata

Bouquet/flowers/chuppah:

Wedding rings:

• Engagement ring: Orrs Jewelers

• Wedding bands: Henne Jewelers

Music/entertainment:

• The Orchestra, Cleveland Music Group

Registries:

• Mulholland & Sachs, Crate & Barrel, Modern Tribe Judaica, Contemporary Concepts

Honeymoon:

• Andrew and Kari will be going to Italy

Photos by Rachel Rowland Photography

10 steps for creating a wedding budget

Guest Columnist

Victoria Deardor

One of the first — and most important — steps in the wedding planning process is creating a wedding budget. Talking about money is never fun and this is arguably the least exciting part of planning a wedding. But it’s a very necessary step! Your wedding will likely be the biggest —and most expensive — party you’ll ever host. Whether you are spending $10,000 or $100,000, determining a budget (and sticking to it) will help control costs in a world where they can very quickly spiral out of control. These tips on how to create a wedding budget will help you say “I do” in a way you can actually afford!

1. Don’t spend a dime yet. While it may be tempting to start booking vendors and shopping for decor the minute you get engaged, our best advice is to NOT! Avoid spending any money until you have nailed down a budget as it will dictate what you can realistically spend on all facets of your wedding. A purchase may be tempting but if it doesn’t fit comfortably into your budget, you’ll begin your wedding planning journey off in the red, and that’s not a good place to start.

2. Consider what type of wedding you want. Have you always dreamed of a chic, black tie fete in a swanky downtown hotel ballroom? Or are you more the laid-back-rustic-vibes-with-a-BBQ-feast-on-a-farm kind of couple? Are you adamant about a Saturday night wedding or are you open to a Sunday or even a weekday? Is it an evening celebration,

or does a brunch wedding sound like so much fun? Do you want to get married in a super popular month like June or October, or will you get hitched in January? Your wedding style, venue, time of day and even the time of year all come with their own price tag and are factors you should consider when figuring how much your dream wedding is going to cost.

3. Do some research. According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding in the United States is just under $34,000. Meanwhile, the typical cost of a wedding in Pennsylvania is slightly above average at nearly $36,000. Keep in mind these numbers are averages and vary widely based on state, guest count, style and a number of other factors. Regardless, does this mean you have to spend this much on your big day? Of course not ... but weddings do cost money. To avoid sticker shock when inquiring with potential vendors, we suggest you do some homework first. Research the average costs of Pittsburgh photographers, florists, venues and more. Ask your friends and family members what they spent, hit up Google and join our Burgh Brides Pittsburgh Wedding Planning & Ideas Facebook Group to find out what your like-minded peers are spending. Being informed about standard prices within the wedding industry will allow you to have realistic expectations.

4. Determine who will be contributing Whether you and your fiancé will be financing the celebration independently or your families will graciously chip in, you have to figure out who will pay for the wedding. It’s time to have an awkward but imperative conversation, as it will impact your wedding’s bottom line. We suggest approaching your families individually and

having an open, honest conversation while asking if they intend to contribute. You can negotiate a dollar amount or allow them to finance specific aspects of the wedding, such as transportation, catering or the honeymoon. While traditionally one family was responsible for most wedding expenses, these days both families — as well as the couple themselves — help to pay for the wedding.

5. Nail down your non-negotiables. Do some wedding day soul searching. What are the most important things to you, both individually and as a couple? Maybe you just have to have that designer wedding dress, or you’ve always dreamed of lush, luxurious florals, or you can’t imagine not dancing to a live band all night long. Whatever they are, your non-negotiables will become your priority expenses and you should allocate more money toward them. Next, determine what would be nice to have ... but your day won’t necessarily be ruined if you can’t fit them into the budget. You’ll allocate some money — but not all — here. Lastly, what things don’t matter all that much to you? Think menu cards are a waste? Cool with skipping the champagne toast? You guessed it ... very little money should be allocated for these expenses.

6. Estimate your guest list. It’s just simple math — a wedding with a 200-person guest list will cost a lot more than a 50-person one. For the most part, a wedding’s price tag is determined by the guest count, and the easiest, most surefire way to cut costs on your wedding day is to cut the guest list. More people means a larger venue; more chairs, tables and linens to rent; more food, alcohol and cake to serve; more save-the-dates, invitations and thank-you cards to mail ... the list goes on and on. There

are lots of benefits to having a small wedding, and spending less money is just one of them.

7. Crunch some numbers. After you’ve gone through the steps above, it’s time to put it all together. What amount of money do you feel comfortable spending? Does your dream wedding style and proposed guest list realistically align with your budget? If not, make some adjustments or concessions. Repeat this process until you reach a wedding budget and spending plan both you and your fiancé (as well as your families, if they are contributing) feel good about.

8. Discuss how you will be paying. You have a budget ... but from where exactly is all this money coming? Will you be tapping into your savings? What future income can you set aside? Can you use credit cards responsibly? A wedding — while a once-in-a-lifetime event that deserves to be celebrated — is not worth going into debt. We repeat: not worth going into debt While it may be tempting to rack up credit card points or even take out a loan to pay for the big day, we urge you to think beyond the wedding. One of the most common reasons for divorce is money problems, and you do not want to start your marriage off drowning in debt.

9. Get organized. Whether it’s with a budget tracking app, Google Docs, or good old-fashioned Excel, you need a system to track your spending. To begin, enter in all the anticipated wedding expenses and their estimated costs. Don’t forget to account for taxes and tipping. In another column, record the actual final total, and adjust the remaining balance of your budget if need be. Save receipts and record each and every penny you spend to know exactly

Please see Budget, page 14

329 Technology Drive | Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-297-4098

www.hotelindigo.com/pittsburghuni

Event Planning

How to select the event venue that’s right for you

Guest Columnist

Shari Zatman

Securing a venue should always be one of the first boxes to check off your to-do list when planning an event. The venue will dictate how the rest of the planning will go, including decor, entertainment and food, so the venue selection process should be done carefully and thoughtfully.

As a professional event planner, I often compare scouting out an event venue to the homebuying process — both can be time-consuming and fraught with pitfalls if you’re not careful. Also, in both cases, seeking support from a professional is very helpful.

Whether you’re opting to go the path alone or with the help of an event planner, here are some expert tips to consider along the way. Curate a potential venue list

Make a list of potential sites that fit the vision for the event, considering the following:

Location: This should include the proximity to where guests are staying or coming from and how easy it is for them to access the venue.

Size: Work on your guest list early. This will help you estimate how many guests may attend and the venue size that’s needed to accommodate them.

Flexibility: What are each venue’s policies? For example, if you know you’ll need a full day to set up, but a venue only allows for two hours in advance of the party to prepare, then that particular venue should not make the shortlist.

Cost: Each venue is likely to come with built-in costs. Often, venues don’t disclose all of those extra fees upfront. (Pro tip: This is where working with a professional is particularly helpful. As an experienced planner, I know the questions to ask to determine all of the costs being charged by a venue.)

Availability: Ask about each venue’s availability to accommodate the event at a desired date or time.

Do site visits

Schedule appointments to visit each venue on your list that has potential. (This is the part where I definitely feel like I’m wearing my real estate agent hat when working with clients!) Walk through each space with an eye for the following:

Layout: How will the size and layout work for the event? The ideal space should be accessible not only for guests but also for vendors.

Budget:

Parking: Where is parking located in proximity to the venue? Evaluate if there are locations to self-park or if valet parking services will be needed. Additionally, inquire about drop-off points near entrances for valet use, along with spots for shuttles or drivers to drop off guests.

Restrooms: Scope out where the restrooms are in proximity to where the event will take place and make sure the quantity and quality of facilities will be adequate for your guests. At some outdoor or tented venues, you may need to rent restroom facilities — a key point to know when weighing your options.

Equipment: Ask the venue manager what items are included with the use of the space. For example, are tables, chairs, linens, dishes, et cetera provided? The more items that are included, the better the value of the venue cost.

Contracting the venue

After assessing all options, make a venue selection and move on to contracting. An expert can be helpful here; I request the contract, review all of its terms and assist my clients through the negotiating and signing process. Make sure a contract addresses these points:

Space and time: The specific space(s) that will be used should be listed. The contract also should include the time/duration of usage for each space.

Setup and teardown: Are there specific parameters for when setup and teardown of the event can take place? If so, that should be noted.

Payment schedule: Double-check the amount and instructions for each installment that’s due, from first deposit to final payment.

Insurance: Many venues require a liability policy to be purchased by the person contracting the event space. The contract should include the amount required and when proof of insurance is due.

Additional fees: These extras may include security, valet, outside food charges and equipment upgrades. If these apply, get them in writing.

While no plan is totally foolproof when it comes to event planning, these steps to researching and securing a venue that aligns with your goals and budget will certainly help you to get the party started on the right foot. PJC

Shari Zatman, the owner of Perfectly Planned by Shari. For more expert event planning tips, visit the Perfectly Planned by Shari blog at perfectlyplannedbyshari. com/blog. Content provided by advertising partner.

Continued from page 13

where your money is going. You may also want to consider opening a checking account specifically for wedding expenses. Pay for all wedding-related invoices with funds from this account to stay organized more easily.

10. Don’t forget about hidden costs. Corkage fees, cake-cutting fees, marriage license fees (so many fees), extra postage for an overweight wedding invitation suite, those last-minute purchases the week of the wedding, etc., etc., etc. These are just a

few of the many, many hidden costs that will creep up. Be sure to create some cushion in your wedding budget to cover these last minute or easily forgotten expenses. Individually, these costs are relatively inexpensive. But collectively, they can very quickly add up and put you over your budget if you do not plan for them in advance. PJC

Victoria Deardorff is the owner and editor of Burgh Brides, Pittsburgh’s comprehensive wedding planning resource, where this first appeared. Visit burghbrides.com for planning tips, vendor recommendations, wedding ideas, downloadable guides and more.

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Event Planning

5 tips to enhance your special day

Family Features

Wedding days are meant to be filled with love and celebration, and what better way to ring in the new stage of life as newlyweds than with a well-decorated venue to match the joyous occasion. Whether a couple is on a tight budget or picky when it comes to theme ideas, these decorating tips can help add more flair for the big day.

Use a natural venue.

Many couples choose wedding venues that require immense amounts of decorations, but a venue with organic scenery or a beautiful view can help alleviate the stress. Consider having the ceremony near a garden or beach with enough natural surroundings to keep guests in awe.

Make the cake a centerpiece. Wedding cakes are almost guaranteed to be filled with flavor, but they can also serve as a decorative centerpiece for the reception. Choosing a cake topped with flowers, highlighting bright colors and placing it in a prominent spot at the reception can grab guests’ attention while also keeping them eager for a bite.

Choose table accessories that pop. Leave guests in amazement as they make their way to their seats for the reception with beautifully decorated tables. Table accessories can be anything ranging from patterned table runners to flowers in full-bloom placed in simple, elegant vases. If you are not having a formal sit-down reception, try using paper lanterns or hanging flowers from the ceiling to create an eye-catching atmosphere to remember.

Add classic lighting.

At times, finding the right lighting to match the mood of a wedding venue can be tricky. In this case, less may actually be more. Try opting for a classic candlelit ceremony or reception to create a more romantic setting. This can save both money and countless hours spent attempting to configure elaborate light fixtures, and also provide a timeless feel.

Place engagement photos around the venue.

With any wedding, you want the day to feel personal and intimate for the couple and guests alike. Consider decorating the venue with engagement photos of the soon-to-be spouses as they popped the question. This can allow the newlyweds to reminisce while guests view those cherished moments and revel in the occasion.

For more tips to prepare for life’s special moments like marital bliss, visit elivingtoday.com. PJC

PhotoCredit:Sal&BellaLegacy

— WEDDING DECOR —

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Life & Culture

‘Elusive Ground’ brings Los Angeles artist back to Pittsburgh

By Adam Reinherz | Sta Writer

AWest Coast artist with Pittsburgh roots has returned home for a familial show. “Elusive Ground” features paintings of relatives and city skyscapes by former Shadyside resident Abira Ali.

The Jewish artist’s works, which are on display at the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, represent years dedicated to depicting individuals Ali both knew and didn’t know. “It’s a quick glimpse of different little windows into different times,” she said.

Hanging on the gallery’s white walls are paintings of grandparents, friends, neighbors and relatives in places that many Pittsburghers will recognize: familiar row houses and intersections, views from Shadyside porches.

“This show is so personal,” Ali said.

Given its intimacy, it made perfect sense to assemble the works and exhibit them at the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination. Located in Friendship, the center is run by Sheila Ali — Abira’s sister — and named after their grandmother, a German-born artist who created hundreds of paintings ranging from realistic portraits to post-impressionist landscapes.

Freeman’s husband, Louis, was an amateur photographer who printed his own images. Irma Freeman often painted them in color, Sheila Ali said.

A few of the paintings in “Elusive Ground” are inspired by that method, Abira Ali said.

Many of the images have a dreamlike quality. Faces are depicted in a haze. Earthy tones are used throughout.

“It’s not an intellectual choice. It’s an intuitive choice,” Abira Ali said of her approach to painting. “I tend to not go with a lot of bright bold color. I like to

work with shadows and light.”

Even without a menorah, Star of David, yarmulke, candlesticks or other typical iconographies, the paintings will resonate with Jewish viewers, the Los Angeles-based artist said.

Several of the images are from an era when BL Sour Cream was located on College Avenue in Shadyside.

Abira Ali said she remembers those days well: “My grandfather would be like, ‘Go down to B and L and pick up some smoked fish, some whitefish and gefilte fish,’ and I would go and I’d be scared because it’s a warehouse with guys on forklifts. And this little kid comes in with a little bit of money. They don’t sell retail, but [my grandfather] just expects them to sell him retail, and we would go and get it directly.”

The Ali sisters credit their grandparents, Louis and Irma Freeman, and exposure to the arts with helping them “survive” difficult early days in Pittsburgh.

“Our childhood was not easy,” Abira Ali said. “Our father’s from Bangladesh,

and we were the only Muslim Jews on the block, and it was just really ragtag. We both survived that with, I think, flying colors because of our love for being creative and the opportunities we had through school and being surrounded by art.”

“We had a richness, which is art and painting,” Sheila Ali said, “but our grandparents struggled a lot. He was a peddler. My grandmother’s father was a rabbi and cantor.”

“Elusive Ground” touches on many aspects of family, but don’t mistake that for nepotism, Abira Ali said with a laugh.

Despite the show taking place in a venue named for their grandmother, “I had a lot of trouble getting into this gallery. I kind of had to strongarm her,” Abira Ali said of her sister.

Along with using its walls to feature local and national artists — a concurrent exhibit

showcases photographs by Dennis Childers — the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination hosts yoga sessions, camps, concerts and movie screenings.

“We’ve had so many different things,” Sheila Ali said. “The other day we had a film premiere, and the place was packed with skateboarders wall to wall.”

Each activity preserves the memory of the center’s namesake.

“My grandmother was extremely prolific, and that’s why we named the place after her,” Sheila Ali said. “I just wanted to inspire other people. And we have over the years.”

“Elusive Ground” can be viewed on Saturdays from 2- 5 p.m. or by appointment through the end of February at the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, 5006 Penn Ave. PJC

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

p Abira Ali and Sheila Ali

Photo by Adam Reinherz

p 1909 Jakob Elias Poritzky, Ruth Poritzky and Helene Orzolkowska, oil on birch Painting by Abira Ali

p 1930 Irma and Lou, oil on birch Painting by Abira Ali

p 1948 Mom with Camera, oil on masonite Painting by Abira Ali

Celebrations

Bar Mitzvah

Andrew Khang Dinh, son of Khai Dinh and Dana Berger Dinh, will become a bar mitzvah at Adat Shalom during Shabbat morning services on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Andrew’s proud grandparents are Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm and Roslyn Berger and Mr. and Mrs. Khoat and Thin Dinh.

Author Jai Chakrabarti joins Chronicle Book Club

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its March 5 discussion of “A Play for the End of the World,” by Jai Chakrabarti. The author will join us for the meeting.

The novel was winner of the National Jewish Book Award’s Goldberg Prize for Debut Fiction and longlisted for the 2022 PEN/Faulkner Award.

From Amazon.com: “New York City, 1972. Jaryk Smith, a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto, and Lucy Gardner, a southerner, newly arrived in the city, are in the first bloom of love when they receive word that Jaryk’s oldest friend has died under mysterious circumstances in a rural village in eastern India.

“Travelling there alone to collect his friend’s ashes, Jaryk soon finds himself enmeshed in the chaos of local politics and efforts to stage a play in protest against the government — the same play that he performed as a child in Warsaw as an act of resistance against the Nazis. Torn between the survivor’s guilt he has carried for decades and his feelings for Lucy, Jaryk must decide how to honor both the past and the present, and how to accept a happiness he is not sure he deserves.”

Your hosts:

Toby Tabachnick, editor of the Chronicle David Rullo, Chronicle staff writer

Terumah: Windows, words and what you do

Hasidism’s mystical founder the Baal Shem Tov (BeShT) and his students were on an overland journey. One evening, as the sun dipped low in the western sky, the group saw a rainbow of light illuminating the otherwise dark horizon. Soon the light gave way to a building clad in stained glass. It was a synagogue.

As the Hasidim drew near, the BeShT recalled to his students Parshat Terumah, in which God tells us: “Build me a Sanctuary that I may dwell among [you].” And further, the BeShT cited the Talmud’s teaching that we “should only pray in a house with windows.”

This synagogue’s design honors Parshat Terumah and its colored windows honor the Talmud’s teaching — that’s true. But both “what we say and do” is our prayer; and where we pray matters far less than what we pray and with whom

To wit, we build beautiful sanctuaries to honor God and our highest ideals; but a holy sanctuary must never be in service of human ego — and we must never secret ourselves away within sanctuary walls. And those windows? Sanctuaries require windows, not for their color or beauty, but precisely because they are windows — for windows invite us to see without our walls and beyond ourselves; they allow us to survey the world outside our doors, and to recognize our likeness in those we have ignored, and to imagine our own lives in the lived experience of those we

How and when: We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, March 5, at noon.

What to do:

Buy: “A Play for the End of the World.” It is available at area Barnes & Noble stores and from online retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Several copies are available through the Carnegie Library system.

Email: Contact us at drullo@pittsburgh jewishchronicle.org, and write “Chronicle Book Club” in the subject line. We will send you a Zoom link for the discussion meeting.

Hearing their teacher’s words, the young pilgrims were eager to daven in such a well-planned house of prayer, for they imagined, from such an estimable place all prayers must ascend directly to heaven. The rebbe, however, was hesitant, not yet convinced.

have wronged. And, of course, windows allow others to see us and to assess if our own deeds are aligned with our words.

Mazel Tov!

Mazel Tov!

Mazel Tov!

Mazel Tov!

Happy reading! PJC

Toby Tabachnick

Thus, just as the traveling classroom approached the sanctuary’s threshold, the BeShT stopped suddenly. “We cannot go in. There is no room. It is too crowded.”

However, when we, mistaking the material for the spiritual, prioritize translucent glass over crystal character, we risk privileging our ideas over God’s and, therein, turning our worship spaces into echo chambers … overcrowded with our own, fallen prayers.

The rebbe’s students were surprised, perplexed. The colorful windows had bade them approach, and the sanctuary’s seats sat unoccupied. How could the rebbe suggest a fully illuminated, all but empty worship space was too crowded?

SPECIAL OCCASIONS DESERVE SPECIAL ATTENTION

SPECIAL OCCASIONS DESERVE SPECIAL ATTENTION

SPECIAL OCCASIONS DESERVE SPECIAL ATTENTION

SPECIAL OCCASIONS DESERVE SPECIAL ATTENTION

What is a special occasion…a birth, a b’nai mitzvah, an engagement, a wedding, an anniversary? Absolutely!

What is a special occasion…a birth, a b’nai mitzvah, an engagement, a wedding, an anniversary? Absolutely!

Mazel Tov!

What is a special occasion…a birth, a b’nai mitzvah, an engagement, a wedding, an anniversary? Absolutely!

What is a special occasion…a birth, a b’nai mitzvah, an engagement, a wedding, an anniversary? Absolutely!

But so is a birthday, a graduation, an athletic victory, an academic achievement…anything that deserves special recognition. And there is no better place to share your joy than in...

But so is a birthday, a graduation, an athletic victory, an academic achievement…anything that deserves special recognition. And there is no better place to share your joy than in...

SPECIAL OCCASIONS DESERVE SPECIAL ATTENTION

But so is a birthday, a graduation, an athletic victory, an academic achievement…anything that deserves special recognition. And there is no better place to share your joy than in...

But so is a birthday, a graduation, an athletic victory, an academic achievement…anything that deserves special recognition. And there is no better place to share your joy than in...

What is a special occasion…a birth, a b’nai mitzvah, an engagement, a wedding, an anniversary? Absolutely!

But so is a birthday, a graduation, an athletic victory, an academic achievement…anything that deserves special recognition. And there is no better place to share your joy than in...

SEND YOUR CELEBRATIONS, MAZEL TOVS, AND PHOTOS TO: announcements@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

“A prayer, when uttered with a pure heart, sprouts wings and soars to the highest realm,” the BeShT explained, “but when a worshipper’s true intent is less than pure, heaven considers their words to be insincere and such prayers collapse and fall upon one another.

SEND YOUR CELEBRATIONS, MAZEL TOVS, AND PHOTOS TO: announcements@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

SEND YOUR CELEBRATIONS, MAZEL TOVS, AND PHOTOS TO: announcements@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

SEND YOUR CELEBRATIONS, MAZEL TOVS, AND PHOTOS TO: announcements@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

SEND YOUR CELEBRATIONS, MAZEL TOVS, AND PHOTOS TO: announcements@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

Why? When one’s words in service of heaven are not aligned with one’s actions here on earth , such prayers sprout no wings. So it is this empty sanctuary is filled with flightless prayers. And now, as a result, there is no space for new prayers to enter.”

www.pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

Do not misunderstand. Beautiful spaces are a blessing; but God needs neither windows nor walls — it is we who desire them. Yet clearly, these same artful elements can frustrate pious words leading to proper actions (cf. “bricks more important than people” in a midrash on Tower of Babel). So, Jewish tradition teaches, ultimately it matters not where we pray, only that a Jew’s prayerful intentions and personal actions align. For only when “the words of [our] mouth and the meditations of [our] heart” are in synch with our deeds will our prayers rise to heaven. PJC

Rabbi Aaron Bisno is the Frances F. & David R. Levin Rabbinic Scholar at Rodef Shalom Congregation. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Clergy Association.

Rabbi Aaron Bisno Parshat Terumah Exodus 25:1 – 27:19

To wit, we build beautiful sanctuaries to honor God and our highest ideals; but a holy sanctuary must never be in service of human ego — and we must never secret ourselves away within sanctuary walls.

BRESLOW: Arnold Breslow, age 97, of Pittsburgh, passed away peacefully on Feb. 16, 2023. Married to Miriam for 69 years. Father of Susan and Daniel, father-in-law of Kimberly, grandfather of Aaron and Alec. He was born in Vineland, New Jersey, and grew up in Camden, New Jersey. Following high school he joined the Navy and became an aviation machinist mate 2nd class. He was a partner of GSM of Pittsburgh, an automotive parts wholesaler, along with S. Eugene Wice, for 50 years. His favorite hobby was making pottery, giving finished pieces to friends, and taking ceramics classes at Fireborn Studios on the South Side. He also volunteered at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History for many years, in various departments. Graveside service was held at Beth Shalom Cemetery in Shaler Twp. Memorial donations may be made to your charity of choice. slaterfuneral.com

CAZEN: Alan Cazen, on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. Beloved son of the late Saul and late Hanna Cazen. Nephew of the late Bernard Avner, late Louis Avner and late Irving Avner. Cousin of Connie Avner Buchanan and Robin Avner. Alan was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from the California University in library and informed sciences, then his master’s from the University of Pittsburgh. He worked for the Pittsburgh Public School District. Alan loved elephants and traveled to many countries, his favorite location being the Caribbean Islands. Graveside services and interment were held at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

DARLING: Carole Darling, on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. Beloved wife of the late Sanford “Sandy” Darling. Loving mother of Susie (Jimmy) Cohen, Michelle Darling and the late Andrea Darling Stoff. Sister of the late Marshall Spokane. Grammy to Andrea Cohen, Erica (Justin) Leffakis, Stephanie (Elijah) Shropshire and Jonathan (Taylor) Cohen. Also Grammy to Micah, Samantha and Lev Shropshire and Jordyn and Lily Leffakis. A special thank you to Carole’s caregiver, Erin Berry. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Poale Zedeck Memorial Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Make-AWish Foundation, 707 Grant Street, #3700, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or the Hemophilia Society of Western Pennsylvania, 3636 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. schugar.com

STORIES COME TO life HERE.

ESTATE NOTICE - Estate of Fredia Deloris Evans

Fredia Deloris Evans, Deceased January 8, 2023, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania No. 02-23-0660

Deborah D. Roberts, Executrix; 233 Crestwood Place, San Ramone, CA 94583 or to

Bruce S. Gelman, Esquire, Gelman & Reisman, P .C., Law & Finance Bldg., 429 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1701, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

FORMAN: Libby Lee Forman, on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. Sister of the late Alan Forman and the late Barbara Aronson. Survived by sister-in-law Lois Forman, nephews Sean (Pamela) Forman and Nicholas (Sheryl) Forman and nieces Francine Dinovitzer, Sherri Milstein and Rhonda Rose. Great-aunt of Jonah, Scott, Micah, Lila and Spencer Forman. Beloved companion of Mark Bastacky. Libby was a proud member of B’nai Emunah Chabad, Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association, New Community Chevra Kadisha and the Aleph Institute. Graveside services and interment were held at Homewood Cemetery, Star of David section. Contributions may be made to the Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association, PO Box 81863, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or a Jewish charity or organization of your choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

KOHANE: Dr. Leon Aaron Kohane, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and a cherished community dentist, passed away on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023 (5 Shevat 5783), at the age of 67. Leon was born in 1955, the third child of Michael and Sabina, Holocaust survivors originally from Chrzanów, Poland. A lifelong resident of Pittsburgh, Leon spent his childhood years in Stanton Heights before moving to Squirrel Hill. After graduating from Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, Leon shifted his career aspirations at the advice of his mother from the glass industry — though always remaining a “glass-man” like his father — to study chemistry and dentistry at the University of Pittsburgh. After graduating in 1982, Dr. Kohane would go on to serve thousands of patients with grace, style, old-fashioned wisdom, and often a tune that he would hum as he worked, hearkening back to his days as a High Holidays cantor and his classical training with Cantor Moshe Taube. Patients young and old would love to visit the practice, headquartered at South Highland Avenue in Shadyside for almost 40 years. In addition to often providing services at low or no cost for those in need, he served his community on a number of synagogue and school boards, and enjoyed taking part in Torah learning programs in person and from the comfort of his own home. Along with his warm and loving wife, Vlada Miriam Kohane, he raised two wonderful sons, Benjamin and Steven, and was able to see them both happily married and launch their professional careers in recent years. Leon had the special opportunity to become a grandfather twice in recent months, meriting to serve as sandek at both grandsons’ circumcisions. Leon ultimately closed his practice and retired to take care of the love of his life, Vlada, who unfortunately lost a tough battle with ovarian cancer in 2021. He still continued to enjoy attending prayer services, relaxing in the local Jewish Community Center’s hot tub and “shvitz” (steam room), and receiving his daily pictures of his grandkids, even as he himself suffered from several heart conditions that impacted his health until his passing. Services and burial were held at Poale Zedeck Memorial Park Cemetery, and Leon’s shloshim period concludes on Feb. 27. Leon is survived by his sons Benjamin (Tova) and Steven (Frumie), grandsons Zev and David, as well as a close network of extended family, friends and former patients. The family continues to appreciate messages of condolences and stories sent to memorialsofleon@gmail.com.

ESTATE NOTICE - Estate of Jewel M. Fisher

Jewel M. Fisher, Deceased February 12, 2021, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania No. 02-22-0423

Raymond Sockwell, Administrator; 333 South Washington St., Clinton, Indiana 47842 or to

Bruce S. Gelman, Esquire, Gelman & Reisman, P.C., Law & Finance Bldg., 429 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1701, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

ESTATE NOTICE - Estate of Patricia J. Babuscio

Patricia J. Babuscio, Deceased October 5, 2022,of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania No. 02-22-7769

Gordon W. Stoernell, Executor; 439 E. Sycamore Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15211 or to

Bruce S. Gelman, Esquire, Gelman & Reisman, P .C., Law & Finance Bldg., 429 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1701, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Obituaries

Obituaries:

Continued from page 19

KRANICH: Marilyn Wagman Kranich, surrounded by her loving husband and family, passed away peacefully in her Pittsburgh home on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, at the age of 92. She was born in an age when opportunities for women were limited, but she was a strong, intelligent, independent woman, who had many meaningful achievements. She — and her beloved husband of 67 years, R. Brett Kranich — lived in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, from 1955-1989. It was in Johnstown where she served as a stylish dress buyer for Brett’s, her husband’s renowned women’s boutique. After her husband accepted a position with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and they relocated to Harrisburg, she had a successful career in residential real estate sales. When they retired and moved to Pittsburgh to be closer to some of their grown children, Marilyn spent her days knitting, reading and volunteering — which were three constants throughout her life. Perhaps her proudest accomplishment was being the mother of four daughters, all of whom will miss her very much: Debra (Robert) Mendelson of Pittsburgh, Elissa (James) Mendelson of Pittsburgh, Alison (George) Youlios of Santa Clarita, California, and Sara (Jonathan) Beiser of Bethesda, Maryland. She is also survived and missed by her sister, Corinne Mazerov; grandchildren Lauren (Sid), Jesse (Tate),

Sam, Cara (John), Matt, Stephanie (Dan), Katie, Allison and Harrison; and greatgrandchild, Sutton. Marilyn’s family will be forever grateful for the tender care she received from both Bridges Hospice and from caregivers Yvette Harrison and Debbie Leggett. Graveside service and interment were private. Contributions may be made to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, 5115 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, or to the charity of each donor’s choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

MORITZ: Judith Rae Moritz ( née Feldman) on Feb. 19, 2023. Wife of Edward M., Mother of Marion Moritz, Tobi (Jason) Klaskin and Rena (Jeffrey) Klein. Grandmother of Max, Solomon, Rachel and Adina. Contributions in her memory may be made to the Samaritan Fund, c/o ACTS, 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd, PA 19002. Goldsteins’ Rosenberg’s Raphael-Sacks.

SNITZER: Rae Gelb Snitzer, on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. Beloved wife of the late Melvin Paul Snitzer. Loving mother of Iris (Sonny) Melnick, Jan (Dr. Samuel) Seiavitch, and Barbara (Dr. Saul) Silver. Grandma Gorgeous to Tami and Bethany Melnick, Marc, Evan and Dr. Ryan Seiavitch and Adam Silver and Joshua (Caroline) Silver. Great-grandmother of Kaylie Melnick. Services and interment were private. Contributions may be made to Humane Animal Rescue League of Pittsburgh, 6926 Hamilton Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15208 or the American Heart Association, 444 Liberty Avenue, #1300, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

Jewish Association on Aging gratefully acknowledges contributions from the following: A gift from ... In memory of...

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Anonymous

Parke Americus

Marc M. Bilder

Stanley Cohen

Sylvia & Norman Elias

Sylvia & Norman Elias

Karen R. Jurgensmier

Je Kaplan

Carole Kaufman

Tillie Berenfield

Dr. Abraham Finegold

Frances Barniker

Samuel Toker

Bessie Taback Americus

Sophia Meyers

Sara F. Cohen

Ruth B. Moldovan

Geraldine A. Tyson

Isaac L. Rosenfeld

David Stern

Ann R. Hendel

Mark Le Jack Le

Michael & Andrea Lowenstein & Family

Len & Joyce Mandelblatt

Paul & Diane Pechersky

Shirley E. Preny

STEIN: Larry J. Stein peacefully passed away on Feb. 14, 2023, at age 81. He is survived by his nephews, Alan Finkelstein (Lisa Schlar) of Pittsburgh and Darren Stein (Milena Macioce) of Toronto, by great-nieces Ariana Finkelstein and Zoe Ramone Macioce, great-nephew Jordan Finkelstein and many cherished cousins. He was preceded in death by parents, Gilbert and Fay Stein, sister Myrna Finkelstein, and brother Burton Stein, of blessed memory. A proud graduate of Peabody High School, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps before starting his career in the retail clothing industry, first in New York City and later in Pittsburgh.  He loved to laugh, to exercise and to visit The Original Hot Dog Shop before it closed.  His guilty pleasure was cheesecake. He will be remembered fondly and deeply missed. Graveside services and interment were held at Beth Shalom Cemetery. To honor Larry, contributions can be made to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com PJC

William M. Lowenstein

Raye Supowitz

Mildred Pechersky

Shirley E. Preny ................................................................

Shirley E. Preny

Linda & Je rey Reisner & Family

Rhoda Rofey

Myron Rosenberg

Cheryl Sober ........................................................

Ronald M. Tepper

Max Mallinger

Esther Mallinger

Jack I. Mallinger

William Davis

Marvin Kaufman

Pearl R. Rosenberg

Rachel She ler Shuklansky

Gertrude Tepper

Contact the Development department at 412.586.3264 or development@jaapgh.org for more information.

THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS —

Sunday February 26 : Abe P. Bennett, Molly D. Bloch, Esther Gardner, Lou Ann Krouse, Ella Levy, Harry Levy, Dr. Yale S. Lewine, Louis Luterman, Alyce H. Mandelblatt, Benjamin D. Miller, Esther Rudkin, Dorothy Schwartz, Max Shapiro, Frances B. Sigal, Isaac W. Solomon, Samuel Veinegar, Harry Zalevsky

Monday February 27: Harry J. Benjamin, Joseph Canter, Alec W. Chinn, Gertrude Chizeck, Sara F. Cohen, Florence Farkas, David H. Goldberg, Rose M. Hausman, Marvin Klein, Eugene Light, Isaac L. Rosenfeld, Charles Schwartz, David Stern, Raye Supowitz, Helen Weinberger

Tuesday February 28: Conrad Irving Adler, Bernard Berkman, Albert Farber, Samuel Farbstein, Frances A. Feinberg, Dr. Abraham Finegold, Israel Fireman, Fred Kalson, Charles Korobkin, Morris S. Levine, Tillie Lippock, Joseph Miller, Harry B. Orringer, M.D., Harold B. Pollack, Ruth Shatum, Myer N. Shipkovitz, Harvey Simon, Phillip Weinberger

Wednesday March 1: Ella Alpern, Sarah Baker, Samuel J. Burke, Ruth Chell, Emil Glick, Bernard Golanty, Edward Green, Meyer Hart, Rosella B. Horvitz, Harold Levine, Bessie R. Levinson, Jay Calvin Miller, Abe Rader, Stanley E. Rosenbloom, M.D., Dorothy Rubin, Max Wikes, Rose Zi , Shirley Zionts

Thursday March 2: Frances A. Barniker, Libby Berlow, Esther R. Broad, Samuel Cushner, Mary J. Darling, Maurice Firestone, Anne Davis Ginsberg, Rebecca Goldstein, Joseph Horvitz, Marion H. Jacobson, Gertrude Judd, Marvin L. Kaufman, Ethel Mallinger, Emanuel Mervis, Mildred Platt, Emanuel Ripp, Harvey James Roth, Azriel Meyer Sachs, Bernard Weiss, Isaac Young

Friday March 3: Tillie Berenfield, Shirley L. Borcover, Louis C. Burstin, Hyman Cahen, Dora Cohen, Morris Gilbert Davidson, Pauline Davis, William Davis, Charles Glick, Eleanor Granowitz, Jack Greenfield, Julius L. Gusky, Sondra Hansell, Florence L. Hochhauser, Samuel Hodes, Mollie Koss, Esther Mandel, Thelma Marder, Jacob Marks, Max A. Moses, Estelle S. Nernberg, Fannie Orlansky, Nat Rubin, Rebecca Rubin, Max Seltman, Markus Sherman, Fannye Taper, Israel Whiteman, Samuel Williams, Josephine Olbum Zinman

Saturday March 4: Minnie Abelson, Frank B. Bortz, Ethel Chesterpal, William Davis, Eva Fox, Harvey N. Goldstein, Minnie Herring, Isadore S. Levin, Oscar Levine, Joel Litman, Sophia S. Meyers, Dorothy Morantz, Sadie Pearlstein, Abe Platt, Lester Poser, Julius Rosenberg, Louis

S. Rosenthal, Freda Rubin, Jean G. Semins, Ida Shie , Ethel Simon, Goldie Simon, Harry Uram

Poale Zedeck Cemeteries

e Austro-Hungarian rooted Orthodox Jewish congregation Poale Zedeck (Workers of Justice) was chartered in 1881, and met in rented quarters at Second and Grant Street. A cemetery in Sheraden was established in 1883. When the congregation outgrew its space, it purchased a house on Federal Street in the Hill District. e house was renovated and served as the synagogue until 1900 when the congregation purchased an existing synagogue building at Crawford and Rose Streets. Members of the congregation also established the Hungarian Sick and Relief Association in 1884 to provide sick, death, and disability bene ts to Pittsburgh’s Hungarian Jews.

An early congregational Chevra Kedisha (Holy Society) was responsible for maintaining the cemetery and for memorializing those interred. Founded in 1910, the organization hosted an annual Sudah at which the names of the deceased were read, the cantor recited memorial prayers, and the rabbi gave an address. e concrete pulpit, a unique feature, remains at the center of the Sheraden cemetery’s 875 graves.

In 1926, the congregation purchased a lot at the corner of Shady and Phillips Avenues in Squirrel Hill where the current synagogue was built and dedicated in 1929. e congregation continued to expand and an adjacent building was constructed and dedicated as the Rabbi Joseph Shapiro Education Center in 1956.

In 1954, the congregation established Poale Zedeck Memorial Park in Richland Township, a very well planned out cemetery with now over 850 graves.

Five full-time rabbis have served Poale Zedeck. Rabbi Sol B. Friedman:1920-33; Rabbi Joseph Shapiro: 1933-74 (Rabbi Shapiro founded Pittsburgh’s Hillel Academy); Rabbi Eliyahu Safran:1974-85; Rabbi Yisroel Miller:1985 to 2009; and Rabbi Daniel Yolkut, who began his tenure in 2010.

e Poale Zedeck Cemeteries are owned by the congregation. e hands-on management is a combined e ort between Poale Zedeck and the JCBA.

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.

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Life & Culture

Chewy chocolate chip cookies

By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle

This recipe feels like it’s been 25 years in the making. We all have our preferences for chocolate chip cookies. Some are thick and fluffy, while others are thin and crispy. I love a thin yet chewy chocolate chip cookie.

There are so many tips and tricks floating around, and I’ve tried every different egg, sugar and flour ratio out there. I’ve melted butter, made brown butter and even tried half butter and half shortening. The addition of cornstarch seems to be the trick to getting a chewy cookie.

Finding a recipe that turns out a consistently awesome result took so much longer than I imagined, but I finally have one to share. If your favorite version is thin and chewy like mine, my recipe will stay in your recipe box for life.

Ingredients

Yields about 3 dozen cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter (don’t use salted, even if you’re in a pinch)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

1 whole egg, plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature

2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose

flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon fleur de sel salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

(optional)

I always advise baking with roomtemperature dairy products and eggs. You can take the butter out of the fridge the night before and leave it on the counter, as long as your kitchen isn’t sweltering hot. I usually place the eggs on the counter an hour before I bake. If you’re in a pinch, you can fill a small bowl with hot tap water and add the

ents blend better in the mixer, which means superior results.

Measure the flour, baking soda and cornstarch into a medium-sized bowl, and whisk the ingredients for a few seconds to blend them well.

Place the butter in a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low for about 2 minutes before adding in the brown and white sugar. Mix for a minute on low, then turn the speed to medium and cream the mixture for 2-3 minutes.

Turn the mixer speed back to low and add the flour mixture, one spoonful at a time. I use a large serving spoon, the same size that I would use to serve mashed potatoes.

Add 1 spoonful every 15 seconds. Spacing out the addition of the flour ensures that the cookie dough is well blended. It usually takes about a minute and a half to add all the flour.

After all the flour is added, turn the mixer speed back up to medium, and mix for 2-3 minutes. Turn the speed back to low and add 1 teaspoon of sea salt

mix in the chocolate chips (and optional nuts) by hand. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or put it into an airtight container to store.

This cookie dough is best when it rests in the refrigerator overnight, but if you’d like to bake the same day, refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 4 hours. Letting it sit overnight yields the best results.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator 1 hour before baking.

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and place the wire rack in the center of the oven.

You don’t need to use a fancy cookie scoop, but it does make it easier to get more uniform results. Otherwise, use a tablespoon (soup spoon) to scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I like to scoop all of the dough into portions in the beginning and put the balls on a plate until it’s time for baking. You can make smaller or larger cookie sizes. I occasionally use an ice cream scoop to get very large cookies — simply adjust your baking time and make

large baking sheet. I have different baking sheets, and they all turn out different results. Baking time will depend on your oven and the type of cookie sheet you use.

Only bake one sheet of cookies at a time. I know this takes longer, but one tray at a time works best in a standard oven.

Start checking the cookies for doneness at 11 minutes. You don’t want them to be overdone. They can look soft and a little doughy on top — as long as the edges and bottom are not turning too dark and are just lightly brown and crispy looking. Baked goods keep baking after you remove them from the oven.

Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before using a spatula to remove the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cool for an hour before storing. You can store these in a metal tin for a week — that is, if they last that long. Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.

p Chewy chocolate chip cookies

Photo by Jessica Grann

Just the sweetest Jewish Association on Aging residents painted and decorated gift bags during a

As

of an annual tradition,

p AgeWell at the JCC South Hills is supported by organizational partners and the Jack Buncher foundation. Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

p The monthly podcast features insights on struggling, healing and the role friendship and connection plays in people’s lives. Photo courtesy of Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh

Sweetheart’s Day celebration.

Held at AHAVA Memory Care Center Of Excellence, the program fostered

Photos courtesy of Jewish Association on Aging

part

Congregation Beth Shalom Men’s Club members helped students from the Joint Jewish Education Program of Pittsburgh during World Wide Wrap.

p World Wide Wrap is a day where students learn the meaning of tefillin and how to don phylacteries.

p Timeless practice. Timeless smile.

Photos courtesy of Joint Jewish Education Program of Pittsburgh

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