Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 3-10-23

Local rabbis wrestle with proposed changes for new clergy

Local rabbi becomes certified mohel

By Adam Reinherz | Sta Writer

On Jan. 31, Hebrew College in Boston (non-denominational) determined it would “no longer consider marriage to a non-Jewish spouse an impediment to admission or ordination in its rabbinical program.”

Weeks earlier, the (Conservative) Ziegler Rabbinical Program announced it was shifting from a curriculum typically lasting five or six years to one requiring three years of in-house study followed by a year of residency and online learning. Additionally, the year-long mandated study in Israel is being replaced by a 10-12-week summer visit.

Rabbi Arthur Green, former rector of the Hebrew College Rabbinical School, in a column first appearing in The Times of Israel, then the Chronicle, lamented that the seminaries were “giving in to assimilation…. reducing of the standards of Jewish difference from the general American population.”

Green’s comments generated conversation online as to the rabbinate’s role within non-Orthodox Jewish life. Likewise, Pittsburgh’s spiritual leaders responded to the article and its concerns about professional responsibilities and the future of the American Jewish landscape.

“I’m not surprised by the piece, but I’m saddened by it,” said Rabbi Daniel Fellman, senior rabbi at Temple Sinai. “Rabbis act as symbolic exemplars, dugmah in Hebrew.

“I think that for us as rabbis, we have a responsibility to model the Jewish family as best we can,” he continued. “And I think we do that best when we’re married to Jews and we’re raising Jewish children. While I’ll happily officiate an intermarriage, I think there’s a line there. And I think that rabbis being married to Jews is an important symbolic piece.”

By David Rullo | Sta Writer

Pittsburgh’s newest mohel is on a mission to not only help families fulfill the mitzvah of brit milah, or circumcision, but to help educate them about the procedure along the way.

“I’m a passionate educator,” Rabbi Zalmen Raskin said. “That’s really the focus and the ideology of anything I do. It’s about education and the communication of ideas, which really brings inspiration and conversation and relationship, which is really important.”

Raskin moved from his native Melbourne, Australia, to Pittsburgh to teach at the behest of Rabbi Yossi Rosenblum, CEO of Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh.

It wasn’t until January, though, that Raskin hung a shingle on his door advertising services as a certified mohel.

Raskin began thinking about becoming a mohel after Rabbi Moshe Barrocas, whose children he taught, suggested it.

“We had a good relationship, and he said, ‘I think you would be an excellent mohel; would you consider taking it on?’ At first, I was like, ‘I don’t know if that’s for me,’ but Rabbi Rosenfeld encouraged me — the rabbi of the community — and Rabbi Admon encouraged me as well.”

Rabbi Elisar Admon is also a mohel but,

running in

 Rabbi Zalmen Raskin (center) is Pittsburgh’s newest mohel. He was trained by Rabbi Avi Nidam (left) and Dr. Awizerat (right).

Photo provided by Rabbi Zalmen Raskin

Photo by coldsnowstorm / E+ / Getty Images Plus

Headlines

Jewish Fertility Foundation welcomes community to its Pittsburgh conception

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

More than 70 members of the Pittsburgh Jewish community welcomed the Jewish Fertility Foundation during a kickoff celebration on Feb. 23 at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh’s Levinson Hall.

The organization launched in Pittsburgh on Sept. 1; the purpose of the February event was to let the community know “we’re here,” CEO and founder Elana Frank told the Chronicle.

“We have money to give out, we have resources and we have educational opportunities,” Frank said.

The nonprofit opened its doors in 2016 in Atlanta and has offices in six cities. In addition to Pittsburgh and its headquarters in Atlanta, locations include Birmingham, Alabama; Cincinnati; Washington, D.C.; and Tampa, Florida.

When Pittsburgher Erika Schmitt approached Frank about opening an office in Pittsburgh, Frank asked Schmitt if she wanted to start an exploratory committee here. It only took a few hours for Schmitt, who conceived a daughter by working with a fertility clinic and works professionally in the adoption and fertility world, to say yes.

After Schmitt formed a committee and did the initial research, Frank said, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh asked what it would cost to open a Pittsburgh office.

“I told them, and they gave me more than that, which is rare,” she said.

Pittsburgh, Frank said, “is just a beautiful community and really has been so welcoming.”

JFF-Pittsburgh Manager Meredith Levy spoke at the kick-off celebration along with

Frank, Schmitt and Amanda Hirsch, executive director of the Hebrew Free Loan Association.

JFF is partnered with the HFLA as part of the J Funds umbrella, which offers loans up to $10,000, on a nonsectarian basis, for fertility treatments or adoption costs.

“It’s very unique to Pittsburgh and amazing that we are so generous,” Levy said.

Before coming to JFF, Levy worked as a nurse anesthetist, a skill set she said is helpful as she leads the Pittsburgh office.

“Doctors don’t have to worry about my understanding of medical terminology,” she said.

Levy conceived twins through in vitro fertilization, so she is familiar with the process and stress that comes along with trying to conceive through IVF and IUI, or intrauterine insemination, another form of infertility treatment.

“I can definitely relate to all of it,” she said.

At its core, JFF is a grant-giving nonprofit. Levy said she has $30,000 to distribute this year, thanks to the Pittsburgh’s Federation.

Levy, who paid more than $20,000 for her IVF procedure, knows how important that money can be to people trying to start a family.

JFF, she said, grants up to $1,000 to those using IUI to try to conceive, and up to $7,500 for those attempting to conceive through IVF.

People who receive a grant also get a 20% discount if they work with Shady Grove Fertility in Wexford, a clinic that partners with JFF Pittsburgh.

Clients, Levy said, can apply for two grants.

“A lot of times people start with IUI—which is less obtrusive — and end up potentially moving to IVF if they need to,” she said.

So far, JFF, which is a Pittsburgh Federation

beneficiary agency, has awarded two grants — although Levy calls it two-and-a-half, because a third grant was set to be distributed, but the person conceived and never took the money.

“It’s very positive for Pittsburgh,” Levy said. “We have a lot of money to give.”

Money isn’t the only way that JFF is helping to assist those facing conception challenges. The organization hosts a free monthly support group with a psychologist who specializes in issues that include infertility, depression and anxiety.

JFF also offers a buddy program where those with experience in fertility treatments help people starting the process. Levy said the program tries to match people with similar households — single moms by choice with single moms by choice, couples with couples, for instance.

“We even have men who have volunteered to be veteran fertility buddies to husbands who have gone through this journey,” she said.

JFF Pittsburgh has two upcoming events to learn more about the organization.

On Saturday, March 11, JFF Pittsburgh will join with its sister cities for a National Havdalah Support Program facilitated by Rabbinic Fellow Anna Burke.

Not wanting a bridge to keep those interested from learning more about JFF, the organization is partnering with Temple Emanuel of South Hills on March 23 for a “South Hills Community Gathering” at 28 Bridges in Bridgeville.

Levy also has talked with the City of Pittsburgh’s director of financial empowerment about future partnerships.

For more information, go to jewishfertility foundation.org/pittsburgh. PJC

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

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p Community members gather at the JFF’s kickoff event.

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Headlines

Author Zoje Stage’s ‘Mothered’ is pandemic nightmare

thinking about Judaism, organized religion and where she rests in the fold.

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

Zoje Stage, a USA Today bestselling author, is a master of drafting suspenseful scenes. But there’s no suspense about her newest novel’s place on the shelf.

As of March 3, “Mothered” was the No. 2 horror suspense book on Amazon. Stage’s nightmare-inducing tale is beating Stephen King’s “Holly” and Alex North’s “The Angel Maker” on the site’s compilation of “hot new releases.”

Published March 1, “Mothered” concerns a mother and daughter who begin living together during the early months of the pandemic. Terse exchanges, a loss of space and prolonged solitude remind readers of the familiar existential and physical trials of recent years.

Stage, a Jewish author and Squirrel Hill resident, said she didn’t set out to write a pandemic story. She began contemplating a plot well before COVID-19 entered into common parlance.

After visiting her mother’s apartment, Stage considered what it would be like living with a parent again. Stage shared the thought with her agent and said if it actually happened one of them “wouldn’t make it out alive.”

To Stage’s surprise, her agent replied that the author’s comment was a great premise.

Stage pondered the idea and quickly realized that she couldn’t mine her own experience.

“If I was going to explore that kind of dynamic of a mother/daughter who truly could not cohabitate, I needed them to be characters who are completely different from me and my mom,” she said. “I absolutely did not want to be in the headspace of me thinking about my mom and how that would be living together.”

Stage fleshed out her characters and landed on the concept of “energy vampires.” People, she said, who “when you’re with them, just consume all the bits of your energy and your thoughts and your emotions, and you’re just depleted when you leave them.”

The author began writing in April 2020, but as the pandemic stretched on “it completely crept into my story,” she said. “Once I embraced it, I realized this is the perfect reason as to why this mother and daughter would stay living together past the point of no return.”

“Mothered” is Stage’s sixth published novel. But this time around, her process differed: While she used to write daily, the pandemic and her mother’s declining health prevented that.

“It was really hard to focus. It was hard to read,” she said. “It was just really hard to get stuff done.”

Stage spent months without writing. The absence was instructive, however.

“It really did kind of teach me a different way to write and to not be afraid that I’m going to lose the story,” she said. “I actually found the story. I was able to think about the story more in depth.”

Though “Mothered” represents a lengthier

artistic process than her previous works, there are familiar inclusions within its pages: references to Giant Eagle, Greenfield and Oakland.

“The reason so many of my stories have a Pittsburgh connection is I’m so rooted here,” she said. “Even when I didn’t live here, so many of the dreams and nightmares that I would have were still rooted in Pittsburgh.”

The city, its surroundings and its residents are just “so much a part of what I know and what I understand.”

Stage grew up in Squirrel Hill, two blocks from her current home. She said she loves the area but as a child struggled to find her place within the community.

“It’s a much more diverse neighborhood now,” she said, “but my perspective always was I was growing up in a Jewish neighborhood, and I never felt like I was Jewish enough.”

Stage was born to a Jewish mother and a non-Jewish father.

“Neither of my parents were terribly religious,” she said, “so we weren’t really raised with any particular theology or any particular family traditions.”

Despite “very much wanting to be Jewish,” Stage said she felt like “an outsider.”

She cited an incident from when she was 12. A friend regularly attended Hebrew classes, and Stage decided to join her. She soon discovered how enjoyable the experience was. Eventually, the teacher asked Stage why her parents didn’t register her for her schooling.

“I didn’t have access to that,” she said. “In my own family, that just was not a thing that we were going to do.”

Stage said she’s spent plenty of years

“I’m fine with where I am now,” she said. “I mean, I have some strange ideas about things, but I do find some of the beliefs in Judaism are very comforting to me. I feel like there are some very open-ended possibilities, in a spiritual sense, for what is available in Judaism. And I find that very comforting. I can be Jewish in my own way — and there is room for that in Judaism — and it’s part of why I’m attracted to it.”

Stage is scheduled to speak about “Mothered” on March 16 at Carnegie Library Lecture Hall through Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures. Registrants can enjoy the free event in person or online.

Stage said she’s looking forward to sharing more about her newest work. And without spoiling any details of strained relationships within the book, she noted that the characters embody familiar qualities.

“My passion is exploring human behavior, human beings, the dichotomous ideas that exist in human beings and how good and evil is something that is present everywhere,” she said. “I really like to put those things in my characters, and in my stories, in ways that I think are unexpected.” PJC

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

p Zoje Stage Photo courtesy of Zoje Stage p “Mothered” Photo courtesy of Zoje Stage

“My passion is exploring human behavior, human beings, the dichotomous ideas that exist in human beings and how good and evil is something that is present everywhere.”

–ZOJE STAGE

Headlines

Fellow-feeling personalities

— HISTORY —

By Eric Lidji | Special to the Chronicle

Adecade before one of the most heartbreaking letters ever published in the local Jewish press, a poster appeared in the Hill District with 12 faces, at least 10 of them smiling.

The smiling faces belong to the boys of the Congregation Oher Chodesh choir. In robes and shawls, with prayer books in hand, they surround Cantor David Messeroff, who is not smiling but is not stern either. His face expresses a quiet, humble, reserved dignity.

At the top, in Hebrew, are the words: L’shmoa el ha-rina v’el ha-tefilah. “To hear the songs and the prayers.” And at the bottom, in Yiddish, it reads, “Come hear Cantor Messeroff recite selichot, Saturday, August 28th.” The original Yiddish is somehow more magical: Kumt heren Chazzan Messeroff zoggen slichos Shabbos ovv dem 28ten August

Messeroff came from Romania in 1924 and assumed a post at Congregation Agudath Achim, which had been founded a year earlier by families on Herron Hill. Sometime around 1934, he moved to Congregation Oher Chodesh, the Roumanian shul, now known as New Light. He worked there for years with choir leader Benjamin Brodie, who is the other unsmiling face. The poster most likely advertises their selichot services from 1937.

This was the Golden Age of Chazzunnus, the period between the wars when the operatic, melismatic, soul-squeezing style of cantorial singing enjoyed its widest popularity in America. The great chazzanim of the day — Rosenblatt, Kwartin, Pinchik, Oysher — all came to Pittsburgh to lead services and give performances for discriminating audiences.

Between those highly anticipated appearances, dozens of workaday clergy like Cantor Messeroff led Orthodox and Conservative services all over the region. (These were the days when the Reform movement resisted the cantor.) High Holiday services were the best promoted, of course, but look through the newspapers of that era and you’ll find all sorts of smaller gigs. Anytime a cantor “officiated” a life cycle event, they

likely sang a song.

Few of these local cantors are widely known today. As a class, they are all more obscure than the local rabbinic figures of their era. But in their day, they must have been treasured: Few Hill District congregations had a full-time rabbi, but many had a chazzan.

And yet, the cantors seemed to sense their standing was unstable. Just a few months after leading High Holiday services at Oher Chodesh in late 1937, Messeroff joined his colleagues to start the Jewish Minsters Cantors Association of Pittsburgh and Vicinity.

Rev. Elias Zaludkowsky of Congregation Beth Shalom led the group. Messeroff was appointed its secretary. Whatever minutes he took have long since been lost. All that remains are a few clippings announcing dates for concerts that only might have occurred.

Zaludkowsky died unexpectedly in 1943, and Messeroff succeeded him as president of the Cantor’s Association of Pittsburgh. Before the High Holidays in 1945, he wrote an essay in the Jewish Criterion, explaining the role of the cantor in the prayer service: “For a long time after the High Holidays, a deep, sweet echo remains in our hearts. Yes, the Cantor has always been, in Jewish religious

life, a fellow-feeling personality who helps us forget the wounds that are in our hearts, which are there, above all, in exile.”

By the end of World War II, the young people who started fleeing Europe by the thousands in the 1880s were entering their 70s, their 80s, their 90s. Each January, they would gather at the Jewish Home for the Aged to dedicate new yahrzeit plaques while a member of the Cantor’s Association recited “El Moleh Rachamim.”

But the last babies of the immigrant era, brought over in the early 1920s, were American teenagers, high on swing. Perhaps the wounds changed, or perhaps scar tissue formed.

In February 1948, the Cantor’s Association of Pittsburgh published an open letter to the entire community in the local Jewish press. It began, “Dear Friends: For a long time the Cantors of Pittsburgh have felt that Pittsburgh Jewry have not given them consideration. The community attitude has not been warm enough, and quite restrained in comparison to the relations between the Cantors and the general public in other towns, whether they be smaller or larger cities. We are therefore taking this means of asking you, ‘Why?’”

services throughout Pittsburgh from 1924 until his retirement in the early 1950s. He once said that a chazzan should be a “respectable person” who understood the language of prayer and had “a clear, melodious voice.”

Rauh Jewish Archives

They weren’t complaining about synagogue attendance or religious observance. It was more basic: People weren’t inviting local cantors to sing at special occasions anymore.

“The Cantor has for many years always participated in Jewish life, both on happy and sorrowful occasions. He wishes to continue to do so now, and asks that the community does not forget him — for you, Pittsburgh Jewry, with your many, many eventful occasions, must take the Cantor to your heart once again. He is ever your willing servant.”

It was a matter of livelihood. Even a cantor employed by a congregation only drew a small salary, which he bolstered with honoraria from officiating weddings and funerals. Long before this style of singing left the synagogue, it drifted away from daily Jewish life.

Love for the greats created enthusiasm that allowed a culture to exist. The inverse was also true: When the merely good couldn’t find work, the greats were left hanging in the air. 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.

Accused Pittsburgh synagogue shooter appears in court

For the first time in more than four years, the man accused of killing 11 Jews in the Tree of Life building appeared in federal court on Monday, the Tribune-Review reported.

He was present for the first session of the first phase of jury selection, in which potential jurors are filling out questionnaires that will determine if they can serve on the jury. The procedure will continue for two weeks. Prospective jurors were selected from a 24-county area in western Pennsylvania.

Jury selection, which begins on April 24 with in-person questioning, is expected to last several weeks.

In U.S. District Judge Robert J. Colville’s courtroom on Monday, the accused shooter was dressed in a dark sweater and white dress shirt, according to the Tribune-Review. He stood to face the prospective jurors when asked.

Colville instructed the prospective jurors on the importance of jury selection and described the charges against the defendant. He faces dozens of counts, including the commission of hate crimes resulting in death and the obstruction of religion. Colville further explained that the government is seeking the death penalty if the defendant is convicted, and that another potential sentence is life in prison. “Each juror must ultimately make an individual judgment,” Colville said, the Tribune-Review reported.

The prospective jurors then moved to another

room to complete the questionnaire. Colville instructed the prospective jurors “to not read or watch any news coverage of the case or do any independent research. They may not discuss the case with their family or friends,” according to the Tribune-Review.

In other pre-trial news, on Feb. 23, defense attorneys filed a notice of their intention to “introduce expert evidence relating to a mental disease or defect or any other mental condition of the defendant bearing on the issue of punishment.” The notice did not indicate what mental health conditions the defense will seek to prove during the penalty phase if the defendant is convicted.

In a motion filed last week, the prosecution asked that its experts be allowed to rebut or

confirm the defense’s mental health claims. Specifically, it asked that a psychiatrist conduct interviews of the defendant to complete a forensic psychiatric evaluation; a neuropsychologist observe the psychiatric interviews, conduct additional interviewing and administer psychological and neuropsychological tests; and a neurologist interview and conduct a neurological examination of the defendant. The prosecution further requested that its experts “may question the defendant about the charged crimes and his conduct before and after committing the crimes, and any other matter as is necessary and probative to rebut or confirm the anticipated defense expert mental health testimony.” PJC

Toby Tabachnick

p Cantor David Messeroff led

p A High Holiday greeting from the Jewish Ministers Cantors Association of Pittsburgh and Vicinity published in the Jewish Criterion on Sept. 7, 1945 Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

AgeWell Pittsburgh’s Rides and Visits program restarts to help seniors

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

Before the pandemic, Joyce Driben, a retired social worker, relied on her senior companion through AgeWell Pittsburgh’s Rides and Visits program to get through her routine, day-to-day business.

“One of the things she helped me with was going through the mail — sometimes, writing a check,” said Driben, a Squirrel Hill resident who was born blind. “She’s also helped get stains out of clothing. I don’t know if there’s a stain there!”

Luckily for Driben and others like her, the AgeWell program — a collaboration of the Jewish Association on Aging, the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh and JFCS Pittsburgh that assists older adults and their caregivers in maintaining a healthy and independent life — is restarting this spring after its pandemic hiatus.

Almost 90% of older adults in America choose to “age in place,” in their homes and neighborhoods, according to JFCS officials. Programs like AgeWell Pittsburgh provide key services to help seniors live independently and avoid isolation, which is especially important as COVID restrictions ease and more people are leaving their homes regularly. In addition to a helpline to answer questions and make referrals

to provide seniors with transportation options, companionship and support.

This free service is available for people over 60 who do not drive and who live in the Oakland, Squirrel Hill and Shadyside neighborhoods. Seniors host the volunteer visitors in their homes once a month.

Aimee Haldeman, the new older adult care coordinator for JFCS, said the relaunch means a great deal for the community.

“We’re excited to be able to provide these programs for our community’s seniors again,” Haldeman said in a prepared statement. “With

COVID, many older adults faced extreme social isolation, especially with concerns over health risks. Now that we can safely provide AgeWell Rides and Visits again, we can ensure that all those in our community who are choosing to age in place can feel supported and access the services they need.”

Driben feels that support. Something as small as a ride can be immensely helpful — and immensely meaningful, she said.

“Sometimes, it was [a ride] to the dentist, not my favorite trip but necessary,” Driben quipped. “Sometimes it’s to the hairdresser — that was more fun.”

Now that the AgeWell Pittsburgh program is relaunching, the organizations behind it are seeking new volunteers. They’re looking for drivers for the AgeWell Rides program, as well as families, students or any other individuals interested in supporting older adults for the AgeWell Visits program.

Volunteer Marcy Kronzek heard about the program in 2015 through a listing on Temple Sinai’s website.

“It sounded like something I wanted to do,” said Kronzek, who also lives in Squirrel Hill.

Kronzek enjoyed spending some extra time in her Subarus — an Outback and a Crosstrack — with people who valued her and her time. Plus, the ride was always nice.

“People say the Outback is easy to get in and out of,” she laughed.

For Kronzek, the process was far from earthshaking.

“A couple people went to the beauty salon,” she said. “One woman, I used to take to the JCC for exercise classes.”

Just giving someone a lift can add a lot to a life.

“I thought driving people was something that was needed,” Kronzek said.

For more information, call 412-422-0400 or email ahaldeman@jfcspgh.org. PJC

Equipped with only pencils and rubber bands, eighth graders compete to design and construct the strongest catapult. By following supply and time constraints, students embrace efficiency and creativity in the engineering process.

How will you give your child the tools to engineer success?

Photo by SolStock / E+ / iStock

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.

q SUNDAYS, MARCH 12 – APRIL 16

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.

q SUNDAYS, MARCH 12 – 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.

q MONDAYS, MARCH 13 – APRIL 17

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

q MONDAYS, MARCH 13 – 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 Schiff 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.

q TUESDAY, MARCH 14

Join the National Council of Jewish Women for “The Dilemma of Desire,” part of the Just Films Spring Series at Chatham University’s Eddy Theatre. Reception: 5:30 p.m. film begins at 6 p.m. justfilmspgh.org/2023/01/03/the-rebellious-life-ofmrs-rosa-parks

q TUESDAYS, MARCH 14 – APRIL 11

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.

q TUESDAYS, MARCH 14 – MAY 2

In “Israel Literature as a Window to Israel Society,” Rabbi Danny Schiff will facilitate an encounter with Israeli society through the pens of Israel’s leading writers, discovering voices that are original, contemporary and honest. This 10part Melton course takes you on a literary journey offering 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/israeliliterature-as-a-window-to-israeli-society/2023-02-07.

q TUESDAYS, MARCH 14 – 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.

q WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

Join the Squirrel Hill chapter of the AARP for its March meeting. In addition to the regular meeting, Kim Adley, a local entrepreneur who designs custom group tours, Tourism Trifect. She will present multiple tours for the balance of 2023, including a day at the theater, lunches, cruises and holiday festivals. Refreshments will be served. 1 p.m. Rodef Shalom Congregation, Falk Library, 4905 Fifth Ave. For further information, contact Marcia Kramer, 412-656-5803.

q WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 15 – 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: forms.gle/ JQtgrutJyByaMM5K6.

q WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 15 – 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.

q WEDNESDAYS, 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. South Hills JCC. jccpgh.org/app/uploads/2023/02/JCCSouth-Hills-Seniors-Newsletter-February-2023.pdf.

q WEDNESDAYS, MARCH 15 – 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.

q THURSDAY, MARCH 16

Women of Temple Sinai invites you to join them for a tour of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. $25 (includes a donation to the museum, lunch with shared appetizer, entrée and soft drink/ coffee/tea). 9 a.m. templesinaipgh.org/event/ westmorelandmuseum.html.

Join Temple Sinai Brotherhood in the Falk Auditorium to schmooze and watch some exciting NCAA Basketball action! Enjoy pizza and snacks. Bring your own “hard” liquid refreshment (soft drinks provided) and a non-meat side dish or dessert to share. 7 p.m. $5 per person. templesinaipgh.org/ event/brotherhood-march-madness.html.

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

q THURSDAYS, MARCH 16 – MAY 17

In the new 10-part Zoom course, “Sacks: To Heal a Fractured World,” Rabbi Danny Schiff 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/sacks-to-heal-a-fractured-world/2023-02-2.

q THURSDAYS, MARCH 17, APRIL 21 Do your kids like to sing and dance? Do you want them to get the Shabbat feeling? Are you looking for an informal, inviting way to teach your little ones about Shabbat and connect with other families? Join Temple Sinai for Tot Shabbat beginning at 5 p.m. with snacks, schmooze and fun. Service starts at 5:30 p.m. A complimentary and kid-friendly dinner will follow at 6 p.m. templesinaipgh.org.

q 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 Schiff will delve into what our texts have to say about the structure of government from a Jewish viewpoint. Co-sponsored and offered in conjunction with Temple Sinai. $55. 9:30 a.m. Temple Sinai, 5505 Forbes Ave. jewishpgh.org/event/isjudaism-compatible-with-democracy/2023-03-23.

q THURSDAYS, MARCH 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.

q FRIDAY, MARCH 24

Join the National Council of Jewish Women for MomsWork Career Day a free career afternoon with child care, Career Development Center workshops, professional headshots, resume review, mock interviews and more. This is a PPS half day, so pick up your kids and come spend the day with us. Optional paid lunch options for adults and kids. 1 p.m. 1620 Murray Ave. ncjwpghevents.org/ upcoming-events.

Join Temple Sinai for a special Shabbat dinner to begin a celebration in honor of the installation of Rabbi Daniel Fellman and Cantor David Reinwald. Kosher menu. $28 per adult. 5:30 p.m. Details at templesinaipgh.org.

Join Temple Sinai for the installation of Rabbi Daniel Fellman and Cantor David Reinwald. Rabbi Fellman will be installed by Rabbi Bennett Miller and Cantor Reinwald by Cantor David Serkin-Poole. 7 p.m. templesinaipgh.org.

q SATURDAY, MARCH 25

Be Temple Sinai’s guest for Havdalah and Celebration Concert: Ha’tov v’Ha’meitiv—A Gathering of Goodness in Harmony, a celebratory concert directed by and featuring Cantor David Reinwald, clergy from our community and other special guests. 7:30 p.m. templesinaipgh.org.

q SUNDAY, MARCH 26

In honor of Rabbi Daniel Fellman and Cantor David Reinwald’s installation, Temple Sinai presents a community Tikkun Olam program on food insecurity. Volunteers will help pack bagged lunches for Light of Life Rescue Mission. 11 a.m. Lunch is included. templesinaipgh.org

q MONDAY, MARCH 27 – SUNDAY, MAY 7

The Healing Garden is an exhibit of drawings by members of the Allegheny Highlands Botanical Art Society. Free and open to the public. Opening reception on Monday, March 27 at 6 p.m. Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org.

q TUESDAY, MARCH 28

Join Rodef Shalom Congregation Librarian Sam Siskind for wine, cheese and a discussion of the novel “How to Find Your Way in the Dark,” winner of the 2022 Association of Jewish Libraries Jewish Fiction. 6:30 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org.

q SUNDAY, APRIL 2

What happens if you mix corn starch and water?

How do volcanoes work? Can you make fireworks in a jar? Tot Science Night at Temple Sinai is dedicated to your curious, questioning kids with experiments for all ages. Come prepared to get messy.

Questions? Contact Danie Oberman, community engagement director, at Danie@TempleSinaiPGH.org or (412) 421-9715, ext. 121.

q MONDAY, APRIL 3

Music at Rodef Shalom presents arias and duets from the world of grand opera featuring Walter

Morales (piano and host), Kelly Lynch (soprano) and Raymond Blackwell (baritone). Music by Debussy, Ravel, Verdi, Puccini and selections from the Great American Songbook. 7 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org.

q WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5

Chabad of Squirrel Hill presents a first night of Passover Community Seder. Enjoy a gourmet Passover meal in the company of family and friends. $25/adult, $15/child. 7:30 p.m. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.

q THURSDAYS, 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 differences. Noon. Rodef Shalom Congregation. rodefshalom.org.

q SUNDAYS, APRIL 9-30

The ten plagues. The Exodus. The splitting of the sea. The delivery of manna … Judaism has a long list of miracles. But do we really believe in miracles? How should rational minds think about the miraculous?

In “Miracles - A Jewish Perspective,” Rabbi Danny Schiff will consider the place of miracles in Judaism and how Jews might think about the miraculous today 10 a.m. $55. 4 sessions on Zoom. jewishpgh.org/ event/miracles-a-jewish-perspective.

q MONDAYS, APRIL 10-MAY 22

We Jews have an array of texts and making sense of them is not easy. In the six-part series “The Jewish Text Puzzle,” Rabbi Danny Schiff will put the pieces of the “text puzzle” into one coherent picture, so that the place of Torah, Tanakh, Talmud, Midrash, Responsa and Kabbalah, as well as many other sources, can be easily understood. Schiff will provide a historical context that will explain the significance of our various texts to Judaism. 7 p.m. $85. Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave. jewishpgh.org/event/the-jewish-text-puzzle.

q SUNDAY, APRIL 16

Scholar and activist Dr. Shula Mola, named one of Israel’s 50 most influential women in 2022 by Globes newspaper, will deliver the annual lecture of the Israel Heritage Nationality Room and the University of Pittsburgh’s Jewish studies program. The title of her talk is “Becoming Visible: Ethiopian Jews and the Formation of Black Identity” in Israel. 4:30 p.m. Free. Cathedral of Learning, room 332.

q THURSDAYS, APRIL 20, MAY 18

Join the JCC Buffalo for monthly virtual readings as part of the Jewish Poetry Series. Hosted by Philip Terman and Baruch November. Each month will feature different 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. jccbuffalo.org/events/2023/02/09/arts-and-culture/ virtual-jewish-poetry-reading-series.

q SUNDAY, APRIL 23

Jewish Veg welcomes Rabbi Akiva Gersh, aka The Vegan Rabbi, from Israel to Pittsburgh. A graduate of Brown and Yeshiva universities, Rabbi Gersh will show how our sacred texts and rabbinic tradition lead us to a plant-based diet. Kosher vegan hors d’oeuvres will be served. Free. 3 p.m. Boyce Park, Patrol Shelter, Plum Borough. jewishveg. org/Pittsburgh.

q SUNDAY, APRIL 30

On your mark. Get set. Go! Israel is celebrating 75 years of statehood this April. Pittsburgh will celebrate with a community “Yom Ha’atzmaut: Run/Walk/Roll for Israel at 75.” Free for nonracers. Craft tables, bounce house, Israeli line dancing, photo booth. Register to run/walk/roll and receive a race kit. 9:30 a.m. $12 per person/$5 for kids. Schenley Oval, 1 Overlook Drive. jewishpgh. org/event/run-walk-roll-for-israel-at-75. PJC

A new digital platform broadens Jewish connections on campus

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

Thanks to Hillel JUC, students are celebrating Shabbat — not at Hillel JUC, but elsewhere on campus — and the organization’s leaders are thrilled.

Last August, Hillel JUC started using Hillel Hub, a digital platform designed by Hillel International and OneTable. The easy-access site allows students to create a profile and then host or join a nearby Jewish gathering.

The beauty of Hillel Hub, explained Hillel JUC’s executive director and CEO Dan Marcus, is the “egalitarianism of leadership” that’s generated.

Previously, the onus of organizing a Shabbat meal, coffee meetup or dance night was usually on student leaders. Hillel Hub lowers the barrier for entry, allows for more inclusion and promotes increased “Jewish life on campus,” Marcus said.

Kari Exler, Hillel JUC’s assistant director, said Hillel Hub plays to campus trends established in the early days of COVID-19. Rather than coming together for larger programs, students created small functions and received support through “nourishment funds” from Hillel JUC.

Even before the pandemic, the model was championed by OneTable, a national nonprofit empowering young people to find and share Shabbat dinners.

Launched eight years ago, OneTable allows users to rely on the organization’s local staff and digital platform to create meaningful Shabbat meals. After registering on the site, young adults plan unique Jewish get-togethers and receive gift cards, Jewish cookbooks or other helpful items for executing a Shabbat experience. Since its founding, OneTable has supported more than 175,000 unique participants in 470 cities. Based on growth rates, the organization expects to surpass 250,000 users this year.

Hillel Hub operates similarly to the OneTable platform, thanks to a partnership between OneTable and Hillel International, Marcus said. As one of about 15 campus Hillels with access to a distinctive OneTablepowered site, Hillel JUC students benefit from a tremendous opportunity, he added.

University of Pittsburgh senior Lauren Meltzer told the Chronicle Hillel Hub has been a game-changer on campus.

There are about 19,000 undergrads at Pitt. Hillel Hub makes the community “a lot smaller and a lot easier to navigate,” she said.

Since August, Meltzer has used the platform to attend and host various events. In addition to a World Series watch party and Shabbat dinners, Meltzer used Hillel Hub to organize a joint Rosh Hashanah and birthday meal. When she decided to host 35 people, Meltzer turned to Exler for help.

“Kari sat with me in a coffee shop and helped me meal plan,” Meltzer said.

After three days of cooking and cleaning, Meltzer held a festive dinner for nearly three dozen people.

“It was the best night ever,” she said.

Meltzer said she would love to welcome guests every Shabbat, but there are considerable expenses involved.

Money from Hillel JUC helps offset

that burden.

Based on this year’s budget, “we’ve been able to give hosts $10 per Jewish student for general experiences and $15 per Jewish student for Shabbat experiences,” Exler said. Funds are delivered through gift cards — often either to Giant Eagle or Tahini, a kosher food vendor at Carnegie Mellon University.

Both Marcus and Exler credited the Shapira Foundation with enabling the program’s success on campus. To date, there have been 57 student-hosted Shabbat experiences. More than 800 students were reached through Hillel Hub. And, Hillel JUC has even used the platform for hosting 23 Shabbat experiences of its own.

Although Hillel Hub is facilitating new types of student engagement, Exler knows there are those who long for traditional Hillel-hosted Shabbat meals, where hundreds of Jewish students congregate in a large room and eat together.

But those events aren’t reaching everyone, Exler said. Some students are “overwhelmed” by the idea of eating with 150-200 other people.

The platform is enabling Hillel JUC to meet students’ needs. However, Hillel Hub is also creating new demands on Hillel JUC staffers.

On busy days, Exler and her colleagues are helping students prepare for sometimes up to seven separate events. This isn’t a bad thing, Exler said: “We’re allowing students who weren’t connecting with us to find new ways to connect.” What’s great is that students are using the platform to “join experiences, host experiences for friends, welcome new communities or weave together different communities.”

Even events that occur miles away from Hillel JUC’s building still require significant organizational involvement.

Exler said she’s taught students how to set their tables, consider allergies, create a spirit of welcomeness and even figure out methods for discussing the week’s Torah portion in “a low-barrier way.”

All of these are life skills, Exler said. Once college ends, most people aren’t going to be invited out for holidays or be able to rely on a large organization each week. By facilitating Jewish experiences, Hillel Hub is helping people connect and prepare for a time when “Shabbat doesn’t come looking for them.”

The strength of the platform is that it’s reinforcing organizational ideals, she said.

“Our focus is people not programs,” Exler said. “Our work here is not to get students through our door; it’s to get students connected to Jewish life. So whether it’s on Forbes and Craig or in South Oakland, it’s Jewish life and it’s amazing.” PJC

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

p Gathering in Lauren Meltzer’s South Oakland apartment with friends for a l’chaim to celebrate the Jewish new year

Photo courtesy of Lauren Meltzer

Red Sox exec Chaim Bloom says he’s received antisemitism over team’s woes

Chaim Bloom, the Jewish chief baseball officer of the Boston Red Sox, told the Boston Globe he has received death threats and an antisemitic slur as his team has struggled in recent seasons, JTA.org reported.

Bloom, a Philadelphia native who attended Solomon Schechter Day School (now known as Perelman Jewish Day School), Akiba Hebrew Academy (now known as Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy), and who observes Shabbat and keeps kosher, took the helm of the Red Sox in October 2019.

Despite a successful playoff run in 2021, the team has largely underperformed since his arrival. After two last-place finishes and several high-profile player departures, some fans and analysts suggest Bloom’s job is in jeopardy.

In the Globe article, Bloom acknowledged the criticism he has faced but said he tries not to complain. “I don’t think that days are going to be better because [Red Sox fans] know that I’m suffering when we lose, even though I am,” he said.

Insect named for Hitler draws criticism from organizational, academic circles

Connections between the Nazis and Volkswagen Beetles are well known. But an

insect that looks like Adolf Hitler bearing his name? That’s like letting the bed bugs bite.

An insect endemic to Southeast Asia and India, with the scientific name catacanthus incarnatus, is being called a “Hitler bug” for a feature on its back that resembles the dictator’s face, JNS.org reported, citing New Indian Express. (Evidently, the nickname stuck to the bugs as far back as 2011, with a Daily Mail story in 2014.)

The bug was previously called the “man-faced stink bug,” due to its notorious smell. It also is widely regarded as a pest for eating fruit and crops.

The man-face has been given a name, and it’s the most notorious one imaginable.

“Naming an insect after Hitler is not funny or clever. It’s disgraceful and appalling,” said Daniel S. Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith International. “It makes light of Hitler’s efforts to wipe out the Jewish population of Europe. Hitler murdered 6 million Jews and millions of others. His name should not be lent to anything.”

Frankfurt cancels Roger Waters concert, citing antisemitic history

Roger Waters, the Pink Floyd bassist who is a leading proponent of the movement to boycott Israel, has been blocked from performing in Frankfurt after the city called him “one of the world’s most well known antisemites,” JTA.org reported.

Waters was scheduled to perform on May 28 at Frankfurt’s Festhalle, which during

the Holocaust was the site of the deportation of 3,000 Jews to their deaths just after Kristallnacht.

The city of Frankfurt noted the historical significance of the concert hall, which it partly owns, in announcing that it was canceling Waters’ planned concert. It cited Waters’ longstanding anti-Israel activism.

“The background to the cancellation is the persistent anti-Israel behavior of the former Pink Floyd frontman, who is considered one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world,” the city said in a statement. “He repeatedly called for a cultural boycott of Israel and drew comparisons to the apartheid regime in South Africa and put pressure on artists to cancel events in Israel.”

Sara Netanyahu freed by police after protesters trap her in hair salon

Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had to be rescued by hundreds of police on March 1 after being trapped for hours by anti-judicial reform protesters in Tel Aviv, JNS.org reported.

The incident began when protesters identified Sara Netanyahu entering a hair salon. Thousands of protesters converged on the scene, shouting “she won’t be allowed to leave the barber shop” and “shame.”

Police first blocked the entrance to the hair salon the premier’s wife was in to prevent protesters from entering, while mounted officers were called to the scene to reinforce

the perimeter. Clashes broke out between the protesters and police.

Security forces were able to extract her from the site at around 11 p.m.

Feds arrest Michigan man who plotted to kill Jewish elected officials

The FBI coordinated with local authorities in mid-February to arrest a heavily armed man who threatened to kill all Jewish elected officials in Michigan on social media, according to a recently unsealed criminal case, JTA.org reported.

The man appears to have been a former employee of the University of Michigan.

Jack Eugene Carpenter III, a resident of Tipton, Michigan, tweeted on Feb. 17 that he was “heading back to Michigan now threatening to carry out the punishment of death to anyone that is jewish in the Michigan govt if they don’t leave, or confess,” according to the FBI’s affidavit. There are several prominent Jewish elected officials in the state, including Attorney General Dana Nessel, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and a handful of state senators and representatives.

Carpenter was charged with transmitting an interstate threat, for which he could receive up to five years in federal prison, and is being held without bail in a federal court in Detroit, according to local reports. He was in Texas when he made the tweets, the FBI said. PJC

— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb

March 13, 1881 — Czar Alexander II is assassinated

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

March 10, 1970 — Law of Return’s Jewish definition is amended

The Knesset changes the definition of a Jew in the Law of Return to “a person who was born of a Jewish mother or who has become converted to Judaism and who is not a member of another religion.”

March 11, 1978 — 38 are killed in Coastal Road Massacre

Eleven Palestinians land a boat north of Tel Aviv and carry out one of the worst terrorist attacks in Israel’s history, the Coastal Road Massacre. They kill 38 civilians, including 17 children.

March 12, 1947 — Truman delivers doctrine

President Harry Truman lays out the Truman Doctrine: The United States will assist any democratic nation under threat from totalitarian forces. It helps justify U.S. recognition of Israeli independence 14 months later.

Czar Alexander II of Russia is killed by a bomb. The response includes anti-Jewish pogroms. His successor, Alexander III, enacts new restrictions on Jews and sparks mass emigration.

March 14, 1972 — Black Panthers steal milk

Israel’s Black Panthers, who seek equality for Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, steal crates of milk meant for wealthy Jerusalem neighborhoods and hand them out across poor neighborhoods to protest poverty.

March 15, 1972 — Hussein proposes federal plan

Jordan’s King Hussein proposes a Jordanian Palestinian federation encompassing the West Bank and Jordan under his monarchy with a regional capital in East Jerusalem and a national capital in Amman.

March 16, 2017 — MK Impeachment Law is first used

In the first use of the 2016 MK Impeachment Law, Basel Ghattas, an Arab member of the Knesset for the Joint List, signs a plea deal on charges he used his position to smuggle cellphones and documents to prisoners in jail. PJC

Headlines

Rabbis:

Continued from page 1

Fellman said he’s worried about rabbinic schools lessening their requirements.

“I didn’t love being in school for all those years — don’t get me wrong — but I think there was something really important about being in school all those years,” he said. “I think it taught me to think like a rabbi. It taught me to wrestle with text. It taught me the centrality of texts to the Jewish enterprise. To focus only on the professional skills and not on the text, I think loses something. It loses a piece of our tradition.”

Rabbi Aaron Meyer, senior rabbi at Temple Emanuel of South Hills, said he “absolutely” agrees with Green that the trends identified “are notable and should be of interest to the Jewish world. Though I’m less certain that they are reflective of assimilation and more represent efforts towards representation.”

Among non-Orthodox Jews who have married since 2010, 72% have intermarried. The Pew Research Center found that Jews who have a Jewish spouse are far more likely than those who are intermarried to say they are raising their children as Jewish by religion. Still, Pew reported that “it appears that the offspring of intermarriages have become increasingly likely to identify as Jewish in adulthood.”

Interfaith marriage “hasn’t been the catastrophe that we first feared,” Meyer said. “The answer to the concern of ‘But will their children be Jewish?’ has so far been overwhelmingly ‘Yes.’ And while we can debate whether that is a good thing or a bad thing for the Jewish future, it makes sense to me that rabbis, cantors, educators, Jewish communal professionals, should be a part of and represent the communities that they are engaged to lead.”

Meyer cautioned against equating changes to educational policies with the larger community’s waning desire for knowledgeable leaders.

“I think that congregations are lowering their standards for rabbinic education, not because they don’t believe it to be important, but in an effort to save money,” he said. “I wish that pressure being placed on seminaries forced collaboration and shared efforts, rather than diminish the years of education.”

Meyer said the moment calls for Diaspora

Mohel:

Jews to consider the days ahead: “I think the Pittsburgh Jewish community and synagogues within the community should continue to think about the future and the type of leaders they need going forward to bring about their vision of the Jewish future. For some, these changes may reflect what they’re hoping to see either ideologically or financially. For others, this will be a cause of concern.”

Rabbi Barbara Symons of Temple David said a conversation about the future of American Jewry must be refocused.

Though the title of Green’s piece questions whether “rabbis are giving in to assimilation,” it isn’t rabbis or cantors who should be placed under a microscope, but rather “the institutions,” she said.

“My response is a deeper concern of what I’ll call the pipeline of bringing up young, involved, educated, proud Jews,” she said.

The problem, Symons said, is middle school, high school and college-aged students are not being adequately immersed in Jewish texts and languages. By the time these young people reach the seminaries, their lack of education is evident. If younger people aren’t given the time and resources to amass significant textual knowledge and experience years of captivating Jewish experiences, she said, how can they be expected to lead congregations and communities as adults, with families, professional responsibilities and other interests?

“Clergy are models, ideally, for living a Jewish life,” Symons said. “And while all of us are always learning and hopefully bettering ourselves in every way, the more immersive Jewishly our lives are, the better the modeling is for others.”

Spousal choice is integral to achieving that modeling, she continued: “I believe that rabbis and cantors should be married to Jews, and I think that’s because it’s a matter of having a wholly Jewish life; and I think it’s extremely difficult to do that otherwise.”

Better education is key to a robust Jewish future, she said.

“I think the reason the seminaries are getting to this point is because we don’t have a strong enough pipeline,” Symons said.

Throughout North America, “enrollment in typical Hebrew schools is decreasing,” according to a 2018 article from Jewish Federations of North America. Non-Orthodox Jewish day schools in the

It takes training.

U.S. are experiencing similar trends.

Student enrollment in non-Orthodox schools declined by 16.6% in 20 years, “and fell 9% in the past five years alone,” according to a 2020 census from The AVI CHAI Foundation.

While the numbers are disheartening, “this is a much bigger conversation,” Symons said. “No one is giving up. Everyone is struggling with an existential question.”

Spiritual leaders are deeply concerned about the future of American Judaism, and to alter the outcome, behavioral choices must be made, Rabbi Seth Adelson, senior rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom, said.

“If rabbis are to continue to be the inspirational leaders that we strive to be,” he said, “then we must be thoroughly grounded in all aspects of Judaism and Jewish life, and we must reflect Jewish choices across our lives.

“Rabbis are exemplars,” he continued. “They are role models for their communities. “Even if the majority of congregants do not live the way the rabbi does, the rabbi still has to hold out that model of this is what it means to live a Jewish life — and that includes raising a Jewish family, sending kids for Jewish education in whatever form that takes.”

The pulpit bears responsibility, so it’s “essential for rabbinic education to reflect the seriousness and professionalism of that position,” Adelson said. “If professional training programs for doctors and lawyers and engineers reduced their requirements for those positions, I don’t think you’d want those people to be your doctors and lawyers and engineers.”

It’s important for rabbis to undergo rigorous education and have Jewish partners, he said, as “Judaism is an all-encompassing lifestyle.”

“Living in a Jewish household is an essential part of the Jewish experience, of what it really means to be Jewish,” Adelson continued. “And if the rabbi is to be that inspirational exemplar in Jewish life, then she or he must be demonstrating a commitment to Jewish living throughout his or her life. I strive to be an inspirational leader, reflecting Judaism in all of my choices, public and private. And, of course, that means that my marriage is a Jewish marriage. My children are raised as Jews in a Jewish household.”

questions over several months.

But how much do rabbis need to resemble their congregants?

“It’s a classic debate in the liberal movements of Judaism,” said Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman, rabbi of Brith Sholom in Erie and associate rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom.

“I have always been uneasy with the idea that the rabbi was some magical symbolic exemplar, which was very different, and better, and holier than the congregation,” he said. “In the study that I do, in the texts that I study, in the way that I approach Judaism, I think the rabbi should look a lot more like the congregation.”

Goodman knows his ideas counter “the overwhelming majority” of his Conservative colleagues and official statements of the Conservative movement. However, he said, “I think what’s best and healthiest for Judaism going forward is to create a robust Judaism that acknowledges individuals and their spiritual paths, and doesn’t necessarily say it’s all about our bloodlines, it’s all about our families, it’s all about being gatekeepers to the beginnings of how someone becomes either a Jew or a rabbi.”

Goodman’s family background influenced his perspective, he said. His parents are Jewish. They divorced when he was 8, and his mother married a non-Jewish man. Goodman has one Jewish sibling and two non-Jewish stepsisters.

“I love my blended, mixed, intermarried family,” he said. “I think it’s great. It’s produced some really wonderful results in terms of how we understand the future of a mixed and intermarried Jewish world.”

When individuals or institutions say, “intermarriage is destroying the Jewish people, and allowing rabbis to intermarry is going to destroy the Jewish people, I speak from a place of personal experience when I say, ‘I don’t think so.’ I think intermarriage is just a thing and it doesn’t necessarily do longterm, or any, damage to the Jewish people,” Goodman said. “In fact, it has some upside and some benefit. I’m not saying everyone should do it. I’m just saying calling it the boogeyman that it is, is kind of misguided. I just think there are other things the Jewish community can focus on to strengthen the Jewish people for the future.” PJC

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

connecting our body to Hashem.”

Continued from page 1

as an Army chaplain, he is sometimes unavailable to assist families.

It was more than just necessity, though, that caused Raskin to take on the new role.

“I had an experience with my child, my son,” Raskin said. “We had an episode where he had to be taken to the hospital and received care from an oncological doctor. The way he gave us care and the way he spoke to us and informed us — even now I get emotional. I was like, ‘If I can do those things for other people in a different capacity and be there for people on a joyous occasion, let me take this on.’”

Of course, one can’t simply decide to become a mohel and start performing the ritual eight days after a boy is born.

For that, Raskin traveled to the Centre de Circoncision Rituelle in Nice, France. He made the trek across the Atlantic, he said, because there he was able to be trained by both a doctor and a religious mohel.

“There were very prestigious mohelim,” he said. “Doctors consult with these mohelim, that’s how good they are. Very prestigious and knowledgeable in many different arenas.”

Raskin said he enjoys helping families

And while the religious nature of the ritual was important to Raskin, so, too, were the medical aspects of the procedure.

“From a practical part, I studied the whole circumcision part. I really spent a lot of time researching and understanding all the components of bris milah, the medical aspects, all the different variabilities. I really worked to educate myself,” he said.

Being a mohel connects all Raskin’s interest, he said — Jewish culture, tradition, heritage and education.

The Centre de Circoncision Rituelle, Raskin said, was open every day, and between 20-30 families came each day.

Raskin also spent time shadowing a certified mohel both in Pittsburgh and in New York, observing the ritual and asking

connect with their heritage and educating them about the ritual.

“They know its importance, but they may not understand the specialness of this beautiful mitzvah,” he said. “This is heritage and committing ourselves to Hashem. We’re

“Families should feel strongly about what they’re doing, and they should be excited about what they’re doing,” he said. “That’s what made me decide to do this.” PJC

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

“This is heritage and committing ourselves to Hashem. We’re connecting our body to Hashem.”

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My mom’s hamantaschen recipe carries the memories that she is losing

Guest Columnist

Erin Beser

My mother always loved to cook and bake, but I was never welcome in the kitchen. Not every night before dinner, not before Shabbat when she made challah every week, and not in the lead-up to Hanukkah and Passover, when her latke and seder preparations were underway.

The big exception was just before Purim, when she would ceremoniously invite me into the kitchen to help her fill and pinch the triangle-shaped cookies that are a trademark of the holiday.

As an adult with young kids of my own, I get it, but as a child, it didn’t occur to me that my mother had already spent hours setting everything up. All I had to do was walk into the kitchen, take a round cup, place it on the rolled-out dough, peel away a circle, scoop jelly from a bowl that she had laid out for me, and pinch the corners of the cookie and put them on the tray. I felt like I was really baking hamantaschen.

The cookies of semi-mysterious origin are core to helping the eater celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim — a tale told of a villain, Haman, who wanted to destroy the Jewish people in the ancient kingdom of Persia. The cookie is the ultimate revenge: Its Yiddish name means “Haman’s ears,” so in the end it’s us, the Jews, who end up consuming our oppressor, and not the

other way around.

My mother talked to me about this meaning — until she began to lose the ability to speak at all.

Two years ago, she was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, a type of dementia where she struggles to recall words, has short-term memory loss and confuses dates and times. Eventually, she will lose her ability to speak or understand words.

As with so much in Jewish life, her decline

since my mother had sent me anything by text or email.

The last message I’d gotten was a document I needed for our first pandemic Purim, when my son was 3 and we’d only just started sheltering in place in our apartment. Titled “Mommy’s Hamantaschen Recipe,” the document allowed my mother and my son to bake together via FaceTime. Even though she was on the phone, my mother was laughing and present.

I know that when I tell my mother about her recipe’s reach, she will feel, if only for the briefest of moments, the pride and joy that I once felt taking up my post at the end of her hamantaschen assembly line.

is linked in my family’s memory to the Jewish calendar.

We started to notice changes several years ago when she arrived in New York City for a celebration of Rosh Hashanah and could not put into words what she had brought with her. (It was her special apple cake, my favorite.) Then, she set the table with challah and candles, as she would to get ready for Shabbat — but it was Thursday. And it was when I started to prepare for Purim in 2021 that I realized it had been an entire year

A year later, she could not be. But as a Jewish educator, I was tasked with the job of creating virtual programming for my community, to sustain us, to keep us together even though we were apart. Like many Jewish communities in that moment, we as a community decided to bake hamantaschen on Zoom together, everyone in their own home. I sent “Mommy’s Hamantaschen Recipe” to 500 households through the Jewish Community Project of Lower Manhattan.

Not about assimilation: A response to Art Green

Guest Columnist

Bradley Shavit Artson

Rabbi Arthur Green deserves our admiration for his pioneering venture in establishing a non-denominational rabbinical program at Hebrew College in Boston. As the school’s founder, he is certainly entitled to express his opinion about that school’s decision to admit candidates for the rabbinate who are married to or partnered with non-Jews. However, in his just-published essay entitled “Are American Rabbis Giving in to Assimilation?” he surprisingly linked Hebrew College’s decision on intermarriage to the revamping of the curriculum at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies to bolster his perceptions about assimilation. Unfortunately, this attempt at linkage both misunderstands and distorts the motivation behind our new curriculum and its reality.

Among his many comments, Rabbi Green states that the new Ziegler curriculum does

not want to “bother” students “... with the burden of mastering classical sources in the original.” For example, he asserts, incorrectly, that Ziegler students will no longer be studying texts (read: Talmud) in Aramaic.

in four years instead of five. Our original program required five years, with long vacations between semesters and no studies during the summer. The new program now includes mini-mesters between the fall and spring semesters and includes at least one

Last week, as I dug out the supplies to make hamantaschen with my own children in our new home outside Philadelphia, I opened the recipe file again. And I remembered: I had dropped the “Mommy’s” from the title — making the recipe my own. My mom is still alive, thank goodness, in relatively good health, and I’m thankful every day for that and for my dad, who is her full-time caregiver. I try to focus on the fact that she is still here, and not to dwell on the parts of her that are missing. And so as her absolutely delicious recipe gets used once more in countless Jewish homes this year, I am thinking about all of the children who are getting the experience that was a highlight of my childhood: forming hamantaschen that somehow never fall apart, using my mother’s recipe.

I know that when I tell my mother about her recipe’s reach, she will feel, if only for the briefest of moments, the pride and joy that I once felt taking up my post at the end of her hamantaschen assembly line. And I will take comfort, yet again, in the fact that the Jewish calendar creates opportunities to mark the passage of time in ways that can outlast any of us, making memories when we cannot make new ones of our own. PJC

Erin Beser teaches Jewish studies at the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy and is the founder and CEO of Adoughma Dough Play Events, an educational initiative working to bring dough and sensory play into Jewish educational and communal spaces. She lives with her family on Philadelphia’s Main Line. This first appeared on JTA.

2) The new curriculum replaces the study of modern Hebrew with a two-year course sequence that emphasizes classical (biblical and rabbinic) Hebrew. As a result, our students have an even greater exposure to traditional texts in Hebrew than was the case under the old curriculum.

3) While Talmud in Aramaic continues to be an integral part of our program, we have reduced the number of courses in Talmud while increasing the number of courses in other rabbinic texts. We have come to understand that our almost exclusive emphasis on Talmud meant that students were not sufficiently exposed to the full range of classical rabbinic texts and concepts. All texts are still read in the original languages whether Hebrew or Aramaic.

S o, let’s set the record straight. The following are the primary features of the new curriculum, including the motivation for the changes:

1) The program can now be finished

full summer of study. Given the increased average age of our rabbinical students, we feel that condensing most of the fiveyear curriculum into four years makes good sense.

4) Our new program includes a senior year spent in residency off-campus. To make room for the residency, we reduced somewhat the number of credits in practical rabbinics. Why? We were influenced by the example of residencies in medical training programs. Courses in practical rabbinics are

Please see Artson, page 13

We are convinced that a carefully curated, experiential, full-summer program in Israel is a more efficacious means of accomplishing our goal, and we are working with Israeli thought leaders and organizations to achieve success.

Chronicle poll results: Purim

Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following question: “Are you planning to attend a Megillah reading on Purim?” Of the 182 people who responded, 49% said no; 44% said yes; and 7% said they were not sure. Comments were submitted by 33 people. A few follow.

A happy event of pertinence to our people, with a positive outcome. At the moment we need to absorb a historical event such as this for our own comfort and outlook.

Chag Purim, Chag Purim, Chag Gadol L’Yehudim!

I believe there is a serious message about life and comedy in the Purim story. Go ahead and dress up — but realize that chazal/sages believed it’s a yom tov like Chanukah, etc.

I’m looking for an online service, as I am a full-time caregiver for a beloved family member.

Artson:

Are you planning to attend a Megillah reading on Purim?

7% Not sure

Not only am I attending, but I will be performing in my umpteenth Purim shpiel after the reading; Darth “Haman” Vader will come to life as the villain in the Rodef/TOL joint project “Estar Wars.”

The last one I attended was decades ago when my now-adult son and daughter were young. I dressed as Bert from Sesame Street, and my shorter friend came as Ernie. We stole the spotlight! I don’t go now because the noise and frenzy are too much for me at my elderly age.

No. It’s not a particularly big megillah in my life.

What is Purim without hearing the Megillah? Happy Purim to everyone!

It is one of the most important mitzvot obligations for the observance, Of course, everyone should hear the Megillah and realize its meanings in today’s times.

We need to reinforce our connection to our heritage and to constantly renew our identity. ... The rest of the world will never ignore our identity.

We wouldn’t miss the chance to boo Haman. PJC

Toby Tabachnick

Continued from page 12

fine as far as they go, but they cannot hope to accomplish as much as a reflective, mentored, hands-on residency experience. Although students are not on campus during their final year, half of their academic curriculum involves text-based courses delivered online.

5)Sending our students to Israel for a year

Times are changing

My grandsons have starring roles in the Purim play, so I will be there.

Attending, virtually ... Park Avenue Synagogue.

has not always served its stated purpose of helping them create a strong relationship with the Jewish state. In reality, yearlong rabbinic programs in Israel generally mean that students spend most of their time studying precisely the same texts, in precisely the same way, as they would in their home communities. They reside in Jerusalem’s “Anglo-Saxon” bubbles and don’t always experience the realities and challenges of modern Israel. We are convinced that a carefully curated,

I make hamantaschen and deliver shalach manot , but this year I’m not hearing the Megillah.

We have COVID in the house, so we’re not going anywhere.

experiential, full-summer program in Israel is a more efficacious means of accomplishing our goal, and we are working with Israeli thought leaders and organizations to achieve success.

Much more can be said of the advantages of our new curriculum. However, what cannot be said is that it in any way contributes to American Jewish assimilation, is a capitulation to student pressure or represents a dilution of our commitment to training highly

Chronicle weekly poll question: Should rabbinical seminaries accept candidates who have a non-Jewish spouse or partner? Go to pittsburghjewishchronicle. org to respond. PJC

knowledgeable and well-prepared leaders for the American Jewish community. PJC

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson is the Roslyn & Abner Goldstine dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies of American Jewish University, and is the dean of the Zacharias Frankel College of University of Potsdam, training Conservative/Masorti rabbis for Europe. This first appeared on The Times of Israel.

He refuses to accept, notice, or even acknowledge the changes surrounding him.

Rabbi Arthur Green’s essay stating that American rabbis are giving in to assimilation has caused reflection of personal experiences with the intransient, disconnected, unrealistic and blind beliefs shared by much of the hierarchy controlling many forms of the Jewish religion (“Are American rabbis giving in to assimilation?” March 3).

We all know that, like other religions, Judaism in not one thing; even the classification of Reform, Conservative, Orthodox or Reconstructionist contain many subdivisions and differences. Two Conservative synagogues in Pittsburgh, although separated by just a few blocks, can be differentiated by their religious practices and observances, one leaning more liberal than the other.

The unwillingness of congregations to change as the Jewish families that surround them have changed is evident to many. Those of us who are “super-seniors,” as we are now grouped, remember robust congregations that were the center of our social lives. There were men’s clubs and sisterhoods, Hebrew and Sunday school classes with 25-30 students, and even bowling leagues. Services were well-attended on Friday night and Saturday morning. You did not have a problem finding a minyan.

Things have and are changing. Things always change.

I was raised like all of my friends, interacting with many kids who were different from me. As I got older and participated in athletics, then high school, and went off to college in another area of the country my experiences and interactions with those who were different expanded greatly. I was taught that the human way was to accept them as equals. I was taught to respect them. I was taught to try to understand why they did some things differently and to learn from that.

Many of my generation accepted all people as equals. My wife and I raised our children as our world continued to change. Their experience involved many people who no longer had to hide their differences. Now my grandchildren have an even wider world open to them and the freedom to not only befriend all, but to openly be who they are as well.

What has not changed fast enough is reflected in Rabbi Green’s old and narrow viewpoints.

Sadly, not until more leaders who are holding onto the views expressed by Rabbi Green leave their leadership positions can we hope to see change and growth in our synagogues as we see now with the example of The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies.

David B. Fall, DMD Pittsburgh

Regarding Israel: Have you seen enough?

On Jan. 13, the Chronicle reported that 19% of respondents to the Chronicle’s poll about the new right-wing Israeli government chose the option “cautious — wait and see how they act.” It did not take long to see, not only how the government is acting, but the results of its actions. Tens of thousands of Israelis from all sectors of Israeli society are demonstrating in the streets. Violence has escalated, with a sad loss of life. If the government continues as it has, recklessly co-opting the judicial system, denying civil rights to Israeli Arabs and annexing occupied territory, Israel will no longer be a democracy and it risks a third intifada.

To the Chronicle readers who chose to “wait and see,” we would ask: “Have you seen enough?”

Nancy Bernstein, Malke Frank, Mark Fichman and Edward J. Feinstein Pittsburgh

Correction

In “Chewy chocolate chip cookies” (Feb. 24), a step was omitted from the recipe: After creaming the butter and sugars together for a couple minutes, add the eggs, one at time, every 10 seconds. Mix to combine. The full recipe can be found at pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. PJC

Life & Culture

Taylor Pearlstein is ready for her (triple) turn in Tony Awardwinning musical

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

For Taylor Pearlstein, “SIX: The Musical” might just as easily be called “Half.”

That’s because Pearlstein, who is a member of the Tony Award-winning musical’s touring cast, is an alternate/understudy for not one, not two, but three of Henry VIII’s six wives.

The actress covers the roles of Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr. And while it might seem difficult to prepare for three roles — each of which she must be ready to play at any given performance — Pearlstein said it hasn’t proved too challenging.

“It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be,” she said. “We had a really extensive and thorough rehearsal process, and we continue to rehearse every so often. So, we get the chance to brush up quite frequently, and I have really elaborate notes of my own.”

The production, Pearlstein said, has excellent resources for the cast, including a “great dance captain,” ensuring that the actress is ready to take the stage as any of Henry VIII’s unlucky spouses with as little as an hour’s notice.

“ SIX : The Musical” will be run from March 14-19 at the Benedum Center.

Pearlstein, a New York-based actress, said that she’s taken the stage about 20 times since “ SIX : The Musical” began touring in September.

“It’s fun to get to do the show,” she said. “Any opportunity I get, I’m thrilled.”

Born in Boston but raised in Seattle, Pearlstein received her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona before moving to New York. The 27-year-old lives in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn.

When she’s not on the road, the actor/ musician is busy pursuing a career in pop music. In fact, Pearlstein said that she’s been writing songs longer than she’s been an actor — playing guitar and singing from a young age before transitioning to theater in her early high school years.

“I do pop-folk, indie folk music, and it’s been a really lovely complement to my journey as an actor,” she said. “It’s part of my artistry that gives me more agency than theater can at times.”

If working in the touring company of a hit Broadway show and releasing music on streaming services like Spotify weren’t enough, Pearlstein is also writing a musical.

“Wake You Up” is a story about friendship, grief and loss written in the style of pop music that she’s developing with her writing partner, Shelly Molly Flynn, she said. The musical is being work-shopped in New York and was recently featured at Christopher Newport University’s music lab at the Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News, Virginia.

Pearlstein, who said her Jewish identity

is important to her, grew up with a Jewish father and a Christian mother.

“[Judaism’s] always been celebrated in my household,” she said. “We celebrated Jewish traditions and, as I have grown into my adult years, every year I appreciate more and more how important my Jewish identity is — not just for me, but as a person who can represent that to others on stage.”

Performing in a production of “Fiddler on the Roof” was an opportunity to highlight the Jewish experience and cherish the traditions of her ancestors, Pearlstein recalled.

“I find it to be a big responsibility I have as an artist to uphold and highlight those traditions and protect them and continue to carry them on for the next generation,” she said.

It was in college that Pearlstein celebrated her bat mitzvah after diving deeper into her faith at Hillel.

She looks to another Jewish stage actor who has combined his faith and craft as her inspiration, she said.

“I really look up to Danny Bernstein,” she said. “He is an actor on stage and film and written some of the most iconic music in theater and film. He is someone whose career I would be over the moon to emulate.” PJC

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

Join Chronicle Book Club!

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its April 16 discussion of “Koshersoul” by chef Michael W. Twitty. The memoir was named Jewish Book of Year for 2022 by the Jewish Book Council.

From the Jewish Book Council: “Twitty’s book is a record of lives lived and meals cooked. Through a combination of interviews, oral histories, personal anecdotes, recipes, history, and advice, he details the ways that Black and Jewish food traditions perceived to be disparate have overlapped, influenced, and mirrored one another throughout history. He writes of how diasporic living, migration, oppression, marginalization, and movement shapes food.”

Your hosts:

Toby Tabachnick, editor of the Chronicle

David Rullo, Chronicle staff writer

How and when:

We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, April 16, at noon.

What to do

Buy: “Koshersoul.” 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@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org, and write “Chronicle Book Club” in the subject line. We will send you a Zoom link for the discussion meeting. Happy reading! PJC

Toby Tabachnick

p Taylor Pearlstein

Photo by Justin Schuman Photography

Israeli dancer to perform work based on Jackie Kennedy at Beth Shalom

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

What if you took a moment of American presidential history — say, a tour of the White House by the first lady — and applied it “to places less than presidential?”

That’s the central premise behind “The Suit,” a creative work of dance, text and performance by Israeli artist Ori Lenkinski. La Roche University is partnering with Congregation Beth Shalom to host Lenkinski for a performance of the aforementioned solo followed by a question-and-answer session at Congregation Beth Shalom on Monday, April 17, at 5 p.m.

The performance is free for the public to attend.

For Lenkinski, a dancer trained in New York City who also is a journalist for The Jerusalem Post, “The Suit” centers on first lady Jackie Kennedy’s 1962 televised tour of the White House, right at the height of the Kennedy presidency and perceptions of “Camelot.” The Beth Shalom performance will be the piece’s American debut, following Lenkinski’s recent residency in the Czech Republic.

“‘The Suit’ creates a sort of, I would

say, humorous contrast or contradic tion,” Lenkinski told the Chronicle. “Most Americans have a good sense of who Jackie Kennedy was — so it’s going to be really interesting for people in the U.S. to take it in.”

In the piece, Lenkinski, clad in a bold pink suit, says the details of Jackie Kennedy’s life and her own are blurred together — and

that’s intentional. Both women worked as journalists. Both were wives and mothers to two children. And both can be described as highly ambitious.

“She resonates for me for a lot of different reasons,” Lenkinski said. “It speaks to the balancing act that women have to do in society.”

Maria Caruso, founding director of Bodiography in Squirrel Hill, admits she “fell in love” when she first went to Israel about five years ago for the Karmiel Dance Festival and saw Lenkinski perform. Caruso loved the performances so much that she brought back Lenkinski’s entire troupe in 2019.

While in Israel, Caruso was interviewed by Lenkinski for a piece in The Jerusalem Post, and the two quickly developed a strong bond of friendship.

“She was a ball of great energy and positivity,” Caruso said. “I said, ‘I would love to do something with you — what it is, I’m not sure yet.’”

When Caruso was working on her dance piece “Metamorphosis,” she relied on Lenkinski’s input and expertise in the mixing of text and dance.

“[I said] I want to talk to Ori and learn and be inspired,’” she said. “It was a new dynamic I hadn’t been involved in.”

When Caruso heard Lenkinski was performing in New York City this spring, everything fell into place at Congregation Beth Shalom.

“I’m super excited — it’s finally happening!” Caruso said. “I think the community will really love it.” PJC

StrategiesfortheRetirementYears

byJenHall, CPA, CMA, CFP® , CRPC®with JamesLange, CPA, Attorney

Sometimeswhen I speak or write,Iget so caught up in the numbers and individual circumstances, I tend to assume “everyone already knows” what Jim Lange likes to call the “bedrock principles.”

I took some of the bedrock principles as described in our upcoming book, Retire Secure for Professors and TIAA Participants, and made a list of some of the key strategies for IRA and retirement plan owners in their retirement years. Of course, there are exceptions to every single strategy recommended here, but this is a good starting point.

Bedrock Principles

1.Spend after-tax money first, then traditional retirement money, and then Roth last.

2.Have the primary earner of the married couple defer collecting Social Security until age 70.

3. If leaving a portion of the estate to charity, leave a portion of the traditional retirement money to charity vs. the other money buckets as the charity does not pay any income taxes.

4.Use QCDs at age 70½ for charitable gifts up to $100,000 per person vs. outright gifts ($200,000, if married). Move money from the taxable and/or tax-deferred world to the tax-free world.

• Incorporate a Roth conversion strategy over multiple years before Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) kick in at age 73 or 75 (born in 1960 or later), depending upon when you were born.

• Can combine QCD strategy to maximize Roth conversions—need to manage IRMAA and NII brackets when doing so.

• Set up 529 Plans/ABLE accounts for the grandchildren.

5.Gifts to children and grandchildren.

• Help children fund their Roth IRAs/Roth 401(k)s.

• 529 Plans/ABLE accounts for grandchildren.

• Outright gifts to help purchase home, etc.

6. Take family vacations with children/grandchildren (Jim’s favorite way to spend your money.)

7.If you do not have sufficient after-tax money for spending, distribute money from pre-tax retirement account in most tax-efficient manner over multiple years at optimal marginal tax bracket.

8. Manage IRMAA brackets and NII tax brackets.

9.Make sure you have a beneficiary designation form on all your retirement accounts according to your wishes and intentions.

Benefits of Doing it Right

1.We do not know how long we are going to live or when we are going to die.

2.Usually there are two different sources of anxiety over money. The first is the true worry that we won’t have enough money for ourselves and our family for what we want to accomplish. The second is the anxiety of not knowing if we are doing the right thing. Imagine how

much better you will feel if you think you are doing everything “just right” and having the “peace of mind” that your spouse and children and grandchildren will be taken care of after you are gone.

3.Imagine those family vacations you planned for your children and grandchildren and the memories you are leaving behind because you made the choice to create those memories by spending your hard-earned money on priceless memories.

4.Your children and grandchildren will be happier knowing they got to spend your hardearned money with you while you were still alive rather than inheriting more money after you die.

5.Imagine your estate plan was set up just how you wanted it and your beneficiary designations followed your estate plan, so you cut taxes for the entire family and the distributions were as you intended.

If you have not already done so, please sign up to become a launch team member for our upcoming book, Retire Secure for Professors and TIAA Participants The key benefit is you get a digital pre-release copy of the book immediately. For details, go to: https://PayTaxesLater.com/ProfessorBook

Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

p Ori Lenkinski in “The Suit”

Photo by Yair Mayuhas

Life & Culture

Lemon tarragon farro salad

By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle

As spring approaches, I start turning away from the comfort foods of winter and lean heavily into whole-grain foods based on the Mediterranean diet. Whole grains like farro keep your blood sugar level and your stomach full.

What I love most about salads are the toppings. I treat each separate grain, vegetable, nut and fruit as a special topping, which makes me feel like I have an elevated salad bar at home. This recipe has chickpeas, tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, carrots and pistachios for extra crunch.

Tarragon is my favorite fresh herb to keep on hand. It has a faint anise flavor that is delightful.

The farro bulks up the salad so that’s it filling enough to have for dinner. You can add jammy soft-boiled eggs, goat or feta cheese, or leftover fish or chicken for extra protein.

The base of this salad is vegan. That’s my favorite kind of recipe because it allows you to get creative and use up any specialty items that may be left over from the night before. It makes a great weekday meal, but it’s beautiful enough to serve for Shabbat as a side dish.

This recipe includes instructions for making quick pickled onions to mix in. If you prefer salad onions in a restaurant more than you do at home, it’s most likely because the restaurant pickled them.

Ingredients

Farro:

1 cup whole grain farro (not parboiled or instant)

3 cups water

1 teaspoon sea salt

Dressing:

1 clove of garlic

Juice from one large lemon, about ⅛ cup

¾ cup good quality olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons freshly chopped tarragon leaves

1 teaspoon sea salt

4-5 grinds fresh black pepper, about ⅛ teaspoon

Salad:

½ of a medium red onion

¼ cup white vinegar

¼ cup water

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

5 to 6 ounces of arugula or spring mix 1 cup of Persian cucumbers, sliced 1 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half 1 cup of carrots, sliced. Multicolored carrots are especially pretty.

½ cup unsalted pistachios, roughly hand-chopped 1 tablespoon of whole tarragon leaves to garnish

In a 3-quart saucepan, bring 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Rinse 1 cup of whole-grain farro in a strainer. Add the farro when the water is boiling. Allow it to cook for a minute or two before reducing the heat to simmer. Cook uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

As soon as you set the timer for the farro, peel and thinly slice half of a medium-sized red onion.

In a small bowl mix, ¼ cup of white vinegar, ¼ cup of water and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt to make a quick pickle solution. Add the onions to the solution, which should cover the onions completely. Add a little more vinegar and water to cover them, if necessary. Allow the onions to rest for at least 30 minutes. You can make extra if you like; these keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Next, prepare the lemon tarragon dressing. I use a Ball jar for making and storing dressings. Add a fresh clove of minced garlic, ⅛ cup of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of honey, ¾ cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, freshly ground black pepper and 2 teaspoons of finely chopped tarragon leaves to the jar. Put the lid on the jar securely, and shake it for about 30 seconds or until the oil is emulsified. You will have just

enough dressing to prepare the salad.

Wash the lettuce, then wash and chop the vegetables. Chop the pistachios and set them aside. Rinse and drain the chickpeas; set aside.

Strain the onions after 30 minutes. I usually cover the bowl with my hands, pour the solution off and use my hands to press any additional liquid out of them.

After 40 minutes, the farro should be cooked. If you see water at the bottom of the pan, cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat, and cover it with a lid for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and, stir the dressing into the warm farro. Let it rest uncovered until it reaches room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Farro has a wonderful, nutty chew similar to brown rice. It’s fairly plain-tasting on its own but comes to life when you add flavor. You can make this ahead and refrigerate it if you’d like; just bring it to room temperature before mixing it with the vegetables.

How to serve this salad is up to you. You can place the salad greens on a platter and layer them with the farro and vegetables. You can mound each chopped vegetable separately onto the farro, or you can mix it all and serve in a bowl, saving the pistachios for the topping. You can add more fresh lemon juice and salt to taste, but it won’t need any additional oil — it has the perfect amount.

Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.

p Lemon tarragon farro salad

Photo by Jessica Grann

Spring Arts Calendar

There is a lot going on in and around Pittsburgh this spring, from stimulating art exhibits and thoughtprovoking theater to uplifting musical performances. Here is a sample of the amazing cultural events our city has to o er in the coming months.

 NOW THROUGH MARCH 19

Intensional Particle and Mold 1 Installation. Wood Street Galleries, 601 Wood St. Free and open to the public.

 NOW THROUGH APRIL 9

Noah Sonie in “Trust No One.” Liberty Magic Series. Liberty Magic, 803 Liberty Ave.

 NOW THROUGH APRIL 30

Exploration of COLOR 2.0. 820 Liberty Gallery, 820 Liberty Ave. Free and open to the public.

 NOW THROUGH MAY

BNY Mellon Presents JazzLive. 5-7 p.m. Liberty Magic, 811 Liberty Ave. Free weekly jazz series.

 NOW THROUGH MAY 14

#notwhite collective 2016-2022. SPACE, 812 Liberty Ave. Free and open to the public.

 MARCH 10

“The Outwaters,” “Gods of Mexico.” Harris Theater. 809 Liberty Ave.

 MARCH 10, 11

Le Patin Libre, Pittsburgh Dance Council. The UPMC Rink at PPG Place.

 MARCH 11 – APRIL 2

“Native Gardens.” City Theatre, 1300 Bingham St.

 MARCH 11

“Brief Encounter” (1945). Harris Theater.

 MARCH 12

Black Violin Experience Tour: Dentons Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents. Byham Theater, 101 Sixth St.

 MARCH 14 – 19

“SIX: The Musical.” PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Benedum Center, 237 Seventh St.

 MARCH 17

“Assault on Precinct 13,” “Brotherhood of the Wolf.” Harris Theater.

 MARCH 19

“Big Bubble Bonanza,” Children’s Theater Series. Byham Theater.

 MARCH 22 – APRIL 9

“Steel Magnolias.” Pittsburgh Public Theater. 621 Penn Ave.

 MARCH 23

“Rhythm India: Bollywood & Beyond,” Dentons Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents Byham Theater.

 MARCH 24 – 26

Pittsburgh Humanities Festival, presented by Citizens. Presented by Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and the Humanities Center at Carnegie Mellon University. Pittsburgh Cultural District.

Internationally acclaimed artists and performers will join community leaders, academics and change-makers from Pittsburgh and beyond.

 MARCH 27

Carole J. Bu ord. Trust Cabaret Series, O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave.

 APRIL 1

Wongai to Africa! Drum Circle; A Small Square Poem: Sonnet Workshop; Who Am I? Self Exploration with Improv. Trust Arts Education Center, James E Rohr Building, 805 Liberty Ave.

 APRIL 4 – 9

“Tina –The Tina Turner Musical,” PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh. Benedum Center.

 APRIL 12 – 30

Jon Tai in “ROAD SIGNS.”Liberty Magic.

 APRIL 17

Nickel Creek: Dentons Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents. Byham Theater.

 APRIL 26

“Potted Potter”; Dentons Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents. Byham Theater.

 APRIL 26 – MAY 14

“Young Americans.” Pittsburgh Public Theater.

 APRIL 28

“The Lightning Thief,” Bridge Theater Series. Byham Theater.

Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. 5-8 p.m. Free and open to the public. Pittsburgh Cultural District.

 APRIL 29 – MAY 21

“American Fast.” City Theatre.

 MAY 2 – 7

“Dear Evan Hansen,” PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh. Benedum Center.

 MAY 3 – JUNE 11

Lucy Darling in “INDULGENCE.”Liberty Magic.

SPONSORED CONTENT

 MAY 8

Norm Lewis, Trust Cabaret Series. O’Reilly Theater.

 MAY 9

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Benedum Center.

 MAY 19 – 21

“The Gru alo,” EQT Children’s Theater Festival & Children’s Theater Series. Byham Theater.

“Origami Tales,” EQT Children’s Theater Festival. Outdoors: Seventh Street and Penn Avenue.

“Buoyant SEA!” EQT Children’s Theater Festival. Trust Arts Education Center.

“Hiccup,” EQT Children’s Theater Festival. Pittsburgh Playhouse.

“A Letter for Elena,” EQT Children’s Theater Festival & Bridge Theater Series. Pittsburgh Playhouse.

“Sakasaka,” EQT Children’s Theater Festival. Outdoors. Seventh Street and Penn Avenue.

“It’s Okay To Be Di erent,” EQT Children’s Theater Festival. Byham Theater.

 MAY 21

“Mr. Messado’s School of Magic for the Young and Young at Heart.” Liberty Magic.

 JUNE 2 – 11

Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, a production of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Pittsburgh Cultural District. Free and open to the public.

 JUNE 7 – JUNE 25

“Frida … A Self-Portrait.” Pittsburgh Public Theater.

 JUNE 14 – JULY 2

Eric Jones in “Immaculate Deception.” Liberty Magic. PJC

EMERGENCIES AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN ELDER LAW PRACTICE

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

Emergencies happen in my elder law practice, when I’m called upon to act urgently in an unusual situation. Elder law is all about people and relationships. It’s all very personal. Emergencies of various kinds can make my job challenging, and often bring in sharp focus the legal ethical questions that frequently come up.

The three main areas in which my firm is active are estate planning, elder and disability law planning, and estate administration

In estate planning, emergencies happen when a client can’t come to my office, and I need to make a call to a home or care facility. A sudden illness or injury often makes clear the need to have arrangements in place, while you still can. A house call or hospital visit can present logistical problems arranging for signings with witnesses, and notarization. This was particularly difficult during the height of the COVID pandemic. A hospital outcall usually means that the person I’m trying to help may be seriously ill. If so – and in all such cases - a person making estate plans must have legal capacity to do so. That is, they need to have the ability to make a decision and execute a legal document. The legal standard of what constitutes capacity to sign varies depending on whether you are signing a Will, Power Of Attorney, Trust, Etc.

For example, the capacity to execute a will requires that someone “must have an intelligent knowledge, even though his memory may be impaired by age or disease, regarding: 1. the natural objects of his or her bounty; 2. the general composition of his estate; and, 3. what he

or she desires to do with his or her estate.” Though the details may vary according to the specific act intended, generally, you have to know what you’re doing. Whether in an emergency or not, I always need to assess that my client has capacity to undertake the decision and action contemplated. I have an obligation to make a professional evaluation from a legal perspective. Sometimes, when capacity is questionable or questioned, I do actually call upon medical professionals for such an assessment. My own approach tends to be more liberal than strict.

A critical question arises when I may suspect that my client is vulnerable or impaired, and is subject to the unscrupulous designs, abuse or “undue influence.”

In addition to obvious and objective signs of fraud and coercion, or greed and manipulation, I also pay attention to the “smell test.” If it doesn’t feels right and proper or doesn’t ring true, then additional caution or investigation is required.

In Elder and Disability Law, emergencies involve admissions to care facilities, and benefits to pay for care. For example, when a person becomes suddenly ill and is admitted to a hospital or about to be discharged to a nursing home, it’s often important for me to consult promptly with the patient and/or family, and to take prompt action to start and implement strategic asset protection strategies, and get benefits to pay for (horribly expensive) care.

This often raises the ethical question of determining exactly who is my client and who do I represent (along with issues of capacity for decisions or even delegation, and if abuse is present or possible). It virtually always makes the most sense from a legal ethics point of view to see myself as representing the elderly or disabled patient, acting as their lawyer, on their behalf and in their best interests, rather than owing my duty of loyalty directly to an adult child or other helper or family member.

A particularly difficult kind of case involves disputes over subjective issues of quality of care, or disputes concerning placement. In one family whom I assisted, the primary caregiver son had behavioral issues and caused such a row at the care facility that he was banned and barred from entering. That took some doing to straighten out and rearrange.

In probate and estate administration the very first kind of emergency dispute that sometimes comes in my direction can be over funeral arrangements. Recently, family members disagreed over how soon the funeral should occur, whether more promptly or be delayed slightly so others could attend. Luckily, gracious compromise prevailed. I’ve learned that people do get bent out of shape and hold resentments over differences that would ordinarily pass right on by, after a loved one has died and around the time of the funeral.

People also argue over access to a decedent’s house and the contents. In fact, often enough, people help themselves and steal what’s inside if they have access to get in. Ann urgent alarm of this type can require my timely involvement as well.

Sometimes after someone has died an undue influence litigation arises. For example when proper heirs discover that actual malevolence or manipulation occurred, benefiting the wrongdoers and creating an unjust result. Other times, a potential heir or beneficiary who learns that the decedent’s legitimate estate plan is not to their liking make unfounded allegations that must be defended against.

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

 Stephen Christopher Anthony as Evan Hansen and the North American touring company of “Dear Evan Hansen”

Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2019

With the increasing costs of long-term care, having the help of a legal professional when planning for your family’s future can help you make better decisions that can result in keeping more of your money. We help families understand the strategies, the benefits, and risks involved with elder law, disability and estate planning.

Celebrations

Bar Mitzvah

Elohim, singular and plural

Zachary Robert Gelman will celebrate becoming a bar mitzvah at Temple Emanuel on Saturday, March 11, 2023. Zac is a seventh grader at Jefferson Middle School. He is the son of Daniel and Eva Gelman, the grandson of Ruth and the late Robert Gelman, and Sarah and the late Abraham Honig. Zac enjoys mountain biking, hiking, computer games and riding his unicycle.

Bar Mitzvah

Nate Whitlatch will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah on March 11, 2023, at 10 a.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Nate is the son of Katie Metosky and Randy Whitlatch. Nate is in seventh grade at Winchester Thurston School. He loves playing basketball and soccer, among many other sports, and spending time with friends upstreet. Emma Kaufmann Camp is where Nate calls home in the summers. Nate chose to support No Kid Hungry for his bar mitzvah project as the mission of this organization means a lot to him. In his spare time, Nate enjoys skiing, playing golf and spending time with his younger siblings, George, 8, Jonah, 8, Joshua, 6, and Jillian, 1.

Birthday

Betty Jacobson celebrated her 99th birthday surrounded by family and friends at the Square Cafe on Jan. 28, 2023. Betty’s children, Kerry Smooke (Dr. Joel) and George Wintner, along with stepson Larry Jacobson (Jacqueline), are thrilled to be planning the 100th in Palm City with her Florida friends, where she lived for 36 years before returning to her Pittsburgh home.

Engagement

Ryna and Naftali Lustig of Crotonon-Hudson, New York, announce the engagement of their daughter Sylvia Mae to Brian Smith. Brian is the son of Jim Smith and Kathi Fagin. Sylvia and Brian met as undergraduates in the chemical engineering program at Tufts University and have stayed in the Boston area since. Sylvia works in biotech, and Brian in the 3D-printing space. Sylvia is the granddaughter of Sondra and Richard Glasser and the late Edward Izenson. A wedding is in the early stages of planning.

Engagement

Shelley Elovitz and Charlotte George of Oakmont and Venice and Keith and Linda Rosenstock of O’Hara and Mauna Lani Point, are thrilled to announce the engagement of their children, Devon Anne George Elovitz and Nathan Reichlin Rosenstock . Devon is the granddaughter of the late Meyer and Lillian Elovitz of Squirrel Hill and the late E. Dale and Ruth George of Irwin. Nathan is the grandson of the late Martin (Marty) and Nancy Rosenstock of Squirrel Hill and the late Frances and Saul Reichlin of West Hartford, Connecticut. Devon received her MBA from New York University and works in marketing at the Estée Lauder Cos. Nathan is the co-founder and co-CEO of Crafty, a data-powered office food service start-up that supplies businesses across the globe. The couple originally met in the halls of Fox Chapel High School and had their first “date” when Nathan asked Devon to the 2007 Homecoming dance. Upon graduating, the two went their separate ways, with Devon studying at Connecticut College and Nathan at Northwestern University. Years later, following a few unexpected run-ins and support from mutual friends, the two began visiting one another on weekend trips to Chicago and NYC. After dating long-distance for a year, they moved into their first apartment together in New York. Nathan proposed to Devon last fall in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. The couple reside in the Gramercy neighborhood of Manhattan and are planning to wed in October 2023. PJC

The word “Elohim,” which is one of the most frequently used terms for God in the Torah and in contemporary Hebrew, is a curious word in that it functions both as a singular and a plural word. It is clearly not God’s name, which we know to be spelled with the four Hebrew letters (hence the Tetragrammaton, represented in English by YHWH). Rather, Elohim, like the English “God,” is apparently God’s job description. And when it appears in a singular context (e.g., the first three words of the Torah, Bereshit bara Elohim, “In the beginning God created’), it clearly refers to the one true God. But every now and then the exact same word appears in a plural context, in which case it does not refer to God, but rather to other (false) gods or idols.

in today’s world to see potential gods in everything: in the power of technology to solve all human problems, in placing our trust in politicians to work exclusively toward the betterment of society, in ascribing to market forces the ability to take care of all of God’s Creation. It is altogether too simple to be diverted by all the false gods, all the forms of distraction we have from the essential spiritual message that our tradition gives us: that the one true God gave us the Torah (however we might understand that as having occurred), and it is through this gift to the Jews that all humanity might come to understand the fundamental holiness evident in human relationships.

Our job description, if you will, is to seek that Divine presence in ourselves and in others. Our task is to avoid being distracted by the false gods, to stay mission-focused in our commitment to the mitzvot of Jewish life, which highlight that holiness. Our senses, our

Our job description, if you will, is to seek that Divine presence in ourselves and in others. Our task is to avoid being distracted by the false gods, to stay mission-focused in our commitment to the mitzvot of Jewish life, which highlight that

One such instance happens in Parashat Ki Tissa, when, following Moshe’s tardiness in descending from Mt. Sinai, the Israelites, recently freed from Egypt, request gods: “Kum, aseh lanu elohim asher yelekhu lefaneinu” (Ex. 32:1). “Come, make us gods who shall go before us,” they say, although many translations render that elohim incorrectly in the singular (e.g. JPS: “Come, make us a god who shall go before us”). But the plural verb yelekhu ( “who shall go”) is a dead giveaway in Hebrew. The Israelites do not want God, or even a god. They want gods.

And of course, the context is clear. This is a generation who does not know God; what they know is the Egyptian pantheon, a whole bunch of gods. And they want what they know.

And so, too, with us. It is entirely too easy

Chai

Chai

Chai

discernment must cast into relief the stark difference between Elohim and elohim, between the one God and the many non-gods which haunt our world. And we do that whenever we enter a synagogue, whenever we comfort those who mourn, whenever we learn wisdom from the Jewish bookshelf.

Our traditions, texts, rituals and our singular God continue to guide us, to separate the false paths from the true. We have learned from the mistaken ways of our ancestors; it is now up to us to maintain the beacon of truth for the future. PJC

Rabbi Seth Adelson is senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Clergy Association.

News for people who know we don’t mean spiced tea.

News for people who know we don’t mean spiced tea.

News for people who know we don’t mean spiced tea.

News for people who know we don’t mean spiced tea.

News for people who know we don’t mean spiced tea.

Every Friday in the @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. For home delivery, call 410.902.2300, ext. 1.

News for people who know we don’t mean spiced tea.

Every Friday in the @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. For home delivery, call 410.902.2300, ext. 1.

Every Friday in the and all the time online @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. For home delivery, call 410.902.2300, ext. 1.

Every Friday in the @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. For home delivery, call 410.902.2300, ext. 1.

News for people who know we don’t mean spiced tea. @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. For home delivery, call 410.902.2300, ext. 1.

and all the time online @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. For home delivery, call 410.902.2300, ext.

Every Friday in the and all the time online @pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

For home delivery, call 410.902.2300, ext. 1.

Rabbi Seth Adelson Parshat Ki Tissa Exodus 30:11 – 34:35

Obituaries

GARRICK: Cynthia Anne Garrick, 72, of Yakima, Washington, died peacefully after a brief illness on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Survived by her sister, Paula Garrick Klein, of O’Hara Township, Cynthia was the daughter of the late Edward L. and Blanche S. Garrick of Pittsburgh, and the wife of the late James R. Flaherty of Yakima, Washington. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Cynthia graduated from Peabody High School and the University of Pittsburgh, and later received a Master of Library Science degree from Clarion University. After graduation, she first worked as a reference librarian at the New Castle Public Library, then at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Northside branch. She then moved to Yakima to work at the Yakima Valley Public Library, where she held various reference, supervisory and managerial positions until she retired. Cynthia volunteered with and was past president of the League of Women Voters of Yakima. An avid reader and a passionate advocate for books and libraries, Cynthia led book groups at the library and at her residence. Cynthia loved theater, film, contra dancing, and music of all kinds, from classical to folk. Beloved by all who knew her, Cynthia was smart, funny, kind, generous, compassionate and caring. She was devoted to her parents, husband, sister and her many friends in Yakima who became her family away from home. Cynthia will be forever missed. Graveside services and interment were held at B’nai Israel Cemetery. Donations can be made to the League of Women Voters of Yakima, 225 N. 2nd Street, Yakima, WA 98901. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

GOLDMAN: Kenneth M. Goldman, age 100, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Predeceased by beloved wife of 68 years, Betty Pickholtz, and brother, Jack Goldman; beloved father of Howard (Susan) Goldman, Ed (Laurie Simon) Goldman, and Mort (Lisa Stang) Goldman; grandfather of Michael (fiancée Rabbi Lennette Herzog) Goldman, Molly (fiancée Liz McQuillan) Goldman, Samuel (Sara) Goldman, Zachary (Marianne Olson) Goldman, Joshua Simon Goldman, Hannah Simon Goldman, Ellie Simon Goldman, and Will Worth; great-grandfather of Ebba Olson and Leo Goldman. Also survived by numerous adoring nieces, nephews, and cousins. Ken’s life was marked by love for, devotion to and partnership with his beloved wife “Betsy,” from whom he was inseparable until her death in 2019. Their home on Shady Avenue was a comfortable and welcoming place, and virtually every member of their large extended family holds cherished memories of meals and visits enjoyed there. Many recall how genuinely interested Ken was in what they had to say and the generous, non-judgmental way in which he responded. Ken was born in Pittsburgh. He grew up on Centre Avenue in the Hill District and attended Fifth Avenue High School. He graduated from Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT, now Carnegie Mellon University) in 1943 with a BS in metallurgical engineering. He served in the Army during WWII, working on the Manhattan Project. He earned a doctorate in metallurgical engineering from CIT in 1952. Ken worked as an engineer and manager at Bettis Atomic Power Lab from 1951 to 1989, developing metals for nuclear reactors that power submarines. He received several awards and patents for helping invent a new class of metals, and was elected a Fellow of the American Society for Metals. After retiring, he volunteered at the University of Pittsburgh where he was a beloved mentor to dozens of graduate students and visiting scholars from all over the world. Ken was a devoted and longtime member of the Poale Zedeck Synagogue and held various offices in the congregation and Men’s Club, and attended minyans daily. When his children were young, he was active in their schools and was the Cub Master of Colfax School Pack 49. In later years, one of his great joys was making wooden toys for his grandchildren in his basement workshop. The family wishes to thank the devoted staff at Weinberg Terrace and the many caregivers who took great care of him. They all adored him. Ken’s warm smile, gentle presence, sympathetic ear and the friendly twinkle in his eyes will be dearly missed. We are all truly grateful for having him in our lives for so long! Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., 5509 Centre Avenue. Interment Poale Zedeck Cemetery, Sheraden. Contributions may be made to JAA/Weinberg Terrace, 200 JHF Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, or Congregation Poale Zedeck, 6318 Phillips Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217.

HALPERN: Elsie Dorothy Shapiro Halpern, family matriarch, was born Aug. 20, 1922, and passed away March 4, 2023, in Clifton Park, New York, at the age of 100. She was preceded in death by her parents, Nathan and Bessie Mervis Shapiro, husband, Emanuel Halpern, brother and sister-in-law Sidney and Phyllis Shapiro, sister and brother-in-law Charlotte and Harold Star, and sister-in-law Lucille Shapiro. She is survived by her brother Louis Shapiro of Phoenix, Arizona; son and daughter-in-law David and Karen Halpern of Akron, Ohio; daughter Judy Halpern Klein of Clifton Park, New York.; granddaughters Abigail Cymerman (Aron) of Akron, Ohio, and Amanda Connell (Patrick) of Clifton Park, New York; great-grandchildren Hayley Cymerman, Liam Connell, Matthew Cymerman and Ethan Connell; and many Shapiro, Halpern, Bigman and Aronson nieces and nephews. Elsie was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, into a vibrant and raucous family. She graduated from Greensburg High School. At every gathering, stories were shared, and laughter, love and good food were always plentiful. She married her beloved Manny in 1942, and they moved to McKeesport, Pennsylvania. She and Manny raised David and Judy and proudly saw them graduate from McKeesport High School and Penn State University. When her children were young, Elsie taught Sunday

school and led Scout troops. She was employed by Jaison’s Department Store in downtown McKeesport and then worked for Fashion Bug at Kennywood Mall in West Mifflin well into her 80s. She was a member of the Tree of Life synagogue in McKeesport and regularly attended services and Torah study there. She was also a longtime season ticketholder at the McKeesport Little Theater. Opinionated and well-read, Elsie survived surgeries and illnesses and eventually moved to upstate New York to be closer to family. She always loved paper-crafting and often sent birthday cards to relatives and friends that included origami shirts and pants crafted out of dollar bills. Once she settled into Beverwyck Assisted Living in Slingerlands, she started making origami figures out of Lipton Tea wrappers, and before long, there were tea-wrapper figures hanging from every walker, wheelchair and doorknob. Elsie was an excellent baker, known in her younger days for her delicious apple squares, and friends and family could always count on her to arrive for a visit with a metal coffee can tucked under her arm, filled to the brim with homemade almond-flavored pizzelles. When working at Fashion Bug, she would walk the mall before her shift, and while at Beverwyck, she enjoyed taking walks outside with her walker. Even after she moved to Schuyler Ridge Nursing Home in Clifton Park and was confined to a wheelchair, she would maneuver the wheelchair with her feet through the hallways, waving at nurses and other residents along the way. Known by her relatives as “Ussie” and her great-grandchildren as “GG,” Elsie was a force to be reckoned with, and she will be missed. A funeral ceremony was held March 6 at the Independent Benevolent Society Cemetery in Albany. Rabbi Ami Monson officiated.

KANN: Richard Elliott Kann, peacefully at home on Saturday, March 4, 2023. Beloved husband of Barbara (Bobbi) née Palkovitz Zimmer Kann and the late Anna L. Kann; loving father of Andrea Kann Gassner of New York, New York, and Daniel E. Kann and his wife, Dana, of Ventura, California. Loving stepfather of Jordanna (Paul Ufberg) Zimmer Ufberg of Philadelphia and Rabbi Dovid (Rivka) Zimmer of Givat Ze’ev, Israel. Brother of Linda S. Kann of Pittsburgh. Papa of Toby and Zoey Gassner, Jackson and Sadie Kann, Jack, Ella, Charlotte and Evelyn “Liv” Ufberg, Moshe, Baruch, Sara, Yocheved, Shragie, Chaim Yakov, Esther and Shmuel Zimmer. Also survived by dearly loved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Richard was a past president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. He was a 50-plus year member of the Rotary Club of Pittsburgh. He served on the executive committee of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation. Richard was a longtime member of Rodef Shalom Congregation and served on its executive committee. He was a lifelong member of Westmoreland Country Club and the Concordia Club. Richard also served as an adviser to the Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati campus. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, jewishpgh.org/donation/ donate/ or the Hebrew Union College, huc.edu/donate/general-donation-form/. schugar.com

MALVIN: Reid Steven Malvin, Millstone Township, New Jersey, formerly of Squirrel Hill, passed away surrounded by loved ones on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. Beloved son of Dr. Jack Malvin and the late Denise Malvin. Loving brother of the late Brett Jared Malvin of New Jersey and Kari Lynn Vissichelli (Christopher) of Pittsburgh. Devoted father of Emma Joely Malvin and Riley Whitney Malvin. Adored uncle of Carter Sloan Vissichelli and Danielle Bryce Vissichelli. Reid was a successful financial planner in Freehold, New Jersey. Reid will be remembered for his love and devotion to his family and most especially for the way he cared for his daughters. He was lost to us far too soon and will be in our hearts forever. Funeral services were private and entrusted to Mount Sinai Memorial Chapels, East Brunswick. To leave a message of condolence, please visit MSMC.us. Contributions may be made to the Friendship Circle in Manalapan, New Jersey. PJC

ESTATE NOTICE - Estate of Thomas E. Bauer

Thomas E. Bauer a/k/a Thomas Edward Bauer, deceased, of Pittsburgh, PA, No. 301313 of 2022, Sean P. Grubbs, Administrator, c/o David J. Slesnick, Esq., 310 Grant Street, Suite #1220, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Headlines

Herzog says Israel ‘closer than ever’ to compromise agreement on judicial overhaul

reasonable,” he added, while also cautioning that failure to temper the current reforms threatens democracy.

By Carrie Keller-Lynn | The Times of Israel

President Isaac Herzog said on Monday “behind-the-scenes” talks were moving ahead and that the sides were “closer than ever” to reaching a compromise agreement on the contentious judicial overhaul being pushed by the government that has polarized Israeli society over the past two months.

“We are closer than ever to the possibility of an agreed-upon framework,” Herzog said, without specifying who was involved in negotiations. His remarks were made during an “emergency meeting” his office hosted to seek the support of nearly 100 Israeli mayors and local authority leaders in pushing for political compromise.

“ There are behind-the-scenes agreements on most things. They make sense and they are

In response, opposition party leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz reaffirmed their demand that the coalition halt its legislative march before dialogue can take place.

“In order to have honest and effective dialogue that will lead to preserving democracy and national unity, [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu must announce a complete, comprehensive, and actual halt to the legislative process,” they say in a joint statement. “All attempts at shortcuts are a violation of real communication.”

The Israeli presidency is expected to operate above the political fray, and Herzog has been careful to position himself as a facilitator and mediator rather than a decision-maker in his attempt to forge agreements between Netanyahu’s coalition and the opposition.

Since making a rare, forceful public call for

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

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dialogue three weeks ago, Herzog has held closed meetings with leading reform lawmaker Simcha Rothman and opposition leaders Lapid and Gantz. The president has also hosted civil society organizations to discuss reform possibilities and spoken quietly with a number of politicians.

Providing only superficial details of the developing framework, Herzog said it would provide solutions “for both sides” of the political debate. While the coalition argues that its planned changes are necessary to constrain an activist judiciary as part of “rebalancing” state power, opponents argue that stripping Israel of its main check against political power — independent courts — will erode its democracy.

According to Herzog, among the principles included in the plan are: diversity of the judiciary; creating “constitutional foundations,” important because Israel lacks a formal constitution; anchoring a “healthy” balance among state authorities; preserving the independence of the courts; protecting human rights; and maintaining Israel as “a Jewish and democratic state, based on the principles of the Declaration of Independence.”

A senior Likud official told Channel 12 that Netanyahu has expressed interest in reaching a compromise but is concerned about whether Justice Minister Yariv Levin will go along with it. Netanyahu reportedly was set to announce last week that he was pausing the controversial legislation to make room for negotiations, but held off on making the announcement because Levin threatened to quit. The justice minister has warned that stopping the legislation could lead to the collapse of the coalition.

Last week, Channel 12 reported that Herzog’s developing discussions covered a framework for changes to how judges are appointed and how the Knesset legislates quasi-constitutional Basic Laws, both core elements of the coalition’s plan.

According to the report, neither judges nor the coalition would have automatic vetoes as part of the Judicial Selection Committee. Today, both political and professional camps have to agree on the appointment of Supreme Court justices, but judges and lawyers can overrule politicians for lower court appointments.

Milton Abes

Sue Lipman

Carl Katz

William Taylor

Cernie Caplan

Thelma Marder

Annette Alper Irwin Alper

Stewart Barmen.

Marc M. Bilder

Channel 12 reported that Herzog plans to present a highly detailed plan to the sides in the coming days to force them to come to the table. The unsourced report said that under the president’s proposal, the government will not be given a clear majority in the judicial appointments panel, as is the case in the coalition legislation on the matter.

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Joan Finkel Belle Finkel

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Sherwin Glasser

Rhoda Judd

Karen R. Jurgensmier

Jan & Ed Korenman

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Dr. Anita E. Mallinger

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Linda & Jeffrey Reisner & Family

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Fred Rubin

Martin, Andrea & Helene Sattler

Audrey Silverman

Freda Spiegel

Yvonne & Barry L. Stein

Marcia M. Stewart

Barbara Weiss

Hyland L. Gefsky

Clara Goldhammer

Jacob Marks

Samuel Rosenfeld

Evelyn Rebb

Anna Kuperstock

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

THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS —

Sunday March 12: Frieda Alper, Mollie Chaimovitz, Frances Light Feinberg, Philip Friedman, Nathan H. Gross, Rebecca Marks, Ethel Miller, Hattie H. Rapoport, Jacob M. Rose, Rose Roth, Harry Scott, Arthur J. Stern, Ruth Stern, Sadie Weiss, Robert S. Yecies, Joseph Zinner

Monday March 13: Anna Bernfeld, Morris J. Bialer, Estelle H. Braver, Rose Cohen Calig, Frank R. Cohen, Goldie Davis, Anne S. Debroff, Ike Diamond, Pearl M. Feinberg, William Fried, Rebecca Friedberg, Nathan Glosser, Sadie C. Heller, Sophie Hersh, Leonard B. Jacobson, Lena Kaufman, Albert C. Kramer, Samuel Linetsky, Payce Lipkind, Joseph M. Orringer, Rae Venig Rubin, Florence Schorin, Leonard L. Schugar, Leonard Schwartz, Hyman Shalansky, Ben Shanker, Fannie Siegel, Elvin Teitelbaum, Isaac Weis

Tuesday March 14: Samuel L. Alpern, Sarah Dorothy Cohen, Leo Gitelman, Gerald B. Greenwald, Harry Greenwald, Jacob L. Gropper, Lily June Kanarek, Morris Klein, Saul A. Kwall, Earl Lebovitz, Sam Lewinter, Carl Lieberman, Julius Jakob Maas, Harry Margolis, Fannie Melnick, Abe Miller, Sally Miller, Darlene Robinowitz, Ethel Bodek Rogers, Clara Saltman, Max Samuels, Birdie H. Schwartz, Manuel Wikes, George Wintner

Wednesday March 15: Bella Bilder, Sidney Bilder, Henry Bloch, Bailie Anna Cohn, Sedalia Ekker, Rita M. Friedman, Charles Gilles, Clara Goldhammer, Frances H. Gordon, Joseph Greenwald, Hyman L. Hausman, William Hinkes, Haimen Kauffman, Abe Kirshenbaum, Edward Lewis, Abraham Pervin, Al N. Plung, Jack Sarbin, Hannah Rae Shapira, Benjamin Siegal, Vera Silverman, Fannie G. Tavernise, Henry Weinberger, Samuel N. Whiteman, Joseph Wilkofsky, Manuel Zapler

Thursday March 16: Rose Bahm, Fay Seiner Cohen, Robert Davis, Edna Foster, Herman Frank, Hyland Gefsky, Mollie Gutkind, Bernice M. Israel, Carl Katz, Lena Brodie Lebovitz, Dora Leiber, Gershen Liepack, Harold Meyers, T/Sgt. Sherwyn W. Meyers, Paula Ruth Mitchel, Esther Rider, Isaac Rosenberg, Bella Rosenzweig, A. Max Schmuckler, Lena G. Schwartz, Jack Isadore Slomoff, Paul Tabor

Friday March 17: Joanne Brodell Alpern, Ann Goldstein Beck, Marvin Berman, Matilda Helfgott Brand, Herman B. Cohen, Benjamin B. Crone, Rabbi Abraham Feinberg, Jennie Fisher, Esther Gottlieb, Albert Gross, Joseph Harris, Yolan Katz, Sadie Klein, Kathryn Levenson, Lena Levinson, Dr. Herman Meyers, Mischa Mueller, Oscar Paris, William Rosen, Sarah Rothstein, Herman Samuels, Jennie Schoen, Frank Shapiro, Eugene Silverman, Isadore Smalley, Nathan Louis Stearns, Sarah Verbin, Albert Weinberg, Esther Wolovitz

Saturday March 18: Gertrude Alpern, Grace Bahm, Samuel Barres, Joseph Bleier, Belle Finkel, Fannie Friedman, Mary Gordon, Audrey Brown Green, William Horwitz, Edward J. Levine, Matthew Marcus, Herbert Meyers, Emanuel Morris, B.J. Mundel, Samuel Rosenfeld, Herbert Rothman, Audrey M. Seigworth, Bernard Beryl Sirota, Rosalind C. Solomon, Sophie Warmstein, Tillie Rosenberg Westerman, Dora D. Wilson, Harry Ziff

Herzog has convened a panel of academic experts who have helped him craft the compromise proposal. Channel 12 said that the experts have closed many of the gaps between them in recent days, as they seek to produce a format that could be acceptable to both sides.

The report said the experts include members of the conservative Kohelet Policy Forum, which is believed to have inspired many of the coalition’s current proposals, but did not provide details on any other members.

The network said Herzog is hoping to get both the coalition and opposition on board with his proposal. If they do, the language from his draft could simply replace the language of the coalition’s legislation during bill markups. This would allow the sides to overcome the coalition’s refusal to halt the legislative process to give way to negotiations, according to Channel 12.

Herzog’s panel of academics has also discussed the coalition’s demand that there be unanimous agreement from all 15 judges to strike down Knesset legislation, the report said. The academics have instead proposed that only 10 or 11 judges would be needed but have yet to reach an agreement, Channel 12 said.

The president does not know if he will be able to gain the support of opposition leaders, given the intense public protests, the report said. But he is hoping to enlist support for his compromise proposal from those who have until now heavily criticized the government’s overhaul efforts, including former Bank of Israel chief Yaakov Frenkel, Israeli tech leaders, exSupreme Court presidents and m embers of Benny Gantz’s center-right National Unity party.

Furthermore, the working framework touched on fortifying Basic Laws, which today are largely passed and amended with a simple majority. And, the Knesset would be able to override a court ruling or provide immunity against a law being struck down if it is backed by a broad and intentional swath of MKs. Herzog did not echo on Monday opposition politicians’ calls for the coalition to halt its legislative blitz as a precondition for dialogue. The president advocated taking a pause in February to allow for conversation, but sources close to the matter deny that the president ever set that as a condition for dialogue.

As the coalition continues its legislative blitz to increase political power at the expense of the judiciary, despite nine straight weeks of protests and criticism from the attorney general, Supreme Court president and economic leaders, Herzog warned that Israeli democracy and society may suffer.

“The reform, as it currently stands, endangers the democratic foundations of the State of Israel,” Herzog said. The president also cautioned that the widespread and tense debate about overhauling the judiciary has created “one of the most difficult moments that the State of Israel has ever experienced.”

Putting the onus on the coalition and opposition to “rise to the significance of the moment” and to “understand the terrible alternative,” Herzog said that they should “put the country and the citizens above everything” and work toward a framework for meaningful reform.

Herzog said he had “a certain set of tools” at his disposal, and would “if necessary go further” to advance his efforts to forge a compromise — in what was apparently an indication that he might publicly present a detailed proposal for reform in the near future if coalition and opposition do not engage in dialogue.

National Union party leader Benny Gantz, however, was quick to reiterate his demand that the coalition halt legislation before entering into dialogue, so as not to use the talks as a fig leaf for unsubstantial compromise. PJC

FOR SALE

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SHADYSIDE • $649,000

206 N. Woodland Road

North Woodland Road Townhome. Unique custom built sophisticated 4 levels. Lower Level has a great wine cellar, storage, int garage, and a side room which could be an office. First floor has a great room kitchen, dining and living area, plus 1/2 bath. This room leads to an unbelievable courtyard and luscious grounds with a sprinkler system. Next level- large room with a whimsical full bath. Top level has a great master area, with master bath and laundry, Smashing steel and glass staircase, dramatic lighting. Terrific acrhitectural details.

Community

Welcome to Washington

Temple Sinai teens participated in L’Taken, a program in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the

It’s warm in winter, let’s BBQ

Chabad at Pitt welcomed students for an evening of food and fun.

Democracy in Israel in Pittsburgh

Approximately 50 members of Pittsburgh’s Israeli community gathered on the corner of Forbes and Murray avenues in Squirrel Hill to voice support for democracy in Israel.

p Students designed, built, tested and showcased a “Chain Reaction” contraption made from recycled materials.

Photo courtesy of Community Day School

p The teens spoke with members of Congress about mental health, voting rights and antisemitism.

Photo courtesy of Temple Sinai

p The Oakland-based event enabled students to gather, eat and enjoy some unusual Pittsburgh weather.

Photo courtesy of Chabad at Pitt

Purim is all about letter writing. Photos courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh partnered with Temple Emanuel of South Hills, Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, PJ Library and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh for a Purim Party. The March 5 event, which was held at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, featured a magic show and Purim shpiel.

p We can be heroes.

KOSHER MEATS

•All-natural poultry — whole chickens, breasts, wings and more

•All-natural, corn-fed beef — steaks, roasts, ground beef and more

•Variety of deli meats and franks

Empire Kosher Fresh Boneless Chicken Breasts

Available at select Giant Eagle stores. Visit gianteagle.com for location information.

87 9 lb.

Price effective Thursday, March 9 through

March 15, 2023

Available at and