Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 3-31-23

10/27 survivors and families prepare for three-month trial

Local organizations offer food and resources for Passover

By Toby Tabachnick | Editor

It’s not going to be easy for Howard Fienberg to rearrange his life so that he can be in court during the trial of the man accused of murdering his mother, Joyce Fienberg, and 10 other Jews in the Tree of Life building. But he’s committed to making it work.

“It’s important for me personally because I’m representing my family, my large extended family,” he said. “And I try to keep that in mind at all times when I’m dealing with anything related to this.”

Survivors and family members have waited 4½ years for justice to be served regarding the Oct. 27 massacre. Those killed were: Jerry Rabinowitz, a member of Congregation Dor Hadash; Richard Gottfried, Daniel Stein and Mel Wax, members of New Light Congregation; and Joyce Fienberg, Rose Mallinger, Cecil and David Rosenthal, Bernice and Sylvan Simon, and Irving Younger, members of Tree of Life Congregation. Daniel Leger, of Dor Hadash, and Andrea Wedner, of Tree of Life, were both shot and seriously wounded, as were four first responders.

The trial is expected to begin with jury selection on April 24 and run most weekdays for about three months. Survivors and family members of victims will have to make major life adjustments to be present in court for that length of time.

Fienberg, a lobbyist living in a northern Virginia suburb, will not only be separated from his immediate family while in Pittsburgh, but

he will have to find ways to manage his work obligations. He assumed he could bring his laptop to an overflow room in the federal courthouse and work from there, but then learned that electronics are not permitted in the overflow room.

“So, I am going to be bringing massive amounts of printouts of things I need to work on,” he said. “And my boss has already agreed that she’s happy to take care of getting all of my work transcribed. So, my work habits are going to change.”

Some of his work will have to “go on hold,” he said. “In the meantime, I suspect I will be putting in work in the evenings while I’m in Pittsburgh.”

The shooter is charged with 63 criminal counts, including hate crimes resulting in death, and discharge of a firearm to commit murder. He has pleaded not guilty. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty.

In a court filing last week, the prosecution and defense agreed to a summary of the indictiment, including that the defendant “is said to have made statements about his desire to ‘kill Jews’” while in the building.

For Fienberg, showing up at the trial is “important as a Jew” in standing up against antisemitism.

“That’s the issue,” Fienberg said. “That’s the reason why, at the next level, it’s important for us to bear witness — and we’ve been waiting for that justice to be served for a long time.”

By Adam Reinherz | Sta Writer

As Passover nears, area organizations are working to ensure that every community member can celebrate the holiday with dignity.

The JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry was recently in contact with local synagogues to convey how easy it is to access food and other resources, especially for Passover, said the Food Pantry’s director, Matthew Bolton.

“We don’t ask for names,” he said. The only information the Food Pantry wants to know is if synagogues “have anybody who is struggling this time of year and simply to tell us how many households, how many people per household, and we will pull Passover food for them.”

In addition to partnering with synagogues, the Food Pantry works with individuals “who may not be as connected to the Jewish community,” he said. Whether they live in Pittsburgh or outside the greater area, “we’ve told them they can come here for Passover food and that we have caseworkers on staff who can connect them to other resources available.”

Bolton said JFCS counselors are readily available and cited the organization’s commitment to offering “relief through food

,

p Passover seder Photo by Adam Baker via Flickr

p A memorial outside the Tree of Life building in 2018

Photo by Jim Busis

Headlines

Pennsylvania’s first Jewish Legislative Caucus launched

— LOCAL —

By David Rullo | Sta Writer

State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) and Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) have announced the forma tion of Pennsylvania’s first Jewish Legislative Caucus.

In addition to Frankel and Schwank, the caucus includes 20 legislators from nine counties who are either Jewish or connected to Jewish communities through their fami lies or the populations they represent.

Frankel, whose District 23 includes Squirrel Hill, said that it was gratifying to see the number of non-Jewish colleagues who joined the caucus, which he described as an organized group of legislators who identify strongly with the Jewish community.

“The more the merrier,” he said, “and the more effective. If you’re willing to identify as part of our caucus, we want you to be a part of it.”

Frankel said that Pennsylvania needs people stepping up to defend the Jewish community and other vulnerable groups targeted by hate speech.

“I think that’s the prime platform for what this caucus will do,” he said. “It’s another organized voice to counter such disturbing trends we see in our state, in our communities and around the country.”

In addition to fighting antisemitism and countering hate speech, other items on the caucus’s platform include:

• Working to protect the civil rights of Pennsylvanians

• Modernizing Pennsylvania’s laws to address the growing threat of hate crimes

• Improving security measures for organizations predominately serving Jewish communities and other vulnerable communities at risk for hate-based violence

• Celebrating Jewish culture and heritage in Pennsylvania

• Acting as a liaison to local, state and national organizations serving Jewish populations and communities

• Providing a structure and organization for caucus members to coordinate advocacy for caucus goals

The 22 members of the caucus represent nearly 10% of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly, made up of 203 members of the House of the Representatives and 50 state senators.

That number doesn’t surprise Frankel, who said that he has talked with general assembly members for some time about

forming a caucus. In addition to the legislative support the caucus received, Frankel said that Gov. Josh Shapiro is excited about the new coalition.

“He’s indicated that he wants to host us at the governor’s mansion at some point,” Frankel said. “It’s something which we probably should have done earlier, but in this environment, it’s very reassuring that it’s so popularly supported.”

Democratic whip Rep. Dan Miller (D-Allegheny) said he joined the caucus after ensuring that his participation was warranted. Miller, who isn’t Jewish, represents District 42, which includes Mt. Lebanon, Dormont and Upper St. Clair. According to the 2017 Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Community Study, 20% of wider Pittsburgh’s Jewish community lives in the South Hills.

Miller was quick to join the caucus when he discovered that because of the community he represents, he was able to, he said.

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“I’m blessed to have two big synagogues here and right outside my district,” he said. “The Jewish community is a big part of my work, and I’m honored to have that sort of connection.”

Rep. Abigail Salisbury (D-Allegheny) won the District 34 seat in a February special election. She noted that she is the only Jewish woman in the House.

The caucus, she said, is vital because society “defaults to Christian culture.”

“It’s important to make sure that people of all religions have civil rights in the state of Pennsylvania,” she said, “and make sure that everyone is protected. When you have a society that fosters antisemitism, you also have a society that would foster other kinds of prejudice.”

Salisbury said that she’s pleased that non-Jewish general assembly members joined the caucus and want to stand up as allies to the Jewish community.

“It’s really wonderful that people are supported that way,” she said.

There are tentative plans to introduce a hate crimes package at the end of April, Frankel said, adding that the caucus formation was overdue and something he wishes could have been done sooner.

“There is strength in a community of legislators that represent Jewish communities across the commonwealth,” he said. I’m gratified that there’s so much interest in the general assembly.”

The Chronicle reached out to Sen. Jay Costas (D-Allegheny), who has also joined the coalition but did not receive a response by the time this story went to press. PJC

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

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p State Rep. Dan Frankel Photo courtesy of the O ce of Dan Frankel

“If you’re willing to identify as part of our caucus, we want you to be a part of it.”

–DAN FRANKEL

A Civil War seder memorialized in Fayetteville

By Adam Reinherz | Sta Writer

Private Joseph A. Joel noticed on his calendar that Passover was coming. He and 20 fellow Jewish soldiers requested relief from duty to celebrate the holiday. Permission was granted. Despite the soldiers’ remote location, they acquired matzah and other Passover products. The young men built an area for services, held seders, recalled the Exodus and offered blessings. Now, 161 years later, Joel and his compatriots’ efforts are being preserved as a reminder of the contributions and commitment of Jewish soldiers during the Civil War.

On April 3, a sign bearing testament to the Jewish troops and their commanding officer — future President Rutherford B. Hayes — will be unveiled in Fayetteville, West Virginia. A corresponding ceremony, scheduled for 11 a.m. at Love, Hope, Center for the Arts, will be a reminder that “the original cast of the Civil War is more diverse than maybe we believe it today,” said Drew Gruber, executive director of Civil War Trails, an organization that partners with communities in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Pennsylvania to connect visitors to meaningful Civil War narratives.

What Joel and the other Jewish soldiers did 161 years ago was a “bright spot and peaceful moment” during a period marked by carnage, Gruber said.

Between 1861 and 1865, approximately 620,000 soldiers died on U.S. soil. The sum is about equal to the number of American fatalities in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the Korean War combined, according to the National Parks Service.

While the deaths, military conflicts and commanders have long captivated historians, the Civil War “isn’t just about battles and campaigns, but about humanity, and in this instance, community,” Gruber said.

Jewish soldiers wanted to celebrate Passover “but it was a wider community” that made it happen, which makes a fascinating parallel to today, researcher Victoria Tolson explained. Tolson, an administrative assistant with Civil War Trails, worked with private collectors and members of West Virginia’s Jewish community to unearth details regarding the 1862 seders and Joel.

Born in Plymouth, England, on May 27, 1844, Joel enlisted in the Union Army, 23rd Ohio Infantry, on July 7, 1861. Less than two years later, he was discharged on Feb. 9, 1863, “after having sustained eight gunshot wounds, and losing the tips of two fingers,” according to documents shared by the Shapell Manuscript Foundation.

Joel’s wartime efforts earned the respect and lifelong friendship of his commanding officer, Rutherford B. Hayes. Following the Civil War, the two corresponded extensively. They shared updates about their families and personal health. Hayes called Joel a “dear comrade” and invited him to the Executive Mansion (a precursor to the White House). Joel named his son Rutherford B. Hayes Joel.

In 1873, Hayes described that honor, by writing, “I am proud of your partiality and shall always regard with great interest the progress of the young gentleman. I shall try to remember him in some substantial way. Let him be as brave and honorable as his father and he will be a credit to his parents and namesake.”

Years before that correspondence, Hayes gave Joel and the other Jewish soldiers a reprieve to celebrate Passover. The landsmen, according to Joel’s 1866 writings, hired their Jewish sutler to go to Cincinnati and buy matzah.

“About the middle of the morning of Erev Pesach, a supply train arrived in camp, and to our delight seven barrels of Matzos,” Joel wrote. “On opening them, we were surprised and pleased to find that our thoughtful sutler had enclosed two Haggadahs and prayer-books.”

The delivery was a start, but to truly mark the holiday the young men needed other supplies.

“We held a consultation and decided to send parties to forage in the country while a party stayed to build a log hut for the services,” Joel wrote. The foragers were successful and the soldiers obtained “two kegs of cider, a lamb, several chickens and some eggs. Horseradish or parsley we could not obtain, but in lieu we found a weed, whose bitterness, I apprehend, exceeded anything our forefathers ‘enjoyed.’”

The Jewish soldiers had almost all the necessary items, but they reached a quandary: “We had the lamb, but did not know what part was to represent it at the table.”

Thankfully, “Yankee ingenuity prevailed,” Joel noted, “and it was decided to cook the whole and put it on the table, then we could dine off it, and be sure we had the right part.”

The seder plate was virtually in order, but the young men realized they lacked charoset. Despite trying, they couldn’t get the necessary ingredients, so once again, they relied on their Yiddishe kops.

“We got a brick which, rather hard to digest, reminded us, by looking at it, for what purpose it was intended,” Joel wrote.

The Jewish teen then led his comrades in prayers. The evening went well until the group reached Maror — the portion of the seder

in which the bitter herb is eaten — and the “horrors” began.

“What a scene ensued in our little congregation, it is impossible for my pen to describe,” Joel wrote. “The herb was very bitter and very fiery like Cayenne pepper, and excited our thirst to such a degree, that we forgot the law authorizing us to drink only four cups, and the consequence

was we drank up all the cider. Those that drank the more freely became excited, and one thought he was Moses, another Aaron, and one had the audacity to call himself Pharaoh. The consequence was a skirmish, with nobody hurt, only Moses, Aaron and Pharaoh, had to be carried to the camp, and there left in the arms of Morpheus.”

The episode was memorable, but not only because of the bitterness and drink.

“There, in the wild woods of West Virginia, away from home and friends, we consecrated and offered up to the ever-loving G-d of Israel our prayers and sacrifice,” Joel wrote. “I doubt whether the spirits of our forefathers, had they been looking down on us, standing there with our arms by our side ready for an attack, faithful to our G-d and our cause, would have imagined themselves amongst mortals, enacting this commemoration of the scene that transpired in Egypt.”

Part of what makes this seder so incredible, Gruber said, is Joel’s appreciation. The Ohioan went through multiple battles — including Antietam, which begat the Emancipation Proclamation — and, yet, later in life, returns to this week of Passover as being one of his greatest experiences.

“I’ve never seen a Civil War story like this,” Gruber noted.

Since 1994, the organization Gruber heads

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p “The Battle of South Mountain, Maryland, Sunday, Sept. 14, 1862.” Popular Graphic Arts Collection, Prints & Photographs Division, Library of Congress. Washington, D.C.

Rauh Jewish Archives, Jewish Genealogy Society partner to help grow community roots

—

LOCAL —

By David Rullo | Sta Writer

Apartnership between the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center and the Jewish Genealogy Society created nearly 30 programs with close to 2,400 attendees from around the world over the last three years.

Due to the success of the alliance, the organizations have decided to renew their collaboration for another two years.

The idea of a partnership first came to Rauh Jewish Archives Director Eric Lidji in late 2019 when he was approached by representatives of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, telling him that the William M Lowenstein Genealogical Education Fund, created after the pioneering genealogist’s death, required a distribution to be made every few years.

While trying to decide what type of programming would make the best use of the fund’s money, Lidji thought about the JGS, an organization that was created in the 1980s, closed and was relaunched by Steven Jaron in 2017.

The JGS had leadership with a lot of

energy and enthusiasm, Lidji said. What it lacked was resources.

“I approached them and said, ‘Let’s do this partnership where we’ll be the funder and the administrative support for these programs and we’ll house it here,” Lidji said. “You’ll be the intellectual side of thing that finds the speakers and does that end of things.”

The organizations sealed the deal in February 2020. It was rendered moot almost immediately as the country was gripped by COVID-19, and in-person activities were canceled.

Instead of waiting for the pandemic to end, the two organizations pivoted to a monthly, all-virtual format, creating more than 30 programs.

“The JGS grew its membership almost tenfold over the past three years and gained enough financial stability to fund some of its operations,” Lidji said.

JGS became one of the first genealogy societies to offer virtual and, later, hybrid programming, according to JGS president, Steven Jaron.

While the pandemic presented challenges, he said, it allowed the organization to focus

on the work needed to be done to promote and shape the group.

“I was able to organize everything and research speakers that were willing to do virtual, come up with an initial list of people we could approach and figure out a schedule,” he said. “With my one VP, I worked to make sure the programming had a nice variety, and in July 2019 we had our first virtual program.”

An average of 80 people have attended each event, and participants have tuned in from as far away as California, Jaron said.

The programs are free for JGS members — annual membership in the organization is $18 a year — and usually cost $5 or $10 for the general public, depending on the speaker. They also occasionally offer a program that is free for everyone.

“We’ve had steady growth over the last few years, which I’m happy about,” Jaron said. “I’d like to grow more locally because we’re a Pittsburgh-based group, and more than half our members are not even from Pennsylvania.”

Jaron said he’d also like to add more volunteers to more local projects.

“That’s another thing genealogy societies

p A speaker discusses the legacy of the Kaufmann family at a recent Jewish Genealogy Society event. Photo provided by the Jewish Genealogy Society

Please see Rauh, page 10

Clinical psychologist returns to Pittsburgh with message: ‘Real’ conversations with adolescents begin with listening

— LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Sta Writer

AHarvard-trained clinical psychologist and former Pittsburgher is returning home to offer advice on dealing with adolescents.

Boston-based Emily Kline’s April 4 talk with Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures will reference her soon-to-be-published book, “The School of Hard Talks: How to Have Real Conversations with Your (Almost Grown) Kids,” and give listeners a chance to take a deeper dive into “the micro.”

Through working with adolescents and supervising other clinical psychologists at Boston University School of Medicine, Kline, 39, said she’s learned that verbal cues and deliberate tactics can determine whether a conversation with adolescents goes “really well or awry.”

So much of a successful outcome is based on listening, she said: “When you listen, they listen.”

If a child — or anyone — expresses concern or frustration, there’s an inclination to offer advice, try to fix the problem or even minimize the issue raised, Kline said. As opposed to attempting to correct the wrong, or utilize one’s “righting reflex,” a better approach is to listen and avoid giving feedback.

“Mastering your righting reflex requires you to accept the reality that your ability to command

other people is limited,” Kline wrote in her book.

This can be difficult to accept, she told the Chronicle. While parents often feel responsible for guiding and dictating their children’s choices, they need to understand the limited role they actually play.

“Parents cannot control how their kids turn out,” she wrote. “Whether kids wind up earning a lot of money, developing depression or summiting Mount Everest doesn’t reflect much on the competence of their caregiver. The most important work of parenting an adolescent is not controlling your child’s path, but rather creating a relationship of trust and mutual respect.”

Part of the problem parents face when dealing with adolescents, Kline noted, is the

desire to be experts.

“I think we do our best as adults when we own up to the fact that we don’t know everything,” she said. “What I tell a lot of parents is, ‘Believe it or not, your teenager already knows that you don’t know everything. That is not going to be a shock to them. They knew that way before you did.’”

Whether it’s technology, social media or even drugs, “your kid might know a lot more about this than you,” she said.

Parents can create better relationships with their children by adopting humility and acknowledging insufficient understanding.

“Rather than going in and saying, ‘I need to talk to you about blank, did you know blank,’ and having a lot of facts and opinions prepared

to share, go in with curiosity and say, ‘I’m hearing a lot about whatever it is — whether it’s TikTok or THC concentrates. Just really start the conversation with curiosity and with asking your kid to share expertise,” she said.

There will be parents who worry about putting that much pressure on their children. For these parents, an alternative strategy, Kline said, could include saying, “What do your friends say about that — because kids might not want to admit they know anything — or what’s the attitude about that in your friend group?”

Kline, who previously worked at Jewish Residential Services in Squirrel Hill and in psychiatry research at the University of Pittsburgh, said her talk at Carnegie Library Lecture Hall isn’t just a chance for attendees to learn new communicative strategies. The free talk, which is available in person and online, also represents a personally gratifying experience.

“My actual friends from high school and my parents are going to be there,” she said. “To share the work I’ve been doing as an adult — in my career that is really about adolescents — with the most important people from my adolescence couldn’t be cooler.”

Kline’s talk is scheduled for April 4 at 6 p.m. Registration is available at pittsburghlectures. org/lectures/emily-kline/. PJC

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

p Emily Kline

Photo courtesy of Emily Kline

p Book cover

Photo courtesy of Emily Kline

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.

SUNDAY, APRIL 2

Chabad of the South Hills and CKids Jewish Discovery Club presents a Pre-Passover wood workshop Create your own seder plate, ra es and prizes, Passover songs and fun. $10. 2:30 p.m. Home Depot, 4000 Oxford Drive, 15102. chabadsh.com/sederplate

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.

SUNDAYS, APRIL 2 – DEC. 3

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.

SUNDAYS, APRIL 2 – DEC. 17

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.

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.

MONDAYS, APRIL 3 – DEC. 18

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

MONDAY, APRIL 3 – 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. Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org.

TUESDAYS, APRIL 4 – MAY 9

In “Israel Literature as a Window to Israel Society,” Rabbi Danny Schi will facilitate an encounter with Israeli society through the pens of Israel’s leading writers, discovering voices that are original, contemporary and honest. This 10-part Melton course takes you on a literary journey o ering a fresh examination of the ever-relevant issues faced by Israeli writers. Together, learners will read poetry and prose, gaining insights into the Jewish national psyche. 9:30 a.m. $160. jewishpgh.org/event/israeli-literatureas-a-window-to-israeli-society/2023-02-07.

TUESDAYS, APRIL 4 – DEC. 19

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

TUESDAYS, APRIL 4 – DEC. 26

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

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.

Enjoy a first night elegant and delicious Community Passover Seder filled with insight, meaning and inspiration at Chabad of the South Hills. 7:30 p.m. $65 adult/$25 children. chabadsh.com.

WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 5 – APRIL 19

Participate in weekly gentle yoga with a skilled and caring yoga instructor experienced in trauma-informed 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.

WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 5 – MAY 24

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

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

WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 5 – DEC. 27 Bring the parashah alive and make it personally relevant and meaningful with Rabbi Mark Goodman in this weekly Parashah Discussion: Life & Text 12:15 p.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh. org/life-text.

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.

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 di erences. Noon. Rodef Shalom Congregation. rodefshalom.org.

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 Schi will consider the place of miracles in Judaism and how Jews might think about the miraculous today. 10 a.m. $55. Four sessions on Zoom. jewishpgh.org/ event/miracles-a-jewish-perspective.

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 Schi 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. Schi 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.

THURSDAYS, 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.

FRIDAY, APRIL 14

Welcome Shabbat with family and friends, music and prayer at Rodef Shalom Congregation’s Family Shabbat. Join together for a Shabbat Dinner and a Kabbalat Shabbat song session and service specially designed for families and kids of all ages. End the night with a sweet dessert. Dinner is $5 per person with a maximum of $25 per family. Registration required. 6 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 15–SUNDAY, APRIL 16

Prime Stage Theatre presents the world premiere of “Perseverance,” a powerful memoir of healing and renewal. Few visitors to the G&S Jewelry Store in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood during the 1960s and ’70s were aware that the cheerful proprietor, Melvin Goldman, had spent his teens enduring the horrors of Auschwitz before arriving as a penniless refugee in postwar Pittsburgh

intent on reshaping his family’s destiny. 8 p.m. Adults $24/Students $19. 6 Allegheny Square E, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. primestage.com/education/ perseverance.

SUNDAY, APRIL 16

“When Henry Silverstein Got Cold. How Terrible Enumerators Help Us Do Better Census Research with Tammy Hepps” is a collaboration between the Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh and the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center. Register online. The program is free for JGS-Pittsburgh members, as well as for the general public.

11 a.m. Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St. heinzhistorycenter.org/event/jgs-pittsburgh-presentswhen-henry-silverstein-got-cold.

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.

MONDAY, APRIL 17

Women are invited to attend Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s Torah and Tea and explore the rich stories of our matriarchs with Rivky Herman. 7 p.m. $18. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.

MONDAYS, APRIL 17 – MAY 15

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19

Join the Squirrel Hill AARP for its April meeting State Sen. Jay Costa will be the guest speaker and will discuss what is going on in Harrisburg and senior citizen issues. 1 p.m. Rodef Shalom Congregation, Falk Library. For further information contact Marcia Kramer at 412-656-5803.

WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 19 – DEC.20

Join AgeWell for an intergenerational family dynamics discussion group. 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.

Please see Calendar, page 7

Calendar:

THURSDAYS, APRIL 20, MAY 18

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

Jewish world?”, the 2023 Ruth and Bernard Levaur

Continued from page 6

THURSDAYS, APRIL 20, 27

Many are concerned that democracy is under threat. That reality raises a critical question: What does Judaism have to say about democracy? What is the attitude of Judaism to majority rule, to defending minorities, to the separation of religion and state, to kings and courts? In “Is Judaism Compatible with Democracy?”

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

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

THURSDAY, APRIL 20 – SUNDAY, APRIL 30

The JFilm Festival, Pittsburgh’s largest Jewish cultural event, takes place April 20-30. The festival will showcase 24 Jewish-themed, independent feature films from around the world. Exclusive Film Schmooze discussions about some of the films will be featured. The festival will include the April 27 festival premiere of “Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul.” For more information, visit FilmPittsburgh.org.

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.

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.

Join Rodef Shalom Congregation for “Understanding Gen Z: How will the next generation shape our

Contemporary Lecture with guest speaker Rabbi Debbie Pine, campus support director at Hillel International. This event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and reservations are encouraged. Reception to follow. 7:30 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org/levaur.

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.

Gather at Chabad of Squirrel Hill with other teen girls for a Teen Cooking Club and bake desserts for Our Giving Kitchen. 3:30 p.m. chabadpgh.com. PJC

Pittsburgh synagogue shooter’s lawyers say he has schizophrenia, brain impairments

those diagnoses are supported by neurological testing and brain imaging.

The attorneys for the man accused of murdering 11 Jews in the Tree of Life building — and seriously wounding six other people, including four first responders — claimed in a court filing last week that he has schizophrenia, epilepsy and structural and functional brain impairments, and that

In their brief, defense lawyers said they opposed the prosecution’s proposal that its own psychiatric experts examine the accused, arguing it would be a “broad-ranging, invasive, and constitutionally problematic investigation” into his “life, mind, and body.”

“The prosecution’s proposal, in essence, would allow it unfettered access to [the

defendant], with no ability for defense counsel to advise [him] of the particularized risks of subjecting himself to what the government and its experts intend to do, and no authority for the Court to impose appropriate limits and safeguards.”

They said the judge should narrow the scope of any prosecution testing to evidence that would dispute defense assertions, and that it should be delayed “unless and until” the

defendant is convicted of a crime that could carry the death penalty.

In a February filing, defense attorneys said that they intended 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.” PJC

Toby Tabachnick

Israel says ‘crisis’ with Poland over, countries agree to resume student trips to Holocaust sites

After a warm meeting with his Polish counterpart on March 22, Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen declared that the yearslong “crisis” in relations between the two countries was over, JTA.org reported.

Meeting in Warsaw, Cohen and Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau signed an agreement stating that Israeli youth trips to Holocaust sites in Poland would resume — rebooting a longstanding program that was called off last year as part of a series of ongoing diplomatic spats. The Times of Israel reported that Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, will have to approve the agreement for it to go into effect.

Poland also agreed to return its ambassador to Israel shortly. The Polish envoy was recalled in 2021.

In 2018, Poland’s right-wing government caused a rift between the two countries by passing a law that made it illegal to accuse the Polish nation of having committed crimes during the Holocaust, a move that critics called a whitewashing of history. Then, in 2021, Poland passed another law that effectively closed off restitution claims by descendants of families that had lost property during the war.

Israeli politicians, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, harshly

condemned both moves, and for a time Israel recalled its ambassador to Warsaw. Poland’s prime minister canceled a trip to Israel in 2019.

Florida bill banning ‘ethnic intimidation’ flyers aims to stop state’s neo-Nazi rise

Responding to a recent rise in neo-Nazi activity in his state, a Jewish lawmaker in Florida is trying to outlaw displays of “religious or ethnic animus” on private property in his state, JTA.org reported.

H.B. 269 takes aim at a variety of activities that neo-Nazi groups in the state have undertaken, from distributing flyers with hate speech to broadcasting intimidating messages in public places.

Those groups’ activity has been rising in Florida for several years, according to a 2022 report by the Anti-Defamation League titled “Hate in the Sunshine State.” The report was published before the founder of the Goyim Defense League, which distributes antisemitic literature in public places and to private homes, relocated to Florida.

“We have actual Nazis who have proudly taken up residence in Florida,” the bill’s co-author, Rep. Randy Fine, told the Algemeiner. “The things that they are doing, all of which I find disgusting, are reprehensible, and we are going to make them felonies.”

Michigan GOP tweet compares gun control to the Holocaust

The official Twitter account of Michigan’s

Today in Israeli History

session and that it wants a special commission to make recommendations.

Republican Party posted an image comparing gun control to the Holocaust on March 22. Then, following condemnations of the post by Jewish groups, the party doubled down on its message, JTA.org reported.

The image shows a trough filled with wedding rings seized by the Nazis from Jews entering the Buchenwald concentration camp. The photo was taken by the U.S. Army in May 1945, when the camp was liberated, according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum archives.

In the Michigan Republicans’ post, text pasted over the image of the rings reads, “Before they collected all these wedding rings ... they collected all the

guns.” The party appended a caption to the image: “#History has shown us that the first thing a government does when it wants total control over its people is to disarm them.”

The post drew condemnation from local and national Jewish groups and elected officials, including the Jewish Democratic Council of America. Those criticizing the post online ranged from pro-Israel influencers and the watchdog group StopAntisemitism to Jewish Democrats in the state legislature and Republican Jewish activists. PJC

— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb

STATE SENATOR JAY COSTA

OFFICES

FOREST HILLS: 1501 Ardmore Blvd. • Ste. 403 • Pgh., PA 15221 (412)241-6690 • Fax: (412) 731-2332

BLOOMFIELD: 4736 Liberty Ave. • Ste. 1 • Pgh., PA 15224 (412)578-8457 • Fax: (412) 578-9874

E-MAIL: costa@pasenate.com | TEXT: (412) 850-4255 www.SenatorCosta.com

Paid for with Pennsylvania Taxpayer Dollars

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

March 31, 1979 — ‘Hallelujah’ wins Eurovision

April 3, 1994 — Air Force ex-commander dies

Maj. Gen. Aharon Remez dies in Jerusalem at 74. A fighter pilot with the Royal Air Force in World War II, he served as the second commander in chief of Israel’s air force from July 1948 to December 1950.

p Gali Atari and Milk & Honey perform “Hallelujah” at the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest.

Israel wins the Eurovision Song Contest for the second consecutive year as Gali Atari and Milk & Honey take the title in Jerusalem with “Hallelujah.” Israel won in 1978 with “A-Ba-ni-bi.”

April 1, 1948 — Arabs block food convoy to Jerusalem

Nine Jews are killed and 17 others are wounded in an attempt to move a 60-truck convoy of food and other supplies to Jerusalem through Wadi Sarrar. It is the second time the convoy has failed.

April 2, 1947 — Britain seeks special U.N. panel

The British government notifies the United Nations that it plans to bring Palestine’s future before the next General Assembly

April 4, 1920 — Riots break out in Jerusalem

The Nebi Musa festival, a pilgrimage to the site Muslims believe to be Moses’ grave near Jericho, breaks into rioting in Jerusalem’s Old City, killing five Jews and four Arabs over three days.

April 5, 1977 — Tennis star Erlich is born

Tennis player Jonathan Erlich, known as Yoni, is born in Buenos Aires. His family makes aliyah when he is 1. He teams with fellow Israeli Andy Ram to win the Australian Open in January 2008.

By

April 6, 1999 — Medical mission goes to Macedonia

An IDF medical mission flies to the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia (now North Macedonia) to care for refugees from Kosovo. The hospital treats more than 1,560 people in 16 days. PJC

In the United States, disaster relief, ambulance, and blood services are handled by an array of organizations. In Israel, there’s one organization that does it all — Magen David Adom. As Passover approaches, whatever crises Israelis face — including terror or rocket attacks — MDA will be there to save lives.

Support Magen David Adom by donating today at afmda.org/give. Or for further information about giving opportunities, contact 847.509.9802 or midwest@afmda.org.

afmda.org/give

p Jonathan Erlich has won 20 professional doubles titles.

si.robi via Wikimedia Commons

p The special U.N. commission requested by Britain produced this proposed partition of Palestine, which the U.N. General Assembly approved on Nov. 29, 1947.

Headlines

Trial:

Having to wait so long for the trial to begin has been “frustrating,” he said, but he understands the reason for the delay.

“There’s a group of us that have been insistent since the beginning in supporting the death penalty,” he said. “And we understand the consequences of that, that it can lengthen the process. That’s a choice we made, and we accept the consequences of that.”

Audrey Glickman, a member of Tree of Life, is a survivor of the attack. She will resign her position as assistant to Rabbi Seth Adelson of Congregation Beth Shalom before the start of the trial.

The trial is one of the reasons she is resigning, she said, but not the only reason.

“For people in a position such as mine, it’s hard to take off work,” Glickman said. She is expecting to be called as a witness and hopes to be present in court for others’ testimony as well.

If the trial were the only reason for her resignation, Glickman said, she would “have to have a deeper discussion about what is time off and what I’m permitted to take… The presumption is you want to be there, but not everyone’s job allows that kind of freedom.”

To clear her calendar for three months, Glickman is “accelerating doctors’ appointments.” She is grateful her son’s wedding was in March, avoiding a potential conflict. “I guess

Passover:

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1 assistance and supportive social services for those who are struggling with food insecurity and hunger.”

The food pantry can be reached at 412-4212708 or at foodpantry@jfcspgh.org.

“We are fast, nimble and open five days a week for everyone,” Bolton added.

While the food pantry is helping community members prepare for Passover by supplying dry goods, gefilte fish, eggs, matzah, matzah meal, frozen chicken and produce, including potatoes, carrots, onions and celery, other local organizations are

Seder:

I am trying to arrange my life so that things happen earlier, or they’re put off-able, and I have them stretched out later,” she said.

Glickman’s not feeling anxiety about testifying; she’s been “ready to testify since minutes after it happened. And I’m intent on justice being served.”

Carol Black, a member of New Light, survived the attack, but her brother, Richard Gottfried, was killed that day. She has not decided how much of the trial she will attend.

“I guess I’m going to have to see as it goes along,” Black said. “What’s going to feel appropriate? I’m retired, so I don’t have the restriction of work. But I don’t know how much I want it to absorb my life.

“One of the things I think is important is, I want there to be a presence in the courtroom,” Black continued. “I don’t want the defense and the defendant to think that I’m intimidated. And so I think it’s important for him to see that I’m not going to be cowered — and I feel like I need to represent my family’s interests.”

Black has put trips on hold during the anticipated duration of the trial.

“My husband and I were talking about wanting to go somewhere when it was over, so we made plans for early September in the hopes that it’ll be over by then,” she said. “You know, I almost haven’t even contemplated how much this is going to consume my life over those months. But the time is now, during the trial — that’s the time to be absorbed in it, and

providing complementary assistance.

Our Giving Kitchen is hosting a Pre-Pesach store on April 2.

The organization’s director, Rabbi Chezky Rosenfeld, told the Chronicle that registrants can pay what they’d like for items including fresh produce, eggs and prepared food.

Rosenfeld said there are no financial criteria to participate and that interested parties — and those wishing to volunteer — should contact him at rabbi@ogkpgh.com for more information.

Rochel Tombosky, founder and executive director of GIFT, an organization committed to increasing cross-generational collaboration, is preparing close to 300 Passover-to-Go

celebrating a seder during the Civil War.”

then it will be over and then I have the rest of my life to do things. And so my priority has to be focused on what needs to happen during that period of time.”

In preparation for the trial, Black said she and others have had a lot of support through the 10.27 Healing Partnership and JFCS.

“We have a group of people who survived the shooting that day, and we’ve been getting together once a month for years now — and also the family members, those who lost somebody in that shooting,” she said. “These are people that have become very important to me. So I have the support.”

Oct. 27 survivors and victims’ family members have also been in touch with survivors and family members of victims of other deadly attacks to get a feel for what to expect at trial.

“They have been very willing to share with us what they wish they would have known before they experienced their scenarios,” Black said. “And it’s really emotional. It’s draining.

“I do not want what happened to ruin my life,” she stressed. “I want to lead a joyous life.... I also want to make sure that the names of the 11 people are not forgotten.”

Steve Weiss was attending services in Tree of Life’s Pervin Chapel on the day of the attack and was able to get to safety. He anticipates being called as a witness.

Weiss, who has moved to Lebanon, Pennsylvania, doesn’t know if he will attend the trial every day, but he does plan to be

Kits for seniors.

The packages, Tombosky said, include a meal, a large print step-by-step Haggadah and other fun items, such as a back scratcher, which should help people recall the “outstretched arm” referred to in the Haggadah.

Passover is a time when “no one should feel alone,” she said. The kits, which are packaged and delivered by volunteers, are a way of helping many seniors “bring the joy back into Passover.”

Regardless of whether individuals are spending the holiday with family and friends or on their own, the kits are available to all, and recipients don’t need to disclose any sort of financial criteria, she added.

present for much of it. That will mean long periods away from his wife, who may not be attending as often.

“She’ll probably come in whenever I’m scheduled to testify,” Weiss said, “but beyond that, I don’t know that she’s going to come in.

“She has had a more difficult time with all of this actually than I have,” he continued. “You know, she thought that I would have been killed that morning. She started from that perspective. And she’s very concerned about me being away for a large period of time.”

While he wants to attend much of the trial, Weiss is concerned about watching the victims’ families relive Oct. 27 through testimony and other evidence.

“I grew up with Cecil and David [Rosenthal],” he said. “My parents were best friends with their parents. And so to have them go through that again… My mom was a good friend of Bernice [Simon]. I want to see justice happen, but at the same time, I hate to think about the families having to potentially see images of what happened and things of that sort. I’m sure they have mental images, but to have to actually see photos of victims and things of that sort I think can really be difficult for them.

“I think that what all of us really need is closure on all this,” Weiss continued. “And hopefully, through this trial, we’ll be able to get some form of closure.” PJC

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Tombosky encouraged seniors and other interested parties to visit the organization’s website at giftpgh.org to request a kit, volunteer or donate.

Whether it’s providing Passover-to-Go kits, or offering general GIFT programming, the goal, Tombosky said, is to make people “feel embraced and seen.”

Bolton echoed the sentiment.

“We’re here for the community. If anyone has any questions, or may need a little help, we’re here for you,” he said. “Everybody needs a little help sometimes, and we’re always here with open doors.” PJC

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

Continued from page 3

has worked with communities, historians and descendants to place markers and preserve local narratives.

“We have over 1,400 Civil War Trails sites,” Gruber said. The soon-to-be dedicated sign in Fayetteville is the “first Civil War Trails site in the nation that lifts up the story of Jewish soldiers … It’s beautiful.”

For Tolson, the tale offers a different resonance.

“There’s not enough about us, to be honest, even though we’ve been here the entire time,” the Jewish Virginian said. “There have been Jewish people in Virginia and West Virginia from the 18th century … so, of course, they would be

Rauh:

Continued from page 4

do, they work on projects such as indexing cemeteries and burial lists and stuff like that,” he said. “We haven’t done any of that yet.”

He urged people to keep an eye on JGS’s

Tolson credited Jewish Appalachians, like Dr. Joseph Golden of Temple Beth El in Beckley, West Virginia, with preserving and transmitting this account and other local Jewish history.

The thing about Joel’s saga is it’s “something a lot of young Jewish people can relate to,” Tolson said.

Joel and his fellow Ohioans were basically teens who found themselves far from their Cincinnati homes. The wider community provides some Passover items, but much of the holiday’s observance is fashioned by the young people themselves. The soldiers make mistakes about which herb to eat and where the shank bone is located on a lamb, she said, “but they’re in the spirit.”

website and social media pages.

The goal, Lidji said, is to develop a local community and bridge the gap through the internet with people they’ve connected with from around the world.

“People are hungry for something where they can connect with people in real life or people who are in their

For Tolson, the members of the 23rd Ohio regiment represent a truth that bears repeating: “We’ve been able to keep our traditions and be part of a wider community.”

Passover is predicated on leaving Egypt and ending a life of servitude, Tolson said. Millennia later, a band of Jewish soldiers fought to end slavery in the wilds of West Virginia. These young men created a connection to each other, to an extended Jewish community and to their non-Jewish commanding officer.

“I think that’s something we can all kind of learn from,” she said. PJC

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

neighborhood,” he said.

The first program created with the renewed partnership was “Once More Under the Clock: Remembering Kaufmann’s,” on March 26, where speakers discussed the Kaufmann family and the department store that bore its name.

“The JGS is looking to find some

social media campaigns,” Lidji said. “We’re figuring it out as we go, but that’s the idea for the next cycle.” PJC

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

May you remember the story of Passover and the meaning of Freedom as we wish you Happy

Pesach.

Brian Schreiber President and CEO

Scott E. Seewald  Chair of the Board

Building Jewish allies

Guest Columnist

Marnie

Fienberg

Everywhere we turn, we hear about the rising tide of antisemitism, a story that almost seems to present an alternative version of who Jews are in America. When my mother-in-law, Joyce Fienberg, was murdered during the shooting at the Tree of Life building, my own story changed dramatically forever, as did my family’s and my community’s. Gone was the illusion of “it’s a problem in Europe, but not in America.”

This is especially important in the context of the upcoming trial, starting in late April. The killing of a dearly missed member of my family and 10 other souls while they prayed is held up as the primary example of rising antisemitism in this country.

People have asked if I fear some form of retribution or additional attacks at this time against my family. There is something that they don’t know. When Joyce was murdered, her funeral and shiva were attended by thousands of people, many of them not Jewish. There were letters and cards coming for a year from both children and adults. This was not like Germany 1938, when the Germans

turned away from their neighbors. Rather, our neighbors of all faiths and backgrounds circled the wagons. This protectiveness and support has continued at our workplaces, schools and synagogues. This story of interfaith community is what I desperately wanted to share with others in my grief.

The 2 for Seder Project

In December of 2018, I came up with an idea of how to evoke this sense of community and foster allies. With the encouragement of many Jewish leaders, both in Pittsburgh and the Washington, D.C., area, and a great deal of research, I started 2 for Seder. The concept is simple: Invite two neighbors of a different faith (or no faith) to their first seder. While the project supplies participants with tips and a special kit for their guests, it’s all about the specialness of each Jewish family’s traditions. Of course, the Passover Haggadah is specifically designed for those hearing the story for the first time, while encouraging questions.

In 2019, more than 2,500 families across the United States and Canada let us know they participated in 2 for Seder. The bond forged in this circumstance builds a bridge for discussion and understanding that lasts long after the last glass of wine has been finished. It’s the beginning of a road to

creating allies in our own circles who will stand by you (as you will for them).

Recently I was on an amazing panel about antisemitism along with a rabbi and a Jew of color. As we talked about our experiences online, we learned that each had experienced antisemitism, but there was a difference in our experiences. As someone who was directly impacted by the shooting at the Tree of Life building, online supporters of my 2 for Seder project are protective. When there is an antisemitic comment made on the project’s social media, my followers (both Jews and gentiles) step up and respond. Their words are more powerful than anything I could ever say. But once in a while an additional thing happens: A conversation begins. When given an opportunity, people who are not Jewish are quick to say that antisemitism and hate have no place in our society.

Our project volunteers wanted to do something extra in our own backyard this year, so we are working with long-term partners at Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and the Center for Loving Kindness to create a community seder in the spirit of 2 for Seder, where we ask Jews to bring two friends of another faith to experience their first seder. With more than 120 people, this special Passover tapas will be held in Squirrel Hill to reach those who will

‘Judaism in a Digital Age’: A response

Guest Columnist

Rabbi Seth Adelson

We, the Jews, are excellent at history. Regarding the future, not so much.

On Shabbat we remember Creation. On Purim we remember how Esther saved the Jews of Persia. On Pesach we remember how we came from slavery to freedom. And so on.

But where in Jewish life do we remember the future? The most enduring symbol of the Jewish future is above the ark — the Ner Tamid, the eternal light, which symbolizes the continuity of our connection with God and Torah from way back to Exodus. It is tamid – always burning, always reminding us of our past and the eternity of the future before us, always serving as a beacon to call us back to our tradition.

We frequently invoke yetzi-at Mitzrayim, the Exodus from Egypt, in our liturgy. We do so because it serves as a template for our future redemption, the redemption of Olam HaBa, the World to Come. But admittedly, the Olam HaBa model is somewhat inchoate, and frankly, we are in disagreement as to what the real goal in Jewish life is. There are some who understand our performance of mitzvot on this Earth to bring the Mashiach, the anointed, supposed descendant of King David, and lead us to Olam HaBa. There are others who see our mitzvot as serving their purpose in the here and now; that is, we fulfill them because it is the right thing to do

in the moment, and their reward is intrinsic.

But in general, except for Mashiach-based ideology, which is somewhat murky and controversial, we do not speak too much about the future. Judaism is fundamentally focused on the present.

Which is why Rabbi Danny Schiff’s new book, “Judaism in a Digital Age,” is so striking. Well-researched and thoughtfully presented, the book addresses not only the future from a Jewish perspective (and in particular, the future of the non-Orthodox movements), but also the future of all humanity.

The view is pretty bleak.

Rabbi Schiff opens with a biting critique of the Conservative and Reform movements, explaining in excruciating detail why movements which emerged “when horses were the dominant means of transportation” are no longer relevant and are destined for continued decline as they confront the “hyper-emancipated” world of the digital age.

He moves on to take a snapshot of society today, saying “modernity” ended in 1990 with the widespread availability of the internet, and explaining all of the ways that access to information through digital means has changed how we live and think and socialize. He shares the thinking of notable futurist authors, including the very real threat to society posed by artificial intelligence, and the promise of immortality based on so-called “transhumanist” ideas about the blending of technology and the human body, which may ultimately serve to destroy any traditional concept of corporeal human life.

Here and there he asks the hard questions about Judaism’s confrontation with post-modernity. What value will there be to having rabbis and teachers when all information is available without intermediaries? How can halakhic principles regarding privacy or leshon hara remain in play when all of the details of every person’s life are available through a search engine? How can we confront the challenges posed by rising rates of isolation and economic inequality, the availability of pornography or the endless amplification of self-importance, which social media platforms encourage?

Whatever happens in the future, we will certainly (a) fail to consider adequately the full consequences of new technologies, and (b) manage to eke out a new way of living despite dramatically changed circumstances.

Our response, according to Rabbi Schiff, must be to accept that the world has changed, and respond within the new paradigm: “Viewed from a Jewish perspective, the digital age is no longer about adapting Jews and Judaism to a slowly opening world of belonging and enlightenment; it is about asking how human beings should optimally function within the cacophonous tumult of an accelerating epoch of hyper-emancipation, hyper-connectivity, and hyper-individualism.”

Despite Rabbi Schiff’s protestations to the contrary, the Conservative and Reform movements still have quite a bit of influence in the Jewish world, and are particularly well-positioned to engage with the Jewish future, perhaps in ways that traditional forms of Orthodoxy cannot.

encounter antisemitism from the “outside.”

This Passover, I encourage every Jewish person holding or attending a seder to take a moment and consider inviting someone of a different faith — a friend, a co-worker, a teacher or a neighbor. What would happen if they knew a little bit more about Judaism? Could a joyous Jewish experience that is designed to help them ask questions break through a wall of politeness? Is there an opportunity to build a bridge?

This year it’s particularly important to build allies. Many people aren’t aware that the trial will begin soon. While it is unclear if the mainstream press will be following the trial, it may be a rallying cry for antisemites across the country. Instead of ceding ground to hate, we can discuss our own narrative of our own story, a rallying cry for Jews to express support and solidarity with each other, and to reach out to neighbors. Each of us has an opportunity to reach out and let everyone know it’s OK to inquire and perhaps learn more about how they can make a difference, too. PJC

Marnie Fienberg is the founder of 2 for Seder and a proud member of the Tree of Life Congregation while living in Washington D.C. She can be reached at mfienberg@2forseder.org.

Rabbi Schiff concedes that if there is a new model for how to be Jewish, we have not yet found it. So meanwhile, while we are waiting for that new paradigm to emerge, non-Orthodox communities will continue to do our traditional-yet-contemporary thing. We will continue to pray together, to learn together and to offer imaginative new programming.

Jews have lived through many centuries of change, of social upheaval, of wars and genocides and life-changing innovations. We have made the transition from hand-copied documents to printed books to instantly-searchable gemara on smartphones. And yet, here we are, still reading Torah from a scroll produced essentially the same way for thousands of years, still basking in the glow of a Ner Tamid

We have navigated a changing world, and we will continue to do so. We will determine whether halakhah permits us to eat cultured meat that was never actually attached to any animal. We will find a way to grapple with the potential immortality awaiting us in the near future (as Rabbi Schiff points out, our sources do speak about immortality). We will manage to make minyanim a few times a day, even when our physical presence and our consciousness are not in the same place. We will ask the hard questions and answer them within the Jewish system, just as Jews have always done.

Rabbi Schiff lands in a somewhat reassuring place. Regarding the AI-infused future, he says, “No matter how animated,

Please see Adelson, page 13

Chronicle poll results:10/27 documentaries

Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following question: “Have you seen the two documentaries about the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting?” Of the 207 people who responded, 54% said no; 26% said they had seen only “A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting” (available on HBO); 2% said they had seen only “Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life” (screened at JFilm last April); and 18% said they had seen both films. Comments were submitted by 37 people. A few follow.

This tragedy is much too close to my heart. Though I’d like to see these documentaries, even thinking about it brings on waves of sadness and feelings of ongoing trauma.

I would like to see them. It would be great if they’d become more readily available on additional screening services.

I live out of town and wasn’t aware of

Have you seen the two documentaries about the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting?

took time to really understand and portray the many facets of Jewish Pittsburgh and life in Squirrel Hill. Very well done.

I have not seen the films, but the images of the massacre live in my mind. It is, of course, painful to envision what occurred within Tree of Life. My heart aches for the family and friends of the victims — and for all people who are targets of hatred.

No desire to live through it again.

other had only a split-second view of the corner of my head.) The best possible outcome would be for the films (and us along with them, using them as tools) to make a positive impact, to help effect positive change in our mutual understanding, both in the broader world and within our own communities.

Too painful and disturbing to watch. I met my future wife there in 1976 at a singles dance.

intelligent, responsive, or reliable our AI creations might become, AI will never attain the combination of qualities that will merit the status of being ‘created in the image’ [of God].”

either of them. Now I may check them out.

The “Repairing the World” filmmakers

We can do this. We in the Conservative movement are especially well-placed to do this. We have been addressing cultural, societal and technological change for more than 150 years, and we will help make this transition to whatever awaits us. I’m counting on that Ner Tamid to continue shining, to continue reminding us of the turbulence of our past, the constancy of our present and

Join the 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

I’ve seen both, and while they were both well-made documentaries, they are vastly different in their messages. And I appreciate neither one mentions the shooter or shows his picture, as the story is not about him. It’s about those who died, those who escaped, those that were injured and those that were rescued. Kudos to Patrice O’Neill and Trish Adlesic for their thoughtful compassion in making these movies.

I was in one of them prominently. (The

the brightness of our future.

In the Talmud (BT Avodah Zarah 2a), Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, “All the good deeds Israel does in this world will bear testimony in Olam HaBa.” Perhaps Olam HaBa will not look quite like what R. Yehoshua ben Levi envisioned 18 centuries ago. But whatever form it takes, Jews will be there, still meditating over our words

Richard Kann, a devoted sibling

Someday I will — and I should — but living four houses from Ground Zero gave me enough familiarity with the traumatic and memorable events for now. PJC

Toby Tabachninck

Chronicle weekly poll question: Which of the four children in the Haggadah is most like you? Go to pittsburghjewishchronicle.org to respond. PJC

“yomam valaila,” day and night, and looking to the Ner Tamid as a reminder of past and future. PJC

Rabbi Seth Adelson is senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom. A version of this piece was delivered as a Shabbat sermon at Beth Shalom and appears on Rabbi Adelson’s blog, themodernrabbi.com.

Your article on Richard Kann captured the essence of a wonderful and generous man (“Community stalwart Richard Kann dies at 84,” March 24). I would add the following: Richard was as devoted and loving a brother to his sister Linda as any sibling could ever ask for. His care for and attention to Linda for decades enriched and made her life better. Every brother or sister would be privileged and lucky to have someone like Richard as his or her sibling.

Jonathan Schmerling Pittsburgh

Israel must remain strong

In response to Eileen Kraus-Dobratz’s letter, “Missing the point when talking about Israel” (March 24):

The triumph of the international media — much appreciated by the Arab world — has been to ignore the primary issue causing the Israel/Palestinian conflict, namely the refusal by the Palestinians to accept the legitimacy of the Jewish state. The popular Palestinian slogan, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” proclaims that all of Israel must be freed from the occupiers, i.e. Jews. Instead of writing about this monumental roadblock to peace, the media has cast the people of Israel as occupiers and child abusers, illegally occupying Palestinian land, and now — with the political turmoil in Israel — a right-wing racist, Nazi-like government. Even if Israel gave in on everything, it would still not be accepted by the Palestinians. Until the Palestinians accept the reality of the Jewish state, Israel must remain strong. And if some of its politicians say inappropriate things, they can be excused for overreacting to an intolerable situation, which, by the way, is exactly what the Palestinians want.

Larry Shapiro Calgary, Alberta

Chag Semeach

Wishing all a Happy

One-bowl Passover brownie cake

Life & Culture —

FOOD

—

By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle

I’ve considered for months what recipe to write up for Passover. I decided to take a simpler route that will turn out a great dessert even for amateur bakers.

Many of the best Passover dessert recipes call for special baking pans or separating a lot of eggs and using an electric mixer to whip egg whites. I wanted to share an easy recipe that you can mix by hand, without a mixer or added steps, and that will still please family and guests.

Will this be the most decadent dessert that I ever publish? No. I have a few of those Passover recipes already floating around, like my Pavlova and Chocolate Mousse recipes appearing in the Chronicle in previous years.

This recipe is kid-tested and approved which, at the end, of the day is heaven for most of us. I never want my children to feel like Passover is not an enjoyable time. This recipe uses almond flour and no matzah meal or cake meal, so it’s gluten-free and non-gebrokts for those who need it. The best part is that it’s good enough to serve year-round. If you haven’t baked with almond meal before, don’t expect this to taste like a brownie or cake made with flour. Almond meal is a little grainy if you’re not used to it, but the flavor is spot on.

This recipe calls for simple ingredients with some chocolate chips for added flavor and texture. I use California Gourmet pareve chocolate year-round. Its blue bag of kosherfor-Passover chips is the best Passover baking product on the market, so I add them as often as possible to my holiday baking.

Ingredients

1½ cups of packed almond flour (not almond meal)

⅓ cup cocoa powder

¾ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

¼ cup of neutral vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ cup of chocolate chips

Powdered sugar for garnish

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

Line a square 8-inch glass pan or a 9-inch single-layer metal cake pan with parchment paper, slightly grease, then lightly dust the

parchment with plain cocoa powder. Many people use foil pans for baking, but you will always get the best result with a metal or glass pan.

In a large bowl, add the almond flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk it together, breaking up any lumps.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and vanilla together.

Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix well with a strong, rubber spatula.

Once it’s well combined, stir in the chocolate chips.

The batter is very thick and you will need to spoon it into the prepared baking pan. Gently pat the batter down with a spoon or spatula. I like to tap the pan a few times on the countertop to release any air pockets.

Bake for 26-29 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Metal pans usually cook a bit faster than glass, so check it at 26 minutes to ensure that the edges don’t burn.

Allow the brownies to cool completely before you take any more steps. If using a round pan, turn the pan out onto a plate and peel off the parchment paper, then turn the cake over again onto a cake plate.

If baking in a square pan, use the edges of the parchment paper to lift the entire cake from the pan and place it on a cutting board. Gently pull down the paper from the edges before cutting. Cut squares or wedges, depending on the shape of the pan. Just like with regular brownies, the edges will be cakier and the middle denser, so there is something for every preference.

You can dust this with powdered sugar, and serve it with fresh fruit.

This serves 12-16, depending on the size of your cuts.

Cover the brownies with plastic wrap if you’re going to make this recipe ahead of time or if you have leftovers, but it can stand uncovered for a few hours after baking without drying out.

Wishing you a chag kasher v’sameach. Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

p One-bowl Passover brownie cake

Photo by Jessica Grann

Life & Culture

JFilm celebrates three decades of showcasing independent Jewish films

through online links. The rework included prerecorded Q&As with different directors and Spitz Cohan.

By David Rullo | Sta Writer

The reviews are in, and JFilm Pittsburgh is a hit. In fact, the Pittsburgh Jewish film festival, celebrating its 30th anniversary, is more than a blockbuster — it’s a classic.

Film Pittsburgh Executive Director Kathryn Spitz Cohan, who’s sat in the director’s chair since 2001, said she wasn’t thinking about a 30-year anniversary when she took the helm 22 years ago.

“I have to say, it’s one of my proudest achievements to make it to 30 years old,” Spitz Cohan said. “With everything the film industry has been through, it’s pretty amazing.”

She attributes the festival’s staying power to one factor: Pittsburgh’s Jewish community.

“We would not be here and have the stature that we have in the Jewish film festival world if it were not for the Jewish community of Pittsburgh,” she said. “I believe that with all my heart.”

Spitz Cohan said she’s also proud of the work done at Film Pittsburgh — which, in addition to JFilm, runs the Three Rivers Film Festival, Pittsburgh Shorts and ReelAbilities — to bring the world closer and more connected through independent film.

“JFilm, though, is our foundation,” she said.

Spitz Cohan is quick to note that the festival is the result of numerous relationships, including those with the sponsors that support JFilm, the employees who work behind the scenes, the volunteers who help with each film’s showing and those making the selections each year.

Collaboration, she explained, is part of JFilm’s DNA.

That collaboration now stretches across Pittsburgh and includes three theaters: AMC Waterfront in Homestead, The Oaks Theater in Oakmont and McConomy Auditorium at Carnegie Mellon University. JFilm also will feature four films virtually, a remnant of the lingering effects of COVID-19.

The mix of theaters, Spitz Cohan said, is a result of JFilm losing its home when the SouthSide Works Cinema closed in 2020.

The pandemic was another challenge the festival had to overcome, forcing the cancellation of in-person events. Instead, JFilm offered short Jewish-themed films to movie lovers

This year, the 11-day festival takes place April 20-30 and showcases Jewish-themed, independent feature films. The festival will screen 20 films in person, including two world premieres and a North American premiere, Spitz Cohan said. The lineup, announced March 30, will feature several events celebrating JFilm’s 30th anniversary including:

• A special 30th-anniversary bash at Bravo! Italian Kitchen across from the AMC Waterfront on the festival’s opening night

• Conversations with visiting filmmakers

• Film Schmoozes, in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s Jewish Studies Program, which feature casual conversations after a film’s screening.

• A bagel brunch before one special film JFilm will include the world premiere of “The Cure for Hate,” about anti-hate activist Tony McAleer, who Spitz Cohan met at the 2022 Eradicate Hate Global Summit in Pittsburgh; the international premiere of “Our Story”; and the North American premiere of “Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul,” about the founder of Warner Bros. Studios. Warner lived in Youngstown, Ohio, and opened his first movie theater in New Castle, Pennsylvania.

One of the Film Schmoozes will follow a screening of “Cinema Sabaya,” Israel’s submission to the Academy Awards. The festival

will also include a conversation after the film “Finding Light” about the ballet “Light/The Holocaust & Humanity Project,” on which the film is based. The discussion will include the film’s director, Paul Michael Bloodgood, who was a dancer in the original production of the ballet, choreographer Steven Mills and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Adam W. McKinney. PBT is including “Light” as part of its 2023 season.

Spitz Cohan credited the founders of the JFilm Festival and the community that helps make it a reality each year, and said she’s grateful for the financial support JFilm receives from individuals and organizations, including the Arthur J. and Betty F. Diskin Cultural Endowment Fund through the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

Federation President and CEO Jeff Finkelstein said he’s pleased with what the festival has become.

“JFilm began at the Jewish Federation; since then, it has grown and blossomed, engaging so many in our community through Jewish cultural arts,” he said. “We are proud to continue our support.”

Spitz-Cohen anticipates having a permanent home for the the festival by its 35th anniversary. To see the festival’s lineup of films, visit filmpittsburgh.org/pages/jfilm. PJC

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

p JFilm logo Image courtesy of JFilm

Torah Celebrations

Bar Mitzvah

Ori Adiel Shear, son of Judith and John Shear, became a bar mitzvah on Nov. 5, 2022. Ori is the older brother of Tali and the grandson of Barbara and Herb Shear of Pittsburgh, Janice and Robert Stewart, and Kirsten Kohlmeyer and Gary Yarkony. Ori is in seventh grade at Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School in Chicago, Illinois, where he is on the basketball team. Ori also plays on the Chicago Stallions hockey team and the Junkyard Dogs Lacrosse team. Ori loves traveling, spending time with his family and friends and attending Camp Horseshoe in the summer. Ori celebrated his bar mitzvah with his family and friends at Morgan Manufacturing in Chicago.

Bat Mitzvah

Juliana Eve Wright, daughter of Hilary Shapiro-Wright and Zackary Wright, will celebrate her bat mitzvah on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at Congregation Kol Tikvah in Parkland, Florida. Juliana is the granddaughter of Tobie Shapiro of Pittsburgh, and the late Sanford Shapiro and Esther Wiltfong of Flint, Michigan, and Wayne Taylor or Beulah, Michigan. Juliana is a seventh grade honor roll student at Westglades Middle School. She enjoys musical theater, drama and tennis. She loves animals and completed her mitzvah project collecting pet supplies for the Broward County Humane Society.

Engagement

Lauren and Alan Mallinger are thrilled to announce the engagement of their daughter Amy Mallinger to Thomas Pulice, son of Charles Pulice of Warren, Ohio, and the late Elizabeth Christoff of Youngstown, Ohio. The couple plans to be wed in the near future. PJC

The inner eternal flame

Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel

Walk into many synagogues, and you will find a small light fixture hanging just in front of the Aron Kodesh (the Holy Ark where the Torahs are housed). The bulb in that fixture is always on. Twenty-four hours a day, every day, always. It is called the “Aish Tamid” — the eternal flame.

The source for this common but not universal custom is a mitzvah in this week’s Parshah. G-d commands Israel to keep a flame burning continuously on the Mishkan’s outer altar. In the Torah’s words, “An eternal flame shall burn on the altar; do not put it out.”

Without a Mishkan, a Holy Temple or an altar, this mitzvah is temporarily impractical. We eagerly await the coming of Moshiach and the return of many of the mitzvot, the Aish Tamid included. Until then, for many of us, those words evoke an image of a soft, flickering light, a fixture in shul, always on, never out.

But a modern application of the mitzvah of

Maggid of Mezritch, disciple and successor of the Baal Shem Tov, interpreted the words “do not put it out” as “Put out the ‘not.’”

The eternal flame will extinguish the “no,” the nagging negativity that holds us back from immersing joyously and completely in our Jewish identity and tradition.

And this is where Amalek comes in.

Amalek attacked the Israelites as they marched out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, leaving the mighty Egyptian armies in pieces. The world trembled in awe of Israel at that time. G-d’s protection was palpable and undeniable. The greatest kings and warriors shuddered at the thought of the Israelites heading their way. And while the world quaked in fearful respect, what did Amalek do? They said, “Aw, who cares?” and attacked Israel. They knew they would be crushed, but they couldn’t resist the opportunity to make a dent in Israel’s esteem. They weren’t out to prove that Israel could be beaten, only that they weren’t untouchable.

In modern terms, this attitude is one that seeks to sow skepticism wherever holy excitement takes root. This particular unholy energy is not out to defeat goodness and kindness, only to rob them of their confidence

Aish Tamid can mean far more than a pretty light fixture. In fact, the idea it represents and the challenge it presents to each of us is one of the support beams of Jewish life and observance.

One of the great achievements of the teachings of Chassidut is the marvelous, emotional revival of many of the Torah’s dormant mitzvot. Impractical as they may be in their original, physical form, they are still very much alive in alternative forms — forms as true to the original Divine intent as the physical act.

Two great and related examples are the mitzvah of Aish Tamid and the mitzvah to wipe out the nation of Amalek. Let’s take a look at them, one at a time, through the lenses of Chassidic wisdom.

Taking a cue from the fact that G-d asks for the Mishkan by requesting a place where He might “Dwell in them,” as opposed to the expected “Dwell in it,” Chassidut teaches that G-d considers the Mishkan to be a symbol of the people — and each of the people, a spiritual Mishkan. He wishes to dwell in the Mishkan and also in each of us. Each detail of the Mishkan, then, indicates an aspect of the human form, and the flaming altar is the warm heart.

When G-d asks for a flame to be burning nonstop on the altar, He is also asking us to keep a fire burning in our hearts nonstop. He is asking for both passion and consistency. Keep the fire going, and keep it going without a break. Although constant passion may seem like a paradox, it wouldn’t be the first time G-d asked the impossible of us; and with faith, it can be done.

And when it is done, a great accomplishment awaits. “An eternal flame shall burn on the altar; do not put it out.” The great and holy

and momentum. It’s not that it isn’t good to be good, Amalek reasons; it just isn’t that important. It can wait. It can be a different time. It can be a different way. It doesn’t have to be. No big deal.

How does one overcome the draining and discouraging effect of such scorn and derision? How does energetic optimism survive this brand of chilling negativity? When everything good and holy inside us is shouting “Yes!” and that annoying voice drawls, “Nah,” what then?

Aish Tamid is the answer. Amalek’s chill may be a formidable icicle, maybe even an iceberg, but with enough persistence and consistency, the eternal flame brings a thaw, then a drip, then a complete collapse. The consistent, energetic, optimistic warmth of the Aish Tamid will always, eventually, melt cold negativity.

This is the power of the inner Aish Tamid It may not be as easy and as pretty as the light fixture version, but it has transformative power. And it can be employed at any time, and especially in the performance of a mitzvah or in the process of prayer. Instead of dispassionate discharging of religious duty, light a fire under your soul and pour your heart into the mitzvah or the prayer. Cancel the cold and bring on the heat. Good, old Chassidic warmth will always send inner doubts ducking for cover. A sour face is no match for a warm heart.

“An eternal flame shall burn on the altar; it will put out the ‘No.’” PJC

Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel is executive director of The Aleph Institute – North East Region. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh.

Parshat Tzav Leviticus 60:1 – 8:36

In the Torah’s words, “An eternal flame shall burn on the altar; do not put it out.”

Obituaries

GOLDSTEIN: Richard S. Goldstein, age 83, of Mt Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Son of Philip and Betty Goldstein, father of Philip Goldstein, Sarah Goldstein, Rachel Amdur (Brett) and Laura Leedham (Matt), and grand father of Jeremy and Haley Amdur. Richard grew up in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh with his brother, Alan, and two sisters, Sheila and Judy. He began his career delivering prescriptions by bicycle for Schiller’s Pharmacy and working at the soda fountain. His brother and sisters also had jobs at the pharmacy. Richard graduated from Peabody High School and the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. He worked as a pharmacist and store owner in Mt. Lebanon for many years. The staff at his pharmacy always felt like a family affair (including actual family members much of the time). Richard was a Boy Scout leader in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Maybe his troop wasn’t so precise about uniforms. But Richard guided them to take safety and merit badges seriously and to have fun scouting. Many of his scouts are still friends with each other today. Richard loved jazz music and had passionate intellectual interests throughout his life in many areas of science, history, genealogy and Jewish studies. He avidly participated in study programs at Chabad for many years. Graveside services and interment were held at West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. Those remembering Richard are invited to donate to the charity of their choice or to one of the organizations suggested below: Children’s Defense Fund (childrensdefense.org/about-cdf ), Juvenile Law Center (jlc.org/), or Chabad of the South Hills (chabadsh.com/donate). Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

MALLINGER: Ann Mallinger passed away peacefully, almost entering her 100th year, on March 15, 2023. She was attended by her beloved daughter, Gayle Mallinger Ursetta. Ann was born in Pittsburgh’s Hill District to Aaron and Sadie Cohen on April 2, 1923. She was the youngest of three children (brothers, Abraham and Hyman). She is survived by her children, Stephen Mark Mallinger and Gayle Mallinger Ursetta (Daniel V. Ursetta). Ann was an excellent student and graduated with honors from Fifth Avenue School. During World War II, Ann worked as a legal secretary in Homestead. That was the time she met and married the love of her life, Emanuel (Manny) Mallinger, for the next 57 years. From their first apartment in Oakland, they moved to Highland Park, where both children were raised. After they retired and their children were on their own, Ann and Manny returned to Oakland. Following Manny’s illness and demise, Ann eventually moved into assisted living at Schenley Gardens, where she was a favorite of the staff for nine years. Extra special thanks to caregivers, Maureen and Jerry, for their exceptional care. After managing her home and raising a family including her beloved boxers, she also had a career as a child labor investigator, where she became an authority on Pennsylvania’s child labor laws. Ann was a Democratic Committee woman for more than 30 years, finalizing her political career as vice chair of the 11th Ward. She loved opera, reading, baking and mahjong. She especially enjoyed travel, and with Manny visited Texas, Europe and Israel. Burial services were held on Friday, March 17, 2023, at the Torah Chaim Cemetery. Shiva was held at Mr. Mallinger’s home. Professional services trusted to D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory, Ltd., Lawrenceville. dalessandroltd.com

MOIDEL: Marjorie C. Moidel, age 94, passed away on March 25, 2023. She was born on May 25, 1928, in Pittsburgh, to Philip and Ruth (Silverman) Cohen. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Sherman Cohen, and her husband, Melvin Moidel. She is survived by her children, Robert and Deborah (Weiss), Alan and Gaby (Shill) and Gary and Deborah (Kaufman), six grandchildren, Ellen, Joseph, Laura, Alexis, Rachel and Lisa, and nine great-grandchildren. Marjorie

CHANGE OF NAME

David J. Slesnick, Esq., 310 Grant Street, # 1220 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-471-4882 • djslesnick@yahoo.com

IN the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: No. 0023-001876

In re petition of for change of name to John Joseph Emes, Jr. Jack Joseph Emes

To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the ling of said petition and xed the 17th day of April, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, PA, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for.

grew up in Pittsburgh, graduating from Taylor Allderdice High School and attending Carnegie Mellon University. She married Melvin in 1948, and they lived in the Pittsburgh suburb of Eastmont from 1953 until they relocated to Coconut Creek, Florida, in 2005. For 70 years she was a member of Na’amat (formerly Pioneer Women), a charitable organization that supports women’s, children’s and family services in Israel. During her tenure in Na’amat, she served as president of the Pittsburgh Council, the national board of directors and the public relations director for the southeast Florida region. She also chaired international conventions in Israel for the organization and has a plaque posted on a day care center in Israel honoring her. She also found time to work as a travel agent for a Pittsburgh-area agency for many years, which afforded her the opportunity to travel to Europe and the Caribbean many times. She relocated to the Philadelphia suburb of Dresher almost four years ago to be near her family. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Shaare Torah Cemetery. schugar.com

WEINER: Claire Elaine Weiner ( née Arnowitz), age 88, of Squirrel Hill, passed away peacefully with her children by her side on Friday, March 24, 2023. Born in Pittsburgh, Claire was the beloved daughter of the late Herman and Ida Arnowitz. She was the cherished mother of Ira, Jeffrey (Linda) and Barbara (Laurie) Weiner. She was the sister of Roslyn Arnowitz (late), William Arnowitz (late), Wilma Yahr (late), and Mayer (Joyce) Arnowitz. Claire had three grandchildren that she adored, Marti, Brooke and Noah Weiner. She was a graduate of Taylor Allderdice in 1952, where she was a member of the Phi Epsilon sorority, whose sisters became her lifelong friends. Claire had a special relationship with her many nieces, nephews and cousins with whom she had regular contact. She was an avid reader of suspense and murder mysteries. Claire’s family will be forever grateful for the tender care she received from both Sivitz Hospice as well as the nurses and caregivers from Juniper Village. If desired, donations in Claire’s memory can be made to support the Bookmobile program at ACLA Mobile Services (Bookmobile), 1301 Beaver Ave. #101, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. Professional services trusted to D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory, Ltd., Lawrenceville. dalessandroltd.com PJC

Notable Burial: Rabbi Daniel Lowy

From a boyhood in the Bronx to US Navy service in the South Paci c to an extended and valued rabbinic career to an 18 day trip down the Yangtze River, Rabbi Daniel Lowy’s life was a full one. He prided himself on being a small town rabbi, feeling he could have more impact. Following his 1953 ordination from the Hebrew Union College he served most notably in Cumberland, Maryland where he met and married Johnstown native Zelda Sacks, in Washington, Pa., and in Wheeling, 1976-1997.

e longest serving spiritual leader in Wheeling history, Rabbi Lowy served the community well. He doubled as the chaplain at the Ohio Valley Medical Center, and even found time to teach comparative religion at area seminaries. At Temple Shalom, this versatile rabbi was a one man impresario at Hanukkah and Purim, designing stage sets and playing the piano, all while inspiring the Jewish youth. Devoted to ecumenism and to community involvement, Rabbi Lowy was a founding member of the Wheeling Human Rights Commission.

His retirement included world travel, an occasional pulpit somewhere in the Tri-State area for the High Holy Days, and writing. Passing away in 2010 at the age of 85, Rabbi Daniel Lowy is buried in Rodef Sholom Cemetery, Johnstown.

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

following: A gift from ... In memory of...

Life & Culture

A whimsical Passover tale for kids

Lynne Gottesman & Debra Ritt

Stanley & Nikol Marks

Ted Pinsker

Mr & Mrs Arthur Pollock & Family

Mr & Mrs Arthur Pollock & Family

Richard, Mindy, & Logan Stadler

Mena Shapiro

— BOOKS —

Anew children’s book by local author

Karl Zlotnik

Norma Stockman

Isadore M Pollock

Samuel Davidson

Harry Saxen

Melvin S Shapiro

Joel Smalley Anna Blitz

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

THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS —

Sunday April 2: Beatrice Alter, Celia Apple, Annette L Smith Bergsman, Helen Harris Berman, Richard

W. Brown, Eva Diamond, Mervin B Feldman, Florence Glick, Gertrude N Ho man, Nathan H. Isaacs, Sophia E Israel, Dora Jacobson, David Kalson, Louis Meyer, Marlene Pearl Rosen, Morris Schwartz, Nettie Silverberg, Leon Spiegel

Monday April 3: Steven Beck, Goldie R Broida, Irving Cowen, Nathan A Davis, Abraham Glanz, Ruben

Heller, George Lurie, Jr , Ruth G Martin, Hyman Miller, Roberta Morrison, Catherine Neiman, Louis

Plesset, Jennie Volkin

Tuesday April 4: Freda Berkovitz, Dr Albert B Berkowitz, Ida Cohen, Freda Gordon, Milton Kelsky, Rosa Klawansky, Esther Kramer, Rosalind Light Kraus, Isadore M Pollock, Ruth Rosenstein, Julius A Rudolph, Jacob Segal, Leonard Herbert Shiner, Mel Weinberg, Meyer Young, Helen Ze

Wednesday April 5: George Apple, Sam Astrov, Morris A Berman, Gerda Bloch, Nathan Breakstone, Dorothy L Fisher, Bennie Ginsburg, David Philip Gold, Morris H Goldenson, Saul Katz, Louis K Landau, Sara Gluck Lewinter, Abe Mallinger, Jan Steuer Mandell, Eva Perlow, William Wolf Shamberg, Ida R Thompson

Thursday April 6: Jacob Barniker, Gary Allen Braunstein, Rubin Dafner, Ida Dobkin, William Glick, Esther Gottesman, Sara R Levy, Louis Nathan Morris, Rose Myers, Harry Saxen, Rebecca Schulman, Melvin Sherman Shapiro, Libby Sherman, George Simon, Freeda Solomon, Robert Charles Solomon

Friday April 7: Rae E Abady, J Bernard Block, Cernie Caplan, Sol Fox, Philip Hanauer, Sr Herbert E Hirsh, E Abe Keizler, Samuel L Krauss, Edith Tanzer Levendorf, Luella Mattes, Louis N Miller, Esther Unitan, Harry Weisberger, Aaron Weiss

Saturday April 8: Bertram I Adler, Pearl Braun, Louis Cohen, Joseph Cooper, Samuel Davidson, Adolph Edlis, Erwin R Glick, Bernard Gold, Saul Goldberg, Mildred Winer Grossman, Flora Klein, Jennie Peetler Kliman, Julius Lebovitz, Sophie Ida Meyers, Oscar Radin, Sadie Reznik, Marcus P Rose, Ben Rothman, Jacob C Tanur, Dora C Weiss, Mollie Weiss, Mary Zoni

Judy Press was published just in time for Passover.

“Pirate Passover” (Kar-Ben Publishing, Feb. 2023) tells the story of Pirates preparing to celebrate Passover at sea.

“When a storm sends the ship rocking and the matzah balls rolling into the sea, the pirates are washed ashore. Not to worry. The brave captain leads the pirates to a house with an open door where everyone enjoys the seder,” according to the book’s promotional materials.

Judy Press studied fine arts at Syracuse University and earned a master’s in art education from the University of Pittsburgh. She is the creator of a dozen award‐winning children’s art activity books and early-reader chapter books.

She is also a grandmother of 10.

“Pirate Passover” is illustrated by Amanda Gulliver, who lives in the United Kingdom.

Publisher’s Weekly said, “Press’s premise is whimsical, while round-headed, bright-eyed characters from Gulliver appear thoroughly earnest, impressing upon readers how observance and tradition persist no matter the circumstances.”

The book can be purchased at karben.com. PJC

Toby Tabachnick

Publishes April 21 • Ad Deadline April 12

We invite you to help the Chronicle commemorate Israel’s first 75 years in a special feature section to be published April 21. Through photos, stories and opinions, the section will highlight the Jewish state’s challenges and accomplishments, its resilience and innovation, its art, food and of course, its people. Join us in celebrating the miracle of the Jewish state!

Real Estate

Smith-Rosenthal Team

Jason A. Smith & Caryn Rosenthal

Jason: 412-969-2930 | Caryn: 412-389-1695

Jasonasmith@howardhanna.com

Carynrosenthal@howardhanna.com

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.

OAKLAND - $300,000

Dithridge House

New listing. 2 bedroom 2 bath on the 11th floor with a closed in balcony with a great view. Balcony can be used year round.Building has many amenities. Guest Room, Party Room, Meeting Room, Pool, Guest Suites, Meeting Room, Outdoor Guest Parking, Valet Parking etc.

LAWRENCEVILLE - $620,000 - MOTIVATED SELLERS - PENDING

721 53rd Street

Sherri Mayer, Realtor Squirrel Hill Office

C: 412-760-0412

O: 412-421-9121x225

sherrimayer@howardhanna.com HowardHanna.com

A stunning Lawrenceville home o ers 4 levels of luxurious finishes and unparalleled city views. The dazzling hardwood floors and an open-concept layout make living and entertaining easy. The kitchen is a chef’s paradise with stainless steel appliances, Glacier White Quartz countertops, a large island with seating, and crisp white kitchen cabinets elevated with a pop of color from the handmade backsplash tiles and mosaic inlays. Three spacious bedrooms, 3.5 contemporary-styled baths, and thoughtful storage throughout. The top-floor bonus room features French doors to a private balcony with exceptional vistas of downtown and beyond. Enjoy the convenience of dedicated 2-car garage parking equipped with an EV charging outlet. Convenient to public transportation, the Universities, Hospitals, High-Tech corridors, restaurants and shopping. LERTA Tax Abatement.

Community

Installation at Temple Sinai

Temple Sinai installed Rabbi Dan Fellman and Cantor David Reinwald during a weekend of festivities. Along with dinner and a special Friday night service, congregants enjoyed a Saturday evening concert and a tikkun olam program on food insecurity where participants made 150 lunches for Light of Life Rescue Mission.

make 150 bagged lunches for Light of

Baruch Habah

For the first time in three years, Diller Teen Fellows hosted the Annual Jewish Community Mifgash. Twenty Israeli teens from Pittsburgh’s Partnership2Gether community of Karmiel

Plants are everything

During a special after-hours tour of Phipps Conservatory, Boaz Frankel related how plants are more than mere building blocks of gardens. Through stories, imagery and

p Next Dor students

Life.

p Welcome to Pittsburgh! Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

p Another moment in the dramatic history of plants Photo by Adam Reinherz

p Rabbi Dan Fellman and Temple Sinai President Alison Yazer

p Sue Berman Kress with a special installation challah

p From left: Rabbi Dan Fellman and Cantor David Reinwald Photos courtesy of Lynn Rubenson