Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 4-5-24

Antisemitic incidents continue locally post-Oct. 7

According to the Anti-Defamation League, in just the first three months after Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel, 3,291 antisemitic incidents were reported in the United States. The number represents a 361% increase compared to the same period the previous year.

Pittsburgh wasn’t spared from the recent rash of hate. On Oct. 31, residents of Summerset at Frick Park awoke to antisemitic graffiti covering their sidewalks, benches and a gazebo.

Beginning shortly after the start of the war, rallies in Oakland sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace and other groups critical of Israel included the chanting of antisemitic and anti-Zionist slogans.

Toward the end of October, community members’ signs in support of Israel were vandalized with graffiti and a wall at Allderdice High School was defaced with anti-Israel language.

On the commemoration of Kristallnacht, a vandal attempted to smash the windows of a local Jewish-owned business, and when those attempts were unsuccessful, the perpetrator broke the windows of a company truck parked nearby.

Yeshiva students and members of the Lubavitch community have been a constant

Gaza to dismantle the terrorist group Hamas.

Other incidents, like the recent vote by the Allegheny County Council on a ceasefire resolution, have left many in the Jewish community feeling unsupported by some elected officials and anxious because of public comments containing antisemitic tropes and claims that Hamas’ brutal acts on Oct. 7 didn’t happen. (The resolution did not pass.)

In the most recent spate of antisemitic activity, several yard signs in Squirrel Hill reading “We Stand with Israel” were defaced with red handprints.

The symbol is similar to pins created by Artists4Ceasfire and worn at the Oscars by some celebrities, including Billie Ellish and Mark Ruffalo.

In a press release, the group said, “The pin symbolizes collective support for an immediate and permanent cease-fire, the release of all the hostages and for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.”

While the organization’s website claims the pin was designed out of an urgency to save lives, others have pointed to a more nefarious background for the symbol, going back to the second Intifada.

In 2000, two Israeli soldiers took a wrong turn on their way to an IDF base and were

Ads, accusations and AIPAC: District 12 primary update

By Toby Tabachnick |

As the April 23 Democratic primary approaches, the race for Pennsylvania’s 12th District House seat between incumbent Rep. Summer Lee and challenger Edgewood Borough Councilmember Bhavini Patel is heating up.

The Israel/Hamas war has been a prominent issue for both campaigns, although it is not the focus of either candidate’s ads airing now on television and digital platforms.

In Lee’s reelection ad, the freshman congresswoman emphasizes her work ethic and claims to have delivered $1.2 billion in federal funds to her community “while standing up to Republican extremism to make life better for all of us.”

But in a news release following the launch of Lee’s ad, Patel refuted the congresswoman’s claim to have delivered $1.2 billion to Western Pennsylvania, calling it a “billion-dollar lie,” and asserting that the bulk of that federal funding was in the works before Lee took office in 2023.

Patel’s televised ad seeks to portray Lee as an extremist who intends to “dismantle the Democratic party, undermine President Joe Biden and even wants to abolish the police.” Patel concludes by saying, “In the Trump era, Democrats have to stick together.”

Headlines

Israeli diplomat sits down with the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer

During a recent visit to Pittsburgh, Yuval Donio-Gideon, the consul for public diplomacy at the Israeli consulate in New York, sat down with the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. He spoke about Oct. 7, public calls for a cease-fire and what it means to win a war with the terrorist organization.

As part of his visit, Donio-Gideon screened a nearly 50-minute video of raw footage taken on Oct. 7 to invited local leaders. Israel is showing the video to select groups in an effort to combat the growing tide of antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and claims that the crimes committed by Hamas didn’t occur.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Why is there a need to validate that the terrorist attack happened?

We’re struggling with this phenomenon. It’s weird. We’ve seen atrocities and geno cide throughout the world many times, but what may be a bit unique about this one is the sharp contrast between the scope of the evidence and the scope of the denial. The terrorists filmed themselves and broadcast themselves live doing the horrible things they did. So, this relates in some way to the denial claims that we see.

Is it working? Are minds being changed?

I think yes. It depends on which audience. When people choose to lie to themselves, I can’t do anything to change that. But those who are not necessarily well educated and do wish to be presented with facts, those

tation, no context — just the raw footage and that is what makes it so powerful.

How do you change the minds of people who say the events of Oct. 7 never happened?

I don’t know if I’ll change them, but I think it’s important to reflect to them what their argument really is. It’s hard for me even to follow the logic. Let’s assume, from their perspective, that Israel is violating the human rights of Palestinians — then it’s OK to rape Israeli women? The Israelis have put Gaza in a siege, so it’s OK to burn alive Israeli babies? If that’s the argument, I don’t think anything I say will convince them. We should reflect about how ridiculous and morally twisted this perception is. If you can justify murdering babies or raping women, I don’t think we have much to elaborate about. Evil people always find a reason to justify

Last week the United Nations passed a resolution calling for a cease-fire. How does Israel respond?

First of all, I don’t think it’s useful for the purpose of trying to bring back the hostages or improve the situation. We already had a cease-fire on Oct. 6. There was no war. The reason there is a war is that there was a massacre on Oct. 7. Not only has been a massacre, but Hamas keeps saying again and again, “This was only the first time. We’ll do a second and third and fourth time.” I believe them. We have to see how we can prevent them from repeating the atrocities they did. That’s what any responsible country or state would do to defend its citizens. That’s the unwritten agreement between citizens and the state, that when you wake up in the morning or when you go to sleep in the evening, you don’t want to fear to wake up, seeing that barbarians crossed the border and kidnapped your kids from bed.

The second thing is, we still have 134 people in captivity — how do we bring them back? The issue is not that we’re against cease-fire. We didn’t choose this war. This

war was forced upon us by Hamas. We could easily reach a cease-fire: All that needs to be done is for the terrorists to put down their weapons and bring back the hostages. We’re not against a cease-fire, it just has to serve the purpose. A resolution that calls for a cease-fire without mentioning why we have war to begin with is futile. It doesn’t serve the Palestinians or the Israelis in any way. It’s only fuel to the terrorists.

Will Israel win this war with Hamas?

I think the way the Israeli government has defined the purpose of the war — to bring the hostages back home and to dismantle Hamas’ governing and military abilities — it doesn’t necessarily mean kill each and every last terrorist on the ground. But it means that you should eradicate Hamas as a functioning organ, both in the governing aspect and in the military aspects, as an army of terror. We will dismantle its ability to act in an orchestrated way and to carry out similar attacks. From that purpose, yes. I’m not saying it’s easy. I’ve been to several events speaking to thousands of people, and I’ve said it’s going to be a long war. If anyone says something differently, regrettably, that’s not what’s going to happen.

Hamas is an army of terror, well equipped, that prepared months, if not more, for this event. Second, they are mingled in with the civilian population. Third, the Israeli army has been very, very careful to try and minimize the collateral damage and try to surgically attack the terrorists while harming as little as possible people who are uninvolved. If we would go all out — the Israeli army is very strong, maybe the strongest in the Middle East — does anyone really assume that this war would last half a year?

Path of totality is leading locals to Ohio for April 8 eclipse

By Adam Reinherz | Senior Sta Writer

Brynna Trimble is driving to Ohio for the total solar eclipse on April 8. Where, specifically, she isn’t sure yet.

With the celestial event spanning 124 miles across the Buckeye State, the Community Day School educator said she plans on deciding the night before or even that Monday morning.

Trimble wants to see the eclipse in a park but said conditions will likely influence her final destination.

The National Weather Service is predicting “a bit more cloud cover” in areas including Cleveland.

Still, Trimble is headed to Ohio and hoping for a great experience.

In 2017, she and her friends drove to North Carolina to see the moon positioned between Earth and the sun. The trip took more than eight hours there and 12 hours back.

“It was like half the country leaving a concert at the same time,” Trimble said.

Between 150,000 and 575,000 people are expected to enter Ohio for the total solar eclipse, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

Squirrel Hill resident Ilana Kanal will be among the masses but said she’s driving to Cleveland on Sunday.

Kanal, along with her husband and children, will stay at her sister’s house and work remotely that Monday.

Around 3:15 p.m. on April 8, Kanal will go outdoors and spend a few minutes basking in the darkness.

“It’s a small effort to see something that happens so infrequently,” she said.

According to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the next time the city will be in the path of totality is 2444.

As a lead-up to next week’s trip, Kanal attended a webinar from Star-K, a Baltimorebased kosher certification agency, covering eclipse-related questions.

In 2017, the organization hosted a similar class and was asked whether a blessing is recited for an eclipse.

Although earthquakes, thunder and lightning are cause for blessing, “a bracha is not recited upon viewing a solar or lunar eclipse,” Star-K noted at the time.

The Rabbinical Assembly, an international association of Conservative rabbis, reached an alternative conclusion in 2017: One who witnesses an eclipse should “ideally” recite, “Blessed are You, God, Ruler of the Universe, whose power and strength fill the world.”

A general blessing of, “Blessed are You, God, Ruler of the Universe, who performs the work of creation,” is also acceptable, according to the group.

Cantor Regina Heit, director of education at Temple Sinai, said she’ll make a bracha upon seeing the eclipse — whether she’s standing in the parking lot of Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, Ohio, or somewhere en route.

“I say blessings all the time,” Heit said.

The Shadyside resident, who moved to Pittsburgh from Colorado two years ago, said she used to recite blessings on mountaintops when skiing.

“We should appreciate what we have on this earth,” she said. A total solar eclipse is a perfect opportunity to “appreciate the light that God gives us.”

Heit is traveling to Ohio on April 8 with her husband, their son, daughter-in-law and grandson for a two-day retreat.

“To see it with my family — to share that moment with three generations — that is way cool,” she said.

Classic Jewish leaders agree.

In 1927, students of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan joined the Lithuanian sage outside his yeshiva in Radin, Poland, for the total solar eclipse.

Rabbi Shmuel Pliskin, who later documented the experience, noted that Kagan told students

the evening before that it is “a mitzvah to see the sun eclipsed.”

To fulfill the precept, Kagan, who was called the Chofetz Chaim, rose early on the morning of the eclipse and prayed Shacharit “with the community at an earlier time than all other days,” Pliskin wrote. When the moon finally passed in front of the sun, Kagan donned a “special, triple thick, darkened pair of glasses.”

The importance of wearing protective eyewear cannot be overstated, according to Jason Lewin, chief marketing officer of American Paper Optics.

The Tennessee-based company makes eclipse glasses for NASA, has a partnership with Bill Nye the Science Guy and produced more than

1 million items for Warby Parker, Lewin said.

He encouraged people to acquire glasses from a “reputable vendor.”

Good glasses have certain qualities, Lewin continued: The manufacturer’s name and address are typically on one temple, and instructions are on the other temple.

“I know it seems simple, but if you get aspirin, you still have to look on the back [for] directions on when to take and why,” he said.

Along with name, address and instructions, reliable glasses contain information that the item meets the ISO 12312-2 international standard safety requirements. Finally, eclipse glasses produced by American Paper Optics have lenses that are silvery on the outside and black on the inside, Lewin said: These are “100,000 times darker than a regular pair of sunglasses” and block 100% of harmful ultraviolet and infrared rays and 99.999% of intense visible light.

Along with American Paper Optics, the American Astronomical Society lists several recommended sellers.

“We don’t want to cause panic,” but the takeaway, Lewin said, is that however people experience the eclipse, they should be cautious and thoughtful.

“This is the most bipartisan moment of 2024 — everybody’s out there rooting for the same thing — we’re not divided,” he said. “It’s like this one cool moment. Do it safely.” PJC

Adam

Photo by NASA/Aubrey Gemignani via Flickr at https://rb.gy/7f5sna

Jesse Sharrard named new director of Squirrel Hill Food Pantry

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

Jesse Sharrard developed his lifelong love of food growing up in western Massachusetts, working during his Tulane University undergraduate years in New Orleans and studying at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts.

But after moving to Pittsburgh in 2003 and serving food at LeMont, a five-star Mt. Washington restaurant with stunning views of the Golden Triangle, Sharrard started wondering how he could combine his love of food with his desire to help people.

In 2010, he began working in nutrition and food safety for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in Duquesne. And, on March 18, JFCS announced Sharrard as the new director of its Squirrel Hill Food Pantry.

“It was a natural growth,” said Sharrard, when asked about his transition from serving food to helping provide it to those in need. “I think I’ve got a lot of compassion for people and their circumstances, their need to eat and their need to feed their families.”

In addition to a strong background in culinary arts and his tenure at the Duquesne-based community food bank, Sharrard worked in nutrition education and food insecurity efforts at the Allegheny County Health Department and Community Kitchen Pittsburgh. At the latter, which is based on Hazelwood’s Flowers Avenue, Sharrard served as the director of education and programs.

His first day at the JFCS pantry, near the intersection of Hazelwood and Murray avenues, was March 11. He said he’s already thrilled by his can-do staff and volunteers.

“I’m excited by how energetic and dedicated the pantry staff are,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting to know the clientele, finding out what their needs are and finding new ways to help people through our work.”

Sharrard said he’s eager to learn how to more specifically address pantry visitors’ needs. Many, for example, are recent immigrants whose primary language is Russian. He has at least one staffer who’s bilingual but hopes to bring in additional bilingual volunteers.

“I’m hoping to connect with local dual English/Russian speakers to get them involved in the pantry efforts,” Sharrard said. “I’m looking forward to digging in and finding new ways to make sure Pittsburgh is welcoming to as many people as it can be.”

Sharrard continues to be inspired by food options — and food culture — in the Pittsburgh area, particularly in the fresh markets and specialty delis of the Strip District.

He hopes he can integrate some of that love into what JFCS does at its food pantry.

“You can make a fantastic meal with fairly simple ingredients,” Sharrard said. “At the pantry, we do everything we can to help as many people as we can.”

Sharrard is quickly winning high marks from members of JFCS’ leadership team.

“We are so fortunate to have someone with Jesse’s background and expertise joining us to lead the JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry,” said Jordan Golin, JFCS’ president and CEO. “We constantly look for innovative ways to support community members who are struggling, and we look forward to Jesse bringing his ideas and energy to our community.”

Sharrard, who is not Jewish, lives in Greenfield with his wife and their two children, ages 10 and 13.

As a trained chef, Sharrard said he still enjoys cooking and does it almost nightly for his family.

“I sometimes joke that I run a private restaurant,” he laughed.

Sharrard also loves his adopted hometown.

“The Strip District is still one of my favorite parts about Pittsburgh,” he said. “I also love the views, which are incredible and, of course, the sports teams. The history of everything gives Pittsburgh a unique feel, that it’s definitely someplace special.”

The food pantry is open five days a week, serving residents of the 15217 ZIP code — as well as people outside that ZIP code on an emergency-only basis. It offers extensive kosher and Halal options.

“We’re here,” Sharrard said, “and we’re ready to help.” PJC

Squirrel Hill Food Pantry hours can be found at jfcspgh.org/services/squirrelhill-food-pantry.

 Jesse Sharrard Photo courtesy of JFCS

Headlines

Tree of Life Inc. to get $1 million in federal funds for antisemitism curriculum

By JNS

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) succeeded in placing an earmark in the government funding legislation to provide $1 million to create what he described as enabling thousands of students to receive “the tools to disrupt hate.”

The Senate voted 74-24 at 2 a.m. on March 23 in favor of a federal spending bill that included funding to create a school curriculum to educate children and teens about discrimination and bigotry.

Tree of Life Inc. will receive the monies to develop the program’s content.

The organization emerged after the Oct. 27, 2018, shooting that left 11 Jewish worshippers from three congregations, most of them elderly, dead at the Tree of Life building. Tree of Life Inc. will

create a curriculum for K-12 students to teach how to identify and challenge antisemitism, in addition to other forms of identity-based bigotry.

All of Pennsylvania’s senators and congresspersons voted for the spending bill, save for one — Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) a member of the progressive “Squad” in the U.S. House of Representatives. PJC

Candace Wagner announces Socialist Workers Party candidacy for Pennsylvania’s 12th District House race

Candace Wagner, a hotel housekeeper and active member of the UNITE HERE union in Pittsburgh, is running as the Socialist Workers Party candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 12th District.

Originally from a small town in Prince Georges County, Maryland, Wagner traces her political activity to eighth grade, when she skipped school to hand out flyers opposing the U.S. war in Vietnam, according to a news release. She then “became inspired by the Black struggle and read Malcolm

X’s autobiography and saw film clips of his speeches. From Malcolm’s example, she decided that making a life working to change the world was the only thing that made sense.”

In 1973, she moved to New York City and joined the Young Socialist Alliance, the youth group affiliated with the Socialist Workers Party. Since then, she has engaged in efforts to respond to racism and in support of unions.

Wagner joined the Nov. 14 rally in Washington, D.C., “in support of Israel’s right to exist as a refuge for Jews and has joined local vigils demanding that Hamas’s hostages be released,” according to a news release. She also spoke before the Allegheny County Council in March, urging its members to vote against a resolution calling for Israel to cease its military operation in Gaza.

Wagner was the Socialist Workers Party candidate for governor of Pennsylvania in 2022.

In November’s general election, Wagner will likely face Republican James Hayes and the winner of the Democratic party’s April 23 primary, either incumbent Rep. Summer Lee or her challenger, Bhavini Patel. PJC

— Toby Tabachnick

www.pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

APPETIZERS

CHOPPED LIVER

GEFILTE FISH (COOKED)

SOUPS

CHICKEN SOUP

MATZO BALL

VEGETABLE SOUP

SALADS

CHAROSES

COLE SLAW

CUCUMBER SALAD

ISRAELI SALAD

SIDE DISHES

BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER

KUGEL

MATZO KUGEL

POTATO KUGEL

MATZO FARFEL

W/MUSHROOMS

OVEN BROWN POTATOES

MATZO STUFFING

TZIMMES

MAIN DISH

ROAST CHICKEN LEG

ROAST CHICKEN BREAST

APRICOT LEG

APRICOT BREAST

SHERRY MUSHROOM CHICKEN

BONELESS BREAST

ROAST TURKEY BREAST HALF

ROAST TURKEY LEG

(DRUM & THIGH)

BRISKET SINGLE

BEEF MEATBALLS

SWEET ’N SOUR

STUFFED CABBAGE

p Candace Wagner Courtesy of Candace Wagner

Photo by Adam Reinherz

Calendar

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

q SATURDAY, APRIL 6

Join Adat Shalom for a night of communitywide storytelling with Alan Olifson, award-winning humorist and commentator. Olifson will host “A Night of Stories” — the theme for this open mic event is “The Kindness of Strangers.” All adults are welcome — sharers and listeners. Refreshments served. $36. 7:30 p.m. Adat Shalom, 368 Guys Run Road, 15024. Pre-registration required by March 30, adatshalompgh.org.

q SATURDAYS, THURSDAYS, APRIL 6–MAY 9

The Healing with Nature Mosaic Project is designed to respond to the human experience of grief and loss through the healing power of nature and of creative expression. The six-week, 10-session program facilitated by mosaic artist Laura Jean McLaughlin will guide participants in the collective creation of a community mosaic mural, gathering shattered pieces together to tell a story of community healing and resilience. Saturdays, 1-3 p.m. Thursdays, 4-6 p.m. Frick Environmental Center, 2005 Beechwood Blvd. Registration required. 1027healingpartnership.org/healingwith-nature-mosaic-project.

q SUNDAY, APRIL 7

Join us Beth El Congregation in the South Hills for all-you-can-eat pancakes with your choice of toppings, eggs, potatoes and hot/cold beverages. Win raffle baskets and/or a 50/50 raffle. $12 for adults; $6 for children (5-12); free for those under 5. Buy tickets in advance at bethelcong.org, or at the Beth El office, or pay at the door. 9 a.m. 1900 Cochran Road. bethelcong.org.

q SUNDAY, APRIL 7–TUESDAY, APRIL 9

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle’s first-ever Big Nosh will be the biggest three-day celebration of Jewish food our community has ever seen. Enjoy klezmer music, Judaica and, most of all, a lot of great food. Take-out is also available via advance ordering on the Big Nosh website. Strictly kosher under the supervision of the Vaad Harabonim of Pittsburgh. 3-8 p.m. Congregation Beth Shalom, 5915 Beacon St. pjcbignosh.com.

q SUNDAYS, APRIL 7-DEC. 29

Chabad of Monroeville invites you to BLT (Bagel, Lox, Tefillin), an in-person tefillin club followed by breakfast. No prior experience necessary. Tefillin available for use. 9 a.m. 2715 Mosside Blvd. RSVP appreciated at chabad@jewishmonroeville.com jewishmonroeville.com/blt.

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

q MONDAY, APRIL 8

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Relations Council will host Bhavini Patel, a candidate running for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 12th District. Open to anyone in the community who wants to ask Patel a question. Registration required to attend in person. To attend online no registration is required. 7 p.m. 2000 Technology Drive. jewishpgh.org/event/coffeeand-conversations-with-bhavini-patel.

Join Chabad of the South Hills for Torah & Tea and a discussion of home organization with Rivka Saks. All attendees will be entered into a raffle for a selfcare package.7:30 p.m. 1700 Bower Hill Road. RSVP: batya@chabadsh.com.

q MONDAYS, APRIL 8–MAY 13

H. Arnold and Adrien B. Gefsky Community Scholar Rabbi Danny Schiff presents Torah 2. Understanding the Torah and what it asks of us is perhaps one of the most important things that a Jew can learn. In Torah 2, Schiff will explore the second half of Leviticus and all of Numbers and Deuteronomy. 9:30 a.m. $225. Zoom. jewishpgh.org/ event/torah-2-2/2023-10-09.

q MONDAYS, APRIL 8–DEC. 28

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

q TUESDAYS, APRIL 9–MAY 14

Understanding and explaining Israel’s current position requires knowledge of history. In the 10part course, A History of The Arab-Israel-Iran Conflict: All You Need to Know, Rabbi Danny Schiff will provide a full overview of the regional conflict that Israel has experienced over the last century. The cost of taking a course is never a barrier to participation. If price is an issue, please contact the organizer of this course so that we can make the cost comfortable for you. $145. 8 p.m. jewishpgh. org/series/history-of-the-arab-israel-iran-conflict.

q TUESDAYS, APRIL 9, 16, 23

Join JFCS for SPACE Training: Rethinking Parenting Anxious Kids, a four-part virtual interactive workshop for parents. Learn the principles of SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), an evidence-based treatment developed at Yale University. Walk away with concrete strategies for making simple shifts in your own behavior that can lead to significant changes in your children and ultimately create a more peaceful and cooperative household. This workshop is applicable for parents of kids in second through 12th grades. It is recommended that all parents/guardians attend the workshops together. Free. Noon. jfcspgh.org/spaceworkshop.

q WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10

Enjoy an hour of nourishment for the mind, body, and soul at Chabad of Squirrel Hills’ Ladies Lunch and Learn. Explore words of wisdom for the month of Nissan. Noon. $18. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/lunch.

Join Congregation Beth Shalom, Rodef Shalom Congregation and Temple Sinai for their Israel Speaker Series, a collaborative series with different points of view. Check the website for speakers, location and topics. $18 for all speakers; $10 for one session. 7:30 p.m. bethshalompgh.org/israelspeaker-series-first-session-is-monday-february-5.

q WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 10–MAY 15

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh virtually presents two Melton courses back-to-back: “Ethics” and Crossroads.” In “Ethics,” learn how Jewish teachings shed light on Jewish issues. “Crossroads” will present an emphasis on reclaiming the richness of Jewish history. 7 p.m. $300 for this 25-session series (book included). jewishpgh.org/series/meltonethics-crossroads.

q WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 10–DEC. 18

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.

q THURSDAY, APRIL 11

Create a beautiful resin tray with handles and enjoy champagne and sweet treats with Chabad of Squirrel Hill at Resin and Rose. $40. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/resin.

q THURSDAYS, APRIL 11, 18

Join Rabbi Amy Bardack and Dor Hadash member Charlie White for a morning Shabbat service study a nine-session, in-depth study of the structure and content of the siddur, with a focus on the prayers of Shabbat morning. 7:30 p.m. Free for members; $120 suggested donation for nonmembers. In-person with a virtual option. congregation dorhadash.shulcloud.com/event/class-on-shabbatmorning-services.html.

Bring your lunch and join Rabbi Jessica Locketz for Lunch Time Torah: Spring holiday edition

Learn about the spring holidays. Offered in person and online. 1 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. $54 for nonmembers. rodefshalom.org/lunch.

q SUNDAY, APRIL 14

14 Steps + 10 Plagues, 24 delicious kinds of ice cream. Enjoy 24 different flavors (some vegan options, too) at the Ice Cream Pre-Passover Seder sponsored by Tree of Life Congregation. The ice cream is kosher and generously supplied by Bruster’s of Squirrel Hill. Reservations by April 12 are recommended. 11 a.m. $5 in advance, $10 at the door. treeoflifepgh.org/ event/icecreamseder.

Join Chabad of the South Hills for a pop-up Jewish NY Deli. Order pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, potato knishes, matzo ball soup and Dr. Brown’s soda. Pre-order by April 11, pick-up April 14, from 3-6 p.m. 1701 McFarland Road. chabadsh.com/deli.

Join Chabad of the South Hills for Family Matzah Bake, an authentic matzah baking experience for the whole family including a matzah fondue bar and giant Passover I-SPY. Please reserve by April 5. 3:30 p.m. $10 per child (JDC families free of charge). chabadsh.com/matzahbake.

q MONDAY, APRIL 15

Justice David Wecht of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will be the featured speaker at "An American Jurist's Perspective," hosted by the Jewish Law Student Association at Duquesne University Kline School of Law. Justice Wecht will discuss the roots of Jew-hatred and share his experiences from his recent trip to Israel. Noon to 1 p.m. Kline School of Law, Room 203. A Zoom link is available by request; email Professor Rona Kaufman at kitchenr@duq.edu.

Join the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh for Whistleblowers Who Exposed The Holocaust Rafael Medoff and whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid will discuss the new nonfiction graphic novel “Whistleblowers: Four Who Fought to Expose the Holocaust.” A Zoom link will be provided closer to the event. Noon. Free. hcofpgh.org/event/ whistleblowers-who-exposed-the-holocaust.

q WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17

Join the Squirrel Hill AARP for their April meeting, open for all interested seniors. Speaker will be Stephen Och, a private client financial adviser who will speak on the pros and cons of private investments. Please bring individual snack packs of non-perishables to be donated to the homeless in Pittsburgh. For further information contact president, Marcia Kramer, at

412-656-5803. Refreshments will be served. 1 p.m. Rodef Shalom Congregation, Falk Library, 4905 Fifth Ave.

q WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 17; MAY 1, 15, 29; JUNE 26; JULY 10, 24; AUG. 7, 28; SEPT. 4, 18

Chabad of Monroeville invites you to spend an hour playing mahjong and other games. Play, shmooze, learn a word of the Torah, say a prayer for Israel, and, of course, nosh on some yummy treats. Free. 7 p.m. RSVP is required: SusanEBurgess@gmail.com, or text or call 412-295-1838. 2715 Mosside Blvd. jewishmonroeville.com/mahjong.

q WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 17, MAY 15, JUNE 19, JULY 17, AUG. 21, SEPT. 18, "OCT. 16, NOV. 20, DEC. 18

Join AgeWell for the Intergenerational Family Dynamics Discussion Group at JCC South Hills the third Wednesday of each month. Led by intergenerational specialist/presenter and educator Audree Schall. The group is geared toward anyone who has children, grandchildren, a spouse, siblings or parents. Whether you have family harmony or strife, these discussions are going to be thought-provoking, with tools to help build strong relationships and family unity. Free. 12:30 p.m.

q FRIDAY, APRIL 19

Join Rodef Shalom Cantor Toby Glaser for a 20-40 Kabbalat Shabbat. Get to know other Pittsburgh young Jewish professionals and close out the week with wine, refreshments and great company. Registration required. 9 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org.

q MONDAY, APRIL 22

Join Chabad of the South Hills for their Passover Seder. Enjoy gourmet Passover cuisine, handmade shmurah matzah and a meaningful and interactive seder. Register by April 15 for advanced pricing. Adults $65; Children $25. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. 7:30 p.m. 1701 McFarland Road. chabadsh.com/seder.

Celebrate the holiday of Passover with Chabad of Squirrel Hill at a community Passover Seder with the warm company of family and friends. 7:30 p.m. $25 adult/$15 child. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/seder.

q THURSDAY, MAY 2

Film Pittsburgh and The Arthur J. and Betty F. Diskin Cultural Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh present JFilm Festival’s Opening Night screening of: “Left Alone Rhapsody: The Musical Memoir of Pianist John Bayless,” followed by a dessert reception, live performance by John Bayless and questionand-answer with Bayless and director Stewart M. Schulman 7 p.m. Carnegie Musical Hall. $118. 4400 Forbes Ave. filmpittsburgh.org.

q THURSDAYS, May 2–DEC. 5

Join Beth El Congregation of the South Hills for Hope & Healing on Zoom the first Thursday of each month, a 30-minute program led by Rabbi Amy Greenbaum. Chant, breathe, pray for healing and seek peace. Call Beth El at 412-561-1168 to receive the Zoom link. 5:30 p.m. bethelcong.org.

q MONDAY, MAY 6

Join the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh for its annual Yom HaShoah Commemoration program honoring the victims of the Shoah, as well as survivors and their families, with readings, music and candle lightings. 7 p.m. Campbell Memorial Chapel, Chapel Hill Road, 15232. hcofpgh.org/event/ 2024-yom-hashoah-commemoration. PJC

Headlines

Major US Jewish groups object to federal security funding cuts

Seven major Jewish organizations that lobbied for federal security grants have decried $30.5 million in cuts to the program, JTA.org reported.

The cut from last year’s $305 million budgeted for the nonprofit security grant program, run through the Department of Homeland Security, comes as reports of antisemitic attacks and threats have risen during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

“These funds are not just grants; they are lifelines that have fortified vital institutions against hate and violence,” said the statement released on March 26 by the Jewish Federations of North America, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, Secure Community Network, Orthodox Union and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. “The security measures these funds have supported at Jewish facilities across the country have saved lives and prevented tragedy.”

The across-the-board cuts for the Department of Homeland Security came as part of a massive last-minute $1.2 trillion package negotiated by the Biden White House, the Democratic-led Senate and the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives.

Only 42% of the available $305 million was used last year, according to a statement last September by Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat who backs the program.

UK authorities investigating alleged mistreatment of Israeli Oct. 7 survivors by airport security

British authorities on March 25 said they were investigating an incident in which two Israeli survivors of the Oct. 7 attack were detained and harassed at the Manchester airport, JTA.org reported.

Brothers Daniel and Neriyah Sharabi told news outlets they were held by airport security for two hours after mentioning they had survived Hamas’ massacre at the Nova music festival on Oct. 7. They said one security guard told them, “I don’t want you to do here what you do in Gaza.”

The two had traveled to the United Kingdom at the invitation of a Chabad center and Jewish business council in the Manchester area to raise money for other survivors of the attacks.

James Cleverly, the U.K.’s Home Secretary, wrote on the social network X, formerly Twitter, that he had launched an investigation into the incident.

“We do not tolerate antisemitism or any form of discrimination,” Cleverly wrote in response to a request from the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region to look into the claims. “This incident will be handled in line with our disciplinary procedures.”

The brothers, who flew in from Brussels, were eventually released and allowed to enter the country.

Israeli government delays Haredi draft bill to address critics’ reservations

The Netanyahu government postponed a Cabinet meeting scheduled for March 26 to approve the draft of a bill dealing with haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, enlistment in the IDF due to

Today in Israeli History

April 8, 1960 — U.N. head protests

Egypt’s seizure of Cargo

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

April 5, 1999 — M-Systems patents USB flash drive

Kfar Saba-based M-Systems applies for a patent for the USB flash drive, which can store 8 megabytes, five times the memory of most floppy disks. IBM begins selling the drives after the patent is granted.

April 6, 1999 — IDF sends medical mission to Macedonia

An Israel Defense Forces 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.

April 7, 1973 — Israel finishes fourth in first Eurovision bid

Ilanit, Israel’s first entrant in the annual Eurovision Song Contest, finishes fourth out of 17 countries with “Ey-sham,” a dramatic ballad featuring “the garden of love.” Ilanit again represents Israel in 1977.

continued objections from the attorney general and other legal advisers, JNS.org reported.

The previous day, the government amended the proposal to address issues raised by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who said she could not defend the bill as written.

However, it was unlikely the one significant change made by the government — involving the age at which haredi men would be exempt from draft — would be far-reaching enough to win the attorney general’s support as other problems remained, mainly that the outline, in her view, rehashed arrangements that had already been disqualified by the High Court of Justice.

The attorney general also took issue with how the government arrived at the outline, saying it failed to seek “professional-factual” input from the “relevant government ministries.”

Largest Jewish publisher gets own ZIP code

Until now, Kehot Publication Society — the Jewish publishing house with the largest active catalog — has had its warehouses, distribution centers and administrative offices scattered across the New York tri-state area.

Now, with the recent acquisition of a 100,000square-foot facility in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in collaboration with Vaad Hanochos B’Lahak, the publisher will announce a new era by consolidating their oftentimes logistically challenging operations into one space.

The new facility once housed an online school and came replete with a printing press. The premises, which received and sent out so much mail under its previous tenants, even received its very own ZIP code, which remains to this day.

“Our growth in recent years made this move absolutely necessary,” said Rabbi Yosef B. Friedman, director of Kehot. “We’re not just relocating; we’re setting the stage for the next phase of growth in Jewish publishing.”

In its current 16,000-square-foot warehouse in Brooklyn, New York, Kehot was limited to what it could keep in stock.

Longtime AIPAC Director Howard Kohr announces retirement

Howard Kohr, the CEO who has led the powerhouse American Israel Public Affairs Committee since 1996, is set to retire by the end of this year, JTA.org reported.

Under Kohr’s leadership, AIPAC has traversed five presidencies and more than 10 Israeli elections. In that time, its budget and staff grew significantly as it has become one of the best-known and most powerful lobbies in Washington, D.C. During his tenure, the United States’ military aid to Israel increased to $3.8 billion per year, and AIPAC has been a leader in adding sanctions on Iran. In the last election cycle, 98% of the candidates its eponymous PAC endorsed won their races.

Kohr’s decades also saw their share of controversy, especially in recent years: There was an espionage scandal in which two of its former employees were ultimately vindicated; a bruising fight with President Barack Obama over the Iran nuclear deal, which passed over AIPAC’s objections; and the launch of political action committees aimed in part at stemming the rise of progressive Democrats who are outspoken critics of Israel. PJC

— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb

U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold for the first time publicly criticizes Egypt for confiscating Israeli cargo on ships using the Suez Canal. Israel conditioned its 1956 withdrawal from the Sinai on the freedom of navigation.

April 9, 1973 — Israeli commandos raid Beirut

Ehud Barak leads a successful seaborne commando raid on Beirut to kill three PLO officials connected to the Munich Olympics massacre: Mohammed Yousef al-Najjar, Kamal Adwan and Kamal Nasser.

April 10, 1974 — Meir resigns as prime minister

Prime Minister

Golda Meir resigns a month after forming Israel’s 16th government. Israel’s only female prime minister is reacting to the release of a critical report on why Israel was surprised in the Yom Kippur War.

April 11, 1909 — Tel Aviv is founded Sixty-six families gather on the dunes outside Jaffa to claim lots in the new neighborhood of Ahuzat Bayit (“Homestead”), marking the founding of Tel Aviv. White and gray seashells connect families to lots. PJC

Headlines

New exhibit purposely tells incomplete story of women’s history in Pittsburgh

By Adam Reinherz | Senior Sta Writer

A new exhibit aims to showcase and continue an often-forgotten story. On display at the Senator John Heinz History Center now through Oct. 6, “A Woman’s Place: How Women Shaped Pittsburgh” explores the lives of regional changemakers and pioneers.

Through historic photographs, videos and other artifacts, the 10,000-square-foot exhibit promotes “women who have made a difference in our community and in our nation,” History Center President and CEO Andy Masich said. “Too often, the stories of women have been overlooked in the annals of history, but we hope to flip the script with this exhibition.”

Aiding the enterprise are more than 300 objects, images and documents from the History Center’s collection.

Together, the pieces tell a “complicated” story,” Leslie Przybylek, senior curator, said. “Women’s history cannot be put into one or two small, neat little boxes … It’s not one thing. It’s not one role. It’s many roles.”

The exhibit features “barrier breakers and the people who really set milestones,” she added, but the stories of lesser-known individuals and groups are also told.

“I think our message throughout this is that

as women fought and struggled and debated their own issues — things related to their needs, families, neighborhoods — they also often made this a better place for everyone,” Przybylek said.

Several Jewish women and groups are prominently represented within the exhibit. Of note, a large wall contains a quote from Bertha Rauh.

“It has been my belief always that the first place for every woman is the home. Motherhood is her noblest function, but I believe that that idea is carried to a false conclusion when we insist that her last place is the home. I believe that the home in modern

life is no longer the place of four walls, but that it has stretched out until it articulates with every public function, whether that function be religious, social, philanthropic, charitable, industrial, economic, or civic,” Rauh told the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times in 1912.

The quote, which introduces exhibit attendees to a section exploring how women organized their own needs alongside communal demands, is telling, curator Emily Ruby said.

The early 1900s was a period when women like Rauh were out in the community “doing so much activism,” but those efforts often had to be couched in acceptable ways. With women

primarily relegated to the role of homemaker or caregiver, Rauh cleverly crafted her efforts by saying, “I see the home as something beyond these four walls and just stretching it out into the community,” Ruby said.

Along with the quote and photographs of Rauh, other materials demonstrate the contributions of local Jewish women and groups.

There are sculptures from Aaronel deRoy Gruber, the inauguration dress worn by Pittsburgh Mayor Sophie Masloff and organizational directories and cards detailing a rich history.

 Photographs of local Jewish activist Bertha Rauh are included in the exhibit. Photo by Adam Reinherz

 Membership directories and historic materials detail a rich history. Photo by Adam Reinherz

 Historic image from Children’s Aid Society of Jewish Women

Photo by Adam Reinherz

The

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By David Rullo | Senior Sta Writer

Jerry Cooper’s was the first bar mitzvah held at Temple Emanuel of South Hills after the Reform congregation was formed in 1951. His wife, Janet, might have been the oldest person to become a bat mitzvah there at the age of 69.

That changed during the Shabbat service on March 23.

The Coopers were in attendance as Laryn Finder, 94, wrapped in a new tallit given to her by her sons, stood on the bimah and celebrated becoming a bat mitzvah.

Finder and her husband, Moses, have been Temple Emanuel members since 1959. Over the decades, they’ve contributed to the temple community, raised three sons and spent thousands of hours in Torah study, at synagogue events, as volunteers for local nonprofit organizations like the League of Women Voters, and participating in the life cycle events of others.

With such a storied history of religious and civic activities, it could be argued that Finder had nothing to prove. And yet the nonagenarian spent recent days as many new teens have done for centuries: learning a Torah parshah and haftorah — including the correct trope in which to recite it — and writing a d’var Torah. She practiced with South Hills resident Bernice Natelson, listening to recordings the tutor made for the soon-to-be-celebrant.

All of this was done in what would have been an untenable learning environment for others, as Finder strove to disrupt her household as little as possible. She stole moments here and there to study when her husband was busy with other things, although she acknowledged during her bat mitzvah speech that Moses was forced to fend for supper alone a few times during the process.

And while Finder didn’t have to fret about

her voice changing in the middle of chanting, or an errant pimple, she still worried about not making mistakes and vocalizing the correct vowel in each word.

After completing what many would consider the hard part, Finder looked at those in attendance and said, “Well, I did it, only 81 years late!”

Finder did have the opportunity to become a bat mitzvah at the typical age all those decades ago. In fact, she said it was something her mother pushed because she would have been the first girl in her community to celebrate the life cycle event.

“I didn’t want to go in front of people,” she said. “I guess I was frightened.”

Finder said that by standing in front of the congregation and reading from the Torah she not only scratched an item from her bucket list — she was able to do it for her mother.

Remarkably, learning Hebrew wasn’t too difficult for the 94-year-old, who has loved the language since she was a little girl.

“I used to study with the rabbi in our town. I used to translate stories. I could read script. I was really well versed in Hebrew but lost it along the way,” she said. “When I started studying, it came easily. My Hebrew came right back.”

The impetus for Finder’s decision to celebrate her bat mitzvah came when Temple Emanuel announced it was starting an adult b’nai mitzvah class. Finder was interested but knew the group setting wouldn’t provide the motivation she needed to complete the trek.

“I felt like if I did it, I had to do it on my own,” she said. “I think I did a good job. I studied hard and I think I proved that if you really want to do something, you can.”

Finder’s three grown sons, Marc, Rick and Stuart, and generations of her family, including a great-grandchild, attended the celebration — something that meant as much to her as the service.

Headlines

Joseph Lieberman, centrist senator and first Jew on a major presidential ticket, dies at 82

By Ron Kampeas | JTA

Joseph Lieberman, a longtime senator from Connecticut who as Al Gore’s running mate in 2000 became the first Jewish member of a major presidential ticket, died Wednesday. He was 82.

A statement sent to former staffers and reported widely said Lieberman had suffered complications from a fall.

A moderate — some would say conservative — Democrat turned independent, Lieberman was known for his attempts to build bridges in an increasingly polarized Washington, sometimes losing old friends and allies along the way.

He also became one of the most visible role models for Jewish observance in high places, in contrast to the largely secular Jewish politicians who had preceded him on the public stage. In 2011, he wrote “The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath.” In it he wrote how on Friday nights he would walk the roughly four miles from the Capitol to his home in Georgetown after a late vote so as not to violate Shabbat — to the bemusement and admiration of Capitol police.

In announcing that he would not be running for reelection in 2012, Lieberman spoke in emotional terms about what it meant for the grandson of Jewish immigrants to be considered for a role just a heartbeat from the presidency.

“I can’t help but also think about my four grandparents and the journey they traveled more than a century ago,” he said. “Even they could not have dreamed that their grandson would end up a United States senator and, incidentally, a barrier-breaking candidate for vice president.”

That legacy, the first Jewish candidate on a major ticket, would be the Lieberman legacy to outlast all others, Ira Forman, the former director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, declared at the time.

“It was an electric moment,” Forman recalled of Gore’s choice of Lieberman in 2000. “It galvanized the feeling that everything is open to you.”

The pro-Israel lobby AIPAC memorialized Lieberman as “indefatigable in advancing pro-Israel policy and legislation.” He watched his onetime party drift away from his beloved Israel, and it pained him. Last week, in one of his last public statements, he excoriated Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Jewish senator from New York who called for new elections in Israel.

“Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last Thursday crossed a political red line that had never before been breached by a leader of his stature and never should be again,” Lieberman wrote in the Wall Street Journal.

Lieberman’s religious orientation also came in to play when he emerged as a voice of traditional values within a party that he feared had surrendered the moral high ground to Republicans.

In 1998, he delivered a floor speech excoriating President Bill Clinton for his affair with an intern, Monica Lewinsky. He called

ited with salvaging the presidency when the Senate subsequently rejected the U.S. House of Representatives’ impeachment. Through a Democrat’s excoriation of a Democratic president, Lieberman seemed to have punished Clinton enough.

Lieberman’s reputation for outreach to the other side defined his career in the Senate after he arrived in the body in 1989, having been elected after serving as Connecticut’s attorney general. His break with Democratic ranks in backing the first Persian Gulf War in 1991 helped him later in the decade, when he rallied Republicans to support Clinton’s military actions in Kosovo.

In 1992, when Clinton’s campaign was cold-shouldering Arab Americans, the community reached out to Lieberman, despite pronounced differences with him over Israeli-Palestinian issues, because of his reputation for fairness.

James Zogby, the president of the Arab American Institute, once recalled Lieberman’s outrage, and how after one phone call from the senator, Clinton’s headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas, abashedly opened its offices to Arabs.

11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when the Bush administration launched a political and diplomatic campaign to make the case for

Like many other Democrats, Lieberman steadfastly backed war. But while many of his Democratic colleagues came to regret their decision, he stuck by it, and even made it the centerpiece of his 2004 campaign for the presidency. He was bitter when Gore, who opposed the war, endorsed Howard Dean for president that year.

Lieberman’s adamant backing of the war led to an insurgency in Connecticut. Liberal Democrats descended on the state to back his anti-war opponent, Ned Lamont, helping him win the primary. It didn’t help that at this late stage, when the Iraq war’s failure had become conventional wisdom, Lieberman wrote an Op-Ed in The Wall Street Journal backing Bush’s strategies.

Establishment Democrats, including a freshman senator from Illinois named Barack Obama, supported Lieberman in the primary but could not see a way to support him once Lamont prevailed. Lieberman ran as an independent, and with the Republican Party refusing to back its candidate, he won with votes from the GOP and independents.

In that election, Jewish Democrats were torn between their loyalty to the party and to Lieberman. Notably, the National Jewish Democratic Council stayed out of the fight.

was Lieberman’s agreement to endorse McCain on the floor of the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. McCain even considered Lieberman as a possible running mate.

“He put himself in a position where his longtime supporters, particularly the hardcore Democrats who had supported him over the years, could no longer defend him,” Marvin Lender, who raised money for Lieberman in 2006, recalled in 2011. “I say that recognizing he was a very loyal person to his old friend, but he crossed over a line when he did that and disappointed a ton of people.”

After the election, Obama made it clear that he wanted Lieberman to stay on his side. That meant Lieberman maintained his chairmanship of the Homeland Security committee while caucusing with Democrats.

He still had a bridge or two left to burn: On health care reform — a signature issue for Jewish Democrats — Lieberman equivocated until the last minute, ultimately casting his vote in favor.

His relationship with Obama remained cordial but tense. Lieberman took the lead in criticizing Obama’s approach to Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking as overly confrontational when Obama met last May with Jewish lawmakers.

Lieberman maintained his fierce independence until the end. His career cap was a nod to his more liberal sensibilities, when in the final weeks of 2010 he earned kudos from liberals for enabling repeal in the Senate of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule that had made it impossible for gays to serve openly in the military. Gay activists did not fail to notice that Lieberman stuck out the vote, even though it was on Shabbat.

Yet that also was a bridge burner of sorts. When Lieberman a few nights later attended a Republican Jewish Coalition party celebrating the GOP’s win of the U.S. House of Representatives, at least one GOP donor to Lieberman’s 2006 campaign buttonholed him and said he would never again give him money because of his success in leading the “don’t ask” repeal.

Lieberman smiled, said he had to do what he had to do and left the party.

“Senator Lieberman is a true mensch and a great American,” the RJC said in a statement at the time. “He showed that it’s possible to have a successful political career while doing what you feel is right — even when what’s right is not what’s in your political best interests.”

That loyalty helped Lieberman capture a fourth term and proved he still had ties to the Democratic Party.

Joseph Isadore Lieberman was born in Stamford, Connecticut, the son of Henry, who ran a liquor store, and Marcia (née Manger). His paternal grandparents emigrated from Poland and his maternal grandparents were from Austria-Hungary. He became the first member of his family to graduate from college —

Yet it was at his very pinnacle — running for vice president — that signs emerged of how the subsequent decade would play out. He delivered an ineffective — some said even deferential — performance in his debate with Dick Cheney, George W. Bush’s running mate. And during the recount, he undercut one of Gore’s best arguments — questionable absentee ballots from the military — when he told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that they should be honored.

The real turning point came after the Sept.

But that bridge burned when he made it clear that he’d back his old friend Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the GOP candidate, in the 2008 election. Lieberman’s announcement led to a tense, whispered conversation with Obama on the Senate floor in which Obama reminded Lieberman of how he had made time to campaign for him against Lamont.

Particularly galling for Democrats

Last year he became a founding co-chair of No Labels, an independent group laying the groundwork to put a centrist “unity ticket” on the 2024 presidential ballot. After he wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed titled “No Labels Won’t Help Trump,” few Democrats were persuaded.

p Joseph Lieberman

Photo in pubic domain, via Wikimedia Commons

WE’RE SO PROUD TO BE PART OF JEWISH FOOD FESTIVAL

Thank you to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle for savoring traditions, cultivating connections and adding flavor to our Jewish community! jewishpgh.org

By Andrew Lapin | JTA

Two Philadelphia-area Conservative synagogues were vandalized in similar incidents over the past several days, the latest in a growing number of Jewish institutions to be targeted since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war six months ago.

The incidents prompted rebuke from Pennsylvania’s Jewish governor, Josh Shapiro, as well as from national figures including CNN anchor Jake Tapper, who is Jewish and had his bar mitzvah at one of the targeted synagogues.

That synagogue, Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El in the suburb of Wynnewood, had a banner expressing solidarity with Israel tagged with a swastika over the weekend. Another synagogue, Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel in Center City, had graffiti spray-painted on the sidewalk by its entrance last week.

But the prominence and proximity of these two synagogues made the recent inci-

“Last night someone spray painted a swastika at the synagogue where i was bar mitzvahed,” Tapper wrote on X Sunday.

It was the second time in as many weeks that Beth Hillel-Beth El’s Israel banner had been defaced. The first time the previous weekend, nondescript paint was splashed onto the banner, which reads, “Our Community Stands With Israel.” The community replaced the banner the next day and intends to do so again now that it’s been defaced for the second time, its senior rabbi told the Jewish

“Thank God the community is OK,” Rabbi Ethan Witkowsky said. “We’re shaken, but we’re strong and we’re healthy and safe.”

Security footage shows two women using stencils to spray-paint a phrase outside the synagogue. Andrew Goretsky, the Anti-Defamation League’s regional Philadelphia director, told JTA that the phrase was the disputed pro-Palestinian rallying cry “From the river to the sea,” which many Jews consider to be a call for the destruction of the state of Israel.

“As a Jewish person, when we hear ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,’ we hear a threat to half of the people in the entire world who share our identity,” Goretsky told local news outlets. Approximately half of the world’s Jewish population lives in Israel.

“This is the second message I’ve written like this in as many days. It’s two too many,” Shapiro wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Sunday while linking to a story about the Beth Hillel-Beth El graffiti. “Antisemitism and the vandalism of a house of worship of any kind have no place in this Commonwealth.”

Other Jewish institutions have been targeted across the country in the wake of the war, including in the Philadelphia region just weeks ago: “Free Gaza” graffiti was spraypainted on a Jewish-owned business in nearby Narberth on March 15. (The owner of the business is an Israeli who has relatives being held by Hamas in Gaza.) Last week, federal authorities also charged a West Michigan man with damaging religious property after he spray-painted swastikas onto a Chabad house in Kalamazoo in November and defaced a large menorah posted outside the center.

The synagogue’s leadership offered a more pointed rebuke of the graffiti on Facebook. “A swastika is not a commentary on the policies of the State of Israel, nor is it a sign of solidarity with Palestinians,” they wrote over the weekend. “It is a symbol of hatred and division.”

Leadership at Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel did not immediately return requests for comment. But local reports of that synagogue’s graffiti indicate that it was more explicitly connected to Israel than the Beth Hillel-Beth El case.

Authorities have not indicated whether they see the cases as connected. While Shapiro wrote on X that the Pennsylvania State Police is “coordinating with our law enforcement partners” on the incidents, a spokesperson for the state police told JTA that local authorities had rejected their offer of help and were handling each case in their own jurisdiction.

Regardless, local Jewish leaders told JTA they appreciated the broader shows of support.

“It is heartwarming to have our officials care about this,” Witkowsky told JTA. “In many ways I think that the great fear of our community is not that someone would paint a swastika on the sign. It’s that someone would paint a swastika on the sign, and no one would care.” PJC

sign being targeted in as many weeks.

Photo courtesy of Jada Eldrich

Headlines

Antisemitism:

Continued from page 1

arrested at a Palestinian Authority roadblock. When word reached thousands nearby in Ramallah attending the funeral of a teenager who was killed in clashes the IDF, the mourners stormed the police station, overwhelming the police and beat the soldiers to death.

One of the bodies was dropped from a second-floor window where the mob outside the building continued to beat the corpse.

A photo was captured of one of the mob in a police station window, showing his bloodstained hands to the crowd.

Other theories have emerged explaining the symbol’s origin, including that of the Red Hand of Ulster, the sign of the Red Hand Commandos, a paramilitary group in Northern Ireland, according to the St. Louis Jewish Light.

Whatever its origins, the red hands on the vandalized signs are viewed by many as another salvo in an increasing antisemitic campaign meant to make members of the Jewish community feel unsafe.

One community member, who asked to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, said they first noticed the defaced sign in their yard while walking their children to the bus stop.

“It was pretty hard to miss,” they said.

The sign, they said, was in the family’s

Primary:

Another ad promoting Patel, paid for by the Moderate PAC — which supports centrist Democrats — accuses Lee of having “an extreme socialist” agenda: “defunding the police; attacking President Biden; she even voted against raising the debt ceiling, risking America’s credit so she can become a media star of the far left.”

Lee’s campaign responded to that ad in a news release, citing the far-left news site The Intercept in describing the Moderate PAC as a “Super PAC funded exclusively by Pennsylvania’s richest Republican, Jeffrey Yass.” “Republican-funded Super PACs and their chosen candidate couldn’t stop us last cycle, and they won’t stop us this time either,” Lee wrote.

garden, which was close to their home — not near a sidewalk or in the middle of their yard — indicating that the perpetrator trespassed on their property.

The vandalism, they said, was not an act of civil disobedience; rather, it was an illegal act.

Two local politicians condemned the vandalism on social media.

Pittsburgh Controller Rachael Heisler linked to a Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle post on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “Do not look away. This is a threat to your Jewish neighbors.”

“Jewish families here in Pittsburgh deserve to live safely — and express themselves without the threat of violence.”

– BHAVINI PATEL

“It’s a sign of the continued increase in the brazenness of antisemitic attacks,” the community member said.

Another community member, who also asked to remain anonymous, jumped into action when he learned of the vandalism.

He had stockpiled a collection of the “We Stand With Israel” signs because he expected this type of activity, he said. When he saw the vandalism online and received texts detailing what had happened, he drove around Squirrel Hill, replacing the defaced signs with new ones.

“I told everyone, ‘If you know someone this has happened to, please let me know, and I’ll come right out and replace the signs,’” he said. “It was my connections and word-of-mouth.”

Edgewood Borough Councilmember Bhavini Patel, who is facing Rep. Summer Lee in this month’s Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 12th District House, also reposted the Chronicle’s story about the vandalism, writing: “Jewish families here in Pittsburgh deserve to live safely — and express themselves without the threat of violence.”

There have been 73 antisemitic incidents reported locally in 2024, more than three times the number reported from January through March last year, according to Shawn Brokos, director of community security for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

The defacement of the “We Stand With Israel” signs occurred over two days in Squirrel

In a December news release, Lee criticized another PAC. She wrote: “You may have heard: AIPAC (the right-wing Super PAC that elected **109** insurrectionists funded by the same Republican billionaires that bribed SCOTUS) has committed to spending a staggering $100 million to defeat the squad in 2024 primaries — and I’m their #1 target. Why? Because we represent voices and communities too often overlooked and unheard in Washington.”

While the United Democracy Project — an AIPAC-affiliated super PAC — spent about $1 million in the 2022 general election and about $3 million in the 2022 primary against Lee, it has not yet committed any funds in support of Patel this election cycle.

The UDP did, however, air two ads in the weeks after Hamas’ brutal invasion of Israel, calling out Lee for being one of only 10 members of Congress to vote against a resolution condemning the attack, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and more than 250 people kidnapped.

“Tell Summer Lee to stand with Israel,” a voiceover in that ad pleads.

On social media, Lee is promoting a new coalition formed last month called Reject AIPAC. The coalition is comprised of about 20 progressive organizations, including Justice Democrats, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, the Democratic Socialists of America, and Jewish Voice for Peace Action and IfNotNow Movement — both Jewish anti-Zionist organizations.

Reject AIPAC “promises a seven-figure ‘electoral defense campaign’ aimed at shoring up members of Congress, including Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12), who are targeted by the pro-Israel group,” Politics PA reported. “It also wants members of Congress to sign a pledge to not accept any more money from the organization — explicitly seeking to frame AIPAC in a similarly controversial light as the National Rifle Association (NRA).”

Lee was the featured speaker during a

Hill, she said.

Pittsburgh continues to be at a heightened threat level, Brokos said. In addition to the vandalism and antisemitic verbal assaults, there has been an uptick in social media comments, including those accusing the Jewish community of genocide.

She urges everyone who has experienced any antisemitism to report the incidents at jewishpgh.org/form/incident-report.

“We want to collect as much information as possible and share it with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police,” Brokos said.

The Pittsburgh police, she said, are actively investigating the recent vandalism.

To aid in community security, the Federation has created a Virtual Watch Program that asks people to register if they have external home security cameras that can be used to voluntarily share information or footage.

The hope is that these types of programs can help quell the anxiety felt in the community.

“It’s the fear of the unknown, and it’s the fear of the vitriol and hatred we’re seeing directed at Jews,” Brokos said. “It’s very concerning, whether it’s real threats or perceived threats, it’s making the community feel very anxious. How we combat that is by standing together as a community and remaining resilient.” PJC

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

March 28 Reject AIPAC National Call, hosted by IfNotNow. At the outset of the Zoom call, Jay, a volunteer with IfNotNow in Los Angeles, called for attendees to help the movement “end U.S. support for Israel’s apartheid system, and to demand equality, justice and a thriving future for all Palestinians and Israelis.”

Lee told call participants that she was “one of the first candidates to actually have to live through the AIPAC onslaught,” apparently referring to the UDP’s funding of ads against her during her previous campaign.

“And I move right into that really quickly because we recognize that so much about our Israel policy right now that we are dealing with, with our government, is in large part because of the lobbying work that they’ve done,” Lee continued. “And they had been setting up the foundation for this reaction, for this response from our government, for a really, really long time. But the direct putting their money into campaigns to keep largely — as we know — Black and brown progressives out of Congress, out of the halls of power, right, that was a new tactic that they were employing last year as I ran.”

Sophie, IfNotNow’s campaign director, followed Lee with a plea to “take down AIPAC.”

AIPAC’s “goal in our elections is pretty transparent and straightforward,” Sophie said. “If you as a politician stay in line, they will help you win. And if you criticize Israel, they will put everything they have into defeating you.

“AIPAC has made it their business to perpetuate a dangerous lie that Jewish safety requires the oppression of Palestinians,” Sophie said. Justice Democrats, a progressive PAC that supports the Squad, including outspoken Israel critics Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman, recently launched an ad supporting Lee. The ad is narrated by a man with a distinctive Pittsburgh accent accusing

Patel of being “bankrolled by supporters of Donald Trump,” then says, “Yinzers, this is a no-brainer: Vote for Summer Lee.”

Justice Democrats spent more than $1 million last election cycle supporting Lee. This election cycle, Lee also has the support of the Muslim United PAC, which hosted a virtual fundraiser for her campaign last weekend. On social media, the Muslim United PAC praised Lee for “calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.”

The Democratic presidential primary also is not without controversy.

In a recent news release, Patel accuses “at least one member of Lee’s staff” of supporting the Democratic Socialists of America’s launch of “Uncommitted PA,” a movement to urge Democrats to vote “uncommitted” on their primary ballots in protest of Biden’s handling of U.S. policy as it pertains to the Israel/Hamas war.

An Instagram account called “Dear White Staffers” is promoting the uncommitted initiative on social media. According to a Jewish Insider reporter, that account — though ostensibly anonymous — is run by a staffer for Lee.

How competitive the race between Lee and Patel will be remains to be seen.

Last week, the Jewish Democratic Council of America endorsed the primary challengers to two far-left lawmakers: George Latimer, who is challenging Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, and Wesley Bell, who is taking on Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri. Bowman and Bush have been vocal in their anti-Israel views. This is the first time the JDCA has backed challengers to Democratic incumbents, according to Jewish Insider.

But when asked by Jewish Insider about Pennsylvania’s District 12 race, a JDCA spokesperson declined to comment, saying the JDCA is focusing on “competitive” races. PJC

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

p Bhavini Patel Photo courtesy of Patel for Pa.

Headlines

Donio-Gideon:

Continued from page 2

There are many wars taking place around the globe. Are you surprised at the negative response to Israel’s war against a terrorist organization?

No, I’m not surprised. We’ve seen throughout the decades that Israel draws a lot of attention in a negative way. Even in such a blunt example, where we are victims of one of the most heinous attacks in modern history still, we’ve been perceived as the oppressor, the abuser. It has to do with a narrative about white and the nonwhite people, the oppressor and the oppressed, who’s right and who’s wrong. We

Women’s history:

Included on a wall shortly before the exhibit’s end is an illustrated can which has the words “We can, you can. Children’s Aid Society of Jewish Women,” as well as a notice for a one-day conference, scheduled on May 31, 1987, at Oakland Women’s Center, hosted by “Daughters of Lilith: Affirming our Jewish and Lesbian identities.”

Finder:

“That was almost as important to me as the bat mitzvah because I love my family and I love having us all together,” she said. “With the exception of one family with two babies in California, my whole immediate family was with me and that really made it special.”

One worry for Finder was her vocal cords, which became problematic when she contracted the flu several months ago. She considered not going forward with the service but then decided to carry through with the ceremony.

Finder’s son Rick said that, despite a moment of concern, his mother was undeterred.

“I loved her spirit going through it,” he said. He acknowledged having the same trepidation for his mother as he did when his three daughters were preparing for their bat mitzvahs. But all three did wonderfully, thanks to their individual preparation and maybe something a little greater than any one person.

fall into that the narrative. Some of it has to do with a lot of anti-Israeli toxic propaganda that’s been conducted for many years. And some has to do with genuine concern that people have about well-being or injustice that happens in Gaza. It’s not surprising. Some of it has to do with a very strong antisemitic sentiment that you see growing.

Just two weeks ago, I was at the ADL conference in New York. I heard Jonathan Greenblatt speak about, I think, a 417% increase in antisemitic incidents since Oct. 7. And that’s after we would have an increase in recent years of 20-25% every year. It’s insane. We are conducting this interview in Pittsburgh, which is the last place that one needs a reminder of what antisemitism is capable of. I think that

explains part of the sentiment, because you see a deep dehumanization of the victims. I don’t know how to explain this dehumanization in any other way than antisemitism.

With all that’s happening in the world, are you still hopeful for Israel’s future?

I’d say that being an optimist is an essential part of being an Israeli. This whole Zionist project of the Jews renewing their ancestral land or homeland in the land of Israel, it seemed unimaginable 150 years ago. Being Israeli is all about being optimistic. That’s what we do well, looking at and rising to a challenge, because we’re forced to. Being an Israeli means believing in

miracles. I’m optimistic that Israel will grow stronger from these challenging days. And as we did in previous harsh times, as we did not once, not twice in recent decades — after the second Intifada, first intifada, second Lebanon War, the first Lebanon War, the Yom Kippur War and other challenges.

I see the potential for Israelis to come together, see the potential for free societies coming together against the threat. But I don’t have any illusions that it will be an easy journey. It’s a struggle. It will continue to be a struggle. But I don’t think we have a choice if we want to keep our lives and free society. PJC

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

“There really is this collective energy of the group,” he said. “They’re prepared, and they know they can do it. My mom was prepared to the nth degree. It was just an amazing experience.”

Lieberman:

Continued from page 14

when he received a B.A. in both political science and economics from Yale University in 1964. He earned his law degree from Yale Law School in 1967.

Lieberman served for 10 years in the Connecticut Senate beginning in 1970. From 1983 to 1989, he served as Connecticut Attorney General, emphasizing consumer protection and environmental enforcement.

And while Marc was disappointed his son and his family couldn’t attend the event, his heart warmed when he learned they watched it on Temple Emanuel’s Zoom feed.

own experiences — even items — that continue telling the story of women

“There’s so many stories to be told,” Ruby said. “Help us tell those stories.” PJC

Those with materials that may help tell the story of women’s contributions can email acquisitions@heinzhistorycenter.org.

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

The occasion, and his mother’s achievement, deserved to be recognized, he said.

“She doesn’t want to be the center of attention — that makes her feel overwhelmed ut she’s always been so competent,” Stuart said. “I think that’s the thing that really stands out now that she’s done this huge thing. She did it so competently. She mastered it and did

Speaking to the congregation about Finder’s longtime commitment to Torah learning, Meyer, his voice cracking with emotion, told those in attendance that the hope of a rabbi is to bring people to Torah.

“This day, we did just that,” Meyer said. “When we bring people closer to Torah, the hope is that Torah impacts them and ometimes when we bring someone close to Torah for so many years, they impact Torah.”

Finder, Meyer said, did that through the wisdom she added to years of study and the richness she added through her bat mitzvah.

As for Moses, he wasn’t necessarily surprised by his wife’s competence, saying that he was aware of all the time she put into rehearsal and practice.

Stuart contacted Israeli artist Chana Gamiel, who made the cover. He said that like the stories told in the Torah, the Finder family was overly anxious to contribute to the cost, and he eventually had to ask everyone to stop giving.

The tallit Finder wore was something the brothers bought as a trio. The entire family, however, came together to give Temple recommend a gift to mark Laryn’s bat mitzvah. Meyer suggested the Torah cover.

Lieberman was first elected to the United States Senate in 1988, in a major upset over incumbent liberal Republican Lowell Weicker. Following his retirement from the Senate, Lieberman returned to practicing law, and joined the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank as co-chairman of their American Internationalism Project. He also held the Lieberman Chair of Public Policy and Public Service at Yeshiva University, where he taught an undergraduate course in political science.

In August 2015, Lieberman became chairman of United Against Nuclear Iran, a group fiercely opposed to efforts by the Obama administration to broker a deal with Iran over its nascent nuclear program.

“While Iran’s leaders may be prepared to make some tactical concessions on their nuclear activities, they would do so hoping that this would buy them the time and space needed to rebuild strength at home — freed from crippling sanctions — while consolidating and expanding the gains they are positioned

“I expected her to do great,” he said. “She was so motivated, and I was extremely proud of the end result.” PJC

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

to make in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Afghanistan,” he wrote in an oped in 2013. Lieberman was married twice. He and his first wife, Betty Haas, were married in 1965 and had two children, Matt and Rebecca; the couple divorced in 1981. In 1983 he married Hadassah Freilich Tucker, who was previously married to Rabbi Gordon Tucker, the former senior rabbi of Temple Israel Center in White Plains, New York. He is survived by his wife, his son and daughter and a stepson, Rabbi Ethan Tucker. PJC

p Laryn Finder reads from the Torah surrounded by her sons, daughters-in-law and tutor Bernice Natelson. Photo by Kim Rullo

I watched footage taken on Oct. 7. What I saw was evil.

Senior Staff Writer

David Rullo

Warning: Contains graphic descriptions of violence.

Ispent the morning of March 28 studying with a friend. It’s something we’ve done for more than a year, slowly making our way through Pirkei Avot.

I can always benefit from the teachings of our ancestors, but that morning, I felt the need to be enmeshed in their words more than other days. Later that evening, I would be joining about two dozen invited local leaders at Rodef Shalom Congregation to view about 50 minutes of unedited recordings from Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack, titled “Hamas Massacre — Collected Raw Footage,” delivered by the Israeli consulate.

Ironically, my friend and I were studying Chapter 2, Tractate 14 of Pirkei Avot that morning. It begins:

“He said to them: Go out and discern which is the evil path.”

Prescient, yes, but I assure you, the night I viewed the footage there was no need for discernment. Hamas’ brutal, cowardly, barbaric attack on a mostly civilian population as they drove down highways, carried on their daily lives inside their homes and enjoyed a music festival was the evil path.

It was the type of evil for which there is no redemption.

And despite what you might have heard in Allegheny County Council’s chamber, on social media or expressed by some local politicians and misguided community members, what I viewed was not an attempt at resistance or protest by Hamas. It wasn’t a release valve for a people oppressed, nor was it the understandable

and expected response of a group of people who believe they’ve been subjugated to a colonial overlord for more than seven decades.

It was evil. Calculated evil, the likes of which is rarely, if ever, visited upon civilized society.

However bad you imagine the footage was, I assure you, it was worse. I am not exaggerating when I say it was worse in values of 10 — at least 100 times worse than the most violent scenes Hollywood has staged or the evening news

safe room. The three are dressed in shorts and nothing else. They may have just woken up or were on their way to swim. As they enter the building, a Hamas terrorist lobs a grenade into the room and kills the father in front of the two children. The two boys are ushered back into their home, where they sit in the kitchen crying for their dead father and discussing the fact that they will most likely be murdered.

The older brother asks about the injuries

What we viewed was not man’s inhumanity to man, nor was it a battle in a war.

It was the work of mass murderers who took pleasure in what they were doing.

has broadcast. Worse than the accounts you have heard on NPR of tribal attacks in thirdworld countries.

I’m not being hyperbolic. The type of evil on display in the clips obtained from Hamas’ own body and video cameras, radio transmissions, CCTV, dashboard cameras, victims’ social media accounts and other sources is impossible to catalog. How do you differentiate one murder from another, the barbarity of one act two minutes into the footage from another 44 minutes later?

To list a parade of the horrors I witnessed would only serve to create nightmares for a Jewish community still traumatized from the worst antisemitic event in United States history that took place in their city and shattered their sense of security.

While I don’t want to participate in the torture porn that has become ingrained in modern society, I do feel it necessary to at least give some examples of the nightmarish scenes presented. In one video, a father on a kibbutz is rushing his two children from their main room into a separate structure, most likely the family’s

suffered by his younger sibling, who says he cannot see out of one eye. As they are talking, a terrorist walks in, makes his way to the family’s refrigerator and calmly drinks from a bottle of Coke, paying little attention to the two children before leaving.

When the boys’ mother arrives home, accompanied by security forces, she is shown her husband’s body and nearly collapses as an IDF soldier holds her up.

In another much more graphic scene, an Israeli man’s corpse is lying on the ground while a Hamas terrorist chops and slices his head off, taking it with him as some sort of depraved talisman. It is the type of behavior expected from a serial killer, not someone who thinks of himself as a soldier in a war.

Throughout the video, women are seen suffering through the aftermath of sexual assault while being taken hostage. Burnt babies and children’s corpses are shown. There are 139 murders shown in the nearly 50-minute reel.

The living suffered, as well. Countless individuals are shown being beaten, sometimes in the back of trucks while in Gaza, by “ordinary”

citizens who weren’t part of the terrorist minions sent into Israel to murder and rape.

The audio recordings, taken from the videos and cellphone intercepts, are just as disturbing. Some of the terrorists took photos with the hostages after they were beaten; others broadcast their deeds on social media.

A constant refrain of “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great,” is heard. Other terrorists profess, “These are dogs’ corpses,” and “Bring more, f—k this country.”

A commander is heard telling one of his compatriots, “Bring him and hang him. Bring him and let people play with his body.”

Chillingly, a terrorist makes a call to his parents using a dead Israeli’s phone. He tells them, “I killed 10 with my bare hands, Dad,” and, “Mom, your son is a hero. Kill. Kill. Kill.”

I could go on and on and on. I actually fear keeping the notes I made during the film, afraid that my son might read the images I described. They are most certainly too traumatic for most to see.

And yet, the atrocities occurred.

The men, women and children victims were selected for only one reason: They were Jewish and they were in Israel.

What we viewed was not man’s inhumanity to man, nor was it a battle in a war. It was the work of mass murderers who took pleasure in what they were doing. They bragged about what they did.

They treated humans worse than the way animals are allowed to be treated according to the rules of halal, the dietary restrictions that Muslims follow, which are similar to kashrut.

And they’ve told the world they’ll do it again if they are allowed to survive.

What I saw in the video was a repudiation of the idea that Hamas can be a partner in peace.

What I saw was murder.

What I discerned was evil. PJC

Guest Columnist

Mark Fichman

Nearly six months after Hamas’ horrific Oct. 7 attack, the crisis in Israel continues to haunt us. Mothers, fathers and children slaughtered. More than 100 are still held in captivity under terrifying conditions. As people deeply grounded in our love for Israel, the pain of this moment is overwhelming and we’re desperately searching for a way out.

We are feeling the ripple effects reverberating in Pittsburgh and beyond. Vandalism, bomb threats and harassment toward the Jewish community — and Muslim, Palestinian and Arab communities for that matter — have threatened our safety, well-being and, certainly, our peace of mind.

Anyone can tell you that this moment

demands immediate action. However, the type of action we take right now is consequential for determining the future — for Israelis and Palestinians abroad, and for countless people at home.

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is harming Israel’s own interests, the U.S.-Israel relationship and exacerbating pain and suffering on the ground. And his popularity is dwindling among Israelis who by and large disapprove

Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich into his coalition, Netanyahu has effectively sidelined American values, interests and long-standing U.S. policy. As Tom Friedman puts it, “I believe [Netanyahu] is not only the worst leader in Israel’s history. I believe he’s the worst leader in Jewish history.”

Like Israelis, Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank deserve leaders who will work for their needs and can deliver a future free of extremism and terror. Two million Palestinians are suffering at the hands of these terrorists and dictators who hide behind innocent civilians and their infrastructure.

As a leader of J Street in Pittsburgh, I am proud to be a dedicated member of a movement committed to peace, equality and justice — values central to our Jewish community. On the international, national and local levels, our organization is meeting this moment of crisis with bold leadership and an urgent call to forge a more hopeful and peaceful future. It has become increasingly clear that Prime

of his leadership since Hamas’ heinous Oct. 7 attack. Prominent Israeli security officials — and even former Israeli prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak — agree.

The prime minister stands for everything we, the American Jewish community, stand against: settlement expansion, dictatorship, corruption and extremism. By welcoming right-wing zealots and leaders of the settler movement

Israel maintains the right to respond to Hamas’ onslaught, but the price exacted on innocent Palestinian civilians is unconscionable — more than 32,600 killed, the majority of whom are women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry.

J Street believes that on the other side of destruction must lie peace. Our broader

Please see Fichman, page 21

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

Chronicle poll results: US abstention from UN resolution on Israel

Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following question: “Should the U.S. have vetoed the U.N. resolution calling for a cease-fire during Ramadan and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages?” Of the 276 people who responded, 54% said yes; 42% said no; and 4% said they had no opinion. Comments were submitted by 81 people. A few follow.

The U.S. should veto until returning the hostages is front and center. U.N. resolutions must demand that Hamas release the hostages first so that a cease-fire can happen after that — not the popular version where Israel is told to surrender to terrorists and there’s some “oh, by the way” weak language about the hostages. Hold Hamas responsible for violating international law and human decency first.

President Biden has traded his honor for a few thousand votes in Michigan. Shame on him.

Fichman:

Should the U.S. have vetoed the U.N. resolution calling for a cease-fire during Ramadan and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages?

4% No opinion

42% No

54% Yes

No other democracy in the world has ever received this type of vote from the U.N. Shame on the USA for abstaining and not voting against it!

Poor President Biden. He has to walk a tightrope between doing what is right (supporting Israel against terrorism) and the political consequences of not listening to the far-left of the Democratic Party. He is wobbling and in danger of falling off!

Why should the U.S. compromise its humanity and moral core in the interests of revenge and total subjugation?

The U.S. should have voted “Yes”; this campaign has gone too far.

If the goal is to free the hostages, the U.S. should have supported this resolution.

The U.S. should completely support Israel’s war against Hamas, which is a war to

save Western civilization. Civilian casualties are the responsibility of those who start the war.

The U.N. should push Hamas to surrender the Israeli hostages and call out the war crimes of Hamas using Palestinian people as human shields.

The U.S. policy seems to be the beginning of an abandonment of Israel as a key ally in the Middle East. I do not understand or sympathize with what appears to be an ambivalent attitude by American Jewry. PJC

— Compiled by Toby Tabachnick

Chronicle weekly poll question: How many Passover seders will you host or attend this year? Go to pittsburghjewish chronicle.org to respond. PJC

Continued from page 20

pro-Israel community must understand that providing Palestinians with safety and selfdetermination — basic rights that detract from terror and violence — is in Israel’s best interest and is the only solution to preserving the character of the Jewish homeland’s founding values.

Decades of unwilling Israeli and Palestinian leadership have only led to bloodshed on both sides. The status quo is too dangerous to continue and we must elect leaders who recognize this.

The fight for action is not limited to overseas. Ahead of the November election, there is much at stake for our pro-Israel movement. As other pro-Israel groups continue to engage with far-right insurrectionists, their

leader, Donald Trump, continues to threaten our country’s democracy and our very safety. Just last month, he broadcast dangerous antisemitic conspiracies in a moment when the Jewish community is already in great danger. While in office, Trump undermined our community’s top-line voting concerns not limited to reproductive freedom, gun violence and climate change. And if Trump’s return to office looks anything like his first term, the former president would further endanger Israelis and Palestinians.

Ahead of the 2024 race, J Street is committed to preventing another Trump presidency and electing champions of our pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy priorities to Congress. The change starts in our very communities. Here in Western Pennsylvania, this means working with candidates for Congress who align with

You need a plan to vote

As the Jewish community approaches the sacred celebration of Passover, there lies an essential civic duty that must not be ignored: voting. While we get ready to join our friends and family at the seder table, let us not forget the importance of participating in the electoral process.

Even though our democracy is only a couple hundred years old, we can look back in Jewish values from 2,000 years ago to guide our understanding of what so many of us understand as the “sacred right” (or is it “sacred rite,” or both?) to vote.

Hillel, an early architect of rabbinic thinking who lived in the first century before the turn of the era, commented “Al tifros min hatzibur, Do not separate yourself from the community.” (Pirke Avot 2:5) In his day, separation meant not being a part of the vibrancy of community

life. While he didn’t live in a democratic system in which every citizen’s vote mattered, his message is even more powerful for us today: In a time when many are frustrated with the political system, stay connected by voting.

our values and policy positions that ensure the safety, dignity and sovereignty of Israelis and Palestinians.

In Pennsylvania, and across both the House and Senate, we’re proud to endorse a majority of the Democratic caucus, including both of our Democratic Senators and seven Democratic House incumbents. It is of utmost importance that all our allies share the common bond of strong support for Israel’s security and the U.S.-Israel relationship while also upholding human rights, international law and a vision of democracy, equality and peace in the region.

We recognize that members of Congress make decisions based on a number of concerns and considerations, acting in what they believe to be the best interests of their constituents. J Street’s endorsement does not mean that all endorsees will always agree or see eye to eye

Jewish principle of repairing the world. By taking part in the democratic process, we have the power to allow our voices to be heard.

Many GOTV (Get Out The Vote) campaigns speak about how eligible voters need a plan to

Civic engagement as a Jewish community ensures that our society is better aligned with our values, charging us to call for economic justice, environmental stewardship and human rights.

Civic engagement as a Jewish community ensures that our society is better aligned with our values, charging us to call for economic justice, environmental stewardship and human rights. The ideals laid out in the Torah and proclaimed by the prophets were a guide for the Israelites when we were settled in our land, and with this sovereignty came a spiritual and moral responsibility. Voting is also a form of expression using our commitment to tikkun olam, the

vote long before voting day. Year after year, this is often a partisan message to out-vote the other party. This year, however, planning to vote for the primary is neither partisan nor a win-lose proposition. This year, it is a win-win proposition for our democracy.

That being said, it is complicated given that election day is on the first day of Passover, April 23. These are the implications of the confluence of events:

with us on every issue, all of the time. That is precisely why we maintain open lines of communication with our local endorsees to build constructive relationships with the candidate, member and staff at every step of the process.

This election season will decide whether our government is pro-democracy or pro-authoritarian, and whether Israelis and Palestinians can finally grasp the opportunity within reach to live in peace and security in the aftermath of war. Our pro-Israel movement won’t sacrifice our belief in democracy and equality to achieve these goals, and we’re proud to live up to them. PJC

Mark Fichman is an associate professor emeritus at Carnegie Mellon University. He lives in Pittsburgh.

• The deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania is April 8.

• Jewish organizations, like the JCC, that normally serve as a polling place will be closed for Passover on April 23.

• If your polling place is closed and you want to vote in person on April 23, you will be reassigned to another location.

• If you do not want to vote in person on April 23, the first day of Passover, you need to apply for a mail-in ballot by April 16.

• For a full list of resources, you can visit Pennsylvania’s Department of Elections website at Upcoming Elections (pa.gov).

While it is not as easy this year as it has been in other years, it is important to follow the wisdom of Justice Louis Brandeis: “Democracy means that the people shall govern, and they can govern only by taking the trouble to inform themselves as to the facts necessary for a correct decision, and then by recording that decision through a public vote.” PJC

Rabbi Ron Symons is the senior director of Jewish Life at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh.

Guest Columnist

Rabbi Ron Symons

Our leaders should be demanding the return of the hostages

On Oct. 7, the terrorist organization Hamas launched a savage, unprecedented and unprovoked invasion against the Jewish state, committing unspeakable acts of violence. This is not a war Israel wanted or started. No one in the Jewish community wants war. War is tragic. The death of civilian lives is tragic. We value all life and none of us wants people to die unnecessarily. We all want a peaceful coexistence. But the process of now ending this war must follow a path that allows Israel to maintain its security and the civilians of Gaza to rid themselves of Hamas, who not only has inflicted horrendous atrocities against Israel but against its own people as well.

G-d willing, we will soon see a pause if not cessation of fighting with an agreement that eliminates Hamas’ ability to wield its vitriol through barbaric violence, frees the remaining Israeli, American and other international hostages held inside of Gaza, and brings needed humanitarian aid to the civilians of Gaza, not least because Hamas is no longer hijacking aid trucks and stealing food.

Like any sovereign nation, Israel has the fundamental and inalienable right to defend itself, particularly in light of Hamas’ threats and promises to repeat Oct. 7. It is deeply disheartening that Councilmember Barbara Warwick fails to recognize this in her recent op-ed, opting instead to openly ignore the complex history of the region. That she can proffer solutions to this current conflict while explicitly stating that “historical debates are beside the point” demonstrates a lack of understanding of Israel’s security needs.

Rather than calling for an unconditional cease-fire that would only embolden and empower Hamas, our leaders should be demanding the obvious — the immediate return of the hostages and the surrender of Hamas. Why is it so difficult to unify around this call? The objectives of a cease-fire would then be met and Israel would maintain its security. We should all be asking why, as a representative of one of the largest Jewish communities in Pittsburgh, has Councilmember Warwick not called for this instead?

Lauren Baldel Pittsburgh

Warwick’s misleading call for ‘peace’

While calling for a “lasting ceasefire in Gaza” Councilmember Barbara Warwick asked “why is it so difficult to unify around calls for the bombs, bullets and rockets to stop? To halt the humanitarian crisis unfolding before our eyes?”

It is because opinion articles like hers ignore the reality that Israel is on a mission of self-defense (not “bombardment, displacement and siege,” as she opines), surgically hunting down Hamas and uprooting them. Blaming Israel for the current humanitarian crises, as she does, emboldens Hamas and delays their inevitable destruction or surrender.

She opines that the way to bring the hostages home is an “immediate, bilateral and lasting cease-fire,” yet ignores the fact that the abduction of the hostages ended a longstanding cease-fire. She also ignores that a long-lasting bilateral cease-fire by definition cannot exist with a terrorist group that promises to destroy you.

I encourage Councilwoman Warwick to engage with the Jewish community more, and to understand why articles like hers, while they may be well-meaning, are the very answer to her own question, “Why is it so difficult to unify around calls for the bombs, bullets and rockets to stop?”

Rabbi Henoch Rosenfeld Pittsburgh

Praise for Warwick

I was absolutely stunned to hear that Pittsburgh City Council member Barbara Warwick received a lot of vitriolic blowback and hate mail for her March 22 guest column, “We must call for an end to all attacks on Israel and Palestine.”

How much more fair could she have been? She called for both sides not to be attacked and she articulated the need for empathy and respect for all people.

Councilmember Warwick had the courage to put herself out there on a very charged issue. She emphasized the need for us to keep ourselves out of silos by talking with each other civilly about our fears and observations. Her words are the words of an outstanding mediator and representative of her constituents.

I look forward to seeing more of Barbara Warwick’s columns in your newspaper and will applaud you for your fairness in allowing all voices to be heard.

Elizabeth Steiner Milligan Pittsburgh

March 22). However, in the White House’s description of the role of local government, there is no mention of involvement in peaceful demonstrations or international affairs in general: “Municipalities generally take responsibility for parks and recreation services, police and fire departments, housing services, emergency medical services, municipal courts, transportation services (including public transportation), and public works (streets, sewers, snow removal, signage, and so forth).” Drafting a resolution about a war on the other side of the world is incongruous with the designated role of our City Council, which instead should be spending its limited time addressing the many day-to-day needs of our local community.

Furthermore, there was a cease-fire in Gaza on Oct. 6. That cease-fire was broken in the most horrific way imaginable by Hamas terrorists. The following words strike a familiar chord:

“Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts...These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation … Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks...The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts…We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.”

These words were spoken on Sept. 11, 2001, by President George W. Bush. Following 9/11, the United States initiated the Global War on Terrorism. From President Bush on Oct. 11, 2001: “The attack took place on American soil, but it was an attack on the heart and soul of the civilized world. And the world has come together to fight a new and different war, the first, and we hope the only one, of the 21st century. A war against all those who seek to export terror, and a war against those governments that support or shelter them.”

These historic words remind us that terrorism anywhere in the world is a threat to freedom everywhere. They also remind us that sometimes war is necessary to maintain that freedom. Just as the United States was justified in fighting a war on terror following 9/11, so Israel is justified in fighting a war on terror following 10/7. Israel has every right, and in fact is morally obligated, to protect its people, destroy Hamas and bring its hostages home.

Ellen Scholnicoff Pittsburgh

Fear in the air

I had the honor of being invited to the annual Jewish Community Center Big Night on March 9 in Squirrel Hill (“Oh, what a night,” March 15). I have been to similar events for Catholic schools, and I expected the same type of environment. For the most part everything was, in fact, the same, with silent auctions, food stations, niche alcohol drinks in a large banquet setting. I was very comfortable and knew more people there than I expected to. The JCC gala was larger and nicer than the others I attended in many ways. But there was an aura, a vibe that was different — not distinguishable, or instantaneously identifiable, but different.

The Pittsburgh police officers outside the entrance who were assisting with the traffic and parking were very polite as I entered alone, as were the two officers in the admission area immediately inside. Walking through the silent auction corridor looking for my friends and my mentor who invited me, I noticed two more officers there as well. Upon meeting my friends and getting acquainted we then went to the gym that was transitioned into a combined social center, seating area and dance floor, and I saw two more police officers stationed there.

When I was alone, I went over to those officers. I wanted to know if more officers were scheduled than usual so asked them that specifically. Their nonverbal response was one of immediate professionalism, seriousness with alert and direct facial expressions. The senior officer explained that there were additional officers assigned to this event explicitly because of the elevated risks due to the current rise in antisemitic attacks and he added that there “are even more officers assigned in similar events in New York.”

The “mood” for me changed drastically and it struck me that in all those years attending similar events for Catholic grade schools, I could not recall one police officer, ever.

Israel has a moral duty to protect its people

Councilmember Warwick asserts, “While some have said this conflict is not the business of local government, the hundreds of Pittsburghers attending vigils, rallies and marches ... prove otherwise” (“We must call for an end to all attacks on the people of Israel and Palestine,”

Upon leaving the JCC gala and walking toward the door I felt a real concern, a real fear, strong and direct. Do I need to be alarmed, on alert, prepared for something happening to me? Walking past the officers, down the stairs and into the dark, no one would know that I am not Jewish, that I am different, and I could be judged in a way completely foreign to me. Could something actually happen to me? I could be classified or targeted like my friends have been and sadly still are. I felt a sliver, a fraction of fear or alertness that so many live with every second of their lives. It made me incredibly sad and feel very small, powerless and upset emotionally in a way that I never have been before in my life.

I want to do something, but what more can I do ... ?

James D. Lucot Jr. Wexford

Life & Culture

comic coming home for one-night performance

By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer

Comedian Dan Rosenberg is bringing old jokes back to Beaver County. The Blackhawk High School alum, who was bar mitzvahed at Beaver Valley United Jewish Community Center, is headlining a one-night show at The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center on April 13.

Rosenberg’s set will include “a lot of older material that’s been revamped” with some ad-libbing on stage, he said by phone from his home in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Placing old jokes alongside impromptu insights has been a steady tactic for Rosenberg. For nearly 30 years, he’s entertained audiences through stand-up, writing and directing.

The comic got his start, decades ago, at an open mic night at the Funny Bone in Station Square.

“It was amazing,” Rosenberg said of the experience at the now-shuttered club.

After moving to Los Angeles to pursue a comedy career, Rosenberg returned home following the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

With at least 57 fatalities, thousands injured, $20 billion in damage costs and more than $40 billion in economic loss, the Northridge earthquake is the costliest earthquake disaster in U.S. history, according to the California Department of Conservation.

return to a beloved area and test out material for an upcoming special.

Rosenberg’s last special, “Dan Rosenberg: Overexposed,” was filmed — also at The Lindsay Theater — shortly before the pandemic. Available on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, “Overexposed” offers a glimpse of Rosenberg’s style: Bits are largely based on anecdotes and observations.

“They’re just stories that are true stories, most of the time — they’re embellished a little

“Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Paul Reiser, Groucho Marx, The Three Stooges and Moses.”

Rosenberg, a former Chippewa resident who remains involved in the Bainbridge Jewish community, said he’s eager to venture back to Sewickley for a one-night performance.

Joining Rosenberg will be Augie Cook, a comedian who has appeared on ABC and A&E and worked with national talents including Howie Mandel, Drew Carey and Chris Rock.

Rosenberg said the evening will include mostly clean humor. He also wants readers to know that “good Jewish boys from Pittsburgh can come home, and always want to come home.”

bit because they have to be for humor, but a lot of them are 95-100% true,” he said. “They’re things that actually happened to me, so it’s not rial I can be accused of stealing because they’re

In his special, on stage or during other work, Rosenberg doesn’t shy away from his Jewishness.

“I’ve always embraced it. I’m not a superreligious person, but I also don’t hide from being Jewish. I’m not one of these people that changed my name to Justin Daniels. I’ve always kept my stage name my birth name,” he said.

“I think some of the best comedians ever, and some of the best entertainers ever, are Jewish. And I’d love to continue that tradition.”

Among the greatest, Rosenberg said, are

There’s a fondness in his heart for Pittsburgh; though he doesn’t miss winters here, Rosenberg always appreciates the opportunity to return.

“I love flying into Pittsburgh. I love being from Pittsburgh,” he said. “I love the fact that everyone I meet from Pittsburgh, out and about, we immediately bond.”

“That’s a huge Pittsburgh thing,” he continued. “I know a lot of other cities try to say they have that. But when you combine Judaism and Pittsburgh, I think there’s a bond there that is very strong.” PJC

Tickets for the 90-minute show are available at thelindsaytheater.org.

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

p Comedian Dan Rosenberg Photos courtesy of Dan Rosenberg

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Life & Culture

By Shira Li Bartov

Georgia Hunter was 15 when she discovered that her grandfather was Jewish. The revelation took place a year after his death, while Hunter was interviewing her grandmother for a school project.

“A high school English teacher said, ‘Go out and interview a relative to learn a bit about your roots and in turn about yourselves,’” Hunter told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “I sat with my grandmother Caroline and I will never forget that hour I spent with her, sitting in her home and discovering that my grandfather was from this town called Radom, Poland, that he was one of five siblings, that he was raised in the Jewish faith and that I came from a family of Holocaust survivors.”

That interview led Hunter, who grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, down the long road to uncovering her family’s Holocaust story, which spanned five continents and six years of hiding, imprisonment and exile. As an adult, she spent nine years researching their implausible paths to survival — a project culminating in her 2017 novel, “We Were the Lucky Ones,” based on their experiences.

Now “We Were the Lucky Ones” is coming to TV as a Hulu series, co-executive produced by Hunter alongside Erica Lipez, who produced “The Morning Show.” Starring Logan Lerman as Hunter’s grandfather Addy Kurc and Joey King as his sister Halina, the series premiered with three simultaneous episodes on March 28.

The series joins a spate of recent limited series about the Holocaust and World War II, including “The Tattooist of Auschwitz,” which will air on Peacock in May; “Transatlantic,” last year’s Netflix series about Holocaust rescuer Varian Fry; “A Small Light,” the Disney+ miniseries about Anne Frank’s protector, Miep Gies, and the recent Netflix adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s novel, “All the Light We Cannot See.”  “We Were the Lucky Ones” is distinguished from these and other Holocaust dramas by its wide lens. It begins at the Kurc family’s Passover dinner in Radom in 1938. Their life looks as comfortable as their elegant home, despite whispers of antisemitism and Hitler’s ambitions outside their borders.

Parents Sol (Lior Ashkenazi) and Nechuma

(Robin Weigert), who run a fabric store, are delighted to welcome home their son Addy, a musician and electrical engineer visiting from Paris. Their other sons Genek (Henry-Lloyd Hughes) and Jakob (Amit Rahav) are budding lawyers, their daughter Mila (Hadas Yaron) is pregnant with her first child and their daughter Halina dreams of following Addy abroad.

This cozy existence is shattered by the outbreak of World War II. Over the course of eight episodes, the family is scattered across the globe: Sol and Nechuma are forced into factory work before they go into hiding in the Polish countryside; Addy flees France for Brazil via detainment in Vichy French-controlled Dakar; Genek and his wife Herta (Moran Rosenblatt) are sent to a Soviet labor camp in Siberia until he is able to join the Polish army, which takes them to Palestine under the British mandate and Italy; Mila hides her daughter in a Warsaw convent; Halina clings to a false identity through torture at the Nazi Montelupich Prison in Krakow.

The vast scope of the family’s migration and the creeping pace of their persecution in “We Were the Lucky Ones” tells a story about the Holocaust beyond the death camps, said Lipez. Family members face exile, robbery, humiliation, forced labor and street massacres before a whisper that Jews are being gassed is heard several episodes in. “There’s been some good education and storytelling about the death camps that is really necessary,” Lipez told JTA. “But I think this show was an opportunity to focus a lot on those years leading up to the Final Solution, and to show through the really intimate lens of this family the boiling hot water that they were in — in their own society and their own community.”

According to Hunter, her grandfather did not explicitly keep his past a secret from his family.

He renamed himself Eddy Courts from Addy Kurc upon arriving in the United States after the war, and intended to start a new chapter and protect his children from a troubled past. When he visited other surviving family members, he sometimes left out the context.

“He would talk about going to Brazil, but he would maybe say that he was going for his birthday — and then my mom would learn later that he planned to be there over Passover,” Hunter recalled.

Luck is the theme of her family’s story: the luck to survive and reunite, but also the chance to create new lives and families far away from the past. The main characters in “We Were the Lucky Ones” are also granted a fortunate moral arc — by the end, their hardships have made the family universally more resilient, generous and

loving, a development that not every survivor of trauma is lucky enough to experience.

Of course, there is also an irony to the term “lucky ones,” as each family member endures profound tragedy. King said it is the perception of being lucky despite their circumstances that made the Kurc family compelling to her.

“The perspective that they took was so humbling — to hear them call themselves lucky, it’s just beyond imagination,” said King. “But they survived and they had love in their lives, and they considered themselves lucky.”

While it was Addy Kurc’s luck to leave the Holocaust behind, Hunter sees it as her luck to remember it. Her research took her to interviews with family members on the east and west coasts of the U.S. and in France, Italy and Brazil. At a screening of “We Were the Lucky Ones” in Washington, D.C. on March 27, she was joined by 25 relatives who flew in from across the world.

Even though she was not raised with Jewish identity, Hunter said that this project has brought her closer to herself, an identity rooted in her Jewish family history.

“I feel like my eyes have been opened to these pieces of me that were always there, but that are so apparent now — whether it’s the stubborn gene, not ever taking no for an answer, or having the courage to set out and try to complete this project over the course of nine years,” said Hunter. “I see so much of myself in my grandfather and my relatives.” PJC

 From left: Joey King, as Halina, and Logan Lerman, as Andy, in a scene from “We Were the Lucky Ones.”

Photo courtesy of Hulu

Torah Celebrations

Birth Announcement

Leah Cullen and Craig Synan of Shadyside happily announce the arrival of their twin boys, Archer James and Bridger Jude, born on March 18, 2024. Proud grandparents are Arlene and Paul Cullen of Fox Chapel, and Crisey and Daniel Synan of Hampton. PJC

Bringing Divinity into our daily lives

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Rabbi Yossi Rosenblum Parshat Shemini | Leviticus 9:1 – 11:47

his week’s Torah portion is Shemini, which in Hebrew means “eighth.”

It refers to the eighth and final day of consecrating the Mishkan, the Holy Tabernacle in the desert. The section concludes with the dramatic words, “And Moshe and Aharon entered the Tent of Meeting, came out, and blessed the people. Fire appeared from before Hashem and consumed the burnt offering and fat on the altar. When the people saw, they shouted and fell on their faces.”

It was a supreme moment of joy. The Jews had constructed a “dwelling place” for Hashem. Hours later, however, the nation’s joy turned to sadness. Aharon’s sons Nadav and Avihu tried putting their own incense

with the previous six days. The Torah declares (Shmos 22:2): “Six days shall work be done, and the seventh day will be a holy day to you.” A person does what he/she must, and, in response, Hashem blesses that work. In other words, an arousal from below (our efforts) brings about a revelation from Above.

The number 8 is beyond the normal patterns of time. A circumcision occurs on the eighth day. The Chanukah menorah has eight branches corresponding to the Temple’s oil lasting for eight days. The harp in the Third Holy Temple will have eight strings, instead of the seven strings used today. In each case, the revelation from Above transcends human efforts, and more importantly, human understanding.

This level of spirituality is higher than intellect, as Isaiah 55:8-9 points out: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the

on the altar. A spiritual flame consumed their souls, leaving their bodies (and even their priestly garments) intact. Aharon completed sacrificial offerings of the dedication ceremony in mourning.

Abruptly, the Torah’s narrative shifts to a totally different topic: “And the Lord spoke to Moshe and Aharon, speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the living things which you may eat.’” The rest of the Torah portion describes the signs of kosher animals, including cattle, sheep, fish, birds and insects. The Torah also lists animals that are not kosher, such as rodents, wild beats, birds of prey, etc.

At first glance, the Torah portion of Shemini seems like puzzle pieces that don’t fit together. Since the word “Torah” is related to the Hebrew word “Haorah,” meaning instruction, the Torah must be teaching something that applies even now. What are we supposed to learn from the eighth day of dedication, the passing of Aharon’s sons and the list of kosher animals?

The question becomes even stronger when one examines the number 8 in Jewish tradition. The numbers 1 through 7 are associated with time and nature. Think of the days of the week, for example. Even though the number 7 is associated with Shabbos, it still maintains a relationship

earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts [higher] than your thoughts.”

Now one can understand the link between various sections of Shemini. The eighth day of dedication reflects a level far above even the most exalted intellect. Yet G-d wanted this level of holiness brought into the world through the daily service in the Mishkan. Nadav and Avihu, by contrast, wanted to experience the Divine as it exists in its source Above, and they were punished.

To underscore the obligation to bring Divinity into our daily lives, the Torah declares which animals are kosher. In essence, these instructions are no different those that the Kohanim were given to perform in the Mishkan. Like Aharon, we must put aside our intellect and desire, and do what Hashem wants with every fiber of our being. In turn, Hashem will bless His people Israel from the very Essence of His Being with the coming of Moshiach now. PJC

Rabbi Yossi Rosenblum is CEO of Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh and rabbi of Congregation Kesser Torah. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabonim of Greater Pittsburgh.

It’s

CHERNOFF: B. Mark Chernoff, age 96, of Indianapolis, died peacefully on March 25, 2024. Born in Pittsburgh on May 27, 1927, he was the devoted son of  Maurice “Chan” and Belle Chernoff. Mark was the beloved husband of the late Marilyn Schwartz Chernoff. Loving father of Neil Chernoff (Elif) and Dale Theising (David), grandfather to Adam (Magaly) and Aron. Cherished great-grandfather of Theo. Brother of the late Stephanie Makler (Herman). Mark called Pittsburgh his home for 94 years. Mark moved to Indianapolis to be closer to his daughter. After serving in the Navy toward the end of WWII, he pursued a BA degree at the University of Pittsburgh and a law degree at Duquesne University. He worked as a taxi driver to cover his expenses. Mark and Marilyn were dedicated to their family, spending time with their children and grandchildren. Mark’s unwavering moral code inspired those around him and was a strong influence on his children, colleagues and clients. Mark and Marilyn had a tightknit network of friends and relatives, many dating from childhood. Mark devoted himself to practicing law until his retirement at 65. After that, he turned his attention to his various avocations. Mark was never at a loss to find something to do. Mark was a passionate lover of music. He started by acquiring thousands of vinyl albums and when music went digital he was not afraid to follow along, building a library with tens of thousands of songs. He loved playing golf and table tennis and working with his extensive stamp and coin collections. Mark is deeply missed by his loving family and friends. Interment was at West View Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a charity of your choice. Professional services entrusted to D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd., dalessandroltd.com

LEIBOWITZ: Marvin Leibowitz, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Cherished husband of Faye Leibowitz. Loving father of Cheryl Leibowitz (Jack Bouchard) and Ellen Leibowitz. Brother of Steven Leibowitz (Deborah Annibali) and Barb Greaney (Peter). Also survived by beloved nieces, nephews and many great friends. Marvin was a graduate of Temple University and Widener University Delaware Law School. As an attorney for over 40 years, Marvin acquired numerous accolades. He received an award from the Social Security Administration for developing a prehearing conference program. Marvin was appointed by Mayor Bob O’Connor to the Pittsburgh Equal Opportunity Review Commission and he continued his service on the Commission under Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. He was elected to the Allegheny County Democratic Committee and the Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee. Marvin was also active in the 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club and the Gertrude Stein Club of Greater Pittsburgh, and was a president of B’nai Brith Three Rivers Lodge and a past vice president of the National Treasury Employees Union. He will be missed by his family and friends. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Tree of Life Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh, Attn. Donations, 6926 Hamilton Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15208. schugar.com

SELZMAN: Lisa Jennifer Selzman (married name Greenberg) passed away peacefully on March 31, 2024, in Pittsburgh following an extended battle with cancer. Lisa was born in Houston, Texas, on Dec. 25, 1960, to Martha Ann Selzman (née Kaufman) and Dr. Harold Martin Selzman. Lisa graduated from St. John’s School in Houston, prior to receiving her bachelor’s degree in creative writing, magna cum laude, from Barnard College, Columbia University. She spent several years working as a magazine staffer and editor in Manhattan, prior to returning to school and receiving her master’s degree in dance therapy from Antioch University in New Hampshire. Lisa was accomplished in her professional life both as a writer, and as a psychotherapist. As a writer, Lisa’s poetry, fiction, essays and feature articles appeared in many publications, including Poets & Writers, House Beautiful, Child, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Self, New Woman, McCall’s, Cleo, American Health and Barnard magazine, as well as in literary journals including the North American Review, Alaska Quarterly Review and the Worcester Review. For many years, she reviewed books regularly for The Houston Chronicle, The New York Times Book Review, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Her writings also appeared in anthologies several times, including in “If These Walls Could Talk: Thoughts of Home” (Hearst). As a psychotherapist, Lisa began her career at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Houston, and she subsequently worked for years as a staff therapist on the inpatient psychiatry wards at Dartmouth Hospital in New Hampshire. In the most recent few decades in Pittsburgh, Lisa worked as a therapist on the inpatient psychiatry units at UPMC Mercy Hospital; in outpatient counseling and support services through Gateway Rehab; and in private practice. Lisa’s clinical interests focused especially on body image, women’s issues and trauma, and she wrote on these topics as well as applying her expertise in the support of her clients. Lisa’s professional life reflected her love for poetry, writing and the arts, as well as for healing and working with people in pain. But above all, Lisa loved her family. She was deeply proud of her two children, and she wanted to chaperone every school activity, and to spectate at every theater performance, crosscountry meet, and musical open-mic event. Lisa always tried to put her family first, no matter what else she was doing. She was also very active in her community, and she seemed to have friends everywhere. Lisa was a remarkably outgoing, friendly and kind person and, as a result, she made friends quickly wherever she went. Lisa is survived by her adult daughter, Hunter Greenberg, and by her adult son, Spencer Greenberg; by her husband of 25 years, Michael Greenberg; by her parents, Dr. Harold and Martha Ann Selzman; and by her two brothers, Dr. Andy Selzman and Dr. Craig Selzman. Services were held at Temple Ohav Shalom. Interment Homewood Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Our hearts are broken. But we will love and cherish our memories of Lisa for the rest of our lives. Rest in peace, Boo. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., schugar.com PJC

Jewish Association on Aging gratefully acknowledges contributions from the following:

A gift from ... In memory of...

Roberta Feldman .Samuel Feldman

Joan Finkel .Belle Finkel

Ira Frank

Audrey Frank

Ira Frank .Leonard Frank

Ruth Haber

Mrs Pearl Rebekah Friedman

Amy R Kamin .Marvin Kamin

Carl Krasik .Isadore Fleegler

Carl Krasik .Earl Belle

Joan W Lieberman .Sarah Lea Ziner

Joan W Lieberman .Joseph Ziner

Joan W Lieberman .Rebecca Betty Rubin

Joan W Lieberman .Charlotte Rubin

Stan Marks M .D .Karl Zlotnik

Elaine McNeill Rory Melnick

Faye Nickel Rory Melnick

Faye Nickel Joseph Melnick

Stephanie & Nicole Zinman .Gary Edward Zinman

Sunday April 7: Rabbi A .M Ashinsky, Pearl Cohen, Meyer Levine, Lena R Mallinger, Joseph J Reader, Nettie Ripp, Gertrude Rosenberg

Monday April 8: Maurice Gutmacher, Selma B Leuin, Eleanor Silverstein

Tuesday April 9: Edna Anish, Herman Berliner, Morris Bloom, Rose Edith Donofsky, Emanuel Epstein, Cecelia Feingold, George Fink, Audrey Green Frank, Joseph Glantz, Mary R Goodwin, Bessie Halpern, Lilly Hirsch, Evelyn R Johan, Marty B Kaplan, Samuel Lichtenstul, Bernard Lieberman, Calvin Morgan, Hetty S Numerosky, Sylvia Peris, Belle Pirchesky, Jacqueline Goodman Rubin, Alvin Schonberger, Anne Schwartz, Anne Simon, Judith V Tucker, Benjamin Weiss

Wednesday April 10: Philip Blau, Birdye Brody, Mollie Bucaresky, Louis Engelman, Meyer Goldfarb, Charlotte Gordon, Morris E Greenberg, Maurice Edward Jacobson, Charles Kaufman, William S Miller, Gerald E Moskowitz, Sanford A Rogers, Trudy Rosenthal, Merle Arnold Sands, Fannie Singer, Ida Sissman, Morris L Speizer, Eileen M Swartz, Louis Weinberger, Celia Weiner, Samuel Weiner, Zelda Hilda Zamsky

Thursday April 11: Earl Belle, William L Birken, Belle Broder, Elsie Cohen, Dorothy Gross, Leon Hytovitz, Pearle N Lenchner, Israel Marcus, Allan Jay Mellman, Joseph Melnick, Alvin Milligram, Celia J Rubin, Leo I Shapiro, Benjamin Thorpe

Friday April 12: Elliott Alber, Sanford Berman, Joseph Brody, Elizabeth Cousin, Sara Goldstein Davis, Marvin G Elman, Phillip Fenster, Freda Foreman, Marvin Kamin, William Katz, Ida E Keller, Samuel Levinson, Nathan Malt, Sarah Markowitz, Jack Marks, Samuel Miller, Samuel Mines, Albert Schwartz, Harry Schwartz, Kania Sigman, Joseph Viess, Jacob Weiner, Sally Louise Weisman, Joseph M Zasloff, Gary Zinman

Saturday April 13: Alice Serbin Bogdan, Louis Caplin, Harold Erenstein, Aaron Friedland, Jacob Richmond, Rose Shrager, Irwin Silverman, Lazarus Simon, Esther Dena Stein, Jacob Steinberger

®

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also has limited availability in the Carnegie Library system.

Email: Contact us at drullo@pittsburgh jewishchronicle.org, and write “Chronicle Book Club” in the subject line. We will send you a Zoom link for the discussion meeting. Registration closes on April 12. Happy reading!

Chai

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

Every Friday in the

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MONROEVILLE • $750,000

328 Shalimar Court

Nestled at the end of a tranquil cul-de-sac, this exquisite residence epitomizes timeless elegance and sophistication. Adorned with graceful touches, the sprawling 5-bedroom, 4.2 bathroom estate o ers an unparalleled living experience. Spanning across an expansive 0.61 acres of meticulously manicured grounds, privacy is paramount, with a massive fence enveloping the rear and side of the home. The three-car garage provides ample space for vehicles and storage. Inside, a grand foyer welcomes you with soaring ceilings and an abundance of natural light, setting the stage for the impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail found throughout. Each of the four upstairs bedrooms features its own walk-in closet. o ering both style and functionality.

OAKLAND • $275,000

Neville House

New listing! 2 bedroom 2 bath bright open unit with spectacular views. Enjoy open spaces in this luxury condo. Close to hospitals, universities, and transportation.

POINT BREEZE • $579,000

Sophisticated 2 bedroom 2.5 bath home with sparkling hardwood floors, and lots of light pouring in, a sleek gourmet kitchen, private outdoor courtyard, and a 2 integral garage. Steps from Point Breeze’s vibrant business community. Easy access to Frick Park, Shadyside, Downtown and Oakland. Very Special.

JILL and MARK PORTLAND

RE/MAX REALTY BROKERS

412.521.1000 EXT. 200

412.496.5600 JILL | 412.480.3110 MARK

Life & Culture

By Stephanie Ganz | The Nosher

Sauce gribiche is a cold egg sauce that originated in 19th-century France when the so-called “mother sauces” (or grandes sauces) were being defined by chefs Marie Antoine Carême and August Escoffier. It is a derivative of mayonnaise, but unlike that classic emulsion, which uses raw egg, gribiche is characterized by the use of boiled eggs. The sauce, which is often compared to a remoulade, harnesses the briny flavor of capers and cornichons, and bright herbaceous notes from any combination of parsley, chervil and tarragon.

While it sounds a bit fussy, gribiche is as easy to make as it is versatile. Throughout Passover, when my dining choices are more limited than usual, sauce gribiche becomes a staple. After the seder, I use my leftover parsley and a couple of eggs to whip up a batch that will hang out in the fridge, its flavor improving over the next few days. The sauce brings a silky-chunky texture to whatever it touches, from the traditional veal to the more modern blanched spring vegetables like asparagus and new potatoes. I like to add it to hard-boiled eggs for an egg-on-egg

breakfast, drape it over poached salmon for lunch, and occasionally pile a bit on a piece of matzah and eat it just like that.

There are many variations of gribiche. Some prefer a soft-boiled egg, which results in a looser sauce, while others, myself included, gravitate toward a slightly firmer yolk, which renders a richer gribiche. Some insist on a medley of herbs, and others choose only one. Either way, the simple sauce comes together in about five minutes once your eggs are ready. And while, traditionally, sauce gribiche is made with Dijon mustard, which contains kitniyot, readers who want to avoid mustard seeds

can use kosher for Passover mustard. Once you’ve got the basics down, gribiche is a bit of a playground — add your favorite briny thing (Castelvetrano olives! Piparra peppers! Anchovies!) or swap out the Champagne vinegar for any vinegar of choice. It’s hard to go wrong.

Ingredients

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (4 stems worth)

1 tablespoon chopped capers

1 tablespoon chopped cornichons (about 3)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or kosher for Passover mustard of choice)

2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar, or vinegar of choice

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

In a medium saucepan, add two eggs and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and set a timer for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl with ice water. When the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to the bowl of ice water. Allow eggs to cool for 3 minutes and then peel.

While the eggs are cooking, pick the leaves from 4 stems of parsley, and chop until you have 1 tablespoon. Chop 1 tablespoon of capers and 1 tablespoon of cornichons (about 3). Set aside.

Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Finely chop the egg whites and set aside. Press the yolks through a fine mesh sieve into a mixing bowl. Add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar, and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil while whisking. The sauce will become thick and lighter in color as the oil emulsifies into the egg mixture.

Fold in the chopped parsley, capers, cornichons and egg whites. Season with salt and pepper. PJC

Photo courtesy of The Nosher

Community

Community members gathered on the corner of Darlington Road and Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill to demand the release of an estimated 134 hostages still in Hamas captivity. The weekly demonstration, which includes prayers, singing and public comments, is a reminder to elected

Big Nosh is coming

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle will present its first-ever Big Nosh Jewish food festival on April 7-9, from 3 to 8 p.m., at Congregation Beth Shalom.

Purim is a sign of Oz

Parkway Jewish Center hosted a dinner, Havdalah, Megillah reading and Purim spiel on March 23. The Saturday evening event featured a parodied telling of “The Wizard of Oz.”

p New Light co-presidents Barbara Caplan and Stephen Cohen don apparel from the Marla Perlman Memorial Silly Hat Collection. Photo courtesy of New Light Congregation

Photo by Jonathan Dvir p Photo by Evan Stein

More than 50 volunteers gathered at Our Giving Kitchen on March 24 to cook, pack and deliver

p Ranisa Davidson and Aviv Davidson get their hands dirty. Photo courtesy of Chezky Rosenfeld