Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 4-21-23

Family of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims supports pursuing death penalty against accused gunman

Rabbis Barbara and Ron Symons to leave Pittsburgh in 2024

By Andrew Goldstein | Contributing Writer

The sisters of two victims of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre said Friday that they supported the federal government seeking the death penalty against the accused gunman in his upcoming trial.

Diane and Michele Rosenthal said in brief remarks that they wanted the suspect to face the death penalty, despite reports claiming families of all of the victims do not believe the government should pursue capital punishment.

“Many of the news articles and broadcasts claim to represent the deceased victims’ families’ decision on the trial and the death penalty, but those views have not come from the families affected,” Diane Rosenthal said. “Instead, they’ve come from individuals of the congregations, elected officials and others who think they know what’s best for the families.”

The Rosenthal sisters lost their brothers, Cecil and David, in the Oct. 27, 2018, massacre that left 11 dead in total between the three congregations holding services inside of the Tree of Life building: Tree of Life*Or

L’Simcha, New Light and Dor Hadash. Six other people were wounded in the attack, including four Pittsburgh police officers. Jury selection, for the trial that is expected to last several months, is set to start Monday. Some have expressed concerns the trial could retraumatize survivors, families of victims and the community, and that a plea deal could be made that spares the suspect’s life and avoids further court procedures.

But Michele Rosenthal said the idea runs counter to her family’s wishes and “plays right into the hands of the ongoing transparent strategy by the defense to delay in hopes of achieving this result.”

“Our family has suffered long and hard over the last four-and-a-half years,” she continued. “We don’t want to have to continue to defend ourselves and our position. We want justice. We want the legal system to work as it should and have the perpetrator brought to trial and judged by a jury based on the facts of the case.”

Diane Rosenthal also noted seven of

Special Section begins on page 9

By David Rullo | Sta Writer

After 17 years serving as the spiritual leader of Reform congregation Temple David in Monroeville, Rabbi Barbara Symons said that she will step away from the bima when her contract ends in June 2024.

Symons said she plans to move to New York with her husband, Rabbi Ron Symons, senior director of Jewish Life at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh.

“We have no push factors. We only have pull factors,” she said. “Our family, which now includes our kids, are in New York or more likely to be in New York than Pittsburgh. Our extended families are in the New York City area largely, and our lifelong friends are in that area.

That is why we decided to make this move.”

Symons is originally from upstate New York, and her husband is from Long Island. Both rabbis attended Hebrew Union College in New York.

Rabbi Ron Symons, who founded the Center for Loving Kindness at Pittsburgh’s JCC, said that over the next 15 months he will work with the organization’s leadership to advance the center’s cause “so that it exists beyond my presence here.”

His imminent departure comes during a period of transition for the JCC. Longtime

Lenda nus dolorum re pro mi, cuptati ntibus.

Allderdice class of ’73 gives back

Jewish films from around the world come to Pittsburgh JFilm Festival celebrates 30 years

p Rosenthal family

Photo courtesy of the Rosenthal family

p Rabbi Ron Symons (left), Rabbi Barbara Symons and their children

Photo provided by Barbara Symons.

Headlines

Taylor Allderdice class of ’73 finds a way to ‘Know something, do something, be something’

— LOCAL —

By David Rullo | Sta Writer

For the Taylor Allderdice High School class of 1973, “Know something, do something, be something” is more than a simple school motto.

Rabbi Cheryl Klein, who is part of the 17-member reunion committee for the class, said that the group wanted its celebration to go beyond dressing up and trading stories of yore.

“We saw this as an opportunity to come full circle with a sense of gratitude,” Klein said. “This was an opportunity for all of us to consider giving something back.”

The class decided to honor the school’s motto and reconnect with its educational roots 50 years after leaving the building’s hallowed halls by supporting a scholarship for a Taylor Allderdice senior.

Interestingly, Klein didn’t graduate in the class she’s celebrating with.

The rabbi grew up in Squirrel Hill and attended Colfax Elementary School and Taylor Allderdice High School, then transferred in 10th grade to Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh. She remained close with friends she made during her time in public school, though, and attended the graduating class’s 20th reunion. She then began serving on the reunion committee.

“To my knowledge, I’m the only person who serves on the Taylor Allderdice Reunion Committee for the class of 1973 who did not graduate with the class,” she said.

Klein serves as the official “communicator” for the class — a role she relishes

because she believes it’s important for people to stay connected. She emails class members and keeps them up to date on reunion plans.

It was one of Klein’s friends from her Colfax days, Alan Katz, who suggested creating a scholarship as part of the 50th reunion. Klein brought the idea to the committee who, she said, thought it was fabulous.

“Alan had been the brainchild and has endless energy to do whatever it takes to raise funds,” she said. “He has created very, very clever videos that we send out asking the class for donations for the campaign that runs from January to May because that’s the reunion.”

The goal is to raise $20,000, about 40% of which was already collected, Klein said. The scholarship will be administered through The Pittsburgh Promise, which will facilitate the process of student selection and direct payment to the institution where the student will be educated.

Class members are encouraged to give in increments that reflect their graduation year, Klein said.

“If you’re able to give $1,973, great,” she said. “So is $197.30 or $19.73 or $73. We’re just encouraging people to think about giving something different than a random $10.”

The videos created by Katz have become something of a hit among classmates. Some are fairly basic — class members saying, “I donated,” or a short piece talking to students who received a Pittsburgh Promise scholarship and the impact the gift had on their lives.

Others are less traditional. One montage intersperses videos of class members and stock footage of people dancing to the Earth, Wind and Fire hit “September.” Still another

comical piece titled “The End is Near,” shows Katz chalking the school with “73” while a voiceover describes a scenario — like the type of conspiracy-driven pieces one might find online — of a person being arrested for tagging the school with the numbers.

Katz, who now lives in Arizona, said that the friends he made in Squirrel Hill were special. The neighborhood, he said, was his bubble.

“I wanted to give something back to the community. I wanted to celebrate our 50th reunion, and I wanted to celebrate Allderdice,” he said. “There’s a legacy there

from our time and history.”

Katz said he enjoys creating the videos.

“I’ll do this for a little bit and then move on to something else,” he said. “For my own self, it has given me a purpose.”

Steve Cuden is a 1973 Taylor Allderdice graduate who returned to Pittsburgh 12 years ago after spending nearly four decades in Los Angeles as a screenwriter. He teaches at Point Park University and said he decided to donate because he’s a proponent of young people having the opportunity to get an education.

“One of the things I did when I moved back to Pittsburgh was find how to give back to the community,” he said. “That includes not just giving my time and resources to people but also money to various organizations. I think that has a great deal of value. The motto of Taylor Allderdice is ‘Know something, do something, be something.’ Without help financially, there are a whole lot of people that won’t be able to do that. I felt it wasn’t just my honor but my obligation.”

For Klein, the scholarship represents a lasting impact for the class of 1973.

“It’s really an expression of the power of education and how we, as a class, can continue to change one life at a time,” Klein said. “Whether we’re in the twilight of our lives, will be blessed with another 20 or 30 years, or for those who have passed and aren’t able to be here with us, there is a tremendous sense of gratitude and feeling that, wherever we are in our lives, it’s time to give back.” PJC

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p A still from a video created by Alan Katz to help promote Taylor Allderdice Class of 1973’s efforts to raise money for a scholarship Screenshot by David Rullo

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

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

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

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 – SUNDAY, APRIL 30

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

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

Advanced Community Active Threat Training, a free three-hour course presented by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, addresses the mind of an active shooter, predator versus prey, situational awareness and survival mindset. It focuses on basic self-defense using techniques such as Krav Maga and is hands-on for those wishing to do so. It explores weapons awareness and disarming techniques. The last portion of the class builds on skills learned, adding more advanced defensive tactics to include team tactics and reality-based training. 1 p.m. Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, 1900 Cochran Road, 15220. jewishpgh. org/event/advanced-community-active-threattraining-catt-2.

Gather at the Tree of Life Zittrain Garden to say “l’hitraot” or “see you later” to the Tree of Life building. Share happy memories of the building and recite a few prayers with Rabbi Je rey Myers. Please bring a small pebble to place in a special box as a symbol of your visit and respect. 1 p.m. Tree of Life Congregation, 5898 Wilkins Ave. treeoflifepgh. org/event/closing-ceremony-for-tree-of-life.html.

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

Join Rodef Shalom Congregation for “Understanding

Gen Z: How will the next generation shape our Jewish world?,” the 2023 Ruth and Bernard Levaur

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

SUNDAYS, APRIL 23, 30

The 10 plagues. The Exodus. The splitting of the sea. The delivery of manna … Judaism has a long list of miracles. But do we really believe in miracles? How should rational minds think about the miraculous?

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

SUNDAYS, APRIL 23, MAY 21, JUNE 11 AND SEPT. 10

Join Congregation Beth Shalom for “Toward Friendship and Discovery: Conversations Between Christians and Jews” as they read portions of “The Bible With and Without Jesus” together in small interfaith groups. The program is currently limited to 50 Jewish and 50 Christian participants. Childcare

will be provided. All food o erings will be kosher or otherwise labeled for mutual comfort. Registration is required. $100/per person. BethShalomPgh.org/ Interfaith-Program-2023.

SUNDAYS, APRIL 23 – DEC. 3

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

SUNDAYS, APRIL 23 – DEC. 17

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

MONDAY, APRIL 24

Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh for its Yom HaZikaron ceremony honoring soldiers who gave their lives to defend the state of Israel, and victims of terror. 8 p.m. JCC Katz Performing Arts Center. jewishpgh.org/event/ yom-hazikaron.

MONDAY, APRIL 24 – SUNDAY, MAY 7

The Healing Garden is an exhibit of drawings by members of the Allegheny Highlands Botanical Art Society. Free and open to the public. Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org.

MONDAYS, APRIL 24 – MAY 15

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

MONDAYS, APRIL 24 – MAY 22

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

MONDAYS, APRIL 24 – DEC. 18

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

TUESDAYS, APRIL 25; MAY 2

Join Repair the World Pittsburgh and the 10.27 Healing Partnership for Chai, Chai V’Kayam, a series of community garden service-learning projects focused on sustaining ourselves, our communities and the earth through di cult times. As the 10.27 synagogue shooting trial approaches, we hope that these programs serve as an opportunity to come together for healing and collective action. 5:30 p.m. For more information, including events and locations, visit 1027healingpartnership.org/series/ chai-chai-vkayam-volunteering-series.

TUESDAYS, APRIL 25 – MAY 9

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

will read poetry and prose, gaining insights into the Jewish national psyche. 9:30 a.m. $160. jewishpgh. org/event/israeli-literature-as-a-window-to-israelisociety/2023-02-07.

TUESDAYS, APRIL 25 – DEC. 19

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

TUESDAYS, APRIL 25 – DEC. 26

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

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26

Taught by Professor David Harris, “Criminal Justice: From the Community Perspective,” a two-hour community course will support learners in their understanding of the U.S. criminal legal process, our systems of justice and criminal trials. The information presented will help the community understand what goes on in the criminal courts, how trials work, what justice can look like and how we might attain it, and the special features and procedures of death penalty cases. 6:30 p.m. Free. JCC of the South Hills, 345 Kane Blvd. To register, visit 1027healingpartnership.org/event/criminaljustice-from-the-community-perspectivesouth-hills.

Classrooms Without Borders presents America and The Holocaust: A Series of Colloquies April’s session will examine Hollywood, Nazism and the Nazis. Free. 4 p.m. cwbpgh. org/event/america-and-the-holocaust-a-seriesof-colloquies-3/?mc_cid=5fef88abd5&mc_ eid=300cbb1627.

WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 26 – MAY 24

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

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

WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 26 – DEC. 20 Join AgeWell for an intergenerational family dynamics discussion group. Whether you have family harmony or strife, these discussions are going to be thought-provoking and helpful. Led by intergenerational specialist/presenter and educator Audree Schall. Third Wednesday of each month. Free. 12:30 p.m. South Hills JCC.

WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 26 – DEC. 27 Bring the parashah alive and make it personally relevant and meaningful with Rabbi Mark Goodman in this weekly Parashah Discussion: Life & Text 12:15 p.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org/life-text.

Temple Sinai’s Rabbi Daniel Fellman presents a weekly Parshat/Torah portion class on site and online. Call 412-421-9715 for more information and the Zoom link.

THURSDAY, APRIL 27

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

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

THURSDAYS, APRIL 27, MAY 18

Classrooms Without Borders presents a post-film discussion of “Air Born” with Liat Eini-Netzer and Avi Ben-Hur. 3 p.m. eventbrite. com/e/post-film-discussion-air-borntickets-566782861797.

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

SUNDAY, APRIL 30

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

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

WEDNESDAYS, MAY 3 – 24

Chabad of the South Hills presents the new JLI course “Jewpernatural: Signs, spirits and superstition in Jewish belief.” The course probes the Talmud, Jewish philosophy and kabbalah to provide Jewish perspectives and guidance to help understand mysterious topics like the meaning of dreams; the existence of angels, demons, and extraterrestrials; and the power of the evil eye. 7:30 p.m. Chabad of the South Hills. chabadsh.com.

THURSDAYS, MAY 4; JUNE 1

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

SUNDAYS, MAY 7, JUNE 4

Join the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh for an exciting Partnership2Gether online film club that brings together people from di erent Jewish communities for thoughtprovoking discussion based on di erent films. 1 p.m. jewishpgh.org/events/category/ partnership2gether. PJC

‘Death to the Jews’ chants heard at Berlin pro-Palestinian rally Berlin police are investigating a pro-Palestinian rally where demonstrators allegedly chanted “Death to the Jews” and “Death to Israel,” phrases that if verified could be criminal offenses under Germany’s strict post-World War II hate speech laws, JTA.org reported.

Hundreds of people showed up in the Kreuzberg and Neukölln neighborhoods on April 8 at a rally organized in response to the police clashes with Muslim worshipers at the Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In video captured by a watchdog called Democ, many were shown praising the Qassem Brigades armed branch of Hamas, the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip and is considered a terrorist organization by the European Union.

Some additionally chanted “Tel Aviv, the answer will come.”

In the aftermath, authorities have launched investigations into incitement of hate and have been scouring videos of the event. Iris Spranger, the Berlin city government’s interior senator, condemned the antisemitic statements in a tweet on April 10, writing “Hate has no place in our society.”

“The rule of law must be applied consistently,” said Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, in remarks to the Jewish community newspaper Jüdische Allgemeine.

Jewish basketball star Abby Meyers selected in 1st round of WNBA draft

Abby Meyers, a Maccabiah Games gold medalist and former University of Maryland basketball star, was selected 11th overall by the Dallas Wings in the first round of the WNBA Draft on April 10, JTA.org reported.

Meyers, who was involved with Jewish life on campus, helped her squad make the Elite 8 at this year’s NCAA tournament. She averaged 14.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during the regular season.

Meyers said last month that she felt supported by Jewish Maryland fans.

“There’s an amazing following of Jewish students who come to my games, who support me and love the fact that I’m Jewish,” she said.

The Washington, D.C., native also led Maccabi USA to a gold medal last summer.

“I see myself as a female Jewish athlete, and I think it really came to fruition this past summer when I went to the Maccabiah Games in Israel and was able to play alongside so many amazing, talented Jewish athletes from all over the world,” Meyers said. “That was different for me because I’ve never been around so many Jewish athletes before.”

Yad Vashem denounces Poland’s demanded additions to Israeli student trips as ‘inappropriate’

When Israel and Poland agreed to resume Israeli youth trips to Polish Holocaust sites

last month, their agreement stipulated that new sites be added to the students’ itineraries, including some that document Nazi crimes against non-Jewish Poles, JTA.org reported.

Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial and history authority, is now calling those additions “inappropriate” and “problematic.”

In statements to Haaretz published on April 10, leading historians condemned the development, arguing that the new trip rules advance what they call Poland’s track record of obscuring its Holocaust record.

The new list of required sites for students to see is “dubious at best and controversial at worst,” said Havi Dreifuss, a Tel Aviv University history professor affiliated with Yad Vashem. She added that some of the sites “ignore documented aspects of Poles’ involvement in the murder of Jews,” or even “glorify Poles who were involved up to their necks in the murder of Jews.”

Greece buys $400M worth of Israeli missiles

Greece has signed a government-to-government contract with Israel to buy 1.44 billion shekels ($400 million) worth of Israeli-made missiles, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced on April 10, JNS.org reported.

The deal involves a purchase of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ Spike missiles and was led by the Defense Ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate.

The Spike anti-tank guided missiles use

advanced camera sensors for guidance and can be launched from some 45 different military platforms on land, in the air and at sea. Some 40 countries around the world use the Spike missiles, including 19 E.U. countries and NATO allies, the ministry said.

“More than 34,000 missiles from the Spike family have already been delivered to various countries around the world, and more than 6,000 of them have been launched, both during training as well as for operational use,” the Defense Ministry said.

Israel now third-largest importer of Chinese vehicles

Israel ranked third in the number of Chinese cars imported to the country in January and February, Globes reported, citing a Chinese customs authority.

Israel imported 15,500 vehicles, behind only Russia with 20,100 and Mexico with 18,700. In recent years, Israel has passed Australia, Chile, Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

The 15,500 Chinese imports represent 8.4% of all China’s vehicle exports. The 15,500 imports are more than the entire EU.

About 80% of the imports were electric vehicles or plug-ins.

Globes noted that those figures are not sales, so a large percentage may still be in importers’ stocks. And the figures exclude Tesla’s exports from its Shanghai factory, which average more than 40,000 monthly. PJC

— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb

Today in Israeli History

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

April 21, 1947 — Militants’ double suicide prevents hanging Moshe Barazani, 20, of Lehi (the Stern Gang) and Meir Feinstein, 19, of the Irgun kill themselves with a grenade smuggled into their prison cell to prevent the British from hanging them the next morning.

April 22, 1948 — Haganah seizes

Haifa

The Haganah executes a three-prong attack to secure control of all of Haifa except for the port, which the British hold, amid the violence ahead of the Israeli Declaration of Independence three weeks later.

April 23, 1943 — Warsaw Ghetto commander sends last dispatch

April 24, 1903 — Africa is proposed for Jewish homeland Meeting with Theodor Herzl, British official Joseph Chamberlain proposes a Jewish homeland in British-controlled East Africa. Herzl sees the Uganda Plan as an interim step toward the return to Israel.

April 25, 1975 — Music star

Udi Davidi is born

Singer-songwriter

Mordechai Anielewicz, the commander of the Jewish Fighting Organization (ZOB) in the Warsaw Ghetto, writes his final message about “the magnificent, heroic” but doomed Jewish uprising that began April 19.

By Avi Deror

Udi Davidi performs in 2009.

By

Ehud “Udi” Davidi, who raises sheep in the Judean hills when he isn’t making music, is born. He is known for incorporating religious melodies and lyrics into his music.

April 26, 1881 — Pogrom hits Kyiv Anti-Jewish violence since the assassination of Czar Alexander II in March sweeps into Kyiv. Rioters loot and destroy Jewish shops and homes. Authorities warned Kyiv’s Jews on April 25 to stay inside.

April 27, 1955 — Uzi is unveiled during parade

The Uzi submachine gun makes its public debut as an IDF weapon during a Yom HaAtzmaut parade. The Uzi was first used in the field two months earlier during a paratrooper raid on Egyptian forces in Gaza. PJC

p

Matan Segev via Wikimedia Commons

p A statue of Mordechai Anielewicz stands at the Yad Mordechai kibbutz near Ashkelon.

via Wikimedia Commons

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May4,2023 Pittsburgh Playhouse

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BeforehewasanEmmy-winningTVstar,MandyPatinkinwasalreadyaTony-winning Broadwaylegend. MandyPatinkininConcert:BEINGALIVE,presentstheacclaimed actor/singer/storytellerinhismostelectrifyingrole:concertperformer.“Mandy Patinkinisinthebusinessofshowstopping,”raves TheNewYorker,andthat’sexactly whathedoesinthispowerful,passionateeveningofsong. BEINGALIVE isacollection ofmanyofMandy’sfavoriteBroadwayandclassicAmericantunes.FromIrvingBerlinto StephenSondheim,fromColePortertoHarryChapin,MandyPatinkintakesyouona dazzlingmusicaljourneyyou’llneverforget.

Education about Israel is the ‘road to peace’

Guest Columnist

Julie Paris

As Israel approaches its 75th anniversary, there is so much to celebrate. Zionism, the belief that Jewish people have the right to self-determination in our ancestral homeland, has flourished from a vision to a reality. In its short lifespan, Israel has become a world leader and is considered a “start-up” nation in science, medicine, technology, archeology, agriculture, the arts, humanitarian relief and so much more.

Israel also is the only democracy in the Middle East allowing cultural and religious freedoms to all. For example, the recent judicial reform demonstrations indicate that its robust democracy is at work. Protesters on both sides were freely able to march in the streets without fear of government retribution; and there is now an opportunity for a compromise that reduces divisions and tensions.

Tragically, antisemitism has dramatically risen worldwide. In the U.S., where Jews make up only 2.4% of the population, we are the victims of 55% of religious-based hate crimes. On college campuses, attempts to silence Jewish and pro-Israel voices have threatened students’ free speech, leading to feelings of marginalization. Jewish students in middle schools and high schools have been confronted with Nazi salutes and Holocaust denial.

Our community witnessed how antisemitism leads to violence after the worst terror attack against Jews in U.S. history occurred at the Tree of Life building in 2018. This past year, there was verbal harassment of Jews in Greenfield, neo-Nazi flyers thrown on the doorsteps of Jewish homes blaming Jews for all the world’s ills and the Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit, held at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, had a workshop on Jan. 21 that demonized Israel titled “Justice for Palestine with a Focus on the Killing of Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh,” with speakers who are supporters of the campaign to boycott Israel.

Modern antisemitism takes a variety of forms, including through social media platforms and in the halls of Congress. Kanye West and Bella and Gigi Hadid are constantly disparaging Israel to their millions of followers, thereby helping to normalize misinformation and assumptions about Israel.

These posts lead to antisemitic incidents that sometimes escalate to violence. “The Squad” similarly agitates against Israel in Congress. Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12) has fallen prey to their propaganda, signing onto their one-sided letter to President Biden urging a change in U.S. policy toward Israel.

Lee tweeted that the role Israeli police played in quelling violence inside Al-Aqsa mosque was “unjustifiable violence against Muslim worshipers whose only crime was praying during Ramadan” and used it as an excuse to call for ending U.S. aid to Israel. She conveniently omitted that the police were responding to

Palestinian terrorists who barricaded themselves inside the mosque with stockpiles of fireworks and rocks. Lee also expressed uncertainty about Israel being an “apartheid state” at an event organized by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Community Relations Council.

In its April 14 editorial, the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle called Lee out on these and other actions, but just as importantly, noted her lack of response to meeting with the paper, even though she has been interviewed by other local media outlets. Lee’s district represents a large portion of the Jewish population in the region, and the paper is reasonably asking to meet with her to fulfill its mission to “inform Pittsburgh’s Jewish community about the issues they care about, including Israel.” Lee’s constituents need to know that she is open to hearing their concerns and to ensuring that their voices are being heard.

Lee’s refusal to meet with Pittsburgh’s Jewish paper of record is indicative of a larger problem. StandWithUs believes that education is the “road to peace,” to gathering information from both sides and making informed decisions. We hope that Lee will be open to considering different perspectives and to not excluding Israel and her constituents’ voices in making her decisions and her statements.

It is incumbent upon all of us to actively engage in finding solutions to antisemitism. Get to know your local school board members and elected officials. Bring relevant speakers to your communities. Utilize the resources of organizations such as StandWithUs, sign petitions and

join their campaigns. SWU has campus and high school programs that select, train and empower hundreds of student leaders each year, including in Pittsburgh, to educate about Israel and combat antisemitism in their schools and communities.

SWU also has a middle-school curriculum for U.S. Jewish schools, called Israel LINK. Resources include the Saidoff Legal Department, the Center for Combating Antisemitism, the Holocaust Education Center, the Katz Israel Education Center in Jerusalem, social media platforms and materials on a variety of topics and languages, among many other initiatives.

An important tool in combating antisemitism is to work toward the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s Working Definition of Antisemitism. Widely supported by the Jewish community, it has been adopted by more than 1,100 entities worldwide, including government entities, civic organizations, major institutions and universities. The IHRA definition is critical because we must be able to “define antisemitism to defeat it.”

In honor of Israel’s 75th anniversary, let’s commit to working together with greater unity to confront our challenges while celebrating Israel’s incredible accomplishments. PJC

Julie Paris is the Mid-Atlantic regional director of StandWithUs, an international nonprofit and nonpartisan education organization that supports Israel and fights antisemitism. Learn more at standwithus.com.

On Yom HaShoah especially we must challenge eliminationist speech

Studies Institute, an organization dedicated to spreading “traditional” values at colleges. Knowles spoke at Purdue University last month, where he said of trans people, “We should stop tolerating this nonsense,” and predicted that we will “degrade ourselves further into decadence and delusion” if trans people are accepted for who they are.

When the Nazis rose to power in 1933, LGBT clubs, organizations, and publications were banned. One of the earliest Nazi book burnings included looting and destroying the Institut.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum recounts that “from 1933 until the outbreak of war in 1939, Jews felt the

anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, so we also remember the bravery and heroism of those who resisted the Nazis. It is a reminder that we have not and should not observe oppression passively, whether it happens to our community or to others. As LGBTQ+ Jews, we know what happens when a group of people is pushed out of society and hate speech against them is allowed to go unchallenged — so here we are challenging it once again.

April 18 marked Yom HaShoah, the day Jews have set aside to mourn those killed in the Holocaust. It is also the day that Michael Knowles — who has called for the “eradication of transgenderism from public life entirely” — was scheduled to speak at the University of Pittsburgh.

To LGBTQ+ Jews, the timing of Knowles’ visit is a reminder that our right to exist in society is still not guaranteed. On all days — but on Yom HaShoah especially — it is our duty to challenge eliminationist speech.

Knowles claims he is merely targeting an ideology. However, if someone were to claim they want to eradicate “Judaism, but not Jews,” we would recognize they are being disingenuous. One can no more remove a Jew’s Jewishness than a transgender person’s “transgenderism.”

The event Knowles was scheduled to participate in, titled “Should Transgenderism be Regulated by Law?”, was sponsored by Pitt Republicans and the Intercollegiate

This rhetoric is not new, and Knowles’ views are far from an abstract academic exercise. Moral panic around LGBT people historically has been a way for fascists to galvanize support for authoritarian policies.

The Germany of the 1920s and ’30s saw the establishment of large gay and lesbian communities and dozens of gay, lesbian and transvestite clubs. One of the leaders of these communities was Magnus Hirschfeld, a gay Jewish man. In 1919, he opened the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft, a research center on sexuality and gender that, in part, provided gender-affirming health care to transgender clients. Hirschfeld was a frequent target of right-wing provocateurs — his gay and Jewish identities were seen as a symbol of degrading national morals and un-German decadence.

effects of more than 400 decrees and regulations that restricted all aspects of their public and private lives.” In the last year, 43 bills that curtail the rights and dignity of trans people have passed in state legislatures across the country, and another 417 remain under active consideration, including three in Pennsylvania. A new law in Tennessee is written so broadly that a transgender person singing at an open mic night could be charged with a felony. Bills like these push everyone who does not neatly fit into binary gender roles or expressions to the margins of society.

On Yom HaShoah, we commemorate the 6 million Jews who lost their lives and the communities that were destroyed in the Holocaust, but it is not only a day of mourning. Yom HaShoah is observed on the

Congregation Bet Tikvah was founded in 1988, during the height of the AIDS epidemic, by people who were marginalized and denied participation in Jewish life. It continues to be a place where LGBTQ+ Jews and their allies can join together in community.

While acceptance for LGBTQ+ people has grown significantly, Michael Knowles is a stark reminder of how easily progress can be curtailed. Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once said, “To be a Jew is to know that the history of our people lives on in us.” We remember the Holocaust and the AIDS epidemic. We remember the exclusion and removal from public life our communities experienced. We remember what Michael Knowles re-envisions for trans people.

We stand with transgender people and condemn any speech that calls for their eradication or elimination. PJC

One can no more remove a Jew’s Jewishness than a transgender person’s “transgenderism.”

Sara Chandler and Caedyn Krahling are members of Congregation Bet Tikvah and sit on its Communication Committee.

Guest Columnists

Sara Chandler and Caedyn Krahling

Summer Lee has good reason not to speak to the Chronicle

it not be more constructive to reach out to the Jews in direct relationship with Ms. Lee and ask how to have meaningful dialogue?

Vogue is a well-respected platform, especially when it comes to engaging with young citizens.

Summer Lee will likely never do an interview with the Chronicle, and for good reason. Imagine if you were asked to interview with a newspaper that has painted you in a poor light and then be expected to trust them to really want to get to know who you are. Ms. Lee was called out by the Chronicle a week before the election about her unwillingness to answer its calls. A week before the election. Yes, Summer Lee has to answer to her constituents. Yes, she needs to engage in meaningful dialogue around Israel, as she has done in trusted circles. However, she should not have to place herself in a situation that feels an awful lot like a set up. As Jews, we need to consider the optics of piling constant criticism on the first Black woman elected to Congress from the state of Pennsylvania. Would

Journalism is supposed to be fair and balanced. The Chronicle showed it would not be toward Ms. Lee right out of the gate when a statement posed to her primary opponent, Steve Irwin, was erroneously phrased as: “You’re going to be running against Summer Lee. She has made statements on Twitter that have been understood by some as anti-Zionist and antisemitic.” The tweet shared supporting this statement was about inhumane treatment toward Palestinian people, but without mention of anything antisemitic or, quite frankly, anti-Zionist. Mr. Irwin later supported Ms. Lee and even spoke at a Jews for Summer Lee event just before the general election.

As for the Chronicle’s contention that Ms. Lee found time to talk to Teen Vogue and not them, I’d like to point out the vast difference in readership of the two publications, with Teen Vogue registering 6.3 million visits online last month. Any elected official wants to make a great impact with the scope of reach of their words and views. Teen

So, yes, Ms. Lee should continue to engage in dialogue with the Jewish community, but perhaps a place where we Jews de-center ourselves would serve as a better forum. May I suggest a town hall, an event the Chronicle would be more than welcome to cover? While the Chronicle is the only Jewish publication in Pittsburgh, it does not speak for the entirety of Jewish Pittsburgh and the implication that Summer Lee should “respond to her constituents — even those who are Jewish” is an unwarranted attack that attempts to paint Ms. Lee as antiJewish solely for not talking to this paper. She participated in a public conversation with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and has spoken to numerous Jewish constituents over the years. She has been with our community as we have honored and remembered those lost in the shooting at the Tree of Life building and she has joined several of us for Shabbat meals and seders. Summer Lee is an ally, whether or not everyone agrees on her approach to Israel, and I must

Chronicle poll results: Attacks on Israelis

Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following question: “How concerned are you with the recent attacks on Israelis coming from Palestinians, Lebanon, Syria and Iran?” Of the 161 people who responded, 84% said “very concerned”; 14% said “somewhat concerned”; 1% said “not concerned”; and 1% had no opinion. Comments were submitted by 27 people. A few follow.

I can only pray from afar and rely upon my belief that somehow Hashem will protect those people and that the land that they are most entitled to survives and flourishes.

How concerned are you with the recent attacks on Israelis coming from Palestinians, Lebanon, Syria and Iran?

The Israeli right-wing attacks on Arabs and extension of settlements is not a justification for this, but it is just as wrong.

Summer Lee and the rest of the congressional “Squad” minimize these attacks and maximize the measured responses, as if the Israelis are not entitled to protect themselves.

These days I am more concerned about what is happening within Israel proper.

Each life lost is an entire world.

point out what seems should be obvious: Lots of liberal Jews who do support Israel actually agree with the majority of her views. There are many issues we are facing as a nation, state and city. All of the issues at hand are important and it is essential to recognize that for a lot of Jews, myself included, this includes our ongoing relationship with Israel. And while we have a right to question any decision of any lawmaker, we must look deeper at the totality of problems facing us here. The constant haranguing of Summer Lee goes above and beyond the way other elected officials have been treated by this paper. It’s not a good look for you or for the Jewish community at large. Why is it that we cannot seem to notice that it becomes all too easy to target a Black woman? And if we don’t see it, well then, therein lies the real problem. PJC

Sara Stock Mayo is a musician, poet, spiritual leader and activist. She is currently serving in community engagement for The Rotunda Collaborative, soon to be located in the former B’nai Israel sanctuary.

I am equally concerned with the Israeli government’s anti-democracy movements and tolerance for settlers destroying Palestinian homes and groves.

The Trump administration was on its way to negotiating peace. The Biden administration has no plan to do anything.

I am worried enough that we will not be visiting Israel this year. PJC

Toby Tabachnick

Chronicle weekly poll question: Should the government do more to regulate hateful speech on social media? Go to pittsburghjewishchronicle.org to respond. PJC

‘Radical’ Democrats’ silence on Palestinian terror condemned Rep. Summer Lee and other radical Democratic lawmakers are indignant about U.S. aid to Israel, citing concerns for protecting “democracy, human rights, and self-determination for all Palestinians and Israelis” (“Rep. Summer Lee signs letter urging shift in U.S. policy toward Israel,” April 7, 2023). However, the above values appear unimportant, as the same lawmakers are silent about genocidal calls of the Palestinian Authority leadership and Hamas (a U.S.- designated terrorist group) to kill every Jew. Similarly, these congresspeople don’t appear perturbed about supporting the PA’s de facto dictator, Mahmoud Abbas, who last held elections in the West Bank in 2005. Finally, despite progressive Democrats’ purported human rights interests, we don’t hear any reproach of PA leadership for promoting modern-day child sacrifice with its indoctrination of Palestinian youth from cradle to grave to become killers of Jews, rewarding such acts with large monetary stipends, the PA’s “pay to slay” policy. Palestinian Arab terrorists currently conduct car rammings, shootings and knifings of innocent Israelis waiting at bus stops, stuck in traffic or going about their daily lives, but these lives don’t count, according to the above Democrats. Not surprisingly, operations by the Israeli Defense Forces aimed at protecting Israeli society and stopping these terror attacks are condemned.

As to Rep. Lee’s query about what Israel was defending in May 2021 “when no one has done anything needing defense” — the IDF measures were in response to hundreds of missiles fired indiscriminately at Israeli civilian centers by jihadist Hamas fighters in Gaza.

What would Americans do if faced with similar situations from terrorists such as ISIS or Al-Qaeda, who hold comparable fanatic views to Hamas? Let’s hope Rep. Lee and company would not be in positions of power if such unthinkable circumstances were to occur; it would not bode well for the lives of innocent American civilians.

Pamela Scheinman Chicago

Why does Tree of Life Congregation continue to destroy history?

According to a March 21 article in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, Tree of Life Congregation has removed individual metal yahrzeit plaques from the large yahrzeit boards that once hung in the synagogue building. They have afforded families an opportunity to pick up the removed yahrzeit plaques of their loved ones.

Why is Tree of Life apparently intent on forgetting the past in the course of its rebuild? First, it involves the upcoming destruction of an important piece of Pittsburgh Jewish history — the Pervin Chapel (where some congregants were murdered on Oct. 27, 2018), which I strongly oppose on a historical basis. Now, it is dismantling yahrzeit boards, and who knows what else? Are these deceased loved ones, many of whom were past members of the congregation, no longer important and worth remembering? When someone purchases a yahrzeit plaque, it is with an expectation that the plaque will remain on the wall for as long as the building exists. Many congregations that have gone out of existence have realized the great historical value and significance of maintaining these yahrzeit boards and have found new homes for them in other synagogues. Tree of Life Congregation apparently is not interested in finding wall space for rehanging these historical yahrzeit plaques within the confines of its new building. It seems that in its “Remember. Renew. Rebuild.” campaign, it has elected to abandon an important aspect of “remembrance.” If this is how Tree of Life chooses to “remember” the dearly departed, then when it sends out annual yahrzeit notices to those now “plaqueless families,” I wonder if these donation solicitations will be ignored in the same manner their loved ones are ignored in the course of removing the family plaques from the walls.

Marc Simon Washington, Pennsylvania

Guest Columnist

Sara Stock Mayo

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Rosenthal:

Continued from page 1

the nine families who lost loved ones in the massacre sent a letter in July 2021 to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland reflecting their support of the death penalty.

The government must pursue capital

Symons:

Continued from page 1

President and CEO Brian Schreiber announced earlier this year that he would step down from the helm of the organization in September. Chief Program Office Jason Kunzman will succeed Schreiber.

That change, though, didn’t influence Ron Symons’ decision, which came at the end of a long process and was initiated by Barbara Symons’ decision to leave Temple David. “It’s always hard to be the person that says it’s time for us to move on,” he said. “Barbara and I have made the decision together so we can age well into the future.”

The rabbis moved to Pittsburgh in 2006 after graduating from HUC and spending time in Westchester, New York, and Massachusetts.

The move to Pennsylvania, Barbara Symons said, was motivated by the job at Temple David. Her husband was working remotely at the time for the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa, Israel. He went on to serve as a rabbi at Temple Sinai in Squirrel Hill, where he directed the Midrash Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning

punishment, she said, because of the nature of the crime and to send a message that violence against Jews will not be tolerated.

“This massacre was not just a mass murder of innocent citizens during a service in a house of worship,” she said. “The death penalty must apply to vindicate justice and to offer

and the Tikkun Olam Center for Jewish Social Justice.

Temple David President Reena Goldberg said that Barbara Symons’ departure will be bittersweet.

The congregation, she said, is in the early stages of forming a search committee for its next rabbi. It has not been decided yet whether the congregation will hire an interim or permanent spiritual leader.

A committee also will be created to ensure Symons’ nearly two decades of achievements at the congregation are properly recognized and celebrated.

“She will have been with us for 18 years,” Goldberg said. “She’s been our educator. She’s done life cycle events for all of our members — baby namings, bar and bat mitzvahs, confirmations, weddings, funerals. Over this long time span, our members have developed a really close bond with her. They really hold her in high regard.”

For the JCC’s part, Schreiber said the organization has been “blessed” to have Ron Symons as its senior director of Jewish Life for the last eight years.

some measure of deterrence from horrific hate crimes happening again and again.”

In addition to the two Rosenthal brothers, the massacre victims included Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, married couple Bernice and Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax and Irving Younger. PJC

“[We are] looking forward to the next 14 months where he will continue his groundbreaking work with the Center for Loving Kindness and Civic Engagement and complementary duties,” Schreiber said. “The extended time frame on the Symons’ family relocation provides ample opportunity to continue our future visioning and secure professional succession.”

Ron Symons said that he has been fulfilled by his rabbinic life in Pittsburgh and the multiple roles he’s filled.

“From the Agency for Jewish Learning to the Union for Reform Judaism as a regional educator in Pennsylvania, to the work at Temple Sinai in both education and tikkun olam, and now with the JCC — both in helping to reimagine teen engagement in the transition of the work from the AJL, helping to figure out what the ‘J’ is — and, of course, the Center for Loving Kindness, I’m thankful for every one of those experiences,” he said.

Ron Symons said he has learned from all the people with whom he’s worked professionally and the people whose lives he’s been a part of.

“I’m really humbled by the trust people gave

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IS “ELDER LAW” JUST FOR THE ELDERLY?

Andrew Goldstein writes for the Pittsburgh Union Progress, where this first appeared. This story is part of ongoing coverage of the upcoming Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial by the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle and the Pittsburgh Union Progress in a collaboration supported by funding from the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.

to me,” he said.

Barbara Symons, too, said that she has built deep, intimate relationships over her 17 years at Temple David. It will be difficult, she said, to no longer be a part of Temple life, including life cycle events, when she leaves for New York. The rabbi will also miss the bonds she created with the larger community.

“I’ve built very strong relationships with the extended community,” she said. “My work with the Monroeville Interfaith Ministerium and the community arm of that, called the Community Network, which I oversee, has been really important. The partnerships with the people at the institutions across Monroeville are really important. So is my work with the school board and library and town council, police department and food pantries. The list goes on and on.”

And while Barbara Symons will miss those relationships, she’s excited for the next steps in the lives of both her family and the congregation.

“I think the next rabbi will be very lucky to be able to be at Temple David,” she said. PJC

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

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

“Elder Law” is a shorthand abbreviation for many di erent practice areas involving helping individuals and families plan for the future, at all stages of life. And the short answer is: No, the services elder law attorneys provide are not just for the elderly.

Part of what I do is Elder and Disability Law planning, focusing on services for people who need long-term care or other disability related planning. More broadly however, I also work on Estate Planning, for folks of all ages, making plans and arrangements for the future through Powers of Attorney, Wills, Trusts, Deeds and similar steps. I also work on Estate Administration and Probate, a er someone has died, to wind up their a airs properly, transfer assets from the estate to the heirs or bene ciaries, pay taxes, etc.

Let’s address it in order, based on the lifecycle of a person as they age.

ESTATE PLANNING: Every adult can bene t from having basic, comprehensive plans in place in case anything bad happens, such as disability or dying. e goal generally is to see that your wishes are carried out. More speci cally, I help you make sure that the people you want to be in charge to act for you, are in charge at the right times, to do what you want them to do.

Powers of Attorney say who will help you during your lifetime with nancial or health care decisions, if needed. A Last Will and Testament says to whom you want to leave your estate and assets when you are gone, and when and how. Your Will also says who will

be in charge of doing the paperwork and carrying out your wishes – “executing” the plan as Executor – and who you trust to help bene ciaries with their inheritance in the longer term as a Trustee, such as for a young or disabled bene ciary.

Trust provisions contained in Wills come into e ect later, a er someone dies, and the Will and estate go through probate. A Lifetime Revocable Trust (or socalled “Living Trust”) can accomplish all the same goals as a Will, while also avoiding probate – the single biggest chunk of avoidable legal paperwork a er someone has died. Other trusts can also protect assets against the cost of long-term care, or preserve eligibility for disability bene ts, or limit Federal Estate Tax for rich folks.

When to start? As a young adult, and for sure when marrying or starting a family.

ELDER AND DISABILITY LAW PLANNING: When someone needs expensive long-term care, I represent them to accomplish two goals: rst to make sure they are well cared for and get what they need, and second, to save as much as possible of their money for them. Sometimes, when there’s not much money to start with, the goal instead is to just make sure that care is paid for, with the scarce resources that are available.

When is the right time to start planning around the cost of long-term care? Obviously, when someone already needs care planning or if abuse and neglect are ongoing, it’s time. Please note that it’s never too late, either. I can o en help someone who’s even already in a care facility. I can’t really say it’s never too early –but planning ahead at some point is a key to e ective results. Knowledge and information are power! I’d say, when you are starting to think about aging, retirement, and your senior years, it may be time to at least consult with me about planning around the cost of care.

ESTATE ADMINISTRATION AND PROBATE: When someone has died, there is o en a long list of all the various lifetime activities, assets and dealings that need to be addressed, ended or transferred. In a simple estate situation, someone may not need my help, and may try it on their own.

But for almost any estate of any complexity, size, scope, scale, or substance, the participants o en need help to get the job done right. Almost any time a probate estate is to be opened I help clients maneuver through a foreign territory of legal rules and lings. is is true especially if there is real estate to sell or nancial assets to access through a probate - that is, assets le behind in the name of the decedent only, with no bene ciary named, that must be accessed by an Executor or Administrator. As an estate/elder law attorney I assist to navigate the legal requirements and paperwork.

OTHER ELDER LAW PRACTICE AREAS: Elder law can also include special needs planning, guardianships, nursing home abuse, Social Security and Medicare, veterans’ bene ts, end-of-life treatment, housing, neglect and exploitation, age discrimination and more. It would be rare for any attorney to practice in every one of these areas.

One other note: ANY TIME you are in a business deal with anyone, including family, or you buy a house with an unmarried partner, take my best three pieces of free legal advice: Put it in writing, put it in writing, put it in writing. ink through your deal and the contingencies and possibilities that might occur, agree on the “what if’s,” write it down and sign it.

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

With the increasing costs of long-term care, having the help of a legal professional when planning for your family’s future can help you make better decisions that can result in keeping more of your money.

We help families understand the strategies, the bene ts, and risks involved with elder law, disability and estate planning.

ISRAEL AT75

A hungry heart’s journey to the land of milk and honey

Guest Columnist

Brandon Blumenfeld

The temperature in Israel is heating up, and it’s not just because of the political unrest. Israel is overflowing with great food, including critically acclaimed restaurants worthy of a 12-hour flight with a layover in Newark.

I recently had the pleasure of traveling to the land of milk and honey this winter with 18 other couples from Pittsburgh on a trip endowed by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh called “Honeymoon Israel,” exploring the country, its culture and, of course, the food.

Once you land at Ben Gurion International Airport, you immediately see the modern skyline of Tel Aviv and the traffic — oy, the traffic! Don’t be fooled by the ancient history of Israel: This is as modern a country as any, with software, biotech and communications companies traded in the global markets. With all these publicly-traded companies and the people who run them looking to live in the modern world, the food scene’s evolution had to grow with the times.

Critically acclaimed, gastro powerhouse Machneyuda is a modern Israeli restaurant in Jerusalem by chef Assaf Granit. If you know anything about Machneyuda or the other restaurants within the group, such as Yudale, Agripas or Tzemah, it’s a party! These restaurants have a vibe that resonates with the New Age culture seen in Tel Aviv, but also in Jerusalem, which has always been a more conservative city. Maybe the old gatekeepers see this as a

“Balagan,” coincidentally the name of Granit’s new restaurant in Paris.

We grabbed the last reservation after a long day of traveling from the Sea of Galilei and partying until the wee hours of the morning with Honeymoon Israel groups from Miami and Chicago. We ate and danced at Elias Hospitality, a farm resort owned and operated by Pittsburgh native and larger-than-life personality Jed “Gadi” Elias, who made aliyah in the 1970s as a child with his family. I tried his famous “Arayas,” a dish starting to gain popularity in the States at hipster chic restaurants like 12 Chairs and Laser Wolf. His recipe consists of a spiced mixture of fatty ground beef and lamb spread into a pita and grilled over fire, allowing all the juices to saturate the bread and crisp the exterior shell.

Eyal Shani has brought the concept restaurant Miznon to locations around the world, a modern take on shawarma stands known for its pita sandwiches and whole cauliflower roasted over live whispering embers, with chefs yelling orders back into the small kitchen and beer flowing on tap. Because this shop is less like a traditional Western restaurant with booths and low seating, the party takes to the sidewalk, where there are a few tables you can use if you’re hawkeyed enough to find elbow room. We happened to be at the flagship location on the night of the first big protest against the new government coalition and had front-row seats to the demonstration that grabbed the attention of all of Israel. About 20,000 protesters took to the streets, chanting and marching toward Habima Square, demanding change to the conservative policies set before the citizens of Israel — a surreal reminder that vacation doesn’t transcend real-world issues.

The Levinsky Market in the Florentine neighborhood is a food lover’s paradise — a hidden

gem making one feel like a native. You won’t find too many tourists rubbernecking around this local side street wonderland. The aromatic spices and steaming hot borekas being fought over are enough to make even the most anxious shlemiel stop to appreciate the moment.

Worthy highlights were the pickled rosella hibiscus flowers stuffed with triple crème cheese at the Greek delicatessen and the tropical gazoz, a sparkling concoction having a major renaissance at Café Levinsky 41. The gazoz was expertly crafted by a longhaired tincture shaman who delicately produces unique non-alcoholic spritzers for cooling off in the mid-day sunbeams.

By day, the Machne Yehuda market is one of the greatest food experiences you can have in Israel, serving multigenerational Old City residents their produce, baked goods and life essentials. Night owls flock to the market at dusk where the shuk turns into a raging sababa. At Jachnun Bar, the specialty is malawach sandwiches, a Jewish Yemeni bread reminiscent of a scallion pancake sans scallion, rolled up like a burrito with tahini, grated tomato, roasted egg, fried onions and zhug hot sauce. A unique bite worth every shekel.

All these modern restaurant concepts have one thing in common: They aren’t your Safta’s falafel shop. Abu Hassan, HaKosem, Falafel Uzi, Azura, Abu Kamel and Haj Kahil are some of the legendary shops and restaurants that anyone seeking unadulterated old-school options needs to check out.

My absolute favorite meal of the trip was across the street from the Carmel Market at Sabich Tchernichovsky. Sabich, an Iraqi-Jewish food that sent me down a rabbit hole of research many years ago and reframed my cooking brain as to what Jewish food could be, is a must-try.

This highly addictive pita sandwich of fried eggplant, slow-roasted egg, and crispy onions looks like something out of a cartoon. Eighteen layers of fresh, marinated, fried and pickled vegetables as well as herbs, sauces and condiments create a true masterpiece of flavor.

Since most iconic Israeli food has roots in other parts of the Middle East, and it is controversial to claim anything as yours in a highly contested country, it’s exciting to see what modern Israeli chefs are creating. What you see on the plate is a direct reflection of who’s making the food, and it’s obvious Israeli food has the fingerprints of many other cultures. The fact that so many recipes overlap is evidence that we are more alike than different, and the reasons to eat together have never been more important. PJC

Brandon Blumenfeld is a private chef and hospitality consultant who lives in the East End of Pittsburgh. His website is brandonblumenfeld.com.

p Cafe Levinsky 41 Photo by Brandon Blumenfeld

Shared society in Israel

Guest Columnist

Kim Salzman

My 11-year-old twins, Gal and Maayan, are fifth-grade students at a local elementary school in Misgav, located in Pittsburgh’s Partnership2Gether region.

I remember how they waited in suspense for months to find out who would replace their teacher when she went on maternity leave. They recently learned that Samach would be their teacher, and they jumped with joy upon receiving the news.

Samach got to know my children over the years, having taught them science and filling in as a substitute teacher. She is kind, patient and has a strong command of the classroom. The fact that Samach is an Israeli Arab was completely irrelevant to both me and my children. We were all thrilled that they were going to be taught by a teacher they loved and respected, and who loved and respected them as well.

My children’s and my reactions may not

at all seem obvious. The events of May 2021, when civil unrest erupted throughout Israel including in Karmiel and Misgav, left deep scars on the field of shared society, or “co-existence” as many refer to relations between Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis.

The violence, which was predominately directed against Jews, was widespread during those horrible 10 days, leaving many Jews feeling betrayed by their fellow Arab citizens. Many Israeli Jews wondered whether we had fooled ourselves into believing that Arab citizens were good neighbors or even friends.

How does a society recover from such a traumatic event? It recovers day by day, little by little, one conversation at a time. It recovers because of interactions with people like Samach.

For years, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh has supported efforts that bring together Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs to connect meaningfully with one another. These mifgashim are crucial to breaking down stereotypes, humanizing (rather than dehumanizing) the other and engaging in important yet often challenging dialogue.

These relationships are built at the Akko Center for Arts and Technology (ACAT), supported by the Federation, where Artium, a

Jewish student from Akko met Jabril, an Arab student from Abu Sinan. The two became fast friends. Jabril shared that “Artium teaches me tricks with the camera and helps improve my Hebrew,” and Artium noted that “before I met him, I didn’t know a word of Arabic, and today I manage to chat in Arabic for the first time.”

Givat Haviva’s Children Teaching Children program and Hand in Hand’s Galilee School, also supported by the Federation, strengthen connections between Arabs and Jews as well. CTC brings together students from Misgav and students from a neighboring Arab village for monthly meetings over two years. One of the CTC’s Jewish participants, Shaked, noted that, “We (Jews) and Arab society have a common language of life. I think that if we just look around and not settle on first impressions, we will discover so many things that will make it possible for us to live together. This is what the CTC program gave me.”

Hand in Hand’s Galilee School brings together Jewish and Arab students every day, forging friendships in a society where JewishArab friendship is far too rare. Mounia, a sixth grader from Sachnin, an Arab village near Karmiel and Misgav, shares the impact of these connections by explaining that the

Pittsburghers racing toward Yom Ha’atzmaut

By Adam Reinherz | Sta Writer

Pittsburghers are racing toward Israel’s birthday. With the Jewish state marking 75 years of independence, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh is inviting community members to celebrate at Schenley Oval on April 30 with a Yom Ha’atzmaut: Run/Walk/Roll.

“This is the first time we are ever doing a Run/Walk/Roll,” Adam Hertzman, Federation’s director of marketing, said. Participation in the 5K race (or 750meter kids run) is $12 per adult and $5 per child. General admission for activities only is free.

“You don’t have to just come out and race,” Hertzman said. “There is a lot to do, including games, activities tables and the traditional bounce house, which all the kids love.”

The event comes amid a period of “political upheaval” in Israel, Hertzman said, “and it is an especially important time to recognize that we can and should still support Israel’s right to exist as a democratic Jewish state.”

For 15 weeks, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have protested the Israeli government’s proposed judicial overhaul.

The Times of Israel reported that demonstrations this week will occur outside the home of prominent politicians, “along with other protests at 150 locations around the country.”

Hertzman said the April 30 celebration at Schenley Oval should serve as a reminder to Pittsburghers.

The Jewish Federation does not

support any particular government of Israel, he explained.

“We support the people of Israel and people-to-people connections between Pittsburghers and Israelis,” he said. “Israel is the Jewish homeland, and when we come together in a public space we are telling the world that you can support Israel no matter your political leanings.”

Organizers of the Federation’s Yom Ha’atzmaut event pointed to various Israelrelated activities, which have little to do with Knesset decisions, coalitions or the Israeli Supreme Court. Participants will be

able to make Israeli-themed arts and crafts, enjoy Israeli line dancing and learn more about the Jewish state from the Shinshinim (four teenage Israeli ambassadors living in Pittsburgh).

“It’s easy for people to get caught up in talking about the politics of Israel and to forget that it is the Jewish homeland and has been for thousands of years,” Hertzman said.

Along with there being “emotional connections to Israel as the Jewish homeland,” Pittsburghers have personal connections, he continued. “There are

school has taught her “not to be scared” of her Jewish peers and to look past their differences to their commonality as people.

Pittsburgh’s Partnership region of Karmiel and Misgav is in the lower Galilee, an area in which the majority of the population is Israeli Arab. Interactions between Jews and Arabs in this part of the country are commonplace — at the grocery store, at the doctor’s office, on the roads and more — but often these interactions are merely transactional and don’t allow people to connect on a more meaningful level. Meaningful connections can defuse some of the distrust and animosity that festers at the surface for many.

As a resident of Misgav, the idea of living through another round of civil unrest like we experienced in May 2021 is frightening, and we must do everything in our power to reduce the likelihood of this happening again.

I am convinced that meaningful interactions like the ones my family has with Samach, and like the ones Artium, Jabril, Shaked and Mounia have experienced, are the key to doing so. PJC

Kim Salzman is the director of Israel and Overseas Operations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

relatives, friends, friends that we’ve met through travel back and forth between Pittsburgh and Israel, business connections, so there’s a lot to Pittsburgh’s relationship with Israel.”

Apart from celebrating 75 years of statehood, or a connection spanning thousands of years, there is another important reason to show up at Schenley Park on April 30, Hertzman said: “This is a way of showing Jewish pride.” PJC

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

p Participants enjoy Yom Ha’atzmaut 2019 celebrations.

Photos by David Bachman Photography

“We support the people of Israel and people-to-people connections between Pittsburghers and Israelis.”

−ADAM HERTZMAN

Brian Schreiber President and CEO

Scott E. Seewald  Chair of the Board

Bijou Theatre: Pittsburgh, June 7, 1903

By Eric Lidji |Special to the Chronicle

Friday night in the Hill District. Shaare Torah is packed — Kol Nidre packed — and the chazzanim are going all out. The next morning, the crowds head for Schacharis at the Washington Street shul, Beth Hamedrash Hagodol, where the sanctuary is draped in blue and white bunting. From the bima, the gabbaim make mi shebrachs for Theodor Herzl and urge the gathered congregants to pledge their charity to the Jewish National Fund.

It’s early June 1903, a week after Shavuos, when Shabbos afternoon stretches its legs for hours. The crowd passes through raindrops to Beth Jacob for Mincha and for Yiddish lectures one after the other. Locals vibrate with excitement, while over there, a conspiring delegation from Cuyahoga County wear badges reading, “Cleveland next.”

Sunday morning. Every storefront in the Hill is papered blue and white and hung with Stars of David and framed portraits of Herzl. These decorations spill over the sidewalks, all the way down to Forbes Avenue, through the doors of Turner Hall, along its walls, to its stage, where an American flag and a proto-Israeli flag hang from the rafters, beneath a

banner reading, “Welcome Zionists.” Here’s a photograph from the floor: dozens of men in suits and ties (and one in a top-hat) each with a blue and white ribbon pinned to his lapel, turning to face the cameraman at the back of the room. These are the delegates to the Sixth Annual Convention of the Federation of American Zionists.

That evening, after the convention opens, 3,000 fill the Bijou Theatre for a mass meeting. Hundreds more buzz around the doors, angling to get inside. It is meant to be a general pep rally, but a fresh wound pulses in the soul of the Jewish people, and it takes over the night. The rally becomes a protest against the recent pogrom in Kishineff.

Judge Josiah Cohen chairs the meeting. He is a lay leader at Rodef Shalom Congregation and a lover of Israel but skeptical of modern Zionism. “If it is the old Zionism which means the coming of a Messiah and the establishment of the kingdom of Jerusalem, I am not sure I concur. My Zionism is here under the stars and stripes,” he says. “But if Zionism means the unification of the Jewish forces everywhere then I am a Zionist. From this meeting tonight, I hope there will go forth a sentiment that will reach the shores of Europe and tell the oppressors there that if there is no physical force in the world to restrain them there is at least a moral force with which they will have to reckon.”

Dr. Richard Gottheil follows. He is president of the Federation of American Zionists and also a Reform leader. He harbors no ambivalence about Zionism. “It is all very well for Jews in a land of liberty where the blood of their dear ones does not periodically flow to speak about the flag and to say that their Jerusalem is here, but it is on behalf of your poor brethren in Europe who have no starry flag above them, but who are fighting for their liberties that we appeal.” A little later in his speech, he adds, “This meeting tonight is not merely a meeting of protest. Our Christian fellow citizens will

Please see Bijou, page 22

J Street Pittsburgh engages our government and community to make Israel at 75 the beacon of Justice and Democracy

Israel’s founders envisioned

p Photograph showing the delegates to the Sixth Annual Convention of the American Federation of Zionists, gathered at Turner Hall on Forbes Avenue Image originally published in the July 1903 issue of the American Federation of Zionists’ Maccabean

“It is not moral help which we must give the su erers of Kishine and those who are in danger of like martyrdom, but actual help.”

−DR. RICHARD GOTTHEIL

SUNDAY, APR. 30, 2023

9:30 AM–12:30 PM

Schenley Oval Track, 1 Overlook Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Celebrate Israel’s 75 years of independence!

FUN FOR ALL! LOTS TO DO!

• Run, Walk or Roll on Schenley Oval

• 5 km race + 750 meter kids run

• Israeli-themed Arts and Crafts

• Israeli Line Dancing

• Photo Booth

• Bounce Houses and more!

REGISTER TODAY!

jewishpgh.org/event/run-walk-roll-for-israel-at-75

Yom HaZikaron

Israel’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror

MONDAY, APRIL 24 | 8-9:00 PM

JCC Katz Performing Arts Center 5738 Darlington Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Join

REGISTER TODAY

jewishpgh.org/event/yom-hazikaron

Israel at 75

Karmiel Dance Festival: A colorful celebration of dance and friendship

Every year, the festival hosts the finest Israeli dance groups (such as Batsheva Dance Company, Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company and the Israel Ballet), as well as dance groups from Jewish communities around the world.

The Karmiel Dance Festival is an annual event, celebrated every summer for three days and three nights. Hundreds of thou sands of people pour into the city, enjoy a variety of dance performances from Israel and the world, and dance constantly in numerous open gatherings. The festival is unique in that it offers the floor to both professionals and popular dancers, allows young artists to perform alongside famous choreographers and dance companies, and presents a remarkable array of genres: classic and modern ballet, ethnic dance, flamenco, jazz, hip-hop, Israeli folk dance and more.

Initiated by Karmiel’s first mayor, Baruch Wenger, the dance festival was founded in 1988 by two prominent masters of Israeli folk dance, Tirza Hodes and Yonatan Karmon, the latter serving as artistic director in the first 12 years. The festival has developed and grown thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sport, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry for the Development of the Periphery, Mifal HaPais and JNF.

Karmiel’s second mayor, Adi Eldar, followed in his predecessor’s footsteps and continued to develop the dance festival, transitioning it from a local to an international event and establishing

it as a center of attraction for domestic and worldwide tourism. The current mayor, Moshe Koninsky, has kept his promise to carry on the tradition. He has worked with me (as CEO of the festival) to invest in the event and to promote innovation in the fields of Israeli dance and advanced performance technologies.

Every night of the festival, there is a spectacular show with more than 1,000 dancers, accompanied by Israel’s best musicians. It is a demonstration of the love of Israel’s culture and society. Karmiel’s enchanting Galilean

CELEBRATE ISRAEL’S 75TH

with Temple Sinai & Rabbi Daniel Fellman

HARTMAN LEARNING GROUP

Sundays, Sept.–May, 10:15–11:30 AM (on days when NextDOR is in session)

Do you want to learn more about Israeli politics and culture, the relationship American Jews and Israelis share (or don’t)? Do you want to dig into a bit of biblical and rabbinic text? Please join us as we explore these issues, using the Shalom Hartman curriculum under the leadership of Rabbi Fellman.

Cost: $150 for community members

LEARNING TRIP TO ISRAEL

Celebrate Israel with Rabbi Fellman, December 23, 2023–January 2, 2024

Whether you’ve visited Israel 75 times or this would be your first time, we’ll have something on the itinerary for everyone to enjoy!

Perfect for all ages! Families are welcome!

You’ll enjoy arts & culture, history, nature walks, archaeology, heritage, and delicious food!

Questions? Contact Judy Rulin Mahan, Clergy Team Chief of Staff, at Judy@TempleSinaiPGH.org or (412) 421-9715 ext. 110 or visit our website for all the details: TempleSinaiPGH.org.

5505 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 (412) 421-9715•www.TempleSinaiPGH.org

scenery adds to the unique atmosphere, and residents of the city and its surrounding communities welcome the multitudes of visitors with open hearts.

Along with original pieces created locally, the festival presents at least three dance companies from abroad every summer. These have included groups from Spain, Hungary, South Korea, France, Germany, the United States, Ukraine, Russia, China, Jordan and Mexico, just to name a few. Three main competitions are held during the festival: 1) the Eyal ben Yehoshua choreography competition of Israeli dance performance; 2) a competition of newly created Israeli folk dances; and 3) a Middle-Eastern dance competition. The competitions are judged by professionals as well as the audience. The choreography competition is the largest and most significant of its kind in Israel.

Partnership2Gether — which includes Karmiel/Misgav, Pittsburgh and Warsaw — means so much to Karmiel residents, representing many years of true friendship and mutual caring. The impact of this special relationship can be seen in every aspect around town. It was the partnership that made the connection to two dance companies who have represented the U.S. in the Karmiel Dance Festival: the classic Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, which also held several very successful concerts across Israel; and Maria Caruso, a creative dance artist and teacher whose studio is located in Squirrel Hill.

After briefly meeting Maria and her group, we knew immediately they must come to perform at the festival and tour the country. The entire community was happy to take part and offer warm hospitality, like a true family. The professional group demonstrated an impressive artistic level and was received enthusiastically by the audience. Maria also held a master class for young dancers and gave a solo performance of pieces by Martha Graham.

This was the first Israel visit for both dance groups and we feel confident they will be back. This would not have happened without the special, deep bonds between our communities.

We hope to see many of our Pittsburgh friends coming to dance with us every summer at the Karmiel Dance Festival. PJC

Lilach Rana is the CEO of the Karmiel Dance Festival.

Guest Columnist

Lilach Rana

p A performance at the 2022 Karmiel Dance Festival

Photo by Ophir Zaguri

p Performances at the 2022 Karmiel Dance Festival

Photos by Ophir Zaguri

Israel & Technion Partners In Innovation

Since the day it opened its doors in 1924, the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology has been the cornerstone of Israel’s remarkable advancements in science, technology, and education.

Together, the Technion and Israel have forged a partnership to advance the nation’s global prominence and thriving high-tech economy.

As we approach the Technion Centennial next year, we honor Israel’s 75th anniversary today, and celebrate the bright future we are creating together through groundbreaking collaboration.

#TechnionImpact

ats.org | 212.407.6300 | info@ats.org

You’re invited to share this special evening with us

Zionist Organization of America: Pittsburgh

2023 Awards Dinner

Honoring

Jeffrey Lawrence Pollock, Esq. with ZOA’s Lifetime Achievement Award and

Charlene Tissenbaum with the Ivan & Natalie Novick Community Leadership Award and

Abby W. Schachter with the Israel Service Award

Entertainment: The Pittsburgh Chapter of HaZamir:The International Jewish Teen Choir

May 2, 2023 Celebrating

Israel at 75

Sabich for Yom Ha’atzmaut

— FOOD —

By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle

For Yom Ha’atzmaut, or Israeli Independence Day, I wanted to share a recipe that is a bit different from your typical falafel or shawarma. Don’t get me wrong — I could eat lamb shawarma or kofte daily and never get bored, but it’s nice to share a dish that readers may not be aware of.

Sabich is commonly served for brunch on Shabbat, but it’s enjoyed in Israel every day. Iraqi Jews brought this amazing food with them to Israel when they had to flee in a mass exodus for their safety. I thought it was fitting for Yom Ha’atzmaut to honor both those who perished in the Farhud and those who suffered from the aftermath living in what is now Iraq. About a million Jews from Muslim lands were forced to flee their ancient and beloved communities when the state of Israel was created. New waves of immigrants came back to their homeland and they brought a rich culture with them.

This holiday is important as a recognition of why the state of Israel is necessary for all of us, whether or not we would choose to live there. Israel may not be perfect but we’re blessed to have her.

I don’t typically write about anything but food, but the context is important when considering our Jewish independence. Many of us have parents and grandparents who were forced to leave their homes due to violent antisemitism. My generation overall has had a more peaceful upbringing — which is a blessing — and we don’t always step back and thank God and those who risked everything to create a state for us, giving us a place of refuge should we find ourselves in need.

Congregation Beth Shalom 5915 Beacon Street Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Co-Chairpersons

Vicki & Dan Holthaus

Ira M. Frank Michele & Eric Woltshock

Stephen A. Neustein, Esq. President Stuart V. Pavilack Executive Director

$118

Sabich is served on Shabbat because its ingredients can be cooked the day before and served at room temperature. It’s a light meal in a pita consisting of fried or baked eggplant, boiled eggs and the usual Israeli pita add-ins like hummus, tahini, Israeli salad, cabbage salad and, if you’re open to something new, amba. Amba is a pickled mango condiment popular in the Middle East and also in India. It reminds me of hilba (fenugreek). You either love it or hate it right off the bat, but I suggest trying it once to see if it’s something new to add into your Israeli-style cooking. This makes a great meal any day of the week, and a very special dinner to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

Olive oil or olive oil spray

Salt

Boiled eggs: hard- or medium-boiled to your liking

The rest of the ingredients are quickly made or easily purchased; buy or make as much as you please.

Pickles Israeli salad

Cabbage salad Fresh parsley to garnish

You can pan-fry the eggplant if you prefer, but eggplant inhales oil, so I recommend my baked version that’s healthier and easier to make.

Wash and cut the eggplant into ½-inch slices, making circles. Lightly sprinkle with salt and let sit on the counter for 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375 F.

Place a sheet of parchment paper over a large sheet pan for easier cleanup. Spray the parchment liberally with olive oil spray, lay out the eggplant and generously spray oil over the top, or brush olive oil on both sides before baking.

Eggplant browns better if the oven rack is placed toward the top of the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes then put the broiler on high and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the eggplant is golden brown. If preparing this low-oil version, give the eggplant an extra spray of oil right before you put the pan under the broiler.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

You can serve sabich warm or at room temperature. If you made it ahead of time, simply warm the eggplant in the oven before serving. You can buy hummus, tahini (the condiment, not the paste) and pickles at any store. Kosher stores often sell amba, and I’ve seen it at Arab markets and even at Trader Joe’s.

For Israeli salad, chop tomatoes, cucumbers and parsley if you wish, and season with fresh lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Cabbage salad is basically the same recipe; you can use purple cabbage to add some color to the plate.

Traditional cabbage salad has minced garlic, lemon juice, salt and a little mayonnaise. If you’re avoiding mayonnaise, you can add a little olive oil to the cabbage.

Peel and slice the eggs that you precooked. Slice the pita across the very top so that the pocket is as large as possible. Add 2 pieces of eggplant, a few slices of egg and the other items, to your taste. I prefer the works, so that means a large spoonful of hummus and the vegetable salads, followed by tahini and a drizzle of amba.

If you’re trying amba for the first time, prepare a small dish on the side and try it over one bite to see what you think. My husband likes to add pickled onions, a dash of cumin and some zhug. Have fun and play with the delicious flavor combinations.

I’m praying for peace and posterity for our beautiful Israel. Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jeffrey Lawrence Pollock, Esq.

Charlene Tissenbaum

Abby W. Schachter

Pita Hummus

Tahini Amba

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.

p Ingredients for sabich Photo by Jessica Grann

p Sabich

Photo by Jessica Grann

B’nai Mitzvah

Mira Eve Schwartz is the daughter of Elizabeth Schwartz and Marc Schwartz, younger sister to Asher and Hannah, and granddaughter to Sheldon and Ellen Schwartz and James and Mary Hageman. Mira is a seventh grader at Pittsburgh Colfax K-8. She plays basketball and soccer and loves her friends and her two dogs. Mira has attended J-JEP since kindergarten. The Schwartz family is looking forward to celebrating Mira becoming a bat mitzvah on April 22, 2023, with the Beth Shalom community.

Haley Alyson Sherlock will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Temple Emanuel of South Hills. Haley is the daughter of Susan and Eric Sherlock and the granddaughter of Goldie and Joel Katz and Julia and Martin Sherlock. Haley is a seventh grader at Mellon Middle School in Mt. Lebanon where she plays violin in the orchestra. She enjoys art, gaming, reading, puzzling and spending summers at Emma Kaufmann Camp. Haley especially loves the yearly beach vacations with her cousins Ian and Matthew and the rest of her immediate family. PJC

TIME TO EAT GREEK

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral

61st Annual

Sunday, May 7 to Saturday, May 13

Enjoy wonderful Greek food, pastries & lively dancing

SERVING HOURS

Sunday: Noon to 8p

Monday to Thursday: 11a to 9p

Friday: 11a to 10p (music till midnight)

Saturday: 1p to 10p (music till midnight)

Online ordering available all week

Order by visiting www.stnicksfoodfestival.org

Business & Professional Directory

Beyond skin deep: Finding healing in Tazria-Metzora, and today

Have you ever struggled with your skin? If so, you are not alone. Anyone who has had a skin condition at any point in their life knows the emotional toll that acne, psoriasis, eczema and more can have on one’s mental health.

This week’s double Torah portion, TazriaMetzora, is somewhat gruesome but also puzzling. For a religion that teaches the importance of developing inner beauty of our souls over all else, why is there such a focus on the ritual impurity of natural and uncontrollable physical ailments of leprosy?

In the text of these sister parashiyot, the condition discussed is tzara’at , which is generally accepted as leprosy. The individual diagnosed with this condition is deemed impure (tameh) and must dwell outside of the camp until they are once again deemed pure (tahor). Almost the entirety of these parshiyot is dedicated to explaining the terms, conditions and scenarios for a person to become pure, and what to do if they should again fall ill.

had to display an emotional shift from a demeanor of hubris to a humbler demeanor for this healing salve to be effective. But why, then, would the cedar, the symbol of the individual’s pridefulness, be included in the salve? This supports the concept behind the Mussar middah (value) of Anavah (humility), that to achieve a balanced sense of humility, one must have both ends of the spectrum of humility (arrogance to self-debasement) within themselves.

The mental health, personality and actions of an individual have been long connected to skin conditions. Arachin 16a teaches: “Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani says that Rabbi Yohanan says: ‘Leprous marks come and afflict a person for seven sinful matters: For malicious speech, for bloodshed, for an oath taken in vain, for forbidden sexual relations, for arrogance, for theft, and for stinginess.’”

In a few weeks, we will read Parashat Beha’alotcha, which contains the most wellknown story in Torah invoking the policies and procedures outlined in Tazria-Metzora. Miriam is stricken with snow-white scales after gossiping to Aaron about how her brother Moses married a Midianite woman. As we learn in Tazria-Metzora, Miriam is sent outside the camp, Moses prays for G-d to heal her, and once she is declared ritually pure, she rejoins the group as it continues

Please

The detailed explanation of the process sounds eerily similar to the COVID protocols that were (and are) ever-changing, regarding whether you needed to quarantine or test, and if so, for how long. As confusing as that process was for all of us, we were in it together. The doctors on the front lines, risking their lives to care for sick patients were — and are — super-mensches.

We see something similarly beautiful in Tazria-Metzora. Instead of “quarantining” those with tzara’at completely outside of the camp, there are detailed instructions of how the priest periodically visits the person inflicted with the skin disease to check on the healing or spread of their condition, and to provide care and a continued protocol for healing.

We learn in Leviticus 14:4 that the “healing potion” the priest provides to the leper consists of “two live pure birds, cedar wood, crimson stuff, and hyssop.” Why these particular items? In our midrash we learn, “It is simply because he had exalted himself like the cedar, that he was stricken with leprosy. As soon as he humbled himself like the hyssop, he was therefore cured through hyssop.”

(Bereshit Rabbah 19:3)

The hyssop suggests that the individual

on its journey.

I recently had a conversation with my dermatologist about an actual clinical connection between skin conditions and mental health/psychiatric conditions. The field of psychodermatology is a growing one, which examines the connection between mental health conditions and skin conditions. Often, skin conditions can be clinically linked to emotional distress: Emotional distress can cause a skin condition, and the presence of a skin condition can cause emotional distress.

The most important detail about the procedures detailed in this week’s parsha and in other texts pertaining to skin conditions is that if you are struggling with your skin, the importance of professionals to guide you in healing should not be underestimated and it often requires a multidisciplinary approach.

As we each heal, learn and grow, I pray that we all have people — “priests,” if you will — to walk the healing path with us. PJC

Cantor Stefanie Greene is senior Jewish educator at The Edward and Rose Berman Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Clergy Association.

The doctors on the front lines, risking their lives to care for sick patients were — and are — super-mensches.

Cantor Stefanie Greene Parshat Tazria-Metzora | Leviticus 12:1 – 15:33

St. Nicholas Cathedral located on the corner of S. Dithridge St. and Forbes Ave., across from The Carnegie Museum.

Obituaries

BRETTON: Abe L. Bretton passed away on April 12, 2023. He was born to Jacob and Ella Bretton of Elwood City, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 17, 1932, and grew up with his sisters, Dana Colsky and the late Norma Dubrow. While growing up in Ellwood City, he worked alongside his father at the family business, North Side Market, and graduated from Lincoln High School. He attended Pitt and was a member of Phi Epsilon Fraternity where he established many friendships for life. At 22, Abe met the love of his life, Gerda Stein of Pittsburgh, and soon after they both graduated, they wed and settled in New Castle, Pennsylvania. There he worked for and became a partner in Den Vend, Inc., until he retired at the age of 83. Abe’s love and dedication to family came instinctively and was his first priority throughout his life. He and Gerda have five children: Pamela Bretton Pearlman (Seth), Rachel Lynne Pavilack (Stuart), twins Jeffrey Bretton and Brian Bretton, and Philip Michael Bretton (Melissa). Six grandchildren, Isaac (Laura), Julian, Jacob, Eli, Nathan and Anna, and great-grandson Andrew complete the family of which he was so proud. He was classically trained on piano and loved music of all kinds. One of his great joys was attending Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concerts. And he always encouraged his kids to play and listen to music. Abe was an active member in the Jewish communities where he lived. At Tifereth Israel Synagogue in New Castle, he was a Sunday school teacher and principal. He was also an adviser to the local chapter of the B’nai Brith Youth Organization. Later, he became an active member at Beth El Congregation in Pittsburgh. In 2002, Abe and Gerda moved to Cherry Hill at Nevillewood in Pittsburgh. There Abe was active on its planning and building committees. He loved maintaining the gardens around his home. Abe was also active in the newly formed Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens. Arrangements entrusted to William Slater II Funeral Service, 1650 Greentree Road, Scott Twp., 412-263-5800. Memorial contributions may be made to the Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens, Pittsburgh Concert Society, Beth El Congregation of the South Hills or the charity of your choice. SlaterFuneral.com

GREENBERG: David S. Greenberg, on Saturday, April 15, 2023. Beloved husband of Barbara (Friedland) Greenberg. Loving father of Chuck Greenberg, John Greenberg and Joseph (Tamra) Greenberg. Father-in-law of Jennifer (Richard) Norris and Bonnie Greenberg. Brother of the late Barbara Steiner. Brother-in-law of Abbot M. Friedland. Adoring grandpa of Jeff (Erin) Greenberg, Jack (Kaylea) Greenberg, Ben (Elyse) Greenberg, Andrew and Cydney Greenberg, Noah Greenberg (fiancée Catherine Burke) and Emma Greenberg. Great-grandfather of Leo, Sam, Vivian and Beau Greenberg. Uncle of Larry (Ellen) Steiner and Robin (Jeff) Rose. Great-uncle of Carson and Trevor Steiner. David was beloved by all who knew him. He lived for and took immeasurable pride in his family, starting with Barbara, his adoring wife of 63½ years, with whom he enjoyed an enduring and boundless love affair for the ages after meeting at Bethany (West Virginia) College. He enjoyed special relationships with his three sons, his niece and nephew, his grandchildren and more recently his great-grandchildren. He became a second father or mentor to countless acquaintances of theirs and others, all of whom welcomed his vast knowledge, wise advice and gift for making them feel like solutions to their problems were of the utmost importance to him. He was trusted by his legion of clients, many of whom became close friends, for his honesty and integrity. He was a treasured friend, a genuinely kind and sweet soul, a gifted listener, world-class model train enthusiast, king of the outdoor grill, rugged outdoorsmen, fitness buff and easily the best dressed man at his grandsons’ high school baseball games. He had a wonderful sense of humor that never diminished over the years. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. Contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter, 2835 E. Carson Street, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (alz.org) or Pittsburgh Cure Sarcoma, P.O. Box 194, Gibsonia, PA 15044 (pittsburghcuresarcoma.org) or a charity of the donor’s choice. schugar.com

ZYTNICK: Ruth (Rosen) Zytnick of O’Hara Township, passed away on Monday, April 10, 2023. Beloved wife and best friend of Allan Zytnick for 67 years. She was the sister of the late Irwin Rosen and daughter of the late Harry and Frances Rosen of the South Side. Beside her husband, she leaves her sons, Joel Howard Zytnick, Sheldon (Susan) Farrell Zytnick and the late Jay Marshall Zytnick; a nephew Mark (Kazuko) Rosen, of Olympia, Washington; a niece, Hillary Rosen of White Plains, New York; grandchildren Michael Zytnick, Amanda (Ted) Swayer, Alexa Zytnick, Zachary Zytnick, William Zytnick, Matthew Zytnick; and great-grandchild Harry Sawyer, as well as dear and treasured friends Marian Brooks, Lila Feldman, Caroline Kunz, all of Pittsburgh, and Sema Moskowitz of Del Ray Beach, Florida. Mrs. Zytnick was a member of Congregation Beth Shalom and its sisterhood. She was a 1955 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and its School of Education. Graveside services and interment were held at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Donations may be made to Community Day School, 6424 Forward Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com PJC

Anonymous

Anonymous Estelle & H.C. Morgan

Mr and Mrs Randy Adams

G Adams

Susan Cohen Sadie Gelb Braunstein

Lynne & Jim Gabriel Betty Shermer

Edward M Goldston Jack Goldstein

Edward M Goldston Yosef Goldston

Edward M Goldston

Jean Horne

Goldston

Cohen

Susan Neuwirth Johnson Bruce M Herron

Arlene Murphy

Peggy, Scott, Gregg and Todd O enbach

Bella Ratowsky

Jack O enbach

Leslie Ripp Milton & Marcia Ripp

Richard, Mindy, & Logan Stadler Minnie Wolf

Louis M Supowitz Gertrude W Supowitz

Linda & Martin L Supowitz Gertrude Weinberg Supowitz

Sunday April 23: Elias Bloomstein, William Bowytz, Samuel Bro man, Mollie Goisner Dugan, Saul Feldman, Milton E Golanty, Anna Goldblum, Celia Greenfield, Eva Korobkin, Reba Lazar, Anna Miller, Sarah O stein, Rose Orringer, Martha Rosen, Bella Siegal, William H Whitman, Eva Grossman Willinger

Monday April 24: Louis Americus, Isadore Berman, Hyman Caplan, Isadore Abraham Frand, Lea S

Golomb, Ida Greenberg, David L Gusky, Arthur Samuel Herskovitz, Max Hochhauser, Dora Berman

Horwitz, Sam Lurie, Celia Marcus, Sadie Mullen, Jack O enbach, Lee Calvin Plevin, Dolores K Rubin, Philip L . Silver, Helen Strauchler, Gertrude W. Supowitz, Phillip Tevelin

Tuesday April 25: Bella H Cohen, Edith Pichel Davis, Sheila Dobrushin, Paul Leipzig, Abe I Levinson, Saul Mandel, Louis M Myers, Morris B Pariser, Wolf Shoag, Joseph M Swartz, Louis Wolf, George Zeidenstein

Wednesday April 26: Max Azen, Gilbert Bernstein, Sonia Firestone, Herman Frankel, Lena Sanes

Goldman, Barbara Gross, Solomon Hahn, Shirley Lebovitz, Donald Lester Lee, Harriet Berkowitz Linder, Harold Leo Lippman, Sam Littman, Moss A Ostwind, Hilda Stern Press, Samuel Raphael, Dr William Reiner, Carl Rice, Goldie Rosenshine, Scott Samuels, Rev Meyer Schi , David Shussett, George Teplitz

Thursday April 27: Harry Bro , Katie Elpern, Lottie Fleisher, Arthur Goldsmith, Jack Goldstein, Joseph Goldston, Sam Goldston, Yosef Goldston, Beate Gruene, Pearl Katz, William Kliman, Selma Neiman, Imre Neubauer, Jacob Schulman, Sidney Yecies, Rose C Zapler

Friday April 28: Pauline Schlesinger Americus, Louis Berlow, Ida Rose Diamond, Julius Goldberg, Dr Joseph Irwin Greenberger, Samuel Judd, Rose Markowitz Klein, Jerome J Levenson, Rose Marks, Melvin Murman, John Rothman, Freda B Saltsburg, Sol Sie , Yetta Weinberger, Minnie Gertrude Wolf, Harry Yecies

Saturday April 29: Harry Auerbach, Joseph Braun, James A Eckstein, Lena Fish Freedman, Sidney Friedman, Samuel Laskowitz, Louis P Rosenberg, Vivian Baltin Rosenthal, Ruth E Sherman, Morris Ze The

THE

Life & Culture

JFilm opens April 20 with in-person and virtual screenings

of lies and exaggerations to continue the relationship beyond a single cab ride.

By Chronicle Sta

JFilm, the region’s long-standing Jewish film festival, opened its 30th season on April 20 with the Pittsburgh premiere of “Matchmaking,” an Israeli romantic comedy about an Ashkenazi man forbidden to date his sister’s charming best friend because she is Mizrahi.

The film was screened at AMC Waterfront and was followed by an opening night party at Bravo at the Waterfront.

The festival, which runs through April 30, features 22 additional films from around the world, four of which can be accessed virtually. In addition to the AMC Waterfront, other in-person venues include the CMU – McConomy Auditorium and The Oaks Theater.

On April 25, at AMC Waterfront, there will be an in-person screening of “The Cure for Hate,” the true story of former skinhead and Holocaust denier, Tony McAleer, who traveled to Auschwitz/Birkenau in the spirit of teshuvah. The film will be followed by a Q&A with McAleer, director Peter Hutchison and president of the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, Charles H. Moellenberg Jr.

A bagel brunch will be held before the screening of “Reckonings” on April 30, at noon, followed by a Film Schmooze, a casual postfilm discussion.

As in years past, the festival’s films come from around the world, including France, Germany, Israel and Belgium.

Reviews of four films follow. For a complete schedule of events and trailers, visit filmpittsburgh.org.

‘Finding Light’

April 23, at 4 p.m. | The Oaks Theater

Sponsored by Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

Followed by a Q&A with director Paul Michael Bloodgood; choreographer and artistic director of Ballet Austin Stephen Mills; artistic director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theater; Adam W. McKinney; and former PBT dancer Christine Schwaner (60 minutes)

How does one tell a Holocaust story through choreography?

Director Paul Michael Bloodgood attempts to answer that question in “Finding Light,” making its Pittsburgh debut as part of the 2023 J Film Festival.

The documentary tells the story of choreographer Stephen Mills’ creation of “Light/The Holocaust and Humanity Project,” which was debuted by Ballet Austin in 2005. The dance depicts the life of Naomi Warren, a Polish Holocaust survivor.

The choreographer begins the film by discussing growing up gay in Texas, and how, while he was unable to feel the pain of a survivor, he was able to understand what it was like to be singled out.

Warren talks about her life, as black-andwhite family photos and grainy, harrowing images of the period give context.

“When a survivor shares something that personal and that intimate, it’s like a gift,” Mills said of Warren’s story. “She was pretty insistent that we’re all responsible to do our part and that just

because I was an artist didn’t mean I was absolved of that responsibility. She said, ‘You have this. This is my story. Now you have to tell my story.’”

Mills recounts his journey after 9/11, struggling with the relevance of dance to tell universal, meaningful tales and how through a friend he was introduced to Warren.

Warren’s life, and Mills’ visits to concentration and death camps — and his time spent with survivors in Israel and Houston — informed “Light.”

“It was a very difficult journey, some of the most consequential learning of my life,” he said.

Footage from early rehearsals when Mills was still making changes to the work is part of the documentary, as are excerpts from a speech given by Elie Wiesel addressing the Austin community at the Bass Concert Hall in the days leading up to the initial performances.

Of particular interest for the Pittsburgh audience occurs shortly more than halfway through the film when Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Julia Erickson discusses the work.

The last section of the documentary travels with the production as it tours Israel. Both Mills and ballet attendees discuss the parallels found in the film with the modern-day Jewish state, as well as performing the work in the theater where Adolf Eichmann was tried for his part in the Shoah.

Naomi Warren died in 2016, something Mills spends some of his final moments on film discussing.

“Finding Light” was an Official Selection at the Cannes World Film Festival and San Diego Jewish Film Festival. It was the winner of Best Documentary at the Berlin Indie Film Festival.

David Rullo

‘Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul’ April 27, at 7 p.m. | The Oaks Theater Q&A with Jack Warner’s grandson, director Gregory Orr, and editor, co-producer Don Priess (100 minutes)

Cinephiles as well as history buffs will enjoy this documentary about Jack Warner and his brothers, the sons of struggling PolishJewish immigrants who rose to establish what was arguably one of the most significant cultural institutions of the 20th century: Warner Bros. Studio.

First released in 1993, the documentary was produced by Jack Warner’s grandson, Gregory Orr, and is narrated by actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who was under contract with Warner Bros. Studio during the height of his career. Interviews with film critic Neal Gabler, family

members and actors who worked with Warner, including Debbie Reynolds and Shirley Jones, reveal insights into the character of a man whose passion and drive to soar above his station helped define the values and zeitgeist of generations through his work.

Pittsburghers may be interested to learn that the brothers Warner lived their formative years in Youngstown, Ohio, where the family embarked on a variety of entrepreneurial endeavors, including operating an ice cream cone machine and running a bowling alley.

In 1903, they pawned their horse to buy a kinetoscope, an early motion-picture device in which the images were viewed through a peephole, then soon thereafter opened a movie theater in New Castle, Pennsylvania. That was the humble beginning of a film empire that would include creating classic works of cinema and blockbusters such as “The Jazz Singer” “Casablanca” and “My Fair Lady.”

Jack Warner is painted as a complicated character in this film. Unfaithful to his two wives, estranged from his son and a capitulator to the House Un-American Activities Committee, his moral failings are laid bare. But beyond the Hollywood excess and glamour and ethical ambiguities, is a rags-to-riches story that will resonate with many — the unlikely tale of an impoverished, uneducated son of immigrants, whose legacy is not just an oeuvre of brilliant motion pictures meant to entertain, but which deeply influenced the very culture of our society.

Toby Tabachnick

‘Paris Boutique’

April 28, at 7:30 p.m. | CMU – McConomy Auditorium

April 21 – April 30, virtual (82 minutes)

Five months after Hallmark’s “Hanukkah on Rye” delighted a demographic of romantic comedy lovers, “Paris Boutique” should provide Pittsburghers with similar satisfaction.

“Paris Boutique” adheres to genre norms with 82 minutes of scenes depicting budding friendships, dissolving relationships, misunderstandings, delicious-looking meals, beautiful architecture, new paramours and the possibility of personal change.

Nominated for six Israeli Academy Awards (Ophirs), “Paris Boutique” stars Nelly Tagar (“Zero Motivation” and “The Art of Waiting”) and Joséphine Draï (“Nu” and “Belle belle belle”) in a film directed by Marco Carmel. Tagar plays Neta, a penniless driver, who believes financial bliss is one con away. When Louise (Draï), a French Jewish lawyer, arrives in Israel to finalize a real estate transaction, Neta concocts a series

Neta’s farcical ruses initially work, given Louise’s inability to speak Hebrew, but as the Israeli driver continues mining Louise for subsequent payouts, viewers discover there’s more to Neta than her plotting. The seemingly irresponsible Israeli single has a backstory that allows for growth and alteration. As Neta’s engagements evolve, the French lawyer experiences her own transformation.

Though initially presenting as a buttoned-up wealthy traveler, Louise packs more than matching Louis Vuitton suitcases. While scouring Jerusalem for potential property purchasers, the Jewish visitor finds something that can change everything about her seemingly perfect life at home.

Tagar and Draï deliver the heft of “Paris Boutique,” but Moris Cohen (Avi) and Batel Moseri (Yaffa) are the scene stealers. Whether by mixing popular Israeli dishes with humor and flair or speaking truth to friendship and love, Cohen and Moseri help “Paris Boutique” become a delightful treat. The film ends with several questions about love unanswered, but “Paris Boutique” is a reminder that friendship — even unexpected — goes with everything.

— Adam Reinherz

‘My Neighbor Adolf’ Sunday, April 30, at 4 p.m. | CMU –McConomy Auditorium (96 minutes)

Mr. Polsky doesn’t care for his new neighbor, Mr. Herzog.

A day after moving next door to Polsky’s isolated South American home, Herzog’s dog digs a hole beneath a fence dividing the two properties and destroys several of Polsky’s black roses, planted in memory of his wife murdered in the Holocaust. The act begins a simmering hatred between the two neighbors.

It is when Polsky, a Holocaust survivor, confronts Herzog, that he notices a likeness between his new neighbor and Adolf Hitler.

The Polish immigrant tells a government official that he met the Nazi leader during a 1934 chess tournament and is convinced the eyes of his neighbor and the dictator are the same.

After finding no one from the Israeli embassy willing to investigate Herzog, Polsky begins the work of a gumshoe and opens an investigation to prove his neighbor is Hitler.

Polsky reads “Mein Kampf” and other books to identify facts about Hitler, spends time photographing his neighbor, observing suspicious activities like painting and the comings and goings of guests he thinks resemble Nazis, and notes Herzog screaming, which he thinks sounds like the former führer.

This evidence, though, doesn’t convince the Israeli embassy. When Polsky spies Herzog playing chess and voices his opinion on the game, the pair begin a relationship that continues to build uncomfortable comedic tension, disagreements and a slowly unraveling mystery.

A dark comedy, “My Neighbor Adolf” is a worthwhile retelling of the classic story of two neighbors who might have more in common, and a greater need for one another, than either would like to admit. PJC

— David Rullo

p Still from “My Neighbor Adolf” Photo courtesy of the Cohen Media Group

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is celebrating 75 years. Magen David Adom has been

Israel

Magen David Adom has been saving lives since 1930, some 18 years before Israel became a state. We take immense pride in being Israel’s national emergency medical service and in supplying the blood and medical care for the soldiers who have ensured Israel’s existence. Join us in celebrating Israel’s 75th year of independence on Yom HaAtzma’ut.

Support Magen David Adom by donating today at afmda.org/give. Or for further information about giving opportunities, contact 847-509-9802 or midwest@afmda.org. afmda.org/give

Israel at 75

Bijou:

Continued from page 12 protest for us and their protest will do good where ours would be unheeded. We Jews must protest with our hands and pockets. It is not moral help which we must give the sufferers of Kishineff and those who are in danger of like martyrdom, but actual help.”

The call for Christian support is hardly hypothetical. The meeting includes several Christian leaders who rouse the audience with words of solidarity. Similar voices have been heard from Christian quarters all over the country. A few years later, the Jewish Publication Society compiles them into a book, “The Voice of America on Kishineff.”

Cantor Julius Bloom — a beloved voice of the Hill, “a loyal American, a sterling Jew, an ardent Zionist,” as one eulogist later wrote — ends the meeting by leading the audience in the Jewish National Anthem. Not “Hatikvah.” This is an early alternative by Rev. Dr. Pereira Mendes, soon forgotten. It is “The Zion-Hymn,” and it is sung to the melody of “My Country ’Tis Of Thee.” From souvenir lyric sheets, the multitude sings, “God, we implore of Thee/End Zion’s misery/Send her Thy aid!/Send Thou her sons to heal/Wounds which the years reveal/Woes which at last in weal/ For aye shall fade.”

Recalling the whistle-pitch of emotion in the theater that night — the hope and

the heartbreak — a writer from The Maccabean later reported, “It is nothing to be wondered at that a non-Zionist, addressing the writer as he left the hall: ‘Can you tell me why I am feeling what I feel?’ I asked him what he felt. ‘I feel as though I had not existed for fifteen years. I am a little boy leading the old Jewish life. It seems Yom Kippur to me.’” PJC

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

students for a

celebration.

Taking a page out of history

Local historian Tammy Hepps addressed members of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh with a talk titled “When Henry Silverstein Got Cold: How Terrible Enumerators Help

Break Passover, bring pizza

It’s so hard to say goodbye to matzah

Four hundred local college students joined Chabad House on Campus and Hillel JUC for a unity seder at the University of Pittsburgh’s Alumni Hall.

Chabad House on Campus welcomed Jewish

Mimouna

Popularized by Moroccan Jews, Mimouna is held on the evening and day after Passover.

p Participating students made flour pancakes.

p From left: Rigel Pihony, Remy Pihony, Rabbi Barbara Symons and Arin Keough

Photo courtesy of Temple David

p Excited for the exodus

Photo courtesy of Chabad House on Campus

p Tammy Hepps and a slide at the Heinz History Center

Photo courtesy of Tammy Hepps

p Chametz brings the smiles.

Photos courtesy of Chabad House on Campus

p J-Serve is administered locally by Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh with partners including Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh and Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

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