An Israeli community displaced by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack is getting some help from Pittsburghers, thanks to Communities2Gether, a program organized by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Building off the Partnership2Gether model, Communities2Gether pairs U.S. and Canadian cities with kibbutzim and communities displaced after Oct. 7. Pittsburgh was matched with Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the Gaza Envelope in the western Negev desert. Nir Yitzhak’s 600 residents have experienced extreme hardship since Hamas’ attack, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Adam Hertzman said.
year for the next three years to Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. The money will come from various Federation funds.
Daniel Lanternari, his wife and their three children, 15, 12 and 9, have been displaced since Oct. 7.
Lanternari, 48, told Vatican News about the events of Oct. 7.
By David Rullo
Protesters trespassing at the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning tore down their illegal encampment and left in the early hours of June 4 after a nearly three-hour negotiation with Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato.
“The whole kibbutz is in one hotel in Eilat, and they’ve been there since Oct 8. You can imagine how miserable it is,” Hertzman said. “There’s a lot of large families living in oneor two-bedroom hotel rooms. They have been away from their homes the entire time because it isn’t safe.”
As part of the initiative, Pittsburgh’s Federation will contribute $250,000 each
“We heard the sirens and locked ourselves in the safe room, where we stayed for several hours,” he said. “When things calmed down a bit, I took my oldest son to the bathroom, and from the window, I saw about 15 terrorists entering from the kibbutz’s entrance, not from the direction of the Gaza Strip. No one expected the terrorists to arrive in cars; we thought they would come on foot from the direction of the Strip. Instead, they entered right through the kibbutz gate where my house is located ... I just watched them because I couldn’t believe it was real. Only when they began drilling into our houses and shooting with Kalashnikovs, did I snap out of the movie I was watching.”
Multiple casualties occurred, according to
During a news conference last week, Gainey said he made it clear to protesters that the meeting was not an endorsement of their demands. Rather, he said, it was about finding a “safe resolution to a situation that had become unstable.”
After getting reports about the instability at the camp, Gainey said he gathered with members of his senior leadership team, as well as Innamorato, and contacted the protesters at the encampment “in order to deescalate the situation.”
Zoe Skirboll’s road to Olympic trials
Ilana Symons continues family legacy in the rabbinate Page 3
Getting to know: Jason Schi man
Gila Zarbiv on midwifery and activism
7
Kim Salzman, bottom left, visits members of Nir Yitzhak at a hotel in Eilat.
At a June 4 press conference, Mayor Ed Gainey discussed his conversation with a group of protesters trespassing at the University of Pittsburgh. Photo by David Rullo
Headlines
Zoe Skirboll heads back for another swim at the Olympic trials
Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
Swimming phenom Zoe Skirboll is dipping her toes in familiar waters. For the second time, Skirboll, 19, is swimming at the Olympic trials.
Between June 15-23, nearly 1,000 swimmers are competing in Indianapolis for 52 spots on Team USA.
Skirboll is ready for the challenge. Her mindset, she said, is different than what it was a few years ago.
“I definitely think the first time around I had no idea what to expect, like at all,” she said.
In 2021, Skirboll was the only member of her squad, Racer X Aquatics, to qualify for the trials.
“It was just me and my dad,” she said.
The father-daughter duo — Jim Skirboll is Racer X’s head coach — traveled to Omaha, Nebraska, together but “I didn’t really know that many people there,” Skirboll said. “I was kind of just doing my own thing, just kind of in awe of what was going on.”
COVID restrictions also altered the experience.
“There were no spectators besides immediate family,” Skirboll said.
Cardboard cutouts of people were placed on seats to make the venue seem populated.
This time around, the trials are going to feel “electric,” Skirboll said.
The historic event is at Lucas Oil Stadium — home of the Indianapolis Colts.
Organizers said it’s the first time the program will be held inside a football stadium.
“I think that will bring a lot of energy into the environment,” Skirboll said.
The Pittsburgher is slated to swim the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke. She swam those events, along with the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle, at the last trials. But there’s another difference between Indianapolis and Omaha: this go-around, Skirboll is traveling
with her team.
The media studies major and leadership minor just finished her sophomore year at the University of Virginia.
In March, the Atlantic Coast Conference swimming powerhouse won its fourth consecutive NCAA title.
“The environment of that meet was everything I had dreamed of,” Skirboll said. “My team is pretty much my family since being here, and it’s been such an honor to be part of this team and to experience something like that with your best friends.”
Skirboll said that although she’s the lone Jewish swimmer on this year’s team, “there are a lot of Jewish people here at UVA, so that’s nice — there’s still a community.”
Since arriving in Charlottesville two years ago, Skirboll has focused on swimming and personal growth.
Despite making the All-ACC Academic Team, ACC Academic Honor Roll and finishing 12th in the 200 IM at the ACC Championships, Skirboll’s freshmen year was challenging.
“My first year here was a little hard,” she said. “We definitely had some setbacks, I think as a
community and me personally, which definitely didn’t help my swimming or my academics.”
Skirboll’s sophomore season was different.
“Coming back to school, I kind of knew the lay of the land,” she said. “I was definitely more confident in myself in the pool and out of the pool.”
The Cavalier qualified for the NCAAs and posted a personal best of 1:58.07 in the 200 IM prelims.
Days later, she and her championshipwinning teammates were back in the weight room training for the Olympic trials.
Skirboll can’t wait to see the results.
“I think UVA is going to kind of take over the pool there,” she said. “We pretty much have our whole women’s team competing, which is a really big deal. And then most of our men will also be competing, so we’re gonna have a really strong team there and it’s gonna be really exciting to watch.”
The trials are expected to bring thousands of cheering fans, dozens of news outlets and countless eyes glued to gifted athletes who make memories from milliseconds. Skirboll is both ready and amazed.
“I mean, the girls on my team who are previous Olympians, I still look up to them and I’m like, ‘You people are my role model. I see you guys every day and you’re also my best friends,’” she said. “I am starstruck by them because I’m like, ‘Wow, you’ve been able to accomplish so much in this sport. I know how much you sacrifice for that.’”
But Skirboll’s awe doesn’t extend only to the sport’s biggest names.
“There’s a lot of people I’m surrounded by on my team that just — what they go through and put themselves through — even though the results might not be making an Olympic team, I’m still starstruck by them daily,” she said.
Skirboll finds herself increasingly impressed “by more of the little things that people do, and not just being an Olympian or being a rofessional athlete,” she added. “I think it’s seeing the small details they put in, the sacrifice.”
Goggles or not, Skirboll will get an even greater sight of those details in the coming days.
As she heads for Indianapolis, she remains appreciative of what’s brought her this far.
“My whole entire life, my whole entire swimming career, I just want to thank people who have been supporting me, and reading about me and reaching out to me. I don’t think they know how much that really means to someone, how much that helps someone grow and want to achieve their goals for people other than themselves,” she said. “My community back home, I want to achieve things for them, not just for myself.”
The athlete and her teammates are leaving for the trials on June 13. The stakes are seemingly higher than ever, but Skirboll has never been more grounded — she’s navigated these waters before.
“I’ve found my own path and the way I want to live and keep swimming,” she said. “I’m still finding joy inside of the sport, even with all the pressures.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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p Zoe Skirboll celebrates after she and her team became NCAA Division 1 National Champions in swimming again. Photo courtesy of Jim Skirboll
Rabbi Ilana Symons continues
RIlana and Micah — are either working in Jewish spiritual or communal life or are studying to do so.
have spent much of their careers serving the Pittsburgh area’s Jewish community.
Barbara Symons was the spiritual leader of Temple David in Monroeville; Ron Symons has held various roles but is ending the Pittsburgh chapter of his career as the senior director of Jewish Life for the Jewish Community Center and the founding director of the organization’s Center for Loving Kindness.
The pair raised their children in Monroeville and are preparing to move to New York in the next few weeks to be closer to their family. The relocation will mean being nearer to their middle daughter, Ilana, who was recently ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and, in April, was hired as the permanent rabbi at Temple Sinai in Saratoga Springs, New York.
The foundation for their children’s love of Judaism, Barbara Symons said, was found at both Temple David and in the family’s home.
“They clearly felt Temple David was a second home, and they established a lot of deep relationships with adults as mentors and people who just cared about them,” she said.
A family ritual blended Jewish tradition and social justice into weekly Shabbat dinners, Ron Symons said.
“We played a game, ‘Mensch of the Week,’ where everyone had to name someone
who did something menschlich during the week,” he said. “The one rule of the game was that you couldn’t name yourself, because if you pronounce yourself as a mensch, you
Ilana Symons credits her parents for helping to establish her passion for Judaism.
-
er’s Monroeville congregation played in
“Temple David was the village that raised me,” she said. “It was really our second home. If my mom wasn’t at our home, she
Like most children of rabbis, Ilana Symons said she and her siblings spent a lot of time each week at the synagogue, including twiceweekly religious school classes — first as students then madrichim — Friday night services and holidays.
“Sometimes, we would just sit there and do our homework if my mom had a meeting,” she said. “We really got to know the people of Temple David like our second family.”
If the Reform congregation was the foundation of Ilana Symons’ Jewish life, youth group and summer camp were the primer for the future rabbi and where she found her own voice.
She was a member of Temple David’s youth group and spent summers at the Reform movement’s Camp Harlam in the Poconos Mountains.
“It was really the summer that I went to the Kutz Camp, which is NFTY’s leadership camp, that I decided officially that this is the path I wanted to pursue,” Ilana Symons said.
By the time her father was working at the JCC, Ilana Symons was already in high school, and soon after away at college — first at New York University, then Hebrew Union College — so she didn’t get to spend as much time with him at work, she said.
Please see Rabbi, page 11
p Rabbi Ilana Symons
Photo courtesy of Rabbi Ilana Symons
Headlines
‘What keeps you up at night?’: Gisele Fetterman talks philanthropy at Jewish Women’s
States after her mother moved her out of Brazil due to violence.
By Abigail Hakas | Special to the Chronicle
By the time Gisele Fetterman took the stage at the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh’s annual meeting on June 4 as its keynote speaker, she had already stopped by Free Store 15104 — a nonprofit she founded to provide essentials in Braddock — and fought a fire.
Fetterman is the picture of Pittsburghbased women-led philanthropy, a jack-of-all-trades with seemingly boundless energy: a volunteer firefighter with the Rivers Edge Volunteer Fire Department, mother of three, wife to Sen. John Fetterman, founder of Free Store 15104 and co-founder of 412 Food Rescue.
It’s a formidable resume and not even a complete summary of her work, but it’s more than enough to give her a near-mythic status. Instead, she chooses humanity.
She began her speech by recounting a time she moderated a panel of female leaders in politics, nonprofits and business, asking them how they handled the difficult days when the voices of critics dominate.
“I ignore it” and “I give it back to them,” she remembers hearing. When it came time for Fetterman’s response, she had a different approach.
“I cry,” she said.
She remembers “mass disappointment in the room,” but afterward several women told her that they cry, too; they just weren’t ready to admit it publicly.
“I think remaining tender in a world that rewards the strong is a radical act of rebellion,” she said.
This mindset was evident as Fetterman chronicled the childhood that led her to the life she lives now. She grew up as an undocumented immigrant in the United
In a slideshow, she showed an image of her passport: A young Fetterman, just 7 years old, sports an almost unreadable expression. Her dark hair is braided into two pigtails with blunt bangs covering her eyebrows.
“I’m still mad about those bangs,” Fetterman quipped.
Her mother decided to move the family to the States after having dinner with Fetterman’s aunt, who said she had “only been robbed seven times” that year.
“I lived in a place of danger, and there were no guarantees that you would make it home that day,” Fetterman said. “When folks reach out and they say, ‘Oh, I’d really like to start a nonprofit. I’d like to start a business. Can you help me?’ I always ask them, ‘What keeps you up at night?’”
For Fetterman, the answer is “so much.”
“The suffering of any people I really struggle with, and I try to channel that into the work that I do,” she told the Chronicle following the event.
That passion led her to speak about the importance of philanthropy at the JWF’s meeting.
The JWF aims to promote societal change for women and girls in Pittsburgh by awarding grants, with at least 50% of funding going to Jewish community organizations.
JWF pools its funding from trustees who read grant proposals and decide which organizations to fund. At its annual meeting, JWF highlighted the work of three of its 17 grantees from 2023: the Women’s Law Project, Eden’s Farm and the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh.
The Women’s Law Project is a nonprofit public interest legal organization that
Gisele Fetterman was the keynote speaker at the Jewish Women’s Foundation’s annual meeting.
Photo by Abigail Hakas
Headlines
Getting to know: Jason Schiffman
By Kathleen Gianni | Staff Writer
Local attorney Jason Schiffman was named the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) Pittsburgh Visionary of the Year after raising $162,408 for the organization.
LLS, a national nonprofit with the mission of curing and supporting patients with blood cancer, hosts a Visionaries program in Pittsburgh annually. The 2024 campaign raised $665,136, setting a new regional record, with Schiffman as the leading fundraiser.
Across 10 weeks, Schiffman said he took different strategies in his fundraising. He shared thousands of letters and emails, found support through local businesses and even conducted a fundraiser with the chance to win a guitar signed by Taylor Swift.
“At one point, I calculated I had sent something like 1,300 emails,” Schiffman said. “We made hundreds of calls. Every lunch we would just get on the phone and call people that we had sent all of these letters to and just continuously follow up.”
Schiffman said working on the campaign was akin to a full-time job, so he relied on a team of more than 10 to help fundraise.
His wife, Jennifer Schiffman, served alongside him as the team campaign manager. She committed to putting in the hours with her husband, and she was recognized as the LLS team member of the year for her efforts in this year’s campaign.
“We don’t do anything less than 110%,” she said. “So, when Jason was going to do it, I was like, all right, we’ll do it together.”
The Schiffmans live in Mt. Lebanon and attend Beth El Congregation of the South Hills.
Although he was asked by a friend to start a campaign for the first time more than a decade ago, Schiffman wanted to ensure that he could dedicate the appropriate time and effort before committing to it. He said that he understood that starting a campaign could interfere with his work as an attorney.
“A different connection asked me to run a campaign, and I was pretty resistant to do so,” he said. “I said I really don’t know because I know that it’s a really huge time commitment and I have my own business. I don’t want to take it on unless I know I can do a good job.”
Schiffman is a partner at Schiffman Firm, the law firm he owns with his brother, Daniel Schiffman. He has dedicated his career to helping the sick and injured as he represents clients dealing with severe injuries. His work for LLS and finding a cure for blood cancer similarly reflects his devotion to helping those in need.
Within a week of being asked to run an LLS campaign, Schiffman heard the story of Officer Mark Smilek on the news.
Smilek worked as a Sewickley Borough police officer and showed his love for his community through his work. He was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in 2017, and he lost his seven-year fight to
blood cancer in January.
After reaching out to Smilek’s wife, Dr. Hillary Jones, Schiffman started an LLS campaign in his honor. Through the fundraising, he shared Smilek’s story, bringing to light his national and community service and his fight against blood cancer.
LLS advertises three pillars of its mission: research, patient support and policy and advocacy. Schiffman’s fundraising focused on research, leading his team to win the research award for the 2024 Visionaries of the Year program.
“A vast majority of all FDA-approved cancer treatments start with blood cancer research,” Schiffman said. “Unfortunately, blood cancers are notoriously really hard to treat. But a lot of the time, the treatments start with a really broad approach, and they have pathways to help with other types of cancer.”
Despite the work that goes into it, Jason and Jennifer Schiffman said that they hope to inspire others to get involved with LLS or other charitable organizations.
“Even if you’ve never done anything like this before, you can make a huge difference,” Jennifer Schiffman said. “If you set your mind to something like this to make an impact, people will support you.” PJC
Kathleen Gianni can be reached at kgianni@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
p Jason and Jennifer Schiffman Photo courtesy of Jennifer Schiffman
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.
SUNDAYS, JUNE 16–DEC. 29
Join a lay-led online parshah study group to discuss the week’s Torah portion. No Hebrew knowledge needed. The goal is to build community while deepening understanding of the text. 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org.
MONDAY, JUNE 17
Temple Sinai Brotherhood will cheer on the Bucs against the Cincinnati Reds. $37 per adult includes Pirates Cove Seats (down right field line in Sec. 205) with unlimited hamburgers, hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, nachos and soft drinks. 6:30 p.m. Register at templesinaipgh.org/programs-events.
MONDAYS, JUNE 17–DEC. 30
Join Congregation Beth Shalom for a weekly Talmud study. 9:15 a.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org.
TUESDAY, JUNE 18
Join the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh for a Generations Speaker presentation by Clare Drobot. Drobot will share her search to uncover the past and understand the legacy of her paternal grandparents, Wanda and Jane Drobot, Holocaust survivors who raised their children as Catholic in post-WWII Poland. 6 p.m. Free. Chatham University’s Mellon Board Room, Chapel Hill Road, 15232. hcofpgh.org/event/ generations-speaker-presentation-by-clare-drobot.
TUESDAYS, JUNE 18; JULY 2, 16, 30; AUG. 13
Join Tree of Life congregants at the Schenley Park
Oval as they meet together to enjoy the outdoors, pet dogs and converse with one another. Free. Every other Tuesday, June through August. 6:30 p.m. treeoflifepgh.org.
TUESDAYS, JUNE 18; JULY 23
Young children and their grownups are invited to join Rodef Shalom Librarian Sam Siskind for a story in their Biblical Botanical Garden followed by a crafty activity. 1 p.m. rodefshalom.org.
WEDNESDAYS, JUNE 19–DEC. 18
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.
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.
WEDNESDAYS, JUNE 19; JULY 17: AUG. 21; SEPT. 18; OCT. 16; NOV. 20; DEC. 18
Join AgeWell for the Intergenerational Family Dynamics Discussion Group at JCC South Hills the third Wednesday of each month. Led by intergenerational specialist/presenter and educator Audree Schall. The group is geared toward anyone who has children, grandchildren, a spouse, siblings or parents. Whether you have family harmony or strife, these discussions are going to be thought-provoking, with tools to help build strong relationships and family unity. Free. 12:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, JUNE 21
Join Temple Sinai at 5 p.m. for a Tot Shabbat with snacks and activities that include sensory, big-body and creative play, followed at 5:30 by a short, interactive, musical service, plus dinner and more time to play. Contact Danie Oberman, community
engagement director, with questions at danie@ TempleSinaiPGH.org
FRIDAYS, JUNE 21; JULY 19; AUG. 23
Join Tree of Life Congregation as they celebrate the welcoming of Shabbat three Fridays this summer. Meet before Shabbat begins to greet one another in the beautiful Rodef Shalom Botanical Gardens for Shabbat on the Rocks. Free. 6 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave.
SUNDAY, JUNE 23
Join Chabad of the South Hills for an inaugural South Hills Jewish Men’s Club event. Enjoy a BBQ social, schmooze and booze at Chabad’s new location on Bower Hill Road. 8 p.m. $25. 1700 Bower Hill Road. chabadsh.com/mensclub.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26
Tree of Life Congregation will be looking back to yesterday while planting the seeds for tomorrow at their 160th Birthday Celebration. Join them in Rodef Shalom’s Aaron Court for an evening of passed hors d’oeuvres, dessert and conversation as they reflect on Tree of Life Congregation’s beginnings and look toward the future. Deadline to RSVP is June 19. $25. 6 p.m. treeoflifepgh.org/event/160thanniversary.
WEDNESDAYS, JUNE 26; JULY 10, 24; AUG. 7, 28; SEPT. 4, 28
Chabad of Monroeville invites you to spend an hour playing mahjong and other games. Play, shmooze, learn a word of the Torah, say a prayer for Israel and, of course, nosh on some yummy treats. Free. 7 p.m. RSVP is required: SusanEBurgess@gmail. com, or text or call 412-295-1838. 2715 Mosside Blvd. jewishmonroeville.com/mahjong.
SUNDAY, JUNE 30
Losing a loved one is hard. Join Rodef Shalom Congregation to hear from experts who will help find ways to understand and manage grief while
continuing to live a full life. Free and open to the public. Advance registration is required. 9:30 a.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org/ livingwithloss.
A memorial celebrating Cyril Wecht will be held on Zoom and at Temple Sinai, 5500 Forbes Ave., from 1-4 p.m. Relatives, friends and colleagues will share their recollections, with a short film and a musical interlude, followed by light refreshments. Open to all. Contact Ben Wecht at benwecht@aol.com or via Facebook Messenger for the Zoom link.
WEDNESDAYS, JULY 3-SEPT. 4
Join Rodef Shalom Congregation for Biblical Garden Open Door Tours: docent-led tours of the congregation’s Biblical Botanical Garden the first Wednesday of the month. Free. Noon. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org/garden.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10
Animal lovers of all ages are welcome to join Rodef Shalom Congregation for Meet theAnimals: A Petting Zoo Experience in their Biblical Botanical Garden. Free. 10 a.m. rodefshalom.org.
THURSDAY, JULY 18
Join the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh for its Generations Speaker presentation with Melissa Marks, who will share stories about her mother, grandmother and grandfather. Free. 6 p.m. Chatham University’s Mellon Board Room, Chapel Hill Road, 15232. hcofpgh.org/event/generations-speakerpresentation-by-dr-melissa-marks/.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 24
Rendezvous in Rodef Shalom’s Biblical Botanical Garden for a live performance with Craig Davis Jazz. Join them for drinks and hors d’ouvres as they bring the swinging sounds of the Jazz Age back to life. Free. 6:30 p.m. rodefshalom.org. PJC
Author Reuven Fenton to join Chronicle Book Club for discussion of ‘Goyhood’
Jewish man who discovers in middle age that he’s not, in fact, Jewish, and embarks on a remarkable road trip to come to grips with his fate; it’s Chaim Potok’s ‘The Chosen’ meets ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles.’”
Your hosts
Toby Tabachnick, editor of the Chronicle
David Rullo, Chronicle staff writer How it works
We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, July 14, at 1 p.m.
“Goyhood.” It is available at area Barnes & Noble stores and from online retailers, including Amazon. There is also limited availability through the Carnegie
: Contact us at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org, and write “Chronicle Book Club” in the subject line. We will send you a Zoom link for the discussion meeting.
— Toby Tabachnick
Reuven Fenton Photo by Robert Miller
Headlines
Pittsburgh native
is one of
Hadassah’s ‘18 American Zionist Women You Should Know’
—
By Emily Golden | Staff Writer
After traveling to Israel when she was 8, Gila Zarbiv knew it was where she belonged.
Zarbiv, 39, grew up in Pittsburgh with her parents, Judi and Manny Kanal, and her five siblings. She graduated from Hillel Academy in 2004 and attended Congregation Poale Zedeck.
Throughout high school, Zarbiv was involved in her Jewish community and was a member of the Israel club at Hillel. She partook in many different projects, advocating for Israel along side women from the Israel Defense Forces, leading various programs for her classmates.
Following her high school graduation, Zarbiv returned to Israel and lived there for a year. This further solidified her commitment and she made aliyah in 2007.
“There was no question that I wasn’t going to live in Israel,” Zarbiv said. “I remember feeling like this is where I belong.”
She has since made her mark in the Jewish state and was recently named one of “18 American Zionist Women You Should Know” by Hadassah for playing “a critical role since Hamas’ attacks and atrocities on October 7, advocating for Israel, building understanding and speaking out against hate and falsehoods aimed at Israel and Jews,” according to Hadassah officials.
Zarbiv works in neonatal and maternal health and has a master’s degree in women’s health from Hebrew University. She is a certified nurse midwife at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem and is working on her doctorate in medicine in global health systems management at Ben Gurion University of the Negev.
She sits on the Israel Midwives Association’s Executive Board and serves as its international liaison. She also chairs the International R elations Committee and is the Israeli representative for the International Confederacy Body of Midwifery.
For Zarbiv, midwifery is not just a profession — it is her calling and an integral part of who she is.
“Midwifery is a really exceptional field,” Zarbiv said. “It’s one of the only fields that focuses on women’s health throughout all the holistic perspectives of women’s health, meaning it sees the woman as a person, and it deals with physiology and not just pathology.”
A recent study by The Lancet showed that if every woman had access to a midwife, 4.3 million lives could be saved by 2035.
Zarbiv said that since Oct. 7, it’s been clear that gender-based violence is largely ignored when it happens to Jewish women, especially among international committees.
“World health organizations like the WHO, UN Women and the International Confederation of Midwives took too long to condemn the terror, rape and violence against humanity that happened on Oct. 7,” Zarbiv said. “The ICM, an organization that stands for the safety and protection of women across the globe, has yet to recognize the GBV (genderbased violence) that took place in Israel or issue any formal statement other than to call for a cease-fire.”
The Israel Midwives Association founded a program in Israel for women who have lost their husbands in war, battle and terror. This program gives each woman two midwives to assist throughout her pregnancy and postpartum.
The program is called Letsidech, or “By Your Side.”
Zarbiv uses her platform to educate the world about Israel and the challenges of her profession. She has spoken with midwives in Switzerland and Germany, among other places, to spread the message of what happened on Oct. 7. She is currently in Canada, where she is a vocal advocate for Israel.
We need to stand — and we need to speak — and we need to make sure this never happens again,” Zarbiv said.
She said that being honored by Hadassah is not about her: It is about the midwives and women who are working 24/7 while Israel fights for its existence.
“This recognition is not about any one person,” Zarbiv said. “This award is on behalf of all the close to 2,000 midwives in the country who are working tirelessly around the clock, through war, terror and pain, to save the lives of women, their unborn — and born — babies, and be there for their families.”
The honor is also about the soldiers who are fighting for peace, and about the women who need a voice, she said.
“This recognition is on behalf of the thousands of chayalim who are fighting, bleeding and dying so we can have the freedom to live in peace, serenity and stability in the region,” Zarbiv said. “And most importantly, this recognition is to bring
“This
award is on behalf of all the close to 2,000 midwives in the country who are working tirelessly around the clock, through war, terror and pain, to save the lives of women, their unborn — and born — babies, and be there for their families.”
– GILA ZARBIV
attention to the 120 innocent civilian hostages being held in Gaza, having been ripped from their homes, families and country. As the world stands silent, it is our job to keep screaming and make sure that the world never forgets.”
Living in Israel, Zarbiv said, is about having “your priorities straight, to appreciate every moment, to understand what is important and what isn’t, what is noise and what isn’t, what matters, what’s nothing and what’s something.”
While times like this make us wonder what we can do to combat hatred and injustice, she said, the answer is simple.
“We cannot be afraid, we cannot be silenced and we cannot stop,” Zarbiv said. “We must continue to scream, stand and fight. If we do not fight for ourselves, no one will fight for us. It is up to us.” PJC
Emily Golden can be reached at emilygolden03@gmail.com.
p Gila Zarbiv
Photo courtesy of Gila Zarbiv
Headlines
Squirrel Hill gets parking garages
Eric Lidji | Special to the Chronicle
In the third of a three-part series, the city tries to accommodate a huge influx of traffic without upsetting the delicate balance between residents and businesses.
Squirrel Hill was a leading commercial district in the 1960s.
A city survey from 1965 counted 280 commercial properties in the Murray-Forbes business corridor. Only 12 were vacant. The commercial district reported some $18 million in annual sales. Adjusted for inflation, that would exceed $180 million today.
The problem was traffic.
Even though Squirrel Hill lost about 2,000 people in the 1960s, it was increasingly choked with cars. Its popular shopping district sat between an important freeway interchange and one of the most densely populated sections of the city. Squirrel Hill couldn’t handle local traffic as well as pass-through traffic. “Traffic congestion and parking space deficiencies are growing to major proportions which will eventually strangle commercial activity,” the city predicted in a 1967 survey of the neighborhood.
The survey marked Bartlett Street as “perhaps the most congested location on
during peak hours.
For three days in June 1967 — coincidentally, during the Six-Day War — a city technician stood at Murray and Bartlett, counting cars and people. In a given 30-minute period, about 114 people crossed the driveway and between 60-70 cars crossed the sidewalk.
Traffic lights at that intersection already cut drive time on Murray in half. The light
In the early 1960s, the library launched the largest expansion in its history. It planned to modernize several existing branches and build new branches in Woods Run, Knoxville, Beechview, East Liberty and Squirrel Hill. The Squirrel Hill branch would be an experimental “joint development concept,” intended to be replicated. It would have a 76-space parking garage, an open plaza and commercial facilities with a new library.
Although it was approved by 1969, the complex wasn’t built until 1972. The Flaherty Administration tried to cancel the project in early 1970, and then came the usual delays.
In addition to the new library, the Pittsburgh Parking Authority purchased five properties on Douglas Street and Phillips Avenue for the new 48-space mid-Murray parking lot. It was again funded partly through a bond sale to merchants. It opened in July 1970.
The Flaherty administration made no major changes to Squirrel Hill parking.
passed through the intersection daily. There was extreme congestion and a high risk of collisions.
The city recommended moving the entrance of the Giant Eagle parking lot onto Bartlett Street, and moving the exit onto Murray Avenue. To accommodate the change, Bartlett and Darlington would become one way from Shady to Wightman.
Giant Eagle rejected the plan. It preferred a new left-turn lane on Murray Avenue.
The city agreed but forgot to cancel the work orders for reversing Bartlett and Darlington between Murray and Shady. For days, dozens of people unknowingly parked illegally. It took a campaign by business and civic leaders to get the turn lane removed, the meters reinstalled, all the streets returned to normal and all the parking tickets waived.
Eventually, the city and Giant Eagle agreed to the current solution: Darlington heading one-way toward Shady, and Bartlett heading one-way toward Murray, and a quarter block of two-way traffic on Bartlett to allow shoppers on Murray to enter the parking lot.
The Bureau of Traffic Planning report had additional ideas for improving traffic.
It proposed left-turn lanes on Murray, Shady and Beacon. (Beacon got one.) It proposed installing more than 100 meters on residential side streets within 200 feet of Murray Avenue. (Bartlett and Darlington got a few.) It wanted to extend all meters to 9 p.m., create 30-minute parking zones in front of the post office and the Baskin-Robbins. It wanted to add loading zones to allow service vehicles to park along Murray Avenue.
Early in the Caliguiri administration, in 1978, the Pittsburgh Parking Authority conducted a new parking survey. It found that the streets off the business district were 90% occupied.
The city found a lot at the northwest corner of Murray and Darlington. It planned a two-story garage with 73 spaces. Years of deliberation ensued with residents on Darlington, who felt that the post office loading dock and the drive-through bank across the street already made traffic so tight that emergency vehicles couldn’t easily get down the street.
As these negotiations were underway, the Jewish Community Center was planning a major expansion in Squirrel Hill. It first considered Wightman Playground. In the face of neighborhood opposition, it next considered an open section of the Smithfield United Church cemetery at S. Dallas and Aylesboro. Again, there was local opposition.
And so in 1985 the Pittsburgh Parking Authority and the Jewish Community Center worked out a deal. The Jewish Community Center would build a new 95,000-square foot facility at its existing location, and it would lease part of the basement to the Pittsburgh Parking Authority — for 75 years without charge — for a 70-space metered parking lot. That was the last big expansion of public parking facilities in Squirrel Hill.
Like most residents of Squirrel Hill, I often have small and large moments of frustration arising from neighborhood traffic. The history put things in perspective.
As this traffic study was underway, the Pittsburgh Parking Authority was completing a long review of downtown and Oakland and turning its attention to the neighborhoods.
Accommodating the growing demand for parking while retaining the character of the neighborhood is complicated. It’s made more complicated by intense emotions: business owners worried about their livelihoods, residents worried about their property.
It launched a $1.632 million plan in 1969 to build eight parking lots in Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, the North Side, Brookline and East Liberty. Squirrel Hill got two. (East Liberty got three, a desperate attempt to self-correct from the failures of redevelopment.)
The first parking lot was connected with a new Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch.
The city didn’t always get the parking situation right in Squirrel Hill, but it didn’t get it catastrophically wrong either. The car could have killed Squirrel Hill. It didn’t. 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.
The 2000 block of Murray, showing Pinsker’s, M. Fogel Meats, Murray News Stand, Stern’s Café and Kablin’s Market — Nov. 3, 1965
Photo courtesy of Allegheny Conference on Community Development Photographs, Detre Library & Archives
Headlines
German Holocaust reparations increase again, but plateau expected as survivors perish
The German government has agreed to allocate $1.5 billion in Holocaust reparations this year, setting a record for how much the country is spending to support survivors, JTA.org reported.
The increase from $1.4 billion last year is due to a rise in the amount the government is paying to reimburse survivors’ medical expenses. But the sum paid directly to survivors has once again declined, reflecting the accelerating deaths of survivors.
And the growth in the total package is expected to end soon as the number of living survivors plummets, according to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, known as the Claims Conference, the group that negotiates reparations with the German government.
Earlier this year, the group said it had conducted a thorough review of remaining survivors, including those who have not received reparations through its efforts, and found that about 245,000 were alive, with the median age being 85.
The $1.5 billion set aside this year is broken into three categories: $500 million in direct reparations, a decrease from last year; $972 million to support the care needs of an increasingly elderly cohort of survivors; and $40 million for Holocaust education.
Columbia settles suit
with Jewish student over encampments, promising additional security
Columbia University has settled a lawsuit brought against it by a Jewish student alleging a hostile environment because of the proPalestinian encampment movement, JTA.org reported.
The settlement is a major development in Jewish groups’ efforts to hold universities accountable for a reported increase in campus antisemitism since Oct. 7.
As part of the settlement, Columbia has promised to provide walking escorts and safe campus entrances at all hours of the day, as well as accommodations for students who were unable to complete exams owing to campus disruption.
“We are pleased we’ve been able to come to a resolution and remain committed to our number one priority: the safety of our campus so that all of our students can successfully pursue their education and meet their academic goals,” a Columbia spokesperson said in a statement.
The suit was brought by an anonymous Jewish student in late April who alleged that the encampments had disrupted their education. The school faced significant disruption as a result of the encampments, with clashes between students and police, hundreds of arrests, a move to hybrid classes, extended campus closures and the eventual cancellation of commencement.
Jewish officer resigns from US Army to protest Gaza war, citing Holocaust
An American Jewish military intelligence officer has resigned to protest U.S. support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza, saying
Today in Israeli History
June 17, 1939 — St. Louis returns to Europe
that what is happening to the Palestinians there reminds him of the Holocaust, JTA.org reported.
Major Harrison Mann submitted his resignation to the military and the Defense Intelligence Agency in November. He announced it publicly last month in a letter that gained renewed attention when he officially exited the military.
“As the descendant of European Jews, I was raised in a particularly unforgiving moral environment when it came to the topic of bearing responsibility for ethnic cleansing — my grandfather refused to ever purchase products manufactured in Germany — where the paramount importance of ‘never again’ and the inadequacy of ‘just following orders’ were oft repeated,” Mann wrote in the letter.
Maldives says it will bar Israelis from visiting over Israel’s war in Gaza
The Indian Ocean nation of Maldives plans to bar Israeli passport holders from entering, in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza, JTA.org reported.
President Mohamed Muizzu announced the plan last week, saying that on the recommendation of his cabinet, the government would seek to pass a law excluding Israelis from the country. He also said he was launching Maldivians in Solidarity with Palestine, a rally and fundraising campaign to benefit Palestinians.
The announcement marks one of the most sweeping efforts to penalize Israelis over Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, which began on Oct. 7 when Hamas invaded Israel. Other countries that have since taken action against Israel have not imposed sanctions on individual Israelis.
Maldives, whose official state religion is Islam, does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. About 11,000 Israelis visited Maldives last year, according to the tourism ministry, a tiny fraction of the millions of visitors to hundreds of guesthouses and lavish resorts that generate the majority of the country’s tax revenue.
Florida man facing death sentence allowed to cover swastika face tattoos for trial
A Florida man facing a potential death sentence was granted permission to cover a swastika tattoo under his right eye after his lawyers argued it could bias the jury against him, JNS.org reported. Accused of murdering two women in 2019 — one by strangulation and the other with a car — Wade Wilson, 30, allegedly confessed to his father and ex-girlfriend. He spent the last five years behind bars, his trial delayed by his first attorney’s death and his escape attempt. The trial began on June 3 in a Cape Coral courthouse.
Despite Judge Nicholas Thompson’s approval of his lawyers’ request to cover up a small swastika under his right eye and other images, most of the defendant’s provocative body art remained visible.
Other intimidating illustrations Wilson chose to apply to his face include lines extending up his checks from his mouth like a cut-out smile, with simulated stitches holding his face together, reminiscent of the Joker antagonist in the Batman film “The Dark Knight.”
Additional charges against Wilson include grand theft auto, battery, burglary and petty theft. PJC — Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
June 14, 2009 — Netanyahu
outlines demilitarized Palestinian state
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lays out his vision for a two-state Israeli-Palestinian solution. It includes a demilitarized Palestinian state, no Palestinian refugee return to the state of Israel and no more Israeli settlements.
June 15, 1949 — Knesset is updated on Israel’s frontiers
Speaking to the Knesset after Israel has signed armistice agree ments with Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett says Israel intends to keep the territory gained during its War of Independence.
The MS St. Louis completes its recrossing of the Atlantic to Europe after all but 28 of the 938 Jewish refugees who departed from Germany in May are denied admission to Cuba or the United States.
June 18, 1890 — JNF land buyer
Avraham Granot is born
Avraham Granovsky (Granot after making aliyah in 1922) is born in Moldova. For the Jewish National Fund, he leads the purchase of thousands of dunams (quarter-acres) of land, helping define Israel’s borders.
p Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett speaks to reporters after the signing of Israel’s armistice with Egypt on Feb. 24, 1949.
June 16, 1933 — Jewish Agency official Haim Arlosoroff is killed
On the beach in Tel Aviv two men fatally shoot the Jewish Agency’s Haim Arlosoroff, who has just returned from negotiating a controversial deal to allow Jewish emigration from Germany. The crime is never solved.
June 19, 1983 — Politician Simha Erlich dies
Knesset member Simha Erlich, the deputy prime minister in Israel’s first two Likud-led governments, dies. As finance minister, he tried to free the economy from government controls, but inflation soared.
June 20, 1948 — Altalena arrives
The Irgun’s Altalena reaches the coast at Kfar Vitkin with 900 immigrants and weapons. Prime Minister David BenGurion demands the surrender of the arms, then orders the ship sunk June 22. PJC
Headlines
Continued from page 1
The Times of Israel and Haaretz.
Along with an IDF soldier, two members of Nir Yitzhak’s security team were killed on Oct. 7. An additional four members of the kibbutz, who were initially assumed captive, were determined to be killed on Oct. 7.
Seven residents were abducted. Among those taken were an elderly couple who, after being escorted on foot toward the Gaza Strip, defiantly told Hamas terrorists they refused to go farther. The couple was immediately released. Three female residents taken on Oct. 7 were released on Nov. 28 during a prisoner exchange. Two male captives, also taken by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, were freed by IDF soldiers during a Feb. 12 operation in Rafah.
The partnership between Pittsburgh and Nir Yitzhak is “about helping them rebuild,” Kim Salzman, Federation’s director of Israel & Overseas Planning &
As the leader of the city, the mayor said he has a responsibility to make sure “everyone goes home safely.”
Innamorato said that she and Gainey spoke with a small group of representatives from the camp, including a “faith leader” who asked for the pair to meet with a group that identified as University of Pittsburgh students and instructors.
“The people we spoke with were members of the Jewish and Palestinian communities,” Innamorato said. “We listened to their concerns and their stories.”
Representatives from the University of Pittsburgh were not part of the conversation.
Gainey said that the discussions did not include the steps the city or county would take if the protesters failed to leave but did acknowledge that the police were there “to do what they had to do if anybody got hurt, injured, were violent or it became unstable.”
He said that protesters asked him about a tweet mentioning the possibility of arrest. He answered, “Absolutely that could happen.”
In a press conference held by protest organizers on June 5, leaders at the encampment said that University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Jane Gabel had called for the state police — ostensibly a step that
“The morale right now is awful,” Hertzman said. “People have lost their livelihoods because they are in Eilat and they cannot work.”
Established in 1949 on arid soil, Nir Yitzhak was transformed into a fertile space teeming with agriculture, livestock and poultry.
that has more or less has been abandoned for eight months looks like now,” Hertzman said.
Since the attack, volunteers have fed and milked the cows, along with restoring electricity, Voice of America reported.
Building off the Partnership2Gether model, Communities2Gether pairs U.S. and Canadian cities with kibbutzim and communities displaced after Oct. 7.
The kibbutz’s current state is questionable. On the morning of Oct. 7, Nir Yitzhak was “defended by this old brave group of kibbutzniks, and it was not burned to the ground like a lot of other kibbutzim, but you can imagine what a community
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was willing to take — “and it was the threat of their violent sweep of the camp which forced us to end the encampment.”
They offered no proof of their claim and said that they had not spoken with the governor.
“We are not interested in talking with
she said. “Some members want to return on Sept. 1 — when the government told them they can go back. Some don’t want to go back. The kibbutz is proud of being united but concerned about splitting up.”
Asked about their demand that the university sever ties with Hillel, the speaker on the telephone attempted to soften the group’s position.
“We have heard from our anti-Zionist Jewish comrades about the language used. We very much stand with the belief that no Zionist normalization and normalization of the Israeli
“We’re establishing meetings with chancellors of the universities, and we’re going to have a conversation about how we work together to respond to certain situations to make sure everybody goes home safe.”
– PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY
anyone who wants to brutalize students,” said someone identified as a leader with Pitt Apartheid Divestment, speaking by telephone at the news conference.
Much of the news conference was spent demonizing Gabel, who refused to meet with the trespassers, and university police, who attempted to control the sometimes chaotic situation at the Cathedral of Learning.
The protesters said that Gainey told them that the chancellor “repeatedly lied to him and was not open to a line of communication with him, as she has also not done with us.”
apartheid regime should be normalized. We do support cutting ties with Zionist organizations such as Hillel and Chabad, but we are rethinking our language ... so that we can listen to our Jewish community.”
While the speaker said new language would be posted later that day, as of press time, the Chronicle was unable to find a revised statement on social media.
Organizers left open the possibility of more protests.
The city, Gainey said, is preparing for that possibility.
Funding from the Federation will “provide immediate relief to this wide variety of needs,” Hertzman said. “There are psychological needs. There is cleanup that will happen.”
Federation recently approved the first $8,000 of spending on a short video to “attract potential donors to help and a cultural event to boost community morale,” Hertzman added. In future years, he said, the Federation anticipates the funding to come from a variety of sources, including foundation funds, private funds, and emergency relief funds.
Salzman hopes Pittsburghers recognize the importance of this new connection.
“I’m looking at this like a real Zionist initiative,” she said. “The kibbutz movement was settled along Israel’s borders.”
Apart from boosting residents’ morale, there’s a strategic need to support Nir Yitzhak, she continued. “Otherwise, the borders will shrink.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
“ We’re establishing meetings with chancellors of the universities, and we’re going to have a conversation about how we work together to respond to certain situations to make sure everybody goes home safe,” he said.
While many viewed the rhetoric and actions of the protesters as antisemitic, Gainey was clear on his position.
“Let me say right now, I condemn any antisemitic behavior in this state,” he said. “I’m speaking to everyone in the city when I say that we condemn antisemitic behavior. In addition, we also condemn anti-Arabic activity, in order to build a city where everyone can feel safe. It is clear to me that the only way to reach that goal is to honor the humanity in everyone.”
That statement didn’t satisfy Jeremy Kazzaz, the executive director of the Beacon Coalition, a nonpartisan organization that provides voter education on issues of concern to the Jewish American community. Kazzaz said that Gainey “still refuses to name and speak out against the blatant antisemitism on display at this encampment, whose organizers demand nothing less than the removal of Jewish communal organizations from campus. His statements fail to point out and categorically reject that hate.”
PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
p Nearly 600 residents of Nir Yitzhak have relocated to a hotel in Eilat since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Photo courtesy of Kim Salzman
p A hotel room occupied by displaced residents of Nir Yitzhak Photo courtesy of Kim Salzman
Headlines
Rabbi:
Continued from page 3
But it was always a treat to come home and “see him in action and hear about all the wonderful things he was doing.”
“And then when the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting happened and he was at the JCC, which is right down the road, remembering that day is intertwined with the healing work that my dad has done from his place at the JCC,” Ilana Symons said.
While at HUC, she spent time at its campuses in Jerusalem, Cincinnati and New York. Of course, growing up with two rabbis meant that she already had learned a thing or two about how to navigate the rabbinate.
“I observed the way my parents interacted with their congregants or whomever was talking with them,” she said. “I think that, in a lot of ways, the ‘rabbi’ voice that I’ve developed for myself has come from seeing how they use their rabbi voices.”
The 26-year-old said that she is the sole rabbi at Temple Sinai, which is home to about 160 families. And, while her parents won’t exactly be next door, they will be closer than if they were still living in Pittsburgh.
“Of course, it’s sad for them to be leaving my childhood home and the place where I grew up,” she said. “There’s a bittersweetness to it. But I’m excited for my next step and their next step.”
One benefit will be the ability for the family to see Barbara Symons’ mother — who lives in Albany — more often.
“We can kind of meet in the middle and see her more frequently,” Ilana Symons said.
Meeting:
And after watching her parents in their rabbinic roles for so long, she said, the tables will now be turned.
“They can now come and see me in action after, as a child, seeing them in action,” she said.
Ilana Symons’ siblings are also ensuring that the Rabbis Symons will have plenty of opportunity to see their children carry on their life’s work.
Aviva Symons is serving as an assistant director at a summer camp in California, and Micah Symons recently completed his first year at the Jewish Theological Seminary.
“We are so deeply proud of where they all are,” Barbara Symons said.
As for leaving the Steel City, Ilana Symons speaks, perhaps, for her whole family.
“I think it took me leaving Pittsburgh to really realize how amazing Pittsburgh is and how wonderful a place it was to grow up,” she said.
She said that she and her siblings appreciate what her parents did for them and are often asked what it was like to grow up with two rabbis as parents.
“I always say we didn’t know any different,” she offered.
She does, however, know the opportunity they provided.
“It was the full immersion in Judaism,” she said. “They let us make Judaism our own, so we all kind of found our own spaces when we were growing up. Spaces where we recognize the importance of carrying on the tradition of Judaism.” PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
Continued from page 4
provides free legal representation on various issues affecting women and LGTBQIA+ individuals, including reproductive rights and gender justice issues.
A repeated JWF grant recipient, the Women’s Law Project has used funding to fight for improved access to health care for pregnant prisoners, protect the rights of transgender and nonbinary students and represent minors seeking a judicial bypass to obtain an abortion without parental consent.
The JWF awarded the Women’s Law Project a $6,000 grant for operating support as a part of the 2023 general community grantees. The Women’s Law Project fields calls from people seeking legal advice, information and representation.
In the last few months, the Women’s Law Project answered calls on a wide array of issues: a waitress at a club who was fired because of her pregnancy, a parent whose daughter was sexually assaulted in middle school, a woman fired during her maternity leave and a welder facing sexual harassment from coworkers.
Sue Frietsche, the co-executive director of the Women’s Law Project, spent her birthday at JWF’s annual meeting to explain the importance of the work. She recounted
a case where a 12-year-old girl privately sought an abortion after being raped, afraid that she would face consequences if her religious family found out.
Frietsche helped her get a court order allowing her to end the pregnancy without her family discovering and worked with her medical providers to get her additional support.
Eden’s Farm, a Pittsburgh nonprofit that
JWF provided $10,000 to the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh for its collaboration with Pittsburgh Girl Scout Lily Sassani to create a Holocaust education patch. The curriculum is being created by Sassani and the Holocaust Center and will focus on the role that the Girl Guides, Europe’s Girl Scouts, played in World War II.
Girl Guides contributed to the war effort, fed and healed soldiers and kept morale high.
“When you invest in women, you support entire families and entire communities.”
– GISELE FETTERMAN
provides safe housing to victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, received a $10,000 general community grant from JWF that helped it provide 2,500 nights of safety for victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.
The grant funds its long-term residential program that offers up to two years of free housing to survivors. Eden’s Farm also provides medical and mental health care, job training and psychoeducational courses to survivors.
As a part of its Jewish Community grants,
“These Guides, particularly the Jewish Guides do not deserve to be depicted as just victims, but as heroes, women and girls who stepped up in a time of great need,” Sassani said. “My hope is that by teaching this, it will compel women and girls to embody their bravery.”
After the Girl Scouts are taught about the impact of the Girl Guides, they will complete a project to address an injustice and become “upstanders in their own community,” according to Emily Loeb, the Holocaust Center’s director of programs
and education. This project could be anything from a poem to an interview with a Holocaust survivor.
Once the curriculum is approved, the patch will be available to 3,200 middle school and high school Girl Scouts in southwestern Pennsylvania, with the hopes of eventually expanding the patch to more regions throughout the country and providing the curriculum to other organizations working with young people.
The JWF also contributed to a fund that provided $25,000 grants to five Israeli organizations seeking to support women: The Adva Center, Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, Itach Ma’Aki –Women Lawyers for Social Justice, The Ruth and Emanuel Rackman Center and WePower.
The evening concluded with a presentation honoring Barbara Rosenberger, who is ending her term as JWF co-chair and will be replaced by Gerri Sperling. After the meeting ended, Fetterman affirmed the importance of supporting women-led and women-focused philanthropy.
“When you invest in women, you support entire families and entire communities,” she told the Chronicle. “I think any time we get women together, they have the power to change things.”
PJC
Abigail Hakas is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.
p Rabbi Andrea Weiss watches as Rabbi Ilana Symons is embraced on HUC’s bimah by parents, Rabbis Barbara and Ron Symons. Photo courtesy of Ilana Symons
The hard bigotry of no expectations
Guest Columnist
Decades ago, President George W. Bush spoke of the concept of the “soft bigotry of low expectations,” the notion that expecting less from a group of people is to think less of them, a stereotyping that in and of itself is pernicious. Now, at a very different time and in a very different context, this idea from long ago rings in my ears.
Over the weekend, in the reaction to the heroic rescue of four Israeli hostages in the middle of Gaza, it became clear that many world leaders, commentators and protesters in the street have zero expectations for moral, ethical behavior for Hamas and those supporting them in the streets of Gaza or in the streets of cities around the world. They assign no agency to Gazans, relegating them to the role of perpetual victim — a soft bigotry — while at the same time, seeing Israel and the Jewish people as eternally evil — a hard bigotry to be sure.
To start, let’s remember who these hostages were: innocent men and one woman who were attending the Nova festival. They were not soldiers; they were not armed. Unlike the nearly 400 other civilians at the Nova site, they were not murdered and mutilated. Instead, they were viciously kidnapped against their will. In the case of Noa Argamani, we have the video of her being thrown on the back of a motorcycle and taken to Gaza.
As the details of their captivity came to light, we learned that these particular hostages had not been caged in subterranean tunnels deep under the enclave where they might never be found. Rather, they were placed in residential neighborhoods adjacent to a Western-style shopping mall and held captive in the homes of prominent members of society.
This is shocking, but perhaps not surprising. The scholar Daniel Jonah Goldhagen called the ordinary Germans who went along with the Nazis “Hitler’s willing executioners.” Here,
we have Hamas’ willing kidnappers — and a similar phenomenon of people acquiescing and abetting evil.
However, just hours after the hostages were rescued, the great and good throughout the Western world did not start a discussion of the war crimes of Hamas kidnapping civilians or basing their operations in a residential neighborhood. Instead, the crime was Israel’s — for the unfortunate, and unavoidable, civilian deaths that happened as a result of the intense firefight Hamas unleashed on the rescue teams.
It should be asked of Hamas generals who take maximalist positions as they are ensconced safely in tunnels while their civilians agonize needlessly on the streets.
And it should be considered by eager Hamas boosters in the West who preen and posture with their privilege while so many innocent people wail painfully in Gaza.
Where is the wholesale, widespread condemnation of this vile antisemitism?
In fact, one UN official talked about the hostages being “released,” and then attacked Israel for using “hostages to legitimize killing, injuring, maiming, starving and traumatizing Palestinians in Gaza.”
It’s as if Hamas did not exist and Oct. 7 never happened.
Some bemoaned the death of a “journalist” who once contributed an article to Al Jazeera. But they never asked why a journalist would keep three kidnapped civilians in his home. They never asked why a physician who lived in that house seemed to take his oath to Hamas more seriously than the Hippocratic oath. They never wondered how it is that hundreds of people could look the other way as innocent men and women are being held hostage.
These questions were not asked in the wake of the events on June 8 or, in fact, since Oct. 7. There has been zero accountability — or expectations of accountability — for Gazans and Hamas.
Some prominent commentators have asked, were the deaths of a reported 200 Gazans worth the lives of four Israeli hostages?
Yes, this question absolutely should be asked — directly to Hamas.
It should be put to Hamas leaders in Doha who reject peace overtures and sit comfortably on vast fortunes while their people suffer needlessly in poverty.
Indeed, the protests we saw this weekend, especially in front of the White House, show that this soft bigotry of low expectations is applied to those who protest against the Gaza war. Protesters claim that their motivation is peace or an end to the war and bloodshed. But their words and actions tell a different story. Outside the White House this weekend, protesters chanted, “kill Zionists,” a word finally understood to be little more than a crude euphemism for Jews. Others called for the death of Israeli soldiers.
Signs fetishized the murder that took place on 10/7, featuring red triangles and calls for terror organizations to murder more Jews. Groups who would be murdered by Hamas bizarrely championed their cause. One protester wore a Hamas headband and screamed and held aloft a bloodied mask of President Biden as if it were a decapitated head. Behind him, another activist tried to burn an American flag.
Maybe this should not surprise us. The widespread actions that have shaken higher education have featured a wide range of ugly anti-Jewish hate. We have seen despicable slogans at the University of Texas calling for genocide to ad hominem incitement at the University of California, Irvine, endangering faculty members to profane, profuse graffiti at Stanford. And these pale alongside the cases of assaults at places ranging from large public universities and elite Ivy colleges, let alone the innumerable accounts of harassment.
But where is the outrage? Where is the wholesale, widespread condemnation of this
vile antisemitism?
Where are the pundits who correctly decried the anarchy of Jan. 6, when so-called protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol and defiled the temple of our democracy; when a new batch of chaos agents staged around the White House and vandalized another set of monuments of our democracy?
History shows us, time and again, that hateful rhetoric fuels hateful actions. We saw this from Charlottesville to Pittsburgh during the Trump years. Will anyone claim to be surprised when the other shoe inevitably drops in the days ahead?
The failure to set any expectations of acceptable behavior — let alone enforce them — is not just its own form of “soft bigotry.” It also can feed and foment hard bigotry. Antisemitism in the second half of the 20th century dwindled and diminished because society said it was no longer acceptable. In the 21st century, it has come roaring back because we have allowed that expectation to slip. Such moral relativism ultimately threatens all.
It’s time to start expecting more from Hamas and hold them accountable for their unthinkably horrendous actions. It’s time to stop accepting Hamas’ lies and their reckless contempt for the lives of those they govern, and demand of them that they accept the cease-fire agreement on the table — one that President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu both have endorsed.
It’s time to expect more from those proclaiming to protest the war. It’s time to stop ignoring the rank antisemitism so proudly on display at these rallies. It’s time to demand that, if activists truly desire peace, they stop blaming Israel and Jews for everything and start asking tough questions of Hamas and its allies. It is time to end this disastrous tolerance of no expectations and the bigotry it enables — before it’s too late. PJC
Jonathan A. Greenblatt is the CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League. This first appeared on The Times of Israel.
The Jewish problem with Trump supporters saying his guilty verdict was ‘rigged’
Guest Columnist
When the guilty verdicts in former President Donald Trump’s recent New York trial were handed down, Trump and his supporters rejected the decree, saying that the legal system had been rigged against him.
What came to my mind was a passage from the Talmud that describes how the losing party in a case should feel and behave.
Much in Western legal systems like our own owes itself to millennia-old Jewish jurisprudence. American law drew extensively from ideas of courts, witnesses and evidence rooted
in the Torah. Concepts central to the areas of crime and torts, property and economics, charity and education, labor and other legal realms likewise have origins in the Jewish religious tradition.
But there is much, too, in American law that stands in stark contrast to Judaism’s view. Incarceration isn’t an option for punishment in Torah. Where, for example, “rights” reign supreme in our legal system, in Judaism, while things like property rights exist, the greater emphasis is not on rights but rather on doing right. American constitutional law speaks of the right to pursue interests; Jewish law’s stress is on obligations and responsibility. Then there is the idea of appealing a decision. While Jewish law, at least in the past, included a “Supreme Court,” the Great Sanhedrin, its function was essentially to sit on capital cases, and to resolve questions of law that were in doubt or the
subject of dispute. There is no Jewish jurisprudential option for a disgruntled defendant to simply appeal any court’s rendered judgment to another court.
And, in fact, there’s no option in Judaism even for disgruntlement — which was the essence of the passage that floated into my head after the Trump trial verdict. Even when the very cloak on someone’s back was seized, the Talmud (in Sanhedrin 7a) says, since the court ruled that it belonged to the other litigant, the loser of the case should “sing a song and go happily on his way.” He has, after all, the commentaries explain, been relieved of the burden of possessing something that really, legally, wasn’t his.
Not quite the reaction we routinely witness in our famously litigious world, and recently witnessed from Trump and much of his supportive mediaverse, where not only the
verdict was derided as unfair or “rigged,” but where some overheated pundits and politicians, with scant basis other than their own disappointment, derided the entire judicial system as hopelessly corrupt.
That latter reaction — the attempt to undermine a law-based society’s courts — is not only wrongheaded but dangerous.
To be sure, there are courts in some countries that are inherently untrustworthy. And even an “international” court can prove itself beholden to particular interests and hence unworthy of respect. But the American legal system is inherently sound. Over its almost 250 years, it has experienced its ups and downs, even errors and reversals, but it has proven itself to be as self-correcting and sound as could be expected of any human system of law. The appeals
Jonathan Greenblatt
Rabbi Avi Shafran
Chronicle poll results: Studying on Shavuot
Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following question: “Will you attend a Jewish study session on Shavuot?” Of the 192 people who responded, 54% said no; 37% said yes; and 9% said they didn’t know. Comments were submitted by 30 people. A few follow.
Learning Torah is vital to the future of the Jewish people.
The best community experience all year is the Shavuot night learning at the JCC! Try it. You’ll like it!
I am a morning person; my aging brain does not function well later in the day when a class would occur.
I love the community Tikkun Leil Shavuot where I can learn from people outside my normal sphere. I seek out teachers I don’t already know.
Shafran:
Past my bedtime.
I plan to attend online study sessions from New York City — or elsewhere — earlier in the evening, since 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. is too late for me.
As much as I have loved the endless cheesecake and cherished camaraderie at the JCC over the years, it starts past my bedtime — not to mention ending when I should be in solid REM sleep!
I generally study on my own.
Due to a disability, it’s hard for me to go places. I might attend a session if it is virtual.
Learning Jewish thought is a vital component of Judaism. Hence, we are known as the People of the Book. Scholarship as an end for all (including lay people) is the reason we have been around longer than any other culture.
This will be my first, so I’m very excited!
Yes, the breadth of Torah is both spiritual and intellectual. It enlightens and educates,
regardless of your level of conviction. Am Yisroel Chai.
We in Pittsburgh have great study opportunities for three hours at the community Tikkun Leil Shavuot. It’s so wonderful, it is tough to decide!
I will learn all night, then daven at dawn — and then sleep half the day.
As much as I love cheesecakes and milkshakes, I also love the passionate communal dialogues while studying Torah. You will see me at synagogue. PJC
— Compiled by Toby Tabachnick
Chronicle weekly poll question: Do you think the war between Hamas and Israel has been more of a unifying force or more of a dividing force for Diaspora Jews? Go to pittsburghjewishchronicle.org to respond. PJC
Continued from page 12
process has proved a valuable tool to reverse unsound judgments.
There are legitimate reasons, by my lights, for Jews concerned with Israeli security to want to see Trump back in the White House (and many tell pollsters they do). And there are equally legitimate reasons for Jews to want a second term for President Joe Biden. I don’t mean to address the election here, only to make a vital point.
Good for the Jews?
Namely, that delegitimizing American courts out of personal or partisan sentiment is pulling
Many Jews view political acts as “good for the Jews” or “bad for the Jews.” In their June 7 letters, both Andrew Neft and Reuben Hoch seem to believe that Donald Trump is “good for the Jews” and Joe Biden is “bad for the Jews” (“DNC talking points,” Andrew Neft; “Response to Rep. Frankel’s op-ed,” Reuven Hoch). This stance is extremely myopic. It’s like saying, “Yes, Mussolini might be a fascist, but he made the trains run on time.”
Donald Trump is the greatest danger to American democracy in history. His authoritarian, violent mindset is clear to see. He inspired an attempted coup. Make no mistake. He has no love for Israel. He moved the embassy to Jerusalem not out of support for the Jewish state, but in a bald attempt to gain Jewish votes. When that wasn’t the result of his cynical act, he lashed out at American Jews. Yes, among the Democrats there is an anti-Israel — probably antisemitic — wing, but it is a small wing. Joe Biden is a strong supporter of Israel, but he has — as any compassionate human being should — reacted to the terrible suffering of the Palestinian civilian population. The Republicans, on the other hand, have fallen in, almost 100%, behind their extremist leader. Joe Biden has said, and continues to say, that we are in a battle for the soul of our country. When you look at what’s on the line this coming election, that’s not an overstatement.
Mitchell Nyer Pittsburgh
Concerns about Treasurer Stacy Garrity
The June 7 edition of the Chronicle contains an article about state Treasurer Stacy Garrity and the commonwealth’s investments in Israel (“Israel Bonds divide Pennsylvania treasurer race”).
At first glance, Ms. Garrity would appear to be someone who should be lauded for her support — and that of the Treasury Department — for the Jewish state.
I am not sure that there is a widespread recognition that Ms. Garrity is not only an election denier (liar) who has endorsed the fiction that Donald Trump was the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election, but that she is actively supporting the campaign for the former president and felon, sexual abuser and bigot to return to the White House.
I have grave concerns about a dishonorable and dishonest individual being the steward of $163 billion in state funds.
Oren Spiegler Peters Township
not just the rug but the very floor out from under the republic. Just as the results of elections — whoever wins — must be respected by the citizenry, the decisions of courts, especially when there is the option of appealing to higher courts for proper redress, are, or should be, sacrosanct. It might be too much to ask of any of us to not feel upset at losing a court case.
The Talmud asking a losing litigant to sing happily is describing only an ideal, after all. But disappointment in any particular verdict is mere bathwater. It’s essential to hold the baby tight. PJC Rabbi Avi Shafran is a columnist for Ami Magazine and writes widely in Jewish and general media. This first appeared on JTA.
Lamenting the demise of Elder Express
Not everyone who lives in Pittsburgh drives or owns a car. Many of us living in senior facilities depended on Elder Express (“Sunsetting of Elder Express highlights transportation needs for older adults,” June 7). I have no explanation why the ridership disappeared post-COVID, but those of us who depend on this service are left high and dry, period.
I contacted Elder Express and was told if I rounded up four other interested seniors, we could request a van. But if someone has a 9 a.m. doctor’s appointment, someone else needs to shop at Giant Eagle at 10 a.m., and someone else is going to Walmart at 11 a.m. — and then everyone wants to return — just how does that nonsense work?
This not “sunsetting.” This is nothing more than abandonment of seniors who are already dealing with housing issues, food shortages and exorbitant utility bills, leaving us stranded in our apartments waiting for the Messiah.
Rochel Singer Pittsburgh
Loss of Elder Express will hurt seniors
As a nationally certified health care advocate, who has worked in the Jewish community, I am extremely disappointed that the Elder Express van will be eliminated (“Sunsetting of Elder Express highlights transportation needs for older adults,” June 7). As mentioned in the article, this will lead to increased isolation for seniors.
The Jewish community has now lost a nursing home, affordable assistant living, a completely kosher environment and now transportation.
I am not sure “not enough people were using it” is a reason to cut the service.
I would be glad to participate in any discussions held regarding maintaining this valuable service.
Jeff Weinberg Pittsburgh
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Life & Culture
Tortellini caprese pasta salad
By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle
This recipe combines the traditional caprese salad ingredients — fresh mozzarella, basil and juicy in-season tomatoes — with tortellini pasta.
It also happens to be one of the easiest recipes that I’ve ever published, so if you’re pressed for time or don’t have a lot of energy to make something with a lot of steps, this is a wonderful recipe to have on hand. This is also an excellent dish for beginner cooks and for children to help with.
I like to cook in the kitchen as little as possible in the summer, and we make a lot of dairy lunches for Shabbat. I’ve been enjoying the new mini fresh mozzarella balls this past year. I like them for this salad because they’re tiny, and it feels like the cheese goes a bit further. If you can’t find them, you can use the packages the size of cherry tomatoes.
I use cherry or grape tomatoes in this salad and put them in whole. You can tear the fresh basil by hand.
Ingredients
Serves 6 as a side salad
1 bag frozen cheese tortellini
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 8-ounce package of tiny mozzarella cheese balls
¼ cup fresh basil, washed and torn
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper or red pepper flakes
Prepare the tortellini pasta al dente according to the directions on the package.
The brand that I purchased, Yoni, comes in a
15-ounce package, but you can use packages hat are either a bit larger or a bit smaller.
While the tortellini is boiling, add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to a bowl and whisk until well combined.
When the tortellini is finished cooking, drain the water or scoop the pasta out of the water with a pasta spoon or strainer, and put it into the bowl with the olive oil and vinegar mixture while it’s piping hot.
Adding hot pasta to this mix will help the flavor seep in. It is OK if a little bit of water gets
into the bowl with the pasta; I usually add a bit of the cooking water to any pasta dish, which helps the oil or sauce coat the pasta well. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to help the tortellini get coated well with the vinaigrette. When you start to stir it, you will see a bit of liquid in the bottom of the bowl, but it will dissipate as the vinaigrette gets fully absorbed. Start with 2 tablespoons of vinegar and, if you think you need more, add an extra tablespoon.
Pick up one piece of pasta with your fingers to make sure that it’s completely cool before adding the basil, cheese and cherry tomatoes to the bowl.
Give it a good stir, cover it in plastic wrap and let the salad marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
This is excellent served either cold or at room temperature. Feel free to adjust the taste to your liking; the flavors soak in as the salad rests, so you may want to add a little vinegar, salt or pepper. I prefer to let the natural basil shine through, and you can add a bit more than suggested if you like. Sometimes I add a tiny bit of garlic powder for more flavor depending on my main dish. This can be stored refrigerated for about 3 days. Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.
Casey, Fetterman host exhibit in Congress honoring memories of 10/27
victims
Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, both of Pennsylvania, hosted the exhibit, REMEMB ER REBUILD RENEW: LIGHTING THE PATH FORWARD, in the Russell Senate Office Building Rotunda on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The exhibit honored the 11 people murdered during the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting — the deadliest antisemitic attack in United States history.
The exhibit also depicted the community’s response to the massacre “and presented the next phase of the congregation’s story,” according to a news release from Casey’s office.
“REMEMBER REBUILD RENEW: LIGHTING THE PATH FORWARD featured artifacts from the synagogue, on display for the first time, as well as educational posters about the legacy of antisemitism in America.”
As antisemitism surges around the country, Casey said, “this exhibit serves as an important reminder that the dark, cold evil of antisemitism is no match for the bright light of education that inspires compassionate communities. We must always honor the memories of the 11 worshipers who lost their lives six years ago: Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax, and Irving Younger. Antisemitism is not a Jewish problem; it is an American problem, and I will keep fighting
until we root it out.”
Fetterman said that “in the aftermath of the horrific and hateful act of violence in 2018, it’s incumbent on all of us to stand together, vocally and across party lines, to declare that antisemitism has no place in our country or beyond. Today’s political climate sadly underscores that need. I want to commend The Tree of Life congregation and community at large for their tireless work on the path to recovery. It is an honor to help them share their story here in the Senate.”
Tree of Life, Inc. is collaborating with diverse partners establishing a memorial to commemorate the lives of the 11 worshipers from three congregations — Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life — killed in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, rebuilding a home for Tree of Life Congregation, constructing an education hub to share the history of antisemitism and its manifestations in the United States and developing national educational programs to fight hatred in all its forms PJC
— Toby Tabachnick
p Tortellini caprese pasta salad
Photo by Jessica Grann
p Exhibit on Capitol Hill
Photo courtesy of U.S. Senate
Spaces are still available— register today!
Switch & Signal Skateboarding
Grades 3-6 • July 8-12
Let’s Make a Racquet Tennis!
Grades 4-6 • July 22-26
Jump, Cheer, Shout Cheerleading
Grades 5-8 • July 29-August 2
Water Explorers with Venture Outdoors
Grades 6-8 • August 12-16
Questions? Contact Brandi Tedesco btedesco@jccpgh.org Scan here to learn more and register
Life & Culture
Kinetic Theatre stages a pair of David Mamet plays this summer
By David Rullo | Senior Sta Writer
Andrew Paul is emphatic.
“David Mamet is the preeminent living American playwright and certainly the most prominent living Jewish playwright,” he said.
Paul’s remarks aren’t simply the meanderings of a theater buff aware that Mamet won the Pulitzer Prize for the play “Glengarry Glen Ross,” or a film fan who knows the writer penned “Hoffa,” “Wag the Dog,” “The Postman Always Rings Twice” and a host of other stage and screen productions.
Rather, he is the producing artistic director of Kinetic Theatre Co. and the co-founder of the Pittsburgh Irish Classical Theatre, serving as its producing artistic director from 1996 to 2013.
Under his leadership PICT produced more than 100 plays and festivals dedicated to Samuel Becket and Anton Chekhov, to name a few. Paul also directed the 2021 docudrama “Cyril,” about Pittsburgh forensic expert Cyril Wecht.
This year, Kinetic Theatre will produce two Mamet works, “A Life in the Theatre” and “Oleanna.”
The idea of a “minifestival” came to Paul when he was at PICT, where he said he found success doing single playwright festivals and thought that he could use the model at Kinetic Theatre.
For Mamet, Paul worked to find titles
“I was trying to find the jewels that people really don’t know, or if they know them, saw them 30 years ago and haven’t seen them
Of the two, “Oleanna” has the larger public awareness. The work was adapted into a 1994 film starring William H. Macy.
Paul said that most people recall the play but not much about its details.
“They remember their visceral reaction,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many people hated those characters, but that was the intention. It’s that you don’t take sides and dislike both of them.”
The work, he said, presages the
#MeToo movement.
“Mamet was way ahead of his time with this stuff,” he said.
“A Life in the Theatre,” Paul said, is a “major work” comprised of 26 short scenes.
“It’s a story, not only about the theater, but it’s about two lives: an older actor who has been in the theater his whole life and a younger actor who is becoming a star and usurping the older guy. There’s this real transfer of power. Power games are a big thing with Mamet,” Paul said. “But it’s very Chekhovian.”
Each of the works, he noted, features only two actors.
And while Paul is certain of Mamet’s status in the theater world, he is also aware of the playwright’s controversies, including his speaking out against efforts to improve the representation of women, members of the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups. Mamet has weighed in against gender-neutral bathrooms and he wrote the 2008 Village Voice essay “Why I Am No Longer a Brain-Dead Liberal.”
Paul said he finds Mamet’s change in politics — from his most fertile period in the ’70s until about 2005 when his views were far more progressive, to his later transformation as a conservative often seen on Fox News — fascinating.
“There’s some pushback,” Paul said, noting that some theaters aren’t producing Mamet’s works as much because of his politics.
“I think we should differentiate the person’s politic viewpoints from their artistic work,” Paul
said. “I separate those things.”
Plus, Paul said, a little controversy might help generate interest in the plays. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Theater attendance still hasn’t rebounded to its pre-COVID numbers, according to a 2024 report in fastcompany.com. In 2022, revenue from ticket sales and subscriptions was still 55% lower than it was in 2018. Paul said he thinks it is still 30-40% off its pre-virus days.
“It’s been tough to get audiences back, which has been a surprise to everybody,” he said.
At the same time, Paul doesn’t think the answer is simply to raise the prices on those still attending live theater. He hopes the pendulum will swing back and ticket prices soon will be affordable to a wider audience again.
In the meantime, he’s concentrating on producing quality work at an affordable price.
And, for the Mamet plays, Paul is not only producing quality work in Pittsburgh: All of the actors also have a Pittsburgh tie and “love” the city, he said.
Sam Tsoutsouvas, who appears in “A Life in the Theatre,” holds the distinction of having a father who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His co-star in the play, Joseph McGranaghan, is from Pittsburgh and mostly performs here.
David Whalen tours nationally but he’s from New Kensington, something that works to the advantage of producer Paul, ever mindful of watching his bottom line.
Andrew Paul Photo courtesy of Kinetic Theatre
Torah Celebrations
Bar Mitzvah
Jose Miguel Lipsitz, son of Elizabeth and Zachary Lipsitz, celebrated becoming a bar mitzvah at Temple Sinai on June 8, 2024. Jose is the grandson of Elsa Leticia and John Homlish (San Salvador, El Salvador) and Kathy and Marc Lipsitz (Pittsburgh). Great-grandmothers are Isabel Rivera Pineda (San Salvador, El Salvador) and Faye Lipsitz (Pittsburgh). Jose is a seventh grader at Winchester Thurston where he runs cross-country and track. Jose loves to climb competitively on the Ascend team, loves to ski and loves every thrill ride at amusement parks. He is a regular fixture at Kennywood. PJC
Plouder than words
But G-d is not in the business of public speaking. He wants the inspiration, the fire and the intensity to all be channeled into practical, positive action.
ublic speakers can be a big problem. There is nothing wrong with them, per se. On the contrary, some have the ability to inspire tens, hundreds and even thousands of people solely with their words of wisdom and guidance.
But that can also create a problem. They speak and speak and speak. Their audiences get excited, they get even more excited, and it just gets better and better. But then they leave and go home, back to reality.
Talk is cheap, as they say. If nothing is done to firmly ground and solidify the inspiration into concrete action, then it quickly floats away.
Just a couple of days ago, on the holiday of Shavuot, the Ten Commandments were read in shul. These commandments focus on big ideas.
True monotheism is a tremendous principle, as is the rejection of idolatry or any thought that there is anything that has control besides G-d. This is huge, lofty stuff that the biggest thinkers grapple with.
This is clearly seen in the “not so big” commandments which G-d spoke to every single Jew at Mount Sinai. Your parents? Be nice to them. Respect them. Do what they ask. That guy you absolutely can’t stand, the one who vehemently disagrees with your perspectives? Don’t harm or kill him.
Maybe you left shul this week on a high — maybe even just a little bit. But don’t make G-d into a public speaker. Take whatever inspiration you received and drive it into an actionable mitzvah. And if you already do lots of mitzvos — great! Don’t be satisfied with that; the more the merrier.
As Maimonides writes, one should view the world as a perfect balance of good and the opposite, and your “little” mitzvah has the power to tip the scales and bring redemption to the entire universe. PJC
Rabbi Dovie Kivman is the executive director of Chabad of Erie County. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabonim of Greater Pittsburgh.
Rabbi Dovie Kivman Parshat Naso
Obituaries
BODELL: Mildred “Millie” Bodell, age 96, passed peacefully on Sunday, June 9, 2024. Beloved wife of 59 years of the late Louis Bodell; beloved mother of Marc, Jeffrey, Debbie and Randy Bodell. She was active in the B’nai B’rith, worked at Sears East Liberty for 30 years, loved sending greeting cards, making colored cakes and telling jokes to anyone who would listen. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Cneseth Israel Cemetery. schugar.com
Shirley Lampl Goldstein, Aug. 25, 1923–June 4, 2024. Shirley Lampl Goldstein died peacefully in her sleep after living for over 100 years on her own terms. Shirley was a devoted wife for over 54 years to Sheldon Goldstein; loving daughter to Mary Lampl; sister to Ruth Lampl Woods; cherished aunt to Terry Kirtz, William Tabor and Jill Powlick, as well as their spouses; and beloved great-aunt to Jim Shoemaker, ouise Stephens, Ed Shoemaker, Meredith Geraci, Alexis Millman and Irene Powlick. Lastly, she was a beloved great-great-aunt to the next generation of eight children, several of whom consider her as their grandmother. Shirley is also survived by her nephew-by-choice Harton Wolf and the Monteleone family. Shirley spent her professional career in etail, serving in a variety of capacities with all of the major department stores in Pittsburgh — Kaufmann’s, Gimbel’s and Horne’s — before retiring and moving on to other things. For a while, she worked as an employment recruiter and when she finished actually collecting a paycheck, she began working in earnest with SCORE to support beginning entrepreneurs as they stepped into businesses of their own design. Shirley joined Temple Sinai in 1955, becoming the first single female member of the congregation. Just as she was a trailblazer in other parts of her life, her activities at Temple Sinai set a path for future generations. Shirley was involved in Temple leadership, eventually becoming a life trustee of the Temple. She became the heart and soul of Temple Sinai, elcoming new members, creating a sense of family, always pushing the Temple to look forward and do more. In time, Temple Sinai became Shirley and Sheldon’s extended family. Countless Temple families considered Shirley a part of their family, and Shirley was ever present at services and rograms at Temple Sinai. As she sat on the bima at her 100th birthday celebration, Shirley glowed with pride in her Temple family, and the love was felt by all. Services were held at Temple Sinai. Interment was private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Temple Sinai, 5505 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or Bridges Hospice, .bridgeshospice.org/donate. Arrangements entrusted
Gershon Nachman Mandelker, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Beloved husband of the late Ester Stock Mandelker. Loving father of Eiran Moshe Mandelker and Sigal Pearl Mandelker. Doting Saba (grandfather) of granddaughters. Gershon was born in Mlyniv, Poland, in 1936. During World War II, Gershon and his father survived the Holocaust by hiding underground, in the woods, and in haystacks. His mother sadly was killed in he Holocaust, as was most of his extended family. After the war, Gershon lived in displaced persons camps until he got to Israel in 1948. Education meant everything to his father and to Gershon (a value he would pass on to his children). Gershon went on to receive his bachelor’s degree at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he met his beautiful late wife, Ester. Gershon, Ester and their son Eiran left Israel in 1969 so that Gershon could go to the University of Chicago for his MBA and PhD. At Chicago, Gershon wrote a seminal paper, “Risk and Return: The Case of Merging Firms.” While in Chicago, Gershon’s daughter Sigal was born. After graduating from the University of Chicago, Gershon and his family moved to Pittsburgh. He first taught at Carnegie Mellon University and then at the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business, where he became the Katz Alumni Chair Professor of Finance and Business Administration and built the finance department. He was a wonderful colleague and friend and proud teacher and mentor to many MBA and PhD students. He was also an early member of Dor Hadash, where he served as treasurer for many years. He was an extraordinarily devoted and kind husband, father and grandfather. His family meant everything to him. Graveside services and interment were held at the Homewood Cemetery, Dor Hadash Star of David Section. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Gershon Mandelker’s memory to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, donate.ushmm.org/a/mandelker. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com
MARKOWITZ: Morton Markowitz, 102, passed away on April 15, 2024. He was the beloved husband of the late Ruth Markowitz for 71 years. Mort was born in Pittsburgh on Nov. 27, 1921,
son of Ben and Lena Markowitz. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in mechanical engineering and joined the U.S Air Force after graduation. He served stateside during World War II during which time he trained as a flight engineer. Toward the end of the war he signed up to fly a bomber in Japan but was never sent overseas because the atomic bomb was dropped. Morton was employed as an engineer by companies in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, Ohio. Subsequently he worked as an independent engineer. During his early working years he attended evening classes at Duquesne University and earned his law degree. After law school, he decided to continue to practice engineering and he used his knowledge of the law as an expert witness in many engineering court cases. Mort was very active in the Poale Zedeck Men’s Club and served as president of the synagogue for several years. He also cared for the Poale Zedeck cemetery for many years. In his spare time, Mort enjoyed classical music and he attended the symphony, ballet and opera with his wife, Ruth. He was a voracious reader of poetry, literature and history. Morton and Ruth enjoyed visits to New York, Chicago and Providence with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mort is survived by his children, Michael Markowitz and his wife Deborah of Brooklyn, New York; David Markowitz and his wife Surah Leah, of Far Rockaway, New York; Marian and her husband Barry Bessler of Providence, Rhode Island; Marcia and her husband Scott Dodelson of Chicago, Illinois; and his grandchildren Erica, Marci, Ora Lee, Yoni, Avi, Max, Talia, Matthew, Illana, David and Coby. He is also survived by his brother George. He was predeceased by his wife, Ruth, his brothers, Jack and Melvin and his granddaughter Danielle. Contributions in Morton’s name may be made to Congregation Poale Zedeck or the charity of your choice.
MILCHMAN: Mark Milchman, on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Son of the late Julia and Daniel Milchman. Beloved husband of Lisa Pollack. Loving father of Charlotte Milchman. Good friend to Bob Butler and other co-workers, Lyn Kirschenbaum who introduced him to his wife, and his cousin Margie Shoenfeld. Born and raised in New York, he graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts with his degree in film. Mark learned to love radio from sleep-away camp as a child and became a ham operator (wa2cyz), which he turned into a varied career. A very modest man, with an incredible intelligence, he designed, built and worked at radio stations including Powerhouse in New York City. Never having to apply for a job, he was recruited to work for Media Sound Records, where he engineered several and produced a few of the early disco albums. He had a true legacy lying within the halls of NBC studios at Rockefeller Center, where he worked in maintenance but became a project engineer where he designed, oversaw and built studios such as Studio 1A, “Saturday Night Live” and others. Mark met his wife, Lisa, who truly brought out a special part of him and they were married in Pennsylvania. Soon after, they adopted their daughter Charlotte before moving to New Jersey. Mark was truly known for his patience and quiet personality, bringing a very special warmth with him wherever he went. He will be missed dearly by all that knew him. Contributions can be made to Congregation B’nai Israel, 53 Palisade Ave., Emerson, New Jersey 07630 and Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
SILVERMAN: Sanford (Sandy) Silverman passed away peacefully at home at age 89 on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. Son of the late Manny and Libby Silverman; devoted husband to Phyllis (née Reifer); cherished father of David (Marcie), Jeff/Yaacov Moshe (Leiba) and Scott (Lisa); and loving grandfather of 11 grandchildren. Sandy was a Squirrel Hill native and graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in 1954. He raised his family in the suburb of Pleasant Hills and retired in Sarasota, Florida, where he could golf year-round and enjoy the sunshine. Sandy loved all Pittsburgh sports, but was a fanatic when it came to the Pens. When he had season tickets near the penalty box, he could regularly be seen taunting opposing players and brandishing a hanky at Phil Esposito. Conversely, he was a graceful dancer who swept Phyllis off her feet. It was a joy to watch them dance. Graveside services and interment at Temple Sinai Memorial Park were private.
STEIN: William “Bill” Stein, of Pittsburgh, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. He is survived by his partner of eight years, Janet Fromkin; daughter, Katie (Adam) Ullman; son, Sam (Margot) Stein; five grandchildren, Aidan McAuley-Stein, Gavin Ullman, Naomi Stein, Anderson Stein and Sullivan Stein; siblings, Nancy (Scott) Schroeder, John (Kathy) Stein and Rob (Sarah) Stein; stepmother, Mary Ann Stein; in-laws, Helen Pratt, Hildred Buck,
Please see Obituaries, page 20
Obituaries
Obituaries:
Continued from page 19
New Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery -Shaler Township
New Chesed Shel Eme th Cemetery
Chesed Shel Emet = “True Kindness”
is eld of graves, established in 1913 in Shaler Township when Old Chesed Shel Emeth ran out of space, demonstrates our sacred mission to bury the indigent. In addition, four separate burials of damaged prayer books and other sacred texts, a service provided to the community by the JCBA, were held in 2007, 2013, 2018, and 2021.
In the heart of our community, and within the core mission of the Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh, lies a profound tradition: providing dignified burial for every Jewish soul, regardless of ability to pay. This timeless act of kindness is rooted in compassion and respect as the recipient cannot say thank you or return the good deed. The JCBA invites you to participate in this sacred honored tradition by contributing to the JCBA Free Burial Fund. There is a growing need for free burials in our community as well as the ongoing need for care and maintenance at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery. Your donation, no matter the size, makes a significant impact.
If you would like more information on free burial in Chesed Shel Emeth for those who are indigent, please contact us at the information provided below.
For more information about JCBA cemeteries, to volunteer, to read our complete histories and/or to make a contribution, please visit our website at www.JCBApgh.org, email us at o ice@jcbapgh.org, or call the JCBA o ice at 412-553-6469
A
Sylvia & Norman Elias
Sylvia Elias
Anonymous
Marlene Alpern
Marc M Bilder
.Robert N Moldovan
.Sam Moldovan
.Hannah M Miller
.Sylvan Alpern
.Dr Milton Bilder
Edward M Goldston Stella Leedy
Lynne Gottesman & Debra Ritt
Caryl Halpern (Mrs Irving)
Libby J Israel
Mary Jatlow
Vincent Katz
Aaron Krouse
Aaron Krouse
Michael Levin
Shiela Margolis
Linda & Jeffrey Reisner & Family
Fred Rubin
Donna Kwall Smith
Pat Spokane
Norman Wesoky
.Freda Amshel Solomon
.Jennie R Jacobson
Florence Sherwin
Sadie Zoltan Katz
.Herman Lee Krouse
.Abraham Krouse
.Morris Shakespeare
.Charlotte Haffner
Lawrence Brodell
.Martin Rubin
.Clara Sigal Kwall
.Samuel Schneirov
Contact the Development department at 412-586-2690 or development@jaapgh.org for more information. THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS —
Sunday June 16: Goldie Ackerman, Mollie Goldberg, Charlotte Haffner, Sam Kaufman, Ida R Kovacs, Irwin J Kravitz, Tobias G Lang, Clara M Leon, Naomi Levinson, Sam Match, Frank R Phillips, Ernestine L Rosenfield, Louis A Safier, David Sanes, Natalie Iris Santos, Rose Supoznick Schwartz, Jennie Raffel Silverman, Hyman Weiner, Edythe L Wolfe, Sadie Zoltan Katz
Monday June 17: Aaron Cohen, Rose Blockstein Fisher, Freda Kalik, Gertrude Klein, Abraham Krouse, Dr David Lipschutz, Louis Ruttenberg, Louis Sable, Theodora Helen Samuels, Morris Shapiro, David Sheffler, Margaret Katherine Stark, Rose H Weisburgh, Norman Wesoky, William H Yecies
Tuesday June 18: Edward Balter, Edith Rodney Berman, Lillian Cazen, Jacob Dickman, Ethel Sofer Frankel, Fannie Gordon, Morris Oberfield, Charles Zola Pollock, Leonard Robinson, Herman Shapiro, Isadore Thomashefsky
Wednesday June 19: Rebecca Adler, Nellie Bricker, Anne Stein Fisher, Samuel Hankin, Albert Jacobson, William Moldovan, Rose Rattner, Norma Rosenstein, Samuel Rotter, Martin Rubin, Blanche Sigel, Seward Wilson, Fannie Wolk
Thursday June 20: Sarah Lee Backal, Irving H Cohen, Robert Allen Cohen, Lena Davidson, Robert (Bob) Feinberg, David Friedman, Elsie Lichtenstul Goldbloom, Tillie Gordon, Marjorie Leff, Morris Hyman Leff, Fannye B Mermelstein, Freda Oawster, Phillip Pattak, Samuel Schneirov, Florence Sherwin, Morris Thomashefsky
Friday June 21: Lillian Amper, Beatrice K Barnett, Dr Milton Bilder, Meyer M Braun, Yetta Elinoff, Belle Farber, Ida A Friedman, Leonard Hyman Gettleman, I Max Greenfield, Charles L Jacobs, Stella Leedy, Carl Lipson, Ralph Leon Markowitz, Cele Monheim, Alta M Orringer, Morris Shakespeare, Sarah Teplitz, Sara Weinberg, Barry Yahr
Saturday June 22: Sybil B Berkman, Florence Boodman, Herman Braunstein, Sherman B Golomb, Michael David Levine, Louis Rider, Cecelia M Schmidt, Libbie R Seiavitch, Hilda Z Silverman, Gertrude Simon, Irving Spolan, Sara Titlebaum, Abraham Weiner, Chava Wekselman
Kenneth (Pat) Starks and Richard (Deb) Starks. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, as well as several lifelong friends. Bill was preceded in death by his loving and devoted wife of 44 years, Marilyn Stein (Starks); parents, William (Bill) S. Stein Sr. and Lila Stein (Rosenbaum); brother-in-law Kenneth Pratt; brother-in-law Norman Buck; and brother and sister-in-law Harold and Lois Starks. Born in Paducah, Kentucky, Bill moved to Chicago as an infant and then to the East Bay in California for his school years. He pursued his career in Chicago, Rochester, New York and predominantly in Pittsburgh, where he made a profound and lasting impact on several civic organizations. He was a devoted husband, partner, father, grandfather and a dedicated volunteer for his community. Bill served on many boards, including the Bayer Center for Non-Profit Management, The Pittsburgh Children’s Festival and The Society for Contemporary Craft. He started his career in advertising and quickly rose to become a successful marketing executive for several global advertising agencies as well as the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Bill concluded his career with several executive director positions including with the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh and Rodef Shalom Congregation. He was meticulous, a strategist and planner, and very proud of his contributions to the community. Bill loved the outdoors, live music, good food and drink, the arts, traveling, and being with his family and friends. He was an avid reader, car and motorcycle enthusiast, and thoroughly enjoyed scenic drives and walks. Bill enjoyed sharing his knowledge with others and was proud of the family he and Marilyn created, and the legacy he leaves through his community contributions. Bill’s family would like to sincerely thank Bridges Hospice, as well as Dr. Vikram Gorantla and staff at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center for their exceptional care. Additionally, Jan’s guidance, care and tireless support throughout Bill’s medical journey cannot be overstated. Our heartfelt gratitude for all they have done. All are welcome Friday, June 21, 2024, from 4-7 p.m., William Slater II Funeral Service, 1650 Greentree Road, Scott Twp., 412-563-2800. Later in life, Bill reconnected with his Jewish heritage. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to his endowment fund at jfedpgh.org/donate/foundation?a= or by checks made payable to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Memo: William S. Stein Endowment Fund. They can be mailed to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, 2000 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Please reference William S. Stein Endowment Fund in the comments if donating online. slaterfuneral.com
“Anybody who came here felt that way, too,” he said.
Continued from page 16
“I always make him stay with his folks,” Paul said with a laugh. “I’m like, ‘I’m not housing you, man.’”
Mei Lu Barnum, who shares the stage with Whalen, is a Point Park University graduate and her boyfriend lives in Pittsburgh.
Paul shares his actors’ love of Pittsburgh, calling it one of the “great theater communities.”
“A Life in the Theatre” runs from June 13-30. “Oleanna” is staged from July 11-28. Kinetic Theatre Company will finish its season with decidedly lighter fare — “Holmes for the Holidays: A Sherlock Carol,” by Mark Shanahan. All productions take place at the Richard E. Rauh Studio Theatre in the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning. PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
JCBA’s expanded vision is made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Jewish Community Foundation
Jewish Association on Aging gratefully acknowledges contributions from the following:
gift from ... In memory of...
Mamet:
p Actors Sam Tsoutsouvas and Joseph McGranaghan rehearse Kinetic Theatre Company’s production of David Mamet’s “A Life in the Theatre.” Photo courtesy of Kinetic Theatre
Real Estate
HowardHanna.com Smith-Rosenthal Team Jason A. Smith & Caryn Rosenthal Jason: 412-969-2930 | Caryn: 412-389-1695 Jasonasmith@howardhanna.com Carynrosenthal@howardhanna.com
MONROEVILLE • $750,000 – PENDING
328 Shalimar Court
Nestled at the end of a tranquil cul-de-sac, this exquisite residence epitomizes timeless elegance and sophistication. Adorned with graceful touches, the sprawling 5-bedroom, 4.2 bathroom estate o ers an unparalleled living experience. Spanning across an expansive 0.61 acres of meticulously manicured grounds, privacy is paramount, with a massive fence enveloping the rear and side of the home. The three-car garage provides ample space for vehicles and storage. Inside, a grand foyer welcomes you with soaring ceilings and an abundance of natural light, setting the stage for the impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail found throughout. Each of the four upstairs bedrooms features its own walk-in closet. o ering both style and functionality.
From Bu alo to Pittsburgh, ‘Unbillievable!’ film brings childhood friends together
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Sta Writer
Shared misery over mutual losses enabled old friends to laugh about new endeavors.
Nearly 50 years ago, die-hard Buffalo Bills fans Eli Honig and Saul Markowitz attended The Kadimah School of Buffalo. Markowitz left the Queen City in sixth grade but stayed connected to Honig and his fellow Jewish day school classmates.
Part of the bond, Markowitz, 61, said, stemmed from an absolute love of the Bills.
The professional football team is often chided for having gone to four consecutive Super Bowls, between 1991-‘94, and losing each one.
Markowitz, a longtime Pittsburgher and self-described “member of Bills Mafia,” said he has enthusiastically followed the team for decades.
Last year, before traveling to a Bills game with his son, Markowitz reached out to Honig.
When the old classmates met, Honig, 61, told Markowitz about a project.
Bills fans, led by comic and former National Lampoon Editor-in-chief Scott Rubin, were making a whimsical film about their unwavering loyalty to the team.
supported by
The Pittsburgher met with Honig and Rubin and learned about “Unbillievable!”
Filmed in Buffalo, the spoof follows three generations of Bills fans through numerous episodes of absurdity.
Familiar to anyone who has ever tried to gather family and friends for a shared experience, the scenes are entertaining,
Learn what Metastatic Breast Cancer is — and how Sharsheret is helping.
Though Metastatic Breast Cancer (mBC) affects 168,000 women and men in the United States, most people know far less about this type of breast cancer than they do about early-stage breast cancer. This can lead to misconceptions about the diagnosis that leave mBC patients feeling isolated, misunderstood, and unsupported. Learning the facts about mBC can help patients, their friends, and their families work together to face mBC with a positive outlook.
What is Metastatic Breast Cancer?
Metastatic Breast Cancer, also called Stage IV or advanced breast cancer, is breast cancer that has spread to another part of the body, most commonly the bones, lungs, brain, or liver. Metastasis occurs when cancer cells break away from the original tumor in the breast and travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Ninety percent of mBC cases occur in patients who have already had early-stage breast cancer, but mBC can occur as a first-time cancer diagnosis.
How is Metastatic Breast Cancer treated?
Unlike early-stage breast cancer, mBC is not curable, but it is treatable. A patient may be treated with many different methods; when one type of treatment ceases to be effective, others are employed to help extend their life as long as possible. With the right combination of treatments, it is possible to live for years with mBC. Each person’s cancer is unique. Treatment depends on
producer of the film.
“When you really peel away the edges, it’s about the human interaction between fans, how it affects our lives personally and how we’re always hoping that it’s going to be better next year,” Honig said.
That belief isn’t particular to Bills fans, he continued, but also applies to the supporters of many different teams.
the location of the cancer, whether it is HER2 positive or negative (HER2 is a gene that encourages cell growth), and the cancer’s hormone receptor status. Some of the more common treatments include:
• Hormonal therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Radiation therapy
How Sharsheret helps those living with mBC. Sharsheret — named after the Hebrew word for chain — is the only national organization supporting Jewish women and families of all backgrounds who are facing all types of breast and ovarian cancer. We offer services for both those already diagnosed with cancer, and those at high risk. “The biggest thing this organization has done for me is connect me with resources and others in the community who are walking on this journey,” shares one woman. “I know I’m not by myself.”
For patients living with mBC, Sharsheret offers a wide range of resources, including emotional support, mental health counseling, critical education, and financial subsidies. “When I wasn’t feeling the greatest, [my social worker] was able to provide some things: a book, or some makeup, or a wig, or someone to talk to,” tells a program participant.
“Nobody gets what you’re going through better than somebody else who’s wearing the same pair of shoes you are,” shares another woman. Sharsheret cultivates community by bringing together women, families, caregivers, healthcare professionals and others through national webinars that offer expert medical information, healthy living opportunities, and Jewish spirituality experiences.
Specifically, Sharsheret helps mBC patients with services such as:
• Nutrition counseling, including recipes and cooking videos
• Exercise and lifestyle counseling
• Connections to mental health counseling
• Peer-to-peer counseling
As filmmakers, putting those “personal connections” on screen is critical, Honig said. Regardless of which franchise someone supports, “We want them to walk away from this movie and say, ‘Wow, that was really an enjoyable film. You don’t get a good comedy that much anymore. And it’s about something that I can relate to, it’s something that I can see my family, or my friends, doing the same type of thing.’”
“Unbillievable!” will have its Pittsburgh premiere at 7:30 p.m. on June 21 at the Harris Theater.
Neither Markowitz nor Honig expects the film to alter one’s athletic allegiances; instead, both men hope the film fosters something
For years, the two communicated “once in a while, but this movie has brought us right together,” Honig said. “We’re talking almost daily, if not weekly, and it gives us an opportunity to kind of live our roots, work together and work for something that we really both feel passionate about.”
“We really have become better friends throughout this whole thing,” Markowitz said. “I think it’s kind of cool that the Bills brought us together when we were kids and it keeps bringing us together.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
• Free kits and educational resources
• Educational webinars
• Connections to medical providers and clinical advice
• Financial assistance
• Faith-based resources
• Connections to clinical trials and research studies
• Private Sharsheret mBC Facebook group
“Once you get that diagnosis, it can feel like your world is ending. But there are people out there who will support you and give you a wealth of knowledge to help you push through this. You can still live a full and productive life. It may not be how you envisioned. But you can still enjoy your life, enjoy your family, and hopefully have many more years ahead of you. Take advantage of all these organizations and groups out there that are willing to help you and provide information.”
Improving lives nationwide
As a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women, Sharsheret also shapes messaging and programs at the national level. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded the organization two multi-year grants to develop support programs. In addition, Sharsheret participates in psychosocial research studies and evaluations with federal agencies and major cancer centers, including Georgetown Lombardi Cancer Center.
Share it with Sharsheret
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mBC, reach out to us. In addition to providing emotional support, Sharsheret can help answer your questions and connect you to resources through our wide network of professionals and organizations. We can also introduce you to others who are sharing your journey with mBC.
The Buffalo Bills and “Unbillievable!” helped Eli Honig, left, and Saul Markowitz, right, rekindle a childhood friendship. Photo courtesy of Markowitz Communications
Community
Bring them home
Elected officials and community members gathered on June 9 at the corner of Darlington Road and Murray Avenue to demand the release of an estimated 120 hostages. The captives have been held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza since Oct. 7.
We are the champions Pittsburgh was awarded Chapter of the Year during last month’s Spring Shabbaton for the Central East region of NCSY. Thanks to robust programming led by dedicated staff and teens, Pittsburgh beat out Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Detroit for the annual honor.
p City Controller Rachael Heisler speaks during the June 9 gathering.
p All we do is win.
Photo courtesy of Rabbi Mayer Tabak
p Community members hold signs with photos and information regarding the hostages.
Photos by Jonathan Dvir
Chabad Young Professionals New Moon Circle gathered for a pre-Shavuot flower arrangement
