Jthe Fox Chapel native and Tree of Life Congregation member looked at the rabbi and said out loud what many 13-year-olds are quietly thinking: “I’m done with Judaism now, right? It’s done. I did it.”
of StandWithUs, an international, nonpartisan education organization that supports Israel and fights antisemitism. She is a familiar sight to anyone in Pittsburgh who has attended a rally in support of Israel, or the hostages still held in Gaza, since Oct. 7. She routinely is interviewed by media, speaks at educational events and works behind the scenes or hosts programs to combat antisemitism.
Despite her frenetic schedule, Paris didn’t have a deep connection to Israel while growing up, though she was proud of being Jewish, she said.
Paris’ parents ensured that she and her
brother were raised with an understanding of their Jewish heritage. They attended Hebrew school at both Tree of Life and a satellite campus near their home. Paris’ mother was one of the founding members of Adat Shalom and a former chair of a Hadassah chapter. Paris also spent a lot of time at her grandmother’s house in Squirrel Hill, learning the rhythm of Jewish life
Her passion for Judaism, though, was ignited as a teen when she attended BBYO meetings. Those tentative steps led to a full immersion in the organization, including traveling to Cleveland on weekends and staying with other BBYO families, as well as participating in the organization’s conventions and its CLTC (Chapter Leadership Training Conference) one summer.
“That was the beginning for me,” Paris said. “I was like, ‘This is fun.’ I credit BBYO for being my first introduction into Judaism as joy. That really spoke to me.”
If BBYO was the initial spark, Paris said a
Hills
By David Rullo | Senior Sta Writer
Fara Marcus didn’t know she would become a concert promoter when she traveled to Israel as part of the Martin Pearl Israel Fellowship. And yet, that’s what happened.
Marcus spent the last few weeks worrying about things that kept famed concert promoters like Bill Graham and Rich Engler up at night: venues, backlines, microphones, even how many people have signed up to attend a show.
For her day job, Marcus is the chief development and marketing officer of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh. While in Israel, Sara Sless, assistant director at the JCC association’s center for Israel engagement, told her about Shufuni, a group of musicians she was booking in the United States.
“We discussed them coming to Pittsburgh,” Marcus said, “and it was a no-brainer.”
Shufuni is a group of young musicians from Otef Aza, in the Gaza Envelope, who began performing together in 2022 to offer different types of events and platforms to expose the public to the music of Israel’s southern communities.
On Oct. 7, Shufuni lost members of the
Spirituality leader comes to Pittsburgh
director in Israel
Ukrainian band performs at Original Pittsburgh Winery Page 17
StandWithUs Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Julie Paris at a Squirrel Hill vigil in support of the hostages being held by Hamas
Photo by Jonathan Dvir
Shufuni will perform at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills on Aug. 1.
Photo courtesy of Shufuni
Headlines
Jewish spirituality leader visiting Pittsburgh for weekend of learning
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Sta Writer
Looking for insight into spirituality?
Set your eyes on Darth Vader — yes, the iconic Star Wars villain — Rabbi Joshua Feigelson told the Chronicle.
“He can actually teach us about mindfulness practice and about the importance of the ability to let go,” Feigelson said by phone from Skokie, Illinois.
Darth Vader demonstrates how to process his fear “and not be consumed by it,” the Midwesterner continued. “It’s actually a pretty deep lesson.”
Feigelson is president and CEO of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Founded in 1999, IJS promotes Jewish spiritual practices through reliance on Jewish wisdom.
The organization offers multiple free digital resources, including daily meditation and an online Jewish yoga studio. Along with nearly 25,000 people who receive regular emails from IJS, numerous individuals benefit from the organization’s retreats and other in-person activities, Feigelson said.
From Aug. 2-4, Pittsburghers can enjoy IJS pedagogy and Feigelson’s teachings. In partnership with Temple Sinai, Rodef Shalom Congregation is welcoming Feigelson for a weekend of learning.
Friday evening, at Temple Sinai’s Mostly Musical Evening Service, Feigelson will address “What I Learned from Darth Vader About Mindfulness and Democracy.”
The sermon, he said, will reference Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America” and focus on “habits of the heart” for living and governing together.
On Saturday evening, at Rodef Shalom, sponsored by Tiferet Project, Feigelson will speak about the need to speak. His
Rabbi Joshua Feigelson
“Rabbi
Feigelson’s perspectives on how to live and cope in a world that presents challenges to us individually and to the Jewish community as a whole are both timely and essential to our understanding and livelihood.”
– CANTOR DAVID REINWALD
talk, “How Can We Be Silent,” will employ Talmudic, Hasidic and Jewish philosophical texts while acknowledging the atrocities of Oct. 7 to understand silence as a tool for promoting greater speech.
Finally, on Sunday morning at Rodef Shalom, Feigelson will speak about mindful responses to antisemitism. His talk, “The
Anti-Antisemite Club: Staying Sane and Responding Mindfully to Hate,” will demonstrate how Jewish mindfulness practices can facilitate wiser responses.
Whether it’s rising antisemitism, Oct. 7 and the ongoing war, or the upcoming U.S. presidential election, there are various reasons for feeling increased unease,
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Feigelson said. He hopes the weekend will deliver “some useful tools for managing the tension and anxiety that I think we’re all feeling.”
Temple Sinai’s Cantor David Reinwald said that Feigelson’s visit couldn’t come at a better time.
“We are looking forward to this special opportunity to bring together multiple communities for moments of learning and mindfulness. Rabbi Feigelson’s perspectives on how to live and cope in a world that presents challenges to us individually and to the Jewish community as a whole are both timely and essential to our understanding and livelihood,” Reinwald said.
Feigelson has been at IJS since 2022. Before joining the institute, he received ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and served as the Hillel Rabbi at Northwestern University. He earned a doctorate in religious studies at Northwestern and also served as dean of students at the University of Chicago Divinity School.
For decades, Feigelson, 48, has used his posts to promote Jewish wisdom and spirituality.
Society craves such teaching, with 70% of U.S. adults describing themselves as spiritual in some way, according to Pew Research Center.
The gift of Judaism, Feigelson said, should be more easily accessible.
“I’m a huge believer in the idea that Judaism has to contribute to our flourishing as human beings. It’s not something that we do out of guilt or just out of a sense of responsibility,” he said. “We have this amazing gift in our tradition that can really help us respond to life’s biggest challenges. I hope that people get some practical tools and a taste and a desire to go further with that.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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Headlines
A view from Israel: New Partnership2Gether director finds value in relationships
By David Rullo | Senior Sta Writer
Oren Spielmann began his new job at an inopportune time.
Spielmann started as the director of the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Partnership2Gether Global Network region — which includes Karmiel/Misgav in Israel; Warsaw, Poland; and Pittsburgh — on Oct. 8, barely 24 hours after the terrorist group Hamas killed 1,200 people and took another 200-plus hostage.
“Obviously, not the best day to start a new position,” Spielmann said. “I found the partnership in a very particular and unique state. For the first time, the focus was on saving lives instead of people and connections.”
Partnership2Gether is a network of 165 Jewish and Israeli communities in 40 city-to-city and region-to-region partnerships, according to its website. The network engages thousands of participants to strengthen Jewish communities in Israel and the world by creating ongoing engagement based on mutual endeavors and shared Jewish identity.
Or, to put it another way, it creates people-topeople relationships that foster strong, vibrant, connected Jewish communities, with Israel at their hearts.
Locally, the organization partners with the
Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.
The connections fostered by the partnership, Spielmann said, paid dividends following the attacks.
“For the first time in my life,” he said, “I think I felt what it was like to be hugged by someone you don’t know, from far away. To be honest, we really needed that hug.”
The hug, Spielmann said, came at a crucial time in history when the Israeli community needed to know it wasn’t alone.
Surrounded by unfriendly countries and terrorist organizations, and familiar with daily headlines that include bomb attacks and stabbings, Israelis were still shocked by the brazen attack of Oct. 7, he said.
The Karmiel Misgav region has proven to be an oasis in a desert of hostility over the years, where the Jewish and Arab communities have lived together in peace. Since Oct. 7, though, that foundation has started to crack.
On July 3, one person was killed in a terror attack that occurred at a shopping center in Karmiel. Another individual disarmed the assailant and shot him, but not before being severely wounded as well. The attacker was from a nearby Arab village, according to news reports.
Spielmann, who doesn’t live in Karmiel, said that things aren’t yet back to normal in the region.
“We haven’t had normality for nine months of war,” he said, noting that people feel tension walking in the streets.
“There’s always this feeling in the back of your head that you need to be alert, you need to watch out,” he said. “You’re in fear and you have to pay attention to things. It’s not normal.”
Helping to negate some of those feelings were the calls from partners like Pittsburgh’s Federation, which, he said, started pouring in before he even got to the office to begin work.
One of Spielmann’s primary concerns, he said, is ensuring those relationships stay as strong and as healthy as when he arrived, if not better.
To that end, Spielmann’s background may prove advantageous.
The husband and father of two studied political science before earning a master’s degree in teaching. After graduating and teaching for two years at an Israeli high school, Spielmann learned of an opportunity to work with the Jewish Agency for Israel as a shlichut, or emissary, in Rome.
“I was the director of a youth movement,” he said.
Thursday, August 1 · 7-9 pm
His family spent three years in Italy building relationships.
Spielmann returned to Israel in 2020 during COVID, then accepted a new role with the Jewish Agency in 2022, serving as the educational director for the Movement Shlichut.
Speaking of the practical nature of his experience and how it helped prepare him, Spielmann said that ultimately, Partnership2Gether “is about people-to-people relationships.”
The new P2G director said that he had already begun building relationships with Federation President and CEO Jeff Finkelstein and JCC CEO Jason Kunzman when the two visited Israel.
Earlier this month, Spielmann visited Pittsburgh for the first time.
“The city, just like the people, is beautiful,” he said. “The people are friendly. They are really welcoming, even beyond the stories I was told before coming. It’s really amazing.”
Spielmann said people have to visit Pittsburgh to understand the kindness of the community.
“My biggest surprise and pleasure were how friendly and welcoming members of the Jewish community are,” he said. “It’s something you have to experience to understand. I met a community that loves Israel and appreciates the connection. It’s people-to-people and it’s a healthy relationship with the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Agency.” PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
Director of Pittsburgh’s Partnership2Gether region, Oren Spielmann (right), gets a view of Pittsburgh, with Chronicle Publisher and CEO Jim Busis. Photo courtesy of Oren Spielmann
Calendar
Submit calendar items on the Chronicle’s website, pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. Submissions also will be included in print. Events will run in the print edition beginning one month prior to the date as space allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon.
SUNDAYS, JULY 28–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, JULY 29
Join Chabad of the South Hills at their new location for the “Gate of Trust,” a women’s summer learning series. 11 a.m. $18 suggested donation. 1700 Bower Hill Road. chabadsh.com.
MONDAYS, JULY 29–DEC. 30
Join Congregation Beth Shalom for a weekly Talmud study. 9:15 a.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org.
Join Temple Sinai for an evening of mahjong every Monday (except holidays). Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, you’re sure to enjoy the camaraderie and good times as you make new friends or cherish moments with longtime pals. All are welcome. Winners will be awarded Giant Eagle gift cards. All players should have their own 2024 mahjong cards. Contact Susan Cohen at susan_k_cohen@yahoo.com if you have questions. $5. templesinaipgh.org.
TUESDAY, JULY 30
Enjoy a summer evening schmoozing with fellow young Jewish professionals, ages 20 to 40, over wine and cheese in Rodef Shalom’s Biblical Botanical Garden. 7 p.m. Free, but registration is required. rodefshalom.org.
TUESDAYS, JULY 30; AUG. 13
Join Tree of Life congregants at the Schenley Park Oval as they meet to enjoy the outdoors, pet dogs and converse with one another. Free. Every other Tuesday, through August. 6:30 p.m. treeoflifepgh.org.
WEDNESDAYS, JULY 31–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.
WEDNESDAYS, JULY 31–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.
SATURDAY, AUG. 3
Families with young children are invited to spend Shabbat morning with Rodef Shalom at “Shabbat with You.” Drop in for a light breakfast, play date, sing-along with Cantor Toby and a Shabbat activity with Family Center Director Ellie Feibus. 9 a.m. $5 per family. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org/ shabbatwithyou.
MONDAYS, AUG. 5, SEPT. 9
Join the 10.27 Healing Partnership for one or all sessions of this healing, consciousness-building forest bathing series. Enjoy gentle walks through Pittsburgh’s parks while nurturing your connection to the natural world through reflective practices. 9:30 a.m. Free. Registration required. Walled Garden in Mellon Park. 1027healingpartnership.org/ forest-bathing-4.
Tell us your love story!
In honor of Tu B’Av, the Jewish holiday of love, we want to share our readers’ love stories! Submit a photo and tell us what you love about your partner for a chance to be featured in the Chronicle!
Submit your photo and story to newsdesk@ pittsburghjewish chronicle.org and write “Love story” in the subject line. Submissions must be received by Wednesday, Aug. 7
WEDNESDAYS, AUG. 7, 28
Join JFCS and 10.27 Healing Partnership for an artbased mindfulness program. The group will explore ways making art can help regulate the nervous system, promote playfulness and imagination, and connect us more deeply to our bodies, emotions, thoughts and worldviews. Attendees will come together in community as we explore di erent art mediums, share our personal experiences and reflect on how art can influence us all. Free. 10 a.m. 10.27 Healing Partnership Suite, 3rd floor of the JCC in Squirrel Hill. Membership not required. Registration required. 1027healingpartnership.org/ art-in-community-3.
WEDNESDAYS, AUG. 7, 28; SEPT. 4, 18
Chabad of Monroeville invites you to spend an hour playing mahjong and other games. Play, shmooze, learn a word of the Torah, say a prayer for Israel and, of course, nosh on some yummy treats. Free. 7 p.m. RSVP is required: SusanEBurgess@gmail. com, or text or call 412-295-1838. 2715 Mosside Blvd. jewishmonroeville.com/mahjong.
THURSDAY, AUG. 8
Join Chabad of the South Hills for family fun bowling
Enjoy two hours of unlimited bowling and pizza. 4 p.m. $18/person; $65 family max. Crafton Ingram Lanes. RSVP by Aug. 8 at chabadsh.com/bowling.
Women are invited to join Chabad of Squirrel Hill to bake butterfly challahs at Loaves of Love 7 p.m. $12. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/lol.
SATURDAY, AUG. 17
Celebrate Tu B’Av, Jewish Valentine’s Day, by wearing traditional white clothes and enjoy a musical Havdalah, a DJ, dancing, bar/bat mitzvah-style games, activities, a chocolate fondue bar, a photo booth and more. Bring or maybe meet your bashert at this Tree of Life young Jewish community and Temple Sinai NextGen event. This event is for adults in their 20s and 30s. Free. 8:30 p.m. forms.gle/rxjdQPPgvJZyTovm9.
SUNDAY, AUG. 18
Join the Tree of Life Congregation for its annual summer picnic. Food, games and activities. 2 p.m. $10 member/$12 non-member. JCC Family Park, 261 Rosecrest Drive, Monroeville, 15146. Reservation deadline is Aug. 11. treeoflifepgh.org/ congregationalpicnic.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 21
Rendezvous in Rodef Shalom’s Biblical Botanical Garden with drinks and hors d’oeuvres for a free live performance with Doug Levine and Cantor Toby Glaser. 6:30 p.m. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org.
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, AUG. 23
Join Tree of Life Congregation as they celebrate the welcoming of Shabbat. 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.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 12
Join StandWithUs for its inaugural Pittsburgh Community Reception honoring Pittsburgh City Controller Rachael Heisler and featuring keynote speaker Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Conricus. 6 p.m. Early bird: $90; VIP: $250. Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave. standwithus.com/pittsburghevent-2024. PJC
Join the Chronicle Book Club!
The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its Aug. 25 discussion of “House on Endless Waters,” by Emuna Elon. Overview: “Renowned author Yoel Blum reluctantly agrees to visit his birthplace of Amsterdam to promote his books, despite promising his late mother that he would never return to that city. While touring the Jewish Historical Museum with his wife, Yoel stumbles upon footage portraying prewar Dutch Jewry and is astonished to see the youthful face of his beloved mother staring back at him, posing with his father, his older sister … and an infant he doesn’t recognize. This unsettling discovery launches him into a fervent search for the truth, shining a light on Amsterdam’s dark wartime history — the underground networks that hid Jewish children away from danger and those who betrayed their own for the sake of survival. The deeper into the past Yoel digs up, the better he understands his mother’s silence, and the more urgent the question that has unconsciously haunted him for a lifetime — Who am I? — becomes.”
Your hosts
Toby Tabachnick, editor of the Chronicle
David Rullo, Chronicle staff writer
How it works
We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, Aug. 25, at 1 p.m.
What to do
Buy: “House on Endless Waters.” It is available at some area Barnes and Noble stores and from online retailers, including Amazon. It is also available through the Carnegie Library system.
Email: Contact us at drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org, and write “Chronicle Book Club” in the subject line. We will send you a Zoom link for the discussion meeting.
Happy reading! PJC
— Toby Tabachnick
All About Pets
Whiskers and smiles: Pittsburgh’s cutest pet/owner duos shine in contest
— PETS —
By Toby Tabachnick | Editor
The Pittsburgh’s Jewish Chronicle has crowned the winners of its first Pet/ Owner Look-Alike Contest, honoring the unique connections between our readers and their pets.
We received many photo submissions of pet/owner doppelgangers. Here are
our favorites.
Taking first place is Sandy Riemer of Squirrel Hill and his late labradoodle Libby. The photo was submitted by Barb Feige, Riemer’s wife.
“Guess I have a thing for that silvered look,” Feige wrote, adding, “I actually had the dog before the husband.”
Second place goes to Andrew Goleman, of New York City, and Lilli, all ready for their “night on the town,” said Ted
the photo. Andrew Golman was in Pittsburgh for an event when his father snapped the picture.
“While upset that she couldn’t go, Lilli dressed for the occasion anyway,” Ted Goleman said.
The Chronicle chose Squirrel Hill/ Greenfield resident Tom Potance and his pug-mix dog, Lola, as its third place winner. As Alyssa and Cheryl Potance — who submitted the photo — said, “We think
Finally, an honorable mention goes to Erica Rabbin and Planck, of Shaler.
Planck is a 5-year-old Pomeranian.
“The human, Max Planck, was a physicist,” Rabbin wrote. “He is known for two things that describe Planck the puppy: 1) Planck’s Law describes ‘black body radiation’ and of course our Planck is black; and 2) a Planck length is the smallest unit of length, usually used for quantum gravity problems. And our Planck is a
haallArt / Adobe Stock
Sandy Riemer and Libby Andrew Goleman and Lilli
Photo submitted by T.J. Goleman Tom Potance and Lola
Photo submitted by Alyssa and Cheryl Potance Erica Rabbin and Planck
Photo submitted by Erica Rabbin
All About Pets
A man walks into a veterinarian’s office….
Guest Columnist
Achipped tooth, a quick visit to the veterinarian and seven years does not embody the trappings for a Hollywood love story. But just like that, t hrough the proper lens, the banal can be profound. And there is nothing more profound than one incident dramatically altering the course of your life. It happened, though.
Dixie, our Hungarian Puli, 3 years old at the time, chipped her tooth on a coffee table as she jumped off the sofa, and a trip to a veterinarian was required. As it turned out, the veterinarian we saw that day, July 10, 2017, is the same veterinarian sharing the writing credit here.
The visit to the veterinarian began as any visit does — with anxiety and trepidation. At the end of that day, Dixie was just fine. However, on that day, a relationship began that
yielded a marriage and a business in the veterinary field that we share. That is not a story that one could write easily to sound believable. But it’s true.
O ur shared love of animals brought us together and set the groundwork for what would soon be our life together. In love, as with dogs, there’s a similarity in how you build a life together. They are there when you get home waiting
behaviors compared to single-house dogs . In our house, our 10-year-old struggles to eat breakfast alone without a lot of coaxing. At dinner time, with her sister by her side, she eats like a charm. More on this in a bit.
Th erapy dogs often are engaged to bring comfort to the elderly. Autism studies reported in Autism Speaks found that “therapy dogs have become popular in t he autism community for their calming influence and ability to promote social interaction.” There’s a reason why we refer to dogs as “A man’s best friend.” After all, best friends are there for you and make you feel good, even when you are sad or down on your luck.
patiently. They are usually the first thing you see in the morning when you awake and the last thing before you call it a day. And when they drive you nuts, (obviously referring to the dogs) — and they will — all you need to do is ask: Who doesn’t drive you nuts once in a while?
Having pets in your life changes everything. Pet owners relate to one another because they share a mutual understanding of the immense bond created between people and their pets. Scientific data supports this notion. People tend to be healthier when they are attached. Mammals as a whole have evolved to have attachments. And there is no shortage of evidence backing this up. We all see people out in public with what they now refer to as “emotional support” animals. And while the actual necessity of these animals is sometimes up for debate —sometimes viewed as a sidedoor way to bring your pup with you everywhere you go — it’s not debatable that people rely on their pets for emotional support.
And, even more interesting, dogs rely on dogs for emotional support as well! In a recent U.S. study about shelter dogs, the authors concluded that paired shelter dogs exhibit fewer stress-related
So back to the love story. We don’t have kids, just dogs — and good veterinary care. Day in and day out, they prove a few things: Companionship is cumulative, our relationships with them are real and meaningful, they understand us in a way that is often not believable and they always know just the right time to step up and show some love!
We have two dogs with two completely different personalities. They are seven years apart, 3 and almost 10. They are surprising regularly and have a unique way of understanding that each of u s provides something different for them. They love us both but differently. You hear parents say they don’t have a “favorite” kid because each is so different. Our 10-year-old needs to be dragged out of bed in the morning, while our 3-year-old is waiting for one of us to open an eyelid. We love our dogs, sometimes more than people. And like us, they get angry, sad, excited and bored. And that’s what makes them so terrific.
Our life with our dogs is just that — our life! PJC
Dr. Caroline Simard-Swimmer and Howard Swimmer are the founders of Pets After Dark, an after-hours veterinary telehealth service that immediately connects you to your regular veterinarian or a local vet who knows your regular vet, and guarantees an in-person follow-up appointment with your regular vet the next office day.
Dr. Caroline SimardSwimmer and Howard Swimmer
p The authors with their pets
Photo courtesy of Howard Swimmer
All About Pets
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Sta Writer
This might be Elena Davis’ final guinea pig.
After caring for several of them — along with fish, frogs and a bird for the last eight years — she’s pretty sure she’s done.
“It’s a fun pet,” she said. “But I think it’s the last one.”
Davis is allergic to cats and dogs. When she and her husband got married, they committed to a pet-free household. Then they acquired a ferret, and then they got fish.
When the Davises had children, they kept the fish and then got other pets.
Most of the animals were “low maintenance,” but that doesn’t negate the time and attention required.
“Be prepared for what’s involved,” Davis said. “Just because something’s cute in the pet store, your kids might still lose interest in it.”
It’s important to remember that even if you spawned the next Jane Goodall, there are factors to consider.
“When you go away, you have to deal with someone caring for your pet,” Davis said.
And then there’s Passover.
“Depending how strict you are with the food, it can be an issue,” she said.
Chametz (fermented products from the five grains: wheat, spelt, barley, oats and rye) are forbidden on Passover.
In previous years, the Davises have fed their animals special fare. The Squirrel Hill couple have even brokered transactions with neighbors to avoid owning problematic pet food or an animal that derives benefit from chametz on Passover.
“One year, we tried feeding matzah to fish,” she said. “It didn’t go well.”
Up the road, fellow Squirrel Hill resident Yikara Levari has five birds in her house. The first two she got in June 2020.
Levari’s husband, a physician, was seeing patients mostly through telehealth visits at the time. One of his patients had a remarkable bird, Levari said.
The Squirrel Hill couple acquired two. Two years later, they got another, “for the heck of it,” Levari said.
“The
The Levaris adopted two more birds, which made five — and the need for a new enclosure.
Levari said her house often sounds like the National Aviary.
“The birds are always singing and chirping,” she said. “People notice it, but we like it.”
Rabbi Akiva Sutofsky and his late son Yitzy used to bird watch in Frick Park.
Yitzy would also find snakes and grab them from the water, his father said.
The family ended up buying a corn snake.
“It’s very beautiful, sort of a creamsicle color,” Sutofsky said.
Mostly found in the eastern United States, corn snakes can grow 24 to 72 inches long, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.
The Sutofskys feed their snake frozen pinky mice.
“It’s super-friendly,” Sutofsky said of the snake. “It’s very docile, never bites, loves to be held.”
Sutofsky also cares for a crested gecko.
“They are unbelievable jumpers,” he said.
Social media agrees. Videos of crested geckos jumping — either in real time or slow motion — flood TikTok and Instagram.
Having been a pet owner for years, Sutofsky has advice.
If someone is ready to take the leap and acquire a reptile or even another type of pet, it’s important to remember these
– YIKARA LEVARI
animals are living creatures that require attention and responsibility, he said.
The Jerusalem Talmud offers similar instruction: Within tractate Ketubot, Rebbi Eleazar the caper grower explained, “No one is permitted to buy domesticated or wild animals or birds unless they have food prepared for them.”
Thousands of years after the Talmud’s compilation, the American Veterinary Medical Foundation delivered similar guidance. Among
its recommendations for future owners the AVMF states, “Avoid impulsive decisions when selecting a pet,” and “Recognize that pet ownership requires an investment of time and money.”
“You can’t just have them sit in a 2-footby-2-foot cage for 10 years,” Sutofsky said. “You got to take care of them.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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Co-founder & CEO Howard Swimmer, Co-Founder & Medical Director Dr. Caroline Simard-Swimmer, DVM, and their beloved pets Dixie Ray and Mabel Z
Maya Davis and fish
Photo courtesy of Elena Davis Dr. Robert Davis gets smoochy with his bird. Photo courtesy of Elena Davis Crested gecko Photo by mariposavet via Flickr at https://rb.gy/q60rtk
All About Pets
Preparing for your first pet
By Family Features
Welcoming a new pet into your life can be exciting, but preparation is required to provide a loving home and enjoy the unconditional love of a fourlegged family member.
To help prepare your furry friend for the transition to a new living arrangement, consider these essential tips for first-time pet owners.
Choose the right pet for your lifestyle
When getting a pet for the first time, it’s crucial to select one that fits your lifestyle. Consider your living situation, work schedule and personal preferences. Research different breeds to find the one that matches your activity level, living space and family dynamics. Some pets require more exercise and attention while others are more independent. Also consider any allergies or sensitivities you or your family members may have as some pets may trigger allergies or asthma symptoms.
Set up your home
Before bringing your new pet home, create a safe and comfortable environment. Start by pet-proofing your home, removing any hazardous substances and securing loose
wires or cords. Make sure to store cleaning supplies, medications and toxic plants out of reach. Provide a designated space that includes a cozy bed or crate, food and water bowls and toys. Cats may need a litter box, scratching post and place to climb or hide. Dogs may require a fenced yard or designated area for bathroom breaks. Also consider restricting access to certain areas of your home, especially during the initial adjustment period, with a pet gate to help prevent accidents or damage to belongings.
CBD for our furry family members (I mean pets!!)
As a Holistic Clinical Pharmacist, I am always looking for holistic and natural approaches to health for people and pets. CBD or Cannabidiol is the perfect natural cannabinoid supplement to compliment good lifestyle choices and the desire for quality of life.
CBD hemp oils have become more common and as mainstream products are being marketed to pet owners, you may ask, “Should I give my Pet CBD oil?”
Create a routine
Pets thrive on routine. Establish a consistent schedule for feeding, exercise and bathroom breaks. Determine the appropriate amount and frequency of meals for your pet’s age, size and breed. Dogs may require daily walks, playtime or trips to the dog park. Cats can benefit from interactive toys and vertical spaces like cat trees. Remember to spend quality time with your pet every day, providing attention, affection and mental stimulation, which can help strengthen the bond between you and your pet and ensure overall happiness and well-being.
Budget for your pet’s needs
Owning a pet comes with financial responsibilities. Consider the costs of food, grooming, veterinary care, vaccinations and preventive medications, factoring in research based on the average costs of owning a pet of your chosen breed. Additionally, factor in the cost of toys, bedding, litter and other supplies. It’s also recommended to set aside a contingency fund for unexpected veterinary bills or emergencies that may arise.
Find
a reliable veterinarian
Regular check-ups and open communication with a local veterinarian can help detect any potential health issues early and ensure your pet receives the best possible care. When searching for a provider, ask friends, family or neighbors who have pets for recommendations and read reviews before scheduling visits to potential veterinarians’ offices to meet the staffs, tour the facilities and ask any questions you may have. Ensure t he veterinarian offers a wide range of services, including preventive care, vaccinations, spaying/neutering, dental care and emergency services. Consider the location and hours of operation to ensure convenience and accessibility for routine visits and emergencies. PJC
Find more tips for welcoming a furry friend into your home at eLivingtoday.com.
have someone check your animal’s medications for potential interactions. Finding a pharmacist well versed in both CBD and pet medications is best to be sure that all information is accurate. We are animal Compounding Experts at Murray Ave Apothecary/LabNaturals, Inc.
As a Holistic Clinical Pharmacist, I am always looking for holistic and natural approaches to health for people and pets. CBD or Cannabidiol is the perfect natural cannabinoid supplement to compliment good lifestyle choices and the desire for quality of life.
My answer is a definite “Yes!!!…but” because not all products are created equally and there are some things consumers should be aware of before purchasing a CBD product.
At LabNaturals CBD, we are pharmacists for humans and our furry family members and we have done our research into the exciting new world of CBD and cannabinoid supplementation. If you have questions, we will always do our best to answer them as completely as possible. We ensure the purity, consistency, and safety of all our products and CBD because that is exactly what you and your pets deserve.
CBD hemp oils have become more common and as mainstream products are being marketed to pet owners, you may ask, “Should I give my Pet CBD oil?”
The good news is pets can benefit from CBD in much the same way humans do. Our furry friends, as well as most animals, have an Endocannabinoid System (ECS) that is responsible for maintaining homeostasis or balance within the body – including regulation of the communication between cells, the body’s immune response, and autonomic functions like appetite, sleep, and metabolism. Basically, the ECS helps the body maintain itself.
Try CBD for anxiety, car rides, thunderstorms, fireworks, separation issues, and overall health and well-being.
My answer is a definite “Yes!!!…but” because not all products are created equally and there are some things consumers should be aware of before purchasing a CBD product.
Susan Merenstein, Pharmacist/Owner LabNaturalsCBD.com 4227A Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15217 (412) 586-4678
Now you may ask,“How do I choose a CBD Hemp Oil product for my pet?”
The good news is pets can benefit from CBD in much the same way humans do. Our furry friends, as well as most animals, have an Endocannabinoid System (ECS) that is responsible for maintaining homeostasis or balance within the body – including regulation of the communication between cells, the body’s immune response, and autonomic functions like appetite, sleep, and metabolism. Basically, the ECS helps the body maintain itself.
First and foremost, you must buy the product from a reputable source A reputable source is one that does third party lab testing on their finished products and can produce a Certificate of Analysis to prove that the products contain what is on the product labels. Since 2015 the FDA has sent warning letters to CBD manufacturers who claim there is more CBD in the bottle than there actually is. Up to 75% of CBD products were found in one study to be mislabeled and misbranded.
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Now you may ask,” How do I choose a CBD Hemp Oil product for my pet?”
Here is a testimonial from a very happy pet owner:
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First and foremost, you must buy the product from a reputable source. A reputable source is one that does third party lab testing on their finished products and can produce a Certificate of Analysis to prove that the products contain what is on the product labels. Since 2015 the FDA has sent warning letters to CBD manufacturers who claim there is more CBD in the bottle than there actually is. Up to 75% of CBD products were found in one study to be mislabeled and misbranded.
Our LabNaturals CBD Broad Spectrum CBD Hemp Oils have proven zero THC per third party testing, which makes them an excellent choice, especially dogs who are naturally much more sensitive to THC’s psychotropic effects. Second, make sure to purchase CBD oil from a business with professional expertise in health, wellness, and supplementation. It is also important to
Our LabNaturals CBD Broad Spectrum CBD Hemp Oils have proven zero THC per third party testing, which makes them an excellent choice, especially dogs who are naturally much more sensitive to THC’s psychotropic effects.
In the holistic health field, trustworthiness is paramount. And LabNaturals has never been anything less. Susan, the owner, and all the other staff are very knowledgeable about everything they carry and are always eager to help. A holistic approach to my health as well as that of my pets is very important to me and I am grateful to have LabNaturals as a local, very accessible resource.”
Second, make sure to purchase CBD oil from a business with professional expertise in health, wellness, and supplementation. It is also important to have someone check your animal’s medications for potential interactions. Finding a pharmacist well versed in both CBD and pet medications is best to be sure that all information is accurate. We are animal Compounding Experts at Murray Ave Apothecary/LabNaturals,
CBD for our furry family members (I mean pets!!)
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
Headlines
Russia sentences Jewish writer Masha Gessen to prison in absentia for Ukraine war comments
A Russian court has sentenced the decorated Russian-Jewish writer Masha Gessen to eight years in prison in absentia over comments they made about the country’s conduct in the Ukraine war in 2022, JTA.org reported.
The sentence makes Gessen, who uses they/them pronouns, at least the fifth prominent Jewish writer to be targeted by Russia for dissenting comments since the outbreak of war.
Gessen, a New York Times columnist and former New Yorker writer who fled the Soviet Union as a teenager and has written and commented extensively on their Judaism, has separately faced blowback from Jewish groups for their writing on Israel.
Gessen was not present for their sentencing on July 15; the writer was based in Russia from 1991 to 2013 but has lived in the United States ever since. In a statement to the Times, they said the sentencing was intended “to intimidate me and to prevent me from practicing my profession.”
The sentence was tied to an interview Gessen gave in 2022 with a Russian-language news outlet about Russian conduct in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, where, observers found, Russian soldiers massacred civilians.
Argentina declares Hamas a terrorist organization, in move designed to show support for Israel
Argentina has designated Hamas an “international terrorist organization,” in a show of support for Israel that extends President Javier Milei’s shift away from the country’s pro-Palestinian past, JTA.org reported.
Milei’s office announced the move on July 12, citing Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, the group’s links with Iran and a recent landmark ruling by Argentina’s judiciary that Iran was the architect of two deadly terror attacks in Buenos Aires in the 1990s.
The announcement attributed the declaration to Milei’s “unwavering commitment to recognizing terrorists for what they are.”
Argentina’s Jewish political umbrella organization, DAIA, praised Milei’s move. “The representative entity of the Argentine Jewish community welcomes the historic act,” the group said in a statement on X.
The declaration is largely symbolic but does mean that any assets tied to Hamas in Argentina can be frozen. The government agency that will now pursue Hamas’ assets previously identified and froze some assets tied to Hezbollah while the Argentinian government was on its way to declaring the Lebanon-based group a terror organization.
Neo-Nazi known as ‘Commander Butcher’ charged for attempting to poison Jewish children in NYC
A neo-Nazi from the country of Georgia was indicted on July 15 for planning mass
Today in Israeli History
July 29, 1849 — Zionist intellectual
Max Nordau is born
Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.
July 26, 1967 — Allon presents West Bank plan
Yigal Allon, a member of the government and a retired general, presents a strategic proposal for Israel’s retention of the Jordan Valley with settlements and military bases as part of an Arab-Israeli peace.
Max Nordau is born in Hungary. Events such as the Dreyfus Affair lead him to embrace Zionism. He drafts the Basel Plan, the blueprint for a Jewish state in Palestine, and advocates for a “new Jew.”
July 30, 1992 — Yael Arad wins Israel’s first Olympic medal
Tel Aviv native Yael Arad, 25, becomes the first Israeli to win an Olympic medal, taking a silver in judo in Barcelona. She dedicates her medal to the 11 Israelis killed at the Munich Olympics 20 years earlier.
July 31, 1988 — Jordan drops claim to West Bank
casualty attacks against Jews in New York City, New York Jewish Week reported.
Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as “Commander Butcher,” planned to distribute poisoned candy to children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn and other attacks against minorities, prosecutors said
Chkhikvishvili, 20, a leader of a white supremacist extremist group known as the Maniac Murder Cult or MKY, was indicted on four counts at the federal Eastern District Court of New York in Brooklyn. He was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova, on July 6 on an Interpol arrest warrant.
“The defendant sought to recruit others to commit violent attacks and killings in furtherance of his Neo-Nazi ideologies,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “His goal was to spread hatred, fear and destruction by encouraging bombings, arson and even poisoning children, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, the Jewish community and homeless individuals.”
Chkhikvishvili wrote and distributed a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook” that advocates MKY’s goals and encourages members to carry out and film violent acts. In the document, Chkhikvishvili claims to have “murdered for the white race” and calls for ethnic cleansing and violence, including school shootings, using children for suicide bombings and mass terror attacks against crowds, specifically in the United States.
US, 31 countries launch global ground rules for countering Jew-hatred
The United States was one of 32 countries to sign onto a non-legally binding Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism plan in Buenos Aires on July 17, the day before the 30th anniversary of the bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Argentina, JNS.org reported.
Israel was also a signatory. China, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Turkey did not endorse the plan, nor did any Arab country. The Council of Europe, European Commission, Organization of American States and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe also signed.
Among the plan’s 15 principles are avoiding politicization, appointing and empowering Jew-hatred envoys, opposing Jew-hatred on social media and adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism.
“Since the Oct. 7 attacks, we have seen a dramatic increase in violent incidents and hateful discourse against Jews and Jewish communal institutions and businesses in many countries, including in the United States, just as we have seen a dramatic increase in Islamophobia and hate crimes against Muslims,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on July 18, marking the anniversary of the bombing of the Buenos Aires Jewish community center.
— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
July 27, 1955 — El Al flight is shot down Bulgarian fighter jets shoot down El Al Flight 402, bound for Israel from London, after the Lockheed Constellation veers into Bulgarian airspace between Vienna, Austria, and Istanbul, Turkey.
July 28, 1923 — Opera arrives in Palestine Mordechai Golinkin’s production of “La Traviata” marks the beginning of opera in the Land of Israel. His Palestine Opera stages 16 productions by 1945, including “Dan Hashomer,” the first opera written in Hebrew.
Jordan’s King Hussein announces that he is dropping claims to the West Bank, although he seeks to retain influence over Jerusalem. King Abdullah I annexed the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1950.
Aug. 1, 2016 — Composer Andre Hajdu dies Composer and ethno musicologist Andre Hajdu dies at 84. Born in Hungary, he first visited Israel in 1966, moved to Jerusalem that year, and taught at the Tel Aviv Music Academy and Bar-Ilan University. PJC
p A map
vides an overview of the Allon Plan.
By Tallicfan20, own work, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Prizewinning composer Andre Hajdu works in his Jerusalem home.
Headlines
Paris:
Continued from page 1
deeper connection to Israel was formed while attending Tulane University as a business and Spanish major.
During her junior year, Paris was supposed to go to Spain but got sick and missed the application deadline. The only country with a later deadline was Israel — and it didn’t have a language requirement. She spoke with her father about the change of plans, and he shared his experiences living with his cousins in the Jewish state.
‘He said ‘Jerusalem is the greatest place in the world. If I wasn’t living in Pittsburgh, I’d be living in Jerusalem,’” Paris recalled. “I said, ‘OK, he loves it, maybe I’ll like it’ and, on a whim, signed up to do a semester abroad.”
The impulsive decision paid dividends.
“That’s where my life changed,” Paris said.
Although she had never been to the country, and didn’t speak Hebrew, she immediately felt at home around so many other Jewish people.
By the time she returned to college, Paris had switched her major to Judaic studies and made plans to return to Israel after graduation.
In 2001, during the second intifada, she left for the Jewish state as part of Project Otzma, a year-long fellowship. Because of the conflict, the program, which usually included nearly 200 participants, only had 18.
“It was a very challenging time to live in Israel and my first experience where I worked in Bedouin villages in the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, traveling freely and not even thinking about my own personal safety and security,” Paris said.
Notwithstanding the nearly daily bombings and stabbings, she called the experience “incredible.”
“I lived in Ashkelon at an Ethiopian
Continued from page 1
group, as well as audience members, who were murdered in Hamas’ terrorist attack.
Since February, Shufuni has toured North America sharing, through music and stories, how the events of Oct. 7 altered their lives.
The musicians will visit Pittsburgh on Aug. 1 for a concert at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills.
The concert will include a musical performance followed by a question-and-answer session where each musician will talk about their experiences.
Linor Ein Gedi, a musician touring as part of the group who sings, and plays guitar and flute, said that Shufuni’s music has a lot of “authenticity.”
“It’s acoustic, so it’s kind of folky. Vocals are a big part of it, there’s a lot of vocal power,” she
p StandWithUs Mid-Atlantic Regional
absorption center teaching English while I learned Hebrew,” she said. “I lived in Karmiel (Pittsburgh’s Partnership2Gether sister city).
Then I lived in Bishan. The whole time I was volunteering and then I stayed and did my master’s degree at Tel Aviv University in Middle Eastern history.”
A job opening for an overseas planning associate at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh led to Paris moving back to the States.
The ex-expatriate returned to Israel often, helming trips that included social workers, teens and women’s groups, as well as Mega Missions.
“It was a really wonderful experience to be able to see Israel through other people’s eyes — really beautiful,” Paris said.
Along the way, she met her husband, Rob. They married in 2006 and have two children.
After three years with Federation, Paris left to become the regional director for the Jewish National Fund.
She eventually left JNF to raise her children
said. “And, our personal stories are integrated in it, so it’s a whole experience.”
Gedi’s story is harrowing. It begins with the sound of missiles overhead that she describes as “not like the usual ones we’re used to.”
The missile barrage was followed by the sound of automatic gunshots and the loss of power.
Gedi settled into a safe room that didn’t lock, telling herself, “This is how I die today.”
“I couldn’t find anything to protect myself. I didn’t even have a kitchen knife. I was holding this pair of nail scissors in my hand waiting for someone to enter,” she recalled.
Her eventual escape included a car ride with a now ex-boyfriend and a flat tire.
“It was crazy,” she said. “We stayed on the road for an hour waiting for someone to help.”
And while the events of Oct. 7 cast a shadow over the concert, Uria Roth, the project director of the JCC Association, Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, is quick
“It’s always been important for me to be engaged in what’s happening in Israel and making sure that our elected officials understand the importance of the U.S.Israel relationship.”
– JULIE PARIS
but stayed active in Jewish communal life, serving on JNF’s board and attending AIPAC conferences.
“It’s always been important for me to be engaged in what’s happening in Israel and making sure that our elected officials understand the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship,” she said.
Her newest role, with StandWithUs, she said, “found her.”
Paris was in contact with the former director of the organization in 2019, who asked to meet with her.
As Paris learned about StandWithUs and its work, she started to help build connections between the organization and people in Pittsburgh.
When the director decided to retire, she asked Paris if she would like to take on her role.
“It sounded like the kind of work I’m passionate about,” Paris said. “I couldn’t believe there was an organization out there doing
to note that the event is much more than people telling their stories of a horrific day. Rather, he said, it’s a concert with all the expectations that go along with that.
“These are 110% professional musicians, doing music from the heart,” he said. “They are singers and songwriters and the amount of work behind it is tremendous.”
Marcus said that she was excited to bring the opportunity to the South Hills. The concert, she said, is about community building, awareness and neighbors, including those who aren’t part of the Jewish community.
In fact, Mt. Lebanon High School is supplying the instruments for the concert.
“It’s music, a universal language,” she said. “I really hope that not only the Jewish community of the South Hills comes and attends the event. It would really be amazing for the greater community to come and just experience the beautiful music.”
She said that music can be the best therapy,
exactly the work I believed in.”
Paris took the position because she felt that it would provide her the opportunity to be an effective leader in the fight against antisemitic incidents on college campuses and the rise of extremism on both sides of the political aisle, she said.
There was a need for more Jewish education and for advocates for Jewish students, she said, noting, for example, that a chapter of the Students for Justice in Palestine recently was launched at Allderdice High School.
Then Oct. 7 changed everything, Paris said. The demand for StandWithUs’ work since then has been “unprecedented.”
“The cases that we’re seeing every day, the number of incidents, the methods of antiIsrael activists following Oct. 7 are extremely troubling,” Paris said. “I feel that StandWithUs is the right organization at the right time.”
Anti-Zionism, she said, is a form of antisemitism, which StandWithUs was created to combat.
“I feel really grateful that I have the ability and the resources and am working with the top experts to try and help,” she said.
And if she needs to be recharged, Paris knows that a trip to Israel, where she’s visited more than 20 times, will provide the needed respite.
“When I go there, I feel I get rejuvenated and reenergized,” she said. “My passion for Israel in the work that I do is reinforced by just being there and feeling positivity and engaged — feeling the (Western) Wall, floating in the Dead Sea, picking onions, doing whatever needs done — I have this very strong, tangible connection to the land, and I find new ways to fall in love with Israel every time I go.” PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
and she hopes the event brings a little of that to Pittsburgh.
“We hope to fill Beth El’s sanctuary,” Marcus said.
The free concert is recommended for ages 16-plus and is sponsored by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, StandWithUs, Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, Temple Emanuel of South Hills, the South Hills Interfaith Movement, Moving to our Center, JCC Association of North America, Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism and the Zionist Enterprises Department of the World Zionist Organization.
Those wishing to attend the concert can register at jccpgh.formstack.com/forms/ shufuni_rsvp. PJC
David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
Every Friday in the and all the time online @pittsburghj e wishchronicle.org. For home del ivery, call 412-687-1000, ext. 2
Shufuni:
Director Julie Paris Photo courtesy of Julie Paris
Headlines
Over the course of her life and career, she has been surrounded by Jews, from her schoolmates to her colleagues to her closest family members. That background has given Harris, 59, an easy familiarity with Jewish spaces, say those who have interacted with her. She has also encouraged Emhoff to embrace his Jewish identity as the second gentleman; for the first time, mezuzahs have been installed at the vice presidential residence, and Emhoff has taken a leading role in the administration’s efforts to fight antisemitism.
But Harris has also stirred concerns among some pro-Israel Jews. She has staked out positions on Israel’s war with Hamas, and the student protests against it, that are to Biden’s left and that are sympathetic to some of the war’s strongest critics.
Shmuel Rosner, an Israeli author and commentator, noted that Harris’ ascendance marks a generational departure from Biden — a man who has demonstrated a deep and abiding affection for Israel since the 1970s even amid criticism.
“The Americans have changed and we have changed,” he wrote on X on Monday. Referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his predecessor Menachem Begin, Rosner added, “Harris is not Biden, and Netanyahu is also not Begin. Her party is not Biden’s party.”
Harris’ Jewish supporters say her Jewish knowledge showed on the 2017 Israel trip. In her entry in the visitor’s book at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, she said she was “devastated by the silent testimonies of those who died in the Shoah,” the Hebrew word for the Holocaust not commonly used outside the Jewish community.
It showed, they said, in her references in a 2017 speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee to “those Jewish National Fund boxes that we would use to collect donations to
a national Jewish community relations body, Harris is in lockstep with Emhoff in what has become his most prominent role, chairing a task force that developed the Biden administration’s strategy to counter antisemitism.
“It’s hard to draw a line between the vice president and the second gentleman when it comes to their engagement on some of these issues because they have been so deeply coordinated,” she said. “If you think about the Rosh Hashanah at their home, their remarks were so complementary, because they’re both so deeply engaged in this work.”
At the event last September that Spitalnick was referencing, Emhoff gave a speech outlining progress on implementing the plan to combat antisemitism, which had been launched in May 2023. Harris followed with remarks about why the work was critical.
“We are being presented with a wake up call, the blast of the shofar,” she said, referring to the ram’s horn blasted during the High Holidays. “We are dealing with very powerful forces that are attempting to wage what I think is a full-on attack against hard-won freedoms, liberty.”
In calling for attention to antisemitism and either biases, Harris has said that she often focused on hate crimes when she was a prosecutor and then state attorney general in California. She has also been the lead administration spokesperson on another issue that, polls show, animates Jewish voters: combating abortion restrictions in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to repeal Roe v. Wade.
But when it comes to Israel, her detractors on the right see her as insufficiently supportive of the military campaign against Hamas and closer to the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, which has become increasingly critical of Israel. Perhaps ironically, critics of Israel on the left share that assessment of Harris — but see it as a positive.
the party, which sympathizes more with the Palestinian cause.”
Lily Greenberg Call, who was the first Jewish staffer to quit the Biden administration to protest its backing for Israel and who worked for Harris’ unsuccessful presidential run in 2020, said she was hopeful Harris would scale back Biden’s pro-Israel policy.
“She was the first person in the administration to use the word ceasefire,” Greenberg Call said in an interview. “I am hopeful, trying not to be too optimistic, because she does have ties to AIPAC, but she is in a better position to listen to a majority of Democratic voters who want a lasting ceasefire/hostage exchange. I also think she’s serious about fighting authoritarianism at home. She needs to fight it abroad. We can’t be funding it in Israel while trying to fight it here.”
Harris’ backers say she understands Israel’s security needs. On the 2017 visit to the country, Soifer recalled her viewing Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system and its cybersecurity capabilities.
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, a Jewish Democratic donor and longtime pro-Israel advocate, said Harris had sustained relations established on that trip, especially with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who was then the parliamentary opposition leader. They share an interest in climate issues.
“I was with her” in 2023 “when she made an announcement of a $70 million deal between Israel and America to work on climate change,” Laszlo Mizrahi said. “I think she’s personally spoken with President Herzog more than a half dozen times.”
Laszlo Mizrahi noted Harris recently screened a documentary on the sexual violence that Hamas perpetrated on Oct. 7, when its terrorists raided Israel, launching the current war. “She came out very, very strongly” against some pro-Palestinian activists denying the rape
“No excuses,” Harris said in the speech. “They must open new border crossings. They must not impose any unnecessary restrictions on the delivery of aid. They must ensure humanitarian personnel, sites, and convoys are not targeted.” Harris’ critics also take issue with sympathy she’s evinced for the nationwide student protests against the Gaza war which, Jewish students said, created a hostile atmosphere for them and saw cases of antisemitic harassment.
“They are showing exactly what the human emotion should be, as a response to Gaza,” Harris told The Nation earlier this month. “There are things some of the protesters are saying that I absolutely reject, so I don’t mean to wholesale endorse their points. But we have to navigate it. I understand the emotion behind it.”
On Monday, the right-leaning Zionist Organization of America condemned Harris for the remark. ZOA President Morton Klein said it was “unconscionable” that Harris would reject the statements but not any actions taken by protesters, which Jewish groups and students said had at times veered into violence and intimidation.
Discussing the recent protests in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Harris did condemn some campus protest activities, saying that when she was a prosecutor, she would tell police, “If there’s vandalism, I’m charging them. If there’s violence, I’m charging them, you can be sure.”
Harris’ backers say they are ready for the waves of opposition research that Republicans will deploy in trying to peel off the overwhelming Jewish majorities that have long voted for Democrats. Laszlo Mizrahi said the Jewish donors and fundraisers she knew were relieved at Harris’s elevation after weeks of anxiously wondering whether Biden would step down.
“We’ve moved from agonizing to organizing,” she said. PJC
p Kamala Harris affixes a kippah to the head of her husband, Douglas Emhoff, as they visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem in November 2017. Photo by Halie Soifer
Opinion
Joe Biden was a remarkable president for Israel — and very likely the last of his kind
Guest Columnist
Dan Perry
Joe Biden will be remembered as a landmark U.S. president when it comes to America’s relationship with Israel — and maybe the last of his kind.
As a member of the generation that came of age in the years immediately after World War II and the establishment of Israel, Biden has throughout his political career been a friend of the version of Israel that dominated the discourse in those years. It was seen as an underdog country, central to the Judeo-Christian tradition, turned into an unlikely success story by a plucky people marked by the devastation of the Holocaust.
To Biden and his peers, Israel was seen as having laid a marker in the sand — not just for the Jewish birthright in the Holy Land but also for Western civilization in the Middle East.
Biden not only became the only U.S. president to visit Israel during wartime during a trip last October, but also, a little over a year before, visited Israel and declared himself “a Zionist” in conversation with Prime Minister Yair Lapid. This, in an era in which the word has become a slur in much of the West.
As Biden on Sunday announced he would not accept the Democratic nomination for president, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place, the vision of a president who might approach the Jewish
state with such warmth and admiration dissipated. However Biden chooses to deal with Israel in his remaining months in office, the fact is that Israelis are unlikely to be so lucky in the American leaders who will follow him.
Forget the gaslighting from Israel’s far-right government, which would have us believe that Biden has been bad for Israel.
to restore some version of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza and entering talks (which could last forever) on Palestinian statehood — and receiving in return an alliance with not just Saudi Arabia and other Sunni nations, but also increased diplomatic ties to the West, arrayed against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
A proposal like this is a proposal born of
Whatever happens, the exit of Biden will be a changing of the guard.
That false impression is based on valid disagreements about how to conduct the Gaza War — and also on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal antipathy to the liberal world, and to the U.S. Democratic Party. Even if Biden held up some munitions to Israel in recent months, amid disagreements over the war in Gaza, the fact is that the administration mostly enabled Israel’s hugely unpopular effort to remove Hamas from Gaza despite the enormous cost in the lives of Gaza civilians, among whom Hamas is embedded and whose lives Hamas is knowingly and even giddily sacrificing.
Moreover, the Biden administration has made mighty efforts since Oct. 7 to help Israel create an exit plan from the war it launched in reaction to the Hamas invasion — a gesture of friendship, as he understands how devastating a longer-term war in Gaza would be to Israel.
His plan would involve Israel agreeing
Poland, personally
After completing my second year as a high school English teacher, I wa s fortunate to participate in Classrooms Without Borders’ “Poland Personally” seminar. During our visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, I was asked to read at our candlelight memorial service.
The quote looked familiar; I realized that it was the same one that I photographed when I was a student 10 years ago visiting the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. It reads:
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.”
— Martin Niemöller
As an adolescent, these words opened my eyes to the perils of staying silent, or even indifferent, in the face of injustice. How would I feel if I was being persecuted and there was no one left to speak for me? Or worse — they simply chose not to speak out because it did not affect them?
I also considered this quote’s extension to daily life and the importance of addressing hate or unkindness of any magnitude. Now that I am a teacher, this quote is even more significant to me as I carry the responsibility of demonstrating advocacy and kindness to my students and teaching them about what can happen if hatred is unaddressed.
Since returning to the United States, I’ve reflected and grappled with my experiences, but my main question remains: How do I use my voice to commemorate the lives lost and to denounce hate in any capacity, especially in the classroom?
This seminar provided me with countless experiences, all accompanied by a Holocaust survivor, Howard Chandler, which I can share with my students and integrate into my district’s Holocaust curriculum. This will preserve Howard and t he millions of other victims’ memories long after they are gone.
Visiting Jewish ghettos, Auschwitz I, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Majdanek, as well as Howard’s hometown with him
respect. If Israel’s government were rational, it would embrace this plan with extreme prejudice, and even take some risks and make some sacrifices to bring it about. That’s especially true because, given how the tide of public sentiment has turned against Israel across the West since the onset of war, Israel is practically unlikely to have an American president present such a well-formed and advantageous plan to it ever again.
And Biden’s plan is a reasonable response to the challenge posed by Iran, which has surrounded Israel on all sides with proxy militias dedicated to its destruction.
I don’t think this is a high-probability scenario, but it is at least possible that Biden will be freed, in his lame-duck status, to try to push this project forward with some new fierceness. It could be interesting, if he does so, to see how Israel’s relationship with the U.S. evolves through the rest of his term.
transferred a responsibility to me to bear witness to his suffering to help my students feel more personally connected to events that took place before they were born.
As I reflect on this experience, the word “personally” has stuck in my mind. Going into this trip, I did not give much thought to the seminar’s name: “Poland Personally.” I assumed the “personal” aspect of Poland was to visit the sites of the Holocaust and bear witness so that I could deliver a firsthand account to my students.
But I came to realize that understanding this hatred’s relevance to the world today to speak out against present/future injustice is just as important as preserving the stories of Holocaust survivors, as well as those who perished. An educator at the seminar emphasized the importance of being proactive rather than reactive in teaching our students about hate and injustice in the world.
Being proactive minimizes the probability of hatred becoming catastrophic as it did during World War II. It prepares our students to respond to it. This personal connection adds to our individual responsibility to speak out for any victim of injustice, as Niemöller encourages us to do in the opening quote.
While at Treblinka, we had an unexpected opportunity to interact with a group of archaeologists and to watch Howard’s impromptu interview with a news team.
But there are also other possibilities, depending on what happens with the project of replacing Biden.
The easiest thing for the Democrats will be to rally behind Harris, who has been somewhat cooler toward Israel than Biden, but not so much as to meaningfully threaten a serious downgrade in support from the U.S.
Whatever happens, the exit of Biden will be a changing of the guard. I do not believe that Harris is some sort of closet s upporter of the boycott, divest and sanction movement, as some elements in the Israeli and Jewish right will likely suggest. She is a centrist and a former prosecutor, and a savvy political operator who understands how and why the U.S. must maintain a close relationship with Israel. She will support Israel, as would the other potential new leaders of the Democratic Party, and as American public opinion in fact demands.
But will she love Israel? Will she or the others manifest the emotional and visceral connection that Biden does?
I think not. In what is clearly and manifestly bad news for Israel, that ship has sailed. PJC
Dan Perry is the former chief editor of The Associated Press in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the former chairman of the Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem, and the author of two books about Israel. Follow his newsletter “Ask Questions Later” at danperry.substack.com. This story originally appeared in the Forward. To get the Forward’s free email newsletters delivered to your inbox, go to forward.com/newsletter-signup.
After his interview, a seminar participant asked him if the death of his mother, sister, and father gave his life meaning and purpose after the war. He responded that a true sense of purpose is to live a normal life — something that no victim of the Holocaust would be capable of doing. It is important to acknowledge the unfortunate amount of hatred present in the world today.
Although hate and injustice may not always look as devastating as the horrors of the Holocaust, our goal should remain the same: to speak up for each other and to allow each person to safely be their authentic self.
Each of us has a responsibility to stand up to hate and injustice wherever we see it. This seminar’s importance is immense, especially today. Sadly, this same sense of hatred that destroyed millions of stories 80 years ago is still present. Personal connection to narratives of others facing hate and oppression, and understanding just how dangerous this can be, will hopefully set the precedent for my students (and others in our lives) not to tolerate any hate or unkindness in a school setting or anywhere else.
At our core, we are all human beings worthy of respect, love and protection, no matter how our backgrounds or beliefs may differ. PJC
Carley Cavaliere is an English teacher at Avonworth High School.
Guest Columnist
Carley Cavaliere
Chronicle poll results: Toning down political rhetoric
Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following question: “Do you think that politicians will tone down their rhetoric as a result of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump?” Of the 286 people who responded, 83% said no; 11% said yes; and 6% said they didn’t know. Comments were submitted by 86 people. A few follow.
We have long since gone beyond the scope and realm of basic human decency in politics. I fear, and predict, the current political climate is going to further escalate.
Rhetoric will continue because it appeals to the Trump supporters. They have supported him throughout his vitriolic speech about Jan. 6, Hillary Clinton and threats about violence if he loses the election.
The offenders are on the left. They are incorrigible.
I believe that too many politicians are prone to harsh rhetoric to make their
points. I also firmly believe that Donald Trump has established a toxic environment that allows such hatred to thrive.
As long as we keep on thinking of everything as a “fight,” no one will be toning down anything. The Republican convention was not toned down. ... each speaker seemed to be shouting about what is bad now, rather than waxing poetic about what could be good. Every time a politician says, “I will fight for you,” they are feeding this mania. Executives need to run a vast machine (not control a monarchy), legislators need to find consensus toward the common good and judges need to serve justice with impartiality.
Does a tiger ever lose its stripes? Can a leopard ever get rid of its spots? Politicians (at least the current generation) thrive on controversy and have sadly proven to be incapable of subtlety, compromise or moderation. I will not be holding my breath expecting any “toning down of rhetoric.”
Those on the left fail to recognize that their rhetoric is just as inflammatory as those on the right.
Haredim aren’t Israel’s only draft dodgers
Are ultra-Orthodox refusals to serve in the Israel Defense Forces a threat to the Jewish state’s survival? According to conventional wisdom since Oct. 7, the answer is a resounding yes. Of the many conceptions shattered on that Simchat Torah, perhaps few were as critical as the IDF’s belief that it could succeed as a “small and smart” army.
As it became increasingly clear that Israel does not have enough soldiers to defend itself against Hamas, Hezbollah and the rest of Iran’s regional proxies, the Israeli public’s attention — and anger — turned toward the ultra-Orthodox. While opposition to Haredi draft exemptions historically revolved around questions of fairness, disturbing realizations about the IDF’s manpower shortage suddenly morphed the debate into a question of Israel’s very survival.
There’s just one problem: Too many Israelis are already avoiding the military — and they’re not Haredi.
In early 2023, Israel’s state comptroller published concerning findings about IDF draft numbers. From all potential recruits in 2021, 31.4% avoided enlisting, of which only 17.6% listed torato umanuto (“Torah is his profession”) as their reason for not joining the army.
About 45% of potential female soldiers, meanwhile, did not draft. That same year, the IDF’s Manpower Directorate published recruitment rates per city. In Tel Aviv-Yafo (hardly a Haredi stronghold), only 68% of eligible recruits joined the army, compared to the nearby city Modi’in, in which over 90% of eligible men and 84% of eligible women drafted.
In the interests of fairness — and as a non-Israeli citizen — I won’t pass judgment on those who don’t draft, but I’ll let the IDF do it for me. In a meeting earlier this year with senior figures in Israel’s judicial system, Alon Matzliach, head of the IDF unit that oversees the selection and placement of new soldiers, made revelations that attracted only a fraction of the attention they deserved.
“There are young people who received a mental health exemption in recent years, and are suddenly coming to us to enlist because of the war,” Matzliach said. “So we tell them, ‘But you’re schizophrenic!’, and then they tell us, ‘No, it’s not mine or not me, it’s mom who took care of it.” According to Yedioth Ahronoth’s Yoav Zeitoun, who broke the story, the IDF estimates that thousands of 18-year-olds pay professionals to help them attain exemptions, despite being perfectly fit for military service. Indeed, in 2020, the IDF received 2,000 requests for draft exemptions on mental health grounds. In 2023, that number jumped to 9,000.
Summing up Matzliach’s concerns, Zeitoun wrote, “For a few thousand shekels for a lawyer and psychologist ... any 17-year-old can easily receive an exemption from military service
on mental health grounds, and the IDF can’t do anything about it.” The issue is so serious, according to Zeitoun, that Matzliach plans to “declare war on the phenomenon.”
Unfortunately, mental health isn’t the only issue the IDF believes is being exploited to avoid military service. Given the challenges dati girls (from religious Zionist families) often face in the army, many of them opt instead for sherut leumi, an alternative form of national service. Matzliach, however, expressed frustration at the continued trend of girls pretending to be religious in order to attain military exemptions, noting that he comes across girls “who learned in totally secular schools, and suddenly months before the draft date she becomes religious.”
To be sure, there are also promising trends among Israel’s youth. In the past year, Matzliach said, despite having the option of sherut leumi, the number of dati girls who enlisted in the army doubled.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that while Haredim are the most homogenous group to not serve, they’re far from the only Israelis avoiding the draft.
I understand the anger directed at the ultra-Orthodox by Israelis who continue to make unspeakable sacrifices to protect the Jewish state. On Oct. 6, I didn’t know a single person buried on Mount Herzl. When, in June, I visited it for the first time since Oct, 7, I found three people I know buried within 20 meters of each other. If before Oct. 7, it was unfair for an increasingly large and influential segment of the population to avoid carrying
Very few politicians of either party care to support the interests of those who voted them in office. All they care about is staying in office, protecting their position and getting as much money and as many perks as they possibly can. I’ve voted in every election since becoming eligible to vote. I am 81. I’ve seen how it can and should be, and I’ve seen what it’s become. Most of these politicians are self-serving and have little concern for our country or its citizens.
Much of the American public is angry at the distinction which has been brought about by the extreme rhetoric and vilifying the other. It will take a hugely bright statesman to turn that ship around.
It will get worse. PJC
— Compiled by Toby Tabachnick
Chronicle weekly poll question: Should Kamala Harris be the Democratic presidential nominee? Go to pittsburghjewish chronicle.org to respond. PJC
that burden, the IDF’s manpower shortage now disturbingly on display leaves little room for doubt that continued draft exemptions for the overwhelming majority of Haredim is simply indefensible.
Of course, it bears mentioning that not all Haredim avoid military service. According to a 2023 document published by the Knesset’s Research and Information Center, over 20,000 Haredim joined the IDF between 2010 and 2020. And while 1,800 recruits per year may seem somewhat insignificant (and the IDF has acknowledged that those numbers are inflated), there’s reason to believe that Haredi attitudes toward military service are slowly but surely changing for the better — particularly after Oct. 7.
Unfortunately, slow changes that are largely invisible from the outside are unlikely to offer Israelis much solace, and understandably so. The question of Haredim serving in the IDF desperately needs to be solved. But to hone in on the ultra-Orthodox while ignoring thousands of other Israelis who avoid the army is not only unfair — it belittles an issue that is hurting Israel’s ability to defend itself against those who want to repeat the horrors of Oct. 7 until there’s no Israel left to defend.
The Jewish state deserves — and needs — better. PJC
Josh Feldman is an Australian writer who focuses primarily on Israeli and Jewish issues. His work has appeared in English and Hebrew in leading American, Israeli, Australian and international publications.
Life & Culture
Sheet pan summer squash
and local, this is a way to cook them to bring out their best.
By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle
Ipicked up beautiful zucchini and yellow squash at my farmers market and couldn’t wait to prepare them as part of an easy weeknight dinner. I love using sheet pans to roast vegetables because I don’t have to stand over the stove stirring for more than a half-hour.
It’s such a timesaver and, by using the broiler at the end, you get the caramelized look and the flavor of grilled vegetables without the extra work.
I enjoy the simplicity of using olive oil, salt and pepper to allow the flavor of the vegetables to shine. When the vegetables are fresh
Ingredients:
2 medium yellow summer squash
2 medium zucchini squash
1½-2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Set the oven to 425 F and place the wire rack in the upper third of the oven.
Wash the squash and slice off both ends.
Cut the squash vertically into ¼-inch-wide pieces — I usually get 4-5 pieces per squash.
Place the squash in a single layer on a large sheet pan. Don’t line the pan with parchment paper because it will burn when you put on the broiler.
By Toby Tabachnick | Editor
If you’re a fan of Mel Brooks’ 1974 horror film spoof “Young Frankenstein” and hope that Pittsburgh CLO’s version of the musical stays true to the source, you won’t be disappointed.
In fact, one could argue the CLO show, which opened at the Greer Cabaret Theater on July 19 and runs through Sept. 1, is even better than the movie.
With more than a dozen songs added to the book (written by Brooks and Thomas Meehan), the show includes all the iconic lines and scenes revered by “Young Frankenstein” devotees, but makes them funnier with the addition of Brooks’ witty lyrics and catchy tunes, enhanced by the musical direction of Robert Neumayer.
The film was a satire of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein,” which centered around Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his attempt to create life from death. “Young Frankenstein” tells the saga of Victor’s grandson, the celebrated brain scientist Frederick Frankenstein, who, after his grandfather’s death, travels to Transylvania to claim his inheritance.
The musical opened on Broadway in 2007 to mixed reviews and closed in 2009 after 484 performances. A revised version of the show opened in London’s West End in 2017.
The two-plus hour CLO performance had its pre-opening audience in stitches. The crowd laughed, as one would expect, whenever the name Frau Blücher (played brilliantly by Theo Allyn) was mentioned — followed by the whinny of a horse — and every time Igor’s hump moved. But the songs, quintessential Brooks and coupled with clever choreography by director Joel Ferrell, contributed to the audience’s enthusiastic response.
The casting couldn’t have been better.
sides browned, gently flip them before you put the broiler on and roast for an additional 5-7 minutes or until fork-tender.
Every oven runs a bit differently, so stay close to the oven while these are broiling. A few charred spots add to the flavor, but you don’t want the squash to blacken.
Allow the squash to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Drizzle the olive oil over the squash; if you have a pastry/sauce brush, use that to
prinkle generously with sea salt and black pepper, and pop it into a preheated oven to roast for 20-25 minutes.
There is no need to turn the squash during cooking, but if you’d like to get both
While no one could match Marty Feldman’s film portrayal of Igor, Anthony Marino comes close. His impish looks, expressive eyes and wiry movements, combined with his expert comedic timing, made him a delight to watch.
Daniel Krell, a leading actor for years in Pittsburgh’s theater scene, handily took on the roles of Inspector Hans Kemp and the blind hermit. I am happy to report the soup scene is intact and also hysterical.
Recent Carnegie Mellon University grad Susana Cordón echoed the late great Madeline Kahn’s portrayal of Elizabeth, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein’s prissy fiancée, while making
I find this to be the easiest way to cook squash. You can follow the same recipe for other kinds of squash, like delicata squash — but you may need to cook a firmer squash for an extra 5-10 minutes because of the denser consistency of the flesh.
Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.
the role her own — particularly shining during her rendition of “Please Don’t Touch Me.” And Alex Sheffield, another recent CMU grad, did more than justice to the role of Inga, the doctor’s sexy lab assistant. The crowd knew that a “roll in the hay” was coming when she was introduced and, happily, Brooks turned that refrain into a frothy song.
Dan Deluca plays the good doctor with rousing energy and just the right level of intensity for a mad scientist. When he took the stage along with the monster, played to perfection by Tim Hartman, for the show-stopping “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” the audience literally couldn’t stop laughing. That scene alone is worth the price of a ticket. B ob Lavellee’s scenic designs set exactly the right mood and Alexander Righetti’s creative costumes go a long way to bridge the gap between the genres of old-school horror film and 20th-century satire.
“Young Frankenstein” is pure fun. And for Brooks fans, it’s a must-see.
While the show runs until Sept. 1, ticket availability is limited. The show contains adult content and is recommended for mature audiences. PJC
Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
p Sheet pan summer squash
Photo by Jessica Grann
p Anthony Marino, Dan DeLuca, Theo Allyn and Alex Sheffield in Pittsburgh CLO’s “Young Frankenstein” Photo by Kgtunney Photography
p Tim Hartman in Pittsburgh CLO’s “Young Frankenstein”
Photo by Kgtunney Photography
Life & Culture
When Bob Newhart was my rabbi — and I was his
By Rabbi Bob Alper
I’m six months shy of 80 and, in two weeks, I’ll head from Vermont to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to do 75 minutes of stand-up comedy. Why am I still out there? As Bob Newhart, who died last week at 94, explained, it was worth it to him to take his shoes off at airport security to be able to have the opportunity to make people laugh. Me too.
It’s amazing to think that Bob Newhart has been my most important role model since 1960. That’s when his enduringly funny comedy album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” made its debut. A high school junior, I memorized the routines, and when I attended Jewish youth conclaves, I nervously took the stage on talent night and performed them word-for-word. People laughed. I grew confident. And the girls — the girls — really paid attention. Comedy, I realized, was good. It never occurred to me that I could ever become a professional comedian. I pursued a logical spiritual and vocational goal, became a rabbi, served large congregations and then, on a whim, entered Philadelphia’s “Jewish Comic of the Year Contest” in 1986, coming in third behind a chiropractor and a lawyer. It launched my surprising second career that I adore.
In nearly every interview people ask about my comedy journey, and nearly always inquire about my comedian inspirations. I look like Steve Martin, and Jackie Mason was a rabbi, but, I always explain, it was Bob Newhart whom I admired more than all the others — and not just cause we’re both named Bob. Newhart, who started out as an accountant, was, by all reports, a mensch. He led an admirable personal life: a 60-year marriage as a lovwing husband and devoted father and grandfather. No drama. No scandals. A quiet, unassuming man despite
hurtful, never insulting (this despite his best friend being Don Rickles). Newhart’s work, including his namesake sitcoms, was just guffaw-inducing humor that is as brilliant today as it was in the 1960s. In fact, when I saw him perform years ago, he did some new material, but it was his sharing routines from his decades-old albums, which I knew by heart, that had me laughing the most.
Perhaps surprisingly, of all the many comedians I’ve watched throughout the years, it was Bob Newhart, a practicing Roman Catholic, who served as my personal model. Newhart’s stage presence was low-key, gentle, and his slight stammer made him seem even somewhat vulnerable. I suspect it was his grounding in his faith that inspired his alwaysrespectful and yes, sweet, style of comedy.
About 10 years ago I performed at The Chautauqua Institution and learned that Newhart would be appearing the following week. I shared my admiration with my contact there, and two weeks later a signed headshot appeared in my mailbox. It’s a precious possession, exemplifying his kindness and comedic brilliance in just four clever words. He wrote, “To Rabbi Bob Newhart.” How’s that for economy?
“May his memory be a blessing,” we say. Whenever I hear the words, “The Grace L. Ferguson Airline and Storm Door Company” from one of Newhart’s routines, I chuckle.
And it’s at that moment that Bob Newhart’s memory is unquestionably a blessing. PJC
Rabbi Bob Alper is a stand-up comic who performs internationally. Alper and his wife Sherri live in Vermont, but they don’t run an inn. This story originally appeared in the Forward. To get the Forward’s free email newsletters delivered to your inbox, go to forward.com/newsletter-signup.
Bob Newhart, who shared my first name, saved himself a penstroke.
Photo courtesy of Bob Alper
Life & Culture
With culture, joy and quest to educate, Ukrainian band coming to Pittsburgh
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
Acheery Ukrainian band will treat Pittsburghers to a taste of home on July 31, as Kommuna Lux brings its self-described “bohemian Black Sea coastal vibe” to the Original Pittsburgh Winery.
The show, which is part of the group’s North American tour, will support The Kyiv Rotary Club’s Hospital Beds for Kramatorsk project. Funds raised from the concert will guarantee new beds for severe burn victims at hospitals across the Ukrainian front lines, as well as provide medicine and protective equipment to organizations throughout Ukraine, according to band members.
Kommuna Lux traveled to the U.S. last year, but it’s “very necessary to make a second stop,” manager Viktor Lykhodko told the Chronicle. The shows not only “spread our culture but spread information about what is going on in our country.”
Ukraine has been at war with Russia for nearly a decade. In February 2022 the conflict escalated after Russia invaded Donbas, an eastern Ukrainian territory. Hundreds of thousands of people have died due to fighting.
The war has been largely forgotten, Lykhodko said: “We feel that we have a special mission not only to perform, to share music, to share culture, to share our energy but also to remind people all over the world and especially in the United States — in the biggest country, in the most powerful country — that war is still going, and people are still suffering.”
Kommuna Lux clarinetist Volodymyr Gitin said the tour is intended to “raise the spirits of our people.”
The group’s music encompasses several styles.
“We play klezmer, we play Ukrainian folk, we play Odessa folk,” Lykhodko said. As opposed to featuring “traditional things,” Kommuna Lux delivers concert-goers the “special atmosphere of Odessa city with its special culture.”
Located in southern Ukraine along the Black Sea’s northwest shore, Odessa is the country’s third most populous city and has a rich Jewish history dating to the late 18th century.
The city and its Jewish population rapidly expanded during the last 200 years. In 1831, 51,378 of Odessa’s 193,513 residents were Jewish. By 1873, there were 138,935 Jews among the 403,815 people living in Odessa. In 1939, on the eve of World War II, Odessa had 604,217 inhabitants; 200,981 were Jews, according to the Jewish Virtual Library.
“The Holocaust decimated Odessa’s Jewish population. Following pogroms, massacres and deportations, by January 1943 only 54 Jewish forced laborers — including men, women, and
children — lived in Odessa,” according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia, a project of the United
“Almost each of us, more or less, in our family history, have connections with Judaism,” Lykhodko said.
Gitin said that, at one point, the band had two Jewish members but now is down to one.
Still, Kommuna Lux has a strong Jewish presence, he said.
“People who are Jewish and who understand Jewish history and Odessan history,” can appreciate the group’s influences, the Jewish clarinetist added.
Many of Kommuna Lux’s songs stem
from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, a period when nearly 30% of Odessa’s population was Jewish, Lykhodko said.
During the last decade, the band has toured Europe, Israel and the U.S. The experience proved that “people all over the world are really kind and wonderful,” Lykhodko said. “People from everyday life — not like people who make decisions about processes — but usual people, simple people, are very kind and helpful.”
At the start of each tour, “we think about our mission, we think about how to plan everything, but in the process [of touring] we meet a lot of people at our concerts, people who invite us to their houses to have a rest and offer hospitality,” Gitin said. “We feel this and remember this.”
The best part of touring is communicating with new people, he continued.
“When it happens,” he said, “you understand that music is music, concerts are concerts, our mission is our mission, but that people have their own world and the world is very interesting and very warm.” PJC
The Original Pittsburgh Winery & Calliope Presents: Kommuna Lux on July 31. Doors open at 7 p.m. Show at 8 p.m. 21 and over. Tickets are available at pittsburghwinery.com.
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
Photo courtesy of Diana D’Angelo
Linda and Stuart Nyman joyfully announce the marriage of their daughter Nicole to . Rabbi Mark Mahler officiated the June ceremony. Nicole is the granddaughter of the late Shirley and Harold Schorr, Ella Nyman and the late Ben Nyman. Danny is the son of Alyshia and Andy Verb, and the grandson of the late Sue Goldberg, Earl Goldberg, and Lois and Bob Verb. The PJC
Each week, at the conclusion of the Torah reading, the haftorah is read.
The haftorah is a portion from the Prophets, usually one which matches the theme of the Torah portion of the week, but at times chosen to match the events on the Jewish calendar.
Currently we are in the three-week period of mourning, book-ended by the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av. During this time, we lament the destruction of the first and second Holy Temples and the exiles which followed. We reflect on the suffering our people have experienced — indeed, still are experiencing — and work toward bringing about a better, more G-dly, world. The haftorahs for these weeks are referred to as the “three of affliction.”
meaning and inspiration from his life and message. Today, many wonder how we can overcome the forces of evil that seek to destroy us. It can feel like an insurmountable burden, not just to live as a Jew, but also to be a positive influence on our surrounding. How can we bring G-d’s light into a world that seems to have turned against us?
Jeremiah, too, asked this question of G-d. When G-d informs him that, “I have made you a prophet to the nations,” he responds, “Alas, O Lord G-d! Behold, I know not to speak for I am a youth.” He did not feel up to the immense task of bringing G-d’s word to the world.
In response G-d tells him, and each of us, “Fear them not, for I am with you.” True, we alone are not capable of overcoming the challenges we face, but this need not worry us, because we are never alone. When we recognize that we face these challenges as G-d’s representatives in the world, when we know that G-d is always with us in our
KleZlectic, Pittsburgh's premiere klezmer band, available for parties, events and concerts. Klezmer, jazz, popular and classical music. To listen and find out more, go to janicecoppola.com or contact Janice at janicecoppolatimes10@gmail.com or call (412)735-5973
The first of this series, read this week, is from the beginning of the book of Jeremiah. In it we read of his prophesy regarding the destruction of the Temple, a future he had the misfortune to see come to pass in his lifetime. His prophesy includes G-d’s warning that “From the north (i.e. the Babylonians) the misfortune will break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land (of Israel).”
sorrow, we can be confident that we will overcome. We can know with absolute certainty that He will give us the strength to endure and thrive.
Grandma’s VERY Old Vintage/ Designer Clothing,
&
Jeremiah was a prophet in a dark and painful period in Jewish history, and he did not shy away from facing that darkness head on. He met the Jewish people where they were and encouraged them to turn to G-d.
In recent years, as the Jewish people are once again under direct attack, we can find
In these difficult times, we remind ourselves that, “They shall fight against you but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you says the Lord, to save you.” Regardless of how difficult, no matter how painful, there is no room for despair because G-d is always there with us. PJC
Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld is the rabbi at the Lubavitch Center and the executive director of Chabad of Western Pennsylvania. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabonim of Greater Pittsburgh.
Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld
Parshat Pinchas
Abbie Tyler Photography
Obituaries
BERNSTEIN: Karen Bernstein, 83, passed away peacefully on July 21, 2024, surrounded by her immediate family and friends. Born on July 12, 1941, Karen was the daughter of Cylvia and Louis Tanowitz, and the wife of Tommy Bernstein with whom she shared a loving marriage for over 61 years; sister to the late Ian Tanowitz, and loving mother of Michael (Amy), Todd and the late Marci Bernstein. As a proud and devoted grandmother, Karen enjoyed nothing more than hosting her grandchildren at their house on Longboat Key, Florida, where she enjoyed swimming, playing on the beach and sharing favorite recipes with her five grandchildren, Max, Sammy, AJ, Charly and Allegra Bernstein. Cherished aunt to Robin Herbol, Michael Tanowitz, Hollie ShanerMcCrae, Nan Rehfeld and Andrew Bernstein, with whom Karen shared years of laughter, adventure and family memories. Karen lived life on her terms, approaching every challenge with fearlessness and a positive attitude. Karen attended the inaugural class of Hillel Institute in 1948 as the first girl in the class of 17 students. She later attended Roosevelt elementary school and graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in 1959. After two years at Dean Junior College in Franklin, Massachusetts, Karen returned to Pittsburgh in 1961. Karen and Tommy met shortly thereafter and married on May 26, 1963, at Poale Zedeck synagogue in Squirrel Hill. While tragedy struck the young couple early with the loss of their daughter, Marci, Karen persevered and built a fulfilling life around her love of family, friends, travel, canasta, golf and philanthropy. Always upbeat and never afraid to voice her opinion, Karen was a fierce supporter of her friends and family who have many stories and memories to carry with them. With the establishment of the Marci Lynn Bernstein Foundation in the early 1990s Karen immersed herself in philanthropic work, particularly within the Sarasota, Florida, community that became her home. Karen served on the boards of the Sarasota Manatee Jewish Federation where she helped co-found the Woman’s Giving Circle; the Israel Tennis & Educational Center, and other community-based initiatives in Sarasota, Florida. Karen remained herself until the very end, making her family laugh with her directness, unique expressions and honest opinions. She was a role model for us all and will be deeply missed. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel. Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. The family kindly requests friends and loved ones consider a contribution to the Tree of Life - Remember.Rebuild.Renew. Campaign, 107 Woodland Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15232 (thetreeoflife.org/donate).
CARLSON: Gregory Neal Carlson, 48, of Pittsburgh (formerly of Mill Valley, California, and Richardson, Texas), passed away on July 19, 2024. Greg is survived by his parents, Sheryl and Todd Carlson; wife, Marni Greenwald; and beloved 10-year-old daughter, Hannah. He is also survived by his brother Drew Carlson and his wife, Marcia; and nieces and nephews Rebecca, Scott and Melanie Carlson; Jonah and Sophie Golomb; Caleb, Remmie and Harlow Greenwald. After graduating from Richardson High School in Dallas, Texas, Greg moved to Pittsburgh in 1994 to attend Carnegie Mellon University. There, on his first day, he met his future wife, Marni. They were together for 30 years. Greg graduated in 1998 from Carnegie Mellon with a degree in civil engineering. He spent his career working in construction management and was recognized as one of the smartest and most competent people. He was an excellent craftsman, working in multiple media. Greg was an avid reader, deep thinker, and loved to listen to music. He adored his Saint Bernard, Valentine. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Greg’s name to Community Day School, 6424 Forward Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Funeral Home. Interment private. Greg will be sorely missed by all who loved him.
Dr. Byron Amdur Eliashof passed away peacefully at his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 7, 2024, at the age of 89 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was surrounded by his loving family, friends, caretakers and his dog, Ivy. Byron was born in 1935 in Pittsburgh. He was the only child of Leon H. Eliashof and Eleanor Amdur Eliashof. Byron graduated from Yale University in 1956, where he earned an A.B. in history. He graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York in 1961,where he met his wife, Pamela. Byron and Pamela were married in 1960. He completed his residency in psychiatry at Massachusetts Mental Health Center and was a fellow in child psychiatry at the Beth Israel Hospital, both of Harvard University in Boston. He joined the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army in 1965 and was stationed at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, where he specialized in both adult and child psychiatry. After completing his service, he and Pam loved the people and climate of Hawaii so much they decided to make
Contact the Development department at 412-586-2690 or development@jaapgh.org for more information. THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS —
Sunday July 28: Alfonso Augustine Abbatiello, Morris H Barr, Florence Hoffman Caplan, Morris Goldstein, Bessie Harris, Dr Julius A Katzive, Neff Kruman, Fannie Lubarsky, Joseph Marcus, Leonard Wolinsky
Monday July 29: Sam Burckin, Benjamin Cooper, Robert Davidson, Elizabeth Felser, Abe Finer, Charles J Goldberg, Diane Cooper Goldstone, Mary Goodman, Kenneth Israel, Beatrice Kohn, Lewis Leventon, Harry Lipner, Max Marcus, Joseph Mormanstein, Robert (Bob) Platt, Dr Jacob Daniel Schwartz, Ruth F Zeiden, Ben Zimet
Tuesday July 30: Irene Chizeck, Sarah Conn, Mary Galanty, Sara Itzkovitz, Regina Linder, Max S Malt, Bennie Morgan, Harry J Rosen, Henry Rudick, Anna Sambol, Ann Averbach Sarkin, Albert Sloan, Cantor
Louis Strauss
Wednesday July 31: Arthur Abelson, Sara Rider Brenner, Martin Fried, Rose Zelmanovitz Gottlieb, Myra Ruth Edelstein Harris, Harry M Jacobson, Phyllis Kaiser, Morris Mermelstein, Rose Monheim, Harold L Neuwirth, Esq ., Frieda F Riemer, Norman S Rom, Gilbert Solomon, Louis Tucker
Thursday August 1: Ben Block, Hyman Chizeck, Minnie Cohen, Harry Kallus, Paul A Kleinerman, Dr Ralph Herman Markus
Friday August 2: Gertrude M Adams, Ella Amper, Marian S Beck, Samuel H Bigler, Tillie Dentel, Harry Louis Diamond, Sidney Elinow, Celia M Elovitz, Meyer Feldman, Theresa Fried, Fannie Gross, Jacob M Hepner, Helene Rose Hyman, Harry Latterman, Samuel Lederman, Benjamin Love, L J Marks, Tillie Michaelson, Philip Recht, Samuel Sanford Rosen, Celia Schlesinger, Louis Shapira, Nathan Sniderman, Herbert Speiser, Rose Stern, Frank Sussman
Saturday August 3: Yetta Burke, Anna Goldberg Cody, David M Fineman, Sigmund Fleisher, Sylvia Goldstein, Edith Lena Kaplan, Joseph Konigsberg, Harold Levy, Rose Liberman, Sylvia Weiner Markovitz, Theodore Marks, Samuel Recht, Sam Rosen, Sarah Rosenthal, Abraham Saffran, Mollie Slutsky, Isadore Sobel, Freda Tauberg, Bertha Harris Wolf
NOTICE OF HEARING
IN RE: PETITION OF CONGREGATION BETH JACOB, A PENNSYLVANIA UNINCORPORATED NON-PROFIT CORPORATION AND THE BETH JACOB CEMETERY FUND, A PENNSYLVANIA NON-PROFIT CORPORATION TO APPROVE A FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE; Case No. 02-24-3487 in the Orphan’s Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Notice is hereby given that the Court has set a hearing on the Petition of Congregation Beth Jacob and the Beth Jacob Cemetery Fund to approve a Fundamental Change in the form of the transfer of the ownership and management of the Beth Jacob Cemetery and the transfer of certain funds held by the Beth Jacob Cemetery Fund to the Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh. The hearing will be held in the Orphans’ Court Division, Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 437 Grant Street, 17th floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on August 6, 2024, at 10.30 A.M. before the Honorable Michael F. Marmo. Any interested person is invited to attend. Information may be obtained from Robert J. Garvin Esq., Goldberg, Kamin & Garvin LLP, 437 Grant Street, Suite 1806, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219, phone (412) 281-1119; Attorney for Petitioner.
It’s Important To Pre-Plan.
An unbroken chain of memory holds us together through the years and through the generations.
It’s Important To Pre-Plan.
The Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh (JCBA) welcomes inquiries about the purchase of burial plots in JCBA cemeteries.
Community Unveiling
The Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh (JCBA) welcomes inquiries about the purchase of burial plots in JCBA cemeteries.
Obituaries
Obituaries:
JCBA is committed to the proper care and maintenance of sacred grounds, and is devoted to the stewardship of Jewish cemeteries in Western Pennsylvania.
Please join us as we consecrate the headstone monuments to the memories of those buried in the last year at:
JCBA is committed to the proper care and maintenance of sacred grounds, and is devoted to the stewardship of Jewish cemeteries in Western Pennsylvania.
Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery*
(JCBA’s Free Burial Cemetery)
Continued from page 19
498 Oakwood Street
Plots are available in the following JCBA cemeteries:
Shaler Township, PA 15209
Plots are available in the following JCBA cemeteries:
Agudath Achim – Beaver Falls
Agudath Achim – Beaver Falls
Agudath Achim – Hampton
Agudath Achim – Hampton
Anshe Lubovitz
Anshe Lubovitz
Beth Abraham
Beth Abraham
Machsikei Hadas
Sunday, August 25, 2024 11:00am
Machsikei Hadas
New Castle Jewish Cemeteries
New Castle Jewish Cemeteries
Poale Zedeck Memorial Park
Rabbi Seidman Officiating
B’nai Israel- Steubenville
B’nai Israel- Steubenville
Holy Society – Uniontown
Holy Society – Uniontown
Poale Zedeck Memorial Park
Rodef Shalom
Rodef Shalom
Shaare Torah
*Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery is beautiful but can be challenging to navigate. Paved walkways are limited, the ground is steep in places, and it can be muddy. Please dress accordingly and bring assistance to walk the grounds if needed. If you have any questions, or would like additional information, please call the JCBA at 412-553-6469.
Johnstown Jewish Cemeteries
Johnstown Jewish Cemeteries
Kether Torah
Kether Torah
Shaare Torah
Tiphereth Israel - Shaler
Tiphereth Israel - Shaler
Torath Chaim
Torath Chaim
Workmen’s Circle #45
Workmen’s Circle #45
The Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association is the community’s response to a vital need— providing dignified burials to Jews in need and preserving Jewish cemeteries in accordance with our laws and customs.
We anticipate plot and burial fees at all JCBA cemeteries to increase in 2025.
We anticipate plot and burial fees at all JCBA cemeteries to increase in 2025.
For more information please visit our website at www.jcbapgh.org, email us a or call the JCBA at 412-553-6469.
For more information please visit our website at www.jcbapgh.org, email us a or call the JCBA at 412-553-6469.
For more information about JCBA cemeteries,
For more information about JCBA cemeteries, to volunteer, to read our complete histories and/or to make a contribution,
“He that can’t endure the bad, will not live to see the good.”
Honolulu their home. Byron practiced psychiatry from 1967 to 2012 and was a clinical professor of psychiatry at the John A. Burns School of Medicine and a lecturer at the School of Social Work at the University of Hawaii. He was president of the Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association from 1969–1971 and later became a fellow of the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians and the American Psychiatric Association. Byron was a loving husband, father and friend. He had an adventurous spirit and loved the outdoors. In his younger years he enjoyed hiking, surfing, hobie-cat sailing, and playing tennis. He was a history buff, a world traveler, foodie, wine connoisseur and avid reader. Later in life, he enjoyed golf, movies, audio books and spending time with friends and family. He was always interested in people and loved hearing their stories. He enjoyed music and the performing arts, attending every opera in which Pamela sang in the chorus, for almost 30 years. He was a member of the Honolulu Rotary Club as well as Temple Emanu-El and the Oahu Jewish Ohana. Known for his warmth, curiosity and intellect, he is survived by his devoted wife of 63 years, Pamela, and his two sons, Mark Eliashof (Tania De Jesus) and Bruce Eliashof (Cathy Campbell) as well as by his granddaughter, Maisie Eliashof. The family wishes to express their extreme gratitude to his caregivers and friends for their kindness, dedication and loving care. A celebration of life will be held for Byron at Punchbowl National Cemetery to be announced at a later date. Instead of flowers, the family requests that you kindly make donations in his honor to the John A. Burns School of Medicine or the Hawaiian Humane Society.
HIRSCH-BRODY: Lila Hirsch-Brody, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. Beloved wife of the late Zola Hirsch and late Victor Brody. Daughter of the late Rabbi Charles B. Forman and Mrs. Shifra Forman. Beloved sister of Dr. Eli Forman, presently of West Palm Beach, Florida, and the late Charlotte Caplan, previously of Baltimore, Maryland. Aunt of Elan Forman (Shira) and their seven children, Eliza Forman-Villani and her two sons, Hilliary Caplan-Noppinger (David), and Cheryl Caplan-Zalis (Kenneth) and their son. Lila was an established Pittsburgh artist and art teacher. She taught painting classes at the JCC. She launched Zola Hirsch Special Needs Fund in memory of her late husband. Lila will be remembered as exuberant artist and teacher to the art world of Pittsburgh. Graveside service and interment were held at Beth Abraham Cemetery in Carrick. Any and all contributions may be made to Yeshivas and local places of Jewish education. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com
JACOBSON: Phyllis Jacobson, on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Beloved wife of the late Marvin Jacobson. Loving mother of Cindy Jacobson and Debbie and Joel Sigal. Cherished daughter of the late Ralph and Esther Schuetzman; sister of the late Paul Schuetzman and late Boots Schuetzman. Devoted grandmother of Justin and Megan Sigal, Emelee and Nik Mihalick, Max Rosenbloom, Tess Rosenbloom, Zeke Rosenbloom and Cole Rosenbloom. Also survived by six great-grandchildren. The family would like to thank the caregivers at Woodside Place. Service and interment private. Contributions may be made to donor’s choice. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com
Lee & Lisa Oleinick
SCHREIBER: Lillian B. Schreiber, of Squirrel Hill, passed peacefully the morning of July 2, 2024. Loving mother of Emanuel M. Schreiber and wife Elisheva; Celia Anne Schreiber and husband Itzik Lebovich of Raleigh, North Carolina; and Samuel H. Schreiber and wife Julie of Denver, Colorado; loving grandmother of Avi, Sarah, Liat, Shira and Yuval. Lillian Schreiber was a schoolteacher for most of her professional career. She taught remedial reading for over 20 years at Ingram Elementary School. After retirement, she volunteered her teaching expertise to local schools such as Community Day School. She was an active member of Young Peoples Synagogue and the local Hadassah chapter. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Beth Shalom Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lil’s memory may be made to the Jewish Association on Aging, 200 JHF Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or a charity of your choice. schugar.com
SMITH: Herman A. Smith, age 96, of Squirrel Hill, passed away on July 16, 2024 at his home surrounded by his loving family. Beloved husband of the late Selma and Marlene. Loving father of Es (Richard) Cohen, Bonnie (Steve) Koski and the late Jay (surviving wife Jill) Smith. Devoted grandfather of Justin (Sara) Presser, Matthew (Justine) Presser, Kaela (Andy) Filipek, and Zachary (fiancée Jenna Mates) Smith. Proud great-grandfather of Jackson Filipek, Sloane Presser, Harlow Presser, Caleb Presser and the late Shayna Presser. Loving brother of the late Rose Selkowitz, Sylvia Davis, Ethel Ritt and Della Weiss. Visitation and services were held at the D’Alessandro Funeral & Crematory Ltd., Butler. Interment Kether Torah Cemetery. Memorial Contributions may be made to Shayna’s Village @ Heller Family Grove /JCC of Orlando 851 N. Maitland Ave., Maitland, FL 32751. PJC
JCBA’s expanded vision is made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Jewish Community Foundation
JCBA’s expanded vision is made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Jewish Community Foundation
JCBA’s expanded vision is made possible by a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Jewish Community Foundation
Real Estate
Life & Culture
Ida (Chaya Sara) Cohen Selavan Schwarcz, z”l
By Eric Lidji | Special to the Chronicle
One of my favorite syllables in all of local Jewish history comes from a December 1969 oral history from the National Council of Jewish Women-Pittsburgh Section.
In a recording with Herman Gordon, Ida Selavan asks a simple question about the day-to-day social life of Jews in the Hill District in the 1920s and 1930s: “Were there any local meeting places like restaurants or cafes or halls where the gang would meet?”
“Yeah,” Gordon says, “Weinstein’s Restaurant up on Center Avenue.”
“Ah!” Selavan exclaims. “That’s what I was waiting for!”
The way Selavan says, “Ah” is a historical document on its own. Over three quick notes — two rising, one falling — she gives the exclamation a scholarly soulfulness that sounds half way between a rebbe quizzing students and a bubbe figuring out which grandchild stole the cookies. Before the recording started, Selavan knew anecdotally about the importance of Weinstein’s Restaurant to the history of the Jewish labor movement of the Hill District, but she wanted to get that fact on the historic record.
In her style of questioning — the rapid-fire synonyms, the informality of “the gang” — I hear an attempt to make her subjects feel understood, and therefore willing to share. In her response, not only the “Ah” but also how she condenses “that’s what I was waiting for” into a single word, I hear a scholar who prioritizes human connection.
Dr. Ida Cohen Selavan Schwarcz passed away earlier this year at 93. She was a singular figure in the local Jewish community, a scholar with vast knowledge and skill and a true spirit of independence. She leaves behind a body of work that continues to be a foundational source of information about the history of the Jewish people in the region.
Ida Cohen was born in Brooklyn in 1930, the child of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. Her parents were older and had already lost three children. It created a sense of preciousness around her childhood. According to her obituary, her parents called her “Bubbele,” meaning “little grandmother,” as a good omen for a long and full life.
She was a native Yiddish speaker, which became an advantage when recording the voices of Jewish immigrants. She often slips into Yiddish in her oral histories.
She revealed her brilliance early, excelling at multiple subjects in school. She graduated from Brooklyn College and from Rabbi Moshe Feinstein’s Hertzliah Hebrew Teachers Institute. She completed a three-year degree at Dropsie College’s Middle East Institute in two years and went to Israel in 1950 to study at Hebrew University.
Her life and education gave her wide knowledge of Jewish identity — its cultural and its religious aspects, as well as its manifestations in Europe, America and Israel.
After marrying Amos Selavan in Israel, she relocated to Pittsburgh in the mid-1950s. In the late 1960s, while raising two small children, a former Dropsie College classmate named Dr. Ailon Shiloh asked Selavan to
p Advertisement for the Nonformal Academy of Jewish Studies — Aug. 1, 1978, Jewish Chronicle, from the Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project
serve as a paid research assistant on a new oral history project being developed by the NCJWPittsburgh Section.
“My main asset, it seems, was my knowledge of Yiddish and Jewish history,” Selavan later wrote. Those assets were crucial. The initial goal of the oral history project was to record the stories of Jewish immigrants to Pittsburgh before 1924. Selavan was able to speak with these subjects on their terms. They were essentially her parents.
Her oral histories are lively, engaged, and fun with a conversational quality that remains entirely focused on her subject. Her personality shines but never out-shines.
The 1960s were a turning point for Western Pennsylvania archives. The University of Pittsburgh established its Archives of Industrial Society in 1961 to collect primary source materials of local ethnic, religious and labor groups. One of its first big collections was the NCJW-Pittsburgh Section Records in 1964.
Understanding the connection between history and identity, NCJW launched its oral history project in 1968.
Following the project, Selavan returned to school. She earned a master’s in American history and a doctorate in international education from the University of Pittsburgh, and she later earned a degree from its School of Library and Information Sciences. She later taught Yiddish at the university — one of the 10 languages she knew.
Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, Selavan produced a series of essays on local Jewish history that are still a foundation for local scholarship, half a century later.
produced through the NCJW Oral History Project, “By Myself I’m a Book” from 1971 and “My Voice Was Heard” from 1981. Her research on Jewish labor, Jewish education and early Zionism in Western Pennsylvania are still regularly cited. She revived many forgotten figures of Jewish history, people like local politician and businessman Adolph Edlis, journalist and poet Joseph Selig Glick, public health nurse Anna Heldman, child advocate Sophie Irene Simon Loeb, pre-Herzlian Zionist Ralph B. Raphael, and prolific midwife “Bubbe” Hannah Sandusky.
To appreciate the significance of her scholarship, you have to understand a basic feature of community history: a lack of secondary sources. You cannot research these sorts of subjects by reading a stack of books. The information lives in primary sources.
Today, a network of archives and a universe of digital resources make it relatively easy to find primary sources. Before the internet, though, you needed real research chops.
Selavan discovered many of her research subjects through conversations with living people. She then had to cut her own trail through the historic record. There were few archival resources available to ease this process, and of course no search engines.
For example, speaking with a 90-year-old neighbor named Etta Meyers Katz, Selavan learned about a beloved Jewish midwife in the Hill District named “Bubbe Hannah.” Hannah’s granddaughter Jennie Lencher was still living in Oakland. Selavan requested an interview, leading to a 1973 article for the American Journal of Nursing.
She’elat ,” or “Jewish Questions.” Several years before Herzl published “The Jewish State,” Raphael had proposed a Jewish return to the land of Israel as a response to global antisemitism. With her training, Selavan was not only able to read the book but to understand its historic context, leading to a 1977 article in the American Jewish Historical Quarterly.
In addition to historian, speaker and teacher, Selavan was a gifted archivist.
In the decade before the creation of the Rauh Jewish Archives, she regularly sent important historical documents to the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati. She almost single-handedly preserved a local copy of the local Yiddish newspaper “Der Volkfruend.” She compiled an early inventory of the massive NCJW-Pittsburgh Section Records. She later became a librarian at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati.
Selavan had a wonderful independent streak. Frustrated with the lack of job prospects in the 1970s, she started her own school. It was called the Nonformal Academy of Jewish Studies. It was a modern cheder for adults. Just like the chederim of old, classes were held at her home but with “no pripetchik,” as she wrote in an advertisement, a reference to an old Yiddish song about Jewish children learning before a hearth.
She combined Jewish religious enthusiasm with broad commitment to truth and justice. She was one of the founders of the Squirrel Hill chapter of the National Organization of Women. Even into her final years, she regularly used letters to the editor to clear up inaccuracies in the historic record. Through a letter to the editor, she resolved a multi-decade mix-up involving the name of the first Jewish organization in Pittsburgh.
Upon her retirement in 1995, Selavan immediately made aliyah. She later married her second husband Dr. Joseph Schwarcz and settled in the Negev. Announcing her retirement in this newspaper in April 1995, she noted that she had already become “active in the local Hadassah-Israel groups, Yiddish culture club, Congregation Adat Shalom Imanuel, the Israel Genealogical Society and AACI Senior Citizens Kempner Club.” PJC
Eric Lidji is the director of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center and can be reached at rjarchives@heinzhistorycenter. org or 412-454-6406. — HISTORY
She was a key figure in the two books
While discussing Bubbe Hannah, Lencher mentioned that her father Ralph B. Raphael had
p Ida Cohen Selavan Schwarcz
Photo courtesy of her family
Community
Design to Make a Difference
Students from area schools, including Community Day School and Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, joined Design to Make a Difference. The two-week summer camp focused on creating assistive technology solutions. Design to Make a Difference was aided by Winchester Thurston School, 412 Ability Tech, TOM Global and Allegheny Intermediate Unit.
Making mitzvot on a yahrzeit
p
Photo courtesy of Alexander Geht
p Recording a summer soundtrack
Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh
Musical memories With temperatures rising, there’s no better indoor activity than learning recorder.
Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh
Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh trustees helped prepare a meal for residents and
p
Brown, Fern Schwartz and Elaine Beck
Photo courtesy of Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh
