Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 9-30-22

Tree of Life building plans presented to public

Federation Annual Meeting brings community together in person, celebrates honorees

By Adam Reinherz | Sta Writer

Inwelcoming people to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s annual meeting, President and CEO Jeffrey Finkelstein doubled down on the importance of seeing so many people “in person.”

“Part of what makes a strong community

By David Rullo | Sta Writer

Forthe first time since last year’s announcement that Studio Libeskind would be the lead architect for a reimagined Tree of Life building, community members saw design renderings and were given the opportunity to ask questions about the project.

The two-hour public meeting held Sept. 22 over Zoom — in advance of a meeting before the city’s zoning board at an undetermined future date — featured Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition Executive Director Maria Cohen; Tree of Life Congregation Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers; Interim Chair of the recently created Tree of Life nonprofit Michael Bernstein; Rothschild Doyno Collaborative principal Dan Rothschild; and Carla Swickerath, a partner at Studio Libeskind. The meeting was facilitated by the Department of City Planning and hosted by the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition.

Myers opened the meeting, explaining “the why” of the project.

“The mission,” he said, “is to turn the evil of that day into something good. It’s not merely an obligation. That’s how we see ourselves at the Tree of Life — we have an obligation to build upon the horror of that day.”

The aspirations for the new building, he said, are to create something beautiful in the city that will be a point of pride and serve as a place to fight antisemitism and hate.

Bernstein, who in addition to his work with Tree of Life is also on the steering committee for the Eradicate Hate Global Summit held in Pittsburgh earlier this week, said the mission of the new nonprofit is to inspire, engage and enable people to act against antisemitism.

“We’re going to do that first and foremost,” he said, “by ensuring the continuity of Jewish life on this site.”

To achieve that goal, he said, the core of the building will include a sanctuary and a place for Jewish worship.

Along with thanking the more than 150 people who came downtown to the Senator John Heinz History Center for the Sept. 22 event, Finkelstein stressed the value of not only congregating but recognizing the dedicated individuals who serve Pittsburgh’s Jewish community.

Rabbi Mordy and Rivkee Rudolph received the Doris & Leonard H. Rudolph Jewish Communal Professional Award.

Photo by Adam Reinherz

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rendering of the interior of the Path of Light Photo provided by West End Strategy

Pittsburgh synagogue shooting survivors have mixed emotions about trial date

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

Fellow Tree of Life member and survivor Audrey Glickman said that when she learned of the date the voir dire is to commence, she wondered whether jury selection is simply the beginning of a long process.

for the perpetrator.

She sees another essential reason for getting the trial completed.

The

trial of the man accused of murdering 11 people and seriously wounding six others at the Tree of Life building on Oct. 27, 2018, is finally scheduled to begin with voir dire, or jury selection, on April 24, 2023.

The impending date has engendered a variety of emotions from survivors of the massacre.

“We are thrilled to have a trial date,” said Andrea Wedner, who was shot during the massacre. Her mother, Rose Mallinger, was also shot and died from her injuries.

“It’s been quite some time, and they keep telling us they’re going to have a trial date, and we don’t. So, to finally hear that is very overwhelming.”

Wedner, a member of Tree of Life Congregation, hopes the trial date will stick but said she doesn’t expect to find closure when it’s over.

“We’ll never have closure,” she said, “but it will let us get on with our lives in a way that we don’t have to think about that part anymore.”

She believes one of the reasons the trial has been delayed for so long is the process

“It will, I hope, somehow get him out of communication with everyone else in the world and stop influencing people,” Glickman said. “We know that he’s still influ

Chronicle. “A deadline reaches the ears of the murderer recalling the Prophet Amos: ‘When the shofar is sounded, does it not cause dread among the people?’ Whatever measure of justice is meted out, it cannot begin to address the immeasurable harm done to the eleven martyrs and their families.”

New Light member Barry Werber also survived the Oct. 27 attack. He said his first thought when learning that a trial date was finally been set was a simple one: “What took you so long?”

of obtaining a psychological profile of the accused murderer — something she views as unfair to the survivors.

“As the years have gone by, all of your psychological conditions have changed,” she said. “They should have assessed his psychological condition right away when he perpetrated the crime.”

Glickman said the wait hasn’t been easy, adding that a speedy trial is just as important for the victims of a crime as it is

–DANIEL LEGER

encing people. We know that people look at him, and he’s living the life of luxury in prison and nothing’s happening to him. I think now is the time to make a statement that this isn’t OK, and we can’t keep doing this.”

New Light Congregation rabbi and survivor Jonathan Perlman feels no relief with the start of the trial.

“As this season of divine justice approaches, we take small comfort in the application of human justice,” he wrote in an email to the

Werber said that the more than fouryear delay paints a poor picture of the legal system, noting that some members of his congregation, which he termed “elderly,” have passed away waiting for the start of the trial. He fears, he said, that by the time the trial begins, others will have died as well.

“And there’s still no resolution for the families or for their survivors, or for the community at large,” he said. “It just doesn’t sit right at all.”

Like Wedner, Werber doesn’t expect the beginning, nor the end, of the trial to bring closure.

“Every time it comes up in the news, every

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p Audrey Glickman Photo by Trevor K. Leong p Rabbi Jonathan Perlman Photo by Toby Tabachnick

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“This is something that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. The community’s history has been affected.”

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

IfJeff Finkelstein wasn’t well-traveled before becoming president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, he’s certainly made up for lost time during the 18 years he has led the organization.

In the last year alone, he spent time in Poland during the early days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, witnessing the plight of Jewish refugees; led Federation’s Mega Mission to Israel, visiting Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem and Karmiel Misgav; and shepherded some of the Mega Mission members to one of the newest Jewish communities in the United Arab Emirates.

It’s his latest trip, though, to Ethiopia, that Finkelstein called “one of the most impactful experiences of my life.”

Finkelstein traveled with more than 50 other Jewish leaders, including Pittsburgh Federation Treasurer Gilbert Schneider and partners from the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Agency for Israel, spending time in both Gonder and Addis Ababa.

Finkelstein wrote of the extreme poverty he saw in a pre-Shabbat email he sent to the Pittsburgh Jewish community after his return to America.

“The poverty and squalor in which these individuals and families were living was like nothing I have ever witnessed,” he wrote.

“We visited with one family in their home in Gonder. They live in a single room in a mud

walled building with no running water. They have no refrigerator or oven, just some coal they use to make coffee and cook. Five of them cram in this single room leaving little additional space for anything else.”

The family was waiting to make aliyah at a Struggle to Save Ethiopian Jewry compound, something Federations across the country have committed to support. Both aliyah and kelitah — the entering and absorption of Jewish immigrants and refugees from the African nation — are facilitated by the Jewish Agency.

Ethiopia is a landlocked country in the horn of Africa. It is primarily a Christian nation, but some have conjectured that the Muslim population, which accounted for 34% of the country’s population in 2007, has become the dominant religion.

For purposes of aliyah, Finkelstein said Israel has identified a group of 3,000 Ethiopian Jews, but the total number of Ethiopians who self-identify as part of Bet Israel, the house of Israel, could include an additional 12,000 people.

The history of Ethiopian Jewry and its rela tionship to Israel is fraught with challenges: who is — or isn’t — Jewish; students illegally overstaying visas in the 1960s; forced conver sions; two historic mass aliyahs, Operation Moses and Operation Solomon; and prejudice against some who immigrated to Israel.

Despite the struggles in the previous century, some of which continue to this day, Ethiopian Jews are anxious to create a life in Israel.

“What we heard from most people,” Finkelstein said, “is there’s been this genera tional desire for Jerusalem.”

He saw that desire firsthand when he accompanied more than 200 olim, or immi grants, from Ethiopia to their new homeland.

Finkelstein said the trip was different than ones he experienced with others making aliyah; for instance, he previously accom panied Soviet Jews to Israel. Those Jews, he explained, were coming from modern soci eties. The Ethiopian community, though, was experiencing many firsts.

“Most of these people have never been on an airplane before. And they’re leaving their homes, their home environment forever. I just think this one is very different,” he said.

It wasn’t just the Ethiopians who expe rienced something new on the trip: Finkelstein said he had never flown to Israel from the south.

“We crossed the Sinai, the Suez Canal. I was watching the map on the screen,” he said. “When we came over the Jordan River, everyone on the plane started applauding. They knew where they were. I’m getting shivers now. It was amazing. And when the plane flew out over the Mediterranean to make its landing at Ben Gurion, the whole time people were screaming and singing and cheering. When we landed, more erupted.”

Occupying seat 1A, Finkelstein was able to watch as the future Israelis exited the plane, going down the stairs with their hands raised and cheering.

The journey to Israel was complete, but Finkelstein doesn’t discount the journey ahead for the olim.

At the Ethiopian airport, Finkelstein said, some of the group met with one of the Operation Solomon architects, Micha

Feldman, known by the Ethiopian Jewish community as Abba Micha or Father Micha.

“He touched them on the forehead, which is a very cultural thing to do in Ethiopia. He said to them, ‘the toughest part is coming.’

The flight is the easy part. The absorption into Israel society is the really difficult part,” Finkelstein said.

Unlike other Jewish immigrants who are more familiar with Jewish society, the new olim will now spend up to two-and-a-half years in absorption centers learning not just Hebrew and taking conversion classes but also learning lessons important to living in a modern society — vocational skills and how to do tasks like banking.

Federations across the country have collec tively committed to raising $9 million to help the Jewish Agency with the process of assisting the Ethiopians entering Israel. Five million dollars will go toward aliyah, Finkelstein said, and $4 million toward the SSEJ compound, specifically for nutrition and security.

The importance of helping Ethiopian Jews make aliyah was highlighted during a trip to a Jewish cemetery in a village near Gonder. There is a memorial there dedicated to the Ethiopian Jews who attempted to escape to Sudan in the 1990s.

“A lot of people lost their lives on that trek, trying to make their way to Jerusalem,” Finkelstein said. “While we have the opportunity to help this group, we need to grab hold of it, so that they don’t end up like that.” PJC

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

p Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh President and CEO Jeff Finkelstein joined Ethiopian Jews for a prayer service.

Photo by Jeff Finkelstein

Headlines

Genealogists race against time to document previously abandoned White Oak cemetery

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

Oak resident and genealogist Chuck Fuller first learned of the Ahavas Achim Cemetery in White Oak nearly a decade ago after encountering the formerly brush-filled area.

Fuller tried researching the then-abandoned cemetery’s history but was unsuccessful. The cemetery remained ramshackle for years but, in 2018, Mark Pudlowski, founder of the Family of God Biblical Reasoning Center in White Oak, began repairing it.

Like Fuller, Pudlowski’s efforts were spurred by happening upon the grounds. What Pudlowski discovered, though, was that Gemilas Chesed Synagogue in White Oak owned the property. Pudlowski obtained permission to restore the cemetery and, with help from Mike Lia, and Lia’s son Daniel, cleared the overgrowth, established a 40-foot-by-40-foot boundary and installed a split-rail fence. The small team also mulched the area and erected a 3-foot wooden Star of David.

Even with the newly freshened space, much remained unknown about those buried there.

In April 2021, Fuller, who is not Jewish, connected online with Rich Katz, a Californian similarly keen on solving ancestral puzzles.

“We knew that the cemetery needed to be documented and saved,” Fuller said.

With each practitioner relying on his expertise, Fuller and Katz went to work. Fuller photographed the eight standing stones and nearby slabs. The process, he said, often required visiting the cemetery at dusk and shining light across the face of seemingly unreadable markers. By creating shadows from the text’s ridges, detected names, dates and artwork that couldn’t be seen in daylight.

Katz — a Jewish engineer living in Torrance, California — translated the photographed text from Hebrew into English before deciding,

along with Fuller, that the deceased, and the nearby area, needed more attention.

While relying on websites, including ancestry.com and jewishgen.org, as well as funeral home records and materials from the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives, Fuller and Katz determined that the cemetery land was purchased from William D. and Mary O. Peterson on Dec. 29, 1891, for $400 by four people — M. Weisy, Max Roth, J. Moskowitz and Emanuel Glick.

Despite the deed failing to mention a congregation or organization, Fuller and Katz posited that M. Weisy is the same Morris Weis who was a trustee named on the Ahavas Achim synagogue charter.

Founded in 1890, Ahavas Achim synagogue was established after several individuals left Gemilas Chesed Anshe Ungarn in McKeesport. The former operated for nearly 40 years, with interment in the Ahavas Achim cemetery occurring between 1902 and 1924 — though perhaps as late as 1927.

According to Fuller and Katz, many of the

people buried at the cemetery hailed from the Subcarpathian region of Austria-Hungary — 25 miles from the current village of Vylok (Tiszaújlak) in western Ukraine.

Part of the difficulty with reaching a clear determination on the history of those interred at Ahavas Achim, Katz said, is that many of the families who left Austria-Hungary between the 1890s and 1920s endured significant antisemitism and “trauma” and chose not to speak of anything that preceded arrival in the States.

Katz added that he and Fuller adopted “totally different approaches” to gathering their information and, although the genealogists both encountered historical gaps, the two men reached almost identical conclusions.

After using primary source evidence to reconcile any remaining inconsistencies, Fuller and Katz prepared a 62-page report.

The work, which includes a history of the cemetery and the congregation that established it, was shared with several groups, including the USGenWeb Project, the McKeesport

History and Heritage Center and the Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh. Barry Rudel, JCBA’s executive director, said that Fuller and Katz’s extensive work is greatly appreciated and an integral piece of preserving the region’s Jewish history.

The substantive document includes eight appendices and hundreds of footnotes.

The reason why there’s so much information, and a revision underway, is to help people identify their forebears, Fuller said.

It’s a similar rationale for why Fuller and Katz are now focusing on Kesher Israel Cemetery in Port Vue.

“We’re hoping to have that one finished by November,” Fuller said.

With efforts being made to document the region’s Jewish history, Fuller and Katz are extremely busy. The volunteers said they’re happy to continue working for free but hope other people may be inspired to support JCBA or undertake related genealogical efforts.

“The story of this cemetery and the other one we’re working on is kind of sad,” Katz said. “They’re part of people’s history and, at some point, they were lost … people stopped going there, and people stopped taking care of them. We want to make sure the heritage is supported so that the cemetery doesn’t get lost again.”

Preventing erasure, Fuller explained, is a race against time.

There’s going to be a point when even a no-touch method — the low-angle oblique lighting technique that Fuller used to read text at dusk — will be insufficient, he said: “The stones will erode and the history will eventually disappear.”

Whether for the descendants, historians, genealogists or those mystically inclined, it’s imperative to preserve the identities of the deceased, Katz said: “If you say their names, you almost bring them back to life in some degree.” PJC

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

More than $1 million in grants distributed by JHF

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

TheJewish Healthcare Foundation recently approved a series of grants totaling more than $1 million, including up to $150,000 to establish the JHF Women’s Reproductive Health Emergency Fund.

The goal of the new fund is to protect access to women’s health care in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson overturning Roe v. Wade.

The fund was allocated in anticipation of “the grave impact on the health of women, including an increase in pregnancy complication, denials of care and increase in preterm births and maternal mortality,” according to a JHF press release.

In addition to the support of advocacy efforts

to secure long-term solutions to improved health outcomes and rights preservation and the development of data collection mechanisms to track change in service delivery, outcomes and resource use and needs, the grant will focus on the greatest needs identified to save lives, reduce waiting times for services and reproductive health workers, protect women seeking services and their providers and maintain or increase access.

Karen Wolk Feinstein, president and CEO of JHF, said that despite pursuing a meaningful women’s health agenda since the foundation began, the organization never imagined having to address the loss of Roe v. Wade

“The implications of this setback are deep and broad,” she said. “It is an enormous setback for women, families, employers and will stress our day care, medical, financial assistance and mental health systems. It was a challenge we couldn’t ignore.”

The organization also approved a $500,000 two-year grant to Carnegie Mellon University to establish an Initiative for Patient Safety Research, to address the problem of medical errors, which is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

“Our new grant to Carnegie Mellon University builds on funding we approved in 2021 to establish Pittsburgh as a regional innovation hub in autonomous patient safety solutions. If we aspire to be a global leader in patient safety technology, a partnership with CMU brings the critical mass in informatics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics that will allow inspired discovery,” Feinstein said.

Two grants are focused on providing support for the senior community.

The first, a $300,000 grant, was awarded to develop a strategic work plan and an initial set of activities to address the clinical, societal,

policy and financial inequities older women experience in health care.

A second, three-year $100,000 grant, will enable Presbyterian SeniorCare Network to hire a service coordinator at Oakland Pride, Pittsburgh’s first LGBTQ-friendly senior housing community.

Feinstein called the health care inequities for older women a call to action.

“Our grants in these areas give us the leeway to study the problems, identify the best options and best partners, and pursue the most promising interventions,” she said.

A final $68,000 grant was awarded to the Allegheny Conference of Community Development for the 2022-23 fiscal year in support of its 2020-2030 Next Is Now: A 10-Year Vision of Vitality for the Pittsburgh Region. PJC

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

p The two photos are of the same stone at the Ahavas Achim cemetery. The first photo is taken during the day, the other just after sundown, with low-angle oblique lighting to highlight the inscription. Photos by Chuck Fuller

Jewish physician — a Buddhist monk — visits Pittsburgh to help stem burnout

By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer

tolerance and understanding through several mechanisms, including by exercising “emotional hygiene.”

The

High Holiday season calls for introspection and, for one Pittsburgh visitor, the process means assisting others regardless of their faith.

Dr. Barry Kerzin, a board-trained family medicine doctor and personal physician to the 14th Dalai Lama, told the Chronicle that helping people look inward to effectuate change reflects the Altruism in Medicine Institute’s mission.

Founded by Kerzin, AIMI is a Pittsburghbased nonprofit committed to reducing burnout and depression experienced by medical professionals. The Institute works with 18,000 UPMC nurses as well as govern ment officials, educators and neighborhood groups, Kerzin said.

The AIMI’s philosophies are dissemi nated through Kerzin’s writings, lectures and compassion-focused curricula.

In 2021, former Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto thanked Kerzin for establishing AIMI’s headquarters in Pittsburgh and enabling the city to work toward “creating a Pittsburgh that is compassionate and altru istic for all.” The institute’s work, Peduto said

in a statement, will provide those in “publicfacing fields” with the tools to avoid burnout.

Today’s professionals are experiencing a catastrophic state, according to several national and international authorities.

In May, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory, writing, “the pandemic has accelerated the mental health and burnout crisis that is now affecting not only health

workers, but the communities they serve.”

The World Health Organization shared a similarly alarming finding and noted, “among health workers, exhaustion has been a major trigger for suicidal thinking.”

The pandemic generated “a lot of reset in people’s psychology,” Kerzin said.

Where AIMI comes in, he explained, is that it seeks to improve people’s happiness,

As it implies, by “cleaning up our junk,” people can learn how to transform anger into tolerance, jealousy into appreciation, and pride or arrogance into humility. Likewise, individuals can achieve improvement and “healthy self-confidence,” Kerzin said, by recognizing and reducing personally dispar aging behavior.

Kerzin’s understanding and approach reflect years of travel and study.

He grew up in southern California in what he described as “a very open-minded liberal Reform Jewish family.”

Within Kerzin’s family, ritual wasn’t stressed. Instead, “it was more important to be a good human being,” he said.

After college at the University of California, Berkeley, Kerzin received his medical degree from the University of Southern California. He completed his residency at the Ventura County Medical Center and practiced in Ojai, California, before joining the faculty at the University of Washington.

Thirty-three years ago, Kerzin went to

BE OUR GUEST AT TEMPLE SINAI FOR YOM KIPPUR!*

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

Community members are welcome to join us for the following services.

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

5 PM Kol Nidre Tot Service

Looking for an informal, inviting way to teach your little ones about Yom Kippur? Join Rabbi Daniel Fellman and Cantor David Reinwald for a fun, active service of stories, singing, and dancing for families with children ages 0–5.

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

1:30 PM Beit Midrash

2:45 PM Minchah Afternoon Service

5:15 PM Yizkor and N’ilah Service Break Fast (a light snack to break your fast) follows N’ilah

*For security reasons, registration is required for Community & Tot Services. Contact Helene Kessler Burke at (412) 421-9715 ext. 115 or Helene@TempleSinaiPGH.org to register.

p The Dalai Lama and Dr. Barry Kerzin in Dharamshala, India Photo courtesy of Dr. Barry Kerzin

Submit calendar items on the Chronicle’s website, pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Submissions also will be included in print. Events will run in the print edition beginning one month prior to the date as space allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon.

q FRIDAY, SEPT. 30

The Jodee Harris Gallery Seton Hill Arts Center presents “From Darkness to Light: An Exhibition of Mosaics Inspired by the Tree of Life.” 205 W. Otterman St., Greensburg, 15601.

q SUNDAYS, OCT. 2-NOV. 6

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

q MONDAY, OCT. 3

Join Beth El Congregation for First Mondays with Rabbi Alex Greenbaum This is a multi-access “hybrid program” where you can attend in person or via Zoom, by calling the office at 412-561-1168. This month’s topic is “the Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton.” Join Andrew Porwancher as he debunks a string of myths about this founder’s origins to arrive at a startling conclusion: Hamilton was, in all likelihood, born and raised Jewish. 11:30 a.m. $7. 1900 Cochran Road, 15220. bethelcong.org.

q MONDAYS, OCT. 3 -NOV. 7

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

q WEDNESDAYS, OCT. 5-NOV. 9

Bring the parashah alive. Study the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman. 12:15 p.m. bethshalompgh. org/life-text.

Join Temple Sinai to study the weekly Torah portion in its hybrid class available on Zoom. Open to everyone. Noon. templesinaipgh.org/event/parashah/ weekly-torah-portion-class-via-zoom11.html.

q WEDNESDAYS, OCT. 5-MAY 24

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

q THURSDAY, OCT. 6

Join the 10.27 Healing Partnership and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy for a four-week healing, consciousnessbuilding forest bathing series at the Frick Park Environmental Center. We will take 90-minute gentle walks throughout Frick Park while nurturing our connection to the natural world through reflective

Join the Chronicle Book Club!

ThePittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its Oct. 2 discus sion of “Antiquities and Other Stories” by Cynthia Ozick.

From The New Yorker: “Five and a half decades after her belated début, [Ozick] has established herself as one of our era’s central writers, with an ample supply of exquisite fiction and belles-lettres; and she is still going.

To publish a novel in your early twenties is impressive; to publish one at the age of ninety-three is something else altogether ... A brisk work of some thirty thousand words, [‘Antiquties’] explores her favorite subjects — envy and ambition, the

practices. If you feel disconnected from nature, yourself or others, consider participating in this forest bathing series. Registration is required. Series is free. 9 a.m. Frick Park Environmental Center. 1027healingpartnership.org /forest-bathing.

“The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are.” Libby Copeland will explore the extraordinary cultural phenomenon of home DNA testing. This program is possible through the generous support of the William M. Lowenstein Genealogical Research Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation. Presented by the Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh and the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center. Free for JGSPittsburgh members; $5 for the general public. 7 p.m. heinzhistorycenter.org/ events/jewish-genealogical-society-libbycopeland-oct-6-2022.

q THURSDAYS, OCT. 6-DEC. 15

Register now for the virtual course “Melton: Social Justice – The Heart of Judaism in Theory and Practice.” This 10-part Melton course highlights the Jewish call to action and provides a practical approach for achieving lasting change. Drawing from classic and modern texts, the course explores the communal connection that compels us to support the most vulnerable. 7 p.m. foundation.jewishpgh.org/ melton-social-justice-the-heart-of-judaism-intheory-and-practice.

q WEDNESDAY, OCT. 12

Chabad of the South Hills presents Seniors

in the Sukkah. Enjoy holiday music, a special Sukkot program, delicious lunch, shake the lulav and etrog, raffles. $5 suggested donation. Noon. 1701 McFarland Road. Call 412-278-2658 to preregister. chabadsh.com.

Chabad of the South Hills presents a ladies’ event, Soup in the Sukkah, with a special guest speaker. 7:30 p.m. 1701 McFarland Road. chabadsh.com.

q THURSDAY, OCT. 13

Chabad of the South Hills presents a men’s event, Scotch in the Sukkah. 7:30 p.m. 1701 McFarland Road. chabadsh.com.

q MONDAYS, OCT. 24-MAY 15

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

q TUESDAYS, OCT. 25-NOV. 15

Join Rabbi Danny Schiff for The Afterlife: Jewish Views on What Happens After We Die. In this Zoom course, learn Jewish approached to the nature of the afterlife from ancient times to the present day. $45. 9:30 a.m. foundation.jewishpgh.org/ the-afterlife-jewish-views-on-what-happensafter-we-die. PJC

moral peril of idolatry — in her favorite form.

As you might expect, it also has much to say about last things, and the long perspectives open to the human mind as it approaches its terminus.”

Your Hosts

Toby Tabachnick, editor of the Chronicle David Rullo, Chronicle staff writer

How It Works

We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, Oct. 2, at noon. As you read the book, we invite you to share your favorite passages on a

shared document you will receive when you register for the meeting.

What To Do Buy : “Antiquities and Other Stories.” It is available from online retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Email : Contact us at drullo@pitts burgjewishchronicle. org, and write “Chronicle Book Club” in the subject line. We will send you a Zoom link for the discussion meeting.

Happy reading!

Toby Tabachnick

‘Bubbe Hannah’s’ legacy to be celebrated at Midwife Center’s 40th-anniversary event

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

Hannah

Sandusky — “Bubbe Hannah” to generations of children she brought into the world — came to Pittsburgh via Lithuania in the 1870s and served as a midwife to help birth thousands of Pittsburghers.

How many, exactly? Edith Raphael, Sandusky’s great-great-granddaughter, estimates around 3,500 — but admits it’s hard to put a number on it.

“Midwifing, she was good at,” Raphael told the Chronicle. “Paperwork? Not so much.”

“She was an institution, a bridge between the more assimilated German Jewish community and the new immigrants, who were from Eastern Europe and didn’t speak English,” said Raphael, who lives in Shadyside and teaches history at The Ellis School. “She is also straddling this world between the traditional trained midwife and the credentialed, with Germany now offering courses on it. It was a different world and a different time.”

Sandusky, who died at 76 in 1913, counts among her descendants Ralph Schugar, whose funeral home in Shadyside continues to serve Pittsburgh’s Jewish community.

Sandusky and others will be part of the cele bration on Friday, Sept. 30, when Pittsburgh’s The Midwife Center celebrates its 40th anniversary at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium’s garden tent. The event — dubbed “Ruby Revelry” for the “ruby” anniversary — runs from 7 to 9 p.m. A VIP reception precedes the event.

The Midwife Center staff, board, clients, supporters and elected officials plan to gather for the event, which will feature Midwife Center trivia, music and hors d’oeuvres. The organization is expecting about 250 people.

The event also will feature a dedication to The Midwife Center’s founders, as well as displays highlighting its birth center history and the history of midwives in the U.S., including a display in honor of Sandusky, said Christine Haas, the center’s executive director.

The Midwife Center, the first and only licensed and freestanding birth center in western Pennsylvania, is one of 400 such centers nation wide, according to the American Association of Birth Centers. The number of midwifery-led birth centers has more than doubled in the last decade, Haas said.

The VIP Host Committee is chaired by one of the center’s founding midwives, Eileen Minnock, who serves on The Midwife Center’s medical advisory committee.

Since its inception in 1982, nearly 9,000 babies have been born with assistance from The

Midwife Center, and thousands of clients have received client-centered primary gynecological care. It became an independent nonprofit in 2000 and moved to Penn Avenue in 2003.

“We were created out of a desire … for an alternative to birth in the hospital,” Haas said.

In 2017, a capital campaign helped double the size of the birth center, making it, at one point, the largest of its kind in the United States. The new space featured r oom for behavioral health services, lab services, a classroom and space for gynecological services.

Th ough The Midwife Center has provided gynecological services since 1982, the numbers continue to grow, now averaging about 2,000 visits per year, Haas said.

Research shows The Midwife Center, as well as birth centers nationally, consistently

experience some better maternal and infant outcomes than the national averages, and have been demonstrated to reduce racial and socio-economic disparities.

“

The United States has some of the worst maternal and infant outcomes among high-income countries. In 2017, one in 10 U.S. infants were born preterm, and one in 12 were low birthweight,” according to a 2020 article in Health Affairs, which described the Strong Start national initiative, in which The Midwife Center was involved. “Compared with women covered by private insurance, Medicaid-covered women experience higher rates of preterm and low-birthweight births and have greater medical and social risks.”

“Across most outcomes, women enrolled in Strong Start who received birth center care had more positive outcomes than did women in the comparison groups,” the study concluded.

“Infants born to women in Strong Start birth centers were 2.2 percentage points less likely to be preterm than infants born to comparison-group women (6.3% versus 8.5%). Consistent with fewer preterm births, infants born to Strong Start women were 1.5 percentage points less likely to be low birthweight than infants in the compar ison groups (5.9% versus 7.4%).” PJC

Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

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4 Wednesday, October 5

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Championat 412-952-6944

p The Midwife Center Image courtesy of The Midwife Center

Headlines

The man of a thousand sales

By Eric Lidji | Special to the Chronicle

Ittook me a while to understand what Harry Saville did for a living. Even now, I’m not convinced I understand. I’m definitely curious, though, and, based on what little I know about his career, I think he would take my curiosity as proof of a job well done.

My curiosity started with an advertise ment in the Jewish Criterion. It featured a little illustration of a man appearing to throw a punch at the reader. A photograph of Saville’s face was stuck atop the illustrated body. That dynamic illustration appeared over and over in newspaper advertisements from the early 1920s for Saville Sales Co.

Saville Sales Co. didn’t sell products — not directly. Its customers were retailers looking to move large amounts of inventory quickly. Sometimes the motivation was overstock. Sometimes it was bankruptcy liquidation. Sometimes it was cash flow.

Saville arranged “special sales” designed to get people into a store with their wallets out. It was a top-to-bottom operation. His guys designed advertising campaigns, painted window signs, arranged merchandise on the shelves, trimmed display windows, handed out circulars, organized product demonstra tions, and arranged promotional stunts like contests to win a new car. For one big sale, Saville brought a microphone and amplifiers and created a small broadcasting system to hype products as people shopped.

His ads feature many self-inflicted nick names: the Bargain King, the Sale King, the Man of a Thousand Sales, the Red Pencil Man and the World’s Greatest Price Cutter.

In a profile in the Commercial Journal, reprinted in the Jewish Criterion, a writer named Cyrus Kennebec describes the extent of Saville’s operation stretching across the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh and into small towns throughout Western Pennsylvania, “Homestead, Woodlawn, Charleroi, East Liberty, Homewood, Wilkinsburg, Braddock, East Pittsburgh, McKeesport, New Kensington, Greensburg, Jeannette, downtown Pittsburgh, North Side, McKees Rocks, New Castle and perhaps other places I have forgotten. And there must be scores of other towns he has been successful in. In virtually every instance the circumstances were similar, A merchant had to have ready money. He couldn’t get it; Saville could and did — or a merchant was overstocked and

bills were coming due. Saville rubbed his magic lamp and the public bowed.”

All the information about Saville Sales Co. comes from advertisements. Even the many articles about him — including the one quoted above — appear upon

closer inspection to be advertisements that Saville created to market his services to store owners.

For what it’s worth, here’s what they claim.

Saville started in 1900. He was the first person in Pittsburgh and one of the first

nationally in the field of promotional sales. He was initially a one-man operation limited to a 25-mile radius around the city, but gradually he expanded hundreds of miles in every direction, serving customers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, New York and Indiana. He initially worked exclusively with large busi nesses but then systemized his operation and hired a large workforce of sales experts, allowing him to oversee big sales for stores of essentially any size, taking him to cities and towns all over the region.

Saville ran two types of advertisements. He had small ads in the Criterion aimed at store owners, and he had larger ads in the city newspapers on behalf of those stores.

In the smaller ads, Saville comes across as a savvy businessman addressing his colleagues. In one, he writes, “How would you like to cash in $3,590.74 in a single day’s business, Mr. Merchant?” In the larger ads, Saville is a price-cutting mad man, desperate to get you the best deal possible. He sometimes even pretends to be a little antagonistic toward the store owner — his client — on behalf of customers. As part of a giant center-page spread advertising a sale in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Saville reprints both sides of a correspondence with the store owner. “You are to be congratulated on your willingness to take this loss now and give the people of your city some real values,” Saville writes.

Everything about his advertisements is circular. He might advertise a fire sale one week with a noisy advertisement in the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, and then the next week he would publish photographs from that sale in a different advertisement in the Jewish Criterion, describing the sale and encouraging other store owners to hire him. And then the following week, he would add his photograph and a personal quote to an advertisement for a different fire sale, his reputation bolstered by the first fire sale.

All this twistiness was a product of the flashy 1920s. His operation changed after the stock market crashed. By the early 1930s, Saville had left his offices in the Washington Trust Building and was working from home. Within a few years, he shifted away from big sales. He started selling Inselbric and calling himself “The Siding King.” PJC

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

typical Harry Saville advertisement in the March 28, 1924 issue of the Jewish Criterion, showing a scene from a recent promotional sale in Warren, Ohio Image courtesy of the Rauh Jewish Archives

Headlines

Rashida Tlaib says progressives cannot support Israel’s government

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat who is Palestinian American and who is the only member of Congress who opposes Israel’s self-definition as a Jewish state, said last week that there was no room in the progressive movement for supporters of what she called Israel’s “apart heid” government, JTA reported.

“I want you all to know that among progressives, it’s become clear that you cannot claim to hold progressive values, yet back Israel’s apartheid government, and we will continue to push back and not accept that you are progressive except for Palestine,” Tlaib said in an online forum organized by American Muslims for Palestine.

Tlaib is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and at least two of her fellow members said they found her challenge offensive. “I fundamentally reject the notion that one cannot support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state and be a progressive,” tweeted New York Democrat Jerry Nadler, who is Jewish.

Ritchie Torres, also of New York, who is gay and who has extolled the protection of LGBTQ rights in Israel, took aim at some of Tlaib’s other stances. “There’s nothing progressive about advocating for the end of Israel as a Jewish State,” he said on Twitter. “Nothing progressive about

Today

Sept. 30, 1957 — Backdated

nuclear program

French Prime Minister Maurice BourgèsMaunoury backdates to today his signature on a letter of cooperation with Israel on a nuclear reactor. He actually signs the letter Oct. 1, the day he is voted out of office.

opposing the Abraham Accords, which promotes peace. Nothing progressive about opposing Iron Dome, which protects civilians from indiscriminate rocket fire.”

London’s Holocaust Memorial Garden clears Queen Elizabeth tributes left on its grounds

As Britons poured out their sadness over the death of their 70-year queen, they deposited tributes to her all over London — including at a garden designated for memorializing victims of the Holocaust, JTA reported.

Grace Dean, a reporter for Business Insider in London, tweeted on Sept. 18 that the Holocaust Memorial Garden in Hyde Park, not far from Buckingham Palace, had turned into “a makeshift Queen Memorial Garden.” She posted pictures showing bouquets, letters and even pictures of Queen Elizabeth II strewn across the boulders that make up the heart of the Holocaust garden, which was dedicated with fanfare in 1983.

The post quickly elicited expressions of anger and distress that mourning for the queen, who died earlier this month at 96, would usurp mourning for the 6 million Jewish victims of the Nazi genocide during the Holocaust. Some Twitter users called the display a “desecration.” On Sept. 19, as London prepared for the queen’s funeral, the official account of the Royal Parks, the charity that manages eight parks on royal grounds, tweeted that the items were being removed.

101-year-old is oldest to make aliyah from US in five years

A 101-year-old woman who made aliyah from New Jersey in mid-September is the oldest immi grant to move to the Jewish state from the United States in the last five years, jns.org reported.

Stella Rockoff was born in Jerusalem in 1921, during the British Mandate of Palestine. Her family immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, when she was 5 and she moved to Pennsylvania after she married Rabbi Herman Rockoff in 1940. She later lived again in New York with her husband and four children, where she worked as executive secretary of the Rabbinical Council of America.

She lived in Clifton, New Jersey, before moving back to Israel with a daughter and son-in-law as part of a group of nearly 60 olim from North America.

“All my life I dreamed of returning to my native country,” Rockoff said. “This is a day of celebration for me. My family left at a time when ‘the Jewish state’ was just an idea, an idea that has since become the state of Israel, now a strong nation and a leader in innovation, and I am proud to finally call it home. I can’t wait to be reunited with my many grandchil dren, 22 great-grandchildren, and two more great-great-grandchildren in my old-new home.”

Central Bureau of Statistics: Israel’s population nears 10 million

The population of Israel is just over 9.5 million people ahead of the Jewish New Year, according

to data issued by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, JNS.org reported.

The country has a population of 9.593 million people, according to the CBS. Of them, 7.069 million (74%) identify as Jewish, 2.026 million (21%) as Arab and 498,000 (5%) as neither.

The bureau states that the Israeli population will reach 10 million by 2024, 15 million by 2048 and 20 million by 2065.

Jews in Israel who are at least 20 are identified as 45.3% secular, 19.2% traditional, 13.9% tradition al-religious, 10.7% religious and 10.5% Haredi.

According to the data, 177,000 babies were born in Israel this year, 49,000 people made aliyah and 2,000 Israelis returned to Israel after living abroad.

Turkish president tells group of US Jewish leaders he plans to visit Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a group of Jewish leaders that he planned to visit Israel, the clearest sign so far that he is intent on resetting a long-troubled relation ship, JTA reported.

Erdogan also told a room full of leaders of American Jewish organizations that antisem itism is a “crime against humanity,” a meeting participant said. The June 19 meeting, convened under the auspices of the Turkish embassy and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, took place in New York City.

Erdogan did not say when he would visit. PJC — Compiled by Andy Gotlieb

p A memorial to the Maxim victims stands next to the rebuilt restaurant in Haifa

By Gal Almog

Oct. 3, 2005 — Choreographer

Levy-Tanai dies Sarah Levy-Tanai, a choreographer who incorporated Mizrahi and Ashkenazi elements and won the Israel Prize in 1973, dies at age 94 or 95. She founded the Inbal Dance Theater in 1949.

Oct. 4, 2003 — Suicide bomber strikes Haifa restaurant

A female Palestinian Islamic Jihad suicide bomber kills 18 Jews and three Arabs and injures 60 others at Maxim restaurant in Haifa. The beachfront restaurant, co-owned by Jews and Arabs, is known as a symbol of coexistence.

p The U.S. Air Force’s AWACS aircraft upgraded Saudi Arabia’s ability to track enemy planes.

Oct. 1, 1981 — Aircraft to be sold to Saudi Arabia President Ronald Reagan announces a plan to sell F-15 fighter jets and Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) planes to Saudi Arabia. Israel protests, but Reagan says the sale is not a threat to Israel.

Oct. 2, 1947 — Jewish Agency accepts partition plan

David Ben-Gurion, the chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency, formally accepts the partition plan proposed by the U.N. Special Committee on Palestine. Arab leaders have rejected partition.

Oct. 5, 1941 — Louis Brandeis dies

Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis dies at 84. His embrace of Zionism made its support more acceptable among American Jews, and he helped secure U.S. support for the Balfour Declaration.

Oct. 6, 1914 — Emergency Jewish aid reaches Palestine

Gold worth $50,000, raised in two days by American Jewish leaders in response to a plea from Henry Morgenthau, arrives in Jaffa on the USS North Carolina to help the Jewish community in Palestine. PJC

Tree of Life:

Bernstein said the new Tree of Life orga nization, the memorial group representing the victims’ families and the three congrega tions, and the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh all have an aligned vision of the project. He noted the new building will be a center for light and a place to fight the scourge of hate-fueled violence.

Sketches of the building, renderings of its footprint in the neighborhood and a floor plan were all presented by Swickerath and Rothschild.

The reimagined space will raze all but the original Tree of Life building that houses the Pervin Chapel.

In addition to the sanctuary, the design features several multipurposes spaces, a social hall, screening room, classrooms, permanent exhibition space, offices and a café.

Swickerath said that “bringing lightness to the dark” and “let there be light” were important themes for the building.

To that end, one of the main design elements is a “Path of Light.”

“We’ve created a single entry that will be at the opening of the path welcoming everyone to the building,” Swickerath said. The path will connect all of the various elements of the building, announcing itself on the front of the sanctuary and showing that the essence of the site has changed.

The original stained-glass windows will be included in the design, whose footprint is smaller than the current building: 41,000 square feet compared to 53,000 square feet.

Outside, a garden and memorial are planned, as are 36 parking spaces, the same number that

Federation:

Continued from page 1

“Community is about relationships,” he said. “And while we’ve been able to do an OK job maintaining relationships over Zoom, it just isn’t the same as being able to see each other, to shake hands with each other, to hug each other, to see each other eye-to-eye and be back together.”

Throughout the evening, community members embraced, laughed and celebrated several honorees.

Carol L. Robinson, secretary of the Jewish Family and Community Services board and a life trustee of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, received the Emanuel Spector Memorial Award.

Given for “exemplary service to the community in a single year or over the course of many years,” the award is the highest honor presented by the Federation, according to Federation representatives.

Robinson’s dedication has benefited countless individuals throughout the community, David D. Sufrin, Federation’s board chair, said.

Robinson has served on numerous Federation committees, the boards of Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh Foundation and the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, and is a past president of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. She also directs

existed at Tree of Life previously. Negotiations are taking place between Tree of Life and the Children’s Institute to secure the use of the Institute’s parking for heavily attended events on evenings and weekends.

A question-and-answer period followed the initial presentation.

information when Rothschild, in response to a question, said that the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh will not be housed in the new building; rather, its staff will be located at Chatham University on Murray Hill Avenue.

“The way to think about this is that the Holocaust Center isn’t a tenant of the building, rather the Holocaust Center is providing

programming for the building,” Bernstein said. “In terms of programming, education, trav eling exhibits, if that’s what it takes, whatever it is, there’s the space within the building that will be used.”

Shifting from the holy to the mundane, resi dents expressed concern about parking, street congestion and the size of the building.

Rothschild reiterated the smaller square footage and that the available parking at the new building and at the Children’s Institute “will take care of most of that burden.”

In response to a question about when the design was expected to be presented to the zoning board, Rothschild expressed hope that it would be before year’s end and that, per zoning board requirements, public notices would go out in advance of the meeting.

The expectation, Rothschild said, is that demolition will begin in the spring of 2023, meaning that construction could start shortly after.

“Boy, that’s going to be a day to celebrate,” he said.

Asked about the height of the building, Rothschild said that the maximum height allowed in the district is 40 feet. The new building is exactly 40 feet high, with much of the building lower than that. Permitting does allow a building to exceed 40 feet with an ornamental tower. The Path of Light, which at its apex sits approximately 12 feet above the building will sit well below that maximum height and will decrease along the length of the building.

A recording of the meeting will be available at the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition’s website. PJC

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

and co-chairs the Donald and Sylvia Robinson Family Foundation and upholds a philanthropic legacy established by her parents, Sufrin noted.

“We’re often asking ourselves, ‘What would Mom and Dad do?’” Robinson said during her acceptance speech. “Their prin ciples inform our charitable decisions as we script the Foundation’s future.”

Robinson credited her family, as well as the community at large, for facilitating numerous organizational and institutional successes throughout Pittsburgh.

“I feel like I just won an award for supporting actress in a movie about a small town with a big heart,” she said. “And like the movies, everything that happens is collaborative effort. And I’m just one player, surrounded by lots of talent.”

Finkelstein congratulated Robinson and said he only wished Robinson’s parents were able to see her receive such recognition.

In a similar nod to heritage, legacy and impact, Finkelstein then presented the Doris & Leonard H. Rudolph Jewish Communal Professional Award to Rivkee and Rabbi Mordy Rudolph.

“Awardees are selected for their contri bution to improving the quality of services offered in the community and to the enhancement of Jewish life,” Finkelstein said. “I know, and trust me I know, Doris and Leonard of blessed memory would be so proud of their grandchildren and this

year’s awardees Rivkee and Mordy Rudolph, respectively director and executive director, of Friendship Circle Pittsburgh.”

With a dedicated focus on inclu sivity, Rivkee and Mordy Rudolph have made Friendship Circle a “recog nizable and irreplaceable part of our community, strengthening both Jewish life and secular life around Greater Pittsburgh,” Finkelstein added.

Since 2006, Friendship Circle has grown to offer more than 150 programs per year while engaging nearly 500 people from around the region. The organization, Finkelstein said, “serves as a catalyst for community inclusion and social change.”

Within her acceptance speech, Rivkee Rudolph described the organization’s beginnings and the couple’s initial hesi tation toward bringing Friendship Circle to Pittsburgh.

Despite growing up attending Pittsburgh’s Jewish day schools, and having a strong foundation of doing chesed, acts of kindness, “we still didn’t feel like this was our thing,” she said. “I didn’t know anyone with disabil ities. Why did our friends look more or less just like us? Starting Friendship Circle gave us an opportunity to be the agent of change for the youth in our community we grew up in — to create a place to make friendships they never would have made.”

As the organization grew, however, it wasn’t only engagements that increased but

an understanding of inclusion, she explained: “We quickly learned that it wasn’t about bringing people together to put aside our differences and focus on what we have in common. Rather, it’s about bringing those differences to the center, making space, under standing each other, so that as individuals we can all be stronger, closer, safer together. This is how true friendships are formed.”

Receiving this award, Mordy Rudolph said, is a testament to Friendship Circle’s many supporters, including family members who demonstrated and continue to represent the ideals of communal betterment.

“It takes a village and then some,” he said. “So many who have guided and helped us to grow our organization and mission. We do hope that this is a moment that makes our grandparents proud.”

The work of the evening’s honorees is part of a larger communal commitment, Finkelstein explained.

Thanks to volunteers, Jewish communal professionals and donors, “the commu nity campaign raised $14 million this past year, but our total fundraising,” he said, “including additions to the Foundation, reached $42.8 million. That enabled us to distribute over $40 million in support to our community.”

PJC

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

p The new Tree of Life building as seen from above with the Path of Light Photo provided by West End Strategy

p Rendering of the sanctuary at the newly designed Tree of Life building Photo provided by West End Strategy

Headlines

Trial:

Continued from page 2

time it comes up in the papers or television or even in the Chronicle, it’s just picking at the scab. It feels like the final resolution will never come in my lifetime. I’m 80 years old. My wife has lung cancer. I have ailments. Everything seems to have become cumula tive since Oct. 27,” he said.

Jon Pushinsky, a Congregation Dor Hadash member and congregation spokes person, said that people with whom he’s spoken are anxious to get the trial completed.

“We still wish the case ends without a trial,” he said, “but if a trial is going to be

necessary, let’s get it done and over with.”

While the defendant’s attorneys have offered to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence, prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty.

Pushinsky noted that there likely will be years of appeals to follow, and, as a result, setting a date for trial to commence is less the beginning of the end and more akin to just one step closer to the end.

Survivor and Dor Hadash member Daniel Leger, who was shot during the attack, said that his feelings about the trial date being scheduled can’t be summed up with one emotion.

“Overall, though, it’s a great relief to know that there’s an actual date set to begin this process that has been dragging on now for

four years,” he said.

The possibility of the death penalty, which Leger said he doesn’t agree with, has length ened and complicated the process, he said.

Leger’s wife, Ellen Leger, said she hopes that by the next High Holiday season the trial will have ended, but she understands the appeals process might go on for years.

“But we’re looking toward next High Holidays with the hope that there will be some resolution,” she said.

Like Werber, Leger is concerned about the age of some of his congregation’s members.

“It’s really sad that a number of people who were probably expected to be witnesses to this — time has passed, four years — the age of these people has put them in a

position of either not being alive by the time the trial occurs or having significant enough health problems that they won’t be able to participate,” he said.

Leger bemoaned the nearly half-decade delay in the start of the trial, aware that it might prevent any sort of finality for many.

“There is no end to this process,” he said.

“This is something that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. The communi ty’s history has been affected. This is an important part of the process that has to be moved forward. We’ve got to get this trial finished.” PJC

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

Monk:

Continued from page 5

India to help Tibetan doctors with research.

A year later, he wasn’t ready to leave.

“I started studying more Buddhism and doing meditation,” he said. “I found that the philosophy and psychology of Eastern traditions, particularly Buddhism, kind of resonated with a deeper core of my being.”

Kerzin’s attraction to Buddhism eventually led him to become a Tibetan monk. Even so,

Kerzin maintains his Jewish connections.

“I feel culturally Jewish but, at the same time, my philosophical and psychological outlook has been deeply influenced by Buddhism,” he said. “I consider myself a Buddhist, but cultur ally I still consider myself Jewish.”

When asked about identifying as both a Buddhist and cultural Jew, Kerzin said that he doesn’t feel much tension at all thanks to his approach to silence.

“There’s incredible joy there,” he said of practicing silence. “I’m a Buddhist monk, and I’ve done a three-year meditation retreat

in silence, a one-year meditation retreat in silence and I’ve done many two-to-fourmonth retreats in silence.”

When Kerzin speaks of silence, he isn’t referring to a simple absence of speech: “It’s also a silence of the mind,” he said. “When you not only are silent verbally but you’re also silent mentally, then you can be in a nonjudgmental observation mode. That can be extremely transformative and healing.”

Since 2015, Kerzin has come to Pittsburgh once or twice a year. Each visit spans about a month, he said.

Despite his current Pittsburgh stay nearing an end, he hopes to continue reaching people online, through his teachings and AIMI.

Collectively, those efforts should remind medical professionals and others about the importance of “unconditional compas sion and love,” he said. “It’s an attitude that when practiced excludes no one … We all want to be happy, and none of us want to have pain.”

PJC

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

A Capitol Hill hearing on antisemitism and big tech turned acrimonious — and ended with warnings about legislation

By Ron Kampeas | JTA

WASHINGTON

— The lawmakers thanked the representatives from the social networks giants for attending the Capitol Hill hearing on antisemitism — after all, it was not an offi cial congressional hearing and no one was obliged to turn up.

But then, after some tense exchanges last Friday, things got acrimonious quickly: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Jewish Florida Democrat who convened the hearing, said that the tech reps’ stonewalling on whether and how antisemitism would be treated will lead to congressional action.

“We’re all starting to see — anyone watching this — why we’re eventually going to have to regulate the way that this content is handled, as opposed to just leaving it to you, the companies, to comply, to make sure you’re complying with standards that really aren’t very transparent,” she said.

The panel, the Interparliamentary AntiSemitism Task Force, is comprised of lawmakers from diverse countries, including the United States, Canada, South Africa, Israel, Sweden and New Zealand, and it has no real powers. But some of the individual lawmakers are members of governing parties and are able to take legislative action at home.

Wasserman Schultz, for instance, is a past chairwoman of the Democratic Party and is currently on two of the House of

Representatives’ most powerful committees, Appropriations and Oversight. Likewise, Anthony Housefather, a Jewish member of parliament from Montreal, who is a member of Canada’s governing Liberal Party, has senior oversight roles.

Wasserman Schultz’s frustration came after Housefather was unable to elicit a commit ment that the social media companies would label antisemitism as hate speech and take action to remove the phrase “Jews are all white nationalists who support Apartheid” from posts on their platforms.

Kevin Kane, the director of government affairs for YouTube said “that’s definitely something we’d want to look at,” but “it’s diffi cult to say in the abstract.” Representatives from TikTok, Twitter and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, gave similarly noncommittal answers.

Housefather said the answers were “pretty disturbing.”

Much of the first part of the panel had focused on the degree to which anti-Is rael or Israel-critical comment is antisemitic,

and the lawmakers and a group of experts enthusiastically promoted the definition of antisemitism advanced by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which some liberal groups see as too broad. Housefather said he was substituting “Jews” for “Zionists” in his hypothetical as a means of addressing concerns about whether attacking “Zionism” is antisemitic.

Housefather’s hypothetical was also an allusion to the difficulties Canadian Jewish advocates had in getting Twitter to ban Laith Marouf, a Canadian pro-Palestinian advocate whose tweets included “You know all those loud mouthed bags of human feces, a.k.a. the Jewish White Supremacists; when we liberate Palestine and they have to go back to where they come from, they will return to being low voiced bitches of Christian/Secular White Supremacist Masters” and “I have a motto: Life’s too short for shoes with laces or entertaining Jewish white supremacists with anything but a bullet to the head.”

Michele Austin, Twitter’s director of public policy for the United States and Canada, was unable to explain why Marouf was allowed to return to Twitter with a different handle after having been banned from the platform in August. (Marouf was at the center of a controversy when it was revealed last month that an ostensibly antiracism organization he works for was receiving Canadian govern ment money; the government eventually withdrew the funds.)

Another tense exchange between Austin and Michal Cotler-Wunsh, a former Israeli parliament member, had to do with the

tweets of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who routinely tweets antisemitic content and calls for Israel’s destruction. Cotler-Wunsh asked why Khamenei’s tweets remain up.

“What you are referring to is the world leaders policy, and I was very happy to hear a number of the comments from the envoys and the ambassadors with regard to this issue,” Austin said, without elaborating what Twitter’s “world leaders policy” was.

Wasserman Schultz was similarly frustrated when the social media representatives would not answer with specifics about what causes delays in the removal of hateful content.

The degree of frustration among the lawmakers was most evident at the end of the panel, when Wasserman Schultz scolded the companies for offering panaceas about promoting Holocaust remembrance. Eric Ebenstein, the director of public policy at TikTok, had listed a number of Holocaust commemorations the platform had promoted.

“Each of you in some way mentioned your pride in acknowledging Yom Hashoah and other specific Jewish holidays,” Wasserman Schultz said, referencing Israel’s Holocaust remembrance day. “Antisemitism is a viral toxic infection that drives real-world violence. And for you to only scratch the surface or to pander and use examples of, you know, like ‘some of your best friends are Jews’ is insulting and frustrating. So I would just suggest in the future when you’re testifying on this topic that perhaps you might not want to use those kinds of examples.”

p Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz addresses representatives of social media giants at a hearing on Capitol Hill, Sept. 16, 2022. Screenshot via YouTube

Optimism for 5783

5782

wasn’t an easy year, but in at least one very important way, it was a better year.

Some of us finally were able to venture to theaters and sporting events and restau rants. Many of us traveled, visiting family members we had not seen since the spring of 2020. We began to celebrate weddings and b’nai mitzvah together — in person. And we once again felt comfortable gathering with loved ones in times of mourning. Yes, we were sometimes masked, and yes, we were

often careful to sit apart from others. But while the dangers of the pandemic remained firmly lodged in our consciousness, our lives began to become recognizable again. And normalcy, or even near-normalcy, felt like a luxury.

Last year, just prior to Rosh Hashanah, when we asked our readers in our weekly poll if they planned to attend High Holiday services in person, just 27% of those responding said yes. This year, when we asked the same question just a couple of weeks ago, the number of those who said they planned to attend services in person swelled to 57%. Our community is gathering again, and we

gratefully acknowledge the significance of that. While most non-Orthodox congre gations are still making services available online, the majority of Jewish Pittsburghers who attend services are choosing to join with their community in synagogue. We are thrilled to see that happen.

Despite high levels of inflation, extreme political polarization and rising rates of antisemitism across the globe, we have reason to be optimistic: We have learned that together we can weather a once-ina-lifetime calamity. It was challenging shifting meetings and school and even social events online, but we got through

it, and hopefully on our way we garnered a better appreciation of those things that are truly valuable in this life.

The pandemic is not over; we may well be living with the menace of COVID-19 for a long time as infection rates rise and fall and the virus mutates into new strains. But we are thankful for the current reprieve, however brief and however limited, and for the chance to come together again, in person to (borrowing a phrase from author Elizabeth Gilbert) eat, pray and love.

G’mar chatima tova. May we all be sealed in the Book of Life. PJC

For the sin we have sinned by making people feel unwelcome at synagogues

Guest Columnist Jeff Rubin

Ihave

been shocked lately by the number of my friends who have left synagogues because of a pattern of unkind remarks from rabbinic and volunteer leaders. A Jewby-choice belittled. A twenty-something shamed. A professional demeaned.  Jewish Twitter is full of accounts by Jews by choice or Jews of color who have been challenged, patronized or “othered” when they show up in Jewish spaces. Essayists lament that too many synagogues don’t seem welcoming or sensitive to single parents, or don’t accommodate people with disabilities.

Saying and doing hurtful things is not just ethically wrong, it’s destructive to orga nizations and has no place in the sacred communities that congregations strive to be.

As any marketer will tell you, it is far cheaper to keep a customer than to acquire a new one — and synagogues can’t afford to alienate a single congregant. With the ranks of the unaffiliated growing, according to Pew’s 2020 study, synagogue leaders need to watch what they say to keep, welcome and attract members.

The Pew study revealed that 7% of American

Jews do not attend synagogue regularly because they “don’t feel welcome” while another 4% say “people treat me like I don’t really belong.” During my dozen years as a Hillel professional we invested heavily in training staff to create environments that welcomed and engaged Jewish students of all backgrounds, regardless of how they looked, loved or worshiped. My own first encounter with Hillel when I was just a high school senior ended poorly: Visiting Boston University’s Hillel, I was so put off by a comment that I didn’t apply to the school.

Of course this is a problem as old as Judaism itself.

On the first day of Rosh Hashanah we read the story of Hannah, the distraught woman who came to the Tabernacle at Shiloh to pray for a cure for infertility. Eli the Priest, seeing her pray silently — heretofore an unknown practice — accused her of being drunk. The priest said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up!”

Hannah replied, “Oh no, my lord! I am a very unhappy woman. I have drunk no wine or other strong drink… I have only been speaking all this time out of my great anguish and distress.”

“Then go in peace,” said Eli, “and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.”

What if Hannah couldn’t muster the strength to defend herself and simply walked out of the Tabernacle — and out of Judaism? What if Eli did not have the compassion to correct himself?

Would Hannah’s son, Samuel, have been raised to become a Jewish leader recognized by the three Biblical faiths as a prophet? How would Eli’s thoughtless remark have changed history?

The rabbis recognized the toxicity of insults and cited such remarks as a transgression in one of the oldest elements of the Yom Kippur service, the confessional, or Vidui. During the Vidui, worshippers strike their breasts and acknowl edge that they have “smeared” others, “dibarnu dofi.” Medieval commentator Rashi says the word “dofi” means “slander” and that it derives from “casting off” — as if by definition defamation leads to alienation. One prayerbook perceptively renders the phrase as, “We have destroyed” — a reputation, a relationship, a communal bond.

Jewish literature is full of guides to proper communication and avoiding evil speech, or “lashon hara” — from the Psalmist’s admoni tion, “Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceitfully,” to the Talmudic “Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own,” to Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan’s masterwork, the “Sefer Chofetz Chaim,” to Rabbi Joseph Telushkin’s excellent book, “Words that Hurt, Words that Heal.” But how do congregations turn wise words into action?

Linda Rich, a New York-based leadership coach who counsels synagogues and nonprofits, regards respectful communication as a core behavior for

a successful congregation, and a congregation that lives the Jewish values it espouses. Discussion and disagreement are the signs of a healthy group, but in the Jewish context they should be civil and “l’shem shamayin,” for the advancement of sacred work, not for other motives.

She recommends that volunteers and staff study the principles that are fundamental to Jewish life, and sign a covenant to uphold them. When individuals fail to do so they should be reminded politely, clearly and directly that they are a valued member of the congregation, but this behavior is unacceptable. Try to be positive: Point out that they can be even more effective leaders if they watch what they say and adjust their approach. The congregation should sponsor periodic surveys or other forms of evaluation to determine how well the group is fulfilling its duties and covenants.

On Yom Kippur we reflect on our personal shortcomings, but we atone as a group. We do not seek forgiveness “for the sin that I have committed through my words,” but “for the sin that we have committed through our words.” Our individual words have collective impact. The High Holidays provide a golden opportunity to rethink how those words affect others and to take steps to change as individuals and congregations.

PJC

Jeff Rubin is a writer in the BaltimoreWashington area. This first appeared on JTA.

The world’s attention may be flagging, but Ukraine’s Jews still need our help

Guest Columnist

Ariel Zwang

When

I traveled to Poland shortly after the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, I met a young mother who, with her baby, fled Kyiv without her husband. More than baby food and a roof over her head, she needed a support system and community to navigate all that would come next. With the outpouring of

assistance from individuals and our partner institutions abroad who see it as their duty is to aid our fellow Jews in distress and rebuild Jewish life for coming generations, my organization, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), was there for her.

Seven months later, many people outside of Ukraine think the danger has abated, that a reduction in the pace of those fleeing signals an end to their plight, and that the Ukrainian Jewish community is diminished but stable.

Such misunderstandings downplay the

urgency of challenges we have a part in solving. This is especially true given the outsized role that the global Jewish commu nity has played to date in the humanitarian response. With tens of millions of dollars in support from the Claims Conference, Jewish federations across North America, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, foundations, individual philanthropists and many others, we’re invested in this crisis for the long term.

It is important, therefore, to set out three important realities and re-engage the wider Jewish public in our critical work:

The majority of Ukraine’s Jews, and their leaders, remain in their country.

One of them is Svetlana M., the heroic director of the JDC-supported Hesed social service center in Poltava, in central Ukraine. Hesed serves the region’s needy Jews and is a hub for crisis support. Svetlana is in her 40s, a psychologist by training, who turned her volunteerism and passion for the Jewish life into a career aiding the

Chronicle poll results: Fasting on Yom Kippur

Lastweek, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following ques tion: “Do you intend to fast on Yom Kippur this year?” Of the 242 people who responded, 46% said “Yes, no food or drink for all of Yom Kippur”; 29% said “no”; 23% said “partially”; and 2% said they weren’t sure yet. Comments were submitted by 53 people. A few follow.

One of the very few customs I continue to observe. It is no hardship at all ... on the other hand, I don’t feel particularly spiri tual or connected to the Jewish American world as I fast. I continue to do it because I’ve always done it ... not a terribly good reason, I acknowledge.

Due to my age and health, I cannot go without any food or water. I will do the best I can.

I’m a firm believer that you should only fast to the extent that it does not jeopar dize your health.

I hate fasting, but on Yom Kippur I do.

Ukraine:

Continued from page 12

Jewish community. “We refuse to leave our city, and all those people who need us,” she told us. “Think about the elderly people afraid to even step foot outside. They need us, their community, now. We have a rule in our family: In good times and hard times, we should be together.”

It’s true that tens of thousands of Jews, including some leaders, have fled. But the vast majority of the country’s estimated 200,000 Jews, like Svetlana, have remained in the country. Many escaped to Ukrainian cities in safer locations. Others have left, and then returned from abroad. Among the nearly 40,000 poor Jewish elderly and families served by JDC before the conflict, approximately 90% are still there.

Tens of thousands of Jews in the country continue to turn to the Jewish community for support during the conflict or volunteer to aid their neighbors. They are buoyed by scores of brave Jewish professionals — social service workers, JCC staff, volunteer coordinators, rabbis, Jewish educators and, of course, the staff of JDC — who have been leading emergency work from Kyiv to Dnipro, Odesa, to Lviv.

Svetlana and the staff and volunteers at Hesed have endured the stress of constant air raid alerts — more than 500 since Feb. 24 — and the influx of more than 250,0000 internally displaced people to the city. Svetlana has worked around the clock to address those ever-increasing

It’s a tradition; and as far as perhaps needing to avoid calories anyway after a huge Kol Nidre meal, as our people say “It couldn’t ‘hoit’” for shedding a few pounds.

Does coffee count?

Every year since my bar mitzvah in 1970.

I am unable to fast. I take medication and must take it with food. However I can and will “eat light.”

Fasting adds thoughtfulness and intention to my day.

When I spend the day in shul, in prayer and contemplation, hunger and thirst fall into the background — I have something much more important to focus on.

It would be dangerous with all of the medication I take.

It will be my 55th consecutive year of fasting throughout Yom Kippur.

It might be the only holiday that most Jews observe.

I will ingest just enough to take my medications.

I always fast, but I’m getting older and I might have a bit of coffee and water this year.

I always try to fast, but this year I have some health issues and might not be able to. Old age isn’t very much fun.

Yom Kippur is one of the two fasts manda tory on a Torah level. Any able-bodied adult Jew has an obligation to fast and has no excuse not to.

My first observance was last year, and I found great meaning in it and how my community came together to break the fast afterwards. PJC

Toby Tabachnick

Chronicle weekly poll question: Have you made any new year’s resolutions this High Holiday season? Go to pittsburgh jewishchronicle.org to respond. PJC

human needs and to ensure the Jewish community becomes a touchpoint for joy during these tough times. Svetlana and her team — including her two sons — have planned numerous Rosh Hashanah holiday activities for seniors, teens, children, and displaced families in the coming weeks. They’ll deliver holiday aid packages and hold online and in-person celebrations with singing and traditions like apples and honey, part of our overall High Holiday efforts around the country.

Need is spiking throughout Ukraine.

Boris R., 70, and his wife, JDC clients before the conflict, had to flee their home in the east with our help, when, as Boris tells it, “our house was ruined by shelling. There’s no apartment, nothing. At such an age, I had to leave my native town.” It was a harrowing journey, especially as Boris’s wife has advancing Alzheimer’s and cannot walk. They emerged from the building’s basement and left with nothing more than the clothes they were wearing, their passports and their marriage certificate.

After staying in Dnipro for 10 days to recover, Boris and his wife traveled to Lviv, where they have been for the last three months. His son and family are also nearby. Boris has no intention of leaving Ukraine, but is barely able to survive without our help. The cost of his rent, with increasing utility prices, comes to $324. He and his wife’s combined pensions are only $243.

While headlines focus on the south

and east of the country, their plight is part of an under-reported, unfolding crisis around the entire country. Decimated infrastructure, severely reduced human services and limited access to utilities are wide spread. The economic situation is dire, with skyrocketing inflation projected to hit 27% and Ukraine’s GDP expected to contract by more than 34% in 2022.

Making matters worse, 3.6 million Ukrainians who remained lost their jobs, resulting in a population of “new poor,” previously middle class folks now facing poverty. Those who were poor before the crisis are in even worse shape. With prices for food and medicine increasing more than 20% in the last year, pensioners like Boris living on $3-4 a day have seen scarce resources stretched even further. Add to this the widespread reality of post-traumatic stress brought on by loss in many forms — loved ones, homes and safety.

Our support — including food and medicines and supplemental aid for emergency needs like their rent and util ities — is a lifeline for these Ukrainians. JDC has shipped more than 600 tons of humanitarian aid into Ukraine, and we are directly supporting 35,000-plus clients today, including more than 2,600 new poor and internally displaced Jews. This is in addition to the tens of thou sands of others to whom we have provided trauma support, medical care, evacuation or hotline services to date. But — with no end to the conflict in sight — more needs to be done.

The refugee crisis is not over.

While the mass exodus of refugees has slowed, there are, according to our European Jewish community partners, some 10,000 Jewish refugees in their remit. The actual number is likely higher, as some have not reached out for help. As global inflation worsens and many choose to remain in Europe, we expect more may turn to Jewish communities for support. We need to ensure they are prepared with the ability to extend care to their, and our, extended Jewish family.

In partnership with local Jewish communities, JDC is currently caring for 4,000 refugees in 13 countries. In addition to food, medicine, accom modation, psychosocial support and connections to local programming, we’re moving from temporary care to long-term support. This includes housing solutions, health care, living stipends and workforce opportunities. And helping Ukrainian Jews to integrate into local Jewish communities is critical.

The High Holidays usher in a time of introspection and new beginnings. During this period, we should proudly take stock of all we have done for Ukraine’s Jews—and concentrate on all we must continue to do in the New Year ahead.

PJC

Ariel Zwang is the CEO of JDC, the global Jewish humanitarian organization. This first appeared on JTA.

Culture

Breaking the ice with the young Jewish star of ‘Frozen’

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

Jewish girl from White Plains, New York, is one of the stars of an upcoming production at the Benedum Center. Mackenzie Mercer will play the role of Young Elsa when a touring production of “Frozen: The Musical” comes to Pittsburgh next month.

The 11-year-old said the urge to perform comes to her naturally.

“I’ve always loved singing and acting and being on stage,” she told the Chronicle.

At age 4, Mackenzie took part in a program dubbed Star Kidz. That led to summer voice lessons, which led to her bringing manager Jason Bercy onto her team.

She got bitten by the acting bug hard and has starred in touring productions ever since.

“I auditioned for a little bit and, when I was 7, I was on tour for ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas,’” Mackenzie said. “It was very short but very good.”

Mackenzie likes life on tour. When she’s on the road, she is taught by educators in the theaters and is assigned a home tutor, her mother said.

Her star turn in “Frozen” does not mark her Pittsburgh debut, though. She first performed in the Steel City in 2019 as Little Cosette in “Les Miserables.”

Mackenzie admits she auditioned six times for “Frozen” before landing the part — and had to do it virtually because of COVID-19.

“It was all Zoom,” she laughed, “even the final callback.”

The critic in her is excited by the new show, she said. She grew up watching the “Frozen” movies and singing “Let It Go,” and thinks the script for the stage musical is strong.

“What’s good about the show is that it has great songs, and it’s a good time for all ages,” Mackenzie said. “It’s funny, very funny.”

Mackenzie’s mother, Shelly LeWinter, said her daughter was drawn to the strong sister bond in “Frozen”; yes, Mackenzie has an older sister.

And Mackenzie’s not shy about promoting the musical.

“It’s really fun to be on tour,” she said. “And you should go see ‘Frozen.’” Mackenzie isn’t the only one excited

about the show. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is “delighted” to open its season “with one of Disney’s most magical musi cals, ‘Frozen,’” said Marc Fleming, the organization’s chief marketing officer and vice president of Broadway programming. “Over its two-week, 16-performance run, we will welcome over 40,000 people downtown with over 25% of the audi ence being entirely new to the Cultural District. It is the perfect Broadway show to continue our comeback to the live performing arts in Pittsburgh.”

From the producer of “The Lion King” and “Aladdin,” “Frozen,” the Tony-nominated Best Musical, will play a two-week premiere engagement at the Benedum Center, begin ning Wednesday, Oct. 5. Performances will continue through Sunday, Oct. 16.

Frozen stars Caroline Bowman as “Elsa” and Lauren Nicole Chapman as “Anna,” the sisters at the heart of the joy-filled musical. Joining them are principal cast members Jeremy Davis as “Olaf,” Dominic Dorset as “Kristoff,” Will Savarese as “Hans,” Evan Duff as “Weselton,” Collin Baja and Dan Plehal alternating as “Sven,” as well as Aria Kane and Saheli Khan alter nating as “Young Anna,” and Mackenzie and Sydney Elise Russell alternating as “Young Elsa.” PJC

Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

New indie production company Leviathan will make Jewish stories for film and TV

By Andrew Lapin | JTA

Anew independent production company aims to “ensure the Jewish tradition is carried forward” on TV and film, as Jewish stories continue to be a hot property in Hollywood.

Leviathan Productions will specialize in developing content based on Jewish history, literature and folk tales, as well as stories about Israel, Deadline reported. Leviathan is founded by Ben Cosgrove, a film and TV producer whose credits include the Oscarwinning “Syriana” and the recent “Black Christmas” remake; and Josh Foer, journalist and co-founder of the adventure travel brand Atlas Obscura as well as of the online Jewish text repository Sefaria.

Foer is also one of the people behind a new “Jewish tavern” in the Boston area, which like the projects on Leviathan’s docket aims to situate Jewish content in a space that is accessible to Jews and non-Jews alike.

The company has moved quickly to

acquire a number of upcoming projects with Jewish themes, including planned adapta tions of “Photograph 51,” a play by Anna Ziegler about Rosalind Franklin, the British Jewish chemist who played a central role in discovering the molecular structures of DNA, RNA and viruses; “The Secret Chord,” a novel by Geraldine Brooks about King David; and “The Pledge,” a 1970 nonfiction

book by Leonard Slater about the U.S.’s role in Israel’s 1948 war for independence.

“Jewish stories have incredible resonance because they explore ideas that are univer sally identifiable,” Cosgrove told Deadline. “Everyone knows what it feels like to be the underdog, the outsider, or the immigrant. Jewish stories tackle these ideas with humor and drama, and people around the world see

themselves in our stories.”

The launch of Leviathan Productions comes soon after this summer’s launch of Reboot Studios, a funding initiative for Jewish entertainment that brands itself as “the Sundance Labs of the Jewish world.”

Both projects are concurrent with a notable uptick in Jewish content from major streaming platforms. Netflix is prepping an American remake of its hit Israeli import “Shtisel,” in addition to an upcoming reality show, “Jewish Matchmaking,” both joining a suite of Jewish-themed programs that include “The Club,” “Heirs To The Land,” “My Unorthodox Life,” “13: The Musical” and “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem.”

In addition, HBO Max is developing content based on Hasidic rapper Nissim Black and the Yiddish folktales of Chelm; Hulu recently acquired the Israeli series “Hazarot” (Rehearsals); Amazon recently produced “Yosi, the Regretful Spy” in addi tion to its ongoing hit series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”; Apple TV+’s Israeli spy series “Tehran” is on its second season; and two recent European period dramas, “Ridley Road” on PBS and “Paris Police 1900” on MHz, boast strong Jewish themes. PJC

p Mackenzie Mercer Photo courtesy of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

“What’s good about the show is that it has great songs, and it’s a good time for all ages.”

Photo by Nick Julia/Adobe Stock; Star of David: Oksana/Adobe Stock

Culture

Plant-based dishes for the break-fast buffet

favorite chili sauce

12 lettuce cups, either from Boston or bibb

By Keri White | Contributing Writer

Weall love the traditional whitefish/ bagels/lox break-fast meal — and what’s not to like?!

But these days, many people are adopting more plant-based eating habits, either for environmental and ethical reasons, or a need to reduce cholesterol or sodium intake, to lose weight, or for other health considerations.

My sister-in-law Esther, who is a healthy eater, made these recipes on a recent visit and, although not traditional, they would be good additions to the break-fast buffet. Both are pareve, healthy, deliver plenty of fresh veggies along with fiber, protein and, of course, they are delicious. B oth of these dishes are also colorful, so they add some visual pop and interest to the buffet.

When cooking for a holiday crowd, it is ideal to offer a variety of dishes to accommodate all preferences and needs; these two recipes do just that! For folks who need to watch their sodium, try using low-sodium soy sauce, and reduce the amount as required. Ditto for lower fat diets concerning sesame oil and peanut butter.

Cauliflower lettuce wraps

Serves 5

These mimic chicken wraps seen on many Chinese and Vietnamese menus.

Cauliflower rice is available in the produce sections of most supermarkets these days. If you can’t find it, see the note below on how to make your own.

The wraps are designed to be a finger food, but they can be rather messy; some may wish to serve these plated with a knife and fork.

1 teaspoon canola oil

2 cups cauliflower rice

½ cup diced water chestnuts

¼ cup diced red onion

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha or your

lettuce, small romaine heads, or iceberg Optional garnishes: chopped peanuts or cashews; cilantro sprigs, sliced jalapenos and/or sliced scallions

In a large skillet, heat the canola oil and sauté the onion, garlic and mushrooms until fragrant. Add the water chestnuts, cauliflower rice, soy sauce, hoisin and Sriracha with a splash of water to help distribute the sauces. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes until all vegetables are cooked. Remove from heat and cool slightly— you don’t want the mixture added to the lettuce while it is steaming hot or it will cook the leaves.

Place the lettuce cups on a large platter and fill them with the cauliflower mixture.

Garnish as desired, and serve.

To make cauliflower rice, divide a large head of cauliflower into florets and small pieces.

Blanche the pieces in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place them immediately into an ice bath. Drain thoroughly, and put them in a food processor. Whiz the cauliflower around until the pieces resemble rice. This will make more than you need for the lettuce wraps; save it and use it in salads or as you would rice or couscous.

Spicy Thai quinoa salad Serves 6-8, depending on portion size

Ingredients:

2 cups finely sliced red cabbage 2 cups shredded carrots

When is it OK not to fast on Yom Kippur?

is pregnant. Among others.

By Jarrad Saffren | Contributing Writer

As an Orthodox rabbi guiding Congregation Beth Solomon in Philadelphia, Rabbi Solomon

Isaacson has a deep understanding of why it’s so important to fast on Yom Kippur.

But let’s let him explain it.

“God measures us. Our lives are at stake,” he said. “We fast to put ourselves in the mood to say, ‘Why are we fasting?’ That fasting brings to mind how serious the day is.”

At the same time, despite his doctrinal belief in Judaism and strict adherence to its practice, Isaacson said it’s OK to sacrifice the most serious ritual of the religion’s holiest day. In other words, it’s OK not to fast if your life depends on it.

Isaacson is willing to defer to a doctor on this question. On Yom Kippur, it’s the man or woman of medicine who serves as the moral authority, even if he or she is not Jewish.

If the doctor tells you it’s dangerous, then you must eat,” Isaacson said. “Not a rabbi, not an uncle, not a father, not a husband, not a wife. A doctor.”

There are many types of Jews who may fit into this category: someone who needs to eat and drink due to a medical condition, someone who needs to eat and/or drink with a medication and a woman who

Rabbis Abe Friedman and Adam Lautman mentioned that mental health is as much of a consideration as physical health. A person recovering from or still struggling with an eating disorder probably needs to eat and drink on Yom Kippur, they said.

“Fasting may be traumatic or dangerous for certain individuals,” said Lautman, who leads Temple Har Zion in Mount Holly, New Jersey.

Friedman, the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel in Philadelphia, called eating disorders “a life and death matter.”

He explained that rabbis must not only listen to doctors but mental health profes sionals as well.

“I always respect the expertise of medical and mental health professionals,” Friedman said. “They know things I don’t know.”

According to Rabbi David Englander of Congregation Beth El in Voorhees, New Jersey, it is doctors who determine the line between fasting and not fasting, between eating a normal amount and a little less than that, and between the medical and the spiritual.

But if a person does not need to eat and drink like it’s a normal day — if it’s still safe to keep the fast to an extent — it’s the rabbi who can provide guidance.

Isaacson believes that those who must eat and drink should still be reluctant.

Unless they have to, “they should not sit

down and have a six-course meal.”

Instead, if they begin to fast and feel weak, they should “take a teaspoon of something and then stop,” Isaacson said. And if they feel that way again in a few hours, they should do the same thing.

Take a little bit. Not the whole meal. Regain your strength while still observing the spirit of the holiday, he said.

“Of course, you should try to fast,” Isaacson said.

Rabbi Geri Newburge of Main Line Reform Temple-Beth Elohim in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, compared that approach to the way kids fast. In general, children are not supposed to fast if they are still growing. They need the sustenance.

1 large bell pepper, finely sliced

2 scallions, chopped

2 cups edamame

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Dressing:

4 tablespoons natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lime

1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated 3 large cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 -3 tablespoons Sriracha or other hot chili sauce

1 cup hot water

Mix all the vegetables and quinoa in a large bowl. Set aside.

Mix all the dressing ingredients except for the hot water in a medium bowl. Gradually add the water, starting with about a quarter cup, and whisk. Continue adding water and whisking until the dressing becomes creamy and smooth. It should be thin enough to pour over salad but not too watery.

Pour the dressing over the veggie/quinoa mixture, and stir it together.

This is best if it has some time to sit, allowing the flavors to blend. PJC

Keri White writes for the Jewish Exponent, an affiliated publication where this first appeared.

But as they grow older, they can start to cut back a little. This helps them understand the holiday. As Newburge explained, maybe instead of eating two Pop-Tarts and scram bled eggs for breakfast, they just eat eggs. Or, in an adult’s case, maybe it is apple slices instead of a three-course meal.

“The whole idea is for us to think about what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, why we’re doing it,” she said. “As long as we’re not putting our health at risk.”

Fasting, though, is not the only way to observe the holiday. It’s a tool, explained Friedman — a means to an end. But not the end in itself.

Friedman said it’s still important for someone who can’t fast to go to services and participate in the life of the community. The point of Yom Kippur, he said, is to take an honest look at our lives to make a more concerted effort to live by our values.

You can break the fast and still repent, he said. This can be difficult for Jews used to fasting to understand and accept, espe cially if the medical necessity to eat on the holiest day is new.

“You don’t need to work within an all-ornothing mindset,” Lautman said. “That once you broke your fast, you’ve failed and should give up the rest of the day.”

PJC

Jarrad Saffren writes for the Jewish Exponent, an affiliated publication where this first appeared.

p Cauliflower lettuce wraps Photo by Keri White

Photo by Sergii Moscaliuk/Adobe Stock

How the Miami Boys Choir turned ‘Orthodox pop’ into a TikTok sensation

By Jackie Hajdenberg | JTA

is over,” one Twitter user declared. “We’re listening to Orthodox Pop from now on.”

With those words, the Miami Boys Choir has transformed over the last two weeks from a singing group popular among Jewish insiders to a viral sensation. On TikTok and Twitter, users have shared clips of the group’s concerts, overlaid its music with other scenes and inserted themselves into split-screen duets. New fans of MBC, as the group is known for short, have chosen their favorite singers through their stage presence, their vocals or, simply, their “it” factor.

Some are finding it hard to choose. “How does every single one of these kids have the it factor,” said one person who shared the now-viral video of a 2008 performance of “Yerushalayim.”

Some basics for newcomers to the cult of MBC: The Miami Boys Choir is not based in Miami. Its members do as much dancing as singing. And the boys in the viral videos are, well, men now.

Some of them have joined in the fun, riffing on their own long-ago performances with lip sync videos and an a cappella rendition of “Yerushalayim” by MBC alumni in the all-vocal group, the Maccabeats.

David Herskowitz even pulled out his old silver satin shirt and red tie to reenact his perfor mance, which he posted to TikTok.

“It was hilarious,” Herskowitz recalled about his time as a choir member, speaking to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “I mean, it was awesome. You got to travel the world, perform for various communities.”

Herskowitz was 5 when his father took him to see the Miami Boys Choir in concert. The group had already been in existence for nearly a quarter-century since being founded in Miami in 1977 by an Orthodox composer and musical director named Yerachmiel Begun. (Begun moved the group to New York City in 1980 but kept the Miami name.)

Since Herskowitz’s father knew Begun when they were younger, the two were invited backstage, and that was when Herskowitz told his father he would sing in the choir one day. He joined the group when he was 10 or 11 and stayed until he graduated — members leave around 14, when their voices get too deep to fit into the songs. During those years, he toured widely and appeared on some of the group’s recorded albums — there are currently 32 in the discography.

“I was always into music,” Herskowitz said. “I always had a real connection and appreciation for music.”

Herskowitz said he barely touched music after leaving MBC — until recently, when he began composing during the pandemic. Now 27 and newly married, Herskowitz is using this viral moment to try putting original songs out into the world. After posting a teaser for his new music on TikTok this week, he quickly racked up more than 10,000 followers and nearly 400,000 likes.

The teaser was a song he premiered in January during another big moment in his

life: his proposal to Yakira Gerszberg, a marine biologist studying sharks whom he credits with pushing him onto TikTok. Already, he said, one new fan has asked about using the song, “YOU,” for the first dance at his wedding.

“This is an open road,” said Herskowitz, whose day job is in digital marketing. “I’m not really drawing any conclusions yet. And I’m sort of just seeing where this goes.”

If Herskowitz makes it big, he would join other alums of the Miami Boys Choir who have gone on to prominent careers in the genre of Orthodox music, where romantic ballads with a spiritual element are embraced.

Those graduates include Ari Goldwag, Yaakov Shwekey, Shloime Dachs and Mordechai Shapiro — all household names for consumers of Orthodox music. Others, including Chanina Abramowitz, who was in the now-viral “Yerushalayim” video, have since gone on to join the Maccabeats, an all-male Jewish a capella group famous for their Hanukkah mashups and turning songs like Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite” and Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” into “Candlelight” and “All About That Neis.” In 2015, the Maccabeats performed at the White House Hanukkah Party.

One defining characteristic of the Orthodox pop genre is its exclusivity — for male singers only. For modesty purposes, under Jewish law, men are prohibited from hearing women sing, though women can sing in front of other women.

Many others have gone on to careers not in music, including Herskowitz’s two younger brothers, Jeremy and Max. The family is one of many to send multiple children to the choir, which itself has been a family project.

The Begun family also comes from a legacy of musicians and performers, including MBC composer Yerachmiel Begun’s father, the former vaudeville actor Chaim Begun. Yerachmiel Begun’s wife Shoshana, a classical pianist, wrote many of the group’s English songs, such as “Sunshine” from the 1995 album, “One by One.”

Now, the Miami Boys Choir, which

Yerachmiel Begun still leads, albeit with a totally new cohort of boys than the video, will be returning to the stage with their annual Sukkot tour of the tri-state area. (Dates and locations for the tour have not been set yet, but the group’s website shows that it held auditions last spring in two places: Miami and Lakewood, New Jersey, which has a large Orthodox community.)

MBC’s TikTok account is run by Yerachmiel and Shoshana Begun’s son Chananya Begun, who is also a music producer and the owner of the Young Talent Initiative, a creative arts organization to support young Orthodox musicians. He presented his father with the idea of creating a TikTok account at a Shabbat meal several months ago, citing the group’s more than 40 years of content.

“I just think something crazy might happen,” the younger Begun recalled telling his father, whom he called “not tech-y Mr. Social Media.” He added, “For me, personally, I was obvi ously motivated for multiple reasons, as far as furthering my father’s legacy and Miami’s legacy.”

When he first started posting the videos two months ago, engagement was moderate. But six weeks ago, the “Yerushalayim” video started blowing up. Since then, web traffic has increased, people have been buying albums and subscriptions to MBC’s music, and Spotify listens have tripled, Chananya Begun said. Even TV studios and documentary producers have been reaching out to the Beguns.

“We’ve seen incredible reactions and it’s been absolutely wild to watch,” Begun said. “Absolutely crazy.”

Beyond MBC’s popularity with the Orthodox Jewish world, Begun has been impressed by the group resonating with non-Jews and people who haven’t identified much with Judaism in recent years. Tweets and comments left on their videos often refer to people not understanding a word of the music but listening to the songs on repeat.

The “Yerushalayim” video, which is less than a minute long, has thousands of comments

on TikTok, and hundreds have duet videos as people react to the song. Comments praise the young boys’ talent, often admitting, “this song has no business being this good.” New fans rank or choose their favorite singer, much like fangirls would have a favorite Beatle or member of One Direction.

MBC isn’t the only Orthodox Jewish boys choir to take on the pop genre — the Yeshiva Boys Choir, famous for their song “Ah Ah Ah,” which draws from the Hebrew acrostic prayer “Ashrei,” has a similar pop sound with religious and spiritual elements.

The YouTube version of the full “Yerushalayim” song, which was uploaded Sept. 11, well into the frenzy, has 70,000 views. “I’m not Jewish but I’ve listened to this so many times I’ve memorized the words,” one user commented. Another wrote, “I would give away my first born child to go back in time to watch this concert live.”

This kind of exaggerated proclamation is not uncommon in the world of pop fandom, and the comparisons of MBC to Korean boy band BTS of K-Pop fame have been made clear in the comment section and in TikToks about the group.

Jewish comedian Eitan Levine declared the Miami Boys Choir to be “the Jewish BTS” in one video, with commenters suggesting that perhaps “K-Pop” could stand for “Kosher Pop.”

But creating something to appeal to the general public was never the goal with their music, or the TikTok account, Chananya Begun said. After all, the video that went viral is from more than 10 years ago, when MBC’s audience was primarily Orthodox.

“We didn’t do anything that wasn’t genuinely Miami Boys Choir,” he said. “It just spoke to us that being genuine is the most powerful weapon to change the world.”

“We have this Orthodox-but-American entertainment type of thing that seems to really be having some wide appeal, all of a sudden, out of the blue.”

PJC

“K-pop

p The Miami Boys Choir has gone viral on TikTok and Twitter, creating a new generation of fans of the Orthodox pop group. Screenshots via Twitter, TikTok/Design by Jackie Hajdenberg

Becoming a ‘child’ of the Torah

“Write for yourselves this ‘song’ and teach it to Israel, place it in their mouths!”

(Vayelech 31:19)

There is a well-known question: Why is there a need for the mitzvah to write a sefer Torah?

How else would one be able to study the Torah? How else would it be possible to perform mitzvos? If we stopped recording the Torah, eventually it would be forgotten.

Similarly, why is there a need for the mitzvah of Talmud Torah, to study the Torah? Of course we must study the Torah! How else would one know how to fulfill its mitzvos?

The question is, why are these two specific deeds considered mitzvos in their own right? Why are they counted as part of the 613? (Writing a sefer Torah is mitzvah 613!)

Some suggest there are parts of the Torah that are not instructional per se. They also must be studied. And some say the mitzvah is to study Torah lishmah, for its own sake.

The Sefer Hachinuch says the mitzvah of Torah study is to learn the ways of Hashem. The mitzvah to write a sefer Torah is so that each individual has their own sefer and will not need to borrow their friends’ seforim.

Perhaps there is a deeper and more profound message here. Torah study is far more than gaining the knowledge needed to observe the mitzvos. The student is listening to the word of G-d. It enters the ears and the mouth, and it penetrates throughout the body. The actual study causes the Torah to permeate one’s bones. Through studying and reviewing one becomes a master of Torah — a Torah-person. The term “ben-Torah,” the “child” of the Torah, indicates this is far greater than knowing the subject matter.

Writing a sefer Torah is to gain possession of it as though it is a personal belonging: By writing it for oneself, one takes personal posses sion of it. It is now one’s own Torah. This, too, is much more than a written record or instruction book. It is part of oneself, one’s identity.

Thus, both the mitzvah to study and to write the Torah are meant to bring about this Torah identity — that Israel becomes a Torah people, through and through.

The Torah Shebikesav, the Written Torah, must be written — then it must be used to teach the Spoken Torah, Torah Sheb’al Peh, the Oral Law. This is also a part of acquiring the Torah as a personal belonging. The Talmud says that, initially, the Written Torah was not to be studied without a text, and the Oral Torah was not to be written down as a text. The time came when people were no longer able to memorize the entire body of the Oral Law. The Rabbis cited a verse in Tehilim: “The time has come to act for Hashem, they have annulled Your Torah!” (Tehilim 119:126) If the goal is to acquire the Torah — and this requires fluency in Torah Sheb’al Peh, and this is forgotten — the goal will not be accomplished. If “they” have not acquired it due to forgetfulness and weakness of the memory, obviously it must be written down.

(TB Gitin 60a-b)

The Torah continues to relate what will happen in times of trouble and distress. “The Torah that they have written will testify for them, for it shall not be forgotten from the mouths their descendants.” (Devarim 31:21) It will have become deeply ingrained, part of their DNA. It will be passed down genetically as a hereditary trait, in the blood and in the bones of Israel. This is far greater than remembering. It will never be forgotten by later generations, either. It becomes eternally absorbed in the heart of Israel, for all future generations.

When we perform these mitzvos, we are doing so much more than learning the subjects and writing them down. We are affecting ourselves profoundly, changing our DNA, creating an identity, the ben-Torah. And we are affecting the entire people of Israel, and all our future generations. We say as much every time we complete a section of study and recite the Hadran. “May this merit stand by me and by all my descendants, so that the Torah will never leave my mouth or the mouths of all my descendants!” When they begin to study it for the first time, it will feel familiar to them, because it’s in their hearts and their bones!

Rabbi Shimon Silver is the spiritual leader of Young Israel of Greater Pittsburgh. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Pittsburgh.

BRINN: Rita M. Brinn, of Rockville, Maryland, and Pittsburgh, originally from Denora, Pennsylvania. Rita died on Sept. 17, 2022. She is survived by her children David (Beverly) Brinn and Susan Brinn (David) Siegel; grand children Samantha Brinn (David) Merel, Katie (Ari) Spiegler, Michelle Siegel (Billy Grayson), Julie Siegel (Jordan Grossman), Louisa (Rick) Schindelheim, Andy Siegel and Becca Siegel; and great-grandchildren Will and Bella Merel, Avi, Koby, Bailey and Tommi Spiegler, Eva Grayson, Jesse and Elijah Grossman, and Mali, Rami, Ty and Ruthie Schindelheim. She is preceded in death by her husband Charles Brinn. Family meant everything to Rita, and she will be missed by us all. We were so lucky to have gathered all together last year to celebrate her 95th birthday, and grateful that she got to meet and hug all 13 of her great-grandchildren. Happy and smiling every day of her life, she was an example of a life well lived and her family is grateful for her many lessons. Graveside services and interment were held at Tiphereth Israel Cemetery in Shaler, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 19, 2022. Donations in Rita’s memory can be made to the meaningful charity of your choice.

MARKOWITZ: Lillian R. Markowitz. It is with deep sorrow that we share the passing of Lillian R. (Rosenblum) Markowitz, who died Sept. 19, 2022. She was 97. Born Dec. 12, 1924, in Pittsburgh, she was the daughter of Benjamin and Sadie Rosenblum, both deceased. Lillian and her husband, Dr. Louis S. Markowitz, were charter members of Temple David in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. He predeceased her after 51 years of marriage. Lillian leaves three children, Dr. Martin (Anita) Markowitz of Cape Coral, Florida.; Cindy M. (Jerry) Brodsky of Lyndhurst, Ohio; and Michael (Charlotte Paskman) Markowitz of Chalfant, Pennsylvania.; six grandchildren, Craig, Pace (Michelle), Ben (Rachel), and Louis Markowitz, Faith Racusin and Seth (Amy) Brodsky; and seven great-grandchildren, Meyer, Hannah, Sadie and Judah Markowitz; Laz and Sari Racusin; and Shayna Brodsky. Her three siblings predeceased her: Rose Rofey, Mildred Smith and Meyers Rosenbloom. She was also greatly loved by Becky Markowitz, Robert Racusin, Abe Sambol, and many nieces and nephews. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Homestead Hebrew Cemetery in West Mifflin. Contributions in her memory may be made to Menorah Park for Senior Living, 27100 Cedar Rd, Beachwood, OH 44122, or Temple David, 4415 Northern Pike, Monroeville, PA 15146. May her memory be for a blessing. schugar.com

Chai

MARKOWITZ:

Milton Markowitz, on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.

Beloved husband of the late Janet Markowitz.

Loving father of Mitchell (Stacy) Markowitz.

Cherished grandfather of Rhea (Rich) Steen; great-grandfather of Lily and Claire. Also survived by nieces and nephews Randi, Gary, Laurie, Russ, Sheila, Mike and Ron. Preceded in death by a brother and sister lost to the Holocaust. Milton was born to Mordecai and Sarah Markowitz in Czechoslovakia. As a member of the Israeli Defense Forces, he fought in the Golani Brigade in the Israeli War for Independence. Milton was a kosher butcher, who worked hard to support his family. He loved Janet and Mitch beyond measure. Milton was known for his sharp sense of humor and was as stubborn as the day is long, which served him well in his long life. Graveside service and interment were held at Homewood Cemetery, Star of David section. Contributions may be made to the Jewish Association on Aging, ATTN: Development, 200 JHF Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

POLLACK: Jane Pollack, on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. Beloved wife of Benard J. “Bernie.” Loving mother of Leslie (Larry) Nudelman of Denver, Colorado, and the late Mark L. Pollack. Mother-in-law of Seema Pollack Gross. Sister-in-law of Marvin (Charlotte) Pollack of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. Grammy of Ross Nudelman, Sammy and Max Pollack, and twin great-granddaughters, Kaylee and Claire Nudelman. Services and interment were held at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

RUBIN: Joseph Rubin, on Sept. 19, 2022. Beloved husband of Esther (née Stone); loving father of David Rubin (Cynthia Lovan) and James “Jimmy” Rubin (Rebecca); dear brother of Robert Rubin (Marianne Hogg); adoring grandfather of Asher and Alec. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Funeral Home. Contributions in his memory may be made to Rails to Trails Conservancy, rails totrails.org, or to Doctors Without Borders. G oldsteins’ Rosenberg’s Raphael-Sacks. goldsteinsfuneral.com

Please see Obituaries, page 20

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at 412.586.3264 or development@jaapgh.org for more information.

Sunday October 2: Goldie Bardin, Irene Berliner, Jeanette Broner Chernoff, Isadore Davis, Harry Dell, Otto Dubovy, Alvin Glass, Louis Goldenson, Tillie Kalson, Ralph R, Kartub, Herschel Klein, Ruth Levy, Arch Lhormer, Evelyn Maryn, Leslie Lou Mullen, Sharon Ruttenberg Post, Dr, Sanford Press, Clara Rosenfeld, Matilda Amdur Seidman, Rebecca Feiner Sigal, Max Sussman, Alice Tales, Bessie Shrut Weiner, Morris H, Winer

Monday October 3: Joyce Berger, Libby Kaplan Cooper, Howard Harris, Harry Levin, Ernest Marcus, A. Barney Moldovan, Ruth I. Perlman, Myer Reznick, Harvey Sandy Rubenstein, Rebecca Shiner, Elizabeth Silverman, Ruth E. Supowitz

Tuesday October 4: Max Berezin, Florence F. Blass, Ida K. Borovetz, Henry Browarsky, Michael H. Cohen, Ruth Geduldig, Donald L. Klein, Hyman Leipzig, Leonard Levine, Marie Morris, Sarah Finkel Moses, Samuel A. Myers, Beile Levinson Ofshinski, Ethel Shaffer Pariser, Esther Y. Podolsky, Abraham I. Rose, Jessie Ruben, Harry Shapiro, Abe Sobel

Wednesday October 5: Louis Alpert, Eugene Brown, Louis Chotiner, Morris Cohen, Fannie Coon, Ida Goldberg, Anna Halpern, Isaac Halpern, Eugene Rosen, Sylvia Rosenzweig, Alex Sherman, Freda Spokane, Minna B. Trellis

Thursday October 6: Charles Bahm, Herman Goldman, Ben A. Herman, Bernard Hoddeson, Jacob Jacobs, Ise Kramer, Frieda Miller, Benjamin Mossoff, Florence Rubin, Arnold Sommer

Friday October 7: Max Danovitz, Max Dobkin, Hyman J. Dobkin, Ruth P. Kamin, Sarah Kamin, Herman Lang, Mollie Levine, Rose Levine, Max C. Levy, Ruth O. Martin, Ida Osgood, Irving Leonard Podolsky, Estelle L. Schaeffer, Samuel Siegal, Alfred Supowitz, Rebecca Zeff

Saturday October 8: Mollie Brand Amsel, Ruth Haltman Caplan, Gerald C. Davidson, Thekla Zimmern Gordon, Esther Mandell, Samuel Maryn, Michael Sattler, Morris Saxen, Jeanette Schutzman, Harry T. Weiner

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For as long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us as,

We Remember em.

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

The Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh (JCBA) welcomes inquiries about the purchase of burial plots in JCBA cemeteries. JCBA is committed to the proper care and maintenance of sacred grounds, and is devoted to the stewardship of Jewish cemeteries.

Plots are available in the following JCBA cemeteries:

Agudath Achim – Beaver Falls Kether Torah

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Beth Abraham Tiphereth Israel - Shaler

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Johnstown Jewish Cemeteries

Workmen’s Circle #45 Workmen’s Circle #975

For more information please visit our website at www.jcbapgh.org, email us at jcbapgh@gmail.com or call the JCBA at 412-553-6469.

Obituaries

Obituaries:

Continued from page 19

ROSENTHAL: Jean Lillian Rosenthal, on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. Beloved wife of the late Meyer Rosenthal. Loving mother of Gary (Janice) Rosenthal, Barbara (Robert Nelson) Rosenthal, Stuart (Maria) Rosenthal and Joy (Jeffrey Cornish) Keafer. Sister of the late Maxine Sittsamer and Arthur Feldman. Cherished grandmother of Sarah (Wes) Burns, David (Jennifer) Keafer, Jamie Keafer, Sonny (Dawn) Rosenthal, Tanner Rosenthal, Angelina Erbmann and Marcus Nathan; and great-grandmother of Avery Burns, Tristan Erbmann, Mozes Rosenthal, Clara Burns, Mason Burns, Kaitlyn Keafer and Koa Rosenthal. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Homestead Hebrew Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to the JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry, 828 Hazelwood Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, or Animal Friends, 562 Camp Horne Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237. schugar.com

SPOKANE: Bernice Spokane, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Beloved wife of Jules, loving mother of Zachary Spokane, Laurie Hitrys (David) and Kenneth Spokane. Grandma of Courtney Brost (Kevin), Jared Hitrys, Lindsay Hitrys and Jordan Spokane (Sophia). Bernice was a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and was a third-grade teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools for a few years before starting a family. Services were held at The Gardens of Boca Raton, Boca Raton, Florida. Donations may be made to: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) P.O. Box 96929 Washington, DC 20090. aspca.org. PJC

D’Alessandro Funeral Home and Crematory Ltd.

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Life & Culture

Bollywood is coming to Israel

By Maayan Hoffman | JNS

Ashwini Chaudhary, president of Golden Ratio Films India, called the endeavor

“most ambitious” in an interview with JNS.

Haifa Mayor Einat Kalisch-Rotem also celebrated the project.

The

story of how a minimally armed unit of Indian soldiers fought and beat the Ottoman army to win Haifa on Sept. 23, 1918, will soon be made into an action-packed, feature-length film by top producers from Bollywood. The movie will be made in Israel.

Golden Ratio Films (GRF), the digital content production arm of Vistas Media Capital, announced the project last week at a ceremony in Haifa. “Heroes of Haifa” will be co-produced by GRF and Yalestar films, in collaboration with Hundred Films.

Indian soldiers from the Jodhpur Lancers, Mysore Lancers and Hyderabad Lancers fought in the battle, which is consid ered one of the most successful cavalry charges in the history of modern warfare. The men were armed only with lances and swords, yet they outclassed Ottoman, German and Austrian troops who were equipped with machine guns, cannons and other modern weapons.

“This is such a substantial event that is important to Indians and Israelis, yet few people know about it,” Hundred Films co-founder Atul Pandey told JNS. “This is a story that needs to be told to the whole world.”

He said that a lot of research has been conducted on the “minute details and considering the nuances of the battle ...

The shooting of ‘Heroes of Haifa’ will be set in the actual theater of the First World War in the Middle East, which will enhance the friendship between the two nations through cinema.”

‘A story of exceptional bravery’

The Battle of Haifa was little known in India or Israel for decades, except for in the small Indian district of Jodhpur, in Rajasthan state, where it has been commem orated every year for the last century. Eight soldiers from the district were killed on the battlefield.

However, in 1993, a Jewish-Israeli cardiol ogist based in New York took a trip to India and happened to stay at a hotel in Jodhpur. In the lobby he found a statue of the “Hero

of Haifa.” Haifa is the Israeli city in which the cardiologist was born.

When he inquired at the hotel, they did not have much background to share. So he wrote to the UK War Memorials Trust. After a few months, he received a lot of information, which he turned into an article that was published in the Hebrew daily Haaretz in 1993. Since then, others have taken up researching the battle, too.

And, in recent years, an annual ceremony has been held in Haifa to commemorate the fallen Indian soldiers and their victory against the Ottomans.

“The emotional value of this story is very high for the Indians,” Pandey said.

“It is a story of the exceptional bravery of Indian soldiers in a foreign land fighting an impossible battle and winning it. But also historically, their liberating the city played a crucial role in the creation of Israel years later. If the city had not been liber ated from the Ottomans, the creation of Israel after World War II would have been a different scenario.”

Today, Haifa is Israel’s third-largest city with a population of around 280,000 people.

Film could cost $50 million to make

The concept for the film was several years in the making, according to Piiyush Singh, the co-founder and group chief operating officer of Vistas Media Capital.

India and Israel signed a co-production treaty back in 2018 during a visit by thenPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mumbai. During that trip, Netanyahu held an event with several Bollywood leaders. Since then, Singh said, there have been many efforts made and discussions held but little has emerged — in part because of the two-year COVID-19 pandemic.

The film represents the first large-scale film collaboration in decades.

Movie crew members spent time in Jodhpur and Istanbul to gather background information for the story and worked with contacts on the ground in Israel before coming on their first visit last week.

The movie is expected to feature authentic early 20th-century Middle Eastern archi tecture, clothing and culture in an effort to portray “a real and chilling picture of the Great War,” a release explained. It will be a “fast-paced war drama with realistic action intermingled with world geopolitics at the time. It will share experiences of raw horrors and those of the glories attained by the Indian soldiers.”

The cast will be mixed, including Indian, Israeli and other international actors. The script is in development.

“We will mount an international film that can cross language barriers,” Singh said.

He noted that it will take another two or three years and around $50 million to make the movie.

“I’m positive that the movie will proudly show our beautiful city and its importance in the history of India,” she said. “This largescale production will showcase Haifa to millions of viewers, not only from India but from other countries, and will bring the city thousands of new tourists.”

While in Israel this week, the producers met with representatives of several minis tries, all of whom encouraged the production of the movie and began the process of granting them the permissions needed to film at the locations in Israel where the battle went down.

The Israel Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it held a wonderful discus sion with the Bollywood producers on Indo-Israel films and media collaborations. Joint projects like this will help strengthen the close ties between the two countries that recently celebrated 30 years of diplomatic relations, it said.

‘More to come’

Recently, the Israeli government took applications from foreign film and TV series producers for a special rebate project that could grant up to 45 million shekels ($12.9 million) toward the production of their work in the country over the next two years. The project, the Culture and Sports Ministry said, is aimed to positively brand Israel and improve the economy.

The Bollywood producers said their film is not part of this project, but that they hoped to participate with future endeavors.

Upon learning about “Heroes of Haifa,” Fortune Galit Wahba Shasho, director of culture for the ministry, told JNS: “I warmly welcome Bollywood producers to the City of Haifa, noting that we will not always have only Haifa but also many other Israeli cities where movies and TV series will be shot.”

Singh said that Vistas Media Capital has several business lines all primarily focused on content development and that “we have longer and bigger plans for Israel. There will be more to come.”

p From left: Ashwini Chaudhary, president of Golden Ratio Films India; Piiyush Singh, co-founder and group chief operating officer of Vistas Media Capital; and Atul Pandey, co-founder of Hundred Films Photo by Maayan Hoffman

The youth go to Youthtowne

Shofar so good

p The group spoke at the United We Stand Summit and heard from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Photo courtesy of Maggie Feinstein

p Duquesne University law student Shira Elovic joins Chabad House staffers

Alex Small and Akiva Sunshine represented Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh’s varsity boys cross country team at the combined section meet in Clinton, Pennsylvania.

p Jess and Josh Silbermann and their children Micah and Ethan

p Carter Lichtman

Photos courtesy of Chabad of the South Hills

Chabad of the South Hills hosted a Shofar Factory event where attendees learned how a shofar is made and what purpose it serves this time of year. Participants sanded down and shellacked authentic shofars to take home. And, in the spirit of a sweet new year, challahs were decorated, and honey cake, apples, honey and pomegranates were available for tasting.

p Chabad House staffer Nechama Welton sweetens students’ day with honey sticks and apples at Chatham University.

Photos courtesy of Chabad House on Campus

KOSHER MEATS

Empire Kosher Fresh

Boneless Chicken Breasts