Squirrel Hill Magazine Winter 2022

Squirrel

SHUC TURNS

VINTAGE HOLIDAYS

Squirrel Hill

SQUIRREL HILL URBAN COALITION OFFICERS

PRESIDENT Mardi Isler

VICE PRESIDENT Dalia Belinkoff

VICE PRESIDENT Erik Wagner

Our Mission

The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition gives voice to the hopes and concerns of our residents, institutions, businesses and visitors and works to preserve, improve, and celebrate the quality of life in our vibrant urban Squirrel Hill neighborhood.

ON THE COVER:

A dusting of snow in Frick Park heralds the arrival of winter.

Photo © John Schiller

Photography

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

Contact marketing@shuc.org.

All other communications can be directed to editor@shuc.org or (412) 422-7666.

Since 1972. 50 years. 5 decades.

Congratulations to the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition on reaching this milestone, and a special “thank you” to all who have helped it get this far. After all, SHUC works hand in hand with so many residents, neighbors, and community partners.

As I was preparing this issue, someone described 1972 as being “like a billion years ago, but also just like yesterday.” If looking back can warp our understanding of time, looking forward can give us a sense of hope and purpose. I wish you a wonderful winter season and a happy new year!

MELISSA EPPIHIMER

Editor, Squirrel Hill Magazine

SECRETARY Raymond Baum

TREASURER Paul Katz

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Richard Feder

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Anna Batista, Raymond N. Baum, Jill Beck, Justin Beck, Dalia Belinkoff, Guy Costa, Lori Fitzgerald, Heather Graham, Barbara Grover, Michael Henderson, Marshall Hershberg, Melissa Hiller, Martha Isler, Paul Katz, Joseph Ott, Jon Prince, Mary Shaw, Lisa Steindel, Erik Wagner

The Squirrel Hill Magazine is a publication produced by the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition (SHUC), a nonprofit organization. As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, donations to SHUC are tax-exempt, and SHUC complies with all 501(c)(3) rules and regulations.

CONTRIBUTORS

Sophie Bean, Maria Cohen, Melissa Eppihimer, Larry Gerson, Mardi Isler, Nana Koll, Jim Rogal, John Schiller, Helen Wilson

EDITOR Melissa Eppihimer

DESIGNER Lynn Kawaratani

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Maria H. Cohen

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Sophie Bean

Squirrel Hill Magazine, Vol. 20, Issue 3, is provided by the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition as a free service to the residents and businesses in the 15217 zip code. Subscriptions are available for $25/year. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without permission. Printed by Knepper Press.

Greetings from the SHUC President

By Mardi Isler, SHUC Board President

THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SQUIRREL HILL URBAN COALITION, which we celebrate this year, is quite a milestone for a community nonprofit. Even more impressive, though, is what the organization has managed to achieve in that half century of existence. Since the beginning, it has done what it set out to do.

SHUC was born to protect the unique character of Squirrel Hill’s business district and surrounding residential neighborhood, and to ensure that both would continue to thrive despite the inevitable changes that would occur over time. In 1972 a task force recommended that a coalition be formed because the aesthetics and retail services along Forbes Avenue between Murray and Shady seemed to be in decline. That first decade, SHUC worked with community supporters, businesses, and city officials to bury overhead wires, redo all the pavements, and add some ornamental trees. Over the ensuing decades, other acts of “sprucing up” followed.

visitors and residents coming from the Parkway into Squirrel Hill. After a series of public meetings, the resulting sketchbook, created by Rothschild Doyno Collaborative with assistance from Pashek Associates, laid out plans for streetlights on Murray, a Welcome sign at the parkway entrance, the so-called Forgotten Garden, a respite plaza at Phillips and Murray, and business corridor improvements, including more trees.

My involvement began in earnest in 2009. With funding from the Design Center, SHUC launched a community planning effort to produce a welcoming and engaging “Gateway,” or entrance corridor, for

For years, that sketchbook, along with construction drawings made possible by a second grant, went everywhere with us as we fundraised to bring the projects it envisioned into reality. It was our roadmap, and we used it to help foundations, government, businesses, and others know where Squirrel Hill wanted to go. We used it all the way up until 2021, when O’Connor’s Corner, the last of the planned improvements, was dedicated. This stretch of activity is a marvelous example of how starting with a public process and then defining an inspiring vision can lead to wonderful outcomes for a community.

SHUC didn’t make the improvements without lots of help over the years. First and foremost, the City Public Works Construction Division was an ingredient in all that was accomplished. With the support of two Pittsburgh mayors, the division’s expert workers contributed by completing components of our projects. They also put together all our benches, installed them on Forbes and Murray, and installed the squirrel-shaped bike racks that were donated

by a private developer. City Forestry and TreeVitalize also have supported beautification and street tree planting efforts.

SHUC’s way of working has changed very little over the years. It is still implemented through planning and fostering community-based initiatives in the areas of education, public safety, litter patrol, transportation, trees and parks, and commercial, institutional, and residential development. Volunteer-supported committees provide leadership by studying, debating, and advocating positions on issues affecting our neighborhood’s vitality. We always acknowledge the support that we receive for our specific initiatives by listing partners on our website, thanking contributors on easel boards at events, and using our public meetings to draw attention to residents and businesses who help.

As someone who has been part of this journey, I see our anniversary celebration as an opportunity to do more than look back at 50 years of service to the Squirrel Hill community. It is an opportunity to look forward as well. Communities and neighborhoods need constant care, and the only people who can and will provide that over time are the people who work and live here. That’s how SHUC has succeeded for so long, because of people like you taking the initiative to keep this special neighborhood of ours healthy.

Today, we still need citizens who want to make a positive contribution to shaping the growth and development of our neighborhood. Please join us. Respond to the editor, call our office at 412-4227666, or send a note letting us know what you care about. As Dr. Seuss said so well, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” But with you, it will!

By Helen Wilson

“

THE FORMATION OF THE SQUIRREL HILL URBAN COALITION: CONCERNS FOR THE FUTURE

WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE COMMUNITY REMAIN STABLE and that the ‘exodus to suburbia’ not become a part of the Pittsburgh pattern…we are just formulating a proposal that will recommend the formation of an Urban Coalition Group…to deal with the problems in the areas of housing, education, recreation, business, legislation, funding, human problems such as drug addiction, and urban problems such as pollution control.”

These words appear in a memo dated December 10, 1971, one of the earliest existing documents about the formation of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition (SHUC). It was sent from Elayne Rosen, the director of the Urban Affairs Foundation Committee of the United Jewish Federation (UJF) in Pittsburgh, to the directors of the Jewish Community Relations Committees of the UJF nationwide.

Since Squirrel Hill was then predominantly Jewish, the push for an Urban Coalition was driven in part by concern for the living conditions of the elderly Jewish

population. But there also was a larger concern for the future of the neighborhood, a concern shaped by what was happening in Pittsburgh and other American cities.

An early SHUC planning report noted that the “nature, extent and degree of present-day blight throughout Pittsburgh has been influenced by the lack of satisfactory adjustments to previous changes in population, housing, jobs, community facilities, transportation and patterns of land development.” It went on to say that the 14th Ward Civic Association had asked the City of Pittsburgh to study Squirrel Hill and develop a plan for stabilizing it, but nothing had come of it.

By the 1970s, the deterioration of the quality of life in Squirrel Hill was a growing concern, and neighbors were worried about the City’s lack of attention to the neighborhood. Community leaders decided that they needed to act, and the result was the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition. SHUC was officially formed on July 21, 1972.

The first SHUC Street Fair was held on October 14, 1973.

In the early 1970s, many Pittsburgh communities were worried about deterioration, but what set Squirrel Hill apart from most of the other neighborhoods is that, from the time it began to be marketed as a Pittsburgh “suburb” in the late 1890s, real-estate developers strove to ensure that Squirrel Hill’s upscale reputation was upheld through attention to its amenities.

by municipal government.” This happened at a time when wards were more important politically than neighborhoods. SHUC’s concerns extended to the whole 14th Ward, meaning not only Squirrel Hill but also Point Breeze, Regent Square, and Swisshelm Park.

While Squirrel Hill and its neighbors never seceded, SHUC kept working. SHUC has always concerned itself with public safety, educational issues, residential quality, the vitality of the business district, and upkeep of public spaces and parks within the neighborhood’s boundaries. Ever since its formation at an anxious moment in Squirrel Hill’s history, the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition has been striving to live up to its mission statement of “ Preserving, Improving, and Celebrating the Quality of Life in Squirrel Hill.”

Through diligence, foresight, and hard work, it is succeeding.

A small real-estate book from the early 1900s, Squirrel Hill Homes, put it this way: “…Squirrel Hill is to-day the very embodiment of all that is beautiful and inviting and healthful as a home spot…The homes that have been built are of a uniformly high character, houses are all back a proper distance from the street, sidewalks are wide, and lined with shade trees; everything has been planned and carried out with the one idea of enhancing the natural beauty of the district and making it an ideal residence spot.” A suburb such as Squirrel Hill, which was close to Pittsburgh’s industrial and business centers, would entice business leaders to stay in the city and not move to places outside the city’s boundaries.

This old idea of the neighborhood as a “suburb” resurfaced in 1976, although in a moment of tension. Mary Hall, then-President of SHUC, was quoted in a Pittsburgh Press article as saying that “the city’s proposed six-year capital plan treats the eastern residential area of the city as if it’s a suburb—and maybe it should be.” She half-jokingly suggested at a Pittsburgh City Council meeting that Squirrel Hill and the rest of the 14th Ward should secede because the “Squirrel Hill area has been systemically written off

Say HELLO to Murray!

Murray the Squirrel is available for events and visits to local organizations and schools.

Call SHUC at (412) 422-7666 or email info@shuc.org to request a visit.

Quality of life issues have always been at the center of SHUC’s mission.

THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOR

Stan Lederman Recalls

the Early Days of SHUC

By Jim Rogal

A GALLON OF GAS COST 36 CENTS IN 1972. The price of an average car was $3,500. A typical house cost $27,600 that year. And a quart of milk went for 13 cents.

A lot changes in 50 years, but the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition (SHUC) has been here for every one of them. So has Stanley Lederman.

But more on that later. First, a bit of background: In 1972, the United Jewish Federation (now the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh) put together a task force to recommend improvements to Forbes Avenue, primarily between Shady and Murray. That task force evolved into the Coalition, with a little storefront office on Murray Avenue, set up to engage in the Forbes improvements but also to help local organizations in general.

Meanwhile, Lederman—a lawyer and passionate baseball man—was deeply involved in the local Little League, first as an umpire, then as a team manager, then as commissioner. He came to that little storefront in 1974 to hold league meetings, and the rest, as they say, is history.

“Si Wise started asking me to help the Coalition,” Lederman said. (Seymour “Si” Wise later became the Executive Director in 1980.) “It was a shoestring operation, really hand-to-mouth, so I did a potpourri of activities—whatever they needed,” including recruiting members like retailers and individuals willing to pay membership fees. “We had a core of people who were very loyal, and who cared about the community and wanted to make it better.”

The improvements on Forbes were underway— rebuilding the sidewalks, burying the electrical wires, and more. Through the mid-’70s, “I was doing more and more for the Coalition,” he said. He joined SHUC’s Board, “and then [Richard] Dick Caliguiri was elected mayor of Pittsburgh in 1977.” As a lawyer involved in politics, Lederman had a relationship with the mayor and other public officials, leading to what he calls SHUC’s “seminal moment”—the acquisition of the closed Wightman School building on Solway Street in 1981.

“We went to City Council to ask the School Board to give the building to the city, and then we bought it from the city for one dollar. Caliguiri was very friendly

Stanley Lederman flips through a scrapbook of his years with SHUC.

to SHUC, and I was lucky enough to be a conduit,” he said modestly. “I was always good at getting people to help me do things. But it wasn’t just me working alone. A whole group of people stepped up to help.” Lederman said he wasn’t surprised, “because everybody here has pride, and that’s true for Pittsburgh in general.”

It was like being at a carnival— energy, noise, activity.

“Once we got the building, I really started to roll up my sleeves,” he continued. “We started using it as a community center in 1981, and more and more community groups started asking us for space in the building.”

There was just one problem. The building needed significant renovations, to the tune of $50,000. (Remember, this was 40 years ago.) “We started seeking funding,” Lederman said. “I was having lunch with Elsie Hillman, and right after she heard what we were doing, she pulled out her checkbook right on the spot and wrote us a check for $25K.” With that donation in hand, the remaining $25,000 came in without enormous effort.

Lederman was asked to serve as SHUC’s President, which he did from 1982–84. “The SHUC Board handled the building development and growth,” he said. “It was like being at a carnival—energy, noise, activity. It gave SHUC a base of operations and unlimited opportunities, because the building became a magnet for the community.”

Here’s just a sampling of community organizations that took space in the building: Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, the Infant-Toddler Center of Squirrel Hill, the local National

Council of Jewish Women’s Friends Indeed program, The Coal Country Cloggers, The Hebrew Institute of Pittsburgh day-care center, The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Community Garden administrative office, a Montefiore Hospital service and referral center, and others … a vibrant community carnival indeed.

In 1986, SHUC sold the building to Carriage House Children’s Center but stayed on as tenants. The Coalition headquarters remains there to this day.

“What happened with SHUC is exactly what you’d expect from this community,” Lederman said. “The pride has always been here, and there were always enough people who were willing to step up and help.”

So how does Stanley Lederman feel now about his contribution? “I’m proud of what I did,” he said, “But I didn’t do anything that anybody else in the community wouldn’t have done. And I did nothing alone. Nothing like this ever gets done alone.”

Lederman waxed poetic when he looked back on everything: “It was an idea, a seed that germinated and grew into a magnificent tree that continues to give flowers and fruit to the community.”

SHUC’s original office was located at 2012 Murray Avenue, between Beacon and Hobart.

in their mission to enhance

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VINTAGE HOLIDAYS

SQUIRREL HILL CELEBRATIONS IN 1972

ALL THIS TALK OF 1972, the year of SHUC’s founding, left us wondering: how did Squirrel Hill celebrate the winter holidays back then?

For answers, we turned to the digital archives of two local papers, the Squirrel Hill News and The Jewish Chronicle. The ads, articles, and photographs in these publications revealed some of the neighborhood’s holiday traditions, circa 1972.

It may not come as a surprise that, despite the decades, some traditions remain much the same. Others have adapted with the times. Perhaps you’ll recognize the roots of your holiday traditions among them.

THANKSGIVING DINNER

One thing that hasn’t changed since 1972 is the importance of the Thanksgiving turkey. In November 1971 (the closest year we could find), Giant Eagle on Murray Avenue sold Young SelfBasting Turkeys for as little as 28¢ a pound. Sounds like a good deal!

If you want to bring a bit of 1972 to your Thanksgiving this year, consider substituting Mud Pie for the pumpkin or apple pie that normally graces your table. Although the recipe is much older, this gooey dessert grew in popularity in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

From The Jewish Chronicle, November 18, 1971.

HOLIDAY CRAFTS

Macramé, crochet, latch-hook. No matter the technique, crafters of the early ’70s were hooked! Some of these vintage forms are still popular today, but novices might prefer the more forgiving and equally “retro” medium of felt for their handmade holiday ornaments and decorations.

From Squirrel Hill News, December 11, 1969

From The Jewish Chronicle, November 30, 1972

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Squirrel Hill Magazine assembles an annual gift guide featuring the neighborhood’s finest goods and services. (See page 17 for this year’s edition.) With SHUC in its infancy in 1972, and no magazine yet on the horizon, holiday shoppers could turn to The Jewish Chronicle’s

From The Jewish Chronicle, November 16, 1972

Chatham University’s annual Candlelight service in December ushers in the end of the fall term and the start of winter. Community members gather in the chapel for an evening of songs and readings. Back in 1972, Chatham was a women’s college. Today, it is a coeducational university, but the Candlelight tradition remains.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS

On November 30, 1972, Squirrel Hill watched as a torch rally marking the first night of Hanukkah traveled down Beacon, Shady, and Forbes avenues. Its destination was the Y-IKC (the forerunner of the JCC) in Oakland. Nowadays, menorah-topped cars connect the two neighborhoods in the annual Menorah Parade organized by Chabad of Squirrel Hill.

Many people enjoy the light of the big screen during the holiday season. Movies showing in December of 1972 included “1776” at the Squirrel Hill Theater (formerly on Forward Avenue) and “Man of La Mancha” at the Manor Theatre (still on Murray Avenue). Both films were adaptations of Broadway musicals, not the superhero blockbusters that draw in audiences today. Perhaps this is the greatest change in 50 years!

Credit: Chabad of Squirrel Hill

Credit: Phil Pavely

GET TOGETHERS

A New Year’s Eve party was already a classic in 1972, when the Men’s Clubs of several Squirrel Hill synagogues hosted dinner and dancing events. Beth Shalom promised a “Gourmet Smorgasbord.” Temple Sinai advertised “Steak Dinners.” Both had live music to get the crowd onto the dance floor.

The fans gathered at Three Rivers Stadium on December 23, 1972, could not have known that they were about to witness a miracle. While it’s not a standard winter holiday, this year is the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, Franco Harris’ game-winning catch. Even the NFL took note—look for a rematch between the Steelers and the Raiders on Christmas Eve.

If you hosted New Year’s Eve at home to ring in 1973, you might have brought out the fondue set. Through a successful marketing campaign, this Swiss delight was all the rage in the early ’70s. Those who wanted to make the cheesy concoction could purchase a red, yellow, or avocado (!) fondue pot from Gimbels department store downtown.

Both ads from The Jewish Chronicle, December 21, 1972

From The Jewish Chronicle, September 2, 1971

2022 SQUIRREL HILL GIFT GUIDE

IF YOU LOVE HOLIDAY SHOPPING , Squirrel Hill is a great place to get started on your list.

If, on the other hand, you’re the kind of person who can’t wait until it’s over, Squirrel Hill has you covered too.

No matter your shopping style, the neighborhood is here to help. These gifts and services will be treasured by givers and receivers alike.

AMAZING BOOKS & RECORDS

Books from the Young Adult section of Amazing Books & Records (5858 Forbes Avenue) will keep your kids or grandkids occupied when the winter weather keeps them inside. Let them introduce you to today’s bestsellers, and you can present them with yesterday’s classics (prices and selection vary).

REWIND MEMORIES

No, it’s not the Ghost of Christmas Past … it’s a DVD with digitized versions of your old films, tapes, and photos. With Rewind Memories (2002 Murray Avenue) doing all of the conversion work for you, you can give the gift of memories this season (prices vary, but film to digital is $0.18 per foot).

GAMES UNLIMITED

Visit Games Unlimited (5876 Forbes Avenue) for a selection of whimsical wooden jigsaw puzzles that are gorgeous whether finished or still in a jumble. The thick, colorful pieces are like miniature works of art ($27.99–53.99 for these examples).

EUROPEAN WAX CENTER

Treat someone to a year’s worth of self-care by gifting them a “Wax Pass” from European Wax Center (5854 Forbes Avenue). New customers can get 12 treatments for the price of 9 (starting at $189 for eyebrows).

INVITATIONS PLUS

Make your holiday party extra special by sending out custom invitations. Invitations Plus (1406 S. Negley Avenue) has a range of seasonal options that they can print in house ($1.25–2.25 per card). They will even help you design the invitation, finding the best font and ink color to set the mood for your soirée.

GABY ET JULES

If you can’t decide which macaron to try at Gaby et Jules (5837 Forbes Avenue), you’re not alone. You might have better luck assembling a box of assorted flavors and colors ($17–65 per box) for a holiday party. Pistachio and raspberry make a delightful combo.

LITTLE’S SHOES

Year after year, Little’s Shoes (5850 Forbes Avenue) is the place to go for the newest styles of UGG slippers. This year, color is front and center in the pink and purple versions of the Tasman ($100). Of course, black or chestnut is always a good choice.

RIVERSTONE BOOKS

Warhol originals may sell at auction, but Riverstone Books (5841 Forbes Avenue) has a 12-inch handmade felt likeness of the artist that will please art lovers and Pittsburgh enthusiasts. Other dolls represent historical figures like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Maya Angelou ($20–36).

THE REFILLERY

These candles at The Refillery (1931 Murray Avenue) just make sense (4 oz. for $12). They smell wonderful, and they support sustainability when they are returned to the store to be refilled by their local candlemaker, Chez Lapin. Coffee Bean & Clove is a suitable seasonal scent.

EHUA FASHION

Amazingly, the clothing at Ehua Fashion (5865 Forbes Avenue) manages to be classic and trendy all at once. This means you can find something for lots of people on your list. May we recommend a neutral jacket (starting at $59.99) that goes with just about anything?

PITTSBURGH HONEY

Find something sweet for someone sweet at Pittsburgh Honey (2327 Murray Avenue). Jars of seasonally flavored and locally made honey are perfect on their own ($7) but can join honey-based Abeille Beauté products and foodstuffs from the adjacent Squirrel Hill Market in a custom gift basket.

ACOUSTIC MUSIC WORKS

Musical dreams come to life with an instrument from Acoustic Music Works (2142 Murray Avenue). Choose from an array of guitars, mandolins, banjos, and ukuleles ( prices and selection vary), but we advise bringing the lucky musician along so they can find their perfect instrument.

2022 SQUIRREL HILL GIVING GUIDE

Give a lasting gift by contributing to one of the many non-profit organizations operating in Squirrel Hill. (A good day to start is November 29, Giving Tuesday.) Here are a few that do good work for our community and neighbors.

THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY branch in Squirrel Hill makes literacy attainable and knowledge accessible. 2022 is the 50th anniversary of its building! 5801 Forbes Avenue, carnegielibrary.org/donate/

THE JCC CENTER FOR LOVING KINDNESS builds community and resilience by spreading kindness, awareness, and understanding. 5738 Forbes Avenue, jccpgh.org/center-for-loving-kindness/

JFCS IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE SERVICES provides aid to individuals and families that are building new homes and lives in the Pittsburgh region. 5743 Bartlett Street, jfcspgh. org/services/refugee-immigrant-services

MOMSWORK

of the National Council of Jewish Women supports working moms through education, networking, and advocacy. 1620 Murray Avenue, ncjwpgh.org/programs/momswork/

SQUIRREL HILL URBAN COALITION has helped sustain and enhance our vibrant and livable neighborhood since 1972. 5604 Solway Street, shuc.org/support-shuc/

WHO COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF A PERSON ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY SERVICE?

Somebody who financially supports community improvement projects and associations? Certainly. Somebody who participates in Zoning Board hearings about plans for new or renovated construction? Absolutely. Somebody who organizes local meetings about community issues? Definitely.

And then there are community servants like Barb Grover, who provides what might be called bootson-the-ground, hands-in-the-dirt service to this community. For more than 15 years now, Barb has been a member of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition’s board, serving as head of the Litter Patrol, which involves a lot more than just picking up the occasional stray flyer or crushed soda can.

For every SHUC event—and there are many—Barb recruits and organizes clean-up volunteers, sometimes more than 100. She orders needed supplies—T-shirts, vests, gloves, etc.—and stores them in her house until she distributes them to the volunteers prior to the events. She assigns the volunteers to all the tasks needed to ensure a thorough clean-up. She oversees the effort to publicize each event—notices in Squirrel Hill Magazine, postings on social media, notifying schools and universities, contacting previous

COMMUNITY CHAMPION: BARB GROVER

By Jim Rogal

sponsors, even walking the streets of Squirrel Hill with the “Murray the Squirrel” mascot in the week before the event.

She’s not done. Barb works with City and County officials to install signs such as ones reminding people that cigarette butts are litter. She organizes setting up receptacles for an event, as well as removing them, together with all the garbage, when the event concludes. Then she provides a written monthly report to the SHUC board covering all these activities and more. Barb Grover is a genuine, all-out, full-bore, no-frills community servant.

Barb Grover is a

The obvious question is, why? The answers, as it turns out, are several. “Nobody does this for recognition, and nobody does it for the money, because there

community servant.

isn’t any,” she joked. “You do it because you care about it.” Next reason: “The reward is in feeling like I make a difference here. These are the efforts that make for a good community.” Next: “After I retired, I was looking for things to do. I’m not a shopper, I’m not a cook, I’m not a house cleaner, but I am and always have been an environmentalist.”

But above all, it’s the people. “There are so many nice people in this community, and I do all this volunteer work with such great people,” Barb said. “None of this is done alone. It’s the people, not just the litter.”

That explains her other volunteer work. (Yes, there’s more.) Barb is the Political Chair of the Sierra Club’s Allegheny Group, and she also gives her free time to the League of Women Voters. “I care about these things,” she explained. “I always want to be doing something that’s healthy and interesting and contributes to the community. I always like to feel that I’m making a difference.”

Barb is not a Pittsburgh native. She grew up in rural New Jersey near New Brunswick, went to Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., majored in math, married a psychologist, taught math, and raised two daughters in the multiple steps along their dual careers, from Lexington to Baltimore and then to Marion City where her husband taught psychology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

where they wanted to live. A number of neighborhoods were recommended to them. They chose Squirrel Hill, and, like so many non-natives, when they settled here they were surprised by what they found.

“The city is so inviting, and neither of us had any idea we were coming into such a fantastic community,” Barb said. “We didn’t realize how great a decision we made.” That was confirmed by the people they met. “On the bike paths, walking on the street, everybody we talked to said that this is a fantastic city. We never knew.”

Barb’s daughters moved away from Pittsburgh, and her husband passed away in 2019. But engaged as she has remained, she’s in her 80s now, and the end of her long Litter Patrol leadership role is in sight. “I am giving it up at the end of the year,” she said. “After the October Night Market, I’ll begin to transition out.” At least as the woman in charge. She says she can’t help but continue to be involved in the cause.

At the end of the ’80s, they decided they wanted to live in Pittsburgh. Barb took a job in math education at Pitt, and her husband continued to work as a university professor. But neither knew the city, so they didn’t know

One final question: Barb, now that you’ve spent so much time and energy minimizing the litter problem in our community, are you more aware of litter when you travel outside of Pittsburgh, and do you do something about it when you see it? “For sure,” she said. “It’s now pretty much impossible to walk by it.”

From Top to Bottom:

State Senator Jay Costa; State Representative Dan Frankel; State Representative Summer Lee; City Councilperson Erika Strassburger.

State and City Council Corner

CITY COUNCIL FOCUSED ON HOMELESSNESS AND BUDGET ALLOCATIONS

Councilperson ERIKA STRASSBURGER and her colleagues returned from their annual summer recess focused on addressing quality-of-life issues in Pittsburgh. One of the first items of Council business was a measure to address the growing levels of homelessness we have seen across the city in recent months. The Council is committed to working with the Mayor’s administration, County officials, and outreach workers from various service organizations in order to end chronic homelessness and get people into safe, stable housing.

As officials began to craft new budgets for 2023, the City launched a new budget.pittsburghpa.gov portal that offers citizens an interactive tool to engage with the budget process and provide input on City resource allocations. Councilperson Strassburger advocated for project funding measures to improve safety on our neighborhood streets as well as increases for many City departments who need additional support.

ACTIONS TO PROTECT AGAINST HATE-BASED VIOLENCE AT THE STATE LEVEL

Community safety means enjoying life without fear of violence, no matter how you look, who you love, or how you pray. However, the 2018 Tree of Life shooting is a stark reminder that hate crimes remain a concern, and there is much work to do to identify, prevent, and address hate-based violence.

State Senator JAY COSTA and State Representative DAN FRANKEL secured $5 million in the budget to protect nonprofits from violence. Now it’s time for next steps.

Together they assembled a legislative package to further protect communities from hate-based violence. Among other things, this legislation would empower the Attorney General to investigate hate crimes, train Municipal Police Officers to recognize and respond to hate crimes, create hate crime reporting for colleges, and create a private right of action for civil rights violations. These bills deliver on the value of community safety in Squirrel Hill, but only if there’s enough support to pass them.

PRISON REFORM BILL PASSES UNANIMOUSLY IN PENNSYLVANIA

Following the passage of House Bill 1419 on September 19, 2022, State Representative SUMMER LEE celebrated the work of prison reform advocates who led the effort to win a successful, unanimous vote in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Rep. Lee, who co-sponsored the bill and authored its language requiring trauma-informed care training for corrections staff, recognized the vital contributions of Madusa Carter, president and founder of

Mary’s Daughter for the Formerly Incarcerated (MDFI) and the Dignity Act Now Collective, an MDFI project.

Beginning in 2023, new legislative districts will be in effect following the recent census. Moving forward, Squirrel Hill will no longer be in House District 34. Rep. Lee sincerely thanks the neighborhood for their support and partnership over the four years. It was an honor to collaborate with Squirrel Hill and serve the needs of the community as their state representative.

For more information on redistricting, check out www.redistricting.state.pa.us.

ABORTION CARE IN PENNSYLVANIA

State Representative DAN FRANKEL proposed legislation to expand the types of healthcare professionals who can provide abortion care in Pennsylvania. Currently, there are only 17 freestanding abortion clinics in the commonwealth, and 87% of our counties do not have a single health care clinic that provides abortion care. To ensure that every individual

able to get pregnant receives the health care they need, Representative Frankel, Fiedler, Kinkead, and others introduced legislation allowing registered nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, and physician assistants to perform medication and aspiration abortions. The legislation will also remove language stating abortions can only be performed if a physician determines it is medically necessary and replace it with language stating the decision to have an abortion is the sole decision of the patient. The World Health Organization, the American Public Health Association, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists all support expansions of who can provide abortions.

Pennsylvania must work to expand access to abortion care. “With many of our neighboring states limiting access to abortion care, our health clinics will be overwhelmed with people seeking abortion care,” Frankel said. “Not only must we fight to protect the right to an abortion, but expand access to it, too.”

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NOTES

for the 2022 General Election on November 8. At the federal level, 15217 moves into a newly drawn District 12. District 12 encompasses most of the former District 18 but stretches further east into Westmoreland County. With current U.S. Representative Mike Doyle not running for reelection, Squirrel Hill will be represented by a new face in the House of Representatives come January.

REDISTRICTING CHANGES

The 2020 Federal Census produced an updated picture of the population in America. It also compiled the data necessary for redistricting, the process that establishes new districts in our representative government. Redistricting occurs once every ten years at the local, state, and national levels.

In July, Pittsburgh City Council formally approved new City Council districts. The new boundary lines introduce some changes to Districts 5 and 8, the two council districts that encompass Squirrel Hill and the 15217 ZIP Code. The boundaries will change officially on January 1, 2023. With the new map, a small section of Squirrel Hill North bounded by Forbes, Murray, Aylesboro, and Dallas (Ward 14-20) will shift from District 5 to District 8, joining the rest of Squirrel Hill North in the district represented by Councilperson Erika Strassburger. The blocks of Shady, Denniston, and Beechwood that extend north of Wilkins (Ward 14-09) will move from District 8 to District 9, joining Point Breeze neighborhoods represented by Councilman Ricky Burgess. So will the parcel of land between Woodwell and Wilkins, including Kinsman and Worth (Ward 14-11).

Redistricting was also completed for state and federal representatives, and these changes were put into place

In the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the parts of Squirrel Hill and Greenfield that were in District 23, now represented by Representative Dan Frankel, will remain in District 23. However, the neighborhoods’ southernmost parts (including Summerset at Frick and the Murray/Beechwood/ Saline corridors leading to the cemetery) will shift into District 23 and out of District 34, which is represented by Representative Summer Lee.

GOODBYE, GLUUTENY

The closing of Gluuteny Bakery was unwelcome news at the end of the summer. Gluuteny is one of several neighborhood businesses that closed (at least in part) because of pandemic-induced challenges. For 15 years, Gluuteny met a specific culinary need in the community by selling gluten-free baked goods and mixes for athome cooking. Its presence helped raise awareness of food-related allergies, sensitivities, and immune reactions (like Celiac disease). With Gluuteny’s closing, the gluten-friendly menu at Pastoli’s Pizza, across the street at 1900 Murray Avenue, becomes even more essential to those with gluten-related dietary restrictions.

New City Council districts superimposed upon a Google Earth image of Squirrel Hill. District 5 is blue, District 8 is pink, and District 9 is gray.

NEW BUSINESS NOTICE

Binz, a new shop in Squirrel Hill, calls itself the “unicorn” of merchandise stores. Shoppers who enter its retail space at 2111 Murray Avenue will find some rare and beautiful things. And, like a unicorn, the merchandise may be gone before you know it.

This is not a bug in the system; it’s how Binz operates. Binz, which was founded by co-owners Jessica Santoriello and Michael Smith in 2021, is a discount re-seller. This means that it sells items that were unsold by other retailers, such as excess inventory and returns. The supply of goods is constantly changing—one day there might be a set of dining chairs, and the next some office chairs—but Santoriello and Smith listen to customer feedback when purchasing for the store. Their selections are curated to include stylish home goods, personal items, clothing, electronics, and more. They also stock locally made art and earrings.

The foot traffic on Murray Avenue makes Squirrel Hill a perfect location for the shop. Santoriello cites the neighborhood’s walkability as a reason for opening Binz at this location, adding that “there was a need that wasn’t being addressed and a market for this kind of store.” Squirrel Hill is also a familiar landscape for Santoriello, who grew up in Greenfield and graduated from Allderdice.

Shoppers can scout merchandise on the store’s Facebook page (facebook.com/BinzPittsburgh/), where

NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES

photos and videos highlight the latest inventory. However, Binz is best experienced in person. After all, who wouldn’t want to see a unicorn?

THE CHILDREN’S INSTITUTE CELEBRATES 120 YEARS

In 1902, Mary Irwin Laughlin saw a need in her community. A young boy, Emile Terrenoire, lost his legs in a train accident at just 5 years old and needed specialized care. To meet Emile’s needs, Laughlin and other like-minded women created the Memorial Home for Cripple(d) Children in Pittsburgh.

One hundred and twenty years later, Laughlin’s vision lives on as The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. At its main campus in Squirrel Hill and several satellite locations across western Pennsylvania, The Children’s Institute provides rehabilitation and educational services to children with disabilities. Or, as they like to call them, Amazing Kids.

Throughout its long history, The Children’s Institute has overseen responses to the polio epidemic, developed mechanical, technological, and behavioral interventions to benefit its patients, and established a fully accredited Day School. These and other efforts on behalf of children and their families have been life changing and life affirming.

“It’s been truly amazing celebrating 120 years of extraordinary care at The Children’s Institute,” said Wendy Pardee, Ph.D., president and CEO of The Children’s Institute. “We’re grateful for everyone’s support—and especially our Squirrel Hill neighbors—in helping to fulfill our mission: To Heal. To Teach. To Empower. To Amaze.”

Let us congratulate and thank The Children’s Institute for all that it has done for the kids in our communities! For more information, please visit www.amazingkids. org/120.

DREAMING OF HOME

HENRY KOERNER IN PITTSBURGH

By Melissa Eppihimer

With these words of introduction, Caroline Boyce set the stage for a weekend honoring the life and legacy of the painter Henry Koerner.

Koerner arrived in Pittsburgh in 1952 to take up a position at the Pennsylvania College for Women (now Chatham University). Until his death in 1991, the city— and often Squirrel Hill—was a subject of his art. While many Pittsburgh residents recall encountering the artist as he painted in the streets, and a few still own examples of his work, Koerner’s art and life story are not as well known as they should be.

A series of events held from October 14 to October 16 sought to change that. All proceeds benefitted Friends of Neill Log House, which aims to restore the 18th-century Neill Log House in Schenley Park. Support for the weekend was provided by the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, the Heinz Endowments, PNC Bank, Concept Art Gallery, Squirrel Hill Historical Society, and Chatham University.

The weekend began with a screening of a documentary (The Burning Child ) co-directed by Joseph Koerner, the artist’s son and Allderdice grad who is now an art historian at Harvard University. Koerner, who was

present for the weekend’s events, participated in a dessert Q/A at Silk Elephant after the screening.

The audience at the Manor Theatre witnessed a moving exploration of Henry Koerner’s Viennese origins and, as Joseph Koerner described it in his remarks before the film, “the dream of homemaking.” Having lost most of his family to the Holocaust, Henry Koerner returned to Vienna, the city he fled in 1938, throughout his life to try to recover—in whatever way possible—the home he left behind.

But Koerner also made a home in Pittsburgh, which seemed to him like Vienna’s double. “He found at that time in Pittsburgh, in Squirrel Hill, a milieu that was in outlook not unlike the milieu of his Viennese past, which was the assimilated Jewish intellectual community,” Joseph Koerner said during the public lecture at the JCC that concluded the weekend.

Pittsburgh’s landscape also reminded Henry Koerner of Vienna, with its river, hills, woodlands, and baroque architecture. The house that he built on the northern slope of Squirrel Hill looked out over this uncannily familiar scenery.

“IT IS TIME FOR THE PUBLIC TO GET REACQUAINTED WITH HENRY AND HIS WORK.”

Joseph Koerner and Caroline Boyce in front of one of Henry Koerner’s paintings. Photo © John Schiller Photography

Koerner

design the

home on South

which was open for tours in October.

Since purchasing the Koerner house last year, Caroline Boyce has become a champion of the artist’s legacy. She also collects

art. She exhibited

collection,

with works

by PNC Bank, Joseph Koerner, and other private collectors, in the house during the Koerner weekend. Participants in guided tours caught historical glimpses of “Carnegie Tech,” Murray Hill Avenue, and long-gone butcher shops. They also learned about Koerner’s many artistic styles, like the graphic design of his war posters and the “magic realism” of his paintings.

Koerner, the walls of the house

these

loan

the

from PNC Bank’s

the end of the weekend, it was clear that Henry Koerner’s relationship to Pittsburgh and Squirrel Hill deeply impacted his art. They were the real-world counterpart to a home that existed only in memories.

TREASURING OUR TREASURES

THE SQUIRREL HILL TREASURE AWARDS PAY

TRIBUTE to people, organizations, and places that make Squirrel Hill a great place to live, work, and do business. This year, the awards honor three luminaries in Pittsburgh’s cultural scene who call the neighborhood home: Carol Brown, Dr. Harry D. Clark, and Mildred Miller Posvar. They will be celebrated on November 10 at the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition’s annual Treasure Awards Dinner at the Pittsburgh Golf Club.

With humility, the event also acknowledges SHUC’s 50 years of service to the community. Although we are taking this opportunity to recognize our organization, we do so while thanking the countless volunteers, business partners, and community leaders that have worked alongside us since 1972. Our successes are yours too.

Throughout its history, SHUC has benefitted from the financial support of public and private grants, individual donors, and corporate sponsors. Their generosity and commitment to Squirrel Hill are also worth celebrating! We offer a special thanks to those sponsoring the Treasure Awards Dinner this year.

At the dinner, a video produced by Charlie Humphrey will introduce the honorees. Here, we highlight some of their many accomplishments and congratulate them for being Squirrel Hill’s 2022 Treasures.

CAROL BROWN

As the first president of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Carol Brown spearheaded the transformation of downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District into a bustling center for arts and culture. From renovated theaters to public plazas, the Cultural District looks the way it does thanks to Brown’s leadership. Brown’s connection to Pittsburgh and Squirrel Hill began in 1959, when she arrived to teach English at what was then called Chatham College. She would eventually apply her skills across the city and county.

DR. HARRY D. CLARK

Dr. Harry D. Clark has made it his life’s work to support the arts at all levels, but especially in schools. With degrees in music education from Duquesne and Pitt, Dr. Clark has championed arts education in Pittsburgh, the US, and worldwide, notably as the pioneering principal of CAPA, Pittsburgh Public Schools’ arts magnet school. Dr. Clark has also worked to support the housing and technology needs of urban residents, African American arts and artists, filmmakers, and the jazz community.

MILDRED MILLER POSVAR

Although her career as an opera singer took her around the world, Mildred Miller Posvar worked to build the opera scene in Pittsburgh. In 1978 she founded The Opera Theater of Pittsburgh (now known as Pittsburgh Festival Opera), and an annual singing competition recognizes her legacy. A music scholarship also bears her name at the University of Pittsburgh, where her late husband Wesley Posvar was Chancellor. Miller Posvar currently teaches voice at Carnegie Mellon, bringing her talents to a new generation of students.

shuc snapshots

HILL URBAN

Update from SHUC Executive Director, Maria Cohen

THE COALITION IS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS, and with that comes many partnerships, collaborations, and so much to be thankful for. We would not be the organization we are without our very generous sponsors, donors, neighbors, and partners who truly help to support our efforts. As Thanksgiving approaches, I’d like to take a moment—on behalf of the Coalition—to thank our incredible partners and highlight some of our recent collaborations.

We kicked off this past summer with a call to volunteers to help water the 11 Dawn Redwood trees planted on Allderdice’s lawn in honor of the 11 victims of the Tree of Life shooting. Since the trees’ planting in 2019, SHUC has worked with Tree Pittsburgh to care for the trees. Star volunteers Sam and Isaac Livshin won a gift card to Little’s Shoes donated by Pittsburgh Honey; they’ve graciously passed it along for our Treasure Dinner gift basket!

We partnered with I Made It! Market and Uncover Squirrel Hill to host our summer Night Markets in Squirrel Hill. The first two markets in June and August were a great success, with vendors, artists, live music, and great food along Murray Avenue, and the October night market was fortunately rescheduled after the remnants of Hurricane Ian washed out its original date. Thank you to all our neighbors who came out and enjoyed the evenings and to Carrie Nardini from I Made It! Market for

organizing the events. We’ll see you next season!

Our regular Litter Patrol volunteers and others, like those from Carnegie Mellon’s PACE (Partners Allied in Civic Engagement) and AmeriCorps, pitched in to help make our Night Markets clean and successful events. Barb Grover, long-time leader of the Litter Patrol, has begun to turn the reins over to Rachel Lecrone. We are very grateful to Barb for her many years of volunteering and to Rachel for all her support!

Our wonderful neighbors on Mt. Royal again collaborated with Steel City Helping Hands and SHUC to contribute to Hazelwood Initiative’s Safe Halloween. They collected monetary donations for 250 coloring books, crayon sets, and bubbles that will be distributed to Trick-or-Treaters for a fun, safe Halloween! Thank you to all who helped make the collection a success, especially Jacquelyn Cynkar, Amy Mann, and Jenn Tepe of Steel City Helping Hands, and Tim Joyce, Eveline Castillo, Paul Peffer, and our Mt. Royal Neighbors. Special thanks to my mom, Patti Holupka, who joined in the fun dressed as Murray the Squirrel!

Wightman Park looks better because of a collaboration with Friends of Wightman Park (FOWP). To maintain the park, which is one of our 2021 Treasures, SHUC partners with FOWP on regular volunteer events involving trash cleaning, weeding, and mulching to prepare the park for the winter season. A special thanks to Emilie Yonan from the Office of Council District 8 and Andrea Ketzel, Landscape Architect with the City of Pittsburgh, for helping us organize these volunteer

Barb Grover, Maria Cohen, and Emilie Yonan care for the Wightman Park landscape.

SHUC SNAPSHOTS

events, and to Super Volunteer Sarah Shriber! Our partnerships with the JCC and the Center for Loving Kindness (CFLK) have been instrumental to supporting our neighborhood. The JCC has been generous in allowing SHUC to host our Annual Meeting event, monthly board meetings, educational programs, and really anything that we ask in the JCC building when they are able. We are especially thankful to Stacey Davis and Melissa Hiller for helping us secure spaces, and Paul Hilterbrick for ensuring the safety and security of events. We are also partners in the CFLK UPstanders program, where we participate and support the High Holidays, events, and the many initiatives focused on supporting neighbors in our local community, in Pittsburgh, and well beyond. We are so proud of and thankful for this meaningful relationship!

Speaking of the walking tour, thank you to Lisa Steindel and Beth Shalom, Gaby et Jules, and other local merchants for making our DOORS OPEN Sukkot Walk

Squirrel Hill! walking tour a success. We really appreciate Bonnie Baxter and her team for including us in their tour programming for the 2022 season!

Our partnership with the Squirrel Hill Historical Society has also been a huge highlight of our work. We recently created a Friends of Neill Log House board to sustain, support, and restore the log house. In October, we hosted an amazing weekend-long event to raise funds for the project. We want to thank Helen Wilson, Tony Indovina, Charlie Stewart, Caroline Boyce, and everyone who helped to put together the weekend. (Special thanks also to Vince Drake of Saltwater, John Mahood of Imagebox, and Jamison Combs of Uncover Squirrel Hill/Brandwine for their emergency support for our SHUC site with the Koerner Weekend Event configuration and information set-up.) We can also thank Helen Wilson for helping with our DOORS OPEN walking tour, the 2023 Squirrel Hill Historical Calendar, SHUC history, and so much more.

Once a year, SHUC hosts its Annual Meeting to welcome neighbors in person to learn about SHUC’s committees, talk with local elected officials and community stakeholders, and meet and greet one another. We’d like to thank all of the contributors and partners who made this year’s meeting in September a success, including speakers County Controller Corey O’Connor, Councilperson Erika Strassburger, Commander Ronald Griffin from the Zone 4 police station, Melissa Hiller of the JCC Center for Loving Kindness, Robyn Crawley from Uncover Squirrel Hill, Ken Doyno from the Fern Hollow Bridge Coalition, and SHUC’s Board President and Secretary, Mardi Isler and Ray Baum, respectively. And a very special thank you to James Fogarty, Executive Director of A+ Schools, for jumping in at the last minute with a presentation on the current landscape of our Pittsburgh school system.

The 2022 Treasure Awards Dinner is another event that relied on collaboration and community. Thank you to our sponsors, treasures, committee members, and guests

The Coalition is celebrating 50 years, and with that comes many partnerships, collaborations, and so much more to be thankful for.

Lisa Steindel speaks with Doors Open tour guests in the sukkah at Beth Shalom.

for making the dinner an incredibly fun event to celebrate our very well-deserving treasures—Carol Brown, Dr. Harry Clark, Millie Posvar, and SHUC’s 50th Anniversary! We are also thankful to Charlie Humphrey, Jeremy Fleishman, and their team for putting together another spectacular film honoring our Treasures, as they have for the past 11 years!

The Coalition would like to give special acknowledgement to our team, board members, and partners behind the scenes who make everything possible. First, thank you to our SHUC board and an extra thanks to board members who head up our committees and volunteer efforts. Our board President, Mardi Isler, goes above and beyond every day for our Squirrel Hill community. Several of our board members also go the extra mile to support us, so we thank Ray Baum, Dalia Belinkoff, Eveline Young (honorary board member), and Jill Beck for an amazing Treasure Awards Dinner; Marshall Hershberg, Mary Shaw, and Rich Feder (past board President) for their incredible work with the Fern Hollow Bridge and Bike-Ped Committee; Lori Fitzgerald and her team for their extraordinary effort with the Design-Build Committee hosting Development Activities Meetings and offering extra support for the Neill Log House; and Barb Grover, Litter Patrol Lead and Board Member, for her outstanding leadership.

Thanks so much to Sophie Bean, our wonderful administrative assistant who is a huge support behind the scenes. We also really appreciate Eviana Barnes, our CMU Intern who jumped right in to support the Coalition’s many initiatives. Thanks also to Madison Smith for her work with the Neill Log House archives. We really couldn’t do what we do at SHUC without the support of our sister team at Uncover Squirrel Hill, including Jamison Combs, Robyn Crawley, and their Board President Heather Graham. And our Squirrel Hill merchants are so supportive whenever we ask. We are grateful for the gift cards for our Treasure Awards raffle and other events, litter clean-ups, tree care, and more. Extra thanks to Little’s for their Silver Treasure Awards Sponsorship and multiple generous donations; our local Starbucks for recommending us for a generous

Neighborhood grant; Games Unlimited and The Refillery for being wonderful hosts for merchant members; and Bagel Factory, which generously donated breakfast for our local crossing guards.

Finally, we are very lucky to have such wonderful schools as part of our Squirrel Hill community. A shining star, St. Edmund’s Academy recently supported us with a photo for our 2023 calendar, use of their parking lot for a weekend event, and a clean-up last spring with plans to partner more this school year. Thank you for being such a dedicated community partner!

If you would like to be added to our list of special thanks, please reach out to volunteer or contribute. We are so fortunate to live in a community with such good partners, volunteer groups, merchants, schools, and organizations. When we ask, you step up, and we are very grateful! We are looking forward to many more collaborations in 2023!

SHUC and FONLH Welcome New Team Members for Fall 2022

SHUC is happy to share we have a new intern from CMU! Eviana Barnes jumped right into things by volunteering at Wightman Park before her first real day in the office. Eviana is a graduate student at CMU pursuing her Master of Science in Public Policy and Management with an

Eviana Barnes, a CMU student, is now working with SHUC.

SHUC SNAPSHOTS

emphasis in International Trade and Development. As an undergraduate student at West Virginia University, Eviana studied economics and accounting, and she hopes to use this background to shrink inequities in the United States. Her goals with SHUC include working on projects that bring the community together, something of importance to her, being from a small town in West Virginia. Friends of Neill Log House (FONLH) has a new intern, Madison Smith, from Chatham University. Madison is in her second year pursuing a History degree with a certification in Secondary Education. As the FONLH intern for fall 2022, Madison will help the group catalog and organize their historical archives, and eventually work with Heinz History Center to house the historical files at their center. So far, she is enjoying learning about the Neill Log House’s small details, looking at old photographs, and seeing the house’s restoration progress over many years. Originally from Jamestown, NY, in the south-west corner of the state, Madison was drawn to Pittsburgh for Chatham’s small campus and important events. We are excited to work with her and Eviana this fall!

SHUC and the Fern Hollow Bridge Reconstruction

Since the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge in January 2022, SHUC and our partners have been working to ensure the new bridge, roughly scheduled to open in early 2023, serves the Pittsburgh public as safely as possible. Our Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee is working closely with Bike Pittsburgh, the Briar Cliff Road Association (a neighborhood group located near Regent Square), and the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) to advocate for non-motor vehicle safety. Their collective goal is to find “the best possible design and safety solutions” for the bridge and surrounding areas.

After receiving the preliminary designs from DOMI and the PennDOT project team, the Fern Hollow Bridge neighborhood collaborative developed a detailed and illustrated set of suggestions and concerns for design, safety, and access to be considered by DOMI and PennDOT. According to the collaborative’s most recent update, the urgent concerns are:

• A crashworthy barrier between vehicular traffic and a shared-use path for pedestrians, bicyclists, and micro-mobility users. The Committee advocates for a non-permanent barrier so traffic lanes can be reallocated in the future after a proper traffic study.

• The infrastructure width on the south side of Forbes Avenue should be 15 feet: a 5-foot sidewalk and a 10foot, two-way track for cyclists and micro-mobility device users.

Chatham student intern Madison Smith visits the Neill Log House.

The construction of the new Fern Hollow Bridge is well underway.

• A crosswalk should be installed at the intersection of Beechwood Boulevard and S. Dallas Avenue for safe crossings.

In other Fern Hollow Bridge-related news, SHUC, the Point Breeze Organization, and the Office for Public Art hosted a Development Activities Meeting in September about proposed artwork enhancements on and under the bridge. Pittsburgh’s Office for Public Art selected two local artists, John Peña and Carin Mincemoyer, to design artwork enhancements for above and below the bridge. Peña’s design, which will be installed on the bridge’s bike path, is inspired by water and how the Monongahela River shaped Fern Hollow. Mincemoyer proposed two concepts for under the bridge, including an arch and a new pathway. The artwork installations will likely be installed before the bridge opens or in such a way as to not delay the opening of this vital connection between Pittsburgh’s East End neighborhoods.

Tree of Life Community Meeting

In late September, SHUC and the City of Pittsburgh hosted a Development Activities Meeting about the future of the Tree of Life building at the corner of Shady and Wilkins Avenues. Since the October 27, 2018, attack on worshippers, the building has sat empty. Now, two architecture firms, Rothschild Doyno Collaborative and Studio Libeskind, are collaborating to reimagine the building as a memorial, museum, education and outreach center, and a congregational synagogue.

The impact 10/27 had on the Squirrel Hill community, and Pittsburgh at large, means many people feel they have a stake in the site and its rebuilding. Approximately 100 community members attended the virtual meeting, during which partners from Studio Libeskind and Rothschild Doyno shared their vision for the new building. Speakers included: Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers, the Rabbi of the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Congregation; Michael Bernstein, representing the Tree of Life client group and project vision; Carla Swickerath, a partner with Studio Libeskind who presented on the design and pre-application meeting with Pittsburgh City Planning;

and Dan Rothschild from Rothschild Doyno Collaborative. Learn more about the project at rememberrebuildrenew. org and view a recording of the September meeting on SHUC’s website, shuc.org.

Celebrating the Jewish High Holidays with the JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness

SHUC was honored to be invited by the JCC Center for Loving Kindness (CFLK) to partner with them on their High Holidays of Hope with two events celebrating the Jewish High Holidays. The first (on September 26) was “Immigrants, Refugees, and Yinzers: All of Us Neighbors,” where the moderator, Feyisola Akintola from Pittsburgh’s Office of Immigration Affairs, facilitated a soulful and inspiring conversation with panelists from all over the world who have come to call Pittsburgh their home. The CFLK shared apples and honey, and a guest sounded the shofar to usher in the New Year.

On October 5, the CFLK hosted their Yom Kippur event, “When Rights are Challenged – Standing UP with Our Neighbors.” The event focused on everyone’s “responsibility to stand UP with our neighbors when their reproductive health, civic engagement rights, and gender identity rights are restricted.” Representatives from Planned Parenthood of Western PA, Amachi Pittsburgh, and Proud Haven took part in the conversation, which was facilitated by Lisa Schroeder, President and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation. The conversation was interspersed with modern versions of the Yom Kippur confessional prayers, finishing with a contemporary Yizkor, or memorial prayer.

Celebrating Rosh Hashanah with the JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness

GOOD NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS

ST. EDMUND’S ACADEMY

ON AUGUST 24, SEA AWARDED THE ANNUAL TEACHER AWARD to 1st Grade Teacher, Jennifer Pham. This award recognized the teacher who positively uplifts the school community through their demonstration of the school’s Core Values and exemplification of the culture of teaching excellence.

Mrs. Pham was recognized by her colleagues as setting the standard for care, patience, compassion, and kindness; for checking on her fellow teachers and offering suggestions, strategies, and opportunities for collaboration. Finally, Mrs. Pham was recognized for never giving up on a student, showing exemplary service for her students and colleagues, and modeling the positive behaviors she expects in her classroom.

On the morning of September 22, the SEA community celebrated their first weekly Chapel meeting of the year, finally returning to their neighbor, the Church of the Redeemer, after 30 months of virtual Chapel Programs. Students were excited and proud to process to their seats with their friends, each wearing a burgundy blazer.

Each weekly meeting is based around a guiding question, and the first guiding question of the year was “What is the purpose of this weekly Chapel meeting?” Students had worked with classmates and teachers ahead of time to answer the question, and during the meeting, four 8th Graders joined Head of School, Dr. Chad Barnett, and Associate Heads of School, Mrs. Meghan Bollens and Mr. Ryan Gassaway, to share those answers. The answers included:

• “Bringing us together each week reminds us that we are one community united by six Core Values.”

• “We get to learn about each other and make new friends.”

• “There are two parts to a uniform—wearing the right thing and wearing it the right way.”

• “Every grade gives a Chapel Talk—meaning we learn to lead and perform. We also get to experience a little bit of stage fright.”

• “This connects us not only to each other today, but to generations of SEA students who came before us. Including my dad who is here today and once wore a burgundy blazer just like me.”

COMMUNITY DAY SCHOOL

Community Day School welcomed nearly 300 students to campus this August, kicking off a school year that resumes many beloved traditions that were on pause during the height of the pandemic.

The school community is thrilled to come together again through its Sh’vatim program, which organizes CDS students and staff into the 12 “Tribes” of Israel to build character, strengthen relationships, and foster school spirit. In addition, the school community has deepened its commitment to Jewish family life and engagement through programs such as Together We Rise, a challah baking event with the Challah Back Girls and Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania, and S.T.E.A.M. Senses of Sukkot, where children explored the beauty of the

CDS students gather for a schoolwide Kabbalat Shabbat service.

A St. Edmund’s Academy student participates in the Chapel program.

holiday through science, technology, engineering, art, and math. At a Twilight Tour of the Gary and Nancy Tuckfelt Keeping Tabs: A Holocaust Sculpture on the CDS campus, the CDS community dedicated “Tree of Life,” a sculpture created by Eli Diamant (Class of 2013) in memory of the 11 victims of the October 27, 2018, synagogue attack.

CDS faculty have continued training in the Responsive Classroom approach, which integrates academic and socio-emotional skills to empower students to do their best learning. This fall, CDS also celebrated the grand opening of the renovated library and tech labs, now known as the Rabin Family Learning Innovation Center, housing the Legacy Learning Lab and Karen Rachel Hurwitz Library. The school is grateful to the generosity of alumni parents Andy and Rita Rabin and their family in support of this reimagined space.

Everyone is invited to grab their capes and attend the superhero-themed CDS Annual Party on January 28, 2023, honoring Community Day School teachers. Event proceeds benefit the First-Rate Faculty campaign to raise $500,000 to increase teacher salaries and support the educators who inspire our children and build our better

tomorrow. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at comday.org/annualparty.

PITTSBURGH MINADEO

The 2022–23 school year has already been busy for the families and staff at Minadeo! The year kicked off with the annual Back to School Night. The school welcomed families to meet its providers, including new staff, and students and parents visited classrooms and teachers. The kids took home school supplies and received books to read for pleasure during the school year!

The PTO hosted its annual Welcome Back Picnic on September 21 in Schenley Park, where families met for dinner and conversation with other families and staff. Events in October started with the annual commemoration of the death of the school’s namesake, John Minadeo, on October 7. The event included a safety ceremony inducting safety patrols and giving them their badges and belts for the school year. ParentTeacher conference day also took place in early October.

The community at Minadeo is happy to be back to inperson learning and is looking forward to a productive year of learning and growing together.

LUNAR NEW YEAR HAS BECOME A WIDELY CELEBRATED HOLIDAY with deep cultural roots and beautiful traditions. Although it originated in China, many East Asian countries such as Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and more share in the celebrations. There is a common misconception that this festival is only celebrated in China, but in reality there are many different traditions in many different countries and cultures that celebrate this huge event. Chinese Chunjie 春節, Vietnamese Tế t, Korean Seollal 음력 설날, Tibetan Losar ལོ་གསར་—these are all names for Lunar New Year in different cultures.

Lunar New Year usually falls in late January or early to mid-February, traditionally lasting 16 days from New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival. Lunar New Year’s importance ties into both the traditions and the sheer amount of people who celebrate it. Being the most important holiday for billions of people across the globe, this holiday was originally observed to honor the household and heavenly deities, along with ancestors, and it is still celebrated in this way to this day.

All of these beautiful traditions carry the culture of the country they take place in. For example, as part of the Chinese Chunjie traditions, many Chinese households sweep their houses and decorate with many red ornaments, the color of luck, to ward away evil spirits. Along with this color theme, households offer sacrifices to their ancestors and enjoy family reunion dinners. One of the most well-known traditions is watching the lion and dragon dances. These are beautiful, colorful performances that are believed to bring prosperity and good luck to the future year. There are also many outdoor activities to scare off evil. An example of this is setting off firecrackers and fireworks, similarly to the Vietnamese Tet. In addition, many Vietnamese people make loud noises using drums, bells, and gongs to ward away evil spirits. Lion dances also take place during lively festivals with colorful masks, and parades occur all over the cities.

In the Korean Lunar New Year, or Seollal, there are also unique traditions to celebrate during the few days it lasts. Like the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Korean

LUNAR NEW YEAR: THE MOST IMPORTANT HOLIDAY FOR BILLIONS

By Nana Koll, 8th-grader at St. Edmund’s Academy

The lion dance brings good fortune for the coming year.

Seollal is more of a family-based celebration. One of the unique traditions is the sebae, where younger people, including children, perform a deep bow to their elders and wish them a happy new year while wearing a traditional garment called a hanbok. After performing this bow, the elders will then congratulate them on the new year and often reward them with money.

With the Tibetan Lunar New Year, or Losar, there are many overlapping traditions with the Chinese Chunjie, and other interesting traditions that were created over time. Those celebrating the Tibetan Losar will clean their houses and offer sacrifices. However, instead of offering sacrifices to their ancestors, as those celebrating the Chinese Chunjie do, they offer sacrifices to the gods by placing offerings in front of their household shrines. One of the distinctive traditions of the Tibetan Losar is the burning of pine tree branches, which is called wei sang. This is one of the most important traditions during this time, believed to incur blessings from the buddhas and the bodhisattvas.

In honor of the Lunar New Year of the Tiger, St. Edmund’s Academy (SEA) hosted their own in-school festival for students in February of 2022, representing many Lunar New Year traditions and offering a fun form of cultural education. This all-school celebration was led by the Asian American Alliance, a club made up of students in our Upper School grades 5 through 8, with help from Chatham University students, community volunteers, and families who were eager to showcase their authentic talents. There were New Year’s activities for all students. Encouraged to wear red, the color of good luck, students learned about the culture behind the annual Lunar New Year.

To kick off the event, Master Chris Young of Gong Lung Steel Dragon Kung Fu Martial Arts Studio performed a lion dance and gave our students a workshop in basic martial art moves, or Wu Shu. Donning a traditional colorful paper-maché and bamboo structured lion head costume, Master Young demonstrated a beautiful dance. When it came time to teach the students, he beat the drums powerfully and set the rhythm of the

steps. Another traditional activity was the making of dumplings. Students learned the generations-old technique of wrapping paper-thin dough over meat and vegetarian fillings. What could be more enjoyable than learning by hands-on experience and eating your way to cultural understanding! Students in the younger grades participated in the ancient Chinese art of paper cutting, origami folding, and dragon puppet making. The happy, satiated faces told us that everyone had a good time. To end the day, all students received a red envelope (hong bao) filled with candy to “sweeten” their new year.

To learn more about this event, I asked Marian. Lien, the school’s Director for Education in Equity and Global Awareness and advisor to the SEA Asian American Alliance, two different questions. The first question was “What drove you to organize this event?” Ms. Lien had a particular response to this question: “During these last three years of pandemic fear, our Asian American community in this region here as well across the country suffered tremendously. They were fearful of catching the virus, but were also fending off anti-Asian hate. I wanted us to think about and celebrate the joy that Chinese and other Asian Americans bring to this nation. St. Edmund’s is a very diverse school, and I wanted our children and families who celebrated this tradition to be affirmed of their heritage and for all others to provide an opportunity to experience this most popular of Asian festivals.” This response really illustrated her motive behind holding this festival, and it was certainly a response forged after experiencing these fears firsthand.

Making dumplings gave students a hands-on introduction to Asian cuisine.

The second question was “How do you think the festival went?” To this question, she expressed extreme joy, saying that “it was beyond expectations,” and that she has never seen a whole school come to a complete stop to support the Asian American community. Ms. Lien ended her response by saying, “The joy that I saw on everyone’s faces was worth all the effort,” which is saying something immense, as the time and preparation put into this event was extraordinary.

As a young person living in Pittsburgh, learning about these celebrations was incredibly beneficial to me, and to others who experienced the celebration. By opening up our minds to other heritages and cultures, we grow as a people, and we grow as individuals, both our minds and our souls. Learning to accept and appreciate different traditions may seem obvious, and people probably don’t think about it too often.

They often convince themselves that they accept Asian culture, while simply not understanding it. The concept

of understanding is much more important than one may think. Understanding is the root of acceptance and appreciation, and this is something that must be sparked inside everyone who is part of our community. Learning about and understanding our fellow communities advances both the growth in our community and the mindfulness of our soul.

We’re here.

At Pittsburgh Public Schools, we encourage students to explore their interests, talents and career goals through a variety of magnet programs. Whether they’re interested in science and technology, the performing arts, world languages or other special topics, we’re here to support their future success. Learn more at pghschools.org/magnet

Magnet registration for the 2023-24 school year opens November 1, 2022.

St. Edmund’s students share their paper creations.

MOST PEOPLE LOOK FORWARD TO THE HOLIDAYS.

No matter what religious beliefs we have, celebrating the season can be magical. Time with family and friends can renew our spirits. Gift giving is often a tradition this time of the year. Pets, however, should not be part of the seasonal exchange of presents. A puppy or kitten is way too much of a commitment to give as a holiday gift. Proper pet selection and the addition of an animal to a family is too big a responsibility both emotionally and financially to be a casual decision.

But with the right planning and at the right time, pets teach us all so much about life. Take kids, for example. The responsibility of feeding and caring for another life is a huge factor in their development. Lessons children learn from having pets will last a lifetime. Having an animal provides unconditional love between a developing child and a pet. I cannot think of a better way to get kids away from a television or an iPad screen. Even the unfortunate loss of a pet will prepare children for adult life. Mr. Rogers wrote a heartwarming book for children called “When a Pet Dies” that helps them deal with tragic events in life.

THE LIFELONG GIFT OF PETS

By Lawrence Gerson, VMD

Children and adults with disabilities find that pets never see the problems their owners might experience. Not long ago I had as patients a number of pets raised and trained to help people with autism and other disorders. The results are just amazing with the transformation of the recipient child’s behavior. As veterinarians we treat guide dogs that are providing those with vision loss a newfound independence. Other service dogs help veterans coping with the trauma of serving in the military. I attended an educational program recently where soldiers who have suffered emotional trauma were placed in a program using horses as therapy with remarkable success in preventing suicide.

Having a dog gets young adults outside to enjoy nature and meet other pet owners. Local parks become gathering places for people of all ages to socialize and share in-person communication. Instead of crowded bars or online contact, pet owners meet and greet each other and make real connections.

Older adults will often overeat and gain unwanted weight during the holidays. Having a dog to exercise will help with the commitment to get back into shape. My new puppy has me walking an hour a day just to use up his excess energy. Having a dog around the house is also a big deterrent to crime. A barking dog will force a burglar to avoid a home. Many lives have been saved by dogs waking owners in cases of smoke or fire.

Seniors also need some four-legged love around the house, and the companionship of a pet can be critical

Larry’s dog Wrangler.

for their wellbeing. It is common for older people to become isolated as children leave home and friends move or pass away. The need to care for pets fills the void of loneliness many older persons can experience. With this sense of purpose, the elderly are uplifted by pets who are dependent upon them for care. Animals can give seniors joy and enhance their quality of life.

During the holiday season, having pets makes the season seem so much brighter. Yet they do so much for us all year long. All they ask for is food, shelter, and love. In return, they protect us, motivate us, and return the love many times over. They are truly a gift.

With the joy and love that owning a pet can bring, there is hope that the future can be just a bit brighter. The key is for everyone to do their part: to care for pets and support those dedicated people and organizations providing care for animals in need.

During the holiday season, having pets makes the season seem so much brighter.

Yet they do so much for us all year long.

We want our children to experience the satisfaction of working with their hands.

Falk Lab School, a Progressive K-8 school on the University of Pittsburgh campus, has provided a child-centered, quality education in a diverse, nurturing, and inclusive community since 1931.

Read more of our wishes for our children, and find out more about Falk Laboratory School, at falkschool.pitt.edu.

An ad from the 1972 Allderdice High School Yearbook.

Credit: donslist.net

LOOKING FORWARD AND BACKWARD FROM

THE SQUIRREL HILL URBAN COALITION (SHUC) WAS CREATED IN 1972—a time of social upheaval, deterioration of urban areas, and environmental concerns. Not very different from today.

In 1972, Richard Nixon was President, Spiro Agnew was still Vice-President, Milton Shapp was Governor of Pennsylvania, and Pete Flaherty was Mayor of Pittsburgh. Nixon signed Title IX into law as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibiting gender discrimination in any educational program receiving federal funds. He also went to China, but later that year he became embroiled in the Watergate scandal. That didn’t stop him from winning the 1972 election in a landslide over Senator George McGovern.

So much more was happening that year. The Vietnam War was raging. The hippie movement was flowering. The Environmental Protection Agency banned the use

By Helen Wilson, Vice President, Squirrel Hill Historical Society

of DDT. Eugene Carter was the last man to walk on the moon in the 20th century during the Apollo 17 mission, which ended the Apollo space program. Mariner 9 sent pictures from Mars. Hurricane Agnes dumped 11 inches of rain on Pittsburgh, flooding its valleys with 35.8 feet of water and filling underground parking garages downtown.

Roberto Clemente got his 3,000th hit in the last regular season at-bat of his career. Later that year, he died in a plane crash while attempting to deliver earthquake relief supplies to Nicaragua. About a week before, Franco Harris’s Immaculate Reception began the first of eight consecutive playoff appearances and four Super Bowl championships for the Steelers. The first Godfather movie was released. “M*A*S*H” premiered on NBC.

Life in Squirrel Hill went on, and what happened here in 1972 echoed what was going on in the wider world. The

SQUIRREL HILL HISTORY

Earth, as viewed by the Apollo 17 astronauts.

Credit: Documeria: The Environmental Protection Agency’s Program to Photographically Document Subjects of Environmental Concern, Compiled 1972-1977, World Digital Library.

1972 Taylor Allderdice High School yearbook pictured male students with long hair and female students with even longer hair. The students who put the yearbook together quoted a lot of lyrics from pop songs of the day, like Don McLean’s #1 hit “American Pie.” (To see the yearbook, go to donslist.net.)

The Manor Theatre, which opened in 1922 and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, was divided into two theater areas in 1972, reflecting changing moviegoer preferences.

Slag dumping ended in Nine Mile Run valley. Since 1922, more than seventeen million cubic yards of slag had been dumped in the scenic valley to a depth of 120 feet. The end of the dumping signaled the winding down of the steel industry in Pittsburgh. The dump sat abandoned while various uses were proposed for it, including a bypass from the Homestead High Level Bridge (now the Grays Bridge) to the Parkway East on the other side of the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. Decades later, the barren space was filled by the residential development Summerset at Frick Park.

The first Fern Hollow Bridge closed in 1972. It had opened in 1901, giving commuters easier access to Squirrel Hill, Oakland, and Downtown from Regent Square, Wilkinsburg, Braddock, and other communities farther east.

The Squirrel Hill branch of the Carnegie Library opened. It replaced Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church, which had been as imposing as Sixth Presbyterian Church across Murray Avenue.

Community Day School was founded by a group of parents as a non-denominational Jewish day school, first located in the old Hebrew Institute building at the corner of Forbes and Denniston Avenues. The school moved to the St. Philomena property in Squirrel Hill South in 1996. The Hebrew Institute building is still in use as the Yeshiva Schools Early Learning Center and Girls Schools.

Concept Art Gallery opened on Forbes Avenue. It moved to Regent Square in 1983. Other businesses that were open in 1972, such as Silberberg’s Bakery, Spiro Realty Co., and Heads Together, showed their support for Allderdice’s grads with ads in the yearbook.

And, of course, the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition was founded with the purpose of “Preserving, Improving, and Celebrating the Quality of Life in Squirrel Hill.”

The Squirrel Hill branch of the Carnegie Library in its original, 1972 form. (The photo is from a later date; Pamela’s opened on Forbes in 1980.) Credit: Patricia Hughes.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

SQUIRREL HILL HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Anyone interested in learning more about Squirrel Hill history is invited to attend the programs of the Squirrel Hill Historical Society, held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. The SHHS has returned to live programs at the Church of the Redeemer, 5700 Forbes Ave. The programs are also on Zoom. Go to www.squirrelhillhistory.org to request a link to the Zoom program and for updates and announcements of upcoming lectures and events. Please consider joining the SHHS. Membership is only $15 per year ($25 for families). There is no charge for attending the meetings.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8

Discovering Pittsburgh’s City Seals

Amateur historian MARK VIROSTEK has been keeping track of Pittsburgh’s art and architecture for many years. Marc has traveled around Pittsburgh searching for and photographing all the places he could find that feature the Seal of the City of Pittsburgh. In this presentation, he will talk about the seal and present the results of his wide-ranging search.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13

A History of Pittsburgh’s Chinese Community

LYDIA OTT, a doctoral student in occupational therapy at the University of Pittsburgh and producer of the documentary Pittsburgh’s Lost Chinatown will discuss the origins of Pittsburgh’s Chinese community, the changes the community has undergone through the years, and its contributions to Squirrel Hill and other East End Neighborhoods.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 10

Squirrel Hill by the Numbers

DAVID ROTENSTEIN, a public historian and folklorist, will explore the world of Pittsburgh’s Jewish numbers syndicate from the 1930s through the 1960s. David has a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and has worked in public history and historic preservation for more than 35 years.