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NOVEMBER 22, 2012
kislev 8, 5773
Vol. 56, No. 28
Pittsburgh, PA
$1.50
War with Gaza Fighting in Israel, Gaza affects Pittsburgh, Jewish community
Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90
The Iron Dome defense system fires to interecpt incoming missiles from Gaza in the port town of Ashdod, Thursday, Nov. 15.
Chilling numbers tallied as fighting continues The Following is a recap of the fighting with Gaza as of Tuesday, Nov. 20: • The number of rockets and mortars fired at Israeli civilians from Gaza for 2012 stood at over 2,000. More than 3 million Israelis live within range of rocket and mortar attacks. • As of 1 p.m. today, more than 60 rockets were fired at Israel on Nov. 20, with more than 20 interceptions by the Iron Dome. • More than 30 rockets were shot at Beersheba, targeting the largest city in southern Israel. One of the rockets
hit a bus and injured a civilian. At least three grads landed in the city causing shrapnel damage. • More than 1,100 rockets fired into Israel from Gaza since the start of the operation last week. More than 350 have thus far been intercepted by the Iron Dome system. • The area closest to the Gaza border sees the most rocket attacks and all 90 schools and 61 kindergartens remain closed within 40km of the Palestinian coastal enclave. Civil defense officials have instructed all res-
idents within this area to remain within a maximum 15 seconds from a bomb shelter or protected area — the amount of time residents have to reach shelter once radar detects incoming projectiles. • Nineteen hospitals throughout Israel are located in the range of Hamas’ rockets. MDA (Israeli Red Cross) have dealt with more than 252 casualties since the beginning of Operation Pillar of Defense, including three killed by a rocket attack in Kiryat Malachi.
BY CHRONICLE STAFF As rockets continue to terrorize Israel, and the Jewish state responds with air strikes, the fighting in the region has touched the Pittsburgh community in many ways. Families with sons and daughters in the Israeli Defense Forces watch the news nervously for word of a ground assault. Community leaders are raising money and collecting necessities for Israelis within range of the rockets. Some Pittsburghers are visiting the country to express solidarity with Israel. And while Jew and Arab face off in the Middle East, here in Pittsburgh they are meeting in far different ways. One Pittsburgher currently in the IDF is 19-year-old Stephen Reibach of Mt. Lebanon; he enlisted last summer and recently finished his ulpan and “pre-basic training,” according to his mother, Stacey Reibach. Currently staying with a host family outside of Karmiel, Stephen is awaiting orders of where he will be stationed next. Because he has not yet finished his combat training, his mother does not think he will be doing “anything too dangerous,” she told the Chronicle. Still, she is worried for the safety of her son. “I am obviously nervous,” Reibach said. “But as a mom, I have peace in his confidence, and we are all in agreement that Israel is doing the right thing by defending herself. That doesn’t take the nervousness away, but I was nervous when he was in Oakland [at the Univer-
Please see Reaction, page 25.
B USINES S 24/C L AS SIFIED 22/C OMMUNITY 27/G AZA 10 O BITUARIES 26/O PINION 6/R EAL E STATE 23/S IMCHAS 19
Times To Remember
KINDLE SHABBAT CANDLES: 4:39 p.m. EST. SHABBAT ENDS: 5:40 p.m. EST.