Headlines A half-century later, Greensburg resident marks bat mitzvah — LOCAL — By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle
T
erri Katzman, despite being an observant Jew, didn’t celebrate her bat mitzvah at 12 or 13. Try 79. The Greensburg grandmother, who hails from Kansas City, was called to the bimah and read from the Torah for an assembly of family and well-wishers at Congregation Emanu-El Israel (CEI) last Saturday morning. Why celebrate becoming a bat mitzvah as a septuagenarian? The answer’s pretty simple. “I never had one,” Katzman told the Chronicle. “So, the thought has always been there.” Katzman’s family traveled from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to observe — and participate in — her bat mitzvah, with other family members coming from places as far flung as Colorado, Texas and Virginia. A brother from Kansas City who couldn’t make the event participated via Zoom. Katzman’s two grandchildren — ages 8 and 11 — blew a shofar to start the proceedings. Societal differences a generation or two ago sometimes meant that boys in families studied to become a bar mitzvah, but girls
Terri Katzman, her son David Katzman and Rabbi Lenny Sarko
did not. That wasn’t the case with Katzman; she started studying Hebrew in the third or fourth grade. But she never got around to reading her portion of the Torah aloud before family and friends in her synagogue. Though she admitted she loved studying the meaning of Torah with CEI’s Rabbi
Photo by Bea Harrison
Lenny Sarko, Katzman said it was her childhood training in Hebrew that ultimately inspired her to do the reading last weekend. “The whole process went so smoothly, yes — it was very enjoyable,” said Katzman, who has come to CEI for about 40 years. “The fact that I can read Hebrew made it much easier.”
Sarko said adult bar and bat mitzvahs are increasingly common; Katzman’s was the second he officiated at CEI — and there are more in the pipeline. The rabbi said he has a soft spot for adults seeking a spiritual education, especially the year-long commitment that leads to celebrating becoming a bar or bat mitzvah. “It’s interesting to them and interesting to me,” Sarko said. “This is what I’d supposed to be doing as a rabbi: teaching.” Katzman also isn’t the eldest who Sarko helped ascend the bimah; one congregant who recently marked becoming a bar mitzvah was 88. “It’s really quite beautiful and quite nice,” the rabbi said. “They bring this maturity and this questioning, and this in-depth view of what Judaism is about.” “It brings a lot of joy to Terri,” he added. “But, to the entire community, it’s a nice time, a nice life cycle event.” Katzman agreed. “The whole experience has been wonderful because my family was around and part of it,” she said. “And it’s also just a real sense of community, which is what it’s supposed to be.” The Katzmans also marked the special weekend by preparing an oneg for Friday’s CEI service. PJC Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.
Murray Avenue Kosher 1916 MURRAY AVENUE 412-421-1015 • 412-421-4450 • FAX 412-421-4451
PRICES EFFECTIVE SUNDAY, MAY 29 - FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022 Candle Lighting Time Friday, May 27, 2022 • 8:22 p.m.
MEAT & FISH SPECIALS
Accepting Clients! OUR MISSION:
SERVICE WE OFFER:
A Heart 2 Hand provides the most effective home healthcare! We build patient and family relationships based on respect, trust, dignity and integrity. A Heart 2 Hand is dedicated to providing quality and affordable care to people of various backgrounds and ethnic groups.
•
Personal care
•
Companionship and comfort
•
Meal preparation
•
24-hour care
•
Transportation to appointments
•
Grocery shopping and errands
•
Medication reminders
•
Light housekeeping
Fresh Salmon
1259 LB
$
Ground Beef
599 LB
$
London Broil
$
11
19
LB
GROCERY
MONDAY & TUESDAY DINNER SPECIAL
ZAMORA CABERNET SAUVIGNON $9.99 750 ML ZAMORA WHITE WINE $9.99 750 ML
Pastrami Burgers Potato Salad
Serves 2
$13.00 STORE HOURS
Sun. • 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
MON. MEMORIAL DAY • 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tues.-Wed.• 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Thurs. • 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Fri. • 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
COOKED FOODS
DELI
SPLIT PEA SOUP $ 99
LIEBERS DANISH COOKIES $ 79
RED PEPPER AND PINEAPPLE SALAD $ 99
SCHTARK SHRD CHEESE 4 VARIETIES $ 69
VEGETABLE QUICHE $ 00
$ 29
SCHMERLING’S ROSEMARIE MILK CHOC BAR $ 89
FRIED DRUMSTICKS & THIGHS $ 99
SHOR HABOR SALAMI $ 89
4
6 PK
1
4 OZ
3
2 LBS
3.5 OZ
HOMEMADE SALADS & SOUPS DELI PARTY TRAYS
Phone: 412-230-6838 • Email: Heart2HandAgency@gmail.com PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG
TAKE-OUT SPECIAL
GOLDEN BLINTZES ASSORTED VARIETIES $ 79
10
CONTACT US TODAY:
WINE SPECIALS
PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE
8
6
12 7
QT
LB
EA
LB
We Prepare Trays for All Occasions UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF VAAD OF PITTSBURGH
SL NOVA LOX 99
$
31
LB
SHOR HABOR LEAN PASTRAMI $ 39
26
LB
HUMMUS
8
9
LB
LB
CATERING SPECIALISTS DELICIOUS FRIED CHICKEN WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES.
MAY 27, 2022
7