Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 7-8-22

July 8, 2022 | 9 Tamuz 5782

Candlelighting 8:34 p.m. | Havdalah 9:41 p.m. | Vol. 65, No. 27 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

Where have all the teachers gone? Local schools struggle with ‘difficult market’

NOTEWORTHY LOCAL From outrage to praise

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Rabbi Daniel Wasserman: A rabbi for all seasons

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

R

abbi Moishe Mayir Vogel was unequivocal when speaking about the legacy of Rabbi Daniel Wasserman.

“He was the ultimate rabbi. He didn’t hesitate to roll up his sleeves in any area,” said Vogel, secretary of the Vaad Harabonim of Pittsburgh, an umbrella group of Orthodox rabbis in the region. “He is an individual that knows no bounds.”

Wasserman, Shaare Torah’s senior rabbi for more than a quarter of a century, stepped down from his position on June 30 to move to Israel. He leaves a community saddened by his departure but better than when he arrived, according to many.

Jewish community reacts to Dobbs v.

Jackson

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LOCAL New role, same shul Rabbi Aaron Bisno continues work at Rodef Shalom Congregation.

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LOCAL A Jewish Freemason’s story Austin Shifrin wants to set the record straight.

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Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh Principal and Education Director Rabbi Sam Weinberg said that while the day school he oversees

A revitalizing force Wasserman was hired by Shaare Torah in 1995 after serving congregations in New Jersey and Massachusetts. At the time, the Orthodox shul was facing serious challenges, according to Jonathan Young, the president of its board of directors.

“There were not a lot of members,” Young said. “He really brought energy to the job.

The man had more energy than anyone you’d ever want to meet. It was remarkable.”

Throughout Wasserman’s tenure, Young said, the congregation emerged from its financial and membership crises and became a stable organization.

“He built the congregation, our congregation,” Young said. “We have about 115 members; we’ve been pretty stable financially. We always have money to pay our bills, which is no easy feat in 2022.”

Alex Sax chaired the search committee responsible for hiring Wasserman. He said the young rabbi offered Shaare Torah exactly what it required at the time.

“The synagogue needed some growth and energy,” Sax said. “Rabbi Wasserman was definitely the man to take that challenge on.

We went through a period of growth, and it

Please see Teachers, page 14

Please see Wasserman, page 14

Photo by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

G

ood help is hard to find. Just ask Adat Shalom Synagogue Executive Director Lisa Rothstein.

The congregation has had a large turnover in its religious school staff this year — partly due to retirements and teachers moving away from the area. Rothstein said she’s struggling to replace them.

“It’s just an odd coincidence of factors coming together, which is unfortunate,” Rothstein said.

The executive director posited that location might be one reason for the hiring difficulties. Adat Shalom is in Cheswick, near Fox Chapel. That means a half-hour drive for anyone living in Squirrel Hill.

And while the drought is felt across all teaching positions, Rothstein said the school is hardest hit in its Hebrew instruction.

“I find that there are fewer that are able to teach Hebrew,” she said. “We can be more creative with teaching Judaica but not with Hebrew.”

National trend

trend appears to be national and is affecting not only synagogues but day schools and non-Jewish educational institutions, as well.

According to Labor Department statistics, more than 1,400 educators quit their jobs in April. Those numbers are in line with a February article in the Wall Street Journal that explained that “the rate of people quitting jobs in private educational services rose more than any other industry in 2021, according to federal data.”

In an article published by weareteachers. com, 55% of teachers surveyed by the National Education Association said they were now planning on leaving the profession earlier than they had planned.

“Approximately 45% of new teachers leave the profession within the first five years,” Rabbi Mitch Malkus, head of school at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School of Greater Washington, told eJewishPhilanthropy.

The cost of Jewish living

Adat Shalom isn’t alone in its struggles. The

keep your eye on PittsburghJewishChronicle NATIONAL

Terror in Highland Park

FILM

Retro: “Gentleman’s Agreement”

FILM

FilmShul

Headlines Jewish community reacts to SCOTUS Dobbs v. Jackson decision — LOCAL —

By David Rullo | Staff Writer

T

he Jewish community responded quickly to the June 24 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which sent the question of abortion rights back to the states.

The Rabbinical Assembly, the international association of Conservative rabbis, issued a statement saying it was “outraged” over the court’s decision holding that there is no Constitutional right to abortion. It called the ruling “one of the most extreme instances of governmental overreach in our lifetime,” writing that many Americans now face a dire crisis.

“This is a dangerous time for all people who are capable of becoming pregnant, especially those in categories that have poorer maternal outcomes, and particularly BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) people or those of lower socioeconomic backgrounds,” the statement said.

The Union of Reform Judaism published a statement on its website that included reaction from leaders in the movement.

Rabbi Marla Feldman, executive director of Women of Reform Judaism, also said she was “outraged” that the Supreme Court “stripped women and others who can become pregnant of the fundamental right to make essential health care decisions free of governmental interference.”

She said her organization will work with Congress and state legislators to protect and improve access to abortion and fundamental rights.

“We will not be silent as the court tries to turn back the clock 50 years,” she concluded.

Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner called the ruling “the wrong decision, full stop.”

Pesner said the decision threatens other fundamental rights, including access to contraception and LGBTQ+ rights.

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (OU), in a statement, said it was unable to either mourn or celebrate the court’s decision, and that it could neither support absolute bans on abortion nor support legislation that does not limit abortion to situations in which medical (including mental health) professionals affirm that carrying a pregnancy to term poses a risk to the mother’s life.

“As people of faith, we see life as a precious gift,” the statement read, adding the right to choose is at odds with Judaism’s religious and halachic values. “Yet, the same mandate to preserve life requires us to be concerned for the life of the mother. Jewish law prioritizes the life of the pregnant mother over the life of the fetus …”

The statement ends by saying the extreme polarization and politicization of the abortion issue do not bode well for a much-needed nuanced result.

Standing apart from the OU, the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance issued a statement saying the Supreme Court’s decision “will devastate the lives of women across the United States who will lose personal agency over their lives and bodies,” violates the religious liberty of the Jewish community and undermines women’s ability to follow halacha.

Locally, Beth El Congregation of the South Hills issued a statement saying the congregation’s leadership supported the RA’s statement.

Temple Emanuel of the South Hills, too, sent an email to its members saying the

p Community members at an NCJW Pittsburgh June 25 event in response to the Dobbs decision Photo by David Rullo

Dobbs v. Jackson decision “contravenes Jewish sensibilities and halakha while creating feelings of anger and fear among many at Temple [Emanuel] and our greater Jewish community whose health, autonomy and rights are no longer protected by the Constitution.”

Former Women of Reform Judaism president and Temple Sinai member Lynn Lazar said that the Supreme Court decision requires people to “keep fighting for our rights, unfortunately, even after 50 years.”

The decision reaches beyond abortion and puts reproductive health care rights and freedom of choice at risk, she added.

“It’s not my job to put my religious beliefs or personal choice on anyone else, and I certainly don’t like it when other people try to put their beliefs or choices on me,” Lazar said. “I think this is clearly a matter of women’s rights, women’s health care, access and choice.”

One member of the community lauding the SCOTUS decision is the president

of the Pittsburgh-based Jewish Pro-Life Foundation, Cecily Routman.

“The justices of the Supreme Court corrected the major errors in jurisprudence that happened in 1973 because the Constitution does not enumerate, spell out, the right to abortion,” she said.

Because abortion is a matter of life and death, she added, the matter should go back to the states where there is more local control.

The Dobbs decision, Routman said, will allow the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation to continue its work of education in the Jewish community and promote “lifesaving alternatives.”

“I think we have a much better chance of doing that and influencing how people not only vote but how people influence their friends and neighbors and people in their circle of influence,” she said.

Because the majority of Jews disagree with her stance, Routman said, there is a lot of work to be done in the community.

“Part of it is to educate the Jewish community in Pennsylvania and beyond,” she said.

“We would like to be able to teach people so they understand what this is all about.”

It appears Routman has a difficult hill to climb, as most in the community appear to agree with Hadassah National President Rhoda Smolow — who issued a statement with Hadassah CEO Naomi Adler — saying that “Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organiza-tion of America, reaffirms its unwavering support for full and complete access to reproductive health care services and the right to make decisions based on each woman’s religious, moral and ethical values.” PJC

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

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Headlines Rabbi Aaron Bisno assumes new role at Rodef Shalom — LOCAL —

By Toby Tabachnick | Editor

I

t’s official: Rabbi Aaron Bisno, Rodef Shalom Congregation’s senior rabbi since 2004, will continue to serve his congregants — but in a different role.

On June 30, Rodef Shalom’s board of trustees announced in an email to members that Bisno will become the Frances F. and David R. Levin Rabbinic Scholar. As such, he will be available to officiate at life cycle events and will also focus on teaching and writing.

The announcement comes after months of conflict within the congregation, beginning in November when its board announced that the rabbi had taken a leave of absence without sharing details of what led to that leave.

In February, the board told Rodef Shalom’s membership that Bisno had been placed on paid administrative leave due to “personnel allegations” and “workplace culture concerns.” After an investigation by an outside firm concluded, the board announced in March that it would not be renewing Bisno’s contract, but acknowledged that the investigation “did not identify any illegal actions.”

Many Rodef Shalom congregants were

 Rabbi Aaron Bisno

File photo

bewildered and upset by the board’s actions and its lack of transparency. They still don’t know what Bisno is accused of doing.

This past spring, the board held two congregational meetings to discuss its actions, and in late May announced it had made “significant progress” in ironing out the details of Bisno’s future relationship with

the congregation, while recognizing the “deep divide within our congregation.”

“It’s been a difficult time for Rodef Shalom,” Bill Battistone, the newly installed president of the congregation’s board told the Chronicle on July 1. “I hope, and we hope, and are confident that we will begin to put the anger and divisiveness behind us and move forward as one congregation.”

In its June 30 email to members, the board stressed that Bisno wasn’t accused of anything illegal, and that the allegations against the rabbi were limited in scope.

“To the extent that there were issues between Rodef Shalom and Rabbi Bisno, those were limited to staff and supervision issues and did not relate to illegal conduct, sexual misconduct, or financial wrongdoing, nor did they touch on his interactions or relationships with Rodef Shalom congregants,” the email stated. “We are pleased to have found a path forward that allows Rodef Shalom and its members to continue a relationship with Rabbi Bisno.”

The agreement reached between the congregation and Bisno will ensure that he continues to serve the congregation “taking advantage of all his strengths, as a writer, a teacher and a pastor,” Battistone said.

The board president said he could not comment on the agreement’s specific terms.

Bisno has already begun serving the congregation in his new role.

“I am grateful to be able to continue serving our congregation and her members long into the future,” Bisno wrote in a text to the Chronicle. “And in the months and years ahead, I look forward, in particular, to piloting novel ways for our city’s Jewish and interfaith communities to collaborate, learn and grow in understanding together.”

Rodef Shalom’s board is now focused on “building trust and relationships back,” Battistone said. “We are all working for the same cause.”

It will also work to find an interim rabbi to fill Bisno’s former position, a permanent executive director and a new cantorial soloist, as Molly May, who helped lead the congregation’s services for almost a decade, has moved to North Carolina. Rabbi Sharyn Henry will continue in her role as rabbi.

One of the board’s priorities, Battistone said, is to ensure that every congregant has a voice and uses it to “help us chart a path forward.”

“Shame on us if we don’t learn from the past and make it better moving forward,” he said. PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Trial of 10/27 accused shooter likely to begin next spring

T

he trial of the man accused of murdering 11 Jews while they were worshipping in the Tree of Life building will likely begin between March and June of 2023, U.S. District Judge Robert Colville said last week during a status conference for the case.

Colville acknowledged, though, that the timeline could change depending on input from the prosecution and the defense.

The massacre, which took the lives of 11 congregants of three congregations — Dor

Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life — and left six other people seriously injured, occurred on Oct. 27, 2018. If the trial does begin next spring, more than four years will have passed since the attack.

The defendant is facing more than 60 charges, including hate crimes. The government seeks the death penalty.

Attorneys for the prosecution and defense next meet with the judge on Aug. 15 to discuss how many days they estimate the trial will last and other procedural matters.

Prosecutors previously proposed the trial begin in the fall of 2022, but the defense opposed that timeline, saying it would not be prepared that soon.

At the June 29 status conference, Colville instructed all attorneys involved “to prioritize this case from March to August of 2023.”

While he said he was unsure which “part of that window we’re looking at,” he acknowledged there would be “a lot of moving parts and a lot of people who are going to need to be in one location.”

Colville previously said he planned to wait until December to set a trial date, but prosecutors requested that he expedite the timeline. Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo Song said that many victims of the attack “will also be fact witnesses” and that “the most meaningful way to guarantee that the victims can be present at trial and bear witness at trial, if they are witnesses, and prevent further delay is to set the trial date.” PJC

the UK started to grapple with the open anti-Semitism in its society.”

What To Do

— Toby Tabachnick

Join the Chronicle Book Club!

T

he Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its Aug. 14 discussion of “The Finkler Question” by Howard Jacobson.

“The Finkler Question,” published in 2010, won the Man Booker Prize. From author Dara Horn: “This is a very funny book about middle-aged men fighting with each other and fighting to maintain their self-esteem in pathetic ways. It’s very

accessible. Sam Finkler, a popular thinker, media personality and bestselling author, and his friend Julian Treslove, reconvene with their former professor, an older Jewish immigrant from the Czech Republic. The book is about how Jews are expected to cooperate with contemporary anti-Semitism. To be accepted, Finkler renounces and demonizes the state of Israel. This book came out in 2010; only in more recent years has

Your Hosts

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

How It Works

We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, Aug. 14, at noon. As you read the book, we invite you to share your favorite passages on a shared document you will receive when you register for the meeting.

Buy: “The Finkler Question.” It is available from online retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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

Happy reading! PJC — Toby Tabachnick

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JULY 8, 2022

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Headlines Meet 17th district candidate Chris Deluzio — LOCAL —

By Ethan Beck | Staff Writer

W

hen Rep. Conor Lamb decided to run for Senate in 2022, western Pennsylvania found itself with an open House seat.

And following the May 17 primary election, both major parties have their candidates.

The Democrats have nominated Chris Deluzio, a voting rights attorney and Iraq War veteran. The Republican candidate is Jeremy Shaffer, a former Ross Township commissioner.

Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district encompasses all of Beaver County and much of the Allegheny County suburbs.

Deluzio spoke with the Chronicle about a variety of topics from gun violence to unionization to antisemitism.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

What makes you uniquely qualified for this position?

Well, my life has been about public service. I grew up around the district and, after the 9/11 attacks, I went off to the Naval Academy to serve my country, and I’ve led Americans in harm’s way at sea and in Iraq. I’m someone who has fought as an attorney to protect our democracy. [I’m] someone who stood to form a union with the [United] Steelworkers at the University of Pittsburgh. I think all of those experiences have shaped who I am, shaped my worldview and are grounded in my love of country and my love of western Pennsylvania. I think they show and demonstrate my commitment to this region and country, along with my readiness to serve on day 1 in the Congress.

What would be your first priorities when you get into office?

Look, we have to do things to bring down the cost of living in this country. I don’t care if you’re like me with young kids, you’re approaching retirement or you’re in the middle of your

career — people are feeling like life’s too expensive. I think we have to be willing to take on the corporate greed that’s been gouging us. We got to bring back manufacturing in this country.

We’ve had decades of policy makers and corporate-backed politicians who have shipped our manufacturing to China and Lord knows where else. I think we have to bring that manufacturing back so we’re not getting crushed at the gas pump, the grocery store — you name it — and have our supply chains less far-flung.

We got to do things to protect and shore up our democracy. We have real threats to the vote, the Electoral College vote. We need action to protect Roe v. Wade, to end gun violence and so much more. All things that I think are popular and where there’s bipartisan support, but I see Republican legislators on the far right who are blocking basic common-sense progress on all these things.

You mentioned the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. How would you legislate in response to this?

The House has already passed a bill that would codify Roe v. Wade. It has not made it through the Senate because the Senate has lacked the courage to move past the filibuster to do it. I would support that legislation to codify Roe federally because, if we don’t, what we’re going to see is states that are banning and criminalizing abortion.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was recently signed into law by President Biden. Would you have voted for this law? What else do you think should be done in terms of combating gun violence?

I would have supported the bipartisan legislation on gun safety. I think it’s a good first step, but we need to do more. I often talk about how in my own service in uniform, I carried weapons like the ones we keep seeing used by these killers and mass shooters in our schools.

Those assault weapons like I carried in Iraq, my friends and I had the best training in the

“I hope to have a great relationship

with our Jewish community here in western Pennsylvania, which is a strong

”

and vibrant one.

— CHRIS DELUZIO, A VOTING RIGHTS ATTORNEY AND IRAQ WAR VETERAN

world. These weapons were designed to swiftly and efficiently kill people in battle. They don’t belong on our streets. They certainly don’t belong in our schools. I think we need action federally to make sure those guns are off our streets. And although the bipartisan bill is a good start, it doesn’t get enough done.

Whether it’s those kinds of weapons, the high-capacity magazines … If you’re hunting with these things, you’re not doing it right.

Would you have voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill last year?

I absolutely would have supported the infrastructure package. I think this is a long overdue investment in our country. In our region, we have crumbling bridges and roads, p Chris Deluzio Photo courtesy of Chris Deluzio’s campaign locks and dams. You name it. You know, infrastructure investment isn’t just a job to build the to dictate those terms. But I think security has things. That’s important, but it’s also a major to be a key part of our friendship. To me, it’s economic investment in our region. And these a necessary condition to get to a lasting peace are boosts to our economy; they’re long-term that we need in the Middle East. jobs. We ought to have the best infrastructure in the world. I’ll be fighting for infrastructure There’s been a rise investment on a regular timeline, far more in antisemitism, frequently than we’ve seen in years past. locally and nationally.

Congressman Lamb had good relationships with the area’s Jewish community and worked to ensure its safety. What will you do to continue this priority?

I hope to have a great relationship with our Jewish community here in western Pennsylvania, which is a strong and vibrant one. I think we saw here the horrific cost of antisemitism and the worst attack of that kind in the country only a few years back.

I think if we aren’t confronting head-on the threats to our Jewish community in our region in general, to this kind of extremism, we’re doing a disservice to people. We all deserve to live in safe communities, to be able to worship and celebrate and join with our family and friends as you see fit.

When that comes under attack, I think we all suffer here.

Do you think defense aid to Israel should have conditions on it, and do you believe in a two-state solution?

I think we have a strong commitment to our Israeli allies to provide security assistance.

I think it is the bedrock of getting to a path toward a real, lasting peace and a two-state solution. I’m hesitant to say there ought to be specific conditions on how we provide that security system and how our Israeli allies use it. I think frankly, oftentimes, Washington — and the Congress especially — isn’t best suited

What’s your understanding of why this is taking place and what role can the government play in stemming hate?

It’s a tough question. I don’t think there’s any simple answer, to be frank. I mean, certainly the role of the big tech, social media platforms and how they’ve frankly encouraged extremism to proliferate is a problem. The power that the tech companies wield over the way we communicate with each other is a serious issue for the Congress to confront.

Whether it’s antisemitism, whether it’s racism, you name it, I think we can’t just talk about ideology and not also connect the dots to the acts of violence. Often, it’s gun violence. It’s one thing to believe in a horrific ideology and quite another to then massacre your neighbors. We’ve seen it too frequently here in the Jewish community of western Pennsylvania.

I think we have to also connect the dots and be thinking about and taking measures to reduce gun violence and that means things like banning assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and making sure we really have background checks for every gun sale so that people who are threats to themselves and others don’t have guns in their hands. There is a piece of this that is the crucial link between believing in some dangerous, horrific ideology and then wanting to go out and murder people. We’ve got to be able to confront both, I think. PJC Ethan Beck can be reached at ebeck@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Hillel JUC and University of Pittsburgh offer preorientation program for new students

T

he Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh are partnering on a new preorientation program for incoming Pitt students.

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JULY 8, 2022

Dubbed “FreshFest,” the program offers participating students access to early residence hall move-in dates and two days of programming to acclimate them to campus, including field trips around Pittsburgh,

a welcome brunch for students and their families, and Shabbat dinner. Participating students also will be paired with a returning student mentor to “answer questions, be a guide to Pitt life, and build an enduring

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

relationship with participants,” according to Hillel officials. More information can be found at hilleljuc.org/freshfest22/. PJC — Toby Tabachnick PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines Meet 17th district congressional candidate Jeremy Shaffer — LOCAL —

By Ethan Beck | Staff Writer

W

hen Rep. Conor Lamb decided to run for Senate in 2022, western Pennsylvania found itself with an open House seat.

And following the May 17 primary election, both major parties have their candidates.

The Republican candidate is Jeremy Shaffer, a former Ross Township commissioner. The Democrats have nominated Chris Deluzio, a voting rights attorney and Iraq War veteran.

Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district encompasses all of Beaver County and much of the Allegheny County suburbs.

Shaffer spoke with the Chronicle about a variety of topics from term limits to gun violence to antisemitism.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What makes you uniquely qualified for this position?

You know, I am a problem solver at heart. I went to Carnegie Mellon and got a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering. Right now, there’s almost 200 lawyers in the United States Congress, and I think there’s only eight engineers…. I served as a Ross Township commissioner and was elected twice. I served as president of the 33,000 people of Ross Township. I was elected president on a board that was six Democrats and three Republicans, and I was elected by a bipartisan majority because they liked the way I solved problems. And I worked across party lines to get things done. And right now, in D.C., things are far too polarized.

What would be your first priorities when you get into office?

I think that the system is broken. One of the things that I think both parties should be able to agree on is term limits. There’s something wrong when people have literally been in Congress for 40 or 50 years sometimes.

Oftentimes, they go down there, and they start off with the best intentions, but it really was not intended to be a lifelong career. We should have people who are citizen representatives who go down to Congress, represent their communities and come back and then get back into the community.

On your website, you advocate for investments in infrastructure.

Would you have voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill last year?

I would have voted for the infrastructure bill.

I believe that it wasn’t perfect. Part of the challenge is oftentimes when you’re faced with very large bills, you might like 80% of what’s in there and you might disagree with 20%, and you’re forced to make a decision.

I’m the type of person who would rather make incremental progress [instead of] letting the good be the enemy of the perfect.

And infrastructure is an area that should be PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

p Jeremy Shaffer

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Shaffer’s campaign

a bipartisan issue. Having good infrastructure, whether it’s roads, bridges, high-speed trains, effective ports, locks and dams. Those are things that will benefit our region and our country and really should be something that we all rally around.

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was recently signed into law by President Biden. Would you have voted for this law? What else do you think should be done in terms of combating gun violence?

You know, there’s a lot of parts of that law that I’m on the record as supporting. I’m in favor of universal background checks. I’m in favor of keeping guns out of the hands of people who make violent threats. If they’re shown to have made threats against their spouse or their boyfriend, girlfriend or they’re mentally unfit, they should not have guns. So, there were a lot of good things in that bill. I haven’t read all the details. I can’t comment on whether or not I would vote yes or no on it. Look, I have five kids. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to see something in the news or get a call about a school shooter. Most Republicans, most Democrats would agree we want safe schools, we want safe communities. Let’s look at all of the things that 90% of people can agree on, whether that’s background checks, or whether that’s keeping guns out of the hands of people who have mental issues, or whether that’s strengthening our schools. We should be able to get that funding in place.

How do you feel about the recent overturning of Roe vs. Wade, and how would you legislate in response to this?

Personally, I am pro-life. I believe in the sanctity of life. I do favor exceptions for things such as rape and incest and life of the mother, but I also believe that it is really the role of the states to set the policy. I do not believe that it’s Congress’ role. Before Roe v.

Wade was enacted 49 years ago, for almost 200 years, it was the role of each individual state to determine the proper limits on

abortion. I believe that now it will be up to the Pennsylvania legislature and Pennsylvania governor to determine those limits.

Congressman Lamb had good relationships with the area’s Jewish community and worked to ensure its safety. What will you do to continue this priority?

It’s a high priority. I lived in Squirrel Hill when I went to Carnegie Mellon. I am very familiar with the wonderful diversity of the whole community from Reform to Orthodox.

I believe strongly that we need to protect that community, and that there’s no place for antisemitism. And that we need to make sure that any violence or threats against the community, or any community for that matter, be dealt with quickly and efficiently and prevented. So I would be a strong advocate for the Jewish community, wherever it is. Whether it’s in the suburbs, whether it’s in the city, I believe that everyone should be able to freely observe their religion and not be subjected to any threats.

In terms of Israel, do you believe in a two-state solution? What would your policy look like there?

So, Israel is a linchpin in the Middle East. It is our main ally. We have such a long, rich history with Israel and we need to absolutely, unequivocally support Israel as the Democratic state ally that it is in the Middle East. And yes, I support the two-state solution.

I support working with the Israeli government to get to a peace settlement. I think we’ve had some excellent first steps with the Abraham Accords and normalizing relationships with other countries in the Middle East.

The United States government should help Israel establish a positive ally base there in the Middle East with other countries. That is desperately needed because the number one enemy right now is Iran in the Middle East.

Iran is wreaking havoc across the Middle East, whether it’s trying to send out terrorist assassination squads against Israeli citizens, or whether it’s trying to foment rebellions in Yemen, or cause trouble and arm terrorists in Lebanon and Syria and the Gaza strip and the

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

West Bank. Number one, we need to support Israel. Number two, we need to deal with the existential threat of Iran, because it is Iran’s goal to basically wipe Israel off the map. And we, as the United States, cannot allow them.

Do you think defense aid to Israel should have conditions on it?

No, I do not. I do not think there should be conditions to Israel. The Israelis will know how best to spend that money with the situations they have going on. We should not hamper it with strings attached.

Would you have joined the challenge to Pennsylvania’s electors in the 2020 election?

I am on the record as saying that I would have accepted the approved electors from the state of Pennsylvania.

There’s been a rise in antisemitism, locally and nationally. What’s your understanding of why this is taking place and what role can the government play in stemming hate?

You know, it really saddens me to see how much hate there is. That hate manifests itself in a variety of ways. Unfortunately, oftentimes, it is minority or unique communities that are the target of that, because they’re a very easy focus of it. I think what we need to work to do in this country is to be one people, to be Americans first. To realize that, ultimately, we’re all created equal.

Fundamentally, we are the same no matter what our skin color is, no matter what our religion is, no matter what our ethnic background is. We need to work together to make this country a better place. I think that that starts with leaders stepping up and presenting an inclusive message that says all communities are welcome, that says that everyone is created equal. That is something that I would be a strong advocate for. PJC Ethan Beck can be reached at ebeck@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

JULY 8, 2022

5

Calendar Submit calendar items on the Chronicle’s website, pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. Submissions also will be included in print. Events will run in the print edition beginning one a prior to the date as space allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon.

q MONDAYS, JULY 11-AUG 29

q TUESDAYS, JULY 12-26

q SUNDAYS, JULY 17; AUG. 14

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

Antisemitism is on the rise again. It’s perhaps the oldest hatred of all, yet, through the centuries, it has appeared in many guises. In the seven-part Zoom course “Antisemitism: A Brief History of Why They Hate Us,” Rabbi Danny Schiff will offer a succinct survey of the various forms of antisemitism and will consider what the past history of antisemitism means for today. $65. 9:30 a.m. jewishpgh.org/ event/antisemitism-a-brief-history-of-why-theyhate-us/2022-07.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh presents Advanced Community Active Threat Training with Defensive Tactics. The four-part class will address the mind of an active shooter, predator versus prey, situational awareness and survival mindset; explore basic self-defense, using techniques such as Krav Maga; explore weapons awareness and disarming techniques; and advanced defensive tactics, including team tactics and reality-based training. Squirrel Hill JCC. For more information, including times and to register, visit jewishpgh.org/event/advance-community-activethreat-training-catt-with-defensive-tactics-2.

q TUESDAY, JULY 12

q SUNDAY, JULY 10 Join Classrooms Without Borders, Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Center, and the Jewish Historical Institute for The Ghetto Fighters’ House for their Talking Memory Series, Crafting Heritage: The Art of Holocaust Remembrance – A Homage to David Friedmann. 2 p.m. cwbpgh.org/event/ the-ghetto-fighters-house-talking-memory-seriespresents-treasure-hunt-finding-the-lost-art-legacyof-david-friedmann. q SUNDAYS, JULY 10, 17 With summer’s arrival, it’s time to get out the grill — “The Rabbinic Grill,” that is. Join Rabbi Danny Schiff as he poses tough questions about contemporary Jewish life, belief and movement positions to a select group of area rabbis. Schiff will grill the rabbis on the big issues and concerns of today’s Jews in a direct and forthright fashion. 10 a.m. jewishpgh.org/ event/the-rabbinic-grill/2022-07-10. q SUNDAYS, JULY 10-AUG 28

Join Classrooms Without Borders for Revealing the Stories Behind the Artifacts. Yad Vashem’s The Artifacts Collection is home to more than 27,000 items donated over the years by Holocaust survivors, their families and various organizations. It includes a wide variety of artifacts connected to the events of the Holocaust. Each one tells its own story.

Sara Shor, manager of the Artifacts Collection at Yad Vashem, will share the stories behind some of these precious items. 3 p.m. cwbpgh.org/event/revealingthe-stories-behind-the-artifacts. q TUESDAYS, JULY 12, 19 Learn about Jewish Pittsburgh at the New Light Lecture Series: Pittsburgh is our Home, online or in person at Beth Shalom. Topics include “The Incomparable Sophie Masloff and her Jewish Roots;” and “Barney Dreyfuss and the Origin of the Pittsburgh Pirates.” Free and open to the public. 7 p.m. For more information, visit newlightcongregation.org/events. q TUESDAYS, JULY 12, 19, 26

Join a lay-led Online Parashah Study Group to discuss the week’s Torah portion. No Hebrew knowledge is needed. The goal is to build community while deepening understanding of the text. 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org. q MONDAYS, JULY 11-AUG 1 Beth El Congregation of the South Hills presents it’s Zoom-only Summer Adult Ed Series. Learn about Israel’s military history in this four-part series with Jake Novack, media director of the Israel Consulate, NYC. Topics include the War of Independence, Suez Crisis, Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War. 7:30 p.m. For more information and to register, visit bethelcong.org/events/summer-adult-ed-series.

Join JFCS and 10.27 Healing Partnership as they combine forces and offer Art in Community, an art-based mindfulness program for all who are interested. The group will explore ways making art can help regulate the nervous system, promote playfulness and imagination, and connect us more deeply to our bodies, emotions, thoughts and worldviews. Attendees will come together in community as we explore different art mediums, share personal experiences and reflect on how art can influence us all. All participants must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. JCC membership not required. 12:30 p.m. Squirrel Hill JCC. jfcspgh.org/ artincommunity.

h

3 YEARS FREE print edition

q WEDNESDAYS, JULY 13 -27 In many ways, the Tanakh is a revolutionary set of texts. One thing is certain: Over time, the Tanakh totally transformed the way humans relate to the cosmos and to each other. In the seven-part course Zoom course , “How the Jewish Bible Changed Ethics Forever,” Rabbi Danny Schiff will explore the revolutionary ethical transformations that the Hebrew Bible brought about … and how it truly changed the world. $65 9:30 a.m. jewishpgh. org/event/how-the-jewish-bible-changed-ethicsforever/2022-07-06. q WEDNESDAYS, JULY 13 -AUG. 31 Bring the parashah alive and make it personally relevant and meaningful. Study the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman. 12:15 p.m. bethshalompgh.org/life-text.

Join Temple Sinai to study the weekly Torah portion in its hybrid class available on Zoom.

Open to everyone. Noon. templesinaipgh.org/ event/parashah/weekly-torah-portion-classvia-zoom11.html. q THURSDAY, JULY 14 Join Hadassah Greater Detroit for its virtual Log in and Learn series, “Israel: Opportunities and Challenges,” with guest speaker Yiftah Leket, community shaliach of the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit. For topics and dates, visit hadassahmidwest.networkforgood.com/ events/40216-gd-lunch-learn-with-communityschleich-yiftah-leket.

q TUESDAYS, JULY 19-AUG. 2 Chabad of the South Hills presents Kabbalah of the Aleph Bet, a ladies learning course. 10 a.m. $18 suggested donation. 1701 McFarland Road, 15216.

RSVP to batya@chabadsh.com. q SUNDAY, JULY 24 Give blood at Beth El Congregation of the South Hills and help during the ongoing critical blood and platelet supply shortage. Donations take approximately 15 minutes. Visit donateblood. centralbloodbank.org to schedule your appointment and enter the code G0020005. You can also call (412) 209-7000. A $15 contribution to South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM) will be made for each blood donation through the Give Blood & Give Back initiative. 8:30 a.m. q SUNDAY, JULY 31 Join Classrooms Without Borders for The Ghetto Fighters’ House Talking Memory Series “Gross Aktion: Remembering the Warsaw Ghetto’s Great Deportation 80 Year Later.” This lecture will focus on the months leading up to the Great Deportation (summer 1942) and the days of the German Aktion itself. In this context, the grim reality of life in the Warsaw Ghetto, facing rumors of terror and mass murder, will be presented. 2 p.m. cwbpgh.org/event/ the-ghetto-fighters-house-talking-memory-seriespresents-gross-aktion-remembering-the-warsawghettos-great-deportation-80-year-later. PJC

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JULY 8, 2022

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Headlines Local Jewish Freemason aims to correct misconceptions consequences of some forms of intolerance.

While he is a past master of the Masonic Tyrian Lodge #644 and is heavily involved in eight other Masonic bodies, he also is Jewish and a member of Tree of Life Congregation, one of the three congregations targeted during the Oct. 27, 2018 massacre.

Shifrin grew up in New York City in a Conservative Jewish family, “though not extremely observant,” he told the Squirrel Hill Historical Society in 2018. He did, however, spend a lot of time with his maternal grandfather, for whom he had a “great affinity.”

“He was silly and fun, but also a very intellectual man,” Shifrin said. “He devoted himself to the practice of chiropractic medical care in an era when it wasn’t really an established medical science yet. He also had an interest in Eastern medicine, philosophy and other esoteric subjects. At some point as a younger man, he became involved with the Freemasons.”

When Shifrin was in high school, he took an interest in some of “the esoteric subjects” that he first discovered in his grandfather’s library and eventually asked him about the Freemasons.

“He said to me, ‘Well, you’re about to go off to college — Freemasonry is a fraternity. Why don’t you go see what the

— LOCAL —

By Justin Vellucci | Special to the Chronicle

A

s writers go, Austin Shifrin is still a bit of a novice; he wrote his first essay for a Masonic publication about eight or nine years ago. But, writing about tolerance, he sounds almost sage-like.

“We know what happens when people live side by side without the principle of toleration: categorizing someone as beneath you — fundamentally unworthy of the same consideration and esteem as yourself — is a slippery slope towards dehumanizing the other party,” Shifrin wrote in the June 2019 issue of the Freemason magazine “Rite Now.” “We have seen it throughout history; if you read ordinary media and literature from settings such as the period of slavery in the early United States or under the Third Reich in Nazi Germany, you routinely encounter language that either implies or explicitly states that some categories of people are subhuman and therefore not entitled to proper human rights,” he continued.

“Although we like to pat ourselves on the back and believe we have come a long way, this kind of thinking persists into the present, and we should be on the lookout for similar language.”

Shifrin has seen the devastating

p Austin Shifrin

Please see Shifrin, page 15

Photo courtesy of Austin Shifrin

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Headlines Orthodox women built businesses and friendships online.

They’re being told to sign off.

— NATIONAL —

By Jackie Hajdenberg | JTA

S

haindy Braun and her wig business had nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram, amassed over nine years, when she abruptly announced her departure from the social media platform.

“I choose to leave this world of likes, followers and filters,” Braun wrote last week.

“I will be leaving Instagram to live in the real world. I want to focus on curating my real life, filtering my thoughts and speech and sending love and likes to the important people in my life.”

Then she deleted her profile, cutting off a major line of communication to clients — and potential buyers — of Sary Wigs, a Lakewood-based company providing human-hair wigs to Orthodox Jewish women in New Jersey and beyond.

She wasn’t the only one: Moonlight Layette, a baby clothing brand, announced it would stop engaging actively on Instagram, directing customers to a WhatsApp number instead. So did Rivka Dayan, a resin artist who makes Judaica products, and others.

Their decisions might have come as a surprise to the brands’ followers — except that many of them had also tuned into two massive gatherings in Newark last week exhorting Orthodox Jewish women to put away their phones and disconnect from social networks.

Coming a decade after a landmark rally aimed at warning Orthodox men about the dangers of the internet, the rallies were meant to inspire women to spend more time away from their cell phones, according to its organizers. But critics in the Hasidic Orthodox community, including women who attended or listened in via a special phone line for remote participation, said pressure to attend was intense — and that the message was far from uplifting.

“They force themselves to sit through this, being told how evil they are, how decadent they are today with their obsessions with ridiculous things and how spiritually inferior they are,” one Hasidic woman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on the condition of anonymity because she still lives in a Hasidic community in Borough Park. “And they sit there and they listen to it and they nod and they accept it all and they internalize it.”

Known as an asifa or kinus (Hebrew words for gathering), the rallies drew tens of thousands of Hasidic Orthodox women to the Prudential Center in Newark last week, many transported on charter buses from Orthodox areas such as Lakewood, New Jersey, and Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Women with children in the Bais Yaakov network of schools received text messages and letters saying that the school rabbis urged them to attend; one mother told JTA that she was told her children would be expelled if she did not attend the rally, where tickets cost $54.

One rally was in English, while the other was in Yiddish, the dominant language spoken in many of New York’s Hasidic 8

JULY 8, 2022

p Screenshots from Orthodox Instagram accounts that announced they would be shutting down after the anti-social media rally in New Jersey.

Design by Jackie Hajdenberg

communities. The events, widely referred to as “nekadesh rallies” using the Hebrew word meaning “make holy,” appealed to women’s maternal instincts — a winning line in a community where fertility is prized and women typically have many children and are responsible for their education.

“I miss the great times that we used to have before you got the cell phone that your boss gave you,” a young boy said during a speech at the Yiddish rally, according to a recording of the event. “I miss your sweet smile. Do you remember our conversations, when we used to laugh at our own stories, and not because we were listening to silly jokes on the little black box?”

At the English-language rally, half of the speakers were women, and at one point, the male rabbis who spoke left the arena so the women could sing together. The speakers presented the issue of social media as one where Orthodox women can choose more or less pious ways to engage with the internet.

Among the speakers was Rina Tarshish, a rebbetzin and the director of a women’s seminary in Israel who is widely respected in the Hasidic world.

The rally was intense at times, with attendees being told at one point that technology is a manifestation of Satan’s efforts to spread rot in the world, according to a Twitter thread by someone who transcribed much of the event. But the Yiddish-language rally was more strident in tone and tackled women’s participation in civic life offline as well, according to people who were present.

One rabbi who spoke even instructed women not to speak on the street, except in cases of emergency.

The event came 10 years after 40,000 Orthodox men were similarly exhorted to give up their smartphones at a major anti-internet asifa at Citi Field in New York City.

Then, the message was about insulating the community from outside influences.

Ayala Fader, an anthropology professor

at Fordham University who studies Hasidic communities, said what happened next helps explain the latest rallies.

“Men were refusing to give up their smartphones,” she said. “So leadership decided to focus on women and their responsibility for rearing kids and keeping the home and really protecting the next generation.”

Many Orthodox women who have found homes on social media built connections within their own extended communities.

Instagram in particular has been both a tool for building businesses in a community where working outside the home can be discouraged and logistically challenging.

Orthodox women have also used social media for activism, such as to share experiences with infertility, combat racism and fight antisemitism. Some, seeking to comply with expectations around modesty, have even operated women-only accounts.

Hearing that they should set all of that aside struck some women who were invited to the rally as offensive. Compounding their frustration was the fact that attendees were prohibited from bringing cell phones, taking pictures and sharing the event on social media, and Orthodox media covered the rallies without printing pictures of the women who attended.

“Women finally found an outlet where they can network and it lets you build successful businesses via the internet,” said one Hasidic woman who works in digital marketing and is the sole breadwinner for her family. “And now the men realize, ‘hey, this is terrible!

Women having access to other women that are talented, successful, powerful businesswomen. So let’s condense them even more, make them into mere shadows.’”

The rallies were organized by the Technology Awareness Group, or TAG, a nonprofit founded in 2011, shortly before the men’s rally, with a mission of helping Jewish internet users avoid pornography and other harmful influences online. Shmuli

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Rosenberg, a marketing executive who promoted the event as well as many others targeting Orthodox Jews, said the goal was not to ask women to eschew the Internet or having a public profile.

“It’s far from cutting people off,” he said. “It’s helping people find, in their own life, what will allow them to be more connected to their families and their children and themselves and feel uplifted and elevated and happy.”

Rosenberg said the rallies were limited to women only because the organizers wanted to offer some programming, including women’s singing, that would not be possible under communal norms in a mixed-gender setting.

“This wasn’t specifically targeting women versus men,” he said. “This was targeting everyone. And in our communities, it would be totally unacceptable to say that men can access the internet or information more than women.”

Some women who attended, like Braun, the wigmaker, found the events inspiring.

“I know, it’s kinda contradictory to talk about it here, online,” one woman wrote on the Orthodox women’s forum ImaMother.

“But those who were there, in a positive mind, understood that it wasn’t about all or nothing.”

But others said they saw in the events a dangerous tendency in Orthodox communities to set rules far beyond what is required

by Jewish law. On their way out of the rallies, women were handed cards that they could give to their taxi drivers and housekeepers to explain why they cannot touch smartphones to type in their address and to ask that smartphones not be used in their homes.

“Dear cleaning lady,” one of the cards read, “In accordance with our religion, most of our community refrains from smartphone usage. I can give you the details in writing.

Please see Women, page 15

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines 6 killed at July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois, heavily Jewish suburb of Chicago — NATIONAL —

By Philissa Cramer | JTA

A

klezmer band was playing when a shooting interrupted a Fourth of July parade in a suburb of Chicago Monday, killing at least six people and sending dozens more to local hospitals.

A congregant and staff member of a local synagogue was among those murdered, the synagogue announced Monday night.

The mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, one of the most heavily Jewish suburbs in the Chicago area, is at least the 300th in the United States this year. Eight hours after the shooting, law enforcement authorities said they had arrested a person of interest, a 21-year-old Highland Park native named Robert “Bobby” Crimo, who they believed had fired from the roof of a building overlooking the parade route.

The authorities said five people, all adults, died at the scene and one died at an area hospital, and hospital officials said they had treated children among the injured.

“There is information about Jewish casualties,” Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told its staff, adding that its Chicagobased consul general, Yinam Cohen, was in touch with both authorities and local Jewish communities.

At least a third of the 30,000 residents in the suburb along Lake Michigan about 25 miles north of Chicago are Jewish, according to some estimates, and they include many Israelis.

A Chicago area law enforcement source confirmed to the Jewish Telegraphic agency that Jews were among the casualties, although how many or their condition is not known. The source said law enforcement was not yet speculating about motive.

On Monday night, North Shore Congregation Israel in neighboring Glencoe announced that a congregant who also worked on the synagogue’s staff was among the victims. Jacki Sundheim was the Reform synagogue’s events and b’nei mitzvah coordinator, according to its website. Earlier in the day, synagogue leaders had posted a message about the shooting, saying, “This touches each of us deeply and personally; the grief, pain, and fear affect us all.”

Lynn Sweet, the Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times, posted a video showing the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, Chicago’s preeminent Jewish music group, playing in the parade as bystanders scatter and scream. Sweet subsequently posted a picture showing bloodied bodies lying on the sidewalk.

Reports from Jewish attendees and town residents began emerging shortly after the shooting, even as the area remained under lockdown while authorities searched for the shooter.

Jeff Leon, a Jewish lawyer whose twin 14-year-old sons were marching in the parade with the high school football team, described scrambling behind cars to shield himself from bullets and said he had passed someone who

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

p Chairs and blankets are left abandoned after a shooting at a parade on July 4 in Highland Park, Illinois.

Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

p FBI agents work the scene of a shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois.

was bleeding from the head. He speculated that the attack was antisemitic in nature.

“Probably half the people who live in Highland Park are Jewish,” Leon said. “And that just can’t be a coincidence.”

An Indiana-based Chabad rabbi said on Twitter that his teenaged son had been less than a block from the shooting helping Jewish attendees don tefillin, phylacteries used in prayer, when the shooting began.

“He just called to say that he’s safe, BH,” Eleazar Zalmanov posted, using an abbreviation that means “thank God.” Highland Park’s annual Independence Day parade attracts many families to the suburb’s compact downtown. It was preceded by a children’s and pet parade and would have been followed by a festival featuring carnival games, live music and fireworks, according to the town’s website.

Tomer Mizrahi had anticipated a hectic

day at Mizrahi Grill, the kosher restaurant that he and his brother, Eli, opened in Highland Park a decade ago. Instead, he spent most of the workday with his staff behind closed doors, gleaning details off of news outlets and WhatsApp groups on the deadly shooting that happened about two miles from the restaurant.

“The streets are empty, everybody’s staying inside. I guess it’s because the shooter’s still at large,” said Mizrahi, who has been living in the United States since 2000 and in Highland Park since 2012. At around 2 p.m. his time, Mizrahi and the staff were packing up and getting ready to leave.

As a citizen of Israel who has lived in that country during terrorist attacks, the atmosphere on the street in Highland Park right now “is not particularly scary. But it’s very unpleasant. We used to think this was a safe place. And that feeling of safety is now

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Photo by Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

gone,” Mizrahi said.

“What happens in one neighborhood affects our entire community,” the Jewish United Fund of Chicago, the city’s federation, posted on Instagram, adding that it “stands ready” to deliver support to those in need in the wake of the shooting.

The Highland Park shooting comes less than two months after a pair of deadly mass shootings that stood out even among the constant toll of shooting deaths in the United States. On May 14, a shooter who said he was motivated by antisemitic and racist ideologies killed 10 Black people in a Buffalo, New York, supermarket. Ten days later, an 18-year-old man murdered 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. PJC Ron Kampeas and Cnaan Liphshiz contributed reporting.

JULY 8, 2022

9

Headlines — WORLD — Kosher certification agency sues JetBlue, says it lied about a kosher snack

One of the United States’ largest kosher certifying agencies alleges that JetBlue airlines sold a snack it falsely claimed was certified as kosher, JTA reported.

In a lawsuit filed on June 23, Kof-K said JetBlue put the agency’s hechsher, or rabbinical approval symbol, on an artichoke snack that the agency never certified as kosher.

The company that makes the artichoke snack, Elma Farms, wasn’t named in the suit. A JetBlue spokesperson told Reuters that the airline is investigating the claims. An attorney for Kof-K declined to comment to Reuters.

JetBlue’s $9 Mediterranean-inspired vegan snack box also included products certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, the Kashruth Council of Canada and EarthKosher.

AI facial recognition IDs rocker Geddy Lee’s mother in anonymous Holocaust photos

Rock star Geddy Lee found never-beforeseen photos of his mother’s family thanks to a new effort to apply artificial intelligence facial recognition technology to photographs from the Holocaust, JTA reported.

Lee’s mother, Holocaust survivor Mary

Weinrib, died last summer at 95. But the researchers of the AI technology, From Numbers to Names, managed to find a photo of Weinrib from her time at the displaced persons camp in Bergen-Belsen — a photo that then led Lee to find other photos of his mother’s extended family from the Yad Vashem photo collection.

Created by Daniel Patt, a Google engineer and the descendent of four Holocaust survivors, From Numbers to Names allows users to upload a photo and then suggests 10 other photos with faces that could be a match. The technology is now being used by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s photograph collection.

Patt says N2N has analyzed nearly 500,000 photos with around 2 million faces and hopes to partner with museums, schools, research institutions and other Holocaust education organizations to share identifications.

Israeli emergency services group founder accused of sexual abuse dies a year after suicide attempt

A disgraced rabbi who had been awarded Israel’s highest national honor shortly before being accused of sexual abuse and rape, including of children, has died, JTA reported.

Yehuda Meshi-Zahav died at 62 on June 29 in Jerusalem, where he had been hospitalized for more than a year since attempting suicide amid mounting allegations against him.

Meshi-Zahav was the founder of Zaka, an

emergency medical services organization that provides search-and-rescue aid after disasters around the world as well as in Israel, where the group ensured that Jewish victims would be handled per Jewish law. Zaka’s work made Meshi-Zahav a hero in Israel, which enlisted him to recruit more haredi Orthodox Jews into national service and last year announced that he would receive the Israel Prize, the country’s highest honor.

But shortly after the announcement, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported multiple allegations against Meshi-Zahav from men and women who said they had been raped, molested and threatened by him, some while they were teenagers.

101-year-old former Nazi death camp guard receives five years in prison

The oldest former Nazi camp guard ever put on trial in Germany was sentenced to five years in prison, JTA reported.

Josef Schütz, 101, was found guilty of complicity in the mass murder of 3,518 prisoners at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, north of Berlin, between 1942 and 1945.

The presiding judge at the court in Brandenburg-Havel concluded that Schütz was “aware that prisoners were killed there.

By your presence, you supported” these acts, he told the accused, according to a report by Euronews and AFP. “Anyone who wanted to

flee the camp was shot. Thus, every camp guard actively participated in the killings.”

Whether Schütz will spend any time in prison remains to be seen. The minimum sentence for complicity in murder would have been three years, the reports said. Schütz’s lawyer, Stefan Waterkamp, had said in advance that he would likely appeal, putting off the start of a prison term to early 2023.

Iranian hackers leak info of more than 300,000 Israelis from tourism sites

An Iranian hacker group that targeted Israeli travel book sites leaked the personal information of more than 300,000 Israelis in June, The Jerusalem Post reported.

A group called Sharp Boys said the data included ID numbers, addresses and credit card information among other things. Some of the sites hacked were hotel4u.co.il, hotels. co.il, isrotel.com, minihotel.co.il, trivago. co.il and danhotels.com.

“Wherever you go, even on your trips, you are under our control. Remember our name,” Sharp Boys said in a photo posted on its Telegram channel.

Israel’s Privacy Protection Authority said it contacted the website operator about security shortfalls. The operator owns Gol Tours, which operates most of the hacked Israeli websites. PJC — Compiled by Andy Gotlieb

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JULY 8, 2022

This week in Israeli history — WORLD — Items provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

July 8, 1958 — Politician Tzipi Livni Is Born

Tzipi Livni is born in Tel Aviv to two veterans of the Irgun. She is first elected to the Knesset in 1999 with Likud. She leads Kadima in winning the most Knesset seats in the 2009 election but can’t form a government.

July 9, 1959 — Wadi Salib Riots Begin

Riots break out in the Haifa neighborhood of Wadi Salib, whose immigrant residents suffer from poverty and discrimination, after police shoot Yaakov Elkarif while trying to arrest him for being drunk and disorderly.

July 10, 1895 — Claims Conference Founder Nahum Goldmann Is Born

Nahum Goldmann, a founder of the World Jewish Congress, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Claims Conference for Holocaust survivors, is born in Lithuania.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

July 11, 1927 — Jericho Earthquake Kills 300-Plus

A major earthquake kills 300 to 500 people in Jerusalem, Jericho, Nablus and other cities. Although it is known as the Jericho earthquake, later research concludes that the epicenter is 30 miles away near the Dead Sea.

July 12, 1938 — Weizmann Protests Britain’s Pro-Arab Stance

Chaim Weizmann writes to Malcolm MacDonald, a British Cabinet member, to complain about the government’s shift to a pro-Arab policy since the Peel Commission’s call for Palestine’s partition in 1937.

July 13, 1941 — Songwriter Ehud Manor Is Born

Singer-songwriter and TV and radio host Ehud Manor is born in Binyamina. He composes about 1,200 songs and translates 600 others into Hebrew. He also translates musicals and Shakespearean plays.

July 14, 1555 — Paul IV Forces Jews Into Roman Ghetto

Pope Paul IV issues an anti-Jewish decree, Cum Nimis Absurdum, under which Jews living under papal rule in Italy are subject to humiliations and restrictions.

The Jews of Rome are forced into a ghetto. PJC

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2022 Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program A program that benefits eligible seniors who want to purchase locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables from nearby farmers’ markets.

You are eligible for the program if you: • Are 60 years of age or older (this year) • Reside in Allegheny County • Meet the income guidelines (self-declared): 1 Person Household at or below $25,142 2 Person Household at or below $33,874 Be sure to bring proof of age and residency or you will not be able to receive your checks.

One set of checks is worth $24 (four $6 checks).

Proxy forms are available in Room 201 for those who are physically unable to attend and must be completed before picking up the vouchers.

Checks will be distributed at a first-come, first-serve basis 5738 Forbes Avenue Weekdays • 9 am - 5 pm Room 201 Masks Encouraged For more information, Contact AgeWell at 412-697-3517 or stop by in Room 201.

PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

JULY 8, 2022

11

Opinion The influencers fighting for Israel on the digital battlefield Guest Columnist Gina Raphael

Social media has become a key weapon in the legitimacy trenches. Today, one tweet

I

t is no longer a secret that, in our time, every confrontation has two battlefields — the physical and the spiritual. The first is fought with soldiers and armor. The second is fought over hearts and minds, and is a battle over legitimacy that plays out in the media and digital spheres, fought by “computer warriors.”

Social media has become a key weapon in the legitimacy trenches. Today, one tweet or one social media post can have more influence than a thousand articles in the mainstream media. But along with the positive aspects of social media, it has many negative aspects. Any person with a computer and a Facebook or Twitter account can spread lies and deceptions, intentionally or unintentionally.

On these platforms, falsehoods about Israel can multiply in seconds, while the truth takes its time to see the light of day.

The voracious appetite for delegitimizing the Jewish state on these platforms, with the end goal of destroying Israel, is only growing.

or one social media post can have more influence than a thousand articles in the mainstream media.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry understands this challenge, and has been training its people in the field of social media and digital diplomacy. It has expanded its online presence exponentially, and even developed platforms that reach out to the Arab world in Arabic. Some of the Foreign Ministry’s electronic messages have reached more than 500 million people, including the people of Iran in the Persian language. However, messages based on truth and complexity find it hard to compete with simplistic blood libels.

Another way to reach people in the social media world is through “influencers.” The Consulate General of Israel in Los Angeles

has developed such methods. Thankfully, there are courageous pro-Israel social media influencers who are prepared to expose lies, destroy dangerous distortions and shine a spotlight on the complex reality of Israeli society and the Middle East.

In an effort to elevate and amplify the important voices of these influencers, the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest partnered with the Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO) California for a morning discussion with two of the most prominent and followed web warriors — Yoseph Haddad and Emily Schrader.

This fearless couple battles furiously against United Nations falsehoods, racist celebrity-fueled campaigns and BDS tropes that proliferate across every corner of social media. Their life experience gives their perspectives indisputable credibility. As Yoseph mentioned, when he tells people that, as an Israeli Arab IDF officer, he had Jewish soldiers under his command, it takes the wind out of their false claims that Israel is an apartheid state. The couple’s impact, as with most influencers, is incalculable. With every tweet, post and image, they expose an unvarnished truth about all the complex and yet inspiring aspects of the State of Israel.

They are modern warriors in the legitimacy combat zone.

WIZO California, as a vibrant Zionist organization, has focused not only on Yoseph and Emily, but also other powerful personalities who are courageously fighting in different modern ways to counter antisemitism, anti-Zionism and BDS. This is the modern Zionism. The fight for the truth, the fight for hearts and minds, often under a barrage of abuse, is a battle for the future of Israel-U.S. relations. PJC Gina Raphael is Chair of the Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO) California. This first appeared on JNS.

Don’t use Judaism as a weapon in the abortion debate Guest Columnist Jonathan S. Tobin

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he Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade abortion ruling has set off a political firestorm.

Pro-choice forces are enraged at what they believe is the taking away of a right and what some even claim is the enslavement of women. The pro-life movement is thankful after a half-century of activism on behalf of what sometimes seemed to be a lost cause, but no less determined to defend restrictions or bans on abortions whenever they can prevail in state capitals.

Amid the deluge of hyperbole, furious predictions of political fallout and public protests, what is generally lost amid the noise is that polls have always shown that most Americans have demonstrated a fair amount of moral ambivalence about the issue.

Clear majorities have always been found to oppose complete bans on abortion as well as the overturning of Roe, which many have assumed would lead to that outcome. But it is equally true that there has always been broad support for limits on legal abortion.

As with many other issues of public debate, how you ask the question largely determines the way the polls turn out.

The fact that many Americans remain in the middle on the abortion debate has been obscured if not altogether lost. It is in that 12

JULY 8, 2022

context that the way that some in the Jewish community have sought to frame the issue as one in which Jews are obligated to support abortion under virtually all circumstances is both misleading as well as an unfortunate contribution to an already divisive debate.

There is no disputing that traditional Judaism approaches the issue of abortion very differently from the Catholic Church, or the various evangelical and conservative Christian denominations, that are unalterably opposed to it almost without exception.

In Jewish religious law, the life of the mother must always take priority over that of the unborn child. That provides a religious justification for procedures that deal with medical anomalies and life-threatening conditions. Some also interpret the notion that the well-being of the mother must be protected so as to justify a more liberal attitude toward terminating pregnancies.

It is also true that sources in the Talmud do not consider a fetus a full person deserving of legal protections but as a part of its mother until birth. In the first 40 days of gestation, it has an even lesser status.

That is interpreted by liberal Jewish denominations (not to mention non-religious organizations and secular Jews who would otherwise scoff at the idea of looking to the rabbis of the Talmudic period for guidance on any issue, let alone for insights on biology) as proof that Judaism regards the disposition of a fetus as purely a matter of personal autonomy and thus inherently “pro-choice” in the context of the contemporary abortion debate.

Yet at the same time, feticide is not explicitly permitted by the same Jewish sources.

On the contrary, the idea that individuals have an unfettered right to do as they like with their bodies is alien to Judaism, since the body is considered a vessel that is the property of God. Some Jewish sources regard abortion as impermissible outside of some limited circumstances because of the prohibition of “shedding the blood of man within man.” Since Judaism forbids tattoos, self-harm and suicide, the notion that it supports the “our bodies, ourselves” approach is, at best, debatable.

That is why Orthodox organizations have opposed laws legalizing abortion virtually up until birth with no restrictions, as is the case with laws passed in New York and other deep blue states, while still also opposing any law that bans all late-term abortions without providing an exception for saving the mother’s life.

The idea that Jews are obligated by their faith to support laws that permit it without any restrictions — the position many liberal Jewish groups are now taking in conformity with that of the Democratic Party — is simply untrue.

Still, most Jews, even those who do not regard abortion as simply a matter of choice, do not favor banning it in the earliest stages of pregnancy, let alone in cases of rape, incest or genuine medical emergencies.

The 1992 Supreme Court decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which essentially upheld Roe and was also overturned by Dobbs, itself instituted a fetal viability test

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that allowed states to implement restrictions based on the viability of the fetus, thereby implying that aborting a viable fetus was a form of infanticide.

With that in mind — and Talmudic precepts and modern declarations of personal autonomy notwithstanding — the arguments about abortion must necessarily be influenced by scientific advances.

In 1973, when Roe was decided, there were no sonograms showing fetal life and movement. Modern medical care now means that fetal viability outside of the womb is possible as early as 21 to 23 weeks into the pregnancy with the real possibility that this figure will continue to shrink.

That doesn’t change the fact that in the last half-century, many Americans have come to believe that terminating a pregnancy is an absolute right under virtually any circumstances. They regard arguments about the constitutionality of the original Roe decision as irrelevant and dismiss any and all talk of fetuses being unborn children regardless of what science (a term that is liberally invoked as determinative when it comes to vaccine mandates or climate change when it is more to their liking) has taught us about the subject.

Yet wherever one comes down on the issue, it is unacceptable for anyone to be treating this as some kind of religious culture war in which Jews are required to be fully engaged as combatants because of their faith. PJC Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS, where this first appeared.

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Opinion Chronicle poll results: Constitutional right to abortion

L

ast week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following question: “Do you believe the right to abortion is embedded in the Constitution?” Of the 260 people who responded, 52% said yes; 38% said no; and 10% said they weren’t sure. Comments were submitted by 80 people. A few follow.

Do you believe the right to abortion is embedded in the Constitution?

There are a lot of fundamental human rights that unfortunately aren’t codified in the Constitution, sadly including this one. But there are a lot of things the Constitution got wrong from the start. Unfortunately, polarization will make constitutional amendments practically impossible to pass these days.

The right to control your own body, to make your own decisions that affect your life and to exercise the freedom to determine your

I couldn’t find it, and I read the whole thing.

10%

Not sure.

No medical procedures are referred to in the Constitution. However, medical procedures ought to be considered immune to public opinion and rather restricted to the patient and his/her physician.

38% No.

one’s body, including that of “abortion” is guaranteed for each of us ... for all of us.

52% Yes.

own destiny are embedded for all people.

I ask anybody to show me where! Good luck!

The word “abortion” does not appear in the Constitution. But the concept of “personal freedom and responsibility” for

It is not specifically mentioned but then again many other rulings (same-sex marriage, non-segregated schools) aren’t either. The current court seems to be running on the Christian Bible and Christian principles rather than what is best for the country.

I believe that the right to privacy and the right to pursue happiness are quite explicit, and that writing any law or otherwise extruding a ruling which prohibits an action which is not fairly universally reviled (such as murder, rape, treason, and tax evasion) must be interpreted as being against our civil rights. Civil law is civil law. We do not legislate religion, nor do we make laws against religion. Or at least we shouldn’t do so. Abortion is a legitimate medical procedure, absolutely necessary in many cases to protecting life, health and/ or future reproductive capacity. Who is the

government to decide to limit it?

No, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be allowed. Not every right we have is a constitutional guarantee.

It’s not embedded in the Constitution but it’s a right to privacy. We don’t need a bunch of pompous men governing women’s bodies.

This is a more fundamental constitutional right than is any right to own a firearm.

It’s not in the Constitution, but I still think it should be law.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

An unwanted or forced pregnancy would endanger this provision! PJC — Toby Tabachnick Chroncle poll question: What is your ideal summer vacation? Go to pittsburghjewishchronicle.org to respond. PJC

Massacre on the Fourth of July Guest Columnist Dan Perry

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t is tragically fitting that another gun massacre took place in the United States on Independence Day, as the nation marked the 246th anniversary of its founding.

This happened days after the country’s Supreme Court made such massacres more likely by further easing what is the developed world’s most lax gun environment, voting to permit open carry of weapons by basically anyone in one of several rulings.

It happened as part of a June flurry of big decisions. One of them ended 50 years of abortion rights for women in America, sending shock waves through the body politic, and will probably cause women all kinds of grievous harm. Another, making it more difficult for the federal government to regulate emissions, reduces our chances of

saving the planet from catastrophic warming.

All these decisions are unpopular among the public. That is something the justices confront with haughtily stoic indifference, which would be somehow laudable if these were tremendously thoughtful sages resisting vulgar popular whims.

But they’re not. The U.S. Supreme Court has a majority of conservative activists, and their recent rulings are political decisions masquerading as jurisprudence.

It is worth taking a moment to consider the gun ruling, which is the absurdest of them all. It is based on insistence that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which speaks of arming a “well-regulated militia,” qualifies close to everyone to buy and carry weapons — even assault rifles. The gun cult opposes even basic background checks that might filter out would-be mass murderers.

One of them, as said, just killed at least a half dozen people in Illinois.

The abortion ruling violated express promises by several of the justices to view Roe v. Wade, the 1972 ruling that banned

— LETTERS — Abortion access for all should be safeguarded The GPRA condemns the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which will result in a loss of access to abortion and reproductive health care for women and pregnant persons across our nation.

The Jewish tradition holds that the health and bodily autonomy as well as the mental and physical health of pregnant persons supersede that of a potential life. This Supreme Court decision will furthermore endanger the lives of IVF patients, victims of rape and incest, and individuals in need of obstetric care for miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies, to name a few.

This legal decision also opens the possibility of prosecution of health care providers for the “crime” of saving lives, thereby undercutting the supreme Jewish value of pikuach nefesh (saving a life).

Jewish law allows for abortion in cases where the mother’s physical or mental health is endangered. While rabbis and scholars vary on how they interpret this, it is clear that the government’s prohibition of abortion would result in a violation of the free exercise of PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

abortion bans, as established precedent.

Those promises were made at their Senate hearings before their confirmation, which would be a form of perjury.

So it should come as no surprise that a minority of Americans profess faith in the Supreme Court — a historic low of 25% in a recent Gallup poll.

How could it have come to this?

The problem originates with the U.S. Constitution — which was written by a bunch of men (many of whom owned slaves) who had never seen a dishwasher and yet are lionized as “framers” whose every thought and intention must be respected centuries later with fanatical devotion.

The Constitution, of course, was one of the first such documents (by some definitions the first), and it has achieved many excellent results over the years. But it contained one grievous error which was at the root of the problem today.

That occurred in Article One, which established the Senate as the upper house of parliament and ordained that each state

should be represented by two members.

At the time, the United States had just over a dozen such states, and most were of roughly similar size. It seemed reasonable, in the early years of the country, when the idea of a federal government was new, to give a nod to the states, and treat the whole thing as a confederation.

The result of this today — when there are 50 states with wildly varying population sizes, is an absurdity. A state like Wyoming has almost 70 times fewer people than California, meaning each voter there has 70 times more power in the Senate.

This is the case all across the country with rural states that have small populations that tend to be conservative and traditional.

This basically means that about a quarter to a third of the people can create a majority in the Senate.

And the Senate is no mere chamber, nothing like a quaint House of Lords: it is the body without which not much can happen Please see Perry, page 20

religion enshrined in the First Amendment.

We support the right of pregnant persons to be guided by medical advice and religious teachings, without fear of being criminalized for the difficult decisions they make. Without Roe v. Wade, the religious freedom, bodily autonomy and equality under the law for pregnant persons have been summarily stripped away. We call upon the legislators of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and across our nation to safeguard abortion access for all.

Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association We invite you to submit letters for publication. Letters must include name, address and daytime phone number; addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Letters may not exceed 500 words and may be edited for length and clarity; they cannot be returned. Mail or email letters to: Letters to the editor via email: letters@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org Address:

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Website address:

Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 5915 Beacon St., 5th Flr., Pittsburgh, PA 15217 pittsburghjewishchronicle.org/letters-to-the-editor

JULY 8, 2022

13

Headlines Teachers: Continued from page 1

isn’t looking for new teachers, he acknowledged that, generally, schools are facing a tough market.

“The teaching climate is very difficult — it’s harder in Hebrew — but even general studies, it’s a really difficult hiring market,” he said.

Weinberg pointed to fewer people going into education and, for those who want to, the high cost of Jewish living can be an obstacle.

The principal isn’t simply pontificating on possible causes — he’s speaking from experience.

“It’s been hard to hire teachers,” he said.

“It’s getting harder and harder for the past five, six years. Every year, there are fewer responses to our ads. Some of the major graduate programs have been graduating fewer and fewer people. It’s definitely a difficult time to hire teachers.”

Help wanted signs

Like Adat Shalom, Congregation Dor Hadash is looking for several new teachers.

Those who are leaving the Reconstructionist after-school program aren’t feeling burnt out or seeking larger salaries; they are leaving Dor Hadash to enter rabbinic school.

Trying to fill the gap created by these future rabbis is a challenge for Principal Karen Morris, especially when it comes to

Wasserman: Continued from page 1

was all due to him.”

Wasserman, Sax added, had the right combination of traits to lead the congregation.

“He was a Torah scholar and an easy person to talk to,” Sax said. “He took care of the synagogue in the spiritual and physical sense and was able to deliver a scholarly Talmudic lesson and still deal with the mundane issues of the street. He was cross-sectional.”

college-aged potential teachers.

“For some, it’s a scheduling issue,” she said. “They have to figure out if their school schedule will allow them to work. They can’t have a class at 4:30 p.m.”

Morris doesn’t think there’s a lack of people qualified to teach Hebrew, though.

“Young people have multiple jobs already, and some don’t want to take on another teaching job,” she said.

“A two- or three-year tour”

Rabbi Larry Freedman is the director of the Joint Jewish Education Program, a collaborative, pluralistic religious school that includes Rodef Shalom Congregation and Congregation Beth Shalom. He’s had luck filling teacher positions with a balance of local college students and parents. Of course, he could always use more.

“I would love to have more parents do a two- or three-year tour,” he said. “I’m happy to have them rotate out. It’s not a permanent job. Finding Hebrew teachers is trickier. The good news there is that there are teachers who are young and energetic and know Hebrew. They’re young though, so there’s a different form of coaching I need to do.”

Unlike the expectations of a private school education, synagogue programs like J-JEP and those at Adat Shalom and Dor Hadash are geared toward b’nai mitzvahs. As a result, Freedman noted, a college student connected to Jewish life will often have enough skill to teach the Hebrew required for the students to learn the prayers.

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JULY 8, 2022

Creative solutions

Despite, or perhaps because of, a difficult hiring market, some congregations have developed creative solutions for their educational needs.

Adat Shalom and Dor Hadash have launched a cooperative effort, sharing teachers.

“It’s great because we’re a Sunday/Tuesday program, and Dor Hadash teaches on Wednesdays,” Adat Shalom’s Rothstein said.

“It was a nice carrot because we could work with teachers if they wanted more hours.”

The relationship, she said, is “symbiotic.”

She fears, though, that both time pressures and the rising cost of gas might prevent some teachers from being interested in teaching at both locations.

Beth El Congregation of South Hills Director of Education Rabbi Amy Greenbaum said the Conservative congregation is fully staffed and that she works hard on retention.

The religious school, she noted, took a hard look at how it was preparing students for b’nai mitzvahs during the pandemic.

“We were meeting on Zoom on Sundays, and then our kids were getting one-on-one tutoring on Zoom in Hebrew,” Greenbaum said. “It was so effective that we continue to do that. Now, we’re in person on Sundays but we’re on Zoom for 25 minutes, one-on-one,

once a week with a teacher, and it’s incredibly effective. For that, some of our teachers aren’t here. We have teachers in New York and D.C.. That also frees us up, so we have a wider pool of teachers.”

Weinberg said Hillel Academy works hard to remain competitive.

“We try and deal with the hand we’re dealt through signing bonuses, retention bonuses, stuff like that,” he explained.

Other communities have various creative strategies that could be emulated here, some educators say.

Morris said that when she lived in Chicago in the ’90s, the Board of Jewish Education served as a conduit between teachers looking for work and institutions hiring.

“That’s how I worked,” she said. “They took my resume and served as a teacher recruitment service.”

The religious school principal said she would love to see the same type of service established in Pittsburgh.

The teacher shortage, Weinberg said, is two-fold: People are retiring and leaving the field, and not enough people are entering it.

“It’s something we’re aware of,” he said.

“We realize we have to make sure to keep recruiting and keep pounding the pavement.”

Like any good teacher, Weinberg stays optimistic.

“It’s harder but not impossible,” he said. PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Longtime member Gayle Kraut credited Wasserman’s youthful exuberance for helping to reimagine what Shaare Torah meant to its membership.

“He was a young guy who was interested in our kids,” she said. “They started kids’ groups so the parents could go to shul and the kids could play. It revitalized the synagogue in that way. Here was this young, dynamic guy who liked your kids and had a lovely wife. It was really special.”

Shaare Torah member Stephanie Small credits Wasserman with her decision to stay in Pittsburgh and raise her family here, saying he transformed the synagogue into a vibrant institution.

“Had he not done that, we very likely would not have remained,” Small said, adding that Wasserman and his wife, Judi, were “major movers in the trajectory of our lives.”

‘A second home’

 Rabbi Daniel Wasserman with the daughter of Stephanie Small on a snowy day Photo courtesy of Stephanie Small

“Some of them are really into their synagogue youth group and very connected,” he said. “They’re smart. They’ve learned Hebrew. It’s likely that some of them take Hebrew in university.”

Small said the Wasserman family opened the doors to their home and warmly welcomed others.

“My son’s first time sleeping in a sukkah was at the Wassermans,” she said. “When I went into labor with my youngest, who is now 10, the plan was always that if my parents weren’t here yet, the Wassermans would take the kids because that’s where they were most comfortable. It’s always been their second home.”

Lisa Young, the wife of Jonathan Young, said it wasn’t uncommon for families to call the Wassermans when they needed a babysitter before going to the hospital to deliver a new baby. And the couple went

 Rabbi Daniel Wasserman at the wedding of the daughter of Lisa and Jonathan Young

Photo by Erica Dilcer

beyond embracing those late-night calls.

“Rabbi and Judi would fight with each other when they got the call in the middle of the night over who got to go and be in the house when the other children woke up in the morning to tell them mommy and daddy were at the hospital,” she remembered.

The relationship Wasserman developed with the congregation’s children continued into adulthood for many. Kraut said that if her children, now grown, have halachic questions they still call Wasserman.

“They reach out to him. They are in different walks of life, they have rabbis in

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

their lives, too, but they still turn back to him to ask a question.”

Chesed and love

David Chudnow and his wife have been members of Shaare Torah for eight years. He said the rabbi’s legacy will be that “he tried to tell people that there is never a moment in life when you can’t help someone else.”

An example of this creed could be found in Wasserman’s shopping habits, Chudow said.

“If you go into Giant Eagle, your main goal Please see Wasserman, page 15

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Headlines Shifrin: Continued from page 7

fraternal experience is like for yourself and, if it interests you, we can discuss it more,’” Shifrin recalled.

Shifrin headed to Carnegie Mellon University in 1993, and while he did find Greek life “compelling,” he ultimately decided not to pursue it, concluding it probably had changed since his grandfather experienced it six decades earlier.

He didn’t discuss Freemasonry any further with his grandfather, “something I have kicked myself for ever since,” he said.

Thirteen years later, Shifrin was still in Pittsburgh, working on the South Side.

One day he saw a flyer in the window of the Carson Street Deli advertising a social gathering hosted by several Masonic bodies.

He asked the deli’s owner — who had been a Freemason for about five years — about the organization and decided to attend the event.

Shifrin didn’t know what to expect — “Would they be like the stonecutters from

Women: Continued from page 8

Please keep your smartphone out of sight inside our home.”

Nothing in Jewish law, known as halacha, prohibits a woman from typing in her address on a phone or creates any obligation for non-Jews. But Rayne Lunger, a woman who grew up Hasidic and is now active on social media, said she was familiar with the impulse to observe more than the letter of the law.

She likened the call for women not to use smartphones to what has happened with expectations around skirt length. In the past, women were considered modest if

Wasserman: Continued from page 14

[according to Wasserman] should be ‘How can I help people around me. Can I put a cart back? Can I help someone reach something on a high shelf?’ He said something once that has stuck with me and changed my actions forever: When someone asks you for money, don’t turn them away. If you’re uncomfortable, go buy a gift card and offer them a $5 card. That way, if you have issues with trust, you don’t have to worry about your own biases and can still find a way to do chesed.”

Community first

Wasserman also worked to ensure that Squirrel Hill was a welcoming place for Jews. Sax said it was because of the rabbi that when Dunkin Donuts opened in the neighborhood, it was kosher.

“He decided on his own to go in and make sure it was certified kosher, making it accessible to the entire gamut of the religious community,” Sax said. “He took on kashrut questions when new businesses came in to validate products so that all members of the PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

‘The Simpsons’ episode?” he wondered. “But they turned out to be ordinary men from a wide variety of backgrounds and really pleasant and easy to talk to.”

Shortly thereafter, Shifrin joined the group and has since taken on various leadership roles in the organization.

Freemasonry is “a fraternity of brothers who share one common goal: to help each other become better men,” according to the websites of several Freemason lodges. The Freemasons “strengthen and improve our character by learning and practicing basic virtues of fraternal love, charity, and truth.

Our principles extend far beyond our interactions with each other, and we strive to apply them to our daily lives.”

All men who join the Freemasons “must declare their belief in the existence of a Supreme Being, and practice their own personal faith, but the fraternity is neither a religion nor a place to worship,” according to Freemason literature. “Rather, it is a place where men of all monotheistic creeds can meet and focus on the great truths of peaceful human interaction that are

common to all religions.”

Shifrin lives with his girlfriend in the North Hills. His day job, when not writing, is with BNY Mellon. What really gets Shifrin going, though, is talking about Masonic principles — parts of which are the subject of his new book, “MORE LIGHT: Collected Masonic Writings, 2017- 2021.”

“The purpose of these essays is to cover the principles and philosophy of the Freemasons as a group,” Shifrin told the Chronicle. “It’s meant to be educational.”

Educating also has a lot to do with erasing past misconceptions, Shifrin stressed.

“People who aren’t members of the organization sometimes fill in the gaps of their knowledge,” he laughed.

No, Shifrin said, Freemasonry, which traces its roots to the 13th century, is not a conservative conspiracy. It also is not a cult.

“Before I was a member, when I saw [the Freemasons’] square and compass, I associated frightening things with it,” he said.

Shifrin said there is no reason why a Jewish man cannot also be a Freemason. The latter supports religious freedoms; the only

bitter pill for a Jew might be he sometimes has a meeting or an event on Shabbat.

The fact that, until recently, an individual had to approach a Freemason on his own to seek membership also adds to the air of selectivity or secrecy, Shifrin said. So, if Jewish people are the minority in America, they’d also tend to be the minority in a Freemason lodge. “’Birds of a feather flock together’ — whatever expression you want to use,” Shifrin said.

Shifrin’s book, which is available through online retailers, contains some of his more recent essays and material from the presentation he made to the Squirrel Hill Historical Society.

And Shifrin is anxious to share the stories.

“There’s a side of it that’s very intellectual and it’s philosophical,” he said. “And that appeals to me. And I would like this book to be educational … to get a look at what Freemasonry, in all its flavors and colors, is all about.” PJC

their skirts covered their knees, she said, but over time, 4 inches below the knee became the norm, and now women can face criticism if their skirts do not reach at least 6 inches below the knee.

“People want to be good and do the right thing,” Lunger said. “And they’re sometimes building stringencies on top of stringencies on top of stringencies that make no sense because they have no reference point.”

Not all Hasidic Jews are wrestling with the issue of internet use in the same way. The Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, for example, has embraced new technologies and uses social media in its outreach, and was not involved in any of these events.

But for women who do choose to roll back their internet usage, groups such as TAG

stand ready to install “kosher” filters on their phones and computers.

“The ultra-Orthodox mostly think that the medium is fine wherever you use it in the clean way, or kosher way,” said Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar, a professor at Sapir Academic College in Israel who studies haredi Orthodox approaches to media. “They feel very safe once they can control the content.”

Like parental controls on an iPad or television, kosher filters typically block access to websites or content that is considered inappropriate in the community, such as pornography, gambling sites, or anything related to violence or drugs. They also may block secular content and, separately, can sometimes be glitchy and block content that is not actually out of bounds in the Hasidic

world, including health and safety information that women need.

Exactly how many women will install filters, cede their cell phones or cut communications with their customers as a result of the recent gatherings remains to be seen. But what’s clear is that the press to get New Yorkarea Orthodox women to reconsider their internet use continues, even as the latest events themselves fade into the past.

Women are still closing their accounts, according to participants on Orthodox Instagram, and now another event has been scheduled: A replay of the asifa was set for Tuesday at Tiferes Bais Yaakov School in Lakewood. The school’s ballroom can accommodate 4,600, according to a Jewish event planning website, and tickets are $20. PJC

community could eat comfortably.”

Kraut said it was because of Wasserman that Costco in nearby Homestead has a large variety of kosher options available.

“I know big cities that don’t have the kind of choices that we have in the Costco bakery, the Giant Eagle bakery,” she said.

Wasserman is a “man of principle,” Kraut added. “He’ll stand up and fight for what he really thinks matters.”

It’s one of the things he fought for so deeply because it means so much.”

“Judi is the most impressive, strongest, warmest person I know,” Lisa Young said. “She has this extremely humble, unassuming way of offering love and support. The Wasserman family always understood that being a congregational rabbi was a family business.”

Chevra Kadisha

Wasserman did just that when he challenged the state’s Board of Funeral Directors, Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation of the Department of State and Board of Professional and Occupational Affairs, eventually signing a Memorandum of Understanding that allowed rabbis and other religious leaders to offer funeral services without the requirement of being a licensed funeral director.

Wasserman also was very involved with the Chevra Kadisha, the group that cares for Jewish deceased. He even taught classes on building coffins.

“One of his major legacies,” Kraut said, “is bringing the ability to care for our dead.

Family business

And while it’s easy to see the rabbi as a one-man force of nature, congregation members are quick to note that Wasserman and his wife are a dynamic duo.

Small said that Judi Wasserman often worked behind the scenes, but she was always present.

“Judi exudes warmth and love and goodness,” Small said. “When you meet her, you just want to hug her.”

Young women who took classes from the rebbetzin were inspired by her, with many saying they could tell she not only talked the talk, but walked the walk.

Small, director of Clinical Services at JFCS, said Judi Wasserman went back to school to get her master’s degree in speech language pathology and worked at JFCS for 15 years.

“Judi does fabulous work with every population she works with because she sees the neshama (soul) in them,” Small said.

Lisa Young and her husband became friends with the Wassermans and often shared holiday meals.

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

Justin Vellucci is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

Full circle

Alex Sax not only served as the chair of the search committee responsible for hiring Wasserman, but the first bat mitzvah the rabbi officiated at Shaare Torah was for Sax’s daughter Shayna. Last weekend, coming full circle, the rabbi presided at his last official bar mitzvah at the synagogue — for Shayna’s son Coby. “It’s interesting how that’s worked out,” Sax said. “On a personal level, he’s been involved in so many life experiences — marriage, birth, unfortunately, my parents’ death. His engagement with my family has been extremely positive — beyond what I could put into words.”

Rabbi Yitzi Genack, Wasserman’s successor, will begin his tenure at Shaare Torah in August. PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

JULY 8, 2022

15

Life & Culture Retro review: ‘Gentlemen’s Agreement’ still rings true 75 years later

antisemitism for himself, so he poses as a Jewish man to really feel what it’s like to be the target of bigotry.

“I’ve been digging into facts and evidence.

I’ve sort of ignored feelings,” Green says early on. “What must a Jew feel about this thing?”

Throughout the first act, “Gentleman’s Agreement” plays like a theatrical adaptation, but as the tension builds and the plot becomes knottier, it breaks free of those restrictions. The film doesn’t carry a light dramatic touch, but it manages to not be didactic when staying on point.

When Green starts telling people he’s Jewish, the effects are immediate: Rumors start flying around the Smith’s Weekly office, his new fiancé is taken aback by the suggestion that Green would pose as a Jew and, quickly enough, his son is getting asked if his family is Jewish.

As “Gentleman’s Agreement” progresses, Green’s relationship with his fiancée, Kathy (played by Dorothy McGuire), becomes the dramatic crux of the story. Kathy’s a wellmeaning and sweet character, but tension arises from her unintentional ignorance.

The character of Kathy is how Kazan and co-writer Moss Hart hit on one of the film’s most significant themes: While many people can believe they’re not bigoted, they may still carry traces of it in their actions and words.

The film is often at its best in those moments of discomfort, where Green has to acknowledge the hurtful actions of Kathy and decide how to respond.

“Gentleman’s Agreement” could have been better by taking an even closer look at that conflict, but it often succeeds on a personal level. Kazan as a director captures antisemitism’s worst aspects — how ignorance hurts when it’s close to you, along with how bigotry feels when it’s casual — with grace and elegance, even 75 years later. PJC

— FILM —

By Ethan Beck | Staff Writer

W

hen it comes to antisemitism on the silver screen, there is no shortage of bombastic portrayals.

Films such as “The Believer” (2001) and “American History X” (1998) emphasize the horrors of deeply bigoted groups like the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis, while plenty of other films focus on the historical atrocities that Jews have experienced through the centuries.

Those depictions can fail to capture the complexities of antisemitism, though, because much of the prejudice Jews experience comes in casual forms. As “Gentlemen’s Agreement” turns 75 this fall, Elia Kazan’s Best Picture winner illustrates the sharp nuances of antisemitism that may still be familiar to a modern audience. It’s full of small, hurtful remarks and offhanded actions from people who should know better, showing that the problem is often closer to home than most expect.

At first sight, the film’s elevator pitch might sound like a joke: A gentile journalist pretends to be a member of the tribe to write an exposé on negative attitudes toward Jews. But with Kazan’s direction and Gregory Peck’s calculated and captivating lead performance as Phillip Green, we’re delivered an enthralling look at the corrosive nature of bigotry.

“Gentleman’s Agreement” starts as Green moves to New York and begins a job at Smith’s Weekly, where the magazine editor suggests his first feature look at antisemitism.

Green isn’t thrilled about the assignment, but decides he wants to do it when he struggles to explain to his son why people are bigoted.

After trying to approach the story through hard data, Green has difficulty coming up with a compelling angle. Eventually, he decides he needs to experience

p Theatrical release poster for the 1947 film “Gentleman’s Agreement”

Public domain image

news

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JULY 8, 2022

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Life & Culture Philadelphia-based FilmShul pays homage to Jewish Hollywood — FILM — Sasha Rogelberg | Contributing Writer

G

rowing up, Irv Slifkin seldom watched a movie with his family uninterrupted.

His mother would kvell whenever she saw a Jewish star on the silver screen, giving her son a nudge and pointing out the actor.

“I walked out of the theater loving the movie but really hurting from my ribs being elbowed by her,” Slifkin said.

Slifkin’s mother passed down the generational pride in Jewish presence in arts and culture to her son and, a few decades later, Slifkin is doing the same for hundreds of other Jews across the country.

In 2021, the Philadelphia native and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, resident teamed up with longtime colleague Laurence Lerman, a Jersey City, New Jersey, resident, to create FilmShul, an interactive series of presentations on Jewish film and film history.

Through FilmShul, the 50-something-year-old duo provides 13 Zoom-friendly courses to synagogues, JCCs, libraries and other Jewish organizations. The courses span topics from Jewish beginnings in the film industry to the Coen brothers to the Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s and ’60s.

Slifkin and Lerman have about 60 years of combined experience in the industry, making them more than just avid fans of Jewish American cinema.

Lerman “always had a film bug,” but jumpstarted his career in the industry during his time at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.

He would go to the various rep houses — repertory cinema theaters to watch older films — and read any supplemental materials he could get his hands on.

After studying philosophy and communications in school, he worked in distribution for Kino International, a large, Europeanbased independent film distributor, at the dawn of the “Miramax era,” when VHS tapes were flying off store shelves.

 Laurence Lerman

Photo courtesy of Laurence Lerman

He honed his skills as a writer working for Variety magazine for 15 years before starting an independent review site and writing press notes for independent production companies for the past decade.

“I threw it all at being a follower, a student of cinema,” Lerman said.

While Lerman poured over films at Muhlenberg, Slifkin did the same at Temple University, where he studied film and philosophy, writing for the school paper. He’s now an instructor in the university’s journalism department, teaching on how to review film; he wrote the books “Filmadelphia: A Celebration of a City’s Movies” and “VideoHound’s Groovy Movies: Far-Out Films of the Psychedelic Era.” Slifkin crossed paths with Lerman at Movies Unlimited, a Philadelphia movie rental store, in the 1990s. Lerman was working distribution for a performing arts company, and Movies Unlimited, where Slifkin worked, was one of its biggest clients. The two conducted business over the phone, realizing their mutual love of film and becoming friends.

In the years before the pandemic, Slifkin

 Irv Slifkin

Photo courtesy of Irv Slifkin

took up speaking gigs at Golden Slipper Gems and Cherry Hill’s Katz JCC, giving lectures of film. When the pandemic hit, Slifkin gave Zoom presentations and, by late 2020, Lerman had joined his friend.

The two began designing a slate of 60- to 90-minute lectures.

The online format of the class provided FilmShul many unlikely opportunities, including giving lectures to audiences on the West Coast and Canada. In early June, Lerman and Slifkin did a presentation to a consortium of 10 synagogues and a couple hundred people all over the country.

The rise of Jewish giants in the film industry tugs at the heartstrings of many Jewish Americans, particularly Ashkenazi Jews, making film history an engaging topic to FilmShul’s audiences, Lerman said.

The film industry of the early 20th century was composed primarily of Jewish immigrants fleeing their home countries.

“They weren’t looking for a better way of life,” Lerman said. “They were looking to have a life.”

Many fled pogroms in Eastern and Central

Europe to America during the emergence of early film technology. Immigrants worked at nickelodeons, theaters where film viewings cost a nickel, and eventually began producing their own films.

In the 1950s, many Jews in the industry were victims of Hollywood blacklisting and were refused employment, accused of being affiliated or sympathizing with the Communist party. Nevertheless, Jewish filmmakers such as Mel Brooks and Stanley Kubrick survived and advanced during the era.

Though educational, film media is an homage to Jewish roots and values; it’s both nostalgic and motivational.

“I look at it as a combination of ambition and chutzpah and pride, wanting to take care of their families and wanting to assimilate to this new world where this technology was happening,” Lerman said. “We were the ones that were doing this. It was a purely American wave of new media.” PJC Sasha Rogelberg writes for the Jewish Exponent, an affiliated publication where this first appeared.

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Celebrations

Torah

Anniversary

‘The Big Book of Complaints’ From days of strong hearts and big style to a loving foundation, legacy, stability and anchor for your children and grandchildren.

Happy 50th anniversary Dr. Arthur and Zandra! The Golden Goldberg Anniversary!

Engagements

Marina and Daniel Mednik of Greenfield are thrilled to announce the engagement of their granddaughter, Rachel Makary, to Michael (Micky) Krenek, the son of Therese and the late William (Bill) Krenek of Orwell, Ohio. Rachel is a graduate of Community Day School and American Hebrew Academy. Rachel and Micky met at the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill, where Rachel was working at the time and created Micky’s library card. Rachel is currently the early childhood coordinator at Community Day School and is working on her doctorate degree in leadership in organizations through the University of Dayton. Micky is a carpenter by trade and is pursuing an advanced degree in data and policy through the University of Chicago. They are planning a summer 2023 wedding at the Andrew Free Carnegie Library in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, and a honeymoon in Japan. They currently live with their cat Eve in Greenfield.

Stephanie and Teddy Davis of Pittsburgh are excited to announce the engagement of their daughter Leora Reichenberg to Geffen Waks of New York. Leora is also the daughter of the late Chaim Reichenberg. Leora’s grandparents are the late Morris Sedaka, the late Janet Grotstein and Larry Grotstein, and the late Hilda and Oscar Reichenberg. Geffen is the son of Israel Waks and the late Mindy Waks. Geffen’s grandparents are the late Tzesha and Zev Metzger and the late Yechiel and Yocheved Waks. Leora is a teacher at the SAR Academy in Riverdale and has also helped run camp Project Extreme for the last 18 years. Geffen is employed with the HASC Center. An August wedding is planned.

Birth

Dr. Jeremy Heyman and Dr. Yael Taler of Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, joyfully announce the birth of their twins, Eliana Esther Taler Heyman and Moses (Moshe) David Taler Heyman on May 23, 2022. Proud grandparents are Anita and Ted Heyman of Monroeville and Rabbi Avner and Sara Taler of Brooklyn, New York. Proud great-grandmother is Mrs. Goldie Stein of Brooklyn, New York. Eliana Esther is named in memory of her paternal great-grandmother Eleanore Handley, who shares her 101st birthday with her, and her maternal great-savta (grandmother) Esther Taler. Moses David is named in beloved memory of his paternal great-grandfather Milton “Papie” Heyman and his maternal great-saba (grandfather) David Stein. PJC

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JULY 8, 2022

Rabbi Jonathan Perlman Parshat Chukat | Numbers 19:1- 22:1

M

oses has lost his temper. Again the people complain asking, “Why did you take us out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place, not a place of seed or fig tree or vine or pomegranate, and no water to drink?” (Numbers 20:5) Sound familiar?

Moses throughout his career has had compassion whenever the people complained. He can take it no longer: “Listen, you rebels! Shall we bring forth water for you from this rock?” (Numbers 20:10) Sefer B’midbar, the Book of Numbers, could be retitled “The Big Book of Complaints.” At every turn in their journey in the wilderness, the Israelites find something to complain about. Many commentators say the complainers are the riffraff, or the eirev rav, that came out of Egypt with Israelite slaves. The riffraff were Egyptians who spotted a window of opportunity to leave Egypt when they saw their gods defeated and their whole economy crumbling. They did not experience God the way faithful Israelites experienced God, and after the commandments were given at Mount Sinai, they were looking for a way out.

A midrash says they were like truant schoolboys running away from “the mountain of God” (Numbers 10:33) lest God lay some more commandments on them. The whole stream of complaints that we follow in the Book of Numbers — a desire for food, a desire for water, a desire for sex and even the Big Lie of the Israelite spies that the Land of Canaan is a “land that devours its inhabitants” (Numbers 13:32) — are calculated attempts by the riffraff to sever their ties to God, to become truly independent of His place in their lives. In extremis, they complain to Moses that they have been stripped of desire itself: “The rabble among them desired desire and the Children of Israel wept … our souls are parched! We don’t have access to everything (we desire) — Except this manna that we anticipate (each and every day)!” (Numbers 11:4-6 ) The Big Complaint grows louder and louder and even members of Moses’ family complain about Moses’ authority over them.

God gets very upset with the people at the end of each tale. But it is not like they are worshipping golden idols. Their complaints are just words, after all. Not one of the riffraff heads a separatist group that heads back to Egypt. Complaints arise from unhappiness and boredom.

We humans are unhappy in large part because we are insatiable; after working hard to get what we want, we routinely lose interest in the object itself. Rather than ever feeling satisfied, we become bored, and in response to the boredom we go on to form even grander desires (William Irvine).

The rabbis of the Talmud said: “Who is

wealthy? A person who is happy with what he has.” (Avot 4:1) The Roman Stoics also reflected upon this around the same time the Talmud was composed. They suggested we spend more time imagining we have lost the things we value — that we reverse desire and visualize the mortal end of people we love and diminishing value of things we own.

Epictetus counsels us, for example, when we kiss our child, to remember that she is mortal and not something we own — that she has been given to us “for the present, not inseparably forever.” By thinking negatively, the Stoics may have solved the problem of the “The Big Book of Complaints.”

Did the Israelites ever stop to consider, Moses says in Deuteronomy, what life would be like without the shoes God put on their feet and “the clothes (that God put on our backs) that did not wear out?” (Deuteronomy 8:4) When we imagine the worst of what might happen, we will not only derive more pleasure from things we own but we will not take our marriages, our family and our friendships for granted. Sometimes visualizing the glass as half empty is good thing!

I believe “The Big Book of Complaints” holds a mirror up to ourselves and should cause us to wonder how discontent can lead to rebellion, separation and violence. One only has to look at America in the 2020s to see that factionalism and resentment grow out of a world where everyone is either “one up or one down.” There is a suffering riffraff on either end of the political spectrum who complains loudly while beating drums that silence those who might disagree within their own political tribe. Facebook encourages it. TV news programs are staffed only with voices you already agree with. Slogans and jokes perpetuate codes that play only to fans. The conversation has ended.

Our Judaism guides us toward humility in all that we do and our prayers give us a time-out for visualization for “Your compassion will never be emptied and Your love will never come to an end.” (Siddur) In losing his temper and calling his people “rebels,” Moses surrenders to the same loss of faith and demoralization that characterized the generation of the Wilderness. It is true that his outburst is only words. It is also true that this is a new generation. The people push themselves away from God yet again and this is Moses’ opportunity to teach the people the value of prayer. Praying for water will shift the responsibility to the people themselves. They will bargain with God and stop complaining.

“The Big Book of Complaints” ends teaching us, negatively, that while complaining words come and go, emunah (faith) lies deep in the soul of every Jew. Do not give up! Give others enough time to change. (Tomer Devorah) PJC Rabbi Jonathan Perlman is spiritual leader of New Light Congregation. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Rabbinic Association.

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Obituaries KAPLAN: Robert “Bob” Kaplan, peacefully at home, on Thursday, June 30, 2022. Dearest beloved husband of Donna Bernstein Kaplan. Loving father of Steven (Linda) Kaplan, Randy (Lynn) Kaplan, Bill (Pattie Zivkovic) Kaplan, Karin (Jeff) Blum and Jamie Kaplan; and loving stepfather of Debra (Jim Kramer) Bracco and Linda (Jeff) Solomon. Beloved brother of Ivan (Sharon) Kaplan. Devoted Grandpa, Crumpa, Papa, G-Pa and Papa-Pow of Donald (Emily) Kaplan, Phillip (Corey) Kaplan, Bobie Lynn (Chaz) Smith, Christina Kaplan, Jeffrey (Courtney) Kaplan, Tony (Beth) Kaplan, Nicholas Blum, Aaron Bracco, Cole Bracco, Ryan Solomon, Spencer Solomon, Kate Solomon and the late Leah Blum.

Adoring GG and GG-Pa of Eliza Kaplan,

Cora and Mandy Smith, Ty and Brynn Kaplan, and Penny and Harper Kaplan.

Also survived by many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Bob was a self-made and successful businessman.

He and his brother Ivan were co-owners of KoolVent Aluminum Products. Bob was a U.S. Army veteran, having served in Korea, where he was wounded in action.

Bob was an extraordinarily honorable man, whose word was good and his handshake respected. He was a kind, caring, giving, devoted, dedicated family man, whose wife and all of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren meant the world to him. Graveside services and interment were held at Mount Lebanon Cemetery/Temple Emanuel Section. A special thank you to

Dr. Stuart Chetlin, Nurse Richard, and the entire staff of Sivitz Hospice, Cindy Pace for providing us with wonderful, caring, and attentive aides. Contributions may be made to Disabled American Veterans, 1000 Liberty Ave, #1606, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, 1235 South Clark Street, Suite 910, Arlington, VA 22202. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com.

MAYER: Fred E. Mayer, on Thursday, June 30, 2022. Beloved husband of Sherri Mayer; loving father of Jacob, Jonah and Reuben Mayer. Son of the late Gussie and Alfred Mayer. Brother-in-law of Marc and Randi Berliner and brother of Norman and

Marvin Mayer.

Graveside services and interment were held at Sons of Israel C e m e t e r y, Forest Hills. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Fur Kid Rescue (furkidrescue.org) or to the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center (childrenshomepgh.org).

Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com. PJC

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Roth Conversions While the S&P is Down 13.61%Year to Date

by James Lange, CPA/Attorney

A s we go to press, the S&P 500 is down 13.61 yearto-date. How does this affect your Roth IRA conversion strategy? If you were a good candidate to make a Roth IRA conversion, should you make it now? If so, should you invest the Roth the same way you would invest funds in IRAs or retirement plans or after-tax brokerage accounts?

Unfortunately, they don’t ring a bell when the market hits the top or bottoms out. Since I am not a market timer, I usually don’t even consider the market as a critical marker for either making or not making a Roth conversion.

Furthermore, I am not going to predict which way the market is going from here. Maybe we had an overheated market, and this correction is permanent or long lasting. Maybe the market will go back to previous highs and beyond by the end of the year. Honestly, even economists can’t agree and even if they did, they could all be wrong.

That said, now is a much more attractive time to make a Roth conversion than on January 1, 2022, when the market was 13.61% higher than today.

Given that, what observations can I make that will help guide your decision making?

One common mistake I see when I review a potential client’s Roth investments has to do with asset allocation and the less discussed strategy of asset location. Frequently, the asset allocation for their Roth accounts is like their other investment accounts. For example, if they are a 60% stock and 40% bond investor, they often have their Roth invested the same way.

The consideration of asset location comes into play on a somewhat finer scale. Your Roth investments should be invested much differently than your traditional IRAs and retirement plans and even your after-tax brokerage accounts because of their likely long investment time horizon in your portfolio.

We normally advocate that subject to exception, the last dollars you should spend are your Roth dollars—the tax-free growth of Roths is generally something you want to maintain for a long as legally possible.

If you have Roth accounts, you likely have other investments and other retirement accounts that you will spend first and those accounts will probably take you through your retirement. That means you, and if you are married, your spouse, will likely die with your Roth IRA intact and likely it will have grown substantially.

Your beneficiaries, in keeping with the dreaded SECURE Act, will no longer be able to defer distributions from the inherited Roth over the course of their lives, but they will be able to defer distributions for ten years after you and your spouse die.

Let’s assume, that you think you and your spouse have a 30-year joint life expectancy (which means only one of you must survive for 30 years). Let’s also assume that neither you, your spouse, nor your ultimate beneficiary need the Roth money over the next 40 years because there are other funds to spend. That provides you with a potential 40-year tax-free investment horizon.

Under those circumstances, it probably makes sense to alter your asset location strategy with a longer time frame in mind for the Roth investments. For instance, rather than focusing on a welldiversified portfolio or even a portfolio heavily weighted in large U.S. companies or an S&P Index fund, why not invest the Roth in asset classes that have historically done better in the long run?

It is axiomatic for advisors to caution past performance is no guarantee of future results. That said, small cap or value company stocks have significantly outperformed large cap companies in the long run.

Investopedia reports that over the same period, small-cap funds yielded an average annual return of 9.12% and large-cap funds yielded a return of 7.12%. Yes, they are more volatile, but with a 30or 40-year investment horizon, long-term performance should outweigh concerns over volatility.

There are arguments why small cap/value companies will do better or worse in the next year or even ten years. Again, I am not so interested in their short-term performance. A better question is which asset class will likely outperform in the long run?

In addition, since the Roth IRA grows tax-free, you can invest in assets that are tax-inefficient like an index fund that throws off phantom gains.

Other index funds can be designed to be at least somewhat tax efficient. A likely asset location for that type of asset would be an after-tax brokerage account. But the index funds that are not designed to be tax efficient belong in either IRAs or Roth

IRAs. This is a prime example of asset location— that is to say where you place investments with different investment characteristics.

Learn more by reading our most recent edition of Retire Secure for Professors Do yourself, your family, me, and all US based charitable organizations a favor. Kindly sign up to receive a PDF of my latest, best, and most comprehensive book for IRA and retirement plan owners.

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At that time, we will request you post a review on Amazon. To join our Book Launch Team, please go to https://PayTaxesLater.com/ProfessorBook Launch and complete the form.

All written content is provided for information purposes only and is not tax or legal advice. Information and ideas provided should be discussed in detail with an advisor, accountant, or legal counsel prior to implementation. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. All investing involves risk, including the potential for loss of principal. There is no guarantee that any investment plan or strategy will be successful.

Lange Financial Group, LLC Financial Security for Life

2200 Murray Avenue • Pittsburgh, PA 15217 412-521-2732 • www.paytaxeslater.com

The foregoing content from Lange Financial Group, LLC is for informational purposes only, subject to change, and should not be construed as investment or tax advice. Those seeking personalized guidance should seek a qualified professional.

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Opinion Perry: Continued from page 13

in America. It can remove the president from power, it can hold up all important legislation, it confirms most important federal appointments and, as we have seen, it similarly in effect appoints the Supreme Court justices.

Changing the way the Senate works would require an amendment to the Constitution.

But the bar for amendments is impossibly high — generally requiring ratification by three-quarters of the legislatures of the states (of which half are reliably Republican). The states could not even get it together to pass an Equal Rights Amendment for women (back when what was being asked for was equality and not equity).

In short, the system enables a minority of the people who hold radical conservative positions to impose them on the rest of the country, because of the non-majoritarian aspect of the Senate.

The Electoral College, another travesty with origins in the Constitution, is less dramatically skewed than the Senate, but the same principle applies despite different

The problem originates with the U.S. Constitution — which was written by a bunch of men (many of whom owned slaves) who had never seen a dishwasher and yet are lionized as “framers” whose every thought and intention must be respected centuries later with fanatical devotion. math. In the Electoral College, used to pick the president, a voter in Wyoming has only four times the impact of a voter in California.

Proponents of all this are exploiting what is a genuine cult of the Constitution in the United States, which in most countries would not be a terrible thing. But they also are insisting on something that is no longer really the case: that the United States is not

exactly a country but a collection of states that have their own character and should have the final say on many matters.

They should be careful what they wish for.

Some states may be tempted to secede, which is neither allowed for nor barred explicitly by the Constitution.

It seems glib to even mention the possibility today, but imagine the Supreme Court

and the Senate dragging the United States a few steps closer to Gilead, the religious dystopia from “A Handmaid’s Tale.” How long will states like California, Illinois, New York and Massachusetts put up with the lunacy? Secession might start looking like the most viable way to avoid violence. In a theoretical split, Blue America would take most of the economy, innovation and globally impactful culture with it.

This is all a terrible tragedy. The United States is not just indeed a country, it remains the world’s indispensable country — not its 50 most indispensable districts. It has the world’s reserve currency, a huge disproportion of its innovation, the strongest military and a role as the planetary good cop should it wish to step up.

The only way to do that is not to despair on Fourth of July, and to vote on the eighth of November. PJC Dan Perry is the former Cairo-based Middle East editor and London-based Europe/Africa editor of the Associated Press, served as chairman of the Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem and authored two books about Israel. This first appeared on The Times of Israel.

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Life & Culture Folk dance is a national pastime in Taiwan.

Israeli songs are a big part of the tradition.

— DANCE —

By Jordyn Haime | JTA

Y

ILAN, Taiwan (JTA) — It was a cool spring day in Yilan, a town on Taiwan’s northeast coast known for its picturesque rice fields and delicious spring onions. On a concrete clearing beneath a bridge that doubled as a dance floor, against a cloudy mountainous backdrop dotted with white cranes, about 10 Taiwanese adults danced expertly to classic Israeli folk music — songs such as “Hinei Matov,” “David Melech Yisrael,” “Sulam Yaakov” — and other folk tunes from around the world. Altogether, more than 35 dances were practiced over three hours.

For many of these locals, the dances are familiar, almost second nature. All over the age of 50, they grew up at a time when international folk dancing was the only group activity allowed by the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) government, starting in 1949.

That year, the KMT, which had been in power in China since 1912, lost a longstanding civil war to the Communist Party and retreated to Taiwan. Estimates say around 2 million Chinese followed in migrating to the island over the following few years.

The KMT ruled Taiwan in a bubble under strict martial law in order to suppress potential Chinese Communist presence or any anti-government activities. What resulted was heavy censorship of newspapers, books, television, radio and other forms of entertainment, as well as a ban on “unlawful assembly.”

The government promoted Chinese culture and the Mandarin Chinese language, banning the study of Taiwanese history, the practice of Taiwanese language, and dancing, claiming that activity was “against morals.”

But there was one reason Taiwanese could gather in groups, and one genre of dance they were allowed to practice — for political and nationalist reasons.

“The entire island was closed. Under those conditions, no one was allowed to [practice

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other forms of] dance, they couldn’t join these activities because they were controlled.

But there was one kind that you could do, and that was folk dance,” says Xu Wenhong, a 57-year-old food sciences professor at Yilan University who organizes weekly folk dance classes.

“At the time, we really had no form of entertainment. Even certain movies couldn’t be released, they were all controlled,” he said. “So when I was a kid and saw my mother dancing, I thought it looked fun. So when I got to college, I joined a club.” There he met his wife, Tsui-yen. The two have been together ever since and lead these regular events in Yilan.

Folk dancing “played a role as both a political tool and a communal activity during and after the Taiwanese Martial Law Period,” wrote Wei-Chi Wu of University of California Riverside in her dissertation on the topic. “For the National Government, international folk dancing was cultural work that assisted it in proposing Taiwanese Nationalism, and to show Taiwan’s alignment with the United States and its opposition to Communist China.”

To that end, in the 1950s, the Taiwanese government invited American dance instructors to introduce dances to teachers across Taiwan, who brought them to their primary schools and universities. Soon nearly all schools here were using folk dances from around the world as an exercise activity for students, and nearly every university had a folk dance club.

At the time, the United States was still offering Taiwan military, political and economic support, before it officially recognized the Communist People’s Republic of China in 1979.

Americans like Rickey Holden, a prominent choreographer and folk dance teacher, brought songs such as “Mayim Mayim” (from Israel), “Shibolet Basadeh” (Israel), and “Wooden Shoes” (Lithuania) to Taiwanese teachers during his first visit in 1957. “Mayim Mayim” — which in Hebrew means “Water, Water” and became known as the “Water Dance” in Chinese — was one of the first folk dances introduced to Taiwan and became synonymous with the activity. Its impact was

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so significant that Taiwan’s International Folk Dance Association made it the theme of its 50th anniversary seminar in 2007.

Holden also made stops in Japan during his late-1950s tour of Asia, where “Mayim” has since become ingrained in pop culture, and has appeared in commercials and video games.

“It was a kind of internationalization. It let people get ‘worldwide’ experience [when they couldn’t leave the country],” Xu said.

“Because we dance other countries’ dances, we can start to learn about other countries’ peoples, how they exist, whether it is with hardship or happiness, we can see these things from dance.”

Fang-chih Chen, a 77-year-old retired teacher and well-known dance instructor in Taiwan, was likely among the first groups of children to practice dance in school. Every day, in the 10 minutes before class started, teachers would dance with students in the school hallways, she remembers.

At that time, the dances known by teachers were still very limited, mostly to Scandinavian and Israeli dances such as “Mayim.”

“Most of the [Israeli] dances were 2/2 or 4/4 beats, and the rhythm was very clear and they were easy for anyone to learn,” Chen said.

Jiaxing Jiang, a 62-year-old in Yilan, said practicing another country’s folk dance lets him feel the spirit of that country or people.

What kind of feeling does Israeli dance offer to Taiwanese?

“Strength and unity,” he told me.

Jiang says he is inspired by the way Jews have been able to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive through international literature and film. He showed his family, including his now 25-year-old daughter Lucia, movies such as “Fiddler on the Roof ” and “The Pianist.”

Lucia’s grandmother left her home in China for Taiwan in 1945, expecting only to stay temporarily to take care of her sister’s baby. Martial law kept her from returning home, but when she met her husband and decided to continue her education here, Taiwan began to feel more like home.

“I also enjoy the movies about our history,” Lucia said. “I didn’t really connect these two parts of history together before, but I think we have a similar background. They have some connections, some similarities. And I

think to me, to see Israel so strong now, I think it’s encouraging.”

Lucia isn’t the only one who thinks this way. As Taiwan faces growing hostility from China, which claims the island as its territory, some commentators idealize Israel as a model of military strength and nation building.

In high school, for her senior project, Lucia decided to explore Jewish and Israeli culture more deeply — by studying Israeli dance.

“Some of the gestures are praising God, or to honor the rain, to thank god for giving them rain because they lived in the desert,” Lucia said. Although she isn’t religious, she said that “when I was dancing I felt very peaceful and happy. I felt the same way, like I respect everything that the world gives me, like rain, food, everything.”

When Taiwan’s martial law was lifted in 1987, folk dance largely fell out of style. For the first time, Taiwanese were able to experiment with styles like hip-hop, jazz and street dancing. Native Taiwanese dances and indigenous dances resurfaced too. Today, few schools still teach children folk dancing, and few colleges have remaining clubs.

Though Lucia still occasionally joins her parents for a dance class, she sees it now as an activity “for a certain age of people, not for everyone.”

But Israeli dances remain popular among the international folk dance groups that remain because of the abundance of new dances that have emerged from Israel over the years, especially those choreographed to Israeli pop music, said Chen, the longtime dance teacher. Some have even applied Israeli dance moves to popular Taiwanese music. Groups have been able to attract more participants purely by including Israeli dances and music in their practice.

So despite the overall decline in popularity, Chen and Xu, the teacher from Yilan, don’t sound too discouraged. Both still practice with groups who meet regularly and, in pre-pandemic times, traveled regularly to dance festivals around the world, inviting foreign teachers to events like the annual Asia Dance Camp in Taiwan, one of the most famous international folk dancing events in the world.

“The younger generation now has better opportunities than in the past. Fortunately, they can go anywhere and learn the dance of that country. I’m very comforted and happy when I see them dancing,” Chen said. PJC

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Community Friendship Circle takes a swing at summer The Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh kicked off its under 18 summer fun with a “Meet & Greet” at First Tee Pittsburgh. Members learned golf skills, like driving and putting, at First

Tee’s indoor golf simulator, hung out coloring and chatting with friends and enjoyed a snack together at the Arnold Palmer Learning Center.

p Theo Colopy, Peyton Hill, Emilia Jean and Katie Pawlowski

p Mendy Rudolph

p Zane Zeff and Alexa Taylor

p Aviva Fomin and Elana Slesnick

Pursuers of Peace

Macher and Shaker

p Staff from JFCS Squirrel Hill Food Pantry, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, 412 Food Rescue and Just Harvest received Pursuer of Peace Awards from Rodef Shalom Congregation on June 25.

Photo courtesy of JFCS

p Squirrel Hill resident Beth Kissileff received second place in the Monthly Newspapers and Magazines Division of the 2022 Rockower Awards. Kissileff’s piece, “Something is happening,” was published in Hadassah Magazine.

Kissileff received her award during the 2022 American Jewish Press Association conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Photo courtesy of Jim Busis

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Photos courtesy of the Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh

In Memoriam

p A plaque overlooking the swimming pools in the Squirrel Hill JCC was dedicated in memory of the late Jimmy Goldman, a primary architect of the Squirrel Hill JCC building and a longtime supporter of the JCC Aquatics program.

Photo courtesy of David Pollock

JULY 8, 2022

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