Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 4-25-25

Pittsburghers asked to celebrate Israel’s independence

Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh, Chabad of Western Pa. split

By David Rullo | Senior Sta Writer

Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh is no longer affiliated with Chabad of Western Pennsylvania.

Parents and staff learned of the change in a March 13 letter that announced the school was no longer affiliated with Merkos L’Inyonie Chinuch — and by extension Chabad of Western Pennsylvania — although it would remain an official Chabad school of Tomchei Tmimim, according to the letter.

By Adam Reinherz | Senior Sta Writer

Pittsburghers are invited to celebrate Israel’s independence by marching, eating and listening to music. A public program, hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh on May 1, will feature an indoor gathering at Congregation Beth Shalom complete with free pita and hummus, followed by a march to the Squirrel Hill Jewish Community Center and live music from the Israeli band Hashayara.

The group, which hails from Misgav (Pittsburgh’s sister region in Israel) and performed at last year’s Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebration, has spent months playing for IDF reserve soldiers and evacuees in Israeli hotels, according to Kim Saltzman, Federation’s director of Israel and overseas operations.

Hashayara’s concerts consist of “storytelling of their own experiences since Oct. 7, and English and Hebrew songs,” she said. “It’s a really engaging and great way to connect with Israel and Israeli

Although there will be live and recorded music inside Beth Shalom, as well as live music inside the JCC, no music will be played during the march out of respect for Jewish community members who refrain from listening to music during the Omer,

the 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot, Salzman added.

Speaking to the Chronicle by phone from Israel, the Federation staffer said she hopes to see as many people as possible on May 1.

“I think every year it’s important to come out and celebrate Yom Ha’Atzmaut because the establishment of the state of Israel is — as far as I’m concerned and as far as the Federation is concerned — both a miracle and something to celebrate,” she said. “That the Jews finally have their own homeland in our ancestral homeland is a cause for celebration every year. But now, it’s a reason for people to come out more than ever. The situation that Israel has found itself in since Oct. 7, and the situation of Jews in America and all around the world have found themselves in with the rise in antisemitism, it’s important for the community to come together to make their voices loud and clear that they stand with Israel.”

A desire for harmony comes amid strains in Diaspora-Israel relations. Last month, Gallup reported that Americans’ support for Israel had reached a 25-year low.

“Americans’ sympathies with the Israelis continue to decline, largely because of Democrats’ dwindling support for the Israelis in the long-standing conflict with the

According to the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters, Merkos L’Inyonie Chinuch is the educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch and provides professional guidance and services to existing Chabad schools. It also assists in the establishment of new schools and provides professional training for educators. Additionally, it maintains a directory of all Chabad educational institutions in the English-speaking world.

Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh was founded under the auspices of Tomchei Tmimim, Board President Chaim Oster said in a written statement to the Chronicle. The school became affiliated with Merkos well after its founding, meaning “Yeshiva’s affiliation with Merkos was in addition to” its affiliation with Tomchei Tmimim, “not in place of it.”

Oster said the school, “is returning to its roots to once again operate as a standalone independent Chabad school under the auspices of Tomchei Tmimim.” But, according to a Lubavitch Center representative, Tomchei Tmimim is not a central Lubavitch governing body and does not certify schools as belonging to the Chabad Lubavitch movement.

The announcement came one day after Yeshiva Schools received a letter from Merkos saying that the school had been delisted from its database.

The decision to delist the school has roots going back six years, when the

 Jerusalem

Photo by Haley Black via Pexels

Headlines

Longtime principal of Hillel Academy resigns

By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer

Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh has announced the resignation of Principal and Educational Director Rabbi Sam Weinberg.

The announcement was made in an April 10 email from Daniel Kraut, the school’s chief executive officer. Kraut said that Weinberg was stepping back from his duties as principal and educational director immediately but will remain with the school until the end of the academic year.

Yikara Levari will serve as interim principal and educational director as the school searches for a permanent replacement. Levari has been with Hillel for 20 years, spending the last 12 as the girls’ assistant principal, grades 5-12.

Weinberg has been employed at Hillel for 16 years — 13 as principal and educational director; one year as principal for both the boys’ and girls’ high school and middle school; and two years as the principal of the boys’ school. Previous to his time with Hillel, he was the director of student life at the Ramaz School in New York.

Even before his employment with Hillel, Weinberg was familiar with the school. He was a student there as a youth growing up on Beacon Street in Squirrel Hill before leaving for Yeshiva University in New York City, where he received a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in education and administration. He also received his smicha there.

Weinberg said he has loved his time at the school but felt it was time for a change.

“I love Hillel. I care deeply about it,” he said. “Where I am personally, in my life, I’m ready for a change but I’m going to miss it every day. It’s such a wonderful place.”

Weinberg shepherded the school through challenging times, including the Oct. 27, 2018,

Pittsburgh synagogue shooting; the COVID pandemic, which forced the closure of schools across the country; the deaths of two students; and the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel.

During his tenure, Hillel realized a list of positive improvements, including a nearly 150% increase in school enrollment; the completion of the Yitzy Sutofsky Campus, which opened at the start of the 2024-25 school year and includes a new main building and the Herman Lipsitz Boys High School and Middle School Bartlett building; a new student services program that includes mental health and student education services; the expansion of the Hillel Academy B’not Sherut program to include two Hillel Academy shlichim families from Israel; the creation of the new “Mesivta track,” providing a Yeshiva learning experience for students; and a new four-star rated Keystone Stars early childhood program.

The school’s athletic program also grew during Weinberg’s tenure to include boys and

girls middle and high school track, running and basketball teams, and a boys high school baseball team.

Yitzhak Mandelbaum, president of the school’s board of directors, said Weinberg “had a holistic vision of what Hillel Academy could be.”

Weinberg, he said, was open, sympathetic and understanding to the needs of the school and the community.

As an example, Mandelbaum pointed to Weinberg’s work during COVID, a time when not everyone in the school agreed on how Hillel should react.

“He heard all those concerns,” Mandelbaum said. “He was in the school constantly. When there was remote learning, he worked to make sure that there was at least something available, where other schools closed and had nothing to offer. And then he led the charge to reopen.”

Mandelbaum said that Weinberg demonstrated during his tenure that each student mattered and that the school did its best

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to serve all students.

As important as traditional academics, Mandelbaum said that Weinberg worked to ensure the school’s Judaic programs and Talmudic studies were on par with yeshivas across the country. And, he said, the rabbi strove to build competitive boys and girls sports programs.

Weinberg, he said, cared deeply and was empathetic, and that’s something to which students responded.

“He spoke to students. I had times the kids would come home and tell me, ‘Rabbi Weinberg was in our class today speaking to us.’ That said to me he was trying to connect with parents and students during critical times.”

Mandelbaum said that Weinberg’s leaving is bittersweet because it creates an opportunity for new leadership and for the school to build on Hillel’s legacy, which grew under the former principal.

Weinberg isn’t sure what the future will hold, he said. He’s going to do some consulting and said he has some small projects already lined up. What he’ll remember most, he said, are the moments he spent with the students, “whether it was on a high school retreat or a basketball tournament with the kids, or when they were hosting a Purim party or telling a story at our Shabbat oneg.”

He even fondly recalls the sad times that forced the school to come together as a community.

“The Tree of Life shooting and during COVID, when Yitzy Sutofsky passed away and Raffi Breen passed away, we all supported each other through the tragedies. Those were very meaningful,” he said.

Hillel Academy has not announced its plans to secure a permanent principal and educational director. PJC

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

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p Rabbi Sam Weinberg studies with students at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh Photo by Adam Reinherz

Headlines

The name game

— HISTORY —

Eric Lidji | Special to the Chronicle

The first Jewish congregation in western Pennsylvania started in 1848. It was called Shaare Shamayim, referencing a verse in Genesis. It means “Gates of Heaven.”

Over the next 105 years, western Pennsylvania would be home to no less than five other “gates.” A group from Kovno founded Shaare Torah in 1890. A group from Poland founded Shaare Zedeck in 1895. A group representing various corners of the Russian Empire united in 1906 as Shaaray Tefillah. A group of early religious Zionists founded Shaare Zion in 1914. The congre gation initially donated all its charity to the Jewish National Fund. A group in the emerging suburb of Eastmont founded Shaar Ha-shamayim in 1953. In the longstanding Jewish tradition of calling synagogues by their streets, the Eastmont congregation became better known as Parkway Jewish Center.

The second congregation in western Pennsylvania was Beth Israel, meaning “House of Israel.” It began in 1852. Over the following century, this region would have many other Beth Israels. The Jews of Altoona founded one in 1874. Russian Jews in the Hill District founded one in 1896. The Jews of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, founded one in 1907. The small towns of Sharon and Washington each had a Beth Israel, as did Charleroi for a few months in 1907. The Jews of Wilkinsburg founded one in 1937. A group of young Jewish engineers hired to work at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in the mid-1950s found each other in the hallways and soon created Beth Israel Center in Pleasant Hills.

Torath Chaim began in East Liberty in 1928. The name references a phrase from liturgy but also a founding member Hyman Shapiro, whose Hebrew name was he members of the emerging Monroeville Jewish Congregation chose the name Temple David in 1957, inspired by signs for the local King David Real Estate Co.

The eleventh congregation was Mischan Israel (Tabernacle of Israel), founded in 1887. It may have also been known as Refuge of Strangers, although the

The twelfth congregation was Ahave Sholem (Lovers of Peace). It was founded in 1889 by Jewish immigrants from Galicia and Romania, likely united by a mutual preference for the Nusach Sfard liturgy. With he growth of the local Jewish community, the congregation soon split along ethnic lines. The Romanians went to the previously mentioned Ohel Jacob, while the Galitizianers went to the new Machsikei Hadas.

There were other peace lovers. A group living in the Strip District started Ohav Sholom in 1904. A group in the emerging North Hills started Ohav Shalom in 1968.

The third congregation was Rodef Shalom in 1856. It means, “pursuing peace.” In the years to come, there were Rodef Shaloms in Homestead, Johnstown and Charleroi.

Th e fourth congregation was Tree of Life. There were many Tree of Lifes planted throughout western Pennsylvania. Here are those I know, listed chronologically: New Brighton (1862), Oil City (1892), McKeesport (1897), Mt. Pleasant (1900), Uniontown (1902), Ellwood City (1909), Canonsburg (1914), Rochester (1918) and Monongahela (1923). Brownsville (1915) had a short-lived Tree of Life, as did Charleroi (1917). The Jews of Irwin started the non-congregational Tree of Life Brotherhood in 1938. Tree of Life appears to have been the most popular synagogue name in western Pennsylvania.

Th e fifth congregation was Beth Hamedrash Hagodol. It was founded in 1869 as B’nai Israel, meaning Sons of Israel. B’nai Israel today is more closely associated with the former congregation in East Liberty. The B’nai Israel in East Liberty was founded by children of founders of B’nai Israel downtown and was likely named such as an homage. McKeesport has a Temple B’nai Israel. Kiski Valley had an Agudas B’nai Israel. There

The sixth congregation in Pittsburgh was Congregation Emanuel, founded in 1874. A decade earlier, German Jews in Franklin, Pennsylvania, had also founded a Congregation Emanuel. When oil busted, they left. The Eastern European Jews who immigrated to Franklin around the start of World War I found that the corporation was still active, and so they took it for themselves, reviving the earlier Congregation Emanuel. The first synagogue in the Pittsburgh suburbs was Temple Emanuel of South Hills in 1951.

The seventh congregation in Pittsburgh was Poale Zedeck (Workers of Righteousness). There has only been one Poale Zedeck in all of western Pennsylvania, but righteousness has flowed like a river thanks to the previously mentioned Shaare Zedeck, as well as Beth Zedeck (founded by Russian Jews in the Hill District in 1899), Ahavos Zedeck (founded by the Jews of Hazelwood and Glenwood in 1910) and Ohave Zedeck (founded by Jews in the Oakcliffe section of South Oakland after World War I).

The eighth congregation in Pittsburgh was Beth Jacob in 1883. There were also Beth Jacob congregations in New Kensington, Aliquippa, Duquesne and briefly (again) in Charleroi. Beth Jacob means “House of Jacob.” A group of Romanian Jews founded New Light Congregation in 1899 as Ohel Jacob, which means “Tent of Jacob.”

The ninth congregation was the shortlived Knesseth Israel in 1886. A group of Romanian Jews in the Hill District founded a new Cneseth Israel in 1903 and later moved

The tenth congregation was Beth Abraham. It soon became a cemetery. It was likely named for the patriarch but perhaps was named for a prominent member. The same was true for Kehillath Isaac (Isaac’s Congregation), founded in the Hill District in 1934 and later renamed Beth Mogen David. It had an Isaac or two among its incorporators.

Agudath Achim was founded in the Manchester section of the North Side in 1913. To raise funds, it auctioned off its name in 1915. Rudolph Solomon purchased the rights to name the congregation after his father. And so it became known as Beth Jehuda.

The thirteenth congregation was Choye Adam (“Life of Man”). It broke away from the original B’nai Israel in 1889. According to an article at the time, its founders left because “they are not as wealthy as other members of the congregation and think that they are not treated properly.” They may have named their shul after the Rabbi Avraham Danzig, also known by his book “Chayei Adam,” written for “the cultured layman.”

In the years since, at least three other local congregations were named for famed rabbis: Chofetz Chaim, Beth Midrash Rambam and the Baal Shem Tov Shul. I could keep going, but that seems as good a place to stop as any. PJC

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

p Rabbi Pinchas N. Gross (left) and Harry Katz (right) at a Dec. 25, 1954, meeting to select a new name for the former Eastmont Hebrew Congregation, now known as Parkway Jewish Center Shaar Ha-shamayim Image courtesy of Rauh Jewish Archives

Headlines

Laughs, legacy and Jewish pride: Eitan Levine to headline Jewish Sports Hall of Fame dinner

By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer

If annual dinners get a prize for generating laughs, the upcoming Jewish Sports Hall of Fame of Western PA event may take home a gold medal. The gala, which is marking its 42nd installment on May 4 at Rodef Shalom Congregation, will be hosted by comedian Eitan Levine.

Hailing from New York City, the self-described “comedian, writer and loud Jew” whose work has appeared in “The New York Times” and “New York Magazine,” and on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and “The Daily Show,” is looking forward to riffing on a subject he’s long mined: Jews and sports.

Both on Instagram, where he has 59,000 followers, and TikTok, where he has double that, Levine has offered countless hilarious takes. For instance, during Jewish heritage day at Citi Field with the New York Mets, he pondered which franchise may be the “least Jewish” in Major League Baseball. After considering the San Diego Padres, whose mascot is a monk with a baseball bat, Levine said, “Let’s be honest, monks with a baseball bat? That was the Spanish inquisition.”

On Instagram, while discussing the “most Jewish” professional team, Levine mentioned the Chicago White Sox.

“Our big thing is to wear black shoes and

white socks up to here,” the comedian said while pointing to his knees.

Levine’s approach to comedy is heavily influenced by the “Barstool Sports” model of people “yelling and being funny, and living and dying, by how good or bad their team is doing,” he said. It lends itself not only to Jews and sports, but to Judaism and the issues many Jews face when discussing Israel, Oct. 7, the plight of the hostages and antisemitism.

Whether it’s traditional media or legacy organizations, there are constant restrictions on what’s appropriate to say, “and because of that censorship, it prevents you from doing genuine content that feels genuine to the viewer,” he said. “I think that every entity has not done a good job at taking the money that they’ve been getting and churning out content that prevents antisemitism. Like, we spend all those dollars every year, we spend billions and billions of dollars going into entities like the ADL — and antisemitism is still a huge issue, where their messaging is all farkacht doesn’t get taken seriously.”

Jewish vitality and safety require an alternative approach, he explained.

“Within the Jewish community, the conversation for years has been the Pew Report, and it’s been about how Jewish numbers are always slipping. I think the biggest thing that people need to do is just chill out with this stuff,” he said. “Communities have to, obviously, enforce their level of religiosity — I would never tell a synagogue not to do certain rules — but I would say just to embrace different people with different religiosity.”

Levine, who was raised modern Orthodox and graduated from Yeshiva University, said that behind each of his posts and projects is a quest for Jewish joy.

“I love Jews and I love Judaism, but we all need to chill out a little bit,” he said. “The past 500-plus days have been a chaotic nightmare. And I think that through all of that we’ve lost a good sense of Judaism, like the royal Judaism. I think that we’ve made so much of the content that so much of our brain space is about defending against antisemitism, which is such a f------ problem, I don’t deny that, but it’s all been about defense, defense, defense. You know, they’re coming for us. How do we shore up the walls? And it’s never about the Jewish joy thing.”

The comedian referenced his social media

just implore you to remember that there are so many other parts of Judaism that are so joyful. You can experience the Israel stuff — I’m never taking away from that — but also make sure that when you’re talking about Judaism, and when you’re acknowledging Judaism, you’re also celebrating the apolitical Jewish excellence parts of this. Remember that half of the f-----NHL (National Hockey League) All Stars are Jews. Remember that we’re dominating in other spaces. Three out of four college basketball coaches in the Final Four were Jews.”

Levine referenced Bruce Pearl, the head coach of the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team, who began a March 22 postgame NCAA Tournament press conference by calling for the release of Edan Alexander, an AmericanIsraeli hostage held in Gaza by Hamas.

“Bruce Pearl, you know, he’s not a sympathetic character,” Levine said. “We’re not sympathetic characters. We’re badasses.”

In addition to Levine’s appearance, the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame dinner will honor Keith Dambrot for coaching, Sid Dambrot (posthumously) for basketball, Phil Elson for sports broadcasting, Beth Goldstein for track and field, Jay Jacobs for baseball and Stan Lederman for baseball. This year’s Ziggy Kahn Award recipient will be Sam Clancy. Mel Solomon is slated to

Eitan Levine

Photo courtesy of Eitan Levine

Pope Francis, who advanced church’s relationships with Jews, dies at 88

By Andrew Silow-Carroll | JTA

Pope Francis, who significantly advanced the Catholic Church’s relationship with Jews by actively promoting dialogue, reconciliation and a strong stance against antisemitism — relations that were tested after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war — died Monday, one day after marking Easter with a public appearance in the Vatican. He was 88. He died of complications from a stroke. Francis suffered multiple health conditions

in recent years and had been hospitalized for several weeks in February with what the Vatican called a “complex clinical picture.”

But Francis had rebounded to make public appearances and, on Sunday, meet privately with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, a convert to Catholicism whom he had indirectly rebuked before his hospitalization for citing Catholic doctrine in defending the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

The first Jesuit and first Latin American to serve as pope, Francis assumed the leadership of the Catholic Church in 2013 after years of

Please see Pope, page 7

AFTER 77 YEARS, WE’RE STILL FIGHTING FOR A JEWISH STATE.

In 1948, as Israel fought for its independence, the medics of Magen David Adom were there, treating wounded soldiers and civilians alike. Today, as Israel celebrates Yom HaAtzma’ut, MDA is still treating the injured — even under fire. But for MDA to continue being there for Israel, we need to be there for MDA. Make a donation at afmda.org/give.

 Pope Francis listens to Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni while sitting during his visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome, Italy, Jan. 17, 2016.

Photo by Giuseppe Ciccia/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

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 month prior to the date as space allows. The deadline for submissions is Friday, noon.

 SUNDAYS, APRIL 27–JULY 27

Join Chabad of Squirrel Hill for its Men’s Tefillin Club. Services and tefillin are followed by a delicious breakfast and engaging discussions on current events. 8:30 a.m. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.

 MONDAY, APRIL 28

Join the 10.27 Healing Partnership for Community Zumba for Reclaiming Your Inner Power. Use motion to connect with each other, release stress and tension, and exercise your agency and body. The class is open to everyone and designed for those who want to connect with their peers in reclaiming power through fun and movement. All fitness levels and all bodies welcome. 1 p.m. Free. Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, 4738 Forbes Ave. 1027healingpartnership.org/ community-zumba.

Online Safety & Digital Responsibility: Learn key skills, including: online safety and cyberbullying awareness; your digital footprint and how to seek help; dos and don’ts of texting and how to avoid being exploited. Hands-on activities with FBI Community Outreach Specialist Felicia Trovato. 6 to 8 p.m. Community Day School, 6424 Forward Ave., Pittsburgh, 15217. Free registration. Open to the public. jewishpgh.org/event/security-apr.



MONDAYS, APRIL 28–JULY 21

Join the 10.27 Healing Partnership for Roll for Insight: Community-Building Role-Playing Games Meet every other week to connect and grow with new friends through playing tabletop role-playing games designed to inspire emotional depth. They will use RPGs to explore the intersection of identity, emotional resiliency and games to fight isolation and disconnection, and to meet new people and form friendships. Free. No experience required. 16 and up. 5:30 p.m. Jewish Community Center, 5738 Forbes Ave. 1027healingpartnership. org/rpg-club.

 MONDAYS, APRIL 28–JULY 28

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

Join Temple Sinai for an evening of mahjong every Monday (except holidays). Whether you are just starting out or have years of experience, you are sure to enjoy the camaraderie and good times as you make new friends or cherish moments with long-term pals. All are welcome. Winners will be awarded Giant Eagle gift cards. All players should have their own mahjong cards. Contact Susan Cohen at susan_k_cohen@yahoo.com if you have questions. $5. templesinaipgh.org.

 WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 30–JULY 29

Temple Sinai’s Rabbi Daniel Fellman presents a weekly Parshat/Torahportionclass on site and online. Call 412-421-9715 for more information and the Zoom link.

Bring the parashah alive and make it personally relevant and meaningful with Rabbi Mark Goodman in this weekly ParashahDiscussion: Life & Text. 12:15 p.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org/life-text.

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SATURDAY, MAY 3

Families with young children are invited to spend Shabbat morning with Rodef Shalom at Shabbat with You. Drop in for a light breakfast, play date, sing-along with Cantor Toby Glaser and a Shabbat activity with Family Center Director Ellie Feibus. 9 a.m. $5 per family. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom. org/shabbatwithyou.

 TUESDAY, MAY 13

Join Chabad of Squirrel Hill for Pre-Shavuot Torah and Tea. Explore the “soul” of Shavuot and the meaningful lessons it o ers in our lives today. 7 p.m. Email caltein@chabadpgh.com for the location. chabadpgh.com/tea.

 WEDNESDAY, MAY 14

Join Chabad of the South Hills for a Seniors Lunch, including the presentation “Adapting Homes to Seniors’ Challenging Needs,” by Comfort Keepers. 1 p.m. $5 suggested donation. 1701 McFarland Road. chabadsh.com.

Join JFCS for its Annual Meeting, Past, Present, Future: The Profound Impact of Community Support, as it celebrates its last year of successes and achievements while looking toward the future. Guest speaker: Eric Lidji, Rauh Jewish Archives director. 6:30 p.m. JCC Katz Auditorium, 5738 Darlington Road. jfcspgh.org/event/jfcs-annual-meeting-2025.

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THURSDAY, MAY 15

Chabad of Squirrel Hill presents Unity Challah Bake, a challah-making workshop for men and women. Make a beautiful and delicious heartshaped challah and enjoy a bu et of assorted challah and dips. 7 p.m. $15; 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/lol.

 THURSDAY, MAY 22

Join Chabad of the Squirrel Hill for Sip and Paint Night. Enjoy Israeli wine, desserts and good company while creating a beautiful painting of Jerusalem. 7 p.m. $25. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com/paint.

 MONDAY, JUNE 9

Join Chabad of Squirrel Hill for The Sound of Jewish Music, a magical evening for women featuring music, dance and inspiration. 6:30 p.m. $18/adult, $10/student in advance; $25 at the door. Katz Performing Art Center, 5738 Darlington Road. soundo ewishmusic.com.

 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18

JFCS Pittsburgh presents From Stigma to Strength: Understanding Mental Health History and Managing Anxiety, exploring the evolution of mental health understanding and providing practical tools for today’s challenges. The session will dive into the historical roots of mental health stigma, discuss how current global challenges trigger anxiety and present evidence-based strategies for maintaining well-being. Virtual lecture and participation is free. 6 p.m. jfcspgh.org/CounselingRegistration. PJC

Join the Chronicle Book Club!

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its May 4 discussion of “Jews Don’t Count,” by David Baddiel. From Amazon.com: “‘Jews Don’t Count’ is a book for people who consider themselves on the right side of history. People fighting the good fight against homophobia, disablism, transphobia and, particularly, racism. People, possibly, like you.

"It is the comedian and writer David Baddiel’s contention that one type of racism has been left out of this fight. In his unique combination of close reasoning, polemic, personal experience and jokes, Baddiel argues that those who think of themselves as on the right side of history have often ignored the history of anti-Semitism . He outlines why and how, in a time of intensely heightened awareness of minorities, Jews don’t count as a real minority: and why they should.”

Your hosts

Toby Tabachnick, Chronicle editor

David Rullo, Chronicle senior staff writer

How it works

We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, May 4, at 1 p.m.

What to do

Buy: “Jews Don’t Count.” It is available at some area Barnes and Noble stores and from online retailers, including Amazon.

It is also available through the Carnegie Library system.

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

— Toby Tabachnick

Headlines

Pope:

Continued from page 5

building and sustaining Jewish relationships in his native Argentina. In 2010, he co-wrote, with Rabbi Abraham Skorka, “On Heaven and Earth,” a book based on their public conversations on differences and similarities between Judaism and Catholicism.

Francis met frequently with Jewish leaders and paid a state visit to Israel in 2014. He often invoked the spirit of Nostra Aetate, promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1965 as part of Vatican II, which repudiated centuries of anti-Jewish theology and inaugurated a new era in CatholicJewish relations. He controversially restricted the Latin Mass, a symbol of the pre-Vatican II church whose liturgy includes a call for the conversion of the Jews.

Francis reiterated the spirit of Nostra Aetate in 2013, speaking to the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations. “Due to our common roots, a Christian cannot be anti-Semitic!” the pope declared, before going on to describe his warm relations with Jewish clergy in his native Argentina.

“I had the joy of maintaining relations of sincere friendship with leaders of the Jewish world,” said Francis. “We talked often of our respective religious identities, the image of man found in the Scriptures, and how to keep an awareness of God alive in a world now secularized in many ways. … But above all, as friends, we enjoyed each other’s company, we were all enriched through encounter and dialogue, and we welcomed each other, and this helped all of us grow as people and as believers.”

Such statements sustained a relationship sometimes strained when Francis adopted positions at odds with the core concerns of many Jews. In May 2015, an expansion of Vatican relations with Palestinian leadership following the Palestinians’ unilateral pursuit of statehood drew criticism from Israeli and Jewish leaders, who at the time viewed direct negotiations with Israel as the only credible path to peace.

Francis also strongly defended the record of Pope Pius XII, who served during the Holocaust. Critics accuse Pius of having turned a blind eye to Jewish suffering in the Shoah, while the Vatican has long maintained he worked behind the scenes to save Jews. In 2019, Jewish groups welcomed Francis’ announcement that the Vatican Archives covering the Pius papacy would open to researchers beginning in March 2020.

For scholars such as David Kertzer, who has written books about the Vatican during World War II, the newly available material only confirmed the impression that Pius, despite his personal objections to Hitler and Nazism and occasionally valiant attempts to protect Italy’s Jews, was more concerned with protecting the church and its future under fascism.

The Israel-Hamas war, which followed the deadly Hamas attacks in Israel in Oct. 7, 2023, further strained relations between Francis, the Jews and Israelis. In November 2024, citing experts saying “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” Francis called for the charge — which Israel strenuously rejects — to be “carefully investigated.”

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In December, Francis attended the inauguration of a nativity scene at the Vatican that positioned baby Jesus on a keffiyeh, or Palestinian scarf — a nod to activists who have identified Jesus, a Jew born in Roman times, as a Palestinian. Both incidents drew outcry from Jewish groups, and the nativity scene was removed.

Defenders of the pope said his statements about the Israel-Hamas war were in keeping with Catholic doctrine on the value of peace and human life, and did not reflect on Francis’ commitment to fighting antisemitism. He also repeatedly called for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Indeed, a document issued last December by the American Jewish Committee, “Translate Hate,” included Catholic commentaries written, with the pope’s blessing, by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. The commentaries endorsed key post-Vatican II doctrine on teaching about Judaism and respecting the Jews’ deep religious connection toward Israel.

Despite the disagreements, Francis maintained warm relations with Jewish leaders involved in interfaith dialogue.

“I sorrowfully mourn the death of Pope Francis, a towering figure in our time whose leadership, compassion, and dedication to peace transcended religious boundaries,” Rabbi Arthur Schneier, who received the papal knighthood honor from Francis in New York in 2015.

The following year, Francis made his first appearance at Rome’s Great Synagogue, marking the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate and issuing a joint call with Rome’s chief rabbi against religious violence.

In a 2013 interview with the New York Jewish Week, Skorka said Francis had a “special relationship towards Jews and Jewishness” and a commitment to Nostra Aetate.

“From a theological point of view, according to what I spoke with him about, he and other important Catholic thinkers believe in cooperation between Jews and Christians in order to get a better world — respecting one another and sharing the challenge to bring more spirituality and justice to the world,” Skorka said.

Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires. He served as archbishop of the Argentinian capital beginning in 1998 and as cardinal after 2001. In contrast to the often forbidding Benedict XVI, his immediate predecessor as pope, Bergoglio was said to be warm and modest, cooking his own meals and personally answering his phone.

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“We are clearly living in a renewed era of Catholic-Jewish relations,” Rabbi Noam Marans, the AJC’s director of interreligious and intergroup relations, wrote in September 2017, on the eve of the pope’s second visit to the United States. “When there are disagreements, they are discussed and often resolved among friends, but even when unresolved, the conversation rarely devolves into a contretemps.”

During that visit, Jewish leaders took part in “Witness for Peace: A Multireligious Gathering with Pope Francis” at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

Jewish groups also appreciated Francis’ frequent pleas to his followers to heed the lessons of the Holocaust. “The memory of the Shoah and its atrocious violence must never be forgotten,” the pope said in 2018 in a message through the Vatican’s secretary of state in Berlin. “It should be a constant warning for all of us of an obligation to reconciliation, of reciprocal comprehension and love toward our ‘elder brothers,’ the Jews.”

In 2017, Pope Francis and Rabbi Skorka co-authored an introduction for a book by three Argentine doctors about the Nazi medical experiments. The essay calls the Holocaust a “hell.”

“The human arrogance exposed during the Shoah was the action of people who felt like gods, and shows the aberrant dimension in which we can fall if we forget where we came from and where we are going,” they wrote.

The pope’s friendship with Skorka, rector of the Latin American Rabbinic Seminary, dated to 1997, when the pope, then known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, became coadjutor bishop of

Friendly relations with Jewish clergy was a hallmark of his priesthood. In 2005, as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio attended Rosh Hashanah services at the Benei Tikva Slijot synagogue in September 2007. Bergoglio was the first public personality to sign a petition for justice in the 1994 AMIA bombing case, in which 85 people were killed in a terrorist attack at a Buenos Aires Jewish center. In June 2010, he visited the rebuilt AMIA building to talk with Jewish leaders. In 2024, after years of stalled investigations and charges of a cover-up, an Argentinian court ruled that Iran directed the attack, and that it was carried by Hezbollah.  While he took mostly traditional views on issues like same-sex marriage, Beroglio also had a reputation as a social reformer. Israel Singer, the former head of the World Jewish Congress, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency soon after Francis’ election as pope that he spent time working with Bergoglio when the two were distributing aid to the poor in Buenos Aires in the early 2000s, part of a joint Jewish-Catholic program called Tzedaka.

Bergoglio wrote the foreword to a book by Rabbi Sergio Bergman, a Buenos Aires legislator, and in 2012 hosted a Kristallnacht memorial event at the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral with Rabbi Alejandro Avruj from the NCI-Emanuel World Masorti congregation.

During that visit, Bergoglio told the congregation that he was there to examine his heart “like a pilgrim, together with you, my elder brothers.” He was 76 when he was elected to the papacy following the resignation of the Germanborn Benedict XVI. Francis was the first pope to come from outside Europe in more than a millennium.

He inherited a church wrestling with an array of challenges, including a shortage of priests, a sexual abuse crisis and difficulties governing the Vatican itself.

In 2018, Francis renewed his commitment to fostering relations between Catholics and Jews and condemning antisemitism.

“Dialogue and friendship with the children of Israel are part of the life of Jesus’ disciples,” Francis wrote in “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel), described as the flagship document of his papacy. “The friendship which has grown between us makes us bitterly and sincerely regret the terrible persecutions which they have endured, and continue to endure, especially those that have involved Christians.” PJC

Headlines

Chicago man charged with hate crime for attack of two Jewish DePaul students

One of the men who allegedly beat two Jewish DePaul University students after one showed support for Israel last November has been charged with a hate crime, JTA reported.

Adam Erkan, 20, has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery and hate crime, the Cook County State Attorney’s Office announced last week.

The arrest comes as DePaul’s president has been summoned to testify in Congress about antisemitism on his campus.

The arrest also comes two weeks after the students who were allegedly attacked in November, Max Long and Michael Kaminsky, filed a lawsuit against DePaul, saying that the Jesuit university failed to protect Jewish students on campus.

DePaul denounced the attack when it was reported, saying the school was “outraged” and was working with Chicago police to find the perpetrators and determine whether the individuals “targeted our students because of their Jewish identity.”

On Thursday, the school said Erkan was not affiliated with DePaul and expressed gratitude to law enforcement. “Acts of hate and violence have no place at DePaul,” the school said in a statement. “We condemn antisemitism in all its forms and stand in solidarity with those affected by this reprehensible act.”

Report: Cash-strapped Hamas unable to pay its members

Israel’s military campaign against Hamas has triggered a major financial crisis for the terrorist group, which is now struggling to pay its gunmen, according to a report last week. Moumen al-Natour, a lawyer from the Al-Shati area in central Gaza, told The Wall Street Journal that Hamas has “a big crisis” on its hands, JNS reported. “They were mainly dependent on humanitarian aid sold in black markets for cash,” he said. The group also imposed taxes on merchants, collected customs fees at checkpoints and seized goods for resale, according to the Journal.

Many Hamas government workers have stopped receiving salaries altogether, according to the report. Since last month, senior operatives and political figures have reportedly been paid only about half of their usual income, while lower-ranking terrorists are said to be getting just $200 to $300 per month.

A temporary financial boost occurred during a ceasefire in January, which allowed increased aid to enter Gaza. However, when the truce ended in March, Israel resumed its military campaign and halted aid deliveries, worsening Hamas’ financial condition, according to the Journal.

The report also noted that Israeli airstrikes have focused on Hamas officials who handle cash distribution, forcing some into hiding.

Beyond payroll issues, Hamas is said to be struggling with recruitment and maintaining public support. Some residents in Gaza have been protesting against the group.

Hamas is believed to have stashed around

Today in Israeli History

April 28, 1982 — Amichai, Gilboa share Israel Prize

$500 million overseas, including funds from Qatar, according to Western and Arab estimates cited by the Journal. Gaza faces a shortage of physical currency. Israel’s central bank has stopped delivering fresh bills, and numerous banks and ATMs have been destroyed. In response, Palestinians have turned to “money repair shops” to mend damaged currency, the Journal reported.

IRS ‘making plans’ to remove Harvard’s tax-exempt status

The Internal Revenue Service is “making plans” to end Harvard’s tax-exempt status, sources familiar with the matter stated, according to JNS, citing a CNN report.

The move comes after President Donald Trump and the federal Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism froze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million worth of contracts to the Ivy League school unless they met certain demands, which Harvard forcefully rejected.

“In recent weeks, the federal government has threatened its partnerships with several universities, including Harvard, over accusations of antisemitism on our campuses,” stated Alan Garber, the Harvard president, who is Jewish. “These partnerships are among the most productive and beneficial in American history.”

Garber said the government’s demands aim to curb Jew-hatred, but that the majority of requests “represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard” and called the demands “unprecedented.”

A final decision on the university’s taxexempt status is expected soon.

I n January, Harvard adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism as part of two Title VI settlements for alleged antisemitic discrimination on campus. The university also recently suspended its partnership with Birzeit University, a Palestinian university near Ramallah in Samaria, also commonly referred to as the West Bank.

Lebanon bans ‘Snow White’ due to Israeli star Gal Gadot

The new Disney film “Snow White” was banned from theaters in Lebanon due to the starring role played by Israeli actress Gal Gadot, according to JNS.

A representative for Beirut-based Middle East distributor Italia Films, which is in charge of Disney films in the region, told Variety that Gadot has long been on Lebanon’s Israel boycott list and that no movie starring her has ever been released in the country.

The 39-year-old actress, who served in the Israel Defense Forces before her Hollywood career, has been one of the strongest supporters of Israel in Hollywood in the wake of the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

Last month, she was given heightened security after her “Snow White” co-star Rachel Zegler, 23, shared a pro-Palestinian message on social media, spurring a rash of death threats. PJC

Compiled by Toby Tabachnick

Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

April 25, 1920 — British pick first Palestine high commissioner

Herbert Samuel is named Britain’s first high commissioner for Palestine the same day the San Remo Conference accepts the Balfour Declaration as part of the plan for the former Ottoman Empire.

April 26, 2008 — Exodus 1947 commander Yossi Harel dies

Yossi Harel, who led four Aliyah Bet (illegal immigration) missions in 1946 and 1947, dies at 90. Harel commanded the Exodus 1947 with 4,530 Holocaust survivors, whose capture by the British gained international attention.

April 27, 2009 — Abbas refuses to recognize Israel as Jewish state Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, responding to a demand from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and thus blocks peace negotiations.

Two of Israel’s best-known poets, Yehuda Amichai and Amir Gilboa, are awarded the Israel Prize at a ceremony that also honors an archaeologist, an architect, a chemist, an economist, two educators and a politician.

April 29, 1956 — Ambush near Gaza kills Ro’i Rothberg

Ro’i Rothberg, the security officer at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, is killed in an ambush. His body is dragged into Gaza and mutilated, then returned. IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan delivers a memorable eulogy the next day.

April 30, 1992 — Mubarak criticizes Arabs’ failure to make peace

In a radio speech, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak praises the peace efforts of the Palestinians but criticizes fellow leaders of Arab states for failing to seize the opportunity of the 1978 Camp David Accords.

May 1, 1987 — Tennis player Pe’er is born Shahar Pe’er, Israel’s highest-ranking tennis player of all time, is born in Jerusalem. A winner of five WTA tournaments and a two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist, she reaches No. 11 in the world rankings in 2011. PJC

p Yossi Harel meets with David Ben-Gurion.

By Sir Ronald Cohen, collection of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

p Shahar

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Israel:

Continued from page 1

Palestinians. Republicans remain overwhelmingly sympathetic toward the Israelis,” Gallup noted.

YouGov, a public opinion and data company, asked U.S. adults in February about sympathies regarding the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Whereas 25% of 30-44 year-olds said they are more sympathetic to Israelis, 21% said they are more sympathetic to Palestinians. Among 18-29 year-olds, however, 21% said they are more sympathetic to Israelis, while 23% said they are more sympathetic to Palestinians.

Salzman said she’s aware of data demonstrating generational shifts in attitude toward Israel.

“Anecdotally, there is a real sort of sense of despair amongst many Israelis right now, feeling like the whole world is kind of against us,” she said. “There’s something very exhausting about what we’re all going through.”

Programs like the May 1 Yom Ha’Atzmaut event are essential, she continued. “Seeing American Jews, or Jews around the world that are coming out in support of Israel is really a morale boost. It’s incredibly important. It gives us a little bit more of a sense of solidarity that we need to keep going.”

Pittsburghers should come together “to

Yeshiva:

show that the American Jewish community is united in their support for Israel,” Salzman stressed. “Oftentimes, some of these fringe or extreme organizations like to make it seem like there are lots of Jews that don’t support Israel. But the reality is just the vast majority of Jews do.”

The same Gallup polling indicating a 25-year low among Americans’ support for Israel still found that, overall, more U.S. adults are sympathetic to the Israelis than to the Palestinians.

Similarly, YouGov noted that among all adults asked about the ongoing conflict, 30% said they are more sympathetic to the Israelis, 17% said they are more sympathetic to the Palestinians, 27% said they are “about equal” and 26% said they are “not sure.”

Shawn Brokos, Federation’s director of community security, said she’s had several meetings with both public safety officials and police officers about the upcoming program.

“I have no doubt that it will be a safe and

enjoyable event for all,” she said. Pittsburghers should “make it a priority” to participate in the Yom Ha’Atzmaut program, Salzman said. “The faith and the destiny of the Jewish people is intertwined with Israel, and we need each other.”

Registration for the May 1 event, which is required, is available at jewishpgh.org/ occasion/yom. PJC

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

Continued from page 1

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh requested a governance audit of the insti tution in 2019.

While Yeshiva Schools and the Lubavitch Center of Pittsburgh were separate legal entities, Oster said, they were entwined operationally, and their finances were comingled. Because the two organizations had distinct missions, he said, the auditors recommended Yeshiva formally decouple from the Lubavitch Center — a recommen dation approved by the Yeshiva board. The process of separating began under the leadership of Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld, then Yeshiva’s CEO.

Negotiations began at that time to reach a long-term cooperation agreement between Yeshiva and the Lubavitch Center, Oster said.

In July 2020, the organizations formally decoupled and signed a “Perpetual Cooperation Agreement,” which was amended in 2021 to address several issues not in the original agreement, such as the ownership of sefer Torahs and religious books, insurance, security, janitorial services, building maintenance, operation of the mikvah and the sale of a dormitory, according to Oster.

as the umbrella organization for all Chabad institutions in the region, including both the Lubavitch Center and Yeshiva Schools.

In September 2020, Rabbi Yossi Rosenblum was appointed Yeshiva Schools CEO and head of school, succeeding Rosenfeld, who led the school for more than 40 years. Rosenfeld remains both the head shaliach of western Pennsylvania and the rabbi of the Lubavitch Center. He said that Chabad of Western Pennsylvania serves

As the two organizations worked to implement the amended cooperation agreement, Oster said, disagreements arose that were brought to a rabbinic arbitrator, who handed down final rulings on all matters except for a last bequest valued at $560,000.

The arbitrator resigned in July 2023, and according to Oster, the two parties have been unable to agree on the forum for future rabbinic arbitration about other disagreements.

Leaders of Merkos L’Inyonie Chinuch cited Yeshiva’s unwillingness to participate in a beis din, or Jewish court, as the reason it delisted the school.

Rosenfeld agreed that the disputes belong before a beis bin

“According to Jewish law,” he said, “disputes between Jewish institutions must be brought before a beis din for resolution. We are committed to abiding by the ruling of the beis din.”

Yeshiva officials say the issues between the two organizations should be determined in a secular court and have filed three legal actions against the Lubavitch Center in

the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. According to Oster, the actions seek either injunctive relief to compliance with arbitration rulings or equitable relief to compel specific performance of a contract provision.

The complaints allege that the PCA and its addendum are in full effect and specify: the sale of 2142 Wightman from the Lubavitch Center to Yeshiva Schools for $300,000; certain donations should be given to Yeshiva by the Lubavitch Center; and, that Lubavitch congregants must vacate the building at the time previously agreed upon when school/ camp is in session, as laid out in the PCA and addendum.

While Rosenfeld would prefer to see these issues before a beis din, Oster said there is no role for either a beis din or another arbitrator.

“The only venue for resolution of those cases is in secular court,” he said, but added that the parties have begun to negotiate an out-of-court settlement that would resolve all three cases.

“If an out-of-court settlement can be reached, Yeshiva would accordingly drop all three cases,” he said.

For his part, Rosenfeld continues to view the beis din as the proper avenue to resolve these issues. He said if Yeshiva Schools decides to abide by the directives of the Jewish court, it can again be listed by the Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch.

“It is truly unfortunate that it has come to this,” he said. PJC

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

p Holiday cookies celebrating Israel cottonbro studio via Pexels

p Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh

Photo by Lauren Rosenblatt

p Tel Aviv Adam Grabek via Pexels

‘Genocidal Josh’ and the

dangerous

normalization of antisemitic rhetoric

— EDITORIAL —

Just days after a pro-Palestinian arsonist tried to murder Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family on the first night of Passover by firebombing their residence, a local group called Steel City Food Not Bombs posted a photo of Shapiro on social media, with the caption “Make Genocidal Politicians Afraid Again.” The photo was accompanied by the song “Kill A Politician.”

The irony of a group called “Food Not Bombs” celebrating the actual firebombing of the governor’s home might be almost comical, if it weren’t so abhorrent.

The man who was arrested for attempting to kill the governor told police that he was motivated by anger because of what Shapiro “wants to do to the Palestinian people.”

It’s unclear exactly what he meant by that, what power he thinks the governor of Pennsylvania has over the lives of people in the Middle East. But it’s not the first time Shapiro has been vilified for reasons connected to Israel’s defensive war against the terrorist group Hamas.

Last summer, Shapiro was a frontrunner to be Kamala Harris’ running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket. There were three other frontrunners at the time — Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, who was ultimately chosen. While all four men had pro-Israel records, Shapiro was the only one relentlessly attacked by progressives because of his support for Israel — and the only one who is Jewish.

The campaign to keep Shapiro off the ticket was pushed by the Democratic Socialists of America and a Twitter feed called “No Genocide Josh,” organized in part by “Dear White Staffers,” a social media account that Jewish Insider reported is run by a staffer for Squirrel Hill’s congressional representative, Summer Lee.

As Yair Rosenberg noted in The Atlantic at the time, “There are no viral memes against ‘Killer Kelly’ or ‘War-Crimes Walz.’”

But “Genocidal Josh” was nonetheless all over social media. And now the moniker is being weaponized by a Pittsburgh-based group whose ostensible purpose is to feed the hungry.

It’s hard to say for sure whether the firebomber was motivated by the “Genocidal Josh” campaign of last summer.

But what we do know for sure is that the normalization of online hate can and has inspired antisemites to commit violent and deadly acts. The Pittsburgh synagogue shooter, who murdered 11 people from three congregations in the Tree of Life building in 2018, for example, was radicalized by antisemitic rhetoric online.

Steel City Food Not Bombs is not the only local group posting vile antisemitic content. There are several. A few months ago, for example, one of those groups ran “wanted posters” with the photos of several Jews and allies of Jews, saying they were wanted for complicity in genocide.

Hate speech is generally protected by the First Amendment, unless it incites imminent violence, or could be reasonably interpreted as an immediate threat to do harm. We need those protections to remain in place in order to preserve our democracy.

But that doesn’t mean there is nothing we can do.

Facebook, Instagram, X and other

social media platforms have community standards that, if violated, could result in accounts being suspended or banned, so it’s important to report harmful posts that could incite violence.

It’s also important to call out antisemitism when you see it. While in the case of Shapiro, there was a veil of political criticism, that veil was thin and transparent.

Moreover, it’s essential that we urge our elected officials to call out antisemitism regardless of its source and even if it comes from their political allies.

The Anti-Defamation League reported this week that it recorded 9,354 antisemitic incidents across the country in 2024, a number almost 10 times that recorded a decade ago, in 2014.

Antisemitic violence will not be quelled unless antisemitic rhetoric is exposed for what it is. Sometimes it rears its head in obvious ways and sometimes it hides behind politics. But as it continues to surge in 21st-century America, we must address all of it. PJC

How this Marc Chagall painting explains Pope Francis’ soul

Guest Columnist

Talya Zax

“Pain is depicted there with serenity,” said Pope Francis of his favorite painting, Marc Chagall’s “White Crucifixion.”

He’s right. The 1938 painting, which Chagall, then living in France, produced in reaction to horrifying Nazi crimes against Jews, is a show case of ordered disorder. In it, a Jewish Jesus on the cross, his lower half covered by a folded tallis, is surrounded by a series of tableaus depicting Jewish suffering. A synagogue is set on fire by a man wearing what was once clearly a Nazi armband. (Chagall eventually painted over the swastika.) A man fleeing an unseen menace, a Torah cradled in his arms, glances backward to check for pursuers. Above the cross, the spirit of a rabbi — seemingly deaf to the animated discussion of the other Jewish spirits surrounding him — weeps.

said Francis, who first saw the painting in 2015, after long adoring it from afar.

But expressions of hopelessness in the painting, which is held by the Art Institute of Chicago but not currently on view, are easier to identify.

situation at the time, he said in 2023, “was really very confused and uncertain.” He himself faced (and adamantly denied) accusations that he was in part responsible for the regime’s capture of two fellow Jesuits, who subsequently faced months of torture.

Once someone has survived the kind of suffocating fear that a regime like that in Argentina, r that of the Nazis, can create, perhaps they simply see suffering differently. And if you look carefully, you can see that suggestion within Chagall’s painting. It’s not quite the idea that to accept suffering is noble. It is that there is a kind of fragile peace to be found in the act of surviving what might seem unsurvivable.

That peace comes through in the blank spaces of “White Crucifixion” — the unearthly pale landscape on which the scenes of brutal persecution play out. There is a glorious stillness in that whiteness; it appears to freeze the destruction occurring in each quadrant of the painting.

world. And no such engagement can avoid the things that are terribly beautiful about it, either. “All our interior world is reality,” Chagall said in a 1944 interview. “Perhaps more so than our apparent world.” To experience the apparent and interior worlds with equal acuity — apparent pain, interior capacity for grace — is to understand life, and to understand life is holy.

For Chagall, who would eventually flee France following the Nazi occupation, “White Crucifixion” marked the start of a series of paintings in which he envisioned Christ as an emblem of Jewish persecution. Many of the works that followed are characterized by a visceral panic. To look, say, at “Persecution,” from 1941, or “Apocalypse en Lilas (Capriccio),” painted between 1945 and 1947, is to feel a horror that is, in its immediacy, nearly physically painful.

Pain depicted with serenity. The honest truth of the world’s brutality and injustice, approached with grace. A beautiful accounting of absolute ugliness. Francis’ love for an artwork that brings together so many experiences of misery — pogroms, desecrations, forced migrations with no clear endpoint, grief, derision, isolation — told a powerful implicit story about how the pontiff saw the world, and his holy role within it. Francis, who spoke about Chagall’s painting in a 2010 biography, died Monday at 88. That he passed mere hours after Easter, a celebration of Christ’s resurrection post-crucifixion, deepens the resonance of his reaction to the Chagall. There are eras of darkness in the world; they are followed by eras of light. The violence of

The bearded man in the lower left corner, his face gaunt and arms flung open in a gesture of terrified appeasement. (A placard hung around his neck once read “Ich bin Jude,” or “I am a Jew”; Chagall eventually scrubbed the phrase, like the swastika, from the image.) The figure of the wandering Jew — a persistent trope for Chagall — bent forward against the wind, eyes closed in resignation. Even Christ himself, the corners of his mouth turned down, as if departing the world in a state of profound disappointment.

So how could Francis see any hope in the image? Perhaps because of his own experience of life in a society under siege. Born in Argentina, he witnessed firsthand the miseries of military dictatorship in the 1970s. The

One could pessimistically interpret this juxtaposition of violence and encompassing quiet as a suggestion that no part of life can be separate from pain, and that moments of respite are only illusory. Or one could, more optimistically, see it as an affirmation of an opposite idea: that to realize the best of human nature is to access the respite alongside the pain.

Christ, in the center, is a fulcrum for the tragedies unfolding around him. They appear to almost radiate from him, as if, in death, he has opened the great wounds of the world up to mortal sight. But he is caught in a different radiance, too: A vast beam of sunlight, cutting through the dark smoke from the burning synagogue, engulfs him. He is experiencing the greatest pain, and, at the same time, the greatest glory.

No honest engagement with reality can avoid the many things that are terribly wrong with our

There is no easy way to maintain the kind of balance Chagall realized in “White Crucifixion.” Life has a way of kicking equilibrium out of us. In December, Pope Francis viewed the painting in person for the last time, when it was briefly exhibited in Rome as part of a celebration of Holy Year, a Catholic celebration that traditionally takes place every quarter century.

The jubilee, Francis said in a prayer before visiting the painting, “will be a message of hope for humanity which is so tried by crises and wars.” He gave it a theme: “pilgrims of hope.” He understood, very well, the violence of the world he was about to leave. And he understood, like Chagall, that any experience of peace within that world was something to strive for — not something guaranteed. PJC

Talya Zax is opinion editor of the Forward, where this story was originally published. To get the Forward’s free email newsletters delivered to your inbox, go to forward.com/ newsletter-signup.

Opinion

Chronicle poll results: U.S.-Iran talks

Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an online poll the following question: “Do you believe current U.S.Iran diplomatic talks will successfully prevent military conflict?” Of the 200 people who responded, 63% said no, 12% said yes and 25% said they weren’t sure. Comments were submitted by 43 people. A few follow.

The Iranians will never abandon their nuclear weapons program. Iran has never been weaker. We should destroy their program.

It depends on how seriously Iran takes Israeli and U.S. intentions to strike if no deal is reached. Russia could be a big help here if Washington gives the Russians some fresh incentives.

The current administration fawns over dictators and adversaries, while trying to bully allies and friendly nations. I don’t see how either approach will result in a successful negotiated settlement with Iran.

I don’t know if I trust any of our government officials. I doubt the honesty of most.

Do you believe current U.S.-Iran diplomatic talks will successfully prevent military conflict?

Their only concern is remaining in their positions and keeping their salaries and perks.

This is the same president who withdrew from the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal) in 2018. Why would we think he has realistic or honorable intentions when he is supporting Russia against Ukraine and Netanyahu against a reasonable ceasefire deal for Gaza?

In fact, Trump was recently shown on TV saying Ukraine had started the conflict. Let’s get real and build credibility with our allies.

The Iranians cannot be trusted. The current regime needs to be removed and a new government inserted.

I have zero trust in the current administration and policies of the United States government and I have never trusted Iran.

The negotiation certainly had to be tried, but a regime bent on destruction of all not like them is unlikely to negotiate in good faith.

Will we not learn from history? The scorpion will do what’s in its nature.

The administration is looking for conflict to feather the nests of defense contractors.

Iran’s talks are all lies. Their words are deceitful, their promises are lies and their intents are unchanged. Diplomats who

believe what Iran promises or agrees to are having the wool pulled over their eyes. Iran has used diplomatic talks as time extensions to create themselves into a nuclear power. History has shown this to be true.

Anyone who talks to Donald Trump is wasting their time. You can’t believe a word he says.

I sincerely hope so, but this president’s idea of diplomacy is threats rather than negotiation, and threats open all sorts of negative doors.

President Trump has vowed that Iran will never get its hands on nuclear weapons. This is heartening, and it is more than what previous administrations would openly state. PJC

— Compiled by Toby Tabachnick

Chronicle weekly poll question: Do you think Pope Francis improved relations with the Jewish world? Go to pittsburghjewish chronicle.org to respond. PJC

Good character? Look at his posts

In “New evidence revealed against defendant in Chabad and Jewish Federation vandalism case” (April 18), the Chronicle reported that Mohamad Hamad filed a motion to be released from home detention on the grounds that he was not guilty of any violation while under 152 days of detention. Letters were submitted by his friends (who are these “friends”?) attesting to his good character. Judging by his social media posts, he desires to be a shaheed (martyr) and wants to kill Jews. He posted an image of himself holding a weapon.

We should consider ourselves very fortunate that he is under detention for antisemitic vandalism and not for mass murder. Good character? Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7 slaughter, spent years in an Israeli prison. Was he a “model prisoner”? Many Hamas terrorists spent time in Israeli prisons. Most likely they were well behaved, biding their time until they were free and had a chance, once again, to commit new terrorist acts.

The most frightening fact is, according to the Department of Justice website, even if convicted, Hamad’s maximum penalty for vandalism is two years in prison.

This guy is a ticking time bomb, as is any individual who identifies himself or herself as a member of Hamas. Unfortunately it’s only a matter of time before Hamad will be out of detention. What innocents will pay the price for his release?

Jewish education is vital to our survival

Mitchell Nyer Pittsburgh

Yasher koach to Mendy Cohen for his op-ed in the April 18 edition of the Chronicle (“If we want Jewish life to survive, we must invest in the living”).

I am 81 years old. Unfortunately, my generation was never formally taught about the beauty and richness of our Judaism, and I left it at an early age.

Fortunately three miraculous circumstances helped me to return to my Judaism. First, a bubby who lived a meaningful Jewish life and planted the seed of Yiddishkeit in my soul. Then, a wife who established a warm and loving Jewish home in which we raised our two daughters. And, finally, and very importantly, a Hebrew day school where my daughters — and I — were taught about the wealth of our heritage and the wonder of living an everyday Jewish life,

We American Jews have been and continue to be free to practice our Judaism and we should take advantage of that fact by investing resources in our houses of worship and in Jewish education for our children. Our younger generation needs to learn about their history

— not only the worst we have experienced, but also about that thread of deep faith that is woven through the soul of every Jew, keeping us connected from generation to generation and place to place. It is on that collective memory that the younger generation will build a meaningful and rich Jewish present as well as insure a rich and meaningful future for their children and grandchildren.

The following is a quote from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, one of the most learned and caring Jewish scholars of modern times:

“What is at stake in our lives is more than the fate of one generation. In this moment we, the living, are the people of Israel. The tasks begun by the patriarchs, matriarchs and prophets, and carried out by countless Jews of the past, are now entrusted to us. No other group has superseded them. We are the only channel of Jewish tradition, those who must save Judaism from oblivion, those who must hand over the entire past to the generations to come. We are either the last, the dying, Jews or else we are those who will give new life to our tradition. Rarely in our history has so much been dependent upon one generation. We shall either forfeit or enrich the legacy of the ages.”

Howard Meyerowitz Pittsburgh

Peace seekers should call for Hamas surrender

In regard to “Pope Francis’ final speech called for ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza war” (online, April 21): Unfortunately, Hamas is demanding that all Israeli troops be withdrawn from Gaza as a condition for a ceasefire. But it is clear from Hamas’ vow to inflict multiple October 7s on Israel that the ceasefire would hold only until Hamas has regained enough strength to attack Israel again.

Certainly, the release of the hostages is very important to Israel. But a premature withdrawal of Israeli troops will mean that more hostages will be taken when Hamas regains strength and attacks Israel again.

All true peace seekers should be urging Hamas to surrender, ordering its fighters to lay down their arms. The end of hostilities should be followed by a restructuring of the Palestinian educational system, aimed at undoing decades of anti-Jewish/anti-Zionist indoctrination. If the Palestinians are ever to have the state their leaders have been claiming to want, it must agree to coexist, peaceably, with the nation-state of the Jews.

Toby F. Block Atlanta, Georgia

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. Send letters to: letters@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org or Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, 5915 Beacon St., 5th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

We regret that owing to the volume of correspondence, we cannot reply to every letter.

Life & Culture

Jewish actor Nick Berke returns to Pittsburgh with ‘Come From Away’

By David Rullo | Senior Sta Writer

Even before being cast in “Come From Away,” Nick Berke was excited by the musical.

“I saw it when it was in previews on Broadway in, like, 2016 and immediately, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is one of the best things I’ve ever seen.’”

So, when the opportunity arose for Berke to audition for the show that “had been living rent free in my brain,” he said, he leaped at the chance.

“I was like, ‘I absolutely have to,’ I jumped at the opportunity,” he said.

Berke is a standby in the touring company of “Come From Away,” running at the Benedum Center May 2 through May 4.

He’s responsible for knowing four parts — two primary assignments and two secondary assignments.

And while that might seem like a lot, Berke prefers it to being cast in just one role for the duration of a run.

“It keeps me afloat and keeps it interesting for me,” he said. “It’s constantly changing. I don’t think it would be as enjoyable an experience if I was just playing one role every day.”

“Come From Away,” he said, is a tricky musical — there are just 12 actors, who are

essentially always on stage, with only very brief opportunities to run backstage for a drink of water or to check their notes — and by learning four roles, Berke has an opportunity to understand the entire musical and each of the characters.

Berke enjoys the challenges of being a standby, or swing actor, he said. It’s the same thing he did in the traveling productions of “Fiddler on the Roof” and “My Fair Lady.”

“It’s kind of what I’ve made my career and my reputation doing,” he said.

In fact, he said, it’s the ability to be flexible and adapt that has attributed to his continued employment — he’s been in the touring companies of not just “Fiddler on the Roof” and “My

Fair Lady,” but also “A Chorus Line” and a host of regional theater productions.

“Come From Away” tells the story of airline passengers stranded in the town of Gander, Newfoundland, when their planes are diverted after 9/11, and the town’s residents who helped house and feed the passengers.

Berke said the show is non-stop action, noting that it’s an hour and 42 minutes with no intermission.

“The scenes are not long, the songs are not long,” he said. “It moves really, really, really fast.”

And, at times, he said, it feels like acting without a net.

“The singing is harder in ‘Come From Away’ because it’s not traditional with the sopranos

singing this, and the altos singing that, in a giant ensemble of people,” he said. “It’s much more personal to the role and character you’re playing. Most often you are only one of two people singing so if you forget, or if it’s wrong, you’re really exposed.”

Berke credits musical theater, specifically the time he spent in the cast of “Fiddler on the Roof,” with reconnecting him to his Jewish identity.

“I lost touch with it a bit,” he said, “not for any specific reason, it just wasn’t the focus of my life.” His recommitment, he said, occurred slowly and gradually and has been focused more on cultural components than religious ones. Berke said he adheres to the sentiment from the opening number of “Fiddler”: tradition.

“I feel as though that’s the strongest tenet of my Jewish identity, how I uphold traditions and pass them down. That’s how most of my family feels as well, versus, like, actually practicing or going to a synagogue,” he said.

Connecting his Judaism back to “Come From Away,” Berke said there is a song about religion called “Prayer,” which recaps and memorializes the faiths of the people stranded in Newfoundland.

“It’s essentially a gorgeous musical montage of all these different faiths,” he said. “There’s a rabbi who sings ‘Oseh Shalom,’ and has a very meaningful connection with a person in the town — all of this is real and actually happened

Photo by Evan Zimmerman

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Life & Culture

Potato leek soup

By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but the photo of this cream soup in a bowl simply doesn’t do it justice. It looks plain and pale yet it tastes incredibly good.

This is my version of the classic French vichyssoise soup. It’s typically made with both chicken stock and cream, so I modified it to be a kosher dairy soup.

Vichyssoise is traditionally served cold; I serve it that way in the warmer months but I enjoy it even more when it’s warm. The flavor is subtle and family-friendly.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

6 cups sliced leeks

1 cup diced onion

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups water

2 tablespoons pareve chicken consommé powder

4 large Yukon gold potatoes, about 2 pounds, peeled and cut into chunks

1 ½ cups heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional spice: pinch of nutmeg

Optional garnish: chives or parsley

Leeks vary widely in size so it’s hard to say how many you will need for the recipe — 4 or 5 large leeks should be more than enough. When I have extra, I just sauté them all then remove them from the pot before adding the other ingredients for the soup. You can freeze the extra leeks to have on hand; they’re excellent in quiche or in leek fritters (edjeh).

Cleaning the leeks of all sandy dirt is the most important task in this recipe. Remove the outer layers and wash off any obvious dirt. Cut off the dark green tops — you can clean those as well and make a vegetable broth if you like. Many recipes suggest using only the white part, but I’ve not had any

issues using the light, spring green middle part of the leek as well.

Slice off the bottom end and cut each leek in half lengthwise, then soak them in a pot of cool water for about 15 minutes. Any sandy dirt should fall to the bottom of

Cut the leeks into thin slices. Put them in a colander and rinse them again.

Start with a large pot over medium-low heat and add the butter and onion. Sauté for 5 minutes before adding the leeks to

Cook the leeks, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes or until they are soft and tender. Reduce the heat if necessary to keep the butter from burning.

While the leeks are cooking, prepare the potatoes. Add the potatoes, water and consommé powder to the pot. The consommé may be salty, so don’t add extra salt at this point.

Raise the heat to medium until the liquid is gently bubbling, then reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cover the pot and simmer for about a half-hour or until the potatoes are tender. Add one cup of cream to the pot, cover and let cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove the pot from heat and puree the soup while it’s hot. You can use an immersion blender or a large blender that can handle hot liquids; either way, make

sure the soup is smooth and free of any lumps.

Put the pot back on the stove over a low flame.

Since I’m already knee deep in heavy cream and butter, I stir in an extra half-cup of cream and allow it to cook for another 5 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste. White pepper will not be visible in the soup but you can use fine ground black pepper if you don’t have white pepper. You can add a pinch of nutmeg if you choose. If you’re unsure about the nutmeg, take a ladle’s worth out and stir in a tiny bit of nutmeg to see if you like it before adding it to the pot.

This soup is traditionally garnished with fresh chives but I don’t think it needs them for flavor; they just add a little color for the sake of presentation. A pinch of finely chopped parsley also does the trick if you want a bit of contrast.

Serve this hot or allow the pot to cool completely before refrigerating. It rewarms nicely but must be heated over a low flame to keep the mixture from scorching on the bottom of the pot.

This soup is excellent served with quiche or a fish meal. Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.

Photo by Jessica Grann

Torah Celebrations

A leader from within

Justin and Stephanie Keats Samakow joyfully announce the birth of their son, Reid Keats Samakow , born Feb. 28, 2025, in New York City, New York. Reid Keats is named in loving memory of his greatgrandmother Gloria Wedner. Proud grandparents are Debbi and Tommy Samakow of Boca Raton, Florida, formally from Squirrel Hill, and Marie and Steven Keats of Lake Worth, Florida, and Woodland Hills, California. PJC

After G-d forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the golden calf, He commanded them to build Him a home, the Mishkan. Moshe led the effort and within five months it was completed to perfection. On Rosh Chodesh Nissan, Aharon the Kohen Gadol brought the first official sacrifices, and a Heavenly fire descended to accept them. The Divine presence had returned.

But leading up to that moment, there was uncertainty. For seven days, Moshe conducted practice runs in the Mishkan with Aharon and his sons, yet no Heavenly fire appeared. The people were anxious. Had G-d really forgiven them? Was He ready to dwell among them?

the people, but beside them. While Moshe was the “companion of the King,” seeing the grand vision from above, Aharon was the “companion of the Queen,” walking with the people through their trials and imperfections.

There are two kinds of leaders: those who see the destination, and those who walk the path with us. The visionary breathes perfection. But the guide in the trenches understands the turbulence of the journey, the doubts, the setbacks, the need for compassion along the way.

Aharon was that kind of leader. He didn’t just bring sacrifices; he brought empathy. He didn’t just know holiness; he knew people. That’s why he was the one who could truly plead for their forgiveness, and why the people could turn to him in their most broken moments.

A true leader is like a lifeguard. If a child is drowning R”L, the lifeguard doesn’t stay

Moshe reassured them: “Only my brother Aharon can bring this to completion.” When he assumes his role on the eighth day, the final step of forgiveness will be complete.

dry on the high chair delivering lectures on water safety. He jumps in. He gets wet. He shares the danger to save a life.

But why Aharon? Wasn’t he involved in the sin itself? When the people panicked at Moshe’s delayed return from Sinai, it was Aharon who was involved in fashioning the golden calf, though he was trying to delay disaster. So how could he now be the one to bring atonement?

The Talmud states: “Ein kateigor na’aseh saneigor,” a prosecutor cannot become a defender. That’s why we don’t wear gold jewelry on Yom Kippur — it reminds us too much of the sin we’re trying to atone for. And yet, Aharon, who played a role in that very sin, became the people’s advocate. Why? Because Aharon understood brokenness. He knew the messiness of human struggle. He was a leader who didn’t stand above

When they were children, the Rebbe Rashab once played “Rebbe and Chossid” with his brother, the Raz”a. When the Raz”a offered advice to the “Chossid,” upon hearing his request for guidance in a bothersome matter, the young Rashab said, “You’re not a real Rebbe.” “Why not?” asked his brother. “Because,” he answered, “a real Rebbe would have sighed, with a feeling of pain for the issue, before giving guidance.”

Aharon sighed. He felt our pain. And that’s why his efforts were needed to finally bring the Divine presence amongst the Jewish people. PJC

Rabbi Mendy Schapiro is the director of Chabad of Monroeville. This column is a service of the Vaad Harabonim of Greater Pittsburgh

Rabbi Mendy Schapiro Parshat Shemini Leviticus 9:1 – 11:47

Obituaries

Harriet Baum, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Beloved wife of Raymond N. Baum; devoted mother of Erica Baum (Hal D.) Coffey of Pittsburgh, and Kevin M. (Alyson Eberhardt) Baum of Exeter, New Hampshire; sister of Alan B. (Nance) Davidson; adoring grandmother to Maxwell and Amelie Baum, and Eli and Zachary Coffey. Harriet was born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 4, 1945. She moved to Pittsburgh in 1949. Harriet attended the University of Michigan before attending the University of Pittsburgh for her BA of education, and Boston University for her MA of special education. She married Raymond N. Baum on Aug. 23, 1968. Harriet dedicated her professional life to assisting people with mental and intellectual challenges, first as child development specialist at the Putnam Clinic in Boston, then at the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. She served as base service director at Mon Yough Community Services supervising a large staff of social workers and other professionals, providing supportive services throughout the Mon Valley. Harriet’s ultimate professional challenge and success was as executive director of NAMI Southwest, dedicated to improving the lives of children, adolescents, adults and families affected by mental illness through recovery-focused support, education and advocacy. Harriet helped grow NAMI Southwest tenfold and began a new era of effective services. As a CASA (Child Appointed Special Advocate) appointed by the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Harriet devoted many years to working with children and families who were involved in the family court system. In her role as a CASA, she spoke up for children who had been abused and neglected by spending time with them and advocating for them in the courts and social support systems. Harriet served on the advisory committee to the Howard Levin Clubhouse. Harriet was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in December, 2018. She went into remission until about a year ago. She died from a very rare complication from her treatment. Harriet fought valiantly and bravely for over eight months, never complaining, and always working to recover. She died with her family by her side. Harriet was a loving and wonderful mother and grandmother. Her professional knowledge of child develop ment, common sense and insight helped her raise two caring, competent and empathetic children, and was leaned upon by her friends and neighbors. Harriet kept her friends close and forever. A memorial service in honor of Harriet will be held at Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Avenue (at Morewood Avenue) on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 12 noon. Contributions may be made to NAMI Keystone (namikeystonepa.org) 105 Braunlich Drive, McKnight Plaza, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 and The Branch (Howard Levin Clubhouse) 2609 Murray Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com

COHEN: Diane Roth Cohen, on Sunday, April 19, 2025. Beloved wife of Nat Cohen; loving mother of Jason (fiancé Eric Golden) Cohen, Geoffrey Cohen and Abby Cohen; beloved daughter of Ruth and the late Gerald Roth; sister of Martin Roth. Diane was a longtime employee at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She was a loving mentor to her students and treated them as if they were her own family. Graveside service and interment were held at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Global Links (Globallinks. org) 700 Trumbull Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205, or Hello Neighbor (helloneighbor.io) 6587 Hamilton Avenue #1E, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com

GOLDSTEIN: Howard Goldstein, beloved husband, father, Zayde and proud Pittsburgher, passed away on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at the age of 75. A pianist, singer and leader, he directed the JCC of the South Hills and was vice president at California University of Pennsylvania. He is survived by his wife, Helene, son Weston, daughter Melanie, son-in-law Joe, grandchildren Autumn, Hayden and Adeline, and his dog, Daisy. Family and friends were received Monday, April 21, 2025, at Thompson-Miller Funeral Home, Inc., 124 E. North St., Butler, PA 16001, for a funeral service with Ben Vincent of Congregation B’nai Abraham officiating. He was laid to rest in B’nai Abraham Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider memorial donations in Howard’s name to either Congregation B’nai Abraham, 519 N. Main St., Butler, PA 16001, or Butler Co. Humane Society, 1015 Evans City Rd, Renfrew, PA 16053.

Stephanie A Katz, born July 15, 1965, passed away in Daytona Beach, Florida, on April 18, 2025. She is the daughter of Ronald and Julia Katz. Sister of the late Tracey Katz. Granddaughter of Bessie and Izzy Hering. Donations can be made to the Blind Association. Service is private.

Please see Obituaries, page 20

D’Alessandro Funeral Home and Crematory Ltd.

“Always A Higher Standard”

A. D’Alessandro,

Jerry Gomberg & Daughters

Alan Korobkin

Donald & Lois Lewis

Stan & Nikol Marks

Maxine & Larry Myer

Peggy, Scott, Gregg and Todd Offenbach

Sylvia Pearl Plevin

Larry Plevin

Lynn & Jeff Rosenthal

Sandra Schanfarber

Sandra Schanfarber

Linda & Martin Supowitz

Susan Weiner

Joseph Weiss

Stephanie & Nicole Zinman

Contact the Development department at 412-586-2690 or development@jaapgh.org for more information. THIS WEEK’S YAHRZEITS —

Sunday April 27: Joseph Abraham Abady, Jacob Ash, Joseph A. Block, Selma Winograd Cohen, Max Felder, Mollie Fiman, Abraham Friedman, Jacob Goldman, Clarence Gomberg, Harry Hertz, Bella Hostein, Pearl Janowitz, Fae Greenstein Klein, Rose Lebowitz, Jacob Levinson, Morton (Bud) Litowich, Bessie Mallinger, Anna M. Oppenheim, Morris Pearlman, Evelyn M. Perlmutter, Meyer Schlessinger, Alvin Silverman, Ethel Weiss

Monday April 28: Shirley Bilder, Ruth Fleser Coplon, Blanche Epstein, Alfred Gordon, Harry Greenberg, Fannie Horowitz, Tillie G. Kubrin, Joseph Lederer, William Lewis, Edward Mermelstein, Hannah W. Pink, Albert Silverberg, Annabelle M. Topp, Florence P. Wedner, Louis Zacks

Tuesday April 29: S. Abel Alterman, Louis Berman, Florence Cohen, Lillian Finn, Bertha Goodman, Harry M. Greenberger, Sidney Greenberger, Sadie Klein, Frederick Knina, Stanley Slifkin, Karl Zlotnik

Wednesday April 30: Elias Bloomstein, William Bowytz, Samuel Broffman, Mollie Goisner Dugan, Saul Feldman, Milton E. Golanty, Anna Goldblum, Celia Greenfield, Eva Korobkin, Reba Lazar, Anna Miller, Sarah Offstein, Rose Orringer, Martha Rosen, Bella Siegal, William H. Whitman, Eva Grossman Willinger

Thursday May 1: Louis Americus, Isadore Berman, Hyman Caplan, Isadore Abraham Frand, Lea S. Golomb, Ida Greenberg, David L. Gusky, Arthur Samuel Herskovitz, Max Hochhauser, Dora Berman Horwitz, Sam Lurie, Celia Marcus, Sadie Mullen, Jack Offenbach, Lee Calvin Plevin, Dolores K. Rubin, Philip L. Silver, Helen Strauchler, Gertrude W. Supowitz, Phillip Tevelin

Friday May 2: Bella H. Cohen, Edith Pichel Davis, Sheila Dobrushin, Paul Leipzig, Abe I. Levinson, Saul Mandel, Louis M. Myers, Morris B. Pariser, Wolf Shoag, Joseph M. Swartz, Louis Wolf, George Zeidenstein

Saturday May 3: Max Azen, Gilbert Bernstein, Sonia Firestone, Herman Frankel, Lena Sanes Goldman, Barbara Gross, Solomon Hahn, Shirley Lebovitz, Donald Lester Lee, Harriet Berkowitz Linder, Harold Leo Lippman, Sam Littman, Moss A. Ostwind, Hilda Stern Press, Samuel Raphael, Dr. William Reiner, Carl Rice, Goldie Rosenshine, Scott Samuels, Rev. Meyer Schiff, David Shussett, George Teplitz

“Every

Obituaries:

WHITMAN: Gerda Joan Rice Whitman, 96, died peacefully at home surrounded by family on April 18, 2025. Born in Pittsburgh on March 21, 1929, to Harry and Elizabeth (Braemer) Rice, Gerda grew up in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood and graduated from the Winchester School, class of 1947. She received a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College, class of 1951. Gerda worked for the University of Pittsburgh Press after graduation, putting her attention to detail and skills in English grammar and writing to good use. This lifelong love of language was instilled in her three children even as they grew to adulthood. In 1963, Gerda married Nelson Whitman, also of Pittsburgh, and a 62-year marriage began with a move to northern Virginia. There they raised three children, first living in Alexandria and then moving to Annandale. Gerda was active for many years in Girl Scouting, leading neighborhood troops and serving on the board of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital Council, where she received numerous awards for service. She was an avid collector of stuffed and collectable bears. Her collection numbers in the thousands. Visitors to the family home were often taken to meet the bears before meeting the rest of the human family. She was a supporter of the arts and a season ticketholder to ballet and opera at the Kennedy Center, and a longtime member of Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia. Above all, she was a devoted wife and mother, often volunteering at her children’s school activities and often serving as carpooler-in-chief. Family meant everything to her and she was always accepting and supportive of her children and family. Gerda is survived by her husband, Nelson, and three children, Frances (Bill) Ostendorf, Harriet (John) Dunkerley and Bernard (Constantin Mitides) Whitman. She is also survived by four grandchildren: James (Ashley) Ostendorf, Sally (Patrick) Ferrell, Zachary Whitman, Rosella Dunkerley; and five great-grandchildren: Ella, Sophia, Olivia and Noah Ostendorf, and Lillian Ferrell. She is also survived by her younger brother, Walter (Bonnie) Rice, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Contributions in her honor may be made to the World Wildlife Fund (protect.worldwildlife.org), the National Humane Society (nationalhumanesociety.org) or the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital (gscnc.org). Funeral services were held at Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia and in Pittsburgh. Interment West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. schugar.com PJC

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Life & Culture

Noa Argamani, ADL’s Jonathan Greenblatt among over a dozen Jews on 2025 TIME 100 list

By Grace Gilson | JTA

Former Israeli hostage Noa Argamani and Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt were included along with over a dozen Jews in Time Magazine’s 100 “Most Influential” list this year.

Their inclusion — in the “Leaders” and “Titans” sections of the annual list — points to the ongoing significance of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and its aftermath.

Argamani’s feature was written by Doug Emhoff, the Jewish husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris. Argamani was rescued from Hamas captivity last summer, eight months after video of her abduction from the Nova music festival became a symbol of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

Since then, Argamani has championed the release of the remaining hostages, including her partner Avinatan Or.

“I’m deeply honored to be included in the TIME 100 list and grateful that this recognition continues to shine a light on the hostage crisis and the horrific attacks of October 7th,” Argamani tweeted. “It’s a powerful reminder of the urgent need to keep speaking out.”

Greenblatt, who has been a leading — and often divisive — voice against antisemitism and

anti-Israel sentiment in the United States, credited his inclusion on the list to the broader work of the ADL in a post on X.

“I’m deeply moved & incredibly proud to be included on the 2025 #TIME100 list. This honor isn’t mine alone,” he wrote. “I share this with the entire ADL family & everyone who supports our mission to fight antisemitism & all forms of hate — wherever, whenever we see it.”

Here’s what you should know about the other Jewish notables on the Time 100 list (and the Jews from last year’s list):

Dario Amodei is the CEO of Anthropic, an AI startup that focuses on ethical obligation. He founded the company along with his sister

Daniela. Their mother is a Jew from Chicago, according to Wired.

Adrien Brody has earned two Oscars for best actor for his portrayals of Holocaust survivors. Most recently, he won the 2025 award for his lead role in “The Brutalist,” and used his award speech to describe his representation of the “lingering traumas and the repercussions of war” and the importance of combating hate.

Bobbi Brown is a cosmetics doyenne who has advocated for natural beauty, including celebrating her “Jewish” nose.

Larry Fink is a co-founder, chairman and CEO of the investment firm BlackRock. Born to Jewish parents in California, his success with BlackRock has made him a billionaire — and a champion of the ESG movement in investing.

Wendy Freedman is a Jewish CanadianAmerican astronomer whose breakthroughs have driven efforts to measure the universe. She was awarded the National Medal of Science in January.

Rashida Jones is an actress, writer, producer and filmmaker best known for her roles in television on “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.” She is the daughter of Jewish actress Peggy Lipton and Black music producer Quincy Jones, and has reflected on how her Black Jewish identity has shaped her life.

Alex Karp is a Jewish American billionaire and the co-founder and CEO of Palantir, a data-analytics firm that works with U.S. defense and intelligence agencies.

Josh Koskoff is a lawyer who represents the families of those who have lost their lives due

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with a person who talked about how he was Jewish. His parents were Jewish. They left Poland before the war. They got out and they told him as a little kid to never tell anyone he was Jewish. This was a secret, and this is the time he decides to tell people he’s Jewish.”

Berke said he’s fortunate that the rabbi is one of the primary parts he covers in the show.

When he’s not acting during a scene, Berke said he has the opportunity to sit back and watch, giving him the chance to exhale and find peace.

The actor is looking forward to returning to Pittsburgh. He was in the Steel City as part of the “Fiddler” cast in 2018. He said he self-identifies as a “foodie” and is thrilled to have the opportunity to revisit a few of his favorite

to gun violence in schools. In 2022, he won a $73 million settlement for the families of Sandy Hook victims from an arms manufacturer that produced the assault rifle used in the attack. He has said he inherited his propensity to fight for the underdog from his great-grandfather, a Jewish immigrant from Russia.

Howard Lutnick is the commerce secretary for the Trump administration. Prior to his appointment, he was the CEO of finance firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

Lorne Michaels is the creator of “Saturday Night Live,” one of the most influential comedy shows in American television history. Born Abraham Lipowitz in Toronto, he founded the show in 1975. It celebrated its 50th anniversary taping in February and featured many Jewish comedy greats.

Scarlett Johansson is an actress best known for her roles in “Lost in Translation” and Marvel’s “The Avengers” franchise. Born to a Jewish mother, the actress discovered that some of her ancestors died in the Warsaw Ghetto on a 2017 episode of “Finding Your Roots.”

Miranda July is a screenwriter and author whose book “All Fours” was a sensation when it came out last year. Her Jewish father adopted the surname Grossinger, July’s original last name, in homage to the Jewish Catskills resort where his family vacationed.

Claudia Sheinbaum became Mexico’s first female and first Jewish president this past summer with the campaign slogan “it’s time for women.” Her election made Mexico the biggest country to have a Jewish head of state.

Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Facebook and CEO of Meta, its parent company. Zuckerberg has said his Jewish identity is “very important” to him. His company, Meta, has recently received criticism from Jewish groups over its rollback of hate speech regulations on its platforms.

The list also includes at least one non-Jewish member of a Jewish family: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been vocal about holding Shabbat dinners every week with his wife, Victoria, who is Jewish.

And it includes at least one aspiring Jew: Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, who studies with a rabbi, loves Israel and has said he wants to convert to Judaism once he leaves office. PJC

haunts — Pamela’s and Primanti Bros., as well as Nicky’s Thai Kitchen.

“I like exploring the food and culture of different cities that we go to. Pittsburgh is up there,” he said.

The tour is the end of one chapter for the musical, whose rights will soon be available for purchase, meaning regional theater companies will be able to produce “Come From Away,” something Berke is looking forward to seeing.

“I’m excited to see what all these productions will look like and how they’ll do it. It’s very exciting,” he said.

Tickets for “Come From Away” are available at trustarts.org/production/94994/ list_performances. PJC

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

p ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt speaks onstage at ADL’s Never Is Now conference on March 3, 2025, in New York City.

Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

Berke:

Community

New friends from far Community Day School welcomed visiting students from Israel. The young adults were in Pittsburgh as part of the Diller Teen Fellows Program.

One more l’chaim Chabad House on Campus hosted a Chabad Bar Crawl for University of Pittsburgh

Learning on the go Bunny Bakes trainees visited Giant Eagle Bakery inside Market District at the The

Lifetime member

Longstanding Jewish professional Brian Schreiber was celebrated by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh during a surprise April 7 gathering. Before serving as chief external affairs officer and special advisor to the CEO, Schreiber was president and CEO of the Jewish

All

who are hungry

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh’s Center for Loving Kindness and Civic Engagement hosted a Passover celebration. The April 11 event featured remarks from Rabbi Hindy Finman and a reminder that the path from slavery to freedom must be recalled in every generation.

Modeling excellence

Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh Boys High School students finished third in the Lander College for Men Model Beis Din Tournament. The competition and retreat, which followed months of preparation by high school students, pitted eight teams against each other in a quest to utilize rabbinic sources for halachic (Jewish legal) analysis.

Jewish seniors.

p Raising glasses and making memories

Photo courtesy of Chabad House on Campus

p

p From dry-shod to Squirrel Hill

Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

Waterworks

Please support Corey O’Connor for Mayor because:

•He is a consistent and reliable ally of the Jewish Community, standing strong through both good times and challenges

•He is committed to ensuring that Pittsburgh has affordable housing and promotes homeownership across the city

•He is the only candidate that can work together with our Governor and others to secure immediate, critical investments to fix our roads and bridges

•He is proudly endorsed by five City Council members who work with the mayor daily and trust Corey O’Connor to deliver real results for all of Pittsburgh

Corey O’Connor is endorsed by:

•Allegheny County Democratic Committee

•14th Ward Independent Democratic Committee

•Young Democrats of Allegheny County

•College Democrats at Pitt

•Pittsburgh Paramedics and EMTs

•Labor Unions: Teamsters, Ironworkers, Laborers, Plumbers, Steamfitters, Building Trade Councils and others

•Five Member Majority of City Council: Erika Strassburger, Bobby Wilson, Theresa Kail-Smith, Anthony Coghill and Bob Charland

•State Representatives Dan Frankel and Abigail Salisbury

•State Senator Wayne Fontana

It is critical that each and every one of you vote for Corey O’Connor for Mayor in the Primary Election on May 20th.

PAID FOR BY COREY O’CONNOR FOR MAYOR