Issuu

September 11, 2026 | 29 Elul 5786

Candlelighting 7:17 p.m. | Havdalah 8:15 p.m. | Vol. 69, No. 37 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

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Headlines On our Rosh Hashanah cover, a tablecloth tells a story of craftsmanship and courage — ON THE COVER—

he artwork on our Rosh Hashanah cover was created with watercolor, acrylic and Sakura black marker on paper by local artist Yafa Negrete. Regarding the tablecloth design featured in the artwork, Negrete wrote: “The design was taken from a real Mexican tablecloth that I have at home, made by Mrs. Macedonia Blas Flores, a member of an Otomí community in the state of Querétaro, Mexico.” “Macedonia has dedicated herself to teaching women in her community, as well as women throughout Mexico and Latin

Artwork by Yafa Negrete

America, to stand up for their rights and leave situations of violence, which she herself experienced. Because of her work, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. Despite her important work, she lives in precarious conditions, and the sale of hand-embroidered handicrafts like this one helps support her large family.” The Nidje Israel Synagogue at Justo Sierra 71 supports Macedonia Blas’ work and also offers Judaica made by Mexican artisans. “For me,” Negrete said, “the tablecloth is more than a decorative element — it connects the artwork to Mexican craftsmanship, women’s empowerment and community.” PJC

p Yafa Negrete

Photo courtesy of Yafa Negrete

Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel victim of attempted tripping in Squirrel Hill — LOCAL— By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer

teenager attempted to trip Rabbi Moishe Mayir Vogel, inadvertently kicking him instead, according to the rabbi. The event occurred on Murray Avenue around 7:25 p.m. on Sept. 5, Vogel said. Vogel and his son were walking on the sidewalk when they approached a group of teens, he recalled. His son stepped

into the road and walked around the group. Vogel, not wanting to walk in the street, said, “Excuse me,” and most of the group moved. The offender, however, attempted to trip the rabbi. Vogel did not hear the teen use any antisemitic language. Witnesses called the police when the incident occurred. After the assault, the teen and his friends fled the scene and boarded a Pittsburgh Regional Transit Bus. Vogel spoke with the bus driver and stood in front of the bus until the police arrived.

He told the responding officers that he didn’t want to press charges. Instead, he wanted the “riot act” read to the teen. “He should never do this again,” Vogel said. “Not to me. Not to anyone. Don’t do stupid things.” The attacker may be lucky that Vogel was the attempted victim. He’s the executive director of the Aleph Institute’s Northeastern Regional Headquarters. The organization’s mission is to provide services to imprisoned Jewish men and women and their families. As a result, he’s aware of the consequences of getting caught up in the prison system.

“The idea that we stain someone for the rest of their lives is very painful,” Vogel said. “It destroys people for the rest of their lives, maybe even generations.” Vogel is clear about another point: He doesn’t view Murray Avenue as unsafe and doesn’t want people to be afraid to visit Squirrel Hill. “This was an isolated incident,” he said. “Kids acting as kids. We’ve got to teach them.” PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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Headlines As High Holidays approach, Pittsburgh expands security training and preparedness — LOCAL — By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer

ecurity is always at the top of Rick Wice’s mind. Wice is the head of security for Congregation Poale Zedeck and coordinates a few WhatsApp groups dedicated to security in Pittsburgh. It’s a responsibility that, at times, can be exhausting. “It gets a little tiring to have to always be thinking about that one-in-a-million, worst-case situation,” he said. “But that’s the mentality and attitude that, I’m proud to say, the Poale Zedeck safety team has.” So, when Wice first learned about the Community Security Service from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s security team, he said he immediately volunteered his time to learn more. “Our board signed on very quickly and I’m sort of the western regional coordinator,” he said. Incorporated in 2007, CSS was founded on the idea that protecting Jewish life starts with Jews taking ownership of their security. The organization is the nation’s leading community-based security group providing

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professional training and coordination, according to its website. It has trained thousands of community members and volunteers who help ensure the safety of hundreds of Jewish institutions and events. Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Deputy Security Director Eric Kroll said that CSS is a donor-funded program that comes to synagogues and trains safety teams to work during services and other events. “It’s not a substitute for police or security,” he said. “They aren’t armed.”

What it provides is another layer of security. Training includes a four-hour online course and another four-hour in-person session. “They help establish a leadership structure,” Kroll said. “They teach awareness and how teams should patrol the area. They teach to keep the problems outside of the synagogue instead of having a potential threat inside.” Wice said the training builds on offerings already available in the city like Run, Hide

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and Fight active shooter training and Stop the Bleed. The first training session Wice took with CSS was called the First Seven Minutes. “It’s what you do if, God forbid, you have an active shooter or someone with a weapon inflicts severe harm to people — some bleeding, some dead already,” he said. “What do you do in those first seven minutes before emergency responders show up? What do you do with these stop the bleed the kits? What do you do with tourniquets? What do you do with people standing around who may be slightly injured or not injured at all to maximize lifesaving?” Kroll said there’s an advantage to having another level of security volunteers who are familiar with a congregation: They recognize faces and can pick out strangers. What CSS does, he said, is “professionalize” the volunteers and teach skills. What it doesn’t do is eliminate the partnership synagogues and organizations have built with their local police or the Federation. “We work hand in hand with CSS,” Kroll said. “If there are any suspicious incidents, they get reported to the police and our team would address any situation. Federation would also help with things like providing equipment because there’s some Please see Security, page 20

SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Headlines Books, beauty and beginnings will be addressed this Rosh Hashanah on Pittsburgh’s pulpits — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer

or many Pittsburghers, the season of synagogues and sermons has arrived. With Rosh Hashanah days away, and congregants shortly heading to the pews, Jewish clergy are giving thought to what matters. “The thing that’s really on my mind is how phones are degrading our religious experience and parenting,” Shaare Torah Congregation’s Rabbi Yitzi Genack said. “I’ve been speaking about it and plan to continue.” Up the street in Squirrel Hill, Congregation Beth Shalom’s Rabbi Seth Adelson is also considering a somewhat analog approach to addressing the holidays. Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the rabbi will deliver four sermons thematically tied to “What’s on your bookshelf?” he told the Chronicle. “It will be an exciting romp across Jewish literary history, with an eye to understanding where we came from intellectually and why the essential titles on the Jewish bookshelf continue to help us thrive as a people and as individuals.” Vitality is certainly an aspect of Rosh Hashanah, but challenges and impediments to life’s grandeur are driving Congregation

p The sounds of a new year are ringing out across western Pennsylvania.

Photo by Moriah Gold via iStock

Dor Hadash’s Rabbi Amy Bardack High Holiday talks. “We’re living at a time of huge uncertainty, where the world as we’ve known it is heading in unknown directions: climate change, the dismantling of democracy, AI,” she said. “How do we move through uncertainty? How do we thrive when the future is frightening?” Rabbi Yisroel Altein of Chabad of Squirrel Hill said he’s looking to the calendar for inspiration and hopes others do as well. “Good starts are usually a good way to

gauge how things are going,” he said. With Rosh Hashanah beginning on Shabbat there’s a need to remember “we’re really in Hashem’s hands, and that Hashem created the world. Hashem says, ‘Rest,’ so you rest,” Altein said. “It’s our job to remember that God put us on Earth to make it a Shabbos to a world, a holy world, and that that’s what our focus needs to be.” The moment calls for genuine understanding, Cantor Kalix Jacobson, of Temple David, explained. “Obviously things are very serious, and there’s a lot to worry about.”

Still, “I find myself engaging with people and reminding them that life is beautiful, and whimsical, and not always that deep.” The High Holidays are a time for honest repentance, when “we’re going back and thinking about how we could have been better, and apologizing to people,” Jacobson said. “We should be doing all of that, absolutely, and also reminding ourselves that it’s not that deep. We’re human. We’re going to make mistakes. That’s why we were gifted this opportunity to have this meaningful time of teshuva every year.” “On a personal level, being a Jew in the world today is significantly more challenging than it was a decade or two ago,” Beit Kulanu’s Rabbi Dan Fellman said. With Rosh Hashanah approaching, the rabbi said he’s been thinking considerably about what it means to “be a Jew in the world, and — in addition to reimagining on the macro level of institutions, reimagining Jewish life on an individual personal level — what does it mean to be a Jew in American public discourse? What does it mean to be a Jew in relationship with Israel? What does it mean to be a Jew in relationship with other Jews?” Wrestling with questions has provided insight, he explained. Please see Pulpits, page 20

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, healthy and peaceful new year.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

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Headlines Squirrel Hill resident helps ready memorial garden before 9/11 and start of Jewish new year — LOCAL — By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer

ith foliage showcasing the seasons, and new buds perennially offering hope, a garden is a testament to time. Working with the earth, especially this time of year, elicits a sense of optimism, master gardener Lauren Mallinger explained. “It’s a preservation of feeling,” she said. “You see a renewal of life.” For nearly three years, Mallinger, 72, has volunteered at Kavod Garden. The 40-foot area, located in Stoystown, was constructed in 2024 in collaboration with Pittsburgh’s 10.27 Healing Partnership. Located 40 feet from the Remember Me Rose Garden — a “living tribute” to the memory of the 40 people aboard United Airlines Flight 93, who overtook terrorists and downed a plane headed toward Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11, 2001 — Kavod Garden serves as the Jewish community’s tribute to Flight 93’s passengers and crew, and offers space for visitors of all faiths to reflect and hope for peace. Nearly once a month, Mallinger treks from Squirrel Hill to Stoystown. Often, with a fellow volunteer or two in tow, she weeds, prunes and helps tend an area that includes nearly 500 plants and a host of hollies shaped in a Star of David. “There’s just a lot of goodwill in that garden,” Mallinger said. Over the years, the Squirrel Hill resident, whose mother-in-law, Rose Mallinger, was among the 11 worshipers murdered during the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, has bonded with other people who have experienced “similar issues of grief and sorrow,” she said. Together, volunteers have “created beautiful things.” Working hand in hand is sort of a “phoenix rising out of the ashes kind of thing,” Mallinger told the Chronicle. “A lot of the people that volunteer up there are also very religious in their own right.” And by snipping leaves, mulching and beautifying

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p Landscape design for Kavod Garden

a space together, a “feeling of closeness, camaraderie” has come. In time to mark 25 years since 9/11, a new visitor’s center has been built at the Remember Me Rose Garden site. Landscaping is underway, according to organizers. A dedication is planned for Sept. 11. Mallinger said she won’t be in the garden that day — it’s Rosh Hashanah — but when the Jewish new year arrives, she said she’ll consider lessons espoused both within the synagogue and in the dirt. Rosh Hashanah is a “renewal,” she said. “It’s a chance to look forward and ask ‘What will you do? How will you be next year? How are you going to treat your fellow human being?’” At tables throughout Pittsburgh, foods eaten on the holiday — apples, honey, dates, pomegranates and round challahs — are reminders of the importance of the harvest, nature’s rhythms and the desire for a sweet new year. Building on the theme, rabbinic literature explains that Rosh Hashanah is the day to begin calculating shemitah — a seven-year cycle in which the final year requires land to lay fallow and debts to be released — vegetable tithing and orlah, a biblical command forbidding use of fruit for the first three

Photo by Adam Reinherz

years after a tree’s planting. When Rosh Hashanah arrives this year on Sept. 11, there will be much to consider — even inside a garden 75 miles from Squirrel Hill. There’s a “similar goal of love, worship and remembering people that were meaningful in your life,” Mallinger said. Whether they were on Flight 93 or inside the Tree of Life building, taking time to remember loved ones is “humbling,” she continued, especially when “you all come together over a plot of

p Master gardener Lauren Mallinger stands near Kavod Garden at the the Remember Me Rose Garden in Stoystown, Pennsylvania. Photo by Adam Reinherz

land and you work together to recreate.” Rosh Hashanah is traditionally marked by renewal, but the period shouldn’t be seen in isolation, said. “Every year you plant.” Seeds are placed in soil. The sun comes. Rain soaks the earth. Time passes, she said, “and you see the product of your plantings the next year.” PJC Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Shanah Tova U’metukah

From Senator From Senator Dave Dave McCormick McCormick and Dina and Dina Powell Powell McCormick McCormick

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

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. q SUNDAY, SEPT. 13 Volunteers are needed to organize, sort and box used books to be distributed to houses of worship. Join community members for High Holidays of Hope: Rosh Hashanah, Book of Life Book Sort. Book drop-off through Sept. 11 at either JCC location. 3 p.m. Squirrel Hill JCC: 5738 Forbes Ave.; South Hills JCC: 345 Kane Blvd. To register, visit jccpgh.formstack.com/forms/rosh_hashanah_ volunteer_registration. Join Camp Gan Israel Chabad Squirrel Hill and Community Day School for Shofar in the Park with activities, treats and more. 4 p.m. 6424 Forward Ave. chabadpgh.com/shofar q SUNDAYS, SEPT. 13–DEC. 20 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 Join a lay-led online Parashah study group to discuss the weekly Torah portion. No Hebrew knowledge needed. The goal is to build

community while deepening understanding of the text. 8:30 p.m. For more information, visit bethshalompgh.org/online-parashah. q TUESDAY, SEPT. 15-17 Rooted in the aftermath of the deadliest antisemitic shooting in the United States, the Eradicate Hate Global Summit has grown to become the world’s most comprehensive, multidisciplinary conference to prevent hate-fueled violence, convening people committed to building relationships and forging solutions to address this growing issue. $150$325. David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd. To learn more about the summit, see the full agenda, and register, visit eradicatehatesummit.org. q TUESDAYS, SEPT. 15–DEC. 22 Join Beth El’s Rabbi Alex Greenbaum and his Bible/ Talmud Adult Education class for a thoughtprovoking weekly session of Bible and Talmudic study. This program is available both in person and virtually. Call the office at 412-561-1168 to receive the Zoom link or to make an in-person reservation. 10:30 a.m. 1900 Cochran Road. bethelcong.org q WEDNESDAYS, SEPT. 16–NOV. 11 Join Hazzan Barbara Barnett as she leads a 10week Shabbat davening class. Whether you want to follow along with confidence, sing every niggun with the kahal, or step up to lead Kabbalat Shabbat, Shacharit, Torah service or Musaf yourself — this class builds the skills for it. Work through

Friday night and Shabbat morning davening, piece by piece. 7:30 p.m. Congregation Beth Shalom, 5915 Beacon Street. bethshalompgh.org/shabbatdavening-class q WEDNESDAYS, SEPT. 16–DEC. 23 Explore the weekly Torah portion with the mystical and interpersonal lens of the Hassidic rabbis with Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman. Hassidut for the People is a fun and engaging class taught online and in person meant to help learners find deeper meaning in Torah and in themselves. All levels welcome. 10 a.m. $5. Shoresh PGH, 4300 Murray Ave. Contact rabbimark@shoreshpgh.org for more information. shoreshpgh.org/class-scheduleand-events q MONDAY, SEPT. 21 Engage in teshuvah (repentance) by listening, remembering and empowering storytellers at High Holidays of Hope: Yom Kippur, Bearing Witness: Hope and Resilience Through Listening. Join in the mitzvah of deeply understanding other people’s experiences and finding hope together this Yom Kippur. 3 p.m. JCC Squirrel Hill, Levinson Hall, 5738 Forbes Ave. jccpgh.formstack.com/forms/ high_holidays_of_hope_2026 q WEDNESDAYS, SEPT. 23, OCT. 21; TUESDAY, DEC. 1 The Beacon and Friendship Circel present “Let’s Talk About It: The Conversations Every Family Is Having … or Avoiding,” a parent and teen

conversation series. Join other parents and teens for honest conversations about today’s biggest challenges. Teens hold an active role in planning and co-facilitating the conversations. Free. 7 p.m. 1922 Murray Ave. For more information, including topics, visit eventbrite.com/e/lets-talkabout-it-the-conversations-every-family-ishavingor-avoiding-tickets-1998932272236?aff= oddtdtcreator. q WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30 Join Chabad of the South Hills for Seniors in the Sukkah. Enjoy lunch, a holiday program and shake the lulav and etrog. This month’s topic is resources in the community for seniors. 1 p.m. $5 suggested donation. Wheelchair accessible. RSVP at 412-278-2658. 1701 McFarland Road. chabadsh.com q MONDAY, OCT. 5 The Edith Balas Annual Lecture Series welcomes Rachel Perry presenting “Who Will Draw Our History: Women’s Graphic Novels of the Holocaust.” The lecture and small exhibition features the work of Zusza Merenyi, Maria Turan Hacker, Edit Ban Kiss and Agnes Lukacs — four Jewish Hungarian women who used visual art to testify to their experiences under Nazism. 5:15 p.m. Free. Rachel Mellon Walter Room, Posner Hall CMU, 5000 Forbes Ave. Organized by the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh and the Jack Buncher Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies at Carnegie Mellon University. PJC

Join the Chronicle Book Club!

he Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its Nov. 1 discussion of “Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries,” by Nicholas Lemann. From Amazon.com: “Nicholas Lemann, a veteran New Yorker correspondent, grew up in New Orleans, the son of German Jews in a world of gilded privilege. Yet in contrast to his parents’ generation, which always sought to downplay their religious background, Lemann was intrigued by his roots, thinking he wanted to be like Jack Burden, the ever-curious reporter in Robert Penn Warren’s 'All the King’s Men.' “And like his fictional hero, who gets drawn into a web of Southern political intrigue, Lemann in ‘Returning’ delves deeply into the family story from their arrival in the 1830s as peddlers from Germany, to their becoming plantation owners and department store owners after the Civil War, to their emergence as aspirants in the aristocratic world of New Orleans, where they could never quite belong.”

What to do

Buy: “Returning: A Search for Home Across Three Centuries.” It is available from online retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and in some local Barnes & Noble stores. 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. Happy reading! PJC

Your hosts

Toby Tabachnick, Chronicle editor David Rullo, Chronicle senior staff writer

How it works

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

www.pittsburghjewishchronicle.org 6

SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

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Headlines

HAPPY

Pitt and CMU face criticism for their responses to anti-Zionist, antisemitic activity — LOCAL — By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer

ess than a week after the fall semester began at both the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, each school faced criticism for its response to anti-Zionist and antisemitic activity on campus. Students for Justice in Palestine published an eight-slide Instagram screed that denounced the final report of Pitt’s Working Group on Antisemitism, published July 20. SJP, which was suspended by Pitt for six months last year before a federal judge ended the suspension, wrote that it “condemned” the Working Group’s report, and echoed calls by other groups to “disavow” it. SJP’s post claims that the Working Group conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism and ignores white supremacy as a root cause of antisemitism. SJP’s post also asserts that university police and outside groups, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, are attempting to regulate student speech. The Working Group, SJP wrote, is calling for the university to “normalize and further indoctrinate Zionist ideology” through its recommendations to create partnerships with Israeli faculty and the university, and to strengthen relationships with organizations like Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh, Chabad at Pitt and the Federation. SJP further accuses Pitt of “perpetuating the genocide,” and criticizes the university for ignoring calls for an academic boycott of Israel. Several far-left groups have accused Israel of genocide since the Jewish state began its response to the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on civilians, which triggered the war in Gaza. SJP also claims the university ignores anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobic violence and hate crimes, but offers no evidence to support those claims. Instead, SJP charges Pitt Police with harassment and “extrajudicial brutality” against Muslims and those in solidarity with Palestine. Campus police are also accused of “collaborating” with the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s “private security firm,” which SJP says, “exposes the bias in these violent organizations.” The social media post has received a mixed response, with some writing in support of SJP’s statements and others accusing SJP of antisemitism. Less than a week after SJP’s post, The Pitt News, the university’s student-run newspaper, published a story covering criticism of the Working Group’s report by members of the American Association of University Professors, Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine and the faculty affinity group Pitt Jewish Community. Some criticism centers around the way the Working Group was formed, its procedures and conclusions, the perspectives culled in its report and the fear of infringement on academic freedom. Other criticism, including from members of the Pitt Jewish Community, expresses concern that not enough Jewish people were consulted to share their perspectives during the creation of the report. The Pitt News report followed on the heels PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

of a letter titled “An Alternative Vision for Confronting Antisemitism,” published on Google and written and signed by “Jewish faculty, staff, students and alumni of the University of Pittsburgh,” taking aim at both the Working Group’s report and the University’s Response to the Working Group on Antisemitism’s Report and Recommendations, published the same day as the report. Pitt spokesperson Jared Stonesifer told The Pitt News that the university doesn’t intend to withdraw the report and is working on taking next steps to implement several of the report’s recommendations. The same day that SJP posted its criticism of the Working Group on Instagram, a group labeling itself “Some friends” repainted CMU’s Fence, then posted photos and a statement on the Instagram page cmufence, which is not associated with the university. The message read “We ♥ you Rosalyn,” and “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free,” as well as the Yiddish phrase, “Mit chavershaft,” meaning “With friendship” or “In the spirit of friendship.” Earlier in the summer, another Yiddish phrase was painted on the Fence, which translated to “death to Zionism.” In the written post accompanying the Fence photos on Instagram, “Rosalyn” is identified as Rosalyn Tosh, one of 10 students investigated for painting not only the “death to Zionism” message on the Fence, but also the phrase “by any means necessary,” which was painted atop a Fence post along with “Free Palestine.” CMU administration officials painted over “death to Zionism” and began an investigation, ultimately culminating in the investigation of 10 students, some of whom were placed on interim partial campus access restriction. According to the cmufence Instagram post, several students have had their charges resolved or dismissed by the university. Tosh, however, continues to be barred from campus and suspended from utilizing university housing. This isn’t the first time Tosh has run afoul of CMU’s administration due to messages she has painted on the Fence. In a July 2026 Public Source story, Tosh identified herself as one of the students responsible for painting “No rapists on campus” ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the campus in 2025. That painting led to the temporary closure of the Fence and the formation of CMU’s Fence Working Group. In 2025, msn.com reposted a story by College Fix that alleged Tosh — while still using her former name, “Ryan” — was being investigated by CMU for writing the phrases “kill cops,” “kill transphobes” and “kill police” during a campus free speech event. CMU officials previously told the Chronicle that they couldn’t comment on any active investigation or any student’s interim access restriction, but that the university works to balance its commitment to free speech with its responsibility to uphold community standards and adhere to the law. “The goal,” the university officials noted, “is always to safeguard the community while preserving, where possible, the opportunity for students to continue academic progress during an ongoing investigation.” PJC

Rosh Hashanah

STATE SENATOR JAY COSTA OFFICES TO SERVE YOU

FOREST HILLS: 1501 Ardmore Blvd. • Suite 403 • Pittsburgh, PA 15221 (412) 241-6690 • Fax: (412) 731-2332

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JOIN NEW LIGHT FOR THE 2026 HIGH HOLY DAYS

services to be held ON-SITE in our chapel and via ZOOM registration required: janet@newlightcongregation.org

rosh hashanah

friday, september 11th 7:00 pm saturday, september 12th 8:45 am sunday, september 13th 8:45 am

yom kippur

kol nidre: sunday, september 20th 6:30 pm monday, september 21st 9:15 am neilah: 7:00 pm shofar blowing: 7:59 pm

cemetery visitation - new light cemetery - 750 soose road - shaler, pa sunday, september 6th 1:00 am - 4:00 pm Contact Information:

Registration: janet@newlightcongregation.org Website: newlightcongregation.org Membership: membership@newlightcongregation.org registration required

Rabbi Jonathan Perlman

Rabbi Iscah Waldman, Guest Rabbi

NO ONE SAVES MORE LIVES IN ISRAEL IN TIMES OF CRISIS.

There are many ways to support Israel and its people, but none is more transformative than a gift to Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services system. Your gift to MDA isn’t just changing lives — it’s literally saving them — providing critical care and hospital transport for everyone from victims of heart attacks to rocket attacks. Donate today at MagenDavidAdom.org or call 866.632.2763.

David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Wishing you Sweetness, Good Health, and Peace

Shanah Tovah Happy New Year

Gean K. Goldfarb President Lauren Americus, Casey Drucker, Alan Gordon, Ellen Primis Vice Presidents Melissa Brause Rackoff, Sally Rock, Lynn J. Snyderman Vice Presidents Harvey A. Wolsh Treasurer Jeffrey H. Maizlech

Assistant Treasurer

Katie Rutherford Meyer “Skip” Grinberg David M. Maretsky

Secretary Past President Life Trustee

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Headlines — WORLD— Jewish institutional spending on security surpasses $1 billion annually, Jewish Federation says

Jewish institutions are now spending more than $1 billion annually on security, according to the Jewish Federations of North America, an umbrella group of more than 140 North American Federations, JNS reported. The $1 billion figure, which doesn’t include Jewish-owned private business costs, marks a 33% increase from $765 million in 2024 and amounts to $225,000 per institution. Most of the costs related to security personnel, the Federation said last week. Eric Fingerhut, president and CEO of the Federation, stated that “the fact that Jewish communal spending has shot up 33% is a measure of how much more dangerous life has become for Jewish Americans, and sadly we know that we need even more investment to protect ourselves against the rising level of threat.” “Passing the Jewish American Security Act and fully funding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program at $1 billion is the single most important step lawmakers can take to keep Jewish Americans and all faith communities safe,” he said. “Every dollar our community spends on guards and cameras is a dollar not spent on Jewish education, on caring for our elderly, on taking care of those in need.”

Israel-American Council urges Ed Sheeran to toss Macklemore from tour after criticizing Israel onstage

The Israeli-American Council is calling for the rapper Macklemore to be dropped from the opening slot on pop star Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour for chanting “Free Palestine” and accusing Israel of apartheid and genocide during his performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Friday and Saturday nights, JTA reported. The rapper’s anti-Israel monologue at the performances preceded his 2024 song, “Hind’s Hall,” referring to Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall, which pro-Palestinian protesters occupied and unofficially renamed for Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed during the war in Gaza. “I had wanted to stand up here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart, ‘Free Palestine’,” he said at the show he opened for Ed Sheeran Saturday night, according to videos posted from the concerts. “I want those words to be loud and clear so the people from Gaza all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have their back and that we have not forgotten them.” “Ed Sheeran – do not allow your stage to be used to divide people or spread one-sided political propaganda,” IAC said, circulating a petition demanding Macklemore be taken off the bill for his remaining nine dates of the tour. Macklemore addressed the Jewish community directly during his appearances, saying, “To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is criticism

Today in Israeli History — ISRAEL — Items are provided by the Center for Israel Education (israeled.org), where you can find more details.

Sept. 11, 1921 — Moshav Nahalal is founded

Moshav Nahalal, a new kind of agricultural settlement combining a kibbutz’s communal principles with private land ownership, is founded in the Jezreel Valley between Haifa and Afula. Its design uses concentric circles.

Sept. 12, 2009 — Israeli film wins Golden Lion An Israeli film wins the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival for the first time. Written and directed by Samuel Maoz, “Lebanon” follows a tank brigade in the First Lebanon War. It does not win the Israeli Oscar.

Sept. 14, 2014 — Ex-Justice Abdel Rahman Zuabi dies

Abdel Rahman Zuabi, a secular Arab, dies at 82. A judge on the Nazareth District Court for 20 years, he becomes the first Arab justice on Israel’s Supreme Court when he fills a nine-month vacancy in 1999.

Sept. 15, 2009 — Goldstone presents Gaza War report

Judge Richard Goldstone presents his U.N.-sponsored report criticizing the actions of Israel and Hamas in the 200809 Gaza war. In April 2011 he recants suggestions that Israel intentionally killed civilians.

Sept. 16, 1949 — Israel joins UNESCO p “Lebanon” star Yoav Donat (left) and writer-director Samuel Moaz (right) walk the red carpet at the Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 12, 2009.

By Nicolas Genin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sept. 13, 1993 — PLO, Israel sign Oslo Accords

President Bill Clinton holds a White House signing ceremony for the Oslo Accords between the Israelis and Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat famously shake hands. PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Israel joins the Parisbased U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Israel quits UNESCO in 2018 after repeated accusations back and forth regarding abuses of history.

p Israel’s UNESCO heritage sites include the Bahai Gardens in Haifa. By Mark Neyman, Israeli Government Press Office, CC BY-SA 3.0

Sept. 17, 1970 — Jordan tries to drive out Palestinian militants

The Jordanian army attacks the PLO, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and other terrorist groups based around Amman and Irbid in an operation Palestinians remember as Black September. PJC

of you. My message is for peace, love and for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.” The reactions to Macklemore’s remarks were far from unanimous. Some fans took to social media to praise him.

Armed attacker arrested after lunging at Ohio Jewish gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton

Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, a Jewish Democrat, was unharmed following an attack by an armed individual at the sprawling Canfield Fair on Sunday, JTA reported. Police arrested 38-year-old Patrick Havas, who had pushed his way through a crowd in a Democratic Party fairgrounds tent where she was speaking, the Mahoning County Sheriff ’s Office announced on Sunday evening. Havas had at first entered the fairgrounds tent and began recording Acton’s speech on his cell phone, but when he began pushing, Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers confronted him, according to the sheriff ’s office. During the confrontation, two people were knocked to the ground and Havas was taken into custody by Canfield Fair police. Following Havas’s arrest, police said they found two handguns and a set of brass knuckles in his possession, although no weapons were ever brandished or removed from their holsters. Detectives on Sunday night added that they’d be continuing the investigation and would be filing charges after consulting with the Mahoning County Prosecutor.

$60 Israeli blood test can detect stage 2-4 lung cancer with 93% accuracy, study shows

Israeli researchers have developed a simple, fast, $60 blood test for diagnosing lung cancer that eliminates the need for costly DNA sequencing, The Times of Israel reported. In peer-reviewed research of 103 participants, the test accurately identified 93% of stage 2-4 lung cancers while ruling out cancer in 90% of the healthy control group. Using fluorescent light, the scientists analyzed chemical patterns on DNA fragments circulating in the bloodstream. The research was led by scientists at Tel Aviv University’s School of Chemistry in collaboration with JaxBio Technologies, and physicians at Haifa’s Bnai Zion Medical Center and Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv. “Lung cancer is one of the most fatal cancers and one of the most common cancers,” said Dr. Abed Agbarya, director of the oncology department at Bnei Zion Medical Center, lead author of the study and its main clinical researcher. He told The Times of Israel, “Most people arrive in the last stages of the disease. If we can discover the disease in its early stages, we can go to surgery. We can go to a full cure. The five-year survival rate would be much better.” A more extensive trial is now underway across several hospitals in Israel and Europe, where clinicians are evaluating the researchers’ uniquely designed chip and using it for patient follow-up. This trial phase is expected to conclude by mid-2027. PJC — Compiled by Toby Tabachnick

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Headlines

Myron Cope’s legacy earns him a spot on Pittsburgh Walk of Fame — LOCAL — By Deborah Weisberg | Special to the Chronicle

oi! The late Myron Cope — a legendary sportscaster and creator of the Terrible Towel — will be inducted into the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame in the Strip District Oct 13. Bronze stars for Cope and nine other inductees — all western Pennsylvania natives who made it big in their chosen fields — will be unveiled in front of The Terminal on Smallman Street in the Strip District in a 10:30 a.m. ceremony. They include modern dancer-choreographer Martha Graham, photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hall of Famer Franco Harris, H.J. Heinz Company founder H.J. Heinz, stage and screen star Shirley Jones, Pittsburgh Penguins player-owner Mario Lemieux, composer Henry Mancini, Academy Award-winning actor Jimmy Stewart, and industrialist-inventor George Westinghouse. All were selected by committee from among hundreds of candidates suggested by the public earlier this year. To qualify for consideration, nominees must have been born in one of 10 western Pennsylvania counties and to have had national impact. Cope, while revered for his colorful 35-year broadcast career, is being feted as the father of the Terrible Towel — an emblem of team spirit that has been waved from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean to the top of Mt. Everest. It has even been carried into outer space. “People all over the world know folks from

p Myron Cope

Photo by Blargh29 (talk | contribs), via Wikimedia Commons

Pittsburgh wave this gold towel,” said Walk of Fame founder Nancy Johnson. “There’ve been numerous copies of rally flags, but the Terrible Towel is the original.” Myron Cope came up with the concept in 1975 when WTAE General Manager Ted Atkins was looking for a gimmick to boost station ratings, recalled Joe Gordon, thenSteelers public relations and marketing director. “Myron said, ‘I’m not a gimmick guy, I’ve never been a gimmick guy,’ which is hilarious in itself,” Gordon said. “When Ted reminded him that his contract was coming up for renewal Myron said, ‘I guess I’m a gimmick guy,’ and he urged people to bring dishcloths, handkerchiefs — whatever they could wave — to Steelers games. It took off from there.” “Myron was the most creative guy I have ever known. He was uniquely talented.” He was also generous, Gordon said. The documentary, “A Steelers Story: The Terrible Towel,” now in the running for an Emmy, describes how revenues from the towel and other Terrible Stuff have supported Merakey Allegheny Valley School, which serves individuals

with autism and other developmental challenges. Myron Cope’s son Danny, 58, has been a client of Merakey (formerly Allegheny Valley School) since childhood. “My dad donated a portion of sales revenue to the school from the beginning and transferred full ownership of the trademark to Merakey in the 1990s,” said Myron Cope’s daughter Elizabeth Cope, 55, of Canonsburg. “He was a good person.” Born Myron Sidney Kopelman to Lithuanian Jewish parents in Squirrel Hill in 1929, Myron Cope graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School and the University of Pittsburgh, and began his journalism career writing for various publications, including the Erie Daily Times, The Saturday Evening Post, Life, Sports Illustrated and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. According to Cope biographer Dan Joseph, an editor at the Post-Gazette convinced Myron Kopelman to change his name to something less Jewish and he chose Cope. Myron Cope married Mildred Lindberg and they had three children including a daughter Martha who died shortly after birth. He and his family lived in Mt. Lebanon and then Upper St Clair. Although writing was Myron Cope’s first love, his daughter said, he got into broadcasting in 1968 doing sports commentaries for radio. His shrill, four-pack-a-day voice, Yinzer accent, quick wit, and excitable personality caught the attention of Steelers’ brass and they hired him for their radio team in 1970. The Cope-isms that peppered his broadcasts like “yoi,” “double-yoi” and “okle dokle,” derived in part from his neighborhood

upbringing, said Elizabeth Cope. “He grew up in a melting pot. Half the kids spoke Yiddish and Russian. He heard all kinds of stuff.” As spontaneous as he was on air, Myron Cope spent hours preparing, she said. “He worked harder than anyone I’ve ever known, which is one of the reasons he was so good. He’d research tidbits about players — half of which he wouldn’t even use — but he wanted to have them in his head in case he’d need them.” Between his TV and radio work he needed a lot of content and was “always on the prowl for information,” said Tom Rooney, a nephew of Steelers founder, Art Rooney, and founder-president of The Rooney Sports & Entertainment Group. “Myron wasn’t a guy who didn’t return phone calls.” “He was a PR guy’s dream,” said Rooney, “because he was so accessible.” Gordon called him a Damon Runyan character, because of his larger than life persona. “And it was authentic,” said Gordon. “It’s genuinely who Myron was.” He received numerous awards during his career and, in 2005, was the first professional football broadcaster to be inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. Myron Cope died of respiratory failure at age 79 in 2008. While masses of fans gathered downtown in a final towel-waving tribute, Myron Cope was buried in a private funeral in the South Hills. He was laid to rest with a Terrible Towel. PJC Deborah Weisberg is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.

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These promises of G-d are your destiny, and they will not go unfulfilled! May each of these add to the joy of your Rosh Hashanna 5787. “By Myself I swear... I will bestow My blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore... All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants...” — Genesis 22:16-18 “There shall not be heard any more violence in thy land, wasting and destruction within thy boundaries; but thou shalt call, Salvation, thy walls, and thy gates, Praise.” —Isaiah 60:18 “I will restore My people Israel. They shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them; ... And I will plant them upon their soil, nevermore to be uprooted from the soil I have given them...” — Amos 9:14, 15 “In those days, ten men from nations of every tongue will take hold—they will take hold of every Jew by a corner of his cloak and say, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that G-d is with you.’” — Zechariah 8:23 ———————–————

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We encourage you to cherish your everlasting promises and the role you will play in blessing all “nations of the world.” Please visit our website to review again the solid basis of these promises and your hope.

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Headlines The origins of Rosh Hashanah — LOCAL — By Tim Miller | Special to the Chronicle

onsidering its importance on the Jewish calendar, it is surprising to discover that Rosh Hashanah is only mentioned twice in the Torah. Leviticus 23:23-25 says, “God spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite people thus: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts. You shall not work at your occupations; and you shall bring an offering by fire to God.” Numbers 29:1 says basically the same thing, while also elaborating on the offerings to be brought. While the words “Rosh Hashanah” appear in Ezekiel 40:1 at the outset of the prophet’s vision of the restored Temple, only a few words later the date for the vision is set on the 10th of Tishri — that is, on Yom Kippur of 573-572 BCE. And while there are numerous other verses in the Tanakh that mention themes of Israelite repentance and divine compassion (e.g., Deuteronomy 30:1-6), or which would otherwise be a great fit for Rosh Hashanah (Psalm 81:4 tells us to “Blow the horn on the new moon”), the only

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Photo by Liudmila Chernetska via iStock

lengthy description of the day appears in Nehemiah 7:73-8:13. There, “on the first day of the seventh month,” the Israelites in Jerusalem were gathered to hear Ezra the priest read the “scroll of the Teaching of Moses with which God had charged Israel.” He read to both men and women “from first light until midday,” while other Levites translated and “explained the teaching to the people.” The gathered Israelites were overwhelmed by what they heard, and the Levites had

to keep reminding them not to mourn or weep. In one of the most touching verses in all of the Tanakh, the Levites simply say, “Hush, for the day is holy; do not be sad.” They also say, “Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Sovereign. Do not be sad, for your rejoicing in God is the source of your strength.” The important thing to realize, however, is that the events narrated in Nehemiah take place around the year 445 BCE

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— that is, about six years before the Persians defeated the Babylonians, and seven years before the Persian King Cyrus allowed the exiled Israelites to return and rebuild the Temple. Understanding this, we now realize why translation and interpretation were necessary for the gathered crowd: Ezra was speaking to the Israelites not taken into captivity, the ones who were left behind in the city for decades with no guidance or leadership. Please see Rosh Hashanah, page 13

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Headlines Rosh Hashanah: Continued from page 12

In all of these passages, there is very little about “the first day of the seventh month” that we would recognize today. Leviticus and Numbers do mention that the day should be “commemorated with loud blasts,” and the Israelites listening to Ezra appear to be penitent. But until the Talmud, this is all we know about the ancient practice of Rosh Hashanah. Or is it? Rabbi Reuven Hammer suggests there might be other clues. Unlike Pesach and Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah is not a pilgrimage festival and, unlike those holidays, it is observed on the new moon rather than the full moon. The new moon, or Rosh Hodesh, was immensely important in ancient Israel, and it is likely that the new moon of the seventh month would have been an even more sacred occasion, with seven always being an auspicious number. For Reuven, the origins of Rosh Hashanah are more likely to be found in the Psalms. Seen beside the mention of “loud blasts” in Leviticus, there are a number of psalms (98:6, 95:1-2, and 100:1) which connect the horn, or shofar, with the proclamation of God’s sovereignty. It is also possible that Psalms 95-100 were written specifically for “a popular celebration of God’s completion of the Creation and assumption of the celestial throne” —

It wasn’t until many centuries later, after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and during Talmudic times, that the rabbis began to speak about Rosh Hashanah in ways we recognize, talking of God’s justice and mercy and using statements like, “Great is repentance for it preceded the creation of the world.”

a celebration that took place on the first of Tishri. If this is true, it isn’t hard to see how a holiday that commemorates the sublime and overwhelming reality of God’s sovereignty and creative power might also suggest to the ancient Israelites their own relative smallness, and even unworthiness. Perhaps it was this reaction that prompted the addition for personal

repentance alongside an otherwise grand celebration. There are also numerous references in the Tanakh that blame the Israelites themselves for the fall of Jerusalem and the First Temple: Lamentations 1:5 says, “God has afflicted her for her many transgressions”; see also Jeremiah 9:11-12 and Lamentations 4:6. If this was the prevailing interpretation of events at

the time, we can understand why the crowd being addressed by Ezra felt so overwhelmed, not just by God and the grandeur of creation but also at the horror of all that had been lost. It wasn’t until many centuries later, after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and during Talmudic times, that the rabbis began to speak about Rosh Hashanah in ways we recognize, talking of God’s justice and mercy and using statements like, “Great is repentance for it preceded the creation of the world.” There are even the incredibly hopeful and forgiving words that we wish Ezra’s audience could have heard: “In the place where penitents stand even the wholly righteous cannot stand,” and, “Penitence is equal to all the sacrifices of a sinner combined, for it is written, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.” But this year on Rosh Hashanah, I would rather imagine myself standing with those Israelites living amid the ruins of the First Temple. These people had no idea that the Babylonians would be defeated, or that a Second Temple would be built, just as I have no way of knowing what the place of Jews are in the world, or what tomorrow might bring for us. All I know is that, on the first of Tishri, and for the space of an evening, the moon will be new and, “Hush, for the day is holy; do not be sad.” PJC Tim Miller is a poet and writer living in Pittsburgh. He is online at wordandsilence.com.

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Headlines A new book about a ‘daring escape from Afghanistan’ has surprising Pittsburgh connections — LOCAL — By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer

t was a dinner conversation with her friend Diana Kapp that inspired Rebecca Blumenstein to co-author the new book “The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America.” “I was in the middle of the evacuation and resettlement of this group of 124 Afghans,” Blumenstein recalled, “when Diana and I met for dinner in New York. I was ranting about these incredible young people, and how hard it was to get them back in college. They were on the cusp of becoming doctors and lawyers in Afghanistan, and their whole world fell apart because of their service to America.” Both Blumenstein and Kapp have the experience to recognize a story that needs to be told, and by the time they finished dinner, they decided to tell the tale of the Afghans in America together. Blumenstein is NBC’s news president, editorial, and former managing editor of The New York Times. Kapp is a journalist and author, whose work has taken her to

p Book cover

such fraught sites as San Quentin prison and Afghanistan. Blumenstein helped coordinate evacuation from Afghanistan not only of Times’ reporters, but everyone who worked in the paper’s Kabul bureau after the Taliban

took control of the country. “That means chefs, drivers, translators, gardeners and their immediate families,” she said. Kapp spent time in Afghanistan in 2012 when she traveled to the country to write a profile of a British physician who built or remodeled 130 schools near the Pakistani border. She recalled that period as a time of optimism, when women were seeing “a real future for themselves in Afghanistan.” “We would talk to girls in the classrooms and ask them, ‘How many of your mothers can read?’ and none of their hands would go up. And then, we would ask them how many hoped to go to university and it would be every hand,” she remembered. That optimism faded with the reemergence of the Taliban and its capture of the country’s capital city, Kabul, in August 2021. It was the final act in the American government’s direct involvement in the country, which began following al-Qaeda’s terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. Four women — Maryam Alokozay, Marwa Rahim, Mursal Rahim and Samira Rustami — are highlighted in “The Last Free Women,” serving as microcosms to the plight experienced by many of the Afghans who

had bright futures planned in their home country, then suddenly experienced challenges they never expected in America. The same women who were readying to become physicians and attorneys in Afghanistan were now being told their English scores weren’t high enough to get into American colleges. Even if they were, they didn’t have the money to pay for tuition and boarding. Marwa and Samira are sisters. Samira was pregnant when she arrived in the United States. Blumenstein said the lives of all four were suddenly “bifurcated” by their extraction from Afghanistan and the expectations of refugees escaping war-torn countries. “One of the tensions in the book is that the refugee specialists were saying, ‘They’re not going to go to college. They’re lucky to be here. They should get a job doing Uber. It’s the most they can expect. The next generation is what it’s about, especially the women,’” Blumenstein said. The story, which began in Afghanistan and continued through Texas — where the families initially sojourned — took an Please see Afghanistan, page 20

Pittsburgh Jewish Federation reports strongest fundraising year in its history The campaign closed at the end of the fiscal year on June 30. The funds raised supported educational programs, senior care and crisis response; strengthened security, including investigating 264 incidents and providing security training; and combatted antisemitism “through advocacy, grassroots organizing and support for Israel and the hostages, winning local victories with national impact,” according to Federation officials. Additionally, the Federation provided a $10,000 emergency grant to JFCS “that kept kosher food on the table for 2,750 people” and helped fund Israeli bomb shelters in Pittsburgh’s Partnership2Gether communities of Karmiel and Misgav.

— LOCAL —

he Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh raised $80 million in overall resource development for fiscal year 2026, “its strongest year of fundraising in the organization’s history,” according to Federation officials. The total “is anchored by a record breaking $14.4 million raised through the Community Campaign, along with $61.1 million in new gifts added to the Jewish Community Foundation, bringing Foundation assets under management to more than $464 million.”

p The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Photo by Adam Reinherz

Other funding initiatives welcomed new Jewish babies with “hospital welcome boxes” and engaged Jewish young adults through more than 60 events. Moreover, Federation

funds helped coordinate security for the JCC Maccabi Campus Games, “welcoming nearly 2,000 teens from 90 communities in partnership with more than 20 law enforcement agencies.” Pittsburgh’s Jewish community “answered the call in a year that asked a great deal of it,” said Sue Berman Kress, campaign chair. “Every commitment, at every level, is a statement of faith in our shared future. And none of it reaches the finish line without our volunteers — the community members who made the calls, hosted the gatherings and told our story on their own time. Thank you, all of you.” PJC — Toby Tabachnick

May 5787 bring us all together in community, good health, and peace.

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Headlines Israeli Arab leader urges integration, interdependency and shared society Sending warm wishes to my Jewish neighbors for a sweet New Year. City Controller Rachael Heisler

Wishing You and Your Family a Happy and Healthy New Year!

p Mohammad Darwashe believes in a shared society integrating Israeli Jews and Arabs. Photo courtesy of Robert Bosch Academy/Tim Riediger /nordpool

— LOCAL — By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer

ohammad Darawshe finds commonality with the Jewish Diaspora in communities like Pittsburgh. “I feel that the American Jewish community lives the experience of being a minority in America, understands the mindset of the minority in Israel, and I think that they see mutual interest in trying to keep the same values that they want to keep in America to protect them as a minority,” said Darawshe, the director of strategy at the Center for Shared Society at Givat Haviva, an organization working to promote social change and a model society for Jews and Arabs. “They want to see the same values in Israel. That is the common denominator that Arab citizens have with American Jews.” Darawshe — an Israeli Arab who previously worked as co-director of the Abraham Initiatives, served as elections campaign manager at the Democratic Arab Party and United Arab List, and was a leadership fellow at the New Israel Fund — was in Pittsburgh last week, the first stop in a 21-city tour that began Sept. 3. Currently a visiting professor at American University, he spoke at the Rivers Club before an invitation-only crowd at the request of a private organizer. American Jews, he told the Chronicle, have a vested interest in making Israel a more democratic society that is more respectful of minority rights and Jewish-Arab partnerships inside Israel. Darawshe stressed that neither he nor Givat Haviva tackle cross-border or cross-green line issues, choosing instead to work on promoting a “shared society” that integrates Arab citizens as full partners with Israel. It’s a message, he said, that goes over well with American Jews, especially among younger generations, some of whom may PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

be pulled away from engagement with Israel after Oct. 7. “That’s a feeling I’m discovering meeting with university students where I’m teaching,” he said. “It’s also a vibe that I picked up on today with the people I met.” Although he largely steers clear of the politics surrounding the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Darawshe said that the violence of some settlers in the West Bank presents an obstacle to realizing a shared society. Arab citizens of Israel, he said, are saddened to see what he described as the “indifference” of many Israeli Jews to the situation. “It damages the trust,” he said. “We can’t do much about it because if we demonstrate against that, if we revolt against that, it will damage our relationship with Israeli Jews.” Instead, he said, Arab citizens have expectations of “non-extremist, non-radical” Israeli Jews to “step out and do something.” One of those expectations is to vote in the upcoming elections. The current government, he opined, is damaging the future of the Jewish people, the future of Arab citizens in Israel and the future of Palestinians. The consequence, he said, is for Arab citizens to pull out of what he calls the “Israelization process” — the integration into Israeli society of Arab citizens, which he said is essential to the national interest of the state of Israel. Despite the current government, Darawshe said he remains hopeful that full integration will occur. “I don’t give up hope,” he said. “I’m a father. I’m a grandfather. I don’t give up hope. I don’t have an option.” He points to fields like medicine, technology and academia that show what can happen when Arab citizens are allowed to participate fully. More than a third of the medical staff in Israeli hospitals are Arab, he said, as are 23%

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Headlines Gloria Steinem, Jewish feminist trailblazer, dies at 92 — NEWS OBITUARY — By Ron Kampeas | JTA

loria Steinem, the trailblazing feminist who turbocharged the women’s rights movement’s second wave by casting the liberation of women as part of the broader project of eliminating other bigotries including antisemitism, has died at 92. “Yesterday, Gloria Steinem passed away peacefully at her home in New York City, surrounded by some of the many who loved her,” read a post last Thursday on her Instagram account. “Gloria’s near-century on earth were years well-lived, and she continued working for equality until the very end.” Steinem began her career as a journalist before moving to activism in 1969 after writing a story about women who’d suffered through illegal abortions. From there she became one of the most identifiable leaders of a movement that helped transform the daily experience of women in America. Steinem was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1934 to a Jewish father, Leo Steinem, and a Protestant mother, Ruth Nuneviller. Her Jewish background informed her understanding of how oppression is structural and interrelated among targeted groups. “Never in my life have I identified myself as a Christian, but wherever there is antisemitism, I identify as a Jew,” her friend and her fellow co-founder of the seminal magazine,

p Gloria Steinem attends Equality Now 30th Anniversary Gala at Guastavino’s on November 15, 2022 in New York City. Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images

Ms., Letty Cottin Pogrebin, quoted Steinem as saying in a profile she wrote for the Jewish Women’s Archive encyclopedia of Jewish women. Steinem’s father, who booked musical acts and who sold antiques on the road, was a “wonderful, kind, charming, utterly irresponsible man,” she said. He left the family when Steinem was 10 years old and Steinem — whose older sister was away at college — became primarily responsible for caring for her mentally fragile mother. Yet it was her mother, Ruth, who instilled

Steinem with her understanding of her Jewish background. It helped shape Steinem’s understanding of how one group may deprive another of essential rights. “Steinem remembered that when she was 8 or so, her mother encouraged her to listen to a radio dramatization of Jewish torment under the Nazis and the story of a mother who could not get enough food for her little girl,” Cottin Pogrebin wrote. “‘This is going on in the world’,” Ruth Steinem said, ‘and we must know about it.’” Steinem never shook the lesson. In 1981, speaking at Cornell University, she said

liberating women was inextricable from liberating other vulnerable populations. “We know, when we look at women and Blacks in this country, or at women and Jews in Nazi Germany, or in South Africa, we understand that these two caste systems are interdependent and truly can only be fought together,” Steinem told the students. It was a radical reimagining of what feminism meant, and was reflected in Steinem’s insistence on advocacy for others. Her outspoken support for minorities, for LGBTQ individuals and for others unsettled some second wave feminists. (The first wave was the suffragette movement, which decades earlier had brought about the right for women to vote.) In the 1981 Cornell lecture, Steinem laid the groundwork for what would become known as intersectionality. “Politics is any power relationship in our daily lives,” she said. “Any time one group of people or one person is habitually dominant over one another group or person, not because of experience or talent, but simply because of group of birth, whether that is race or sex or class, that is politics. That is a power relationship, and that is deserving of change.” Her advocacy helped poison her relationship with an early ally, Betty Friedan, the Jewish feminist who launched second wave feminism with her 1963 book, “The Feminine Mystique.” Friedan believed the movement should remain focused on women’s liberation Please see Steinem, page 21

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Opinion The bonds that connect us Editor's Desk Toby Tabachnick

ach week the Chronicle poses a poll question and gives readers an opportunity to comment in addition to selecting one of the provided answers. Two weeks ago, we asked our readers how they would primarily categorize Judaism. The choices were: a religion, a people, an ethnicity or a civilization. One reader commented: “the truth is, it’s a family.” That comment resonated with me. This summer I thought a lot about the idea of Jews being a family as I traveled to the Czech Republic to visit friends, and to France on a Jewish heritage trip. After touring several magnificent synagogues in Prague — some of which are now used primarily as museums recalling the vibrancy of the city’s pre-war Jewish community — we took a tour of Terezin, a concentration camp located about 30 miles away. It was the first time I had visited a Nazi camp. Terezin was not an extermination camp per se; rather, more than 150,000 Jews were sent there before being transferred to death camps like Treblinka and Auschwitz. Still, because Terezin was so overcrowded and the living conditions were so deplorable, about

33,000 Jews died there. A crematory was built to help dispose of the bodies. Terezin was unique among the Nazis’ concentration camps; it was, in fact, a propaganda camp. Before visits from the Danish king and the Red Cross, the Nazis “beautified” the camp, building fake shops and cafés, and staging musical performances and sporting matches to demonstrate how well the Jews were being treated. It was all a ruse.

identifies Jewish soldiers whose graves are incorrectly marked with Latin cross headstones and replaces them with Stars of David. While at the cemetery, we visited the grave of Pittsburgher Nathan Baskind, an Army first lieutenant, who was captured by enemy forces in 1944 and died at a hospital for German air force personnel (and whose story we have told in these pages). Baskind was interred in a mass grave with German

I know that not every one of our people feels a connection and responsibility to other Jews, that not everyone has that sense of family belonging. But it seems to me that many of us do. Most of the people on our tour of Terezin were not Jewish. They were there for various reasons: to learn the history, to bear witness to the atrocities of the Holocaust, to reflect on the consequences of unchecked hate. I was there for those reasons, too. But as I walked through the barracks and looked into the faces of the victims in photographs, I had the distinct feeling that I was paying my respects to family members. These were not my blood relatives. And yet. That same feeling hit me while in Normandy, at the American Cemetery, where our Jewish heritage tour group learned about Operation Benjamin, a project led by Rabbi Shalom Lamm. Operation Benjamin

soldiers and his remains were positively identified a few years ago through DNA analysis. Operation Benjamin arranged to transfer Baskind’s remains to the American Cemetery in Normandy, and erected a Star of David to mark his final resting place. As our small group gathered around Baskind’s grave, we recited the Kaddish prayer and one member of our party chanted El Maleh Rachamim. None of us had met Baskind, but all of us felt an unmistakable connection to him. As if we were family. The work of Lamm and his team is sacred, and underscores the deep responsibility and love that Jews around the world can and do feel for one another — a beautiful

example of taking care each other even decades after death. I know that not every one of our people feels a connection and responsibility to other Jews, that not everyone has that sense of family belonging. But it seems to me that many of us do. Family members don’t always get along. Not everyone agrees with everyone else on every issue. But disagreements need not erase the bonds that connect us. Like in a family, what matters most is respecting, caring and showing up for one another. We are experiencing a period of deep polarization, and at times it has surfaced in our own community. But perhaps as Rosh Hashanah approaches, as we look back on where we’ve been this past year and where we are headed, we can lean into this sense of Jews being a family to help us persevere when times are uncertain at best and terrifying at worst. I felt that sense of family in Terezin, looking into the faces of people I had never known. I felt it again at Nathan Baskind’s grave, surrounded by people who had never met him but honored him nonetheless. That connection may be difficult to define, but it is real and I am grateful for it. And as we enter a new year, I hope we can hold onto that connection — and to one another — a little more tightly. May 5787 be a year of peace and joy for all of us. L'shana tova. PJC Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

Remembering 9/11 Guest Columnist Linda Argalgi Sadacka

n Sept. 11, 2001, a Jewish man reportedly remained in the North Tower because his friend could not walk. Think about that. In the final, terrifying moments of his life, the question was not, “How do I save myself?” It was, “How could I leave another human being behind?” I share this story not because every Jew is

a hero. We aren’t. No community has a monopoly on courage, decency or sacrifice. And certainly, the crimes of Islamist terrorists should never be assigned collectively to Muslims, millions of whom reject their ideology. But there is something about the moral clarity of Sept. 11 that America seems increasingly determined to forget. The people who flew airplanes into buildings that morning were not misunderstood activists. They were not victims of American intolerance. They were Islamist terrorists animated by an extremist ideology, and they deliberately murdered nearly 3,000 innocent human beings. Twenty-five years later, something extraordinary has happened. In parts of our cultural

and political mainstream, we have become so frightened of appearing intolerant that we sometimes struggle to speak plainly about the intolerance of extremists themselves. The language gets softened. Terrorism becomes “resistance.” Fanaticism acquires an academic vocabulary. And people who insist that civilization has a right to defend itself are sometimes treated as though they are the moral problem. That is not tolerance. It is moral confusion. So this Sept. 11, remember the firefighters who climbed while everyone else was running down. Remember the police officers, first responders and ordinary Americans who helped strangers. Remember Muslims who condemned the attacks and rejected the

extremists who claimed to act in the name of their faith. And remember this Jewish man who, according to the story, could have tried to leave but would not abandon his friend. There is evil in this world. There is also extraordinary goodness. The obligation of a decent society is not to pretend it cannot distinguish between them. PJC Linda Argalgi Sadacka is a writer, political activist and community leader. She is the CEO of the New York Jewish Council and founder of Chasdei David, a 501(c)(3) charity. This article was first published on The Times of Israel.

Should we trust what students tell us about Israel? Guest Columnist Mitchell Bard

’ve been working with public opinion data for more than 40 years and have found it enormously useful. But polls sometimes raise more questions than they answer. That is certainly true of the latest

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Brandeis study, "American Undergraduates and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict," which attracted considerable media attention for its finding that most undergraduates believe that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. That headline is alarming. But what does it actually tell us? Far less attention was paid to an important caveat offered by the authors themselves. They acknowledge that answers to questions about contentious political issues do not necessarily reflect “deep or considered

views.” Respondents may rely instead on simple heuristics — which side seems to be the “bad guys?” — or partisan cues — what would someone on my political team say? This is especially true when people know or care little about an issue. Consequently, the authors concede, students’ answers about Israel “may or may not reflect deeply considered views.” Put more simply: Ask students a question, and they will give you an answer. That doesn’t mean they know much about the subject, have thought seriously about it

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or care enough about it to influence their behavior. Both knowledge and intensity matter. Ignorance makes opinions more susceptible to misinformation and manipulation. Intensity determines whether those opinions translate into action. Historically, this helped explain the political influence of pro-Israel voters: They were more likely to consider Israel when deciding how to vote, while voters hostile to Israel often Please see Bard, page 19

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Opinion Chronicle poll results: Favorite fall Jewish holiday

ast week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an online poll the following question: “What is your favorite fall Jewish holiday?” Of the 148 people who responded, 40% said Sukkot; 34% said Rosh Hashanah; 13% said Yom Kippur; 11% said Simchat Torah; and 2% said Shemini Atzeret. Comments were submitted by 24 people. A few follow. Sukkot is such a visual feast. I love Sukkot in Jerusalem, particularly. Everywhere a booth, even on sides of buildings. I miss being near an area where most people celebrate. I love the prayers and the tone of Yom Kippur.

What is your favorite fall Jewish holiday? 2%

Shemini Atzeret

11%

Simchat Torah

13%

Yom Kippur

40%

Sukkot

34%

Rosh Hashanah

I will be interested to see if Shemini Atzeret gets even one vote! Simchat Torah takes me back to my youth.

Bard: Continued from page 18

cared more about other issues. That may be changing as more candidates make criticism of Israel and opposition to AIPAC prominent features of their campaigns. Even so, support for the Democratic Socialists of America and DSA-aligned candidates may still be driven primarily by domestic concerns rather than the Middle East. Asked to rank five issues, “Israel/ Palestine” came in last. Only 24% ranked it as their most important issue. Had students been offered 10 or 20 choices, it presumably would have fallen even further down the list. As an aside, I had one immediate problem with the report, which vacillated between references to Israel/Palestine and the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. The former appears 70 times and reflects one of my peeves with academics who insist on referring to a place that ceased to exist after the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948. The phrase incorrectly equates Israel with a non-existent state and unnecessarily introduces a political assumption into what purports to be an objective survey. Which brings me back to what students comprehend about the Middle East and the situation. They were asked to assess their knowledge, rather than being tested. Only 43% felt knowledgeable, and 22% said they were not at all knowledgeable. I suspect an objective test of their knowledge would prove the figures were substantially lower. For example, how many could locate Israel on a map? How many know who controlled the West Bank and Gaza before 1967? How many students chanting “From

Shemini Atzeret is the autumn holiday that needs more PR, sort of like Harpo Marx or Jermaine Jackson got overshadowed by their much more famous siblings.

diet make Yom Kippur my favorite.

Rosh Hashanah: All the solemnity of Yom Kippur without the fasting.

Rosh Hashanah ... it’s happy.

Sukkot is so special, because we build a sukkah and decorate it, hopefully with the help of kids, and also at the synagogue. It is also when we have a vegan potluck dinner on Shabbat, so we can taste healthy foods that might be new to us who are not vegan. It’s just a colorful, joyous holiday, when we can also connect with our ancestors who built and lived in sukkahs so long ago! The mellifluous melody of the Kol Nidre and the fasting kickstart to a long overdue

the river to the sea” can identify the river and the sea? Videos of protesters unable to answer elementary questions about the conflict are anecdotal, but they illustrate the problem: Conviction is not the same thing as knowledge.

understanding of the term. Would the results have been the same if they had first been given the legal definition of genocide and then asked whether Israel’s conduct met that standard? We don’t know.

Ignorance makes opinions more susceptible to misinformation and manipulation. Intensity determines whether those opinions translate into action. Perceptions can become political realities

The broader trend identified by Brandeis is nevertheless real. Consistent with other surveys, younger Americans are more sympathetic toward the Palestinians and more critical of Israel. One Brandeis finding should set off alarm bells in Jerusalem: Only 15% of students viewed the Israeli government favorably, compared with 18% who viewed Hamas favorably. As I’ve been arguing for months, Jerusalem, you’ve got a problem when Hamas is more popular than the Netanyahu government. The ideological divide was equally predictable: Liberals were substantially more critical of Israel than conservatives. But survey wording matters, particularly when respondents may know little about the subject. The finding that generated the headlines came from asking students whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.” Students were not given a definition of genocide or asked to demonstrate their

We also don’t know how students arrived at these opinions. College students do not form their views in a vacuum. They spend years marinating in the toxic campus culture where Israel is frequently discussed through the lenses of colonialism, racism, apartheid and intersectionality. Too many faculty members engage in academic malpractice and use their classroom for indoctrination. On many campuses, opportunities to encounter a positive — or even neutral — presentation of Israel are limited. The authors acknowledge that they cannot determine why students hold the views they do. They suggest a range of possible influences: events in the Middle East, social media, K-12 education, campus advocacy, political polarization and Israel’s perceived alignment with the Trump administration. Social media may be even more consequential. For many young people, it’s their principal source of news, and their feeds can become ideological echo chambers filled with emotionally powerful images, slogans and misinformation. Yet the survey did not

Simchas Torah: What a great excuse for dancing.

I love all of the fall holidays, each for a different reason. Rosh Hashanah for its majesty, Yom Kippur for its solemnity and Sukkot for its joyousness. And of course, all of the special foods for their deliciousness! PJC — Compiled by Toby Tabachnick

Chronicle weekly poll question: Is the world safer, less safe, or about the same since Sept. 11, 2001? Go to pittsburgh jewishchronicle.org to respond. PJC

explore students’ social media consumption. On one hand, knowledge matters because one would expect student opinions to be informed. On the other hand, it makes little difference if their misinformation informs their behavior. So, we might lament that they don’t understand that Israel is not committing genocide, but that won’t stop them from having negative feelings about Israel, going out to protest or voting for a candidate who parrots that falsehood. Their opinions matter precisely because perceptions can become political realities. The obvious answer is that students need better education. Ideally, this would start before college. But collegians also need more exposure to the positive aspects of Israel on the quad and from their peers; at least more neutral positions in the classroom; and a significant increase in courses on Israel, ideally taught by quality scholars from a range of perspectives. Given the variety of influences noted above, however, better education can only make a dent in a problem that is affected by actions far beyond the campus. The Brandeis survey tells us something important about what students say they believe. It tells us much less about what they know, why they believe it or how strongly they hold those views. Unfortunately, what they believe may ultimately matter more than whether they understand why they believe it. PJC Mitchell Bard is a foreign policy analyst and an authority on U.S.-Israel relations. He has written and edited 22 books, including “The Arab Lobby, Death to the Infidels: Radical Islam’s War Against the Jews”; “After Anatevka: Tevye in Palestine”; and "Forgotten Victims: The Abandonment of Americans in Hitler’s Camps.” This article was first published on JNS.

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Headlines Security: Continued from page 3

communication equipment that can come along with this.” Kroll also noted that CPR certification can be a part of the CSS training, as well as more intensive Blue Point training, which is found in 35 Pittsburgh locations. “Federation would add their own training, too, and customize it for Pittsburgh,” he said. Before his time at the Federation, Kroll was a police officer for 32 years and also trained police officers for more than two decades. He said he’s impressed by what CSS offers. “For civilian training, it’s some of the best I’ve ever seen,” he said. The training is free for volunteers and

it comes with an added benefit: liability coverage. “Whether it’s a slip and fall or there’s a confrontation that leads to a lawsuit, as long as you’re following what they’re teaching, you have liability protection that they provide, which is phenomenal,” he said. Poale Zedeck is the first local congregation participating in the program, but Kroll and Wice aim to have congregations across the region and of all affiliations take advantage of the training. Interested organizations should reach out to Kroll. Training won’t take place before the High Holidays, but that doesn’t mean the Federation isn’t focused on keeping the community safe during a time when synagogues experience their highest attendance of the year.

Pulpits: Continued from page 4

“I’d like to invite people to think about how Jewish life can bring joy and about the value and the beauty of Jewish life,” Fellman said. “Whether we do that individually or collectively, or both, I want people to look around in the world and say, ‘Yes, we have challenges and difficulties. We obviously have to own our realities, but it’s also a wonderful time to dream.’ The challenges don’t preclude the dreaming; on the contrary, the challenges invite more dreaming. And so we can get bogged down with all the tsuris, or we can say, ‘Wow, what a golden opportunity we have to create and reimagine, we can build and connect.’ That’s what my real hope is for the High Holidays.” Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur offer meaningful opportunities, Temple Emanuel of South Hills’ Rabbi Aaron Meyer said. “I’m really looking forward to getting to be together in community at a time when it feels like we could use it the most,” he said. “I suspect this is something we’ve

Afghanistan: Continued from page 14

unexpected turn through Pittsburgh, where Blumenstein’s husband grew up and her sister-in-law lives. A conversation with the Jewish Healthcare Foundation’s Daniel Rosen pointed Blumenstein toward using her Pittsburgh connections to help the women. “He said, ‘Use your contacts. You know me. Your son goes to Carnegie Mellon. Your whole family is in Pittsburgh. Why don’t you call [Farnam] Jahanian?’” Blumenstein recalled. Jahanian, who is CMU’s president, spoke with several Pittsburgh universities and soon a plan was born. Chatham University agreed to enroll three of the women to spend a year improving their English before restarting their regular studies. The fourth enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh but has since transferred to a program outside of the city. The next challenge was trying to figure out how to cover the costs. To do that, a nonprofit was created: the 20

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This week, the Federation announced an expanded security posture across the region’s Jewish community. In a written statement, the Federation said it has been coordinating security planning for the past two months and has requested police departments across Greater Pittsburgh to rotate additional patrols near the approximately 30 venues hosting High Holiday services or events. State grant funding is supporting private contract security and off-duty police officers at sites throughout the region, and the Federation is sharing information with the FBI to maintain awareness heading into the holiday season, the statement said. This coordination is in addition to the Federation’s commitment during the year.

In 2026, it has already spent $450,000 on security. Additionally, 30 local institutions received a combined $1.7 million from the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Security Fund Program. Shawn Brokos, Federation’s director of community security, said the goal is for the community to celebrate the holidays with confidence. “This is not a response to a heightened threat,” she said. “It is a heightened level of preparedness, the result of months of planning and close coordination with our law enforcement partners. Pittsburgh’s Jewish community should feel free to gather, pray and celebrate this season.” PJC

During the High Holidays, while surrounded by fellow landsmen, Meyer will deliver a talk about what he’s been reading: “Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe,” by Matti Friedman. The book, according to Meyer, has a passage exploring Hungarian poet Hanna Szenes’s final work:

something I look forward to bringing to the congregation.” In Greenfield, B’nai Emunoh Chabad’s Rabbi Elchonon Friedman is also looking back for future use. The upcoming year marks 100 years since the establishment of B’nai Emunoh, he said. “One hundred years ago was also when the Chabad movement began really its journey to America, with the arrest and ultimately liberation of the previous Rebbe [Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn] from prison in 1927,” he said. It’s instructive to consider last century’s familiar challenges. “There was a split in the Jewish community between people who were trying to maybe be communist and those who wanted to keep the Jewish faith and the strength of the Jewish faith,” he said. Breakdowns, “whether it’s right and left, whether it’s Haredi and other Jews,” are occurring today. “For us to truly survive, we have to recognize the power and the importance of each Jew, and the unity with all Jews.” PJC

Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame. Blessed is the flame that burns in the secret fastness of the heart. Blessed is the heart with strength to stop its beating for honor’s sake. Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame. p “Jews Praying in the synagogue on Yom Kippur” by Maurycy Gottlieb

Image via commons.wikimedia.org

been saying year after year, but it is a challenging time for Jews in this world, and to be surrounded by friends and family and values-aligned individuals to whom you don’t have to explain yourself is going to be a m’chiyah (life saver) this time around.”

Those verses spur thoughts about hiding and involvement, Meyer said. “I think many American Jews right now are living through a challenging time where they are debating who they want to be in the public sphere, how they can support causes that are important to them; and so to read this story of Jewish empowerment has been really interesting to me and

“We would talk to girls in the classrooms and ask them, ‘How many of your mothers can read?’ and none of their hands would go up. And then, we would ask them how many hoped to go to university and it would be every hand.” –DIANA KAPP Journalism Refugees Education Fund. Proceeds from the sale of “The Last Free Women” are going to the fund and are being used to help 11 Afghans study in America. “We feel one of the best and most direct ways to help someone get a fresh start is to give them an education, which is a theme that runs through the book,” Kapp said. Blumenstein’s sister-in-law, Laura Kessler, helped Samira’s family furnish their apartment at Chatham and provide necessities like kitchen supplies, a crib mattress and more. She became so close to the family that

Samira’s daughter calls her “Nana.” “Rebecca always jokes that she doesn’t go to a single family gathering that Samira and her daughter, Durrin, and husband aren’t at,” Kapp said. Pittsburgh, Blumenstein said, has been “so welcoming” to the families. Samira’s daughter even attends programming at the Jewish Community Center. While the Steel City plays a starring role in the story of some of the families that have come to the United States, Kapp said the book is focused on the women and their drive to create better lives for themselves.

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

Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. “They’re so dedicated to getting back on track and going after their dreams,” she said. “They will do almost anything to make that happen.” It’s a story of hope that shows some of the best of the United States, Blumenstein said. “In America, even at a time of great division, we write about countless acts of people who helped along the way who didn’t have to. It’s a story that I think gives hope to those that despair about where we are as a country,” she said. “There’s a lot that unites us and I think everyone realizes that someone helped their family along the way and that we are a nation of immigrants.” Kapp will be in conversation with two of the women featured in “The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America,” on Sept. 13 at City of Asylum. Blumenstein will be at the JCC’s annual meeting on Sept. 16, at 5:30 p.m., for a ceremony honoring Laura and Jon Kessler, and in coversation with Samira and Waissuddin Rustami . PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

Headlines Darawshe: Continued from page 15

of the engineering students, which he believes is the future of the Israeli economy. The formula, he said, is for the Jewish community to create space and the Arab community to create capacity. As an example, he pointed to “cross-sector teachers” — Arab teachers in Jewish schools and Jewish teachers in Arab schools. Two years ago, there were about 2,500 exchanges. Today it’s nearly 4,500. The Israel-Palestinian conflict and developments in Gaza and the West Bank, however, continue to contribute to polarization. “The perspectives are different,” he said. “The majority of Arab citizens still believe that Palestinians deserve freedom and should get their own Palestinian state to live in peace and

Steinem: Continued from page 16

and dismissed Steinem as a grandstander. “The media tried to make her a celebrity,” Friedan said of Steinem in 1972, “but no one would mistake her for a leader.” Yet it was Steinem’s broader understanding of women’s rights as part and parcel of liberation movements that led her to sign a letter three years later decrying the United Nations General Assembly resolution equating Zionism with racism. “We are appalled at the ‘racist’ label applied solely to the national self-determination movement of the Jewish people,” said the letter – spearheaded, as it happened, by Steinem’s erstwhile rival Friedan. “We decry this implicit denial of Israeli statehood and this incitement to world wide anti-Semitism.” It was signed by 60 women, including the pantheon of Jewish second wave feminists, among them: Bella Abzug, the New York congresswoman; Joan Ganz Cooney, the co-creator of “Sesame Street”; Nora Ephron, the essayist and filmmaker; and Beverly Sills, the opera diva. Steinem later joined in advocacy to release Ida Nudel, the Soviet Jewish refusenik. She could be critical of Israel. In 2019, she swore not to visit Israel while Benjamin Netanyahu was prime minister after he came under pressure from President Donald Trump and banned entry to two Muslim congresswomen who are strident critics of Israel, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. She recalled a dinner in the 1980s she attended with Netanyahu, which she evidently did not enjoy. “You were a conversational bully to your guest, just as you are a bully to these two elected women leaders now,” she said in a statement. Steinem herself was descended from Jewish feminist royalty – but did not know it until she was an adult, when she was enlightened by a feminist who was writing a monograph about her grandmother. “I had a Jewish suffragist grandmother, Pauline Perlmutter Steinem, who died when I was about five,” Steinem wrote for the Jewish Women’s Archive. “She had addressed Congress, but nobody told me about that. They told me that she was a wonderful woman who kept a kosher table, had four sons, and was a pioneer of vocational education – different measurements of success – but not

security in the West Bank and Gaza with the state of Israel.” Less than 20% of Israeli Jews feel the same way, he noted. Rather than focus on the differences, he said, it makes more sense to create “islands of cooperation and interdependency.” “I think it will take us a generation to speak about political solutions,” Darawshe said. “I’m not very hopeful of political solutions. One state, two states, three states, I don’t have an answer about this. What I know is feasible, is that we can bring Jewish and Arab classrooms to work together. We can bring Jewish and Arab mayors together to work on joint sewage systems and joint industrial zones. We can break segregation in education. We can create interdependency in art and high tech.” The Jewish high tech industry, he said, needs more Arabs because of their strong

math skills. The relationship, he added, is symbiotic: Arab workers can earn up to three times their current salaries, while Israel gains access to valuable skills. Darawshe is unsure if an Arab political party will be part of the next coalition but said it’s something he would like to see. “It requires courageous Jewish and Arab leadership,” he said. While Darawshe hopes to see greater Arab participation in future governments, Givat Haviva is more focused on “small islands” of cooperation, where Arabs and Jews enter one another’s communities, become less intimidated and build trust. “Unfortunately, only 7% of Arabs citizens live in mixed towns and villages and that means also that only about 7% of Israeli Jews are exposed to Arab citizens as fellow residents,” he noted. He believes that interdependency and

integration are the answer. Darawshe hopes American Jews will give greater thought to Israel’s Arab citizens, who make up approximately 21% of the population. Some of those citizens can trace their families back more than 20 generations and deserve the promises outlined in the country’s Declaration of Independence, he said. Givat Haviva, he continued, is proving there are ways Arab and Jewish Israeli citizens can live together. And American Jews, he said, can support those efforts. “We have a lot of accomplishments that can bring pride if you are engaged in them,” he said, citing the cross-sector teachers program as an example. “As an American Jew you can be very proud.” PJC David Rullo can be reached at drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

that she was also the first woman to be elected Steinem wrote in her Jewish Women’s 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, the 1972 to a Board of Education in the state of Ohio, Archive essay. “For me it was like a big Supreme Court decision identifying the right as a suffragist on the same ticket with the light coming on. I had had an abortion and to an abortion. socialists and the anarchists.” never told anyone – not a girlfriend, not “I don’t feel my work or the work of all Cottin Pogrebin wrote that Steinem the man, nobody.” the women and men who care about racial maintained at least one Jewish tradition She was a political columnist for New and sex equality has been struck down,” for years. York Magazine: Her next essay was “After she told NPR then. “It’s just that it has a “Every Passover for over twenty years, she Black Power, Women’s Liberation.” She never roadblock now, theoretically coming from joined a small group of ‘seder sisters’ — E. M. looked back. the highest court in the land, but actually Broner, Phyllis Chesler, Lilly Rivlin, Michelle Steinem weathered controversies, including will impose hardships unequally but will not Landsberg, Bea Kreloff, Edith Isaac-Rose, and after her vigorous defense of Bill Clinton change the fact that we either have decisionLetty Cottin Pogrebin — Jewish women in during the scandal over his affair with making power over our own bodies, women New York City who planned and performed Monica Lewinsky. “If the president and men, or there is no democracy.” a women’s seder, usually on the third night had behaved with comparable insensitivity Her credo, Steinem said in a joint 2015 of Passover,” Cottin Pogrebin recalled in her toward environmentalists, and at the New York Times interview with an old friend Steinem entry in the Jewish women’s encyclo- same time remained their most crucial and Jewish feminist trailblazer, Ruth Bader pedia. “The founding premise of this seder champion and bulwark against an anti- Ginsburg, the late Supreme Court justice, was was that women matter, that women must be environmental Congress, would they be kindness. “Kindness matters enormously. And acknowledged for their roles in the Exodus expected to desert him?” she wrote in empathy. Finding some point of connection,” story and their current struggle for equality The New York Times. “I don’t think so.” Steinem said then. in Jewish life.” More recently, she indicated she regretted She also advised never standing down. Steinem did not marry until she was 66, the essay. “The great thing about obstacles is that lived cause you to identify with other when she wed David Bale, a South African Steinem long enough to see many they who activist who died three years later of cancer. of the successes she helped bring reversed groups of people are facing obstacles,” She dated powerful men, many of them – including, perhaps most painfully, the she said. PJC Jewish, including film director Mike Nichols and media magnate Mort Zuckerman. Steinem was a lightning rod for the right wing, in part because she would not Lombardo Concrete, established in 1989, eschew glamour. Fully Insured - inWe Doof It All! specializes and excels all types residential Fully Insured We Do It All! concrete work: and decorative Midge Decter, a Jewish cofounder of the • Stamping • Flagstone Patios neoconservative movement, described in her • Exposed Aggregate • Floors autobiography, “An Old Wife’s Tale,” a debate • Colored Staining • Foundation Masonry • Sealing • Footers she had with Steinem. • Brick & Block Walls • Laying Stone “Gloria was unforgettable that evening, for • Dry • Sidewalks Lay Fully Fully Fully Insured Insured Insured---We We WeDo Do DoItItItAll! All! All! • Driveway Construction • Steps she turned up in a crotch high suede skirt Fully and Insured Fully Insured - We Do It All! - We Do It All! knee-high suede boots and kept warning the men in the audience that she and women like her were dead serious, and no longer were Fully Insured - We Do It All! women going to put up with being their play things,” Decter wrote. “Where I grew up we used to call that ‘teasing.’” Steinem began her career as a journalist, famously going undercover as a Playboy bunny in 1963 to expose how grueling the work was. But she brought an unstinting seriousness to her career as an advocate, which began in 1969 after she attended, on assignment, a gathering of women who described their illegal abortions. The experience – and the memory of her own secret abortion in 1957 – radicalized her. “They spoke about the dangerous illegal underground they had to enter, about bargaining with illegal abortionists, dealing with men who demanded sex before performing an abortion – incredible stories”

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Life & Culture Rosh Hashanah recipes 2026 — FOOD — By Miriam Szokovsk | Chabad.org

ith Rosh Hashanah around the corner, there is much to do, buy, prepare, and, of course, cook. There are so many symbolic foods full of traditions and meaning. Apples and honey for a sweet new year. The head of a fish or a ram, to express the wish that “we be a head and not a tail.” Pomegranates, voice to a wish that “our merits be many like the [seeds of the] pomegranate.” Carrots, because of its Yiddish name, merren, which means both “carrot” and “increase,” symbolizing a wish for a year of abundance. And, of course, whichever foods feel festive for your family. Here’s what’s on my menu:

Sticky pomegranate chicken with jeweled couscous

A gorgeous, sticky, tangy-sweet chicken dish that brings together honey and pomegranate — two classic Rosh Hashanah symbols — in one glossy glaze, served over a vibrant, jewel-toned couscous with roasted butternut squash, sumac-spiced chickpeas and pomegranate seeds.

p Pomegranate chicken and couscous

Serves: 6-8

For the chicken • 8 chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, skin on • Salt and pepper, to taste • 3 tablespoons olive oil • 4 garlic cloves, minced • ½ cup pomegranate juice • ⅓ cup honey • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (optional)

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• Fresh pomegranate seeds and parsley, for garnish For the couscous • 3 cups Moroccan couscous (fine couscous) • Half of a medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes • Sumac-spiced chickpeas (recipe below) • Seeds from 1 pomegranate • Fresh parsley, roughly chopped • Fresh mint, roughly chopped For the dressing • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • Juice of 2 limes • Salt to taste For the chicken

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. 2. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken, skinside down, until golden, then flip. 3. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. 4. Whisk together pomegranate juice, honey, soy sauce and pomegranate molasses. Pour over the chicken. 5. Transfer skillet to the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, basting once or twice, until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened and turned sticky. 6. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley before serving. For the couscous

1. Roast the butternut squash: Preheat

p Spiced roasted carrots

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oven to 400 F. Spread cubed butternut squash in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Roast uncovered for about 30 minutes until tender and lightly caramelized. 2. Prepare the chickpeas (recipe below). 3. Prepare the couscous: Follow the directions on the packet. Fluff with a fork to separate the grains as soon as the water is absorbed, so it doesn’t clump. 4. While the couscous is still warm, gently fold in the roasted butternut squash and roasted chickpeas. 5. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then add the pomegranate seeds, chopped parsley and chopped mint. 6. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and lime juice. Season with salt to taste and gently toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. To serve

Spoon the jeweled couscous onto a large platter and top with the sticky pomegranate chicken. Serve warm. Couscous can be served as a stand-alone side dish at room temperature if preferred.

Sumac-spiced chickpeas • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas • 1½ teaspoon sumac • 1½ teaspoon smoked paprika • 1 teaspoon coriander • ½ teaspoon salt • Black pepper • 1 tablespoon olive oil Directions

1. Open the can of chickpeas. Drain the liquid. Rinse the chickpeas well with cold water, drain and pat dry. 2. In a small bowl, combine the sumac, smoked paprika, coriander, salt and black pepper. 3. Toss the chickpeas with the spice mixture and the oil. Bake at 400 F for 15-20 minutes. Increase the temperature to 450 F and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Spiced roasted carrots

On Rosh Hashanah, it is customary to eat foods whose names in the vernacular allude to blessing and prosperity. For example, the Yiddish word for carrot, meren, also means “increase,” symbolizing our wish for a year of abundance. Please see Recipes, page 24

Photo courtesy of Chabad.org

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HIGH HOLIDAYS Rosh Hashanah: September 11-13

‫בס’’ד‬

Yom Kippur: September 20-21

Join Chabad for Inspiring High Holiday Services with Meaning and Melody at: LUBAVITCH CENTER 2100 Wightman Street LubavitchCenter.org

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With blessings of ‫כתיבה וחתימה טובה‬ for a Good and Sweet Year!

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Life & Culture Recipes: Here’s an alternative to tzimmes that hits the carrot brief without the overwhelming sweetness. And your house will smell amazing while they’re cooking!

single layer. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of oil or a light coating of spray-oil. 5. Bake at 425 F for 25 minutes. 6. Taste and sprinkle with additional salt if needed. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime (optional). 7. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with fresh parsley.

Serves: 4-6 as a side dish

Sweet fruity noodle kugel

Continued from page 22

• 1.5 pound large carrots • 2 tablespoons oil (or cooking spray) • ½ tablespoon smoked paprika • 1 teaspoon cumin • 1 teaspoon coriander • ½ teaspoon cinnamon • ½ teaspoon ginger • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper • 1 tablespoon kosher salt • Optional: fresh parsley for garnish • Optional: squeeze of lemon or lime

A sweet noodle kugel loaded with apples, dates, raisins and a bright hit of lemon zest. Serves: 8-10

• 12 ounces wide egg noodles • 2 apples, finely diced • ⅓ cup raisins • ⅓ cup chopped dates • ⅓ cup oil

Directions

1. Wash and peel carrots. Cut into rounds, keeping the thickness even so they cook evenly. Place in a mediumsized bowl. 2. In a small bowl, mix the spices together. (Optional: for a sweeter taste, add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the spice mix.) 3. Add the spice mixture a little at a time, tossing as you go, until the carrots are evenly coated. 4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread carrots out in a

• ⅓ cup brown sugar • ⅓ cup white sugar • 6 eggs • ½ teaspoon ginger powder • Zest of 1 lemon • Pinch of salt Directions

1. Soak the raisins in hot water for 20 minutes. 2. Crack the eggs and check for blood spots. Beat in a large bowl. Add all the ingredients except for the egg noodles. 3. Boil the egg noodles until soft. 4. Drain the noodles and mix a small amount into the egg mixture, then add the rest of the noodles (this prevents the eggs from curdling). Toss well to coat. 5. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish (smaller for a thicker kugel), and pour in the mixture. 6. Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes.

Simanim confit with dates, leeks and more

Tomato-garlic confit with fresh challah is one of the most delicious foods in existence, and here it’s leveled up for Rosh Hashanah by adding in some of the symbolic foods we eat on the holiday: leeks, dates and pomegranate molasses. Serve with the traditional round challah that symbolizes the cycle of life. p Fruity noodle kugle

Photo courtesy of Chabad.org

Yields: 1 batch, enough to share

• Handful of whole garlic cloves

• 2 leeks, white and light green part only, sliced into rounds • 5-6 dates, roughly chopped • Handful of olives, green or black • Handful of grape tomatoes • Olive oil (enough to cover ingredients) • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary • Salt to taste • Pomegranate molasses, for drizzling (optional) Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In a glass baking dish, combine the garlic, leeks, dates, olives, and grape tomatoes. 3. Pour olive oil over the ingredients until mostly covered. 4. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, until everything becomes soft and tender. 5. Remove from oven and immediately add the rosemary sprigs. 6. Season with salt, and, if desired, drizzle with pomegranate molasses for extra sweetness and symbolic meaning. 7. Serve warm or at room temperature, with warm challah for dipping. You can also drizzle it over roasted vegetables or chicken. Note: Save the oil! If you’ve eaten all the pieces but still have oil left over, don’t discard — use it in your cooking or salad dressings. PJC This article was first published by Chabad.org/Food.

Chag Pesach Sameach May this season of freedom bring peace, health, and love to every home

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High Holidays of Hope Rosh Hashanah Start the New Year with a mitzvah

Book of Life Book Sort Book Dropoff: September 1-11* Book Sort: Sunday, September 13 • 3-5 pm at both JCC locations Jews are often referred to as People of the Book and on Rosh Hashanah we pray to be inscribed in the Book of Life. In that spirit, we are collecting gently used children’s books to be distributed to houses of worship. On September 13, volunteers are needed to organize, sort and box the used books. Give used books a second chance by donating and boxing gently used titles! *Please note holiday closures on September 11 at 5 pm Interested in volunteering? Register here

Yom Kippur

Bearing Witness: Hope and Resilience Through Listening Monday, September 21 • 3 to 5 pm • JCC Squirrel Hill Engage in teshuvah (repentance) by listening, remembering, and empowering storytellers. Join in the mitzvah of deeply understanding other people’s experiences and RSVP here finding hope together this Yom Kippur.

For more information, contact Elisha Serotta • eserotta@jccpgh.org

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SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Life & Culture Dara Horn tackles enduring antisemitic lies head-on with optimistic ‘Final Solution’ — BOOKS — By Renee Ghert-Zand | The Times of Israel

or centuries, argues author Dara Horn, people have tried to gain or maintain power by employing the lie that Jews are responsible for destroying whatever a society, government, or institution values most. Tyrants, totalitarian regimes on both the right and left, and conformist societies in particular, have employed this lie, Horn says, because they are threatened by Jews — and by Judaism’s long history as an anti-tyrannical, countercultural tradition. It is the central argument of Horn’s new book, “The Final Solution to the Jewish Question,” which was released Sept. 1. The title is every bit as provocative as that of her 2021 bestseller, “People Love Dead Jews” — and its cover is sure to draw attention in bookstores and on social media. With its direct reference to the Nazis’ nearly successful extermination of Europe’s Jews during World War II, this collection of related essays is, unsurprisingly, about antisemitism. But its subtitle, “A Love Letter to the Living,” hints from the outset that things are not all doom and gloom. Writing after the bloody Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacres in Israel, Horn could hardly avoid addressing what she sees as a

p Author Dara Horn in a promotional video for her Tell Institute

Screenshot via The Times of Israel

dangerous escalation of Jew-hatred in the United States and around the world. But she is also hopeful about the possibility of turning the situation around, especially through the right kind of education. “I absolutely think that this is winnable,” Horn told The Times of Israel in a recent interview. “The through line of antisemitism for thousands of years has been the denial of truth and the promotion of lies. These lies range in scope from conspiracy theories to Holocaust denial to the blood libel to the currently popular claims that Zionism is racism, that Jews are settler colonialists, and that Jewish

civilization isn’t native to the land of Israel. These lies are all part of the foundational Big Lie: that antisemitism itself is a righteous act of resistance against evil, because Jews are collectively evil and have no right to exist. Today, the Big Lie is winning,” Horn wrote. One only needs to look at various eras throughout history to grasp how consistent the Big Lie has been. “It’s in every era, every social circle. The only thing that varies is what you value the most. Say you’re a religious Christian, then you are lied to that Jews are destroying Christianity, or that they killed Christ. Say you’re a human rights activist, then Israel’s the

world’s worst violator of human rights, and it doesn’t matter that you’re being told this by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Horn said. This new book resulted from countless people reaching out to Horn after reading “People Love Dead Jews,” attending her lectures, or hearing her on a podcast. They emailed and messaged her, and they approached her at speaking engagements. Jews of all ages and backgrounds shared with her their personal experiences of being targeted by antisemitism and asked for her help. These experiences ranged from being on the receiving end of antisemitic comments all the way up to violence, including the destruction of property, death threats and bodily harm. One young woman who had heard that Horn had been invited to an event at the White House jumped up on a stage in Toronto and implored Horn to intervene with the American administration to achieve the release of her savta (Hebrew for grandmother), who was being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas. “I am a writer, not a therapist. I was entirely unprepared to become the emotional receptacle for hundreds of strangers’ shame, confusion and fear,” she wrote. Horn hadn’t even initially considered antisemitism the subject of “People Love Dead Jews.” “I conceived of it as an intellectual exploration of a phenomenon in history and literature Please see Horn, page 34

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Wishes Everyone a Year Full of Blessings

L'shanah Tovah Happy & Healthy

New Year 5787 !!

Find Your Place : Make New Friends : Celebrate Judaism Come see what your neighbors & friends are discovering! Sign up today! High Holy Days, Religious School, Mailing List or Membership info: Rabbi Aaron Bisno : Info@TempleOhavShalom.org : 412-369-0900

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At the rising sun and at its going down;

We remember them.

At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter;

We remember them.

At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring;

We remember them.

At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer;

We remember them.

At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of the autumn;

We remember them.

At the beginning of the year and when it ends;

We remember them.

As long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us as,

We remember them.

When we are weary and in need of strength;

We remember them.

When we are lost and sick at heart;

We remember them.

When we have decisions that are difficult to make;

We remember them.

When we have joy we crave to share;

We remember them.

When we have achievements that are based on theirs;

We remember them.

For as long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us as,

We remember them.

Lee & Lisa Oleinick PITTSBURGHJEWISHCHRONICLE.ORG

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Shanah Tovah

As we welcome a New Year, together we begin a new chapter.

Introducing

The Tree of Life Center for Humanity Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is a time of celebration, reflection and a moment for us to reimagine the world as we would like it to be. We enter the year 5787 as The Tree of Life Center for Humanity, a place for memory, new connections, deeper understanding, and new perspectives for generations to come as together we seek to uproot antisemitism and hate. As we start the new year, construction is well underway on the reimagined building designed by Daniel Libeskind, bringing us ever closer to returning Jewish joy and life to the corner of Shady and Wilkins. We are grateful for your support in cultivating a brighter future and wish you a Shana Tovah U’Metukah — a good and sweet new year.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

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Life & Culture Pittsburgh author’s newest thriller makes no mystery of animals, earth — BOOKS — By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer

oje Stage’s newest book offers a thrilling modern take on an ancient ideal. “Something of a Calling,” which is available beginning Sept. 15 from Blackstone Publishing, encourages readers to rethink their relationship to animals and the spaces shared with humans. Stage’s story follows small-town detective Andy Cooper during the final week of her decades-long career. Readers are quickly told that the western Pennsylvanian sleuth, who has spent almost as much time solving cases as burying her own grief, comes across a body with strange bite marks. As the chapters, which Stage marks by dates, unfold, the gruesome body count grows. Ultimately, Cooper’s swan song becomes as much a quest to solve a crime as it is to rectify bionomic quirks. Stage, a Pittsburgh-based Jewish author whose previous books have garnered international acclaim for their ability to entertainingly terrorize audiences, said she opted for an alternative approach for her newest work. There’s an “intentionality” that went into writing the book, she said. “I’m not subtle in the point that I’m making, and I’m not trying to be.” The deliberateness marking “Something of a Calling” was generated by a sense that readers required more than mere amusement, she said. “I love entertainment as much as the next person, but as a creator, it’s really hard to deal with everything that’s happening every day in the world. It’s just overwhelming.” Since moving into her Squirrel Hill home during the pandemic, Stage has regularly observed a peregrine falcon, deer, cardinals, groundhogs and squirrels in her backyard. The collective is this “amazing thing that I get to witness outside my window.” But while it is “magical,” there is this “constant worry and this hyper-awareness that the world that they’re living in, which is the world that we’ve dominated, is so not safe for them,” she said.

p An animal encounter occurs at author Zoje Stage's home.

Too often, ecological realities have been ignored or shunned, she continued. “It’s almost mind-boggling the degree to which people have forgotten or are blind to the fact that we need all the species that exist on this

earth because they all serve a vital purpose.” Preserving habitats is part of Stage’s compositional push; midway through the text, Stage deepens the call. As Cooper traces the path of mysterious deaths, she encounters

p Book Cover

p Zoje Stage

Photo courtesy of Zoje Stage

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

Councilperson Warwick and the entire District 5 team wish you and your loved ones a sweet, healthy, and joyful New Year. May this season of renewal bring peace and prosperity to our whole community.

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Photo courtesy of Zoje Stage

a dead fawn on the side of the road. The experience elicits an unexpectedly emotional reaction from an otherwise stoic detective. Not just another carcass, the fallen fawn “reminds her of her own losses in her life,” Stage told the Chronicle. Encountering that deer is a reminder that “it’s someone’s dead child … and I know a lot of people don’t think of animals on that level, but animals feel pain. It’s a very real thing. Animals mourn their losses just like we do.” Stage’s message is a familiar echo — weeks ago many synagogue-goers heard a biblical imperative imploring passersby to shoo away a mother bird before taking its young. Writing in “The Guide for the Perplexed,” Maimonides, a 12th-century scholar, said the commandment must be appreciated: “There is no difference in this case between the pain of man and the pain of other living beings, since the love and tenderness of the mother for her young ones is not produced by reasoning, but by imagination, and this faculty exists not only in man but in most living beings.” Days before Stage’s newest work is released, the writer said her text is unmistakably purposeful. For years, Stage has enabled readers to visit twisted psyches in print. “Something of a Calling” broadens the writer’s aims by asking readers to question their own consciousness. Whether through fictional characters or fabricated events in a western Pennsylvanian setting, the reality is clear, Stage explained. “We’ve been such horrible neighbors to all the creatures that we share the world with,” she said. “Nature isn’t something that exists somewhere else. We’re in it all the time. We’re in it. It’s right here. But humanity has treated the world like we’re the only ones that matter.” Failure to recognize responsibilities can reap horror beyond any literary construction, she continued. “We live in a beautiful world in which we’re not the only sentient creatures. We should have as much compassion for our animal neighbors as we do for human neighbors.” PJC

Barb Warwick and the District 5 City Council Team PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Celebrations

Torah

Birth

The shofar of Jiminy Cricket Jamie (Kurke) and Manny Levitt joyfully announce the birth of their precious daughter, Noa Mendelson Levitt, born Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Proud grandparents are Florri (Mendelson) Ladov of Squirrel Hill, Ellen and Michael Levitt of Atlanta (formerly Nashville), and the late Lance Kurke of Regent Square and Donald Ladov of Squirrel Hill. Noa is adored by big brother Rocky (Bernese mountain dog), beloved extended family and a community of treasured friends.

Engagement

Lori Goldstein, and Jeff and Angela Katchen, all from Pittsburgh, are overjoyed to announce the engagement of their son, Jacob Katchen, to Michelle Kammerman, daughter of Stefanie Kammerman and Matthew Bucaro, and Michael Kammerman, all from New York. Jacob is the brother of Elizabeth and Shae, and the grandson of Marc and Elenor Goldstein, all from Pittsburgh, and David and Alice Katchen from Livingston, New Jersey. Michelle is the sister of Max, who lives in New York, and the granddaughter of Sandy Kammerman from Boca Raton, Florida. The couple currently reside in New York where Jacob works as an account executive at Salesforce, and Michelle is a professional photographer and the owner of Kammerman Photography.

Wedding

Adam Barad Eller and Eve Maimon Gural announce their July 25, 2026, marriage at the Union League of Philadelphia. The bride, a graduate of the University of Vermont, is a sales and partnership manager for DEEL. The groom, a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College and Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management (MBA) consults in technology, media and telecom at Altman Solon. Parents of the bride are Jill and David Gural; parents of the groom are Dr. Andrew and Andrea Eller and Dr. Roxana Barad. Grandparents are Nely Barad, Barbara Maimon, and Sandra (Bunnie) Gural. Greatly missed are Eugene Barad (z’l), Lee Maimon (z’l), and Melvin and Barbara Eller (z’l). The newlyweds reside in New York City and are planning a fall honeymoon. PJC

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Hazzan Barbara Barnett Parshat Rosh Hashanah Genesis 21: 1-34 Numbers 29: 1-6

ach weekday morning for the past month, Shacharit has been punctuated by the blasts of the shofar. Tekia: “Heads up!” Shevarim: “Get Ready!” Teruah: “It’s coming!” “Look inward,” the calls implored, inching us toward this week and the start of the High Holy Days. We have arrived at Rosh Hashanah and Aseret Y’mei Teshuvah — the 10 days of teshuva — searching even further inside our souls, taking account, making amends, returning to who we really are deep inside, and getting back on the path to our best selves. We begin the process to make a pact within our hearts, with each other, and with G-d, to be our better selves this year. The blast of the shofar is one of the most identifiable sounds of the High Holidays. This hollowed-out ram’s horn makes a sound that can be carried far and wide. In biblical times — and in many ancient cultures — it was used to muster the troops and signal important announcements, the emergency broadcast system of its day. So what is its relevance now, here in the 21st century, when we have alarm clocks, widely broadcast signals, tweets and pings? “Wake up!” “Listen!” “Hear me!” it shouts. It is not reminding us to buy the brisket or send the New Year’s cards. It is meant to remind us that this is the time for introspection, for self-assessment. From the first day of Rosh Hashanah — also called Yom Teruah, the Day of the Sounding — when we hear 100 blasts of the shofar, through the 10 Days of Repentance until Yom Kippur, the crescendo of the season, we heed the shout, the wail, the call to look inward. We take account of where we’ve been and where we’re going. We return from wrong turns and unintended diversions and rejoin the path we’ve always meant to follow. We apologize — to parents, to children, to friends and associates — try to make amends, right those wrongs we never intended in the first place, and try to wipe the slate, if not completely clean, as fresh as it can be. We do teshuva — often translated as “repentance,” but which actually means “return” — a turning back to the way

we’re meant to be. One of the key liturgical pieces of the High Holy Days captures this beautifully in a single sentence. “U’va shofar gadol yitakah; v’kol d’mama’dakah yishama” — The great shofar sounds, and a still, small voice is heard. Whenever I chant these words, I almost always flash on an image of Jiminy Cricket sitting on Pinocchio’s shoulder, whispering into the puppet-boy’s ear. Pinocchio didn’t always want to hear what Jiminy had to say — but when he listened, he tended to do the right thing. I’m also reminded of Simba in “The Lion King” at a pivotal moment of choice between doing good and not-so-good. Simba’s father, Mufasa, implores his son to remember who he is. “Remember! Remember!” But the shofar’s origin story is found in the Torah portion we chant on Rosh Hashanah — the Akeda. The binding of Isaac. The ram caught in the thicket by his horns. The ram Abraham offered in his son’s place. Every blast we hear carries within it that ancient moment of test and mercy, of the commanding voice of G-d’s demand of Abraham, and the saving one delivered by an angel, quietly staying Abraham’s hand. The great shofar sounds — and the still, small voice answers. We are all Pinocchio. We are all Simba. We each have our own whispering voice called “conscience.” And like a computer needing an occasional reboot, our own still, small voices need to be refreshed for another year. The sound of the shofar’s cry is meant to echo on through the year — through that kol d’mama’dakah, that still small voice always whispering in our ears, giving us counsel even — or especially — when we’re not especially inclined to listen. Each year, like a computer needing a reboot, our personal Jiminy Cricket is reawakened by the unrelenting cry of the shofar, his still small voice renewed to sit on our shoulder, sometimes annoyingly, for another year. May your 5787 be sweet, your slate as fresh as it can be — and may your own still, small voice carry you through whatever lies ahead. L’shanah tovah u’me’tukah! (A good and sweet year!) PJC Hazzan Barbara Barnett is an independent cantor-educator, author and speaker. She teaches children and adults formally through classes and informally through individual tutoring. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Clergy Association.

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Obituaries BIRNBERG: Dr. Jacob G. Birnberg, beloved husband, father, grandfather, scholar, teacher, mentor and friend, passed away on Aug. 28, 2026, at the age of 92. Jacob devoted his life to family, education and the pursuit of knowledge. He was an internationally respected scholar in accounting and management, whose academic career spanned more than four decades. After serving on the faculties of the University of Minnesota and the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, he joined the University of Pittsburgh in 1964. He became the Robert W. Murphy Jr. Professor of Management Control Systems in 1993 and an emeritus faculty member in 2006. Additionally, he taught at the London Graduate School of Business Studies and Oxford University (Templeton College). While his professional achievements were considerable, Jake’s greatest pride was his family. He was a loving husband to Stephanie, a devoted father to Marcie, Carla and Dana, and a cherished grandfather to Daniel, Alexandra, Anastacia and Emma. Those who knew Jake will remember his intellectual curiosity, his quirky sense humor, his love of travel and kindness. His legacy lives on through his family, friends, former students, colleagues, and the many people influenced by his teaching and scholarship. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Jacob G. Birnberg Fund at the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh supporting Doctoral Student Research, pitt.gift/birnberg. Professional services trusted to D’Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory Ltd., Lawrenceville. dalessandroltd.com

GOLDFEDER: Marie (Miriam) Goldfeder, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away on Sept. 2, 2026, at the age of 96. Marie was the daughter of the late Yerachmiel and Tzippora, and sister of the late Charles and Shalom. She was the beloved wife of the late Jacques (Yitzchak) Goldfeder; devoted mother of Mordechai (Esther), Tzippora (Eli) and Dorit (Uzi); and loving grandmother of Anat, Ronen, Karen, Eyal, Ido and Hadar and 10 great-grandchildren. Born in Belgium on March 8, 1930, Marie was only 11 when the Nazis took her parents. She survived the Holocaust by hiding in the homes of strangers, arranged by her brother, Shalom. She never stopped missing her parents, whose photograph hung above her bed throughout her life. After the war, Marie met Jacques. They married when she was 19 and sailed to Israel, eventually settling in Haifa. Their lives took them around the world, including years in the Ivory Coast and Nigeria and many visits to family in America. Marie was exceptionally smart, curious and remarkably ahead of her time. She was warm and easygoing, never judgmental and always ready to listen. She had a wonderful smile, and her blue eyes sparkled when she smiled. She stayed in close touch with her family and closest friends by phone, and spoke with her children every day until the end of her life. She was a wonderful cook who showed her love through food, especially the crêpes her grandchildren adored. She loved reading books in French, sitting in the sunshine, and looking her best — her nails were always painted, and when she was well, her hair was always Please see Obituaries, page 32

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Obituaries Obituaries: Continued from page 31

Shana Tova

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Portuguese artists pull out of Jerry Seinfeld-headlined festival — WORLD— By Shira Li Bartov | JTA

everal Portuguese artists have dropped out of a comedy festival in Lisbon headlined by Jerry Seinfeld, citing their support for Palestinians and implying opposition to Seinfeld’s support for Israel. At least six acts over recent days have canceled their appearances at the MEO Commedia a La Carte Fest, a new international comedy festival in the Portuguese capital. The event from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 has advertised that it will host Seinfeld’s first live appearance in Portugal. Though none of the artists who withdrew mentioned Seinfeld by name, some hinted at a boycott against his pro-Israel views. The Jewish comedian has become one of Hollywood’s most prominent advocates for Israel since October 2023. Actress and comedian Inês Aires Pereira announced on Instagram on Saturday that “one of the names” featured at the festival “persistently defends ideas and acts that I consider indefensible,” adding, “We cannot relativize or normalize a genocide.” The comedy duo Cebola Mol posted a graphic of themselves with a watermelon, widely recognized as a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians. “We will celebrate justice, freedom and joy with you on another occasion,” they said on Instagram. The festival announced last week that performances by the groups Tributo Pop and Conjunto Cuca Monga were also canceled, but did not provide reasons. Two other 32

SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

p Jerry Seinfeld at the 28th Television Academy Hall of Fame held at JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, California, Aug. 13, 2026

Photo by River Callaway/Variety via Getty Images

acts, comedian Pedro Tochas and visual artist Vhils, shared their cancellations on Instagram without further details. Seinfeld has aligned himself with Israel during its current conflict in Gaza, following decades of largely avoiding commenting on political issues. He visited Israel in December 2023 to meet with the families of hostages seized by Hamas on Oct. 7 of that year. Since then, he has attracted attention for a series of dismissive remarks toward proPalestinian advocates. During an appearance last year at Duke University, Seinfeld compared proPalestinian activists with the Ku Klux Klan, saying, “The Klan is actually a little better here because they can come right out and say, ‘We don’t like Blacks, we don’t like Jews.’ OK, that’s honest.” Representatives of Seinfeld and producers of the MEO Commedia a La Carte Fest did not immediately respond to requests for comment. PJC

beautifully done. She gave great hugs and ended every visit and every phone call the same way: “‫ — ”םיקוביחו תוקישנ‬kisses and hugs. Marie lived through unimaginable loss but built a life filled with family, friendship, laughter and love. She will be remembered for her warmth, her strength, her sparkling eyes and the enormous love she gave so freely. WOLFE: Dr. Harvey Wolfe, April 14, 1938 – Sept. 2, 2026. Beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, educator, mentor and friend, passed away peacefully at the age of 88 in his home on Sept. 2, 2026. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Harvey attended Baltimore City College before earning his B.E.S. in Industrial Engineering, M.S.E. in Operations Research, and Ph.D. in Operations Research from Johns Hopkins University. In 1964, Harvey joined the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh, beginning a career that would span five decades. A professor of industrial engineering and department chair from 1985 to 2000, Harvey was an early leader in health-systems engineering, applying engineering principles to improve health care delivery. He coauthored three books, mentored generations of students, served as president of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, and received the Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award, the highest honor bestowed by his profession. For all his professional accomplishments, family remained at the center of Harvey’s life. He married Elaine Gail (Roffman) Wolfe on Sept. 13, 1959, beginning a partnership that lasted more than 65 years until her death in 2025. Together they raised four children, Dr. Andrew (Roni) Wolfe, Bonnie (Ted) Bloom, Rabbi Stephanie Wolfe and Shoshanah (Brian) Drake, and were blessed with five grandchildren, Kira, Molly, Trevor, Sarah and Paige. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Gail Wolfe, and was preceded in death by his brother, Alan Wolfe. Temple David was an important part of Harvey’s life for more than 60 years. He served the congregation in numerous leadership roles, including president, financial secretary, comptroller, and financial vice president, and chaired two rabbinic search committees. He also devoted countless hours to strengthening the congregation’s financial stability and planning for its future. Whether offering his leadership and expertise or putting his woodworking skills to use on projects throughout the building, Harvey remained deeply committed to Temple David throughout his life. Harvey was a problem-solver, a lifelong learner, and a teacher far beyond the classroom. He believed deeply in education, mentoring, hard work and learning from failure, and took great satisfaction in helping others succeed. His curiosity, humor, wisdom and love for his family will live on in the many lives he touched. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment Temple Sinai Memorial Park. Donations may be made to the Harvey and Elaine Wolfe Rabbinic Chair Endowment at Temple David, 4415 Northern Pike, Monroeville, PA 15146, or to the Albert G. Holzman Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in Industrial Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. schugar.com PJC

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Life & Culture Horn:

was totally missed was that they are teaching antisemitic lies as facts, and saturating it to the point where it’s in everything. You’re taking an English class, and it’s about decolonizing Palestine. It’s in the graduate school of education and the school of public health. This is a plot,” Horn said. She warned that to assume that antisemitic acts on campus and elsewhere are organic is extremely misguided. Antisemitism is a wellfunded and highly organized hate movement, as it has almost always been.

Continued from page 26

I had observed as a scholar, journalist and author,” she said. What she had wanted to look at more closely was that non-Jews continue to be fascinated with Jewish individuals and communities that no longer exist, but have little respect for Jews as they live their lives today and carry on Jewish traditions. In other words, people only like Jews if they are dead or politically powerless. It was only later that it occurred to her that the book was indeed about antisemitism and that its content evoked very personal responses from readers. Although “devastated” and emotionally drained by what people were telling her, she felt she had to act. For her, that meant writing this new book: defining antisemitism for people and suggesting an approach she believes will combat it. While maintaining the through line of the Big Lie across the book, Horn covered a wide range of topics. Among them are the longstanding leadership, educational and funding policy failures of top U.S. universities that have resulted in institutional antisemitism and a lack of protection for Jewish students. Horn got an up-close view and plenty of insight on this when she accepted an invitation to serve on now-former Harvard president Claudine Gay’s Antisemitism Advisory Group, convened after Oct. 7 and the anti-Israel student protests that rocked campuses in the wake of the onslaught. Horn wrote about her testimony at the

The illusion of the Golden Age

p Book cover

December 2023 Congressional hearings about antisemitism at American universities, “during which the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Institute of Technology all claimed that calls for the genocide of Jews would violate their university’s policies only ‘depending on the context.’” “You realize the depth of this 30-year investment and the role of this hate movement in teaching [antisemitism] … There’s obviously been a lot of press about the protests at universities in the U.S., but to me, the story that

Horn devotes chapters to the weaknesses of current Holocaust education, the rise of anti-Zionism well before there was a modern state of Israel, and what she calls the “illusion” of the “Golden Age of American Jewry” of the mid-to-late 20th century. She also expounds on how new media, both past and present, play a significant and dangerous role in spreading misinformation, including antisemitism. A chapter on the use of artificial intelligence to spread antisemitism and radicalize people against Jews grew out of Horn’s contact with a data scientist who studies and combats the phenomenon. Horn also shares her reflections on some of the best and worst practices she observed in teaching about Jews, Judaism, Zionism and antisemitism in American public and non-Jewish private schools. She argues it is time for Jews to stop having to prove their worthiness. Instead, it’s time for the world to develop curiosity about who Jews actually are and learn how and why Jewish civilization has endured and been foundational to world history.

“The assumption was that the ‘positives’ of Jewish life and the ‘negatives’ of antisemitism were unrelated. The fact that Jews had endured so much hate so often over so many places and centuries was simply because, as a minority, they were an easy scapegoat. There was no point in looking deeper to see if there was any particular reason why Jews were so consistently scapegoated through the millennia, even in places like Japan with essentially no Jews,” Horn wrote. New Jersey-based Horn is so convinced that this is the right way to go that she has established The Tell Institute, an educational project using this approach. According to Horn, the program, which was piloted in a dozen public high schools, has garnered interest from educators and Holocaust commissions in several U.S. states, and even the Australian parliament. Although the project was conceived for non-Jewish students, demand from synagogue schools and JCC programs has led to an additional version tailored for b’nei mitzvah students. “What I’m doing is providing people with the story they need to know to understand what’s happening and not fall for the Big Lie. It’s not the story of what the Qatari or Iranian governments are doing. It’s a much longer, deeper story about 3,000 years of not bowing to tyrants. What that takes. What that looks like,” Horn said. “People don’t like finding out that they have been manipulated and fooled. When they find out, they get very upset about it and come back roaring. Certainly, where I live in the United States, there’s so much more ignorance than malice, and that is an opportunity,” she said. PJC

LET THIS BE THE YEAR YOU JOIN B'NAI B'RITH The B'nai B'rith Aaron Grossman Lodge #339 of Youngstown Ohio wishes you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Shana Tovah Umetukah “May you have a good and sweet year” Alan H. Samuels, President Samuel M. Bernstine, Vice President Board of Directors Herb Braverman | Arnold Clebone | Cari Margulis Immerman wwwbnaibrith.org | For membership call 724-730-3909 34

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Community Terrific and not terrifying

What a spark

p Maya Frisbee and Kobi Frisbee demonstrate that even dinosaurs don’t make first days scary. Photo courtesy of Community Day School

p A little bit of this, a little bit of that

Community Day School welcomed students back from summer vacation with help from an inflatable creature.

The Jewish Spark hosted Spark Shuk, an Israeli-styled pre-holiday marketplace. Along with an on-site shofar factory, participants enjoyed face painting, a bee hive and honey jar craft.

Macher and Shaker

Marlene Behrmann, the John and Clelia Sheppard chair in ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh, is receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Copenhagen in the fall. Behrmann studies the psychological and neural bases of visual processing, with specific interest in the mechanisms by which the signals from the eye are transformed into meaningful percepts by the brain.

p Marlene Behrmann

Photo courtesy of the Eye & Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh

Sign of communal growth

University of Pittsburgh’s Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity members started off the semester by building their own Shabbat table.

p Putting the pieces together for a great semester

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Photo courtesy of Hillel JUC

Photo courtesy of The Jewish Spark

First day fun

Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh kicked off the first day of school by greeting students with balloons.

p The wheels on the bus are not wheels.

Photo courtesy of Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh

Bright beginnings

Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh delivered students and staff a shiny welcome to the start of school.

p Sonja and Zara Wimer share first day smiles.

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Photo courtesy of Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh

SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

PAID FOR BY SHAPIRO FOR PENNSYLVANIA

From the Shapiro family to yours,

‫שנה טובה ומתוקה‬ shanah tovah uʼmetukah

May 5787 be a happy, healthy, and sweet new year. 36

SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE

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