Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle 8-11-23

After final day of victim testimony, synagogue killer formally sentenced to death

Victims’ families, congregations and the rest of the community react to death penalty verdict

By Torsten Ove | Contributing Writer

Aday after a federal court jury imposed the death penalty on the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter, U.S. District Judge Robert Colville formally sentenced him on Aug. 3 before a packed tense courtroom.

“I sentence you, Robert Bowers, to the penalty of death by execution,” the judge said.

Colville chose not to make any statements to the hate-filled killer who had slaughtered 11 innocent people nearly five years ago.

He said others have already spoken more eloquently and nothing he could say to the defendant would be meaningful.

“There is very little I could add,” he said.

The defendant, dressed in a red prison jumpsuit, had the right to address the court but said nothing.

U.S. Marshals led him away.

The United States of America v. Robert Bowers has finally ended after two months of exhausting testimony.

The final day saw more of the same as 22 people read victim impact statements

about what the defendant did to their families on Oct. 27, 2018, when he rampaged through the Tree of Life synagogue building with an AR-15 and slaughtered elderly and disabled worshippers.

It was the deadliest attack on Jews in American history.

Thursday was the day for the victims to finally address the court. While many family members had already testified at length during the trial, they had the right to be heard at sentencing under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.

Normally victims testify in order to persuade a judge to impose a harsher sentence than the defense is requesting. That wasn’t the case this time — death was the only option.

One by one, the victims delivered their statements. Some addressed the shooter directly, despite a request by the defense to speak to the judge only.

They all described ongoing despair and lingering trauma from that day.

Several barely controlled their rage.

By Adam Reinherz and David Rullo | Senior Sta Writers

Andrew Goldstein and Delaney Parks | Contributing Writers

Hours after jurors concluded that the man responsible for the most violent antisemitic attack in U.S. history should be put to death, survivors of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and victims’ families exited the Joseph F. Weis U.S. Courthouse and returned to a space they had gathered almost five years ago.

Inside Squirrel Hill’s Jewish Community Center, the nearly 30-person group responded to the Aug. 2 verdict, described their unexpected fellowship and discussed the road ahead.

“We’re members of a club that shouldn’t exist,” said Tree of Life Congregation’s Rabbi

A legal expert unpacks the synagogue shooter

Jewish schools prepare for the coming academic

Diller Teen Fellows tour the Jewish state

 A view of the Tree of Life building, which housed three congregations, New Light, Dor Hadash and Tree of Life, photographed on April 19

Photo by Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Union Progress

 Rabbi Doris Dyen, a member of Dor Hadash congregation, speaks surrounded by other survivors and the family members of victims during a press conference at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill on Aug. 2 after a jury decided that the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting gunman will receive the death penalty for killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018.

Photo by Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Union Progress

Headlines

Legal expert weighs in on synagogue shooter trial and what to expect next

By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer

David Harris wasn’t surprised by much that happened during the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter trial.

“I expected a very well tried and hard fought case by both sides, and we saw that,” said Harris, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. “I expected difficult, traumatic, horrific testimony. We certainly had that. I expected and hoped that the victims and families would persevere and be able to carry off this very difficult job to honor their loved ones and, to our great credit as a community, they did that.”

On Aug. 2, a federal jury determined that the convicted killer should be sentenced to die. On Aug. 3, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Colville formally sentenced him to death on all 22 capital offenses, and to life in prison for most of the 41 non-capital offenses.

Harris said Colville was fair throughout the trial and ran the courtroom in a dignified and appropriate way. The judge, he said, exhibited “judicial temperament.”

“He allowed the lawyers to try the case, and at many junctures, he showed a willingness to give the defendant things that legally he didn’t have to,” Harris noted.

An example of that was splitting the trial into three phases, rather than two. Colville granted that request by the defense out of abundance of caution and fairness, Harris said.

Harris wasn’t surprised that the jury unanimously found that the defense had proved some “mitigating factors” — such as the fact that the murderer’s father was discharged as unsuitable for military service, or the fact

that Children and Youth Services was called after his father threatened to kill him — while unanimously rejecting all of the mental health issues raised by the defense.

The inability of the defense to prove mental illness was what enabled the jury to impose the death penalty, Harris said.

“Mental health issues were the greatest hope for the defense of avoiding a death sentence,” he said, “so they put a lot in that because those were the cards that they had.”

That evidence, though, was far from straightforward, Harris said, adding that the defense’s case was hurt by the contradictory opinions offered by the various doctors.

“One of the things that really stood out to me,” he said, “was a defense psychiatrist saying, ‘This guy was delusional in his hatred of Jews,’ and so forth. Park Dietz, the psychiatrist for the prosecution, said, ‘That’s not a delusion at all. That’s white supremacy. That’s racist hate. That’s antisemitism. And that’s not a delusion.’”

While those findings of fact can’t be appealed, Harris said, other appeals are certain.

Each objection made by the defense can be

a basis for an appeal, he explained. In fact, he said, to preserve the right to appeal, it’s necessary for the defense to object and request mistrials, as it did when a U.S. marshal answered jurors’ questions as they examined the guns used by the killer. If those issues aren’t brought up during the trial, they can’t serve as the basis for an appeal.

“Do I think it’s likely that the entire set of verdicts, or just the death verdict, will be overturned because of those objections and motions in this trial?” Harris asked. “I don’t think it’s likely, but I think you can count on nearly all, if not all of them, showing up in appeals.”

The trial, Harris said, was a good example of the type of adversarial legal system we have in the United Sates. A bedrock of that system, he said, is both the prosecution and the defense presenting and challenging evidence in court. And while some might not like it — already there have been public outcries in various media outlets about the amount of money spent on the shooter’s defense — he said it’s taxpayers who ultimately foot the bill for the system to work properly.

“If you want to have a system that works, you have to fund it adequately,” he said. “People don’t feel great about knowing the taxpayer dollars fund it, and that’s what we’re talking about — taxpayer money going to defend a person like this. I understand that, but we’re having a trial because ustice requires it.”

Harris found one part of the trial unusual: Colville’s final statement to the jurors, during which his voice cracked with emotion.

“It is very typical for a judge to thank a jury for their service,” he said. “What is far less common is for a judge to show, even in a subtle way, any feeling for a jury. But it is not inappropriate in a setting like this.”

He said that what Colville demonstrated was his own humanity.

“Everybody knew the stakes were enormous, that a person’s life was being judged,” Harris said.

The testimony was horrific and traumatic, he said, noting that we like to think of judges as not being swayed by emotion and making the correct legal decisions.

“Colville did that at every turn, but what you saw at that moment is that he is a human being, too,” Harris said. “He is a person. All the people sitting in judgment, the judge and jury in the trial, could not help but be deeply affected by what they heard for days and days and days.” PJC

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

This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial by the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle and the Pittsburgh Union Progress in a collaboration supported by funding from the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.

5915 Beacon St., 5th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Main phone number: 412-687-1000

Subscriptions: 412-687-1000, ext. 2

SUBSCRIPTIONS

subscriptions@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

412-687-1000, ext. 2

TO ADVERTISE advertising@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

724-713-8874

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

Email: newsdesk@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Evan H. Stein, Board Chair

Gayle R. Kraut, Secretary

Evan Indianer, Immediate Past Chair

Gail Childs, Dan Droz, Malke Steinfeld

Frank, Seth Glick, Tammy Hepps, Judith Kanal, Cátia Kossovsky, Charles Saul, Derek Smith

GENERAL COUNSEL

Stuart R. Kaplan, Esq.

Jim Busis, CEO and Publisher 412-228-4690 jbusis@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

EDITORIAL

Toby Tabachnick, Editor 412-228-4577 ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

Andy Gotlieb, Contributing Editor

Adam Reinherz, Senior Staff Writer 412-687-1000 areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

David Rullo, Senior Staff Writer 412-687-1000 drullo@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

ADVERTISING

Phil Durler, Senior Sales Associate 724-713-8874 pdurler@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

PRODUCTION

Jeni Mann Tough Production Manager

Carl Weigel

Art/Production Coordinator Subscriptions subscriptions@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org

412-687-1000, ext. 2

Published every Friday by the Pittsburgh Jewish Publication and Education Foundation 5915 Beacon St., 5th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Phone: 412-687-1000

POSTMASTER:

Send address change to PITTSBURGH JEWISH CHRONICLE, 5915 BEACON ST., 5TH FLOOR PITTSBURGH, PA 15217

(PERIODICAL RATE POSTAGE PAID AT PITTSBURGH, PA AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES)

USPS 582-740

Manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs sent to the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle become the property of this publication, which is not responsible for the return or loss of such items.

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle does not endorse the goods or services advertised or covered in its pages and makes no representation to the kashrut of food products and services in said advertising or articles. The publisher is not liable for damages if, for any reason whatsoever, he fails to publish an advertisement or for any error in an advertisement. Acceptance of advertisers and of ad copy is subject to the publisher’s approval. The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle is not responsible if ads violate applicable laws and the advertiser will indemnify, hold harmless and defend the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle from all claims made by governmental agencies and consumers for any reason based on ads appearing in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

— LOCAL —

p David Harris Photo via law.pitt.edu

“All the people sitting in judgment, the judge and jury in the trial, could not help but be deeply affected by what they heard for days and days and days.”

–DAVID HARRIS

Headlines

New academic year brings changes to local Jewish schools

Rosenblum said.

By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer

As the late summer sun scorches

Pittsburghers, school leaders are feverishly preparing for the start of the academic year. With weeks remaining until classes begin, Jewish educators are finalizing curricula, professional training and, in some cases, new buildings.

At Community Day School, administrators are reinvesting in their staff. Through the creation of program coordinator positions, teachers will have the opportunity to “dig deep within a specific domain,” work with instructional coaches and bolster the wider school community, CDS’ Director of Marketing Ilana Kisilinsky said.

Kisilinsky pointed to one teacher’s commitment to social emotional learning. By becoming a program coordinator, the teacher can partner with instructional coaches, develop a curriculum around social emotional learning, integrate associated activities — including mindfulness — and share outcomes through regular presentations to faculty.

Avi Baran Munro, CDS’ head of school, said being a program coordinator will enable teachers to develop leadership skills while enhancing the school. And because increased responsibilities require additional time, participants will receive a stipend.

“We want to leverage the talent that’s on our staff,” Munro said.

Additionally, surveys of teachers showed they “would like to have a career ladder,” she said.

Teachers who become program coordinators can “add this designation to their job titles and build on them for future growth,” Munro added.

At Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, educators are rolling out a “new immersive Ivrit (Hebrew) program,” Rabbi Sam Weinberg, principal of the school, said.

In partnership with Duolingo, students will develop Hebrew language skills through chugim (clubs); so whether focusing on sports, nature or music, Hebrew will become less a foreign language than a lived experience, he said.

That’s not all that’s new at Hillel. After months of construction, the school’s 6,000-square-foot renovation is nearing completion, Weinberg said.

“There’s a new roof and HVAC, but having an elevator and becoming fully ADA-compliant, allows us to be more inclusive and serve students with diverse needs,” he said.

The renovated Fayth Aronson-Berkowitz Girls High School’s new STEM laboratory enables the school to offer more advanced placement courses, including chemistry and physics;

additionally, a “fab lab,” or digital fabrication laboratory, allows students to develop robotics and engineering skills by promoting innovation, creativity and growth.

and group learning,” Weinberg said.

Several miles down the road, Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh is also putting the finishing touches on a new

The 48,000-square-foot structure will permit Yeshiva to welcome more “outof-town students,” he said. “We weren’t able to recruit as much in the past because we didn’t have as much room; now, we have more.”

Changes are also underway in Squirrel Hill as Yeshiva transitions its kindergarten from early childhood to its elementary school.

“We felt it was a better educational, social, emotional environment,” Rosenblum said.

Rabbi Zalman Raskin, Yeshiva’s new assistant to the head of school, is tasked with focusing on students’ emotional needs throughout the institution.

“We are a trauma-informed school and we deliver chinuch (education) with care, and Rabbi Raskin will be focusing on that,” Rosenblum said. “He will be making sure all of our stakeholders feel safe, supported and secure.”

Raskin will also mentor and onboard instructors.

“We need to invest in staff and teachers,” Rosenblum said. “They are the frontline people who interact with students, and in today’s climate we need to make sure they feel cared for.”

Educational developments are underway throughout the city, but one institution is decidedly focused on the past.

At J-JEP, a joint religious school between congregations Beth Shalom and Rodef Shalom, the curriculum has been revamped.

The new building houses a beit knesset (prayer space) and beit midrash (study hall) for students to not only engage in “ tefilah (prayer) in a beautiful environment but support introspection

space, as renovations to the former St. Rosalia School in Greenfield near completion.

Once an occupancy permit is granted, the boys high school will move in, Yeshiva’s Head of School Rabbi Yossi

“We had one that worked very nicely for the pandemic, but we’re going kind of classic,” J-JEPS’s director, Rabbi Larry Freedman, said. He pointed to the school’s focus on rabbinics — “which no one ever does in a classic religious school Sunday morning program.”

Along with hearing stories about Mishnaic, Talmudic and Gaonic sages, students will learn “how to ask good questions, like the classic commentators did,” Freedman said.

Because J-JEP is a collaboration between a Conservative and a Reform institution, students will be exposed to topics that are central to each movement.

“In the Conservative world, they really want their kids to know about Hillel and Akiva and Rashi and Maimonides and other rabbinic sources,” Freedman said. “The Reform movement loves talking about social justice, values, meaning and understanding of our heritage, and we are bringing that in there.”

Freedman credited staffers from each congregation with partnering on the educational endeavor.

“This is not like anything you’ll find anywhere else,” he said. PJC

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

p Elke Goldblum, CDS's social emotional learning program coordinator, leads a student huddle for Yom Ha'atzmaut activities. Photo courtesy of Community Day School

p Joe Brophy, CDS's coordinator of Jewish life, presents CDS's middot lesson to seventh graders.

Photo courtesy of Community Day School

The renovated Fayth Aronson-Berkowitz Girls High School’s new STEM laboratory enables the school to offer more advanced placement courses, including chemistry and physics.

Diller Teen Fellows return from Israel with insights and skills to help shape the future

—

LOCAL —

By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer

Adina Rosen recently returned from Israel with new friends, a cadre of leadership skills and an appreciation for public dissent.

Having spent three weeks in the Jewish state, and an academic year preparing for the experience, Rosen, 16, is eager to share what she learned.

Serving as a Diller Teen Fellow, she said, gave her firsthand insights into contemporary Israeli life.

Even before spending much of July touring Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Karmiel-Misgav (Pittsburgh’s Partnership2Gether region), Rosen spent a lot of time with Israeli peers. During a week in January, she and 17 fellow Diller participants collaborated with Israeli teens visiting Pittsburgh.

Through a program called Mifgash, the American and Israeli teens worked on “problem-solving, listening, leadership skills and interpersonal skills,” Rachael Speck, the JCC’s Youth and Family Division director, said. “The teens also did a lot of Jewish learning where they explored societal issues in their communities.”

By showcasing Pittsburgh, Rosen and her fellow Pittsburghers conveyed what life is like here.

The Israeli teens returned the favor months later, but one of the biggest takeaways — apart from observing Tel Aviv’s graffiti murals and Jerusalem’s Western Wall — was the manner in which Israeli citizens publicly expressed their disapproval of the government’s plan to overhaul the judiciary, Rosen explained.

On the day the Pittsburghers landed, thousands of protesters overtook Israeli streets, including outside Ben-Gurion International Airport.

“Our bus driver had to get out and direct traffic,” Rosen said.

Days later, she saw another protest outside her hotel.

The Diller Fellows discussed the demonstrations, Rosen said, and “talked about the similarities and differences between these protests and the ones we saw in Pittsburgh after George Floyd.”

One of the major differences, she said, was the prominence of flags.

critical tool for the participants — and can have an impact on those whose lives they touch, Speck explained.

“Our Jewish community reaps the benefits of this program long after the program ends,” she said. “Diller Teen fellows have gone on to be young leaders in their youth

spaces can be fun.”

It’s a truism but the “younger generation does have the power to save the world,” Kahn said. “Whether it is moving a small rock or a big ripple, they have these skills within them.”

So much of what transpired throughout

“There were a lot more national symbols in Israel,” she said.

Rebecca Kahn, the Pittsburgh Diller Teen Fellows coordinator, said that at every juncture of the three-week July program, participants engaged in direct and meaningful conversation.

“That’s really a core tenant of the program,” she said. “Everything requires that introspection, whether internally or externally, as part of the group.”

Being able to reflect on an experience is a

groups, schools, summer camps and elsewhere. The program gives so many teens a connection to our local and international Jewish community and foundational leadership skills that benefit them well into adulthood.”

Watching that growth occur, even over the course of a year, is part of the joy of leading an educational program, Kahn said. Not

this year was learning how to develop and refine these skills. The hope, Kahn continued, is that the experience, which is supported by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, enables participants to “really make a difference in their community, in this community, and beyond.” PJC

p The Diller Teen Fellows at the international shabbaton at Ma’ale HaChamisha

p The Fellows give “WHOOSH” (the special Diller thank-you) to a tour guide at the Kotel tunnels.

p The partnership community with the Pittsburgh and Karmiel-Misgav Fellows outside a synagogue in Jerusalem.

p The Fellows at a beach in Tel Aviv Photos all courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

Not only did quiet teens become vocal leaders, but many of the participants realized that Jewish learning and engaging in Jewish spaces can be fun.

The good, the bad and the evil: Shooting victim’s son reflects on a 9-week trial

— LOCAL —

By Toby Tabachnick | Editor

After sitting in a federal courtroom day after day for nine weeks, Howard Fienberg was happy to head home to his northern Virginia suburb last Friday.

The trial was finally over, and the man who murdered his mother, Joyce Fienberg, and 10 other Jews in the Tree of Life building had been sentenced to death.

While it wasn’t easy being away from his wife and daughter and his job as a lobbyist, Fienberg wanted his family to be represented at the trial, he said, so he acquiesced to being “in the presence of this great evil” for most of the summer.

“

The worst part is that when you’re in the courtroom, you’re sitting within spitting distance of the monster,” Fienberg said. “And he’s not there looking back at you saying, ‘So sorry about all this, I regret what I did,’ or anything like that. He’s doodling or drawing or taking notes — who the hell knows what he’s doing — writing a manifesto, I don’t know. But he was certainly not looking at us, even when we were on the stand or when we were sitting behind him on the benches. He didn’t care.”

The murderer — convicted in June on 63 federal counts and sentenced on Aug. 3 after several weeks of penalty phase evidence — seemed disinterested in the testimony of the survivors and family members of the victims, Fienberg said.

“The only thing he was interested in was talking to the defense team, and they would come over and pat him on the back,” Fienberg said. “And, yeah, they’d share a few laughs. But you’re always in the presence of this great evil — and evil’s defense team.”

While it was hard to be there, Fienberg kept coming.

“Even if the monster doesn’t care, my family does,” he said.

While being so close to the man who murdered his mother was the most difficult aspect of attending the trial daily, there were inconveniences as well — such as not having access to personal electronics. Only attorneys and court personnel are allowed to bring those devices into court.

“The inability to have electronics is kind of crippling in many respects,” Fienberg said. “I’m used to being able to stay in communication with people in the outside world and you can’t do that, no matter what the need is. And, if I could have sat there with my laptop, I could have actually worked and contributed to my job while I was spending all this time in court, but that wasn’t exactly an option.”

Since the massacre, Fienberg always has his phone nearby. One lesson learned from the events of Oct. 27, 2018, he said, is “if something happens, if there’s an emergency, you need to have a lifeline and every second counts.”

Because he could not bring his laptop into court, he did what work he could on paper during the trial’s downtimes.

He also recorded the trial through extensive handwritten notes.

“I am going to save them and refer to them when I need to remember something specific,”

ever the subject comes up. So someday that will change. And I want to be able to tell her as much as she wants to know.”

Before the trial, there was a lot that Fienberg didn’t know about that day.

“I knew some basic things, and that was about it,” he said. One of the most surprising things he learned “was what happened to and with all of the cops in SWAT.”

“Because I had been avoiding learning much of anything, I also missed out on some amazing heroism from the cops in SWAT. So, officers [Michael] Smidga and [Daniel] Mead stopping the monster at the door.”

Government and defense experts testified that the killer had a second target in mind, Fienberg said, which may have been the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh or JFCS. If Smidga and Mead had not stopped him at the door, he might have murdered dozens of others.

Fienberg also learned of the heroism of SWAT Officer Tim Matson — and his multiple surgeries, the result of being riddled with bullets.

He said he was in awe of all of the first responders and “everything they all had to go through to stop him. Unbelievable. They’re an amazing group. I love them.”

Silver linings

Despite the harrowing testimony and graphic evidence, there were some silver linings that came out of spending nine weeks in court, including the deep relationships that developed among those most affected by the massacre, Fienberg said.

The victims’ families and the survivors, and even some of the first responders, formed “amazingly strong bonds,” he said. “You have friends and family you didn’t seek out, but you got them anyway. And the support that we’ve been able to show to each other is really invaluable.”

Support from the community also was vital, he said. The 10.27 Healing Partnership and JFCS ensured that counselors were in the courthouse every day. They even brought in support dogs.

Talking to someone not directly involved with the attack was helpful, he said, “in ways

Fienberg also praised Victim Assistance Specialist Adrienne Howe, who made sure the

“She’s been amazing from the beginning, but I didn’t meet her until we got to court and she’s just phenomenal,” Fienberg said. “It’s an amazing thing to be on the receiving end from

Likewise, the prosecution team was “fantastic,” he said. “They would go to great lengths to try to help us understand what was going on and what might come next, working with us and involving us as best they could, while prosecuting the case to the best of their

ability. And they did an awesome job.”

He also credited the police, who escorted most of the families and survivors to and from the courthouse every day, and the court security officers.

“The CSOs were compassionate,” he said. “They were doing their job and they were doing it well, and they were being courteous and respectful in a way that they didn’t have to be. And they were patient. Especially with all of us.”

The jury, who “didn’t make the choice to be in that courtroom,” showed “amazing professionalism,” he said.

“They did an honor to my mom and the 11 that were killed and all that were injured.”

The wider community also offered support, Fienberg said. Local businesses sent in lunch for the survivors and families daily.

“ The fact that all of these businesses wanted to do something to help, and they wanted to send in food and drink — whatever they could do — that’s amazing,” he said.

These acts of kindness reminded Fienberg of the outpouring of community support in the immediate aftermath of the massacre.

“It’s almost five years later,” he said, “and the community still was going to do whatever they could think of to help try to take care of us during this horrible trial.” PJC

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

NOW HIRING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

have myriad opportunities to earn an income that increases with every sale you make.

GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS

• Fiercely competitive

• Excellent listening & communication skills

• Achieve monthly, quarterly and annual sales goals

• Consistently maintaining high level of activity in the field (cold calls, prospecting, custom needs assessment, proposals, closing sales)

• Exhibits confidence and professionalism in presentation skills

• Ability to set next steps and achieve defined goals with prospects and expectations for closing business

• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills paramount to success

• Comfortable with technology and understanding of digital and social media REQUIREMENTS

• Print, media, digital and/or event experience preferred

• 2-3 years direct outside sales experience

• Bachelor’s Degree from 4-year college or university

• Strong understanding of the digital ecosystem

• Organized, multi-tasker who thrives in a fast-paced environment

• Incredible business acumen with an entrepreneurial spirit to own a territory, business and clients

• Strong work ethic is a must

• Positive attitude and team players only please

We value a culture of collaboration and professional and personal growth for all team members.

If you feel strongly that you could contribute to our team, and thrive in a fun, fast-paced atmosphere, we encourage you to submit your cover letter and resume to jobs@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org. Please include “Account Executive” in the subject line. No phone calls. The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

p Howard Fienberg

Photo by Sophie Fienberg

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, AUG. 13

What better way to prepare for 5784 than to finally learn to read the Hebrew alphabet? Register to participate in Rodef Shalom Congregation’s three-week, six-class intensive course to introduce you to the alef-bet and start you on the road to reading Hebrew. $36. 10 a.m. rodefshalom.org/alefbet.

q SUNDAYS, AUG. 13, 27

Join Chabad of the South Hills for Babyccino, a chic meet for moms and tots. Explore the High Holidays in pint-size proportions music, movement, sensory stimulants and expressive arts. 10:30 a.m. $12 per class. chabadsh.com/babyccino.

q SUNDAYS, AUG. 13 – DEC. 3

Join Chabad of Squirrel Hill for its Men’s Tefillin Club. Enjoy bagels, lox and tefillin on the first Sunday of the month. 8:30 a.m. chabadpgh.com.

q SUNDAYS, AUG. 13 – DEC. 17

Join a lay-led online parshah study group to discuss the week’s 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.

q MONDAY, AUG. 14 – THURSDAY, AUG. 18

It’s back-to-school season, and JFCS need your help getting refugee youth ready for the start of the school year. They’re collecting school supplies and clothing — and all sorts of items that will get these kids started off on the right foot. Drop off new or gently used children’s clothing (all sizes), new packs of kids’ socks and underwear, new school supplies and new backpacks and books.

1-7 p.m. JFCS Youth Services, 5844 Forward Ave. signupgenius.com/go/10c084eada72ca0fdcf8backtoschool#.

q MONDAYS, AUG. 14 – DEC. 18

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

q WEDNESDAYS, AUG. 16 – DEC. 20

Join AgeWell for an intergenerational family dynamics discussion group. Whether you have family harmony or strife, these discussions are going to be thought-provoking and helpful. Led by intergenerational specialist/presenter and educator Audree Schall. Third Wednesday of each month. Free. 12:30 p.m. South Hills JCC.

q WEDNESDAYS, AUG. 16 – DEC. 27

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

Temple Sinai’s Rabbi Daniel Fellman presents a weekly Parshat/Torah portion class on site and

Jurors’ names in the synagogue shooter trial will remain sealed

— LOCAL —

By Torsten Ove | Contributing Writer

The jurors' names in the synagogue shooter trial that concluded last week will not be released.

The judge in the case, Robert Colville, noted on Tuesday that he had decided in June in a sealed order to keep the names permanently sealed to shield the jury from “improperly motivated members of the public.”

Colville ordered Tuesday that the June ruling and court entry from May supporting his decision be unsealed.

After two months of testimony, the jury of seven women and five men last week imposed the death penalty on the man responsible for the 2018 massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue building. Colville on Thursday sentenced him to death.

He is the first defendant in the history of the Western District of Pennsylvania to be on federal death row.

In his June ruling, the judge said that it is in the best interests of justice that the names remain permanently sealed.

In the sealed May document, he outlined his reasons for sealing the names at least until the trial ended, which the defense requested. The government did not object.

He said that the need for juror impartiality in a capital case is of “paramount importance” and noted that the parties had told

potential jurors repeatedly that their privacy would be protected.

He also said that in a case such as this one, in which the shooter killed 11 worshippers because of a hatred of Jews, there is a “genuine risk of jurors receiving harassing or threatening communications from improperly motivated members of the public.”

He said the case involves white supremacy and antisemitism that “might invite untoward juror contact,” especially given the prevalence of social media.

Juror names are usually public. But Colville said the nature of the case is such that the “presumption of openness is overcome.”

Prosecutors had noted that during jury selection, one potential juror had expressed fears about the case, saying that “people who tend to commit these types of crimes in this type of violence tend to have friends.”

Colville said that just because only one juror expressed that viewpoint doesn’t mean others don’t share those fears. That one comment alone, he said, is enough to seal the names at least until the end of the trial.

He later made that seal permanent. PJC

Torsten Ove writes for the Pittsburgh Union Progress. He can be reached at jtorsteno@ gmail.com. This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial by the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle and the Pittsburgh Union Progress in a collaboration supported by funding from the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.

online. Call 412-421-9715 for more information and the Zoom link.

q THURSDAY, AUG. 17

Be the best bridge player you can be at any level with lessons from the Pittsburgh Bridge Association. 9 a.m. Rodef Shalom, 4905 Fifth Ave. Advance registration is requested at pittsburghbridge.org/classreg.htm.

q MONDAY, AUG. 21

Join the Zionist Organization of America: Pittsburgh for its Kandy Ehrenwerth Memorial Lecture. The guest speaker is Dan Pollak, ZOA’s director of legislative affairs, based in Washington, D.C. The title of the lecture is “Christian Senators and Representatives are our Best Allies — Religious Misconceptions and the Future.”

7 p.m. Free. Registrations required by emailing “Christian Senators & Representatives are Israel’s best Allies. False Impressions and the Future.” pittsburgh@zoa.org.

Beth Shalom Ballroom, 5915 Beacon St.

q TUESDAY, AUG. 22

Join Rodef Shalom Librarian Sam Siskind for the congregation’s summer book club and discuss Omer Friedlander’s “The Man Who Sold Air in the Holy Land,” winner of the 2023 Association of Jewish Libraries Fiction Award. 6:30 p.m. Free. 4905 Fifth Ave. rodefshalom.org.

q WEDNESDAY, AUG. 23

Enjoy a tasty lunch while exploring meaningful messages from the month of Elul at Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s Ladies’ Lunch and Learn

12 p.m. $18. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.

q THURSDAY, SEPT. 7

Women are invited to join Chabad of Squirrel Hill for Loaves of Love. Bake festive Rosh Hashanah Challahs. 7 p.m. $12. Chabad of Squirrel Hill, 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.

q SUNDAY, SEPT. 10

Take part in Chabad of Squirrel Hill’s Women’s Mini Retreat, a pre-High Holiday program of inspiration, connection and rejuvenation. 11 a.m. $54. 1700 Beechwood Blvd. chabadpgh.com.

q MONDAY, SEPT. 11

Join Chabad of the South Hills for New Beginnings: Ladies Night Out. Guest speaker Devorah Rubin will talk about seeing G-d’s blessings while navigating an unexpected medical challenge. Enjoy a delicious buffet of Rosh Hashanah salads and side dishes. 7:30 p.m. $18. chabadsh.com/ladies.

q MONDAY, SEPT. 18

Join the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh First Person and Generations Speakers Series: A Talk by Holocaust survivor Oscar Singer with his daughter Lee Fischbach. 6 p.m. Free. hcofpgh.org/events.

q WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27

The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh welcomes back to Pittsburgh Tony McAleer, the subject of the documentary “The Cure for Hate” and a reformed white nationalist, for an enlightening conversation on how conspiracy theories begin, take root and how we can stop them. 6 p.m. Free. Chatham University. Woodland Rd. hcofpgh.org/events.

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle invites you to join the Chronicle Book Club for its Aug. 27 discussion of “The Secret Chord” by Geraldine Brooks.

From Amazon.com: “With more than two million copies of her novels sold, New York Times bestselling author Geraldine Brooks has achieved both popular and critical acclaim. Now, Brooks takes on one of literature’s richest and most enigmatic figures: a man who shimmers between history and legend. Peeling away the myth to bring [King] David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage.”

Your Hosts:

Toby Tabachnick, editor of the Chronicle

David Rullo, Chronicle staff writer

How and When:

We will meet on Zoom on Sunday, August 27, at noon.

What To Do

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

Toby Tabachnick

Paraguay poised to return embassy to Jerusalem

By Etgar Le ovits | JNS

Paraguay will move its embassy back to Jerusalem in a sign of growing support for Israel in Latin America, a Paraguayan senator said on Monday.

Sen. Gustavo Leite spoke a week before Paraguayan President-elect Santiago Peña, who has pledged to move the embassy back to Israel’s capital, will be sworn into office and a month before he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

“The president-elect is a person of his word so you can count on it that it will be done,” Leite said in a telephone interview with JNS from the Paraguayan capital of Asunción. “All the things are in place for the move.”

The president-elect told Netanyahu in a congratulatory phone call in May that he plans to return the South American country’s embassy to Jerusalem immediately after his Aug. 15 inauguration.

Back and forth

Paraguay previously moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018, following then-President Donald Trump’s lead and becoming the third country to do so after the United States and Guatemala.

However, months later, a successive Paraguayan president returned the embassy to Tel Aviv, setting off a diplomatic crisis with Israel. The surprise decision led Israel to shutter its embassy in Paraguay, citing harm the Paraguayan move had caused to bilateral relations.

Election pledge

During this year’s election campaign, Peña pledged that he would return the embassy to Jerusalem.

“The state of Israel recognizes Jerusalem as its capital,” he said in March. “The seat of the parliament is in Jerusalem, the president is in Jerusalem. So who are we to question where they establish their own capital?”

Four countries have their embassies in Israel’s capital: the United States, Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo.

With Paraguay set to move its embassy back to Jerusalem, more than half of

the embassies in the city will soon be from Latin America.

Parliamentary support

Leite, who chairs the newly-launched Paraguayan Congressional Israel Allies Caucus, said on Monday that he spearheaded a parliamentary letter to the president-elect encouraging him to move the embassy as soon as possible.

“While the president has supreme power [in such a decision], it is always important that parliament lend support,” the senator said.

More than a third of the members of the Paraguayan Senate and a quarter of the congressmen from the Chamber of Deputies have already signed the letter, he said.

History of friendship

The landlocked Paraguay, one of the poorest countries in South America, has a long history of friendship with Israel dating back to its vote for the creation of the Jewish state at the United Nations in 1947.

“We are headed into a period of excellent relations between Israel and Paraguay under the leadership of the new president of Paraguay, Santiago Peña,” Leite said.

Leopoldo Martinez, Latin American director at the Washington-based Israel Allies Foundation, met with the senator and the president-elect at the parliament in Asunción on Monday.

“The relationship between Paraguay and Israel is entering a new era of unprecedented collaboration and achievements,” Martinez said.

Faith-based diplomacy

Mobilizing support for Israel worldwide through faith-based diplomacy, the Israel Allies Foundation has emerged as a powerhouse with its network of pro-Israel caucuses around the world based on shared JudeoChristian values.

Over the last two decades, it has formed partnerships with 52 caucuses that make up a network of more than 1,200 legislators working to promote Israel in their respective parliaments.

“We are seeing tremendous political support for Israel through faith-based diplomacy around the world,” said Israel Allies Foundation President Josh Reinstein. PJC

concierge for the kehila.

 From left: Sen. Gustavo Leite, chairman of the Paraguayan Israel Allies Caucus; Vice President-elect Pedro Alliana; President of the Senate Silvio Ovelar; President-elect Santiago Peña; and Leopoldo Martinez, IAF Latin America director Courtesy photo via JNS

In Israel with fellow Democrats, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says judicial legislation won’t affect US aid

By Ben Sales | JTA

The Israeli government’s effort to weaken the country’s judiciary will not affect American military aid to Israel, Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries told reporters on a visit to Jerusalem on Monday.

Jeffries, the Brooklyn congressman and House minority leader, was leading a delega tion to Israel of 24 Democratic members of Congress. He spoke to reporters following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has said he also seeks broad agreement but has pledged to press ahead with the judicial overhaul, despite ongoing mass street protests.

Jeffries echoed President Joe Biden’s stance that any laws changing Israel’s court system should pass only with broad consensus. The first piece of the legislative package, which was enacted in late July, passed along party lines, with the right-wing governing coalition voting in favor and Israel’s parliamentary opposition boycotting the vote.

“It’s my hope that whatever continued efforts occur related to judicial reform, that there’s a broad consensus across the ideological spectrum before additional changes are undertaken,” Jeffries said in the small press conference at the King David Hotel here. The trip is run by an organization affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.

“It’s not my job to articulate the precise contours of what judicial reform should look like here in Israel,” he added, saying that Netanyahu had also pledged to him that Israel would remain a liberal democracy. “That’s for the Israeli people to decide, through their elected representatives and through their actions to petition the government to perhaps go in a different direction.”

the United States would not reduce its military aid to Israel. That idea, once taboo, has been gaining steam lately, with voices on both sides of the aisle floating it. A number of Democratic members of Congress have called on the United States to establish conditions restricting the use of the nearly $4 billion in annual funding, and last month, New York Times columnist Nick Kristof floated ending aid to Israel entirely.

Jeffries rejected that idea, drawing a distinction between the democratic values Israel shares with the United States and the two countries’ shared strategic interests in the Middle East. Jeffries made clear that an independent and credible judiciary was a component of the United States’ and Israel’s shared values, but said the shared interests would remain in any event.

“At the end of the day, the two things that bind our countries together relate both to our shared democratic values and our shared strategic interests — shared strategic interests related to the very tough neighborhood that

Israel lives in,” he said. “The need to make sure that we maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge will still be with us regardless of where Israel lands in terms of the judicial reform.”

In recent months, dozens of Democratic congresspeople have signaled their support for the mass street protests in Israel and abroad against the judicial overhaul. Late last month, a dozen Democratic representatives introduced a resolution in solidarity with the protests and one of them, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, from the Chicago-area, spoke at an anti-overhaul rally in her district. Jeffries indicated support for the protests as well, likening them to the exercise of st Amendment rights in the United States.

“The protesters have a right to express themselves, and their very presence is a sign of strength for Israeli democracy,” he said. “Freedom of assembly and the right to petition your government o demand change — that is exactly what is happening in Israel in a very vociferous way in connection with the demonstrations protesting the judicial overhaul. That’s a sign of a vibrant democracy.”

He denied that Israel’s harshest critics in the Democratic Party had made significant inroads. In July, six Democrats boycotted Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s speech to a joint session of Congress, shortly after Rep. Pramila Jayapal, an influential progressive, called Israel a “racist state” — a remark she walked back. A Gallup poll in March found that Democrats were more likely to sympathize with the Palestinians than with Israel.

Jeffries pointed to a pro-Israel resolution in response to Jayapal’s remarks that passed Congress 412-9.

“The Democratic Party in the House of Representatives will continue to stand with Israel and lift up the special relationship between our two countries and in support of Israel’s right to exist as a homeland for the

Jewish people, and as a Jewish democratic state, period, full stop,” he said.

Jeffries did not comment on some of the hot-button topics surrounding Israel and its relationship with the United States — including when Biden might invite Netanyahu to the White House. He also did not comment on the possibility that Netanyahu might not respect a potential court ruling striking down the judicial reform legislation. Israel’s Supreme Court is due to hear arguments about the law next month, and Netanyahu has thus far dodged the question of whether he would abide by a court decision invalidating the law.

In addition to Netanyahu, Jeffries met with Palestinian leadership and will meet with Yair Lapid, the centrist leader of Israel’s parliamentary opposition.

The Democratic delegation’s visit to Israel also came amid escalating IsraeliPalestinian violence, and Jeffries said his delegation discussed Palestinian terror attacks with Netanyahu, in addition to discussing attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians. Over the weekend, an Israeli settler shot dead a Palestinian in the West Bank, and a Palestinian gunman killed an Israeli security guard in Tel Aviv.

Jeffries advocated for a renewed effort toward Israeli-Palestinian peace and also said Congress would look favorably on a U.S.-brokered normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, something the three countries have reportedly been discussing. But he seemed to acknowledge that a deal with the Palestinian leadership was remote.

“At the end of the day, [there’s a] strong interest in our congressional delegation of getting to a place where we can proceed toward a viable path to a two-state solution, recognizing that we are not at that place right now,” he said. “That is a goal that we should not give up on.” PJC

Europe’s far-left is normalizing antisemitism, report co-authored by ADL warns

By Canaan Lidor | The Times of Israel

The entry of a far-left party into government in Spain is allowing antisemitism to return to mainstream platforms, the Anti-Defamation League said Tuesday.

The assertion appeared in a report on left-wing antisemitism published by the Anti-Defamation League and partner organizations in France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain.

The report focuses on a phenomenon that is often eclipsed in reports about antisemitism in Europe, which many associate primarily with neo-fascists.

In the section about Spain, the ADL singled out Podemos, which it termed “a radical neo-Marxist party,” along with its “Communist associates.” The coalition in 2020 allowed Podemos to enter government,

which “disrupted the post-war exclusion of antisemitism from mainstream platforms, and antisemitism is now making inroads in the pro-independence Basque and Catalan parties,” the report said.

ACOM, a pro-Israel group in Spain that is a local partner of the ADL, wrote in the report that “60 years ago, before the democratic era, antisemitism maintained its classical forms and was clearly a right-wing issue in Spain, as in the rest of Europe. Today, anti-Israel antisemitism of the political left accounts for the overwhelming share of antisemitism, while the Spanish right is almost entirely pro-Israel and guards against antisemitism.”

Podemos has been at the center of multiple scandals involving antisemitism, including the assertion in 2020 by Sonia Vivas, a Podemos politician, that Jews should be held accountable for supporting Israel’s government, which she said, “constantly violates the fundamental rights of Palestinians.”

In the United Kingdom, the former leader of

Labour, Jeremy Corbyn, signaled to antisemites on the political establishment’s left-wing fringes that they were welcome in the party, the CST watchdog on antisemitism wrote in the joint report with ADL. But Keir Starmer, his centrist successor, has taken significant steps to reverse this, the authors added.

In France, the far-left politician Jean-Luc Melenchon is harnessing and mainstreaming antisemitism, according to K., the Paris-based French Jewish magazine that authored the France segment of the ADL report.

Melenchon has made multiple statements widely condemned as antisemitic. In 2019 he vowed never to accede to the “arrogant dictates” of CRIF, the umbrella of FrenchJewish communities. In 2014, he defended Arabs who stormed and torched synagogues in France and called Jewish supporters of Israel “citizens who decided to rally in front of the embassy of a foreign country or serve its flag, weapon in hand.”

In Germany, “the debates on the political

left are normalizing antisemitism and shifting the baseline,” Amadeu Antonio Stiftung, an anti-discrimination group, wrote in the segment dealing with that country of the ADL report. What once was “considered an extreme position a few years ago is now a centrist opinion in the wider discourse,” it said.

There is a lot the U.S. Jewish community can learn from the experience of Jewish communities across Europe, the ADL added: “Anti-Zionist rhetoric and terminology popular in European left circles are increasingly utilized by some in U.S. political far left” circles.

The report recalled how, in a 2021 letter, Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and several other members of Congress referred to Israel’s policies in the West Bank as settler colonialism, “language that seeks to equate Israel with the colonialist policies of European governments” and label “the Palestinians as the sole indigenous population,” thus attempting to “cement the notions that Jews have no claim to or history in the land.” PJC

p Rep. Hakeem Jeffries

Photo courtesy of the Office of Representative Hakeem Jeffries, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Headlines

Jewish groups condemn Trump’s comparison of indictment to Nazi persecution

Two major Jewish civil rights groups want Donald Trump to stop using Nazi analogies to decry his legal woes, JTA reported.

The former president’s first official comment last week after the unveiling of a federal indictment charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States after he lost the last election was to invoke Nazis.

“The lawlessness of these persecutions of President Trump and his supporters is reminiscent of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, the former Soviet Union, and other authoritarian, dictatorial regimes,” his campaign said. Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination.

“Comparing this indictment to Nazi Germany in the 1930s is factually incorrect, completely inappropriate and flat out offensive,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the Anti-Defamation League CEO, said on Twitter. “As we have said time and again, such comparisons have no place in politics and are shameful.”

The American Jewish Committee in a statement advised Trump to chat with a Holocaust survivor.

“Here’s some advice. Please sit with a Holocaust survivor and let them share their story,” AJC said in a statement. “Just listen. Then show them the respect they deserve and honor the memory of the six million Jews slaughtered by the Nazis by never making a

comparison like this again.”

Since launching his campaign, Trump has  come under fire for socializing with a Holocaust denier as well as invoking Nazi analogies to lambaste his critics and law enforcement officials investigating his myriad scandals.

In 2017, after BuzzFeed published an unverified dossier containing allegations about him, Trump sent a tweet asking, “Are we living in Nazi Germany?”

The Workers Circle leaves Conference of Presidents over disagreements on US, Israel advocacy

The Workers Circle has resigned from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, shrinking the umbrella group’s contingent of progressive groups, JTA.org reported.

The Workers Circle — a Jewish progressive activist group that runs a robust program of Yiddish classes and, more recently, has emphasized advocating for democracy — said it is pulling out of the Conference of Presidents over disagreements about policies in the United States, discourse on Israel and how to define antisemitism.

“We believe that the time has come for us to separate,” said Ann Toback, CEO of The Workers Circle. “Our focus on democracy is not being reflected by this organization’s representation of us.”

The decision is the latest of a few incidents in recent years that have exposed cracks in the conference, which aims to be a unified voice for

Today in Israeli History

Aug. 14, 1944 — U.S. rejects bombing death camps

dozens of Jewish groups in the United States.

Conference of Presidents CEO William Daroff criticized The Workers Circle over the resignation, accusing the group of not raising its concerns or being an active participant in the conference before its resignation. He said that the resignation does not speak to deeper divisions in the coalition.

Right-wing Israeli TV channel boots pundit for calling to free Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin

A right-wing TV channel in Israel has banned a guest from its programs after he called for the release of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassin, drawing applause from the audience, JTA.org reported.

Ari Shamai, a lawyer, remarked on July 30 amid discussion of an Israeli Supreme Court decision that barred a right-wing candidate from running this year for mayor of Tiberias, a northern Israeli city. Shamai has voiced support for the Israeli government’s ongoing effort to weaken the Supreme Court.

On July 30, conflict between the governing coalition and the judiciary continued, as the Supreme Court postponed the implementation of a law that would have allowed the mayoral candidate to run. Shamai said the ruling amounted to a condemnation of “personal laws” meant to benefit one individual and suggested that legislation denying the possibility of parole to Yigal Amir, Rabin’s assassin, was also an example of a “personal law.”

“The time has come to free the assassin Yigal Amir,” Shamai said on “The Patriots,” a panel show on Israeli Channel 14. “Because personal

laws were also legislated against him.”

Shamai, who has represented Amir in legal proceedings, was interrupted by his fellow panelists as members of the audience applauded. Following the incident, Channel 14 barred Shamai from its programs and, according to the Israeli publication Walla, cut his statement from replays of the discussion.

Jewish cultural center to be built in Azerbaijan

A Jewish Cultural Center will be constructed in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku near the city’s main synagogue, Azerbaijani officials announced on Aug. 3, JNS.org reported.

The center will include Jewish and Bible classes, a Sunday school for kids, classes in Hebrew, English and Juhuri, the ancient language of the Mountain Jews, as well as a kosher restaurant.

The state-funded project comes amid burgeoning relations between Israel and Azerbaijan, as the centuries-long affinity between the two countries develops into an unprecedented strategic partnership.

The 10-acre plot upon which the four-story center is to be constructed was gifted to the Jewish community by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, who is covering all the building costs as well, according to Rabbi Avraham Yakubov, the spiritual leader of Baku’s ancient Mountain Jews.

Construction is expected to begin in the coming months, and to be completed by the end of 2024, he said. PJC

— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb

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

Aug. 11, 1929 — Jewish Agency globalizes representation

The 16th Zionist Congress ratifies the creation of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, as called for in the League of Nations’ Articles of Mandate in 1922, with broad representation of world Jewry, including non-Zionists.

Aug. 12, 1944 — Labor leader Berl Katznelson dies

Labor Zionist leader Berl Katznelson dies of a hemorrhage at 57. A native of Belarus, he developed the concept of moshavs and created a program for labor unity that served as the basis for the Mapai party.

Aug. 13, 1995 — Aharon Barak becomes head of high court

Aharon Barak, a Supreme Court justice since 1978, is appointed the court’s president, a position he holds until 2006. He expands the court’s power to review government actions and protect civil liberties.

U.S. Assistant War Secretary John J. McCloy notifies Leon Kubowitzki of the World Jewish Congress that the U.S. military could bomb Nazi death camps and their infrastructure but has decided not to do so.

Aug. 15, 1096 — First Crusaders

set out for Holy Land

The armies of the First Crusade officially embark from Western Europe to capture the Holy Land. The religious fervor sparks p ogroms against Europe’s Jews. The crusaders capture Jerusalem in 1099.

Aug. 16, 1966 — Israel obtains Iraqi MiG-21

Operation Diamond, Israel’s plan to obtain a Russian-made MiG-21 fighter jet, succeeds when Iraqi pilot Munir Redfa lands at Hatzor Air Force Base for a $1 million bounty and other benefits.

Aug. 17, 1898 — Russian Zionists hold first conference

A few weeks before the Second Zionist Congress, 160 Russian Zionists meet secretly in Warsaw, where Ahad Ha’am calls for a Jewish cultural renaissance before the political Zionism promoted by Theodor Herzl. PJC

p A medieval manuscript depicts the crusader siege of Jerusalem in 1099.

p Berl Katznelson helped build the infrastructure of Labor Zionism in Palestine.

Headlines

All the while, the killer sat at the defense table scribbling on a pad, as he has throughout the trial, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Andrea Wedner, whom the shooter wounded while killing her 97-year-old mother, Rose Mallinger, recounted how Pittsburgh Police officer Daniel Mead had described himself on the stand as a “worthless piece of s—” after one of the defendant’s bullets had shattered his hand.

“Sitting in this room,” Wedner said, “is the true worthless piece of s—.”

She referred to the man in red “prison clothes” but would not use his name.

The family of Cecil and David Rosenthal, mentally challenged brothers whom the defendant gunned down, took a confrontational approach.

Michael Hirt, a brother-in-law, said the defendant had not been “man enough” to look at any of the victims during the trial. Hirt then asked if he was man enough to look at him now, with sentencing upon him, and stared down the shooter from across the silent courtroom.

The defendant, as always, never looked up.

“That’s what I thought,” Hirt said.

Another brother-in-law, Robert Kennedy, pointed to the fact that the killer considered himself a “soldier” in his war of hatred against Jews. Kennedy held up his

Reaction:

decorations for service in Vietnam and asked what the defendant’s grandfather, a World War II soldier who had seen a Nazi concentration camp, would think of his “soldier” grandson.

Others were filled with similar fury against a man who carefully planned his attack for six months and then opened fire on the helpless and the vulnerable because

only wished you had killed more,” he said.

In addressing the judge, Simon said, “Give that defendant exactly what he deserves: no mercy.”

Carol Black, sister of victim Richard Gottfried, recounted watching the defendant shoot Melvin Wax at point-blank range and thanked the police for rescuing her. The shooter, she said, “is a burden

messages of defiance and hope in the face of rising antisemitism in America.

Alan Mallinger, son of Rose Mallinger, said his mother was murdered by a “monster filled with hate” but would not detail the anguish his family has suffered because he knew the killer would enjoy that. He said his family and his religious community will rebound.

“The synagogue will be rebuilt; the joy that you took away will be reclaimed,” he said. “We have suffered for thousands of years before you came along but we will continue to do so long after you have been killed. … We are angrier and stronger than ever.”

of their religion.

Marc Simon, whose parents, Bernice and Sylvan Simon, died by the gunman’s bullets, said he felt guilt for not being able to protect them from “that defendant,” again not using his name.

He said he still has his father’s bloodsoaked prayer shawl and his mother’s blood-stained strand of pearls, constant reminders of the day the killer hunted down and murdered his beloved parents with his “high-powered assault rifle” in the same chapel where they had been married 62 years before.

He noted that the shooter has never shown any remorse.

“You still maintain to this very day that you

not only on society but to we the taxpayers” as he sits in jail. She rejected the defense argument that his chaotic childhood was a reason to spare him, saying many people have had bad upbringings.

“Please remember his utter lack of remorse,” she told the judge.

Several police officers testified as well. One of them, Jonathan Craig, had seen his good friend shot by the defendant during one of two gunfights in the synagogue. He said he had to restrain himself from killing the shooter after he crawled out of his hiding place and was taken into custody.

Some of those who spoke offered

The Rosenthals also issued a note of defiance — and a measure of revenge. The shooter targeted the Tree of Life building because Dor Hadash, one of the congregations that was housed there, supports HIAS, an immigrant aid organization.

The Rosenthals said that each Oct. 27, they will make a donation to HIAS in the killer’s name and have the acknowledgement sent to him in prison. PJC

Torsten Ove writes for the Pittsburgh Union Progress. He can be reached at jtorsteno@gmail.com. This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial by the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle and the Pittsburgh Union Progress in a collaboration supported by funding from the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.

Continued from page 1

Jeffrey Myers, a survivor of the attack.

“All of the people behind me, we all stood together as a family, and we were there for each other,” said Amy Mallinger, granddaughter of shooting victim Rose Mallinger.

“After all these years and months of us working together with each other, supporting each other and loving each other, we have become a family,” said Carol Black, sister of Richard Gottfried, who was killed in the massacre. “It’s been wonderful.”

For about an hour, survivors of the attack and loved ones of Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax and Irving Younger spoke inside the JCC’s Levinson Hall — the same space that served as a reunification center on Oct. 27, 2018.

“About five years ago, many of us were right here in this room. This was the space where the families awaited news about their loved ones,” Michele Rosenthal, sister of massacre victims Cecil and David Rosenthal, said. “Today marks the end of a very long chapter.”

Jurors spent nine weeks hearing about the killer’s vile hatred of Jews and its horrifying manifestation. Although the defense argued his actions were the result of schizophrenia and epilepsy, the jury was unconvinced. The defendant’s belief system, jurors determined, was not spurred by delusions accompanying mental illness but rather an outgrowth of the common hatred regularly espoused on some social media platforms.

The jurors’ findings — alongside the dedication of prosecutors and Judge Robert

J. Colville — demonstrated a sound judicial system at work, several survivors and victims’ families said.

“Today we have received an immense embrace in the halls of justice,” Myers said.

“Finally, justice has been served, and even though nothing will bring my dad back, I feel like a weight has been lifted and I can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Leigh Stein, daughter of Daniel Stein.

The family of Bernice and Sylvan Simon praised jurors in a written statement: “In the course of performing their civic duty, they unselfishly endured great personal sacrifice, time away from family, friends and work,

as well as being disconnected from many everyday activities. They patiently and very attentively listened to all of the testimony and scrutinized the voluminous amount of evidence presented throughout the entire trial. We fully respect their verdict and decisions.”

Rabbi Doris Dyen, a survivor of the shooting, said her hope is that the verdict is “not the end, but the beginning of a path towards peace.”

For some, that road involves spirituality.

Martin Gaynor, a survivor of the attack, told the Chronicle that before leaving the courthouse Wednesday, he turned to Daniel Leger, a fellow survivor, and made plans for religious study.

Since Jan. 4, 2020, Gaynor and Leger have participated in Daf Yomi — a 7½-year daily study of the Babylonian Talmud — in memory of their friend Jerry Rabinowitz.

The trial, however, complicated that practice. Despite bringing copies of Tractate Gittin to court, studying the text proved taxing given the environment. Now that the verdict has been delivered, Gaynor said, the chavrutas (study partners) can renew old habits.

Praying and studying are “core centering parts of my day,” Gaynor said. “This is what we do. It’s part of being Jewish. It’s a spiritual enterprise.”

And there’s another aspect to learning, Gaynor said: “I feel like I will be engaging with Jerry again.”

For some, the verdict represented a simultaneous pull forward and back.

During the past five years, community members and people worldwide learned about many of the victims and their passions, Michele Rosenthal said.

“My brothers were dedicated community members and synagogue-goers,” she said. “If there’s a bright spot or a sign of light it is that the community and more people got to know my brothers, and my only hope is that they live their lives as good as my brothers lived theirs.”

Anthony Fienberg, Joyce Fienberg’s son, told the Chronicle that Aug. 2 wasn’t the first time he has been asked about “moving forward.”

“We’ve been asking ourselves this question for such a long time,” he said. “And there may not be hard and fast answers. But what is for sure is that the more we speak and transmit Torah, the stronger the Jewish people will be.”

Please see Reaction, page 11

Some of those who spoke offered messages of defiance and hope in the face of rising antisemitism in America.

p Martin Gaynor stands following a press conference at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill on Aug. 2 after a jury decided that the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting gunman will receive the death penalty for killing 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018.

Photo by Adam Reinherz

Headlines

Reaction:

Continued from page 10

For Fienberg, Jewish wisdom offers insight on the verdict’s timing.

Along with the jury reaching its decision on the 15th of Av — a Hebrew date that the Talmud describes as one of happiness and love — the verdict came 248 weeks after Oct. 27, 2018.

He noted that “248 is a significant number.”

According to rabbinic tradition, not only are there 248 limbs in the body, and 248 words in the Shema prayer, but also there are 248 positive mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah.

There have been 248 weeks that have passed since that Shabbat when Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax and Irving Younger were murdered inside a synagogue, but “we have to think about the positive,” Anthony Fienberg said. “Learning Torah is a commandment, and so when we have the occasion to speak about these n’shamot (souls) whose bodies were physically taken from us, and we speak words of Torah, we can hopefully continue the commandment of perpetuating Judaism from one generation to the next.”

Throughout this trial the endurance of Judaism was central, Gaynor told the Chronicle.

Whether it was walking into the courtroom wearing a yarmulke or continuing Jewish rituals, he said, those actions emphasized that “we’re here, and we are Jews, and we will keep doing what we do. And nothing is going to stop that.”

Amy and Stanley Mallinger, Rose Mallinger’s son, said they were looking forward to rebuilding the Tree of Life. Plans are in the works for a memorial that will be part of the building’s reconstruction.

Unlike past renovations, which have tacked on several additions, the Tree of Life building will be completely redone — and it will encompass more than worship space.

“You need other things to contribute to a surviving organism of Judaism,” Amy Mallinger said. “That’s something that they were very passionate about from the beginning is the longevity of it and trying to keep it alive for many years to come.”

When the Tree of Life reopens, Amy Mallinger looks forward to holding her wedding at the synagogue. Her engagement ring, which she proudly displays, is Rose’s wedding ring.

While the pain of Oct. 27, 2018, can never be fully healed and nothing can bring back their friends and loved ones, the families said they have finally received some measure of justice.

In the years leading up to the trial there was some public debate about whether the government should seek the death penalty. But those who were present at the news conference largely agreed that it was necessary for the prosecution to pursue capital punishment as a means to show that hate-based crime will not be tolerated.

“The purpose of the death penalty is not so much [about] punishing as [it is] cutting off the person from society, eliminating the evil, taking away the risk, the potential for infection and the possibility of further harm to citizens,” said Audrey Glickman, another shooting survivor. “Even if he sits alive on death row for decades, he is separated from others. Had he been sentenced to life in prison, he would have

been comfortably in a room, all needs tended — a situation he has told examiners he enjoys.”

After the verdict, comments and statements flooded news outlets and social media.

Department of Justice officials weighed in as well, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and the head of the FBI, Christopher Wray.

that fosters hate, noting that the victims were targeted “because they were Jews.”

“Our public discourse in this country has shifted to allow antisemitism and white supremacy into the mainstream,” Dor Hadash’s statement read. “Our elected officials and the media need to combat white supremacist lies that the ‘white race’ is in danger of being

I find myself hopeful because of the love and support we still receive as we continue to heal and move forward.”

HIAS, the Jewish international humanitarian organization that resettles refugees in the U.S. (with the support of Dor Hadash) and helps refugees and displaced people in more than 20 other countries, noted that

All praised the work of law enforcement, offered support to the community and promised to pursue similar hate-based cases as they arise.

“Hate crimes like this one inflict irreparable pain on individual victims and their loved ones and lead entire communities to question their very belonging,” Garland said in a statement. “All Americans deserve to live free from the fear of hate-fueled violence, and the Justice Department will hold accountable those who perpetrate such acts.”

Wray said FBI agents “hold the Tree of Life synagogue victims and the Pittsburgh community in our hearts” and promised that the bureau will continue to protect communities from violent acts of hate.

“The damage caused by antisemitism cannot be understated,” he said, “just as the tragic loss of the 11 victims cannot be measured.”

Wray noted that healing will be a “lifelong journey” for the survivors and pledged support from the bureau, which was the lead agency on the investigation.

Eric Olshan, the U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh who was part of the prosecution team and delivered a resounding closing argument on Aug. 1, said that the killer’s antisemitic views “unfortunately are not original or unique to him.”

The region’s top prosecutor said the U.S. Constitution protects the right to hold “repugnant” beliefs. But it also protects the right to practice religion. Olshan said when white supremacists “pick up weapons” to kill or try to kill based on religious hatred, the U.S. attorney’s office and law enforcement will hold them accountable “each and every time.”

The three congregations that were attacked issued statements thanking the jury and others involved with the trial process for their service. Dor Hadash also lamented the public discourse

replaced, and Jews are to blame. And easy access to guns allows hate-filled people to make their antisemitic beliefs deadly.

“Politicians, legislators, religious leaders and others in positions of power must recognize that their rhetoric has power and renounce such bigotry and hatred. We must all learn to recognize antisemitism, which can surface in a wide range of speech and conduct, and call it out each and every time we see it.”

Leaders of New Light acknowledged that not all of its members agreed with the verdict of death but said that, as a congregation, it agrees with “the government’s position that no one may murder innocent individuals simply because of their religion.”

“We take this position not out of a desire to seek revenge or to ‘even the score,’” New Light’s statement read, “but because we believe that the shooter crossed a line. Too often in the past — and not just the recent past — governments and religious authorities have looked away when murder and mayhem occurred against Jews. Too often in the past, these actions were sanctioned and championed by governmental authorities. Too often, perpetrators have been allowed to celebrate their depravity. Life in prison without parole would allow the shooter to celebrate his deed for many years. New Light Congregation accepts the jury’s decision and believes that, as a society, we need to take a stand that this act requires the ultimate penalty under the law.”

The president of Tree of Life, Alan Hausman, expressed gratitude for “all those who have helped our congregation these past four-plus years: the public safety department and law enforcement officers, our fellow Pittsburghers, and people of all faiths and backgrounds from across the country and around the world. While today’s decision is hard, it also marks the start of a new chapter at Tree of Life, and

the shooting “targeted Jews, in part, for their support for welcoming refugees with dignity and compassion. Today’s sentencing marks the end of the judicial process, but this tragedy will forever be part of our story as an organization. Unfortunately, this wasn’t an isolated incident, and it is important that violent extremism, antisemitism and hate not go unanswered. HIAS will continue to work with resolve and conviction for a more just society; we remain in solidarity with all communities targeted by hateful and xenophobic acts.”

In a prepared statement, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh reflected on “the strength and resilience of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community and the entire community.”

“Although healing is not a linear process, together we have supported people in need of mental health services and ensured that we stay safe from harm. In the wake of the horrors of the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history, our community neither retreated from participating in Jewish life nor suppressed our Jewishness. Instead, our community embraced our Jewish values — strengthening Jewish life, supporting those in need, and building a safer, more inclusive world.

“We will continue to help people through the long healing process and to honor those who were taken from us by remaining a proud, vibrant, visible, strong and connected Jewish community, now and for generations to come.” PJC

Toby Tabachnick contributed to this report.

This story is part of ongoing coverage of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial by the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle and the Pittsburgh Union Progress

in a collaboration supported by funding from the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.

p Rabbi Jeffrey Myers speaks, while other survivors and the family members of victims gather behind him, during the press conference at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill

Photo by Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Union Progress

p Brad Orsini, who was the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s head of community security at the time of the shooting, greets survivors and family members of victims as they leave the room after the press conference

Photo by Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Union Progress

“The damage caused by antisemitism cannot be understated, just as the tragic loss of the 11 victims cannot be measured.”

–CHRISTOPHER WRAY, FBI

After the verdict: A survivor reflects

Guest Columnist

Audrey Glickman

The trial was over, we had witnessed the criminal being sentenced to death, and I was home, hand-washing a sweater that I had worn in the courtroom. I found myself squeezing hard, forcefully working the suds through the fabric, harder than necessary. It was cold in that courtroom, so cold that we wore sweaters, shawls and even blankets.

And we had breathed the same air as that criminal for months.

Those of us who witnessed what transpired on Oct. 27, 2018, were advised not to speak about the criminal, the case, or our feelings about the law until after the trial concluded, lest our testimony be impugned or the integrity of the proceedings be compromised.

Now freed from those constraints, I would like to address those who in the past four years presumed to speak for us.

You who advocated that the prosecution (who, by the way, represented the citizens of

Guest Columnist

Naomi Kalish

As a chaplain at the Pittsburgh federal courthouse for the trial of the synagogue shooter, I discovered that the courthouse can be a place of healing.

The role of the team of seven trained and certified chaplains from across the Jewish denominations was to provide spiritual care and comfort during the trial. This group of professionals, with numerous years of experience dealing with trauma, came together and formed an almost unprecedented team to

the United States, not just the victims) take the plea deal giving the criminal life in prison without a trial, would have deprived us of giving our testimony, of telling our stories for the record, of seeking justice in a participatory way.

You would have taken away our chance to understand the complete story, as presented by so many knowledgeable experts and professionals, in addition to the testimony given by the many witnesses, victims and first responders.

You said you didn’t want us to “relive the trauma.” That was painful to read. Those of us who were there have not stopped “living” it — it is with us forever. Telling the story on the record, making it public, was cathartic. Your mumbled misplaced assertion that you “don’t believe in the death penalty” made it that much worse. That you brought in Jewish thoughts on death sentences — which is not at all settled law — was the bitter icing.

The federal death penalty was in effect when the crime was committed, and the criminal knew the law when he planned and executed the massacre. Criminals should be tried to the penalties on the books.

One purpose of the death penalty is to ensure that the criminal is cut off from the

rest of society — rather than living in what he would consider luxury, with room, board and health care paid for by taxpayers, access to TV and internet, and the opportunity to proselytize his hateful ideas to others.

This criminal murdered each of his victims at very close range, in the most horrid manner he could. He said he only regrets that he didn’t kill more Jews, and that given the chance, he would do so. He said he thought he deserved a parade and a medal for his efforts.

We know those tidbits and so much more because we had the trial. We know he “liked” a post on Gab that said, “Incinerate the Jews #DeathPenalty,” and we can take that as his tacit approval of the sentence.

We now know almost everything about that awful morning. Possibly the only thing we do not know is why the criminal locked eyes with Joe Charny and did not shoot him. Joe and I talked about how he looked down the barrel of the gun before escaping; it haunted him. (Joe, z”l, was eager to testify, but passed away early this year, without having the opportunity.)

It is good that we had this trial. It is good that the criminal will be housed away from others, with less opportunity to communicate his hatred, even if he is never executed. It is

good to know that the United States stands behind us when we are attacked — that we stand behind anyone so attacked.

On Aug. 5, Tree of Life Congregation was honored at its Shabbat morning service by the presence of leaders and congregants of various faiths and traditions. It was “Shabbat in 60,” a shorter service which includes discussion of the parshah. Participating in that discussion were Bishop Ketlen A. Solak (Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh), Bishop David A. Zubik (Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh), Major Gregory Hartshorn (with Joyce Hartshorn, divisional leaders of The Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania Division), and various clergy of Jewish traditions as well. Such a blessing!

Do you see why I mention this? The service — like the trial — was a way of washing away the evil, of beginning to squeeze the detergent through our society until we are left with only the good.

Unless we get our collective hands dirty, and start scrubbing, together, we may never find peace. PJC

Audrey N. Glickman is the author of “POCKETS” and survived the Oct. 27, 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

provide spiritual care at the courthouse and in the community for the trial’s duration. While so many in the courtroom were focused on the victims and the accused, our job was to focus on the experience of the trial for survivors, families of victims, witnesses, first responders and others dealing with the aftermath of this tragedy.

Throughout the trial and since the announcement of the sentencing, the question of the death penalty loomed with strong opinions both in favor and in opposition. As so often happens in our judicial system, another ethical question embedded in this trial was about the impact of the trial itself on those most directly affected and how others care for and support them.

The Pittsburgh Jewish community leaned on

and learned from another wounded community stricken by an act of hateful violence: the Mother Emanuel Church (Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church) in Charleston, South Carolina, which had drawn from their faith and spirituality as an important aspect of healing and recovery after the June 17, 2015 anti-Black attack that killed nine people. Specifically, Pittsburgh Jewish leaders learned that the U.S. attorney had established a team of chaplains under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Eric Skidmore, a chaplain for the state police of South Carolina, to provide spiritual care at the courthouse in Charleston and in the community for the duration of the trial.

The unprecedented placing of chaplains at the courthouse in Charleston was a creative and forward-thinking way to deploy spiritual

resources and support. Chaplains have a long history of providing religious services and spiritual care when people are far away from their own congregations and clergy, but having chaplains serve at a courthouse was something new.

In March 2022, I was invited by Dana Gold, the chief operating officer of Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh, to help coordinate a team of courthouse chaplains in Pittsburgh like they had in Charleston. Gold explained that the Mother Emanuel and Pittsburgh Jewish communities were similar in that they both experienced mass shootings motivated by hate (that combined religion, race and ethnicity, and politics); the attacks took place at a house

Five books you need to prepare for the High Holidays

Guest Columnist

Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman

It would be foolhardy for a person to walk into a gym and, having never before picked up a barbell, attempt to bench press twice their weight. It would be considered even more absurd for the same person to spend 45 minutes lifting and flexing the maximum of weights, abandon the gym, and wonder quizzically why, three weeks later, they lack the bulging pectorals and washboard abs that they expected from the promotional photos.

And yet millions of American Jews will show up in synagogue this year and do the intellectual and spiritual equivalent: show up, expect to be spiritually uplifted and emotionally re-regulated by a few hours in a sanctuary. No doubt, they may be uplifted and adjusted. But the effects are, most certainly, fleeting at best.

For the High Holidays to have their greatest impact, it’s best to come to synagogue in the right headspace — mentally prepared for the prayer-and-text marathon the shulgoer is likely to engage in. High Holidays, in the right frame of mind, can be life-changing. An aimless person can leave with direction; someone in a malaise can find new purpose.

To get the desired effect from synagogue services, it takes a little soul work. There are many brilliant spiritual works that will adjust your attitude for the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe). Here are my favorite five for 5784. (Note: For folks who eschew the synagogue in favor of another outlet for spiritual change at the beginning of Tishrei, these recommendations work equally well. In fact, I daresay that these books may succeed at moving you even better than a sermon, a prayer or the blast of the shofar.)

As always, with matters of personal growth and spiritual transformation, your mileage may vary. Either way, the time to order one or two good books that will help a person to put in the work they need is just about now.

Please see Kalish, page 13

“On Repentance and Repair,” by

Danya Ruttenberg

Getting right when you’ve been wrong is perhaps the most dominant theme of the introspective period leading up to Rosh Hashanah and culminating at Yom Kippur. But it’s not so simple as “owning mistakes and saying sorry.” Rabbi Ruttenberg has a fresh take on apology that’s also 1000 years old as she applies Maimonides’ “Hilchot Teshuvah–Laws of Repentance” to the modern world. She asks, for example, how the #MeToo perpetrators could properly atone for their errors. Ruttenberg also asks big questions about atonement for national sin, considering the Holocaust

Please see Goodman, page 13

At the synagogue shooting trial, I learned that a courthouse could be a place of healing

Chronicle poll results: Death penalty for synagogue shooter

Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an electronic poll the following question: “Do you agree that the synagogue shooter should have received the death penalty?” Of the 512 people who responded, 83% said yes; 12% said no; and 5% said they weren’t sure. Comments were submitted by 148 people. A few follow.

As a survivor, I agree with the findings of the jury!

I am generally against the death penalty, particularly as it has been abused toward ethnic and religious minorities. But with undisputed monsters like this, I’m all for it.

I don’t believe in the death penalty. Death also seems too quick for him. I’d rather he suffer in jail without parole.

I wish he had been neutralized at the scene, sparing the families the agony of the last four years.

Kalish:

Continued from page 12

of worship during religious activity; the perpetrator survived; a decision was made to prosecute; the death penalty was a p ossible sentence; and survivors, physically injured victims and family members of murdered victims were thrust into the public spotlight in ways they never could have imagined.

Gold oversees the provision of social services at JFCS and was collaborating with Maggie Feinstein, the director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, a nonprofit organization providing mental health services to the people most affected by the attack. Gold reached out to me in my capacity as the director of the Center for Pastoral Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary, wanting to ensure that the chaplains would reflect a high level of professional standards.

We were tasked with bringing in chaplains from outside the local community, just as the Red Cross does in the immediate aftermath of disasters. Our services were to complement the deeply meaningful work being done by local congregational clergy and chaplains, as well as other caregivers, including victim advocates and mental health professionals at the courthouse.

Drawing on wisdom and insight from religion and spirituality, chaplains provide an embodied caring presence through journeying with and accompanying people during difficult times. While available for prayer, ritual and religious needs, our emphasis is on compassionate listening and is built upon the idea that each person has a distinctive experience, sense of meaning and story to tell. We seek to “meet people where they are,” especially in the margins — whether geographically, institutionally, emotionally, or in their beliefs or opinions. The field of spiritual care understands that aspects of a person’s spirituality — hope, meaning, purpose and connection — are fluid and may change from day to day and moment to

Do you agree that the synagogue shooter should have received the death penalty?

He committed the most heinous crime against our people in recent history. The jury had no choice but to come to this verdict. I applaud their efforts.

moment. We are available to talk with people and help them explore their spiritual strengths and pain, including existential questions of why suffering happens, how they understand their sense of purpose and where God is during a catastrophe.

A trial regarding heinous violent crimes is inherently disturbing and distressing. Through listening to people at the courthouse, I discovered that the process of the trial could also be healing. The trial gave some people the overall story of what had happened. Before, individuals only had fragments, but the trial put pieces together.

Moreover, we found that not only could the trial bring healing, but the courthouse itself could also be a place of healing. What I learned and witnessed this summer was the way in which an institution, a building, a place and a process do not need to be either/or. The courthouse in Pittsburgh was a beit mishpat, a house of law and also what I am calling a beit refuah, a house that could provide some healing.

Though chaplains provide an important approach to healing, chaplains working with first responders are few and far between and often volunteer positions. Chaplains in courthouses are virtually unheard of. It was a privilege to provide spiritual care to a community so impacted by an act of hateful violence and the pursuit of justice that followed.

We are grateful to the Charleston community for this suggestion that brought support and solace to the Pittsburgh community. Sadly, there are likely to be times in the future when judicial proceedings will reawaken memories of traumatic events in our communities. Hopefully, chaplains will be there to provide support and solace, bringing some of the wisdom we have learned from our experience in Pittsburgh. PJC

Rabbi Naomi Kalish is the Harold and Carole Wolfe Director of the Center for Pastoral Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary and a board certified chaplain. This first appeared on The Times of Israel.

If not in this case, when?

Unfortunately, with appeals he will probably never be executed.

It might deter some who would contemplate a copycat event.

The death penalty is at odds with Jewish values. He deserved life without parole because of his extensive psychiatric background that was partly due to the deprivation, neglect and abuse he suffered in childhood.

I believe that the death penalty is only appropriate for the most heinous crimes, when there is absolutely no doubt as to the perpetrator and when the perpetrator is entirely unrepentant. Check, check, check.

I’ve seen many people say they are generally opposed to the death penalty but “in this case it is appropriate”. How do we justify our moral positions if we are willing to make exceptions when it impacts us/our community most? I am also opposed to the

Goodman:

death penalty in most situations and have struggled internally over the course of this trial on what I wanted the outcome to be. How do we achieve justice while still aligning with our moral principles? Ultimately, I feel that making exceptions in one instance can lead to making exceptions in other aspects as well.

I don’t believe we humans are wise enough to be playing G-d, and capital punishment is not something that we should be implementing.

He will be on death row. How long before he is executed is my question. Death is too kind for this animal.

I respect the conclusion of the majority of survivors and victim’s families that this is the right course. PJC

Compiled by Toby Tabachnick Chronicle weekly poll question: Which Jewish movement do you most identify with? Go to pittsburghjewishchronicle.org to respond. PJC

“Inspired,” by Rachel Held Evans

Continued from page 12

and South African reconciliation, and Black slavery in America. This book will make you approach Yom Kippur in a different way.

“Torah

Strassfeld

Without End,” by Michael

One way to deepen the holidays is to find a new and different read on Torah. “Torah without End” is a collection of interpretations of Torah portions, prayer passages and holidays from 93 teachers, scholars and rabbis; some you may know (Art Green, Naomi Levy, Shefa Gold) and some who may be the next generation of spiritual lights (Dorothy Richman, Sam Feinsmith, Melila Hellner-Eshed). Some of these essays are brief, but they accomplish the essential work of uplifting and inspiring — like a motivational message on your bathroom mirror. This is the kind of book you read in dashes and spurts, and fill with post-its and flags to hold the page of that thing you really liked and want to re-read again and again.

“This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared,”

by Alan Lew

I imagine there are people who have read this cover to cover over a day or two. I cannot; I refuse to. In fact, in four attempts, I have never finished this book. I read four or five pages. I stop and ponder over the meaning of existence and God and human growth and obligation and fallibility. Lew is poetic and instructive and guru-esque but also deeply personal; you feel you know him. The book’s title is perfect, and yet the book really will prepare you for the High Holidays, even if you, like me, never actually finish reading it. One might argue that this book, if properly read, is never finished.

Held Evans’ book is part spiritual autobiography of a woman’s struggles with the faith of her upbringing, part biblical poetry and midrash workshop. She is going on the same quest that all persons of faith are on, but she brings her readers along to expose the painful and difficult parts; when she ultimately arrives at some new place, they feel like they’ve arrived too. Held Evans was a Christian, but both her approach to the Bible and her struggles with faith and misogyny are universal to the point of feeling deeply Jewish.

“Beginnings Anew: A Woman’s Companion to the High Holy Days,” by

Gail Twersky Reimer and Judith A. Kates

A better subtitle for this book would have been “25 essays that re-interpret everything you thought you ever knew about Sarah, Hagar, the Akedah, the biblical scapegoat ritual and the story of Jonah.” The scholarly essays in this book were all written by women, but their intended audience is anybody interested in unreading the biblical texts so that they might re-read them in new and improved ways. The essays I found most perspective-shifting were those by Devora Steinmetz, reading Jonah against Elijah; Naama Kelman, who envisions the scapegoat’s journey into the desert as our own journey; and Marsha Pravder Mirkin, exploring the Rosh Hashanah textual selections as explorations of empathy. But again, there are many modes and methods in this book for all manner of readers. PJC

Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman serves spiritual communities in Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania. He is the author of the recent book “Life Lessons from Recently Dead Rabbis: Hassidut for the People.”

Life & Culture

— Quick pickling

— FOOD

By Jessica Grann | Special to the Chronicle

Because we’ve been getting such beautiful produce from our local farmers, this is the perfect time of year for a quick pickle recipe.

Quick pickles are not canned, so they are not shelf-stable. Most quick pickles keep well in the fridge for four to six weeks, but we always eat them well before they get that old.

This recipe is for pickling cucumbers, but there is a whole pickling culture out there to tap into. Almost every vegetable imaginable is pickled in Jewish Turkish and Syrian food cultures. It’s even common for people to drink the pickle juice!

I often pickle a mix of celery, carrots and sliced hot peppers. Radishes, green beans, bell peppers, whole cherry tomatoes and fresh mushrooms are amazing pickled. You can use sliced cabbage or cauliflower, and add a little turmeric to the jar for color and taste. You can also use roasted beets, using the same vinegar solution and a few teaspoons of sugar per jar.

I rarely go to the market to buy specific vegetables for pickling — I just use what I have on hand.

You can adjust the amount of seasoning and sugar to your liking. The pickling solution is the same for all vegetables, so you can make a jar of this and a jar of that at the same time.

When pickling cucumbers, I always add lots of fresh garlic and fresh dill. If you’re using other vegetables, you can leave out the dill, but make sure to add garlic and some kind of pepper.

Pickles are so healthy. Just open the jar and add a few to your plate or your salad or put them on a mezze platter for snacking.

This recipe can be easily halved or doubled.

Ingredients

About 3 pounds of fresh pickling cucumbers or other washed and prepared vegetables

For the pickling liquid:

6 cups boiled water

4 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

2 cups white vinegar

Add-ins for dill pickles:

Sliced garlic cloves

Fresh herbs, like dill

Red pepper flakes

Whole black peppercorns

I prefer to make the pickles in several smaller jars — either 1.5-cup or 3-cup jars — because they keep better than larger jars, especially if the vegetables are cut into smaller pieces.

It’s imperative that your canning jars are sanitized. Run the jars and lids through the

dishwasher cycle or immerse them in boiling water before filling them with vegetables.

Because it’s hard to know exactly how much liquid will be needed, I make a larger batch and discard any extra.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat and stir in the kosher salt.

Once the liquid is almost cool, add the vinegar. Mix the solution in a measuring container with a spout so that it’s easy to pour over the vegetables.

If using a 1.5-cup jar, add 1 sprig of fresh dill with the stem, about a clove of sliced garlic and a few black peppercorns and red pepper flakes. If using a 3-cup jar, double the amount, and so on if you’re using a larger jar.

Pour the pickling solution over the vegetables so they are covered completely with liquid. The water can be added to the jars if it is slightly warm or completely cool.

With cucumbers, I add another sprig of fresh dill on top.

Cover each jar tightly with its lid and refrigerate immediately.

I make several jars of different dill pickles at once — one sliced for burgers, one with whole pickles, one of halves and one of spears. Pickle slices and spears are usually ready in 3 days. Whole pickles and firmer vegetables, like carrot sticks, may take 5-7 days before they are the desired consistency.

Pickled carrots, cauliflower and celery can last for months.

Pickled beets are a delight. For a 3-cup jar of sliced beets, add 3-4 teaspoons of white sugar to each jar. Beets are the only vegetable that I find better taste better pickled if they are cooked beforehand — everything else can be pickled raw.

Pickles are the best way to keep any extra produce from going to waste. Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.

p Ingredients for pickled cucumbers

p Dill pickles Photos by Jessica Grann

p Pickled carrots, peppers and radishes

JCC of Greater Pittsburgh

128th Annual Meeting

Thursday, August 31

5:30 pm • Levinson Hall

Join

Scott Seewald, outgoing CEO Brian Schreiber,

Kunzman.

Volunteer Awardees 2023

S.J. Noven Koach Award

Sarah Honig

Rogal-Ruslander Leadership Award

John P. Halicky

Ida & Samuel Latterman Volunteer Mitzvah Award

Mark Davidson, Jan Glick

Shirley Moritz, Ken Simon

Lillian Goldstein Senior Adult Volunteer

Leadership Award

Judy Dodd

Loving Kindness Award

Pastor Tim Smith

Caplan-Lieber Human Relations Award

Mohammad Shedeed and Yoshna Venkataraman

JCC Volunteer of the Year

Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle

Rachel Firestone

All are welcome to attend

Front Porch Theatricals merrily rolls along with newest production

The pair kept the idea of producing the show in their back pockets, waiting for the right moment to bring it to the Pittsburgh stage.

By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer

Front Porch Theatricals knows the power of friendship.

The production company was formed in 2009 when three friends — Bruce E.G. Smith, Leon Zionts and Nancy Zionts — decided to produce “Only Me.”

Smith was apprehensive about teaming with a couple, thinking he’d be the odd man out when it came time to make decisions, Nancy Zionts said.

“He was nervous partnering with a couple, thinking it would be a two-to-one vote,” she recalled. “He didn’t know about us as a couple.”

When Leon Zionts died in 2019, the three-legged stool became two without diminishing its strength.

“There’s a lot of mutual respect,” she said. That history, Zionts explained, was a contributing factor to why she and Smith decided to produce Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along.”

“The show is about two guys and a girl,” Zionts noted. “A guy who writes songs, a guy who writes lyrics and a friend of theirs who’s an author. So, that concept of the three partners is how we looked at ourselves.”

When Daina Michelle Griffith approached Smith and Zionts with the idea of directing the show, saying that it meant a lot to her, they knew the time was right.

Griffith had worked with the company as an actress, but this would be her first time directing at Front Porch.

“We always try to give a director a show that’s going to resonate with them,” Zionts said.

The show not only resonates with the producers and director. Actor Dan Mayhak, who plays Frank, one of the musical’s leads, said there’s a lot for him to sink his teeth into.

He said he sees “a lot of parallels” with his character, “not only in my life, but in a lot of the lives of my friends who are artists and starting to find their way — and not break away from the things they know and the people they love, but kind of, at least physically, move further away from them.”

His peers, he said, are figuring out how to navigate keeping the things that matter close to them while pursuing their dreams.

The 27-year-old is a Forest Hills native and a University of Pittsburgh graduate. His favorite piece to perform from the production is “Opening Doors,” the only

Zionist Organization of America: Pittsburgh invites you to the 2023 Kandy Reidbord Ehrenwerth Memorial Lecture

song in the work that Sondheim described as autobiographical.

The production as a whole, though, has helped him think about his life as an actor and artist.

“I’m only continuing to find more and more things that make me get a different perspective on my own life and think a little more deeply about how I can connect art to the things I care about,” he said.

Musical Director Douglas Levine knows his way around the music of a production, having started his career in the late ’80s and early ’90s as a composer with the Dance Alloy company before moving to musical theater. He has composed for various theater companies in Pittsburgh and worked with both Point Park University and Pitt.

“For the last 25 years, I’ve been doing this kind of freelancing where I’ve had several shows a year as a musical director for places like Front Porch, which is very near and dear to my heart, and other companies like City Theatre and, more recently, Quantum Theatre and the Pittsburgh Public Theater,” Levine said.

was one of the founders, and Nancy and Bruce have really taken the football and ran with it.”

And while it’s nice to have an ethereal link to the theater’s virtual heart, Zionts said there’s an actual physical connection in each of the productions.

“In every show,” she said, “there’s a Leon moment or a ‘Leon something.’ If you’re attuned, you’ll pick it up.”

During “A Man of No Importance,” she said, the director created a scene where the actors on stage had umbrellas and when they pointed them down the entire cast was wearing berets, a hat instantly identified with the company’s founder.

“We try to maintain him as part of the show,” she said.

Theater lovers will have to attend the performance to see how Zionts is recalled during “Merrily We Roll Along,” one of Sondheim’s least-seen musicals. It first opened on Broadway in 1981 and closed after only 16 performances.

Charlene “Kandy” Reidbord Ehrenwerth was a prominent Pittsburgh trial lawyer who was tragically killed in a car accident in 1992.

Dan Pollak will present the Kandy Ehrenwerth Memorial Lecture entitled, “Christian Senators & Representatives are Israel’s best Allies. False impressions and the Future.” Pollak is ZOA’s Director of Legislative Affairs in D.C. He interacts with legislators and their staffs on a daily basis.

Monday, August 21, 2023  7:00 PM

Congregation Beth Shalom Ballroom

5915 Beacon St.  Use entrance by parking lot on Beacon  No charge RSVPs requested to Pittsburgh@zoa.org

As a musical director, Levine serves a dual role, helping the actors learn the songs and the ensemble to learn the harmonies. He then shifts gears and accompanies the actors as they learn the choreography and block scenes on stage. Eventually, he works with the musicians and conducts the show.

He noted that “Merrily We Roll Along” isn’t the easiest to produce in terms of music, but taking it on is part of a professionalism that has grown over the years since the founding of Front Porch.

“That has really reaped rewards for the company,” he said, “because as actors and designers have seen, this little boutique musical theater company, as they call themselves, has gotten better and better; they’ve wanted to be a part of it.”

Like everyone else connected to Front Porch, Levine said his work is dedicated to Leon Zionts, especially on opening night.

“For Nancy, this is legacy work,” he said. “This was a passion project for Leon. He

The years have been kinder than the show’s initial critical reaction. It was rewritten and had several productions, including an off-Broadway revival in 1994 and a 2000 London premiere that won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

History, it seems, proves that there is something of a Front Porch Theatricals touch: “Parade,” which the company produced in 2014, was revived on Broadway earlier this year and “Light in the Piazza,” a 2015 Front Porch production, was staged at New York City Center this summer. Leon Zionts performed in another Sondheim show, “Sweeney Todd,” shortly before forming the Pittsburgh production company. That show has found success both on and off Broadway and on the big screen.

“We’re more than happy to be a talent scout,” Zionts said.

“Merrily We Roll Along” will run from Aug. 18-27 at the New Hazlett Theater. PJC

drullo@ pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

David Rullo can be reached at

p From left: Dan Mayhak, Catherine Kolos and Nathaniel Yost star in Front Porch Theatricals’ production of “Merrily We Roll Along.” Photo by Deana Muro Photography

Life & Culture

Can 4 minutes a day save your life? New study touts benefits of even brief exercise

By Renee Ghert-Zand | The Times of Israel

According to a new study, you don’t need to run, swim, bike or go to the gym to significantly reduce your chances of developing cancer. All it may take is just four minutes a day of vigorous intermittent physical activity like brisk walking or climbing the stairs.

The study by researchers from the U.K., U.S., Australia, Canada, Norway and the Netherlands was published July 27 in the prestigious peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association. It is garnering worldwide attention for apparently proving medicine’s long-held assumption that even minimal amounts of physical activity and exercise reduce a person’s cancer risks.

The study found that vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) in bursts of one or two minutes for a minimum of three and a half minutes a day was associated with a 17% to 18% reduction in total incident cancer risk compared with no VILPA. A median daily VILPA of 4.5 minutes was associated with a 31% to 32% reduction in the incidence of cancers reportedly linked to physical activity levels. These include colon, breast, bladder, endometrial, esophageal, kidney and stomach. “It has its limitations, but it is a good proof of concept study. It means that doing something is better than doing nothing,” commented professor Ora Paltiel of the Hebrew University’s Braun School of Public Health and the Department of Hematology at Hadassah Medical Center.

The study involved 22,398 self-reported non-exercising adults from the U.K. Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database and research resource containing the medical and genetic data from half a million volunteer participants. The study subjects were 45.2% men and 54.8% women, and 96% white, with a mean age of 62.

The participants were followed for about six years and were given wrist accelerometers to measure their physical activity. However, they were not given any instructions other than to go about their daily lives.

“This is an observational study and not a clinical trial. So they didn’t tell people to walk up and down stairs or to climb a hill or something like that,” Paltiel said.

She believes that the study’s results are generally reliable given that its authors adjusted their analysis for age, sex, body mass index, education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, sleep duration, fruit and vegetable consumption, medications, parental cancer history and prevalent cardiovascular disease, among other factors.

“The researchers went a long way to try to isolate this vigorous activity to show that it didn’t have to do with the baseline risks of those who did or did not do the activity,” Paltiel said.

“But we do need to consider that they didn’t know whether at baseline all the participants were 100% similar. The suspicion will always be that it’s not those four minutes of vigorous

activity [that made the difference], but that the people who were capable [as opposed to those who were incapable] of doing the activity had a better outcome in the end,” Paltiel said.

Despite these reservations, Paltiel said that from a public health view, the study’s results are important.

“At the end of the day, it’s a very good message. It’s saying that even if your lifestyle doesn’t allow you to do regular physical activity or if exercise is not part of your mindset, you can potentially make a difference to your health by stressing your body a few times a day,” Paltiel noted.

Professor Aron Popovtzer, head of Hadassah’s oncology department, told The Times of Israel that despite having the same reservations as Paltiel about the study, he believed its findings are positive and give traction to widely held theories about exercise and disease risk reduction.

“There has always been the thought within the medical and research community that cancer can be prevented by getting cells moving, by getting blood and free radicals flowing. We have also thought that exercise might boost the immune system,” Popovtzer said.

“We know that fat is related to cancer, so moving and not letting fat stagnate in one place in the body is a good thing,” he added.

Popovtzer cautioned that the outcome of the study does not indicate that one should limit oneself to just four minutes of VILPA a day. Nor does it mean that doing a lot of exercise will categorically prevent a person from getting cancer.

“We can’t from now on say that everyone who exercises for hours won’t get cancer. We all know that many people who do a lot of exercise find themselves with cancer,” he said.

Paltiel said the focus should be on the overall positive message of the study, which is that one does not have to meet the World Health Organization physical activity recommendations (150–300 minutes weekly of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity) to begin reducing one’s risk of cancer.

“In Israel, most people live in apartment buildings, so take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk a few minutes to a nearby destination instead of taking the bus, or park your car a distance from where you are going,” Paltiel suggested.

“People who get used to walking up the stairs might push themselves to do other things as well,” she said. PJC

VIOLINS OF HOPE is coming to Pittsburgh!

This landmark community project showcases historic stringed instruments from concentration camps and the incredible stories of those who played them. The event features educational and cultural programs, as well as a free exhibit at Carnegie Mellon University’s Posner Center.

Volunteer docents are needed to share the chronicles of the featured instruments with the public.

Photo by William Choquette via Pexels

Celebrations

Bat Mitzvah

Talya Rubin, daughter of Dr. J. Peter Rubin and Mrs. Julie Rubin, will become a bat mitzvah at Adat Shalom on Saturday evening, Aug. 12, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. Grandparents are the late Dr. Leonard Rubin, Larry Dales, Annette Dales, Ruth Sterling, Clifford Hutton and Peggy Kinsey.

Communal worship: Fulfilling a commandment

Birth

David and Rebecca Wagner of Maple, Ontario, are excited to announce the birth of their son, Aaron Jonah on July 26, 2023. Aaron’s big brother is Ari Samuel. Proud grandparents are Jimmy and Rochelle Wagner of Squirrel Hill and Joey and Debbie Keller of Richmond Hill, Ontario. Great-grandparents are Lee and Marcia Himmel of Fox Chapel, the late Arnold and Jacklyn Wagner, Lena (late Chaim) Markel of Montreal, and the late Stanley and Joan Keller. Aaron Jonah (Aharon Binyamin) is named in memory of his maternal great-grandmother Joan Keller.

Mazel Tov!

With great pleasure, Robin and Jerome Friedman of Point Breeze announce the marriage of their daughter Lauren Gail Friedman to Joseph Brendan Graham, son of Maureen and Edward Graham of Metuchen, New Jersey. The ceremony and reception took place Sunday, July 2, 2023, at the William Penn Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh with Rabbi Arthur Donsky officiating. Lauren’s grandparents, Trudi and William Feldman, participated in the ceremony, escorted by Lauren’s brother and groomsman Jared Friedman. Lauren is also the granddaughter of the late Arthur Bloom and the late Freda and Leonard Friedman. Joseph is the grandson of Ellen Patricia Walsh, the late Stephen Walsh and the late Joan Graham and the late Edward Graham. The couple met while attending the Penn State University. Following a honeymoon to Greece and Italy the newlyweds will continue to reside in New York City where Lauren is an elementary school teacher with the New York City

Mazel Tov!

Lynn and Arthur Smith are thrilled to announce the marriage daughter of Gail and Mathew Reid of Decatur, Georgia. The wedding took place on April 29, 2023, in St. Simons Island, Georgia. The maid of honor was the bride’s sister, Samantha Reid Avina. The best woman was the groom’s sister, Bryna Unger Smith. The bride and groom were accompanied respectively down the aisle by their parents. The ceremony was officiated by Federal District Judge Amy Totenberg. Judge Amy is a longtime family friend of the Reids, and a very special friend to Rose and Todd. All of the family and friends that came from near and far enjoyed a four-day celebration honoring Rose and Todd. After a honeymoon in Italy, the couple will continue to reside

What is a special occasion…a birth, a b’nai mitzvah, an engagement, a wedding, an anniversary?

Absolutely!

But so is a birthday, a graduation, an athletic victory, an academic achievement…anything that deserves special recognition.

This week, our Torah portion finds the Israelites poised to cross into the Promised Land, respectfully listening to Moses’ swan song. They are on the plains of Moav, on the eastern side of the Jordan River, positioned between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim. These mountains may be part of the same mountain range, but they are very different in appearance. Mt. Gerizim rises as a green slope above the Valley of Shephem, and is lush with abundant growth. Next to it is Ebal, a barren, steep and bleak mountain. When I imagine Mt. Ebal, Disney’s depiction of Bald Mountain in the movie “Fantasia” comes to mind.

The Israelites have been commanded by God to enter the land between the two mountains. On fertile Mt. Gerizim, six tribal elders will shout the blessings that God will bestow on the Israelites if they faithfully follow God’s commandments. The tribal elders on bleak Mt. Ebal — no surprise here — will shout out the curses that will befall the Israelites if they break God’s commandments.

The physical appearance of the two mountains is a very apt metaphor for the Israelites’ future choices and the consequences of those choices. It also aligns with the name of the parsha, Re’eh, which means “see.” The parsha text begins: “See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I enjoin upon you this day: and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn away from the path which I enjoin upon you this day and follow other gods, whom you have not experienced.”

For an unsophisticated people who have just endured 400 years of slavery, the instruction is made more real to them as they see the desolate Mt. Ebal and the lush Mt. Gerizim.

I understand the curses as warnings given a simple people, a newly-born nation. Moses, through God, offered the fledging Israelites metaphors they easily could understand, to serve as a strong deterrent from following other gods. After all, Egyptian boils sounds painful, and leaden skies with no rain would lead to failed crops and starvation.

Personally, I know of no one who has gotten boils from failing to observe Shabbat. So what is our modern punishment for skipping services one week, or every week? The loss of companionship comes to mind. It’s no news to anyone that we live in a society where human interaction has decreased significantly. We read and hear how computers and video games have greatly reduced the time that kids spend outside or playing with one another. We adults don’t even have to go outside to get groceries anymore; one can order food that is delivered to one’s doorstep. We don’t really need to go to the library; we can use our smart phones or computers for research. Want to read a book or newspaper? Download it online. We can even experience a Jewish service from the comfort of our homes, as so many congregations now livestream their services.

You might ask, “So what? What is lost when we use modern technology to ‘simplify’ our lives?” Camaraderie with others, of course, is lost. Judaism never has been a solitary contemplative religion. We don’t go off by ourselves to meditate or to live in isolated communities. In our worship, we are meant to be with others; that is why we require a minyan — 10 people — before we can say the kaddish and other prayers. There is a magical synergy that happens when many voices are raised together in song or prayer. I always experience it when the turnout is good for a service.

What is a special occasion…a birth, a b’nai mitzvah, an engagement, a wedding, an anniversary?

Absolutely!

But so is a birthday, a graduation, an athletic victory, an academic achievement…anything that deserves special recognition.

Mazel Tov!

The “other gods you have not experienced” refers to Canaanite gods like Baal and Ashtarte, as well as those worshipped by other peoples in the land. God gives the people very detailed and clear instructions of where to look for idols representing these gods and how to destroy them. This commandment, to destroy the idols and to worship only the Holy One, appears again and again in the Torah and Hebrew Bible. Obviously, we do not worship idols today, but do contemporary Jews still have idols?

If we define idolatry as anything that keeps us from worshipping God, the answer unequivocally is yes. Consider the idols that keep us from coming to the synagogue and worshipping together as a unified community. The list of excuses is long: It’s been a hard work week and we just want to relax; there’s a television program on that we don’t want to miss; we are participating in a secular event, and so many others. If we’ve missed Shabbat for these reasons, and who among us hasn’t done this at some point, is there really a curse that will befall us, like Egyptian boils or severe drought?

The importance of community is acknowledged in the first few verses of our Torah by the God who created and knows us. In Gen.2:18 we are told, “It is not good for man to be alone.” Choosing not to engage with others on a regular basis can lead to depression and other health problems. Half of all Americans report increased feelings of isolation and loneliness. The numbers are alarming because of the health and mental health risks associated with loneliness. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University, reports that lack of social connection heightens health risks as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or having alcohol use disorder.

Where does that leave us? Clearly, engaging in communal worship not only fulfills a commandment, but is good for us as well. The benefits are both spiritual and physical. In these ways, the choices given the Israelites on the plains of Moav are no less relevant to us today. We still can find wisdom, meaning and a blueprint for our lives passed down to us by our singular and esteemed prophet, Moses Rabeinu. PJC

Cantor Michal Gray-Schaffer is the spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Abraham in Butler. This column is a service of the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Clergy Association.

Cantor Michal Gray-Schaffer Parshat Re’eh Deuteronomy 11:26 – 16:17

Obituaries

BASEMAN: Audrey (Bloom) Baseman, 93, formerly of Squirrel Hill, and Delray Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully at Sunrise of Monterey, in Monterey, California, on July 7, 2023. Beloved wife of the late Sherwin (Shy) Baseman, mother of Karen (Sam) Rosenzweig of Henderson. Nevada, Marc (Shelagh) Baseman of Carmel, California, and Jonathan  (Mary) Baseman of Dallas, Texas. Beloved grandmother of Shoshana Rosenzweig of Pasadena, California, and Mira Rosenzweig of Hackensack, New Jersey. Audrey was the sister of the late Marilyn Margolit, Lillian Bogdonoff of Boynton Beach, Florida, and Iris Podolsky of Dallas, Texas. Audrey worked for many years as the administrative assistant for Bnai Brith Youth Organization in Squirrel Hill and was “mom” to hundreds of BBYO teens. Graveside services were held July 14 at Eternal Light Memorial Gardens, Delray Beach, Florida. She was buried with her beloved husband, Shy, and now they are together forever. Donations are encouraged to BBYO or the National Kidney Foundation.

GLOSSER: Patricia L. Glosser passed peacefully on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. Beloved mother of Alix Glosser Paul, Jill Glosser and Jonathan Glosser. Devoted Pat Grandma to David (Alison), JD (Melissa), and Jimmy (Kiersten). Cherished GG Pat to Dolly, Oscar and Romi. Pat embraced her  grandchildren and great-grandchildren with open arms. Their lives are forever touched by the love and wisdom she passed on to them. Pat was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Ina and Joseph Freeman on Feb. 5, 1932. Throughout her life Pat showed an independent, strong and determined spirit. She was a shining example to her family and to her friends teaching the importance of family and philanthropy. Pat was the ultimate gift-giver. Pat radiated elegance and touched the hearts of those who knew her. She was eloquent with the written word and she loved reading, often a book a day. Pat attended Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for high school, followed by Penn State, Beaver College and Temple University. Always open to learning, she went back to college in the ’70s graduating from St Francis College with a degree in social work. She then worked as a social worker at Memorial Hospital in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and for Family House in Pittsburgh. Pat also worked at Papermart. In another career change, she owned Le Shoe, a woman’s retail shoe store. Pat was a member of the National Association of Social Workers, a life member of LHAS and Hadassah. She was a past treasurer for Planned Parenthood Cambria-Somerset County. She volunteered for the Blind and Vision Rehab as well as for Fisher House-VA hospital. Pat enriched all of our lives; she left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing her. We will miss you dearly. Our family extends a special thank you to Barb, Maxine and the other caregivers who helped to give her loving care. Services and entombment were private. Contributions may be made to Foundation Fighting Blindness, Attn: Pittsburgh VisionWalk - Patricia Glosser, PO Box 45933, Baltimore, MD 21297 (online gifts: give.fightingblindness.org/RememberingPatriciaGlosser). Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated.  schugar.com

GOLDBERG: Marlene Segal Goldberg, on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. Dearly beloved wife of the late Benjamin “Sonny” Goldberg. Cherished mother of Debra (Albert Jr.) Amelio, Mitcheal (Ilene) Goldberg and the late Edward Goldberg. Sister of Harold “Butch” Segal, late Morris (late Manette) Segal and late Faye (late George) Adelsberg. Cherished and adored “Bim Bim” of Nicholas, Anthony and Danielle Amelio and Zachary and Stephanie Goldberg. Also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins. Special thanks to Melvina Findley and the Right at Home Staff and also Ryan, Kathy, Rozelle and her many friends at South Hills Square. Graveside services and interment were held at Adath Jeshurun Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Birthright Israel Foundation, PO Box 21615, New York, NY 10087 or Tree of Life Building Fund, 0 Woodland Road, Pittsburgh PA 15232. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

HYMAN: Baruch Hyman. It has been said that the Owner of the orchard knows exactly when to gather His fruit. To those who  remain in the orchard, life will never be the same. Pittsburgh is dealing with just such a situation with the passing of Rabbi Baruch (Baruch Mendel ben Shlomo Nachum) Hyman. During his three decades in Pittsburgh, Baruch Hyman touched the lives of everyone he met both inside and outside of the Jewish community. Many people knew Baruch as a devoted Lubavitcher Chasid. Whether he was hosting Shabbos guests, with his wife Taibke, learning Torah with both the curious and committed, or preparing food for hungry  worshippers after Sabbath services, he did everything with good humor and a warm smile. He was an especially strong and loyal supporter of Yeshiva Schools and the Aleph Institute as well as Chabad houses run by his children in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Winchester, Virginia, and Harrisonburg, Virginia. His wife, children and grandchildren continue to carry on his kindness, care and compassion in their various communities  around the country. Baruch Hyman’s journey from collector to Chabad Chassid evolved over many years. In his youth, Baruch collected stamps and his father collected coins. Baruch’s hobby grew over time to include comics and other collectibles. When he attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, he originally was looking for a career. Providentially, he found Rabbi Moishe Kasowitz and Chabad. His journey brought him to Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim in Israel where he learned Torah in depth and received his rabbinic ordination. In Israel, he  also met his life partner, Taibke. Together, their new life took them to Pittsburgh and Squirrel Hill, where he started Crown Antiques and Collectables. Baruch bought and sold everything imaginable, from baseball cards to cameras to comic books. Many customers came looking for one thing and found something much more valuable — friendship and spiritual support. When he moved Crown Antiques to a four-story

Please see Obituaries, page 20

WHAT IS ELDER LAW?

This is one in a series of articles about Elder Law by Michael H. Marks., Esq.

Michael H. Marks is an elder law attorney with offices in Squirrel Hill and Monroeville. Send questions to michael@marks-law.com or visit www.marks-law.com.

What do you think of first when you think of attorneys practicing law? Personal injury and malpractice lawyers, like the ones who advertise on TV? Criminal defense? Bankruptcy, or corporate trial lawyers?

I practice “Elder and Disability Law.” It’s a relatively new field and people often don’t understand what it means. Sometimes people think that I have a partner named “Elder!” Elder and disability law (often referred to simply as “elder law”) means being prepared to help elderly and disabled individuals with the typical legal problems that often affect them, as well as clients of all ages.

In broad terms, I help individuals plan to protect their finances, their future and their families against risks that may or eventually will occur, and help my clients to deal with difficult life transitions like illness or the death of a loved one.

It’s rewarding and satisfying and almost never boring. It’s also challenging and can be complicated, requiring coordinating a lot of moving parts.

At Marks Elder Law, we work on three main kinds of services. Of these, the strategic asset protection planning part requires the most focused knowledge that other practitioners may not possess.

Estate planning:, We counsel and advise clients to plan and protect against illness, disability and death, preparing Wills, Powers of Attorney, Trusts, etc., to carry out their plans. The goal is to make sure that no matter what happens, the people you want to be in charge to help you when needed, are in charge at the

right times, to do what you want them to do.

A very important aspect is special needs planning for beneficiaries with disabilities, to make sure they get what they need and are well cared for, and often to protect eligibility for public benefits such as Medicaid for long-term - even life long - health care needs. Other special situations involve planning for blended families, same-sex couples, etc..

Estate administration and probate: We help to wind up the affairs of someone who has died. I guide my clients through a foreign territory of bureaucratic rules and technical hurdles. The necessary legal and tax processes usually involve gathering and managing assets; paying the bills, debts, taxes and expenses that need to be paid; and distributing what’s left over to the people who are supposed to get it. From getting my client appointed as Executor or Administrator, handling all the details in the middle, and winding up with a fair and accurate distribution of inheritance, we help at every step along the way.

A handful of different legal needs are usually involved, such as probate court filings and reports, inheritance and estate taxes, income tax requirements, the nuts and bolts of transferring or selling assets and paying bills, and accounting for all the transactions of an estate. It’s a landscape most people never or rarely have to visit, and it helps to have a knowledgeable guide.

Strategic long-term care asset protection planning: We help clients who are headed toward expensive long-term care to save as much of their own money as possible, often by achieving eligibility for Medicaid to pay for such care. We carry out complicated but effective lawful strategies, under the circumstances and available tactics and alternatives.

Myths and misinformation about long term care costs abound. People think that if you’re going to long-term care, first “they” will take your house and

eventually you’re just going to lose it all, but that’s absolutely not true. There’s a lot we can do to help people get the care they need and still save money and get a much better bottom line financial result. And, it’s never too late to try or to plan.

Elder and Disability Law encompasses other areas of practice, such as: Social Security, healthcare and end-of-life treatment issues, estate litigation, Medicare, housing, fraud, abuse and neglect, guardianship, retirement, long-term care insurance, complex tax planning, business succession arrangements, VA benefits for veterans, and more. No one elder law attorney practices in all these areas. You don’t have to be old to benefit from the benefits that I can offer. I often work with younger families with young children of their own, or adult children planning and helping on behalf of their parents. I get paid for more than just preparing a piece of paper for you. Our goal is to listen, discuss,

propose, and fulfill, with skill and empathy. I act as a counselor, advisor and advocate, to help identify your goals and the optimal ways to accomplish them, and as a strategist, advocate and technician to implement the best answer.

Sometimes people say to me, “I don’t have that much.” I don’t care whether you have a little bit or a lot. It’s my job to help you take good care of it –and sometimes when there’s not that much to start with, it’s all the more important to make proper plans and arrangements to take good care of it. The constant stream of news stories about the rich and famous who fail to plan properly for their own families, leaving behind chaos, litigation and animosity, illustrates why it’s important for all of us to do right by our own kin.

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR EXCITING NEWS ABOUT MARKS ELDER LAW!

With the increasing costs of long-term care, having the help of a legal professional when planning for your family’s future can help you make better decisions that can result in keeping more of your money.

We help families understand the strategies, the benefits, and risks involved with elder law, disability and estate planning.

Obituaries

Obituaries:

Continued from page 19 building in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood, his reputation and his stock of hard-to-find items grew exponentially. He once estimated that he had over 4 million items in his inventory, and Baruch knew the history behind most of them. No matter the material value of an item, to him it was always just a number. To Baruch, real value lay in collecting good deeds. Whether in his store, the hospital, or wherever he found himself, he persevered to live a life of meaning. His legacy continues, carried on by his beloved wife, Taibke Hyman, as well as their children: Sara Esther Bongart, Monsey, New York; Chaya Hoffinger, Pittsburgh; Moishe Hyman, Kingston, Pennsylvania; Nomi Leimdorfer, Harrisonburg, Virginia; Miriam Horowitz, Altoona, Pennsylvania; Bluma Dinerman, Winchester, Virginia;  Baila Hyman, Pittsburgh; Dini Kreitenberg, Crown Heights; and many precious grandchildren. He is also  survived by his father, Leonard Hyman, and sister Cherie Hyman of St. Louis, Missouri. Donations can be made in Baruch’s memory at ChabadOfAltoona.org/donate.

Dr. Bernard “Pepper” Mallinger. On July 20, 2023, the world lost a true Pittsburgh icon and a beloved member of the community when Dr. Bernard “Pepper” Mallinger peacefully passed away at the age of 95, surrounded by his loving family. Pepper was a man of many talents, roles and accomplishments, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of those he touched. Pepper’s journey began in Pittsburgh, where he was born and raised. He attended Colfax Elementary School, Allderdice High School and the University of Pittsburgh. His family’s roots traced back to Europe, as his parents had emigrated to America in the late 1880s. At the age of 18, Pepper enlisted in the Army Air Corps during World War II and was stationed in China, where he flew C54 transport planes through Asia. Upon his return from service, Pepper pursued a career in optometry and attended the University of Pennsylvania optometry school. Over the next 60-plus years, he made significant contri butions to his field and the Pittsburgh community. He was named Alumni of the Year in 2023. Pepper served as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ optometrist for over three decades, offering his expertise to the team and nurturing their vision. He played a pivotal role in developing advanced contact lenses, making them more comfortable and effective. Beyond his professional achievements, Pepper was passionate about visual training, helping children hone their learning skills. Together with his late wife, Stephanie, he played a crucial role in establishing Pace School for children with learning disabilities, a legacy that continues to impact young lives positively. Pepper’s warm and caring personality made him a favorite among children. He appeared on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” as the friendly optometrist who put the puppets’ fears at ease during eye exams. His bond with the beloved television

personality extended beyond the screen as they became close friends in real life. Pepper accompanied Mister Rogers during Congressional testimony for public television funding. Pepper’s involvement in the community extended beyond his work in optometry. He served on the Pennsylvania State Board of Optometry, coached his sons in ice hockey, played baseball at Pitt, and had a love for football and skiing, though he humorously shared the tale of breaking over 100 bones due to his enthusiasm for sports. Pepper was also an accomplished artist who loved photography, woodworking and watercolor painting. Throughout his life, Pepper’s kindness, thoughtfulness and caring nature touched the hearts of many. His devotion to his family, his patients and the Pittsburgh community made him a cherished figure in the hearts of all who knew him. As we bid farewell to this exceptional man, we take comfort in knowing that his legacy will live on through the countless lives he has touched. In honor of his memory, donations may be made to the Pace School (paceschool.org), a cause dear to his heart, at Mallinger – Pace School Donation. This link goes directly to the credit card donation page: paceschool.salsalabs.org/ mallinger. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Dr. Bernard “Pepper” Mallinger will be held at a later date. Arrangements are entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., a family-owned and operated funeral home, where memories of Pepper’s remarkable life can be shared at schugar.com.

MARKS: Fred S. Marks, M.D., born Jan. 12, 1928, passed away peacefully, from natural causes, in his home in Boca Raton, Florida, on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. He is survived by his loving family, daughters Yedda Marks (Edina, Minnesota), Betsy (Marks) Darivoff, son-in-law Philip Darivoff (Short Hills, New Jersey), and three beautiful grandchildren Rachel Marks Darivoff/Jordan Malter (Brooklyn, New York), Zachary Gorman/Malika Cantor (Brooklyn, New York) and Sarah Marks Darivoff (New York, New York). Fred was born and raised in Pittsburgh, to Morris and Rebecca Marks. He graduated from the University of Michigan where he studied pre-med and anthropology prior to attending medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. Fred met and married his beloved wife, Esther Santner, while completing an internship in pediatric medicine in Philadelphia. They had a deeply loving marriage until Esther’s death in 2003. Fred was known by family, friends and multiple generations of pediatric patients (and their parents) as a gentle, kind, respectful (and smart) humanitarian, always finding the good in people. He was passionate about all types of music and played classical guitar for over 50 years, even taking lessons via Skype until a couple months prior to his passing. He was a lifelong learner, attending adult education courses in music, art, short stories and history. He was an avid reader, competitive swimmer (in his youth), kayaked into his early 90s, loved films and theater and baked a variety of artisanal breads to the delight of his family and friends who were the lucky beneficiaries. He took a genuine interest and was a hands-on participant in every endeavor (academic and otherwise) of his daughters and grandchildren who, in addition to Esther, he was supremely proud of and loved more than life itself. Finally, since Esther’s passing, he enjoyed the companionship of two loyal dogs, Shayna and Lilah, who never left his side (or his lap). Services and interment were private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh would be welcomed, givetochildrens.org/. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, inc., family owned and operated. schugar.com

Anonymous

Michael D Baseman

Bonnie Levine Blackman

Ellen Blum

Thelma Cohn

Thelma Cohn

Ruth Haber

Carl Krasik

Michael Kweller

Randolph Malt

Howie & Shelley Miller

Mrs Alvin Mundel

Toby Perilman

Toby Perilman

Toby Perilman

Theodore Pinsker

Nathaniel S Pirchesky

Edith Flom Schneider

Joyce Unitan

Claire & Morris Z”L Weinbaum

Samuel Mermelstein

Leah Katz

Milton Saul Baseman

Mimi Lawrence

Patty Danovitz

Eva Ulanoff

Joan Elise Whitley

Simon Miller

Samuel Krasik

Leon Kweller

Rabbi Henry Friedman

Isreal Miller

Marie Mundel

Esther Bennett

Harry Louik

Florence Perilman

Herbert Goldstein

Esther Caplan

Peter Michael Oresick

Aaron Zwick

Stuart D Weinbaum

Sunday August 13: Andrew Cohen, Minnie Drosnes, Lena K. Friedman, Benjamin Heller, Elenora Soupcoff Heller, Hyman Herman, Norma Kalmenson, Rose Kress, Phillip Lerner, Bessie Mallinger, Shirley Markowitz, Molly Pollock, David Rabinovitz, Meyer Maier Talenfeld, Jacob Wells, Joan Elise Ratowsky Whitley

Monday August 14: Marion Jessica Blumenfeld, Helen Finkel Eger, Esther Fried, Max Hadburg, Lottie Heller, William Katz, Rose Lieber, Louis Olitzky, Bettie Olender Polak Tanur, Anita Ohringer Ruslander, Gabrielle Heliene Segall, Sam Weinberger, Aaron H. Zwick

Tuesday August 15: Hazel R. Dickler, Sam Garfinkel, Samuel Goldenson, Philip Goodman, Abraham

Katz, Samuel Krasik, Jack Morris, Abraham S. Robins, Albert Shapiro, Fay Oppenheim Stein, Mollie E. Swartz, Fannie Cohen Weiner, Saul H. Weissman, Myers L. Zacks

Wednesday August 16: Ruth E. Bell, Esther Streng Finegold, Harry Gottesman, Eugene I. Hilsenrath, Frank Kress, William S. Mason, Rosa Perlstein, Dorothy Miller Ryave, Gertrude Siegel, Lillian Linder Silverman, Frank Solomon

Thursday August 17: Judge Samuel J. Feigus, Sherman Hershman, Stuart Irwin Holtzman, Joseph Kossis, Celia S. Landay, Simon Miller, Peter Michael Oresick, Ruth Pattak, Morris Rosen, Ann F. Schwartz, Benjamin Schwartz, Isadore Louis Sigal, Dorothy B. Solomon, Harry M. Solomon, Bessie Stein, Maurice Louis Swartz

Friday August 18: David Bass, Gertrude Chotiner, Leopold Diamond, Louis Farber, Sadie Friedlander, Louis Friedman, Milton S. Gordon, MD, Rose Grace Halpern, Alihu Klein, Raschel (Ray) Levine, Anna Rabinovitz, Hinda Kuhl Rubenstein, Samuel Verbin, Adolph Wirtzman

Saturday August 19: Joseph Cooper, Max Eger, Louis Eisenfeld, Meyer Fiman, Pearl Greenfield, Abraham Pittler, Charles Shapiro

SHEPMAN: Maxine S. Shepman, on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. Beloved daughter of the late Dr. Bernard and Shirley Shepman. Sister of Ilene (Michael) Levy and Bruce (Meghan Clark) Shepman. Also survived by Mollie and Leland Pepper, great-nephew Skylar, Marissa Levy, Madalyn Levy, and Patrick Clark. Maxine had a mutual love and adoration for her nieces, nephew and great-nephew. Maxine graduated from Chatham University. She was a sales representative in the optical field and later joined Eyetique for many years as a talented optician. Her most recent position was as a manager at Saks OFF 5TH in Pittsburgh. She will be sadly missed. A private service will be held. Contributions may be made to the Glioblastoma Foundation, PO Box 62066, Durham, NC 27715 (info@glioblastomafoundation.org) and Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Arrangements entrusted to Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc., family owned and operated. PJC

Real Estate

FOR SALE

5125 Fifth Ave.

2 & 3 Bedrooms Corner of Fifth and Wilkins Spacious

1500-2250 square feet

”Finest in Shadyside”

412-661-4456

www.kaminrealty.kamin.com

Smith-Rosenthal Team

Jason A. Smith & Caryn Rosenthal

Jason: 412-969-2930 | Caryn: 412-389-1695

Jasonasmith@howardhanna.com

Carynrosenthal@howardhanna.com

5501 Baum Blvd. Pittsburgh PA 15232

Shadyside Office | 412-361-4000

SHADYSIDE • $550,000

First Time O ered! Unique 2+ bedroom single family in the heart of Shadyside. Close to restaurants and shopping plus public parking. Great court yard for entertaining. Large 2 car garage.

EDGEWOOD • $429000 - PENDING

First time o ered! Four bedroom cozy home in Regent Square . Charming and move-in ready. Close to shopping and restaurants. Don’t miss this special residence!

POINT BREEZE • $665,000 - PENDING

First time o ered! Meticulous, elegant 4 bedroom 3 bath home with wonderful architectural details. Close to Frick Park, Mellon Park, Bakery Square, Shadyside, and Squirrel Hill. Lovely yardand 2 car garage. Special Home.

GREENFIELD • $250,000 - PENDING

758 Melbourne St

4 Bedroom 2 bath home with central air, Renewal by Andersen windows and Owens Corning roof. Extra storage on first and very convenient location.

Sherri Mayer, Realtor Squirrel Hill Office

C: 412-760-0412

O: 412-421-9121x225

sherrimayer@howardhanna.com HowardHanna.com

Letters of Testamentary

Letters of Testamestary on the Estate of Mark H. Loevner, aka Mark Howard Loevner, deceased, were granted to Catherine Loevner, who requests that all persons having claims against the Estate of this Decedent make known the same in writing to her or her attorney, Frederick N. Frank, 707 Grant Street, Suite 3300, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, and all persons indebted to this Decedent make payment to the same.

Business & Professional Directory

JILL and MARK PORTLAND RE/MAX REALTY BROKERS 412.521.1000 EXT. 200 412.496.5600 JILL | 412.480.3110 MARK

Making a buzz: Honeybees recreate ancient statue of Hadrian in Jerusalem

— ART & SCIENCE —

By Rinat Harash | The Times of Israel

The Land of Milk and Honey recently saw tens of thousands of bees recreate one of its most treasured ancient finds in a rare merging of nature and art.

An iconic bronze statue of the Roman emperor Hadrian, which is one of three found worldwide and dates back some 2,000 years, was turned into an active honeycomb as 50,000 bees produced their wax onto 3D-printed grid replicas of the original.

The curators of the project, led by the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, said it corresponded with the ancient “lost-wax” technique used to make the original statue, which was found in 1975 at the site of a Roman legion camp near Beit She’an.

The lost-wax technique is an ancient metal casting method in which molten metal is poured into a hollow mold created over a beeswax model, which melts away during the process. The current project aimed to recreate the beeswax models and stopped short of the next step, pouring the molten metal.

“The bees recreated a phase that we never have in archaeology because the wax

is always gone. They recreated the missing part,” said Dudi Mevorah, senior curator of Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine archaeology at the museum.

The project also seems to have taken the sting out of the often critical depiction of Hadrian in Jewish historiography, where he is seen as the cruel oppressor of the Bar

-800-GET-PHIL

Kochba revolt in 135 AD.

“Hadrian is one of the most enlightened and amazing emperors of the Roman empire … Only the Jews remember him as an absolute tyrant… he is really a man who changed the face of the world and the face of this land. So to choose him as a star is very natural,” Mevorah said.

The team constructed beehives to house two replicas of the emperor’s head. Each replica was based on a high-level scan of the original and contained a 3D-printed grid web made of a sterile bee-friendly nylon that encouraged the bees’ activity. The beehives were then placed in the museum’s outdoor garden, where half a million bees are currently active.

The team said it took the bees about two months to produce one honeycomb statue in March’s volatile spring weather, but only four days to produce the second in the more stable conditions of late May. The newly created wax statues were then removed from the hives before the production of honey could risk their conservation. They will be displayed to the public near the original Hadrian bust within several months, the team said.

Nature as art

The creation process required not only the collaboration between the design and archaeology departments of the museum but also the expertise of a Slovak artist and a professional beekeeper. A unique connection has been thus generated between nature, museology and technology, said Rami Tareef, the museum’s curator of design and architecture.

“The fact that a bee flies a kilometer to bring the material to build this statue in a museum, I think it’s very strong… it’s a collaboration with nature. As an ecological statement it’s very important,” Tareef said.

For artist Tomas Libertiny, who made the grid template for the bees to work on, it was like conducting an orchestra.

“The idea is that you lose direct control. Life and art are not supposed to be so rigidly governed. As an artist, I am at the mercy of nature. However, my power comes from a thorough understanding of how bees live and work. It is this knowledge that allows me to gently tap into its creative potential… I become more of a conductor of an orchestra making sure all individual strengths flow in harmony and not cacophony,” Libertiny said.

The result is a creation that is much lighter and softer than the original bronze statue, weighing less than half a kilogram (1.1 pounds), yet very resilient due to the natural durability of the beeswax material.

Team member and beekeeper Rafi Nir said it was a way to remind visitors of the hidden circle of life they’re often unaware of.

“Someone comes to a museum and sees a finite object, he is not aware that behind the statue there is wax and that behind it there is a bee. It raises the awareness that it is all part of a whole — from the flower, through the bee, to the human being.”

Aligned with this view and emphasizing the importance of bees for cities’ green lungs is the rising trend of urban beekeeping. It includes maintenance of beehives on rooftops and backyards as well as at Israel’s Knesset garden and the Jerusalem botanical gardens. PJC

p A team member checks on a honeycomb statue of the emperor Hadrian at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem in May. Photo courtesy of Israel Museum/ Natalie Peselev Stern via The Times of Israel

p Team members check on a honeycomb statue of the emperor Hadrian at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem in May.

Photo courtesy Israel Museum/ Natalie Peselev Stern via The Times of Israel

Macher and Shaker

Israel Bonds Pittsburgh Women’s Council honored Dorothy S. Greenfield with the Anne Copeland Remembrance Award on Aug. 2. Greenfield taught in the Pittsburgh Public Schools for 37 years and substituted at Beth Shalom’s preschool. She has been a member of Congregation Beth Shalom for 44 years, serving on the board of directors and as co-president of the Sisterhood, as well as working in the gift shop. She served as co-president of Na’Amat and is a life member of Hadassah.

Taking their talents to South Florida

JCC Pittsburgh’s 2023 Maccabi delegation traveled to Ft. Lauderdale for the JCC Maccabi Games. Eighteen Pittsburgh athletes will compete against teams from other major cities in sports, including, basketball, soccer, hockey and lacrosse.

Summer fun, summer done

Emma Kaufmann Camp wrapped up another summer in Morgantown. Campers and counselors from across the world made friends, engaged in Jewish camping and created memories on Cheat Lake.

Take me out to the ballgame

Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh visited PNC Park to see the Buccos take on the Detroit Tigers.

Hooray for havurot

Congregation Beth Shalom has embarked on a program where congregants can develop deeper connections with other congregants as part of smaller groups (havurot). One such havurah held a festive first meeting on Aug. 6.

Enjoying the season

Photo courtesy of Israel Bonds

p Making us proud

Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

p Deviled eggs are always a delight.

Photo courtesy of Jim Busis

p Only 300 days until next summer. Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

p Another friendly day at the park

Photo courtesy of Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh

p The field is the field trip. Photo courtesy of Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

Camp Gan Izzy visited Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers’ home was one of several local haunts campers have enjoyed this summer.

KOSHER MEATS

•All-natural poultry — whole chickens, breasts, wings and more

•All-natural, corn-fed beef — steaks, roasts, ground beef and more

•Variety of deli meats and franks

Available at select Giant Eagle stores. Visit gianteagle.com for location information.

Empire Kosher Fresh Bone-In Split

Chicken Breasts

54 9 lb.

Price effective Thursday, August 10 through Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Available at and