Metro Briefs April 7

The 125th anniversary of the “Battle of Homestead” will be commemorated this year with a series of events, kicking off on April 6 at 7 p.m. at the Bost Building, 623 E. 8th Ave., Homestead, with a discussion focused on family history, Homestead’s Jewish community, and the interdependence of the town’s merchants and millworkers. Battle of Homestead Foundation (BHF) member Tammy Hepps will present the story of her great-grandfather and his role in the Jewish community of Homestead in the aftermath of the Homestead Strike.

The events will include a series of performances, film screenings and discussions from April through October. The program series is themed “Yesterday and Tomorrow: the Legacy of the 1892 Homestead Strike.”

On Saturday, April 22 at 1:30 p.m. at the Historic Pump House, 880 E. Waterfront Drive in Munhall, BHF will examine the battle’s legacy for the region with a film screening, “The Union Comes to Aliquippa,” on improvements won by organizing steelworkers during the mid-1930s Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) union drives. The film tells the story of the struggle at J & L Steel that led to the Supreme Court decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Wagner Act.

The Battle of Homestead strike is considered by many historians to be one of the most important labor struggles in U.S. history.

Visit battleofhomestead.org for a calendar listing of upcoming events. Contact mail@battleofhomestead.org or 412-478-5907 for more information.

The Jewish Women’s Center of Pittsburgh will hold its 24th annual women’s Pesach seder on Sunday, April 16 at 6 p.m. at the Labor Zionist Center, 6328 Forbes Ave. in Squirrel Hill. The JWC introduced the concept of a women’s seder to the Pittsburgh Jewish community in 1993. The first Haggadah was written by members of the JWC and continues to be enhanced each year with relevant readings and timely commentaries. In addition to placing Miriam’s Cup together with Elijah’s Cup, the seder includes songs, music and text from the Torah about the women who played a vital role in the Pesach story.

Call 412-422-8044 by April 8 for additional information and to reserve a place.

The City of Pittsburgh Public Safety Zone Councils invite the community to the Spring Citywide Public Safety Meeting on Wednesday, April 19 at the Jewish Community Center’s Katz Theater (Robinson Building) at 5738 Darlington Road, Squirrel Hill, starting with a light dinner at 6:30 p.m. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.

The topic, “Have you been a victim yet?” will feature a presentation and discussion by victims, first responders and health care providers regarding the telltale signs and consequences of opiate addictive drugs, along with the impact they have on families, businesses and the community.

Share your photos and comments using #412CityWide.

National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section will hold its Fresh Look Spring Thrift & Designer Sale from Thursday, April 20 to Sunday, April 23 at Thriftique, at 125 51st St. in Pittsburgh.

Visit ncjwpgh.org/ncjw-designer-days for more information. Free parking is available in the front and rear of the building.

Beth El Congregation of the South Hills will hold its 20th annual All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Festival and Genealogy Day on Sunday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1900 Cochran Road. Enjoy pancakes with special toppings and eggs at the Pancake Festival for a nominal fee. Also, there will be a free day of genealogy programming, with demonstrations and discussions of online resources and time to ask questions of the lecturers, or partner up with a genealogy buddy. The charge for adults (age 13 and above) is $8; children ages 4 to 12, $5. The event is open to the community.

Visit bethelcong.org for more information. RSVP in advance at 412-561-1168.

Jewish Residential Services is partnering with Verland, an agency with a long history of serving individuals with complex needs, to create a new group home in Squirrel Hill offering 24-hour care, seven days a week, in an environment that celebrates Jewish culture with a kosher kitchen and Shabbat meals.

An informational meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation, 4905 Fifth Ave. A light, kosher meal will be provided. There is no cost to attend, but space is limited.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh will present a live, multimedia performance by “Israel Story,” an Israeli radio broadcast, inspired by “This American Life” that shares stories about Israel and its diversity and culture, based on interviews of everyday Israelis from all walks of life. The performance will be held on Thursday, April 27 at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East. Lobby doors open at 6:15 p.m.; enjoy the “Humans of Tel Aviv” exhibit prior to the show. Theater doors open at 6:45 p.m.; the performance begins at 7 p.m.

When David Ben-Gurion envisioned what Israel could be, he thought of diverse cultures, traditions and backgrounds coming together to form a unique Israeli identity. With its blend of storytelling, live music and visuals, the “Israel Story” team sets out to discover how Ben-Gurion’s dream became Israel’s modern reality. The team asks whatever happened to that simple, yet complicated notion of an Israeli “melting pot?”

Contact eprobola@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5247 with questions or for special accommodations.

This is a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Israel & Overseas Commission and Jewish Life & Learning. For Jews observing the Omer, note that music will be played at this event.

Of approximately 1,300 student organizations at Penn State University, Penn State Hillel has been awarded the 2016-2017 Outstanding Student Organization of the Year, an award honoring a top student organization on campus.

Each year, Penn State’s Office of Student Activities celebrates student organizations and individual students with the Service and Leadership Awards, recognizing individual students for outstanding leadership and service to the university, and the Student Organization and Involvement Awards, recognizing individual students and student organizations for outstanding efforts, programming and collaborations over the past year. Penn State Hillel was awarded the Outstanding Student Organization of the Year based on its standing with Penn State’s Office of Student Activities and its achievements in the following categories: collaboration with other student organizations, faculty, and staff; programming a variety of purposeful events; positive promotion of mission and purpose of organization to university community; and building a sense of community.

The award ceremony will be held on Sunday, April 23 at 10:30 a.m.; attendance is by invitation only.

Penn State Hillel’s mission is to enrich the lives of the estimated 5,000 Jewish students at Penn State so that they can enrich the Jewish people and the world. Penn State Hillel is committed to excellence, innovation, accountability and results.

Visit pennstatehillel.org for more information on Penn State Hillel.