Metro Briefs February 18

Metro Briefs February 18

The Jewish Chronicle will publish a roundup of Purim activities in the March 10 edition. To be included, send a brief description, including activity, date, time and contact information to newsdesk@thejewishchronicle.net.

Send copy in the body of an email or as an attached Word document; fliers sent in PDF or JPEG format will not be accepted. The deadline is Friday, March 4 at noon.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh’s Endurance Club is offering a running clinic on Sunday, Feb. 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Levinson Auditorium.

The clinic is free and open to the community and will include treadmill gait analysis with specialty running store True Runner.

Contact Marsha Mullen at 412-339-5415 or mmullen@jccpgh.org for more information on all activities or to schedule an appointment.

The JCC is the official training partner of Paws over Pittsburgh, the Animal Rescue League’s Pittsburgh Marathon team.

South Hills Jewish Pittsburgh, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s South Hills Community Engagement Initiative, will present its first ever Summer Camp Fair on Sunday, Feb. 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the South Hills Jewish Community Center, at 345 Kane Blvd.

The event is free and open to the public. More than 16 Jewish overnight camps from throughout North America will be on hand to provide information.

The fair is being held in conjunction with the One Happy Camper (OHC) program, through which first time campers can receive a $1,000 grant if they attend one of more than 180 approved OHC camps throughout North America for at least 19 days.

The fair give families an opportunity to explore a wide range of Jewish summer camps from across the country and in Canada and find out how to gain financial assistance for first-time campers. Refreshments and snacks will be available (dietary laws observed).

Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, One Happy Camper, South Hills JCC and South Hills Jewish Pittsburgh are sponsoring the event.

Contact Rob Goodman, director of South Hills Jewish Pittsburgh at 412-697-6646 or rgoodman@jfedpgh.org for more information.

Kollel Konnections will hold a night to get in the Purim spirit with mulled wine, meat, and food for thought: out of the box entertaining halachic questions from Rabbi Langer. The event will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 23 from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. at the Poale Zedeck Education Center.

The film “Of Many” will be screened and followed by a discussion with Imam Khalid and Rabbi Yehuda Sarna on Tuesday, Feb. 23 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Carnegie Mellon University, Porter Hall 100 Auditorium, Frew Street.

The vice provost for education, the Division of Student Affairs and the Department of History, Dietrich College, CMU are sponsoring the event.

Set against the backdrop of violence in the Middle East and the tension between Jewish and Muslim students on college campuses, “Of Many” focuses on the surprising and transformative relationship between Rabbi Yehuda Sarna and Imam Khalid Latif, who serve as university chaplains at New York University. Through a series of voyages to communities struck by catastrophe, young religious Jews and Muslims work together and overcome long-standing divides. This look at how tragedies near and far — from the Israeli-Arab conflict and the Muhammad cartoon turmoil to Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 — affect relationships in a diverse community might change the way you look at those around you. Khalid and Sarna will be at the screening to answer questions and lead discussion.

The “Of Many” film trailer is can be viewed at ofmanyfilm.com.

Chabad of the South Hills will hold Torah and Tea on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. to share Torah insights and words of prayer. Contact Batya at 412-344-2424 or batya@chabadsh.com for more information.

Temple Sinai invites the community for Shabbat services as it welcomes guest speaker Subra Suresh, ninth and current president of Carnegie Mellon University, on Friday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m.  A distinguished engineer and scientist, Suresh joined Carnegie Mellon University in 2013 after serving as the director of the National Science Foundation and dean of the School of Engineering at MIT. Suresh is one of only 19 American scientists to be elected to all three branches of the National Academies. Suresh will speak about “The Role of the Research University in the Community.” The service will include music by the Temple Sinai Intergenerational Choir with an oneg to follow. Call 412-421-9715 for more information.

Karen Wolk Feinstein, founding president and chief executive officer of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, will mark its 25th anniversary by speaking after Sisterhood Shabbat services at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27 at Congregation Beth Shalom, 5915 Beacon St.

Feinstein’s presentation is made possible by the 2016 Beth Shalom Health Initiative Series, with co-sponsors Beth Shalom Sisterhood, the Jewish Health-care Foundation, Fine Foundation, Staunton Farm Foundation, UPMC Cancer Center, Jewish Association on Aging, Aging Institute of UPMC Senior Services and the University of Pittsburgh and The Jewish Chronicle. This talk is free and open to the public to engage in a healthy exchange of ideas with Feinstein. Contact Candace at 412-421-2288 for more information.

The Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Main Event this year will be a new interactive show, “Ben & Becca’s Totally Retro B’nai Mitzvah Bash,” a throw-back night of Jewish family drama, surprising plot twists and laughs. The writer and cast are all local to Pittsburgh. Actor Erika Cuenca plays Becca and Ben is Tyler Bogen.

The show is part of a bigger trend of nonprofits looking for new, fun and creative ways to raise funds. The plan is for it to debut here and ultimately go national for other similar fundraising events.

The event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. at Congregation Beth Shalom, 5915 Beacon St. The cost is $50 per person and includes an open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres and dessert, all Va’ad certified.

Contact mfranzos@jfedpgh.org or 412-992-5204 or visit jfedpgh.org/TotallyMitzvah for more information and to register.

Temple Sinai Brotherhood invites the community to get the inside story on Pittsburgh real estate and development at a brunch and lecture with guest speaker Todd Reidbord on Sunday, Feb. 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.  Reidbord, principal and president of Walnut Capital, will speak on “How Real Estate Development is Changing the Face of Pittsburgh.” 

In association with Jewish Disability and Inclusion Month, Reidbord will address issues related to accessibility in the buildings his company owns and manages. The cost, including food, is $10 in advance and $12 at the door.  Preregistration is due by Wednesday, Feb. 24. Call 412-421-9715 for more information.

The deadline for applications to Zionist Organization of America —Pittsburgh District’s Israel Scholarship program is Monday, Feb. 29. Jewish students in the Pittsburgh area, who are currently sophomores or juniors in high school, are eligible to apply. Scholarships are for study trips to Israel during the summer of 2016. Contact Stuart Pavilack at pittsburgh@zoa.org or 412-665-4630 for more information and applications.

AgeWell at the Jewish Community Center will offer a new health and wellness 10-week program for participants age 60 and older. The Aging Mastery Program will be held Wednesdays at 6 p.m. March 9 to May 18 at the JCC at 5738 Forbes Ave. There is no fee to participate.

The Aging Mastery Program was developed by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and has been successful at helping older adults build their own playbook for aging well. AgeWell at the JCC was one of a select few organizations in Pennsylvania selected to offer AMP.

The program encourages mastery — developing sustainable behaviors  — across many dimensions that lead to improved health, stronger economic security, enhanced well-being and increased societal participation.

Contact Sharon Feinman at 412-697-3533 or sfeinman@jccpgh.org for more information or stop by the AgeWell JCC office.

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