Metro Briefs February 26

Metro Briefs February 26

Temple Sinai invites the community to a special Shabbat service, featuring a guest sermon by Rev. B. De Neice Welch of Bidwell Street United Presbyterian Church, on Friday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. Welch is a spiritual community leader and has experience with coordinating mission trips and grassroots organizing. Welch will share stories from her experiences. Services will be led by Rabbi James A. Gibson and accompanied by the Temple Sinai Intergenerational Choir. Call 412-421-9715, ext. 121, for more information.

The third program in the Congregation Beth Shalom Health Initiative will feature Dr. David A. Brent speaking on “Teen Depression: Recognition, Treat-ment and Prevention” on Monday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m. at 5915 Beacon St. Brent is the UPMC Endowed Professor of Suicide Studies and a professor of psychiatry, pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is also co-founder and director of the Services for Teens at Risk program. He will discuss available treatment options and ways in which the onset of depression may be prevented.

The Health Initiative is funded with support from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, the Fine Foundation, the Staunton Farm Foundation, the UPMC Cancer Center, the Aging Institute of UPMC Senior Services and the University of Pittsburgh.

The program is free and open to the public. Healthy Vaad-certified refreshments will be available. Contact 412-421-2288, ext. 112, for more information.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service and Jewish Residential Services will hold a program as part of the educational series AIM: Support for Families of Individuals with Special Needs on Monday, March 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the JF&CS offices located at 5743 Bartlett St. in Squirrel Hill. The presentation, “Can You Work While Receiving SSI or SSDI Benefits? Yes You Can!” explores employment options for individuals receiving Social Security and/or disability benefits.

Keynote speaker Anthony Bibbo, certified work-incentive coordinator, is part of the Social Security Administration’s Work Incentive Planning and Assistance program. Bibbo will discuss how Social Security beneficiaries can transition from total dependence on public benefits to paid employment and greater economic self-sufficiency.

The presentation is free and open to the community and includes a light kosher meal at 6 p.m. Registration is required. Contact Linda Marino at lmarino@jfcspgh.org or 412-422-7200 for more information and to register, or visit jfcspgh.org or jrspgh.org for more information about JF&CS and JRS.

Classrooms Without Borders invites the community to see National Geographic’s IMAX movie “Jerusalem” on Sunday, March 8 at 1 p.m. at the Carnegie Science Center.

A get-together for CWB seminar participants will follow the film, and participants in this summer’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Israel seminar will have an opportunity to meet and discuss technological innovations with Science Center personnel.

The film and programs are subsidized for all present and past CWB seminar educators and contributors. There is a $7 per person charge for all CWB students, family and friends. Visit classroomswithoutborders.org for more information and to purchase tickets.

The New Community Chevra Kadisha of Greater Pittsburgh will hold its annual Adar 7 dinner on Sunday evening, March 1. During the day, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The community is invited to an afternoon of study with Rabbi and psychologist Dr. Simcha Raphael at Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha. The topic of his talk and discussion will be “Twilight between the Worlds: Stories of Ghosts, Wandering Spirits and Reincarnating Souls.” Rabbi Raphael teaches Jewish mysticism in the Religion Department of Temple University and works as a psychotherapist and spiritual director affiliated with the Mount Airy Counseling Center in Philadelphia.  His book “Jewish Views of the Afterlife” is a guide offering practical assistance for integrating insights from rich Jewish traditions of the afterlife into spiritual care with dying and grieving individuals and families.

Contact Malke Frank at malkeiva@aol.com for more information.

The Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh has announced the winners of the 2014-15 Waldman International Arts & Writing Competition. The competition was organized in partnership with the Andy Warhol Museum and in conjunction with JFilm/The Pittsburgh Jewish Film Forum, the Partnership 2Gether of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

The public is invited to attend the awards and recognition event at the Andy Warhol Museum from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 19. All winning entries will be on view. This event is free, but reservations are strongly recommended. More information is available by contacting Emily Sabol at 412-421-1500 or eunikel@holocaustcenterpgh.org, or visit holocaustcenterpgh.org.

The Waldman International Arts & Writing Competition annually invites middle and high school students from the Pittsburgh region and from the Karmiel-Misgav region of Israel to submit entries. These students are challenged to use language, visual arts and short film to tell the stories of people affected by the Holocaust.

Since its inception in 1985, the Waldman Competition has been underwritten by the Hal K. and Diane Waldman Fund of the Jewish Com-munity Foundation of the Jewish Fed-eration of Greater Pittsburgh.

This year, 20 judges from Pittsburgh and Israel considered the entries on the basis of skill, originality and adherence to theme.

The Winners

Creative Writing, U.S. High School

1st place: Maia Rosenfeld of Winchester Thurston High School

2nd place: Sarah Cohen of Yeshiva Girls School of Pittsburgh

3rd place: Rivka Mandelbaum, Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh

Honorable mention: Rivka Itkin, Yeshiva Girls School of Pittsburgh

Creative Writing, U.S. Middle School

1st place: Menucha Itkin, Yeshiva Girls School of Pittsburgh, Grade 7

2nd place: Anna Yaksich, Springdale Jr./Sr. High School, Grade 8

3rd place: Manny Shollar, Yeshiva Boys School of Pittsburgh, Grade 8

Honorable mention: Celia Maiers Cubas, Barack Obama Academy of International Studies 6-12, Grade 8

Creative Writing, Israeli High School

1st place: Amalya Ben Asher, Ort Psagot High School (Karmiel), Grade 11

2nd place: Zohar Serok Zipa, Misgav High School, Grade 11

3rd place: Michal Nonteko, Misgav High School, Grade 11

Honorable mention: Inbal Ben Zichri, Misgav High School, Grade 11

Visual Arts, U.S. High School

1st place: Betsy King, Ligonier Valley High School, Grade 9

2nd place: Goldie Pekkar, Yeshiva Girls School of Pittsburgh, Grade 12

3rd place: Katie Betz, Ligonier Valley High School, Grade 9

Honorable mention: Devorah Leah Barrocas, Yeshiva Girls School of Pittsburgh, Grade 10

Visual Arts, U.S. Middle School

1st place: Andrea Holber, Community Day School, Grade 8

2nd place: Shana Shaw, Yeshiva Girls School of Pittsburgh, Grade 7

3rd place: Rochie Capland, Yeshiva Girls School of Pittsburgh, Grade 7

Honorable mention: Shana Tombosky, Yeshiva Girls School of Pittsburgh, Grade 8

Visual Arts, Israeli High School

1st place: Ella Bodankin, Misgav High School, Grade 11

2nd place: Amir Judea, Shachar High School (Karmiel) Grade 11

3rd place: Baruch Orayev, Shachar High School (Karmiel), Grade 11

Honorable mention: Dana Federman, Ort Psagot High School (Karmiel), Grade 10

Short Film, U.S. High School

1st place: Maria Anto, Ligonier Valley High School, Grade 9

Short Film, U.S. Middle School

Honorable mention: Rivky Davidson, Yeshiva Girls School of Pittsburgh, Grade 8

Short Film, Israeli High School

1st place: Einav Dahan, Ort Psagot High School (Karmiel), Grade 12

2nd place: Hila Keren, Ort Psagot High School (Karmiel), Grade 12

3rd place: Sagi Shalom, Ort Psagot High School (Karmiel), Grade 12

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