Metro Briefs January 9
Yeshiva Schools is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.
The annual Yeshiva Dinner is slated for Monday, March 10, 6 p.m., at the Westin Convention Center Hotel, Downtown. Judy Wein, co-founder and former president of Friendship Circle, is this year’s honoree.
“We are very excited to celebrate 70 years of Yeshiva Schools,” said Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld, dean of Yeshiva Schools, in a prepared statement. “Judy Wein is a special community leader and we are thrilled to be honoring her at the dinner. Her support and leadership for Jewish institutions around Pittsburgh shows the extent of her dedication to the community and in a broader sense, Jewish continuity.”
Wein actively served on several boards and committees across Jewish Pittsburgh, including the Jewish Federation, the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Residential Services, the Jewish Education Institute and, more recently, the Friendship Circle, which is an affiliate organization of Yeshiva Schools.
“Judy is the consummate community leader,” Yeshiva’s chairman of the board, Bill Rudolph, said in a prepared statement. “She is incredibly generous with her time, her talents, and her resources, and uses them all with an amazing energy, commitment, sincerity, and humility for the betterment of our entire community. We are blessed that she has also been a wonderful friend and supporter of Yeshiva for many years.”
Contact Yeshiva at 412-422-7300, ext. 1211, for more information.
The Jewish Domestic Abuse Task Force, a forum for individuals and Jewish organizations in Pittsburgh interested in or working to address domestic abuse issues, will sponsor an upcoming Lunch & Learn on Wednesday, Jan. 15, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Labor Zionist Education Center located at 6328 Forbes Ave. in Squirrel Hill.
Guest speaker Rhonda Fleming, education director of the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, will discuss “Understanding the Batterer’s Mindset.” Fleming is the supervisor for the MEN/S batterer intervention program at the Women’s Center & Shelter, and also facilitates weekly groups with men who have been court-ordered, required by Children Youth and Family Services, referred by other professionals or self-identified a need to attend the program. The program will focus on thought patterns and behaviors of abusers, commonalities among abusers and resources and support available through community organizations.
“It’s important for people to learn about the side of the batterer,” Fleming said. “It does not excuse the behavior. It’s for the continued safety of women, to help them protect and educate themselves. Additionally, it’s a tool to help educate the community about this side of domestic abuse.”
The Lunch & Learn is part of an ongoing series intended to address issues related to domestic abuse and violence awareness, education, resources and prevention within the Jewish and general communities.
Previous topics have included legal advocacy, survivor stories and teen dating violence.
The Lunch & Learn is free and open to the public. Participants are asked to bring their lunch; drinks and light snacks will be provided.
Free parking is available in the back, and additional on-street parking may also be available. If Pittsburgh Public Schools are closed due to weather conditions or there is a two-hour school delay, the program will be cancelled.
Contact contact Bari Benjamin at 412-521-3800 or Dee Selekman at 412-521-5253 for more information or to make a reservation.
Tzohar Seminary will present a first semester art installation, “Chassidus, Art & Identity,” Tuesday, Jan. 14, 8 p.m. at Young People’s Synagogue, 6404 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill.
The program is for women only.
Students whose work is in the installation, will share their personal connections to the Chassidus they have learned through individual artwork, writing, music, dance and films. There also will be a vocal ensemble and theater improvisation.
An $18 donation is suggested.
The event is in honor of Rayna Clark, for a “refuah sheleima.” Clark has been involved since the inception of Tzohar Seminary. She will be there at the event.
Contact Hindy Gurevitz at 412-521-1197 or admin@tzoharseminary.com for more information.
Rodef Shalom Congregation has released the schedule for Jewish musician and songwriter Dan Nichols, its artist-in-residence for the weekend of Jan. 12. The community is invited to participate:
• Friday, Jan. 10, at 5:30 p.m., Nichols will lead a camp-style Shabbat Service with Rabbi Mark Covitz of GUCI Camp. Bring a salad or side dish for eight. Call JoAnn at 412-621-6566 for reservations;
• Saturday, Jan. 11, at 10:30 a.m., Nichols will take part in Shabbat morning service. Starting at 9:15 he will lead music and prayer;
• Sunday, Jan. 12, at 9:30 a.m., Nichols will play family music for all K-7 families; and
• Sunday, Jan. 12, at 10:15 a.m., he will join in Mispacha Morning for all families up to first grade.
Nichols is known for his ability to connect with Jews of all ages in a meaningful and inspirational way. His success (along with his band, Eighteen) has been especially strong among teenagers.
“Lost Town,” a film about the Ukrainian Jewish village of Trochenbrod, which inspired the feature movie “Everthing is Illuminated,” will be screened Wednesday, Jan. 22, 7 p.m., at Rodef Shalom Congregation.
The screening is presented by JFilm and the University of Pittsburgh’s Jewish Studies Program.
Trochenbrod, which was home to nearly 5,000 Jews, was the only all-Jewish town to ever exist outside of Palestine. In 1942, Nazis massacred all but 33 of its residents.
The 85-minute film follows Avrom Bendavid-Val, whose father grew up in Trochenbrod, as he pieces together the history of a town erased from local maps for nearly 70 years.
Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for full-time students under age 26.
Temple B’nai Israel in White Oak will begin a series of programs on Israel, “Israel: 2014” on Sunday, Jan. 12, 10 a.m., at the synagogue, 2025 Cypress Drive.
Gregg Roman, director of the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, will speak on the topic “Israel’s Greatest Achievements and Challenges Today.”
Call 412-678-6181 for reservations.
WorkAble, a partnership of the Career Development Center (CDC) of Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Pittsburgh (JF&CS), North Hills Community Outreach (NHCO) and South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM), is seeking volunteers to mentor job seekers during the job search process. Volunteer mentors provide emotional support as well as practical guidance on resume and cover letter writing and job search and interview skills.
WorkAble is a countywide employment and critical needs service for financially struggling adults. It serves unemployed and underemployed individuals throughout Allegheny County at sites in Allison Park, Millvale, Bethel Park and Squirrel Hill. WorkAble provides employment services to help job seekers find jobs, in order to better support themselves and their families and reach self-sufficiency.
Volunteer training is provided and services are free.
Upcoming WorkAble Volunteer Career Mentor Orientations include:
• Monday, Jan. 13, 5 to 6:30 p.m., at the Career Development Center, 5743 Bartlett St., Squirrel Hill;
• Wednesday, Jan. 15, 6 to 7:30 p.m., North Hills Community Outreach, 1975 Ferguson Road, Allison Park; and
• Wednesday, Jan. 22, 5 to 6:30 p.m., at South Hills Interfaith Ministries, 5301 Park Ave, Bethel Park.
Contact Patti Ferraro at pmferraro@nhco.org or call 412-487-6316, option 2, ext. 3204 for more information or to register. Those who are struggling and need assistance can call the WorkAble hotline at 412-904-5993 or visit workableac.com.
The Squirrel Hill Historical Society will hold its next free meeting Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 7:30 p.m., at the Church of the Redeemer, 5700 Forbes Ave. Writer, researcher and historian Melanie Linn Gutowski will speak on the topic, “Squirrel Hill Mansions.”
Contact Mike at 412-417-3707 or visit squirrelhillhistory.org for more information.
Chabad of the South Hills will hold a program on “Beyond Labels: Toward a New Understanding of American Judaism,” with Rabbi Aaron Herman, principal of the Tzohar Seminary in Squirrel Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 7:30 p.m. The suggested donation is $10.
Contact 412-344-2424 or rabbi@chabadsh.com for more information and registration.
Squirrel Hill AARP Chapter 3354 will hold their Wednesday, Jan. 15, meeting at New Light Synagogue, located at 1700 Beechwood Blvd. at Forbes Avenue, at 1 p.m. Following the business meeting, Mary Bock, an AARP consumer advocate, will speak. Refreshments will follow.
Contact Frieda D. Safyan at 412-521-2804 for more information.
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