Metro Briefs October 24
The Holocaust Center of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh will present “Lessons from Kristallnacht: Maintaining Jewish Life, Culture, & Vibrancy in the ‘Ghetto,’ ” Sunday, Nov. 10, 6:30 p.m. in the Charity Randall Theatre, Stephen Foster Memorial, on the University of Pittsburgh campus.
The program, which will commemorate Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Glass) will feature two speakers:
• Herman Snyder of Pittsburgh, who will speak on “Memories of Vilna” and
• Menachem Kaiser, the keynote speaker. Kaiser is an author and Fulbright Fellow in Lithuania.
The program is free and open to the public. However, seating is limited, so reservations are requested by Monday, Nov. 4.
Free transportation will be available for Holocaust survivors (leaving from the JCC at 5:45 p.m.). Transportation reservations also must be made by Monday, Nov. 4. Call Zac Zafris at the Holocaust Center, 412-421-1500.
The program, which is a nonsolicitation event, is underwritten by Sandy & Edgar Snyder.
St. Andrews Episcopal Church will host a free musical program comprised of music and poetry by Jewish artists whose lives and careers were impacted by the Nazis, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2 p.m. at 5801 Hampton St., Highland Park. The concert, which is sponsored by the Tuesday Musical Club of Pittsburgh, will include performers from the club and several guest artists.
The musical selections will include lieder, lullabies, operetta, opera, movie themes and folk music performed by vocal soloists and instrumentalists.
This music has been brought to light by the Music Reborn Project founded in 2003 by Nancy Rubenstein, a pianist who has organized numerous performances of music that was suppressed in Nazi Germany. Featured composers include Erich Korngold, Emmerich Kalman, Franz Schreker, Viktor Ullman, Gideon Klein and Adolf Strauss.
Call Catherine Bomstein at 412-421-3939 for more information.
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh is making changes to its summer day camps to “better meet the needs and interests of families.”
The JCC is introducing shorter sessions for more flexibility, restructured programming, and a new “loyalty discount.”
Among the changes:
• James and Rachel Levinson Day Camp at the JCC Family Park in Monroeville will, for the first time, offer shorter sessions next summer.
Summer 2014 will consist of four, two-week sessions and a final bonus week for a total of nine weeks from June 16 to Aug. 15. Each session will have a special theme or activity.
• South Hills Day Camps at the JCC in Scott Township are being offered by the week, which the agency says will lead to new camping experiences.
“We want the kids’ experiences to be progressive and interesting,” Liza Baron, J&R Day Camp director, said in a prepared statement.
J&R, recognizing kids’ needs for evolving programming, has reorganized camp units under two divisions: Kehila for children age 3 to entering grade two, and Chaverim for kids entering grades three and four. In addition to programming more appropriate to the age group, Chaverim campers will go on a field trip and have an overnight each session.
J&R’s Travel Camp for the first time will welcome kids entering grade five. The Noar Unit will be for kids entering grades five and six and the Bogrim Unit will be for those entering grades seven and eight.
Teens entering 10th-grade will now have the opportunity to be J&R counselors-in-training through the new Ozrim program.
• The new loyalty discount offers lower prices for both returning campers and new campers. Sign up runs from Oct. 28 (Oct. 27 for South Hills Day Camps) to Nov. 29.
Contact Lauren Goldman at 412-521-8011, ext. 852 or lgoldman@jccpgh.org. Visit JCCPGH.org for more information about JCC Day Camps,.
Torah Lishmah Community, the Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha Congregation religious school for children pre-K through seventh-grade, will have an open house Sunday, Oct. 27, from 9 a.m. to noon. The open house is free and open to the community.
Contact Karen Morris at ksmorris92@gmail.com or call 412-521-6788 for more information on the open house schedule.
The Jewish Professional Network (JPN) will hold an open networking happy hour with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres Wednesday, Nov. 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Perle, 25 Market Square, Downtown.
The $30 per person charge includes hors d’oeuvres and two drinks; dietary laws will be observed.
This is an open event. All subsequent events will be open only to JPN members.
JPN is a professional networking association that provides members with opportunities to connect with other business professionals. JPN is a giving society; members are expected to make a minimum commitment of $1,000 (young adults, those age 45 and under, are expected to donate a minimum of $365) to the Federation’s 2014 annual campaign.
Contact Christa Maier at 412-992-5249 or cmaier@jfedpgh.org for more information.
The Jewish Federation Volunteer Center will hold its second annual Mission to Israel, from April 27 to May 3, 2014. The city of Karmiel and the Misgav region, Pittsburgh’s partners in Israel in the Partnership2Gether (P2G) project, have immediate needs for volunteers.
Partnership2Gether builds people-to-people connections between Israelis and Jewish communities in the Diaspora through an array of educational, cultural and economic initiatives.
During the mission, volunteers will work at different organizations doing hands-on projects Monday through Friday morning. Friday through Saturday night are free for Shabbat.
Volunteers will be responsible for airfare to and from Israel and any costs associated with Shabbat outside of the P2G region.
The people of Karmiel/Misgav will host the stay.
Contact Jenny Jones at 412-992-5209 or jjones@jfedpgh.org for more information.
Community Day School invites the community to the dedication ceremony of the “Keeping Tabs Holocaust Sculpture,” Sunday, Nov. 3, at 6424 Forward Ave. in Squirrel Hill. Guests are welcome at 2 p.m.; the dedication ceremony is at 2:30 p.m.
Call 412-521-1100, ext. 2117 for more information.
Dance Like No One is Watching, Shaare Torah’s women’s dance party, will be held Saturday, Nov. 2, beginning at 9 p.m. In addition to dancing to popular tunes from the “oldies” through today, refreshments will be available.
Admission is $5 in advance or $7 at the door; the dance is for women only.
RSVP to shaaretora@aol.com or 412-421-8855.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh will release its Jewish Community Directory for people with disabilities and their families Sunday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation.
This project of Federation’s Special Needs Planning Table is an effort to include and engage people with disabilities and their families in the fabric of Jewish life. More than a listing of services in the community for people with disabilities, this guide is designed to help people with disabilities and their families participate in Jewish life through worship, culture, community and education.
Following the reception, the film “Anita,” which is the story of a young, Jewish woman with Down syndrome living in Buenos Aires, will be screened. After the film, two people with intellectual disabilities living in Pittsburgh will speak.
The evening is organized through ReelAbilities: Pittsburgh Disabilities Film Festival, presented by JFilm and the FISA Foundation.
Visit pittsburgh.reelabilities.org for the full schedule of events, purchase tickets for the film and RSVP for the reception. Contact Christina Sahovey at csahovey@jfedpgh.org 412-992-5214 or for more information.
Avi Jorisch, an expert in terrorism and illicit finance, spoke to University of Pittsburgh students on topics ranging from terrorism financing, Iran, Syria and other relevant matters in the Middle East Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the William Pitt Union.
Jorisch is founder of the Red Cell Intelligence Group, a consulting and training firm that specializes in national security issues relating to terrorism, illicit finance and radical Islam. In addition, he is a senior fellow for counterterrorism at the American Foreign Policy Council and fellow at the Air Force Special Operations University. He also serves on the advisory board of United Against a Nuclear Iran (UANI).
The Pittsburgh Israel Public Affairs along with StandWithUs, the Matthew B. Ridgeway Center for International Security Studies, International Business Center, Society for International Business, College Democrats and College Republicans co-sponsored the program.
The Chronicle will have coverage of his program in next week’s edition.
NA’AMAT Pittsburgh Council is holding a Lunch and Learn Wednesday, Oct. 30, at noon at the Labor Zionist Building, 6328 Forbes Ave. The guest speaker is Dr. Bruce Rabin, who will share techniques about stress reduction. A light lunch will be served, but advance reservations are required.
Call 412-521-5253 or naamatpgh@hotmail.com for more information and to RSVP.
Chabad of the South Hills will hold a free class on “An Ounce of Prevention: BRCA, Genetic Testing, and Preventive Measures,” Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. at the Crown Plaza South Bethel Park and again Sunday, Nov. 10, at 10:15 at Chabad in Mt. Lebanon.
This class is in honor of breast cancer awareness month and the first in a six week series on Life in the Balance, the Jewish perspective on everyday medical dilemmas.
Contact 412-344-2424 or visit chabadsh.com for more information or to register.
The American Middle East Institute will hold its sixth annual conference Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. at the Carnegie Music Hall. Colin Powell, the keynote speaker, will be introduced by Gov. Tom Corbett.
Tickets for the daytime Energy and Water Conference at the Fairmont Hotel and tickets for the Powell lecture are available at americanmei.org or
888-71-tickets.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Community Relations Council will present Middle East 2014: The Year of Living Dangerously Monday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, Squirrel Hill.
This fall, President Bashar al-Assad called the Middle East “a powder keg.” The Federation’s Community Relations Council, in cooperation with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, will
explore the facts underlying that figure of speech at a forum featuring Middle East experts Tony Badran, research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, D.C.; and Lee Smith, visiting fellow at Hudson Institute. Steven E. Sokol, president and chief executive officer of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, will moderate.
Registration at 412-992-5247 is encouraged.
Co-sponsors are the Zionist Organization of America, the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, the Consulate of Israel, the Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh, Classrooms Without Borders and The Jewish Chronicle.
Temple David will hold a worship open house as part of the Monroeville Interfaith Ministerium’s schedule, Saturday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m. at 4415 Northern Pike, Monroeville, followed by socializing and enjoying Jewish sweets.
This service lasts approximately an hour and a half and includes reading from the Torah scroll.
This is an opportunities to experience Jewish prayer as a “fly on the wall” to enable better understanding, respect and celebration of one another.
Call 412-372-1200 for more information.
The Smithsonian Channel will broadcast “A Shot to Save the World,” Thursday, Oct. 24, at 8 p.m. and again at 11 p.m.; it will also be shown Saturday, Oct. 26 at 3 p.m.
The film, produced by the Steeltown Entertainment Project, tells the story of of Jonas Salk and the University of Pittsburgh’s development of the world’s first polio vaccine.
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