Metro Briefs September 27

Metro Briefs September 27

David Luchins
David Luchins

Aish Campus Pittsburgh will present two noted historians in a presidential debate, Monday, Oct. 29, 8 p.m., at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill.

“America & Israel at Risk,” as the debate is being billed, will feature David Luchins, chair of the Political Science Department at Touro College in New York, speaking for the Democrats, and Michael Medved, radio host, author and political commentator, speaking for the Republicans.

Aish is charging three separate rates for students, general admission and VIP seating.

All proceeds from the evening will benefit Aish students and are tax deductible.

For reservations, contact Aish Campus Pittsburgh at 412-360-9184 or

ashercohen@aish.com.

ZOA-Pittsburgh District has announced its awards recipients for the 2012 Awards Dinner, Wednesday, Oct. 31, 6 p.m., at Congregation Beth Shalom.

Howard W. “Hoddy” Hanna and Linda Hurwitz will receive the ZOA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Jeffrey L. Pollock will receive the Natalie E. Novick Community Leadership Award and Eva Vogel will receive the Israel Service Award.

The chairman and CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, Hanna is active in community service, serving as chair of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation Board of Trustees and the hospital’s board as well. He has completed a term on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank in Cleveland and currently serves on the boards of John Carroll University, LaRoche College and the Katz School of Business Board of Visitors-University of Pittsburgh.

Hurwitz was director of the Holocaust Center of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh for 17 years.  A teacher, she has taught at the School of Advanced Jewish Studies in Pittsburgh and was the middle school coordinator and vice principal of Community Day School.  She has also been active in ZOA and Israel Bonds activities.

A Pittsburgh attorney, Pollock devotes time to community activities. He is a ZOA vice president and committee member and is also active with the Federation, particularly its Community Relations Council.

Born in Germany, Vogel came to the United States as a political refugee in 1937. After graduating from the UCLA and Yale with post-graduate work at the University of Copenhagen, she became a professor at City College of New York before moving to Pittsburgh with her husband. Here, she has been widely active in the Jewish community through JNF, Israel Bonds, Young Peoples Synagogue, NA’AMAT, Young Judea, Hillel Academy, Women’s Club, Holocaust Center of the Jewish Federation and ZOA.

Contact ZOA at 412-665-4630 or Pittsburgh@zoa.org for more information.

Several Jewish charities will again participate in the Pittsburgh Foundation’s annual day of giving — “Pittsburgh Gives” — Wednesday, Oct. 3.

The aim of Pittsburgh Gives is to increase the level of knowledge about nonprofits in our region and leverage or increase individual funding of organizations or an issue in the Pittsburgh community.

Here are this year’s participating Jewish entities:

• Agency for Jewish Learning

• Aleph Institute-North East Region

• Community Day School

• Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh

• Hillel Jewish University Center

• Jewish Assistance Fund

• Jewish Association on Aging

• Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

• Jewish Family & Children’s Service

• Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh

• JFilm: The Pittsburgh Jewish Film Forum

• National Council of Jewish Women, Pittsburgh Section

• Squirrel Hill Health Center

• Temple Emanuel of South Hills

• Yeshivath Achei Tmimim of Pittsburgh

All charitable donations made through PittsburghGives.org on Wednesday, Oct. 3, will be eligible for a portion of The Pittsburgh Foundation’s match pool.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh-South Hills, 345 Kane Boulevard, Scott Township, will host its annual Fall Family Open House, Sunday, Oct. 14, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. The afternoon of free activities and membership and summer camp special offers is open to the community.

Activities include a petting zoo, a timed obstacle course for ages 2 and older: free raffles, arts and crafts activities, Mike the Balloon Guy and guided nature walks on the Scott Conservancy Trail at 1 and 2:30 p.m.  The indoor pool will be open from 2 to 5:30 p.m., the gym from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. and the fitness center from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Call Ann Haalman (412) 278-1975 or ahaalman@jccpgh.org or visit

JCCPGH.org for more information.

Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh is sponsoring a Technology Day featuring the latest technology for persons who are blind or vision impaired.

The service is being offered in cooperation with the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children Friday, Oct. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the School for Blind Children, 201 N. Bellefield Ave., Oakland.

Participating vendors, including Humanware, Freedom Scientific and Enhanced Vision, will display and demonstrate closed-circuit televisions (CCTV), Braille displays, and other computer-based products.

Technology Day is free and open to the public. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.; exhibits run from 9 a.m. to noon and repeat from 1 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Contact Spero Pipakis at 412-368-4400, ext. 3415 or spipakis@pghvis.org for more information.

Chabad of the South Hill’s Jewish Women’s Circle will have its Soup in the Sukka program, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m. at 1701 McFarland Road, Mt. Lebanon. Jewish history teacher Shoshana Judelman will discusses what Jewish women can take away from the High Holy Days season. There will be food in addition to soup; there is a suggested donation. Contact Batya@chabadsh.com or 412-344-2424 for reservations.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service’s Career Development Center will offer job seekers 18 workshops in October.

Some of the workshops are: Understanding Unemployment Benefits (Oct. 11), Maximizing Tax Returns Using Credits (Oct. 15), The Art of Networking (Oct. 15), Advanced Interviewing (Oct. 17), and more. Monthly LinkedIn for Beginners, LinkedIn Advanced, AARP WorkSearch 40+, Networking Club and Job Seeker Support group workshops will be held also.

Registrations must be completed at careerdevelopmentcenter.org. Call Career Development Center at 412-422-5627 for more information.

“A Night of Music,” a benefit concert by Israeli pianist and composer Isaac Steiner will be held at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square on the North Side of Pittsburgh on Oct. 21, 2012 at 7 pm. Kollel Jewish Learning Center is sponsoring the program.

Steiner has performed all over the world including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem Rome, Munich and various concert halls throughout Luxemburg, Holland, Great Britain, South Africa and the United States.  He will appear at the New Hazlett Theater, featuring with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Jeffrey Grubs on Double Bass and Thomas Wendt on percussions.

After the concert, Kollel will pay tribute to Betty Kane and Judy Meyers when, presenting them with its Suldan Shalom Award for their service to the community and their inspiring joy for living.

Tickets are available by contacting the Kollel Office at 412-420-0220 or at mail@kollelpgh.org.  Group sales are also available.

The Pittsburgh Area Jewish Committee’s Christian-Jewish Dialogue will meet Thursday, Oct. 4, at Congregation Beth Shalom, 5915 Beacon St., at noon.  Deborah Fidel will present a session on “How Should We Be Governed?” Jewish and Christian texts (Jeremiah 23:1-6; Mark 9:33-35) will be studied. PAJC will also sponsor the South Hills Christian-Jewish Dialogue Thursday, Oct. 18, at Beth El Congregation, 1900 Cochran Road, at noon.  The topic, “Civil Discourse,” will be presented by Rabbi Mark Mahler and Reverend Jim Gilchrist.  

Both programs are free and open to the public.  Contact the PAJC office at 412-605-0816 or at pajc@pajc.net for more information.

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