January 23, 2026 | 27 Tevet 5786
Candlelighting 5:10 p.m. | Havdalah 6:12 p.m. | Vol. 69, No. 4 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
Duquesne law professor to chair national Law and Antisemitism Conference
Joshua Washington brings a ‘Journey of Healing’ to the South Hills
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Ten years of growth
Jewish Genealogy Society expands reach LOCAL
By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
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R Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, Temple Emanuel and StandWithUs. Washington is director of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel. Founded in 2013 by his father, Dumisani, IBSI is dedicated to strengthening the relationship between Israel and the Jewish people and people of African descent through education and advocacy. The institute condemns the “Zionism is racism” ideology, defends Israel’s right to live in peace with its Arab neighbors and seeks to help cultivate a mutually beneficial Israel-Africa alliance, according to its website. Washington has worked with IBSI since its founding, first as its special events coordinator, then assistant director, before taking the helm of the organization. The second oldest of six children, Washington, who was homeschooled, grew up with a love of music taught by his father. He later attended the University of the Pacific, where he majored in music composition. The education he gained playing music
ona Kaufman recalled being taken aback by the anti-Zionists who spoke at last year’s Law vs. Antisemitism Conference, held at the UCLA School of Law. “I was unaware that some of the speakers that were invited to the conference last year were anti-Zionist,” she said. “I was moderating a panel when an anti-Zionist professor from Canada lectured a room of Jews on the meaning of Zionism and defined it as an ethno-supremacist ideology. I was very upset, as were most of the attendees.” Speakers at the 2025 conference, according to Jewish Insider, included University of Toronto law professor Mohammed Fadel; Thomas Hardy, a civil rights attorney representing Faculty for Justice in Palestine; and former campus coordinator for Jewish Voice for Peace Ben Lorber. “I was devastated because I gave my welcoming remarks, telling the audience how powerful and important the conference was to me the year before and how proud I was to be a part of the steering committee,” said Kaufman, a law professor at Duquesne University and co-founder of the Center for Jewish Legal Studies. Kaufman is chairing this year’s conference, renamed the Law and Antisemitism Conference, hosted by the Center for the Study of Law and Antisemitism. It will be held at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law in New York City. She was quick to note that the anti-Zionist speakers made up only a small portion of last year’s conference, which she described as one of only a few spaces where Jewish academics could connect, network and explore collaboration.
Please see Washington, page 10
Please see Conference, page 10
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p Julie Paris (right) of StandWithUs and Joshua Washington, who will perform at Temple Emanuel of South Hills on Feb. 5 Photo courtesy of Julie Paris By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
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North Side hate
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Still popular after all these years Page 16
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oshua Washington’s mother and father helped instill his love of Judaism and Israel. “We grew up observing Shabbat as a family. We grew up having Passover seders as a family,” he said. Given that, it might be surprising to learn that Washington, a musician and singer, isn’t Jewish. Nonetheless, he said it was important to both his parents — but especially his father — to expose and immerse the family in Jewish traditions. “It was really important to him that we understood our faith as Christians is really an outgrowth of Jewish faith,” said Washington, a California native. “That’s something I grew up having an understanding and appreciation for.” Washington will bring his love for Jewish traditions and Israel, and his music, to Pittsburgh on Feb. 5 at Temple Emanuel of South Hills. The program, “Journey to Healing: A Concert of Resilience and Hope,” features the Hudra Quartet and is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, which provided a grant in support of the concert, the Jewish
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special section coming Jan. 30
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