April 10, 2026 | 23 Nissan 5786
Candlelighting 7:36 p.m. | Havdalah 8:37 p.m. | Vol. 69, No. 15 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Modeling friendship and respect
The work of Calvary Episcopal Church
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Hillel JUC celebrates milestone Debbie Resnick anniversary, highlighting its role named next Jewish Federation as a ‘home away from home’ of Greater Pittsburgh board chair
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NATIONAL Singling out AIPAC
DNC controversy
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NATIONAL
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
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Passover loud and proud
Subway seder
p Students gather inside the Edward and Rose Berman Hillel-Jewish University Center building. Photo by Adam Reinherz
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LOCAL A podcast for a generation
“Gen X Pgh” Page 16
ince accepting a role with Hillel JUC a decade ago, Jennifer Poller has continually articulated the critical nature of her work. Speaking with the Chronicle weeks before the organization celebrates a milestone anniversary, Poller repeated that trope when describing an influential perspective she heard from a donor: Jewish life is a continuum functioning similarly to a school bus. The first stop may involve Jewish preschool. The next stop may be summer camp. Other stops can exist, but the “last best chance to reach Jewish youth on that continuum before they go out into the world is college.” If talented staffers meet Jewish students at that “last stop on the bus,” then there’s a chance to deeply impact the Jewish future, Poller, Hillel JUC’s director of development, said. On April 12, community members will be reminded of the message when Hillel JUC marks 25 years since dedicating the Edward and Rose Berman Hillel-Jewish University Center building. Located in Oakland neatly between Carnegie Mellon University and the
University of Pittsburgh, this “wonderful space and facility has allowed thousands of students to enjoy meaningful Jewish campus experiences and go on to be leaders in Jewish communities across the country,” Hillel JUC Executive Director and CEO Dan Marcus said. Dedicated in 2001, the building is home to routine programming, including Challah for Change, Shabbat dinners and guest speakers. At its core, Hillel JUC is a gathering place, Poller explained. In 2018, after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, it’s where students congregated. After the events of Oct. 7, “that’s where students wanted to gather again,” she said. “It sounds cliché to say it’s a safe space, but there’s really nothing else like it on the university campus.” Hillel JUC board chair, Adrienne Indianer, told the Chronicle that the past few years on college campuses have underscored the need for the building. “A safe place, whether it’s the idea of a safe place or coming to that safe place, is really important for Jewish students right now,” she said. Please see Hillel, page 13
Senior Living
Special section begins on p.8
Богдан Маліцький/Adobe Stock
p Debbie Resnick
Photo courtesy of Debbie Resnick
By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
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ebbie Resnick learned several important lessons from her parents. “We were taught three things,” she said. “Appreciate what you have, help those who can’t help themselves and leave a piece of yourself for others to look back upon.” That simple advice has helped lead her to a lifetime of service. Resnick grew up in Squirrel Hill before attending the University of Pittsburgh for graduate and undergraduate studies. A speech therapist and special education teacher, she worked at the Pittsburgh Mt. Oliver Intermediate Unit for 32 years. “I dealt with all the non-public schools in the city,” she said. “So, I dealt with all the parochial, all the Jewish, all the private schools.” Please see Resnick, page 13