May 23, 2025 | 25 Iyar 5785
Candlelighting 8:19 p.m. | Havdalah 9:26 p.m. | Vol. 68, No. 21 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
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Jewish woman pleads guilty Corey O’Connor wins Democratic to antisemitic vandalism at Chabad of Squirrel Hill mayoral primary
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL A new chapter for B'nai Israel
By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
A Arts, education and community LOCAL
In the nearly hour-long May 15 hearing, Lubit answered questions posed by U.S. District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand affirming she understood the charges and the gravity of the plea. Several times during the hearing, Lubit conferred with her attorney, Jennifer H. Bouriat, about a particular charge or point Criswell Wiegand made before affirming that she understood the question that the judge had asked. At one point, the attorneys and defendant met with the judge at a side bar after Lubit said she had seen both a therapist and psychiatrist since her arrest but was uncomfortable listing in open court any medication she may have been prescribed. The charges carry a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment, $100,000 in fines and one year of supervised release. As part of the plea deal, Lubit will pay nearly $11,000 in restitution — $5,000 to Chabad of Squirrel Hill, $5,092 to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and $442 to the City of Pittsburgh. Any additional penalties will be decided during a Sept. 10 sentencing hearing following the completion of a presentence report and recommendation prepared by the parole board.
llegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor defeated incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey in Pittsburgh’s May 20 mayoral Democratic primary. With nearly 100% of the votes counted, O’Connor claimed 31,254 votes, or roughly 53% of the total vote, while Gainey had 27,907 votes, or about 47% of the vote. O’Connor will face Republican Tony Moreno, a retired police officer, in the general election. Moreno beat Thomas West in the GOP primary. No Republican has served as the city’s mayor since 1933. In O’Connor’s victory speech, given shortly before 11 p.m., he thanked his family, supporters and Pittsburgh voters. “Your voices and calls for accountable leadership and growth have been heard in this Democratic primary,” he said. O’Connor also thanked Gainey for his service to Pittsburgh, saying, “His love for this city has never been in doubt.” After calling for unity among Democrats, O’Connor, whose late mother was Jewish, highlighted a theme that resonated throughout his campaign: It’s time for the city to deliver for its residents. “Deliver a police force that is large enough to support our residents, and have a chief of police,” O’Connor said. “Enough housing so that anyone can afford to live here in Pittsburgh and support businesses of all sizes so that we can grow and create wealth all over our city.” After the race was called for O’Connor, Gainey offered words of congratulation, but those words were met with scattered boos from those in attendance at his campaign headquarters. The mayor pushed back. “[We’re] not going to spread hate. We have enough hate in this city,” he said. Instead, Gainey highlighted the coalition of supporters built during his time in office.
Please see Vandalism, page 12
Please see O'Connor, page 12
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Care for the incarcerated
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and Chabad of Squirrel Hill were vandalized on July 29, 2024. Courtesy photo
A celebration of the Aleph Institute
By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
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LOCAL Offering respite from war
Pittsburghers host Israeli vets
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LOCAL Late night learning
Tikkun Leil Shavuot returns
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alya Lubit, a Pittsburgh Jewish woman, pled guilty at a May 15 hearing in federal court to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and damaging or defacing religious property. Lubit, 24, was arrested last year with Mohamad Hamad in connection with graffiti painted on both Chabad of Squirrel Hill and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. In April, the federal government filed a superseding indictment and added Micaiah Collins as a defendant for her alleged role in building bombs with Hamad, a former member of the Pennsylvania National Guard and Hamas sympathizer. Collins’ father is Chad Collins, a pastor at Valley View Presbyterian Church and national organizer with the anti-Israel group Friends of Sabeel North America. Her sister Nesta Collins took part in last summer’s encampments at the University of Pittsburgh. She was arrested and charged with obstructing law enforcement and disorderly conduct at the encampment, which her father also attended. Lubit originally pled not guilty but accepted a plea deal about two weeks after the superseding indictment was filed.
Estate Planning & Planned Giving begins on page 9
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