June 12, 2026 | 27 Sivan 5786
Candlelighting 8:33 p.m. | Havdalah 9:41 p.m. | Vol. 69, No. 24 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Getting to know: Elizabeth Friedman
Pittsburgh representatives visit Bondi Beach 6 months after terror attack
Bringing Jewish life to Winchester Thurston
P “We were on a bridge where one of the shooters was,” he said. “We walked that bridge into the park exactly where everybody had congregated and gathered. We heard a survivor speak and we heard from leadership in the community, as well.” The group placed a wreath in memory of those murdered and both Finkelstein and Feinstein placed small stones painted by Pittsburgh children at a nearby memorial — a large menorah similar to the one that was being lit at the celebration at the time of the attack. Finkelstein said being at the site of another mass shooting targeting the Jewish community left him with “a mix of emotions.” “It’s retraumatizing and triggering to be on the site where 15 attendees at the event were gunned down, because I’ve been in the Tree of Life building. It’s very triggering to see this stuff. On the other hand, it’s really empowering to be there with the community and to be able to meet the leadership of what is, frankly, one of the greatest Jewish communities in the world,” he said. Feinstein called the cycle of mass shootings “incredibly disheartening.”
ennsylvania Sens. John Fetterman and David McCormick earned praise from American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch, who called the pair “champions for the Jewish community” during the closing session of AJC’s Global Forum held last week in Washington, D.C. The two senators, Deutch said, speak “clearly” and with “moral clarity” about Israel and antisemitism. Deutch noted that the two senators — Fetterman, a Democrat, and McCormick, a Republican — are colleagues and friends, something which is increasingly rare. Asked about the partisan tone of the current political climate, Fetterman noted that many in his party are critical of his efforts at bipartisanship and his friendship with McCormick. The pair, he said, works to strengthen Pennsylvania and find common ground when possible. Any disagreement they might have shows up in votes rather than insults. “It’s great to be up here on stage with him,” Fetterman said. McCormick said he first met Fetterman at the fifth memorial for the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, and that the two agreed on a principle: “We would work together in every way we can.” That simple agreement has led to the two co-authoring bills on fentanyl, nuclear energy, farming, agriculture and antisemitism, he said. “It’s what Pennsylvania expects — and I trust him,” McCormick said. “I trust him more than anyone in the Senate.” Asked about why the two are outspoken advocates for Pennsylvania’s Jewish
Please see Bondi, page 10
Please see Forum, page 10
LOCAL A survivor’s story
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LOCAL Something’s brewing in Greenfield
Shoresh blends coffee and Judaism Page 5
LOCAL Photographs and memories
The work of the late Hans Jonas Page 14
Sens. Fetterman, McCormick address American Jewish Committee’s Global Forum By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
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Sami Steigmann comes to Pittsburgh
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p Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh President and CEO Jeff Finkelstein addresses the Sydney Jewish community during a three-day mission six months after the Bondi Beach shooting. Photo courtesy of Jeff Finkelstein By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
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early six months after a Chanukah celebration in Australia was targeted in an antisemitic attack that left 15 people dead, members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community visited Bondi Beach, Australia, as part of a solidarity mission organized by the Jewish Federations of North America. Jeff Finkelstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, and Maggie Feinstein, executive director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, took part in the three-day trip. “It happened because Eric Fingerhut, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, and Alain Hasson, CEO of the Jewish Council of Australia, had been talking about a solidarity mission with Federation leadership,” Finkelstein said. “I think Alain was hoping to learn some things from our American Federation and from what’s happened here in Pittsburgh, which is why I went with Maggie Feinstein.” After visiting The Great Synagogue in Sydney and learning about the history of the Australian Jewish community, Finkelstein said the group traveled to Bondi Beach and Archer Park, where the shooting took place.
Charitable Giving Special section coming June 19
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