June 5, 2026 | 20 Sivan 5786
Candlelighting 8:29 p.m. | Havdalah 9:37 p.m. | Vol. 69, No. 23 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Lenny Silberman’s next chapter
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Not so sweet: Meeting with senators, Pittsburgh Federation lobbies Kosher for increased security funding certification ends at Squirrel Hill Dunkin’
Inspiring Jewish youth through sports Page 2
LOCAL The joys of running
p Food for thought
David Heyman, Pittsburgh and Reykjavik Page 3
LOCAL
p Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman met with Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh representatives and other Jewish Pittsburghers during their trip to Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Rick Wice By David Rullo | Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle
A memoir of belonging
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Michael Lowenthal’s “Place Envy” Page 16
LOCAL “Talking to Irwin”
Lee Chottiner’s debut poetry collection
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he Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh joined Jewish Federations from throughout North America in Washington, D.C. on May 18 and 19 to lobby for security funding. Several Jewish Pittsburghers joined the twoday mission, including David Knoll, Federation’s associate vice president of public affairs. “The Pennsylvania contingency met with Sen. Fetterman and Sen. McCormick,” he said. “We were well received. They know our needs.” Knoll said two sources of funding were discussed. The first is the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, designed to support nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist or extremist attacks. The grants provide funding for facility hardening and other security measures. The budget for the program, Knoll said, is approximately $350 million for all nonprofits across the United States. The Jewish community alone, he noted, spends nearly $750 million nationwide on security annually. “There’s a real need to up that pool,” he said. “We’re asking the federal government to up the grant to $1 billion, which is still not enough but will definitely help.”
While meeting with government officials, the Federation representatives also lobbied for passage of the Jewish American Security Act. Introduced in May, the bill addresses the rising threat of antisemitism in the United Sates and has received backing from several organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Jewish Federations of North America. The legislation would authorize up to $1 billion annually for the NSGP; strengthen protections in K-12 schools and universities by establishing a dedicated antisemitism coordinator at the Department of Education; mandate that social media platforms with at least 50 million U.S. users publish biannual reports detailing their moderation of antisemitic content; and call for a coordinated assessment of domestic and transnational antisemitic threats by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center. The bill would buttress the NSGP’s funding, which now pays for just 50% of security personnel costs, which, Knoll said, presents a hardship for organizations. Please see Security, page 13
Photo via iStock
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
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or Naomi Martel, most mornings began the same way: She and her siblings would go with their dad to Dunkin’ for breakfast. Menu items at the Squirrel Hill-based fast-food restaurant range from neatly packaged hash browns to avocado toast. Sandwiches include tuna salad, grilled cheese and sweet black pepper veggie bacon. Patrons, like the Martels, could order customized drinks, assorted doughnuts and other treats. Squirrel Hill is lined with coffee shops and restaurants; what distinguished this haunt — more than its spacious seating — from nearly every other local eatery was the laminated sheet hanging near the register. Signed by local rabbis, the paper indicated Squirrel Hill Dunkin’ was a kosher-certified establishment. On May 31, the sheet was removed. The loss of Dunkin’s kosher certification does more than limit dining options; it removes a central gathering place that has long connected members of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. “Where else am I gonna hang out and get food?” Naomi, 13, said. “It’s big. It’s fun. The vibes are just so fun.” Miri Shaw, 15, described the change as an end to “normality.” “It felt good to have a mainstream brand like Dunkin’ be kosher in our neighborhood,” she said. “Our community felt seen and supported that we had this place to go to.” Please see Kosher, page 13 aomas/Adobe Stock; Rameez/Adobe Stock
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