June 6, 2025 | 10 Sivan 5785
Candlelighting 8:30 p.m. | Havdalah 9:38 p.m. | Vol. 68, No. 23 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL A tree grows in Greensburg
University gets Anne Frank Center sapling LOCAL
Pennsylvania first lady Lori Rodef Shalom, Shapiro addresses anti-semitism Temple Sinai and hope at JWF event members react to news of possible unification By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
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U residence. And of course, we will continue to speak out against hate directed toward any of our faith communities, because an attack aimed against any person because of what they look like, where they come from, who they love or who they pray to, makes us all less safe.” Shapiro’s life has been defined by service, Judy Greenwald Cohen, JWF’s executive director, told the crowd at Rodef Shalom Congregation. Shapiro graduated from Colgate University and, while working as an information technology consultant, she pursued a graduate degree in science, technology and public policy from George Washington University. She served during the Clinton administration in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and was the liaison between the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee and the White House. After taking some time off to raise her four children, Shapiro became a trained parenting educator and she frequently volunteers in the community with organizations that tackle hunger and poverty. During her address, Shapiro acknowledged, “We are living in a time where,
nification, it appears, isn’t always a unifier. While many congregants of both Temple Sinai and Rodef Shalom Congregation are excited about the prospect of a merger, some others are concerned with issues of transparency, a perceived lack of critical information and differences in culture. Several Temple Sinai board members, and one former board member, criticized the decision process. None of those criticizing the process wanted to be identified by name. Important questions, one Temple Sinai board member claimed, were not answered by members of the steering committee charged with leading the unification process. That board member also was troubled by both the brit the board was asked to approve — the agreement that the two congregations wanted to merge — and a vote on a resolution by the board recommending the unification. They said the board “voted on the brit with modifications written in by hand,” and that they didn’t know “if those modifications were also approved by Rodef.” Voting on the resolution was also an issue, the Temple Sinai board member said. “I looked at what they passed out that we were about to vote on and realized that it was different from what we were emailed three hours before. They emailed us a draft resolution three hours before the meeting. There was no time for discussion. It was rushed through.” For those reasons, the board member contended, a contingent of the board voted against the brit. According to the meeting’s minutes on the Temple Sinai website, 25% of the board voted against the brit. In the vote
Please see Shapiro, page 10
Please see Unification, page 10
From generation to generation
Cynthia Shapira, left, and first lady of the commonwealth Lori Shapiro
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LOCAL The Exit Interview
Rabbi Howie Stein
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LOCAL Movies that matter
Robinson Short Film Competition
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By Toby Tabachnick | Editor
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t’s been a challenging few weeks for Lori Shapiro, her husband, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and their family. On the first night of Passover, just a couple hours after their seder, their residence was firebombed by an arsonist. The suspect reportedly told a 911 dispatcher that he set the fire because of what the governor “wants to do to the Palestinian people.” But when the first lady of the commonwealth addressed Pittsburghers at the Jewish Women’s Foundation May 27 annual meeting, she stressed, “We are all doing OK.” “The residence will be rebuilt and restored as quickly as possible, and we plan to welcome people back this summer,” she said. Shapiro credited the first responders who ensured her family’s safety and thanked the community for the “outpouring of care and humanity,” which, she said, lifted their spirits. The core of her message, though, was one of resilience and determination. “I want you to know that our faith and commitment to the work we do has only been strengthened by this attack, and we will not be deterred from living our faith proudly,” Shapiro said. “We will again build a sukkah, host Shabbat dinners and join together for community seders at the
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Photo by Toby Tabachnick
Temple B'nai Israel gifts Torah to CDS
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Home Improvement Special section coming June 13