July 10, 2026 | 25 Tammuz 5786
Candlelighting 8:34 p.m. | Havdalah 9:40 p.m. | Vol. 69, No. 28 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Honoring the past, supporting the future
The exit interview: Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers
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CMU Fence continues to platform anti-Zionist messaging By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
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A gift to Tree of Life from the Snow Family Fund
Early on we worked to rebuild the volunteer infrastructure. That became my No. 1 priority. Actually, during the High Holidays of 2018 I gave an appeal — but not for money, it was for time, which to me is the most valuable commodity
he Fence at Carnegie Mellon University is proving to be a popular spot for anti-Zionist messaging, despite the fact that is it summer and most of the university’s students are away until the fall semester begins. New messages continued to pop-up surrounding the Independence Day holiday. A message painted on June 30, the fourth anti-Zionist message since the latest surge began, featured the words “Stop Censoring Antizionist Jewish Voices.” On the other side of The Fence, the message read “Antizionism ≠ Antisemitism.” On the #cmufence Instagram page — which is not affiliated with or run by the university but features photos of The Fence — those messages were attributed to “Concerned students.” The messaging followed the university’s June 28 removal of a painted message stating, “Death to Zionism.” “Death to Zionism” was painted in Yiddish. On the #cmufence Instagram account, the message was attributed to “A few Jewish students,” although no proof that Jewish students were involved was offered. CMU took the unusual step of painting over the words “Death to Zionism.” University President Farnam Jahanian also sent a message to the CMU community, writing that “a call for ‘death’ violated our longstanding policy against such threats of violence, including threats based on an individual or a group’s affiliation or identity. Moving forward, we will continue to quickly remove threatening language wherever it appears on campus, fully investigate these incidents and intervene as necessary.” CMU police, he noted, were investigating the matter. An earlier painting of The Fence is also under investigation by university law enforcement. It contained the message “By any means necessary,” an axiom seen by many as justification for a political movement to use any means available — including violence — to achieve its goals.
Please see Myers, page 8
Please see Fence, page 8
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LOCAL A new face at Adat Shalom
p Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers
Photo by Adam Reinherz
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
airport the first time. They detoured and we went up to Mount Washington to take in the view. It’s stunning. Subsequently, anybody that comes here, I’ll drive them up there. Really, there’s no view like it. The other thing is I tried to read up on the history here to some degree to get a better sense of community — so kudos to the Jewish Chronicle for their archives. I read quite a bit there.
A Ben Wecht joins staff
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LOCAL Honoring the life of Karen Hurwitz
A Torah dedication 40 years after her murder
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LOCAL New Mamet play comes to Pittsburgh
Kinetic Theatre Company produces “Henry Johnson”
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rabbi often associated with tragedy, resilience and the aftermath of horror is leaving Pittsburgh. Rabbi Hazzan Jeffrey Myers, Tree of Life Congregation’s rabbi and a survivor of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, is retiring on July 31. His upcoming departure marks a new beginning. For the first time in 49 years, Myers, an ordained cantor and rabbi who began teaching Hebrew school in 1977, will not hold a professional Jewish post. Though he’ll finish out his two-year stint as president of the Cantors Assembly, Myers, 70, said the majority of his time post-retirement will be dedicated to writing a book, seeing the bimah from the pews and visiting with his 3-year-old granddaughter. Before beginning this next phase of his life, Myers spoke with the Chronicle. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Congratulations on your upcoming retirement. Before we talk about the future, let’s talk about the past. Tell me about joining Tree of Life 10 years ago.
At the time I was in the process of looking for a new pulpit, and the opportunity was available here. We just began with, as I think in most congregations, exploratory conversations with leadership search committees and it just continued on. I recall saying to my wife at the time, “Pittsburgh? I have no idea what Pittsburgh is. I know it’s out there, but I have no idea.”
Until that point you’d spent your career on the East Coast. What were your initial impressions of Pittsburgh? I remember when I was picked up at the
You began working in Pittsburgh on Tisha B’Av 2016. What did you discover about the community after moving here?
I was immediately pleased that there was a communal Tisha B’Av program. It’s not as easy to have a fulsome minyan for summer observances like Tisha B’Av, and the fact that the Conservative and Reform community — collectively in Squirrel Hill — recognized that and did something about it, I thought was good. That’s not always the case in communities. I thought that’s a really great way to start. Similarly, I was really impressed by the Shavuot-o-thon [Tikkun Leil Shavuot]. Every range of the Jewish community is present. We’re able to ignore any differences we may have to gather together to study Torah — and by Torah, not just the narrow but the wide sense. That’s really impressive.
Tree of Life dates to 1864. What was your sense of the congregation?
Real Estate Home Guide Special section begins on page 9
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