July 18, 2025 | 22 Tammuz 5785
Candlelighting 8:29 p.m. | Havdalah 9:34 p.m. | Vol. 68, No. 29 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
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Pittsburgh Jewish community Local rabbis rallies to ‘Bring Them Home’ grapple with new IRS decision
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Cultivating community
By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
A garden grows at CDS LOCAL
A souls — mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends — that have been held in the suffocating grip of Gaza.” Paris’ remarks were followed by live and prerecorded messages from several Israelis. Each told the story of a hostage to whom they held a connection. Yuval Jislin and Idit Ohel both spoke of Alon Ohel — a hostage still held by Hamas who has lost sight in one eye and is in increasing danger of losing sight in his other eye if not released soon. “I saw the video of Alon’s kidnapping,” Jislin told the crowd. “I couldn’t look at the screen for more than two seconds, but I had to because his mother was staring at the screen without hesitation. If she could, who I am not to look at the video — at the horrific video of her son being dragged by terrorists, by savages.” In a prerecorded message, Alon Ohel’s mother, Idit Ohel, urged those in attendance to “keep speaking, keep standing with us.” Pittsburgher Etti Martel, who also is Israeli, said the Jewish community “refuses to forget those who are still waiting. This is a promise that their stories will not be forgotten that their families will not stand alone and that that there will continue to be solidarity until the last hostage is home.” Gilad Shai, a friend of hostage Tamir Nimrodi, said it’s important to continue
new decision by the IRS allows religious congregations to endorse political candidates. The new carve out alters the so-called “Johnson Amendment,” enacted in 1954, which prohibits tax-exempt organizations from engaging in political campaigns. In Pittsburgh, no consensus exists about the impact of the new ruling or what it will mean for synagogue life. Congregation Beth Shalom Associate Rabbi Mark Goodman called the ruling a “slippery slope.” “The challenge,” he said, “is that the ruling removes the rug and it’s unclear where things go from here.” Part of the challenge, Goodman said, is that Jewish spiritual leaders talk about morals and values, which often intersect with politics. “For instance, if the government does something around immigration, what does Jewish tradition teach about that? I can talk about immigration and LGBTQ rights or the environment from the pulpit, but I wouldn’t necessarily continue by saying, ‘And candidate X is good or bad and that’s why you should vote for candidate X,’” he said. The new ruling, Goodman said, is dangerous because some religious organizations will become extremely political, which will bring with it “political money,” something that may tip the scales of religious life. “That leaves synagogues and churches in the position of choosing whether to be political or not, and the potential is that the churches that chose to not be political may choose, accidentally, to be irrelevant,” he said. Goodman foresees a possible future where rabbis may soon be receiving phone calls from political candidates asking for meetings so they can make a case for an endorsement by the congregation. “That’s a very weird world I did not
Please see Vigil, page 10
Please see IRS, page 10
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Aiming for accessibility Attendees of the “Bring Them Home Now!” rally hold signs depicting the 50 hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas. Photo by David Rullo By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
Squirrel Hills gets an ADA-compliant playground
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LOCAL Father of Jewish genealogy
Dan Rottenberg comes to Pittsburgh
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LOCAL Advocating for Israel
The StandWithUs student interns
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M
ore than 150 Pittsburghers gathered at the Jewish Community Center’s Levinson Hall to remember the 50 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza and to call for their release. The July 13 “Bring Them Home Now!” rally — sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, StandWithUs and the Pittsburgh-Israeli community — took place 646 days after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack that left nearly 1,200 people dead and more than 250 kidnapped. It is believed that just 20 of the hostages still held in Gaza are alive. Based on those who spoke during the near hour-long rally, the length of time the hostages have remained in Gaza has done nothing to lessen the trauma felt by the Jewish community, and the friends and families of those in captivity. Julie Paris, StandWithUs’ Mid-Atlantic regional director, opened the rally, speaking of a recent trip she took to Israel, and her time at Hostage Square and the site of the Nova music festival. Paris recounted meeting with family members of those murdered and held hostage. “This is a stain on humanity and against the world that has allowed this tragedy to persist,” she said. “We will remember every single one of these 646 days, the 50 precious
Senior Living
Special section coming July 25
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