September 26, 2025 | 4 Tishrei 5786
Candlelighting 6:52 p.m. | Havdalah 7:49 p.m. | Vol. 68, No. 39 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
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Poale Zedeck, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro addresses Eradicate Shaare Torah end unification Hate Global Summit talks
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Fire survivor finds strength in community
Overwhelmed by acts of kindness LOCAL
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Some thoughts on Yom Kippur Congregation Poale Zedeck Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks to reporters after his address at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit. Photo by David Rullo By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
Stories and adages Page 4
HISTORY Chabad Chassidim in western PA
A new discovery Page 5
FOOD Break the fast recipe
Egg casserole Page 14
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ennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told those attending the Eradicate Hate Global Summit that political violence is never acceptable. “There is a better way,” he said. “In Pennsylvania we have shown a path forward.” Shapiro spoke on Sept. 16 of the unity displayed following a fire at the governor’s residence, set during an alleged assassination attempt in the early morning hours of April 14, the second day of Passover. He noted that former Pennsylvania Govs. Tom Wolf, Tom Corbett, Ed Rendell, Mark Schweiker and Tom Ridge, along with their respective first ladies, as well as members of Dick Thornburgh’s and Bob Casey Sr.’s families, all came to the governor’s residence in a show of support following the attack. The cadre was a mix of Democrats and Republicans. Quoting Pennsylvania’s founder William Penn, Shapiro said the gathering was “an example for the nations.” Political violence, he asserted, doesn’t only affect those targeted and their loved ones; it affects us all. “It tears at the fabric of American society and the fundamental principles this nation was founded upon,” he said. Shapiro highlighted other recent political violence, including the attempted
assassination of President Donald Trump, the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Stephen Hemsley, the assassination of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the murder of Charlie Kirk. While each circumstance was different, he said, the common thread was violence motivated by political differences. That violence, Shapiro said, makes everyone less safe and shouldn’t be used as a pretext for more violence. Instead, additional opportunities need to be created for “peaceful and respectful dialogue respecting each other’s fundamental rights as Americans,” he said. The restriction of free speech, censorship and prosecuting constitutionally protected speech will only erode freedoms and deepen mistrust, he continued. Pennsylvanians, Shapiro stressed, must be safe to exercise their fundamental freedoms. He highlighted the work the state has done under his leadership, including funding 1,500 more state troopers and local law enforcement officers, and giving $15 million to churches, synagogues, mosques and other nonprofits to help cover security expenses. The governor also spoke of the need to protect children and young people online. Please see Shapiro, page 10
File photo
By David Rullo | Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle
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alks of a possible unification between Congregation Poale Zedeck and Congregation Shaare Torah have ended. Members of Shaare Torah voted against continuing to evaluate a possible merger during a Sept. 14 meeting. Several blocks away, Poale Zedeck members voted to continue the process during a similar meeting on Sept. 7. Without a united consensus, explorations of unification between the shuls, Pittsburgh’s two oldest active Orthodox congregations, have ended. “We set a threshold of 60% in favor of continuing in order for us to continue the evaluation,” Shaare Torah President Joshua Sunshine said. “Fifty-six percent voted in favor of the evaluation and 44% voted against it, so we stopped and aren’t doing it anymore.” He said that both congregations would have had to approve the unification with more than two-thirds of its members in favor of a merger. “It takes a lot of effort to do this evaluation, and we didn’t want to continue if there was no hope it would ultimately be supported by the congregation,” Sunshine said. The September meetings were born out of the dissatisfaction of some members, who were unhappy with the idea of uniting the two congregations, according to Dr. Lou Please see Unification, page 10
May you be sealed in e B k of Life Olga Mukashev/Adobe Stock