February 16, 2024 | 7 Adar I 5784
Candlelighting 5:38 p.m. | Havdalah 6:38 p.m. | Vol. 67, No. 7 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL May his memory be for a blessing
Holocaust survivor Moshe Baran dies at 103 LOCAL
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Local Jewish Patel battles attacks of identity politics in District 12 conversion students House race say they are undeterred by post-Oct. 7 tumult
Connecting people with solutions
By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
W Bhavini Patel
Local robotics innovations support inclusion Page 7
LOCAL Yeminite melodies, Tunisian songs
Meet composer Naama Perel Tzadok Page 8
LOCAL Mujadarrah Mondays
A healthy vegetarian meal Page 14
By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
B
havini Patel, an Edgewood Borough Council member, entered the race for District 12’s House seat in October, challenging Rep. Summer Lee in the Democratic primary. Since then, she says she has been targeted by some of Lee’s backers, in part because of her support for Israel. A progressive with blue-collar roots and a vocal advocate for the Jewish state, Patel has garnered support from many Jews in Pennsylvania’s 12th District who are disappointed with Lee’s voting record and statements regarding Israel. Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state, Patel has released several statements and appeared at many local public events in support of Israel and the hostages held in captivity in Gaza. The rhetoric and actions against her are amping up, she said, and may have contributed to the decision to cancel her appearance at a University of Pittsburgh event. “It’s quite disheartening,” Patel told the Chronicle the day after the Frederick Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh canceled her speaking engagement. The congressional hopeful is an alum of the school and wasn’t planning to discuss
politics. In a Feb. 7 Facebook post, Patel wrote: “Today, Pitt cancelled my speaking engagement citing concerns of disruption and my safety. I’m a proud graduate of Pitt and celebrate it as an institution where I found the power of my voice.” Patel said that she was excited when offered the opportunity to speak at a Frederick Honors College alumni engagement event. She planned to discuss being the first person in her family to graduate from college and the associated challenges, the importance of internships and how to build a successful professional career. Understanding that Pitt is a 501(c)(3) and that she is a candidate for political office, Patel said that she and the university went to great lengths to make sure no lines would be crossed. “We went back and forth about how that would happen and what questions would be asked by the students and the guidelines within which we would operate,” she said. “Even the way it was advertised was as an alumni speaking engagement.” Despite the work done to ensure the event remained nonpolitical, Patel said she received an email from the university the day
hen he decided to convert to Judaism, Nico Demkin knew that standing with the Jewish people wouldn’t always be easy. “I knew that people might say ‘You’re choosing a side or giving up being American or the values you were raised [with],'" he said. “I knew that I would face adversity. Unfortunately, I have, but that doesn’t deter me in any way.” Demkin is working with Rabbi Aaron Meyer at Temple Emanuel of South Hills to become a Jew by choice. He’s emblematic of those who have decided to cast their lot with the Jewish community despite pervasive antisemitism. He is aware of the increased tensions that exist between the parts of the Jewish world and various other groups — including some far-left progressives in the United States, countries that consider terrorist attacks to be legitimate forms of “resistance,” and others who support the Palestinian cause while condemning the Jewish state. “I’m active online with a lot of Jewish groups,” he said, “and there are some converts who have been shaken up by the events.” Demkin said that he expected that a conflict like the one begun by the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7 would eventually arise. “Unfortunately, I was correct,” he said. A self-described leftist who grew up Roman Catholic, Demkin pondered the
Please see Patel, page 10
Please see Conversion, page 10
Photo by Maureen Kelly Busis
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Coming Feb. 23rd