February 24, 2023 | 3 Adar 5783
Candlelighting 5:48 p.m. | Havdalah 6:48 p.m. | Vol. 66, No. 8 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
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FBI informs public on violent extremism before trial of accused synagogue shooter
Holocaust Center executive director departs; organization continues as part of Tree of Life
p A team of FBI agents and Shawn Brokos addressed violent extremism in advance of the synagogue shooter trial slated to begin April 24. Photo by David Rullo
p Lauren Bairnsfather joins artist Luigi Toscano at the opening of “Lest We Forget” at University of Pittsburgh on Oct. 17, 2019.
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LOCAL LOCAL Ovit, ommodi remos ero A native Pittsburgher’s “Elusive Ground”
Fodictiumqui aut entis andae asimuss Abira Ali showcases art at Irma Page X Freeman Center for Imagination LOCAL
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Minto volupta ssimim LOCAL A recipe 25 years in the making
Lenda nus dolorum re pro mi, cuptati ntibus. Perfect chewy chocolate chip cookies
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By David Rullo | Staff Writer
T
he Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh convened a public meeting with agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday, Feb. 15, to discuss violent extremism, hate crimes and matters related to the upcoming trial of the man accused of murdering 11 Jews in the Tree of Life building in 2018. The two-hour discussion, held at Rodef Shalom Congregation, was attended by more than three dozen community members and was led by FBI Supervisory Intelligence Analyst John Pulcastro, Staff Operations Specialist Madisyn Moore and Supervisory Special Agent Tim Swanson. Shawn Brokos, the Federation’s director of community security, hosted the event. Moore started the conversation by noting the importance of behavioral indicators over ideology in preventing violent extremism. People can slide from one extreme to another, she said, from white supremacy to supporting ISIS, for example. While television shows like “Criminal Minds” have popularized the myth that an
expert can predict if a person will become a violent extremist by analyzing behavior, Moore said there is no profile for people who will commit an attack — particularly when it comes to juveniles, who frequently commit acts of violence. The goal, she said, is preventing one attack, or one person at a time from becoming radicalized. Community-based solutions are often the first step in stopping someone from becoming radicalized, she said, as personal relationships can facilitate the communication necessary to sway a person from becoming an extremist. The FBI agent stressed the concept of “dialogue, not dispute.” This method is important, she explained, because often those on the path to becoming radicalized will withdraw from normal social interactions and exist in an echo chamber that reinforces their thoughts and ideas. These echo chambers, she said, are usually found through social media sites, gaming portals, encrypted messenger applications and other direct online communications channels, Please see FBI, page 10
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Photo by Hector Corante, courtesy of Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh
By Adam Reinherz | Staff Writer
F
ollowing the Feb. 16 announcement that Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh Executive Director Lauren Bairnsfather is leaving her position, colleagues and friends congratulated the Jewish professional and told the Chronicle about Bairnsfather’s achievements and ability to direct the Holocaust Center toward a promising future. The Holocaust Center, previously overseen by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, recently came under the auspices of Tree of Life, a nonprofit dedicated to the elimination of antisemitism. Nick Haberman met Bairnsfather days after she became executive director in 2015. The two worked on a project implementing Act 70, a 2014 piece of Pennsylvania legislation that “strongly encourages school entities” to teach students about the Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations. Haberman followed their project by creating an educational initiative called LIGHT (Leadership through Innovation Please see Bairnsfather, page 10 JodiJacobson / iStock / Getty Images Plus
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