April 12, 2024 | 4 Nissan 5784
Candlelighting 7:39 p.m. | Havdalah 8:40 p.m. | Vol. 67, No. 15 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
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LOCAL Lenda ciendiPatel non re nus A chat volorei with Bhavini
New local organization sheds light on candidates’ positions regarding Jewish interests
Babka, body doubles and Fetterman among surprises at Shaare Torah’s annual dinner
Beacon Coalition volunteer Rebecca Elhassid holds a picture of Israeli hostage Yoram Metzger at a community vigil Photo courtesy of Jeremy Kazzaz
Lauren Noorparvar, Elan Noorparvar, Sen. John Fetterman and Rabbi Yitzi Genack
‘Coffee and conversation’ with House candidateandae amusam Et odictiumqui quistium si de net voloritat Page 2 LOCAL
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10.27 Healing Partnership secures funds LOCAL Ovit, ommodi remos ero
By David Rullo | Senior Staff Writer
Organization to continue until 2029 Page 3
LOCAL Fodictiumqui aut entis andae asimuss The Jews of New Kensington Page X LOCAL Minto volupta ssimim
History preserved by local groups Page 4
LOCAL Finding meaning while volunteering Lenda nus dolorum re pro mi, cuptati ntibus.
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Young Pittsburghers return from Israel Page 8
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f you’ve ever wondered where a politician stands when it comes to Jewish well-being, you’re not alone. In fact, a group of concerned community members have formed a new 501(c)(4), the Beacon Group, to provide some answers. “After Oct. 7, some of our local politicians had very strong opinions, it turns out, about Israel and the Jewish people,” Beacon volunteer Rebecca Elhassid said. “Some of those were really harmful.” Elhassid said that if voters had known a candidate’s position on antisemitism, their race may have turned out differently. “Nobody’s ever asked the right questions,” she said. “Nobody ever thought to ask an Allegheny County Council person what they think about the Jewish people. So, when an Allegheny County Council person comes out and posts Hamas videos, that was very surprising.” The Beacon Coalition, founded in October, will serve “as an independent voice to identify where politicians stand on issues related to the rights and wellbeing of the Jewish American community, regardless of political party and their other positions,” according to the organization’s website. To do that, it uses the definition of
antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Using the IHRA definition, Beacon Coalition leaders believe they can vet candidates by identifying documented words or actions that are antisemitic. In defining antisemitism, the IHRA is guided by examples including the “targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity.” The Beacon Coalition is beginning by focusing on competitive Democratic races in the April 23 Pennsylvania primary and intends to provide information for candidates campaigning in the general election for House and Senate seats and the presidency. Jeremy Kazzaz, Beacon’s executive director, said the organization is starting with a small budget and a limited number of volunteers but felt compelled to get up and running during this election cycle. “The driving thought is that there’s not nearly enough eyes on all the people in local politics, and that’s the challenge,” he said. While several organizations advocate for the Jewish community — the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and the American Jewish Committee, for instance — Kazzaz said they’re limited in what they can do because of their 501(c)(3) status. Please see Beacon, page 10
Photo courtesy of Shaare Torah Congregation
By Adam Reinherz | Senior Staff Writer
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lates of chicken and tiresome speeches are familiar features of synagogue dinners — visits from U.S. senators are not. For an organization that regularly bills its annual event as “Not-Your-Average Shul Dinner,” however, Sen. John Fetterman’s attendance was one of several surprises at Shaare Torah Congregation’s March 31 affair. The event, which honored Lauren and Elan Noorparvar, received an added boost days earlier, as hours before Shabbat on March 29, Shaare Torah’s Rabbi Yitzi Genack announced the congregation was presenting Fetterman with its Lion of Israel Award. This honor recognizes the senator’s “determined and courageous support of the state of Israel,” Genack said. “He has consistently advocated for policies and initiatives that promote Israel’s safety and well-being. He stood with us as many of us gathered on the National Mall in Washington, and I was fortified by the image of his towering figure draped with an Israeli flag.” On Sunday evening, with approximately 180 people present, Fetterman accepted the Please see Fetterman, page 10
keep your eye on PittsburghJewishChronicle LOCAL
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Research rewarded
Tasty taktouka
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Israeli dance troupe comes to town