November 25, 2022 | 1 Kislev 5783
Candlelighting 4:38 p.m. | Havdalah 5:40 p.m. | Vol. 65, No. 47 | pittsburghjewishchronicle.org
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Architect Daniel Libeskind on the Former new Tree of Life employee charged with stealing $60,000 from JAA
NOTEWORTHY LOCAL Israeli innovation comes to Pittsburgh
Tech companies from the Jewish state display at local robotics event Page 2
LOCAL Meerkats, lizards and jaguars — oh, my!
Brooke Barker's new book on animals and their researchers
Page 17
LOCAL The magnificent synagogues of Italy
Jewish Association on Aging
Photo courtesy of Jewish Association on Aging
Daniel Libeskind
David Aschkenas exhibits his stunning photos at Shadyside gallery
Page 22
Photo by Stefan Ruiz
By David Rullo | Staff Writer
and clarity.
ree of Life chief architect Daniel Libeskind recently returned to Pittsburgh to address a crowd of more than 450 at Carnegie Mellon University on Thursday, Nov. 17. His talk focused on architecture and memory, a central theme in many of his designs. He discussed his work at the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Military History Museum in Dresden, the World Trade Center in New York, the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa, Canada, and his designs for the new Tree of Life building. Before leaving the city, Libeskind spoke with the Chronicle. The interview was edited for length
Can you talk about how and from where you draw inspiration for your designs, especially in relation to the Tree of Life project?
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I think the No. 1 part of the process is the site, the uniqueness of each place. That’s where I start that is consistent from every project — to understand what it is, where it is and what it signifies. It’s about drawing inspiration from that site, which means what happened on it. We look at what is the community around it, what is its capacity to tell a story, what has been Please see Tree of Life, page 15
By Toby Tabachnick | Editor
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former employee of the Jewish Association on Aging was arrested on charges of stealing almost $60,000 from the organization. Marc Peagler, a former facilities manager at Weinberg Terrace, is being held in the Allegheny County Jail, awaiting his arraignment, which is scheduled for Dec. 8. Court documents show that while Peagler was employed by the JAA, he hired thirdparty contractors to do maintenance and approved invoices. He is accused of billing the JAA for work that never was done and cashing the checks for personal use. Peagler was hired in January 2019 and was Please see JAA, page 15
Volunteers of the Year Begins on page 7
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