With my favorite holiday, Passover, just around the corner, I can’t help but thinking about when I was the youngest child at our family Seder and would have the opportunity to ask the Four Questions. The Four Questions, traditionally recited by the youngest person at the table, highlight the ways in which Passover customs and […]
Four Questions About…Specialty Camps! Read More »
On Friday night, as my family and guests retold the time-honored story of our journey from slavery to freedom, my son Micah inserted his seder gift into the festivities. He explained how he had been studying Civil War history in school and thought that it might be appropriate to read the Emancipation Proclamation at the
Dayenu! Have we done enough yet? Read More »
Pittsburgh’s 200th anniversary celebration has me thinking about the JCC’s part in Pittsburgh’s story, and the portraits I recently stumbled upon of James and Samuel Levinson, tucked away in a JCC office, resonated with me. The subjects’ outsized proportions, crossed arms and straight-on gaze are characteristic of all ‘master-of-industry’ style images. There are, however, captivating Pittsburgh narratives
Scenes from History: Koerner and the Levinsons Read More »
Big Night 120 – Celebrating Yesterday, Imagining Tomorrow, was a blast! Take a look at how we partied:
Big Night — BIG FUN Read More »
Opening tonight is one of my favorite events – JFilm: The Pittsburgh Jewish Film Forum. Every spring, JFilm brings in a whole range of films from Israel and around the world—true stories, comedies and dramas that often wouldn’t make it to town otherwise, some provocative, some moving, some roaringly funny and almost all, a treat.
Get your tickets now: JFilm festival opens tomorrow Read More »
Imagining Tomorrow: Pet Memberships Let me share an interesting stat with you. According to a recent study by the USDAW, 34% of family households in the United States own a pet. When you narrow this geographic range to Pittsburgh, this figure jumps to 47%. Given the growing trend in pet ownership, the JCC has recognized an opportunity to spread our impact through the animal
Pet Memberships now Available Read More »
We’re celebrating April Fool’s Day early this year. We hope this got a rise out of you. It is true: The Final Four falls on the same night as Big Night. If you have a case of FOMO, it will be Hoops Heaven in our Final Four Lounge. We will be serving beers from Penn Brewery and there’s talk about Manischewitz Vodka
Men Boycott Big Night Because of Final Four Read More »
Community Spotlight: Classic Lines Bookstore The book “The 613” immediately caught my eye as I perused the shelves at Classic Lines, the cozy bookstore located on Forbes Avenue, adjacent to Commonplace Coffee. Wondering whether there was a connection with the 613 Jewish Commandments, I asked the proprietor Dan Iddings if in fact there was one. That is
An Illustrative List of the 613 Commandments. Read More »
PJ Library, a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh in partnership with the JCC, is expanding! A new program, PJ Our Way, will provide books to children ages 9-11 who live in the Pittsburgh community, bringing Jewish books into older children’s lives as effectively as PJ Library has done with younger children over
PJ Library Launches New Program: PJ our Way Read More »
Imagine 390 Jewish teens coming together from around the world, to perform original, and classic, Jewish choral arrangements – from V’hi Sheamda, to Hallelujah, to Tfilah L’Tzahal – to a full house at Carnegie Music Hall, which had sold out months in advance. What a moving vision that would be! Fortunately, this vision becomes a
Pittsburgh and Israeli Teens Connecting Through Jewish Music Read More »
Purim is the Jewish equivalent of Halloween–in Spring We dress up in costumes, have our faces painted and eat homemade hamantashens. Still deciding on a costume? Take this quiz, find out which Purim Character you are and pick your costume accordingly. Then come join us–we have planned quite the extravaganza. The JCC will host Peace * Love * Purim at the
Which Purim Character are you ? Read More »
Community Spotlight: Sherree Goldstein, Community Champion It’s often said that it takes a village to raise a child. It’s no stretch to say that it takes a Sherree Goldstein to raise a community. “In 2003 I had the vision to bring fresh seasonal and local food to Regent Square,” Goldstein writes on the restaurant’s website.
Square Cafe–With Love Read More »
Two years ago, Arthur Pitt, my Harry B Davis Coach growing up, sparked the greatest JCC Basketball (Facebook) debate ever. 681 comments by former players, coaches and kids who grew up at the JCC. Who is the best basketball player ever from the Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh. Dan Florian Jimmy Wedner Josh Marks Jordan A. Marks
Who is The Greatest JCC Basketball Player Ever? Read More »
Artist Marcel Walker illustrates Superheroes of the Holocaust I recently visited the studio of artist Marcel Walker, one of the illustrators behind Chutz-Pow: Superheroes of the Holocaust. Chutz-Pow is a graphic novel series developed by the Holocaust Center that focuses on civilians during the Holocaust who resisted Nazi ideology and risked their safety by coming
Creating Chutz-Pow Read More »
Community and Philanthropy Key to The Wilson Group’s Success The Wilson Group LLC functions as much more than a vendor of workflow solutions. With a commitment to Western Pennsylvania as a locally owned and operated company, its Golden Rule to treat customers the way we would want to be treated, and a record of giving back,
Community Spotlight: The Wilson Group Read More »
Unblurred: First Fridays on Penn is a monthly event sponsored by the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative. It is a chance for folks to come check out amazing art and meet the artists and the gallery owners. For last week’s Unblurred, the JCC’s American Jewish Museum partnered with artist Lori Hepner to create a series of interactive workshops that will evolve
AJM shines light at First Fridays on Penn Read More »
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. has invoked Frank Sinatra more than once to sing his way through adversity. As a West Virginia boy transplanted to the violent streets of Detroit, where, he says, “you could lose your life in a fight on a basketball court,” he’d calm down his buddies by singing Fly Me to the
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Will Knock Our Socks Off at Big Night Read More »
Chinese New Year celebrations began Monday and for the next couple weeks — it’s a 15-day celebration — a multitude of events celebrating Asian culture and diversity will take place around Squirrel Hill. This is the Year of the Monkey, which is the 9th animal in the 12 animal cycle. People born in the Year of the Monkey include
Squirrel Hill Celebrates the Chinese New Year Read More »
The South Hills Pool will be closed Monday, August 17 through Saturday, August 29 for annual maintenance and improvements.
We anticipate reopening on Sunday, August 30.
