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Thankyou for Our Families and our Nation

Posted by Rabbi Ron Symons on November 23, 2015

An adult study partner of mine recently turned me onto a new author, Anne Lamott. She suggested that I read Anne’s Help, Thanks, Wow (2012), a beautiful exploration of the essence of prayer. I was hooked, and read 2 or 3 more of Anne Lamott’s books making my way through her Christian references to find the essence of humanity within the books and each other. …

How quickly will our pulse return to normal after Paris, Beirut, Sinai…?

Posted by Rabbi Ron Symons on November 16, 2015

Yet again, we are under attack. The attack is two-fold. It is life-threatening. People across our globe are being killed and oppressed because too many of us are not embracing the concept “Love your neighbor as yourself” as a way of life. The devastation in the Sinai, Beirut and Paris (just to mention a few of our current challenges) are the recent expressions of this hatred. It is also …

Pittsburgh Pizza — Who Knew?

Posted by Roberta Levine on November 12, 2015

My jaw dropped when I looked at the food column in the New York Times last Sunday. One of my favorite food writers, Mark Bittman, chose to make his farewell column, entitled "Slice of Heaven," about Bread and Salt Bakery in Bloomfield. Not Queens. Bloomfield, Pittsburgh. I'm not going to lie; I was confused. First, because I've been in Pittsburgh long enough to enjoy its under-the-radar-ness, …

The Dodgers are Still in Brooklyn

Posted by Rabbi Ron Symons on November 9, 2015

My Hat of Choice: Brooklyn Dodgers My Dad, Jerry, still thinks that the Dodgers play in Brooklyn! He won’t give up on that reality even though he and I, along with my son Micah, have actually been to a Dodgers game in Los Angeles. It is my Dad’s honor that I wear a Brooklyn Dodgers hat as my baseball hat of choice (except when I am …

Girls Just Want to…Run!

Posted by Sharon Feinman on November 6, 2015

As I was reviewing the curriculum for our Girls on the Run team, I realized that we are now more than halfway through the program. We have such an amazing group of third to fifth grade girls from five different schools, and with so many different personalities. It got me thinking about the vision of the program: “We envision a world where every girl knows and …

What will they say when?

Posted by Rabbi Ron Symons on November 1, 2015

What if they are writing my eulogy today? Not to be morbid, but it is time for me to start thinking about what they might say at my funeral. Trust me, I have many years left, (God willing), but it is still time to think. I got to thinking about this when I stood in front of a replica of the very simple mule drawn wagon that …

Carnegie Museums Turn 120

Posted by Todd Smith on October 28, 2015

Last week I saw a tweet that the Carnegie Museums are celebrating their 120th year anniversary: I made a new dinosaur friend @CarnegieMNH #CarnegieClash https://t.co/kTLPMIECek — Sally Wiggin (@SWigginWTAE) October 19, 2015 How cool is it that both the Carnegie Museums and the JCC share the same birthday! To celebrate this historic anniversary, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Science Center and the Andy …

If I Still Shout Today…

Posted by Rabbi Ron Symons on October 25, 2015

When is Enough Enough? I had a moment this summer. I went to one of my favorite big box stores to buy some screws for a project. The middle-aged salesman helped me politely and then asked what type of drill I had. I told him that I have a regular drill. He clarified for me that I would need a hammer drill to install these screws …

Jane Haskell Exhibit Brings Special Glow to the JCC

Posted by Todd Smith on October 20, 2015

As the seasons change from summer to fall, a similar transformation is taking place in the JCC Palm Court, where the walls of the American Jewish Museum have turned fluorescent and neon. After almost two years of preparation, the American Jewish Museum is opening a special exhibit this week -- Jane Haskell: Drawing In Light. Curated by Melissa Hiller, Director of the American Jewish Museum, and Dr. …

“You Didn’t Build That!” – “We Built That!”

Posted by Rabbi Ron Symons on October 16, 2015

Who Started Your Journey? The political theater of the 2016 election has made me nostalgic for an earlier time: the 2012 election. You might remember that President Obama made the comment in Roanoke, VA, "You didn't build that." He intended to point out that every generation builds on the successes of previous generations. The Republicans countered with the phrase, "We built that!" Not only did the …

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