Chat with us, powered by LiveChat
Know what you're looking for?

Father’s Day Pledge: Breaking the Cycle of Violence

Let’s Continue the Movement of Men Stepping Up to Stop Gender Violence  For the third year in a row, we are joining with dozens of other regional leaders in signing the Father’s Day Pledge #FathersDayPledge  #PAsaysNoMore This vow to break the generational cycle of violence for children, teens and young adults calls on all of us to change public attitudes and social norms around gender and partner …

read more

Shavuot – Come! Look in the Mirror

We do it every day.  Maybe twice.  Maybe three times.  And each time we look in the mirror, we very well might see something different: a hair out of place, a blemish, a twinkle in the eye, a sense of calm…. Jewish wisdom encourages mirror-gazing…. of a different type.  You see, our collective mirror stood from ground to sky at a place called Mt. Sinai shortly after …

read more

Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream

If you're wondering what that long line is across the street from Casbah on Highland Avenue, people are waiting to try Millie's homemade ice cream. It's worth the wait. Millie's is the brainchild of husband and wife duo Lauren and Chad Townsend. Chad was the executive chef at Salt of the Earth. Before opening their brick-and-mortar storefront in Shadyside, the couple made ice cream out of their home in Wilkinsburg, …

read more

Father and Son: Klezmer Insights

PSO Brings Music for the Spirit to the JCC The JCC's Katz Theater will be the site of a special Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Music for the Spirit event - Father and Son: Klezmer Insights on Wednesday, June 15. Noah Bendix-Balgley, the former Concertmaster of the PSO, will share a behind-the-scenes look at Klezmer in anticipation of the June 17-19 world premiere of his new violin concerto, Fidl-Fantazye: A Klezmer Concerto. …

read more

CDS Artwork Shines at AJM

The artwork included in Community Day School’s (CDS) Student Art Show at the American Jewish museum, organized by CDS art teacher Jeremy Lerner, reverberates with playful exploration and buoyant energy. The works are based on curriculum around aesthetics, the principles and elements of design, and analysis of the methods and concepts artists throughout history have used. Some of the student artists reference specific artists including Constantin …

read more

South Hills ECDC: Launching a lifetime of learning

What’s the best way for young children to spend their day? At the JCC South Hills, children from six weeks through age 5, including Pre-K and Kindergarten Enrichment, are engaged in activities that nurture and inspire them as they grow, preparing them for kindergarten and a lifetime of learning. The JCC’s Early Childhood Development Center is a “home away from home,” where parents can trust that their …

read more

Israeli Cuisine: A Culinary Feast

We're all proud (and sometimes surprised) that Pittsburgh has been anointed a culinary capital, but a recent JFilm presentation of the film In Search of Israeli Cuisine, hosted by once Pittsburgher Michael Solomonov, reminded me that the 'Burgh may not be at the very epicenter of the food universe. Israel may well be. Solomonov, now a famous Philadelphia restaurateur (Zahav, Federal Donuts, Percy Street Barbecue), leads us to eateries all over …

read more

Four Questions About…Specialty Camps!

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 foods distinguish the holiday from other times of the year. Although …

read more

Dayenu! Have we done enough yet?

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 seder. The Emancipation Proclamation January 1, 1863 By the President of the United …

read more

Yummy! Matzah

So many of us have an ongoing relationship with matzah.  You might be one of those people who loves it so much that you eat Tam Tams all year round.  You might have a preference for a brand either out of habit or as the result of an intentional taste test.  You might be dedicated to a particular type: Egg, Whole Wheat, Lightly Salted….  You …

read more