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STAND UP! Be the SHAMASH

Posted by Rabbi Ron Symons on December 6, 2015

Each and every year, as we light the candles for Hanukah, we are very particular to ensure that the shamash serves its purpose. You know what I am talking about: the shamash (helper candle) is supposed to a light the fire for all eight days. It has a weighty responsibility, that shamash, when it comes to the rituals of Hanukah. Without a shamash, the other 36 …

We need more light!

Posted by Rabbi Ron Symons on December 3, 2015

Ain’t it the truth. We can’t seem to tune on the news, pick up our phone or read the paper without feeling a great sense of darkness nowadays. Shootings in Colorado Springs, San Bernardino and Pittsburgh, let alone Paris and the challenges of refugees fleeing their homelands for fear of their lives… we need more light! Thank God for Hanukah. Every year, as we enter the …

The JCC Last Minute Gift Guide

Posted by Todd Smith on December 2, 2015

Hanukah starts Sunday evening and Christmas is just around the corner, so we took some time to explore some awesome ideas for those still looking for the ultimate last minute gifts for friends and family. Successful last minute gift shopping is a skill. Nothing to feel bad about; we've all been there. Let us help. We have compiled some great options that range from online to something you can …

“Self Portrait” — a Portrait of Hope

Posted by Roberta Levine on November 27, 2015

As we retreat into the warmth of family and holiday tradition, we’d like to share a poem that envisions the shared values of our community. Self Portrait The Day After The Paris Massacre Today I identify with my All-Clad colander on the granite counter between my kitchen and the table where sits my racially, all-clad American family. I pour a boiling pot of noodles through the colander into the sink. The water runs off but the noodles stay, ready for …

412 Food Rescue Boards the J Line

Posted by Carolyn Gerecht on November 24, 2015

A special program at the JCC with J Line on Sunday defined for me the positive direction in which we’re moving, and our own potential and enthusiasm to bring Jewish learning to life for teens. Last Sunday morning, in partnership with 412 Food Rescue, nearly 40 J Line teens and staff met at the JCC to pack more than 120 bags of food for local students in …

#GivingTuesday – A Chance to Think Beyond the Turkey

Posted by Andrea Matz on November 23, 2015

#GivingTuesday – A Chance to Think Beyond the Turkey You’ve made it through Thanksgiving dinner. You’ve fought your way through the spend-so-you-save shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You’ve had a chance to start working off Thanksgiving bounties at the JCC. You’ve had a weekend to recover and a day back at the office. Now it’s time to think beyond the turkey. Join us, Tuesday, December 1, …

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 …

Squirrel Hill

5738 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
P 412-521-8010

South Hills

345 Kane Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA 15243
P 412-278-1975

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