Metro Briefs August 15
Andrew Goldstein, staff writer and intern for The Jewish Chronicle, concludes his second consecutive internship with the paper this week.
An incoming senior at Point Park University, Goldstein first interned with the Chronicle during the summer of 2012 and later worked as a correspondent for the paper.
Earlier this year, he received the coveted Myron Cope Scholarship at Point Park, and, come January, he will become editor-in-chief of The Globe, the student newspaper of the downtown-based university.
The Pittsburgh native and Pittsburgh Allderdice High School alumnus plans to work in sports journalism following his graduation in 2014.
“Andrew is a versatile reporter who can seamlessly cover politics, social issues, sports and culture. That’s a talent not every journalist possesses,” Chronicle Executive Editor Lee Chottiner said in a prepared statement. “Andrew contributed quite a bit to this paper. We’ll miss him.”
Fifty children and teens will participate in the Circus of the Kids this month at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill.
The one-week residency program, which runs from Aug. 19 to 23, promotes teamwork, esteem building, endurance, self-discipline, perseverance, courage and respect for others.
The children will learn to use the trapeze, trampoline, roller skates and balancing on rolling globes. Their new skills will be on display when they perform Thursday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m., and Friday, Aug. 23, 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Robinson Building, 5738 Darlington Road, Squirrel Hill.
“We are thrilled to bring Circus of the Kids to the JCC this summer,” Liza Baron, director of the JCC’s James and Rachel Levinson Day Camp, said in a prepared statement. “Our community is excited for this new and different kind of camping experience for children and we can’t wait to see everything they learn.”
Tickets can be purchased at Circusofthekids.com/tickets.php or at the door. There is a discount for purchases made by Aug. 21.
Visit the Circus of the Kids website at circusofthekids.com or call 866-CIRCUS-5 for more information.
Rabbi Harvey Brotsky, former spiritual leader of New Light Congregation, will again conduct High Holy Day services at Ahavath Achim in Carnegie from Sept. 4 to 14.
The congregation, which worships in a traditional fashion, does not charge for High Holy Day attendance. The synagogue is handicapped accessible through a chair lift.
The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition announced the 2013 Squirrel Hill Treasures, which will be awarded Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Pittsburgh Golf Club.
The honorees are Karla Boos, founder and artistic director of Quantum Theatre; Rabbi James Gibson, senior rabbi of Temple Sinai; and attorney Wendell Freeland, an original incorporator of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition and part of the famed World War II Army Air Corps Squadron, the Tuskeegee Airmen.
The Place Treasure is the WPA-era mural at the Squirrel Hill Post Office.
The Treasure Awards were created to honor extraordinary people and places that make Squirrel Hill a desirable place to live, work, worship, raise families and do business.
There are brass plaques at the Place Treasure sites marking these neighborhood landmarks of the community.
The Treasure Awards is the coalition’s primary fundraising event. The 2012 event netted $32,000, and the goal this year is $40,000.
There are no speeches, either impromptu or prepared. Through an anonymous sponsor and Pittsburgh Filmmakers, the honorees are presented by way of a film that includes interviews with them and their colleagues.
Contact the SHUC office at 412-422-7666 or visit shuc.org for more information.
“More Than Just Learning” hosts Shirley and Morris Shratter interview teachers Norman Brown, Irv Krasnapoler and Susan J. Monroe every Tuesday in August on Comcast channel 21 or Verizon 47 at 8 p.m. on the subject “Views and Opinions” of educators.
The third annual sue’s run4kids will be held Sunday, Sept. 8, at Riverview Park on the North Side. The event includes something for everyone: a 5K run, 5K fitness walk and 1-mile family walk. There will be refreshments and entertainment, and T-shirts and race bags are guaranteed for all participants registered by Aug. 16.
All proceeds will go to the Lipman Youth Fund at KidsVoice.
The event was established to honor the memory of Sue Lipman, an avid runner, golfer, skier and tennis player, who was a social worker at Children’s Hospital. She was also involved with KidsVoice, a local nonprofit organization for abused and neglected children in Allegheny County.
Lipman, 58, died from pancreatic cancer in 2010. Afterward, her family decided to honor her memory with an annual run/walk that would benefit the organization that meant so much to her.
In addition to providing legal representation, KidsVoice has a staff of attorneys and child advocacy specialists who ensure that the children they represent receive comprehensive support and guidance.
The Lipman Youth Fund provides supplemental financial assistance to KidsVoice to allow them to pursue special projects and to help expand their ability to advocate for children.
Visit suesrun4kids.org for more information and to register.
Congregation Beth Shalom has hired Evan Silverstein as its new youth director.
Silverstein, 24, grew up in Detroit, and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Indiana University in Bloomington. He moved to Pittsburgh this summer from Colorado, where he taught snowboarding to youth.
Silverstein was a member of BBYO as a teenager, and worked for six summers at camp GUCI, a Reform Jewish summer camp near Indianapolis. This summer, he led a group of GUCI teens on a trip to Israel.
Silverstein hopes to increase joint programming between the USY chapters at Beth Shalom and Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, as well as with the youth group at Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha, he said.
“It’s really important to not limit kids to just getting to know other kids in their own congregations and communities,” Silverstein said.
Increasing membership as well as developing more engagement opportunities for area youth with different interests are also goals of Silverstein.
“I want to make programs that feel inviting to everyone,” he said, “so that everyone feels comfortable.”
A USY trip to Cedar Point is currently being planned for Sunday, Sept. 15, and will include teens from Beth Shalom, Beth El and Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha.
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