Metro Briefs December 23

Jeffrey Rosenthal, former president of the Taylor Allderdice Alumni Association, was arrested and arraigned Friday, Dec. 16 on charges of theft, forgery and receiving stolen property. District Judge Daniel Butler released him on his own recognizance. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 29.

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office is accusing the 63-year-old Squirrel Hill resident and 1971 Allderdice graduate of stealing from organizations he was involved with: Taylor Allderdice Alumni Association, Allderdice JV Baseball Team and the 14th Ward Baseball Association.

Detectives report that Rosenthal wrote 745 checks to himself from the respective organizations’ accounts from September of 2009 until October of 2015 totaling $287,995.57 to help pay for his own personal expenses like his mortgage, credit card bills, vehicles and utilities.

Get The Jewish Chronicle Weekly Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

Detectives claim that a local doctor was also victimized through Rosenthal forging signatures and inflating numbers in a fundraising effort.

According to Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 an investigation began in 2015 when the Allderdice parent-teacher organization prepared to take over the alumni association and the new treasurer noticed checks written from the Alumni Association to the 14th Ward Baseball Association and from the baseball association to Rosenthal.

The Kollel Jewish Learning Center will hold a program for men and women on the Impact of Technology on Relationships on Sunday, Dec. 25 at 5808 Beacon St., lower level.

The program will begin with lunch at 11 a.m. followed by a Dvar Torah by Rosh Kollel Rabbi Levi Langer. Rabbi Yisrael Smith will speak at 11:30 a.m. and Dr. Robert Lebovits at noon.

There is a $10 charge with advance registration and $12 at the door.

Contact 412-420-0220, ext. 208 or arodkin@kollelpgh.org to register.

Chai Lifeline Toy Drive will be accepting toys until Dec. 25 at Hillel Academy, 5685 Beacon St. Send a gift for a sick boy or girl, infants through teens, in any price range. A collection bin will be located near the front desk. Gifts should be unwrapped. Gifts for children 13 and older are especially appreciated.

Contact Rabbi Oren Levy at olevy@hillelpgh.org for more information.

Young Peoples Synagogue/Bohnai Yisrael is conducting its second annual Chanukah Community Chesed Project during the festival week. Building upon last year’s success, the congregation and its friends will be collecting winter clothes for Goodwill Industries of Southwest PA and food items and household goods for the Squirrel Hill Community Food Pantry, which serves people of all backgrounds.

The items for Goodwill and the Food Pantry will be collected at YPS, 6404 Forbes Ave. at the corner of Denniston in Squirrel Hill, on Monday, Dec. 26 and Thursday, Dec. 29, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on both days. For those unable to donate materials for Goodwill or the Food Pantry, checks payable to either organization may be mailed to YPS, P.O. Box 8141, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, and will be delivered along with the items collected.

To support this project or for more information, contact Marshall Hershberg, YPS board chair, at hershberg13@gmail.com.

The community is invited to the Kollel Konnections breakfast ‘n’ learn on Monday, Dec. 26 at the Kollel.

Shachris will begin at 8:15 a.m. in the Bais Medrash followed by breakfast downstairs. The program will continue upstairs in the Bais Medrash at 10 a.m. with introductory remarks by the Rosh Kollel Rav Levi Langer.

There will be three interactive Chaburas to choose from following Langer’s remarks: Rabbi Chaim Leibowitz on Chanukah the Holiday of Gift-Giving; Dr. Eli Kanal on The Never-Ending War: Chanukah and Jewish Culture; and Rabbi Shraga Senft on Al Hanisim M.I.A.

Kollel Jewish Learning Center invites boys and girls, big brothers and sisters, moms and dads to its annual Family Chanukah Party on Tuesday, Dec. 27 from 5:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. There is no charge.

The party will include snacks, games and prizes.

Chabad of Squirrel Hill will sponsor a women’s challah baking event called Loaves of Love on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. at 6401 Forbes Ave. Each participant will get to make two loaves of challah, one to take home and one to share or donate. The donated challah loaves will be added to Shabbat kits that will be shared with families in need.

Refreshments will be served, and booklets with challah and dip recipes will be given to all participants.

Reservations are required by Jan. 9. Reservations can be made at chabadpgh.com/challah or by calling 412-421-3561.

JPRO, the reborn local affiliate of the national JPRO Network, supports the career growth of local Jewish communal professionals in order to achieve an ambitious collective vision for a vibrant Jewish Pittsburgh. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh has recognized the need for inspired, well-trained people to work in the community’s organizations and is supporting the need for JPRO through its commitment of leadership, staff time and funding.

JPRO Pittsburgh is a forum, largely through its monthly email and Facebook group, to ask for and offer support to each other. According to Joshua Donner, chair of JPRO Pittsburgh, the expectation is that experienced professionals will organize training sessions, brown bag lunches or think-tank conversations. Rising and new professionals will ask for advice or guidance from their peers. All will learn and explore together about what it means to be a Jewish professional.

Visit jpropittsburgh.org to learn more about the nuts and bolts of what JPRO is and how it works and to join the Facebook group and email list, the primary vehicles for communication.

The Zionist Organization of America, Pittsburgh is pleased to announce the 55th year of its Israel Scholarship Program to assist local students traveling to and studying in Israel. Up to three ZOA Scholarships of $1,000 are available to students who will be entering their junior or senior year of high school in the fall of 2017. Applicants must be Jewish and permanent residents of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington or Westmoreland counties.

The Israel Scholarship Program is designed to encourage and assist student participation on approved educational trips to Israel. Julie Paris, scholarship committee chairperson, announced applications will be accepted Jan. 1 through Feb. 28, 2017. ZOA believes a trip to Israel complements what teenagers learn at home and in class by reinforcing their commitment to Judaism, and in giving them an appreciation of the centrality of Israel to Jewish life. The ZOA Scholarship Program is committed to the future of the children of the region. All applicants must be participating in an approved program and submit a qualified application to ZOA. Priority may be given to those who have never visited Israel or have not received a ZOA scholarship in the past.

In addition, the Anouchi Research Scholarship of $750 is available to full-time college students who have completed at least one year and graduate students. Applicants may submit a proposal based on a topic of individual interest. Research proposals for the Anouchi scholarship will be reviewed. The awardee will be required to complete a paper on his/her topic upon return from Israel.

The Israel Scholarship Program continues with funding from endowments underwritten by Avraham and Patti Anouchi, Bernard and the late Esther Klionsky, Harold and Marla Scheinman, the late Thelma Esman, and the Novick family, in loving memory of the late Ivan and Natalie Novick.

For complete details about the scholarships, applications or how to establish a scholarship in the name of a loved one, contact ZOA Executive Director Stuart Pavilack at 412-665-4630 or pittsburgh@zoa.org.