Metro Briefs May 19

More than 50 students will put their creative problem-solving skills to the test in the first-ever Pittsburgh Jewish Day School Odyssey of the Mind Competition on Sunday, May 21 from 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The competition will be held at Community Day School, with participants in grades three to eight joining from Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh and Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international program that engages students in learning by allowing their knowledge and ideas to come to life in an exciting, productive environment.

During the competition, 12 trained judges from Odyssey of the Mind, as well as four judges from the Pittsburgh Jewish community, will evaluate 10 teams from the three schools. The students will compete in solving spontaneous verbal and hands-on problems, and present the solutions to long-term problems they have been working on throughout the year.

The community is invited to attend.

On Tuesday evening, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24, the Jewish world will celebrate Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, marking the 50th anniversary of the return of Jerusalem to Jewish control and its reunification as the undivided capital of the State of Israel.

To mark the day there will be a presentation and lecture at Shaare Torah on May 24 at 7 p.m. The presentation, entitled “Ancient Jerusalem and Me,” will be given by Gabriel Barkay, director of the Temple Mount Sifting Project. The program is presented by Classrooms Without Border and Shaare Torah, and co-sponsored by Macy and Maxine Kisilinsky and Temple Sinai.

The program is free and open to the community. RSVP at classroomswithoutborders.org/event/rsvp.php?152.

The Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh will hold its annual meeting on Monday, June 5 at 6 p.m. at Rodef Shalom Congregation. This year the program will highlight the impact of past grants and feature keynote speaker Dr. Elizabeth Miller, chief of adolescent medicine at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Miller is an internationally known expert on sexual violence prevention programs and is involved in projects to reduce gender-based violence and improve adolescent and young adult women’s health in the United States, India and Japan.

The Jewish Women’s Foundation supports organizations that improve the lives of women and girls, and leverages the shared passion and investments of its trustees to promote positive social change.

If you are a woman interested in learning more about the Foundation’s model of collaborative, gender-focused philanthropy or would like to attend the annual meeting, contact Judy Cohen, executive director, at 412-727-1108 or jcohen@jwfpgh.org.

The Joshua L. Sindler, z”l, Creative Classrooms Night of Art and Music will be held on Tuesday, June 6 at 7 p.m. at Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh.

All are welcome to attend an evening to celebrate the memory of Josh Sindler, z”l. The evening begins with live musical performances by Hillel Academy students, followed by browsing the student-based art gallery.

This event is free and open to the community.

Contact Danny Shaw at dshaw@hillelpgh.org or 412-521-8131 for additional information.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, in partnership with J’Burgh and Bet Tikvah, invites the community to march with them in the 2017 Pittsburgh Pride EQT Equality March on Sunday, June 11 at 11:45 a.m. at the PPG Paints Arena on Fifth Avenue.

Visit jfedpgh.org/Pride to register and for more information.

Chabad of the South Hills in Mt. Lebanon will hold a lunch for seniors on Wednesday, June 14 at noon. The program will be on the holiday of Shavuot, the gift of the Torah, and will include tips on floral arrangements and a dairy lunch.

There is a $5 suggested donation; the building is wheelchair accessible.

RSVP to barb@chabadsh.com or 412-278-2658.

Chaim Strassman has accepted the position as chapter director of Pittsburgh NCSY. He will assume the responsibilities of Rabbi Ari and Mrs. Rachel Goldberg who served as Pittsburgh chapter directors for 11 years with much devotion and accomplishment.

Strassman, who is originally from New Jersey, fell in love with the Central East Region in Pittsburgh where as an advisor he attended his first NCSY Shabbaton at Poale Zedek back in the fall of 2011. Since then, he has been an active member of the regional staff team assuming ever-growing responsibilities including serving as a Jerusalem Journey bus director for the Central East Region for two summers. He has also been actively involved in Pittsburgh’s local events this year, including as a mentor in the Jewish Scholars Program and at Jewish Student Union clubs.

Strassman is married to Lindsey (Horvitz), an accountant, who herself has an extensive history with Pittsburgh NCSY that includes junior NCSY, regional board, summer programs, and serving for many years as an advisor. She is committed to the informal Jewish education of teens and, in particular, the Pittsburgh Chapter of NCSY.

Ari Goldberg has been and continues to be fully engaged in this process and a transition in mid-August is anticipated.

The Goldbergs were recognized at the spring regional convention last weekend and will be paid tribute at the annual Sizzler at the home of Nina and Dan Butler on June 26.