Metro Briefs May 9

“A Stitch in Jewish Time: Provocative Textiles,” the latest exhibit at the American Jewish Museum of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, opens Tuesday, May 14, and runs through July 28.

Organized by the Hebrew Union College Museum in New York, the exhibit includes work by contemporary artists who employ textiles to explore conceptual, social, religious, historical or identity issues from Jewish vantage points.

Among the artists whose work is included are Pittsburghers Leslie Golomb and Louise Silk. They co-created a tapestry that silhouettes a pre-Civil War Passover scene.

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Individually addressing issues of memory and reflection, interpretations of history and ritual, and links between the past and present, the exhibits delve into aspects of the Holocaust, war, patriotism, celebration, prayer, feminism, and sexuality, frequently through the inclusion of biblical texts and sometimes challenging traditional forms.

Until modern times, however, textiles were not ranked as fine art materials. With the exception of tapestries from the Renaissance and Baroque Europe, the fabrication of textiles was, for centuries, considered a domestic craft  — “women’s work.”

The exhibit is on display in the Fine Perlow Weis Gallery, 5738 Darlington Road, Squirrel Hill. Call the AJM at 412-521-8011, ext. 105 for more information. Admission is free.

Adrienne Indianer has joined the Pittsburgh staff of State of Israel Bonds as a full-time registered sales representative.

Indianer recently served as Jewish National Fund’s western Pennsylvania regional director and prior to that was the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh’s director of customer service and sales.

In 2008, when Israel Bonds reduced the size of its Pittsburgh staff, many in the community believed — erroneously —  that the office had closed. This notion was compounded in 2011 when Harold Marcus became regional director, which necessitated his move to Philadelphia.

But the office remains open for business.

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Southern Methodist University, Indianer spent 12 years in finance with Neiman Marcus’ corporate headquarters in Dallas before moving to Pittsburgh.

“[Indianer] brings with her an enthusiasm that I know will continue the great success our campaign has achieved,” Israel Bonds campaign chair Marian Ungar Davis said in a prepared statement. “She is there to help whether you are purchasing bonds for yourself, for gifts, for charitable donations or for any other reason.”

Indianer can be reached at 412-204-3303 or 412-362-5154.

Liron Lipinsky will become the first full-time director of the Joint Jewish Education Program (JJEP) going into the 2013-2014 school year.

The Joint Jewish Education Program — a collaborative effort between Congregation Beth Shalom and Rodef Shalom Congregation — is in the third phase of that collaboration, combining the entirety of their kindergarten through seventh-grade religious and Hebrew education programs, under the direction of a single educational director.

A search committee, comprised of lay leaders from both congregations, along with their respective senior rabbis, voted unanimously to hire Lipinsky after reviewing applications from around the country.

Lipinsky was head of schools at Beth Shalom when the JJEP got started, and for the last year, together with Susan Loether, has been its co-director.

Lipinsky holds a master’s degree in teaching from Johns Hopkins University. She previously served as the curriculum, instruction and evaluation coordinator of After School Programs at 21st Century Community Learning Centers/Heritage Community Initiatives in Braddock.

“Liron has raised the level of our students’ education experience and enhanced the programs at Beth Shalom,” Rabbi Michael Werbow, of Beth Shalom, said in a prepared statement. “She has high expectations for herself, her teachers, and the entire program. Liron, who is also fluent in Hebrew, brings to her work a passion for education and Judaism.”

Rabbi Aaron Bisno of Rodef Shalom added, “I’m confident that as we transition from co-directors to a single educator at the helm, Liron Lipinsky will help our joint program reach ever new heights.”

In her own statement, Lipinsky said, “Education and innovation go hand in hand. I’m thrilled to continue this remarkable Jewish journey alongside Rabbi Werbow and Rabbi Bisno as forward thinking thought-partners.”

Enrollment for the 2013-2014 school year will be opening in late May. Contact Lipinsky at 412-421-2288, ext. 321, or jjeppgh@gmail.com for more information on JJEP.

The Newcomers Division of Shalom Pittsburgh will hold a Molly’s Trolleys tour of Pittsburgh and ride on the Duquesne Incline Sunday, May 19, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The trolley will pick up and drop off participants at West End Elliott Overlook Park, 599 Fairview Ave.

Brunch begins at 11 a.m., followed by the Trolley ride promptly at noon. There is a charge.

Contact Meryl Lotz at 412-992-5204 or mlotz@jfedpgh.org for more

information.

Community Day School students annually partner with Adath Jeshurun Cemetery to replace worn American flags from the gravesites of American veterans. Rules of respect both to the American flag and to the graves are reviewed with the students; a veteran from World War II will share stories. Veterans are invited to attend to share where they served and provide a glimpse into those days. This year, they will be at Adath Jeshurun Cemetery, Friday, May 17.

Organizers are considering a short religious service to honor those who have served. Those interested in attending the service should RSVP to

ReneAbrams@aol.com or at 412-363-3112.

Congregation Beth Shalom will host a Mother’s Day concert featuring Alba Flamenca of Flamenco de Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 12, at 4 p.m., in the Samuel & Minnie Hyman Ballroom.

Alba Flamenca performs at events around the city and is dedicated to increasing awareness of the Flamenco culture in Pittsburgh.

Other performers will include Joel and Amy Lindsey, Cantor Ben Rosner and the Beth Shalom band, as well as other singers.  Sangria and tapas will also be served, in accordance with the Spanish theme of the afternoon.

The Mother’s Day Concert is the final installment of a series of musical events titled J-JAM, which was started by Rosner and Lindsey in December 2011.  Each month, artists are invited to perform at Dunkin’ Donuts in Squirrel Hill in an “open-mic” setting, and performances include vocals, instruments, as well as spoken word and slam poetry.

Contact Beth Shalom at 412-421-2288 or at cfogel@bethshalompgh.org for more information.  

Dori Oshlag has been named the new director of the Isadore Joshowitz Early Childhood Center at Hillel Academy. She succeeds Phyllis Harris, who will retire this summer after five years in the position.

Oshlag earned her bachelor’s degree in education at Buffalo State College and dual master’s degrees in Jewish communal service and elementary Education from Baltimore Hebrew University and Towson State University, respectively. She also received certification in supervision and curriculum from the University of Pittsburgh and is licensed to deliver professional development to NAEYC-accredited preschool facilities in Pennsylvania.

Previously, she was the kindergarten Hebrew/Jewish Studies specialist at Community Day School for nine years.

A Mt. Lebanon resident, Oshlag has lived in the Pittsburgh region for more than 20 years with her family of five, and is a founding member of Chabad of South Hills.

“I am excited to support a curriculum that combines Torah, mitzvot and Eretz Yisrael while utilizing my administrative and education skills to continue the excellence of care that is noteworthy of Hillel Academy’s Early Childhood Center,” Oshlag said in a prepared statement.

She will officially start in June.

Hadassah Greater Pittsburgh Chapter has scheduled a bus trip to the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, Ohio, Wednesday, May 22, to see the traveling exhibit from Yad Vashem, “Spots of Light: To Be A Woman in the Holocaust.”

After viewing the exhibit, the group will have lunch at Jack’s Deli and discuss the exhibit, then travel back to Pittsburgh. The trip is open to the community; there is a charge.

Call the Hadassah office at 412-421-8919 for more information or to sign up.

“More Than Just Learning” hosts Shirley and Morris Shratter interview mayoral candidate Jack Wagner in a re-run from 1993. The program airs every Tuesday in May on Channel 21-Comcast and Verizon 47 at 8 p.m.

Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha will hold “Shavuot 2013,” a confirmation and congregational dinner and awards ceremony, Tuesday, May 14, at 6:30 p.m.

This year’s program will honor seventh-grade graduates, Hadracha teen leadership, youth Torah readers, basic Judaism class, Diller Teen Fellows, TLC school aids, adult B’nai Mitzva, Minyan Makers, USY leadership and J-Site students.                            

For more information, contact Alex Speck at 412-521-6788 or aspeck88@yahoo.com for more information.

Tree of Life-Or L’Simcha will hold a “Sports Night” program featuring Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Antonio Brown, Sunday, May 19, 6 p.m. at the synagogue, 5898 Wilkins Ave.

Stadium-style kosher food will be served, and a silent auction and 50/50 raffle will be held. There also will be an autograph session.

Contact Alex Speck at 412-521-6788 or aspeck88@yahoo.com for more information. There is a charge.