Salisbury and Heisler champion democracy, allyship and safety at Jewish Federation forum
'Anytime you can get a group of folks in a room to actually be able to talk to people who are doing the work in government, that's incredibly key'
A conversation covering Jewish life in Pittsburgh, professional responsibilities and allyship enabled local voters and two elected officials to exchange ideas and demonstrate mutual respect. The April 1 event, which welcomed members of the Jewish community, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury and City of Pittsburgh Controller Rachael Heisler to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, was part of the umbrella organization’s Women’s Speaker Series.
When it comes to supporting this community, Salisbury and Heisler are among the “most outspoken advocates and leaders,” Federation’s Community Relations Council Director Laura Cherner said. “It’s important that we recognize their work, but it’s also important that this Jewish community hears from them.”
Both during formal remarks and casual conversation that followed, Salisbury, who is Jewish, and Heisler, who is not Jewish, shared their belief in democracy and the need to support Pittsburghers.
“I think that you have to narrow the perceived distance between elected officials and the people who vote for or against us,” Salisbury said. “Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t feel like they can access or reach their elected. People are frustrated right now. They’re making phone calls to offices. They’re trying to get people to hear them, so I think anytime you can get a group of folks in a room to actually be able to talk to people who are doing the work in government, that’s incredibly key.”
“Governments have a responsibility to protect their residents, so for me as a leader on the municipal level, we have a responsibility as a city to make sure everyone feels safe and everyone is safe,” Heisler said. “That obviously looks different for different communities, but — as it relates to the Jewish community and this dramatic and scary rise in antisemitism over the course of the last several years, but in particular, since Oct. 7 — to me, it’s been very important to reiterate my focus and need to reiterate allyship with a community that is particularly vulnerable.”
During the 90-minute gathering, Heisler was showered with compliments.
“We need more people like her,” Stacey Reibach, of Mt. Lebanon, said. “We’re just lucky to have her on our side.”
Lynne Jacobson, of Shadyside, called Heisler “impressive” and praised the elected official’s “handle on everything.”
As controller, Heisler serves as a “watchdog” for citizens, according to the City of Pittsburgh, and maintains fiduciary responsibilities including protecting Pittsburgh’s tax dollars from waste, fraud and abuse, auditing city expenditures, and reviewing and approving city contracts.
In the last year, Heisler filed objections to two attempts to get an anti-Israel referendum on the May ballot. The referendum, if passed, would have prohibited the City of Pittsburgh from doing business with the state of Israel, or with companies that do business with Israel, and consequently would have “severely restricted and/or limited entirely the city’s ability to effectively operate,” Heisler said last month, when the second attempt to get the referendum on the ballot failed.
On Wednesday, she thanked attendees for commending her actions but said she’s not “a hero.”
Whether it’s the city controller or government itself, the obligation is to “fulfill its commitments to our workers, our retirees and our residents,” she said. “This is the right thing to do.”
Heisler mentioned a rise in antisemitism since Oct. 7, 2023, and said Pittsburghers — from all walks of life — should take notice.
“This environment impacts the Jewish community, but there’s no reason to think that they won’t go after somebody else next,” she said. “And I know you all have been saying that. No one’s listening. I hear you and I see that. They’re not just after Jews. They don’t like the LGBT community. They don’t like women in power. This is not just about the Jewish community. This is about fighting for the safety of every single person who lives in the city of Pittsburgh.”
Heisler told the Chronicle there was something special about sharing her thoughts in the space created Wednesday night.
The difference between that forum versus filing an objection to a referendum or even speaking at the Bring Them Home vigils, which she’s done on the corner of Murray Avenue and Darlington Road in Squirrel Hill, is that “this is less of a crisis moment and more of an opportunity to have a conversation with a community that’s important to Pittsburgh and important to western Pennsylvania,” she said. “We want to do everything we can as a city — that’s the vantage point I come from — to make sure that people feel safe being Jewish and living as Jewish people and worshiping and living their lives as Jewish Pittsburghers.”
As the evening came to a close and attendees congregated around Heisler to convey stories about Jewish life in Pittsburgh, Salisbury told the Chronicle that Heisler’s commitment to bettering government and protecting local residents is palpable: “When people feel heard, that’s very different from somebody just standing there and physically taking in the information of what you’re saying. It’s emotional and I think people here tonight felt heard.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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