Uplifting community, reporting the truth: Help keep us strong

When nearly 2,000 teenage athletes came to Pittsburgh last summer to compete at the JCC Maccabi Campus Games, showcasing a striking demonstration of peoplehood, the Chronicle was there.

A Jewish researcher living in Pittsburgh, Dr. José-Alain Sahel, is on his way to restoring sight to the blind. The Chronicle continues to follow his work as well as his accolades.

The Jewish community has been rallying to assist those in need due to food insecurity. Jewish Pittsburghers joined forces to help a local woman who lost everything in an apartment fire. One community member, Fran Fall, has been knitting scarves and headwraps for the homeless for 27 years. These stories — and scores more highlighting the good work of our community — have all been featured in the Chronicle in the last year.

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

The Chronicle’s tagline, “Connecting Jewish Pittsburgh,” is reflective of our mission: To share news that not only informs, but helps build communal pride and communal bonds.

We know the stories of Jewish Pittsburgh’s accomplishments, generosity and solidarity uplift our readers, especially during turbulent times. We also know our readers are not naïve. At a time when the Jewish people is experiencing an alarming rise of antisemitism, the Chronicle stays committed to telling those stories, too, reporting the facts during this crazy age of misinformation.

I am going to be blunt: This job is getting harder and harder. And we cannot do it without your support.

Every day, the news is filled with reports of blatant Jew-hatred around the world, from terror attacks on synagogues and schools, to an antisemitic arson attack at our governor’s home, to far-right television personalities maligning the Jewish state, to a local elected official lobbing false accusations of genocide against the Jewish people, to anti-Zionist groups urging boycotts and divestment from the Jewish homeland.

Pittsburgh’s Jewish community has not been immune from the incessant antisemitic attacks. In the last year, we have fought boycott initiatives and been bombarded with anti-Zionist rhetoric at various protests and demonstrations. Antisemites identifying with terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah have been arrested in our city. Online attacks against our Jewish institutions, individual community members and Chronicle writers are common.

Telling these stories not only keeps our community informed, but can also help keep our community safe.

Our small but dedicated staff continues to persevere. We know how important it is for us to tell these stories — to report the truth — especially when so many other local media outlets seem more intent on fanning the flames of hate. We take our responsibility seriously, and strive to carry it out with integrity, clarity and courage.

At a time when so many news sources cannot be relied upon to tell the stories of the Jewish people fairly and accurately, independent Jewish journalism is essential.

The Chronicle has been an indispensable resource for Pittsburgh’s Jewish community for more than six decades. Our print paper is delivered free of charge to any member of our community who wants to receive it, reaching more than 8,000 Jewish households each week. Our daily email newsletters are delivered to more than 5,700 readers’ in-boxes. Our website draws 70,000 users a month. And we reach thousands more through social media.

As a nonprofit, the Chronicle depends on donor support to survive. If our work has inspired you, informed you, engaged you or empowered you, please consider a donation so we can continue to connect Jewish Pittsburgh now and for years to come. You can donate here.

We do this work for you, but we cannot do it without you. PJC

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.