Sasha Rogelberg
Pittsburgh's Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld lights the menorah at 2020's Chanukah celebration at the Waterfront. (Photo provided by Rabbi Yisroel Altein)
December 14, 2022, 3:24 pm
A symbol endures: Public menorah lightings withstand controversy, antisemitism
In a climate of increasing antisemitism, the menorah represents defiance against hate, as it did 2,000 years ago when the Maccabees overthrew their Greek-Syrian oppressors.
By Sasha Rogelberg
German soldiers in Naples, Italy, in 1944, pose with a painting taken from the National Museum of Naples Picture Gallery, (Courtesy of Bundesarchiv via Wikimedia Commons)
August 24, 2022, 2:12 pm
Decades after the Holocaust, efforts to return Nazi-looted art are slow, steady
Almost a century after Nazi looting began, efforts to repatriate stolen objects have just begun.
By Sasha Rogelberg
Laurence Lerman (Photo courtesy of Laurence Lerman)
June 29, 2022, 11:03 am
FilmShul pays homage to Jewish Hollywood
The project is an interactive series of presentations of Jewish film and film history.
By Sasha Rogelberg
Doug Mastriano campaigning for governor in Wilkes-Barre in 2022 (Photo by Times Leader Video, creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
June 21, 2022, 8:49 pm
Jews debate Mastriano’s Christian nationalist beliefs
Combined with his far-right platform, Mastriano’s use of Jewish symbolism and condemnation of the division between church and state has alarmed some Jewish Democrats.
By Sasha Rogelberg
Book cover (Image courtesy of Random House)
April 20, 2022, 4:01 pm
‘Let There Be Light’ finds meaning between the lines
In the book, God is drawn in the image of an unassuming cartoonist whose squiggly-line text bubbles and uneven shading make it clear she is far from perfect.
By Sasha Rogelberg
Pittsburghers celebrate Purim at 2018 event at Congregation Beth Shalom. (Photo courtesy of Anat Talmy)
March 7, 2022, 11:11 am
Unmasking the origins of Purim costumes
The practice of dressing up on Purim goes back centuries.
By Sasha Rogelberg
From left: Aiko Beemsterboer and Josephine Arendsen as Anne Frank and Hannah Goslar in “My Best Friend Anne Frank” (Courtesy of Dutch FilmWorks/IMDb)
February 23, 2022, 8:44 am
‘My Best Friend Anne Frank’ misses opportunities
Still, the story of Hannah as depicted in the film is a true reminder of the humanity of those who endured the Shoah.
By Sasha Rogelberg
“Tunnels” by Ritu Modan, published Nov. 2 by Drawn & Quarterly (Image courtesy of Drawn & Quarterly)
January 13, 2022, 8:37 am
‘Tunnels’ digs for complicated truth
The goal of the book's protagonist is the same as Indiana Jones' in "Raiders of the Lost Ark": Find the Ark of the Covenant, and do it quickly.
By Sasha Rogelberg
Will Ferrell plays patient Marty Markowitz and Paul Rudd plays therapist Ike Herschkopf in “The Shrink Next Door” on AppleTV+. (Photo courtesy of AppleTV+)
November 23, 2021, 3:01 pm
‘Shrink Next Door’ looks for breakthroughs
Adapted from a podcast based on a true story, the series shows the 30-year relationship between a psychiatrist and patient that skirts the line between comradery and manipulation.
By Sasha Rogelberg
Chanukah Penguin Party Crackers (Courtesy of Paper Source)
November 18, 2021, 12:55 pm
Gift Guide 2021: Prepare for early Chanukah
Gift ideas for kids, adults and even pets
By Sasha Rogelberg
S’finj are Moroccan rings of fried dough that are light and spongy. (Photo courtesy of Aliza Green)
November 18, 2021, 10:41 am
The many lives of a sufganiyah: Celebrating doughnut diversity for Chanukah
Though Eastern and Central Europe may be the birthplace of what we recognize today as a jelly doughnut, fried dough is popular around the world.
By Sasha Rogelberg
“Morale officers” were asked to take German officers holiday shopping in order to eventually gather intel on Germany V-2 rocket production. (Image courtesy of Netflix)
November 10, 2021, 2:12 pm
‘Camp Confidential’ asks if ends justify means
Some WW II Jewish soldiers served as "morale officers," catering to German officers to gain information on the country’s V-2 rocket production.
By Sasha Rogelberg
Teddy Poneman’s Golem completed his 2019 Temple University MFA. (Photo courtesy of Teddy Poneman via Jewish Exponent)
October 27, 2021, 11:27 am
Ditch werewolves, vampires: Judaism has its own monsters
Golems and dybbuks and demons — oh my!
By Sasha Rogelberg
National Museum of American Jewish History (Photo by Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
October 6, 2021, 3:05 pm
NMAJH exits bankruptcy, looks forward
In the coming months, board members from the Smithsonian and NMAJH, as well as members of Congress, will meet to discuss the details of NMAJH’s inclusion in the institution.
By Sasha Rogelberg
Lou Reed proclaimed that “My God is rock ’n’ roll,” hoping to become a famous musician at a young age. (Photo courtesy of AppleTV+)
October 6, 2021, 11:50 am
‘Velvet Underground’ withstands test of time
Reed wanted to be cemented as a rock star, a feat which couldn’t have been made possible without Pittsburgher Andy Warhol.
By Sasha Rogelberg
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